Dispensing – With discharge assistant – Fluid pressure
Patent
1995-01-30
1997-06-10
Huson, Gregory L.
Dispensing
With discharge assistant
Fluid pressure
2224021, B65D 8300
Patent
active
056367694
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to fluid couplings for negative pressure dispense systems and it particularly, but not exclusively, relates to fluid couplings that are suitable for use with drums for hazardous chemicals and the like.
There is a class of fluid dispense systems employing negative pressure dispensation of fluids from containers, such as expensive or hazardous liquid chemicals, the container being fitted with a dispense valve assembly that is to be mated with a coupling head at a point of use to enable the fluid to be pumped from the container. An example of a coupling for such a negative pressure dispense system is described in European Patent Specification No. EP-A-0 477 477 wherein the male assembly or coupling is fitted to the valve assembly by means of an attachment collar 27 slidingly received about the body 200 of the coupling 51 and having four attachment lugs 274; in use, the coupling is first fitted into the dispense valve, opening all the valves and only thereafter is the collar rotated to lock the valve in position. Such an arrangement is clearly dangerous in that hazardous chemicals could escape from an unsecured coupling.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a fluid coupling for negative pressure dispensing of fluids wherein the fluid valve cannot be opened without mating engagement between the coupling head and the dispense assembly.
According to the present invention, a fluid coupling for a negative pressure dispense system comprises a dispense assembly to be fitted to a drum or other fluid container, and a coupling head to mate with the dispense assembly, the dispense assembly having an air valve to control the ingress of air to the fluid container and a fluid valve to control the egress of fluid from the fluid container, the coupling head sealing solely with and opening the fluid valve, and the dispense assembly and coupling head having complimentary mating features that inter-engage upon relative, mating movement between the dispense assembly and the coupling head, wherein the dispense assembly fluid valve has a rotatable valve member, the coupling head has a part shaped to engage the rotatable valve member, and the dispense assembly and coupling head mating features inter-engage upon relative rotation, whereby, in use, as the coupling head is rotated in the dispense assembly the mating features engage and the coupling head part engages and rotates the valve member to open the fluid valve.
In an embodiment of the present invention, the rotatable valve member is of an inverted cup shape having radial ports in the cup side walls and is rotatable about a vertical axis on a valve support member that is part of the dispense assembly and is provided with radial ports that communicate with a through bore in the valve support member; whereby, in use, the valve member can be rotated so that its ports register with the support member ports to open the fluid valve.
Preferably, the rotatable valve member has a cruciform depression in its upper surface and the coupling head terminates in a central cruciform extension comprising said part shaped to engage the rotatable valve member. The coupling head may have a through bore housing a one-way fluid valve and the cruciform extension may have surrounding axial ports communicating with the one-way valve.
The above and other features of the present invention are illustrated, by way of example in the Drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of an unmated coupling head and dispense cap in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; and,
FIG. 2 is a similar view of the coupling head and dispense cap of FIG. 1, when mated.
The fluid coupling shown by FIGS. 1 and 2 generally comprises a dispense cap 70 and a coupling head 112. The dispense cap is a plastics moulding of generally conventional cap shape, or it could be an adapted cap, with a depending threaded skirt 74, a top 76 and a cap seal 78 to seal against the lip of the neck of a container or drum (not shown), for example a type 2001 plastic drum). A frusto-con
REFERENCES:
patent: 4388997 (1983-06-01), Grime
Hinds William R.
Huson Gregory L.
Royal Packaging Industries Van Leer B.V.
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