Passive dosing dispenser employing captive air bubble to provide product isolation

A passive dosing dispenser comprising an internal reservoir for containing a quantity of a solution isolated by means of air-locks from a body of liquid in which said dispenser is immersed and means for causing a predetermined volume of said solution to be syphoned from said internal reservoir and discharged from said dispenser in response to the level of said body of liquid being lowered from a first elevation to a second elevation, said means comprising an air vent in fluid communication with said reservoir, said air vent including passive means for forming a first air-lock which isolates said solution from said liquid surrounding said dispenser when said air vent is blocked by said liquid, a syphon tube having a discharge reservoir located at its lower end, said discharge reservoir having an inlet/discharge port, and said discharge reservoir in conjunction with said inlet/discharge port serving to delay the discharge of said solution from said dispenser, said dispenser further including an inlet/discharge conduit having a top end in fluid communication with the upper reaches of said syphon tube and a bottom end in fluid communication with said internal reservoir, said internal reservoir being in fluid communication exclusively with said inlet/discharge conduit and said air vent, said internal reservoir including a product chamber adapted to hold a quantity of a solid-state product which is soluble in said liquid and for being flooded to a predetermined depth with said liquid to form said solution in said internal reservoir by dissolving some of said solid-state product, said dispenser further including a first air trap disposed adjacent said inlet/discharge conduit, said first air trap serving to retain an air bubble as said internal reservoir is being filled by said liquid, said first air trap thereafter permitting said air bubble to reposition itself when said liquid ceases to enter said internal reservoir, thereby forming a second air-lock which isolates said solution from said liquid surrounding said dispenser, said dispenser also including a second air trap disposed adjacent said syphon tube, said second air trap serving to retain said air bubble as said solution is being syphoned from said internal reservoir and discharged from said dispenser in response to the level of said body of liquid being lowered from said first elevation to said second elevation, said second air trap thereafter permitting said air bubble to enter said first air trap in response to said internal reservoir being filled as said body of liquid is being raised from said second elevation to said first elevation, said dispenser further including means for being so disposed in said body of liquid that said internal reservoir will be filled with a pre-determined volume of said liquid when the level of said body of liquid is raised to said first elevation and so that up to a pre-determined volume of said solution will be drawn from said internal reservoir by suction via said inlet/discharge conduit into said syphon tube and discharged from said dispenser when the level of said solution in said internal reservoir is lowered to the bottom end of said inlet/discharge conduit in response to said body of liquid being lowered to said second elevation.

A passive dosing dispenser comprising an internal reservoir for containing a quantity of a solution isolated by means of air locks from a body of liquid in which said dispenser is immersed and means for causing a pre-determined volume of said solution to be syphoned from said internal reservoir and discharged from said dispenser in response to the level of said body of liquid being lowered from a first elevation to a second elevation, said means comprising an air vent in fluid communication with said reservoir, a syphon tube having an inlet/discharge port in its lower end, an inlet/discharge conduit having a top end in fluid communication with the upper reaches of said syphon tube and a bottom end in fluid communication with said internal reservoir, said internal reservoir including a product chamber adapted to hold a quantity of a solid-state product which is soluble in said liquid and for being flooded to a predetermined depth with said liquid to form said solution in said internal reservoir by dissolving some of said product, a first air trap disposed adjacent said inlet/discharge conduit, said first air trap serving to retain an air bubble as said internal reservoir is being filled by said liquid, said first air trap thereafter permitting said air bubble to reposition itself when said liquid ceases to enter said internal reservoir, thereby forming an air-lock which isolates said solution from said liquid surrounding said dispenser, said dispenser also including a second air trap disposed adjacent said syphon tube, said second air trap serving to retain said air bubble as said solution is being syphoned from said internal reservoir and issued from said dispenser in response to the level of said body of liquid being lowered form said first elevation to said second elevation, said second air trap thereafter permitting said air bubble to enter said first air trap in response to said internal reservoir being filled as said body of liquid is being raised from said second elevation to said first elevation, said internal reservoir being in fluid communication exclusively with said inlet/discharge conduit and said air vent, said dispenser further including means for being so disposed in said body of liquid that said internal reservoir will be filled with a pre-determined volume of said liquid without said air vent being blocked by said liquid when the level of said body of liquid is raised to said first elevation and so that a predetermined volume of said solution can be drawn from said internal reservoir by suction via said inlet/discharge conduit into said syphon tube and discharged from said dispenser when the level of said solution in said internal reservoir is lowered to the bottom end of said inlet/discharge conduit in response to said body of liquid being lowered to said second elevation.

A passive dosing dispenser comprising an internal reservoir for containing a quantity of a solution isolated by means of air-locks from a body of liquid in which said dispenser is immersed and means for causing a pre-determined volume of said solution to be syphoned from said internal reservoir and discharged from said dispenser in response to the level of said body of liquid being lowered from a first elevation to a second elevation, said means comprising an air vent in fluid communication with said reservoir, a syphon tube having a discharge reservoir located at its lower end, said discharge reservoir having an inlet/discharge port, and said discharge reservoir in conjunction with said inlet/discharge port serving to delay the discharge of said solution from said dispenser, said dispenser further including an inlet/discharge conduit having a top end in fluid communication with the upper reaches of said syphon tube and a bottom end in fluid communication with said internal reservoir, said internal reservoir being in fluid communication exclusively with said inlet/discharge conduit and said air vent, said internal reservoir including a product chamber adapted to hold a quantity of a solid-state product which is soluble in said liquid and for being flooded to a predetermined depth with said liquid to form said solution in said internal reservoir by dissolving some of said solid-state product, said dispenser further including a first air trap disposed adjacent said inlet/discharge conduit, said first air trap serving to retain an air bubble as said internal reservoir is being filled by said liquid, said first air trap thereafter permitting said air bubble to reposition itself when said liquid ceases to enter said internal reservoir, thereby forming an air-lock which isolates said solution from said liquid surrounding said dispenser, said dispenser also including a second air trap disposed adjacent said syphon tube, said second air trap serving to retain said air bubble as said solution is being syphoned from said internal reservoir and issued from said dispenser in response to the level of said body of liquid being lowered from a first elevation to a second elevation, said second air trap thereafter permitting said air bubble to enter said first air trap in response to said internal reservoir being filled as said body of liquid is being raised from said second elevation to said first elevation, said dispenser further including means for being so disposed in said body of liquid that said internal reservoir will be filled with a pre-determined volume of said liquid without said air vent being blocked by said liquid when the level of said body of liquid is raised to said first elevation and so that a pre-determined volume of said solution will be drawn from said internal reservoir by suction via said inlet/discharge conduit into said syphon tube and discharged from said dispenser when the level of said solution in said internal reservoir is lowered to the bottom end of said inlet/discharge conduit in response to said body of liquid being lowered to said second elevation.