WO1998004472A1 | 1998-02-05 |
DE202011102452U1 | 2012-06-26 | |||
US4838457A | 1989-06-13 | |||
DE2444227A1 | 1976-03-25 | |||
US5647513A | 1997-07-15 | |||
US1989468A | 1935-01-29 | |||
GB1464280A | 1977-02-09 |
Claims:- 1. A fluid flow control system comprising a receiving chamber and first and second supply chambers each having an outlet, with the flow of fluid from the supply chambers to the receiving chamber controlled by a rotatable valve member having a first series of spaced openings that can be moved into registry with the outlet of the first supply chamber and a second series of spaced openings that can be moved into registry with the outlet of the second supply chamber. 2. A fluid flow control system as claimed in Claim 1 f in which the series of spaced openings are of varying sizes, with the openings forming each series arcuately disposed and ranging in sequence from a maximum size to a minimum size. 3. A fluid flow control system as claimed in Claim 2, in which the openings forming the first series are arranged so that they vary in sequence from the maximum size to the minimum size in a first arcuate direction whilst the openings forming the second series are spaced arcuately from those in the first series and vary in sequence from the maximum size to the minimum size in the opposite arcuate direction. 4. A fluid flow control system as claimed in Claim 1 , in which the valve member is arranged for rotation in discrete steps. 5. A fluid flow control system as claimed in Claim 4, in which rotation of the valve member in discrete steps is controlled using a detent mechanism so that, as the valve member is rotated in use, each step of its movement corresponds to movement of successive openings of the first series into registry with the outlet of the first supply chamber and to movement of successive openings of the second series into registry with the outlet of the second supply chamber. 6. A fluid flow control system as claimed in Claim 3, in which the arrangement is such that, when the maximum-sized opening of the first series is in register with the outlet of the first supply chamber, none of the openings in the second series is in register with the outlet of the second supply chamber and, when the maximum-sized opening of the second series is in register with the outlet of the second supply chamber, none of the openings in the first series is in register with the outlet of the first supply chamber. 7. A fluid flow control system as claimed in Claim 1 , in which the first and second and second supply chambers are subjected to a uniform pressure such that, during a dispensing operation, the ratio of the volume of fluid delivered from the first supply chamber to the receiving chamber to the volume of fluid delivered from the second supply chamber to the receiving chamber will be the same as the ratio of the area of the opening of the first series then in register with the outlet of the first supply chamber to the area of the opening of the second series then in register with the outlet of the second supply chamber. 8. A perfume dispenser which includes a fluid flow control system as claimed in Claim 1. |
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fluid flow control and, although it has been developed in relation to perfume dispensers, it is envisaged that the invention will have other applications. it is an object of the present invention to provide improved means for the control of fluid flow.
Summary of the Invention
According to the present invention there is provided a fluid flow control system comprising a receiving chamber and first and second supply chambers each having an outlet, with the flow of fluid from the supply chambers to the receiving chamber controlled by a rotatable valve member having a first series of spaced openings that can be moved into registry with the outlet of the first supply chamber and a second series of spaced openings that can be moved into registry with the outlet of the second supply chamber. The series of spaced openings are preferably of varying sizes, with the openings forming each series arcuately disposed and ranging in sequence from a maximum size to a minimum size.
The openings forming the first series are preferably arranged so that they vary in sequence from the maximum size to the minimum size in a first arcuate direction whilst the openings forming the second series are spaced arcuately from those in the first series and vary in sequence from the maximum size to the minimum size in the opposite arcuate direction.
The valve member is preferably arranged for rotation in discrete steps using a detent mechanism so that, as the valve member is rotated in use, each step of its movement corresponds to movement of successive openings of the first series into registry with the outlet of the first supply chamber and to movement of successive openings of the second series into registry with the outlet of the second supply chamber.
The arrangement is preferably such that, when the maximum- sized opening of the first series is in register with the outlet of the first supply chamber, none of the openings in the second series is in register with the outlet of the second supply chamber and, when the maximum-sized opening of the second series is in register with the outlet of the second supply chamber, none of the openings in the first series is in register with the outlet of the first supply chamber. The first and second and second supply chambers are preferably subjected to a uniform pressure such that, during a dispensing operation, the ratio of the volume of fluid delivered from the first supply chamber to the receiving chamber to the volume of fluid delivered from the second supply chamber to the receiving chamber will be the same as the ratio of the area of the opening of the first series then in register with the outlet of the first supply chamber to the area of the opening of the second series then in register with the outlet of the second supply chamber.
Brief Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is an exploded side view of a perfume dispenser,
Figure 2 is a side view of the perfume dispenser,
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the perfume dispenser along the line C-C of Figure 2,
Figure 4 is a plan view of a disc-like valve member forming part of the perfume dispenser,
Figure 5 is a perspective view of the valve member shown in Figure 4, and
Figure 6 is a sectional view of a mixing chamber element forming part of the perfume dispenser. Description of the Preferred Embodiment
The perfume dispenser shown in the drawings includes a perfume bottle 10 the interior of which is divided into first and second supply chambers 11 and 12, which contain liquid perfumes having different characteristics. An aerosol assembly 13 is disposed at the top of the dispenser and the arrangement is such that, when the aerosol assembly is operated, gas under pressure is supplied to each of the chambers 1 1 and 12.
Each of the chambers 11 and 12 contains a vertical tube 14 the lower end of which is spaced a short distance above the base of the chamber 1 1 , 12 and the arrangement is such that the supply of gas under pressure to the chambers 11 and 12 urges the liquid perfume in each chamber 11 , 12 upwardly within the respective vertical tube 14.
A disc-like valve member 15 is disposed above the two supply chambers 1 1 and 12 and has a first series 16 of openings that can be brought into registry with the top of the vertical tube 14 in the first supply chamber 11 and a second series 17 of openings that can be brought into registry with the top of the vertical tube 14 in the second supply chamber 12. Each series 16, 17 of openings extends arcuately with the openings in each series 16, 17 progressively varying in size. The openings of the first series 16 are of progressively increasing size in an anti-clockwise direction whereas the openings of the second series 17 are of progressively increasing size in a clockwise direction. When the largest of the openings of the first series 16 is in registry with the top of the vertical tube 14 in the first supply chamber 1 1 , none of the openings of the second series 17 is in registry with the top of the vertical tube 14 in the second supply chamber 12.
The valve member 15 is formed with a series of depressions 18 with the angular spacing between adjacent depressions 18 corresponding to the angular spacing between adjacent openings of the first and second series 16 and 17. Rotation of the valve member 15 about the central vertical axis of the perfume dispenser is effected manually by engagement with a projecting arm 19 forming part of the valve member 15. Two spring-loaded balls (not shown) are contained within the main body 20 of the perfume dispenser and the balls engage in the depressions 18 so that, as the valve member 15 is turned by movement of the arm 19, the balls are first displaced out of one pair of depressions 18 and then, after a predetermined degree of angular movement are caused to engage in the next pair of depressions 18. The valve member 15 is thus caused to rotate in discrete steps corresponding to the spacing between adjacent openings in the first and second series 16 and 17.
Thus, when the valve member 15 is turned through a predetermined angle such that, instead of the largest opening of the first series 16 being in register with the top of the vertical tube 14 in the first supply chamber 1 1 , the second largest opening in the first series 16 is in register with the top of the vertical tube 14 in the first chamber 11 and the smallest opening in the second series 17 is in register with the top of the vertical tube 14 in the second supply chamber 12.
The valve member 15 is disposed underneath a mixing chamber element 21 shown in Figure 6 and the openings in the first and second series 16 and 17 communicate with a chamber 22 provided within element 21.
The volume of perfume flowing from each of the supply chambers 11 , 12 through the openings in the valve member 15 into the mixing chamber 22 will depend on the cross-sectional areas of the openings of the series 16,17 in register with the tops of the vertical tubes 14 in the supply chambers 11 , 12.
Rotation of the valve member 15 will thus effect stepwise variation of the relative proportions of the two different perfumes fed into the mixing chamber 22 and from there dispensed to the user of the dispenser.