Dosing device with fluid-side module and a dry module

Abstract

The invention relates to a dosing device comprises a fluid-side module (12,12) and a dry module (13), the fluid-side module (12,12) comprises a chamber (14) and a magnetic piston (16) which is drivingly moved into the chamber (14) by a magnetic drive, the piston is penetrated by a channel provided with a seal (20,56). The magnetic drive for the magnetic piston (16) is arranged in the dry module (13).

Claims

1. A dispenser comprising a dosing device for dispensing of body care products, hygiene products and disinfectants, having a fluid-side module (12, 12) and a dry module (13), wherein the fluid-side module (12, 12) comprises a chamber (14) and a magnetic piston (16) which is guided in the chamber (14) and is moved by means of a moveable magnetic drive in a motional direction of the piston (16), said piston being penetrated by a duct provided with a seal (20, 56), characterized in that the moveable magnetic drive for the magnetic piston (16) is disposed in the dry module (13) and, wherein the moveable magnetic drive comprises magnets (60), which are linearly displaced in the motional direction of the piston (16), and wherein the chamber (14) has an inlet (24) on a side lying in the motional direction of the piston (16) and an outlet (26) on an opposite side, and wherein the inlet (24) is connectable to a fluid reservoir (100), and the outlet (26) to a dispensing device (103).

2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the chamber (14) is configured as a riser tube.

3. A method for dosing of body care products, hygiene products or disinfectants, comprising employing the dispenser of claim 1.

4. The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the fluid-side module is designed to be disposable jointly with a fluid reservoir.

Description

(1) The invention shall be described in greater detail below on the basis of illustrative embodiments, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(2) FIG. 1 shows a fluid-side module of a dosing device according to the invention in a first embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a dosing device according to the embodiment according to FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment to FIG. 1;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a dosing device according to an embodiment to FIG. 3;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a further alternative, in which the magnetic drive of the dry module is moved;

(7) FIG. 6 shows an alternative embodiment to FIG. 5;

(8) FIG. 7 shows an embodiment in which the fluid-side module is moved;

(9) FIG. 8 shows an alternative embodiment to FIG. 7;

(10) FIG. 9 shows a further alternative to FIGS. 5 and 6;

(11) FIGS. 10 and 11 show an alternative to FIGS. 7 and 8;

(12) FIG. 12 shows a perspective representation of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(13) FIG. 1 shows a fluid-side module of a dosing device according to the invention, which in its entirety is provided with the reference symbol 12. The fluid-side module comprises a chamber 14, in which a piston 16 made of a ferromagnetic material is movably guided. The chamber 14, and also the piston 16, preferably have a cylindrical cross section. The piston 16 is provided in the middle with a duct 18, wherein in the duct 18 is arranged a ball valve 20 as the seal. The piston 16 can here be moved back and forth in the chamber 14 in the arrow direction 22. In addition, the chamber has on one end face 23 an inlet 24 and on the opposite end face 25 an outlet 26. The inlet 24 is here connectable to a fluid reservoir (not shown), and the arrow 28 shows the fluid flow from the fluid reservoir (not shown) into the chamber 14. The outlet 26 can here be connected to a fluid dispensing device, which likewise is not represented, and this fluid flow is labeled with the reference symbol 30. In the provided arrangement, a liquid flow is realized from the bottom up (upright), as is often provided in hand disinfection devices having a holder which is fitted, for instance, fixedly to a wall, and wherein the liquid-side module 12 is connected to the fixed holder and also to the fluid reservoir.

(14) Furthermore a seal 32 is provided at the inlet 24, which seal likewise has a ball valve 34. As the ball material, glass or ceramic or a metal can, for instance, be employed, wherein the ball material must be resistant to the employed, in particular alcoholic, fluid, as is used for hand disinfection. The ball trap here likewise consists of a material which is inert toward solvents or the used fluid and is preferably made of a polymer.

(15) As a result of the up and down movement of the piston 16 in the chamber 14, fluid is conveyed according to the arrow directions 28, 22 and 30 from a fluid reservoir to a dispensing device. If the piston moves from a lower position in an upward direction in the drawing, the ball seal 20 ends up in the shown position, and liquid from the region above the piston 16, which liquid is contained in the chamber 14, is delivered via the outlet 26. The chamber 14 is here constructed in the style of a riser tube. At the same time the valve 34 opens, so that fluid can further flow out of the reservoir into the region of the chamber 14 beneath the piston 16.

(16) If then, after the fluid delivery, the piston 16 is guided downward, or falls downward due to gravity, then the ball 20 is lifted off its represented seat and frees an opening via which fluid is then conveyed from the region beneath the piston 16, in the arrow direction 28, through the duct 18 into the region above the piston 16. The valve 34 is here closed.

(17) The actuation of the piston 16 is now shown in FIG. 2, which, with respect to the fluid-side module, corresponds to the embodiment according to FIG. 1, and likewise shows the dry module 13.

(18) The dosing device here has a dry module 13, which has no contact whatsoever with the fluid and possesses a plurality of electromagnets 36 arranged one above another in the motional direction of the piston 16. These can be configured as single magnets, but also as ring magnets or horseshoe magnets. If now, via a power source 38, a current is applied to a switch or sensor 42, then this can be actuated, either contactlessly or via a touch, and according to the setting gives a signal 44 to a control system 46, which latter actuates the electromagnets 36-36, to be precise such that the piston 16 is raised vertically upward in the chamber 14 in the arrow direction 28, 30 and a conveyance of a previously defined fluid quantity ensues, which fluid quantity then passes out of an outlet of a dispensing device.

(19) After this delivery of fluid, the piston 16 then falls back again into its starting position, either by means of gravity, or in controlled manner via the electromagnets 36. The fluid delivery can here be controlled such that, for each row of electromagnets 36 to 36, 0.5 ml/1.0 ml fluid are dispensed in a jet, maximally, therefore, 1.5 ml/3.0 ml fluid.

(20) It is here particularly advantageous that no mechanical components, and thus components subject to increased wear, are necessary, and, in particular, no non-positive or otherwise mechanical coupling between the fluid-side module 12 and the dry module 13 is necessary for the driving of the piston 16.

(21) FIGS. 3 and 4 now show an alternative embodiment, wherein a liquid flow in the representation of the drawing, and also in a subsequently occurring installation situation, is realized from top to bottom, thus upside down. The fluid flow is here labeled with the reference symbols 50 and 52. In the chamber 14 is in turn provided a piston 16 made of a ferromagnetic material. Unlike the previous illustrative embodiment, the fluid inlet 54, as well as the duct 18 in the piston 16, are provided with a diaphragm seal 56 which functions according to the screen principle, wherein the open setting can be seen at the fluid inlet 54, and the closed position of the diaphragm seal 56 at the duct 18. The shown position of the seals represents the position which is adopted during the discharge and secondary conveyance of liquid through the diaphragm seals 56.

(22) If the piston 16 is then moved back again from a position at its, in the plane of the drawing, lower position, the diaphragms 56 adopt exactly the opposite positions and thus seal off the entrance, and at the same time convey fluid into the region beneath the piston 16, thus into that region of the chamber 14 which is facing the exit-side end of the piston 16.

(23) The choice of seal (for example ball valve or diaphragm seal) can be made independently of the direction of flow of the fluid.

(24) FIG. 4 now shows the associated arrangement of the dry module 13 corresponding to the arrangement according to FIG. 2, wherein the magnets 36 are actuated such that a conveyance takes place from top to bottom.

(25) FIGS. 5 and 6 show alternative options of the magnetic drive in the dry module 13, wherein, a plurality of electromagnets 36 arranged one above another in the motional direction of the piston 16 are not, as in FIGS. 1 to 4, provided for the actuation, but rather the magnets of the magnetic drive are configured as permanent magnets 60, which respectively interact with the ferromagnetic material of the piston 16, and the movement of the piston is realized by virtue of the fact that the magnets 60 are moved linearly in the direction of the double arrows 62 by means of an electromechanical drive 64 for the permanent magnets 60. The arrangement comprising power source 38, switch or sensor 42 and control system 46, which latter actuates the electromechanical drive for the permanent magnets 64, corresponds to that which has already been shown in the preceding figures.

(26) FIG. 5 here shows an embodiment having a fluid-side module according to FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 an embodiment having a fluid-side module according to FIG. 3, wherein here a conveyance takes place from top to bottom, and in FIG. 5 from the bottom up.

(27) FIGS. 7 and 8 show a further alternative embodiment, wherein the fluid-side module 12 according to FIG. 7 corresponds to that described with respect to FIG. 1 and the fluid-side module 12 corresponds to that described with respect to FIG. 3, so that these shall respectively not be discussed in greater detail. Likewise provided is a power source 38, which is connected to a switch or sensor 42 that can be actuated by touch or contactlessly and in turn interacts with a control system 46 which here controls an electromechanical drive for the fluid-side module 12 or 12. The electromechanical drive for the fluid-side module is provided with the reference symbol 70. The fluid-side module 12, 12 is then moved in the direction of the double arrows 72, wherein the permanent magnets 74 are immovably held and the piston 16 too is hereby secured, while the chamber 14 moves.

(28) In an embodiment in which the magnetic drive is moved, as is represented in FIGS. 5 and 6, if no electromechanical drive for the permanent magnets 60 is intended to be employed, then also a mechanical drive 80 can be used, which mechanical drive is actuated via a lever 82 that interacts with the switch or sensor 42 and thus realizes a movement of the permanent magnets, at the same time as which a spring 84 is tensioned via the lever 82, cf. FIGS. 9a and 9b, so that then a restoring force is provided via the spring 84, which restoring force returns the permanent magnet 60, and, via this, also the piston 16, back into the starting position after the conveying process.

(29) The springs 84 can here be tightly, thus fixedly, secured to a holder housing (holder).

(30) It is likewise possible to provide, instead of an electromechanical drive for the fluid-side module 12 or 12 (cf. FIGS. 7 and 8), here too a mechanical drive, which in FIG. 10 is shown for a fluid-side module 12 according to FIG. 1 and in FIG. 11 for a fluid-side module 12 according to FIG. 3. In this case there can also be provided a lever 82, which does not however move the permanent magnets of the dry module, but rather the fluid-side module 12 or 12 which is secured to a holder by means of a spring 90, wherein the springs are tensioned by means of the lever movement and then enable a resetting of the fluid-side module 12 and 12, while the permanent magnets 74 are provided immovably on the dispenser housing. That is to say, here too the chamber 14 moves, while the piston 16 remains secured.

(31) Finally, an embodiment is shown by FIG. 12, wherein the fluid-side module 12 is shown with a fluid reservoir in a system for hand disinfection, and the fluid reservoir 100 is connected to the chamber 14 via a feed line 102. The piston 16 is here moved up and down in the chamber 14 and conveys the fluid out of the fluid reservoir 102 to a dispensing device 103. A corresponding fluid reservoir 100, which can be provided with a fluid-side module 12, is here preferably introduced into an associated fixed holder. The fluid-side module 12 is here constructed as a disposable product, or as a reusable product which is treatable.

(32) In this way, a dosing device can be provided in a particularly simple manner, which dosing device is subjected only to low wear, wherein the susceptibility to faults, which in particular upon contact with alcoholic products, as used for hand disinfection, can be reduced. The preconditions for reliably conveying a prespecified volume throughout the period of use are herewith achieved.