Fluid dispensing apparatus

Fluid dispensing apparatus for measuring and dispensing fluid from a pressurized fluid supply comprising:

• a. a valve assembly including a valve and a solenoid actuator coupled thereto for opening the valve, the valve being adapted to be coupled to the pressurized fluid supply;
• b. the valve including an enclosure defining a fluid inlet chamber for communication with the fluid supply and a fluid output chamber, the valve further including a plunger assembly movable from an open to a closed position to respectively open and close the valve thereby permitting and preventing fluid flow from the inlet chamber to the output chamber;
• c. a timing circuit adapted to be connected between a source of electrical power and the solenoid actuator, the timing circuit including means for energizing the solenoid actuator to open the valve for a plurality of different predetermined intervals;
• d. selector means operatively connected to the timing circuit, the selector means including a plurality of selector switches, each selector switch being adapted to select a different predetermined interval;
• e. a trigger coupled to the timing circuit to activate the timing circuit and energize the solenoid actuator;
• and
• f. the valve plunger assembly including a head, an elongated stem attached thereto, a bushing slidably mounted on the stem remote from the head, a tubular elastic seal slidably located on the stem and attached at opposed ends to the head and the bushing, and the bushing being mounted in the valve enclosure so that the seal biases the plunger assembly toward said closed position.

In fluid dispensing apparatus for measuring and dispensing fluid from a pressurized fluid supply, the dispensing apparatus having the following elements:

• a. a valve assembly including a valve and a solenoid actuator coupled thereto for opening the valve, the valve being adapted to be coupled to the pressurized fluid supply;
• b. a timing circuit adapted to be connected between a source of electrical power and the solenoid actuator, the timing circuit including means for energizing the solenoid actuator to open the valve for a plurality of different predetermined intervals;
• c. selector means operatively connected to the timing circuit, the selector means including a plurality of selector switches, each selector switch being adapted to select a different predetermined interval;
• and
• d. a trigger coupled to the timing circuit to activate the timing circuit and energize the solenoid actuator;
• means for improving the operation of the dispensing apparatus, the improvement comprising:
• a flow regulator adapted to be connected between the pressurized fluid supply and the valve, the flow regulator having a housing defining a tapered flow channel;
• a stem located in said tapered flow channel and being movable axially in said channel for controlling flow of fluid therethrough, the stem having a neck tapered so that the cross-sectional flow area between said neck and said tapered flow channel wall is constant along the length of the neck;
• and a diaphragm assembly connected to the stem and responsive to fluid pressure in the flow regulator, so that fluid is discharged from the flow regulator at a generally constant pressure below the pressure of the fluid supply.