Fluid dispensing and mixing apparatus

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, an apparatus is provided for dispensing a first fluid from a container and mixing it with a second fluid.
The apparatus comprises a housing having an axis, a piston movable in the housing along the axis, dividing the housing into driving and mixing chambers, and defining an orifice interconnecting the chambers, a piercing member secured to the piston, means to position a container of the first fluid on the axis of said housing for puncture by the piercing member, and means for introducing the second fluid under pressure into the driving chamber for driving the piston to pierce the container, thereby intermixing the second fluid with the first fluid in the mixing chamber.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of this invention, the housing is mounted in the upper portion of a storage reservoir for the diluted chemicals.
The chemical container may be placed on top of the housing.
Thus, when the piercing member is actuated, the container is pierced, permitting chemicals to flow down into the mixing chamber and out through orifices provided therein to the storage reservoir.
At the same time, the second fluid, which actuates the piercing member, passes through the orifice in the driving piston into the same mixing chamber to continuously mix with the chemicals as the container is being emptied.
Once the container is emptied, the reduced back pressure permits the orifice to direct the second fluid as a jet up into the container, wash the container, and remove any residual material.
By controlling the flow cycle accurate diluent ratios may be obtained with the assurance that all of the material is removed from the container and the container washed.
This reduces the possibility of injury either to the person or damage to the clothing due to accidental spillage of residual chemicals upon removal of the empty container.