Dosing device for soaking a cleaning cloth with detergent

Abstract

This invention concerns a device for dosing a liquid detergent for soaking cleaning cloths, which releases an exact amount of liquid detergent; in particular, the invention refers to the actuating devices for operating the valve that the above-mentioned dosing device is fitted with.

Claims

1. A detergent dosing device for soaking cleaning cloths, comprising: a body equipped with a storage chamber; at least one actuating device for moving a valve fixed inside the body; an outlet pipe on a bottom of the body for releasing the liquid detergent stored inside the storage chamber upon actuation of the at least one actuating device, an outlet section of the outlet pipe being closed by the valve and opened by rectilinear displacement of the valve along a main axis of the valve by the at least one actuating device, the at least one actuation device being joined to the valve by means of a connection on the outside of the body; and wherein the connection on the outside of the body is integrally formed with a protruding part at the bottom of the valve.

2. A detergent dosing device for soaking cleaning cloths, comprising: a body equipped with a storage chamber; at least one actuating device for moving a valve fixed inside the body; an outlet pipe on a bottom of the body for releasing the liquid detergent stored inside the storage chamber upon actuation of the at least one actuating device, an outlet section of the outlet pipe being closed by the valve and opened by rectilinear displacement of the valve along a main axis of the valve by the at least one actuating device, the at least one actuation device being joined to the valve by means of a connection on the outside of the body; and wherein the connection between the valve and the at least one actuating device takes the form of a lower extension of the valve on the outside of the body, joined to a track, whose generatrix has a diverging radius on the end of an arm of a lever, an opposite arm of the lever, with respect to a hinging fulcrum, has a grip adapted for manual movement of the actuating devices.

3. The detergent dosing device of claim 2 wherein the lever is pivoted on the outside of the body, whereby the lever can be easily accessed and readily serviced.

4. The detergent dosing device of claim 3 wherein the grip, which is adapted to be manually operated by an operator, is on a front part of the dosing device positioned in an ergonomic manner.

5. The detergent dosing device of claim 2 wherein the rotational movement of the lever reproduces a flow behavior of the liquid detergent, whereby it is intuitive to learn how to use the dosing device.

6. The detergent dosing device of claim 2 wherein the lever is limited in rotational travel between a top position and a bottom position, each corresponding respectively to terminal positions of the valve in an open and closed condition of the outlet pipe.

7. The detergent dosing device of claim 2 wherein the travel of the movement of the lever from the top downwards corresponds to a linear lowering of the valve with the respective opening of the outlet pipe for the liquid detergent stored inside the dosing device, and is carried out directly by the operator holding the grip connected solidly at the end of the arm in front of the lever.

8. The detergent dosing device of claim 2 wherein the travel of the lever from the bottom upwards corresponds to a linear displacement of the valve closing the outlet pipe and is brought about by at least one elastic device that urges the lever into the top position, the at least one elastic device disposed on the outside of the dosing device and acting either directly on the valve, near the lower end of the valve, or directly on the operating lever.

9. The detergent dosing device of claim 8 wherein the travel of the lever for reclosing the valve is slowed by a device for damping the motion or a clutch which prolongs the closing of the valve, thereby making sure that all the liquid detergent that has been stored therein flows from the dosing device before the valve fully closes the outlet pipe.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The technical features of the invention, according to the above-mentioned purposes, can be clearly seen in the content of the claims below and its advantages will be even clearer in the detailed description that follows, made with reference to the attached drawings, which represent a form that is purely by way of example and in no way limited, where:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 shows a cross-section according to a vertical symmetrical plane and passing through the valve body;

(4) FIG. 3 shows the object of the invention according to a side plan view;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a cross-section of the object of FIG. 3 according to a plane parallel to the view and passing through the valve body;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a rear plan view of the object of the invention;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a cross-section of the object of FIG. 5 according to a plane parallel to the plan view and passing through the valve body; and

(8) FIG. 7 shows a perspective view, in a separate manner, of just the valve and one lever to highlight the relative connection of the valve to the actuating devices.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(9) The dosing device 1 is a device capable of receiving, retaining and releasing upon a command a pre-determined amount of liquid detergent.

(10) On the top of the dosing device 1 there is a tank 17 full of liquid detergent, with a hole on the bottom for a hydraulic connection, by means of an inlet pipe 3, with the inside of the body 2 of the dosing device 1.

(11) The inside of the body 2 of the dosing device 1 is composed of a chamber 5 for storing a variable volume, capable of storing a certain amount of liquid detergent coming from said tank 17 on top of said dosing device 1.

(12) The variation of this volume takes place using the rotation of a handle 7, on the front part of the body 2, which moves a partition 6 inside the chamber 5.

(13) After this variable volume chamber 5 has been filled with liquid detergent and the relative inlet pipe 3 has been hermetically closed by a gasket 11 coupled to the top part (9, 18) of this valve 8, the outlet pipe 4 opens to release said liquid detergent into a basin below for soaking the cleaning cloth.

(14) In particular said valve 8 has a special gasket 12 on its lower part 10 for closing the outlet pipe 4.

(15) Advantageously the valve 8 of the invention both opens and closes the inlet pipe 3 and outlet pipe 4 of the dosing device 1.

(16) At the lower end of the valve 8 there is a connection 19 that joins with the actuating devices 20 for its displacement between the two pre-defined positions of opening and closing the outlet pipe 4.

(17) Advantageously said actuating devices are composed of a pair of levers 14, whose front arms 21, protruding from the front of the body 2 of said dosing device 1, are, at their front end, connected together by a grip 15 that can be moved by the operator.

(18) Said levers are hinged on the outside of the dosing device 1 along the horizontal axis, so they can be moved by the operator with a rotation movement from up downwards, forcing the flow of the liquid detergent from the top tank 17 to the lower basin.

(19) Said hinging of the actuating devices 20 to the outside of the body 2 of the dosing device 1 corresponds to the pivot 26 of the levers 14.

(20) The arm 22 of the levers 14, opposite to the front one 21 protruding at the front, is connected, near its free end with the connection 19 protruding at the bottom 13 of the valve.

(21) Advantageously said connection 19 is solidly joined to said lower protruding part 19 of the valve 8, and can be a single piece.

(22) Advantageously said connection is made using the constraint between a linchpin 23 forced to move within a track slot 24 with a generatrix with an increasing radius.

(23) With this connection you obtain the linear displacement of the valve 8 by means of the rotation of the levers 14 of the actuating devices 20.

(24) The repositioning in the raised condition of the valve 8 for closing the outlet tube 4 for releasing the liquid detergent, occurs automatically stimulated by elastic devices (eventually protected by a protection 25), which can act directly on the lower part of the valve 8 or directly on the levers 14.

(25) However, to prevent the outlet tube closing too quickly, without all the liquid stored in said dosing device 1 being released, the return movement is dampened and slowed down by a clutch 16, which preferably acts on the levers 14.

(26) This clutch, however, is operational and effective preferably with the valve 8 in the condition of maximum opening to then fail or become non-operational, accelerating the transient state of closing near the repositioning closing phase of the outlet pipe 4 for the release of the liquid detergent.

(27) FIG. 7 shows an example of a device that allows the clutch to be active only for a part of the travel movement of the levers 14, composed of a profile with 25 teeth, on which the clutch 16 engages for a partial stretch of said travel.

(28) With this differentiated movement in the repositioning speed of the valve 8 from the open position to the closed one, we get the advantageous effect of maintaining the outlet section of the outlet pipe 4 open for a longer period of time, which is favorable to the speedy release of the liquid detergent, and the advantageous effect of reducing the time and closing the outlet pipe 4 more quickly and safely by the valve 8 repositioning in the closed state.

(29) In practice we have verified how the invention does the job and attains the pre-set purposes.

(30) In particular with this invention we have developed actuating devices that move the valve of a dosing device and which are joined to the outside body of the dosing device.

(31) In particular, with the invention, a joint was made between the actuating devices that is reliable, easily inspected and easily maintained.

(32) Furthermore, with the invention we have developed a movement of the operating levers whose travel ideally reproduces the state of the flow of the liquid detergent.

(33) And last but not least, with the invention we have developed a displacement of the valve for closing the outlet pipe that is opportunely differentiated to facilitate the discharge speed of the liquid detergent, in less time, slowing down the reclosing movement with a clutch, and deactivating and rendering inactive said clutch near the closing of the outlet pipe for a quick and secure closing displacement of the valve.

(34) The invention conceived in this way is open to numerous modifications and variants, all falling within the ambit of the inventive concept; moreover all the parts can be replaced by other technically equivalent components.

(35) In practice, the materials used, as well as the dimensions and the contingent forms, can vary according to requirements and the state of the technology.

(36) Where the characteristics and the technologies mentioned in any claim are followed by reference marks, these marks have been placed with the only aim of increasing the understanding of the claims and as a result these reference marks have no limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by these reference marks.