US3018023A

US3018023A - Fluid dispensing apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3018023A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rudolph D Talarico
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1959-02-27
Filing date: 1959-02-27
Publication date: 1962-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1979-01-23

Description

Jan. 23, 1962 R. D. TALARICO 3,018,023

FLUID DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 27, 1959 TlaJ mvmrron Rldol MZTaldJm ORNEY United States Patent 3,018,023 FLUKE DISPENHJG APPARATUS Rudolph D. Talarico, 664 Mount Prospect Ave., Newark, N .J raea Feb. 27, rest, Set. No. 796,046 14 Claims. (ill. ZZZ-$94) The present invention relates to fluid dispensing apparatus, and, more particularly, to such apparatus for controlling the discharge of a liquid under pressure from a receptacle.

At present, many liquid products of widespread use and type are sealed under pressure in a receptacle having a closure controlled discharge outlet. The liquid may be dispensed as a stream, a mist or aerosol, or a foam, depending upon its nature and/ or use, such as, for example, shaving lather, insecticide, etc.

In certain instances, because of the construction of the closure controlled discharge outlet, the product must be discharged with the receptacle in upright position and in other instances with the receptacle in inverted position. This wide variance in use of such receptacles has placed the not too careful consumers, who do not read directions, in a state of utter confusion and has caused loss of the product by failure to discharge it properly from the receptacle.

In many instances a very inert gas such as pure ntiro gen is employed as the presurizing medium. Since only a small amount of nitrogen can be used to pressurize a small receptacle, unless the receptacle is so rugged and massive that it would be ridiculous to suggest its use for a consumer item, any loss of gas by having the receptacle in the improper position results in that the gaseous pressure is expended before the entire contents of the receptado are dispensed. Once the pressure is gone, the contents cannot be discharged and are a total loss to the consumer.

Such loss of gas is occasioned when the receptacle is so held that the pressure head of gas is between the passageway leading to the discharge outlet and the body of liquid to be dispensed. For example, a receptacle with a syphon tube must therefore be held in upright position and a receptacle without a syphon tube must be held in inverted position so that liquid is between the passageway and the pressure head in both cases.

This problem is also encountered, but to a lesser degree, where pressurizing chemicals are employed which are in liquid state and are partially in solution with the liquid to be dispensed.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for dispensing liquids under pressure which overcomes the foregoing difficulties and disadvantages of using a gaseous pressurizing head.

Another object is to provide such apparatus which prevents the escape of gas when the receptacle is held in an improper position.

A further object is to provide such apparatus which is simple and compact in construction, is economical to manufacture and install in closure controlled discharge outlets, and is reliable in operation.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illustrative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description, and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of a receptacle with portions broken away to illustrate the arrangement ice of the apparatus in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 22 on FIG. 1, illustrating a valve positioned to allow the liquid to be dispensed.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the valve in an inverted position and positioned to prevent the escape of the pressurizing gas.

Referring to the drawing in detail, there is shown in FIG. 1, by way of example, liquid dispensing apparatus which comprises a receptacle 10 for confining a liquid under gaseous pressure and having a neck 11 at its upper end formed with an opening, a valved closure 12 of any conventional type for controlling the discharge of the liquid from a nozzle 14, a syphon tube 15 extending from the bottom of the receptacle to the inlet of the valve of the closure 12 in the usual manner, and apparatus 16 in accordance with the present invention connected in the syphon tube 15 adjacent the upper end thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the apparatus 16 comprises a tubular body or conduit 17 having an inlet 18 at its lower end in fluid flow connection with the lower section of the syphon tube and having an outlet port 19 at its upper end in fluid flow connection with the upper section of the syphon tube and being provided with a valve seat 20, a cylinder 21 in the conduit 17 having a closed lower end 22 and having its upper end 24 surrounding the valve seat and secured within a tubular section 25' of the conduit, and a piston 26 slidably disposed in the cylinder.

As shown herein, the closed end 22 of the cylinder is spaced from the inlet 18, the cylinder is of smaller diameter than the conduit, and the cylinder is formed with one or more apertures 27 adjacent its upper end to provide a fluid flow passage extending from the inlet 18 to the outlet port 19.

The piston 26 has a lower section 28 slidably fitted in the cylinder and has an upper section 29 of reduced di ameter formed with an end face 30 which serves as a valve member portion for the valv'e seat 20. The piston also has a bore 31 at its lower end for receiving a spring 32 which is biased against the closed end 22 of the cylinder and is adapted to urge the piston upwardly to cause the valve member portion 30 to engage its seat.

In furtherance of the present invention, the piston section 28 is provided with one or more passageways 34 of capillary dimensions which extend from the upper side of the piston section to the lower side thereof and are pervious to gas and are impervious to liquid. Preferably, a large number of such passageways are preferred to enable gas to flow rapidly beneath the piston for the reason about to be described. Since these passageways are so dimensioned that liquid cannot flow therethrough, the combined area of the passageways has no functional relation to liquid flow. It is contemplated that the piston may be porous to provide such passageways and that the passageways may be grooves on the periphery of the piston or on the inner wall of the cylinder.

The piston also has a relatively small passage 35 which is impervious to liquid and extends from the bore 31 to the end face 30 to provide a vent from beneath the piston to the outlet port 19, whereby the piston can reassume its normal position as will be described hereinafter.

In operation, with the apparatus in upright position as shown in FIG. 1 and the valving positioned as shown in FIG. 2, opening of the closure 12 causes gas to move liquid upwardly through the syphon tube 15, into the conduit section 17 and into the cylinder 21 by way of the apertures 27 to either hold or move the piston down, whereby the liquid is moved upwardly through the port 19 and is discharged through the nozzle 14;

In the event the receptacle is inadvertently held in an inverted position but with the valving positioned as shown in FIG. 2 and the closure 12 is opened, gas will ,flow through the syphon tube 15, into the conduit section 17, into the cylinder 21 and through the passageways 314i and to passage 35 to in back of the piston to balance the pressure on both sides of the piston, whereby the force of the spring 32 acting on the piston will move the piston downwardly, as shown in FIG. 3 to cause the end face 30 to seat and closethe port 19 and thereby prevent a substantial amount of gas from escaping by way of the nozzle. While the surface of the rear face of the piston appears to be positioned against the surface of the end wall 22 of the cylinder so as to close off the passageways 34, the abutting surfaces have sufficient inherent irregularities therein to allow gaseous fluid introduced by the passageways 34 to flow therebetween and initiate movement of the piston away from the end wall.

After an attempt is made to improperly discharge the contents of the receptacle and the closure 12 is closed, the gas in back of the piston is partially vented by way of the passage 35 to the upper portion of the cylinder (FIG. 2) and is fully vented upon initial opening of the closure 12 the next time the contents are properly discharged, whereby the liquid under pressure again is effective to move or hold the piston down.

In practice, it has been found that the valving functions best when the syphon tube diameter slightly exceeds the diameter of the port 19 to produce a pressure drop between the inlet 18 and the-port 1-9 which is utilized to act on the piston to unseat the end face 30 thereof. For example, the diameter of the syphon tube may be 0.125 inch, the diameter of the port may be .078 inch, and the diameter of four apertures 27 may be 0.125 inch. In valving so dimensioned and with gas at about 60 psi. in the receptacle, the passageways-34 and the passage 35 may have a diameter of about 0 .003 to 0.005 inch.

The present invention contemplates-that the apparatus may be modified for permitting discharge of the contents with the receptacle in an inverted position and to prevent .discharge when in an upright position. This is accomplished by simply omitting the conduit 17 and the lower section ofv the syphon tube 15 in communication with the conduit by way of the inlet 18. 7

Thus, when the receptacle is inverted, liquid under pressure enters the cylinder directly by way of the apertures 27; and, when the receptacle is upright gas enters the cylinder directly, whereby the valving functions to respectively open or close the port 19.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides a simple, practical, reliable. and economical manner of preventing the loss of pressurizing medium utilized for effecting the discharge of liquids.

While the apparatus has been described in connection with a receptacle for food or medicinal products byway of example, it will be clearly understood that such apparatus in principal can be employed where similar problems of undesirable gas loss may be encountered.

As various changes may be made in the'form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a fluid dispensing apparatus, the combination of a receptacle for containing a liquid and a gas for pressurizing the liquid to effect discharge of the liquid from said receptacle, said liquid and said gas for pressurizing the liquid being disposed in separate layers, a discharge passageway including an outlet for said receptacle, a manually operable closure for controlling flow of liquid through said passageway, and a valve having an inlet for establishing fluid flow communication between the interior of said receptacle and said outlet when the receptacle is positioned so that the. liquid, under pressure of the gas, is in direct communication with said inlet, and said valve having means for closing said outlet when the receptacle is positioned so that the pressurizing gas is in communication with said inlet, said valve being formed with passageway means pervious to gas and impervious to liquid.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said passageway means have capillary dimensions. I

3. In fluid dispensing apparatus, the combination of a conduit for conducting liquid pressurized by a gas having an inlet and an outlet port provided with a valve seat, a cylinder in said conduit having a closed end and an end surrounding said valve seat and having aperture means therein for providing flow communication between said conduit inlet and said outlet port, a piston slidably disposed in said cylinder having a valve member portion for said valve seat, and means for urging said piston to cause said valve member portion to engage said valv seat, said piston having passageway means extending from one side to the side facing said closed cylinder end and being so dimensioned to be pervious to gas and 1mpervious to liquid, whereby liquid under pressure will act on one side of said piston to unseat said valve member portion and gas under pressure will act on the other side of said piston to seat said valve member portion.

4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said piston has a venting passage extending from its side facing said closed cylinder endto said valve member portion and communicating with said conduit outlet port when said valve member portion is on its seat. I

5. The combination according to claim 3, wherein the effective area of said inlet is greater than that of said outlet port. I

6. The combination according to claim 3, wherein said conduit has a flow controlling valve downstream of said valve seat.

7. The combination according to claim 6, wherein a receptacle has a discharge outlet at its upper end c ntrolled by said last mentioned valve, and a tube in flow communication with said conduit inlet extending to th bottom of said receptacle.

8. Fluid dispensing apparatus comprising a conduit having a port provided with a 'valve seat, a cylinder in said conduit having one end surrounding said valve seat and being closed at its other end and having aperture means therein adjacent the end surrounding said valve seat, a piston slidably disposed in said cylinder having a valve member portion for said valve seat and having passageway means extending'from one end to the other and being so dimensioned to be pervious to gas and impervious to liquid, and means for urging said piston to cause said valve member portion to engage said valve seat.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said piston has a venting passage extending from its end facing said closed cylinder end to said port.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the effective area of said aperture means is greater than that of said port.

11. In fluid dispensing apparatus, the combination of a conduit for conducting liquid pressurized by a gas having an inlet and an outlet port provided with a valve seat, a tubular element in said conduit having a closed end and an end surrounding said valve seat and having aperture means therein for providing flow communication between said conduit inlet and said outlet port, piston means movably disposed in said element having a valve member portion for said valve seat, and means for urging said piston means to cause said valve member portion to engage said valve seat, said piston means hav ing passageway means extending from one side to the side facing said closed end of said element and being so dimensioned to be pervious to gas and impervious to liquid, whereby liquid under pressure will act on one side fix 1 of said piston means to unseat said valve member portion and gas under pressure will act on the other side of said piston means to cause said valve member portion to seat.

12. The combination according to claim 11, wherein the effective area of said inlet is greater than that of said outlet port.

13. Fluid dispensing apparatus comprising a conduit,

having a port provided with a valve seat, a tubular element in said conduit having one end surrounding said valve seat and being closed at its other end and having aperture means therein adjacent the end surrounding said valve seat, piston means movably disposed in said element having a valve member portion for said valve seat and having passageway means extending from one end to the other and being so dimensioned to be pervious to gas and impervious to liquid, and means for urging said 6 piston means to cause said valve member portion to engage said valve seat.

14. Apparatus according to claim. 13, wherein the effective area of said aperture means is greater than that of said port.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 932,604 De Vilbliss Aug. 31, 1909 1,237,144 Allen Aug. 14, 1917 1,866,909 Schlipf July 12, 1932 1,873,337 Schmitt Aug. 23, 1932 2,149,611 Lohse Mar. 7, 1939 2,682,356 Allen June 29, 1954 2,876,041 Farmer Mar. 3, 1959 2,950,731 Heintzelman Aug. 30, 1960