Dilution system for filling spray bottles

• US 5,597,019 A
• Filed: 03/30/1995
• Issued: 01/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ecolab USA Incorporated (Ecolab, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Balz, Eric R., Thomas, John E., Pedersen, Daniel E., Gladfelter, Elizabeth J., Boche, Daniel K., McCall, John E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Recla, Henry J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Douglas, Steven O.
• Application Number:
  US08/413,782
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/2, 141/9, 141/14, 141/18, 141/67, 141/102, 141/104, 141/192, 141/329, 141/330, 141/364, 141/365, 141/366, 141/383, 141/386, 222/129.2, 222/641, 222/133, 222/135, 137/892, 366/163.1, 366/163.2
• US Class Current: 141/18
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 1/0223 characterised by shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/0015 of the 41-type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2251/0087 of the 47-type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 23/102 Gripping means formed in the walls, e.g. roughening, cavities, projections
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 51/20 Caps, lids, or covers co-operating with an inner closure arranged to be opened by piercing, cutting, or tearing B65D51/185 takes precedence; co-operating with an auxiliary container for additional articles or materials B65D51/28
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0012 provided with mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/74 Devices for mixing two or more different liquids to be transferred coin-freed apparatus G07F13/06

Abstract

An apparatus for diluting liquid concentrate materials to liquid use solutions. Liquid concentrates comprise common household cleaning and sanitizing materials such as window cleaners, hard surface cleaners, floor cleaners, sink cleaners, tile cleaners, drain cleaners and openers, glass cleaners, food preparation units, sanitizers, disinfectants, floor finishes and other similar institutional or industrial aqueous or aqueous-alcoholic cleaning solutions. The aspirator system is adapted to receive a container of liquid concentrate in a reservoir. The reservoir contains device to open the liquid concentrate. Additionally the reservoir contains device to support the liquid concentrate during addition of concentrate to the reservoir. When empty, the liquid concentrate bottle can be placed in a receiver for the empty container. The receiver has filling device for the container that can deliver dilute use solution to the container. As should be apparent, the liquid concentrate container and the dilute use solution container are substantially identical.

Claims

1. An apparatus for diluting a liquid concentrate with a liquid diluent to form a dilute use solution using a dilute use solution container substantially similar to a container for liquid concentrate, the apparatus comprising:

(a) an aspirator comprising;

(i) an inlet for liquid diluent;

(ii) an inlet for liquid concentrate; and

(iii) an outlet for the dilute use solution;

(b) a reservoir comprising;

(i) a reservior container adapted to contain about 1000 to 5000 milliliters liquid concentrate discharged from a liquid concentrate container;

(ii) a liquid concentrate outlet in liquid communication with the aspirator inlet for liquid concentrate;

(iii) a mating surface in the reservoir shaped and configured to support a liquid concentrate container and a means to open a liquid concentrate container fitment in the liquid concentrate container when introduced into the reservoir;

(c) a source of liquid diluent in liquid communication with the aspirator inlet for liquid diluent;

(d) a controller with means to control flow of liquid diluent from a source of liquid diluent to the aspirator inlet; and

(e) at least one container selected from the group consisting of a container for the liquid concentrate or a container for the dilute use solution in the reservoir;

wherein a concentrate container, when empty, is used as a dilute use solution container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller comprises an electrical timer that enables the aspirator to dilute concentrate for a fixed period of time resulting in the production of a fixed volume of liquid concentrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the controller is a manually operated switch.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the controller is selected from the group consisting of an hydraulic timer and a switch.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the controller enables the aspirator to fill the dilute use solution container with a fixed volume.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus has a filling station adapted to the shape of the liquid concentrate container or use solution container, the container having a volume of from about 750 to 2000 milliliters.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reservoir has a capacity of 750 to 4000 milliliters.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the aspirator has a dilution ratio of about 0.1 to 40 parts of liquid concentrate per each part of liquid diluent.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a vacuum break device is installed in fluid communication between the source of diluent and the aspirator.

10. An apparatus for diluting a liquid concentrate with an aqueous diluent to form a dilute use solution using a dilute use solution container substantially identical to a container for liquid concentrate, the apparatus comprising:

(a) an aspirator comprising;

(i) an inlet for an aqueous diluent;

(ii) an inlet for a liquid concentrate; and

(iii) an outlet for the dilute use solution;

(b) a reservoir comprising;

(i) a reservior container adapted to contain about 750 to 4000 milliliters liquid concentrate discharged from a liquid concentrate container

(ii) a liquid concentrate outlet associated with a flow restriction device selected from a group consisting of a metering tip or metering valve, to limit the flow of the concentrate in liquid communication with the aspirator inlet for the liquid concentrate;

(iii) means to open a closure means proximate to the neck of a liquid concentrate container when introduced into the reservoir; and

(iv) a mating surface in the reservoir shaped and configured to support the container for the liquid concentrate;

(c) a source of aqueous diluent in liquid communication with the aspirator inlet for the

(d) switch means to control flow of the diluent from a source of the diluent to the aspirator to introduce a volume of use solution in the use solution container; and

(e) at least one container selected from the group consisting of a container for the liquid concentrate or a container for the dilute use solution;

wherein a concentrate container, when empty, is used as a dilute use solution container.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the liquid concentrate container closure means comprises a fitment comprising a thermoplastic web having a puncture zone defined by a hinge and a circular fracture line, and wherein the container can be used as a dilute use solution container.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the closure means comprises a web selected from the group consisting of a film, foil and a paper web.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the controller enables the aspirator to dilute concentrate for a predetermined period of time resulting in the production of a predetermined volume of liquid concentrate.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the controller enables the aspirator to fill the container for the dilute use solution with a fixed volume.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the apparatus has a filling station adapted to the shape of the liquid concentrate container or use solution container, the container having a volume of about 750 to 2000 milliliters.

16. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the reservoir has a capacity of 850 to 4000 milliliters.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the aspirator has a dilution ratio of about 0.1 to 40 parts of liquid concentrate per each 100 parts of liquid diluent.

18. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein a vacuum break device is installed in fluid communication with the diluent between the source of diluent and the aspirator.

19. A method of diluting an aqueous liquid concentrate with an aqueous liquid diluent to form a dilute use solution, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) inserting a container for the aqueous concentrate into a dispensing apparatus comprising a reservoir for the aqueous liquid diluent having means to open the liquid concentrate container upon insertion into the reservoir;

(b) activating a flow of liquid diluent through an aspirator causing the dilution of the liquid concentrate with the liquid diluent to form a liquid use solution; and

(c) directing the flow of liquid use solution into an empty concentrate container for the liquid concentrate which after filling is a container for liquid use solution.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the empty use solution container comprises a container emptied to fill the reservoir.