Chemical concentration controller and recorder
First Claim
1. A control system for a cleaning system including a pump for supplying a cleaning chemical to a tank for holding a cleaning mixture of the cleaning chemical and a diluting fluid, the cleaning system further including a fluid supply conduit in fluid communication with a cleaning location and the tank, the cleaning system further including a fluid return conduit in fluid communication with the cleaning location and the tank, the cleaning system further including a source of rinsing fluid in fluid communication with the cleaning location, the cleaning system further including a drain in fluid communication with the cleaning location, the control system comprising:
- a sensor located in the fluid supply conduit, the sensor outputting concentration signals indicative of a concentration of a component of fluid passing the sensor; and
a controller having a processor and a data storage means, the processor being in communication with the sensor and the data storage means, wherein the controller executes a program stored in the controller to;
record in the data storage means a data table including (i) time intervals during a period of operation of the cleaning system, and (ii) concentration values associated with each of the time intervals, the concentration values being derived by the processor from concentration signals received from the sensor.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A chemical concentration controller and recorder is disclosed for controlling and recording chemical concentrations in a cleaning system. The invention allows a user to control the concentration of two or more chemicals in the cleaning system simultaneously using either concentration-based feed or timed feed. The invention records and archives chemical concentration data from sensors in the cleaning system tanks or the cleaning system fluid conduits during operation of the cleaning system. The data may then be downloaded by a user and analyzed for efficiency and cost control purposes. For example, the data may indicate the overfeeding of chemicals to the cleaning system or leaking valves in the cleaning system.
89 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A control system for a cleaning system including a pump for supplying a cleaning chemical to a tank for holding a cleaning mixture of the cleaning chemical and a diluting fluid, the cleaning system further including a fluid supply conduit in fluid communication with a cleaning location and the tank, the cleaning system further including a fluid return conduit in fluid communication with the cleaning location and the tank, the cleaning system further including a source of rinsing fluid in fluid communication with the cleaning location, the cleaning system further including a drain in fluid communication with the cleaning location, the control system comprising:
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a sensor located in the fluid supply conduit, the sensor outputting concentration signals indicative of a concentration of a component of fluid passing the sensor; and
a controller having a processor and a data storage means, the processor being in communication with the sensor and the data storage means, wherein the controller executes a program stored in the controller to;
record in the data storage means a data table including (i) time intervals during a period of operation of the cleaning system, and (ii) concentration values associated with each of the time intervals, the concentration values being derived by the processor from concentration signals received from the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A control system for a cleaning system including a pump for supplying a cleaning chemical to a tank for holding a cleaning mixture of the cleaning chemical and a diluting fluid, the cleaning system further including a fluid supply conduit in fluid communication with a cleaning location and the tank, the cleaning system further including a fluid return conduit in fluid communication with the cleaning location and the tank, the cleaning system further including a source of rinsing fluid in fluid communication with the cleaning location, the cleaning system further including a drain in fluid communication with the cleaning location, the control system comprising:
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a sensor located in the tank, the sensor outputting concentration signals indicative of a concentration of a component of the cleaning mixture in the tank; and
a controller having a processor and a data storage means, the processor being in communication with the sensor and the data storage means, wherein the controller executes a program stored in the controller to;
record in the data storage means a data table including (i) time intervals during a period of operation of the cleaning system, and (ii) concentration values associated with each of the time intervals, the concentration values being derived by the processor from concentration signals received from the sensor. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A control system for a cleaning system including a pump for supplying a cleaning chemical to a tank for holding a cleaning mixture of the cleaning chemical and a diluting fluid, the cleaning system further including a fluid supply conduit in fluid communication with a cleaning location and the tank, the cleaning system further including a fluid return conduit in fluid communication with the cleaning location and the tank, the cleaning system further including a source of rinsing fluid in fluid communication with the cleaning location, the cleaning system further including a drain in fluid communication with the cleaning location, the control system comprising:
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a controller having a processor in communication with a data storage means, the processor also being in communication with the pump for providing on signals and off signals to the pump for turning on and turning off the pump, wherein the controller executes a program stored in the controller to;
record in the data storage means a data table including (i) time intervals during a period of operation of the cleaning system, and (ii) pump operating status values associated with each of the time intervals, the pump operating status values being indicative of the on signals and the off signals provided by the processor to the pump. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method for detecting overuse of a cleaning chemical in a cleaning system including a pump for supplying the cleaning chemical to a tank for holding a cleaning mixture of the cleaning chemical and a diluting fluid, the cleaning system further including a fluid supply conduit in fluid communication with a cleaning location and the tank, the method comprising:
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providing a processor in communication with a data storage means;
placing the processor in communication with the pump for detecting on signals and off signals provided to the pump for turning on and turning off the pump;
recording in the data storage means during a period of operation of the cleaning system a data table including time intervals during the period of operation of the cleaning system and pump operating status values associated with each of the time intervals, the pump operating status values being indicative of the on signals and the off signals provided to the pump;
analyzing the data table and determining a first length of time in which the pump is on;
recording in the data storage means during a second period of operation of the cleaning system a second data table including second time intervals during the second period of operation of the cleaning system and second pump operating status values associated with each of the second time intervals;
analyzing the second data table and determining a second length of time in which the pump is on; and
comparing the first length of time in which the pump is on and the second length of time in which the pump is on, wherein, when the second length of time in which the pump is on is greater than the first length of time in which the pump is on by a predetermined amount, overuse of the cleaning chemical in the cleaning system is indicated. - View Dependent Claims (39)
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40. A method for detecting the leaking of a valve in a cleaning system including a pump for supplying a cleaning chemical to a tank for holding a cleaning mixture of the cleaning chemical and a diluting fluid, the cleaning system further including a fluid supply conduit in fluid communication with a cleaning location and the tank, the valve being located between the fluid supply conduit and the tank, the cleaning system further including a fluid return conduit in fluid communication with the cleaning location and the tank, the cleaning system further including a source of rinsing fluid in fluid communication with the fluid supply conduit and the fluid return conduit, the rinsing fluid having a predetermined concentration different from the cleaning mixture concentration, the method comprising:
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locating a sensor in the fluid supply conduit or the fluid return conduit, the sensor outputting concentration signals indicative of a concentration of a component of fluid passing the sensor;
providing a processor in communication with a data storage means;
placing the processor in communication with the sensor;
recording in the data storage means during a period of operation of the cleaning system a data table including time intervals during the period of operation of the cleaning system and concentration values associated with each of the time intervals, the concentration values being derived by the processor from concentration signals received from the sensor; and
analyzing the data table and comparing concentration values recorded during a time period in which rinsing fluid is passed through the fluid supply conduit or the fluid return conduit to the predetermined concentration, wherein, when concentration values recorded during the time period in which rinsing fluid is passed through the fluid supply conduit or the fluid return conduit are greater than or less than the predetermined concentration, leaking of the valve is indicated.
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Specification