US 4,396,036 AGranted

Liquid passage switching device

AssigneeFuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.

InventorsHiroshi Horikawa, Yoshiaki Uchida

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Abstract

A liquid passage switching device in which switching of a liquid takes place entirely within another liquid so that no bubbles can be entrapped in the liquid while it is being switched between passages. Plural passages are formed in a head one side of which is sealed with a container having ports which allow a first liquid to flow in and out. A generally U-shaped connecting tube is mounted on a supporting plate and ends of the connecting tube are rotatable by the supporting plate along a circle in which the passages in the head are formed. The openings of the connecting tube are engagable with and disengagable from the passage in the head by moving the supporting plate outward, rotating the supporting plate, and then moving the supporting plate back towards the head and engaging the openings of the connecting tube with the desired passages.

Claims7

Dependent claims

A liquid passage switching device comprising:

a container having ports adapted for allowing a first liquid to flow in and out;
a head sealed to said container, said head having a plurality of passages for delivering a second liquid, said plurality of passages opening along the circumference of a circle and debouching into said container, said openings communicating outside of said sealed head and container;
and
a generally U-shaped connecting tube having openings equal in diameter to those of said passages, said connecting tube being rotatable in such a manner that the openings of said connecting tube are engagable with and disengagable from those of said passages along said circumference of a circle to interconnect a selected pair of said passages delivering said second liquid, said container being filled with said first liquid at least to a level above a level of said passages and said openings so that said U-shaped tube can be switched between selected pairs of said passages with said openings being entirely surrounded by said first liquid.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.