Mixing apparatus and methods of using the same

• US 8,210,215 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2008
• Issued: 07/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R. Lewis Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: R. Lewis Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Lenhart, John G., Lewis, William
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGLAS, STEVEN O
• Application Number:
  US12/332,430
• Publication Number:
  US 20090287358A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,300 Days
• Field of Search: 141/1, 141/2, 141/189, 141/98, 141100-105, 141/231
• US Class Current: 141/9
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/831 using one or more pump or other dispensing mechanisms for feeding the flows in predetermined proportion, e.g. one of the pumps being driven by one of the flows B01F35/832 takes precedence

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing and distributing a cleaning solution for use in a vehicle washing facility. The method includes receiving pre-measured raw chemical material at a distributor'"'"'s facility, diluting the pre-measured raw chemical material using a mixing apparatus at the distributor'"'"'s facility to form a cleaning solution, packaging at least a portion of the cleaning solution into containers at the distributor'"'"'s facility, and delivering at least one of the containers from the distributor'"'"'s facility directly to the vehicle washing facility.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing and distributing a cleaning solution for use in a vehicle washing facility, the method comprising:

receiving pre-measured raw chemical material at a distributor'"'"'s facility;

diluting the pre-measured raw chemical material using a mixing apparatus at the distributor'"'"'s facility to form a cleaning solution;

packaging at least a portion of the cleaning solution into containers at the distributor'"'"'s facility; and

delivering at least one of the containers from the distributor'"'"'s facility directly to the vehicle washing facility.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising permanently installing the mixing apparatus at the distributor'"'"'s facility.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mixing apparatus includes

a tank selectively fluidly connectable to a source of pressurized diluent by a passageway;

a first pump selectively fluidly connectable with the passageway, the first pump adapted to pump the pre-measured chemical material from a first container through the passageway to the tank to mix with diluent in the tank; and

a second pump selectively fluidly connectable with the passageway, the second pump adapted to pump the diluted raw chemical material from the tank through the passageway to a second container.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a mixing code with the pre-measured raw chemical material, the mixing code being input to the mixing apparatus to operate the mixing apparatus.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring the raw chemical material to yield the pre-measured raw chemical material.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a chemical supplier measures the raw chemical material.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the pre-measured raw chemical material at the distributor'"'"'s facility includes receiving the pre-measured raw chemical material on a pallet.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-measured raw chemical material includes at least one of a liquid raw chemical material and a particulate raw chemical material.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein diluting the pre-measured raw chemical material using the mixing apparatus at the distributor'"'"'s facility includes forming an amount of cleaning solution desired by the vehicle cleaning facility.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein packaging the cleaning solution into multiple containers includes packaging an amount of cleaning solution desired by the vehicle cleaning facility.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein diluting the pre-measured raw chemical material includes:

at least partially filling a tank with a diluent;

pumping the pre-measured raw chemical material from a first container into the tank via a passageway;

rinsing the first container with the diluent to form a rinse solution having a residual amount of raw chemical material; and

pumping the rinse solution from the first container into the tank via the passageway to rinse the passageway.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein packaging the cleaning solution includes pumping the cleaning solution from the tank to a second container via the passageway.