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US 5,516,004 AGranted
Pressure regulator and amplifier
AssigneeQuoin Industrial, Inc.
InventorMichael L. Lane
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bulk container of pressure dispensable product receives a supply of gas from a plurality of containers arranged in operative series and, optionally, nested. Gas pressure is supplied by mixing at least two components of a multiple component gas generating chemical system, in which the containers in series initially house alternating ones of the gas generating chemicals. Delivery tubes connect the containers, define the series, and supply chemical from one container to the next to generate gas and regulate pressure. Pressure generation is initiated by adding the appropriate chemical or pressurized gas to at least one container, such as the container operatively furthest from the bulk container.
Claims35
A pressure regulator and amplifier, for use in combination with a dispensing container for flowable product, comprising:
- a sealed first container having a first internal volume, housing a first reservoir of at least one gas generating chemical of an at least two-component gas generating system and defining over said first reservoir a first headspace;
- a first delivery tube carried in said first container, wherein a first end of said first delivery tube is in external communication of the first container and the second end of said first delivery tube communicates with said first internal volume of the first container;
- a sealed second container having a second internal volume, housing a second reservoir of at least the second gas generating chemical of the at least two-component gas generating system, wherein at least said second chemical is liquid, and defining over said second reservoir a second headspace;
- and
- a second delivery tube carried in said second container, wherein a first end of said second delivery tube is in communication with the first internal volume of said first container, and the second end of said second delivery tube is in communication with said second gas generating chemical in said second reservoir, creating a liquid lock between the second headspace and the first internal volume.
2 more elements
A pressure regulating and amplifying system, for use in dispensing flowable product, comprising:
- a bulk container means for holding and dispensing a flowable product, housing a pressure-deformable vessel of flowable product within the bulk container means;
- a first sealed chemical container defining a first internal volume that contains a first reservoir of a first gas generating chemical of an at least two-component gas generating system and defining over said reservoir a first headspace;
- a first delivery tube carried in said first chemical container, wherein a first end of said first delivery tube is in communication with the interior of said bulk container means, external of said vessel, and the second end of said first delivery tube is in communication with said first reservoir;
- wherein, outside the vessel, said bulk container means houses a reservoir of a second gas generating chemical of the at least two-component gas generating system, and defines a headspace over the reservoir.
1 more element
A pressure regulating and amplifying system, for use in dispensing flowable product, comprising:
- a plurality of nested pressure containers ranging from an outermost container to an innermost container;
- means connecting said containers in sequence for transmitting pressurized fluid between the containers;
- a pressure deformable vessel carrying flowable product, located in said outermost container, and having an external dispensing means for selectively discharging the flowable product from the vessel and from the outermost container;
- wherein at least two of said pressure containers each hold a reservoir of a different one of first and second gas generating chemicals that generate gas when mixed;
- activating means for causing an increase of gas pressure in said container holding said first gas generating chemical, sufficient to transmit a portion of the first chemical through said connecting means into the container holding said second gas generating chemical.
2 more elements
A pressure regulating and amplifying system, for use in dispensing flowable product, comprising:
- a plurality of juxtaposed pressure containers;
- means serially interconnecting said containers for transmitting pressurized fluid between the containers;
- a pressure deformable vessel carrying flowable product, located in an end container, and having a selectively operable, external dispensing means for selectively discharging the flowable product from the vessel externally of the end container;
- wherein at least two of said pressure containers each house a reservoir of a different one of first and second gas generating chemicals that generate gas when mixed, wherein at least said first gas generating chemical is liquid, and wherein said interconnecting means and first chemical are in communication within said reservoir of first chemical and form a liquid lock, blocking transmittal of pressurized fluid to said pressure container housing the second gas generating chemical except with transmittal of first chemical;
- and
- activating means for causing an increase of gas pressure in said container holding the first gas generating chemical, sufficient to transmit a portion of the first chemical through the interconnecting means into the container holding said second gas generating chemical.
3 more elements
A method of dispensing a flowable product, comprising:
- providing a pressure container;
- locating a flowable product within a flexible, pressure-deformable vessel;
- locating said vessel within said pressure container;
- providing a product discharge tube connected at its take-up end to the vessel and connected at its discharge end externally of the vessel and pressure container;
- providing a gas discharge tube connected at its take-up end to the pressure container and connected at its discharge end near the discharge end of said product discharge tube;
- creating pressure within said pressure container by mixing within the pressure container a plurality of chemicals of the type that produce gas when mixed;
- discharging flowable product from said product discharge tube under pressure from within the pressure container;
- fluidizing the discharge of flowable product by discharging gas from said gas discharge tube from the pressure container.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.