LIQUID-DISPENSING DEVICE WITH AUDIBLE ALARM

• US 3,647,115 A
• Filed: 03/12/1970
• Issued: 03/07/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frank F. Chase, Gerald P. Mccann
• Original Assignee: Frank F. Chase, Gerald P. Mccann
• Inventors: McCann, Gerald P., Chase, Frank F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coleman, Samuel F.
• Application Number:
  US05/018,955
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 222/23,24,27,28,36,38,39,153,341,377,383,454-456
• US Class Current: 222/39
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/025 with manually operated pistons G01F19/005 takes precedence

Abstract

There is disclosed herein a liquid-dispensing device for use with bottles and the like for dispensing measured amounts of liquid and providing a detectable signal indicating that such dispensing has taken place. The device is insertable into and lockable in a bottle. The device includes a positive displacement pump for dispensing a predetermined amount of liquid. A vibrator arrangement is provided for providing signals, the vibrator being actuated each time liquid is dispensed. Vibrations from the vibrator may be sensed in any suitable manner to provide a record of the number of times liquid is dispensed.

Claims

1. A relatively portable liquid-dispensing device for dispensing predetermined amounts of liquid from a container, such as a bottle of liquid, and providing a signal indicative thereof comprising body means having a coupling portion for coupling the body means with a container in an essentially fluidtight relationship and to provide a manually transportable and tippable assembly, said body means having an inlet passage for communication with said container and an outlet passage for communication with a pouring spout, check valves respectively mounted in said inlet and outlet passages, pump means mounted in said body means and including a fluid chamber communicating with said inlet and outlet passages, said pump means including a piston in said chamber for forcing liquid from said chamber through said outlet check valve, said chamber being filled by gravity flow of liquid through said inlet check valve by tipping said device to a predetermined position, actuator means for said pump means for moving the piston thereof, said actuator means including a trip member, and mechanical vibrator means coupled with said body means for actuation by said trip member, said vibrator means comprising a vibrator and hammer means for striking said viBrator, said hammer means being actuated by said trip member upon movement of said actuator means to operate said piston.

2. A device as in claim 1 including detent means coupled with said body means and engaging said piston, said detent means cooperating with said piston to establish a predetermined minimum force to actuate said piston by said actuator means.

3. A device as in claim 2 wherein said detent means comprises a spring-biased detent for engaging a surface of said piston whereby said piston must depress said detent during the initial movement of said piston.

4. A device as in claim 1 including locking means coupled with said body means and extending from said device and into said container for preventing removal of said device from said container.

5. A liquid-dispensing device for dispensing predetermined amounts of liquid from a container and providing a signal indicative thereof comprising body means having a coupling portion for coupling the body means with a container in an essentially fluidtight relationship, said body means having an inlet passage for communicating with said container and an outlet passage for communication with a pouring spout, check valves respectively mounted in said inlet and outlet passages, pump means mounted in said body means and including a fluid chamber communicating with said inlet and outlet passages, said pump means including a piston in said chamber for forcing liquid from said chamber through said outlet check valve, said chamber being filled by gravity flow of liquid through said inlet check valve by moving said device to a predetermined position, said body means including a resevoir, a passage communicating with said inlet check valve and said resevoir, and a resevoir outlet check valve communicating between the resevoir and said fluid chamber, said resevoir serving to insure filling of said fluid chamber prior to dispensing to liquid therefrom, actuator means for said pump means for moving the piston thereof, said actuator means including a trip member, and mechanical vibrator means coupled with said body means for actuation by said trip member, said vibrator means comprising a vibrator and hammer means for striking said vibrator, said hammer means being actuated by said trip member upon movement of said actuator means to operate said piston.

6. A device as in claim 11 including detent means coupled with said body means and engaging said piston, said detent means cooperating with said piston to establish a predetermined minimum force to actuate said piston by said actuator means, and locking means coupled with said body means and extending from said device and into said container for preventing removal of said device from said container.

7. A relatively portable liquid-dispensing device for dispensing a predetermined amount of liquid from a container and providing a signal indicative thereof comprising body means having a coupling portion for coupling the body means with a container in an essentially fluidtight relationship and to provide a manually transportable and tippable assembly, said body means having an inlet passage for communication with said container and having an outlet passage for communication with a pouring spout, said body means having a chamber and a cavity therein, piston means mounted in the chamber in said body means and forming a pump to expel liquid from said chamber and through said outlet passage, said chamber being filled by gravity flow of liquid through said inlet passage by tipping said device to a predetermined position, actuator means for said piston for moving the piston to force liquid from said chamber, said actuator means including a trip member, and mechanical vibrator means mounted in said cavity in said body means for actuation by said trip member upon movement of said actuator means to operate said piston.

9. A device as in claim 7 including detent means normally engaging said piston, said detent means cooperating with said piston to establish a predetermined minimum force required to move said piston by said actuator means.

10. A device as in claim 9 wherein said detent means comprises a detent mounted in said body means for engaging a surface of said piston whereby said piston must depress said detent during the initial movement of said piston, and locking means coupled with said body means for locking said device in said container.

11. A portable liquid-dispensing device for dispensing predetermined amounts of liquid from a container and the like, such as a conventional liquor bottle, and providing a detectable signal indicative thereof comprising body means having a coupling portion for coupling the body means with a container in an essentially fluidtight relationship to enable the combined assembly of the dispensing device and container to be readily transported and tipped by hand for dispensing liquid, said body means having an inlet passage for communication with said container and an outlet passage communicating with a pouring spout, pump means disposed in said body means and including a fluid chamber communicating with said inlet and outlet passages, said fluid chamber being fillable from said container through said inlet passage upon predetermined tipping of the combined assembly of said dispensing device and container, check valve means mounted in said outlet passage, and said pump means including a piston in said fluid chamber for forcing liquid from said chamber through said outlet check valve after said chamber is filled with liquid from said container by gravity flow of liquid into said chamber upon tipping of said dispensing device, actuator means for said pump means for moving the piston thereof to enable dispensing of liquid from said chamber through said outlet passage only upon actuation of said actuator means, said actuator means including a trip member, and mechanical vibrator means coupled with said body means for actuation by said trip member upon movement of said piston in dispensing liquid from said fluid chamber, said vibrator means comprising a vibrator and hammer means for striking said vibrator, said hammer means being actuated by said trip member upon movement of said actuator means to operate said piston.

12. A device as in claim 11 including check valve means mounted in said inlet passage for preventing flow of liquid from said fluid chamber back into said container, and locking means comprising a pair of relatively angularly displaceable arm means extending from said device and for extending into a container for preventing removal of said device from a container.

13. A device as in claim 11 wherein, said body mean includes a central portion having said fluid chamber therein and an angularly depending portion forming said pouring spout, said outlet passage communicating between said fluid chamber and said pouring spout, said depending portion having a cavity therein separate from said spout within which said vibrator is resiliently mounted, and said actuator means comprises an actuator button coupled with said piston, and includes a finger extending into said cavity of the depending portion of said body for causing said hammer means to strike said vibrator upon depression of actuator.

14. A device as in claim 11 including detent means mounted in said body means and extending into said fluid chamber therein, said detent means engaging said piston upon depression of said actuator means to establish a predetermined minimum force to actuate said piston by said actuator means.

18. A device as in claim 7 wherein said vibrator means includes hammer means interposed between said trip member and a vibrator, said hammer means serving to strike said vibrator upon predetermined movement of said actuator means.