Abstract:
An adaptor for dispensing a liquid into a container is provided. The adaptor includes a sleeve having an outer surface and an inner surface. The adapter also includes an opening passing through the outer surface and inner surface of the sleeve. The adapter further includes a pipe having a first and a second end, the first end attached to the opening. The adapter also includes a sealing lid removably disposed over the second end of the pipe.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The present invention relates generally to the field of containers of liquids and, in particular, to an adapter for dispensing liquids into a container.  
       BACKGROUND INFORMATION  
       [0002]     A dewar flask is a vessel for storing hot or cold liquids so that the liquids maintain their temperature independent of the surroundings. Typically, the walls of the dewar flask include two thin layers separated by a vacuum to reduce conduction and convection.  
         [0003]     In one application, the dewar flask is used to store liquids, such as, liquid nitrogen, for use in various chemical processes. A dewar head assembly is often used to remove liquid from the dewar flask. The dewar head assembly typically includes a long pipe that extends through an opening at the top of the dewar flask. The dewar head assembly also typically includes a mechanism for controllably removing the chemical from the dewar flask through the pipe.  
         [0004]     When used in a chemical process, the liquid in the dewar flask occasionally becomes depleted and must be replenished. During conventional refilling of the flask the dewar head assembly is removed from the dewar flask. Unfortunately, the character of liquids, such as nitrogen is such that the extreme cold of the dewar flask causes condensation to form on the dewar head assembly when removed from the dewar flask introducing environmental contamination, namely water to drip into the dewar flask. Introduction of water into the dewar flask may cause long term problems to equipment associated with the dewar flask. Also, this introduction of contaminants into the dewar flask may also affect the reliability of the equipment associated with the dewar flask. In an attempt to minimize this contamination, a procedure of towel drying, hot air drying and dry nitrogen drying of the pipe of the dewar head assembly is typically used. Unfortunately, the time to conduct this procedure is on the order of 30 minutes for each refill of the dewar flask.  
         [0005]     The procedure of reinsertion of the dewar head after the dewar flask is refilled is also affected by the measures used to protect the contents of the dewar flask from contamination. Insertion of a dewar head assembly normally takes about 5 minutes. A much longer period of time is required after the drying of the pipe of the dewar head assembly because the dewar head assembly is warm compared to the liquid nitrogen. When the dewar head assembly is warm, the liquid nitrogen tends to splash on the person inserting the dewar head assembly if inserted too quickly and thereby raising a safety issue. Thus, the dewar head assembly is typically inserted slowly. This also raises a health/disability issue for the operator as a result of holding the dewar head assembly for an extended period of time.  
         [0006]     Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved technique for dispensing liquid into a dewar flask.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     Embodiments of the present invention address problems with dispensing liquids into a container. In one embodiment, an adapter is provided that comprises a sleeve having an outer surface and an inner surface and an opening passing through the outer surface and inner surface of the sleeve and a pipe having a first and a second end with the first end attached to the opening and a sealing lid removably disposed over the second end of the pipe. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is an exploded, perspective view of one embodiment of a liquid dispensing system.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side view in partial cross section of one embodiment of a flange clamp used to seal together the edges of a dewar head and an adapter in a liquid dispensing system.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a side view in partial cross section of one embodiment of a flange clamp used to seal together the edges of an adapter and a dewar in a liquid dispensing system.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of one embodiment of an adapter sleeve for a liquid dispensing system.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a curved pipe that connects to an adapter sleeve to form an adapter.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a side view in partial cross section of one embodiment of a curved pipe with a divider plate attached along the length of the pipe to form a top and bottom chamber that connects to an adapter sleeve to form an adapter.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of one embodiment of a linear pipe that connects to an adapter sleeve to form an adapter.  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is a side view in partial cross section of one embodiment of a linear pipe with a divider plate attached along the length of the pipe to form a top and bottom chamber that connects to an adapter sleeve to form an adapter. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0016]     In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that from a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.  
         [0017]      FIG. 1  is an illustration of one embodiment of a liquid dispensing system shown generally at  100  and constructed according to the teachings of the present invention. In the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a container  102 , e.g., a dewar flask, is used to store liquids such as liquid nitrogen. An adapter  112  is removably attached between the opening  109  of the container  102  and an assembly  104 , e.g., a dewar head assembly. Advantageously, adapter  112  allows liquid to be dispensed into container  102  without requiring the removal and reinsertion of assembly  104 .  
         [0018]     Adapter  112  is formed of a hollow sleeve  119  and a pipe  120 . In one embodiment, sleeve  119  and pipe  120  comprise one of stainless steel and aluminum. In other embodiments, sleeve  119  and pipe  120  are made from any other appropriate material. The particular material used, in one embodiment, is selected to be compatible with the material used for the container  102  or the particular liquid held in the container  102 .  
         [0019]     Sleeve  119  includes a first opening  107  that is adapted to interface with assembly  104 . Sleeve  119  also includes a second opening  105 , opposite first opening  107  that is adapted to interface with the container  102 . A channel  117  passes between the first opening  107  and the second opening  105 . In one embodiment, sleeve  119  comprises a cylindrical sleeve with openings  107  and  105  being generally circular in shape. The shape of the openings  105  and  107  is typically selected to define a channel with a cross sectional area that is substantially the same as the opening  109  of container  102 .  
         [0020]     One end of pipe  120  is attached at an opening  122  of the adapter  112 . Pipe  120  is in fluid communication with channel  117  of adapter  112 . Various embodiments of pipe  120  are shown and described with respect to  FIGS. 5, 6 ,  7  and  8 , below. Further, one embodiment of a sleeve  119  is shown by way of example in sleeve  400  of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0021]     Adapter  112  is removably attached to container  102  with flange clamp  118 . The flange clamp  118  engages flange  103  of container  102  and flange  105  of adapter  112 . When engaged, flange clamp  118  forms an air-tight seal between flange  103  of container  102  and flange  105  of adapter  112 . One embodiment of flange clamp  118  is depicted with flange clamp  118 ′ of  FIG. 3 . In other embodiments, other appropriate mechanisms, conventional or later developed, are used to connect adapter  112  with container  102 . The particular mechanism for connecting the adapter  112  to container  102  is chosen based on, for example, safety concerns, convenience, and compatibility with the container  102  and the adapter  112 .  
         [0022]     Assembly  104  includes a tube  110  for displacing liquid from the container  102 . Assembly  104  also includes control interface  106  that receives signals to control the operation of assembly  104 . Assembly  104  also includes output interface  108  that dispenses liquid from container  102  based on control signals received at control interface  106 .  
         [0023]     Tube  110  of assembly  104  is inserted through first opening  107  in the adapter  112  into channel  117 . The assembly  104  further extends through opening  109  of container  102 . The assembly  104  is attached to the adapter  112  to form an air-tight seal using a flange clamp  116 . One embodiment of flange clamp  116  is shown by way of example with flange clamp  116 ′ of  FIG. 2 . A removable seal  114  is used to cover the end  121  of the pipe  120 .  
         [0024]     In operation, adapter  112  allows liquid to be dispensed into container  102  without removing assembly  104 . The adapter  112  is secured to the container  102  to form an air-tight seal between adapter  112  and container  102  using the flange clamp  118 . The tube  110  connected to the assembly  104  is inserted into the channel  117  of the adapter  112  and into the container  102 . The assembly  104  is aligned with the top edge of the adapter  112 . The assembly  104  and adapter  112  is sealed air-tight using a flange clamp  116 . The seal  114  on the pipe  120  is removed. In one embodiment the liquid to be dispensed is poured into the pipe  120 . Once the container  102  receives the required amount of liquid, it is dispensed through the assembly  104  via the tube  110 . When more liquid is needed, it is dispensed into container  102  through adapter  112  without removing assembly  104 . The above method is convenient in that the assembly  104  need not be removed every time the container  102  has to be filled. This reduces the risk of environmental contamination to the stored liquid and also reduces the stress and strain on the worker using the container  102 .  
         [0025]      FIG. 2  is an illustration of one embodiment of the flange clamp  116 ′. The flange clamp  116 ′ engages flange  113 ′ of the assembly  104  and  111  ′ of the adapter  112 ′. The flange clamp  116 ′ has a notch  202  in the interior surface. The notch  202  overlaps both the flange  113 ′ of the assembly  104  and the flange  111 ′ of the adapter  112 ′. The flange clamp  116 ′ seals the assembly  104 ′ and the adapter  112 ′ together air-tight.  
         [0026]      FIG. 3  is an illustration of one embodiment of flange clamp  118 ′. The flange clamp  118 ′ engages flange  103 ′ of the container  102  and  105 ′ of the adapter  112 ′. The flange clamp  118 ′ has a notch  302  in the interior surface. The notch  302  overlaps both the flange  103 ′ of the container  102 ′ and the flange  105 ′ of the adapter  112 ′. The flange clamp  118 ′ seals the adapter  112 ′ and the container  102 ′ together air-tight.  
         [0027]      FIG. 4  is an illustration of one embodiment of a sleeve  400  for use in system  100  of  FIG. 1 . The sleeve  400  has an outer surface  402  and an inner surface  404 . An opening  122 ′ goes through the sleeve  400  from the outer surface  402  to the inner surface  404 . The sleeve  400  is lengthwise sufficiently long to include an opening  122 ′. Typically, the opening  122 ′ is placed halfway along the length of the sleeve. The opening  122 ′ is sealed air tight to the pipe  120  shown in  FIG. 1  such that the pipe is in fluid communication with the passageway formed by the inner surface  404 . The sleeve  400  has the top flange  111 ′ that is used to connect to the assembly  104  in  FIG. 1 , e.g., a dewar head assembly. The sleeve also has a bottom flange  105 ′ used to connect to the container  102  in  FIG. 1 , e.g., a dewar flask. In one embodiment, the sleeve is cylindrical in shape. In another embodiment, the sleeve is made of aluminum or stainless steel.  
         [0028]     The following  FIGS. 5, 6 ,  7  and  8  illustrate various embodiments for the pipe  120  shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0029]      FIG. 5  is an illustration of one embodiment of a pipe  500 . The pipe  500  is curved upwards in shape. The pipe  500  has a bottom end  502  and a top end  504 . The bottom end  502  is sealed air tight to the opening  122 ′ of the sleeve  400  in  FIG. 4  to form an adapter. The pipe  500  remains in fluid communication with the passageway formed by the inner surface of the sleeve  404 . The top end  504  of the pipe  500  is used to dispense liquid into the container. A seal  506  is placed to seal end  504  of pipe  500  to reduce the risk of environmental contamination to the stored liquid in the container. The seal  506  is either a fixed, a hinged, a screwed or a removable seal.  
         [0030]      FIG. 6  is an illustration of another embodiment of a pipe  600 . The pipe  600  is curved upwards in shape. The pipe  600  has a bottom end  602  and a top end  604 . The bottom end  602  is sealed air tight to the opening  122 ′ of the sleeve  400  in  FIG. 4  to form an adapter. The pipe  600  remains in fluid communication with the passageway formed by the inner surface of the sleeve  404 . The pipe also has a divider plate  606  that is attached along the length of the pipe to create a top chamber  608  and a bottom chamber  610 . The bottom chamber  610  is used to dispense liquid into the container  102  in  FIG. 1 . The top chamber  608  functions as a conduit to vent air that is displaced while dispensing liquid into the container. The top end  604  of the pipe is attached to a removable seal  612 . A seal  612  is placed to reduce the risk of environmental contamination to the stored liquid in the container  102 . The seal  612  is either a fixed, a hinged, a screwed or a removable seal.  
         [0031]      FIG. 7  is an illustration of another embodiment of a pipe  700 . The pipe  700  is linear in shape. The pipe  700  has a bottom end  702  and a top end  704 . The bottom end  702  is sealed air tight to the opening  122 ′ of the sleeve  400  in  FIG. 4  to form an adapter. The pipe  700  remains in fluid communication with the passageway formed by the inner surface of the sleeve  404 . The top end  704  of the pipe is used to dispense liquid into the container. A seal  706  is placed to reduce the risk of environmental contamination to the stored liquid in the container. The seal  706  is either a fixed, a hinged, a screwed or a removable seal.  
         [0032]      FIG. 8  is an illustration of another embodiment of a pipe  800 . The pipe  800  is linear in shape. The pipe  800  has a bottom end  802  and a top end  804 . The bottom end  802  is sealed air tight to the opening  122 ′ of the sleeve  400  in  FIG. 4  to form an adapter. The pipe  800  remains in fluid communication with the passageway formed by the inner surface of the sleeve  404 . The pipe also has a divider plate  806  that is attached along the length of the pipe to create a top chamber  808  and a bottom chamber  810 . The bottom chamber  810  is used to dispense liquid into the container  102  in  FIG. 1 . The top chamber  808  functions as a conduit to vent air that is displaced while dispensing liquid into the container. The top end  804  of the pipe is attached to a removable seal  812 . A seal  812  is placed to reduce the risk of environmental contamination to the stored liquid in the container  102 . The seal  812  is either a fixed, a hinged, a screwed or a removable seal.  
       CONCLUSION  
       [0033]     Embodiments of the present invention have been described. The embodiments provide an adaptor for dispensing liquid into a container. The embodiments drastically limit environmental contamination of the liquid in the container. In addition, using the embodiments eliminates safety and health/disability issues related to dispensing a liquid e.g., liquid nitrogen into a container, e.g., a dewar flask. Using an embodiment of the adapter is a faster process which results in a considerable amount of time saving as a result.  
         [0034]     Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described in this specification, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement that is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the present invention.