System and method for forming a polyurethane foam including on demand introduction of additive to resin component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10494471-B2
Application number	US-201414772952-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

A system and method for forming a polyurethane foam includes supplying an isocyanate component from a source of isocyanate to a proportioner. A resin component from a source of resin is supplied to a metering unit and an additive having an unstable state from a source of additive is supplied to the metering unit. The resin component and the additive form a reactive mixture when combined. The system and method includes delivering the reactive mixture by the metering unit to an accumulator and storing the reactive mixture in the accumulator. The system and method further includes demanding a supply of the reactive mixture with the proportioner and supplying the reactive mixture by the accumulator to the proportioner and mixing the reactive mixture with the isocyanate component by the proportioner to form the polyurethane foam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming a polyurethane foam, said method comprising the steps of:
supplying an isocyanate component from a source of isocyanate directly to a proportioner;
supplying a resin component from a source of resin to a metering unit by a resin pump;
supplying an additive having an unstable state from a source of additive to the metering unit by an additive pump, the metering unit including an electronic control system comprising a plurality of relays communicating with the resin pump and additive pump;
forming a reactive mixture comprising the resin component and the additive by the metering unit by adjusting a ratio of the additive mixed with the resin component, wherein the metering unit is configured to adjust the ratio on the fly to accommodate for changes desired in characteristics of the polyurethane foam and changes in atmospheric and environmental conditions;
delivering the reactive mixture by the metering unit to an accumulator disposed between the metering unit and the proportioner and storing the reactive mixture in the accumulator for use on demand from the proportioner;
demanding a supply of the reactive mixture with the proportioner;
supplying the reactive mixture by the accumulator to the proportioner in response to the demand by the proportioner and mixing the reactive mixture with the isocyanate component by the proportioner to form the polyurethane foam; and
tracking the amount of the reactive mixture in the accumulator by the electronic control system in communication with the accumulator and forming and delivering the reactive mixture to the accumulator when the amount of the reactive mixture in the accumulator is below a predetermined amount.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 wherein said step of demanding comprises drawing the reactive mixture in the accumulator below a low level sensed by a low level sensor in the accumulator.

3. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the step of providing for the metering unit an output and a static mixer connected to the output to mix the resin component and the additive to form the reactive mixture.

4. A method as set forth in claim 3 including the step of providing an output line with an output stream back pressure regulator and connecting the output line to the static mixer and the accumulator to prevent the additive from bypassing the static mixer.

5. A method as set forth in claim 4 including the step of activating and deactivating the resin pump and the additive pump with the electronic control system.

6. A method as set forth in claim 4 including the step of adjusting a ratio of the additive mixed with the resin component by adjusting a pump volume control on the additive pump.

7. A method as set forth in claims 1 wherein the additive is one or more of a blowing agent, a fire retardant, a cell opener, water, a solid filler, and a catalyst.

8. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the blowing agent is one or more of hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) or liquid hydrofluorocarbons (HFC).

9. A method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the blowing agent is one or more of a liquid blowing agent (LBA), a gaseous blowing agent (GBA), or a flammable blowing agent.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the electronic control system is electrically connected to a pair of stroke sensors of the resin pump to adjust pump volume and stroke length of the resin pump for different materials.

11. A method for forming and spraying a polyurethane foam, said method comprising the steps of:
supplying an isocyanate component from a source of isocyanate directly to a proportioner;
supplying a resin component from a source of resin to a metering unit including a resin pump for the metering unit to pump the resin component, an additive pump for the metering unit to pump an additive, and an electronic control system comprising a plurality of relays communicating with the resin pump and the additive pump;
supplying the additive having an unstable state from a source of additive to the metering unit;
forming a reactive mixture comprising the resin component and the additive by the metering unit by adjusting a ratio of the additive mixed with the resin component by adjusting a pump volume control on the additive pump;
delivering the reactive mixture by the metering unit to an accumulator disposed between the metering unit and the proportioner;
storing the reactive mixture in the accumulator for use on demand from the proportioner;
demanding a supply of the reactive mixture with the proportioner;
supplying the reactive mixture by the accumulator to the proportioner in response to the demand by the proportioner drawing the reactive mixture in the accumulator below a low level sensed by a low level sensor in the accumulator communicating with the electronic control system and mixing the reactive mixture with the isocyanate component by the proportioner to form the polyurethane foam;
connecting a spray gun to the proportioner and spraying the polyurethane foam onto a selected substrate; and
tracking the amount of the reactive mixture in the accumulator by the electronic control system in communication with the accumulator and forming and delivering the reactive mixture to the accumulator when the amount of the reactive mixture in the accumulator is below the low level,
wherein the metering unit is configured to adjust the ratio on the fly to accommodate for changes desired in characteristics of the polyurethane foam and changes in atmospheric and environmental conditions.

Assignees

• Basf Se

Inventors

• Wishneski Todd William
• Carter Gregory Bryan
• Hunter Marcus J
• Jean-Rejouis Mario
• Longtin Peter Noel

Classifications

• C08J2203/162

  Halogenated unsaturated hydrocarbons, e.g. H2C=CF2 · CPC title

• B05B12/1418

  for supplying several liquids or other fluent materials in selected proportions to a single spray outlet (controlling ratio of two or more flows of fluid G05D11/02) · CPC title

• B05B7/02

  Spray pistols; Apparatus for discharge (for spraying particulate material B05B7/14; with means for heating the material to be sprayed B05B7/16; with means for supplying fluent material to a discharge device B05B7/24) · CPC title

• B05B7/0018

  with devices for making foam · CPC title

• B29C44/367

  using spray nozzles · CPC title