Accurate volume and temperature dispensing head

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11629987-B2
Application number	US-202117449722-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2021
Priority date	Oct 15, 2020
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

Systems and methods for the injection/dispensing of fluid material in a volumetrically accurate and repeatable manner via an injection cell that interconnects two reservoirs of the fluid material. The injection cell has a normally closed dispensing valve that is opened for dispensing of the fluid material during a compression cycle, and closed during a return cycle. Opening and closing of the dispensing valve is effected using either or both of pressurized air and/or a motorized linkage. During the compression cycle, independent longitudinal displacements of a piston cylinder and a piston within the injection cell act to first open the dispensing valve and subsequently eject fluid material within the piston cylinder via the opened dispensing valve. The piston cylinder and piston are returned to an initial state that facilitates reloading of the injection cell from the reservoirs and closes the dispensing valve during a return cycle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing system, comprising:
a chamber that is fluidly coupled to two reservoirs of a fluid material and is configured to receive the fluid material from one or more of the two reservoirs; and
a valve disposed adjacent to a bottom portion of the chamber, wherein the valve is configured to be opened during a dispensing operation to allow a portion of the fluid material from the chamber to be dispensed via the opened valve,
wherein the valve comprises a first valve member and a second valve member,
wherein the first valve member comprises a first lateral flange that is shaped so that a downward, longitudinal motion of a first valve arm is translated into a lateral motion of the first valve member, and
wherein the second valve member comprises a second lateral flange that is shaped so that a downward, longitudinal motion of a second valve arm is translated into a lateral motion of the second valve member.

2. The dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a piston cylinder; and
a piston carried within the piston cylinder,
wherein the piston cylinder is configured to be displaced into the chamber so as to contain the portion of the fluid material within the piston cylinder, and the piston is configured to be displaced within the piston cylinder so as to dispense the portion of the fluid material contained within the piston cylinder via the opened valve.

3. The dispensing system of claim 2 , wherein the valve is opened simultaneously with the displacement of the piston cylinder into the chamber.

4. The dispensing system of claim 2 , wherein the piston cylinder and the piston are configured to be longitudinally displaced together or are configured to be longitudinally displaced independently of one another.

5. The dispensing system of claim 2 , further comprising a controllable latch that operably controls which of the piston cylinder and the piston undergoes longitudinal displacement.

6. The dispensing system of claim 2 , further comprising a controllable latch configured to cause the piston cylinder and the piston to be longitudinally displaced together.

7. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the valve is configured to be opened and closed in a controllable manner with a motorized opening mechanism.

8. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein an inlet from each of the two reservoirs to the chamber is configured to create a mixing of the fluid material before entry of the fluid material into the chamber.

9. The dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising additional reservoirs fluidly coupled to the chamber.

10. The dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature control element, wherein the two reservoirs are contained within the temperature control element, and wherein the temperature control element comprises one or more water jackets or one or more Peltier elements.

11. A method, comprising:
transferring, into a chamber of a dispensing system, fluid material from at least one of two reservoirs that are fluidly coupled to the chamber;
opening a valve of the dispensing system, wherein the valve is disposed adjacent to a bottom portion of the chamber, wherein the valve comprises a first valve member with a first lateral flange, and a second valve member with a second lateral flange, and wherein opening the valve comprises:
translating a first valve arm in a downward direction;
contacting the first lateral flange with the first valve arm;
translating the first valve member in a first lateral direction;
translating a second valve arm in a downward direction;
contacting the second lateral flange with the second valve arm; and
translating the second valve member in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and

dispensing a portion of the fluid material within the chamber through the opened valve of the dispensing system.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
displacing, using an air piston, a piston cylinder into the chamber so as to contain the portion of the fluid material within the piston cylinder; and
displacing, using the air piston, a piston carried within the piston cylinder so as to dispense the portion of the fluid material contained within the piston cylinder through the opened valve of the dispensing system.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the valve is opened simultaneously with the displacement of the piston cylinder into the chamber.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the piston cylinder and the piston are longitudinally displaced together or are longitudinally displaced independently of one another.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising positioning a latch in a first position or a second position, wherein in the first position, the piston cylinder is configured to be displaced without displacement of the piston, and wherein in the second position, the piston is configured to be displaced without displacement of the piston cylinder.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising positioning a latch in a first position, wherein in the first position, the piston cylinder and the piston are configured to be longitudinally displaced together.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the valve of the dispensing system is opened using a motorized opening mechanism.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the fluid material is transferred into the chamber through respective inlets from each of the two reservoirs, the method further comprising mixing the fluid material within the respective inlets from each of the two reservoirs during the transfer of the fluid material into the chamber.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transferring additional fluid materials contained in additional reservoirs that are fluidly connected to the chamber, and mixing the fluid materials and the additional fluid materials within the chamber.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising controlling a temperature of the fluid material in the two reservoirs with a temperature control element, wherein the temperature control element comprises one or more water jackets or one or more Peltier elements.

Assignees

• Io Tech Group Ltd

Inventors

• Gilan Ziv

Classifications

• B05C11/1036 Primary

  Means for supplying a selected one of a plurality of liquids or other fluent materials, or several in selected proportions, to the applying apparatus · CPC title

• B67D3/0009

  provided with cooling arrangements (cooling perse F25) · CPC title

• G01F11/38 Primary

  for liquid or semiliquid · CPC title

• B67D3/0038

  the liquid being stored in an intermediate container prior to dispensing · CPC title

• B67D3/0003

  provided with automatic fluid control means · CPC title