Claims
- 1. A flowable material dispensing apparatus adapted to dispense flowable material, the apparatus including:a first container having inlet means in order to receive a flow condition directed into the first container, and having outlet means to permit flow of the flowable material out of the first container; the restricted flow passage having a valve that controls the amount of flow condition flowing between the first and second containers; wherein the dispensing apparatus is provided with a restricted flow passage operatively adapted to connect the inlet means of the first container to an outside system, the restricted flow passage being restricted to such an extent that the passage is operatively adapted to direct a flow condition into the inlet means of the first container; the dispensing apparatus having a second container adapted to hold a quantity of said flowable material and having a restricted flow outlet opening facing in a downward direction; the second container being insertable completely within said first container wherein an inner surface of the first container is separated from a lower external surface of the second container by such that the flow condition flows through the inlet means and flows immediately adjacent the restricted flow outlet opening of the second container; said restricted flow outlet opening of the second container allowing outflow of the flowable material downwardly through said restricted flow outlet opening generally only when the flowable material in said restricted flow outlet opening is exposed to said flow; the outlet means of the first container also enabling the flowable material that comes from the second container to exit through the outlet means of the first container.
- 2. An apparatus of claim 1 wherein the restricted flow passage directing all of said flow condition between the first and second containers;a flow condition being selected from the group consisting of an air current originating from a sanitation system; a liquid current originating from the sanitation system; and a current consisting of both air and liquid originating from the sanitation system.
- 3. The apparatus of 2, wherein the restricted flow passage includes a valve that controls the amount of flow condition flowing between the first and second containers.
- 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the valve is provided with an internal duct therethrough, said internal duct being alterable in size by an aperture varying mechanism.
- 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said duct includes a first portion and a second portion angularly connected to the first portion and in fluid communication therewith, said aperture varying mechanism including a hollow sleeve within said first portion, the position of said sleeve being selectively moveable such that fluid communication between the first and second portions is varied depending on the position of the sleeve.
- 6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least one slideable element is retained within the restricted flow passage and is capable of substantially blocking fluid communication along the flow passage and capable of sliding freely along the flow passage,wherein, in use, the flow condition drives the slideable element along the restricted flow passage such that a flow is forced through the inlet means to create fluid current immediately adjacent the restricted flow outlet opening of the second container.
- 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein, as flow is forced through the inlet means, the at least one slideable element is drawn along the flow passage toward the sanitation system creating a low pressure region between the at least one slideable element and the outlet means to urge flowable material into the restricted flow passage.
- 8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the at least one slideable element is a plastic sphere.
- 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flow condition flows through the inlet means and flows directly onto the restricted flow outlet opening of the second container.
- 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inlet means and said outlet means are formed by a single aperture.
- 11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the restricted flow passage is narrower in cross-section than part of a sanitation system that directly connects to the restricted flow passage.
- 12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the quantity of said flowable material extractable from the second container by the flow condition is determined in part by physical dimensions of said restricted flow outlet opening.
- 13. The apparatus claim 1, wherein said apparatus is provided with means for altering said physical dimensions of said restricted flow outlet opening.
- 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a localised area of low pressure is formed whereby said flowable material flows from the second container toward the localised low pressure area.
- 15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flow condition that flows into the first container combines with the flowable material from the second container to be used as a flushing liquid.
- 16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus further includes mounting means whereby said first container can be mounted in said apparatus with said restricted flow outlet opening being directed in a downward direction in a position to receive said flow condition upwardly against restricted flow outlet opening of the second container.
- 17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second container is removable from the first container.
- 18. A method of dispensing a quantity of flowable material into a sanitation system, said method including the steps of:providing a first container having inlet and outlet means, using a restricted flow passage to connect the inlet means of the first container to the sanitation system in order to receive a flow condition from the sanitation system directed into the first container, and connecting the outlet means of the first container to the sanitation system in order to permit flow of the flowable material out of the first container; inserting a second container completely within the first container, the second container holding a quantity of said flowable material and having at least one restricted flow outlet opening that faces downwards, wherein an inner surface of the first container is separated from a lower external surface of the second container by a narrow gap immediately adjacent the restricted flow outlet opening of the second container; directing the flow condition from the sanitation system through the restricted flow passage into the inlet means for the first container; controlling the flow condition by varying the size of the restricted flow passage; such that the flow condition from the sanitation system flows through the inlet means into the narrow gap and flows immediately adjacent the restricted flow outlet opening of the second container; exposing the flowable material in the second container at said restricted flow opening to said flow condition in the narrow gap, thereby releasing the flowable material downwardly through said restricted flow outlet opening into the narrow gap; and releasing the flowable material to exit the narrow gap through the outlet means of the first container into the sanitation system.
- 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the restricted air flow passage is operatively adapted to direct all of the following flow conditions into the narrow gap between the first and second containers; and said flow conditions comprise:an air current originating from the sanitation system; a liquid current originating from the sanitation system; and a current comprising both air current and liquid current originating from the sanitation system.
- 20. The method of either claim 18 wherein the flow condition from the sanitation system flows into the narrow gag through the inlet means and flows directly onto the restricted flow outlet opening of the second container.
- 21. The method according to claim 18 further including the step of creating an area of localized low pressure to assist the flow of the flowable material therethrough.
- 22. The method according to claim 18 wherein the method includes the step of controlling the flow condition that flows immediately adjacent the restricted flow outlet opening of the second container by varying the cross section of the restricted flow passage.
- 23. A flowable material dispensing apparatus adapted to dispense flowable material, the apparatus including:a first container having inlet means in order to receive a flow directed into the first container, and having outlet to permit flow of the flowable material out of the first container; wherein the dispensing apparatus is provided with a restricted flow passage operatively adapted to connect the inlet means of the first container to an outside system, the restricted flow passage being restricted to such an extent that the passage is operatively adapted to direct a flow condition into the inlet means of the first container; the dispensing apparatus having a second container adapted to hold a quantity of said flowable material and having a restricted flow outlet opening facing in a downward direction; the restricted flow outlet passage including a valve that controls the flow condition that flows between the first and second containers; the second container being insertable completely within said first container wherein an inner surface of the first container is separated from a lower external surface of the second container by such that the flow condition flows through the inlet means and flows immediately adjacent the restricted flow outlet opening of the second container; said restricted flow outlet opening of the second container allowing outflow of the flowable material downwardly through said restricted flow outlet opening generally only when the flowable material in said restricted flow outlet opening is exposed to said flow condition; the outlet means of the first container also enabling the flowable material that comes from the second container to exit through the outlet means of the first container.
- 24. A flowable material dispensing apparatus adapted to dispense flowable material, the apparatus including:a first container having inlet means in order to receive a flow condition directed into the first container, and having outlet means to permit flow of the flowable material out of the first container; wherein the dispensing apparatus is provided with a restricted flow passage operatively adapted to connect the inlet means of the first container to an outside system, the restricted flow passage being restricted to such an extent that the passage is operatively adapted to direct a flow condition into the inlet means of the first container; the dispensing apparatus having a second container adapted to hold a quantity of said flowable material and having a restricted flow outlet opening facing in a downward direction; the restricted flow passage includes a valve that controls the amount of flow condition flowing between the first and second containers; the second container being insertable completely within said first container wherein an inner surface of the first container is separated from a lower external surface of the second container by such that the flow condition flows through the inlet means and flows immediately adjacent the restricted flow outlet opening of the second container; said restricted flow outlet opening of the second container allowing outflow of the flowable material downwardly through said restricted flow outlet opening generally only when the flowable material in said restricted flow outlet opening is exposed to said flow condition; the outlet means of the first container also enabling the flowable material that comes from the second container to exit through the outlet means of the first container.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
9611883 |
Dec 1999 |
SG |
|
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of provisional application No. 60/053,193, filed Jul. 21, 1997.
PCT Information
Filing Document |
Filing Date |
Country |
Kind |
PCT/SG97/00070 |
|
WO |
00 |
Publishing Document |
Publishing Date |
Country |
Kind |
WO98/27288 |
6/25/1998 |
WO |
A |
US Referenced Citations (4)
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AU |
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AU |
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DE |
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DE |
A-692 495 |
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GB |
1 462 201 |
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GB |
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May 1998 |
GB |
83 01974 |
Jun 1983 |
WO |
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/053193 |
Jul 1997 |
US |