MXPA99010723A - Package liquid assortment system cerr - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a liquid assortment apparatus, comprising: a) a container for holding a liquid product that will be filled, the container has an outlet at a first end and the container has a second end, b) a dike station to receive the container, the dike station has a support to hold the container, c) a tank to receive liquid product from the container, the tank has an inlet and an outlet, d) a dike cup operatively connected to the dike station, the dike cup has an inlet adapted to receive the outlet from the container, and the dike cup has an outlet operatively connected to the tank inlet, and e) the container has a first handle placed near the first end to the initial handling of the container and a second handle placed near the second end to handle the container is inserted into the diq station.

Description

CLOSED PACKAGE LIQUID ASSORTMENT SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to a liquid assortment system of the closed package and more particularly, to a liquid product dispenser including a resealable package, easy to handle containers that can be delivered to a reservoir. 2. Description of the Related Art Many systems have been developed to supply a liquid product to a final use such as washing machines. An objective of an assortment system is that it is convenient for the user. That is, the product that will be stocked must be easy to handle containers, the product can be safely stocked and provide various safety aspects. These aspects may include a closure system to ensure that the correct product is being stocked and also an alarm to indicate when the product's container is empty. A number of systems have been developed to supply liquid laundry products, but one or more desired areas have fallen short. Although the present invention is described with respect to the assortment of liquid laundry products, it is a system that has been designed for wider use, where concentrated and potentially corrosive liquid products are handled. Most of the laundry assortment systems designed to date have the liquid concentrate to go directly from the bottle where the liquid concentrate is contained to the washing machine. A solid block product dispenser will usually include an intermediate reservoir, which itself leads to additional benefits, such as the ability to use a low level alarm and a full visual indicator. The present invention addresses the desired aspects in a liquid assortment system.

COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a liquid assortment apparatus having a container for holding a liquid product that will be stocked. The container has an entrance in a first end and the container has a second end. A dike station is provided to receive the container. The dike station has a support to support the container. A tank tank is located below the container and receives the liquid product from the container. The deposit has an entrance and an exit. A dike cup is operatively connected to the dike station. The dike cup has an inlet adapted to receive the outlet from the container, and the dike cup has an outlet operatively connected to the tank inlet. The container has a first handle position near the first end for the initial handling of the container and a second handle position near the second end for handling the container while it is inserted in the dike station. In another embodiment, the invention is a liquid assortment apparatus having a container for holding a liquid product that will be stocked. The container has an outlet at a first end and the container has a second end. A dike station is provided to receive the container. The dike station has a support to support the container. A tank tank is placed below the container to receive the liquid product from the container. The deposit has an exit and an entrance. A dike cup is operatively connected to the dike station. The dike cup has an inlet adapted to receive the outlet from the container, and the dike cup has an outlet operatively connected to the tank inlet. A container insert is operatively connected to the outlet of the container. The insert includes the first external member configured to be fixed at the outlet of the container. A second external member has a central hole. The hole has an opening at its first end. The second member is operatively connected to the first member. A slidable member is configured to slide in the hole. The slidable member can be moved between a closed position and an assortment position. A spring is placed between the sliding member and the second member, pushing the sliding member to a closed position. The second member has an opening. The sliding member sealing the opening when in the closed position and discovering the opening in the assortment position, wherein the product can flow between the first and second members, through the opening and into the hole towards the outlet of the cup of dike. In another embodiment, the invention is a container for maintaining a liquid product that will be stocked. The container is for use with an assortment apparatus having a dike station, which has a dike cup and a closing indentation near the dike cup. The container includes an external shell defining an internal cavity. The shell has a first end and a second end. An exit is placed near the first end. The outlet is in fluid communication with the cavity. A first handle is placed near the first end for the initial handling of the container and a second handle is placed near the second end to handle the container while it is inserted in a dike station. In a preferred embodiment, the container includes a closure section formed near the outlet of the container to coincide with the closing indentation at the dike station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the assortment system of the present invention; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the spout shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view, generally seen from below, of the dispenser cup shown in the Figure 1; Figure 4 is a perspective view, taken generally from above, of the dike cup shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the container, the bottle insert, the dike cup and the deposit inlet of the assortment system shown in Figure 1; Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the dike cup and bottle insert, shown in a fully open position; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of the dike cup and insert shown in a half coupled position; Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the dam and insert cup shown in the fully closed position; Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a dike cup and a second embodiment of a bottle insert, shown in a fully open position; Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a dike cup; Figure 11 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of an insert; Figure 12 is a side elevational view of the dispenser reservoir shown in Figure 1; Figure 13 is a bottom plan view of the reservoir shown in Figure 12; Figure 14 is a bottom view of the bottle insert; Figure 15 is a perspective view of the container shown in Figure 1; Figure 16 is a side elevational view of the container shown in Figure 1; Figure 17 is a perspective view of a lid for the container shown in Figure 1; Figure 18 is a second embodiment of a container; and Figure 19 is a third embodiment of a container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITY Referring to the drawings, in which like numbers represent similar parts throughout the various views, a liquid assortment system is generally shown at 10. The liquid assortment system 10 includes a dam station 20 having a dam cup 30 mounted therein. A reservoir tank 50 has an inlet 51 in fluid communication with the dam cup 30. The dam station 20 has a cavity 21, which is sized and configured, as will be discussed in more detail below, to receive the container. 70 The reservoir tank 50 has an upper part 50a and a bottom 50b connected through a side wall 50c to generally form a reservoir tank 50, which has an internal cavity for receiving the liquid product that will be supplied. The reservoir tank 50 has a threaded inlet 51 formed in the upper part 50a. Two limbs 52 are formed in the bottom 50b and extend generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the reservoir tank 50. An outlet 53 has a tab end 53a to which a collection line 11 is attached with a hose clamp, 12 The outlet 53 has a generally vertical portion 53b, connected to a horizontal portion 53c. The horizontal portion 53c extends generally over the length of the reservoir tank 50 and extends slightly below the bottom 50b. The reservoir tank 50 also includes an extension 54, which extends beyond the side wall 50c. The projection 54 is a portion of the reservoir tank and the liquid product that is stored in the reservoir tank 50 is capable of flowing to the reservoir tank and the projection portion 54. The horizontal portion 53c of the outlet 53 allows the product is removed from tank 50 from the bottom of the tank. A second threaded opening 55 is formed in the upper portion 50a of the reservoir tank 50. A reservoir float switch 56 has a cap 56a, which is threaded on the opening 55. Extending below the cover 56a is a float switch 56b. The float switch 56b extends to the reservoir tank 50 and floats on the product stored in the reservoir tank 50. The float switch 56b is electrically connected to a low level lamp 22 through suitable means such as cables 57 This in turn is connected to a suitable power source through cables 58. The dam station is shown in Figures 1, 2 and 15. Dam station 20 includes an upper section 20a and a lower section 20b. The two sections are separated by a divider 25. The divider 25 forms the base of the upper section 20a and the upper part of the lower section 20b. The upper section 20a has a right side wall 40 connected to a left side wall 41 through a front wall 42 and a rear wall 43. The walls 40-43 define an internal cavity 21. As will be described in more detail below, the internal cavity 21 is dimensioned and configured to receive the container 70. The internal cavity 21 has two inclined surfaces 44, which have an inclination 45 formed between them. The divider 25 forms the bottom of the cavity 21. The two inclined surfaces 44 are close to the front wall 42. The inclined surfaces 44 generally tend to go downwards as they go towards the rear wall 43. Close to the rear wall 43 , a matching indentation is formed for the closure fitting of the container 70. The matching indentation is formed through a first generally horizontal surface 150 connected to a second horizontal surface 151 through the wall 152. A second wall 153 connects the second one. horizontal surface 47 to divider 25. A mirror image configuration is formed on the other side of the cavity to form the matching indentation near the dam cup 30. The lower section 20b is formed through the right side wall 46 and the left side wall 47 being operatively connected by the front wall 48 and the rear wall 49. The walls 46-49 define a lower cavity 23 in d The tank tank 50 is placed. The front wall 48 has an opening 24 formed therein to see the projection 54 of the reservoir tank 50. A first opening 25a is formed in the divider 25 and provides a space for the inlet 51 for this to be placed. A second opening 25b is also formed in the divider 25 and provides an opening for the second threaded opening 55 and the lid 56a to be positioned. A dust cover 56c is placed on the lid 56a. The reservoir tank 50 is placed in the lower cavity 23 and is held in place through a base plate 13 and screws 14. The first end 11a of the reinforcement tube is connected to the end 53a with tabs through a clamp for hose, 12, as previously described. The second end 11b of the collection tube 11 is connected through a hose clamp, 12, to an output manifold 15. The output manifold 15 is optional, but allows the product in the reservoir tank 50 to be supplied to more than one site The output manifold 15 has an input 15a, which is connected to the manifold block 15b. A plurality of outlets 15c is provided, which is in fluid communication with the inlet 15a. As shown in Figure 2, several of the outputs are plugged with a pin, for when the outputs are not in use. The outlets 15c which are in use are connected to a suitable pump, such as a peristaltic pump or other suitable means for removing the liquid product from the reservoir 50. The output manifold 15 can be secured to the rear of the reservoir 20 through suitable means such as a mounting bracket 16, which in turn can be secured to a pair bracket 17. The wall bracket 17 is mounted on a wall through suitable means such as a screw 18 and an articulated insert 19 Although the low level lamp will give an indication of when the liquid level in tank 50 is low, it is generally advantageous for the operator to make a visual determination to know that so much liquid product is in the reservoir tank 50. Accordingly, the reservoir tank 50 has a projection 54, which extends towards the inlet 24. Since the projection 54 forms a part of the reservoir tank 50, the level in the reservoir tank 50 is the same as in the projection 54. Therefore, since the reservoir projection 54 is on the edge of the reservoir wall. 20, the operator can visually see the amount of product remaining in the reservoir tank 50 by looking into the projection 54. The reservoir tank 50 will typically be made of a transparent plastic, so that the liquid product is easier to see by the operator. The container 70 has a threaded outlet 71. A circular lip 72 is formed around the outlet at the base of the threads. A bottle insert, generally designated at 90, is secured inside the outlet 71. The bottle insert 90, as best seen in Figures 5 and 8, includes a first portion 91, a spring 92, a cover 93. and a slidable member 94. The exploded perspective view in Figure 5 does not show the spring 92. However, the spring as shown in Figure 8 could appear between the cover 93 and the first portion 91 as shown in FIG. Figure 5. The first portion 91 includes a first outer member 95 which generally has a cylindrical shape. The outer diameter of the first outer member 95 is dimensioned for a friction fit within the interior of the outlet 71. A sealing rib 96 extends around the outer member 95. A second inner member 97 is cylindrical in shape and is positioned within the first outer member 95. The ends of the first outer member 95 and the second inner member 97 are connected through an annular ring 98. As shown in Figure 14, a second annular ring 99 is operatively connected to the first annular ring 98. The The first annular ring 99 is very thin, having a thickness of approximately 0.0254 cm. In addition, the outer periphery of the second annular ring 99 extends beyond the outer periphery of the first annular ring 98 to approximately 0.0508 cm. As will be described in more detail below, the second annular ring 99 is a sacrificial material, which is used to seal the insert 90 to the container 70. Two slots 100 are formed in the outer member 95. The purpose of the slots 100 is providing access to cut another group of slots 101 in the second inner member 97. The inner member 97 has an upper portion 97a, a ventilation tube receptacle 97b is formed in the upper portion 97a. The vent pipe receptacle 97b has a central hole 97c. Preferably, the first portion 91 is formed as a single piece of plastic, by any means known in the art. The second inner member 97 has a central hole in which the sliding member 94 is positioned. The sliding member 94 has a cylindrical side wall 94a operatively connected by a bottom 94b. The bottom 94b has an opening 94c formed therein. Two sealing fillets 94d are formed in the upper part or the lower part of the side wall 94a. The bottom 94b has a conical surface leading to the opening 94c. A circular spacer ring 94e is formed on the interior of the bottom 94b. Preferably, the slidable member 94 is formed as a single piece of plastic, by methods well known in the art.

The cover 93 is in the general form of a disc. On one side there is a circular reinforcing member 93a with transverse reinforcing members 93b. A plug 93c is formed on the other side of the disc 93. The plug 93c is generally circular and is sized to seal the opening 94c. The cover 93 is seated on the spacer ring 94e as shown in Figure 8. Unless a force is acting on the plug 93c, this could be the typical closed position for the insert. The spring 92 is positioned between the upper part 97a and the cover 93 for forcing the cover against the bottom 94b of the sliding member 94. A second embodiment 290 of the bottle insert is shown in Figure 11. The only difference between the insert of bottle 290 and the bottle insert 90 previously described is that top 297a is solid and does not have an opening formed therein. The dike cup 30 is generally a member with a cylindrical shape. The dam cup 30 includes a lower section 31 that is cylindrical and has an internal threaded portion 31a. The threaded portion is used to thread and secure the dam cup 30 to the inlet 51 of the tank 50. A gasket 120 is used to seal the inlet 51 to the dam cup 30. The upper section 32 is also cylindrical and is slightly sized greater than the lower section 31. A lip 31b is formed near the upper part of the internal cavity 34 to form a quick placement with the container 70. A plurality of ribs 37 is provided to assist the fastening of the dike cup 30 to make it easier to screw or unscrew the dam cup 30 from the reservoir inlet 51. The upper section 32 defines a receiving cavity 34, which is sized to receive the outlet 71 from the container 70. A central cylinder 36 is connected to the lower member 32a. The cylinder 36 has an external sealing wall 36a. The central hole 35, formed by the cylinder 36, extends through the upper section 32 and is in fluid communication with the internal cavity 31b of the lower section. The internal cavity 31b is in fluid communication with the reservoir 50. A plurality of L-shaped flanges 37 is formed on the inner wall of the upper section 32. The L-shaped flanges have a side surface 37a and an inner surface 37b. The side surface 37a is angled so that the upper part of the surface 37a is farther from the longitudinal axis of the dike cup 30 than the bottom of the side surface 37a, near the bottom 37b. Therefore, as the outlet 71 of the container 70 is inserted into the dike cup, the side surface 37a is used as a guide to center the outlet 71 on the dam cup 30. The flanges 37 allow the placement of the container 70 as it is inserted into the dam cup 30. In addition, the bottom 37b of the flanges 37 defines a ring to stop the container from being inserted further. A central vent pipe 38 is positioned in the center of the cylinder 36 and is held in place by three connecting members 39. The connecting members 39 simply connect the central vent pipe 38 and place it within the central hole 35. without closing the flow of product through the hole 35. The central ventilation pipe 38 has a hole 38a, which extends through and opens towards the internal cavity 31b of the lower section 31. A ventilation pipe is formed non-functional 41 at the bottom of the central ventilation pipe 38 and extends generally 90 ° from the central ventilation pipe 38 towards the outer edge of the dam cup 30. As seen in Figure 3, only the outer semicircular wall of the vent pipe 41, is shown. There is no actual ventilation, which is achieved through the use of the vent pipe 41 in the present embodiment. An operational vent pipe 41 will be discussed in more detail with respect to the second and third embodiments of the dam cup 30. A second embodiment of a dam cup 230 is shown in Figure 9 and a third embodiment 330 is shown in FIG. Figure 10. The second mode 230 is similar to the first mode 30, except for the ventilation provided. Accordingly, only the differences will be discussed, the remaining portions of the cups 230 and 330 are similar to the cup 30. As shown in Figure 6, the central hole 38a extends through the entire internal cavity 31b of the section lower 31. However, in the second embodiment, the hole 238 is closed at its bottom and there is no ventilation in the internal cavity. In addition, the vent pipe 41, as seen in Figure 3, is non-operational. However, in the second embodiment, the vent pipe 241 is perforated and extends from the central hole 238 to the outside of the dam canopy 230. The third embodiment of the dam canopy 230 is shown in Figure 10. The vent 341 is perforated, similar to that in the dam cup of the second embodiment 230. However, the central hole 338a is again open towards the internal cavity of the inner section, similar to the first embodiment. The dike cup is preferably an individual plastic part, made through methods well known in the art. The container 70 can be formed through any suitable process such as blow molding. The container 70 is a double handle container. The container 70 has two side walls 73 and 74 that are mirror images of each other. The side walls have a central section 73a, an upper section 73b and a lower section 73c. The upper and lower sections 73b and 73c extend upwards and downwards respectively from the rear of the side walls. A generally rectangular rear wall 75 connects the rear part of the side walls 73 and 74. The front wall 76 has a first generally vertical section 76a connected to an inclined section 76b, which in turn is connected to a horizontal section 76c. The horizontal section 76c is connected to an inclined surface 76d, which in turn is connected to a vertical section 76e. The front walls 76 are connected to the front end of the side walls 73 and 74. A first handle 77 is formed at one end of the container 70. The handle 77 has one end connected to the front wall 76a and the other end connected to the wall frontal 76b. A vent 78 is formed in the handle 77 and closed with a lid 79. The vent 78 is preferably a hole that is covered with a metal foil liner that can be removable. The cap 79 is then screwed onto the vent 78, so that when ventilation is desired, the lid 79 is removed and then the sheet is perforated or removed by exposing the hole formed in the vent, which are in fluid communication with the vent. internal cavity of the container 70. A second handle 80 is connected between the front wall 76d and the front wall 76e. In the upper part 81 a threaded outlet 71 is formed. The outlet 71 has a thread on the outer part where a lid 110 is secured. The container also has a bottom 82, which is connected between the upper sections 73b and 74b. It should be appreciated that the reference to top 82 and bottom 81 is relative depending on which way the container is turned. The second handle 80 has an extension 80a, which is solid and extends beyond the end of the outlet 71. This provides protection in the event that the bottle falls when held by the first handle. Near the outlet 71, a closure fitting 83 is formed. The closure fitting 83 is sized to coincide with the matching indentation formed in the dam section 20. The closure fitting 83 includes a first horizontal section 83a connected to a second one. horizontal section 83b through vertical section 83c. A mirror image configuration is formed on the other side of the exit cup. Section 83a will rest on horizontal surface 150 and the section 83b will be supported on the horizontal section 151. The width and length of the closing fitting coincide with the width and length of the matching indentation. The inclined surface 76d rests on the inclined surface 44 when the container 70 is inserted in the dock station 20. Figures 18 and 19 show alternative embodiments of the container 70. The second embodiment 170 and the third embodiment 270 are identical to the first container 70 with the exception of the closing accessories of the second and third modes. Referring to Figure 18, the closure fitting 183 is dimensioned and configured so that it does not fit in the matching indentation in the reservoir 20. For example, the transverse member 183a is positioned such that if it is inserted in the reservoir 20, the transverse member 183a is too wide and could hit on the surface 150 and not allow the container 170 to be fixed in the container 20. In order to use the container 170, another container (not shown) could have a matching indentation that may coincide with that of the closure 183. Therefore, the product contained in the container 170 may only be capable of being stocked in a tank specifically having a matching indentation to match the closure fitting 183. Similarly, Figure 19 shows yet another embodiment of a container 270 having closure fittings 283. The configuration shown in Figure 19 is such that it is not fixed in the matching indentation of the reservoir 20 nor that reservoir that could be constructed for the container 170. The transverse member 283a is wider than the closure fitting 83 and, therefore, will not be set in the matching indentation of the reservoir 20. Also, it is on the edge of the container 270, as opposed to being returned, as the transverse member 183a of the container 170. Yet another reservoir (not shown) could be constructed having a matching indentation, which may coincide with that of the closure fitting 283. The closure fittings and the matching indentations are dimensioned and configured to be mutually exclusive, in order to avoid the assortment of a wrong product through an inappropriate deposit. In this way, the operator will only be able to stock a given product from a given deposit. Therefore, the erroneous product can not be stocked from the wrong deposit since the matching indentation and the closure fittings are mutually exclusive and prevent the containers from properly seating in the dike cup 30 unless the correct container has coincided with the correct deposit. In order to obtain plastics on plastic seals, the assortment system 10 uses a variety of plastics having different hardness. The dam cup 30 is formed of a first hardness. The sliding member 94 is formed of a second less rigid material than the material for the dike cup. Still further, the seal cover 93 is formed from a third less rigid material than the second material. The difference in stiffness allows plastic over plastic seals. In a preferred embodiment, the dam cup 30 is formed of polypropylene, the sliding member 94 of high density polyethylene and the cover 93 of low density polyethylene. When assembling the bottle insert 90 for use, the spring 92 is placed inside the inner member 97. The cover 93 is positioned within the sliding member 94, which is inserted into the second inner member 97. The two sealing fillets 94 are sized slightly larger than the hole of the second inner member 97 thus forming a seal as it is pushed inward. However, they are not dimensioned too large to prevent the sliding member 94 from slipping into the bore of the inner member 97. The bottle insert is then placed inside the inlet 71. The bottle insert 90 is sized to form an adjustment of friction with the opening of the inlet 71. The bottle insert 90 is dimensioned to form a friction fit with the opening of the inlet 71. However, since the container is typically blow molded, the tolerances are difficult to control for Obtain a liquid tight seal. Accordingly, Applicants use the sacrificial material in the annular ring 99 to seal the bottle insert 90 within the outlet 71. A screw cap 110 has a sheet liner 110a. The threaded cap 110 is threaded on the outlet 71. Induction heating is then applied, through means well known in the art, and the sacrificial material 99 melts and forms a seal to prevent leakage around the insert 90 and the outlet 71. It is important that the amount of the sacrificial material be limited, so that no flow too far inward and merge the slidable member 94 to the annular ring 98. The container 70 can also be formed without a vent 78 formed in the first handle 77. During use, the liquid assortment system 10 provides storage and application of the liquid. Liquid product safe and easy to use. The container 70 is packed in boxes with the outlet 71 facing upwards. The container 70, in this position, is easily handled by holding the first handle 77. When the product inside the container 70 is necessary for the liquid assortment system 10, the first handle 77 is clamped to lift the container 70. After , the lid 110 is removed. Next, the container is inverted for use in the liquid assortment system 10. After inversion, the second handle 80 is used to hold the container 70. The container 70, with the outlet 71 pointing down, is then taken to the dock station 20. The container 70 is placed on the dike cup 30 and lowered into place. The closure fitting of the container must coincide with the indentation of closing the container in order that the outlet 71 makes contact with the dam cup 30. The use of different forms of closure can be used to avoid the assortment of the wrong product in a liquid assortment system. The product and the deposit can also be color coded to provide another level of correct product identification. The sequence of steps for inserting the container 70 into the dike cup 30 is shown in Figures 6 to 8. The position shown in Figure 8 is that of the container 70 just before contacting the dike cup 30. In this position, the spring 92 is pushing the cover 93 against the opening 94c. Further, the slidable member 94 is in a position covering the slots 101. The arrows in Figure 8 show the position of the product flow within the container 70. However, since the slidable member 94 is covering the slots 101, the The product can not flow out of the container 70. Then, going to Figure 7, the upper part of the central ventilation pipe 38 makes contact with the cover 93, through the opening 94c and moves away from the opening 94c. This allows air to enter the chamber carrying the spring 92. However, there is a shoulder on the vent pipe 38, which prevents the vent pipe 38 from entering the spring chamber. The vent pipe only raises the cover 93 of the opening 94c and then stops further movement inwardly by the shoulder. At this point, further movement of the container 70 towards the dam cup 30 causes the vent pipe 38 to move the slidable member 94 upwardly within the second inner member 97. By venting the spring chamber 92, the slidable member is capable of to be moved further to the inner member 97 as shown in Figure 6. In addition, the venting allows the spring to return fully to the position shown in Figure 8 when the container 70 is removed. As shown in Figure 6, the container 70 is secured in the dike cup 30 through the lip 72 of the container 70 by sliding past the lip 32b. This forms a rapid placement between the lip 72 and the lip 32b. In the position shown in Figure 6, the sliding member 94 is further forced up towards the chamber where the spring 92 is located. In doing so, the sliding member 94 moves past the slot 101. This allows the product to flow (as shown by the arrows in Figure 6) from the container 70 through the slot 101 and into the internal cavity. 31b of the lower section 31. The lower section 31 is in fluid communication with the reservoir 50 and, therefore, the product is dispensed to the reservoir tank 50. If rapid placement or other means of retention is not used between the container 70 and the dam cup 30, the spring 92 may tend to push the container 70 away from the container. The dike cup as the product is stocked. At some point, the weight of the product may not be sufficient to overcome the deflection force of the spring and the container could move the dam cup 30. Rapid placement between the dike cup and the container prevents this from occurring. The present invention can be used in three different configurations to ventilate a plurality of viscous liquids. The configuration just described with respect to Figures 6 to 8 describes using the dam cup 30, which has the vent pipe 38a open towards the bottom. A ventilation tube 102 is placed in the hole 97c. The vent tube 112 extends towards the container near the top of the container. In addition, an exterior vent 78 is used. This allows highly viscous products to be assorted. In another embodiment, the external ventilation 78 is used in the container 70, however, no ventilation tube is necessary. In this particular embodiment, the second bottle insert 290 could be used and the second mode 230 of the dike cup could be used. This is for a low viscosity product. In still another embodiment of the invention is to use no external ventilation on the container 70. However, a ventilation tube is used so that the first embodiment of the bottle insert 90 could be used. The third method is to use external ventilation 78 on the container. No vent tube is used so that the second embodiment 290 of the insert is used. The third mode 330 of the dike cup is used. This is used for a degassed low viscosity product. Through the use of the various combinations of the three dike cups with different bottle inserts, a variety of products can be effectively supplied, while three different ventilation structures have been described in detail, and it should be understood that other alternatives of ventilation fall within the scope of this invention. A peristaltic pump or other suitable pump is then used to pump the product from the reservoir 50 through the outlet manifold 15 to the appropriate end-use machine. The product manifold 15 has three different outputs, so that three different end-use machines can be connected to the dispenser 10. The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the appended claims.

Claims (20)

1. - A liquid assortment apparatus, comprising: a) a container for holding a liquid product that will be stocked, the container having an outlet at a first end and having a second end; b) a dike station to receive the container, the dike station having a support to hold the container; c) a reservoir tank to receive the liquid product from the container, the reservoir tank having an inlet and an outlet; d) a dike cup operatively connected to the dike station, the dike cup having an inlet adapted to receive the outlet from the container, and the dike cup having an outlet operatively connected to the inlet of the tank; and e) the container having a first handle positioned near the first end to initially handle the container, and a second handle positioned near the second end to handle the container while it is inserted into the dike station.

2 - The assortment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it also comprises a low level alarm operatively connected to the reservoir tank, whereby a low level of liquid product can be detected.

3. The assortment apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it further comprises: a) the container having a closing section formed near the outlet of the container; and b) the dam station having a matching closing indentation near the dike cup, where the closing section and the closing indentation restrict access to the dike cup.

4 - The dispenser according to claim 3, wherein the first handle has an extension member that extends beyond the outlet of the container, wherein when it is held by the second handle and the container falls, the extension member protects the container's exit from damage.

5. The assortment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the dam station has a lower section, said lower section forming a cavity wherein the reservoir tank is positioned, the lower section having an opening through the reservoir. which deposit can be seen and the liquid product can be seen.

6. The assortment apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that it also comprises the tank tank having an upper part and a bottom and the outlet of the tank is placed near the bottom.

7 '.- A container, to maintain a liquid product that will be stocked, to be used with an assortment apparatus, the assortment apparatus having a dike station having a dike cup and a closing indentation near the dike cup , the container comprises: a) an external shell defining an internal cavity, the shell having a first end and a second end; b) an outlet that is positioned near the first end, the outlet in fluid communication with the cavity; and c) a first handle positioned near the first end for the initial handling of the container, and a second handle placed near the second end for handling the container while it is inserted in the dike station.

8. The container according to claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises a closing section formed near the outlet of the container to match a closing indentation in the dike station.

9. The container according to claim 8, wherein the first handle has an extension member that extends beyond the outlet of the container, wherein when it is held by the second handle and the container falls, the container member Extension protects the container from damage.

10. The container according to claim 8, characterized in that it also comprises a ventilation formed in the second handle.

11. A liquid assortment apparatus, comprising: a) a container for holding a liquid product that will be stocked, the container having an outlet at a first end and the container having a second end; b) a dike station to receive the container, the dike station having a support to hold the container; c) a reservoir tank to receive the liquid product from the container, the reservoir tank having an inlet and an outlet; d) a dike cup operatively connected to the dike station, the dike cup having an inlet adapted to receive the outlet from the container, and the dike cup having an outlet operatively connected to the tank inlet; and e) a container insert operatively connected to the outlet of the container, the insert comprising: (i) a first external member configured to be fixed at the outlet of the container; (ii) a second internal member having a central hole, the hole having an opening at its first end, the second member operatively connected to the first member; (iii) a slidable member configured to slide in the hole, the slidable member can move between a closed position and an assortment position; (iv) a spring positioned between the slidable member and the second member, urging the slidable member toward the closed position; (v) the second member having an opening, the sliding member closing in the opening when in the closed position and discovering the opening in the assortment position, wherein the product can flow between the first and second members, through the opening and in the hole towards the outlet of the dike cup.

12. - The dispenser according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises: (a) a slidable member having a cylindrical shape having a first open end and a second end having an opening formed therein; (b) a sealing cover positioned between the spring and the second end; and (c) the dike cup having a central arrow sized and configured to enter the opening of the second end and push the seal cover away from the second end to vent the spring chamber through the opening of the second end.

13. The dispenser according to claim 12, characterized in that it further comprises: (a) the dike cup is formed from a first rigid material; (b) the external member and the second internal member are formed from a second less rigid material than the first material; and (c) the sealing cover is formed from a third less rigid material than the second material, wherein the difference in stiffness allows a plastic on the plastic seal to be formed.

14. The dispenser according to claim 13, wherein the first material is polypropylene, the second material is high density polyethylene and the third material is low density polyethylene.

15. - The spout according to claim 11, characterized in that it also comprises a plurality of tabs operatively connected around the receiving cavity, the tabs forming an angled surface to guide the exit of the container towards the dam cup.

16. The dispenser according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises: (a) the dike cup having an indentation near the upper part of the receiving cavity; and (b) a lip formed around the outlet, the lip and the indentation forming a rapid placement to secure the container in the dike cup and prevent the spring from ejecting the container as the liquid is dispensed from the container.

17 - The dispenser according to claim 11, wherein the container further comprises: (a) a first handle placed near the first end for the initial handling of the container, and a second handle placed near the second end for handling the container while it is inserted in a dike station; and (b) a ventilation formed in the second handle.

18. The dispenser according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises: (a) the external member and the second internal member are connected by an annular ring having an outer surface; (b) a sacrificial material operatively connected to the outer surface of the annular ring; and (c) a threaded cap secured to the outlet of the container, the lid having a sheet liner, wherein after induction heating, the sacrificial material is melted and further seals the insert with the outlet of the container.

19. The dispenser according to claim 18, characterized in that it also comprises the sacrificial material that is configured in the form of a second annular ring, in the second annular ring having an external diameter, which is greater than the outer diameter of the first ring ring.

20. The dispenser according to claim 11, characterized in that it further comprises: (a) the second internal member having a second end and an opening formed therein; and (b) a ventilation tube having a first end operatively connected to the opening of the second end of the second inner member and the ventilation tube having a second end extending towards the container and above the liquid product to be supplied.