Locking and emptying system of refill cartridge containing nutrients or chemicals

Abstract

Present invention relates to a locking and emptying system of a refill cartridge containing nutrients or chemicals, said system comprising at least one replaceable refill cartridge, at least one receiving socket for the refill cartridge, in every receiving socket a locking mechanism of the refill cartridge, discharge means of the refill cartridge and control means of the locking system and for each refill cartridge a emptying container. The control means of the locking system are set to release the empty refill cartridge from the receiving socket only when the emptying container has enough free volume to receive the content of the next refill cartridge.

Claims

1. A locking and emptying system of a refill cartridge (1) containing nutrients or chemicals, said locking and emptying system comprising at least one receiving socket (2) for locking and emptying the refill cartridge (1), in every said receiving socket (2) a locking mechanism of the refill cartridge (1), discharge means of the refill cartridge (1) and control means of the locking and empting system and for the refill cartridge (1) a emptying container (3), characterized in that in the vicinity of the insertion end of the refill cartridge (1) to be inserted into the receiving socket of an upper face (4) of the refill cartridge (1) comprises a locking depression (5); the locking mechanism in the receiving socket (2) comprises a lever mechanism (6) operable by an end face (11) of the refill cartridge (1), said lever mechanism (6) comprising four mutually rigidly connected parts (7, 8, 9, 10) having mainly parallel longitudinal axes, said longitudinal axes are crosswise to the insertion direction of the refill cartridge (1); where in the receiving socket (2) first part (7) of the lever mechanism (6) is placed rotatably around the longitudinal axis of second part (8) together with third part (9) and fourth part (10) and where said first part (7), third part (9) and fourth part (10) are biased to rotate around the longitudinal axis of said second part (8) so that said first part (7) is pressed against end face (11) of the refill cartridge (1); where in the position where said refill cartridge (1) is inserted into the receiving socket (2) with its end thee (11), said end face (11) is pressed against the first part (7) of the lever mechanism (6), as a result said first part (7) is rotatable around the second part (8) of the lever mechanism (6) together with said third (9) and fourth part (10) of the lever mechanism (6); and where in the position where said refill cartridge (1) is pressed completely into the receiving socket (2), said first part (7) pressed against the end face (11) of the refill cartridge (1) is rotated around the second part (8) of the lever mechanism (6) together with third part (9) and fourth part (10) of the lever mechanism (6) so that said fourth part (10) is engaged with the locking depression (5) on the upper face (4) of the refill cartridge (1) to the locked position of the refill cartridge (1) in the receiving socket (2), where said lever mechanism (6) is locked into a holding position by the third part (9).

2. The locking and emptying system according to claim 1, characterized in that a discharge means of the refill cartridge (1) comprises a piercing means (14) of a discharge opening (13) of the refill cartridge (1) operable by the end face (11) of the refill cartridge (1).

3. The locking and emptying system according to claim 1, characterized in that a discharge means of the refill cartridge (1) comprises a piercing means (14) of a discharge opening (13) of the refill cartridge (1) operable by the end face (11) of the refill cartridge (1), said piercing means (14) comprising an activation part (15), a piercing tip (17) and between them a rotation axis (16) crosswise to the insertion direction of the refill cartridge (1), where in the position where said refill cartridge (1) is pressed completely into the receiving socket (2) said piercing tip (17) is in the position rotated around the rotation axis (16) by the end face (11) of the refill cartridge (1) pressed against the said activation part (15), where said piercing tip (17) is pressed into the discharge opening (13) of the refill cartridge (1).

4. The locking and emptying system according to claim 1, characterized in that the lever mechanism (6) of the locking system is locked by the third part (9) of the lever mechanism (6) into the holding position with help of the electromagnetic latch (18), which in its non-activated state is biased towards le locking position.

5. The locking and emptying system according to claim 1, characterized in that the cross section of the refill cartridge (1) crosswise to the insertion direction of the refill cartridge (1) corresponds to the shape of an inlet opening of the receiving socket (2) of the refill cartridge (1).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

(1) The present invention is now described in greater detail with references to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 represents an axonometric view of the refill cartridge being inserted into the receiving socket, when refill cartridge has not been yet locked;

(3) FIGS. 2 to 6 represent in different views a lever mechanism of the locking system, where FIG. 2 represents front view, FIGS. 3 and 4 represent corresponding side views and in FIGS. 5 and 6 for better overview the lever mechanism is represented in two different three-dimensional views;

(4) FIG. 7 represents enlarged detailed side view of the refill cartridge pushed into the receiving socket, when the end face of the refill cartridge is just become into contact with the first part of the lever mechanism;

(5) FIGS. 8 to 10 represent in different views a piercing means of the discharge opening, where FIG. 8 represents front view, FIG. 9 represents front view and

(6) FIG. 10 represents an axonometric view;

(7) FIGS. 11 to 13 represent in longitudinal sections of refill cartridge inserted into the receiving socket in three different positions, where in FIG. 11 the refill cartridge is just inserted into the receiving socket and it does not touch the lever mechanism of the locking system, where in FIG. 12 the end face of the refill cartridge is already pushed against the first part of the lever mechanism and the lever mechanism has started to rotate around its second part, and in FIG. 13 the refill cartridge is pushed all the way into the receiving socket and it has been locked into place with the fourth part of the lever mechanism and electromagnetic latch;

(8) FIGS. 14 and 15 represent corresponding side views of the refill cartridge corresponding to the position in FIG. 7; and

(9) FIGS. 16 and 17 represent corresponding side views of the refill cartridge corresponding to the position in FIG. 13.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

(10) The attached drawings represent only one possible embodiment out of many other possible embodiments of the locking and emptying system of a refill cartridges. In the attached drawings are depicted only one refill cartridge 1 in the receiving socket 2 and on the emptying container 3. Understandably the actual device may comprise side by side multiple refill cartridges each in its corresponding receiving socket. Also for the clarity of the drawings sensors, limit switches, wiring and other details which are not essential for understanding present invention are omitted from the drawings.

(11) On the upper face 4 of the refill cartridge 1 is a locking depression 5, at the side of the end of the cartridge to be inserted into the receiving socket 2. This depression is intended to engage with corresponding part 10 of the lever mechanism 6 of the locking system, see FIGS. 1 and 11 to 17.

(12) The lever mechanism 6 comprises 4 mutually rigidly connected parts 7, 8, 9 and having mutually parallel longitudinal axes, see FIGS. 2 to 6. In the embodiment depicted on drawings said lever mechanism is made from bent bar.

(13) As can be seen from FIGS. 7, 11, 12, 14 and 15, when refill cartridge 1 is inserted into the receiving socket 2, the end face 11 of the refill cartridge 1 is pushed against the first part 7 of the lever mechanism 6, as a result the lever mechanism 6 is rotated around its second part 8. Because parts 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the lever mechanism 6 are mutually rigidly connected, third part 9 and fourth part 10 of the lever mechanism 6 are also rotated around the second part 8. Lever mechanism 6 is biased by spring 12 to rotate around second part 8 in order to push its first part 7 against the end face 11 of the refill cartridge 1.

(14) When the refill cartridge 1 is inserted, the activation part 15 of the piercing means 14 of the discharge opening 13 is also pushed against the end face 11, where said activation part 15 rotates piercing means 14 around rotation axis 16, where said axis 16 is crosswise to the insertion direction of the refill cartridge 1 and where at the other side of the rotation axis piercing means 14 comprises a piercing tip 17, where said piercing tip 17 is pushed into the discharge opening 13 of the refill cartridge 1, when refill cartridge 1 is pushed all the way into the receiving socket 2. Specially from the FIG. 13 can bee seen, that in the locked position of the refill cartridge 1 the piercing tip 17 has pierced membrane 19 closing the discharge opening 13 of the refill cartridge 1.

(15) In this position the lever mechanism 6 of the locking system is locked by its third part 9 with the help of the electromagnetic latch 18 into the holding position, i.e. locking position of the refill cartridge 1.

(16) The piercing tip 17 of the piercing means 14 moves into the discharge opening 13 of the refill cartridge 1 from below through groove at the top of the emptying container 2.

(17) As can be seen from FIGS. 13, 16 and 17, the refill cartridge 1 can not be removed from the receiving socket 2 until third part 9 of the lever mechanism 6 is locket by electromagnetic latch 18. The forth part 11 of the lever mechanism 6 engages locking depression 5 on the upper face 4 of the refill cartridge 1.

(18) Because in the normal state of the electromagnetic latch 18 is biased into the locking position, i.e., when no current runs through it (i.e. its not activated), said latch is in the locking position, its ensured that refill cartridge can be removed from the receiving socket 2 only when activation signal (current) is led from the control means of the locking system into the electromagnetic latch 18, as a result latch releases third part 9 of the lever mechanism 6 and then lever mechanism 6 can rotate due the force of the spring 12 such that lever mechanism is pushed by its first part 7 against the and face 11 of the refill cartridge 1, as a result refill the other end of the cartridge 1 is pushed out of the receiving socket 2 and then refill cartridge can be removed by the user.

(19) Control means of the locking system are connected or integrated with the control electronics of the automatic growing cabinet.

(20) Each emptying container 3 is provided with a sensor (not shown) to determine the level of its content. This information is necessary, because preferably empty refill cartridge 1 is released from the receiving socket 2 only then, when the level of the liquid in the receiving container 3 is dropped in an amount, which enables by the receiving container to receive the full content of the next full refill cartridge 1.

(21) For an additional safety measure the control means of the locking system are set to lock the refill cartridge after insertion into the receiving socket for the minimal emptying period of the refill cartridge, where during that period the removal of the refill cartridge is blocked by the locking system. This is necessary to ensure, that all the content of the refill cartridge has emptied into the emptying container and possible residues (drops) of the content at the discharge opening of the refill cartridge have been dried.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

(22) 1refill cartridge 2receiving socket 3emptying container 4upper face of the refill cartridge 5locking depression 6lever mechanism 7first part of the lever mechanism 8second part of the lever mechanism 9third part of the lever mechanism 10fourth part of the lever mechanism 11end face of the refill cartridge 12springvedru 13discharge opening of the refill cartridge 14piercing means of the discharge opening 15activation part 16rotation axis (pivot) 17piercing tip 18electromagnetic latch 19membrane