Disc valve in a container for dispensing liquids
First Claim
1. Apparatus for dispensing a parenteral solution and for reliably controlling the cut off of fluid discharge, comprisinga. a metering container having a liquid inlet for communication with a source of liquid, a liquid outlet contained in a lower wall of the container, an air passage means for permitting air to enter the container when liquid is discharged from the container and for forming a liquid/air interface which moves toward the liquid outlet as liquid is discharged from the container and a resilient deformable means communicating with the liquid outlet for forcing fluid into the container through the liquid outlet upon manual compression;
- b. valve means for normally closing off the liquid outlet whenever the liquid/air interface is above a predetermined minimum level and for initially opening the liquid outlet in response to reverse flow of fluid through the liquid outlet upon manual compression of said resilient deformable means and for permitting liquid to continue to flow out of the container only so long as the air/liquid interface is above the predetermined minimum level, said valve means including a floating valve disc having
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved disc valve in a container for dispensing liquids is disclosed. The disc valve comprises at least two upstanding posts adjacent an outlet passage in the bottom of the container and a floatable disc member with apertures near its periphery through which the posts extend. The posts further have disc-retaining stops at their upper ends. The posts position the disc and the relationship between the size of the apertures and the thickness of the posts assures the disc will seat over the outlet passage to prevent the passage of air when all the liquid has been dispensed.
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Citations
9 Claims
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1. Apparatus for dispensing a parenteral solution and for reliably controlling the cut off of fluid discharge, comprising
a. a metering container having a liquid inlet for communication with a source of liquid, a liquid outlet contained in a lower wall of the container, an air passage means for permitting air to enter the container when liquid is discharged from the container and for forming a liquid/air interface which moves toward the liquid outlet as liquid is discharged from the container and a resilient deformable means communicating with the liquid outlet for forcing fluid into the container through the liquid outlet upon manual compression; b. valve means for normally closing off the liquid outlet whenever the liquid/air interface is above a predetermined minimum level and for initially opening the liquid outlet in response to reverse flow of fluid through the liquid outlet upon manual compression of said resilient deformable means and for permitting liquid to continue to flow out of the container only so long as the air/liquid interface is above the predetermined minimum level, said valve means including a floating valve disc having - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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2. an unapertured central portion formed of sheet like material sufficiently thin and flexible to seal the liquid outlet of the container when in contact therewith and a peripheral portion containing at least a pair of apertures, anda rigidifying rim attached to the entire periphery of said central portion and extending upwardly above the upper surface of said central portion, said floatable valve disc being movable between a first position in which said central portion closes off the liquid outlet and a second position in which said floatable valve disc is spaced vertically above the container outlet by a distance which is significantly less than the vertical extent of the container but is sufficient to permit fluid to flow out of the container, said disc being buoyantly biased toward said second position whenever the liquid/air interface is above said second position and being carried toward said first position as the liquid/air interface descends from said second position to said first position;
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c. guiding and retaining means for guiding said disc between said first and second positions and retaining said disc in said second position against the bouyant forces on said disc whenever the liquid/air interface is above said second position and for reliably releasing said disc from said second position whenever the liquid/air interface descends below said second position, said guiding and retaining means including 1. a pair of posts connected with the lower wall of the container adjacent the fluid outlet and extending upwardly through said apertures in said disc, said posts having a cross-sectional extent no greater than 1/2 the size of said apertures, and 2. stop means mounted on said posts at a position to retain said disc against buoyant forces when said disc is in said second position, said stop means including a stop bar shaped to extend laterally by a distance which is significantly less than the lateral extent of said disc thereby to engage only a small portion of the circumference of said rigidifying rim of said disc when said disc is in said second position and thereby to prevent engagement between said stop bar and said central portion of said disc.
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Specification