Liquid supply system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10399018-B2
Application number	US-201313969303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 16, 2013
Priority date	Aug 16, 2013
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A liquid supply system includes a container containing a liquid, a tank coupled to the container to receive the liquid from the container, and a dispensing mechanism coupled to the tank to receive the liquid to be dispensed. The dispensing mechanism comprises a filter configured to filter the liquid before dispensing. The filter comprises a first gas collection space configured to collect gas accompanying the liquid. The tank is controllably coupled to the first gas collection space of the filter to vent the collected gas from the filter to the tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid supply system, comprising:
a container containing a liquid;
a tank coupled to the container to receive the liquid from the container;
a dispensing mechanism coupled to the tank to receive the liquid to be dispensed, the dispensing mechanism comprising a filter configured to filter the liquid before dispensing, a feeding pump configured to receive the liquid from the tank at a first port and move the liquid from the tank to the filter, a dispensing pump configured to move filtered liquid out of the filter to be dispensed, and a first piping coupled between the feeding pump and the dispensing pump and bypassing the filter, the first piping coupled to a second port of the feeding pump different from the first port, the filter comprising a first gas collection space configured to collect gas accompanying the liquid, wherein a portion of the filtered liquid in the dispensing pump is returned to the tank through the first port and the second port;
a drainage line;
a first valve between the tank and the drainage line;
a second valve between the filter and the tank;
a third valve between the second valve and the tank; and
a fourth valve between the second valve and the drainage line,
wherein the tank is controllably coupled to the first gas collection space of the filter by way of the second valve and the third valve to vent collected gas from the filter to the tank.

2. The liquid supply system of claim 1 , wherein
the tank has a second gas collection space configured to collect the collected gas vented from the filter to the tank,
a gas release outlet is in communication with the second gas collection space, and
the first valve is a gas release valve coupled to the gas release outlet, the gas release valve being configured to release the gas collected in the second gas collection space from the tank.

3. The liquid supply system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a sensor coupled to the gas release outlet, the sensor configured to
detect an amount of the gas collected in the second gas collection space, and
output a control signal to cause the gas release valve to open when the amount of the gas collected in the second gas collection space reaches a predetermined level.

4. The liquid supply system of claim 2 , wherein the gas release valve is a manual valve, the gas release valve having an indicator configured to indicate an amount of the gas collected in the second gas collection space.

5. The liquid supply system of claim 2 , wherein the third valve and the fourth valve are included in a valve arrangement, the valve arrangement being configured to be in a first position in which the third valve is open and the fourth valve is closed to selectively couple the first gas collection space of the filter to the tank to vent the collected gas from the filter to the tank, or in a second position in which the third valve is closed and the fourth valve is open to selectively couple the first gas collection space of the filter to the drainage line.

6. The liquid supply system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a second piping coupled between the tank and the first gas collection space of the filter; and
a third piping coupled between an intermediate point of the second piping and the drainage line,
wherein
the second valve is coupled to the second piping between the intermediate point and the gas collection space of the filter, and
the fourth valve is coupled to the third piping between the intermediate point and the drainage line.

7. The liquid supply system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a controller coupled to at least one of the valve arrangement or the gas release valve, the controller configured to perform at least one of
switching the valve arrangement from the first position to the second position in response to a number of dispensing operations reaching a predetermined value, or
opening the gas release valve in response to an amount of the gas collected in the second gas collection space reaching a predetermined level.

8. The liquid supply system of claim 2 , wherein the feeding pump is coupled between the tank and an inlet of the filter, and the dispensing pump is coupled to an outlet of the filter.

9. The liquid supply system of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the feeding pump or the dispensing pump is configured to perform a purging operation to move an un-dispensed portion of the liquid back to the tank.

10. The liquid supply system of claim 9 , wherein the gas release valve is configured to be opened during the purging operation to release the gas collected in the second gas collection space from the tank under a pressure generated by the at least one of the feeding pump or the dispensing pump during the purging operation.

11. The liquid supply system of claim 2 , further comprising:
an intermediate tank coupled between the container and the tank, the intermediate tank having
a third gas collection space configured to collect gas accompanying the liquid;
a further gas release outlet in communication with the third gas collection space; and
a further gas release valve coupled to the further gas release outlet of the intermediate tank, the further gas release valve configured to release the gas collected in the third gas collection space from the intermediate tank.

12. The liquid supply system of claim 2 , further comprising a purge valve coupled to the first piping between the feeding pump and the dispensing pump.

13. The liquid supply system of claim 2 , wherein the second gas collection space collects a greater amount of gas than the first gas collection space.

14. A liquid supply system, comprising:
a tank comprising:
a first inlet in a lower portion of the tank;
an outlet in the lower portion of the tank;
a second inlet in an upper portion of the tank; and
a gas release outlet in the upper portion of the tank;

a first piping having
opposite first and second ends, the second end of the first piping coupled to the first inlet of the tank; and
a first intermediate point between the first and second ends of the first piping;

a second piping having
opposite first and second ends, the first end of the second piping coupled to the first intermediate point of the first piping; and
a second intermediate point between the first and second ends of the second piping;

a gas release valve coupled between the gas release outlet and the second intermediate point of the second piping;
a first valve between a filter and the first intermediate point;
a valve arrangement coupled to the first piping and the second piping, the valve arrangement having
a second valve between the first intermediate point and the second intermediate point; and
a third valve between the first intermediate point and the tank,

wherein the valve arrangement is configured to be in one of
a first position in which the second valve and the third valve are in a state configured to couple the first end of the first piping to the first inlet of the tank, wherein in the first position one of the second valve or the third valve is shut off, and
a second position in which the second valve and the third valve are in a state configured to couple the first end of the first piping to the second end of the second piping; and

a dispensing mechanism coupled to the tank to receive liquid to be dispensed, the dispensing mechanism comprising the filter configured to filter the liquid before dispensing, a feeding pump configured to receive the liquid from the tank at a first port and move the liquid from the tank to the filter, a dispensing pump configured to move filtered liquid out of the filte

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liao Wen-Huang

Classifications

• H10P72/0402 Primary

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• B01D35/02 Primary

  Filters adapted for location in special places, e.g. pipe-lines, pumps, stop-cocks, (B01D35/05 takes precedence; {water pipe system filters E03B3/18, E03B7/07; dirt catchers in sewers E03F; filters or strainers for pipe-lines in general B08B, E03F; object or dirt catching devices in sinks or the like E03C1/26; suction strainers or filters for pumps F04B53/005, F04D29/70}) · CPC title

• H01L21/67017

  Electricity · mapped topic