System for selectively containing metering and dispensing liquids

• US 4,886,189 A
• Filed: 08/08/1988
• Issued: 12/12/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ingersoll-Dresser Pump Co. (Flowserve Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ingersoll-Rand Company (Trane Technologies plc)
• Inventors: Vanderjagt, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rolla, Jospeh J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory L.
• Application Number:
  US07/229,715
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 222/162, 222/386, 222/386.5, 222/319, 222/405, 222/326, 222/327, 222/160, 222/49, 222/50, 222/44, 222/47, 222/185, 222/333, 222/336, 222/389, 222/390, 222/105, 222/214, 92/98 D
• US Class Current: 222/49
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0255 squeezing collapsible or flexible storage containers for dispensing beverages on draught B67D1/0462

Abstract

A system for selectively containing and dispensing liquids. The system has a container for the liquid with the container including a housing and a flexible diaphragm in the interior of the housing for holding the liquid. An actuator is coupled to the diaphram for moving the diaphragm between an extended position in which the diaphragm can hold more of the liquid and retracted positions in which the diaphragm holds less of the liquid than when in the extended position. A force transmitting unit is coupled to the actuator for causing the actuator to move the diaphragm in a direction from the extended position towards a completely retracted position to dispense the liquid from the container.

Claims

1. A system for selectively containing and dispensing liquid comprising:

(a) a container for liquid, said container including a housing having an interior and an opening in one end thereof and being open at the opposite end thereof, said housing including a flange at the edge thereof adjacent the open end thereof, a cover, means for removably mounting said cover means over the open end of said housing, a flexible diaphragm means in said interior of said housing for holding the liquid, said diaphragm means being provided with a flange at an edge thereof, said flange of said diaphragm means being sandwiched between said cover means and said flange of said housing to hold said edge of said diaphragm in place, and said diaphragm means being unattached to said housing along the sides of said housing;

(b) actuator means coupled to said diaphragm means for moving said diapahragm means between an extended position in which said diaphragm means can hold more of the liquid to a completely retracted position in which said diaphragm means holds less of the liquid than when in said extended position, said actuator means including a projection of a size adapted to extend through said opening in said one end of said housing, a first plate disposed over the end of said diaphragm means and a second plate disposed on the opposite side of said diaphragm means from said first plate, means joining said first and second plates together with the end of said diaphragm means being sandwiched therebetween, said second plate being of a smaller size than said opening in said one end of said housing whereby said second plate is adapted to extend into said opening, said first plate being of a larger size than said opening in said one end of said housing whereby the end of said housing is adapted to act as a stop to limit movement of said first and second plates and the end of said diaphragm means, said second plate being adapted to contact said projection whereby relative movement of said container and said projection towards one another into said completely retracted position is effective to displace the liquid from the interior of said container, said container and said actuator means being separable from one another whereby said container can be filled and sealed with liquid at a location remote from said actuator means and then transported to the location of said actuator means for joining with said actuator means to dispense the liquid from said container;

(c) discharge means comprising quick coupling means including a first part fixedly attached to said cover means and in communication with the interior of said housing and said diaphragm means and including a second part detachably connected to said first part and in communication with said first part and thereby in communication with the interior of said housing and said diaphragm means and conduit means coupled to said second part for conducting the expelled liquid to a place of use, and said discharge means including valve means for controlling the discharge of the liquid; and

(d) force transmitting means coupled to said actuator means for causing said actuator means to move said diaphragm means in a direction from said extended position towards said completely retracted position to dispense the liquid from said container and out said discharge means.

2. A system for selectively containing and dispensing liquid comprising:

(a) a container for the liquid, said container including a housing having an interior, said housing including a fixed portion and a movable portion movable relative to said fixed portion, means sealing said movable portion and said fixed portion for permitting movement of said movable portion and at the same time for preventing liquid from escaping from between said movable portion and said fixed portion;

(b) actuator means coupled to said movable portion for moving said movable portion between an extended position in which said container can hold more of the liquid and retracted positions in which said container holds less of the liquid than when in said extended position, said actuator means including a projection having a cylindrical wall, a first end attached to said wall at one end of said wall and a second end attached to said wall at the opposite end of said wall to define an enclosed projection chamber, said second end having an opening centrally thereof;

(c) discharge means communicated with the interior of said housing for discharging the liquid held in said container to the exterior of said container, said discharge means including valve means for controlling the discharge of the liquid; and

(d) force transmitting means coupled to said actuator means for causing said actuator means to move said movable portion in a direction from said extended position towards said retracted positions to displace and dispense the liquid from said container and out said discharge means, said force transmitting means including a piston mounted in said projection chamber to divide said projection chamber into a variable volume first chamber and variable volume second chamber and for relative movement of said projection and said piston between a first position in which said piston is adjacent said first end of said projection and a second position in which said piston is adjacent said second end of said projection, a rod fixedly attached at one end thereof to said piston and the other end of said rod extending upwardly through said opening in said second end to the outside of said projection, said rod having a channel extending along the length of said rod and communicating with said first chamber, and air pressure means communicating with said channel for delivering air under pressure to said first chamber to cause said container and said projection to move relatively towards one another into a retracted postion and displace the liquid from the interior of said container; and

including first coupling means attached to said rod adjacent said other end of said rod and attached to said container adjacent one end of said container for holding said container, said rod, and said piston fixed relative to one another.

3. A system for selectively containing and dispensing liquid comprising:

(a) a container for the liquid, said container including a housing having an interior, said housing including a fixed portion and a movable portion movable relative to said fixed portion, means sealing said movable portion and said fixed portion for permitting movement of said movable portion and at the same time for preventing liquid from escaping from between said movable portion and said fixed portion;

(b) actuator means coupled to said movable portion for moving said movable portion between an extended position in which said container can hold more of the liquid and retracted positions in which said container holds less of the liquid than when in said extended position, said actuator means including a projection having a cylindrical wall, a lower end attached to said wall adjacent the lower end of said wall, and an open end;

(c) discharge means communicated with the interior of said housing for discharging the liquid held in said container to the exterior of said container, said discharge means including valve means for controlling the discharge of the liquid; and

(d) force transmitting means coupled to said actuator means for causing said actuator means to move said movable portion in a direction from said extended position towards said retracted positions to displace and dispense the liquid from said container and out said discharge means, said force transmitting means including a disc-like plate having a threaded aperture extending vertically through the center thereof, a threaded vertical shaft threadedly extending through said vertical aperture, means coupling said vertical shaft adjacent the lower end thereof to said first end for rotatably supporting said shaft from said projection, pulley means mounted on said projection adjacent the upper end of said projection, flexible elongated pull means extending through said pulley means and fixed respectively to said disc-like means and said container at the opposite ends thereof, motor means mounted on said first end, said motor means including a rotatable drive shaft, means coupling said drive shaft to said threaded vertical shaft for causing rotation of said threaded vertical shaft by said motor means to move said disc-like plate towards said lower end of said projection to pull said elongated pull means and draw said projection downwardly against said movable portion of said container and move said movable portion towards said retracted positions.

4. A. system for selectively containing and dispensing liquid comprising:

(a) a container for the liquid, said container including a housing having an interior, said housing including a fixed portion and a movable portion movable relative to said fixed portion, means sealing said movable portion and said fixed portion for permitting movement of said movable portion and at the same time for preventing liquid from escaping from between said movable portion and said fixed portion;

(b) actuator means coupled to said movable portion for moving said movable portion between an extended position in which said container can hold more of the liquid and retracted positions in which said container holds less of the liquid than when in said extended position, said actuator means including a projection having a cylindrical wall, a first end attached to said wall adjacent the lower end thereof, and an open upper end;

(c) discharge means communicated with the interior of said housing for discharging the liquid held in said container to the exterior of said container, said discharge means including valve means for controlling the distance of the liquid; and

(d) force transmitting means coupled to said actuator means for causing said actuator means to move said movable portion in a direction from said extended position towards said retracted positions to displace and dispense the liquid from said container and out said discharge means, said force transmitting means including a disc-like plate having a threaded aperture extending vertically through the center thereof, a threaded vertical shaft threadedly extending through said vertical aperture, means coupling said vertical shaft adjacent the lower end thereof to said first end for rotatably supporting said shaft from said projection, pulley means mounted on said projection adjacent the upper end of said projection, flexible elongated pull means extending through said pulley means and fixed respectively to said disc-like means and said container at the opposite ends thereof, and hand crank means attached to said shaft adjacent the upper end thereof for causing rotation of said shaft by said hand crank means to move said disc-like plate towards said lower end of said projection to pull said elongated pull means and draw said projection downwardly against said movable portion of said container and move said movable portion towards said retracted positions.

5. A system for selectively containing and dispensing liquid comprising:

(a) a container for the liquid, said container including a housing having an interior, and a flexible diaphragm means in said interior of said housing for holding the liquid, said container including a pair of ends with one of said ends having an opening therein extending from the interior of said housing to the exterior thereof and the other end being spaced from said one of said ends, said diaphragm means sealing said opening against passage of fluid therethrough from the interior to the exterior of said container;

(b) actuator means coupled to said diaphragm means for moving said diaphragm means between an extended position in which said diaphragm means can hold more of the liquid and retracted positions in which said diaphragm means holds less of the liquid than when in said extended position, said actuator means including a projection of a size adapted to extend through said opening, a first plate disposed at the end of said diaphragm means and a second plate disposed on the opposite side of said diaphragm means from said first plate, means joining said first and second plates together with the end of said diaphragm means being sandwiched therebetween, and said second plate being adapted to contact said projection whereby relative movement of said container and said projection towards one another into a retracted position is effective to displace the liquid from the interior of said container;

(c) discharge means communicated with the interior of said housing at a place remote from said projection for discharging the liquid held in said diaphragm means to the exterior of said container, said discharge means including valve means for controlling the discharge of the liquid; and

(d) force transmitting means coupled to said actuator means for causing said actuator means to move said diaphragm means in a direction from said extended position towards said retracted positions to dispense the liquid from said container and out said discharge means.

6. The system of claim 5 in which said diaphragm means substantially completely empties the interior of said housing of the liquid therein when said diaphragm is in a completely retracted position wherein said first plate is adjacent said other end of said container and when said diaphragm means is in said extended position, the interior of said housing is at a maximum capacity for holding the liquid therein.

7. A system for selectively containing and dispensing liquid comprising:

(a) a container for the liquid, said container including a housing having an interior, said housing including a fixed portion and a movable portion movable relative to said fixed portion, means sealing said movable portion and said fixed portion for permitting movement of said movable portion and at the same time for preventing liquid from escaping from between said movable portion and said fixed portion;

(b) actuator means coupled to said movable portion for moving said movable portion between an extended position in which said container can hold more of the liquid and retracted positions in which said container holds less of the liquid than when in said extended position, said actuator means including a projection having a cylindrical wall, a first end attached to said wall at one end of said wall and a second end attached to said wall at the opposite end of said wall to define an enclosed projection chamber, said second end having an opening centrally thereof;

(c) discharge means communicated with the interior of said housing for discharging the liquid held in said container to the exterior of said container, said discharge means including valve means for controlling the discharge of the liquid; and

(d) force transmitting means coupled to said actuator means for causing said actuator means to move said movable portion in a direction from said extended position towards said retracted positions to displace and dispense the liquid from said container and out said discharge means, said force transmitting means including a piston movably mounted in said projection chamber to divide said projection chamber into a variable volume first chamber and variable volume second chamber and for relative movement of said projection and said piston between a first position in which said piston is adjacent said first end of said projection and a second position in which said pisiton is adjacent said second end of said projection, a rod fixedly attached at one end thereof to said piston and the other end of said rod extending upwardly through said opening in said second end to the outside of said projection, and vacuum means communicating with said second chamber for causing said container and said projection to move relatively towards one another into a retracted postion and displace the liquid from the interior of said container; and

(e) first coupling means attached to said rod adjacent said other end of said rod and attached to said container adjacent one end of said container for holding said container, said rod, and said piston fixed against relative movement away from one another.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said first coupling means includes quick detachable means for detaching said rod from said container to allow separation of said container from said force transmitting means.

9. A system for selectively containing and dispensing liquid comprising:

(a) a container for the liquid, said container including a housing having an interior, a flexible diaphragm means in said interior of said housing for holding the liquid, and an opening in one end of said housing extending from the interior of said housing to the exterior thereof;

(b) actuator means coupled to said diaphragm means, said actuator means being exteriorly of said housing and including projection means of a size adapted to extend through said opening from the exterior of said housing to the interior thereof for moving said diaphragm means between an extended position in which said diaphragm means can hold more of the liquid and retracted positions in which said diaphragm means holds less of the liquid than when in said extended position;

(c) discharge means communicated with the interior of said housing remote from said opening for discharging the liquid held in said diaphragm means to the exterior of said container, said discharge means including valve means for controlling the discharge of the liquid; and

(d) force transmitting means exteriorly of said housing coupled to said actuator means for causing said actuator means to move said diaphragm means in a direction from said extended position towards said retracted positions to dispense the liquid from said container and out said discharge means.

10. The system of claim 9 in which said actuator means and said container are separable from one another whereby said container can be filled with liquid at a location remote from said actuator means and then transported to the location of said actuator means for joining with said actuator means to dispense the liquid from said container.

11. The system of claim 9 which includes measuring means for measuring the amount of liquid dispensed from said discharge means.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said measuring means includes a measuring stick fixed relative to said actuator means and a pointer fixed relative to said container and movable with said container to indicate in conjunction with said measuring stick the relative positions of said actuator means and said container and the amount of liquid dispensed from said diaphragm means by said actuator means.

13. A system for selectively containing and dispensing liquid comprising:

(a) a container for the liquid, said container including a housing having an interior, said housing including a fixed portion and a movable portion movable relative to said fixed portion, said movable portion including means for holding the liquid, an opening in one end of said housing extending from the interior of said housing to the exterior thereof, said means for holding the liquid including means sealing said movable portion and said fixed portion for permitting movement of said movable portion and at the same time for preventing liquid from escaping to the exterior of said housing from between said movable portion and said fixed portion;

(b) actuator means coupled to said movable portion, said actuator means being exteriorly of said housing and including projection means of a size adapted to extend through said opening from the exterior of said housing to the interior thereof for moving said movable portion between an extended position in which said container can hold more of the liquid and retracted positions in which said container can hold less of the liquid than when in said extended position;

(c) discharge means communicated with the interior of said housing remote from said opening for discharging the liquid held in said container to the exterior of said container, said discharge means including valve means for controlling the discharge of the liquid; and

(d) force transmitting means exteriorly of said housing coupled to said actuator means for causing said actuator means to move said movable portion in a direction from said extended position towards said retracted positions to displace and dispense the liquid from said container and out said discharge means.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said sealing means includes flexible diaphragm means.

15. The system of claim 13 which includes measuring means for measuring the amount of liquid dispensed from said discharge means, said measuring means including means for measuring the relative positions of said actuator means and said container, the amount of liquid displaced by said projection, and the amount of liquid displaced and dispensed from said container by said actuator means.

16. The system of claim 13 which includes shipping cover means for placement over said movable portion, and shipping coupling means removably coupling said shipping cover means and said container.

17. The system of claim 13 wherein said force transmitting means includes motor means.

18. The system of claim 13 wherein said force transmitting means includes hand crank means.

19. A system for selectively containing and dispensing liquid comprising:

(a) a container for the liquid, said container including a housing having an interior, and a flexible diaphragm means in said interior of said housing for holding the liquid, said container having an opening in one end thereof and having an open end at the opposite end thereof;

(b) actuator means coupled to said diaphragm means for moving said diaphragm means between an extended position in which said diaphragm means can hold more of the liquid and retracted positions in which said diaphragm means holds less of the liquid than when in said extended position, said actuator means including a projection of a size adapted to extend through said opening;

(c) a first plate disposed over the end of said diaphragm means and a second plate disposed on the opposite side of said diaphragm means from said first plate, means joining said first and second plates together with the end of said diaphragm means being sandwiched therebetween, said second plate being of a smaller size than said opening whereby said second plate is adapted to extend into said opening, said first plate being of a larger size than said opening whereby the end of said housing is adapted to act as a stop to limit movement of said first and second plates and the end of said diaphragm means in an expanded condition, said second plate being adapted to contact said projection whereby relative movement of said container and said projection towards one another into a retracted position is effective to displace the liquid from the interior of said container;

(d) discharge means communicated with the interior of said housing for discharging the liquid held in said diaphragm means to the exterior of said container, said discharge means including valve means for controlling the discharge of the liquid; and

(e) force transmitting means coupled to said actuator means for causing said actuator means to move said diaphragm means in a direction from said extended position towards said retracted positions to dispense the liquid from said container and out said discharge means.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said flexible diaphragm means is provided with a flange at the edge thereof, said housing is provided with a flange at the edge thereof, said container includes cover means and means for removably mounting said cover means over said open end of said housing, said flange of said diaphragm being sandwiched between said cover means and said flange of said housing to hold the edge of said diaphragm in place, and said diaphragm being unattached to said housing along the sides of said housing.

21. The system of claim 20 in which said diaphragm means substantially completely empties the interior of said housing of the liquid therein when said diaphragm is in a completely retracted position wherein said first plate is adjcent said cover means and when said diaphragm means is in said extended position, the interior of said housing is at a maximum capacity for holding the liquid therein.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said actuator means includes a base for contacting a supporting surface, said base being attached to said projection with said projection extending upwardly therefrom.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein said discharge means comprises quick coupling means including a first part fixedly attached to said cover means and in communication with the interior of said housing and said diaphragm means and including a second part detachably connected to said first part and in communication with said first part and thereby in communication with the interior of said housing and diaphragm means, and conduit means coupled to said second part for conducting the dispensed liquid to a place of use.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said force transmitting means includes biasing means coupled at one end to said container and at the other end to said actuator means for urging said actuating means towards said cover means, and the coupling of at least one of said ends of said biasing means being detachable.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein said force transmitting means includes biasing means coupled at one end to said container and at the other end to said actuator means for urging said actuating means towards said cover means, and the coupling of at least one of said ends of said biasing means being detachable.

26. The system of claim 25 which includes measuring means for measuring the amount of liquid dispensed from said discharge means, said measureing means including a measuring stick fixed relative to said actuator means and a pointer fixed relative to said container and movable with said container to indicate in conjunction with said measuring stick the relative positions of said actuator means and said container, the amount of liquid displaced by said projection, and the amount of liquid dispensed from said diaphragm means by said actuator means.