System and apparatus for dispensing high-viscosity pigments
AssigneeThe Geon Company
InventorsJames D. Haaser, David L. Kunkle
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid dispensing apparatus for automated dispensing high-viscosity fluids for mixing applications, such as dispensing of pigment concentrates for mixing screen printing inks and paints includes a rotatable carousel containing a plurality of different pigment concentrate supplies. The carousel is selectively rotated into a dispensing position in alignment with a dispensing pump and the pump is actuated to dispense through a dispensing valve assembly associated with each pigment concentrate supply. The dispensing valve assembly includes a pair of dispensing valves having different valve orifices so that the pigment concentrates may be dispensed in coarse and fine iterations into a container for mixing.
Claims15
An apparatus for dispensing in preselected order, a plurality of high-viscosity colorants from a plurality of discrete colorant supplies, into a container for subsequent mixing, the apparatus comprising:
- a base, a dispensing pump supported by the base in a dispensing location, a carousel rotatably mounted to said base, a plurality of colorant supply reservoirs disposed on said carousel in a preselected pattern, a drive mechanism for selectively driving the carousel in rotation upon said base for rotating preselected discrete colorant supply reservoirs into alignment with said dispensing pump at said dispensing location, a plurality of dispensing valve assemblies corresponding in number to the number of colorant supply reservoirs, each of the dispensing valve assemblies having first and second dispensing valves, the first and second dispensing valves having valve orifices of different dimensions such that said first dispensing valve orifice is larger than said second dispensing valve orifice, and control means for selectively controlling operation of said first and, second dispensing valves at different dispensing pressures to thereby dispense a preselected amount of colorant from a preselected colorant supply reservoir wherein each of said colorant supply reservoirs has an identification code associated therewith and said apparatus includes an assembly for reading said identification codes to identify any of said colorant supply reservoirs that occupy said dispensing position.
An apparatus for dispensing high-viscosity colorants from an associated supply of discrete colorants comprising:
- a base, a dispensing pump, a carrier mounted for rotation to said base, a plurality of colorant supply reservoirs disposed on said carrier, each colorant supply reservoir containing an amount of colorant, a drive assembly for selectively driving said carrier in rotation upon said base to position a preselected one of said colorant supply reservoirs in alignment with said dispensing pump, each of said colorant supply reservoirs including a valve assembly associated therewith, each of the valve assemblies having first and second valves, said first valve being a discharge valve through which colorant is dispensed from said colorant supply reservoir under pressure of said dispensing pump, said second valve being a recharge valve through which colorant may be added to said colorant supply reservoir.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.