Abstract:
Liquid mixing and dispensing apparatus which can dispense a high and a low flow rate by means of a flow control valve. The apparatus includes a multiplicity of containers with liquid concentrate which are interconnected with eductors so that when pressurized water flows through the eductors and by activation of a selected valve liquid concentrate is mixed with the water so as to dilute it for use. A flow control valve is positioned upstream of the selector valves and has a high and a low flow rate capacity. The high and low flow capacity is accomplished by metering devices placed in a ball of the valve or the valve housing.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This is a Continuation-In-Part of application Ser. No. 09/716,883 filed Nov. 20, 2000, is now abandoned. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT: NONE 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Technical Field 
     This invention relates generally to liquid dispensing and more particularly, to combining and dispensing liquids in a time efficient manner. 
     2. Background Art 
     In the maintenance of large buildings such as office buildings or stores in shopping centers, it is customary to mix the required cleaning agents from a source of concentrate with water such as by employing an aspirator. The resulting solutions are then filled into suitable containers such as bottles or buckets. An apparatus of this type is available from Johnson Wax Professional of Sturtevant, Wis., as the Select AG. For chemical dispensing apparatus of this type, there are applications when a high flow rate (4 gpm or greater) is desired to deliver ready to use product, such as when filling a bucket or an auto-scrubber. However, a low flow rate (2 gpm or less) is desired when filling spray bottles. Current systems such as the Select AG dispensing apparatus and Quick Fill units available from Ecolab Inc. of St. Paul, Minn., are designed to fill either buckets or bottles from the same concentrate bottle through the dispenser but have a fixed, intermediate flow rate (i.e., 2.5 gpm). Other systems such as the Twist&#39; n Fill available from the 3M Company and Outpost available from The Butcher Company, Inc. of Marlborough, Mass. can vary the flow rate, but they require two different concentrate bottles (high flow bottle/low flow bottle) of the same product to accomplish this function. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,094 and 5,505,382 both disclose dispensing systems with aspirators and valves in the liquid inlet lines. 
     In U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,986 there is disclosed a fluid control valve having two bores which allows for selective change of flow rate of fluid through the valve. The disclosed valve is designed for high temperature and pressure use. 
     The prior art does not provide a high and low flow rate dispensing apparatus which can deliver a high and low flow rate from a single concentrate source. 
     The objects of the invention therefore are: 
     a) Providing an improved liquid mixing and dispensing apparatus; 
     b) Providing a liquid mixing and dispensing apparatus which allows for different flow rates from the same product bottle; 
     c) Providing a liquid mixing and dispensing apparatus of the foregoing kind which can efficiently fill both large containers such as a bucket or an auto-scrubber and a small container such as a bottle; 
     d) Providing a liquid mixing and dispensing apparatus of the foregoing kind which can be easily retrofitted to a currently used dispensing apparatus; 
     e) Providing a liquid mixing and dispensing apparatus of the foregoing kind which allows for variation of the low flow rate. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing objects are accomplished and shortcomings of the prior art are overcome by the liquid mixing and dispensing apparatus of this invention which in one aspect includes a support member, at least one container placed on the support member, an eductor in fluid communication with the container, a valve member, a liquid intake conduit member connected to the valve member and the eductor, a flow control valve connected to the liquid intake conduit member, the control valve having a first bore constructed and arranged to provide a first flow rate and a second bore constructed and arranged to provide a second flow rate lower than the first flow rate, at least one of the bores includes a liquid metering device, a liquid product supply line operatively connected to the container and a liquid product intake of the eductor, a closure member connected to each container and the liquid supply line, and a liquid outlet line operatively connected to the eductor. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the second bore is smaller than the first bore. 
     In another preferred embodiment, the second bore includes the liquid metering device. 
     In another aspect, the second bore is adaptable to receiving at least two metering devices having different flow patterns. 
     In yet another aspect, a housing for the control valve has a passage with a liquid metering device positioned in the passage. 
     In still another aspect, a liquid metering device is positioned in both of the bores. 
     In still yet another aspect, the dispensing apparatus includes a multiplicity of containers, valve members and eductors. 
     These and still other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description which follows. In the detailed description below a preferred embodiment of the invention will be described in reference to the full scope of the invention. Rather, the invention may be employed in other embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of the mixing and dispensing apparatus of this invention, illustrating the filling of a bucket. 
     FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating the filling of a bottle. 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1 with a panel member removed. 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the flow control valve used in conjunction with the mixing and dispensing apparatus. 
     FIG. 5 is a top view of the control valve shown in FIG. 4 illustrating the positions of the handle member. 
     FIG. 6 is a view in side elevation of the flow control valve. 
     FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 with the component parts shown in section. 
     FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the flow control valve. 
     FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 except showing the component parts in section. 
     FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 7 showing an alternative embodiment. 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a ball valve for use in the flow control valve. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-3, mixing and dispensing apparatus generally  10  includes a housing member  12  through which extends a flow control valve generally  14  and valve members  16 ,  17 ,  18  and  19 . The housing member  12  includes an upper panel  21  which is connected to rack member  23  for confining containers  25  on panel  21 . The containers  25  will contain a concentrated cleaning or sanitizing material. The valve bodies  28  are connected to manifold  32  which is connected to one end of the control valve  14 . Water supply line  30  is connected to the other end of the control valve  14 . 
     As seen in FIG. 3, eductors  35  are connected to the valve members  16 - 19 . Positioned on containers  25  are caps  40 . Liquid supply lines  42  are in fluid communication with the caps  40  and containers  25  at one end and with the eductors  35  at another end. Outlet lines  45  and  46  extend from the eductors  35 . Eductors  38  are available from S.C. Johnson Commercial Markets, Inc., Sturtevant, Wis. 
     Referring to FIGS. 4-9, there is shown the flow control valve  14 . It has a housing  50  to which is connected the handle  52 . End cap  54  is threadably connected to the housing at one end such as by the threads  53 . At the opposing end, there is a threaded portion  56  for connection to the manifold  32  (See FIG.  3 ). A valve seat  58  is positioned between the cap  54  and inside the hollow housing  50 . A second seat  74  is positioned in the housing downstream of seat  58 . These valve seats provide sealing engagement with the ball  65 . Stop surfaces are provided at  47  and  48  to provide limited travel of handle  52  and orientation of ball  65 . 
     Referring specifically to FIG. 8, ball  65  has a main throughbore  66 . In addition, there are two smaller bores  68  and  70  which extend transversely with respect to bore  66  and at a right angle to the axis of main bore  66 . At the entrance to bore  68  is seat  72  which receives metering housing  63  in which is placed a washer  61 . A metering device  60  has multiple apertures  62  and is positioned in the metering housing  63  with the washer  61 . As illustrated, additional metering devices such as  64  with different apertures  67  for a different flow can be placed in seat  72  of bore  68 . 
     As seen in FIGS. 7 and 8, valve housing  50  has a passage  80  which receives the valve stem  77  connected to the ball  65 . Handle  52  is connected to the threaded stem  77  by means of the screw  84  extending through the opening  82  of the handle  52 . The washer  78  provides the usual seal. 
     FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate alternative embodiments of a flow control valve  114  and a ball  265 . Similar parts are designated with similar numbers except in the “ 100 ” and “ 200 ” series. Referring to FIG. 10, flow control valve  114  differs from valve  14  in the placement of a metering device  164  in the passage  186  of end cap housing  154 . It is secured therein by washer  175  and has a peripheral flange  179  for seating against seat  173 . The second metering device  160  would be placed in the smaller bore  168 . 
     FIG. 11 shows ball  265  with two metering devices  260  and  264 . One of the devices is placed in small bore  68  and the other in the larger bore  66  as seen in FIG.  8 . In this instance, bore  66  would have the seat such as  72  to receive the device. 
     OPERATION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the dispensing of liquid material from dispensing apparatus  10  is effected in the usual manner. Water under pressure will be introduced through the supply line  30  and into manifold  32 . Depending upon the material which is desired to be dispensed from containers  25 , one of the valve members  16 ,  17 ,  18  or  19  will be activated. This causes water under pressure to flow through the corresponding eductor  35  which will cause a siphoning effect in the liquid supply line  42 . This draws the concentrated chemical material into the diluent water and causes a mixed product to flow out of the outlet lines  45  or  46 . 
     An important feature of the invention is the ability to have a high and low flow water mixing and dispensing apparatus  10  with high and low flow accomplished by the control valve  14 . Referring to FIG. 7, when the bore  66  is aligned with the passages  86  and  88  a high flow condition is accomplished with the result that water flows through the eductors  38  at a rate of 4 gpm or greater which in turn causes the liquid concentrate to be mixed at a high rate with the diluent water. This is the condition which would be utilized to fill the bucket  90  as shown in FIG.  1 . When a lower flow rate is to be accomplished, handle  52  would be turned 90 degrees as indicated in solid lines in FIG.  7 . This would cause the metering device  60  to be orientated with the passages  86  and  88  to thereby reduce the flow of water through the ball  65  of valve  14 . Note that for this purpose bore  70  is smaller than the bore  68  which receives the metering device  60 . This position is the low flow rate having a flow rate of 2 gpm which is utilized to fill the bottle  92  as shown in FIG.  2 . 
     Flow control valve  114  operates in essentially the same manner as valve  14 . It offers the advantage of two metering devices  160  and  164  with different flow capacities with only a single device being placed in the ball  165 . 
     Ball  265  can be substituted for ball  65  and operate as previously described for ball  65 . It offers the advantage of two metering devices  260  and  264  with different capacities in a single ball. 
     It should be pointed out that for illustration purposes only, the handles  52  shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 are not in proper orientation with respect to the ball valve. Referring to FIGS. 4,  5 ,  6  and  7 , when the handle  52  is parallel with the passages  86  and  88  a high flow condition is effected and when it is turned 90 degrees a low flow condition. 
     It will thus be seen that there is now provided a dispensing apparatus which can accomplish a high and low flow rate to fill either buckets or bottles from the same concentrate dispenser. This is accomplished while using only a single concentrate bottle. 
     While the dispensing apparatus has been shown in conjunction with a flow control valve having a metering device with specific configurations of apertures, it should be appreciated that other metering devices can be employed with various configurations of apertures or flow patterns depending on the desired flow rate. These can be easily inserted and removed from the ball  65  and valve seat  58 . Semi-rigid containers  25  are described as being positioned on panel  21 . Flexible bags could be substituted. Neither is it necessary that the containers or bags be placed on an elevated support member. They could be supported on a floor. Further, the liquid control valve  14  is operable with a portable dispensing apparatus wherein the housing member  12  and only a single valve body  28 , manifold  32  and eductor  35  would be present in a portable housing. The outlet line  45  is described for filling a bucket  90  or a bottle  92 . This line is in the form of a hose and can be used to broadcast a spray for cleaning purposes as well as for the purpose of filling a sink. Other variations and modifications of this invention will be obvious to those skilled in this art. This invention is not to be limited except as set forth in the following claims.