Fluid container

• US 4,580,721 A
• Filed: 02/04/1983
• Issued: 04/08/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Imperial Chemical Industries PLC Millbank London SW1 England
• Original Assignee: Imperial Chemical Industries PLC (IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES)
• Inventors: Coffee, Ronald A., Bennett, Peter C., Johnson, Graham C., Houghton, Leonard E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Application Number:
  US06/463,952
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.34, 340/825.35, 222/23, 222/52, 222/65, 222/66, 222/129.3, 239/3, 239/69, 239/71, 239/74, 239/155-158, 239/170, 239/172, 239/690, 239/691, 239/600, 239/159, 239/112, 239/302, 239/303
• US Class Current: 239/3
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0092 Adding active material used as well for the introduction of fertilisers in water A01C23/042
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 5/16 Arrangements for supplying liquids or other fluent material

Abstract

A container having attached to it at least one memory device carrying information relating to the intended contents of the container; the device being operably connectable to apparatus responsive to information communicated from the memory device whereby an operation actively involving the contents of the container may be performed in a manner at least partly determined by the characteristics of the contents.

Claims

1. A container comprising:

a container body having an enclosed volume for retaining a predetermined substance; and

at least one memory device uniquely and permanently associated with said container body and carrying machine readable information uniquely relating to the intended predetermined substance contents of the container;

the memory device being operably connectable to operating means for operating upon said contents including means responsive to said information communicated from said memory device whereby a predetermined operation actively involving the intended contents of the container is performed in a manner at least partly determined by the characteristics of the intended contents.

3. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the memory device comprises a digital memory device.

4. A container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the memory device comprises an analog memory device.

5. A container as claimed in claim 4 in which the analog memory device is connectable to an analog digital converter whereby the machine readable information is converted into digital form.

6. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the memory device is preset.

7. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the memory device includes an electrical circuit and has electrical contacts for connecting the device to the operating means in use and in which the operating means is adapted to supply at least one electrical input to the operation, the said operation having at least one electrically responsive operating variable which is thereby regulated at a value or values at least partly determined by the characteristics of the intended contents of the container.

8. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the memory device includes a programmable read-only memory device.

9. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the memory device includes at least one fusible link.

10. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the memory device includes at least one integrated circuit device.

11. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the memory device is pre-set to cause the operating means to cease operation when the contents of the container in use reach a predetermined state.

12. A container as claimed in claim 11 in which the predetermined state is when the contents of the container are substantially exhausted.

13. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the memory device is pre-set in such a way as to make alteration of the setting subsequent to original filling of the container difficult.

14. A container as claimed in claim 13 in which the memory device is at least partly non-resettable.

15. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the memory device is pre-set with a security code which prevents use of unauthorised containers.

16. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the memory device forms an integral part of the container.

17. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the memory device is attached to a closure forming part of the container.

18. A container as claimed in claim 1 including a port for connecting the container to the operating means in use.

19. A container as claimed in claim 1 adapted to be detachably connectable to the operating means.

20. A container as claimed in claim 18 or 19 including coupling means for connecting the container to the operating means, the coupling means being formed so as automatically to make electrical connections between the memory device and the operating means and to open the port to connect the container and the operating means.

21. A container as claimed in claim 18 or 19 in which the port includes an orifice in a closure for the container.

22. A container as claimed in claim 20 in which the intended contents of the container are fluid.

23. A container as claimed in claim 22 which also includes an air entrance port for permitting entry of air into the container in use as fluid is drawn from the container said air entrance port including a check valve to prevent the passage of fluid therefrom when not desired.

24. A container as claimed in claim 23 in which the coupling means is also formed so as automatically to connect the air entrance port to the atmosphere when the container is mated with the coupling means.

25. A container as claimed in claim 23 in which the air entrance port forms part of a closure for the container.

26. A container as claimed in any one of claims 17 to 19 wherein said body includes an outlet port and closure means affixed thereto.

27. A container as claimed in claim 22 in which the operating means includes an electrically operated pumping means and in which the memory device is preset to control the rate at which the pumping means pumps fluid in use.

28. A container as claimed in claim 27 in which the pumping means is a metering pump.

29. A container as claimed in claim 22 in which the container is adapted to contain agricultural chemical in fluid form.

30. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the operating means includes a dispensing means for the intended contents of the container wherein the rate at which the contents are dispensed in use is at least partly determined by the characteristics of the contents.

31. A container as claimed in claim 30 in which the dispensing means includes at least one sprayhead the said container being fluid connectable to the sprayhead in use.

32. A container as claimed in claim 31 in which the operating means includes means for electrostatically charging the spray produced by the sprayhead.

33. A container as claimed in claim 32 in which the sprayhead itself is electrostatically chargeable.

34. A container as claimed in claim 33 in which the memory is pre-set to determine the electrical potential of the sprayhead and is electrically connectable to the sprayhead.

35. A container as claimed in claim 34 in which the sprayhead has a field-intensifying electrode adjacent to it, the electrode being earthed or at a comparitively low potential.

36. A fluid dispensing system comprising a plurality of interconnected containers as claimed in claim 30 and including means whereby a plurality of fluids are dispensable, in use, in a ratio at least partly predetermined by the memory devices attached to the containers.

37. A fluid dispensing system as claimed in claim 36 having at least one additional container adapted for dispensing a diluent or flushing fluid in use, the said container being fluid connectable to a common outlet(s) of the container(s) in use.

38. A fluid dispensing system as claimed in claim 36 or claim 37 having additional means for gas purging the diluent or flushing fluid from the system after use.

39. A fluid dispensing system as claimed in anyone of claims 36 to 37 in which at least one of the containers has attached to its a memory device which is pre-set to prevent the dispensing of undesirable mixtures of fluids.

40. A container as claimed in claim 1 in which the operating means includes at least one electronic data processing circuit and the memory device includes an electrical memory device which is electrically connectable with the electronic data processing circuit in use in order to regulate the operating involving the intended contents of the container.

41. A container as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a fluid detecting device located in an outlet from the container.

42. A container as claimed in claim 1 at least partially filled with the said contents.

43. Operating means suitable for use with a container as claimed in claim 1 arranged to be actuated only when the information carried by the memory device of the container includes a security code.

44. A container as claimed in claim 1 which is adapted to be mounted on a vehicle.

2. A container comprising:

a container body having an enclosed volume for retaining a predetermined intended contents; and

at least one active memory device permanently affixed to said container body and carrying machine readable information uniquely relating to the intended contents of the container;

the memory device being operably connectable to operating means for operating upon said contents including means responsive to information communicated from said active memory device whereby a predetermined operation involving the intended contents of the container may be performed in a manner at least partly determined by the characteristics of the intended contents.

45. A fluid dispensing system comprising:

a container for dispensing fluid;

a dispensing means having at least one electrically-responsive operating variable in fluid connection with the container, and

an active memory device carrying machine readable information relating to the fluid, permanently attached to the container and electrically connected to the dispensing means and being electrically connectable to an electrical power source, the memory device being pre-set to determine at least one electrical input to the dispensing means in order to regulate the electrically responsive operating variable in use at a value or values at least partly determined by the characteristics of the fluid to be dispensed.

46. A complex for spraying agricultural chemicals from a vehicle comprising:

a fluid dispensing system including

a container for dispensing fluid;

a dispensing means having at least one electrically-responsive operating variable in fluid connection with the container, and

an active memory device carrying machine readable information relating to the fluid, attached to the container and electrically connected to the dispensing means and being electrically connectable to an electrical power source, the memory device being pre-set to determine at least one electrical input to the dispensing means in order to regulate the electrically responsive operating variable in use at a value or values at least partly determined by the characteristics of the fluid to be dispensed;

said system being adapted to be mounted on a vehicle in which the dispensing means includes an electrically operated pumping means and at least one sprayhead in fluid connection with the pumping means and at least one electronic data processing circuit connected to the memory device and adapted to regulate the operation of the pumping means according to the pre-setting of the said memory device.

47. A complex as described in claim 46 in which the sprayhead is electrically chargeable so as to produce a spray of electrostatically charged particles of fluid in use and is electrically connected to the memory device and/or the electronic data processing circuit whereby the electrical potential of the sprayhead is determined by the pre-setting of the memory device.

48. A complex as described in claim 46 or claim 47 and including an electrical circuit device forming a part of the sprayhead assembly and electrically connected to the memory device of the container and/or the electronic data processing circuit so as to monitor and/or control at least one electrically sensitive operating variable of the sprayhead.

49. A complex as claimed in any one of claims 46 to 47 in which the vehicle is provided with speed measuring means adapted to provide electrical signals representative of the speed of the vehicle relative to the ground and in which the electronic data processing circuit is adapted to receive such signals in addition to the input from the memory device so as to adjust the operation of the pumping means in order to maintain a desired spray application rate at various vehicle speeds.

50. A complex as claimed in claim 49 in which the speed measuring means is a radar apparatus.

51. A fluid container having a hollow body for containing a predetermined contents, and having permanently attached to it at least one electrical active memory device pre-set in a unique way relating to the predetermined intended contents of the container, the device being electrically connectable to a dispensing means for the contents and to an electrical power source in which the memory device is adapted to cauwe the dispensing means to cease dispensing of the contents when the container is substantially exhausted to prevent further dispensing of fluid from the container.

52. A process for performing an operation actively involving the predetermined contents of a container, said process comprising the steps of:

permanently attaching to the container a memory device carrying machine readable information relating to the said contents;

communicating the said information to a response means responsive to the information; and

operating upon the contents so that at least one operational variable is at least partly determined by the response of the said response means to the information.

53. A process as claimed in claim 52 in which said operational variable is automatically regulated at a value or values at least partly determined by the characteristics of the predetermined contents of the container.

54. A container having a hollow body and having permanently associated with it at least one active memory device carrying machine readable information relating to the predetermined intended contents of the container;

the container being operably connectable to operating means whereby an operation involving the contents of the container may be performed, and said memory device being operably connectable to said operating means which is responsive to information communicated from said memory device.