Dispensing – With discharge assistant – Movable or conveyer-type trap chamber
Patent
1998-03-23
1999-04-13
Shaver, Kevin P.
Dispensing
With discharge assistant
Movable or conveyer-type trap chamber
G01F 1110
Patent
active
058934871
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention concerns fluid dispensing systems which are particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for incorporation in drinks vending machines.
The term "fluid" as used herein is intended to include liquids, such as water, perfume and other low viscosity liquids.
Fluid dispensing systems have been proposed heretofore. U.S. Pat. No. 1,327,768 discloses a tank for holding liquid through which a wheel arrangement is adapted to rotate, the arrangement having a hub disc mounted on a solid shaft, the disc supporting six conduits in equi-spaced relationship radially of the shaft. At the one end of each conduit remote from the disc a measuring container is mounted having a restricted entry. The conduits are similarly cranked and pass through the disc parallel to the axis of the shaft with fluid collected in the containers being sequentially discharged from the respective conduit into a chamber to be discharged therefrom through a discharge pipe.
FR-A-2 160 243 discloses a pair of tanks for liquid into each of which a wheel arrangement including a disc is adapted to rotate, the arrangements being unitary with the two discs connected through a hub and rotatable in a central mounting by a solid shaft secured to one of the discs. Each arrangement has three containers mounted on the respective disc and is rotated through the respective tank to sequentially collect liquid through two openings (25 and 9) in each container and discharge liquid collected through respective conduits into a single collection tank 16.
Drinks vending machines, whether free-standing or table-top supported, generally operate by dispensing water and powdered ingredients from separate sources to a mixing zone. The mixing zone may be separate from a drinks cup in which the drink will be supplied or may be the drinks cup itself. Either way it is important that a pre-selected amount of water is discharged to the mixing zone so that the drink produced is of the required strength and to avoid water spillage in or from the vending machine.
It is further desirable that the fluid dispensing system operate relatively simply in order to reduce the risk of breakdown.
Typically drinks vending machines and other fluid dispensers use solenoid valves for controlling flow of fluid but these valves are prone to becoming clogged and so, without warning, stick in one position.
An object of this invention is to provide a simple fluid dispensing system suitable for a drinks vending machine and other applications.
According to this invention, there is provided a fluid dispensing system comprising a tank for the fluid, and means for extracting a quantity of fluid from the tank and for directing the extracted fluid to one or more selected receptacles, the means comprising a fluid collecting device including a vessel and an outlet pipe in fluid communication, the vessel being for rotary passage through the tank and having a restricted entry aperture wherein the vessel and outlet pipe are connected through a rotatable tubular shaft which extends between opposed walls of the tank and is journalled for rotation therein with one of its ends closed off and the other projecting through the respective tank wall, the vessel being mounted on the shaft with the outlet pipe being connected to the projecting end of the shaft exteriorly of the tank to extend diametrically away from the vessel, rotary passage of the vessel causing rotary passage of the outlet pipe outside of the tank, whereby, in use with fluid in the tank, during a rotary cycle of the device air exhausts from the vessel through the outlet pipe as fluid ingresses into the vessel through the aperture during a filling operation, and air flows into the vessel through the aperture as fluid is dispensed through the outlet pipe in a dispensing operation.
Preferably, the fluid is raised from a supply thereof in the tank and discharged by gravity to the one or more selected receptacles.
Preferably also, the vessel is closed and the restricted entry aperture is a circular hole. The amount of fl
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Greigg Edwin E.
Greigg Ronald E.
Munster Simms Engineering Limited
Shaver Kevin P.
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