METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FLUID PROPORTIONING
First Claim
1. An apparatus for dispensing plural component materials under pressure having at least a first and a second component and a desired ratio between the components, the apparatus comprising:
- at least a first and a second pump, each of the pumps having an outlet and having an inlet connected to one of the components;
a first and a second driver, each driver being connected by a shaft to drive one of the pumps, each of the pumps, shaft and driver forming a driver-pump set;
a sensor coupled to each of the driver-pump sets, each of the sensors outputting a signal relational to a volume being pumped by the driver-pump set to which the sensor is connected;
at least a first and a second fluid regulator each having an input, an output and a control, each input attached to the outlet of one of the pumps;
a mix manifold connected to the fluid regulator outputs of the fluid regulators for mixing the component materials;
a controller electrically coupled to the sensors, the controller adapted to determine an output volume of each pump and adapted to adjust an output ratio of the components to approximate the desired ratio by controlling each of the fluid regulators.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for dispensing plural component materials under pressure having at least a first and a second component and a desired ratio between the components is disclosed. The apparatus includes at least a first and a second pump, each of the pumps has an outlet and an inlet connected to one of the components. Each of the pumps has a driver connected by a shaft to drive the pumps and a sensor coupled to the shaft. Each of the sensors output a signal relational to a volume being pumped by the driver-pump set to which the sensor is connected. There is at least a first and a second fluid regulator each with an input, an output and a control; each input is attached to the outlet of one of the pumps. The outputs of the fluid regulators are connected to a mixing manifold for mixing the component materials. A controller electrically coupled to the sensors determines the output of each pump and adjusts the output ratio of the components to approximate the desired ratio by controlling each of the fluid regulators.
19 Citations
25 Claims
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1. An apparatus for dispensing plural component materials under pressure having at least a first and a second component and a desired ratio between the components, the apparatus comprising:
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at least a first and a second pump, each of the pumps having an outlet and having an inlet connected to one of the components; a first and a second driver, each driver being connected by a shaft to drive one of the pumps, each of the pumps, shaft and driver forming a driver-pump set; a sensor coupled to each of the driver-pump sets, each of the sensors outputting a signal relational to a volume being pumped by the driver-pump set to which the sensor is connected; at least a first and a second fluid regulator each having an input, an output and a control, each input attached to the outlet of one of the pumps; a mix manifold connected to the fluid regulator outputs of the fluid regulators for mixing the component materials; a controller electrically coupled to the sensors, the controller adapted to determine an output volume of each pump and adapted to adjust an output ratio of the components to approximate the desired ratio by controlling each of the fluid regulators. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 24, 25)
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9. A method of dispensing plural component materials under pressure having at least a first and a second component and a desired ratio between the components, a first pump continuously pumping the first component and a second pump continuously pumping the second component, the method performed by a computer, the method comprising:
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(a) inputting the desired ratio and storing the desired ratio in the computer; (b) outputting a fully-operative voltage by the computer to a first fluid regulator associated with the first pump; (c) determining a partial-operative voltage based upon the desired ratio and outputting the partial-operative voltage to a second fluid regulator associated with the second pump; (d) for a period of time, the computer counting a number of cycles of the first pump and the computer counting a number of cycles of the second pump; (e) the computer determining a current ratio by dividing the number of cycles of the second pump by the number of cycles of the first pump; (f) if the current ratio is greater than the desired ratio, the computer reducing the partial-operative voltage and outputting the partial-operative voltage to the second fluid regulator; (g) if the current ratio is less than the desired ratio, the computer increasing the partial-operative voltage and outputting the partial-operative voltage to the second fluid regulator; and (h) repeating steps d-h. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for dispensing plural component materials under pressure having a first and a second component and a desired ratio between the components, the apparatus comprising:
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a first pump means having an outlet and having an inlet connected to the first component; a second pump means having an outlet and having an inlet connected to the second component; a first driver means connected by a first shaft means to the first pump means; a second driver means connected by a second shaft means to the second pump means; a first sensor means coupled to the first shaft means and adapted to output a signal relational to a volume being pumped by the first pump means; a second sensor means coupled to the second shaft means and adapted to output a signal relational to a volume being pumped by the second pump means; a first fluid regulator means having an input, and output and a control, the first fluid regulator means input attached to the outlet of the first pump means; a second fluid regulator means having an input, and output and a control, the second fluid regulator means input attached to the outlet of the second pump means; a mix manifold means connected to the output of the first fluid regulator means and connected to the output of the second fluid regulator means for mixing the component materials; a controller means electrically coupled to the first sensor means and electrically coupled to the second sensor means, the controller means adapted to determine an output volume of each pump means and adapted to adjust an output ratio of the components to approximate the desired ratio by controlling each of the fluid regulator means. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An apparatus for dispensing plural component materials under pressure having at least a first and a second component and a desired ratio between the components, the apparatus comprising:
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a first and a second pump, each of the pumps having an outlet and having an inlet connected to one of the components; a first and second driver, the first driver connected by a first shaft to the first pump forming a first driver-pump set and the second driver connected by a second shaft to the second pump forming a second driver-pump set; a first sensor coupled to the first driver-pump set and a second sensor coupled to the second driver-pump set, each of the sensors outputting a signal relational to a volume being pumped by the driver-pump set to which the sensor is connected; a fluid regulator each having an input, an output and a control, the input attached to the outlet of the first pump; a mix manifold having a first input connected to the output of the fluid regulator and having a second input connected to the output of the second pump, the mix manifold for mixing the component materials; a controller electrically coupled to the sensors, the controller adapted to determine an output volume of each pump and adapted to adjust an output ratio of the components to approximate the desired ratio by controlling the fluid regulator. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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Specification