US 7,547,298 B2Granted

Liquid sampler and method

AssigneeDiagnostics for the Real World, Ltd.

InventorsHelen Hwai-an Lee, Grant Timothy Lewis Smetham, Phillip John Stankus, Shaun Christopher Hazlewood, Elipidio Cesar Braga Nadala, Craig Alan Wisniewski

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Abstract

In a sampler for sampling a first portion of a liquid flow, the liquid flow enters at a sampler inlet (12). The sample passes through a valve (30) into a sample chamber (8) and then the valve closes, diverting the remainder of the liquid flow to a sampler overflow (6). The valve comprises a valve inlet (24) coupled to the sampler inlet, a valve outlet (38, 36) opening into the sample chamber and positioned, in use, substantially below the valve inlet, a shut-off chamber (32) separating the valve outlet from the valve inlet, and a valve overflow (34) leading from the shut-off chamber to the sampler overflow (6). When the liquid level in the sample chamber rises to a predetermined level it disrupts the flow of liquid through the valve outlet and diverts later flow through the valve inlet into the shut-off chamber and through the valve overflow.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A sampler for sampling a first portion of a liquid flow, comprising an upper portion, a valve portion, and a sample chamber, wherein the upper portion comprises a sample inlet and the valve portion comprises:

a valve inlet coupled to the sampler inlet;
a valve outlet opening into the sample chamber, wherein the valve outlet is positioned substantially below the valve inlet;
a vent tube extending between the vent inlet and the vent outlet, wherein the vent inlet is positioned within the sample chamber and the vent outlet is positioned at a level above the valve outlet;
a shut-off chamber separating the valve inlet from the valve outlet;
and
a shut-off chamber overflow-comprising a valve overflow leading out of the shut-off chamber,
wherein the liquid flow enters the upper portion, passes through the sampler inlet and valve inlet into the valve portion, and the first portion of the liquid flow passes through the valve outlet into the sample chamber.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.