Dosing and/or dispensing system

• US 6,945,432 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2003
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RD Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rodney Laible
• Inventors: Laible, Rodney
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US10/736,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20040134941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 222/181.1, 222/185.1, 222/189.09, 222/481.5, 222/518
• US Class Current: 222/185.1
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0294 Combined with valves

Abstract

A dosing and/or dispensing system for use with a liquid container such as a bottle or the like for dosing and/or dispensing liquid contents from the bottle. Three different dosing and/or dispensing embodiments are disclosed which enable the liquid to be dosed or dispensed by gravity from the container.

Claims

1. In combination:

a dispensing fixture;

an inverted liquid container having upper and lower ends;

said lower end of said container having a hollow throat extending downwardly therefrom which has interior and exterior surfaces;

said throat of said container being detachably connected to said fixture;

a throat plug assembly having upper and lower ends, positioned in said throat of said container;

a first, normally closed valve movably positioned within said throat plug assembly;

said first valve being movable between open and closed positions;

said first valve, when in its said closed position, seating upon a valve seat;

said first valve, when in its said open position, unseating from said valve seat;

a spring in said throat plug assembly which is in engagement with said first valve to yieldably urge said first valve to its said closed position;

said first valve, when in its said closed position, preventing liquid within the container from flowing therefrom;

said first valve, when in its open position, permitting liquid within the container to flow therethrough;

a flow control assembly, having open upper and lower ends, secured to said fixture below said throat of said container;

said flow control assembly including a selectively vertically movable valve actuator which is selectively movable between upper and lower positions;

said first valve being in its said open position when said valve actuator is in its said lower position;

said valve actuator including a second valve which closes said valve seat when said valve actuator is in its said upper position.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said valve actuator is also rotatably movably mounted.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said valve actuator has a cam lever secured thereto which is movably positioned within a cam track.

4. In combination:

an inverted liquid container having upper and lower ends;

said lower end of said container having a hollow throat extending downwardly therefrom which has interior and exterior surfaces;

a throat plug assembly having upper and lower ends, positioned in said throat of said container;

a first, normally closed valve movably positioned within said throat plug assembly;

said first valve being movable between open and closed positions;

said first valve, when in its said closed position, seating upon a valve seat;

said first valve, when in its said open position, unseating from said valve seat;

a spring in said throat plug assembly which is in engagement with said first valve to yieldably urge said first valve to its said closed position;

said first valve, when in its said closed position, preventing liquid within the container from flowing therefrom;

said first valve, when in its open position, permitting liquid within the container to flow therethrough;

a flow control assembly, having open upper and lower ends, positioned below said throat of said container;

said flow control assembly including a selectively vertically movable valve actuator which is selectively movable between upper and lower positions;

said first valve being in its said open position when said valve actuator is in its said lower position;

said valve actuator including a second valve which closes said valve seat when said valve actuator is in its said upper position.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said valve actuator is also rotatably movably mounted.

6. The combination of claim 4 wherein said valve actuator has a cam lever secured thereto which is movably positioned within a cam track.

7. In combination:

a dispensing fixture;

an inverted liquid container having upper and lower ends;

said lower end of said container having a hollow throat extending downwardly therefrom which has interior and exterior surfaces;

said throat of said container being detachably connected to said fixture;

a throat plug assembly having upper and lower ends, positioned in said throat of said container;

a first, normally closed valve movably positioned within said throat plug assembly;

said first valve being movable between open and closed positions;

said first valve, when in its said closed position, seating upon a valve seat;

said first valve, when in its said open position, unseating from said valve seat;

a spring in said throat plug assembly which is in engagement with said first valve to yieldably urge said first valve to its said closed position;

said first valve, when in its said closed position, preventing liquid within the container from flowing therefrom;

said first valve, when in its open position, permitting liquid within the container to flow therethrough;

a flow control assembly, having open upper and lower ends, secured to said fixture below said throat of said container;

said flow control assembly including a selectively vertically movable valve actuator which is selectively movable between upper and lower positions;

said first valve being in its said closed position when said valve actuator is in its said lower position;

said valve actuator, when in its said upper position, engaging said normally closed valve to open the same whereby liquid in said container may flow downwardly therefrom through said valve and through said flow control assembly;

said valve actuator having a cam lever secured thereto which is movably positioned within a cam track.

8. In combination:

an inverted liquid container having upper and lower ends;

said lower end of said container having a hollow throat extending downwardly therefrom which has interior and exterior surfaces;

a throat plug assembly having upper and lower ends, positioned in said throat of said container;

a first, normally closed valve movably positioned within said throat plug assembly;

said first valve being movable between open and closed positions;

said first valve, when in its said closed position, seating upon a valve seat;

said first valve, when in its said open position, unseating from said valve seat;

a spring in said throat plug assembly which is in engagement with said first valve to yieldably urge said first valve to its said closed position;

said first valve, when in its said closed position, preventing liquid within the container from flowing therefrom;

said first valve, when in its open position, permitting liquid within the container to flow therethrough;

a flow control assembly, having open upper and lower ends, positioned below said throat of said container;

said flow control assembly including a selectively vertically movable valve actuator which is selectively movable between upper and lower positions;

said first valve being in its said closed position when said valve actuator is in its said lower position;

said valve actuator, when in its said upper position, engaging said normally closed valve to open the same whereby liquid in said container may flow downwardly therefrom through said valve and through said flow control assembly;

said valve actuator having a cam lever secured thereto which is movably positioned within a cam track.

9. In combination:

an inverted liquid container having upper and lower ends;

said lower end of said container having a hollow throat extending downwardly therefrom which has interior and exterior surfaces;

a throat plug assembly having upper and lower ends, positioned in said throat of said container;

a first, normally closed valve movably positioned within said throat plug assembly;

said first valve being movable between open and closed positions;

said first valve, when in its said closed position, seating upon a valve seat;

said first valve, when in its said open position, unseating from said valve seat;

a spring in said throat plug assembly which is in engagement with said first valve to yieldably urge said first valve to its said closed position;

said first valve, when in its said closed position, preventing liquid within the container from flowing therefrom;

said first valve, when in its open position, permitting liquid within the container to flow therethrough;

a flow control assembly operably secured to said throat of said container, said flow control assembly including a cup-shaped reservoir having an open upper end and a lower end;

said lower end of said cup-shaped reservoir having a centrally disposed and vertically extending opening, having upper and lower ends, formed therein;

said flow control assembly also including a selectively vertically movable valve actuator which is selectively movable between upper and lower positions;

said valve actuator including a body portion, having upper and lower ends, which is vertically movably mounted in said opening of said reservoir;

said valve actuator including a rod extending upwardly from said upper end of said body portion thereof which is adapted to engage said first valve to move said first valve from its said closed position to its said open position when said valve actuator is moved to its said upper position;

said first valve being in its said closed position when said valve actuator is in its said lower position;

said body portion of said valve actuator having a central bore formed therein which extends upwardly thereinto from the lower end thereof and which terminates below the upper end thereof;

said body portion of said valve actuator having at least one inlet opening extending thereinto below its said upper end which is in communication with said central bore;

said inlet opening being closed when said valve actuator is in its said lower position;

said inlet opening being in communication with the interior of said reservoir when said valve actuator is in its said upper position;

said rod, when said valve actuator is in its said upper position, engaging said normally closed valve to open the same whereby liquid in said container may flow downwardly therefrom through said first valve, into said reservoir, into said inlet opening in said body portion, and downwardly through said central bore through the lower end of said central bore.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said body portion has a second valve at its upper end which closes the upper end of said central bore when said valve actuator is in its said lower position.

11. The combination of claim 10 wherein said valve actuator has a third valve which closes said valve seat when said valve actuator is in its said upper position.