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US 7,416,096 B2Granted
Apparatus for supplying liquid color
OwnerStephen B. Maguireinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container of liquid color material has a diaphragm liquid color pump located therewithin for providing liquid color from the container and non-drip apparatus for releaseably connecting the container with a blender for supply of liquid color thereto and methods for pumping and supplying liquid color incorporating the same.
Claims44
Apparatus for supplying liquid color to a plastic material processing machine, comprising:
- a. a sealable container for storing liquid color therewithin;
- b. a diaphragm pump within said container, the diaphragm pump:
- i. having a liquid color inlet to a first chamber bounded in part by said first side of the diaphragm proximate the container bottom, said diaphragm sealingly separating the pump into two interior chambers, said second side of said diaphragm sealingly bounding said second chamber from said first chamber and liquid color resident therein to maintain said second chamber liquid free;
- and comprising:
- ii. mechanical means contacting said diaphragm on said second side for reciprocatingly displacing said diaphragm into said first chamber to displace therefrom liquid color resident therein;
- iii. resilient means resident in said first chamber contacting said first side of said diaphragm to bias said diaphragm toward said second chamber when displaced by said mechanical means;
- and
- iv. means, positioned within the resilient means and being freely movable with respect thereto towards and away from the inlet, for closing the inlet to flow of liquid color from the first chamber back into the container;
- and
- c. a conduit connected to an outlet of said pump and passing through said container to deliver pumped liquid color from the first side of the diaphragm at the container exterior.
7 more elements
Apparatus for supplying liquid color to a plastic material processing machine, comprising:
- a. a sealable container for storing liquid color therewithin;
- b. a pump within said container, having an inlet proximate the container bottom;
- c. a conduit connected to an outlet of said pump and passing through said container to deliver pumped liquid color at the container exterior;
- d. a body having a cavity formed therein;
- e. a cover connected to said body;
- f. a flexible diaphragm separating said cover from said cavity;
- g. said cover having a relief proximate the portion of said diaphragm separating said cover from said cavity, providing space between said cover and said diaphragm;
- h. means for cyclically displacing said diaphragm away from said relief area of said cover and into said cavity;
- i. means for biasing said diaphragm away from said cavity, towards said relief area of said cover and into said space during a portion of each cycle of diaphragm displacement;
- k. wherein said means for biasing said diaphragm away from said cavity is a spring;
- l. wherein said spring is a coil spring
- m. wherein said body has an inlet passageway connecting a pump exterior surface to said cavity, at least a portion of said passageway being substantially vertical, and said pump further comprises a first freely vertically movable ball residing in said passageway vertical portion, for blocking downward liquid flow within said passageway and out of said pump;
- and
- n. wherein said ball is within said spring.
11 more elements
Apparatus for supplying liquid color to a plastic material processing machine, comprising:
- a. a sealable container for storing liquid color therewithin;
- b. a pump within said container, having an inlet proximate the container bottom;
- c. a conduit connected to an outlet of said pump and passing through said container to deliver pumped liquid color at the container exterior;
- d. a body having a cavity formed therein;
- e. a cover connected to said body;
- f. a flexible diaphragm separating said cover from said cavity;
- g. said cover having a relief proximate the portion of said diaphragm separating said cover from said cavity, providing space between said cover and said diaphragm;
- h. means for cyclically displacing said diaphragm away from said relief area of said cover and into said cavity;
- i. means for biasing said diaphragm away from said cavity, towards said relief area of said cover and into said space during a portion of each cycle of diaphragm displacement;
- k. wherein said means for biasing said diaphragm away from said cavity is a spring;
- 1. wherein said spring is a coil spring
- m. wherein said body has an inlet passageway connecting a pump exterior surface to said cavity, at least a portion of said passageway being substantially vertical, and said pump further comprises a first freely vertically movable ball residing in said passageway vertical portion, for blocking downward liquid flow within said passageway and out of said pump;
- n. wherein said ball is within said spring;
- and
- o. wherein said spring constrains said ball against lateral movement.
12 more elements
Apparatus for furnishing liquid color on demand, comprising:
- a. a container having a quick disconnect fining for output of liquid color therefrom;
- b. means, within said container, for pumping liquid color out of said container responsive to pressurized gas furnished thereto, comprising:
- i. an upper portion;
- ii. a body connected to said upper portion, having an open interior cavity facing said upper portion, a liquid color inlet communicating with said open interior cavity and a liquid color outlet also communicating with said open interior cavity remotely from said inlet aperture;
- iii. a check valve within said inlet for permitting inflow of liquid from within said container into said open interior cavity but blocking outflow from said open interior cavity into said container;
- iv. a diaphragm between said upper portion and said open interior of said body, edges of said diaphragm being sandwiched between said upper portion and said body, being distendable towards and into said open interior cavity of said body responsively to application of force to a diaphragm side facing oppositely from said open interior cavity to displace liquid having entered said open interior of said body through said liquid color inlet from said body through said outlet and out of said container via an outlet connection by urging a diaphragm surface facing said open interior cavity of said body against liquid color present therein;
- v. a spring for biasing said diaphragm away from said open interior of said body
- vi. wherein the check valve is within the spring and is freely movable with respect thereto relative to the inlet for closing the inlet to flow of liquid color from the interior of the pumping means back into the container.
5 more elements
Apparatus for furnishing liquid color on demand comprising:
- a. a container having a liquid color outlet connection;
- b. a pneumatic piston-cylinder combination removably connected to said container and having an output shaft, for providing pneumatically-driven reciprocation of said output shaft thereof,
- c. a reciprocable rod within said container and adapted for reciprocating driving thereof by said output shaft of said piston-cylinder combination;
- d. diaphragm pump means, housed at least partially within said container, for pumping liquid color out of said container via said outlet connection, comprising;
- i. an upper housing part having a relief with an aperture therein;
- ii. a body connected to said upper housing part and having an open interior cavity facing said relief of said upper housing part, said body having a liquid color inlet aperture communicating with said open interior cavity and an outlet aperture communicating with said open interior remotely from said inlet aperture;
- iii. a check valve at said inlet aperture including a closure member for permitting inflow of liquid color from within said container into said open interior cavity but blocking efflux of said liquid color outwardly from said open interior cavity through said inlet aperture;
- iv. a diaphragm between said upper housing part and said open interior cavity of said body, being distendable towards and into said open interior cavity of said body responsively to axial reciprocating movement of said rod through said aperture in said relief of said upper housing part to serially displace liquid in said open interior cavity from said body through said outlet orifice and out of said container via said outlet connection;
- and
- v. a spring for biasing said diaphragm away from said open interior portion of said body and into space proximate said relief
- vi. wherein the closure member is within the spring and is freely movable with respect thereto relative to the inlet for closing the inlet to flow of liquid color from the pump interior back into the container.
8 more elements
Apparatus for supplying liquid color to a plastic material processing machine, comprising:
- a. a container for storing liquid color therewithin;
- b. a rod reciprocably displaceable into said container;
- and
- c. said container including a diaphragm pump for providing liquid color flow from said container responsively to reciprocation of said rod, the diaphragm pump comprising:
- i. a diaphragm sealingly separating a cavity within the pump into two interior chambers, the diaphragm sealingly bounding a second one of the chambers from a first one of the chambers and liquid color resident therein to maintain the second chamber liquid free;
- ii. mechanical means connected to the rod and contacting the diaphragm on the second side for displacing the diaphragm into the first chamber to displace therefrom liquid color resident therein;
- iii. resilient means resident in the first chamber contacting the first side of said diaphragm to bias the diaphragm toward the second chamber when displaced by the mechanical means;
- and
- iv. means, positioned within the resilient means and being freely movable with respect thereto towards and away from the inlet, for closing a pump inlet to flow of liquid color from the first chamber back into the container.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.