Apparatus and method for dispensing solutions from solid products

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10549245-B2
Application number	US-201414451825-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2014
Priority date	Aug 5, 2014
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

An apparatus and method for creating and dispensing a solution formed of a solid product which is eroded or dissolved in a liquid, which may include methods for creating turbulent flow of the liquid. The apparatus includes an inlet portion for introducing the liquid into the dispenser system, a solution forming assembly, and an outlet portion for dispensing the solution. The solution forming assembly may include a support structure configured to support the solid product, and a reservoir coupled to the support structure, the reservoir configured to hold the liquid and allow flow of the liquid into and out of the reservoir, the reservoir including a base and one or more sidewall portions. The reservoir further including one or more liquid inlets located in the one or more sidewall portions configured to introduce liquid into the reservoir to contact the solid product and create the solution.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A dispenser system for creating a solution by dissolving a solid product in a liquid, the dispenser system comprising:
a housing;
an inlet portion for introducing the liquid into the dispenser system;
a solution forming assembly being at least partially within the housing and including:
a support structure configured to support the solid product, the support structure including:
a grate at a base of the support structure, and
one or more overflow ports defined at the support structure, the one or more overflow ports extending from a first location at the grate at the base of the support structure to a second location spaced apart from the grate at the base of the support structure in a direction parallel to an axis of assembly;

a reservoir operatively coupled to the support structure, the reservoir configured to hold the liquid and allow flow of the liquid into the reservoir, via the inlet portion, and the solution out of the reservoir, the reservoir including:
a base portion,
one or more sidewall portions extending away from the base portion to retain the liquid within the reservoir, the one or more sidewall portions defining an internal perimeter of the reservoir,
a first liquid inlet and a second liquid inlet, the first liquid inlet located at a first location in the one or more sidewall portions and the second liquid inlet located at a second, different location in the one or more sidewall portions that is spaced apart about the internal perimeter of the reservoir from the first location, each of the first liquid inlet and the second liquid inlet configured to introduce the liquid into the reservoir via the inlet portion, and
the reservoir being positioned proximate the support structure such that the liquid contacts the solid product when the liquid is held in the reservoir to create the solution;
a first turbulence generating reaction surface and a second turbulence generating reaction surface that is spaced from the first turbulence generating reaction surface by the internal cavity of the reservoir, the first turbulence generating reaction surface located in a flow path of the first liquid inlet and the second turbulence generating reaction surface located in a flow path of the second liquid inlet; and

an outlet portion for dispensing the solution received from the reservoir via the one or more overflow ports.

2. The dispenser system according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second liquid inlets are configured to introduce the liquid into the reservoir to create the circular flow pattern of the liquid in the reservoir.

3. The dispenser system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second liquid inlets introduce liquid into the reservoir at an angle non-orthogonal to the respective sidewall portion, or non-orthogonal to a plane tangent to the respective sidewall portion at the respective liquid inlet.

4. The dispenser system according to claim 1 , wherein the first turbulence generating reaction surface and the second turbulence generating reaction surface are configured to increase the turbulence of the liquid flow in the reservoir when liquid is introduced into the reservoir.

5. The dispenser system according to claim 4 , wherein each of the first turbulence generating reaction surface and the second turbulence generating reaction surface extends from a first end portion proximal to the base, to a second end portion distal to the base.

6. The dispenser system according to claim 5 , wherein the first end of each of the first turbulence generating reaction surface and the second turbulence generating reaction surface is attached to the base.

7. The dispenser system according to claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first and second liquid inlets provides liquid flow to at least one of the first and second turbulence generating reaction surfaces such that at least a portion of the liquid flow is substantially orthogonal to the at least one of the first and second turbulence generating reaction surfaces, or substantially orthogonal to a plane tangent to the at least one of the first and second turbulence generating reaction surfaces.

8. The dispenser system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first turbulence generating reaction surface and the second turbulence generating reaction surface creates additional turbulence when the circular flow of liquid comes into contact with each of the first turbulence generating reaction surface and the second turbulence generating reaction surface.

9. The dispenser system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second liquid inlets located in the one or more sidewall portions inject liquid into the reservoir at an angle substantially orthogonal to the respective sidewall portion at the respective liquid inlet, or substantially orthogonal to a plane tangent to the respective sidewall portion at the respective liquid inlet.

10. The dispenser system of claim 9 , wherein each of the first turbulence generating surface and the second turbulence generating reaction surface is configured to increase the turbulence of the liquid flow in the reservoir when the liquid is introduced into the reservoir.

11. The dispenser system according to claim 10 , wherein each of the first turbulence generating reaction surface and the second turbulence generating reaction surface extends from a first end portion proximal to the base, to a second end portion distal to the base.

12. The dispenser system according to claim 11 , wherein the first end portion of each of the first turbulence generating reaction surface and the second turbulence generating reaction surface is attached to the base.

13. The dispenser system according to claim 1 , wherein the support structure is configured to support the solid product within the reservoir and maintain a gap between the base of the reservoir and the solid product while allowing the liquid to pass through at least one opening in the grate at the base of the support structure.

14. The dispenser system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more sidewall portions extend upward and away from the base at an angle greater than 0 degrees.

15. The dispenser system according to claim 1 , wherein the support structure extends into an internal cavity of the reservoir.

16. The dispenser system of claim 15 , wherein the support structure extends into the internal cavity of the reservoir to a location between the first and second liquid inlets and an end of the one or more sidewall portions.

17. The dispenser system of claim 15 , wherein the base portion of the reservoir has a width that is greater than a width of a portion of the support structure that extends into the internal cavity.

18. The dispenser system of claim 1 , wherein the overflow ports are defined in the support structure at a location that is spaced from the one or more sidewall portions of the reservoir in a direction perpendicular to the axis of assembly.

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Freudenberg Jared R
• Urban Ryan Jacob
• Morey John David

Classifications

• B01F1/0038 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F5/0065

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F15/0203

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F2215/004

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F21/22 Primary

  using additional holders in conduits, containers or pools for keeping the solid material in place, e.g. supports or receptacles · CPC title