Dosing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10782172-B2
Application number	US-201716070654-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2017
Priority date	Jan 19, 2016
Publication date	Sep 22, 2020
Grant date	Sep 22, 2020

Abstract

A dosing device is provided and comprises: a dosing chamber having an inlet through which product can enter from a container; an outlet into which product flows from the chamber and through which product flows out of the device; a siphon member located around the outlet; a vent opening in the chamber; a container-side vent which opens into the container, in which: the siphon member terminates at a level L1 with respect to the outlet; the outlet opens into the chamber at a level L2; such that in use product flows into the chamber through the inlet/s and fills the chamber until L2 is reached and then product is siphoned from the chamber into the outlet by the siphon member, the siphoning continuing until product in the chamber reaches L1, whereupon: air entering the vent opening interrupts the siphoning; and air vents into the container through the container-side vent such that thereafter recharging of the chamber repeats, in which a chicane is provided for preventing leakage of product through the vent opening.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dosing device comprising:
a dosing chamber having an inlet through which product can enter from a container;
an outlet into which product flows from the chamber and through which product flows out of the device;
a siphon member located around the outlet
a vent opening in the chamber
a container-side vent which opens into the container,
in which:
the siphon member terminates at a level L1 with respect to the outlet
the outlet opens into the chamber at a level L2
such that in use product flows into the chamber through the inlet/s and fills the chamber until L2 is reached and then product is siphoned from the chamber into the outlet by the siphon member, the siphoning continuing until product in the chamber reaches L1,
whereupon:
air entering the vent opening interrupts the siphoning; and
air vents into the container through the container-side vent such that thereafter recharging of the chamber repeats, in which
a chicane is provided for preventing leakage of product through the outlet, said chicane defining an outlet receiving orifice, an exit pathway, a space having a floor and a slanted upper surface communicating said outlet receiving orifice and said exit pathway, said outlet emptying through said outlet receiving orifice into said space, said exit pathway extending above said floor, said exit pathway offset from said outlet such that drips from said outlet accumulate in said space for avoiding dripping;
in which
the outlet is generally cylindrical with a generally circular section, in that the siphon member extends around the outlet, and in that the siphon member has a section having a generally figure-of-eight outline, or an elliptical section;
the outlet is concentrically arranged within the siphon member.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the chicane includes a reservoir for catching product in advance of the outlet.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the inlet comprises one or more apertures.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the vent opening comprises a tube.

5. A device as claimed in claim 3 , in which the vent opening tube has one end which opens into the chamber and one end which is exposed to atmospheric pressure.

6. A device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the vent opening opens into the chamber at a level L3 which is above L2 in use.

7. A device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the container-side vent is a tube.

8. A device as claimed in claim 1 , in which air vents into the container from the vent opening and/or from the outlet.

9. A device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the outlet is a tube.

10. A dosing device comprising:
a dispensing chamber having one or more inlet apertures through which product can enter the device from a container;
a cylindrical outlet tube into which product flows from the chamber and through which product flows out of the device;
a siphon bell located around the outlet tube, the siphon bell having a section with a generally figure-of-eight outline, or having an elliptical section, wherein the outlet is concentrically arranged within the siphon member;
an atmosphere vent tube positioned in the chamber and having one end which opens into the chamber and at the other end is exposed to atmosphere,
a container-side vent tube which extends into the container,
in which:
the siphon bell terminates at a height H1 with respect to the outlet tube
the outlet tube opens into the chamber at a height H2
such that in use product flows into the chamber through the inlets and fills the chamber until it reaches H2 and then product is siphoned from the chamber into the outlet tube through a gap between the siphon bell and the outlet tube, the siphoning continuing until product in the chamber reaches height H1, whereupon:
air entering the chamber from the atmosphere vent tube interrupts the siphoning
air vents into the container through the container-side vent tube
and thereafter re-charging of the dosing chamber repeats, in which a chicane is provided for preventing leakage of product through the outlet tube, said chicane defining an outlet tube receiving orifice, an exit pathway, a space having a floor and a slanted upper surface communicating said outlet tube receiving orifice and said exit pathway, said outlet tube emptying through said outlet tube receiving orifice into said space, said exit pathway extending above said floor, said exit pathway offset from said outlet tube such that drips from said outlet tube accumulate in said space for avoiding dripping.

11. A device as claimed in claim 1 in combination with a container.

12. A combination as claimed in claim 11 , in which the container is filled with flowable product.

13. A combination as claimed in claim 12 , in which the flowable product as a viscosity in the range of 0.001 mP·as to 10 mP·as.

14. A dosing apparatus for dispensing a dose of liquid according to claim 1 comprising:
(i) a container having an outlet and a siphon member located around the outlet, wherein:
the outlet is generally cylindrical with a generally circular section, in that the siphon member extends around the outlet, and in that the siphon member has a section having a generally figure-of-eight outline, or an elliptical section;
the outlet is concentrically arranged within the siphon member;
(ii) said dosing device operably connected to said container,
(iii) a liquid contained in said container;
wherein said liquid is a shear thinning liquid and said shear thinning liquid has a viscosity of greater than 1 Pa·s measured at 100 s″1 at 23° C.

15. A device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the ratio of the total surface of the inlet to the siphon member surface is between 0.35 and 0.9.

16. A device as claimed in claim 1 , in which the inlet surface area is between 40 and 100 mm 2 .

17. A device as claimed in claim 10 , in which the ratio of the total surface of the inlet to the siphon member surface is between 0.35 and 0.9.

18. A device as claimed in claim 10 , in which the inlet surface area is between 40 and 100 mm 2 .

19. A device as claimed in claim 14 , in which the ratio of the total surface of the inlet to the siphon member surface is between 0.35 and 0.9.

20. A device as claimed in claim 14 , in which the inlet surface area is between 40 and 100 mm 2 .

21. A dosing device comprising:
a dosing chamber having a device inlet through which product can enter from a container;
a device outlet into which product flows from the chamber and through which product flows out of the device;
a siphon member located around the outlet
a vent opening in the chamber
a container-side vent which opens into the container,
in which:
the siphon member terminates at a level L1 with respect to the outlet
the outlet opens into the chamber at a level L2
such that in use product flows into the chamber through the inlet/s and fills the chamber until L2 is reached and then product is siphoned from the chamber into the outlet by the siphon member, the siphoning continuing until product in the chamber reaches L1,
whereupon:
air entering the vent opening interrupts the siphoning; and
air vents into the container through the container-side vent such that thereafter recharging of the chamber repeats, in which
a chicane is provided by the siphon member for preventing leakage of product through the outlet, the siphon member inlet and the device outlet are offset and the chicane is slanted, and in which the chicane creates a space offset from the o

Assignees

• Obrist Closures Switzerland

Inventors

• Schmidt Patrick
• Stoelben Peter

Classifications

• G01F11/28 Primary

  with stationary measuring chambers having constant volume during measurement · CPC title