Mix on demand sprayer

• US 10,464,087 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2017
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chapin Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Chapin Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Allis, Morgan, Fontaine, Jim, Dubiel, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Gorman, Darren W
• Application Number:
  US15/725,937
• Publication Number:
  US 20190105672A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0032 Pressure sprayers
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0042 Field sprayers, e.g. self-propelled, drawn or tractor-mounted
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 7/0092 Adding active material used as well for the introduction of fertilisers in water A01C23/042
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0408 with arrangements for mixing two or more liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/1459 comprising a chamber, inlet and outlet valves upstream and downstream the chamber and means for alternately sucking particulate material into and removing particulate material from the chamber through the valves conveying material in bulk by using a combination of gas pressure and suction B65G53/28; pumps in general F04B; apparatus for repeatedly measuring and separating a predetermined volume of fluent solid material from a supply or container G01F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2486 with means for supplying liquid or other fluent material to several discharge devices
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2497 several liquids from different sources being supplied to the discharge device
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/26 Apparatus in which liquids or other fluent materials from different sources are brought together before entering the discharge device B05B7/2402 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/30 the first liquid or other fluent material being fed by gravity, or sucked into the carrying fluid

Abstract

A sprayer system includes a diluent tank, a mounting bracket mounted to the diluent tank and a concentrate tank mounted to the mounting bracket and diluent tank. A mixing manifold is mounted to the mounting bracket and has a first inlet fitting to receive a fixed amount of diluent and a second inlet to receive a liquid concentrate. The diluent and concentrate are then combined to form a mixed solution. The mixing manifold includes an outlet. A positive displacement pump is mounted to the mounting bracket and has a suction port fluidly coupled to the mixed solution outlet. A pressure port may fluidly couple with a spray device. The second tank may be separable from the first tank and mounting bracket without requiring removal of the mixing manifold or positive displacement pump.

Claims

1. A sprayer system comprising:

a) a first tank configured to hold a diluent;

b) a mounting bracket fixedly mounted to the first tank;

c) a second tank removably mounted to the first tank and configured to hold a liquid concentrate;

d) a mixing manifold directly mounted to the mounting bracket, wherein the mixing manifold has a first inlet fitting configured to receive a fixed amount of diluent from the first tank and a second inlet configured to receive a selectively adjustable amount of liquid concentrate from the second tank, whereby the fixed amount of diluent and selectively adjustable amount of concentrate are combined to form a mixed solution, and wherein the mixing manifold includes a mixed solution outlet; and

e) a positive displacement pump directly mounted to the mounting bracket and having a suction port fluidly coupled to the mixed solution outlet and a pressure port, wherein the pressure port is configured to fluidly couple with a spray device,

wherein the second tank is separable from the first tank without requiring removal of the mounting bracket, mixing manifold or positive displacement pump from the first tank.

2. The sprayer system of claim 1 wherein the positive displacement pump is a diaphragm pump.

3. The sprayer system of claim 1 wherein the mixing manifold further includes a disc defining a first annular series of spaced-apart flow-metering holes, wherein successive respective flow-metering holes have an increasing hole diameter, wherein the disc is adapted to rotate to align a selected flow-metering hole of the annular series of spaced-apart holes in fluid communication with the second inlet to thereby define the selectively adjustable amount of concentrate in the mixed solution.

4. The sprayer system of claim 3 wherein the disc further defines a second annular series of spaced-apart stop holes, wherein each respective stop hole within the second annular series radially aligns with a respective flow-metering hole of the first annular series, wherein a single respective stop hole receives a ball bearing when the selected flow-metering hole is aligned with the second inlet.

5. The sprayer system of claim 4 wherein the ball bearing is biased to engage the disc, and wherein a diameter of the ball bearing is slightly larger than a diameter of each of the stop holes.

6. The sprayer system of claim 1 wherein the first inlet fitting further includes a check valve configured to prevent backflow of the mixed solution toward the first tank.

7. The sprayer system of claim 1 wherein the second tank is removably mounted to the mounting bracket on the first tank.

8. The sprayer system of claim 1 wherein the second tank includes a quick disconnect coupling configured to releasably couple a concentrate tube to a tank fitment defined on the second tank, whereby the concentrate tube delivers the liquid concentrate to the mixing manifold.

9. The sprayer system of claim 8 wherein the quick disconnect coupling comprises:

a) a fitment housing having a first end, a second end and a stepped bore region therebetween, wherein the first end is coupled to the tank fitment defined on the second tank;

b) a tubing nut removably coupled to the second end of the fitment housing;

c) a tubing coupling configured to be received within the tubing nut and abut against a mouth opening defined by the second end of the fitment housing;

d) a plug member having a plug end, a flanged end and a body portion therebetween, wherein the plug end is received in the first end of the fitment housing, the flanged end is received within the second end of the fitment housing and the body portion extends through the stepped bore region of the fitment housing; and

e) a spring received within the stepped bore region, wherein the spring urges the plug end of the plug member to seal the first end of the fitment housing when the tubing nut is removed from the second end of the fitment housing, and wherein a biasing force is stored within the spring by the flanged end when the tubing nut is coupled to the second end of the fitting housing, whereby fluid concentrate within the second tank can flow through the quick disconnect coupling to the mixing manifold.

10. The sprayer system of claim 9 wherein the body portion of the plug member comprises a plurality of spaced apart spindles with open slots defined therebetween.

11. The sprayer system of claim 1 further comprising:

f) a pressure by-pass recirculation loop fluidly coupling the pressure port to the suction port and configured to selectively regulate a fluid pressure of the mixed solution being delivered to the spray device.

12. The sprayer system of claim 11 wherein the pressure by-pass recirculation loop is either internal to the positive displacement pump or an external pathway around the positive displacement pump.

13. A sprayer system comprising:

a) a first tank configured to hold a diluent;

b) a mounting bracket fixedly mounted to the first tank;

c) a second tank removably mounted to the first tank and configured to hold a liquid concentrate;

d) a mixing manifold directly mounted to the mounting bracket, wherein the mixing manifold has a first inlet fitting configured to receive a fixed amount of diluent from the first tank and a second inlet configured to receive a selectively adjustable amount of liquid concentrate from the second tank, whereby the fixed amount of diluent and selectively adjustable amount of concentrate are combined to form a mixed solution, and wherein the mixing manifold includes a mixed solution outlet;

e) a positive displacement pump directly mounted to the mounting bracket and having a suction port fluidly coupled to the mixed solution outlet and a pressure port; and

f) at least one spray device fluidly coupled to the pressure port and configured to receive the mixed solution,

wherein, the second tank is separable from the first tank without requiring removal of the mounting bracket, mixing manifold or positive displacement pump from the first tank.

14. The sprayer system of claim 13 wherein the at least one spray device is a low pressure spray nozzle or a high pressure boom carrying two or more boom nozzles.

15. The sprayer system of claim 13 wherein the at least one spray device is a low pressure spray nozzle and a high pressure boom carrying two or more boom nozzles whereby the mixed fluid is selectively received by either the low pressure spray nozzle or the high pressure boom.

16. The sprayer system of claim 15 further comprising:

g) a pressure by-pass recirculation loop fluidly coupling the pressure port to the suction port and configured to selectively regulate a fluid pressure of the mixed solution being received by the low pressure spray nozzle.

17. The sprayer system of claim 16 wherein the pressure by-pass recirculation loop is either internal to the positive displacement pump or an external pathway around the positive displacement pump.