Methodology and apparatus for storing and dispensing liquid components to create custom formulations
AssigneeGFI Innovations, Inc.
InventorsRobert Luehrsen, John Borkovec, Derek Pedraza
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention is directed to methodologies and apparatuses in which materials are dispensed in order to create a desired finished product. The present invention improves upon the container in which the material is stored, shipped and used and does so by incorporating a pressure responsive silicone dispense valve configured to allow the dispensing of a specific amount of material through it in a controllable, metered fashion.
Claims20
A formulation dispenser comprising:
- at least one material reservoir cylinder containing material, the cylinder mountable to a rotary table, the cylinder including a pressure responsive valve that will open rollingly to control the flow of material from the cylinder, the cylinder further including a puck;
- a pressure actuator for exerting force on the puck;
- a sensor for detecting the material discharged through the pressure responsive valve, and
- a scale for detecting the amount of material discharged from the cylinder, whereby the sensor and scale provide feedback to a computer to control the force exerted by the pressure actuator on the puck.
A method of dispensing to create a formulation, comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one material reservoir container that incorporates a pressure responsive valve that opens rollingly to discharge material contained within the container and closes rollingly after the material has been discharged,
- sensing the discharge of material from the pressure responsive valve,
- weighing the discharged material, and in response to the sensing and weighing of material,
- providing feedback to a computer, and
- signaling an actuator to pulse additional material from the container and through the pressure responsive valve, whereby the pressure responsive valve opens rollingly to discharge the pulsed material and closes rollingly after the pulsed material has been discharged.
A material container assembly for storing and dispensing a material comprising:
- a cylindrical tube containing the material to be dispensed, the tube defining a first and second end;
- a movable member mounted to the first end for sealing the first end of the tube, the movable member being movable within the tube,
- a pressure responsive valve mounted to the second end of the tube, the pressure responsive valve defining a valve head that includes at least one slit, the valve head opens in response to pressure exerted by the puck on the material in the tube, and valve head closes upon the release of the pressure exerted by the puck.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.