Inductively heatable fluid reservoir for various fluid types

• US 10,189,038 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2015
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toaster Labs, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Toaster Labs, Inc.
• Inventors: Buckalter, Amy Carol, Iverson, David Oscar, Nenninger, Garet Glenn, Horth, Roland David
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, Nicholas J
• Application Number:
  US14/879,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20160228897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,209 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1204 by means of a rigid dispensing chamber and pistons
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1205 Dispensing from the top of the dispenser with a vertical piston
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/1217 Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0002 incorporating means for heating or cooling, e.g. the material to be sprayed
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/02 Membranes or pistons acting on the contents inside the container, e.g. follower pistons
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/048 characterised by the container, e.g. this latter being surrounded by an enclosure, or the means for deforming it B05B11/041, B05B11/046 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/122 responsive to presence or shape of target B05B12/124 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/002 incorporating means for heating or cooling, e.g. the material to be sprayed
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/0838 supply being effected by follower in container, e.g. membrane or floating piston, or by deformation of container
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/108 for heating a fluid

Abstract

In various embodiments, a fluid delivery pod includes a first surface, a second surface that opposes the first surface, a reservoir body, an outlet port, a heating structure, and a valve assembly. The reservoir body is between the first and the second surfaces. The reservoir body is configured to house a fluid. The outlet port is positioned on a surface of the pod. The surface is between the first and the second surfaces. The heating structure is thermally coupled to the fluid housed within the reservoir body. The heating structure wirelessly receives energy from an energy source that is external to the fluid delivery pod. The wirelessly received energy heats the fluid housed within the reservoir body. In response to an application of compression forces on the first and the second surfaces, the valve assembly dispenses the heated fluid through the outlet port and out of the fluid delivery pod.

Claims

1. A fluid delivery pod comprising:

a first surface;

a second surface that opposes the first surface;

a reservoir body intermediate the first and the second surfaces, wherein the reservoir body is configured to house a fluid;

an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir;

a heating structure within the reservoir body and being electrically conductive to wirelessly receive inductive energy from an energy source that is external to the fluid reservoir to heat at least a portion of the fluid within the reservoir body; and

a valve assembly that is operative to, in response to an application of compression forces on the opposing first and the second surfaces, dispense at least a portion of the heated fluid through the outlet port;

wherein the first surface further comprises a piston that translates along at least a portion of the reservoir body.

2. The pod of claim 1, wherein a physical dimension of the heating structure is based on a fluid type of the fluid housed within the reservoir body.

3. The pod of claim 2, wherein another fluid delivery pod houses fluid of another fluid type and includes another heating structure, wherein a physical dimension of the other heating structure is based on the other fluid type.

4. The pod of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly includes a lower chamber and the heating structure is positioned around at least a portion of the lower chamber of the valve assembly.

5. The pod of claim 4, wherein the lower chamber of the valve assembly and the heating structure are coaxial along an axis that extends between the first and the second surfaces.

6. The pod of claim 1, wherein the heating structure is a conductive tube that includes a length, an inner radius, and an outer radius.

7. The pod of claim 6, wherein the length of the heating structure is between 13 and 17 millimeters.

8. The pod of claim 6, wherein the length of the heating structure is between 3 and 7 millimeters.

9. The pod of claim 1, wherein a lower chamber of the valve assembly slidably receives the heating structure.

21. A method for providing a fluid delivery pod of claim 1, the method comprising:

determining a type of fluid to house within the pod;

determining one or more physical dimensions of the heating structure based on the determined type of fluid, wherein a variance in the one or more physical dimensions varies at least an electrical conductance of the heating structure; and

providing the heating structure with the pod, wherein the heating structure includes the determined one or more physical dimensions based on the type of fluid.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

determining a type of conductive material based on the type of fluid, wherein the heating structure is constructed from the determined type of conductive material and a variance in the type of conductive material varies at least the electrical conductance of the heating structure.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the type of conductive material includes at least one of stainless steel or surgical steel.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the type of fluid includes at least one of a water-based lubricant or a silicone-based lubricant.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the determined one or more physical dimensions of the heating structure includes a length of the heating structure.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the determined length of the heating structure is between 13 and 17 millimeters.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the determined length of the heating structure is between 3 and 7 millimeters.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the determined one or more physical dimensions of the heating structure includes a diameter of the heating structure and the determined diameter is between 6 and 10 millimeters.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the heating structure is cylindrical heating structure.

10. A fluid reservoir comprising:

a reservoir body that includes a first end, a second end, and a volume, wherein the reservoir body is configured and arranged to house a fluid in the volume, wherein the first end includes at least one of an aperture or an indent that is configured and arranged to receive an actuator;

a piston housed within the volume of the reservoir body and configured and arranged to translate along a translation axis;

a nozzle that communicates with an interior volume of the reservoir body and is configured and arranged to output the fluid housed within the reservoir;

a valve assembly that includes a lower chamber and a first valve that resists the output of the fluid through the nozzle unless a dispensing force is applied to the reservoir, wherein the dispensing force increases an internal pressure of the fluid to overcome a resistance of the first valve; and

a heating structure that is disposed within the reservoir body and that surrounds an outer surface of the lower chamber of the valve assembly, wherein when fluid is housed in the volume of the reservoir body, the heating structure is thermally coupled to the fluid and configured and arranged to heat at least a portion of the fluid housed within the body.

11. The reservoir of claim 10, wherein the heating structure is a conductive tube that includes a length, an aperture of an inner radius, and an outer radius, wherein the aperture is configured and arranged to receive at least a portion of the lower chamber of the valve assembly.

12. The reservoir of claim 11, wherein the length of the heating structure is based on a fluid type of the fluid housed in the volume of the reservoir body.

13. The reservoir of claim 11, wherein at least one of the outer radius or the inner radius of the heating structure is based on a fluid type of the fluid housed in the volume of the reservoir body.

14. The reservoir of claim 11, wherein the outer radius of the heating structure is between 6 mm and 10 mm.

15. The reservoir of claim 11, wherein the tube includes at least one of an overlapped region, a welded region, or a gapped region.

16. The reservoir of claim 10, wherein the first end of the reservoir body includes the aperture, and when the aperture receives the actuator, the actuator mates with the piston and the actuator provides the dispensing forces on the piston.

17. A fluid reservoir that houses fluid, the reservoir comprising:

a reservoir body that includes a longitudinal axis and a volume, wherein the reservoir body is configured and arranged to house at least a portion of the fluid in the volume;

a piston configured and arranged to translate along at least a portion of the longitudinal axis of the reservoir body;

a heating structure disposed within the reservoir body, wherein when fluid is housed in the volume of the reservoir body, the heating structure is thermally coupled and configured and arranged to energize at least a portion of the fluid housed within the body, wherein a length of the heating structure is based on fluid type of the housed fluid;

a nozzle that communicates with an interior volume of the reservoir and is configured and arranged to output the housed fluid; and

a valve assembly that resists the output of the fluid through the nozzle unless a compression force is applied to the reservoir along the longitudinal axis.

18. The reservoir of claim 17, wherein the heating structure and a lower chamber of the valve assembly are coaxial with the longitudinal axis.

19. The reservoir of claim 17, wherein the length of the heating structure is a first length when a first fluid type of a first specific heat capacity is housed within the reservoir body and the length of the heating structure is a second length when a second fluid type of a second specific heat capacity is housed within the reservoir body, wherein the first length is greater than the second length and the first specific heat capacity is greater than the second specific heat capacity.

20. The reservoir of claim 17, wherein a thickness of the heating structure is based on the fluid type of the housed fluid.