VALVELESS LIQUID DISPENSER

• US 20090261121A1
• Filed: 04/06/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nordson Corporation
• Inventors: Varga, Leslie J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,272,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/00 Apparatus requiring external operation adapted at each repeated and identical operation to measure and separate a predetermined volume of fluid or fluent solid material from a supply or container, without regard to weight, and to deliver it
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/22 for liquid or semiliquid
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/006 measuring volume in function of time

Abstract

An apparatus includes a valveless cartridge assembly that has a housing with an opening at a proximal end and an outlet port for dispensing the liquid at a distal end, with the opening being configured to accept a cartridge of the liquid therethrough and communicating with an interior space of the housing. A metered dispensing device is coupled to the valveless cartridge assembly and includes a positive displacement pump in fluid communication with the interior space and the outlet port for selectively dispensing the liquid through the outlet port. The apparatus may be such that at least a portion of the metered dispensing device is disposed within the housing or it may alternatively be coupled to an exterior of the housing. The positive displacement pump may be a gear pump.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing a liquid, comprising:

a valveless cartridge assembly including a housing with proximal and distal ends, an opening at said proximal end and an outlet port for dispensing the liquid at said distal end, said opening configured to accept a cartridge of the liquid therethrough and communicating with an interior space of said housing, and

a metered dispensing device coupled to said valveless cartridge assembly and including a positive displacement pump in fluid communication with said interior space and said outlet port for selectively dispensing the liquid through said outlet port.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said metered dispensing device is disposed within said housing.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said metered dispensing device is coupled to an exterior of said housing.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said positive displacement pump is a gear pump.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a heating element for heating said housing sufficiently to maintain the liquid in the cartridge in a molten state.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing and said outlet port are disposed generally along a common axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a cap engageable with an open end of the cartridge; and

a clamp engageable with said cap for securing the cartridge relative to said housing.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a piercing element operable to penetrate through said cap and configured to direct pressurized air from an external source into an interior of the cartridge.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a nozzle coupled to said distal end of said housing for controlling dispensing of the liquid to an exterior.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said nozzle includes a tube fluidly communicating said outlet port of said housing with the exterior.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising

a heater operatively coupled to said nozzle.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said positive displacement pump includes a driven gear and an idler gear meshed with said driven gear, the apparatus further comprising:

a robot including a motor operatively coupled to said driven gear of said positive displacement pump for controlling rotation of said driven gear.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said positive displacement pump includes a driven gear and an idler gear meshed with said driven gear, the apparatus further comprising:

a motor operatively coupled to said driven gear of said positive displacement pump for controlling rotation of said driven gear.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said motor is a reversible servo motor.

15. An apparatus for dispensing a liquid, comprising:

a cartridge assembly having a housing with proximal and distal ends, an opening at said proximal end and an outlet port for dispensing the liquid at said distal end, said opening configured to accept a cartridge of the liquid therethrough and communicating with an interior space of said housing; and

a metered dispensing device coupled to said cartridge assembly and including a positive displacement pump that is disposed within said housing and is in fluid communication with said interior space and said outlet port for selectively dispensing the liquid through said outlet port;

wherein said housing and said outlet port are disposed generally along a common axis.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said positive displacement pump is fluidly coupled to said interior space of said housing and to said outlet port respectively via first and second conduits disposed generally along said common axis.

17. A method of dispensing liquid from a cartridge, comprising:

receiving the cartridge within a housing of a valveless cartridge assembly;

forcing the liquid from the cartridge through a metered dispensing device including a positive displacement pump and coupled to the valveless cartridge assembly; and

activating the metered dispensing device to dispense the liquid from the housing.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

heating the housing to transfer heat to the cartridge sufficient to maintain the liquid therein in a molten state.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

dispensing the liquid generally along a common axis of the housing and an outlet port thereof.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

piercing a cured layer of the liquid in the cartridge with a piercing element fluidly connected to an external source of pressurized air to thereby pressurize the liquid.