Fluid handling – Systems – System with plural openings – one a gas vent or access opening
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-05
2004-04-20
Michalsky, Gerald A. (Department: 3753)
Fluid handling
Systems
System with plural openings, one a gas vent or access opening
C137S205000, C137S582000, C137S592000, C137S798000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06722389
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to liquid transfer apparatus and adaptors for liquid transfer apparatus
The invention has particular application to liquid transfer apparatus and adaptors for transferring hazardous chemical liquids but it also has application to the transfer of safe liquids where accurate measurement is required.
There are many instances in which hazardous chemicals need to be transferred from one container to another, for example, when mixing poisons such as weedicides or pesticides with water. Typically, an operator pours the poison into a measuring container and then pours the measured amount into the applicator, whether it be a manually operated applicator or a motor driven or tractor drawn applicator.
BACKGROUND ART
International patent application No. PCT/AU95/00869 describes apparatus for and a method of transferring hazardous liquids from one container to another utilising a suction pump assembly with bubble extraction chambers and a transfer vessel interposed between the bubble extraction chambers and the container of poison and arranged so that a desired amount of poison may flow into the transfer vessel once suction is applied without entering the pump assembly and then be transferred to an applicator or other container as required. Whilst this system works quite effectively in commercial operations, it is not as compact as is desirable and additionally the pump assembly is expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, the system does not lend itself to easy portability, transport or safe storage.
One object of the present invention is to provide liquid transfer apparatus for use in transferring hazardous liquids which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. Another object is to provide liquid transfer apparatus which lends itself to easy portability and can be used by home handymen as well as commercial operators. It is another object to provide liquid transfer apparatus which includes means for accurately measuring quantities of liquid being transferred. Another object is to provide liquid transfer apparatus which can operate in conjunction with a container of liquid chemical in a closed system. It is yet another object to provide liquid transfer apparatus which can be easily dismantled for cleaning purposes. It is still yet another object to provide a system of transferring hazardous liquids which reduces the likelihood of spillage including complementary components in conjunction with liquid transfer apparatus.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
With the foregoing in view, this invention in one aspect resides broadly in liquid transfer apparatus for transferring liquid from one container to another container including;
a body defining an elongate liquid storage chamber having a liquid inlet at one end and a fluid outlet spaced longitudinally from said liquid inlet, a pump chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a fluid flow passage connecting said elongate liquid storage chamber and said pump chamber via said fluid outlet of said elongate storage chamber and said fluid inlet of said pump chamber, and a handle, said body being formed of two halves joined together, each half defining part of said elongate storage chamber and part of said pump chamber and being constructed substantially of a thermoplastics material;
pump means mounted in said pump chamber for sucking air from said storage chamber via said pump chamber fluid inlet, and
valve means for selectively opening and closing said liquid inlet whereby liquid may be allowed to flow into said elongate storage chamber upon suction being applied to said elongate liquid storage chamber by said pump means and opening of said liquid inlet. Preferably, said handle includes a passage therethrough which forms at least part of said fluid flow passage and each half defines half of said handle and said passage. It is to be understood that the term “half” and its derivatives as used herein unless clearly not appropriate is intended to encompass complementary parts which when joined together form the body or a component of the body as described but which may not be actual mathematical halves. Furthermore, terms such as upright, upper and lower, top and bottom and the like are used for the purpose of description and illustration of the invention in the position it would normally be used for extracting liquid from one container, but it is to be understood that these terms do not limit the use of the invention to this position.
In another aspect this invention resides broadly in liquid transfer apparatus for transferring liquid from one container to another container including:
a body defining an elongate liquid storage chamber having a liquid inlet at one end in a spigot portion of said body for receiving liquid from the one container and for discharging liquid to the other container, and a fluid outlet spaced longitudinally from said liquid inlet, a pump chamber having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a fluid flow passage connecting said elongate liquid storage chamber and said pump chamber via said fluid outlet of said elongate storage chamber and said fluid inlet of said pump chamber, and a handle, said spigot portion being adapted to sealingly cooperate with a complementary socket provided in the one container;
suction pump means mounted in said pump chamber for sucking air from said storage chamber via said pump chamber fluid inlet, and
valve means for selectively opening and closing said liquid inlet whereby liquid may be allowed to flow into said elongate storage chamber upon suction being applied to said elongate liquid storage chamber by said pump means and opening of said liquid inlet.
Preferably, said fluid flow passage includes one or more liquid collection chambers therein for collecting liquid from moist air flowing therethrough, said one or more liquid extraction chambers being arranged so that liquid from moisture laden air flowing through said fluid flow passage may collect therein.
Preferably, said valve is controlled by a trigger mounted adjacent said handle.
Preferably, the apparatus includes a conduit connected to said pump chamber fluid outlet for allowing fluid sucked from said elongate storage chamber to flow to the one container thereby allowing the apparatus and the container to form a closed system for transfer from the container to the storage chamber so that air or fluid sucked from the storage chamber is discharged into the container as liquid is removed. It is also preferred that the conduit open adjacent said spigot portion and be adapted to cooperate with the complementary socket provided on the one container to allow the fluid to flow into the one container as liquid is removed.
In another aspect the invention resides broadly in an adaptor for fitting to an opening of a container and adapted to co-operate with a spigot portion or other part of a pump or other liquid transfer apparatus for filling the apparatus with liquid from the container, the adaptor including:
a socket portion having an entry adapted to receive therethrough the spigot portion (or other liquid entry part) of the liquid transfer apparatus for sealing engagement of the spigot portion in said socket portion;
securing means on said socket portion or operatively connected to said socket portion for securing said socket portion to the container for liquid communication of the socket portion with the container via the container opening;
a liquid inlet in said socket portion for allowing liquid to flow into said socket portion from the container, the parts being so made and arranged that liquid may flow from said socket portion to the liquid transfer apparatus through the spigot portion (or other liquid entry part) upon vacuum being thereto applied, the diameter of said entry being greater than the diameter of the opening of the container.
Preferably, the socket portion has a fluid outlet spaced from the fluid inlet which is connected to a conduit or other flow passage through which fluid can flow into the container. Suitably, the fluid outlet is adapted for sealed fluid communication with a complement
Abelman ,Frayne & Schwab
Michalsky Gerald A.
Stevens Nominees (QLD) PTY Ltd.
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