Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – Processes – Filling dispensers
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-12
2001-11-27
Maust, Timothy L. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
Processes
Filling dispensers
C141S083000, C141S095000, C141S192000, C141S227000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06321798
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention presented here involves a process for the distribution of one or more liquid(s) contained in one or more container(s), in quantities measured by weight, in the use of which each dose is delivered with a great degree of precision, on the order of 0.5 milligrams, as well as a distribution device and a system for the distribution of one or more liquids to one or more recipient(s).
BACKGROUND ART
For a large number of activities, among which the following can be cited, without the list being restrictive: perfumes, aromas, cosmetics, fine chemistry, pharmaceutics, coloring agents, dyes and paints, food processing, wines and spirits, etc. it is necessary to make “compositions”, as much in the laboratory for tests or sampling, as in production. These compositions are mixtures of liquid or solid raw materials, according to a formula in a precise dosage. The traditional manual creation of these compositions is long and can rise to many manufacturing errors. Moreover, it is difficult to achieve accuracies on the order of a half-milligram.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention presented here makes it possible to correct for these disadvantages for compositions of liquid raw materials. It also makes it possible to deliver precise quantities of a unique liquid into many containers.
For this purpose, the process for distribution of dosed quantities of a liquid contained in a storage container, connected to a distribution conduit equipped with a nozzle for the discharge of liquid to a container connected to a gauge component that delivers, in the form of a signal, a representative value of the quantity of liquid present in the container, where the conduit, at a distance from the nozzle, is connected to a valve component that, upon command, blocks or opens the passage of the liquid through the conduit, from the container towards the distribution nozzle. The diameter of the distribution nozzle is such that the liquid column in the portion of the conduit between the nozzle and the valve component, when the valve component is blocking the passage of liquid, can be immobilized there under the action, in particular, of surface tension forces. The process is characterized essentially in that it consists in the following functional steps, given in chronological order:
a)—open the passage of liquid between the container and the nozzle by acting on the valve component, in a manner such that the liquid can fill the portion of the conduit between the valve component and the distribution nozzle,
b)—block the passage of liquid by acting on the valve component, in order to cut off the flow of the liquid,
c)—apply on the liquid column, located between the valve component and the distribution nozzle, at least one mechanical impulse having a calibrated amplitude and/or intensity, in order to expel a micro-quantity of liquid from the liquid column, through the distribution nozzle, towards the container,
d)—compare the value given by the gauge component to a pre-set reference value C1, representative of the value of the dose to be delivered, a tolerance value &Dgr;C1 associated with the value C1,
e) and to repeat the steps c) and d) if the value given by the gauge component is not contained in the tolerance range associated with the reference value C1.
According to the preferred embodiment form, the gauge component gives a signal representing the weight of the quantity of liquid in the container.
It is necessary to be able to distribute in the container a relatively sizable quantity of liquid while maintaining a precision on the order of a half-milligram. Thus, according to another characteristic of the process according to the invention, during the step a), during which the passage of the liquid between the container and the nozzle is opened and the liquid is also discharged into the container, the value given by the gauge component is continuously compared to a reference value C0, less than the reference value C1, and close to this reference value C1, and the step b) of the process is begun when the value given by the gauge component is equal to the reference value C0, the steps c), d) and e) then being started successively.
This device makes it possible to ensure both the speed of the dosage and its precision.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the mechanical impulses that must be communicated to the liquid column are applied via the conduit.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the mechanical impulses that must be communicated to the liquid column are applied directly to the liquid column.
The invention also has the object of a distribution device for the delivery of a liquid in dosed quantities, characterized in that it consists of:
a storage container containing the liquid to be distributed,
a distribution conduit connected to the container and provided with a nozzle for the discharge of the liquid towards a container connected to a gauge component that delivers, in the form of a signal, a value representing the quantity of the liquid present in the container,
a valve component connected to the conduit and placed at a distance from the nozzle, blocking or opening upon command the passage of liquid between the container and the nozzle, the area of the section of passage that determines the nozzle being such that when the valve component blocks the passage, the liquid column present in the portion of the conduit between the nozzle and the valve component is immobilized in this portion, under the notable effect of surface tension forces,
an impulse mechanism, located between the valve component and the nozzle for the deliverance of the liquid, in order to communicate to the liquid located between the valve component and the distribution nozzle, at least one mechanically calibrated impulse, under the effect of which a micro-quantity of liquid is expelled from the liquid column.
According to one of the embodiment forms, the distribution device consists of a rigid structure consisting of a first drill hole that goes all the way through, into which the conduit enters with a functionally reduced play, this rigid structure consisting of a second drill hole, is preferably straight, opening up on the one side, into the first drill hole that goes all the way through, and on the other side, on one of the sides of the rigid structure, the second drill hole receiving the pulse mechanism. According to this embodiment form, the pulse mechanism acts on the conduit and this conduit, according to another aspect of the invention, is elastically deformable at least in the first drill hole of the rigid structure.
According to another characteristic of the invention, the pulse mechanism consists of a pushrod that can be moved crosswise relative to the conduit and mounted to slide in the second drill hole at least by its front part, in order to make it possible to act by the free end of the front part, by pushing on the conduit This pushrod can be manually maneuvered, but preferably, in a manner so that the impulses communicated can be perfectly calibrated, the impulse mechanism also consists of an operating mechanism fitted to move the pushrod by a brief movement of translation towards the conduit, and this is done according to a specified and perfectly controlled amplitude and acceleration. This operating mechanism, designed to act together with the free end of the rear part of the shaft, can be integrated with the structure of the device, but according to an advantageous aspect of the invention leading to a simplification, this mechanism for operating the pushrod is external to the structure and is independent of it.
The valve component can be arranged over the portion of the conduit located between the structure and the container or even be connected to the nozzle discharge of the container, but according to an advantageous aspect of the invention, the structure of the distributor device, upstream from the second drill hole considering the direction of flow of the liquid in the conduit, is provided with a third drill hole, preferably straight, opening on the
Harrison & Egbert
Maust Timothy L.
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