EP1425557A1 — Improved liquid dosing device

USPTO Abstract

A device (2) for fitting to the neck of a deformable bottle (4) to give a metered dose of liquid when the bottle is squeezed. The liquid dispensed through outlet (30) has to pass through a metering chamber (34) in which it is directed around or through a freely-moving shuttle (8), movement of the shuttle (8) with the flow being resisted by the creation of a partial vacuum in the expanding control chamber (42) behind the shuttle, so that the rate at which the shuttle moves to the outlet end of the metering chamber (34) to close the outlet (30), and hence the amount of liquid dispensed, is controlled by the rate at which liquid can enter control chamber (42). Because it is configured so that all the liquid enters metering chamber (34) at its inward end, the chamber may fitted either inside or outside the neck of the bottle (4) and the dose may be adjusted by moving the outlet (30) closer to, or further from, the inlet.