Expanding foam presence sensor and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10946563-B2
Application number	US-201716072455-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2017
Priority date	Feb 19, 2016
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

Various embodiments are directed to sensor apparatuses configured to detect the presence of foam forming composition in various regions within a foam dispensing apparatus. In various embodiments, the foam dispensing apparatus comprises a dispensing nozzle positioned between at least two container-forming layers and configured to dispense foam forming composition into a container interior formed by the container-forming layers. The sensing apparatus may be positioned external to the container interior, on an opposite side of a container-forming layer relative to the nozzle, and the sensing apparatus may be configured to detect whether foam forming composition is present within a field of view of the sensing apparatus, which encompasses a portion of the container interior. The sensing apparatus may comprise a contactless temperature sensor configured to detect the presence of foam forming composition based on the detected temperature of a surface within the field of view of the sensor apparatus.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A system for dispensing foam forming composition, the system comprising:
a dispensing nozzle positioned within a container interior defined at least in part by at least two container-forming layers, the dispensing nozzle configured to dispense foam forming composition into the container interior; and
at least one sensing apparatus comprising a temperature sensor positioned external to the container interior, wherein the sensing apparatus defines a detection field of view encompassing a portion of the container interior and a portion of the at least one container-forming layer, and the sensor apparatus is configured to:
detect the presence of foam forming composition within the portion of the container interior within the detection field of view based at least in part on a detected temperature of the portion of the at least one container-forming layer positioned within the detection field of view; and
detect an ambient temperature; and

wherein the detection of the presence of foam forming composition within the portion of the container interior within the detection field of view is based at least in part on a comparison between the ambient temperature and the detected temperature of the portion of the at least one container-forming layer positioned within the detection field of view.

2. The system for dispensing foam forming composition of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is an infrared temperature sensor.

3. The system for dispensing foam forming composition of claim 1 , wherein:
the temperature sensor is configured to output a detection voltage indicative of the detected temperature of the portion of the at least one container-forming layer positioned within the detection field of view; and
the sensing apparatus further comprises:
a reference voltage source configured to output a reference voltage; and
an onboard controller configured to:
receive the detection voltage and the reference voltage,
determine whether the detection voltage exceeds the reference voltage, and
upon a determination that the detection voltage exceeds the reference voltage, generate a digital signal indicative of the presence of foam forming composition within the portion of the container interior within the detection field of view.

4. The system for dispensing a foam forming composition of claim 1 , wherein the sensor apparatus further comprises an onboard controller configured to:
receive signals from the sensor, wherein the signals comprise a first signal indicative of the detected temperature of the portion of the at least one container-forming layer positioned within the detection field of view and a second signal indicative of the detected ambient temperature; and
generate an analogue signal indicative of the detected temperature of the portion of the at least one container-forming layer positioned within the detection field of view and the detected ambient temperature.

5. The system for dispensing foam forming composition of claim 1 , wherein the sensing apparatus is positioned such that the detection field of view encompasses a portion of the container interior in which foam forming composition is not expected.

6. The system for dispensing foam forming composition of claim 5 , further comprising a central controller configured to:
receive signals from the sensing apparatus indicative of the presence of foam forming composition within the portion of the container interior within the detection field of view; and
in response to receipt of a signal indicating that foam forming composition is present within the portion of the container interior within the detection field of view, cause the system to perform one or more remedial actions.

7. The system for dispensing foam forming composition of claim 6 , wherein the one or more remedial actions are selected from:
moving a portion of the at least two container-forming layers out of the system, or
preventing the dispensing of foam forming composition from the nozzle.

8. The system for dispensing foam forming composition of claim 1 , wherein the sensing apparatus is positioned such that the detection field of view encompasses a portion of the container interior in which foam forming composition is expected.

9. The system for dispensing foam forming composition of claim 8 , further comprising a central controller configured to:
receive signals from the sensing apparatus indicative of the presence of foam forming composition within the portion of the container interior within the detection field of view; and
in response to receipt of a signal indicating that foam forming composition is not present within the portion of the container interior within the detection field of view, cause the system to perform one or more remedial actions.

10. The system for dispensing foam forming composition of claim 6 , wherein the one or more remedial actions are selected from:
moving a portion of the at least two container-forming layers out of the system, or
preventing the dispensing of foam forming composition from the nozzle.

11. The system for dispensing foam forming composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensing apparatus comprises a plurality of sensing apparatuses each defining a corresponding detection field of view encompassing a portion of the container interior, wherein the detection fields of view of the plurality of sensing apparatuses do not substantially overlap.

12. The system for dispensing foam forming composition of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of sensing apparatuses comprise:
a first group of at least one sensing apparatus positioned at a first location; and
a second group of at least one sensing apparatus positioned at a second location, wherein the detection fields of view corresponding to the at least one sensing apparatus of the second group are downstream of the detection fields of view corresponding to the at least one sensing apparatus of the first group, such that the first group of at least one sensing apparatus is configured to detect the presence of foam forming composition before the second group of at least one sensing apparatus.

13. The system for dispensing foam forming composition of claim 1 , wherein the sensor apparatus further comprises an onboard controller configured to:
determine a reference rate of temperature change within the detection field of view by calculating a temperature change over time between a first detected temperature and a subsequent second detected temperature;
monitor an instantaneous rate of temperature change within the detection field of view by calculating a temperature change over time between at least two detected temperatures;
determine whether the instantaneous rate of temperature change exceeds the reference rate of temperature change;
upon determining that the instantaneous rate of temperature change exceeds the reference rate of temperature change, generate a data flag; and
determine whether one or more generated data flags satisfy foam-presence criteria to determine whether the data flags are indicative of the presence of foam forming composition within the portion of the container interior within the detection field of view.

14. The system for dispensing foam forming composition of claim 13 , wherein the foam-presence criteria comprises a minimum number of consecutively generated data flags.

15. A sensing apparatus configured to detect the presence of foam forming composition, the sensing apparatus comprising:
a sensor positioned external to a container defined by one or more container walls and containing foam forming composition, wherein the sensor defin

Assignees

• Sealed Air Corp

Inventors

• Vilag Brian Vincent
• Mierzejewski Kenneth John
• Maston Steven Edward
• Gal Steven Joseph

Classifications

• B01F31/55

  the materials to be mixed being contained in a flexible bag submitted to periodical deformation · CPC title

• B01F23/235

  for making foam · CPC title

• G01N27/223

  for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity (rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825) · CPC title

• B29K2075/00

  Use of {PU, i.e.} polyureas or polyurethanes {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• B29C44/182 Primary

  Filling flexible bags not having a particular shape · CPC title