阅读说明：本技术 液体添加剂递送系统和用于确保基本上仅液体设置在容器内的方法 (Liquid additive delivery system and method for ensuring that substantially only liquid is disposed within a container ) 是由 马克·F·舒尔茨 布雷恩·S·布斯曼 斯考特·D·吉利克斯 于 2018-06-26 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明公开了包括用基本上仅液体填充容器的方法的方法、设备和系统。该方法可包括在用液体填充容器之前、期间或之后将气体从容器中去除。根据一个实施方案,容器包括内部衬里和封盖。该方法包括提供至少由容器的内部衬里和封盖限定的体积。在这种实施方案中,液体最初可容纳在体积的第一部分内,并且体积的剩余部分可容纳气体。该方法可包括经由与体积连通的一个或多个端口将基本上所有气体从体积中去除,同时将基本上仅液体保留在体积内。(Methods, apparatus and systems are disclosed that include a method of filling a container with substantially only a liquid. The method may include removing gas from the container before, during or after filling the container with the liquid. According to one embodiment, a container includes an inner liner and a lid. The method includes providing a volume defined at least by an inner liner and a closure of the container. In such an embodiment, the liquid may be initially contained within a first portion of the volume and the remainder of the volume may contain the gas. The method may include removing substantially all of the gas from the volume via one or more ports in communication with the volume while retaining substantially only the liquid within the volume.)

1. A method of filling a container with substantially only liquid, the method comprising:

providing a volume defined by at least an inner liner and a closure of the container, wherein the liquid is contained within a first portion of the volume and a remaining portion of the volume contains a gas; and

removing substantially all of the gas from the volume via one or more ports in communication with the volume while substantially retaining only the liquid within the volume.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of providing the liquid and the gas comprises pumping the liquid into a volume through the one or more ports before, simultaneously with, or after the step of removing substantially all of the gas from the volume.

3. The method of any one or any combination of claims 1-2, wherein the step of removing substantially all of the gas from the volume comprises at least one of: applying a first pressure on a surface of the inner liner outside the volume to partially collapse the inner liner, and applying a second pressure to the one or more ports to draw the gas through the one or more ports.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second pressure comprises a pressure less than a pressure in the volume.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of applying the first pressure comprises one or more of the following steps: filling a second volume outside the inner liner to a pressure higher than the pressure in the volume, and contacting the surface of the inner liner with a member to cause at least partial collapse of the inner liner.

6. The method of any one or any combination of claims 1-5, wherein the step of removing substantially all of the gas from the volume via the one or more ports comprises coupling the closure to a remainder of the container to displace the gas through the one or more ports.

7. The method of any one or any combination of claims 1-6, wherein the method simultaneously comprises the steps of providing the liquid and the gas to the volume and removing substantially all of the gas from the volume via the one or more ports.

8. The method of any one or any combination of claims 1-7, wherein at least one of the one or more ports is located in the lid and the lid comprises a pump cap, the lid further comprising:

a pump coupled to the pump housing and disposed within the volume;

a dispenser in communication with the pump via at least one of the one or more ports and configured to dispense one or both of the liquid and the gas from the container; and

a motor coupled to rotationally drive the pump to dispense the liquid through at least one of the one or more ports and to the dispenser.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising priming the pump with the liquid during the removing of substantially all of the gas from the volume via the one or more ports.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing a device comprising one or more of a plug, a membrane, or a valve coupled to the dispenser and configured to prevent gas from entering the volume via at least one of the one or more ports.

11. The method of any one or any combination of claims 1-10, wherein at least one of the one or more ports is positioned at a location of substantially a last fill of the volume, and the step of removing substantially all of the gas from the volume comprises simultaneously venting the gas from the at least one of the one or more ports and filling the volume with the liquid until the liquid reaches the at least one of the one or more ports.

12. The method of any one or any combination of claims 1-11, wherein the liquid comprises any one or any combination of: adhesives, cements, colorants, coatings, detergents, epoxies, dyes, fillers (e.g., host fillers), nanomaterials, oils, paints (e.g., automotive paints), pastes, pigments, caulks, polyurethanes, polymeric additives (which can be organic or inorganic), sealants, stains, toners, varnishes, waxes, having a viscosity at a shear rate of 0.11/s that is 1.5 times the viscosity of the fluid at a shear rate of 1.01/s.

13. The method of any one or any combination of claims 1-11, wherein the liquid comprises any one or any combination of: adhesives, cements, colorants, coatings, detergents, epoxies, dyes, fillers (e.g., host fillers), nanomaterials, oils, paints (e.g., automotive paints), pastes, pigments, caulks, polyurethanes, polymeric additives (which can be organic or inorganic), sealants, stains, toners, varnishes, waxes, having a viscosity between 0.1Pa-s and 10,000Pa-s at a shear rate of 1.01/s.

14. The method of any one or any combination of claims 1-11, wherein the liquid comprises any one or any combination of: binders, cements, colorants, coatings, detergents, epoxies, dyes, fillers (e.g., body fillers), nanomaterials, oils, paints (e.g., vehicle paints), pastes, pigments, caulks, polyurethanes, polymeric additives (which can be organic or inorganic), sealants, stains, toners, varnishes, waxes, which have a relatively low first viscosity at higher shear rates, such as during flow into the pump, and then a relatively high second viscosity at lower shear rates, such as after the liquid has stopped flowing into the pump.

15. The method of any one or any combination of claims 1-14, wherein the inner liner comprises a flexible material that is collapsible when at least one of the liquid and the gas is withdrawn from the volume and expandable when at least one of the liquid and the gas is provided to the volume.

16. A method of filling a container with substantially only liquid, the method comprising:

providing a flexible liner and a closure defining a volume;

substantially fully collapsing the flexible liner such that substantially no gas is present in the volume; and

after collapsing the flexible liner, filling the volume with substantially only the liquid via one or more ports in communication with the volume.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of removing substantially all of the gas from the volume comprises at least one of: applying a first pressure on a surface of the inner liner outside the volume to partially collapse the inner liner, and applying a second pressure to the one or more ports to draw the gas through the one or more ports.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second pressure comprises a pressure less than a pressure in the volume.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of applying the first pressure comprises one or more of the following steps: filling a second volume outside the inner liner to a pressure higher than the pressure in the volume, and contacting the surface of the inner liner with a member to cause at least partial collapse of the inner liner.

20. The method of any one or any combination of claims 16-19, wherein at least one of the one or more ports is located in the lid and the lid comprises a pump cap, the lid further comprising:

a pump coupled to the pump housing and disposed within the volume;

a dispenser in communication with the pump via the at least one of the one or more ports and configured to dispense one or both of the liquid and the gas from the container; and

a motor coupled to rotationally drive the pump to dispense the liquid through the at least one of the one or more ports and to the dispenser.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising priming the pump with the liquid during the removing of substantially all of the gas from the volume via the one or more ports.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing a device comprising one or more of a plug, a membrane, or a valve coupled to the dispenser and configured to prevent gas from entering the volume via at least one of the one or more ports.

23. The method of any one or any combination of claims 16-22, wherein at least one of the one or more ports is positioned at a location of substantially a last fill of the volume, and the step of removing substantially all of the gas from the volume comprises simultaneously venting the gas from the at least one of the one or more ports and filling the volume with the liquid until the liquid reaches the at least one of the one or more ports.

24. The method of any one or any combination of claims 16-23, wherein the liquid comprises any one or any combination of: adhesives, cements, colorants, coatings, detergents, epoxies, dyes, fillers (e.g., host fillers), nanomaterials, oils, paints (e.g., automotive paints), pastes, pigments, caulks, polyurethanes, polymeric additives (which can be organic or inorganic), sealants, stains, toners, varnishes, waxes, having a viscosity at a shear rate of 0.11/s that is 1.5 times the viscosity of the fluid at a shear rate of 1.01/s.

25. The method of any one or any combination of claims 16-23, wherein the liquid comprises any one or any combination of: adhesives, cements, colorants, coatings, detergents, epoxies, dyes, fillers (e.g., host fillers), nanomaterials, oils, paints (e.g., automotive paints), pastes, pigments, caulks, polyurethanes, polymeric additives (which can be organic or inorganic), sealants, stains, toners, varnishes, waxes, having a viscosity between 0.1Pa-s and 10,000Pa-s at a shear rate of 1.01/s.

26. The method of any one or any combination of claims 16-23, wherein the liquid comprises any one or any combination of: adhesives, cements, colorants, coatings, detergents, epoxies, dyes, fillers (e.g., body fillers), nanomaterials, oils, paints (e.g., car paints), pastes, pigments, caulks, polyurethanes, polymeric additives (which can be organic or inorganic), sealants, stains, toners, varnishes, waxes, which have a relatively low viscosity at higher shear rates, such as during flow into the pump, and then a relatively high second viscosity at lower shear rates, such as after the liquid has stopped flowing into the pump.

27. A system for dispensing a liquid, the system comprising:

a first liquid container;

a second liquid container;

a dispensing device configured to be coupled to both the first and second liquid containers, the dispensing device configured to actuate the dispensing of a specific amount of liquid from either container as desired.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the dispensing device comprises a motor configured to drive a pump in each container to dispense a specified amount of the liquid.

29. The system of any one or any combination of claims 27-28, wherein the dispensing device is configured to switch dispensing from the first liquid container to dispensing from the second liquid container based on a sensed condition related to an amount of liquid remaining in the first liquid container.

30. The system of any one or any combination of claims 27-29, wherein the dispensing device is configured to allow replacement of the first liquid container or the second liquid container with a third container, including during dispensing.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the dispensing device is configured such that replacement of one of the first and second liquid containers occurs simultaneously with the dispensing device dispensing the specified amount of liquid from the other of the first and second liquid containers.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the dispensing device is configured to dispense from both the first liquid container and the second liquid container simultaneously or sequentially.

33. A method of dispensing a liquid during a molding process, the method comprising:

receiving an instruction to dispense a specified amount of the liquid;

determining whether there is a sufficient amount of the liquid remaining in one of the first and second liquid containers to supply the specified amount;

dispensing the specified amount of the liquid from at least one of the first liquid container and the second liquid container if the at least one of the first liquid container and the second liquid container is determined to have the sufficient amount of liquid; and

replacing the first liquid container or the second liquid container with a third liquid container during the molding process if the first liquid container or the second liquid container is determined to have an insufficient amount of the liquid remaining therein to provide the specified amount.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the replacing of the first or second container occurs simultaneously with or after the dispensing of the specified amount of the liquid.

35. The method of any one or any combination of claims 33-34, wherein dispensing the specified amount of the liquid from at least one of the first container or the second container comprises dispensing from both the first container or the second container during the molding process.

36. A method of dispensing a liquid during a molding process, the method comprising:

dispensing a first quantity of the liquid from a first liquid container during the molding process;

determining whether the first amount of the liquid is equivalent to a specified amount of the liquid;

dispensing a second quantity of the liquid from a second container during the molding process if it is determined that the first quantity of the liquid is not equivalent to the specified quantity of the liquid without replacing the first container.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising replacing the first liquid container or the second liquid container with a third liquid container during the molding process if the first liquid container or the second liquid container is determined to have an insufficient amount of the liquid remaining therein to provide the specified volume.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the replacing of the first container or the second container occurs simultaneously with or after the dispensing of the specified amount of the liquid.

39. A device for dispensing a liquid, the device comprising:

a motor configured to be coupled to both the first liquid container and the second liquid container, the motor configured to actuate the dispensing of a specific amount of liquid from either container as needed.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein the apparatus comprises a motor configured to drive a pump in each container to dispense the specified amount of the liquid.

41. The device of any one or any combination of claims 39-40, wherein the device is configured to switch from dispensing from the first liquid container to dispensing from the second liquid container based on a sensed condition related to an amount of liquid remaining in the first liquid container.

42. The device of any one or any combination of claims 39-41, wherein the dispensing device is configured to allow replacement of the first liquid container or the second liquid container with a third container, including during dispensing.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein the device is configured such that replacement of one of the first and second liquid containers occurs simultaneously with the dispensing device dispensing the specified amount of liquid from the other of the first and second liquid containers.

44. The device of claim 42, wherein the device is configured to dispense from both the first liquid container and the second liquid container simultaneously or sequentially.

Background

The present disclosure relates to containment of liquids within containers. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method for ensuring that substantially only liquid is disposed within a container.

Many processes require that the liquid be contained within a reservoir for later dispensing. However, the addition of gases other than liquid within such reservoirs may result in inaccuracies in dispensing the liquid. In some cases, the gas may have other adverse effects on the liquid, such as causing deterioration or hardening. Thus, the presence of gas along with the liquid in the reservoir can result in waste.

In view of the above, there is a need for an improved method for liquid containment so as to minimize interaction with gases.

Disclosure of Invention

Aspects of the present disclosure include a method of filling a container with substantially only a liquid. The method may include removing gas from the container before, during or after filling the container with the liquid. According to one embodiment, the container includes an inner liner and a closure, the construction of which will be discussed next. The method includes providing a volume defined at least by an inner liner and a closure of the container. In such an embodiment, the liquid may be initially contained within a first portion of the volume and the remainder of the volume may contain the gas. An example of such a container having an inner liner and a closure is disclosed in U.S. patent application publication 2013/0270303A1 entitled "Dispensing liquids from an associated container to an integrated pump cap," the entire specification of which is incorporated herein by reference.

According to some embodiments, the liquid is a newtonian fluid. In other embodiments, the liquid is a non-newtonian fluid. For example, the liquid may be any one or any combination of the following: adhesives, cements, colorants, coatings, detergents, epoxies, dyes, fillers (e.g., body fillers), nanomaterials, oils, paints (e.g., automotive paints), pastes, pigments, caulks, polyurethanes, polymeric additives (which may be organic or inorganic), sealants, stains, toners, varnishes, and waxes.

According to some embodiments, the rheology of the liquid may be adjusted such that the viscosity of the liquid is low (e.g., at a higher shear rate) during flow into the pump (priming), and then the viscosity may increase (e.g., at a lower shear rate) after the liquid has stopped flowing into the pump, thereby preventing gas from re-entering the container. This same mechanism can be used for several of the embodiments described further below. For example, embodiments where the gas is removed by a vacuum or higher external pressure to push air out through a pump, vent, or other small hole. The properties of the liquid may be adjusted so that the liquid seals the pump, vent, or other small orifice. In other embodiments, the gap size can be adjusted in the pump to increase the resistance to gas re-entering the container (smaller gap sizes result in higher flow resistance). Thus, the characteristics of the liquid and/or the gap size may be adjusted to provide for sufficiently easy gas removal/priming of the pump (e.g., low flow resistance) and sufficiently difficult gas to re-enter back into the container (e.g., high flow resistance).

In some embodiments, the viscosity of the fluid at a lower shear rate is higher than its viscosity at a higher shear rate. For example, in some embodiments, the fluid is at 0.1s ^-1The viscosity of the fluid is 1.0s ^-11.5 times the viscosity of (b). (Note that shear rate is in units of s ^-1Or a reciprocal number of seconds). In some embodiments, 2-fold, 3-fold, 4-fold, 5-fold, 10-fold.

In some embodiments, the fluid is at 1.0s ^-1Has a viscosity of between 0.1Pa-s and 10,000Pa-s at a shear rate. In some embodiments, between 0.1 and 1000, between 0.1 and 500, between 1 and 100 (all at 1 s) ^-1At a shear rate of).

In some embodiments, the fluid is at 0.1s ^-1Has a viscosity of between 0.1Pa-s and 10,000Pa-s at a shear rate. In some embodiments, between 1 and 1000, between 5 and 1000, between 10 and 1000, between 50 and 1000, between 100 and 1000 (all at 0.1 s) ^-1At a shear rate of).

The liquid may be non-aqueous (including concentrated) or in the form of a dispersion, solution or suspension. Unless otherwise stated, the viscosity values (if provided) are at a temperature of 20 ℃ and a pressure of 1 bar.

Liquids, including the liquids disclosed herein, can be very difficult to dispense accurately if gas is present in the container. For example, in some cases, gas is not effectively pumped in the pump, which results in liquid being trapped in the container (beyond a reasonable pumping time). In some embodiments, the liquid does not readily flow under gravity, resulting in air reaching the pump before the liquid is completely removed (particularly if the container is filled vertically and then inverted into the pump), which in turn leads to the possibility of intermittent liquid flow. Furthermore, the gas (if present) may result in excessive waste of liquid due to hardening of the liquid. The hardening of the liquid may render an amount of liquid within the container undispensable and, therefore, wasted. Thus, the disclosed methods and containers may ensure that substantially no gas is present in the container with the liquid to minimize waste. In addition, leaving substantially only liquid in the container may allow more precise amounts of liquid to be dispensed in a more controlled manner.

In some embodiments, the disclosed container designs with closures, inner liners, and/or outer shells can be used for injection molding of colored plastics, wherein the liquid contained by the container comprises a liquid colorant. The presently disclosed containers and techniques disclosed herein, which relate to ensuring that substantially only liquid is contained in the container, may therefore be used to reduce molding costs. For example, a neutral substrate may be used for all colors, so the molding machine does not need to hold multiple different color substrates. In addition, the quality of the color and/or the physical properties of the molded part can be improved by eliminating the heating process of reheating the colored plastic substrate that has been melted for coloring. In addition, the use of a liquid colorant directly eliminates additional processing, such as drying a pre-colored plastic substrate, thereby saving time and cost in drying the substrate.

According to one embodiment, a method of filling a container with substantially only liquid includes removing substantially all of a gas from a volume via one or more ports in communication with the volume while retaining substantially only liquid within the volume. As used herein, the terms "substantially all of the gas," "substantially no gas," and the like, mean that a certain percentage of the volume of the container may remain filled with gas after the removal process. According to one embodiment, the percentage is less than 5% by volume. According to further embodiments, the percentage may be less than 3%, in some cases less than 1%, and in some cases less than 0.5% by volume. These percentages would not include any gas that cannot immediately escape freely through the one or more ports (e.g., gas encapsulated in glass bubbles, gas trapped as bubbles within a liquid, etc.).

Similarly, the terms "substantially only liquid" or "substantially only the liquid" and the like mean that less than the entire volume of the container may be filled with liquid. For example, a volume of a certain portion of the container may contain a gas as discussed above. According to one embodiment, "substantially only liquid", "substantially only the liquid" and the like means that 95% or more of the volume of the container is filled with liquid. According to further embodiments, 97% or more of the volume of the container is filled with liquid. According to other embodiments, 99% or more of the volume of the container is filled with liquid. According to still further embodiments, 99.5% or more of the volume of the container is filled with liquid.

According to one embodiment, prior to filling the volume with the liquid, a gas is present in a volume defined by the closure and at least a portion of the inner liner. It is therefore desirable to remove gas from the volume so that substantially only liquid remains within the volume. It is envisaged that the step for removing substantially all gas from the volume of the container comprises at least one of the following steps: for example, a first pressure is applied on a surface of the inner liner outside the volume to partially collapse the inner liner, and a second pressure is applied to the one or more ports to draw gas through the one or more ports. The second pressure may be a pressure less than the pressure within the volume, for example, the second pressure may be a vacuum. Applying the first pressure to the surface of the inner liner outside the volume may comprise one or more of the following steps: filling the outer shell of the container with a fluid or gas and contacting the surface of the inner liner with a mechanical feature such as a member. Other contemplated embodiments for removing substantially all of the gas from the volume of the container will be discussed subsequently.

According to some embodiments, the container may comprise an outer shell in addition to the inner liner and the closure. The outer housing may be in the form of a cup which may be rigid. The outer shell may at least partially surround and house the inner liner and may be coupled to the closure, for example, by a ring. In some embodiments, the inner liner may be flexible (e.g., bladder) so as to be collapsible and expandable. Thus, the inner liner may collapse as liquid is pumped from the container.

In some embodiments, the cover may include an integral pump cap. The integrated pump cap may integrate the pump into the closure. The pump may comprise, for example, a G-rotor pump, a peristaltic pump, a syringe pump, or an elastomeric diaphragm pump. In operation, the pump may be used to dispense a specific amount of liquid from the container. When dispensed in this manner, the liquid may pass through, for example, one (or more) of the one or more ports (e.g., outlet ports). However, in other embodiments, the liquid may be dispensed through a dedicated outlet port that is not one of the one or more ports for filling the container with the liquid or removing gas.

Other aspects of the disclosure relate to methods of filling a container with substantially only a liquid, wherein gas has been removed from the volume (or gas is never present in the volume) prior to filling. For example, the inner liner may be flexible so as to substantially fully collapse prior to filling such that substantially no gas is present in the volume defined by the flexible liner and the closure. Thus, filling the volume with substantially only liquid via the one or more ports in communication with the volume may occur after collapsing the flexible liner. In other embodiments, the flexible liner may not be present and the gas may be removed (e.g., by creating a vacuum in the container) prior to filling.

The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container having a lid and a housing according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of a container showing the closure and shell of fig. 1 and also showing an inner liner and ring, according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of a closure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, showing a pump and an integral pump cover.

Fig. 4A is a schematic view of a container similar to that previously shown in fig. 1-3 containing a liquid and a gas within an internal volume defined by an inner liner and a closure, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4B is a schematic illustration of the container of fig. 4A that has been subjected to a method for removing substantially all of the gas from the volume while retaining substantially only the liquid within the volume according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Fig. 5 shows the container of fig. 4B undergoing a method for removing substantially all of the gas from the volume while retaining substantially only the liquid within the volume by applying a pressure differential, such as a vacuum in communication with the container, in accordance with an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 6A shows that the container of fig. 4B is undergoing a method according to an embodiment of the present application for removing substantially all gas from the volume while retaining substantially only liquid within the volume by exerting pressure on the inner liner by increasing pressure in a second volume in the container between the outer shell and the outer surface of the inner liner that causes the flexible inner liner to collapse to displace substantially all gas from the volume.

Fig. 6B shows the container of fig. 4B undergoing a method for removing substantially all gas from the volume while retaining substantially only liquid within the volume by exerting pressure on the inner liner by a mechanism, such as a member, that causes the flexible inner liner to collapse to displace substantially all gas from the volume in accordance with an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 7 shows that the container of fig. 4B is undergoing a method for removing substantially all gas from the volume while retaining substantially only liquid within the volume by applying a closure specifically designed to displace substantially all gas from the volume when coupled to the remainder of the container, in accordance with an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 8A illustrates gears or rotors of a pump that may form one or more of the one or more ports that allow substantially all of the gas to pass therethrough during a method for removing substantially all of the gas from a volume according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 8B shows gears of the pump of fig. 8A primed with liquid during a method for removing substantially all gas from a volume while retaining substantially only liquid within the volume according to an embodiment of the application.

Fig. 9A illustrates a method of filling a container with substantially only a liquid, in which a flexible liner of the container is substantially fully collapsed such that substantially no gas is present in the volume prior to filling the volume with substantially only the liquid, according to another embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 9B shows the method of fig. 9A being performed to fill a volume with substantially only liquid.

Fig. 10 illustrates another example of a container implementing a method of filling a container with substantially only liquid providing at least one of one or more ports including a vent for venting gas from the volume according to an embodiment of the application.

Fig. 11 illustrates the container of fig. 10 being simultaneously filled with liquid and vented of gas from the volume via at least one of the one or more ports in accordance with an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 12 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the container of fig. 10 and 11, in accordance with an embodiment of the present application, wherein the container has a first port of the one or more ports for filling the volume with substantially only liquid and a second port of the one or more ports for venting gas vented from the volume.

Fig. 13 illustrates another alternative embodiment of the container of fig. 10-12 that allows for simultaneous venting of gas from the volume and filling of the volume of the container, according to embodiments of the present application.

FIG. 14 illustrates a system according to embodiments of the present application that can include a dispenser for accurately dispensing liquid from one or more containers.

Fig. 15 illustrates a method of using the dispensing system of fig. 14 during an injection molding process according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 16 illustrates another method of using the dispensing system of fig. 14 during an injection molding process according to embodiments of the present application.

Fig. 17 illustrates yet another method of using the dispenser system of fig. 14 during an injection molding process according to embodiments of the present application.

FIG. 18 shows a graph of viscosity results for a non-Newtonian fluid in accordance with example 1.

Detailed Description

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to devices, systems, and methods for liquid containment. The disclosed method facilitates filling a container with substantially only the desired liquid or liquids. The method may include removing gas from the container before, during or after filling the container with the liquid. Thus, in some embodiments, the method comprises removing gas from the vessel such that substantially only liquid remains within the vessel. Additional embodiments are discussed herein with reference to various ones of the figures.

For reference, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary container 10, the container 10 including a closure 12, an outer shell 14, and an inner liner 16 (shown in phantom in FIG. 1). The outer housing 14 may be a rigid component and may be a reusable and/or disposable portion of the container 10. The outer shell 14 may be configured to couple with the lid 12 and surround and receive at least a portion of the inner liner 16. Thus, upon assembly, the inner liner 16 may be positioned within the outer shell 14. The inner liner 16 may be constructed of a flexible material (e.g., rubber, a flexible plastic film such as, for example, Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE)) so as to be collapsible and expandable. Thus, in some embodiments, the size of the volume 18 defined by the inner liner 16 and the closure 12 may be capable of changing as the inner liner 16 collapses and expands. According to further embodiments, the inner liner 16 may be removable from the outer shell 14 and the lid 12, and thus disposable.

The outer shell 14 may provide structural stability when the container 10 is shipped or otherwise used. According to the illustrated embodiment, the outer housing 14 is removably coupled to the lid 12, for example, using a threaded ring 20. The threaded ring 20 may be integral with the closure 12 or may comprise a separate piece. The threads on the ring 20 may be male or female threads and form complementary mating threads on the outer housing 14. The threaded ring 20 may also be used to maintain the position of the closure 12 on the container 10. Although a threaded ring 20 is shown in fig. 1 for removably coupling the lid 12 to the outer housing 14, other coupling mechanisms may be employed, such as, for example, a bayonet connector, snap tabs, or the like, which may be used to provide a "quick connect" capability. Alternatively, the cover 12 may be coupled with the outer housing 14 by an interference or friction fit between the two components.

According to the embodiment shown in fig. 1-3, the container 10 may include an integral pump cap 22 as part of the closure 12. The integrated pump housing 22 includes a motor coupling 24, which in the illustrated embodiment, the motor coupling 24 rotates about a central axis in response to corresponding rotation of a drive member (not shown) in the dispenser. As shown, the motor coupling 24 includes a plurality of teeth that can engage a corresponding set of teeth in the motor base 24. Thus, when the motor drives a rotating drive shaft that is coupled to the motor coupling 24 by teeth, the motor coupling 24 rotates to drive a pump 26 (fig. 3) so that the contents of the container 10 can be dispensed through an output port 28 in the closure 12. The teeth may be shaped to facilitate the transfer of energy from the motor to the pump 26 (fig. 3). Many variations of this method may be used. For example, the motor base (not shown) and the motor coupling 24 may have the same number of engagement teeth or a different number of engagement teeth, or they may interact without the use of meshing gears, such as by frictional engagement or magnetic coupling. For simplicity and ease of design, it is preferred that the motor transmits rotational energy to the drive shaft, but linear energy transmission may also be used via e.g. a rack and pinion mechanism. Advantageously, the pump cap 22 may be easily removed from the motor base and/or the cover 12 without the use of tools, thereby facilitating cleaning and installation of different containers 10.

Referring now specifically to fig. 3, a drive motor may be coupled to the integrated pump cap 22 in order to drive the pump 26 to dispense a specified volume of liquid. In some embodiments, a G-rotor pump is integrated into the cover 22 of the closure 12 to pump liquid in response to driving the motor. However, many other types of pumps can also be readily incorporated into the integrated pump cap 22, such as peristaltic pumps, syringe pumps, or elastomeric diaphragm pumps, depending on the characteristics of the material to be pumped and other application specific considerations (e.g., cost, efficiency, accuracy, size, weight, whether moving parts can be incorporated into the cap or should be isolated from the cap, etc.).

Fig. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the integrated pump cap 22 to show additional details. The cross-sectional view shows the motor coupling 24 and the output port 28. In the example of fig. 3, the pump 26 may be formed of metal, plastic, other materials, or combinations thereof. For example, in some implementations, the pump housing is molded from glass-filled nylon or is molded from glass-filled nylonOtherwise made and the gear is of polytetrafluoroethylene (e.g. Teflon) ^TM) The impregnated acetal is molded or otherwise made. Pump 26 has controlled rotation so that a precise amount of liquid is dispensed from container 10 through output port 28. In some embodiments, the integrated pump cap 22 is mounted to the motor such that the motor coupler 24 is coupled to the motor in an upward orientation and the remainder of the container 10 is located below the pump 26. However, such orientation is not always necessary. For example, a majority of the container 10 may be positioned above the pump 26 such that the liquid is directed under gravity toward the input of the pump 26. Other embodiments are also contemplated. In some embodiments, the liquid may be dispensed from the container 10 by a method other than the pump 26. For example, such methods may include pressurizing the vessel (e.g., pressurizing the space between the outer vessel and the inner liner), installing a siphon tube extending from the output port 28 to the bottom of the vessel, or by using a bladder or other mechanism that can expand to expel liquid from the vessel.

As shown in fig. 3, the motor coupler 24 is coupled to a shaft 25. The shaft 25 is further coupled to an inner or first rotor 29A. The pump 26 includes an inner rotor 29A, which rotor 29A is off-center within an outer or second rotor 29B, and engages the outer or second rotor 29B. When the motor coupling 24 is rotated by a motor (not shown), the shaft 25 rotates. Rotation of the shaft 25 causes the inner rotor 29A to rotate within the outer rotor 29B. The number of slots of the outer rotor 29B is greater than the number of rotor lobes on the inner rotor 29A such that the inner rotor 29A rotates in an eccentric manner relative to the outer rotor 29B. This rotation causes the input port to be exposed in the first position, allowing fluid to flow from the reservoir into the spaces between the lobes of the inner rotor 29A. As the inner rotor 29A and outer rotor 29B continue to rotate, the output end is exposed between the lobes and liquid is pushed out of the pump through the output port 28. The outer rotor 29B rotates at a slower speed than the inner rotor 29A, causing the volume of the slot-forming chamber to rotate and change.

The pump 26 may be reversible to allow liquid to be pumped into the vessel 10 from outside the vessel 10 through an output port 28 (which may be considered an input port in this configuration). However, in other embodiments, the pump may be irreversible such that liquid can only be pumped out of the container. The pump 26 may also be configured to allow gas to pass through the volume between the inner rotor 29A and the outer rotor 29B to reach the outlet port 28. This flow of gas may enter the vessel 10 or exit the vessel 10, as will be discussed further subsequently.

Referring now to fig. 2, the integrated pump cap 22 includes a pump cap housing 30 and a container coupling 32 (either as part of the housing 30 or separate from the housing 30), plus the output port 28, and the motor coupling 24. The pump housing 30 may be formed as a single piece or as a combination of pieces that are removably attached together or secured together (e.g., by sonic welding). For example, a portion of the pump cap shell 30 may be configured to fit the remainder of the container 10 (outer shell 14 and/or inner liner 16).

According to some embodiments, a portion of the lid 12 may be removed to form an aperture in which a pump housing including a pump for dispensing liquid from the container is coupled. In some implementations, the pump cap housing 30 includes a first portion positioned on one side of the cover aperture and a second portion positioned on the other side of the cover aperture, where the two portions are configured to engage to lock the two portions together and to the cover. An O-ring or other seal or gasket may be positioned between the closure 12 and a portion of the pump cap housing 30 to prevent liquid leakage. In some alternative implementations, the pump housing is joined to the cover (e.g., by sonic welding or using an adhesive) to bond the pump housing to the cover. In still other embodiments, the pump cap housing 30 may be integrally formed with the closure 12 for closing the container.

The container coupler 32 allows the integrated pump cap 22 to be attached to the container 10. In the embodiment of fig. 2, container coupler 32 is in the form of a male or female thread that couples with a complementary thread formed on container 10. In other implementations, the container coupler 32 is configured to have an interference or friction fit with the container. In still other embodiments, container coupler 32 may be a bayonet connector, snap tab, or the like (with complementary engagement structures formed on the container) that may be used to provide a "quick connect" capability. Alternatively, the container coupler 32 may be provided as a weld (e.g., sonic weld) or adhesive that joins the pump cap 22 to the container 10. As previously described, the output port 28 is configured to output liquid from the container 10 when driven by the pump 26.

Still referring to fig. 2, closure 12 may be coupled to rigid outer shell 14 and/or flexible inner liner 16. Additional stability can be obtained by forming the inner liner 16 with a rim 17, for example at the open end 19 resting on the upper edge 15 of the outer shell 14. Securing the lid 12 to the outer shell 14 by the techniques described above compresses the rim of the inner liner 16 between the upper edge of the outer shell 14 and the lid 12. If the closure 12 is coupled to the inner liner 16, this may be accomplished by a friction fit between the closure 12 and the inner liner 16 or by sealing the closure 12 to the inner liner 16 using, for example, sonic welding or an adhesive

According to some embodiments, the outer housing 14 may include a gas bore that includes a vent that remains open or alternatively may be opened and closed as desired. If closure is desired, a strip of tape or a valve may be used to close the vent. In this manner, the inner liner 16 can collapse as liquid is pumped from the container 10 when the gas holes are open, thereby facilitating dispensing of the liquid. Thus, the inner liner 16 in combination with the closure 12 provides a volume 18 that is a sealed liquid container. The volume 18 may collapse as liquid is dispensed and may expand as liquid is pumped or otherwise provided to the volume 18. This configuration allows air-tight dispensing, which reduces the risk of liquid contamination. For example, it is contemplated that some of the liquid contained within the volume 18 may react with oxygen (e.g., the liquid may solidify upon exposure to air). In addition, the sealed configuration may reduce the chance of liquid escaping from the container and contaminating the surrounding environment. Other liquids may be prone to contamination by airborne particles, which may impair their function and also interfere with dispensing. As previously discussed, the inner liner 16 may be constructed of various flexible materials (e.g., LDPE).

Although it is best to sayThe vessel 10 is depicted as including an outer shell 14 and an inner liner 16, but it may be a single component in the form of a container without a liner or outer shell. Thus, the inner liner may be a layer or portion of the outer shell. The container may be rigid or flexible and may include a vent to equalize the pressure inside the container with atmospheric pressure or another pressure when the vent is open, as previously discussed. The flexible container may be constructed of various flexible polymeric materials, for example, LDPE, or where greater strength or durability is desired, Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) resins such as

In view of the construction of the container 10, further details and alternatives are described in detail with reference to subsequent figures. For example, various methods of ensuring that substantially only liquid fills the volume within the container 10 will now be described with reference to subsequent figures.

Fig. 4A and 4B illustrate a container 110, such as the container 10 previously shown in fig. 1-3. Accordingly, the container 110 includes a volume 118 defined by portions of the inner liner 116 and the lid 112. The container 110 also includes an outer housing 114. The closure 112 or other portion of the container 110 may include one or more ports 128, as will be described subsequently, and examples of which include the outlet port 28 previously described with reference to fig. 1-3. One or more ports 128 communicate with the volume 118 and an environment or device (e.g., a vacuum device or a portion of a dispenser as described in U.S. patent application publication 2013/0270303a 1).

Fig. 4A shows that liquid 102 (indicated as shaded) and GAS (indicated as "GAS" in fig. 4A, but simply shown in the blank below for simplicity) are contained in volume 118. Specifically, a first portion 104 of the volume 118 contains the liquid 102 and the remaining portion 106 contains the gas. As used herein, a gas may include, for example, any gas, such as air, an aerosol, or an inert gas. The liquid 102 may be provided to the volume 118, for example, by a pump. The liquid 102 may be any one or any combination of the following: adhesives, cements, colorants, coatings, detergents, epoxies, dyes, fillers (e.g., body fillers), nanomaterials, oils, paints (e.g., automotive paints), pastes, pigments, caulks, polyurethanes, polymeric additives (which may be organic or inorganic), sealants, stains, toners, varnishes, and waxes, as previously described. Similarly, the viscosity and/or shear rate of the liquid 102 may vary, as previously discussed. In some embodiments, the components of the container 110 (such as a pump having the same or similar configuration as the previously described pump 26) may be specifically configured to accommodate and facilitate pumping of one or more liquids disclosed herein to dispense the liquid 102 from the volume 118.

Fig. 4B shows that the container 110 has undergone the method 108 for removing substantially all of the gas from the volume 118 via the one or more ports 128 while retaining substantially only the liquid 102 within the volume 118. As shown in fig. 4B, the inner liner 116 is flexible and at least partially collapses in response to removal of the gas to assist or facilitate removal of the gas.

Fig. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a method 200 that the vessel 110 is undergoing for removing substantially all of the gas (the flow of which is indicated by the arrows) from the volume 118 while retaining substantially only the liquid 202 within the volume 118. According to the embodiment of fig. 5, the pressure differential is applied such that the pressure P1 within the volume 118 is different from the pressure P2 within the first device 204. Although indicated as a device, the first device 204 may simply be an area, such as the immediate environment surrounding the container 110, having a pressure differential relative to the pressure P1 of the volume 118. The volume 118 is in communication with the first device 204 via one or more ports 128. According to one embodiment, the first device 204 includes a vacuum device 206, the vacuum device 206 being in communication with the volume 118 via one or more ports 128. In other embodiments, the first device 204 need not include the vacuum device 206, but it may be a container, volume, or region having a pressure relative to the pressure P1 of the volume 118 sufficient to flow gas from the volume 118. In further embodiments, the first device 204 may be used with a dispenser as described in U.S. patent application publication 2013/0270303a1, or in some embodiments, may be used with another device to drive a pump to pump air out.

As shown in fig. 5, the illustrated container 110, first device 204, and other components may be part of a system 208, the system 208 including a second device 210 for regulating communication between the volume 118 and the first device 204 (or environment) via one or more ports 128. For example, the second device 210 may include a one-way valve, a check valve, and the like. In other exemplary embodiments, the second device 210 may include a plug or seal such as a membrane that may be pierced (e.g., by the implement 212) to facilitate communication between the volume 118 and the second container 204 (or the environment). While an adjustment device such as the second device 210 is not shown or specifically described in the previous embodiment or some of the remaining embodiments, it should be appreciated that such a device (e.g., a valve, plug, seal, etc.) may be included as desired.

Fig. 6A again illustrates a container 110, examples of which include the container 10 of fig. 1-3 as previously discussed. The vessel 110 is undergoing another embodiment of the method 300 for removing substantially all of the gas (the flow of which is indicated by arrow a) from the volume 118 while retaining substantially only the liquid 302 within the volume 118. According to the embodiment of fig. 6A, the pressure differential is applied such that the pressure P1 within the volume 118 is different from a third pressure P3 within a second volume 304, the second volume 304 being defined between the one or more outer surfaces 306 of the inner liner 116 and the one or more inner surfaces 308 of the outer shell 114. This pressure differential may cause collapse of the flexible inner liner 116, which reduces the volume 118 and displaces substantially all of the gas from the volume 118, as shown.

As shown in fig. 6A, a third pressure P3 may be provided by the third device 310. The third device 310 may be, for example, a pump, a blower, or the like. According to further embodiments, the third device 310 may simply be an area, such as the immediate environment surrounding the container 110, having a pressure differential relative to the pressure P1 of the volume 118. The second volume 304 is in communication with the third device 310 via one or more of the one or more ports 128 (e.g., via port 128A). As shown in fig. 6A, the port 128A may be different from the outlet port 128B from which the gas exits the volume 118. As shown, a regulating device 314 such as a valve, plug, or seal (e.g., a membrane) may be used with the embodiment of fig. 6A.

Fig. 6B illustrates an embodiment of the method 400 in which the member 402 is utilized to cause a collapse of the inner liner 116 of the container 110, which reduces the volume 118 and displaces substantially all of the gas (as indicated by arrow a) from the volume 118, while retaining substantially only the liquid 302 within the volume 118. The member 402 is movable to contact and apply a fourth pressure P4 to the one or more outer surfaces 306 of the inner liner 116 to create a pressure differential between the pressure P1 and the fourth pressure P4 within the volume 118. This pressure differential may cause at least partial collapse of the flexible inner liner 116, which reduces the volume 118 and displaces substantially all of the gas from the volume 118, as shown. Although shown as a piston-type mechanism, member 402 may include a spring, a diaphragm, a second bladder, or another mechanism that may be deployed as desired to facilitate collapsing of inner liner 116.

Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of a method 500 in which the closure 112 of the container 110 has been modified in some way so as to be configured to displace gas and liquid 502 as desired. Specifically, when the lid 112 is coupled to the housing 114 to form the container 110, the gas may be displaced so as to be substantially removed from the volume 118 while substantially only the liquid 502 is retained within the volume 118. According to fig. 7, the cover 112 has been provided with a protrusion 504 to protrude down into the volume 118 when the cover 112 is arranged on the rest of the container 110. Ports 506A, 506B (others not shown) that include some of the one or more ports facilitate movement of substantially all of the gas from the volume 118 when the lid 112 is coupled to the remainder of the container 110.

It should be appreciated that the geometry of the closure 112 may be otherwise configured in accordance with the teachings of the disclosure to facilitate removal of substantially all of the gas from the volume 118 while retaining substantially only the liquid 502 within the volume 118. For example, the lid 112 may not protrude downward into the volume 118 in the same manner as shown in fig. 7, but the method may instead rely on accurately filling the volume 118 with the liquid 502 in view of any displacement that would result from the lid 112.

Fig. 8A and 8B show an enlargement of a cover 612 constructed in the same manner as the cover 12 of fig. 1-3. Accordingly, the cover 612 may include the integrated pump cap 22 and pump 26 as previously described. The pump 26 has rotors 29A and 29B. The volumes between rotors 29A and 29B and cap housing 612A may define a separation of one or more ports 628 in communication with volume 618 (only a portion of which is shown in fig. 8A and 8B).

As shown in fig. 8A, the one or more ports 628 can allow substantially all of the gas to pass through to the outlet port 628A. Fig. 8B illustrates that one or more ports 628 may also be configured to allow passage of fluid 602 to outlet port 628A. In some cases, pump 26 may be driven to rotate rotors 29A and 29B to facilitate passage of fluid 602 through one or more ports 628. In this manner, pump 26 may be primed with liquid 602. Further, if desired, the fluid 602 may be adapted to effectively form a seal with respect to the environment in one or more of the ports 628 or at the outlet port 628A. For example, the rheology of the fluid may be adjusted so that the viscosity of the fluid is low (e.g., at a higher shear rate) during flow into the pump (priming), and then the viscosity is increased (e.g., at a lower shear rate) after the fluid has stopped flowing into the pump, thereby preventing gas from re-entering the container. This same mechanism can be used for several of the above embodiments where gas is removed by vacuum or higher external pressure to push air out through a pump, vent, or other small hole. The properties of the fluid may be adjusted so that the fluid seals the pump, vent, or other small orifice. In other embodiments, the gap size can be adjusted in the pump to increase the resistance to gas re-entering the container (smaller gap sizes result in higher flow resistance). Thus, one skilled in the art can adjust the characteristics of the fluid and/or the gap size to provide for sufficiently easy gas removal/priming of the pump (e.g., low flow resistance) and sufficiently difficult gas to re-enter the container (e.g., high flow resistance).

Fig. 9A and 9B illustrate another method 700 in which a container 710 has been provided with an inner liner 716 and a lid 712 that define a volume 718. Fig. 9B illustrates a method 700 in which the container 710 and the inner liner 716 are partially filled during the filling process. The inner liner 716 is flexible as previously discussed such that the method 700 substantially completely collapses the inner liner 716 in a manner such that substantially no gas is present in the volume 718, as shown in fig. 9A. After collapsing the inner liner 716, the method 700 fills the volume 718 with substantially only the liquid 702 via one or more ports 728 in communication with the volume 718, as shown in fig. 9B. In other words, the method 700 utilizes a pre-collapsed inner liner 716, the pre-collapsed inner liner 716 forming a substantially gas-free volume 718 therein, as shown in fig. 9A. The method 700 then fills the inner liner 716 with substantially only the liquid 702, and the inner liner 716 expands in response, as shown in fig. 9B.

Fig. 10-13 illustrate various designs of one or more ports that may allow for the venting of gas from a volume defined by an inner liner and a closure while filling the volume with a liquid.

For example, fig. 10 shows a closure 812 having a first port 828A in a manner similar to ports 28 and 128 previously discussed. According to the embodiment of fig. 10, the first port 828A can be used to receive the liquid 802 and dispense the liquid 802. A second port 828B has been provided for exhausting gas from the volume 818. However, in other embodiments, such as the embodiment of fig. 11, the first port 828A may be used to expel substantially all of the gas from the volume 818 and the second port 828B may be used to fill with the liquid 802.

According to the embodiment of fig. 10 and 11, at least one of the first port 828A or the second port 828B for venting may be positioned in communication with a location where the volume 818 contains substantially the last fill of liquid 802. Thus, in fig. 10, the second port 828B is positioned on the lid 812 at or near the substantially highest point of the container 810.

Fig. 12 shows yet another embodiment of a container 910 for use with the method 900. The container 910 has two or more ports that are used to simultaneously fill the volume with liquid 902 and expel gas from the volume 918 in accordance with the method 900. In the embodiment of fig. 12, the first port 928A communicates with the inner liner 916 at a relatively lowest point of the inner liner 916 (corresponding to a relatively lowest point of the volume 918 defined by the inner liner 916 and the lid 912). Unlike the flexible inner liners previously described, inner liner 916 may be constructed from a rigid or semi-rigid material in order to substantially maintain a desired shape and have a desired volume throughout the filling and venting process in some cases. In other cases, a flexible inner liner, such as those previously described, may be utilized. As shown in fig. 12, the first port 928A receives the liquid 902, and the liquid 902 may be pumped into the volume 918 through the outer housing 914 and the inner liner 916 or may otherwise flow into the volume 918. While filling with the liquid 902, gas may be expelled from the volume 918 via the second port 928B. According to the embodiment of fig. 12, the second port 928B may be positioned in communication with a location where the volume 918 contains substantially the last fill of the liquid 902. Thus, in fig. 12, the second port 928B may be positioned on the lid 912 at or near a substantially highest point of the container 910.

Fig. 13 illustrates another embodiment of a container 1010 for use with the method 1000. The container 1010 may have two or more ports that are used to simultaneously fill a volume with liquid 1002 and expel gas from the volume 1018 according to the method 1000. In the embodiment of fig. 12, container 1010 has been inverted on an x-y coordinate scheme relative to the embodiment of fig. 11. Thus, the first port 1028A communicates with the inner liner 1016 at a relatively highest point of the inner liner 1016 (corresponding to a relatively highest point of the volume 1018 defined by the inner liner 1016 and the closure 1012). Unlike the flexible inner liners previously described, the inner liner 1016 may be constructed of a rigid or semi-rigid material to substantially maintain a desired shape and have a desired volume throughout the filling and venting process. In other cases, a flexible inner liner, such as those previously described, may be utilized. The first port 1028A receives the liquid 1002, which liquid 1002 may be pumped into the volume 1018 through the outer housing 1014 and the inner liner 1016 or may otherwise be caused to flow into the volume 1018. As shown in fig. 12, while filling with the liquid 1002, gas may be vented from the volume 1018 to the second volume 1004 (defined between the inner surface of the outer casing 1014 and the outer surface of the inner liner 1016) via the second port 1028B. The gas may be further vented or otherwise exhausted from the second volume 1004 to the environment as desired. According to the embodiment of fig. 13, the second port 1028B may be positioned in communication with a location at which the volume 1018 contains a substantially final fill of the liquid 1002. Thus, the second port 1028B may be positioned on the inner liner 1016 at or near a substantially highest point of the container 1010. The first port 1028A and the second port 1028B may be sealed after filling via valves, membranes, inserts, plugs, etc. (not specifically shown). The container 1010 may optionally be reoriented such that the outlet port 1028C and the closure 1012 may be positioned above the outer housing 1114 and the inner liner 1112. In other embodiments, container 1010 may be held in the orientation shown, and may be used to dispense substantially only liquid 1002 from that orientation.

Dispensing system and method embodiments

Fig. 14 illustrates a system 1200 that can include any of the containers (and methods) as previously described and illustrated. The system 1200 includes a dispensing system 1202 for accurately dispensing a liquid as previously described from a container. According to the embodiment of fig. 14, the dispensing system 1202 includes a motor base 1204 and two or more containers 1206A and 1206B.

According to the embodiment of fig. 14, the motor base 1204 includes one or more motors (not separately explicitly shown) for driving a pump housed in an integral pump housing of the container (shown and described previously with reference to fig. 2 and 3). The motor may be an AC or DC electric motor (e.g., stepper motor, servo motor, etc.) configured to drive a drive shaft that engages the integrated pump cap 106. Alternatively, the motor may be pneumatic, hydraulic, piezoelectric, mechanical (e.g., using rack and pinion, crankshaft, cam, or other similar mechanism), or manual, provided that it is configured to transmit energy to a drive shaft that engages the integral pump housing (fig. 2 and 3). For simplicity and ease of design, it is preferred that the motor transmit rotational energy to the drive shaft, but linear energy transmission may also be used.

The motor base 1204 may also include a programmable controller (either as a separate unit or as part of the motor itself) so that specific instructions can be entered, for example, to release a specified amount of liquid in accordance with the instructions. The amount may be based on the weight of the liquid dispensed. For example, one instruction may cause the motor to operate such that one gram of liquid is dispensed. The second command may cause the motor to dispense two grams of liquid, and so on. Thus, a particular liquid may be dispensed in different amounts depending on the application. For example, different amounts of liquid colorant may be dispensed depending on the desired color and the amount of plastic material to be colored. In some other implementations, the motor commands may be calibrated to dispense liquid by volume rather than by weight (e.g., programmed milliliters).

For a given motor speed, the controller may calculate the motor drive time based on the specified flow of the pump. This may depend on the particular liquid being dispensed (e.g., as a function of the viscosity or density of the liquid). Thus, the motor speed and flow rate can be used to calculate the motor run time to dispense a specified amount (weight or volume) of liquid.

For example, for a particular liquid dispense, the motor base 1204 can include an interface for inputting instructions. For example, one or more interface controls may allow a user to specify particular instructions using menus, instruction codes, or a combination of both (e.g., using buttons, a touch screen interface, or other input means).

Alternatively, in some implementations, the motor base 1204 is coupled to another device that provides a control interface, e.g., a computing device. The computing device may include software for controlling the motor base 1204 and providing a user interface. The user interface may allow a user to provide instructions for dispensing the liquid. For example, one or more interface controls may allow a user to specify particular instructions using menus, instruction codes, or a combination of both (e.g., using buttons, a touch screen interface, or other input means).

According to the embodiment of fig. 14, two or more containers 1206A and 1206B may be coupled to the motor base 1204 and may be driven to dispense a liquid as described above. By having two or more vessels 1206A and 1206B, various additional functions may be implemented by the system 1200. For example, two or more containers 1206A and 1206B may carry liquids having substantially the same formulation. In such examples, if one container (e.g., container 1206A) is emptied of liquid, the motor base 1204 can be switched to drive dispensing from a second container (e.g., container 1206B). This allows for a seamless connection such that the liquid can be supplied substantially continuously without interruption of the replacement container. The container (e.g., container 1206A) with the discharged liquid may be replaced by a worker while dispensing the liquid from the second container (e.g., container 1206B). While the following embodiments are directed to a series of processes and systems, it should be appreciated that the motor base 1204 may be driven in parallel in some cases to facilitate simultaneous dispensing from two (or more) containers 1206A and 1206B as desired.

In some implementations, the liquid colorant is a liquid that is dispensed into the injection molding apparatus by the dispensing system 1202 (and methods described further below) to produce a colored plastic article. However, other types of molding devices may be used, including, for example, blow molding devices, injection blow molding devices, extrusion molding devices, compression molding devices, and rotary molding devices. In particular, a neutral plastic substrate (e.g., plastic resin beads or beads) can be heated by a molding device. Advantageously, the plastic substrate may have its "natural" color (i.e., the inherent color of the plastic resin, without the addition of dyes, pigments, or other colorants). The plastic substrate can be white, beige, gray, or other neutral color, and it can be transparent, translucent, or opaque. A precise amount of liquid colorant can be metered into the neutral plastic substrate so that the molten plastic substrate is colored accordingly. The amount of colorant will vary depending on the nature of the plastic substrate, the colorant, the desired color, etc., but amounts of about 0.001% -3% by weight or volume are generally useful. The molten colored plastic is then delivered by injection or extrusion into a mold cavity or extruder head having the shape or profile of the plastic article to be formed, which may be, for example, a bottle, a film, or many other products conventionally produced by plastic molding equipment.

Although the dispensing system 1202 and methods 1300 and 1400 will be described with particularity in the context of a dispenser for delivering liquid colorant to a molding device, this is merely illustrative of one preferred application. As noted above, the invention disclosed herein can be used to dispense a variety of liquids, and the dispensed liquids can be delivered to a device other than a molding device (e.g., a mixing or blending device or a device that fills a container) or can be delivered for direct end use (e.g., a sprayed liquid or an extruded paste). Examples of other additives that may be formulated include antioxidants, processing stabilizers, heat stabilizers, lubricants, light stabilizers, flame retardants, optical brighteners, biocides, antimicrobials, oxygen scavengers, fragrances, conductive additives, insect repellents, blowing agents, antistatic agents, nucleating agents, clarifiers, plasticizers, surface modifiers, slip agents, chain extenders, crosslinking agents, coupling agents, and compatibilizers. The amount of the additive will vary depending on the nature of the plastic substrate, the additive, the desired characteristics, etc., but amounts of about 0.0001% to 10% by weight or volume are generally useful.

Fig. 15 illustrates a method 1300 of using the dispensing system 1202 during an injection molding process. The method 1300 includes initiating an injection molding cycle 1302. Initiating an injection molding cycle may include releasing a plastic substrate from a hopper into a heating portion of an injection molding apparatus to melt the plastic substrate. During such a molding cycle, the method 1300 attempts to dispense an amount of liquid colorant from a first container (e.g., the container 1206A). The method 1300 then determines 1306 whether the amount dispensed from the first container corresponds to the desired amount of liquid colorant, sufficient. If it is determined that the amount of liquid dispensed is sufficient, then a liquid colorant is injected into the mold with one or more plastic or other materials 1308. However, if the amount dispensed from the first container does not correspond to the desired amount (i.e., is determined to be insufficient), then the remaining amount of liquid colorant to achieve the desired amount is dispensed 1310 from the second container (e.g., container 1206B) and injected into the mold 1312 along with the one or more plastic or other materials. In the method 1300, at any time after the step 1306 in which it is determined whether the amount of liquid dispensed is insufficient, the first container (e.g., the container 1206A) may be replaced or refilled to provide a full container. As the method proceeds to steps 1310 and 1312 in parallel with replacing the first container, a replacement to a full container may occur without interrupting the molding process.

FIG. 16 illustrates another method 1400 of using the dispensing system 1202 during an injection molding process. The method 1400 includes determining 1402 an amount of liquid colorant to meter for each injection molding cycle. For example, a worker may input parameters to an injection molding apparatus or to a control interface of a motor of a pump that drives an integrated pump housing. In some implementations, the instructions are related to the timing cycle of the injection molding machine so that a precise amount of colorant can be metered for each molding cycle. The method 1400 may determine 1404 whether a first container (e.g., container 1206A) has enough liquid colorant remaining to provide a desired dosage. For example, the weight of the first container may be sensed, or other parameters of the first container indicative of the liquid level may be monitored or sensed. If it is determined that the amount of liquid colorant remaining in the first container is sufficient, the method 1400 continues to initiate an injection molding cycle 1406. Initiating an injection molding cycle may include releasing a plastic substrate from a hopper into a heating portion of an injection molding apparatus to melt the plastic substrate. The determined 1408 dose of liquid colorant is added to the melting or already melting plastic substrate from the first container. The colored plastic that has been melted is then injected 1410 into the mold cavity to form the final colored molded plastic.

However, if the method 1400 determines that the first container (e.g., the container 1206A) does not have enough liquid colorant remaining to provide the desired dosage, the method continues to determine 1412 whether a second container (e.g., the container 1206B) has enough liquid colorant remaining to provide the desired dosage. For example, the weight of the second container may be sensed, or other parameters indicative of the liquid level of the second container may be monitored or sensed. If it is determined that the amount of liquid colorant remaining in the second container is sufficient, the method 1400 continues to initiate an injection molding cycle 1416. Initiating an injection molding cycle may include releasing a plastic substrate from a hopper into a heating portion of an injection molding apparatus to melt the plastic substrate. The determined 1418 dose of liquid colorant is added from the second container to the plastic substrate that is melting or has melted. The colored plastic that has been melted is then injected 1420 into the mold cavity to form the final colored molded plastic. In the method 1400, at any time after the step 1404 in which it is determined whether the amount of liquid in the first container is insufficient to provide the desired dosage, the method 1400 may provide an alert 1414 to the operator that the first container needs to be replaced or refilled. Similarly, if it is determined that both the first container and the second container contain insufficient liquid colorant to provide the desired dosage, the method 1400 may provide an alert 1422 to the practitioner.

FIG. 17 illustrates yet another method 1500 of using the dispensing system 1202 during an injection molding process. The method 1500 may proceed as the molding cycle begins 1502. The method 1500 includes initially determining 1504 whether the first container and the second container are empty. If both are empty, the distribution system 1202 is not activated 1506. However, if one or both of the first container and the second container are not empty, the method 1500 activates 1508 the dispenser system 1202 and determines if the first container is empty 1510 and the second container is empty 1520. If both are determined to be empty, an alarm 1507 or an alert may be activated.

If it is initially determined at step 1508 that the first container is not empty, the method 1500 may continue to dispense 1512 a desired amount of liquid from the first container and inject 1514 the amount into the mold. However, if it is later determined 1510 that the first container is empty, the method 1500 may send an alert 1516 or another signal to the user, and may also activate 1518 the dispenser system 1202 to dispense from the second liquid container.

If it is initially determined at step 1508 that the second container is not empty, the method can continue by dispensing 1522 a desired amount of liquid from the second container and injecting 1524 the amount into the mold. However, if it is later determined 1520 that the second container is empty, the method 1500 may send an alert 1524 or another signal to the user, and may also activate 1526 the dispenser system 1202 to dispense from the first liquid container.

As previously discussed, liquids other than colorants may be dispensed, and molding systems other than injection molding systems may be used. The principles of operation of these alternatives can also be understood from the block diagrams and other drawings provided and described.

The operations described herein, and in particular the processing of instructions for a motor to drive a pump to dispense a specified volume of liquid, may be implemented as operations performed by a data processing apparatus based on data stored in one or more computer readable storage devices or data received from other sources.

The term "data processing apparatus" encompasses all kinds of apparatus, devices, and machines for processing data, including by way of example programmable processors, computers, systems on a single chip or multiple chips, and combinations of the foregoing. The apparatus can comprise special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit). The device may comprise, in addition to hardware, code for producing an execution environment for the computer program in question; for example, code comprising processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, a cross platform runtime environment, a virtual machine, or a combination of one or more of these. The apparatus and execution environment may implement a variety of different computing model architectures, such as Web services distributed over computing and node computing architectures.

A computer program (also known as a program, software application, script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, declarative or procedural languages, and it can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, object, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers that are located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communication network.

Alternatively or additionally, the program instructions may be encoded in or contained in a computer storage medium, a computer-readable storage device, a computer-readable storage substrate, a random or serial access memory chip or device, or a combination of one or more of these. Furthermore, when the computer storage medium is not a propagated signal, the computer storage medium can be a source or destination of computer program instructions encoded in an artificially generated propagated signal. The computer storage medium may also be or be included in one or more separate physical components or media (e.g., multiple CDs, disks, or other storage devices).

The processes and logic flows described in this specification can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform actions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows can also be performed by, and apparatus can also be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, e.g., an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).

Processors suitable for the execution of a computer program include, by way of example, both general and special purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Generally, a processor will receive instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random access memory or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor for performing actions in accordance with instructions and one or more memory devices that store instructions and data. Suitable means for storing computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory, media and memory devices, including by way of example semiconductor memory devices (e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices); magnetic disks (e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks); magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks.

To provide for interaction with a user, embodiments of the subject matter described in this specification can be implemented on a computer having a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display)) for displaying information to the user, a keyboard, and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse or a trackball) by which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices may be used to provide for interaction with the user as well; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, audio feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input. In addition, the computer may interact with the user by sending files to, or receiving files from, the device used by the user; for example, by sending a web page to a web browser on the user's client device in response to a request received from the web browser.

Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

Working examples

Summary of materials