Dosing device for mounting on a container

Abstract

A dosing device comprises a dosing chamber associated with a liquid inlet valve and a liquid outlet valve. Each said valve has a valve body being displaceable by menas of an armature located in an outlet spout and being displaceable by means of a magnetic field. The dosing device is operable between a charging state, in which the liquid inlet valve is open, and the liquid outlet valve is closed, and a dispensing state, in which the liquid inlet valve is closed, and the liquid outlet valve is open. The spout comprises two armatures adapted to influence each other by means of a magnetic force, and the dosing chamber is provided with an air intake valve having a valve body operable between a closed position in the charging state of the dosing device and an open position in the dispensing state of the dosing device.

1 . A dosing device for mounting on a container, the dosing device comprising a dosing chamber associated with a liquid inlet valve for communication with the container and a liquid outlet valve for communication with a mouth of an outlet spout, the outlet spout being arranged adjacent to and having a substantially smaller outer diameter than the dosing chamber, each said valve having a valve body being displaceable between a closed position and an open position by displacement of an armature located in the outlet spout, the armature being displaceable by means of a magnetic field generated by an electromagnetic coil in which the spout may be inserted, the dosing device being operable between a charging state, in which the liquid inlet valve is open, and the liquid outlet valve is closed, and a dispensing state, in which the liquid inlet valve is closed, and the liquid outlet valve is open, and the dosing chamber being provided with an air inlet for communication with the surroundings during the dispensing state of the dosing device, wherein the spout comprises two armatures adapted to influence each other by means of a magnetic force, and the air inlet of the dosing chamber is provided with an air intake valve having a valve body operable between a closed position in the charging state of the dosing device and an open position in the dispensing state of the dosing device.  
   
   
       2 . A dosing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the diameter of the valve body of the liquid outlet valve is smaller than the outer diameter of the outlet spout.  
   
   
       3 . A dosing device according to  claim 1 , wherein a free passage is provided between the dosing chamber and the outlet spout in the charging state of the dosing device.  
   
   
       4 . A dosing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve body of the liquid outlet valve is located at the mouth of the outlet spout.  
   
   
       5 . A dosing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve body of the liquid inlet valve and the valve body of the air intake valve are arranged concentrically.  
   
   
       6 . A dosing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve body of the liquid inlet valve has the form of a ring, and the valve body of the air intake valve is arranged at the centre of the valve body of the liquid inlet valve.  
   
   
       7 . A dosing device according to  claim 6 , wherein a valve seat for the valve body of the liquid inlet valve is provided in a top wall of the dosing chamber in the form of an outer ring seat and an inner ring seat defining a liquid inlet opening there between, the liquid inlet opening communicating with a mounting portion of the dosing chamber to be inserted in a neck of the container, and a valve seat for the valve body of the air intake valve is arranged around an air intake opening arranged centrally in the inner ring seat of the liquid inlet valve, the air intake opening communicating with the surroundings through an air channel arranged in a cross-member extending radially at the top wall of the dosing chamber.  
   
   
       8 . A dosing device according to  claim 7 , wherein the air channel arranged in the cross-member opens into a peripheral channel arranged in the outer side of the top wall of the dosing chamber, the peripheral channel communicating with the surroundings through an opening located at a distance, in the direction of the peripheral channel, from the opening of the radial air channel.  
   
   
       9 . A dosing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the armatures are biased away from each other by means of a compression spring.  
   
   
       10 . A dosing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the armatures are guided between longitudinal ribs in the outlet spout.  
   
   
       11 . A dosing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve body of the liquid inlet valve and the valve body of the liquid outlet valve are fixed to at least one common rod displaceable by means of a first one of the two armatures.  
   
   
       12 . A dosing device according to  claim 11 , wherein the valve body of the air intake valve is fixed to a rod displaceable by means of a second one of the two armatures.  
   
   
       13 . A dosing device according to  claim 12 , wherein the first armature is connected with the valve body of the liquid inlet valve by means of at least two rods located around the central rod and received in grooves in the second armature.  
   
   
       14 . A dosing device according to  claim 12 , wherein the second armature has a collar adapted to abut a projection at the outlet spout in the dispensing state of the dosing device, thereby limiting the displacement of the second armature.  
   
   
       15 . A dosing device according to  claim 1 , wherein the valve body of the liquid inlet valve is displaceable by means of the second armature, and in that the valve body of the liquid outlet valve is displaceable by means of the first armature.  
   
   
       16 . A dosing device according to  claim 1 , wherein a magnetizable third armature is fixed stationarily in the outlet spout between the first armature and the second armature.  
   
   
       17 . A system for dispensing of liquor or the like, comprising a bottle holder with an electromagnetic coil and a dosing device according to any one of the preceding claims for insertion in the coil, as well as a data processing unit for control of the magnetic field of the coil for dispensing of predefined quantities of liquid and for registration of the number of drinks dispensed.  
   
   
       18 . A dosing device according to  claim 13 , wherein the second armature has a collar adapted to abut a projection at the outlet spout in the dispensing state of the dosing device, thereby limiting the displacement of the second armature.