NZ533140A - Adjustable nozzle assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

An adjustable nozzle assembly capable of dispensing a user-variable volume of a fluid. The assembly includes a fluid-flow control orifice, a fluid chamber, and a first valve assembly operable between an open and closed position by respective placement of the nozzle assembly in an upright position and a pouring position, the open position allowing fluid flow through the nozzle assembly and the closed position sealing the nozzle assembly from fluid emission. The first valve is constrained to delay complete sealing of the nozzle assembly for a predetermined period after the nozzle assembly is placed in the pouring position. The fluid-flow control orifice size is user-variable to vary the volume of fluid dispensed through the nozzle assembly in the predetermined period.

Description

533140 ADJUSTABLE NOZZLE ASSEMBLY Technical Field This invention relates to an adjustable nozzle assembly.

In particular, the present invention relates to an adjustable nozzle assembly for pouring a desired volume of fluid.

Reference throughout the present specification shall now be made to use of the present invention in relation to the application of pour-on medicaments and drenches for animals.

It should be appreciated however that this should not be seen to be a limitation on the present invention in any way as the present invention may be used for the metering of a controlled amount of any fluid.

Background Art The need for controlling the dose of a medicament or drench for the application to an animal is paramount as the under-dosing or overdosing of the animal can lead to equally disastrous results.

With a lot of the medicaments and drenches that are available for animals overdosing the animal could have detrimental effects on the health of the animal and in some cases could lead to permanent damage or even death.

Likewise, the under-dosing of an animal can lead to the application being ineffective and could even result in the pathogens that were intended to be eradicated building up a resistance to the chemicals being used which would lead to further problems in the eradication of these pathogens in the future. 1 The most basic form of measuring the amount of fluid required for the application to an animal is the pouring of the fluid into a measuring jug from the container and then applying the contents of the measuring jug to the animal.

Whilst on the surface this seems a simple and straightforward procedure it is fraught with problems.

One of the major problems associated with this type of measurement is that the dosing is not particularly accurate or consistent between animals and there is a high likelihood of spillage of the chemicals either onto the operator or onto the ground, neither of which is desirable.

Another drawback associated with this system is the time it takes as quite often some of the contents of the measuring jug will need to be poured back into the container or additional material will need to be poured from the container into the jug once the level of the jug has been ascertained.

When the operator of this system has a large number of animals that need to be administered to the time taken per dose is very important as it can have a large accumulative effect.

One distinct improvement over this system was the advent of a measuring assembly that fitted to the fluid container so that the correct volume of fluid could be measured directly at the container and could then be poured directly onto the animal.

There have been numerous modifications and improvements over the first of these types of systems, resulting in the now common "pour-on drench system". s^OPEfi}■ yCL 0 6 AUG 2004 o T| 2 UJ «) These systems generally are constructed of a fluid reservoir connected to a hand piece which may or may not have a wand attached to the outlet of the hand-piece and the fluid from the fluid container fills a chamber in the handpiece and when the hand-piece is inverted this amount of fluid is passed from the hand-piece onto the animal.

Whilst these systems are ideal for a number of applications they do however have severe drawbacks.

The most serious of these drawbacks is that different amounts of fluid are required for animals of different sizes and these pour-on dispensers can only provide a preset volume of fluid with each application.

This again leads to the problems of under or overdosing animals and to an inconsistency of dosing to animals of different sizes.

In order to overcome these problems the operator will need to carry a number of pour-on applicators of different volumes in order to be able to apply the correct controlled doses to each animal.

This is not only costly as these devices can be quite expensive to purchase, but it also means that the operator is less able to be manoeuvrable as he will need a great deal more equipment in order to undertake the task.

Currently the only option open to the operator would to be to purchase an expensive drench gun system such as that disclosed in NZ Patent No. 222692 which has the ability to adjust the dosage applied to the animal.

The main drawback of this type of drench gun is its cost as this puts it outside the range of the small to medium sized operator as they generally would not be able to afford this type of apparatus as the number of animals 3 that they wish to dose does not warrant the extra expenditure.

It is an object of the present invention to address the foregoing problems or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing description, which is given by way of example only.

Disclosure of Invention According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an adjustable nozzle assembly capable of dispensing a user-variable volume of a fluid, said apparatus including a fluid flow-control orifice, a fluid chamber, and a first valve assembly operable between an open and closed position by respective placement of said nozzle assembly in an upright position and a pouring position, said open position allowing fluid flow through the nozzle assembly and said closed position sealing the nozzle assembly from fluid emission, wherein said first valve is constrained to delay complete sealing of the nozzle assembly for a predetermined period after the nozzle assembly is placed in said pouring position, characterised in that the fluid flow-control orifice size is user-variable to vary the total volume of fluid dispensed through the nozzle assembly in said predetermined period. /f FO iu ^ 0 6 AUG 2004 It should be appreciated that throughout the present specification the term "fluid inlet" should be understood to mean the aperture through which fluid from the reservoir to which the apparatus is connected flows in order to be able to enter the valve.

It should also be appreciated that throughout the present specification the term "fluid outlet" should be understood to mean the point at which the fluid leaves the valve assembly.

A "fluid-flow control orifice" includes any configuration for regulating, throttling, varying or otherwise controlling fluid flow. Thus, in the present invention, the fluid-flow control orifice may form any convenient portion of the nozzle assembly through which the all the dispensed fluid passes such as the fluid inlet, fluid outlet or the like.

Throughout the present specification the term "first valve assembly" should be understood to mean an automatically closing valve that operates a predetermined period of time after the nozzle has been placed into its pouring position - the time taken is dependent on the viscosity of the fluid being dispensed - and that will automatically return to its fully open position once the nozzle has been returned to a generally upright position.

The nozzle assembly described within the present specification should be understood to be connectable a connector for joining the nozzle assembly to a source of fluid so that the fluid can be dispensed through the nozzle assembly.

The term "a pouring position" used within the present specification should be understood to mean that the fluid outlet is orientated below the fluid inlet so that fluid flow will occur from the present invention and that at least one valve assembly will move to its fully closed position.

It is envisaged that within the majority of applications required of the present invention the required dose will be in the range of 1 millilitre to 200 millilitres.

This should not however be taken to be a limitation on the present invention in any way as in other embodiments the required dose can be outside of this range.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an adjustable nozzle assembly capable of dispensing a user-variable volume of a fluid, said apparatus including, a fluid flow-control orifice, a variable-volume fluid chamber, and a first valve assembly operable between an open and closed position by respective placement of said nozzle assembly in an upright position and a pouring position, said open position allowing fluid flow through the nozzle assembly via said fluid chamber and said closed position sealing the nozzle assembly from fluid emission, wherein said first valve is constrained to delay complete sealing of the nozzle assembly for a predetermined period after the nozzle assembly is placed in said pouring position, characterised in that said predetermined period is user-variable by varying the volume of the fluid chamber.

In some preferred embodiments of this aspect of the present inventiopL4-he^^ 6 Bl 0 6 AUG 2804 valve assembly is constructed in a manner that allows the volume of the fluid chamber to be adjusted so as to alter the time taken for the valve to move from the open position to the closed position.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention the valve assembly includes a ball capable of movement along a constrained path within said fluid chamber for a predetermined distance resulting from movement of the nozzle assembly between said upright position and said pouring position, wherein said ball blocks the fluid flow from the nozzle assembly in the pouring position at the end of said predetermined period to close said first valve.

It should be appreciated that in preferred embodiments of the present invention the time taken to close the valve once the nozzle assembly is in its pouring position is governed by the viscosity of the fluid being dispensed.

The fluid chamber contains a balance hole with the ball positioned between the balance hole and the fluid outlet, this configuration controls the speed at which the ball moves to the valve's closed position as fluid entering the balance hole allows the ball to move forward along the fluid chamber.

The balance hole also controls the rate at which the first valve returns to its fully open position by allowing the fluid that has collected behind the ball to exit from the fluid chamber back into the fluid supply container.

In some preferred embodiments of the present invention a second ball valve is fitted in fluid connection to the balance hole and is configured in such a manner that the second ball valve is closed during the pouring cycle and is open during the reset cycle in order to allow for a faster reset time than would otherwise be achievable. >~n' x- o '<». tUj P 0 6 AUG 2004 \v-. N In preferred embodiments of the present invention the main fluid chamber is constructed with a "shoulder" in order to delay the movement of the first valve ball when the nozzle assembly is placed into the pouring position, so that the second ball valve has adequate time to close the second balance hole before the first ball commences moving towards the fluid outlet.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention the amount of fluid flowing through the nozzle assembly is regulated by rotating the outer casing of the nozzle assembly with respect to the first valve assembly.

This rotary action will adjust the size of the fluid flow-control orifice and thereby control the fluid flow rate into, out of, or through the fluid chamber of the first valve assembly.

It is envisaged that in some preferred embodiments of the present invention the fluid flow-control orifice size will be adjusted to one of a set of predetermined flow rates by rotating the outer casing until it locks into one of a set of stepped increments wherein each increment is commensurate with a different flow rate.

This should not be seen to be a limitation on the present invention in any way as the shape of at least one side of the fluid flow-control orifice can be any desired shape from a smooth curve to a set of (staircase) steps.

In preferred embodiments of the present invention the outer casing is secured to the main body of the nozzle assembly by the use of one or more O-rings in order to form a fluid-tight seal between the outer casing and the main body of the apparatus.

However, this should not be seen to be a limitation on the present invention in any way as in other embodiments other leak-proof designs such asxidggs^ 8 fill A v* i- U tj Ah or other embossments onto the surface of either the outer casing or the first valve apparatus may be used.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of operating an adjustable nozzle assembly as described above, characterised by the steps of a) adjusting the size of the fluid flow-control orifice to vary the volume of fluid dispensed through the nozzle assembly in said predetermined b) placing the nozzle assembly in the pouring position until the fluid ceases to flow out of the nozzle assembly, and c) resetting the first valve into its open position by placing the nozzle in the upright position.

According to a further aspect of the present invention the method further includes the step of adjusting the size of the fluid flow-control orifice by rotating an outer casing of the nozzle assembly to vary the volume of fluid dispensed by the nozzle assembly and aligning the outer casing with one of a set of indicia denoting the fluid volumes dispensed until the desired volume to be dispensed is shown on the indicia.

It is envisaged that the nozzle assembly will have at least one set of numerals or indicia located in a position such that the amount of fluid able to be dispensed at that point is clearly shown.

It is envisaged that in some preferred embodiments of the present invention the connector assembly between the present invention and the fluid container will be a threaded section of the present invention th period ;k to uj 9 ^ 0 6 AUG 2004 located securely in a leak proof connection with the fluid container.

It is also envisaged that in some embodiments of the present invention the adjustable nozzle assembly will contain at least one flexible exterior rib in order that a section of the present invention can be pushed into the neck of the fluid container in order to make a leak proof connection.

It is clear from the foregoing description that the present invention has significant advantages over the current "pour-on" systems.

The most significant advantage is that the operator will be able to repetitively administer the correct dose, no matter how many animals have to be treated.

Yet another advantage is that the nozzle assembly is easy to operate correctly and is very cost effective as there are no complicated or delicate parts.

Brief Description of Drawings Further aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description which is given by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1a is a diagrammatical representation of the main body of one preferred embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 1b is a cross sectional diagram of the outer casing of one preferred embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 1c is a combination of figures 1a and 1b showing the' interrelationship; and XA' / AUG 2004 Figure 2 is a diagrammatical representation of a plan view of the main assembly of one preferred embodiment of the present invention with the valve ball omitted for clarity; and Figure 3a is a cross sectional representation of one preferred embodiment of the present invention incorporating two balls within the valve, in the open position; and Figure 3b is a cross sectional representation of one preferred embodiment of the present invention incorporating two balls within the valve in the closed position.

Best Modes for Carrying out the Invention With reference to the Figures there is illustrated an adjustable nozzle assembly (1).

The adjustable nozzle assembly (1) consists of a main assembly (2) that fits in a fluid-tight connection inside an outer casing (3).

The main assembly (2) is fitted with a number of o-ring seals (4) in order to provide a fluid-tight seal against the outer casing (3).

Figure 2 shows a plan view of the main assembly (2) of the present invention and clearly shows a number of voids (5) that allow fluid from a reservoir (not shown) to which the nozzle assembly (1) is attached to flow into the space between the main assembly (2) and the outer casing (3).

When the outer casing (3) is rotated with respect to the main assembly (2) it will eventually reach a point where a part of the fluid inlet (7) will be exposed to the area between the outer casing (3) and the main assembly (2) so that fluid from this area can flow through the fluid inlet (7) into the fluid c Ef?7> /fv ro UJ d 0 6 AUG 2004 (8) and then out of the nozzle assembly (1) through the fluid outlet (9).

The outer casing (3) contains a central section (10) that contains a contoured face (11) (as described in the disclosure section of this document) in order that when the outer casing (3) is rotated with respect to the main assembly (2) the curved section (11) will alter the amount of the fluid inlet (7) that is exposed to the space between the main assembly (2) and the outer casing (3). The interaction between the curved section (11) and the fluid inlet (7) creates a user adjustable fluid flow-control orifice. Although shown in the preferred embodiment as the part of the fluid inlet (7) to the fluid chamber (8), it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that a fluid flow-control orifice may be located at any convenient position on the fluid flow path between the voids (5) and the fluid outlet (9).

It is envisaged that a set of indicia markings will be apparent on the outer surface of the adjustable nozzle assembly (1) in order that the operator can see how much fluid will be allowed to flow through the fluid inlet (7) before the valve (12) reaches its closed position.

When the adjustable nozzle assembly (1) is desired to be used, the outer casing (3) is rotated with respect to the main assembly (2) until the desired flow rate is shown on the indicia (not shown).

The adjustable nozzle assembly (1) is then placed into its pouring position in order that fluid from a reservoir can enter the assembly (1) via the voids (5) and flow through the fluid inlet (7) into the fluid chamber (8) and then out of the assembly (1) through the fluid outlet (9).

The main assembly (2) has a shoulder (13) fitted to the fluid chamber (8) in order to momentarily stall the valve (12) to give the reset valve (14) time to 12 reach its closed position. This action will ensure the correct timing of the valve.

Once the adjustable nozzle assembly (1) is placed in its pouring position the primary balance hole (15) equalises the pressure behind the valve (12) with that in the fluid chamber (8) so that the valve (12) is then able to descend through the fluid chamber (8) for a predetermined period until it reaches its closed position.

Once the required dose of fluid from the adjustable nozzle assembly (1) has been dispensed and no more fluid exits from the fluid outlet (9) the adjustable nozzle assembly (1) can be replaced into its non-pouring position i.e. fluid outlet (9) is vertically higher than the fluid inlet (7).

Once the assembly (1) is placed into its non-pouring position the reset valve (14) will move away from the second balance hole (6) so that fluid contained within the fluid chamber (8) behind the valve (12) will be able to exit the fluid chamber (8) and flow back to the reservoir through a second balance hole (6) as well as through the primary balance hole (15) in order to accelerate the resetting of the valve (12) into its open position.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the volume of fluid dispensed by the nozzle assembly (1) may be varied by varying the distance travelled by the valve ball (12). Increasing the longitudinal length (and thus the volume) of the fluid chamber (8) increases the distance travelled by the ball (12), thereby increasing the predetermined period before the nozzle assembly (1) is sealed and vice versa. The longitudinal length of the fluid chamber (8) may be varied by any conventional method known in the art such as a thread Aspects of the present invention have been described by way of example only and it should be appreciated that modifications and additions may be made thereto without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims. o 6 AUG 2004

Claims (17)

CLAIMS:

1. An adjustable nozzle assembly capable of dispensing a user-variable volume of a fluid, said apparatus including a fluid flow-control orifice, a fluid chamber, and a first valve assembly operable between an open and closed position by respective placement of said nozzle assembly in an upright position and a pouring position, said open position allowing fluid flow through the nozzle assembly and said closed position sealing the nozzle assembly from fluid emission, wherein said first valve is constrained to delay complete sealing of the nozzle assembly for a predetermined period after the nozzle assembly is placed in said pouring position, characterised in that the fluid flow-control orifice size is user-variable to vary the total volume of fluid dispensed through the nozzle assembly in said predetermined period.

2. An adjustable nozzle assembly capable of dispensing a user-variable volume of a fluid, said apparatus including, a fluid flow-control orifice, a variable-volume fluid chamber, and a first valve assembly operable between an open and closed position 15 by respective placement of said nozzle assembly in an upright position and a pouring position, said open position allowing fluid flow through the nozzle assembly via said fluid chamber and said closed position sealing the nozzle assembly from fluid emission, wherein said first valve is constrained to delay complete sealing of the nozzle assembly for a predetermined period after the nozzle assembly is placed in said pouring position, characterised in that said predetermined period is user-variable by varying the volume of the fluid chamber.

An adjustable nozzle assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the valve assembly includes a ball capable of movement along a constrained path within said fluid chamber for a predetermined distance resulting from movement of the nozzle assembly between said upright position and said pouring position, wherein said ball blocks the fluid flow from the nozzle assembly in the pouring position at the end of said predetermined period to close said first valve.

An adjustable nozzle assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the duration of said predetermined period is governed by the viscosity of the fluid being dispensed.

An adjustable nozzle assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid chamber contains a second valve including a balance hole. 16 7. 8. 12.

An adjustable nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein said second valve closes in the pouring position and opens in the upright position.

An adjustable nozzle assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid chamber is constructed with a shoulder.

An adjustable nozzle assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the size of the fluid flow-control orifice is regulated by rotating a nozzle assembly outer casing with respect to the first valve assembly.

An adjustable nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 8, wherein the size of the fluid flow-control orifice is user-variable by rotating the outer casing in defined increments wherein each increment is commensurate with a different defined flow rates.

An adjustable nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein the outer casing is secured to the nozzle assembly by one or more o-rings.

An adjustable nozzle assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further including a connector assembly providing a secure, leak-proof connection between the nozzle assembly and a fluid container.

An adjustable nozzle assembly as claimed in claim 11 wherein the connector assembly provides a threaded or bayonet-type connection.

An adjustable nozzle assembly as claimed in any of claim 1 to claim 10 further including at least one flexible exterior rib to facilitate the 17 <0 securing of at least part of the nozzle assembly into a neck of a fluid container in a leak-proof connection.

14. A method of operating an adjustable nozzle assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1-13, capable of dispensing a user-variable volume of a fluid, said method characterised by the steps of; a) adjusting the size of the fluid flow-control orifice to vary the volume of fluid dispensed through the nozzle assembly in said predetermined period, b) placing the nozzle assembly in the pouring position until the fluid ceases to flow out of the nozzle assembly, and c) resetting the first valve into its open position by placing the nozzle in the upright position.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, of operating an adjustable nozzle assembly for a fluid, step a) further including; adjusting the size of the fluid flow-control orifice by rotating an outer casing of the nozzle assembly to vary the volume of fluid dispensed by the nozzle assembly and aligning the outer casing with one of a set of indicia denoting the fluid volumes dispensed until the desired fluid volume is shown on the indicia.

16. An adjustable nozzle assembly substantially as herein described with reference to and as indicated by the accompanying drawings.

17. A method of operating an adjustable nozzle assembly substantially as herein described with reference to and as indicated by the ' Jy accompanying drawings. f o im d 0 6 AUG 2004 18 \V-1 sfteCEW^ ABSTRACT An adjustable nozzle assembly capable of dispensing a user-variable volume of a fluid, said apparatus including a fluid flow-control orifice, a fluid chamber, and a first valve assembly operable between an open and closed position by respective placement of said nozzle assembly in an upright position and a pouring position, said open position allowing fluid flow through the nozzle assembly and said closed position sealing the nozzle assembly from fluid emission, wherein said first valve is constrained to delay complete sealing of the nozzle assembly for a predetermined period after the nozzle assembly is placed in said pouring position, characterised in that the fluid flow-control orifice size is user-variable to vary the volume of fluid dispensed through the nozzle assembly in said predetermined period. k 0 6 AUG 2004