GB2407848A

GB2407848A - Motorised dispenser apparatus for applying fluids

Info

Publication number: GB2407848A
Application number: GB0326125A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Jeffrey Mabbutt
Original assignee: LAYBOND PRODUCTS Ltd
Current assignee: LAYBOND PRODUCTS Ltd
Priority date: 2003-11-08
Filing date: 2003-11-08
Publication date: 2005-05-11
Also published as: GB0326125D0

Abstract

A dispensing apparatus for applying fluids comprises a sealed storage container 10 for housing a fluid to be applied by the apparatus; a hand held applicator unit 24 which includes an electric motor-driven pump 22, a battery 28 for powering the motor, a controller for enabling manual control of the pump operation and an applicator nozzle 34 coupled to the pump outlet; and a hose 20 for carrying fluid from the container to the pump inlet. The container 10 may be flexible and the hose may be coupled to the container by a quick connect self sealing coupling 18.

Description

DESCRIPTION

MOTORISED DISPENSER APPARATUS

FOR APPLYING FLUIDS

The present invention is concerned with the dispensing of fluids and in particular with a motorised dispenser apparatus for fluids application.

There are many situations where it is required to dispense a fluid in a controlled manner from a fluid storage container. One example is in the dispensing of liquid flooring adhesives which are required to be applied to floors from an adhesive storage container for adhering flooring components such as carpets, tiles and the like. The traditional technique for applying such adhesives has simply been to apply them manually using a suitable hand tool, such as a large spatula. More recently, such adhesives have been applied using a spray gun supplied with liquid adhesive under pressure via a flexible hose from a portable pressurised metal canister.

This works reasonably well but has the practical problems that (a) the canisters are heavy; (b) the canisters have to be pre-pressurised; and (c) the canisters which are expensive to produce, have to be thrown away when they become empty, which is very wasteful of resources.

An object of the present invention is to devise a dispensing apparatus for the application of fluids which overcomes or mitigates at least some of these problems associated with the known dispensing devices and systems.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a dispensing 2 apparatus for applying fluids, comprising (a) a storage container for housing a fluid to be applied by the apparatus; (b) an electric motor-driven pump; (c) a battery for powering the electric motor; (d) a controller for enabling manual control of the pump operation; (e) an applicator nozzle coupled to the outlet side of the pump; and (f) a hose for carrying fluid from the container to the inlet side of the pump.

Preferably, the hose is adapted to be coupled to the container by way of a self sealing coupling.

Advantageously, the self sealing coupling comprises a quick-connect coupling socket on the hose and a quick-connect coupling plug on the container, or vice versa.

Preferably, the container is flexible.

Normally, the container interior would be adapted to be sealed relative to the atmosphere when in a filled condition.

Preferably, the container is provided with a carrying strap or harness.

Advantageously, the strap or harness is formed integrally with the container.

In some embodiments, the container can contain an aperture at an upper end to define the strap or harness.

Preferably, the battery is of the re-chargeable type.

In some embodiments, the controller can comprise a manually operable on/off switch or switches for controlling the supply of current from the battery to the electric - 3 motor driving the pump.

In other embodiments, the controller can be adapted to enable manual control of the supply of current from the battery to the pump electric motor, to enable the pump speed to be selectively variable.

Preferably, the application nozzle is disposed at the distal end of a lance whose input end is coupled to the pump outlet.

Preferably, the electric-motor driven pump, the battery, the controller and the applicator nozzle are all part of a hand-held applicator unit.

In other embodiments, these latter components are supported in a different arrangement whereby a large "off-line" battery can be used to power the pump.

Advantageously, the applicator unit is in the form of a "pistol-grip" type assembly.

The invention is described further hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of one embodiment of a motorised dispensing apparatus in accordance with the present invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the apparatus of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end view of a storage container used in the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2; and Figs. 4a, 4b and 4c are diagrammatic side and front views showing the apparatus of Figs. I to 3 in use.

Referring first to Figs 1 to 3, a fluid which is to be dispensed is stored in a - 4 - storage container 10 at ambient pressure. In the embodiment illustrated, the container is made from a flexible material. This is preferred but is not essential. The container 10 is adapted to be carried in one hand of a user or suspended from the shoulder of a user of the apparatus. This could be achieved in some cases by a strap arrangement fixed to the container. However in the illustrated embodiment the container 10 is provided with an aperture 12 through which the user can insert an arm, thereby resulting in the container effectively having an integral strap portion 14.

However, even with the illustrated arrangement, the user may prefer to simply carry the container in one hand.

Adjacent its lower end, the container 10 carries one half of a quickconnect coupling - in this case a quick-connect coupling socket 16. The other half of the quick-connect coupling, in this case a quick-connect coupling plug 18 is carried on one end of a hose pipe 20, the other end of which is connected to the input of a pump 22 forming part of a hand-held applicator unit 24. The pump 22 is coupled mechanically to the shaft of an electric motor 26 which carries an electric battery 28 and whose operation is controllable by a finger operated actuator 30. The actuator can either simply operate an on/off switch or can control the motor speed variably by way of a suitable motor speed controller. The output of the pump 22 is supplied to a lance 32 having an outlet nozzle 34 at its distal end. The lance would normally be rigid but it could also have some flexibility for some applications. The battery would normally be of a rechargeable type.

The quick-connect coupling socket and plug are designed to be self sealing - 5 so that, when the coupling is broken to disconnect the hose 20 from the container 10, any fluid in the container 10 or hose 20 is prevented from escaping.

In use, the plug on the end of the hose 20 is applied to the socket on a container 10 which has been pre-filled with a fluid to be dispensed, ea. a flooring adhesive, and stored at atmospheric pressure. Operation of the pump 22 via the electric motor, finger-operated switch 30 and battery 28 then causes fluid to be withdrawn from the container by evacuation and ejected from the lance nozzle from where it can be directed to its intended application destination.

The container can be of almost negligible weight compared to the weight of the fluid itself when the container is full. The container can be made of a relatively thin plastics material which can either be thrown away without large resource implications or in some cases depending on the particular fluid involved, may be refilled. Because of its relative lightness and size, the volume of which may actually reduce as fluid is withdrawn if the container is sufficiently flexible, the container is much easier and convenient to carry about during fluid application compared to the previously known apparatus described above.

The lance 32 as illustrated in the drawings is shown as being relatively short but it could in practice be of a different length. In particular it could be significantly longer for some applications.

Some dimensions are indicated on Figs. 2 and 3 but these are intended to be by way of example only and are provided merely to show typical relative proportions rather than absolute sizes. Hence, units are not indicated. t - 6

In addition to the advantages already mentioned hereinbefore,apparatises in accordance with the present invention can provide the following benefits: (a) Fluids, such as herbicides, bactericides, medicines, adhesives and cosmetic compounds may be supplied to the end user in a sealed vessel that is tamper resistant.

(b) The fluids dispensed by the applications equipment are delivered at the point of use, free of risk of contamination.

(c) The system, being battery operated, may be used to dispense quality controlled fluids to applications that are difficult to access.

(d) The system can provide pedestrian mobility for the purpose of dispensing quality controlled fluids.

(e) The system being driven by an electric motor can dispense fluids at a constant volume and pressure. - 7

Claims

1. A dispensing apparatus for applying fluids, comprising (a) a storage container for housing a fluid to be applied by the apparatus; (b) an electric motor-driven pump; (c) a battery for powering the electric motor; (d) a controller for enabling manual control of the pump operation; (e) an applicator nozzle coupled to the outlet side of the pump; and (I) a hose for carrying fluid from the container to the inlet side of the pump.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hose is adapted to be coupled to the container by way of a self sealing coupling.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the self sealing coupling comprises a quick-connect coupling socket on the hose and a quick-connect coupling plug on the container, or vice versa.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the container is flexible.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 in which the container interior is adapted to be sealed relative to the atmosphere when in a filled condition.

6. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims I to 5 wherein the container is provided with a carrying strap or carrying harness.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the strap or harness is formed integrally with the container.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the container contains an

J - 8

aperture at an upper end to define said strap or harness.

9. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims I to 8, wherein the battery is of a rechargeable type.

10. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims I to 9, wherein the controller comprises a manually operable on/off switch or switches for controlling the supply of current from the battery to the electric motor driving the pump.

11. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the controller is adapted to enable manual control of the supply of current from the battery to the pump electric motor, to enable the pump speed to be selectively variable.

l 2. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to I 1, wherein the application nozzle is disposed at the distal end of a lance whose input end is coupled to the pump outlet.

13. An apparatus as claimed in any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the electric motor-driven pump, the battery, the controller and the applicator nozzle are all part of a hand-held applicator unit.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the applicator unit is in the form of a "pistol-grip type assembly.

15. A dispensing apparatus for applying fluids, substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.