Foaming cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065199-B2
Application number	US-201615350190-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 14, 2016
Priority date	Nov 13, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

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.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

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.

Assignees

• Gojo Ind Inc

Inventors

• Twaroski Jacob
• Ciavarella Nick E

Classifications

• B05B11/1028

  Pumps having a pumping chamber with a deformable wall (B05B11/1087 take precedence) · CPC title

• B05B11/0054

  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 title

• F04B23/02

  having reservoirs · CPC title

• B05B15/20

  Arrangements for agitating the material to be sprayed, e.g. for stirring, mixing or homogenising · CPC title

• A47K5/14

  Foam or lather making devices · CPC title