Foaming cartridge

• US 10,065,199 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2016
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Original Assignee: GOJO Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Twaroski, Jacob, Ciavarella, Nick E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Buechner, Patrick M
• Application Number:
  US15/350,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20170136475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47K 5/14 Foam or lather making devices for shaving A45D27/02
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/0054 Cartridges, i.e. containers specially designed for easy attachment to or easy removal from the rest of the sprayer attachment arrangements between pump and container B05B11/1043
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 11/1028 Pumps having a pumping chamber with a deformable wall B05B11/1087 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 15/20 Arrangements for agitating the material to be sprayed, e.g. for stirring, mixing or homogenising
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 7/0062 including sieves, porous members or the like
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 13/02 of two or more fluids at the same time
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 23/02 having reservoirs
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 23/06 the pumps being all of reciprocating positive-displacement type
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/026 each plate-like pumping flexible member working in its own pumping chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 43/04 Pumps having electric drive
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 45/043 two or more plate-like pumping flexible members in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 45/047 Pumps having electric drive

Abstract

Foaming cartridge for use with a foam pump, refill unit or foam dispenser includes a housing and a foaming stage disposed within the housing. The foaming stage includes two or more mix media located within the foaming stage. At least two of the mix media are sponges and the sponges have different porosities.

Claims

1. A foam dispenser having foaming cartridge for dispensing an formulation containing alcohol comprising:

a dispenser housing;

a container containing a formulation containing alcohol;

a multi-diaphragm sequentially activated pump located within the housing having at least one fluid pumping diaphragm in fluid communication with the formulation containing alcohol and at least two air pumping diaphragms;

a mixing chamber in fluid communication with an outlet of the at least one fluid pump diaphragm and the at least two air pump diaphragms;

a foaming cartridge in fluid communication with the mixing chamber;

the foaming cartridge having

a housing;

a foaming stage having two or more mix media;

wherein at least two of the mix media are sponges, one being an upstream sponge and one being a downstream sponge;

wherein at least two sponges have different porosities.

2. The foam dispenser of claim 1 wherein the upstream sponge has a higher porosity than the downstream sponge.

3. The foam dispenser of claim 1 wherein two of the mix media include an inlet screen and an outlet screen.

4. The foam dispenser of claim 1 wherein four mix media are located within the foaming stage.

5. A foam cartridge for a foam dispenser comprising:

a housing;

a foaming stage having four mix media;

wherein at least two of the mix media are sponges

wherein the at least two sponges have different porosities;

wherein the four mix media include an inlet screen, an upstream sponge, a downstream sponge, and an outlet screen;

wherein the inlet screen is adjacent to the upstream sponge;

wherein the upstream sponge is adjacent to the downstream sponge; and

wherein the downstream sponge is adjacent to the outlet screen.

6. A foam dispenser comprising:

a housing;

a motor;

a foam pump wherein the foam pump includes;

a wobble plate;

a plurality of pump diaphragms wherein each pump diaphragm is connected to the wobble plate;

a mixing chamber;

at least one foaming stage disposed in a housing;

two or more mix media located within the foaming stage;

wherein at least two of the mix media are sponges, including an upstream sponge and a downstream sponge;

wherein the upstream sponge and the downstream sponge have different porosities; and

an outlet for dispensing foam.

7. The foam dispenser of claim 6 wherein the upstream sponge has a higher porosity than the downstream sponge.

8. The foam dispenser of claim 6 further comprising mix media in the form of an inlet screen and an outlet screen.

9. A foam dispenser comprising:

a housing;

a motor;

a sequentially activated multi-diaphragm foam pump having;

a liquid pump diaphragm for pumping liquid into a mixing chamber;

a first air pump diaphragm for pumping air into the mixing chamber; and

a second air pump diaphragm for pumping air into the mixing chamber;

wherein the liquid pump diaphragm, the first air pump diaphragm and the second air pump diaphragm are compressed sequentially to pump liquid and air;

a foam cartridge downstream of the mixing chamber wherein the foam cartridge includes;

at least one foaming stage;

two or more mix media located within the foaming stage;

wherein at least two of the mix media are sponges comprising an upstream sponge and a downstream sponge;

wherein the upstream sponge and the downstream sponge have different porosities; and

a foam outlet located downstream of the foam cartridge.

10. The foam dispenser of claim 9 wherein the sequentially activated multi-diaphragm foam pump has a longitudinal axis and the liquid pump diaphragm, the first air pump diaphragm and the second air pump diaphragm are concentric about the longitudinal axis.

11. The foam dispenser of claim 9 wherein the liquid pump diaphragm pumps sanitizer.

12. The foam dispenser of claim 9 wherein the upstream sponge has a higher porosity than the downstream sponge.

13. The foam dispenser of claim 9 wherein at least two mix media include an inlet screen and an outlet screen.

14. The foam dispenser of claim 13 wherein the inlet screen has less threads per inch than the outlet screen.

15. The foam dispenser of claim 13 wherein the inlet screen has about 100 threads per inch, and the outlet screen has between about 150 threads per inch and about 200 threads per inch.

16. The foam dispenser of claim 9 wherein the upstream sponge has a higher porosity than the downstream sponge.

17. The foam dispenser of claim 9 wherein the upstream sponge has between about 50 to about 90 pores per inch.

18. The foam dispenser of claim 9 wherein the foam cartridge includes a housing and upstream sponge is compressed to between about 30-50% of its uncompressed state by the housing.

19. The foam dispenser of claim 9 wherein the downstream sponge has between about 50 to about 90 pores per inch.

20. The foam dispenser of claim 9 wherein the foam cartridge includes a housing and downstream sponge is compressed to between about 60-80% of its uncompressed state by the housing.