WO2012042214A1

WO2012042214A1 - Fluid dispensing equipment

Info

Publication number: WO2012042214A1
Application number: PCT/GB2011/001415
Authority: WO
Inventors: David J. Pritchett; Brian R. Law; Angela J. Maxwell
Original assignee: Acuwomen Limited
Priority date: 2010-09-29
Filing date: 2011-09-29
Publication date: 2012-04-05
Also published as: GB2498288A; GB201305580D0; GB201016405D0

Abstract

A dispensing system comprises: a liquid reservoir; a rotary pump coupled to the reservoir, said pump having a rotor with a horizontal axis of rotation and an outlet a the bottom; a cabinet for removably holding the reservoir, the cabinet having a lower support surface with an opening such that the reservoir is supported by the support surface and the pump extends beneath the opening; a motor mounted to the cabinet; and a drive shaft extending horizontally from the motor and engaging the rotor. Generally the pump is coupled to a gland projecting beneath the reservoir, and the cabinet includes clamping elements for releasably engaging the gland. The cabinet may include a pump housing having two parts that are hingeably connected and include the clamping elements.

Description

FLUID DISPENSING EQUIPMENT

The present invention relates to fluid dispensing equipment, particularly automatic electro-mechanical dispensing machines for fluid products and in particular food and beverage products dispensed in trade areas such as public houses and bars. There may also be

applications in retail and home environments. A typical example would be the dispensing of wine.

Liquid beverages can be stored in a wide range of containers. Once a container is open to the atmosphere, the ingress of oxygen can cause significant deterioration in product quality. This can be substantially reduced by the use of bag-in-box containers. Such containers are conventionally fitted with a manual tap which allows the liquid to be dispensed as the bag progressively collapses to prevent any ingress of air. _;, In high usage areas such as bars or busy venues (such as stadiums or theatres) it is not easy to pour accurate amounts consistently in a short period of time from a bottle, or indeed, a manual tap.

Known automated dispensing equipment tends to have disadvantages such as : 1. Being difficult to clean, maintain and keep sterile.

2. Being difficult to refill or replenish.

3. Being highly complex and costly.

4. Adding significant cost to every pack of liquid product due to slow filling line speeds and closure designs .

5. Not reliably maintaining the product in optimum condition .

6. Not ensuring consistent dose accuracy.

7. Not providing high speed dispensing.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention can ameliorate one or more of these problems.

The present invention concerns dispensing equipment for dispensing fluids from containers (particularly bag- in-box containers of liquids) , which containers are provided with rotary pumps, preferably of the type having a pump chamber containing a rotor which defines , with the wall of the chamber, one or more cavities, each cavity extending around only a part of the chamber. Turning the rotor moves the cavities around the chamber, via an inlet and an outlet where a resilient element forces the contents out of the chamber (see e.g. US 3,771,901 Alfa Laval, and WO 2006/027548 Carbonate Ltd) . The volume pumped is closely linked to the number of rotations and so can be easily and accurately controlled. Such pumps can be small and cheap, so they can be treated as

disposable items, avoiding cleaning and hygiene problems. Suitable pumps are available from Quantex Arc Ltd.

(These are as disclosed in WO 2006/027548) .

Thus the invention provides dispensing equipment adapted for use with, or including, a fluid container provided with a rotary pump. The equipment provides means, such as a cabinet, for supporting the container with the pump at a predetermined location and

orientation, a motor, and coupling means for coupling the motor to the rotor. Preferably the motor and coupling means are provided by a connection module which is a unit that is releasably mounted on the support (cabinet) so that a drive means extends from the motor to a coupling location where it can be coupled to the rotor of a suitably positioned pump. Desirably the drive means comprises a horizontally extending rotatable shaft, for engaging a pump rotor with a horizontal axis. Use of a 'horizontal' pump can enable the length of an outlet spout to be kept small. With a vertical pump, a spout generally has to extend over a substantial part of the height of the pump, to reach its outlet. It will also have to extend past pump drive means that engage the pump from beneath. A lengthy nozzle is undesirable on various grounds, e.g. because it tends to cause dripping, and hygiene problems .

Particularly for dispensing wine, the dispensing rate is desirably in the range 30-60 ml/sec. To permit a gentle flow, to minimise problems such as splashing, the nozzle must be relatively broad, e.g. with an outlet whose internal diameter is at least 4mm. The pump is desirably small, comparable to the types of manual tap conventionally used with bag-in-box containers, so it can be handled in the same way, e.g. being stored within the box prior to use. With a small pump and a wide nozzle, the free area beneath the pump is very small. This provides a further reason why a 'horizontal' pump is preferred, since the drive does not need to engage it from beneath .

A container ready to be installed in the equipment may have the form of a box containing a bag of fluid, and a pump projecting beneath the bottom of the box. This may have been produced by opening a panel in the bottom of the box to produce an opening, and pulling the pump through the opening. The pump may be coupled to the bag via a gland. The pump may be located in its 'use' configuration by engaging edge regions of the box opening with the gland, or between the gland and the pump.

However, more stable and precise location of the pump is desirable .

The equipment may provide a support for a box in the form of a spaced pair of horizontally extending side rails such that a box can be slid in horizontally, with the pump projecting through the gap between the side rails. An end abutment may control how far the box can be slid. Lateral abutments may delimit its lateral positioning.

The pump may have lateral horizontal flange

portions, and the equipment may provide supports for these. These supports may comprise opposed C-channel portions such that the pump's flange portions can slide between them so that lateral or vertical movement is then restrained. There may be an end abutment to control how far the pump can slide. There may be releasable locking formations for retaining the pump at a desired location. At least some of the means for controlling the location of the pump may be provided by a connection module that includes the motor and coupling means. Thus the pump can be correctly positioned with the motor coupled to it. The equipment may be adapted to receive a plurality of fluid containers, e.g. having a series of compartments with a corresponding number of connection modules. There may be means for monitoring and/or controlling the temperature of a container. If the equipment can receive plural containers, their temperatures may be individually monitored and/or controlled.

There may be means for detecting when a container and pump are correctly engaged, e.g. employing a

microswitch.

There may be means for monitoring the state of fullness of a container, e.g. using a strain gauge to monitor its weight.

The equipment may receive information about the contents of a container, either by reading data which the container carries in some form, or by having data input by an operator. It may have a microprocessor enabling it to use this data, e.g. to control the temperature of the container and/or to monitor its shelf-life.

Installation of a container and operation of the equipment are desirably as simple and foolproof as possible. Desirable features that can contribute to this include the following. The number of separate components, particularly- small components that may be misplaced, should be minimised. hen the design enables the use of a short outlet nozzle, this may be provided as a permanent part of the pump and not an add-on component that must be separately found and correctly engaged during set-up.

Use of a short, integral nozzle is also helpful for enabling rapid filling of a container, using a filling line designed for use with a conventional container featuring a manual tap.

Ideally an empty container can be removed, and a new container installed, without any other component being required. The equipment has built-in elements that guide the installation of a container, and provide positive engagement when it is in the correct position. The stable and accurate location of the pump is particularly important. Desirably there are means for releasably locking the pump in position, the means being provided by 'captive' elements.

Some embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail by way of example, with

reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 is a side view showing a vertical section through a first embodiment of the invention, with a bag- in-box with a rotary pump located for use;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view on a larger scale of part of the first embodiment, partly cut away, showing a motor coupled to the rotary pump;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the bag-in-box and pump being moved into place;

Fig. 4 is a frontal view of part of a second

embodiment showing two compartments of a cabinet, one with a bag-in-box and pump installed, and one ready to receive them;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view from the rear of part of the second embodiment, showing a bag-in-box and pump being moved into position.

Fig. 6 is a side view of part of the second

embodiment, with a bag-in-box and pump in their use configuration;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view from beneath showing a connection module of a third embodiment;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of the front end portions of the connection module of Fig. 7 showing engagement with a pump; Fig. 9 is a perspective view of part of the third embodiment showing a bag-in-box and pump being moved into engagement with a connection module;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 showing the bag- in-box and pump engaged in the dispensing equipment;

Figs. llA and 11B are similar perspective views, looking down from the front, showing part of a modified third embodiment which includes a connection module that includes a locking device which is unlocked in Fig. 11A and locked (i.e. engaging a pump unit) in Fig. 11B;

Figs. 12A and 12B are a similar pair of views showing a second modified third embodiment with a second form of locking device;

Figs. 13A and 13B are a further pair of front perspective views, from one side, showing a third

modified third embodiment with a third form of locking device;

Fig. 14 is a vertical section through a fourth embodiment ;

Fig. 15 is an enlarged detail showing a section through the pump housing:

Fig. 16 is a perspective view from the front showing the pump housing open, awaiting insertion of a container and pump; and Fig. 17 is a front elevation similar to Fig. 16 but showing a container and pump .

The first embodiment is for use with a liquid container having an integral pump unit that is fixed, and does not have to be pulled out of the interior of the container for use. As shown in Figs. 1-3 , the container 10 has a main compartment 12 , here shown as a

conventional bag-in-box assembly, and a small lower compartment 14 below a partition wall 16 . The rotary pump 18 is mounted in the lower compartment 14 , with its rotor axis horizontal. (The rotor 19 of the pump has an axial opening 20 for engagement by a splined rotary drive member.) The partition wall 16 has an opening 21 through which the gland 22 of the bag-in-box projects. It is coupled to the inlet side of the pump 18 . The outlet side of the pump 18 is coupled to a spout 24 , which projects through an opening 26 in the bottom wall 28 of the container 10 . (The spout 24 is preferably removably attached to the pump 18 . There may be an elongate recess in the underside of the bot.tom wall 28 in which the spout 24 is stored before use. A removable panel may close both the recess and the opening 26 . Thus, when the container 10 is to be used, the panel is torn away, exposing the underside of the pump, and allowing access to the spout. The latter is then removed from the recess, turned through 90° , and one end is engaged with the pump.) The rear wall 29 of the container 10 has an access opening 30 , at the bottom. (This may be produced when the container is being deployed, by removal of a panel delimited by perforations.)

The dispensing cabinet 40 provides a shelf 42 , for supporting a container, with a rear wall 44 for correctly positioning the container. The shelf 42 has an opening 44 ' for the spout 24 to project through. There is

preferably a slot 46 opening at the front of the shelf, so that a container can be slid in, with the spout 24 already fitted. A clip 48 may be provided for closing the slot 46 .

A connection module 50 is mounted, releasably, to the cabinet 40 . It includes a stepper motor 54 which is mounted to the rear side of the rear wall 44 of the cabinet. It has a rotatable motor shaft 56 that extends horizontally through an opening in the rear wall, above the shelf 42. It is coupled to a splined shaft portion 58 via a flexible connector 60 which allows the splined shaft portion 58 to deviate from being precisely coaxial with the motor shaft 56 . (The connection module may also include an elongate support member that carries the motor and extends forwardly. It may carry a bearing for the shaft 56. )

When the container is being deployed, its spout is engaged with its pump and it is slid rearwardly along the shelf 42. The cabinet may have side partitions and/or other guide formations for ensuring that the axial opening 20 of the pump is sufficiently nearly aligned with the splined shaft portion 58 that continued rearward sliding causes the splined shaft portion 58 to engage in the pump's axial opening 20 , facilitated by the play allowed by the flexible connector 60 .

In a conventional 'bag-in-box' type of liquid container, the box provides a single compartment housing the 'bag', and a tap unit coupled to the bag. The box has a line of perforation delimiting a small panel that can be opened to create an opening through which the tap unit can be grasped so it can be pulled fully or

partially through, to a dispensing configuration.

Flanges on the tap unit sandwich the wall of the box adjacent the opening so that the tap is stably located. A further embodiment of the invention makes use of a variant of such a container in which a rotary pump unit replaces the tap unit. Thus, for use, a panel is opened, and the pump unit is pulled through. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a cabinet for use with such a container. An individual compartment 100 has, near the bottom, a side rail 102 at each side, with a gap 104 between them. A connection module 150 is essentially the same as the module 50 described in connection with the previous embodiment, having a stepper motor 154 with a motor shaft 156 coupled to a splined shaft portion 158 via a flexible connector 160 ("6 beam connector") (see Figs. 5 and 6). In this embodiment, an elongate support member 152 is also shown. This is a casting, suitably of aluminium. It includes a rear plate portion 152a to which the motor is mounted, and an elongate tubular housing 152b for the motor shaft 156 and connector 160. Fig. 5 shows a container, with the pump unit 118 in its use configuration (with a spout 124 applied) , being slid along the side rails 102 towards the splined shaft portion 158. Fig. 6 shows the final configuration, with the splined shaft portion 158 engaged in the pump's axial opening 120.

The third embodiment is essentially a more refined version of the second.

Fig. 7 shows the connection module 250. As in the second embodiment, a stepper motor 254 is mounted to a rear plate portion 252a of a support member 252. An elongate tubular housing 252b extends forwardly,

shrouding the motor shaft 256 and connector 260 . It also provides a bearing 261 . It extends further forwardly than that of the previous embodiment, having a forked front portion which provides side rails 280 extending beneath and forwardly of the pump unit 218 when this is in its use configuration. The pump unit 218 is provided with a base flange 282 that slides over guide surfaces 284 on the side rails 280 , and engages under opposed tabs 286 provided by the rails (see Pigs. 9 and 10 ) .

The pump is no longer sitting on a shelf of same thickness as in the previous embodiment. Thus it does not need a long spout, which would generally have to be provided as a separate member. (The minimisation of the number of separable components is highly desirable, particularly for use in a bar environment) . Thus the pump has a short integral outlet spigot 288 . This spigot 288 projects downwardly between the side rails 280 . At the rear, it has a vertically extending rearward

projection 290 which passes into a slot in the housing, further stabilising the position of the pump. The pump's presence may be detected, e.g. by a microswitch 292 which is engaged by the projection 290 as the pump unit reaches its final position (see Fig. 8 ) . Once the pump unit, and the associated container, are in place, a clip 293 is engaged with the end of the support member 252. As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, this includes lateral hooks 294 which engage behind detent surfaces on the support member 252, locking the pump in place. Arms 296 are provided on the clip 293 to enable the hooks 294 to be bent out of engagement, to permit withdrawal. The clip 293 also carries an outer spout 298. (Alternative or additional forms of locking may employ a latch member on the support member that is resiliently pushed aside by the pump unit as it is moved into place, then snaps out to engage in front of a forwardly-facing surface of the pump unit to prevent its withdrawal .

Figs. 11 to 13 show alternative forms of locking assembly, shown in unlocked (Figs. 11A, 12A, 13A) and locked (Figs. 11B, 12B and 13B) configurations. A desirable feature shared by the three alternative locking assemblies is that they do not involve separable members . The locking elements are provided by, or carried by, the connection module and the pump unit.

The locking assembly of Fig. 11 involves a pivotable lever 300 mounted on a side rail 280 of the connection module 250 so as to be pivotable around a screw 302. The lever 300 is a plastics moulding, and has a thin web portion 304 extending rearwardly. This is resiliently flexible. It extends to a recess in a block 306 , also mounted on the side rail 280. In the locked

configuration shown in Fig. 11B, the web portion is straight, parallel to the side rail, and resiliently urged to abut a side surface of the pump unit 218. The pump unit is thus frictionally engaged, and retained in place. (The engagement happens automatically, when the pump is slid along the side rails into position.) For removing the pump unit 218, the lever 300 is pivoted anti-clockwise, against the urging of the resilient web portion 304, to the configuration shown in Fig. 11A, causing the web portion to adopt an arcuate shape. It is now substantially out of contact with the pump unit 218, which can be withdrawn.

The locking assembly of Fig. 12 involves an abutment 320 on the pump unit 218, having a forwardly facing abutment surface. A lever 322 mounted on a side rail 280 of the connection module 250 has an opposing abutment surface 324 . The lever 322 is pivotable on a pin 325. A resilient rear extension 326 abuts the tubular housing 252b so that the lever is urged to the locking position shown in Fig. 12B, with its abutment surface 324 engaging the abutment 320 of the pump unit 320, preventing its withdrawal. Lateral pressure on the front of the lever 322 urges it to pivot to the position shown in Fig. 12A, thus releasing the pump unit 218. The lever 322 has an angled cam surface 328 at the front so that, as a pump unit is being slid into position, the lever pivots outwardly (against the resilient force of its rear extension 326, which is being bent) until it snaps into engagement in front of the abutment 320 of the pump unit.

In the variant shown in Fig. 13, one side rail 280 has a small opening 330 in the guide surface 284. A detent lever 332 is pivotably mounted with a horizontal axis so that an abutment portion 334 can project upwardly through the opening 330, as shown in Fig. 13B. It is urged towards this locking configuration by gravity and/or by a spring, but can be pivotted away from it by pressing the front portion of the lever 332 upwardly, to the configuration shown in Fig. 13A in which the abutment portion does not project above the guide surface 284. The abutment portion has an angled cam face 336 at the front. Thus when a pump unit 218 is being slid into position, contact of its base flange 282 can cause the lever 332 to pivot out of the way. Once the flange 282 has passed over the abutment portion, the lever returns to the locking configuration, where it prevents forward movement of the pump unit 218.

The fourth embodiment, shown in Figs. 14-17, is a development of the third embodiment .

The third embodiment uses a base flange 282 on the pump unit 218 for location. The fourth embodiment can use a smaller pump 418 with no base flange. Instead, location employs a pair of flanges 500,502 which are conventionally present on the gland 422 of a bag-in-box receptacle .

The connection module 450 includes a stepper motor 454 with a long horizontal drive shaft 456. The outer end portion passes through a bushing 504 and terminates in a splined shaft portion 458, which is located within , pump housing 506. The housing has a rear body portion 508 hinged to a front closure portion 510 to form a

"clamshell". The rear body portion 508 has a U-shaped wall 512, as viewed in plan, with a U-shaped rib 514 spaced slightly below its top. A curved portion 516 of the rib, and possibly adjacent portions 518 of its straight sides, is/are formed of a resilient material (e.g. a rubber) .

The rear of the wall portion 512 has a central opening 520 in which the bushing 504 is mounted. The lower inner regions of the wall portion are adapted to the shape of the particular pump 418. In the example, there is an arcuate wall portion 522 at one side, concentric with the shaft 456, and there is a horizontal floor 524 at the other side. The pump casing is closely embraced and prevented from rotating, in part because it does not have rotational symmetry.

At the bottom of the housing 506 , there is a U- shaped opening 526 , open to the front. In the side walls 528 delimiting the opening 526 , there are an opposed pair of elongate recesses 530 , near the front.

The front closure portion 510 of the pump housing 506 has a front wall portion 532 . A bar 534 projects rearwardly from the centre thereof at what, in the closed configuration, is the bottom. Adjacent its end there are lateral projections which are slidably and pivotably received in respective recesses 530 . A top wall portion 526 projects from the top of the front wall portion. It is dimensioned to lie on the tops of the arms of the U- shaped rib 514 . Beneath it, there is an engagement piece 538 . This has the same thickness as the U-shaped rib 514 . It projects beyond the top wall portion 536 and has a part-cylindrical abutment portion 540 formed of

resilient material, e.g. rubber. This, together with the resilient curved portion 516 of the rib 514 , is adapted to embrace the gland 422 securely, between the flanges 500 , 502 . The resilient portions are sufficiently

resilient to cope with normal variations in gland

dimensions .

As in previous embodiments, the pump 418 has a rotor with a horizontal axis of rotation, and is engaged from the rear side by the splined shaft portion 458 . This, together with the way that the main engagement is now with flanges 500 , 502 on the gland 422 , enables the bottom of the pump to be very close to the dispensing location at the bottom of the cabinet 440 , so a very short

integral spout or spigot 488 can be used. The dispensing cabinet 440 has at least one

compartment 400 for a bag-in-box 410 . The connection module 450 is generally beneath the compartment 400 , with the front closure portion 510 of the pump housing 506 forming part of the wall of the cabinet 440 beneath the compartment. The cabinet door 542 closes the open front of compartment 400 , and may cover the wall beneath the compartment 400 , including the front closure portion 510 .

To install a bag-in-box assembly, the door 542 is opened, and the front closure portion 510 is swung down into its open configuration. The bag-in-box assembly can then be slid into the compartment, with most of its gland 422 and the pump 418 beneath the floor of the

compartment, moving into the pump housing 506 . When the bag-in-box assembly has been moved fully into the

compartment (controlled by abutting a rear wall or abutment and/or detected by a limit switch) , the splined shaft portion 458 has passed into the pump 418 . The front closure portion 510 is then swung to its closed position, so that the gland 422 is firmly clamped between the flanges 500 , 502 . The closure portion 510 may be held in its closed position by a magnetic catch. Correct closure may be detected, e.g. by completion of an

electrical circuit by a conductor on the closure portion 510 contacting a conductor on the rear body portion 508 , or by tripping of a microswitch. The compartment 450 will generally be thermally- insulated, and will commonly be cooled. It is then very desirable for the pump motor and associated components to be thermally isolated from the compartment. Thus the drive shaft 456 may pass through a channel lined with insulating foam. The pump itself is well isolated from compartment 450 by the pump housing 506 , particularly the resilient seals that engage the gland 422 . The fact that the pump is outside the cooled compartment can greatly improve its overall performance and the stability and lifetime of its material. The cooling efficiency of the chamber is enhanced, and problems due to condensation are avoided.

Claims

1. Liquid dispensing system comprising: a liquid reservoir; a rotary pump coupled to the reservoir, said pump having a rotor with a horizontal axis of rotation and an outlet at the bottom; a cabinet for removably holding the reservoir, the cabinet having a lower support surface with an opening such that the reservoir is supported by the support surface and the pump extends beneath the opening; a motor mounted to the cabinet; and a drive shaft extending horizontally from the motor and engaging the rotor.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein the pump is coupled to a gland projecting beneath the reservoir, and the cabinet includes clamping elements for releasably engaging the gland.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein the cabinet includes a pump housing comprising two parts that are hingeably connected and include the clamping elements, the parts being hingeable between a clamping

configuration in which the elements releasably engage the gland, and a open configuration which permits removal of the container from the cabinet .

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein, in the clamping configuration, the pump housing embraces the pum .

5. A system according to any of the preceding claims wherein thermal insulation is provided to insulate the pump from the reservoir.

6. A system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the reservoir is a bag-in-box container.

7. Dispensing equipment for use with a liquid reservoir coupled to a rotary pump so as to form a system according to any preceding claim.