Patent Application
20070075101
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluid container and a dispensing valve therefor. The container can be positioned in any of various orientations, with the dispensing valve being operable in any selected container orientation. The dispensing valve can dispense the fluid at a substantially constant rate or within a predetermined range, regardless of the orientation of the container and the amount of fluid in the container.
1. Description of the Related Art
Fluid containers and valves for dispensing fluid are well-known. Such containers and valves can be used, for example, in a system for dispensing beverages or other liquids used by consumers in their homes. Among the considerations of such containers and dispensing valves are low costs, trouble-free and reliable valve action and being disposable or recyclable.
However, such containers and valves have limited uses. For example, in order to reliably dispense all of the fluid in the container, the dispensing valve is typically placed on the lower end of a front face of the container, with the spout of the dispensing valve directed downwardly. This limits the operable positions of the container, such that it can only rest on its bottom face when actuated. If the container were to be stored in a refrigerator to keep the fluid cool, this would limit the ways in which the available space within the refrigerator can be used. In addition, the flow rate through the dispensing valve is typically dependent upon the amount of fluid or head pressure in the container. When the container is full the flow rate is greatest and the flow rate gradually decreases as the remaining volume of fluid is depleted. This can result in a flow rate that is too great to control the discharging fluid into a smaller vessel, such as a glass, when the container is full, and that is too slow when there is less fluid in the container. In addition, many dispensing systems need to be punctured, or otherwise vented, in order to establish a desired and consistent flow rate. If not, in order to equalize the pressure in the head space in an unvented container as the fluid level drops during dispensing, air will be sucked through the nozzle and valve, interrupting fluid discharge.
The present invention can provide a fluid container and dispensing valve which avoid the disadvantages of prior containers and valves.
The present invention can also reliably control the flow rate through the dispensing valve throughout dispensing of the entire fluid contents of the container.
The present invention can further provide a container that can be positioned in one of various orientations to allow optimum use of available space.
In addition, the present invention can allow smooth fluid discharge without puncturing the container.
According to one aspect, the present invention relates to a dispensing valve for dispensing fluid from an outlet of a fluid source. The valve includes a fluid passage, a valve seat disposed in the fluid passage, a valve member for engaging with and moving relative to the valve seat, the valve member closing the fluid passage when fully engaged with the valve seat and varying a fluid passage between the valve member and the valve seat in correspondence with movement relative to the valve seat, an actuator for moving the valve member-and a spring disposed between the valve member and the actuator. The spring controls a magnitude of the movement of the valve member relative to the valve seat due to movement of the actuator, the magnitude being dependent upon pressure of the fluid source.
According to another aspect, the present invention relates to a dispensing valve for dispensing fluid from an outlet of a fluid source. The valve includes a fluid passage and means for dispensing the fluid from the outlet of the fluid source through the fluid passage within a predetermined flow rate range independently of pressure of the fluid source.
According to yet another aspect, the present invention relates to a fluid dispensing system including a container having a container outlet for dispensing a fluid and a dispensing unit. The dispensing unit has a valve and plural dispensing outlets at different dispensing positions. Each of the dispensing outlets is in communication with the container outlet when the valve is open. The fluid flow rate through the valve is controlled so the fluid will exit through only one of the valve outlets when dispensing.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which:
Referring to
At the lower end of front face 14 of container 12, an opening 27 is formed to which valve assembly 30 can be secured. In order to minimize the footprint of container 12, a recess 26 can be formed at the lower end of front face 14 and the front, lower corners of left side and right side faces 22, 24 to accommodate valve assembly 30. Recess 26 should be sized to accommodate the projecting dimension of valve assembly 30 such that the valve assembly will not protrude beyond front face 14.
Container 12 can also include a handle 28 for ease of carrying. Handle 28 can be molded integrally with the container or can be attached in a separate manufacturing step. In the preferred embodiment, handle 28 is formed integrally with the container and includes a narrow section of top face 20 and a recess or void 29 to accommodate a consumer's fingers.
As designed, container 12 has plural dispensing positions. As shown in
Referring to
Valve assembly 30 further includes a valve member or poppet 42 having a peripheral shoulder 43 for engaging with valve seat 36 and cooperating with valve passage rings 38, 40 to variably restrict fluid flow. Poppet 42 preferably is of a circular shape and includes a valve stem 44. Valve stem 44 is secured at its proximal end to the center of poppet 42 and is preferably formed integrally therewith. Movement of valve stem 44 in its axial direction causes equivalent movement of poppet 42 toward or away from valve seat 36. At a distal end of valve stem 44, an engagement flange 46 is provided. When poppet 42 is moved to be adjacent first valve passage ring 38, an annular passage is defined between the peripheral shoulder 43 of poppet 42 and the inner wall of ring 38. The cross sectional area of this passage is relatively small. When poppet 42 is displaced further to be adjacent second ring 40, the formed annular passage is of a greater area.
Valve stem 44 is driven by an actuator assembly 48. Actuator assembly 48 includes an actuator button 50 and an actuator shaft 52. The actuator shaft includes a shoulder 54 for engaging an exterior or distal side of valve engagement flange 46 of valve stem 44. Actuator shaft 52 further includes detents 56 for engaging an interior or proximal side of valve engagement flange 46. The engagement of detents 56 with engagement flange 46 establishes the limit of leftward movement of actuator button 50 due to the bias of spring 60. This retains the actuator button within the valve assembly. An actuator web 58 can be used to seal fluid from leaking through actuator assembly 48. An actuator spring 60 is disposed between valve stem 44 and actuator button 50. In particular, spring 60 is disposed between valve stem 44 and actuator button 50. In particular, spring 60 is constrained by engagement flange 46 of valve stem 44 and an interior side of actuator button 50. Spring 60 is also confined within actuator shaft 52.
A cap 62 covers valve body 32. Cap 62 can be formed integrally with the valve body or can be formed separately therefrom so long as fluid cannot leak past any junction between cap 62 and valve body 32. Cap 62 includes an actuator passage 64 defined by a central opening. Passage 64 is sized large enough to allow actuator shaft 52 to reciprocatingly slide freely therethrough, yet small enough to guide actuator shaft 52 without allowing much play in directions transverse to the axial direction. Cap 62 further includes a common chamber 66 bounded by valve body 32, poppet 42 and the underside of cap 62, and one or more spout openings 68a, 68b, 68c communicating with chamber 66. Although only one spout opening is necessary, plural spout openings are preferred to enable container 12 to be operable in various positions. In a preferred embodiment, spout openings 68a-68c are disposed at 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions to accommodate the three orientations of the container described above.
Cap 62 can include an ergonomic gripping lip 70 to be grasped by the consumer's fingers to enable one-handed actuation. Cap 62 can further include a recess for engaging a bead of actuator web 58 to retain the button on the cap and prevent any leakage therethrough.
The actuation of the valve assembly 30 will now be described. When container 12 is in the upright position shown in
The dimensions of the annular flow passage when poppet 42 cooperates with the first flow ring are such that fluid within a first predefined, high range of head pressure (above a predetermined threshold pressure) will flow past the valve at a predetermined flow rate or within a predetermined narrow range. This flow rate or range is sufficiently low that the fluid will flow through chamber 66 and out the lowermost spout opening (i.e., lowermost with respect to the gravitational direction) without exiting through the other two spout openings. More particularly, the flow rate is designed such that flow rate out of chamber 66 is not less than the flow rate into the chamber such that the chamber will not fill up with fluid and overflow out the unused spout openings. Further, the flow rate past the valve is sufficiently low that fluid will not jet or splash out of the other two spout openings.
As the fluid is dispensed through the valve, the air pressure in the head space of the container decreases to be negative. In order to equalize the pressure without puncturing or otherwise venting the container, air supplied to chamber 66 through the unused spouts 68 can enter the container past poppet 42. Thus, fluid discharge through the lowermost spout will not be interrupted and will flow smoothly.
When it is desired to cease dispensing, the user lifts his or her finger off actuator button 50 and poppet 42 is forced by the fluid pressure within the container to re-engage with valve seat 36. Spring 60 expands to urge actuator button 50 to its non-actuated position as shown in
So long as the fluid pressure head within container 12 is within the first, higher predefined range, fluid will be dispensed using the restricted flow passage as shown in
As is evident from the foregoing description, the spring rate or spring constant of spring 60 is designed such that, in response to a given actuation force, the spring can move poppet 42 off the valve seat in the rightward direction against the force due to the fluid pressure in the leftward direction if the force due to the pressure is below the threshold value. Therefore, the spring rate is designed taking various parameters into consideration including the surface area of the poppet 42, the expected pressure head throughout the entire dispensing volume of the container and the desired flow rate range.
With the above arrangement, fluid can be discharged through valve assembly 30 at a substantially constant rate or within a reasonably narrow range, regardless of the amount of fluid remaining in the container. In addition, this flow rate or flow rate range is sufficiently low that fluid will only flow out the lowermost spout opening 68. Accordingly, container 12 can be positioned in any of the three positions discussed above (upright resting on its bottom 18, or on either of left side or right side faces 22, 24) and work efficiently in any position. When the container is in a lower profile position resting on one of its left side or right side faces, 22, 24, the pressure head within the container will likely always be within the second lower pressure range. Accordingly, in either of those two orientations, the dispensing valve will operate using the larger flow passage as shown in
A modification of the dispensing valve of the first embodiment will be described with respect to
It should be noted that the valve assembly is not limited to the structures described above. Any valve or flow controller can be used so long as the flow rate is within an acceptable range throughout dispensing. The valve is also not limited to use with a container or with a beverage. The valve can be used in any fields, such as medical, industrial and chemical fields, where flow control of fluids is desired.
The container and valve assembly may be constructed of any materials that are suitable for use with the dispensed fluid. Many suitable materials will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Likewise, the specific manufacturing techniques used to produce the various components are not important, with suitable techniques being well known to those skilled in the art. Preferably, however, the container and valve components that are in direct contact with the fluid are made of a material that is substantially non-corrosive in the fluid, such as glass, polycarbonate, acrylic, polyethyleneterephthalate (PET), polypropylene, stainless steel, polyvinyl-carbonate-(PVC), or the like. In-the case of polymers and plastics, injection molding is the preferred method of construction.
Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, it will be understood that this description is merely for purposes of illustration. Various modifications of, and equivalent steps corresponding to, the disclosed aspects of the preferred embodiments, in addition to those described above, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention defined in the following claims, the scope of which is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass such modifications and equivalent structures.
