Liquid dispensing system

• US 5,628,430 A
• Filed: 06/30/1995
• Issued: 05/13/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: U.N.X., Inc.
• Original Assignee: U.N.X., Inc.
• Inventors: Barbe, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bomberg, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US08/497,604
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 141/251, 141/263, 141/374, 222/132, 222/135, 222/173, 222/255, 222/265, 222/278, 222/325, 222/382, 222/464.3, 222/464.1
• US Class Current: 222/132
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0277 using negative pressure
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/022 in a liquid state D06F39/024 takes precedence

Abstract

A liquid dispenser for withdrawing liquids from one or more containers having a mouth and bottom and side walls joined at a juncture comprised of a container support to position the containers with their mouths over the lowermost part of the wall juncture, a probe support spaced above the container support, and a plurality of probes slidably supported on the probe support above the container support, each probe including a lower end with a curved face corresponding to the curvature of the juncture, each probe being moveable between a raised position above the mouth of a container, and a lowered position extending through the mouth of the container and into contact with the lowermost part of the interior of said container at the juncture, and a pump to draw liquid from the container upwardly through the probe.

Claims

1. A liquid dispenser adapted to withdraw liquid from a container having a mouth and a bottom wall joined at a curved juncture to a side wall comprising:

a) a floor adapted to support said container in a tilted position with said mouth vertically aligned above the lowermost part of said juncture;

b) a probe support spaced above said floor;

c) a probe vertically supported on said probe support, said probe having a distal end with a convex face corresponding to the curvature of said juncture, said probe being adapted to move between a raised position above the mouth of said container, and a lowered position extending through the mouth of said container and into contact with the interior of said container at the lowermost part of said juncture; and

d) a pump fluidly connected to said probe to draw liquid from said container upwardly through said probe, whereby said probe may be directed to withdraw substantially all of the liquid from said container.

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said container support includes a container receiving recess.

3. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said probe is comprised of a tube with an inlet in said convex face, a closure at said distal end adapted to close said inlet, and at least one radial groove in said face in communication with said inlet.

4. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said probe support includes a slot, and said probe includes a connecting member extending through said slot.

5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein said probe support is a vertical wall.

6. A liquid dispenser adapted to withdraw liquid from a plurality of containers, each container having a bottom wall, a side wall joined to said bottom wall at a curved juncture, and a top wall including a mouth, comprising:

a) a cabinet having a probe support wall, and a floor beneath said support wall adapted to support a plurality of containers in a tilted attitude, with the mouth of each container being over the lowest part of the juncture of the container bottom and side wall;

b) a plurality of probes slidably supported on the support wall of said cabinet and adapted to move between raised positions and lowered positions into said containers and into contact with said junctures, each of said probes having a distal end with convex face corresponding to the curvature of said juncture,; and

c) a plurality of pumps in said cabinet fluidly communicating with said probes, whereby said probes may be directed to withdraw substantially all of the liquid from said containers.

7. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein each of said probes has an inlet in said face, and at least one radial groove in said face in communication with said inlet.

8. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein said probe support wall is the front wall of said cabinet.

9. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein said floor includes container receiving recesses.

10. The dispenser of claim 6, wherein said probe support wall includes slots, and said probes include connecting members extending through said slots.