US 5,556,001 AGranted

Mixing apparatus for fluids operative from a pressurized liquid 1 supply-design I

OwnerWilliam R. Weissman, Peter Liapis +2inventors

InventorsWilliam R. Weissman, Peter Liapis, George Sanchez, Bernardo Baran

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Abstract

An apparatus (20, 60) capable of dispensing a liquid 1 (e.g. water) or a liquid 1/liquid 2 mixture through a hand held syringe (26) and configured, in embodiments thereof, to be attached to a showerhead (24) or sink faucet (68) is provided. Liquid 2 (e.g. a dental concentrate) is held in a container (140) and dispensed by liquid 1 pressure on a piston (142) therein. A spool valve (84) responsive to a liquid 1 pressure bleed line (110a, 110b) diverts liquid 1 from the showerhead or sink faucet to drive the piston. The apparatus is controlled by a mode control disc (30) mounted in the syringe. Provisions for adjusting the flow rate of the dispensed liquid (34) and the proportional mix of the liquid 1/liquid 2 mixture (160) are provided.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for dispensing liquid 1 and liquid 2 from an orifice, comprising the steps of;

interposing a diverter valve between a liquid 1 supply inlet and a liquid 1 supply outlet wherein said diverter valve is configured to connect, in a first position thereof, said supply inlet and said supply outlet, and, in a second position thereof, a diverter outlet therefrom and said supply inlet;
configuring said diverter valve to move from said first valve position to said second valve position when a pressure bleed line is interrupted;
urging, with liquid 1 from said diverter outlet, a dispenser piston against liquid 2 in a container to dispense it therefrom;
conducting, separately, said liquid 1 and said liquid 2 from, respectively, said diverter outlet and said container, to a syringe defining an orifice therefrom;
selecting, with a control valve in said syringe that interrupts said bleed line, between said first position and said second position of said diverter valve;
and
controlling, with said control valve, the flow of said liquid 1 and said liquid 2 from said orifice.

4 more elements

Apparatus, comprising:

a syringe defining an orifice therefrom;
diverter valve means, interposed between a liquid 1 supply inlet and a liquid 1 supply outlet, adapted to be responsive to liquid 1 pressure relief and defining a diverter outlet, for directing, when in a first valve position, liquid 1 from said supply inlet to said supply outlet and, when in a second valve position, liquid 1 from said supply inlet to said diverter outlet;
means, containing liquid 2 and connected to said diverter outlet to be responsive to liquid 1 received therefrom, for separately dispensing said liquid 1 and said liquid 2;
liquid pressure relief means, disposed between said syringe and said diverter valve means, for selecting one of said first valve position and said second valve position;
and
control means, disposed in said syringe between said dispensing means and said orifice, for controlling, via said liquid 1 pressure relief means, the valve position of said diverter valve means and for controlling the flow of said liquid 1 and said liquid 2 from said orifice.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.