Pumps – Expansible chamber type – Inlet and discharge distributors at opposite ends of tubular...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-07-05
2003-09-23
Freay, Charles G. (Department: 3746)
Pumps
Expansible chamber type
Inlet and discharge distributors at opposite ends of tubular...
C222S001000, C222S137000, C222S212000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06623257
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system for supplying a fixed amount of fluid, and in particular relates to a system which comprises a fluid accommodating unit formed of a fluid accommodating bag for accommodating fluid and a pump for delivering the fluid from the fluid accommodating bag and a fluid supplying device body in which the fluid accommodating unit is detachably placed and a pump driving mechanism for driving the pump is provided, wherein when supplying the fluid, a fixed amount of fluid is supplied by placing the fluid accommodating unit in the fluid supplying device body.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a system for supplying a fixed amount of fluid, there has been a post-mix-type beverage supplying system. In such a beverage supplying system, a fluid accommodating unit is detachably placed in a fluid supplying device body and has a bag in box (BIB) therein which accommodates condensed syrup such as that of coffee or tea. When supplying beverage, a fixed amount of the syrup is delivered to a cup, etc., with a pump so as to supply the beverage by mixing the syrup with water, carbonated water, or boiling water.
In such a system, a predetermined fixed amount of the syrup always requires being delivered every time of the beverage supply. Since the syrup once delivered may be contaminated by various germs when it flows into the pump or the BIB, the reverse flow of the syrup has to be securely prevented.
As one of such systems, there is provided a system using a tube pump shown in
FIGS. 10A and 10B
(see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 04-42271). In the system, a fluid accommodating unit
110
for enclosing syrup therein, which is placed in a supplying device
100
, comprises a BIB
113
, in which a bag
112
made from flexible film is placed in a box
111
, and a tube
114
made from an elastic material such as silicone rubber and attached to the BIB
113
so as to hang therefrom.
The supplying device
100
is provided with a pump unit
120
disposed at a position where the tube
114
hangs, which forms the tube pump in cooperation with the tube
114
. At a position lower than the pump unit
120
in the supplying device
100
, a tube-pinching device
140
is provided for sealing up the end of the tube
114
when the syrup is not delivered. In addition, a container
145
shown in
FIG. 10A
is a paperboard cup, etc., for receiving beverage therein.
The pump unit
120
comprises a tube-guide member
121
with a circular tube-guide path
123
formed on one face thereof and a driving cylinder
122
for rotating the tube-guide member
121
about a rotating axis
124
. The tube-guide member
121
is driven by the driving cylinder
122
so as to be switched between a pump-driving position (shown by a solid line in
FIG. 10A
) at which the pump fixed by a locking member of the tube-guide member
121
can be driven and a tube-inserting position (shown by a phantom line in
FIG. 10A
) used when the tube is inserted.
The pump unit
120
also comprises a rotating roller
130
for pinching the tube
114
against the tube-guide member
121
so as to squeeze the syrup in the tube
114
therefrom. The rotating roller
130
comprises a disc-like rotating base plate
131
driven by a driving motor
134
and rollers
132
rotatably fixed to a plurality (three in this example) of pins
133
spaced around the circumference of the rotating base plate
131
at equal intervals. The rotating roller
130
is driven by a predetermined rotating angle in accordance with the amount of the syrup required to be delivered.
When the fluid accommodating unit
110
is attached thereto, the tube-guide member
121
is switched to the tube-inserting position so that the tube
114
is arranged between the tube-guide member
121
and the rotating roller
130
and then, the tube-guide member
121
is switched to the pump-driving position.
The tube-pinching device
140
comprises a fixing member
141
fixed to the supplying device
100
, a pinching member
142
for pinching an end portion of the tube
114
against the fixing member
141
so as to seal the tube
114
off, and a cylinder member
143
for pushing and retracting the pinching member
142
. Therefore, various germs and the like cannot enter thereinto via the tube
114
.
However, in a system for supplying a fixed amount of fluid using such a tube pump, when exchanging a BIB, troublesome processes have to be stepped, in which the tube-guide member
121
is switched to the tube-inserting position, the tube
114
is arranged between the tube-guide member
121
and the rotating roller
130
by curving the tube
114
, and the tube-guide member
121
is then switched to the pump-driving position.
Although the end of the tube is sealed off by the pinching device in a state that the fluid accommodating unit
110
is placed in the supplying device, there may be a problem in which during exchanging the BIB, the syrup accommodated in the BIB is discharged from the tube or air enters into the BIB so that various germs are mixed with the syrup in the BIB, because any special closing means is not provided in the tube itself.
Accordingly, instead of the tube pump of a conventional system for supplying a fixed amount of fluid, the use of a bellows pump is expected. The bellows pump comprises a bellows having an internal volume being variable by the external drive and two check valves respectively arranged in the flow-inlet and the flow-outlet of the bellows.
The check valve for use in a conventional bellows pump generally has a structure in which a fluid path formed on a valve base is opened and closed by a planer or spherical valve body.
That is, in the check valve using the planer valve body: one end of the planer valve body is attached to the valve base; the opening of the fluid path is normally closed due to the elasticity of the valve body; when fluid flows toward the delivery, the valve body is separated from the opening of the fluid path due to the pressure of the fluid so that the opening of the fluid path is opened.
In the check valve using the spherical valve body: the valve body is pushed to the opening of the fluid path from the downstream by an elastic member such as a coil spring so that the opening of the fluid path is normally closed; when fluid flows toward the delivery, the valve body is separated from the opening of the fluid path by compressing the coil spring, etc., due to the pressure of the fluid so that the opening of the fluid path is opened.
However, in the above-mentioned check valves, although the reverse flow of the fluid can be prevented during driving of the pump, the check valve may be opened due to the external impulse so that there have been problems that the leakage is produced from the check valve during the fluid delivery so that the syrup may be delivered in excess of a predetermined amount or the syrup once delivered flows backward into the pump so that the syrup in the pump and the BIB may be contaminated with various germs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above-described situations, the present invention has been made, so that it is an object of the present invention to provide a disposable mechanism for taking out a fixed amount of fluid and a system for supplying a fixed amount of fluid in which the reverse flow of the fluid is eliminated and a precise fixed amount of the fluid can be delivered.
According to the present invention, the above-mentioned object can be achieved by a disposable mechanism for taking out a fixed amount of Fluid and a system for supplying a fixed amount of fluid which will be described.
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a disposable mechanism for taking out a fixed amount of fluid by bellows pump with check valves comprising a bellows pump, two check valves attached to both ends of the bellows pump, a bag made from flexible film positioned at the check valve of fluid-flow-inlet side and the previously-mentioned check valve is comprised of; hemisphere shaped valve base, hemisphere sha
Freay Charles G.
Lackenbach & Siegel LLP
Libra Techno Yugen Kaisha
Sayoc Emmanuel
LandOfFree
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