Tubular metering device for dispensing identical metered amounts of fluid.

The invention relates to a tubular metering device for dispensing liquid volumes of the same volume of liquid containers provided with a discharge port_' are, in the metering device can be inserted so that the discharge opening is closed by the sealed against the tank metering, with a extending in its interior in the axial direction, for respect of the liquid container outer end open pouring and in its interior in the axial extending direction toward the outer end closed dosing, which are separated from each other by a partition wall, the inner end of the metering device closing the bottom ends at a distance from the, so that the dosing channel and the pouring channel connecting plenum is formed between the bottom and the partition wall end whose volume is at least equal to the dosed volume, said dosing channel is connected by two in an axial distance corresponding to the to be metered volume arranged openings with the container interior and the dispensing channel between the furthest from its outer end remote opening and the partition wall end a collecting space is formed, the volume of which is at least equal to the volume of half of the maximum occurring free liquid.

In a known metering device of this type (German Patent 1,202,672) are both connected to the dosing channel to the interior of the liquid container openings in the side wall of the metering device, namely an opening directly after the the dosing at the outer end closing bulkhead and the other opening in the corresponding axial distance from the first opening, so that the two openings lie on a plane extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of the metering line.

If the Flüsigkeitsbehälter which is closed by means of the known dosing device, upside down, so the liquid flows from the interior of the container through the axially outermost hole in the wall of the metering into it until the liquid level in dosing risen so high is that it, closes the second opening in an inverted liquid container. In this state, no air entering the interior of the liquid container and the liquid to be dispensed volume has been reached.

However, even after closing the second opening passes through the liquid further liquid from the interior of the liquid container in the Dosierka a channel, namely the so-called free liquid. This is that amount of liquid would flow out from the liquid container, if one were to open the container but prevent the entry of air into the container interior. The amount of these so-called free liquid depends inter alia on the specific gravity of the liquid, the height of the liquid column and the amount of air in the liquid container, which expands by the leakage of the free liquid, and then is under a negative pressure. Depending on the degree of filling of the liquid container is thus the amount of free liquid of different sizes, wherein this free liquid can not flow out of the dispensing channel, so that actually reaches only half of the theoretically possible amount of free liquid in the metering channel and in the other half is retained in the interior of the liquid container.

The exiting of the known dosing device on the desired volume in addition to free fluid metering channel causes the interior of the liquid container creates a certain vacuum. Then, when the liquid container is tilted back into its normal position, so that occurred in the dosing free liquid is sucked back through the second opening in the wall of the metering channel back into the interior of the container during this process due to the negative pressure in the liquid container, while the by the distance of the two openings in the wall of the metering certain volume of liquid passes into the collecting chamber between the partition and the bottom end of the metering device. From here, the liquid can then by tilting the liquid container are discharged through the pouring passage therethrough, and with appropriate tilting a new volume of liquid desired size in the dosing channel is in this case also occur simultaneously.

The known dosing device has the disadvantage of relatively large inaccuracy in determining the dispensed liquid volume, because the liquid level in dosing may characterized differ, the user brings the liquid tank for filling the dosing in different inclination positions to obtain the desired volume is obtained exactly when is provided to the liquid container such upside that the longitudinal axis of the metering runs in the perpendicular. but differs this axis from the perpendicular from, the metered volume of liquid is either larger or smaller than desired because the fluid while closing both openings in the wall of the metering channel, however, the liquid level according to the deviation of the longitudinal axis of the metering channel from the perpendicular with respect to the longitudinal axis is inclined. ie, the resultant by the tilt deviation of the liquid level of a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the metering chamber causes a difference in the volume of liquid to be dispensed from the volume itself.

It is therefore an object of the invention to improve the known dosing device to the extent that it even possible to write exactly the predetermined volume of liquid, if the user does not bring the tilted liquid container for the filling of the metering accurately in the perpendicular.

To achieve this object a metering device of the type mentioned is according to the invention designed so that the farthest from the outer end opening of the mouth opening of a is formed through the bottom wall in the metering channel extending channel, said orifice preferably coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the metering is.

Characterized in that the by their location, the size of the dispensed volume determined opening in the dosing according to the invention is no longer in the side wall of the dosing, but more in the middle, preferably to the SEN longitudinal axis, while at a deviation of the longitudinal axis of the metering channel from the plumb the filling of the dosing channel, as in the previously known metering device, although a deviating from the plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the dosing liquid level occur, but this liquid level is located at a side of the orifice opening below and on the opposite side of the orifice opening above the latter, ie, the too low and too high level with respect to the mouth opening compensate, particularly when the mouth opening is arranged coaxially to the longitudinal axis of the metering, the metering duct for example has a circular cross-section. In this way, the inevitable in the known metering variations are avoided by the predetermined liquid volume by di.e metering invention in the simplest way.

In order to obtain the simplest possible construction of the metering device, the wall of the channel may be formed integrally with the bottom wall.

The mouth of the channel should be as small as possible for a F'lüssig- ability of certain viscosity, so that in the plenum, although the so-called free liquid is sucked back into the interior of the liquid container in the transport of liquid from the metering channel, but no other liquid gets into the container interior , and thus the variation of the size of the dispensed liquid volume per se in inclination relative to the plumb line is minimized. Preferably, the duct tapers towards the outlet opening so that, when manufacturing by injection molding a simple removal from the mold is possible.

It has been found that does not always work reliably with easily deformable container wall, so for example, in plastic bottles, and / or at a auszugießenden liquid having a viscosity greater than the viscosity of water, the metering device according to the invention or a relatively large period of time is required to fill the dosing to the desired height.

In order to eliminate these difficulties, the mouth opening opposite inlet opening of the channel can have a diameter which is 2/1 to 5/1, preferably 1/3 to 1/4 of the diameter of the adjoining the inlet opening of the duct.

To easily peel off the air bubbles in the center hole when filling the metering channel in such a configuration, from the off-channel area of ​​the inlet opening having wall portion in the same plane as that of the orifice can surface facing away from the bottom wall lying or a greater distance from the have the mouth opening than this surface of the bottom wall.

To prevent the fluid from flowing back when pouring from the collection chamber into the metering channel, so not all portioned liquid is dispensed from the bottle, ie the communication port between dosing and the inner end of which surrounds the dosing channel wall to the channel may be back fed, collecting chamber may have a relation to the cross-sectional areas of these two reduced opening cross-section.

If a liquid is portioned whose viscosity is greater than that of water, it may be expedient to provide between the mouth and the inner end of the surrounding wall of the dosing in these vents. Through these vents can when filling the collection chamber from the metering air pass for whose passage the Dimen measurements of the annulus between the inner end of the dosing surrounding wall and wall of the channel are not sufficient.

Thus, the fluid also can enter without difficulty in the dosing of the container interior when only relatively little liquid in the container is present, several can at the periphery of the dosing distributed, its outer end adjacent openings may be provided.

The invention is explained below with reference to the embodiments displayed figures.

<ul><li>Figure 1 shows a vertical section through an inserted into a bottle, partially dosing.</li><li>Figure 2 shows a view of the metering device of Figure 1 from above.</li><li>Figure 3 shows a section through the metering device along the line III-III of FIG. 1</li><li>4 shows in a representation corresponding to Figure 1, a modified embodiment of a metering device.</li></ul>

The metering device illustrated has a tubular outer body 3, which is pressed into the neck of a bottle 1 so that the outer end portion 3 'of the outer body 3 in sealing contact with the inner wall of the neck, while subsequent to this end portion, outwardly directed annular shoulder 4, a too far pressing in the metering device prevents the bottle. 1 The bottle 1 is closed in the illustration of Figure 1 with a screw 2, which is, however, declined to use the dosing device.

In the outer body 3, a tubular, circular cross-section having Direction inner body 14 is inserted centrally, the outward only in the area of ​​the later-described pouring passage 13 unterbrocherie annular shoulder 14 has ", the to be described on an inwardly directed, only in the region of the metering channel 13 interrupted annular shoulder 4 'of the outer body 3 rests, whereby the axial position of the inner body 14 is determined with respect to the outer body. 3 in the radial direction of the inner body 14 is held in contact with the outer body 3, the peripheral wall between the radially extending transition regions 9 radially internally displaced and investment operations 3 "forms (figure 3), which are engaged with the outer surface of the inner body 14 and hold it in its coaxial position relative to the outer body. 3

The peripheral wall of the outer body 3 goes at the inner end into a bottom wall 10, from which a frustoconical wall portion 11 extends coaxially to the longitudinal axis of the outer body 3 and inner body 14 in the direction of the bottle opening or the outer end of the metering device and the interior of the Innenkörpe ' rs 14 ends. The wall portion 11 forms in its interior a passage 18, which at its end located in the inner body end 14 having an orifice 19 and connects the interior of the bottle 1 with the inner space of the inner body fourteenth The inner end portion 14 'of the inner body 14 extends frusto-conical, so that at the inner end of the inner body 14, a wall portion 11 surrounding annular space 15 is formed.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a sealing plug 6 is in the outer end of the inner body 14 is inserted, which, with only the region of the to be described pouring passage 13 interrupted, outwardly directed annular shoulder 7 on the annular rib 14 "and behind an inwardly directed annular rib 5 of the outer Endbe rich 3 'of the outer body 3, and is held in position. the plug 6 is by radial reinforcing ribs 8 and circumferentially extending reinforcing regions 6' is formed so that it does not deform, but the entire metering , au'sgenom- men to be described dosing 13_" at the outer end seals reliably.

Adjacent to the stopper 6 14 aligned apertures 17 are provided in the walls of the outer body 3 and the inner body, which connect the interior of the bottle 1 to the interior of the inner body 14th There are three openings 17 exist, which are distributed uniformly on the circumference and lie in the circumferential direction in the same place as the contact areas 3 "(Figure 3).

The interior of the inner body 14 forms a metering channel 16, and when the bottle 1 for filling this metering channel is inverted at unscrewed screw cap 2, liquid flows through the openings 17 of the metering channel 16 in this until the liquid level reaches the coaxially to the metering channel 16 arranged outlet opening 19 and closes. In closed mouth 19 no air can get into the interior of the bottle 1 more, and it just flows nor the so-called free liquid through the apertures 17 in the metering channel 16, which raises the liquid level so as to be in a range between orifice 19 and ring opening 15 is located. The volume of this region must of course be chosen so that it picks up these free liquid amount, which it is half of the theoretically outgoing free amount of liquid that would emerge when the free liquid could flow without obstruction.

After filling the metering channel 16, the bottle 1 is rotated back into the position shown in Figure 1, and the liquid from the metering channel 16 flows through the annular space 15 into the collection chamber 12, namely the volume of fluid flowing in this plenum, the between the had inner surface of the plug 6 and the outer end of the apertures 17 and the orifice accumulated 19, while the amount of free liquid due to the negative pressure in the interior of the bottle 1 through the orifice 19 situated between the mouth opening 19 and annulus 15 is again sucked back into this interior , The so reproducibly certain volume of liquid which is located in the collection chamber 12, can then be re-tilting the bottle 1 through the outwardly open pouring 13 which, as can be seen in particular Figure 3, from the wall of the inner body 14, a portion of peripheral wall of the outer body 3 and to this then transition regions is limited 9, are submitted. This tilting of the bottle is filled already again the dosing channel 16 through the openings 17, so that once a predetermined volume of liquid is placed in the dispensing channel during the pouring operation.

Due to the central location of the orifice 19 with respect to the metering channel 16 it is achieved that in case of deviation of the longitudinal axis of the metering channel 16 occurs no significant deviation of the captured volume of the predetermined volume from the vertical during filling this channel. As indicated in Figure 1, which gives way to the then resulting, illustrated by dashed lines liquid level of the liquid level dot-dash line shown in the vertical position of the metering channel 16 so from that less liquid is present on one side more and on the other side, ie the deviation of the two Sites compensate. This compensation is precisely so as to enter, the smaller the orifice 19 is, because then the liquid level shown in broken lines, which indeed the entire orifice 19 closes, extends a very short distance from the center of the orifice 19th

It is further noted that 17 on the circumference of the outer body 3 and inner body 14 will still a reliable dosing is achieved by the distribution of the openings, when only relatively little liquid in the bottle is present, and that the distribution of the openings 17, it also redundant power, the bottle along a predetermined plane to tilt, as would be required if only one opening 17 is provided.

As shown, the dosing of only three individual parts, the outer body 3, the inner body 14 and the plug 6, to be very simple all merely compressed in the injection molding of plastic, can be about producing polypropylene and for assembly and then pressed into the bottle need be.

The metering device shown in Figure 4 corresponds in its essential structure of the metering device according to figures 1 to 3, and corresponding parts are therefore denoted by the same reference numerals. This metering device is inserted in a bottle 1 'having an elongated neck, for example, a plastic bottle with a relatively easily deformable walls.

Notwithstanding the metering device according to figures 1 to 3 the lower end in the figure of the channel 18 is closed by a plate 21, in this metering device which is attached to the lower surface of the wall 10, for example by welding or gluing. In this plate are located coaxially with respect to the passage 18 an inlet opening 20, whose diameter is about 1/4 of the diameter of the plate portion adjacent to the channel 18, wherein this region begins in the drawing behind the front curvature of the channel eighteenth

This constricted inlet opening 20 of the channel 18 is accelerated, as already mentioned above, the filling of the metering channel 16 in use of the metering device in easily deformable containers and / or with the dispensing of liquids, whose viscosity is greater than that of water.

Due to the above, the bottom wall 10 above arrangement of the plate 21 may be 20 lay down between the plate and the bottom wall in the area of ​​inlet air bubbles that might hinder the filling of the dosing.

Another deviation of the metering device according to Fi - gur 4 opposite to the metering device according to figures 1 to 3 consists in the fact that 15 small ventilation openings 22 are provided in the wall 14 in the area between the mouth opening 19 of the channel 18 and the annular space. These ventilation openings facilitate the outflow of a fluid whose viscosity is greater than that of water, from the metering channel 16 into the collecting chamber 12 the entry of air into the dispensing channel 16. Thereby the emptying of the metering channel is accelerated while in the absence of these ventilation openings due to the viscosity the fluid optionally the air could not fast enough to pass through the annulus 15th