In situ foam generation apparatus for on-site, on-demand, economical production of foaming solvents

• US 10,569,290 B1
• Filed: 08/20/2018
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cleaning, LLC, Easy Foam, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Easy Foam, Inc.
• Inventors: Cochran, Donald, Larson, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Tate-Sims, Cristi J
• Application Number:
  US16/105,390
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 21/22 using additional holders in conduits, containers or pools for keeping the solid material in place, e.g. supports or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/235 for making foam
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/3131 with additional mixing means other than injector mixers, e.g. screens, baffles or rotating elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/316 with containers for additional components fixed to the conduit
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 25/42 in which the mixing is affected by moving the components jointly in changing directions, e.g. in tubes provided with baffles or obstructions
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/191 with similar elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/50 Pipe mixers, i.e. mixers wherein the materials to be mixed flow continuously through pipes, e.g. column mixers
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 27/55 with stirrers driven by the moving material
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/8212 with moving and non-moving stirring devices
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/02 designed to produce a jet, spray, or other discharge of particular shape or nature, e.g. in single drops, or having an outlet of particular shapeB05B1/26, B05B1/28, B05B1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1047 the pump being preassembled as an independent unit before being mounted on the container
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/20 Arrangements for agitating the material to be sprayed, e.g. for stirring, mixing or homogenising
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/25 using moving elements, e.g. rotating blades
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0025 with a compressed gas supply
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2462 using a carrying liquid flowing through the container for dissolving a block of solid material
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/2467 a liquid being fed by a pressure generated in the container, which is not produced by a carrying fluid
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/003 Cleaning involving contact with foam

Abstract

An in-situ foam generation apparatus includes a dissolution chamber that houses a polymer stick cavity or canister, a mixing chamber that houses a static mixer, and a foaming chamber that houses a mechanical agitator in fluid communication with a compressed air inlet. The chambers are in fluid communication with one another by way of a respective chamber inlet and outlet, with the mixing chamber being located between the dissolution and foaming chambers. A pressure regulator can be used to control the incoming aqueous solution pressure to the dissolution chamber. A nozzle exhaust is in fluid communication with the outlet of the foaming chamber. One or more polymer sticks that include one or more cleaning agent can be loaded into the cavity or canister of the dissolution chamber. An end consistency of the polymer stick can be in a range of partially solidified to fully solidified.

Claims

1. A wand for continuously delivering a surface activation (cleaning) agent on-demand as foam, the wand comprising:

a water inlet configured for connection to a pressurized source of water;

a mixing chamber located downstream of the water inlet;

an air inlet configured for connection to a pressurized source of air; and

a foaming chamber located downstream of the mixing chamber and in fluid communication with the air inlet and with an outlet of the mixing chamber, the foaming chamber housing a plurality of blades configured for rotation about a longitudinal centerline of the wand.

2. The wand of claim 1, further comprising, a dissolution chamber in fluid communication with the water inlet and an inlet of the mixing chamber, the dissolution chamber configured to house an at least partially solidified stick including the surface activation (cleaning) agent.

3. The wand of claim 2, further comprising, the dissolution chamber including a stick canister.

4. The wand of claim 3, further comprising, the stick canister including an extruder nozzle connected to a bottom of the stick canister.

5. The wand of claim 2, further comprising, the dissolution chamber including an injection manifold including an array of jet nozzles.

6. The wand of claim 2, further comprising, the dissolution chamber including a plunger-cylinder assembly arranged to move toward the at least partially solidified stick.

7. The wand of claim 2, further comprising, the dissolution chamber including a compressed air inlet.

8. The wand of claim 1, further comprising, a pressure regulator arranged to control an inlet water pressure to the wand.

9. The wand of claim 1, further comprising, the mixing chamber including at least one static mixer.

10. The wand of claim 9, wherein the at least one static mixer includes a porous packing material.

11. The wand of claim 9, wherein the at least one static mixer includes a metal mesh.

12. The wand of claim 9, wherein the at least one static mixer includes a gravel mixture.

13. The wand of claim 9, wherein the at least one static mixer includes an array of fixed baffles.

14. The wand of claim 1, further comprising, a nozzle exhaust located at an end of the wand opposite that of the water inlet and in fluid communication with an outlet of the foaming chamber.

15. A method for continuously delivering a surface activation (cleaning) agent on demand as foam, the method comprising:

connecting a wand to a pressurized sources of water and air;

generating foam on demand by flowing the water and air through the wand, the water dissolving a portion of one or more polymer sticks containing the surface activation (cleaning) agent;

wherein the wand includes

a water inlet configured for connection to a pressurized source of water;

a mixing chamber located downstream of the water inlet;

an air inlet configured for connection to a pressurized source of air; and

a foaming chamber located downstream of the mixing chamber and in fluid communication with the air inlet and with an outlet of the mixing chamber, the foaming chamber housing a plurality of blades configured for rotation about a longitudinal centerline of the wand.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, controlling a speed of the rotation of the plurality of blades.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising, controlling a pressure of the compressed air entering the foaming chamber.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the wand further includes a dissolution chamber in fluid communication with the water inlet and an inlet of the mixing chamber, the dissolution chamber configured to house an at least partially solidified stick including the surface activation (cleaning) agent.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the mixing chamber includes at least one static mixer.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the wand further includes a nozzle exhaust located at an end of the wand opposite that of the water inlet and in fluid communication with an outlet of the foaming chamber.