One-way valve and vacuum relief device

• US 20050161476A1
• Filed: 03/22/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hygiene-Technik Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hygiene-Technik Inc.
• Inventors: Ophardt, Heiner
• Granted Patent: US 7,556,178 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/481.500
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0044 compensating underpressure by ingress of atmospheric air into the container, i.e. with venting means venting means for deformable containers B05B11/047
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0059 allowing operation in any orientation, e.g. for discharge in inverted position

Abstract

Liquid dispensers are provided including a vacuum relief mechanism with a vacuum relief device and a one-way valve in series with the vacuum relief device to prevent flow into and out of the reservoir when a vacuum exists in the reservoir. The vacuum relief device comprises an enclosed chamber having an air inlet open to the atmosphere and a liquid inlet in communication with liquid in the reservoir and in which the liquid inlet opens to the chamber at a height below a height at which the air inlet opens to the chamber. The one-way valve is capable of failure, in which case the vacuum relief device alone provides for pressure relief. The vacuum relief valve permits relief of vacuum from the reservoir without moving parts or valves.

Claims

1. A vacuum relief mechanism adapted to permit atmospheric air to enter a liquid containing reservoir to reduce vacuum developed in the reservoir,

the mechanism comprising a vacuum relief device and a one-way valve,

the vacuum relief device comprising:

an enclosed chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet,

the air inlet in communication with air at atmospheric pressure,

the liquid inlet in communication with liquid in the reservoir,

the liquid inlet open to the chamber at a height which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber,

the one-way valve disposed between the liquid inlet and the reservoir movable between a closed position preventing flow between the reservoir and the liquid inlet and an open position permitting flow through the valve,

the valve biased to assume the closed position.

2. A mechanism as claimed in claim 1 wherein the valve moving from the closed position to the open position when the pressure in the reservoir is sufficiently below pressure at the liquid inlet.

3. A mechanism as claimed in claim 2 wherein the valve includes a resilient member biasing the valve to assume the closed position.

4. A mechanism as claimed in claim 3 wherein the resilient member is an elastomeric member having an inherent bias biasing the valve to assume the closed position and having a tendency to lose its resiliency.

5. A mechanism as claimed in claim 4 wherein the event of failure of the one-way valve such that the one-way valve does not prevent fluid flow between the reservoir and the liquid outlet, flow from the reservoir out the liquid outlet is controlled by the vacuum relief device as a function of the pressure differential between the pressure in the reservoir and atmospheric pressure.

6. A mechanism as claimed in claim 5 wherein the reservoir is a rigid non-collapsible container.

7. A mechanism as claimed in claim 6 wherein the chamber is defined within a vessel having side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall,

an air passageway is defined within an air tube extending from an opening in the bottom wall upwardly within the chamber towards the top wall to an upper end of the air tube which comprises the air inlet,

a liquid passageway is defined within a liquid tube extending from an opening in the top wall downwardly within the chamber towards the bottom wall to a lower end of the liquid tube which comprises the liquid inlet,

the one-way valve disposed across the opening in the top wall.

8. A mechanism as claimed in claim 6 including a vessel having side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall,

a holding tube extending from the bottom wall upwardly within the vessel towards the top wall to an upper end of the holding tube which comprises the air inlet,

the holding tube defining the chamber therein,

an air passage between the holding tube and the side walls extending from the bottom wall to the top wall,

an opening open to atmosphere at a height below the air inlet through the bottom wall or the side wall into the air passage between the holding tube and the side walls,

a liquid passageway defined within a liquid tube extending from an opening in the top wall downwardly within the chamber towards the bottom wall into the holding tube to a lower end of the liquid tube which comprises the liquid inlet with a transfer passage between the holding tube and liquid tube for fluid passage between the air inlet and the liquid inlet,

the one-way valve disposed across the opening in the top wall.

9. A mechanism as claimed in claim 8 wherein

a base element comprises the bottom wall and the holding tube,

a cap element comprises the top wall and liquid tube,

the cap element and base element coupled together to form the vessel,

the valve member comprising:

a male valve seat member carried by the base element extending upwardly therefrom into the liquid tube, and an annular female valve seat member carried by the cap element within the liquid tube,

the female valve seat member being biased to move downwardly into sealed engagement with the male element in the closed position of the valve and to move to be spaced upwardly from the male element in the open position of the valve.

10. A mechanism as claimed in claim 9 wherein the liquid tube is movable with the female valve seat member.

11. A mechanism as claimed in claim 10 wherein the liquid tube is coaxially located within the air tube with the transfer passage comprising an annular passage radially there between, the male seat element and female seal element coaxially within the liquid tube.

12. A combination as claimed in claim 11 wherein the air tube is coaxially located within the side walls with the air passage comprising an annular passage radially there between.

13. In combination, an enclosed liquid containing reservoir, a pump and a vacuum relief mechanism,

the vacuum relief mechanism comprising a vacuum relief device and a one-way valve,

the reservoir having a liquid outlet connected with the pump which is operable to draw liquid from the reservoir via the liquid outlet,

a vacuum below atmospheric pressure is developed within the reservoir on drawing liquid from the reservoir via the dispensing outlet,

the vacuum relief device is adapted to permit atmospheric air to enter the reservoir via the liquid outlet to reduce any vacuum developed in the reservoir,

the vacuum relief device comprising an enclosed chamber having an air inlet and a liquid inlet,

the liquid inlet open to the chamber at a height which is below a height at which the air inlet is open to the chamber,

the air inlet in communication with air at atmospheric pressure such that the chamber is at atmospheric pressure,

the liquid inlet connected by via a liquid passageway with the liquid outlet,

the one-way valve disposed between the liquid inlet and the reservoir movable between a closed position preventing flow between the reservoir and the liquid inlet and an open position permitting flow through the valve,

the valve biased to the closed position,

the liquid inlet at a height below a height of liquid in the reservoir.