WO1998007010A1

WO1998007010A1 - A dosage device

Info

Publication number: WO1998007010A1
Application number: PCT/SE1997/001321
Authority: WO
Inventors: Sören Joelsson
Original assignee: Joelsson Soeren
Priority date: 1996-08-07
Filing date: 1997-08-04
Publication date: 1998-02-19
Also published as: SE9602943L; AU3791297A; EP0922204A1; SE9602943D0; SE510843C2

Abstract

A device for dosage of a substance to a fluid present in a vessel, said device comprising a dosage arrangement having a receptacle (3) for the substance, said receptacle being provided to deliver substance from the receptacle to the vessel. The dosage arrangement comprises a pump arrangement (4) with a pump chamber (5) and a pump member (6) varying the volume therein. The pump chamber (5) and the receptacle (3) are in connection to each other through a connection arrangement provided to supply the substance from the receptacle to the pump chamber, but, when the pump chamber (5) is filled up, interrupt the supplying. The pump chamber (5) and the vessel communicate with each other through a communication arrangement (8). The pump member (6) is adapted to be actuated, by means of a floating body (10) arranged to be lifted by the fluid in the vessel, to drain the pump chamber (5) via the communication arrangement.

Description

A dosage device

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART

This invention relates to a device for dosage of a substance to a fluid present in a vessel, said device comprising a dosage arrangement having a receptacle for the substance and being provided to deliver the substance from the receptacle to the vessel. The substance in question may be of any kind, even if the substance normally is a liquid. As examples may cleaning agent, disinfectant, etc. be mentioned. The fluid present in the vessel is normally intended to consist of water but also other fluids are possible for the purpose.

There are many situations where it is desired to, in proportion- ally precise conditions, dose a concentrated substance to a fluid, for example water, present in a vessel. A considerable motive is in this respect that the substance may be expensive. Another motive is that the aimed effect of the substance in the fluid is not realised in other cases than where the concentration of the substance is within a predetermined interval.

Although the invention as mentioned above includes other areas of application, the invention is intended to be used primarily within the field of cleaning, the substance consisting of cleaning agents, disinfectants, etc. There has up to now not existed any satisfactory devices of the above mentioned kind, which ensure an accurate and repeatable dosage of the substance to the fluid in the vessel during a prolonged use, i.e. during a period of use comprising a very great number of successive refillings and drainings, respectively, of the vessel. The dosage is generally at present accomplished in a way that the staff engaged in the cleaning operation manually measure the volume of the substance that is required to a certain quantity of fluid. By experience this tends to lead to that the dosage becomes too abun- dant, which is something that may cause damages on the surfaces that are to be cleaned and also constitute a serious negative burden on the environment. There are indeed dosage devices capable of relatively precise dosage but they are associated with the disadvantage that they are extremely expensive and also complicated with an accompanying high weight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the present invention is to further develop prior art so as to make the dosage device able to have a proportionately simple and uncomplicated constitution with a maintained good accuracy concerning the dosage of the substance.

This purpose is obtained according to the invention by that the device is provided with the features that are defined in the following claims.

The defined embodiment, according to claim 1 , of the dosage device involves that the substance that is to be dosed is sup- plied from the receptacle to the pump chamber via a connection arrangement. This supply is interrupted when the pump chamber is filled up. The pump member is arranged to be actuated for emptying the pump chamber via the communication arrangement by means of a floating body arranged to be lifted by the fluid in the vessel. Thus, in this way, the refilling of fluid into the vessel itself will give rise to lifting of the floating body, which in turn means actuating of the pump member in a way that the same drains the pump chamber by forcing the present substance therein to flow out into the vessel via the communication arrangement. According to a preferred embodiment, the receptacle is dis- mountable from the pump arrangement and the connection arrangement includes a connection that comprises a valve ar- rangement on the receptacle, said valve arrangement being provided to open the connection when mounting the receptacle on to the pump arrangement and close the connection when dismounting the receptacle from the pump arrangement. Thus, it is in this way ensured that the substance may be supplied from the receptacle to the pump arrangement only when the receptacle is mounted onto the pump arrangement.

According to a further preferred embodiment, the connection arrangement comprises a second connection arranged to admit air into the receptacle from the pump chamber when substance is discharged from the receptacle to the pump chamber. Thus, efficient feeding of the substance from the receptacle is ensured.

The first and the second connections of the connection arrangement lead into the pump chamber in the upper part thereof. Thereby, the mouth of a second connection into the pump chamber is located at a level below a mouth of the communication arrangement out of the pump chamber. By this embodiment follows that when the substance in the pump chamber has reached the level of the mouth of the second connection into the pump chamber, the admitting of air into the receptacle from the pump chamber will stop and as a result thereof the discharge of substance out of the receptacle into the pump cham- ber will also stop. This implies thus that an automatic closing function is reached without any special valve means.

It is preferred that the second connection presents an upper end located in the upper part of the receptacle, in addition to which the upper end of the second connection presents a valve provided to close the connection when the receptacle, dismounted from the pump arrangement, is turned over compared to when the receptacle is mounted onto the pump arrangement. Thus, the valve will avoid that the substance may flow into the second connection and through the same when the receptacle is turned over. Such inflow would otherwise involve unintentional outflow of the substance and accordingly considerable waste when the receptacle is turned back to the position the receptacle has when it is mounted on the pump arrangement.

It is preferred that the receptacle has an opening for refilling located at the top thereof when the receptacle is turned over relative to when the same is mounted to the pump arrangement. This feature implies that the user with certainty will observe if a closing cover that belongs to the opening for refilling would not fit tight when the receptacle is turned back to its mounted position on the pump arrangement. Since tightness is necessary so as to achieve automatic closing of the inflow of substance into the pump chamber from the receptacle when the level of sub- stance in the pump chamber reaches the mouth of the second connection inside the pump chamber.

According to an additional embodiment, it is preferred that a laterally sealing elastic sleeve is provided in the chamber, which at one end connects circumferentially to the pump member and at a second end connects to the casing of the pump arrangement so as to enclose a volume connected to the connection arrangement and the communication arrangement.

Further features and advantages of the device according to the invention are described in the claims and in the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS With reference to the appended drawings, below follows a specific description of an example of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig 1 is a perspective view of the device according to the invention with the receptacle of the dosage arrangement alienated from the pump arrangement,

Fig 2 is a perspective view illustrating the receptacle obliquely from below,

Fig 3 is a partly cut lateral view of the device in a larger scale, and

Fig 4 is a partly cut view of the device seen from one of the sides in Fig 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The device illustrated in Fig 1 and 2 for dosage of a substance comprises a frame generally denoted 1. This frame 1 presents means 2 for applying the frame to a not shown vessel. The ves- sel in question may for example be a bucket or the like. The means 2 is more precisely formed to enable applying the frame 1 so that the frame will be located at least substantially inside the vessel. To be precise the applying means 2 may be constituted of one or more hooks or crooks, by means of which the frame 1 may be hooked up on an edge portion of the vessel. Certainly the frame 1 may be formed by other means for fixing of the same to a vessel.

A dosage device is applied on the frame 1 , said device compris- ing a receptacle 3 for a substance which is to be dosed, said device being arranged to deliver this substance from the receptacle to the vessel. The dosage arrangement comprises further a pump arrangement, generally denoted 4, said pump arrangement having a pump chamber 5 and a pump member 6 for varying the volume therein. The pump chamber 5 and the interior of the receptacle 3 are in connection to each other via a connection arrangement, generally denoted 7, provided to supply the substance from the receptacle 3 to the pump chamber 5, but, when the pump chamber is filled up, interrupt the supply- ing.

The pump chamber 5 and the volume of the enclosing vessel communicate with each other through a communication arrangement, generally denoted 8. As will be described in detail in the following, said arrangement presents at least one and, in the example, two openings 9 that communicate between the pump chamber 5 and the surroundings.

The pump member 6 is adapted to be actuated, by means of a floating body 10 arranged to be lifted by the fluid in the vessel, to drain the pump chamber 5 via the communication arrangement 8. As will be seen from the drawings, in the example, the pump member 6 and the floating body 10 are integrated to one and the same part forming a hollow float. However, it should be observed that the pump member 6 might be formed as a separate part while the floating body 10 is formed as another separate part and arranged to act force effecting on the pump member via some suitable transmission, lever or the like. The pump member 6 is movably received in a casing, denoted 11 , of the pump arrangement 4. This casing has in the upper part a tight closing lateral wall 12 so that the top part of the casing 11 forms a cylinder, inside which the pump member 6, formed as a piston, is movable forwards and backwards. However, at the foot, the casing 1 1 has one or more openings 13 which for the fluid present in the vessel give entrance to the interior of the casing 11 , said fluid thereby being able to exert a lifting effect on the floating body 10.

The receptacle 3 is provided at a level above the pump cham- ber 5 so as to supply fluid to the same by way of the gravitation.

The receptacle 3, as shown in Fig 1 and 2, is removable from the pump arrangement 4. Then the connection arrangement 7 presents a first connection 14, which includes a valve arrange- ment 15 onto the receptacle 3. This valve arrangement is adapted to open the connection 14 when mounting the receptacle 3 onto the pump arrangement 4 and close the connection when dismounting the receptacle from the pump arrangement.

The casing 1 1 of the pump arrangement 4 is closed in the upper part by means of a cover, denoted 16. This cover 16 is fixed advisably at the wall 12 of the casing 1 1 with means of screws or other suitable fixing means 17.

The connection arrangement 7 comprises a second connection 18 provided to admit air from the pump chamber 5 into the receptacle 3 when substance is discharged from the receptacle 3 to the pump chamber 5. The first and the second connections 14, 18 of the connection arrangement 7 lead into the pump chamber 5 in the upper part thereof. More precisely, the connections 14, 18 extend through the cover 16.

In the example the receptacle 3 and the casing 1 1 , to be precise its cover 16, of the pump arrangement present with each other engaging portions 19, 20. These portions are, in the example, adapted to engage each other in a female/male manner. Even if the male portion could be formed on the cover 16 and the female portion formed on the receptacle 3, in the example, the arrangement is the inverted, i.e. that a male-like portion 20 on the receptacle is projecting into a female-like seating 19 formed in the cover 16. Then one or more sealing members 21 may be provided to seal between the portions 19, 20. The sealing member 21 may, for example, consist of an O-ring placed into a groove, along the perimeter, in one of or in both of the portions 19, 20.

The connections 14, 18 are formed extending through the cover 16 and the male-like end portion 20 of the receptacle 3.

The valve arrangement 15 comprises in the example a tubular valve element 22, said valve element being movably received in a cage 23 formed in the part, generally denoted 24, of the receptacle 3 for connection to the pump arrangement 4. This valve element 22 is effected by at least one spring 25 in the di- rection against its position, illustrated in Fig 2, in which position the valve element 22 closes against discharge of substance from the receptacle. More precisely, in the closing position of the valve element 22, one in the valve element 22 formed, laterally directed opening 26 is in overlapping within a cylindrical section of the cage 23 so as to, accordingly, substance from the interior of the receptacle 3 is not able to flow into the tubular interior of the valve element 22 via the opening 26. The spring 25 is in the example a helical press spring located in a room outside of the valve element 22 but inside the cage 23. The spring acts between a support 27 relative to the cage 23 and a support 28 relative to the valve element 22 so that the spring thus will project out the valve element 22 so that the end of the valve element extends outside the end surface 29 of the projection 20 of the receptacle 3. A flange 30 or another stop member at the rear end of the valve element 22 is stopping the outward movement of the valve element by supporting against the end of the cage 23 which end is directed towards the interior of the receptacle. When the valve element 22 is pressed in against the action of the spring 25 the opening 26 of the valve element will establish communication between the interior of the receptacle 3 and the tubular interior of the valve element 22 so that the substance may flow through the valve element 22 and further in direction towards the pump chamber.

In the cover 16 one or more openings 31 are formed constituting part in the connection 14 in a way that the interior of the valve element 22 via said openings 31 communicates with the interior of the pump chamber. When the receptacle 3 is mounted onto the pump arrangement 4 the valve element 22 will be brought in contact with the portions of the cover 16 surrounding the openings 31 , said portions causing redisplacement of the valve element 22 against the action of the spring 25.

The second connection 18 comprises a part 32 in the form of an opening in a tube piece 33 fixed to the connection part 24 of the receptacle 3. The outer end of this tube piece 33 is formed to project through a hole 34 in the cover and into the underlying pump chamber 5. More precisely, the outer end of the tube piece 33 will form a mouth of the connection 18 and this mouth is located at a level below the upper mouth portions of the communication openings 9.

The second connection 18 comprises in addition a tube 35 connected to the tube piece 33, the upper end of said tube is lo- cated inside the receptacle in the upper part thereof. A valve 36 is provided at the upper end of the tube 35, said valve 36 being arranged to close the connection through 18 when the receptacle 3, dismounted from the pump arrangement 4, have been turned upside down relative to the position of the receptacle when it is mounted on the pump arrangement. Fig 3 illustrates how the valve 36 comprises a valve element 37, which in the example has the nature of a ball. In the normal position for use of the receptacle 3, according to Fig 3, the ball 37 being effected by gravitation in a lower position, in which position the ball opens for communication through the tube 35 and thus the connection 18. When however the receptacle 3 is turned over, the ball 37 will move towards a valve seat 38 effected by the gravitation so that the ball and the seat thereby close against communication through the tube 35.

As most clearly is illustrated in Fig 2, the receptacle has an opening 39 for refilling, which is normally closed by means of a cover 40. This opening 39 for refilling is located at the foot when the receptacle is mounted on the pump arrangement 4 and at the top when the receptacle is turned over. When refilling the receptacle 3, the receptacle thus is placed upside down and thereby the valve element 37 closes against communication through the tube 35. This results in that the substance inside the receptacle 3 is not able to penetrate into the tube 35, which otherwise would result in that the following turning of the receptacle might lead to spilling out through the tube piece 33 before the receptacle has been mounted onto the pump arrangement 4. For the function of stopping the inflow of substance into the pump chamber 5 in the right situation the inte- rior of the receptacle 3 must be sealed against the surroundings regarding the opening 39 with aid of the cover 40. The location of the opening 39 and the cover 40 at the foot imply that the user of the device will immediately notice if leakage would occur. A long period of leakage which would give rise to uncalled consumption of the substance in the receptacle is thereby avoided.

According to a first alternative it would be possible that the pump member 6 presented a perimetrical sealing in order to seal against the internal wall 12 of the casing 11. Such a sealing would in that case slide along the wall 12 as the pump member moves in the pump chamber 5. Such a sliding motion may however give rise to not desired jammings. According to one preferred embodiment of the invention such type of slide sealings are omitted and instead, in the chamber a laterally sealing elastic sleeve 41 is provided, which at a first end 42 connects in a ring shaped manner to the pump member 6 and at a second end, denoted 43, connects in a ring shaped manner to the casing 1 1 of the pump arrangement 4 so as to enclose a volume 44 connected to the connection arrangement 7 and the communication arrangement 8. The sleeve 41 , more specifically, may be of the nature of an elastic hose. The end of the elastic hose, denoted 42, may be fixed in a ring shaped manner relative to the pump member 6 in an arbitrary way but in the example it is illustrated that the intention is that the end 42 in a ring shaped manner will be squeezed firm in a slot between two parts of the pump member 6, i.e. a cover part 45 and a wall part 46 inside receiving the former. These may be connected to each other by means of press fit while the end 42 of the sleeve is intermediate, but permanent fixing by means of gluing or other connection means are also possible. It is preferred that the upper ring shaped end 43 of the sleeve 41 is clamped between the upper ring shaped edge of the wall 12 of the casing 11 and the cover 16. Thus, the volume 44 in the interior of the sleeve 41 will be the volume that receives the substance from the receptacle 3.

The casing 1 1 of the pump arrangement 4 is fixed relative to the frame 1 , for example by attachment members such as screws. The receptacle 3 and the frame 1 constitute control members 41 , 49 engaging each other, said control members connecting the frame 1 and the receptacle 3 so that the latter is displaceable towards and away from the pump arrangement 4. When the receptacle 3 thus will be arranged on the pump ar- rangement 4, the control members 48, 49 are introduced to engage each other, whereon the receptacle 3 is displaced along the frame 1 so that its projection 20 reaches into the recess 19 of the pump arrangement 4 and the connections 14, 18 are established. In the example, it is indicated how the control mem- bers 48, 49 may have the feature of cross-sectional dovetail shaped control members.

The volume of substance that will be dosed by one blow of the pump member 6 in direction upwards will depend on the lowest position of the pump member. According to the invention the device comprises means 50 to make possible varying of the lowest position of the pump member 6. In the example these means include one support member 51 arranged to, from be- low, support the floating body 10 and in that way the pump member 6 in a variable position. To be precise, this support member 51 is adjustable at different levels in the casing 1 1 of the pump arrangement 4. Fig 3 illustrates how the support member 51 may be located in one of many positions with aid of locating members 52. In the example said locating members 52 has the character of seats, in which seats portions of the support member 51 are receivable. In the example such locating members 52 are arranged on opposite short sides of the casing 1 1 and the support member 51 has an elongated shape and extends along the larger extension of the cross-section of the casing 11 so that the support member 51 at opposite short sides of the casing engage the locating members 52. At the ends of the support member 51 , said support member presents suitable fork formations, said fork formations being resilient squeezable in, and for releasing of, the locating engagement of the support member 51 in the locating member 52 so that the position of the support member 51 in the vertical direction of the casing 11 thus may be adjusted by movement of the support member between the different locating members 52. Thereby the user thus may adapt the dosage volume of substance depending on the substance in question and also the character/volume of the fluid in the vessel. As an example may be mentioned that more heavy cleaning tasks may necessitate a higher concentration of cleaning agents in the water in the ves- sel. It is pointed out that the motion path of the pump member 6/floating body 10 inside the casing 11 of the pump arrangement 4 could be defined with aid of special control members, for example from the bottom of the casing 1 1 projecting guiding pins, said guiding pins being received in guiding holes in the pump member 6/floating body 10. With such guiding pins/guiding holes the movement of the pump member 6 thus would be able to be controlled so that the pump member does not during its motion abut against the inside of the walls 12 of the casing 11 in a way that rises abrasion/friction.

When using the described device it will be proceeded as follows: By way of introduction the frame 1 is placed so that its applying means 2 will hook up around the edge on a vessel, for example a bucket and so that the pump arrangement 4 and the receptacle are located inside the bucket. If the receptacle 3 should be empty the user may now pull the receptacle upwardly so that it will be displaced along the extension of the control members 48, 49. Then the receptacle may be turned upside down so that the opening 39 will be directed upwards. After removal of the cover 40 filling may take place with a suitable substance, for example a cleaning agent. During the filling the valve element 37 is closing by cooperation with the seat 38 against inflowing of substance into the interior of the tube 35. After filling is finished the cover 40 is applied, and then the receptacle 3 is turned back to the position illustrated in the figures and is brought to engage the frame 1 via the control members 48, 49. Then the receptacle 3 is displaced along the guiding members so that the connection part 24 of the receptacle will be brought in contact with the cover 16 of the pump arrangement 4. Thereby the projecting end of the valve element 22 enters in contact with the cover 16 and is thereby displaced from the position of closing the connection 14 to the position of opening this connection, against the action of the spring 25. The substance inside the receptacle 3 may in this way flow via the opening 26 and the interior of the valve element 22 into the pump chamber 5, i.e. into the volume 44 inside the sleeve 41. At the same time that this inflowing occurs air is admitted into the interior of the receptacle 3 via the connection 18. Without this connection 18 the substance would not be able to flow out of the receptacle 3 provided that the cover 40 is closing tight. When the level of the substance inside the pump chamber 5 reaches up to the level for the lower mouth of the tube piece 33, the air admission into the interior of the receptacle will, however, be interrupted by the substance itself. This implies an automatical stop against further outflowing of substance from the receptacle into the pump chamber. Thus, automatically, a largest filling of the pump chamber is defined without any need of special moveable valve elements for this purpose.

The pump chamber 5 is now filled with substance from the receptacle 3. No outflowing of substance via the openings 9 in the surrounding vessel takes place since, as recently described, the level of substance inside the pump chamber is not rising any more when the level of the substance has sealed against air admission via the connection 18.

When the user now introduce fluid, for example water in the surrounding vessel, the fluid will subject the floating body 10 for a lifting force. This lifting force acts on the floating body and the pump member 6 upwardly. This results in reduction of the volume of the pump chamber 5 so that the substance in the pump chamber will be pressed out via the openings 9 in to the vessel. If the vessel is filled up enough with fluid, the floating body 10 and the pump member 6 will reach their uppermost position, in which the pump chamber 5 is substantially drained and thus a predetermined quantity of substance is fed into the vessel. In this way a steady dosage of substance to the vessel may ac- cordingly be achieved. Since the drainage of the pump chamber 5 is dependant on refilling of fluid into the vessel, it is ensured that the substance is fed out in the vessel only when there really is a need thereof. Thus, unnecessary consumption of the substance is avoided.

During the reduction of the pump chamber 5, the elastic sleeve 41 will be folded along the circumference of the pump chamber. As long as the level of fluid in the vessel is high the floating body and the pump member 6 remain in the uppermost position. When, however, the fluid has been consumed or emptied out from the vessel, the floating body 10 and the pump member 6 return to the lower position. Substance may thereby once again flow from the receptacle into the pump chamber until the level of the substance reaches the lower mouth of the connection 18 in the pump chamber, when the feeding of substance is stopped.

It is clear that the described device may be modified within the frame of the basic idea of the invention. The described embodi- ment should therefore be considered as exemplifying and not limiting. It is pointed out that the applying means or the hooks 2 could be formed adjustable on the frame 1 so that the position, vertically, of the pump arrangement 4 in the vessel could be set according to the circumstances.

Claims

1. A device for dosage of a substance to a fluid present in a vessel, said device comprising a dosage arrangement having a receptacle (3) for the substance, said receptacle being provided to deliver substance from the receptacle to the vessel, characterized in that the dosage arrangement comprises a pump arrangement (4) with a pump chamber (5) and a pump member (6) varying the volume therein, that the pump chamber and the receptacle (3) are in connection to each other through a connection arrangement (7) provided to supply the substance from the receptacle to the pump chamber, but, when the pump chamber is filled up, interrupt the supplying, that the pump chamber (5) and the vessel communicate with each other through a communication arrangement (8) and that the pump member (6) is adapted to be actuated, by means of a floating body (10) arranged to be lifted by the fluid in the vessel, to drain the pump chamber (5) via the communication arrangement (8).

2. A device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the pump member (6) is movably received in a casing (1 1 ) of the pump arrangement (4).

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the receptacle (3) is provided at a level above the pump chamber (5) so as to supply fluid to the same by way of the gravitation.

4. A device according to any previous claim, characterized in that the receptacle (3) is removable from the pump arrangement (4) and that the connection arrangement (7) comprises a first connection (14) which includes a valve arrangement (15) on the receptacle, said valve arrangement be- ing provided to open the connection (14) when mounting the receptacle (3) onto the pump arrangement (4) and close the connection when dismounting the receptacle from the pump arrangement.

5. A device according to claim 4, characterized in that the connection arrangement (7) comprises a second connection (18) provided to admit air from the pump chamber into the receptacle when substance is discharged from the receptacle (3) to the pump chamber (5).

6. A device according to claim 5, characterized in that the first and the second connections (14, 18) of the connection arrangement (7) lead into the pump chamber (5) in the upper part thereof.

7. A device according to claim 6, characterized in that the mouth of the second connection (18) into the pump chamber (5) is located at a level below a mouth of the communication arrangement (8) out of the pump cham- ber.

8. A device according to any of claims 5-7, characterized in that the second connection (18) presents an upper end located in the upper part of the receptacle (3).

9. A device according to claim 8, characterized in that the upper end of the second connection (18) presents a valve (36) provided to close the connection when the receptacle, removed from the pump arrangement, is turned over relative to when the receptacle is mounted onto the pump arrangement.

10. A device according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the receptacle (3) has an opening (39) for refilling located at the top thereof when the receptacle is turned over relative to when the same is mounted to the pump arrangement.

11. A device according to any previous claim, characterized in that in the interior of the pump chamber (5), a laterally sealing elastic sleeve is provided, which at one end (42) connects in a ring-shaped manner to the pump member (6) and at a second end (43) connects in a ring-shaped manner to the casing (11 ) of the pump arrangement so as to enclose a volume (44) connected to the connection arrangement and the communication arrangement (8).