GB2194509A - Bottle dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispenser has an upwardly directed spout 14 for mounting a bottle, with passage 18 provided through the spout 14, and a central partition 24 extends in the passage for a distance from the tip of the spout. Upper and lower horizontal passages 20, 22 extend from the passage 18 to a compartment 26 of a precisely predetermined volume. Partition 24 extends in the passage 18 to a point between said passages 20, 22. A reciprocable shaft 34 parallel to passage 18 intersects passages 20, 22, and has through passages 38, 40 which when the shaft is in a lowermost position align with the passages 20, 22, a liquid to enter via 22, 40, and air to vent via 38, 20, to the bottle. Outlet passage 42 commences at a port 44 in the side of the shaft, and with shaft 34 in an upper position, liquid exits thereby, whilst groove 46 is connected to atmosphere through a vent passage 50. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improved liquid measure and dispenser The present invention concerns improvements in or relating to measures for dispensing liquids, for example spirits from a spirit bottle.

Existing liquid dispensers of the type adapted to receive a bottle in an inverted position and dispense a measured amount of the contents of the bottle on depressing a plunger on the bottom of the dispenser have exhibited a considerable disadvantage in that the amount of liquid dispensed can not be guaranteed to be constant as a result of the entrapment of air bubbles in the dispenser. Clearly when liquids are being dispensed in controlled conditions for example, in licence premises such inaccuracies are not tolerable.

It is an object of the present invention to obviate or mitigate these disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a combined liquid measure and dispenser including a housing provided with attachment means for fitting the dispenser to a bottle containing liquid to be dispensed, passage means in said attachment means and housing communicating with a chamber of predetermined volume located in the housing, valve means in said passage means for preventing communication between said passage means for said chamber and for permitting discharge of the contents of the chamber through outlet means, said passage means including a liquid passage for supplying liquid through the attachment means to the chamber and a further passage for permitting air from the chamber to vent through the attachment means.

Preferably said passage means comprises a first substantially vertical passage into which lead lower and upper passages which communicate with the chamber, a partition being provided in the first passage, one side of the partition communicating with the lower passage, the other with the upper passage.

Preferably the lower and upper passages are aligned closer to the horizontal than the vertical.

Preferably the valve means are provided by ports passing through a shaft which is reciprocably mounted on the housing and which may be moved from a first position in which the ports align with the lower and upper passages whereby flow and fluid therethrough is permitted and a second position where the ports are not aligned with the passages so that flow is prevented by the shaft blocking off the passages.

Preferably said shaft incorporates also said outlet means whereby when it is moved to said second position its passages connect the chamber with an outlet port. Desirably also the shaft incorporates vent means whereby when the shaft is moved to said second position it connects the chamber to atmosphere.

Preferably the outlet port is formed at the end of an outlet passage passing through the shaft.

Preferably the shaft is spring urged to said first position.

Preferably the chamber of predetermined volume has a viewing area of glass or clear plastic at its front so that its contents can be checked visually.

Preferably the chamber is so shaped that its uppermost point is in direct communication with the upper passage whereby on filling the chamber with liquid all the air can be vented therefrom through said further passage.

Preferably counting means are incorporated in the device, said means being operable when the shaft is moved to said second position.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a diagrammatic sectionai side elevation of a combined liquid measuring and counting device; Fig. 2 shows a diagrammatic front elevation of the device; Fig. 3 shows a diagrammatic front elevation of a component of the device; and Fig. 4 shows a similar view to Fig. 1 of a further liquid measuring and counting device.

A measure for dispensing known volumes of liquid, for example, spirits, comprises an injection moulded housing 10 of a plastics material having a rearwardly projecting mounting member 12 by which the housing can be mounted to a shelf or gantry utilising a specially designed clip, for example a clip as described in our U.K. Patent Application No.

8611597. The housing has an upwardly directed bottle attachment means or spout 14 projecting therefrom, the spout being provided with a stopper 16 whereby an inverted bottle of liquid to be dispensed can be fitted on the dispenser with the spout 14 projecting into the bottle.

A circular cross-section inlet and inlet vent passage means 18 is provided through the spout and extends into the housing 10. A first upper horizontal vent passage 20 extends from the passage 18 and a second lower horizontal filling passage 22 extends from its lower end. A central partition 24 extends from the upper tip of the spout 14 to a point below the inlet vent passage 20. The horizontal passages 20,22 each extend into a compartment 26 of a precisely predetermined volume which is defined by the housing 10 and by a front domed sight glass 28 which is marked with the capacity of the compartment and which is mounted on the housing by an arrangement including a threaded collar 30, a seal ring 32 and a wire tamperproof seal (not shown).

A circular cross-section shaft 34 is reciprocably mounted with a close sliding fit in the housing 10 and projects upwardly from an extension bush 36 on the underside of the housing parallel to and alongside the passage means 18, intersecting the horizontal passages 20, 22. The shaft is provided with two transverse through passages or ports 38,40 which, when the shaft is in a first lowermost position align with the passages 20,22 leading from the passage means 18 to the measured compartment 26.It will be realised therefore that with the shaft in the said first lowermost position, as illustrated in Fig. 1, when a container of liquid to be dispensed is fitted over the spout 18 and closed off by the stopper 16 liquid flows down the passage means 18 on one side of the partition 24 and by way of the passage 22 and port 40 fills the compartment 26, air being vented therefrom by way of the port 38, the passage 20 and the passage means 18 on the opposite side of the partition 24 from the incoming liquid.

The shaft 34 is provided with an axially extending outlet passage 42 which terminates at the bottom of the shaft and commences at a transverse port 44 in the side of the shaft. It is provided also with a vent passage 46 which is essentially a groove formed in the outer surface of the shaft adjacent to the port 38 and provides communication for air between the compartment 26 and a vent passage 50 formed through the upperside of the housing 10. A retaining plate 52 having a flat side is fixed to the top of the shaft, the flat side moving over corresponding flat side of the spout 18 to prevent rotation of the shaft so that the ports are always aligned with the passages.

As can be best seen from Fig. 3 the shaft 34 is a composite member comprising an inner solid shaft core 54 provided with the passages 38-44 and 46 surrounded by three cylindrical spacers 56 slidably mounted on the core 54 and sandwiching therebetween high nitrile rubber cylinders 58 provided with openings communicating with the passages 38-40.

The spacers and cylinders on the shaft are held in place by a threaded member 60 mountable in the bush 36 of the housing 10, rotation of the threaded member 60 compressing the nitrile members 58 to increase the sealing effect between the circumference of the shaft and the- housing bore in which it reciprocates.

A locking plate 62 is provided on the housing to retain the threaded member 60 in its adjusted position and to provide an abutment for a coil compression spring 64 compressed between this plate and a cup member 66 fixed to the shaft whereby the shaft is normally spring urged downwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1 whereby the compartment 26 is in communication with the contents of the bottle from which liquid is being dispensed.

Arms 68 project radially from the base of the shaft 34.

An electronic counting means 70 is located at the top of the housing and may be of the type described in our co-pending Application 8611597.

It includes a liquid crystal numerical display 72, a printed circuit 74, which does not form part of the present invention and will not be described here in detail, and a reed or microswitch 76 which is actuated each time the shaft is moved upwardly to cause the contents of the compartment to be dispensed whereby the number of dispensing operations is shown on the LCD 72.

In operation the measuring and counting device is fitted to a gantry and a bottle containing liquid to be dispensed is fitted over the spout 16. As the normal "at rest" position of the dispenser is that shown in Fig. 1 the ports 38 and 40 will allow full passage through passages 20,22 so that liquid from the bottle will pass down the passage means 18 through the passage 22 with its port 40 into the compartment 26 and will fill the compartment 26 from the bottom the air in the compartment being displaced by way of the port 38, passage 20 and the passage 18 on that side of the partition 24 opposite to the incoming liquid. The compartment and upper passage 20 is so designed that the filling liquid completely expells all air therefrom so that when liquid stops flowing from the bottle the compartment will be fully filled with a predetermined volume of liquid to be dispensed.

A dispensing operation can then be carried out by placing a recepticle, for example a glass, with its upper open end against the arms 68 and pushing the arms upwardly thereby pushing the shaft upwardly into the housing. This movement will cause the counter 70 to register the movement and hence a dispensing operation. When the movement has been completed the ports 38,40 are out of alignment with the passages 20,22 which are shut off so that there is no communication between the bottle and the compartment 26.

There is, however, communication by way of the port 44 and the passage 42 between the recepticle and the compartment 26 so that the charge of liquid therein can be dispensed into the recepticle, the liquid being replaced by air passing through the vent passage 50 and the passage 46 which is now in registry with the passage 50 and the passage 20. Removal of the recepticle allows the shaft to be returned under the action of coil spring 64 to the position shown in Fig. 1 where a further filling operation can commence when inspection of the compartment through the sight area of glass or clear plastic glass shows that it has refilled.

Fig. 4 shows a device similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 3 except that the first upper horizontal vent passage 20 (shown in Fig. 1) has been replaced by a first vent passage 21 which is inclined upwards towards the passage means 18 at substantially 10 . This inclination aids the expulsion of air from the compartment 26 during the filling thereof. Also in this device air is allowed into the compartment 26 during emptying thereof, by means of an inclinecl passage 47 in the shaft which aligns with the passage 21 when the shaft 34 has been pushed up. The passage 47 connects with a vent 51 in the body 10.

Various other modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, for example the housing and compartment can take any convenient shapes provided that the compartment is such that it completely fills with liquid. The air passage means into the bottle being emptied need not be provided by a partition but could be provided by a metal tube communicating with the passage 20 and passing through the out passage 18. Various arrangements of seals, ports etc. in the shaft could also be provided. Rotation of the shaft 34 may be prevented by utilising the plate 52 in a manner different from that described above. In this modification the plate is provided with a hole through which passes a dowel which is fixed to the body.

Claims (14)

1. A combined liquid measure and dispenser including a housing provided with attachment means for fitting the dispenser to a bottle containing liquid to be dispensed, passage means in said attachment means and housing communicating with a chamber of predetermined volume located in the housing, valve means in said passage means for preventing communication between said passage means for said charnber and for permitting discharge of the contents of the chamber through outlet means, said passage means including a liquid passage for supplying liquid through the attachment means to the chamber and a further passage for permitting air from the chamber to vent through the attachment means.

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1, in which said passage means comprises a first substantially vertical passage into which lead lower and upper passages which communicate with the chamber, a partition being provided in the first passage, one side of the partition communicating with the lower passage, the other with the upper passage.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2, in which the lower and upper passages are aligned closer to the horizontal than the vertical.

4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, in which the valve means are provided by ports passing through a shaft which is reciprocably mounted on the housing and which may be moved from a first position in which the ports align with the lower and upper passages whereby flow and fluid therethrough is permitted and a second position where the ports are not aligned with the passages so that flow is prevented by the shaft blocking off the passages.

5. A dispenser as claimed in claim 4, in which the shaft incorporates also said outlet means whereby when it is moved to said second position its passages connect the chamber with an outlet port.

6. A dispenser as claimed in claim 5, in which the outlet port is formed at the end of an outlet passage passing through the shaft.

7. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 4 to 6, in which the shaft incorporates vent means whereby when the shaft is moved to said second position it connects the chamber to atmosphere.

8. A dispenser as claimed in any of claims 4 to 7, in which the shaft is spring urged to said first position.

9. A dispenser as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the chamber is so shaped that its uppermost point is in direct communication with the upper passage whereby on filling the chamber with liquid all the air can be vented therefrom through said further passage.

10. A dispenser as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which the chamber of predetermined volume has a viewing area of glass or clear plastic at its front so that its contents can be checked visually.

11. A dispenser as claimed in any of the preceding claims, in which counting means are incorporated in the device, said means being operable when the shaft is moved to said second position.

12. A combined liquid measure and dispenser substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A combined liquid measure and dispenser substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings.

14. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed in the foregoing specification or claims and/or shown in the drawings, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.