WO1993000289A2

WO1993000289A2 - Dispenser system

Info

Publication number: WO1993000289A2
Application number: PCT/GB1992/001151
Authority: WO
Inventors: John Freeman; David Marcus Palmer; Michael Robert Needham Palmer
Original assignee: Supaturf Products Limited
Priority date: 1991-06-26
Filing date: 1992-06-24
Publication date: 1993-01-07
Also published as: ZA924694B; AU2195292A; GB2257473A; GB9213307D0; WO1993000289A3; GB9113769D0

Abstract

A dispensing system includes a pressure resistant tank (10) and a housing (20) to receive a container (40) of a concentrate. A liquid such as water is used to dilute the concentrate and is present in the pressure resistant tank. A gas such as air is pressurised above the water in the tank and is used to urge the water and concentrate material from the container through a delivery system.

Description

DISPENSER SYSTEM

The invention relates to a dispenser system and in particular to one in which a diluent liquid is mixed with concentrate to provide a diluted concentrate to be dispensed. The concentrate may be a liquid or solid or something in between, e.g. a paste or emulsion. One example of a use of the invention is in the presentation of paint, e.g. for painting line markings in sports areas roads, paths, car parks or work areas; others are in dispensing agricultural chemicals; irrigation and the like.

According to the invention in one aspect there is provided apparatus for dispensing a dilute liquid, the apparatus comprising a pressure-resistant reservoir containing a diluent liquid and pressurised gas, the reservoir having one outlet for egress of the diluent liquid under pressure to a dispensing line and a second outlet for the egress of pressurised gas; and a housing arranged to hold a container of the concentrate, the container being sealed at two spaced apart locations, first means to penetrate one of the sealed locations, a first conduit passing pressurised gas from the second outlet of the reservoir into the container via the penetrated seal, second penetrating means to penetrate the second sealed location, a second conduit arranged to pass concentrate under pressure via the penetrated second sealing means into the dispensing line, whereby the diluent and the concentrate are both supplied by the pressurised gas.

The apparatus according to the invention is especially efficient because the one supply of pressurised gas, typically air but may be another gas, is used to deliver both diluent liquid and the concentrate into the dispensing line. The first conduit may include a variable valve or regulator to regulate the volume of air delivered to the container, thereby to control the proportion of concentrate relative to the diluent liquid or vice versa or preferably a mixing device is present.

Most preferably, a mixing device is present, the device comprising a mixing chamber having an inlet from the concentrate supply and another from the diluent supply, the device also including a proportioning device to adjust the proportion of concentrate and diluent. Preferably the outlet control of the mixing chamber is connected to a trigger mounted on the apparatus.

It is a preferred feature of the invention that the concentrate is provided a container therefor. This may be a collapsible bag or a preformed recyclable bottle, received in a housing therefor, arranged so that the concentrate is released with little or no staining of other parts of the apparatus.

In another aspect there is provided a method for dispensing a dilute liquid from apparatus comprising a pressure-resistant reservoir containing diluent liquid and pressurised gas, the reservoir having one outlet for egress of the diluent liquid under pressure to a dispensing line and a second outlet for the egress of pressurised gas; and a housing arranged to hold a container of a concentrate, the container being sealed at two spaced apart locations, first means to penetrate one of the sealed locations, a first conduit passing pressurised gas from the second outlet of the reservoir into the container via the first penetrated seal, second penetrating means to penetrate the second sealed location, a second conduit arranged to pass concentrate under pressure via the penetrated second sealing means into the mixing chamber, the method comprising mounting a container in the housing and penetrating the seals, supplying pressurised gas to the reservoir and thereby supplying diluent liquid to the dispensing line and passing pressurised gas from the reservoir to the container to supply concentrate to the dispensing line, thereby supplying both diluent and concentrate to the dispensing line from the same source of pressurised gas.

The invention further includes the housing for the container of the concentrate; and the container itself.

In order that the invention may be well understood it will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one apparatus; before the container is received in the housing;

Figure 2 is a plan view;

Figure 3 is an elevation partly in section of the apparatus showing the container received in the housing.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a second embodiment of the inventio ;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the embodiment of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the mixing chamber of the apparatus of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view of the concentrate in the housing therefor in the embodiment of Figure 4; and

Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the fluid circuit of the embodiment of Figure 4.

The apparatus shown in Figures 1 to 3 comprises a trolley 1 having four wheels 2. The trolley has handles 3 by which it may be guided along a surface, e.g. grass. A pressure-resistant tank 10 is mounted on the trolley to contain water, say 5 or 10 litres. A compressor 11 (Figure 2) is present on the trolley to supply pressurised air to the interior of the tank, say at about 3 bar via an inlet 12. A dip tube 13, Figure 3, extends from adjacent the floor of the tank 10 to an outlet 14 at the top. A hose pipe 15 extends from the outlet 14 along the floor of the trolley 1 and at the front is joined to a connector 27 which leads to a spray head 16. Another outlet 17 is connected to a pipe 18 which leads to the roof 30 of a housing 20, as will be explained later. A regulator valve 19 is present in the pipe 18.

The housing 20 comprises a post or back wall 21 to the front of which is a compartment 22 to receive a container 40, e.g. bottle, canister or the like. The container contains a concentrate which is typically a thick liquid such as a paint. As shown in Figure 3 the floor 23 of the compartment 22 is fixed and a short small diameter pipe 24 extends through the floor. The pipe has a pointed upper end 25. The lower end of the pipe is connected to a hose 26 (Figure 2) which joins the hosepipe 15 in a T connector 27. The third arm of the connector is connected by a pipe 28 to the spray head 16.

The roof 30 of the housing is pivotally connected to the upper end of the post 21. A short small diameter pipe 32 extends through the roof and is the same shape as that 24 in the floor 23, the pointed end 33 facing into the compartment 22. The free end of the pipe 32 is connected to the hose 18. The roof 30 has a handle 34 which can be latchingly connected to the housing by a latch mechanism 35. Seals 36 are present in the upper and lower end portions of the compartment 22.

The container 40 comprises a cylinder or canister formed of waterproofed card, metal or the like. Each end cap 41 comprises a metal foil, e.g. aluminium or plastic which is crimped or otherwise secured to the canister. The canister contains a paint concentrate, as indicated.

In use, the container 40 is placed upright on the floor 23 of the compartment 22. The roof 30 is lowered, until the latch 35 is engaged. This urges the pointed ends of the pipes 24, 32 to penetrate the respective foil caps 31, so placing the pipe 18 in communication with the hose 26 through the container 40. Pressurised air is supplied from compressor 11 to the reservoir 10, to say 3 bar. The trolley is then wheeled to where required, until the spray head 16 is in the intended position. The trolley is then moved along the intended path and pressurised air supplied to the reservoir 10 to urge water via the dip tube 13 into the main hose 15 and also via the pipe 18 to urge a dose of concentrate into the secondary hose 26, thereby bringing water and paint into the dispensing line.

The apparatus of Figures 4 to 8 comprises a trolley 101 having four wheels 102 and handles 103 by which it may be guided along a surface, e.g. a sports field, car park or the like. A pressure resistant tank 104 is mounted on the trolley, and has a capacity of 15 to 20 litres. The tank 104 has a hand pump 105 by which air may be supplied into and pressurised within the tank 104. The tank is intended to hold both the pressurised air and a volume of water , say 5 or 10 litres. The pressure may be at a value of about 3 bar. A dip tube, not shown, extends from a position adjacent the floor of the tank to a hosepipe 106 which leads to a water inlet 107 of a mixing device 108 (which will be described in relation to Figure 6). An air line 109 extends from the top of the tank 104 to a paint dispensing device 110 (which will be described, in relation to Figure 7). A pressure gauge 111 is present in the air line 109. Also a pressure regulator may be placed in the water line 107 or the paint line 133 to make those pressures different.

The paint dispensing device comprises a housing 112 having a dome like top which seats on a seating area 113. The central area of the seating defines a socket 114 to receive the neck 115 of a bottle 116. The bottle is generally cylindrical having a weakened bottom 117 and the neck portion 115 has an external screw thread to engage a cap, not shown. The mouth of the bottle is sealed by a foil, not shown. The base of the socket 114 has an upstanding pipe 118 having a sharp tip 119 to pierce the foil, the other end of the pipe 118 having a horizontal portion 120 leading away from the seating area. A vertical pipe 121 is present in the wall defining the seating and communicates with a horizontal inlet 122 below the floor of the trolley. A sealing ring 123 is present in the floor of the seating area to abut the lower rim of the housing a sealing ring 124 is present in the socket 114 to seal the neck 114 of the bottle 116.

A dished element 125 sits on the dome top of the housing 112. A pipe 126 depends from the top having a side entrance 127 and terminates in a sharp tip 128 disposed to penetrate the weakened bottom of the inverted bottle 116. A bracket or stirrup 129 is hinged to hinges 130 to one side of the housing 112 and is dimensioned to overlie the housing. The top of the bracket 129 has a threaded bolt 131 having a hand rotary head 132 arranged so that when aligned with the dished element 125 urging the bolt downwardly will urge the housing 112 towards the floor of the trolley, causing both ends of the bottle to be pierced. By virtue of the seals, the housing 112 constitutes an airtight chamber. An airline 133 leads from the pipe 120 at the base of the housing 112 to a paint inlet 134 at one side of the mixing device 108, below the water inlet 107. The device 108 includes a vertical bore 135 containing a shaft 136 having cut outs 137. The shaft 136 is connected to a head 138 which includes a ratchet 139 cooperating with the top of the mixing device body so that rotation of the head 138 will move the shaft 136 and will incrementally adjust the proportion of water:paint. A mixing chamber 141 bridges the inlets on the opposite side of the shaft and at its lower end contains a diaphragm shutter 142 which, in the condition shown in Figure 6, closes the entrance 143 of an outlet 144. The outlet 144 leads to a pipe 145 (Figure 1) which leads to the spray head 146. A pressure control spray management valve device 147 is present in the pipe 145 adjacent the head 146. A control bar 148 is mounted on a pivot 149 below the mixing device 108 one end being connected to a plug 150 below the diaphragm shutter 142 and at the other end to a control cable leading to a trigger on one of the handles 103. The knob 140 is used to free up the shaft 136 when clean flushing with water.

In use, water is first poured into the tank 104. The lid of the tank is replaced, and the pump 105 used to pressurise the air in the tank 104 to about 3 bar, sensed by the gauge 111. The cap of a bottle 116 is removed and the bottle is inverted until the neck 115 is received in the socket 114. The housing 112 is put in place, the bracket 129 applied and the bolt 131 urged forward to seal the housing and pierce the ends of the bottle. The ratchet 139 of the mixing device 108 is adjusted to a selected proportion of water to paint, and then the trigger actuated to cause water to flow from the tank 104 into the device 108. Air under pressure is caused to flow up through the inlet 122 into the annulus between the housing 112 and the bottle 116 and via the side entrance 127 into the pipe 126 into the bottle 116 to urge the contained paint downwardly out of the outlet 114 via the pipe 120 to the inlet 133 into the mixing device 108. The pressure within the housing is uniform, i.e. that inside the bottle 116 is the same as that in the annulus between the bottle and the housing wall. The water and paint are mixed in the chamber 141 and then emerge via the outlet 143 to the spray head 146. Because the paint flows direct from the neck of the bottle to the mixing device 108 there is no dirtying of the inside of the housing. There is little or no need to clean out the apparatus but this can easily be done by supplying water to all pipelines of the mixing device without any paint. This can be done by using a 3 way valve prior to the mixing chamber. Any cleaning fluid may be used in addition to or instead of water.

The overall flow of liquids and gas is shown in the block diagram of Figure 8, including a 3 way valve for the flushing of the device with water.

The apparatus may also include a plurality of containers each having a different colour and the apparatus may be used to mix different colours.

The container for the paint need not be a preformed bottle but can take the form of a collapsible bag. The bottle can be recyclable or biodegradable.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown. The trolley may be motorised. The pressurised air may have an auxiliary pressure tank. The air may be pressurised by a compressor, the air may be replaced by any other compressible gas; the apparatus may be in the form of a back pack. The dispensed material may be an agrochemical, or the like.

Claims

1. Apparatus for dispensing a dilute liquid, the apparatus comprising a pressure-resistant reservoir containing diluent liquid and pressurised gas, the reservoir having one outlet for egress of the diluent liquid under pressure to a dispensing line, and a second outlet for the egress of pressurised gas; and a housing arranged to hold a container of a concentrate, the container being sealed at two spaced apart locations, first means to penetrate one of the sealed locations, a first conduit passing pressurised gas from the second outlet of the reservoir into the container via the first penetrated seal, second penetrating means to penetrate the second sealed location, a second conduit arranged to pass concentrate under pressure via the penetrated second sealing means into the dispensing line, whereby the diluent and the concentrate are both supplied by the pressurised gas.

2. Apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the proportion of concentrate to the diluent is adjusted to a predetermined value by the amount of pressurised gas passed via the first conduit from the reservoir to the container.

3. Apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein a regulator is present in the first conduit to control the volume of gas passed to the container.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, including a mixing device, the device comprising an inlet from the concentrate conduit, an inlet connected to the supply of pressurised diluent, and a mixing chamber, and means for adjusting the proportion of concentrate to diluent.

5. Apparatus according to Claim 4, including a valve arranged to allow the flow of diluent through the device for cleaning purposes.

6. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, wherein the concentrate is contained in a container of generally cylindrical cross-sectional shape having opposite end walls which are sealed by the penetrable sealing means.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the housing includes a compartment to receive the container and includes penetrating means in the regions of the sealed locations of the container.

8. Apparatus according to Claim 6 or 7, wherein the means for penetrating the respective sealed end of the container is present in opposite end walls of the compartment of the housing.

9. Apparatus according to Claim 8, wherein the one end wall of the compartment is mounted on an arm which is pivotally mounted on a support, movement of the arm towards the container in the compartment being arranged to urge the respective penetrating means into the respective sealed end wall of the container.

10. Apparatus according to Claim 9, wherein the penetrating means comprises a pipe having a pointed end, the pipe being connected to the first conduit.

11. Apparatus according to any of Claims 6 to 8, wherein the housing is detachable from a support and has a depending penetrating means in the ceiling thereof, the support has a seating for the housing, and the seating has an upstanding penetrating means.

12. Apparatus according to Claim 11, wherein airtight seals are present between the housing and the seating so that gas in the housing is under pressure.

13. Apparatus according to Claim 11 or 12, wherein an inlet for the ingress of pressurised gas is present in a wall of the housing, and the depending penetrating means includes an inlet by which the pressurised gas may enter the container.

14. Apparatus according to Claim 11, 12 or 13, wherein the container is a bottle having a neck, the bottle is placed in the housing in inverted condition in a socket for the neck of the bottle, the socket containing the upstanding penetrating means.

15. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, wherein the concentrate is a paint and the diluent liquid is water.

16. Apparatus according to any preceding Claim, wherein the reservoir and housing are mounted on a wheeled trolley or a back pack.

17. A method of dispensing a dilute liquid from a pressure- resistant reservoir containing diluent liquid and pressurised gas, the reservoir having one outlet for egress of the diluent liquid under pressure to a dispensing line, and a second outlet for the egress of pressurised gas; and a housing arranged to hold a container of a concentrate, the container being sealed at two spaced apart locations, the housing having first means to penetrate one of the sealed locations, a first conduit passing pressurised gas from the second outlet of the reservoir into the container via the penetrated first seal, the housing having second penetrating means to penetrate the second sealed location, a second conduit arranged to pass concentrate under pressure via the penetrated second sealing means into the dispensing line, the method comprising mounting a container in the housing and penetrating the seals, supplying pressurised gas to the reservoir and thereby supplying diluent liquid to the dispensing line and passing pressurised gas from the reservoir to the container to supply concentrate to the dispensing line, thereby supplying both diluent and concentrate to the dispensing line from the same source of pressurised gas.

18. A method according to Claim 17, including passing the pressurised diluent and the concentrate through a mixing device, and adjusting the proportion of diluent and concentrate in the mixing device.

19. A container comprising a bottle having a penetrable foil in the mouth of the neck thereof, the bottom of the bottle being penetrable.

20. A housing for a container according to Claim 19, comprising a detachable body having penetrating means depending from the ceiling thereof for penetrating the bottom of an inverted bottle, the housing being mountable over a seating. the foil in the mouth of the inverted bottle.

21. A housing according to Claim 20, wherein the housing is sealed to the seating in air tight condition.

22. A housing according to Claim 20 or 21, wherein means are provided for the ingress of pressurised gas into the housing and via the depending penetrating means into the bottle.