Disposable tray sump foamer, assembly and methods

• US 5,452,823 A
• Filed: 08/24/1994
• Issued: 09/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gremed Group, Corp.
• Original Assignee: Ballard Medical Products (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Cook, Robert P., Palmer, Darrel
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US08/296,195
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 222/1, 222/80, 222/81, 222/82, 222/153, 222/156, 222/180, 222/189, 222/190, 222/209, 222/325, 222/401, 222/402, 222/541, 141/2, 141/3, 141/18, 156/69
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/16 with mechanical drive food mixers A47J43/04
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0025 with a compressed gas supply

Abstract

A biological agent growth-limiting and cross contamination suppressing foaming assembly. The foaming assembly comprises a disposable foamable-liquid transport and foaming cartridge and a housing cooperatively used with the cartridge to produce and dispense foam from the cartridge. The cartridge comprises a low-cost package comprising a molded tray which provides cavities for liquid containing chambers, air and liquid communicating channels, and initially sealed but frangible ports and a liquid impervious sheet which covers an open face of the tray to seal otherwise open portions of the chambers, channels and ports. The housing comprises a vertical wall mounting plate, a cartridge accommodating and servicing cover hingeably affixed to the mounting plate, a pump which provides pressurized gas to produce the foam within the cartridge, and sharpened stems or shafts to open the frangible ports. Foamable-liquid is stored within the cartridge during shipment, foamed within the cartridge under pressure from the pump, and dispensed as a foam from a spout which is a part of the tray.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a sealed foamer for storage, shipment, and subsequent use comprising the steps of:

closing a large reservoir, a small reservoir, and air, foamable liquid and foam flow path cavities in a single piece foamer body with a sheet of film;

causing the sheet of film to adhere contiguously to the foamer body at sites between the reservoirs and cavities;

filling the large reservoir with a quantity of foamable liquid;

insuring that the interior of the foamer is entirely sealed against influent and effluent flow;

at the time of use, directly connecting a manual air pump to an air flow path cavity thereby breaking the seal;

placing the large reservoir at atmospheric pressure;

filling the small reservoir with foamable liquid at predetermined times;

selectively delivering air under pressure from the air pump directly into the air flow path and thence to both the small reservoir and a foaming site to drive foamable liquid to the foaming site where foam is created and thereafter discharged.

2. A method of filling, sealing, and using a foamer tray comprising the steps of:

placing a tray in a generally horizontal orientation so that cavities therein are open in an upward orientation;

placing an impervious membrane contiguously and adheringly across the upwardly oriented cavities in the tray;

filling a relatively large cavity in the tray with foamable liquid while the tray is disposed generally horizontal;

insuring that the exterior of the combined tray and membrane is sealed against influent and effluent flow;

connecting a manual air pump directly into an air influent site of the tray foamer thereby breaking the seal;

placing the tray foamer in a generally vertical orientation;

delivering air under pressure to the tray foamer and issuing a discharge of foam therefrom.

3. In a foamer, a combination comprising:

a foamable-liquid containing and foam-producing cartridge comprising air pump communicating ports disposed at predetermined sites and sealed before use by frangible barriers;

a manual air pump comprising a puncturing device for puncturing the barriers of said sealed ports and for communicating air to said disposable foam-producing cartridge and a pawl-engaging mechanism;

a holder for said cartridge and air pump comprising an orienting mechanism for spatially orienting said cartridge relative to said air pump;

said holder further comprising at least one pawl disposed to engage and retain the pawl-engaging mechanism in a predetermined orientation relative to the puncturing device to lock said air pump in a position such that the puncturing device is in alignment with said frangible barriers.

4. A combination according to claim 3 wherein said pawl engaging means comprise a pawl engaging member extending-radially outward from said air pump at a predetermined site relative to said puncturing and communicating means.

5. A combination according to claim 3 wherein said puncturing and communicating means comprise hollow rigid shafts extending outward from said air pump having sharpened extremities distal from the air pump.

6. A combination according to claim 3 wherein said holder comprises means for securely holding said air pump in a predetermined position along an axis normal to the plane of engagement of the pawl engaging means.

7. A combination according to claim 3 wherein said holder comprises means for accessing said cartridge and air pump for servicing and replacement of the cartridge and the air pump.

8. A combination according to claim 3 wherein said holder comprises a first servicing orientation whereat said cartridge and said air pump are accessible for service and replacement and a second use orientation whereat said cartridge is disposed in a predetermined alignment relative to gravitational force for use.

9. A combination according to claim 3 wherein said pawl means comprise means for disengaging from said pawl engaging means such that said air pump is unlocked and said air pump is displaceable and therefore removable from said holder.

10. A combination according to claim 3 wherein said air pump communicating ports comprise one port which receives ambient air from said air pump and one port which receives pressurized air from said air pump.

11. A combination according to claim 3 wherein said cartridge comprises one relatively large foamable-liquid containing and storing reservoir, one relatively small pump chamber, a foam creating site, and a foam effluent site, said large reservoir and said small chamber, in combination, comprising means for selectively communicating foamable-liquid in a single direction only from the large reservoir to the small chamber.

12. A combination according to claim 11 wherein said air communicating ports comprise one port which delivers pressure relieving air from the air pump to the large reservoir.

13. A combination according to claim 11 wherein said air communicating ports comprise one port which delivers pressurized air to the pump chamber.

14. A combination according to claim 3 wherein said pawl means comprise a single injection molded part securely affixed to a part of said holder.

15. A combination according to claim 14 wherein said molded part is made from resilient synthetic resinous material.

16. A disposable foamer comprising:

a body defining a plurality of chambers disposed between flat surfaces of the body, the flat surfaces being disposed in a common plane;

an essentially impervious sheet contiguously adhered to the flat surface areas so as to cover each chamber adjacent to the flat surfaces;

the chambers comprising a relatively large storage chamber functioning to store a quantity of foamable liquid, a relatively small pump chamber functioning to periodically discharge and thereafter to receive a charge of foamable liquid from the relatively large chamber, air flow chambers functioning to provide air under pressure to create foam and to displace foamable liquid, a foamable liquid flow chamber functioning to accommodate flow of foamable liquid, a foam-producing chamber functioning to merge flow of air under pressure and flow of foamable liquid to create foam and a foam delivery chamber functioning to deliver foam to a user.

17. A disposable foamer according to claim 16 wherein the body is a tray molded as one piece from synthetic resinous material.

18. A disposable foamer according to claim 16 wherein the impervious sheet comprises synthetic resinous film.

19. A disposable foamer according to claim 16, the body further comprising frangibly sealed inlet and outlet ports.

20. A disposable foamer according to claim 19 further comprising means for selectively breaking the frangibly sealed ports preparatory to foam production.

21. A disposable foamer according to claim 16 further comprising a reusable housing comprising a mounting structure for mounting to a surface in a predetermined orientation and a reusable hollow cover movably attached to said mounting structure.

22. A disposable foamer according to claim 21 further comprising a latch for holding the cover in a closed position to accommodate production of foam.

23. A disposable foamer according to claim 21 further comprising a manually operable air pump releasibly attached to said cover and operatively connected to deliver air under pressure to the body.

24. A disposable foamer according to claim 23 wherein the air pump comprises a male portion forced through a frangible sealed port of the body.

25. A disposable foamer according to claim 23 wherein the air pump comprises a one-way valve disposed in one chamber between the large storage chamber and the small pump chamber for accommodating selective flow of foamable liquid along the one chamber from the large storage chamber to the small pump chamber.

26. A disposable foamer according to claim 16 further comprising a foam homogenizer disposed downstream of the foam producing chamber.

27. A disposable foamer according to claim 16 wherein the body and sheet comprise a unitary sealed cartridge.

28. A disposable foamer according to claim 27 further comprising a latch release for unlatching a cover to remove the body and sheet when the foamable liquid therein is substantially spent.

29. A disposable foamer according to claim 16 further comprising a window for viewing the level of foamable liquid in the large storage chamber.

30. A disposable foamer according to claim 16 wherein the air flow chambers accommodate delivery of air under pressure respectively to the small pump chamber and the foam producing chamber.

31. A method of filling and using a disposable tray foamer cartridge comprising the steps of:

providing a cavity-laden tray wherein the cavities are exposed along one side of the tray with foamable liquid;

placing a sheet contiguously and adheringly across the one side of the tray to close and seal each cavity along the one side so that foamable liquid is confined in the sheet covered tray;

placing the sheet covered tray in a foam producing location;

delivering air under pressure from a manual pump to the interior of the sheet covered tray to drive foamable liquid therein along the sheet and to foam foamable liquid with said air under pressure at a foam-producing site contiguous with the sheet.

32. A method of filling and sealing a foamer tray comprising the steps of:

placing a tray in a generally horizontal orientation so that a plurality of cavities therein are open in an upward orientation;

filling a relatively large cavity in the tray with foamable liquid while the tray is disposed generally horizontal;

placing an impervious membrane contiguously and adheringly over the tray cross the upwardly oriented cavities in the tray so as to prevent short circuit fluid flow between cavities;

operatively connecting a manual air pump directly into an air influent site of the tray foamer;

delivering air under pressure to the tray foamer to produce and discharge foam.

33. A method of foam production comprising the steps of:

breaking a foamer seal to supply air to an interior of a foamer and to accommodate discharge of foam;

connecting a manual air pump directly to an air influent site of the foamer;

displacing within the foamer air and foamable liquid, creating foam at a site where air and foamable liquid merge and displacing the foam within the foamer and discharging the foam from the foamer, at least some of the displaced air, foamable liquid and/or foam within the foamer being displaced contiguous with an impervious film at one side of the foamer.

34. A method of manufacturing a sealed foamer for storage, shipment, and subsequent use comprising the steps of:

closing a large reservoir, a small reservoir, and air, foamable liquid and foam flow path cavities in a single piece foamer body with a sheet of film;

causing the sheet of film to adhere contiguously to the foamer body at sites between the reservoirs and cavities;

filling the large reservoir with a quantity of foamable liquid;

insuring that the interior of the foamer is entirely sealed against influent and effluent flow;

at the time of use, directly connecting a manual air pump to an air flow path cavity thereby breaking the seal;

placing the large reservoir at atmospheric pressure;

filling the small reservoir with foamable liquid at predetermined time;

selectively delivering air under pressure from the air pump directly into the air flow path and thence to both the small reservoir and a foaming site to drive foamable liquid to the foaming site where foam is created and thereafter discharged.

35. A method by which foam is created from foamable liquid and discharged from a foamer cartridge comprising the steps of:

placing the foamable liquid within a relatively large reservoir of the foamer cartridge so that foamable liquid in the large reservoir is contiguous with a thin impervious membrane forming one side of the foamer cartridge;

charging a relatively small pump chamber at a predetermined time with a small quantity of foamable liquid from the large reservoir so that foamable liquid in the small pump chamber is contiguous within the thin impervious membrane;

displacing air under pressure from a manual air pump contiguously along the thin impervious membrane to a foaming site and to the small pump chamber;

displacing foamable liquid from the small pump chamber contiguously along the thin impervious membrane to the foaming site;

co-mingling said air under pressure and said delivered foamable liquid at the foaming site to create a flow of foam;

displacing the foam contiguously along the thin membrane and discharging the foam from the foamer cartridge.

36. A method by which foam is created and discharged from an initially sealed disposable foamer cartridge comprising the steps of:

providing the initially sealed disposable foamer cartridge with a quantity of foamable liquid within a relatively large hollow region disposed between a tray and a sheet covering adhered to one side of the tray;

placing the disposable foamer cartridge in a wall mounted holder;

removably connecting a manual air pump to the foamer cartridge by puncturing the sealed foamed cartridge at a predetermined site introducing air from atmosphere into the large hollow region;

selectively introducing air from the air pump into a relatively small pump chamber;

periodically charging foamable liquid from the large hollow region into the small pump chamber;

periodically displacing foamable liquid from the small pump chamber to a foaming site to foam foamable liquid.