Liquid dispensing apparatus
OwnerMarek Szymanskiinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure relates to a liquid dispensing apparatus for dispensing a liquid from a flexible bag. The apparatus has a support for supporting the flexible bag in use and a mounting adapted for receiving a proximal portion of the flexible bag, for progressive movement relative to the support towards an outlet located at a distal portion of the flexible bag. As the flexible bag is progressively wound up, liquid is squeezed from the proximal portion to the distal portion to dispense liquid from the outlet in a controlled manner in use. This allows desired and precise dosage portions of liquid to be squeezed from the bag and direct dosing from the flexible bag amongst other advantages.
Claims31
A liquid dispensing apparatus for dispensing a liquid from a flexible bag, comprising:
- a support for supporting the flexible bag in use, and
- a mounting adapted for receiving a proximal portion of the flexible bag and for simultaneous progressive movement relative to the support towards an outlet located at a distal portion of the flexible bag, and winding of the flexible bag,
- wherein the support comprises at least one rail and the mounting comprises at least one roller adapted for rolling along the at least one rail and a reel of variable effective diameter, being adapted to reduce in effective diameter as tension in the bag increases, the reel comprising a plurality of members where at least one of the members is compressible, resiliently displaceable, or resiliently compressible,
- such that the flexible bag can be progressively wound up and liquid can be squeezed from the proximal portion to the distal portion and dispensed from the outlet in a controlled manner in use.
A liquid dispensing apparatus as claimed in 24, wherein the one or more sensors includes at least one of a proximity sensor and a position sensor.
A liquid dispensing apparatus to be used with a flexible bag having a proximal portion, a distal portion and an outlet at the distal portion for removing liquid from within the flexible bag, the liquid dispensing apparatus comprising:
- a bag support shaped to support the flexible bag while dispensing fluid from the flexible bag, the bag support having at least one rail;
- and
- a mounting comprising:
- at least one roller shaped to roll along the at least one rail;
- and
- a reel:
- shaped to receive the proximal portion of the flexible bag and upon which the flexible bag can be progressively wound;
- operable to wind the flexible bag thereat from the proximal portion toward the outlet at the distal portion and simultaneously progressively move relative to the bag support towards the outlet;
- and
- having a variable effective diameter that reduces in diameter as tension in the bag increases while the flexible bag is being progressively wound thereat and while liquid is being squeezed in a direction from the proximal portion to the distal portion and thereby dispensed from the outlet in a controlled manner that is dependent upon the progressive movement relative to the bag support, the reel comprising a plurality of members where at least one of the members is compressible, resiliently displaceable, or resiliently compressible.
In combination with a flexible bag having a proximal portion, a distal portion and an outlet at the distal portion for removing liquid from within the flexible bag, a liquid dispensing apparatus, the improvement comprising:
- a bag support shaped to support the flexible bag while dispensing fluid from the flexible bag, the bag support having at least one rail;
- and
- a mounting comprising:
- at least one roller shaped to roll along the at least one rail;
- and
- a reel:
- shaped to receive the proximal portion of the flexible bag and upon which the flexible bag can be progressively wound;
- operable to wind the flexible bag thereat from the proximal portion toward the outlet at the distal portion and simultaneously progressively move relative to the bag support towards the outlet;
- and
- having a variable effective diameter that reduces in diameter as tension in the bag increases while the flexible bag is being progressively wound thereat and while liquid is being squeezed in a direction from the proximal portion to the distal portion and thereby dispensed from the outlet in a controlled manner that is dependent upon the progressive movement relative to the bag support, the reel comprising a plurality of members where at least one of the members is compressible, resiliently displaceable, or resiliently compressible.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.