Method and apparatus for dispensing product from a product bag

• US 5,137,186 A
• Filed: 04/29/1991
• Issued: 08/11/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CCL Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CCL Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Moran, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Application Number:
  US07/692,682
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 222/94, 222/130, 222/80, 222/82, 222/394, 222/386.5, 222/389
• US Class Current: 222/394
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/625 the propellant being generated by a chemical or electrochemical reaction for pressure gas in portable fire extinguishers A62C13/02

Abstract

A dispenser contains a product containing bag and a system for generating a dispensing pressure in a chamber created by the space between the product containing bag and the walls of the dispenser. The act of filling the product bag with product to be dispensed establishes an initial dispensing pressure. A pressure regulator in the chamber re-establishes the dispensing pressure after each spray down. The pressure regulator contains a gas and liquid reactant separated from one another and provided in a ratio approximately the same as that of the space within the dispensing container to that of product contained therein.

Claims

1. A system for dispensing product from a container under pressure which comprises:

a container including a gas generating chamber and a flexible bag containing the product to be dispensed;

a first reactant disposed in said generating chamber for creating a gas pressure to be exerted on the bag containing the product to be dispensed;

a pressure regulating mechanism for insertion into said gas generating chamber of said container, said pressure regulating mechanism comprising a hollow elongated member having a first portion and a second portion, and including a second reactant and a gas disposed therein;

gas entry means disposed in said first portion of said hollow elongated member;

exit means disposed in said second portion to allow for discharging said second reactant from said hollow elongated member when a pressure in said hollow elongated member exceeds a pressure outside of said hollow elongated member; and

means disposed within said hollow elongated member to prevent said gas from directly contacting said exit means to facilitate product dispensing from said container when held at different orientations;

wherein said means to prevent said gas from contacting said second portion comprises movable means disposed in said hollow tubular member between said gas and said second reactant adapted to maintain said gas and second reactant separate from one another as the ratio between said materials changes during the dispensing of product from said container.

2. A system for dispensing product from a container under pressure which comprises:

a container including a gas generating chamber and a flexible bag containing the product to be dispensed;

a first reactant disposed in said generating chamber for creating a gas pressure to be exerted on the bag containing the product to be dispensed;

a pressure regulating mechanism for insertion into said gas generating chamber of said container, said pressure regulating mechanism comprising a hollow elongated member having a first portion and a second portion, and including a second reactant and a gas disposed therein;

gas entry means disposed in said first portion of said hollow elongated member;

exit means disposed in said second portion to allow for discharging said second reactant from said hollow elongated member when a pressure in said hollow elongated member exceeds a pressure outside of said hollow elongated member; and

means disposed within said hollow elongated member to prevent said gas from directly contacting said exit means to facilitate product dispensing from said container when held at different orientations;

wherein said second reactant in said pressure regulating mechanism is a liquid reactant and the ratio of said liquid reactant to said gas disposed in said hollow elongated member is approximately equal to the ratio of said product in said flexible bag to remaining airspace in said container.

3. A system for dispensing product from a container under pressure which comprises:

a container including therein a gas generating chamber and a flexible bag containing the product to be dispensed;

a pressure regulating mechanism for insertion into said gas generating chamber that includes a gas permeable wall and a liquid reactant therein, said pressure regulating mechanism being responsive to an initialization procedure for generating a starting pressure within said generating chamber and including means for establishing a pressure substantially equal to said starting pressure after product is dispensed from said flexible bag within said container;

a reactant disposed in said gas generating chamber to create a gas pressure to be exerted on the product containing bag, said reactant being disposed proximate to said pressure regulating mechanism, wherein said pressure regulating mechanism includes means, responsive to a depressurization in said gas generating chamber, for forcing said liquid reactant out of said pressure regulating mechanism and into said gas generating chamber to mix with said reactant therein to repressurize said gas generating chamber; and

wherein said pressure regulating mechanism comprises;

a hollow tubular member having a first and a second end;

first means responsive to a pressure imbalance between a first pressure inside said pressure regulating mechanism and a second pressure surrounding said pressure regulating mechanism for permitting a flow of gas into said pressure regulating mechanism when said pressure exceeds said first pressure; and

second means responsive to a pressure imbalance between said first and second pressure for permitting a flow of said liquid reactant out of said pressure regulating mechanism when said first pressure exceeds said second surrounding pressure;

wherein said hollow tubular member contains therein said liquid reactant and a gas in a ratio approximately equal to that of the ratio of said product in said flexible bag to the said container.

4. A product dispensing system having a regulated dispensing pressure, comprising:

a container;

a first reactant disposed in said container;

a product bag disposed in said container, wherein a space between said product bag and the walls of said container define a gas generating chamber; and

a pressure regulating mechanism disposed in said gas generating chamber, said pressure regulating mechanism comprising,

a hollow tubular member having a first end and a second end;

a liquid reactant disposed in said hollow tubular member;

a gas disposed in said hollow tubular member, said liquid reactant and gas disposed in said hollow tubular member being in a ratio approximately equal to that of the ratio of said product in said bag to gas in said gas generating chamber;

a charging mechanism enabling the establishment of an initial pressure in said hollow tubular member; and

an outlet discharging said second reactant from said hollow tubular member when a pressure inside said hollow tubular member exceeds a pressure outside said hollow tubular member.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said initial pressure in said hollow tubular member establishes an initial dispensing pressure for the system.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said initial pressure in said hollow tubular member is established by an amount of product in said product bag.

7. The mechanism of claim 4 wherein said charging mechanism comprises a one-way entry means disposed at said first end of said hollow tubular member allowing gas to pass into said member when the pressure outside said member exceeds a pressure inside said member.

8. The mechanism of claim 7 wherein said outlet comprises a one-way exit means disposed at said second end of said tubular member allowing said second reactant to be discharged from said member when the pressure inside of said member exceeds a pressure outside of said member.

9. The system of claim 4 wherein said charging mechanism comprises a one-way entry means disposed at said first end of said hollow tubular member allowing gas to pass into said member when a pressure outside said member exceeds a pressure inside said member, said one-way entry means comprising a film means having pierced holes, where a first elastomeric film is disposed over said first end of said member and a first semi-rigid film is disposed over said first elastomeric film;

and said outlet comprises a one-way exit means at said second end of said hollow tubular member allowing said second reactant to be discharged from said member when pressure inside of said member exceeds a pressure outside of said member, said one-way exit means comprising a film means having pierced holes, where a second semi-rigid film is disposed over said second end of said member and a second elastomeric film is disposed over said second semi-rigid film.

10. The system of claim 4 wherein said first end of said hollow tubular member is sealed to be impervious to gas and said second reactant and said charging mechanism and said outlet both comprise a plurality of apertures disposed along said second end of said member.

11. A pressure regulating mechanism for insertion into a gas generating chamber that includes a first reactant, the mechanism comprising:

a hollow tubular member having a first and a second end;

a liquid reactant disposed in said hollow tubular member;

a gas disposed in said hollow tubular member, said liquid reactant and gas disposed in said hollow tubular member being in a ratio approximately equal to that of the ratio of said product in said bag to gas in said gas generating chamber;

a charging mechanism for enabling an initial pressure in said hollow tubular member; and

an outlet discharging said second reactant from said hollow tubular member when a pressure in said hollow tubular member exceeds a pressure outside said hollow tubular member.

12. The mechanism of claim 11 wherein said charging mechanism comprises a one-way entry means disposed at said first end of said hollow tubular member allowing gas to pass into said member when a pressure outside said member exceeds a pressure inside said member.

13. The mechanism of claim 12 wherein said outlet comprises a one-way exit means disposed at said second end of said tubular member allowing said second reactant to be discharged from said member when the pressure inside of said member exceeds a pressure outside of said member.

14. A system for dispensing viscous product from a container under pressure which comprises:

a container including a gas generating chamber and a product holding chamber therein;

a first reactant disposed in said generating chamber for creating a gas pressure to be exerted on the product to be dispensed;

a pressure regulating mechanism for insertion into said gas generating chamber of said container, said pressure regulating mechanism comprising a hollow elongated member having a first portion and a second portion, and including a second reactant and a gas disposed therein;

gas entry means disposed in said first portion of said hollow elongated member;

means disposed in said second portion to allow for discharging said second reactant from said hollow elongated member when a pressure in said hollow elongated member exceeds a pressure outside of said hollow elongated member; and

means disposed within said hollow elongated member to prevent said gas from directly contacting said second portion to facilitate product dispensing from said container when held at different orientations, wherein said second reactant in said pressure regulating mechanism is a liquid reactant and the ratio of said liquid reactant to said gas disposed in said hollow elongated member is approximately equal to the ratio of said product in said container to remaining airspace in said container.

15. A system for dispensing viscous product from a container under pressure which comprises:

a container including therein a gas generating chamber and a product holding chamber in communication therewith;

a pressure regulating mechanism for insertion into said gas generating chamber that includes a gas permeable wall and a liquid reactant therein, said pressure regulating mechanism being responsive to an initialization procedure for generating a starting pressure within said generating chamber and including means for establishing a pressure substantially equal to said starting pressure after product is dispensed from said container;

a reactant disposed in said gas generating chamber to create a gas pressure to be exerted on the product being dispensed, said reactant being disposed proximate to said pressure regulating mechanism, wherein said pressure regulating mechanism includes means, responsive to a depressurization in said gas generating chamber, for forcing said liquid reactant out of said pressure regulating mechanism and into said gas generating chamber to mix with said reactant therein to repressurize said gas generating chamber; and

wherein said pressure regulating mechanism comprises;

a hollow tubular member having a first and a second end;

first means responsive to a pressure imbalance between a first pressure inside said pressure regulating mechanism and a second pressure surrounding said pressure regulating mechanism for permitting a flow of gas into said pressure regulating mechanism when said pressure exceeds said first pressure; and

second means responsive to a pressure imbalance between said first and second pressure for permitting a flow of said liquid reactant out of said pressure regulating mechanism when said first pressure exceeds said second surrounding pressure, wherein said hollow tubular member contains therein said liquid reactant and a gas in a ratio approximately equal to that of the ratio of said product in said container to the remaining airspace in said container.