CHEMICAL DELIVERY SYSTEM

• US 20090090415A1
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Published: 04/09/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonny's HFI Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Hydra-Flex, Inc. (Sonny'S Enterprises, LLC)
• Inventors: Kensinger, David G., Brown, Gary A., Fritze, Karl J., Harris, Jaime L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,322,367 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 137/7
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/003 Housing formed from a plurality of the same valve elements
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 37/144 the securing element being U-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 39/00 Joints or fittings for double-walled or multi-channel pipes or pipe assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 41/03 comprising junction pieces for four or more pipe members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0352 Controlled by pressure
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0402 Cleaning, repairing, or assembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0441 Repairing, securing, replacing, or servicing pipe joint, valve, or tank
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0491 Valve or valve element assembling, disassembling, or replacing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6007 Assembling or disassembling multi way valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87249 Multiple inlet with multiple outlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87587 Combining by aspiration
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87627 Flow control means is located in aspirated fluid inlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87877 Single inlet with multiple distinctly valved outlets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87885 Sectional block structure

Abstract

An expandable chemical delivery system sharing a common bulk fluid inlet and bulk fluid flow path to direct a bulk fluid through one or more selected chemical eductors. Each chemical eductor is slidably insertable into an eductor port on the manifold body such that rotation of the chemical eductor is not required for installation. After installation, the orientation of the chemical eductor can be rotatably adjusted so as to avoid interference with adjacent chemical eductors. Delivery of a bulk fluid to each chemical eductor is controlled via a corresponding valve assembly that selectively allows or blocks flow of the bulk fluid form the bulk fluid flow path to the corresponding chemical eductor. The manifold body can include a plurality of individual manifold bodies approximated with a coupling system to define the bulk fluid flow path. Alternatively, the manifold body can comprise a single fabricated body for high pressure operation.

Claims

1. An expandable chemical delivery system, comprising:

at least first and second eductor assemblies, each eductor assembly including a manifold body, a valve assembly and an eductor member, each manifold body including a bulk fluid inlet and a bulk fluid outlet; and

a coupling assembly including a coupling tube and a pair of coupling nuts, wherein the two eductor assemblies are positioned such that the bulk fluid outlet on the first eductor assembly is aligned with the bulk fluid inlet on the second eductor assembly to define a common bulk fluid flow path and wherein the coupling tube is slidably inserted through the common bulk fluid flow path such that exterior threads on each end of the coupling tube extend from the bulk fluid inlet on the first eductor assembly and the bulk fluid outlet on the second eductor assembly and the coupling nuts are attached to each end of the coupling tube to fixedly couple the first and second eductor assemblies.

2. The expandable chemical delivery system of claim 1, wherein each eductor member is removably coupled to a corresponding eductor port such that a removable locking member retains attachment of the eductor member to the eductor port.

3. The expandable chemical delivery system of claim 2, wherein each eductor port comprises a pair of continuous locking bores for receiving a pair of locking legs on the removable locking member, the locking legs being retained within opposed sides of a radial locking groove on a dispensing inlet of the eductor member.

4. The expandable chemical delivery system of claim 3, wherein the eductor member can be rotated to orient a chemical inlet on the eductor member so as to avoid interference with an adjacently mounted eductor member.

5. The expandable chemical delivery system of claim 1, wherein the valve assembly includes a valve cap, the valve cap being adapted to physically mount the valve assembly within a valve port while simultaneously retaining internal actuation elements of the valve assembly.

6. The expandable chemical delivery system of claim 1, wherein the coupling tube comprises a plurality of wall apertures for directing bulk fluid from the bulk fluid inlet into the common bulk fluid flow path.

7. The expandable chemical delivery system of claim 1, wherein a threaded plug is attached to a downstream end of the coupling tube to close the coupling tube.

8. A high-pressure chemical delivery system, comprising:

a manifold body having a bulk fluid inlet fluidly interconnected to a plurality of eductor flow channels, each eductor flow channel including a valve conduit and an eductor conduit, each valve conduit including a valve mounting port and each eductor conduit including an eductor mounting port; and

at least one eductor assembly including an eductor member and a valve member, the eductor member and valve member operably connected to a corresponding valve mounting port and eductor mounting port, the eductor member including a chemical inlet portion and a mixed fluid outlet portion wherein the valve member selectively directs the bulk fluid through the eductor conduit for drawing a chemical through the inlet portion for mixing with the bulk fluid and dispensing through to a point of use through the mixed fluid outlet portion.

9. The high-pressure chemical delivery system of claim 8, wherein each eductor mounting port includes a pair of locking bores for slidably receiving a locking member, the locking member adapted to fixedly retain a dispensing inlet on each eductor member.

10. The high-pressure chemical delivery system of claim 9, wherein the eductor member is rotatably positionable within the eductor mounting port so as to rotatably orient the chemical inlet on the eductor member in a desired connection orientation.

11. The high-pressure chemical delivery system of claim 9, wherein the dispensing inlet includes a tapered lead surface and a radial locking groove, the tapered leading surface being directed through and past the locking member such that the locking member snaps into the radial locking groove.

12. The high-pressure chemical delivery system of claim 11, wherein the dispensing inlet includes a sealing member so as to seal the dispensing inlet within the eductor conduit when the locking member is retained within the radial locking groove.

13. The high-pressure chemical delivery system of claim 8, wherein the manifold body includes at least four eductor flow channels.

14. The high-pressure chemical delivery system of claim 8, wherein the valve member comprises a solenoid valve assembly.

15. A method for dispensing a chemical to point of use, comprising:

providing a manifold having a shared bulk fluid inlet fluidly interconnected to a plurality of eductor flow channels;

mounting at least one eductor assembly to an eductor mounting port on a selected eductor flow channel;

mounting a valve assembly to a valve mounting port on the selected eductor flow channel;

opening the valve assembly to selectively allow a bulk fluid to mix with a chemical in the eductor assembly; and

dispensing a mixed fluid to point of use through a chemical delivery end of the eductor assembly.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

mounting at least a second eductor assembly to a second eductor mounting port on a second eductor flow channel;

mounting a second valve assembly to a second valve mounting port on the second eductor flow channel;

opening the second valve assembly to selectively allow the bulk fluid to mix with a second chemical in the second eductor assembly; and

dispensing a second mixed fluid to second point of use through a second chemical delivery end of the second eductor assembly.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein mounting the at least one eductor assembly to the eductor mounting port, further comprises:

advancing a tapered dispensing inlet of the eductor assembly into the eductor mounting port such that the tapered dispensing inlet is directed past a locking member which snaps into a radial locking groove on the tapered dispensing inlet.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

rotating the eductor assembly within the eductor mounting port to orient a chemical inlet relative to an adjacent eductor assembly.