Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to
dispensing apparatus and methods. More
particularly, this invention relates to methods and
apparatus for dispensing detergents, especially gel-
types, which applicant has found are particularly
useful for institutional dish washing and fabric
washing machines.
BACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART
There are a wide variety of institutional
and industrial washing machines in the prior art.
One such machine maintains a detergent solution in
a reservoir for use by a washing machine. During
operation, the machine draws upon or washes within
the detergent solution in the reservoir until
drained or replenished by fresh solution. In order
to maintain a desired concentration of detergent in
the reservoir, concentrated detergent must be added
periodically to the reservoir.
In commercial and industrial applications,
cost, safety, and quality considerations often
require that the washing system minimize operator
involvement in the process of adding or "charging"
the detergent concentrate into the reservoir.
Operator involvement is often unnecessarily time
consuming and costly, and the detergent concentrate
is sometimes caustic and unsafe for handling by an
operator. Moreover, many washing operations require
very precise machine control of detergent
concentration in the reservoir -- too low and the
washing is less than complete; too high and the
washing leaves an undesirable and sometimes unsafe
residue.
Commercial and industrial washing systems
therefore frequently accomplish charging with an
automatic or semi-automatic detergent dispensing
apparatus having a fairly large capacity for
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detergent concentrate. By automating the charging
process, these dispensers attempt to minimize labor
costs, operator errors or injury, inaccuracy or
inconsistency of detergent concentration, and
inadequate or unsafe cleaning.
One type of detergent dispensing apparatus
is the "demand" dispenser. In the demand dispenser,
a conductivity cell forms an electrical bridge or
comparator to monitor detergent concentration in the
solution emitted from or within the washing machine
itself. When the conductivity of the solution in
the machine goes above or below a predetermined
level, the cell signals the dispenser to either
cease or commence dispensing detergent solution
until the concentration reaches a desired level, at
which point the exact opposite "demand" is made by
the conductivity cell or comparator.
In the prior art demand systems, the
conductivity cell or comparator is often separate
from the actual dispenser which the cell or
comparator controls. In addition, the prior art
demand systems often work in combination with
separately mounted rinse pump apparatus to deliver
rinse water when activated by a separately mounted
controller. They have thus often required the user
to acquire, mount, and maintain a variety of
components at separated locations.
Another type of prior art dispenser is
hydraulically activated. In one such hydraulic
system, a by-pass line from the rinse line is
hydraulically linked to the detergent dispenser.
Each execution of a rinse cycle activates the
dispenser to dispense detergent concentrate in pre-
determined proportion to the volume of rinse water
used. The rinse water in the by-pass is diverted
back to the wash tank to mix with both fresh rinse
water and injected detergent concentrate to maintain
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the desired detergent concentration.
Such hydraulic systems suffer from the
inherent degradation of the wash solution by the
rinse water feedback. They also do not provide
precise control of detergent concentration in the
wash water.
In these prior art detergent dispensers,
the detergent concentrate has typically been liquid
or solid. Liquid systems and solid systems both
have major drawbacks.
In one liquid concentrate system, for
example, a canister of liquid concentrate rests
under the wash basin or machine, typically on the
floor. A detergent supply line extends from the
bottle to a venturi valve mounted on a water
delivery line over the wash basin or machine
reservoir. Water flow in the water delivery line
generates a venturi effect in the venturi valve to
draw liquid detergent concentrate from the canister
into the supply line and then into the water
delivery line to mix with the wash water as it is
delivered into the wash basin or machine reservoir.
Liquid concentrate is, however, very heavy
and bulky compared to solid detergent concentrates.
The weight is difficult for the operator to manage,
and the large bulk takes up space and requires much
greater storage and shipping expense. Since ease of
use and storage and shipping costs are often the
dominant factors in determining which system to use,
solid concentrate systems are much more prevalent in
commercial and industrial applications.
One prevalent solid concentrate system
utilizes powdered detergent stored in a translucent
plastic supply container. The container is provided
with a capped top for storage and shipping. A
meshed screen, with apertures finer than the grains
of detergent powder, spans the top under the cap.
When used, the cap is removed, the container is
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inverted, the meshed screen is centered over a
receptacle on the dispenser, and the inverted
container is lowered into the receptacle until it
rests securely in place within the receptacle.
A spray nozzle is centered in the
receptacle below the meshed screen and above an
underlying drain. The spray nozzle sprays fresh
water upwards through the meshed screen, which
atomizes the spray as it continues upward into the
powdered detergent supported over the screen. The
powdered detergent concentrate directly overlying
the screen is dissolved into the solution, which
falls back into the underlying drain. The detergent
solution is directed from the drain into a conduit
for delivery to a wash basin or machine.
In high volume applications of this type
and others as well, the shipping container is large
and also serves as the supply container, usually
remote from washing apparatus. Examples of such
applications are shown in U.S. Patents Nos.3,545,438
and 4,020,865.
In lower volume applications, the detergent
dispenser is frequently located on or adjacent the
wash basin or machine, and the container is much
smaller for ease of insertion into the dispenser.
One example is disclosed in U.S. Patent No.
4,063,663.
There are other powdered dispensers. See,
for example, U.S. Patent No. 4,426,362. These and
the other powder detergent dispensers have solved a
variety of problems, but they too suffer from
problems.
For instance, due to increased sanitary
standards and demands for shorter wash times,
recently developed powdered detergents have
relatively comple~ detergent compositions. These
complex detergent compositions are more hazardous to
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the user, less stable, and more difficult to
dissolve in a satisfactorily uniform manner. For a
detailed discussion of these problems, see the U.S.
patent application referenced in U.S. patent No. 4,
426,362.
Another problem arises when the powdered
detergent includes a mixture of components having
differing dissolving rates. Powdered detergents
dissolve relatively rapidly because of their high
specific areas. Powdered detergents with components
having differing dissolving rates will thus yield
significantly varying solution composition over
relatively short periods of time.
Yet another problem arises when components
of the detergent are relatively unstable. An
example is a detergent requiring an active chlorine
source with an organic defoamer. Due to the
instability of the chlorine component, the available
chlorine can be lost well before going into the
intended the solution. The chlorine instability
problem is even more acute with high alkalinity
powdered detergents. Many defoamers and chlorine
components, for example, are even more unstable in
the presence of highly alkaline chemicals, like
sodium hydroxide.
Powdered detergents often also have the
problem of segregation or stratification of the
powdered particles during manufacturing, shipping,
handling, etc. Segregation can lead to non-uniform
dissolving of the components which have settled to
different levels or concentrated at different
locations in the container.
Powders also often clog the screen as the
spray partially dissolves powders immediately above
the screen and the weight of the undissolved powder
above jams the partially dissolved powder into
screen apertures~ The screen thus hesomes clogged,
sometimes partially and sometimes wholly. If only
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partially, the rate of dissolving becomes less
uniform and reduced (slowing the washing process) as
the clog blocks access to powder over the clog. If
anywhere near wholly blocked, the clog brings the
wash process to a halt until the clog is removed by
the operator, either by cleaning or replacing the
screen or by replacing the entire container of
detergent powder. Either result yields significant
problems for the wash process.
One attempt to solve at least some of these
problems is the solid-block detergent system
disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,426,362. In this
system, a container, much like the containers for
the smaller volume powder applications described
above, contains a solid block of detergent
concentrate substantially filling the inside of the
container. This block detergent container is also
placed in an inverted position in a retaining
receptacle, and a water nozzle sprays water upwardly
into the container against the solid detergent. The
water dissolves the detergent into solution, which,
like the powder system described above, then falls
back into an underlying drain for delivery to a
reservoir and use in washing. The main difference
of this system from the other well-known prior-art
small-volume powder systems described above, is thus
the use of a solid, consistent block of detergent
concentrate in the place of powders.
This solid block system does not solve all
the problems of powders. The solid block system
also raises problems of its own. One problem of
the solid block system is the inherent
non-uniformity of detergent concentration in the
solution it generates. Applicant believes this is
caused by several physical limitations on the solid
block system.
First, the solid block of detergent is
positioned vertically over the spray nozzle so that
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the upwardly directed spray is always subject to the
ever-present downward pull of gravity. Over time,
the spray dissolves the lowermost portion of the
block, so that the remaining detergent is located
further away upwardly from the nozzle. Over time,
the spray must travel further and further upwardly
from the nozzle and against gravity to reach the
surface of the remaining portion of the solid block
detergent concentrate. Thus, over time, the force
or impact of the spray against the solid block
becomes weaker and weaker.
Second, the solid block is sloped so that
the neck of the container is narrow at the opening
adjacent the nozzle and widens as the vertical
distance from the spray nozzle increases. The
constant amount of spray from the nozzle must impact
a larger and larger surface area, with less and less
upward velocity, as the detergent block dissolves
upwardly from the neck opening further upwardly into
the sloped neck.
A detergent solution of inconsistent
concentration results. The concentration becomes
weaker and weaker as the block detergent dissolves
and the spray must travel a greater distance upwards
to cover a wider and wider area.
Another problem is waste. The uppermost
portion of the solid block is difficult to dissolve
with sufficient concentration, and in any event,
cannot all be dissolved by upward spray as desired
since the uppermost portion may eventually crumble
and fall leading to non-uniform dissolving as with
powders. The remaining undissolved solid detergent
is thus unusable and wasted. The waste often
reaches as much as 10% of the detergent concentrate,
which the user must, of course, pay for.
A further problem with the solid block
system is the bulk, i~e. r volume and weight, of the
solid block detergent. Although less bulky than
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powder detergent concentrate, the solid block
detergents occupy significant volume and have
substantial weight, especially since most solid
block detergents consist of about 15-20% moisture.
Of course, bulk is also a concern for
powdered and liquid systems as well.
An additional problem with some of these
prior art dispenser systems is the ease of using the
wrong detergent concentrate in the wrong
environment. Many of the prior art containers are
physically interchangeable so that, for example,
both a caustic detergent and an identically
contained pot and pan cleaner will fit on the same
dispenser. A person washing pots and pans can thus
burn his or her hands or incur other problems if the
wrong container is inserted into the dispenser.
ZOOZ093
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The dispensing system of the present
invention utilizes a flowable detergent, preferably
a gel concentrate, and dispenses the detergent into
a fluid stream by a venturi valve drawing a
relatively constant amount of the flowable detergent
into the fluid stream. The preferred gel detergent
concentrate and dispensing apparatus and method
provide particularly uniform concentration of the
detergent solution from the entire concentrate
container, while virtually eliminating the problem
of clogging. In a particularly preferred
embodiment, the system yields almost no waste, and
it reduces the chance of inadvertent insertion of
the wrong container into the dispenser.
One preferred embodiment of the present
dispenser system is hydraulic, and the another is
demand type. In both, all components are mounted on
one base unit, making acquisition, installation, and
maintenance much easier. Having all components on
one base unit provides more precise control of
detergent concentration, with less effort and
expense, than the systems of the prior art.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings depict the two
preferred embodiments of the present invention
wherein:
Figure 1 is a pictorial view of the
preferred hydraulic dispensing system;
Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the
hydraulic dispensing panel, which includes the
inverted container mounted in a receptacle adjacent
a hydraulic timer-controller;
Figure 3 is a left side elevational view of
the dispensing panel of the hydraulic dispenser;
Figure 4 is a right side exploded view of
the hydraulic dispenser panel with the inverted
container separated from the container receptacle;
Figure 5 is a rear elevational view of the
hydraulic dispenser panel showing the conduit
between the timer-controller and the container
receptacle;
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken
along section line 6-6 of Figure 2, with the
container aligned above an interchangeable container
receptacle for insertion into the receptacle
vertically over the venturi valve;
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken
along section line 6-6 of Figure 2, with the
container inserted into the receptacle vertically
over the venturi valve;
Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional view
taken along section line 8-8 of Figure 6, showing
the four rounded container aligning projections, one
in each of the four corners of the interchangeable
receptacle;
Figure 9 is a bottom plan view of a
container having four alignment detents for mating
engagement with the aligning projections shown in
Figure 8;
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Figure 10 is an elevational view of a
preferred fully automatic demand-type dispenser,
showing a rinse pump mounted on the dispenser panel
adjacent the container receptacle; and
Figure 11 is a rear elevational view of the
preferred automatic demand dispenser, showing a
conductivity comparator mounted on the back of the
panel adjacent a rinse water pump and water supply
solenoid.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
With reference to Figure 1, the hydraulic
embodiment of the present invention, generally 10,
is intended for use in industrial or commercial hand
washing applications, such as for pots and pans in
a sink. In such applications, the detergent must
not be too alkaline for extended contact with the
operator's hands. In addition, the amount of
detergent dispensed should be adequate for the job
without being excessive.
The hydraulic dispenser 10 is wall mounted
just over the sink 11. The hydraulic dispenser 10
has a flexible plastic inlet tube 12 exten~;ng from
the sink faucet 14 or water supply plumbing into a
vacuum breaker 16 on the dispenser 10. The
hydraulic dispenser 10 also has a flexible detergent
solution discharge tube 18 extending from the bottom
of the dispenser 10 into the sink 12 below.
As shown in Figure 2, the hydraulic
dispenser 10 has a wall base plate 19 secured to the
wall (not shown in Figure 2) by four support
fasteners 20 of the type readily available in the
art. The vacuum breaker 16 extends vertically
upwardly from the base plate 19 to distribute water
from the faucet to the components of the dispenser
10. A detergent container 22 is removably mounted
within a receptacle 24 on the base plate 19 adjacent
and below the vacuum breaker 16. The detergent
container 22 preferably contains a flowable
detergent material such as a fluid or gel. Most
preerably, the flowable detergent is a gel.
A water flow timer-controller 26 is also
mounted on the base plate 19 adjacent the receptacle
24 and detergent container 22. An air venting arm
27 is rotatably mounted on the base plate 19
adjacent the detergent container 22. The venting
arm 27 is "L" ~ha~ed, with a horizontal section 29
disposed above the container 22 and a vertical arm
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section 31 disposed to the side of the container 27.
The arm section 31 is thus rotatable vertically
around the axis of the horizontal section 29 to
raise and lower a venting ram 33, which penetrates
and thus vents the top 35 of the container 22 when
(as also shown in Figure 7) the arm section 31 is
rotated downwardly into vertical alignment adjacent
the container 22 and base plate 19.
With reference to Figure 7, the venting ram 33
has (1) a ram arm 51 perpendicularly extending from
the horizontal section 29; and (2) a ram lance 53
perpendicularly extending from the ram arm 51. The
ram lance 53 has an air venting slot 55 extending
along its entire axial length. The air venting slot
55 vents air flow from the inside of container 22 to
the area external of the container 22.
Referring back to Figure 2, the timer-
controller 26 has an activation lever 28 rotatable
by the operator downwardly in a vertical plane to
spring-load the lever 28 to rotate back to the un-
loaded state of Figure 2. Rotation of the lever 28
as far downwardly as possible (as shown in Figure 3)
compresses an internal spring (not shown) to urge
the lever toward the un-loaded state. Thus, when
the operator releases the lever 28, the urging force
of the internal loaded spring (not shown) rotates
the lever 28 to its un-loaded state (shown in Figure
2) at a uniform rate of rotation. The timer-
controller 26 has internal valving that opens to
allow fluid flow through the timer-controller 26 for
the period of rotation of the lever 28 or,
alternatively, for the period during which the
operator depresses the override button 30 on the
controller 26.
Referring now to Figure 4, the detergent
container 22 is inverted prior to insertion into the
receptacle 24 of the dispenser 10. The deter~ent
container 22 is plastic and non-breakable with a
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flat bottom 32 for storage of the detergent
container 22 prior to or after use in the dispenser
10. Opposite the flat bottom 32 is a capped
detergent passage 34 in the somewhat conically
sloped upper end 36 of the container 22.
As shown in Figure 9, the detergent passage
35 is circular and centered in the upper end 36 of
the container 22. The cap 37 on the detergent
passage 35 is made of plastic that is puncturable by
a sharpened rigid object, such as a gel drawing tube
39 shown in Figure 6.
In the embodiment of Figure 9, the
container's upper end 36 has four rounded and
dimpled corners 38, 40, 42, 44 intermediate the
junction of the upper end 36 and the four side walls
46, 48, 50, 52 of the container 22. As shown in
both Figures 4 and 9, the junction of the upper end
36 and side walls 46, 48, 50, 52 includes a neck
band 54 projecting outwardly from the generally
planar side walls 46, 48, 50, 52 of the container
22.
The base plate 19 has a substantially
rectangular wall frame 56 for flush mounting on the
wall (not shown in Figure 4). The frame 56 flanges
outwardly from a central dispenser module 58
projecting from the frame 56 away from the wall. In
turn, the container receptacle 24 projects
horizontally outwardly from the dispenser module 58
on the side of the module 58 opposite the side
facing the wall.
Referring now to Figure 5, the central
dispenser module 58 contains feed lines or tubes to
and from the various components of the dispenser 10.
The water distribution valve 16 connects through the
dispenser module 58 wall to a timer-controller feed
tube 60 to deliver water under pressure to the
timer-ccntroller (26 in Figure 3); a venturi feed
tube 62 delivers water under pressure from the
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timer-controller 26 through the wall of the
dispenser module 58 into the receptacle (24 in
Figure 3); and a dispensing tube 64 delivers
detergent solution from the receptacle through the
wall of the dispenser module 58 to the dispenser
discharge tube 18.
As also show in Figure 5, the horizontal section
29 of the venting arm 27 is secured in the base
plate by a C-clip 65 and spring 67. The spring 67
is disposed between the C-clip 65 and an inner
vertical plate wall 69 to urge the arm section 31
into frictional contact with, as shown in Figure 2,
an outer sectional plate wall 71. This frictional
contact assures that the venting arm 27 will remain
in the up or down position (see Figure 7) as desired
by the operator.
Referring now to Figure 6, the receptacle
24 has an outer housing 66 secured to he wall of the
dispenser module 56. As shown in Figure 8, the
outer housing 66 has a substantially rectangular
upper section 68. A removable container bowl 70 has
a substantially rectangular upper portion 72 with an
external periphery slidably retained within and
abutting the internal periphery of the upper housing
section 68. As shown in Figure 6, an outwardly
curled lip 74 on the uppermost edge 76 of the
container bowl 70 clasps the upper section 68 to
hold the container bowl 70 in place within the
housing 66.
As shown in Figure 8, the container bowl 70
has a somewhat rectangularly-bounded bottom 78 with,
as shown in Figures 7 and 8, rounded projections 80,
82, 84, 86 extending upwardly from the bottom 78 and
inwardly from the four internal side walls 88, 90,
92, 94 of the container bowl 70. The four
projections 80, 82, 84, 86 mate with, as shown in
Figure 9, the obversely configured dimples 38, 40,
42, 44. The projections 80, 82, 84, 86 extend
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upwardly, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, sufficiently
to prevent the insertion of a container not having
mating dimples 38, 40, 42, 44.
As also shown in Figure 8, the rectangular
upper section 68 of the housing 66 is rigidly
secured in position on the base plate 19 by a metal
U-bracket 71. The U-bracket 71 is secured to the
base plate with two base plate screws 73, 75 that
penetrate the base plate 19 and thread into mating
threaded passages in the U-bracket 71. Similarly,
the U-bracket 71 is also secured to the upper
section 68 with four additional screws 81, 83, 85,
89 that penetrate the upper section 68 and thread in
mating threaded passages in the U-bracket 71.
Referring to Figure 6, the container bowl
70 is slidably removable upwardly and outwardly from
the housing 66. In this manner, bowls having
different internal configurations and differently
arranged projections or no projections at all, can
be selectively inserted by the operator or
permanently secured in place by the manufacturer,
user, etc. The particular bowl chosen and inserted
can then limit the types of gel containers
insertable into the receptacle housing. For
example, if the four-projection bowl of Figure 6 is
inserted and mates with obversely arranged dimples
only present on non-caustic gel containers and no
others, the operator is automatically prevented from
inadvertently inserting a dangerous caustic gel
container into the receptacle.
still referring to Figure 6, a venturi
valve 96 is maintained horizontally in a horizontal
venturi passage 112 in a circular venturi retaining
disk 110 slidably inserted into a mating cylindrical
valve detent 106 in the bottom 78 of the bowl 70.
The venturi passage 112 has a water inlet end 114
opposite a solution outlet end 116~ Midway between
the two ends 114, 116 is the upwardly extending,
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vertical gel drawing tube 39. The gel drawing tube
39 serves two functions: to puncture the plastic cap
37 in the gel container 22 and to, as shown in
Figure 7, penetrate into the lowermost portion of
the gravity fed gel 122 in the container 22 and draw
gel 122 to the venturi valve 96 on demand by the
valve 96 when water is forced through the valve 96.
As shown in Figure 6, the water inlet end
114 of the venturi passage 112 communicates with and
is secured to the venturi water feed tube 62 through
a detent inlet passage 118 in the valve detent 106.
Similarly, the solution outlet end 116 communicates
with and is secured to the dispensing tube 64
through a detent outlet passage 120 in the valve
detent 106. The outlet end 116 has a land portion
200, a raceway 202 in the land portion, a resilient
seal 204 in the raceway 202, and a tube mounting
cylinder 206 extending from the land portion 200 in
the direction of outlet passage 120. The end 208 of
the dispensing tube 64 is slidably retained over the
mounting cylinder 206 and held securely in place on
the cylinder 206 by a locking ring 208. The locking
ring 208 has an outer diameter less than the inner
diameter of the venturi passage 112 but greater than
the inner diameter of the outlet passage 120. The
locking ring 208 grips the outer periphery of the
tube 64 to prevent inadvertent separation of the
tube 64 from the cylinder 206.
The venturi valve 96 and the associated
delivery tubing thus provide means for receiving
water under the control of the timer-controller (not
shown in Figure 6), in order to, as shown in Figure
7, (i) draw detergent gel 121 at a constant rate
into the water as it passes through the venturi vale
96, and (ii) mix the gel 121 into solution for
dispensing of the solution from the dispensing tube
64 to and then out the discharge tube 18.
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In the preferred hydraulic dispenser of
Figure 2, the controller-timer 26 and vacuum breaker
16 are both manufactured by Viking Injector Company.
The wall plate 19 and receptacle 24 are made of high
density A.B.S. and the container 22 is made of
translucent injected polyethylene, and contains
about 74 ounces of gel.
With general reference now to Figures 1, 2,
6 and 7, the operator uses the dispenser as follows:
1. The operator selects the appropriate
gel container 22 and inserts the container into the
receptacle 24, making sure that the container 22
seats all the way into receptacle so that the
venturi drawing tube 39 punctures and penetrates the
cap 37 of the container 22.
2. If desired the operator then
calibrates the dispenser 10 to determine how much
detergent solution should be dispensed for each fill
of the sink with the wash water. Calibration is
accomplished by:
a. mounting a conventional graduated
cylinder (not shown), with a hole in its
bottom just large enough for the drawing
tube to penetrate the hole, onto the
drawing tube 39 in the receptacle 24;
b. filling the graduated cylinder with
gel from an opened container 22;
c. rotating the lever 28 as far downward
as possible and then activating a solution
discharge cycle by releasing the lever 30
on 26i and (which causes water to flow from
the feed tube 60 to the venture feed tube
62 for the entire period of rotation of the
lever from its loaded state (Figure 3) to
its un-loaded state (Figure 3));
d. observing how much gel is withdrawn
from the gradua~ed cylinder by the drawing
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force of the venturi valve 96 during the
discharge step (c.) above.
3. Activating the dispenser when desired
by rotating the lever 28 as far downward as possible
and then releasing the lever 28.
Alternatively, the dispenser can be
activated at any time by pressing the timer-
controller override button 30 to activate fluid
discharge from the feed tube 60 into the venture
tube 62 for the period during which the operator
depresses the button 30.
With reference now to Figure 10,
applicant's preferred embodiment of the demand
dispenser, generally 128, is mounted on the same
type of base module 130 as discussed above. The
demand dispenser 128 also utilizes the same types of
containers 132 as discussed above, the same type of
water supply valve 134, and the same type of
receptacle 136, with one exception as shown in
Figure 12. The demand dispenser receptacle 136
includes a rocker switch 160 vertically mounted in
the upper portion 162 of the side walls of the
receptacle housing 164 and container bowl 166
abutting the side of the module 144. This rocker
switch 160 is switched automatically on or off by
the neck ridge 168 on the container 132 when the
container 132 is respectively inserted into or taken
out of the container bowl 166 in the dispenser 128.
Referring back to Figure 10, the demand
dispenser 128 has a rinse pump 138, with an inlet
line 140 and outlet line 142. The rinse pump 138 is
secured within a pump mounting passage (not shown)
in the wall of the module 144. The inlet and outlet
lines 140, 142 are on the side of the module 144
facing away from the wall (not shown).
The demand dispenser also has an LED
indicator li~ht 14-6 mcunted in the wall of the
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`_
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module 144. The LED 146 lights up whenever the
dispenser 128 is in the dispensing mode.
As shown in Figure 11, the interior of the
module 144 provides a mounting surface for a
conductivity computer and controller 148, the
previously mentioned rinse pump 138, a water supply
solenoid 150 controlled by the controller 148, a
power supply line 149 for the controller 148, LED
146, and solenoid 150, and a conductivity sensor
line 152 connected to the controller 148 at one end
154 and a conductivity sensor at the other end (not
shown) mounted in, for example, the wash or rinse
water area in an automatic industrial or commercial
washing machine.
The operation of each of these components
(LED 146, controller 148, rinse pump 138, solenoid
150, supply line 149, and sensor line 152) are known
to those of skill in the art. The controller 148 is
model number A0000 PCB manufactured by Tate Western
Company. The rinse pump is model number 230 PC6
manufactured by Tate Western Company. The solenoid
is manufactured by Hemco, Inc. The module 144 and
Vacuum breaker 134 are the same as described above
for the hydraulic system 10.
With general reference now to both Figures
10 and 11, the container 132 and the internal
structure of the receptacle 136 are the same as
described above for the container 22 and hydraulic
receptacle 24, respectively, shown in Figures 6, 7,
8, and 9.
An operator uses the demand dispenser 128
by simply selecting the appropriate gel container
134 and, as shown in Figure 12, inserting the
container 134 into the receptacle 136, making sure
that the container 134 seats all the way into
receptacle so that the venturi drawing tube
punctures and penetrates the cap of the container
134. From this point forward the dispenser operates
- 21 _ 20~ 3
automatically until the gel is completely drained
from the container 134. When drained, the old
container 134 is removed and a new container 134 is
inserted.
The preferred gel detergent used in the
preferred embodiment is described in the Canadian
filed application, Serial No. 2,002,093 filed
November 2, 1989, entitled Gel Diswashing Composition
and Method of Making Same (inventors R. Itoku and T.
Crowell). The preferred gel detergent concentrate
disclosed therein is much less bulky and more
concentrated then comparable prevalent detergent
systems. For example, one ounce of the preferred gel
pot and pan detergent concentrate provides about 150%
more detergent solution than the same volume of the
best selling liquid pot and pan detergent
concentrate, sold by Mar-Tech. In addition, the
preferred 74 ounce gel container weighs only 5 lbs.
versus (i) the 8.5 lb. gallon canister of the same
prior art liquid detergent, or (ii) the common, prior
art 45 lb. powdered detergent 5 gallon drum.
Moreover, the preferred 74 ounce gel concentrate
container requires only about half of the storage and
packing space required for the much less
concentrated, somewhat conically-shaped prior art 1
gallon liquid concentrate canisters. The space
reduction over the prior art 5 gallon drums of
powdered concentrate is even greaeter.
The preferred hydraulic system dispenses
detergent solution consistently for precisely the
period of time desired, and does so without any
electrical components or connections whatsoever.
The preferred demand system, on the other hand,
provides the same consistency of output from the
venturi while maintaining ever greater precision of
;. ~.,
ZOOZ093
-22-
solution concentration by feedback control through
the comparator.
The present invention thus provides the
desired concentration of wash solution on the very
first machine cycle, as opposed to many prior art
systems, especially certain prior art solid block
demand systems, which often require several wash
cycles to do so.
In addition, the preferred hydraulic and
demand dispencers both have all components mounted
on one light-weight and easily mounted module. Both
occupy very little wall space, preferably in an
easily accessible location, and both require no
floor space whatsoever. And unlike certain prior
art solid block systems in particular, the preferred
gel systems need no hot water whatsoever to
accomplish complete and consistent dissolving of the
detergent concentrate into the wash solution.
The preferred keyed containers 22 prevent
use of the wrong type of detergent in the wrong
environment. Also, the slidably removable container
bowls allow the operator to convert from one type of
keyed bowl to another without removing the dispenser
from its mounted position.
The translucent containers 22 provide
several other advantages as well. They allow the
operator to quickly see (i) the color of a color-
coded detergent type and (2) the amount of detergent
remaining in a container. The operator is thus less
likely to utilize the wrong detergent or attempt to
operate the system without adequate detergent.
The preferred embodiments thus provide
marked advantages over the prior art detergent
dispensing systems. In essence, they provide
industrial or commercial detergent solutions more
economically, simply, safely, and consistently and
effectively than the systems of the prior art.
Z00~093
-23-
While in the foregoing there has been a
detailed description of the preferred embodiments,
they are to be understood as illustrative and not
restrictive. The scope of the invention is thus
determined by the scope of the following claims.
