Foam soap generator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9504361-B2
Application number	US-88800210-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2010
Priority date	Apr 14, 2006
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A foam soap generator is provided for implementation with various types of foam soap delivery systems. The foam soap generator includes converging air and liquid soap passages at a mixing chamber, where a prefoam is generated for ultimate extrusion through a porous passage member. In one embodiment of the invention, the liquid soap is drawn into an entrainment zone by high velocity air passing through the air passageway and into the mixing chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foam generator for a soap dispenser, comprising:
a housing having an air inlet and a liquid inlet located at a first end of the housing;
an air flow line connected to the air inlet, wherein the air flow line separates the housing from a remote air pump;
a liquid flow line connected to the liquid inlet, wherein the liquid flow line separates the housing from a remote liquid pump;
an entrapment zone located within the housing;
a mixing chamber located within the housing downstream of the entrapment zone, wherein the mixing chamber has a larger volume than the entrapment zone and the diameter of the mixing chamber is greater than the diameter of the air inlet and the diameter of the liquid inlet;
an air passage extending between said air inlet and said mixing chamber, the air passage extending along an axial path, and wherein at least a portion of the entrapment zone is contained in the air passage;
a liquid passage extending between said liquid inlet and said entrapment zone, the liquid passage extending substantially parallel to the air passage for a first distance and extending a second distance that is not parallel to the air passage and the liquid passages converges into the air passage at the entrapment zone and the air and liquid are combined at the entrapment zone and expelled into said mixing chamber and said air passage constricts in cross section in the flow direction prior to the entrapment zone to increase the velocity of the air prior to said convergence with said liquid passage at said entrapment zone; and
a porous passage member located downstream of the mixing chamber,
wherein the porous passage member causes the mixture of liquid and air to be expelled as a foam.

2. The foam generator according to claim 1 , wherein air and liquid are respectively forcefully driven through said air and liquid passages.

3. The foam generator according to claim 1 , wherein said liquid passage defines a staging area maintaining a dose of liquid soap drawn into said air passage by a venturi action when air is driven through said air passage.

4. The foam generator of claim 1 , wherein said portion increases the velocity of air in said air passage and liquid soap in said liquid passage is entrained in the air at said convergence.

5. The foam generator of claim 1 , wherein said portion increases the velocity of air in said air passage and liquid soap in said liquid passage is drawn into said air passage by a venturi action at said convergence.

6. The foam generator of claim 1 , wherein a cross section of said portion is shaped as a section of a circle.

7. The foam generator of claim 1 , wherein said air passage comprises a first portion having a substantially constant cross sectional area and a second portion having a steadily decreasing cross sectional area.

8. The foam generator according to claim 1 , wherein said liquid and air passages are arranged side-by-side.

9. The foam generator according to claim 8 , wherein said liquid and air passages are parallel.

10. A dispenser comprising:
an air pump having a pump housing
an air flow line connected to the air;
a liquid pump having a liquid pump housing;
a liquid flow line connected to the liquid pump;
a foam generator remote from said air pump by a distance defined by said air flow line, and remote from said liquid pump by a distance defined by said liquid flow line, said foam generator comprising:
a housing having a liquid inlet and an air inlet,
the housing separated from the air pump housing by the air flow line and separated from the liquid pump housing by the liquid flow line;
a mixing chamber having a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the air inlet and the diameter of the liquid inlet;
an air passage extending between said air inlet and said mixing chamber, the air passage extending along an axial path and having a first cross sectional area that linearly diminishes in size prior to the entrapment zone to increase the velocity of the air, and wherein at least a portion of the entrapment zone is contained in the air passage;

a liquid passage extending between said liquid inlet and an entrapment zone, the liquid passage extending substantially parallel to the air passage for a first distance and extending a second distance that is not parallel to the air passage and the liquid passages converge into the air passage at the entrapment zone and the air and liquid are combined at the entrapment zone and expelled into said mixing chamber that has a larger volume than the entrapment zone and said air passage constricts in cross section in the flow direction prior to the entrapment zone to increase the velocity of the air prior to said convergence with said liquid passage at said entrapment zone; and
a porous passage member located downstream of the mixing chamber;
wherein the porous passage member causes the mixture of liquid and air to be expelled as a foam.

11. The dispenser according to claim 10 , wherein said liquid passage defines a staging area maintaining a dose of liquid soap drawn into said air passage by a venturi action when air is driven through said air passage.

12. The soap dispenser of claim 10 , wherein a portion of said air passage comprises a steadily decreasing cross sectional area in the flow direction terminating at a location proximate said convergence.

13. The dispenser according to claim 10 , further comprising a liquid pump communicating with a liquid flow line and advancing liquid upon actuation through said liquid flow line, wherein said liquid soap inlet of said foam generator receives liquid advanced through said liquid flow line.

14. The dispenser according to claim 13 , wherein said air and liquid are respectively forcefully driven through said air and liquid passages.

15. A foam generator for a dispenser, comprising:
a housing having an air inlet and a liquid inlet;
the housing having a longitudinal axis;
a liquid flow line having a first end and a second end, the first end connected to the liquid inlet and the second end connected to a liquid pump;
an air flow line having a first end and a second end, the first end connected to the air inlet and the second end connected to an air pump;
a mixing chamber located within the housing and having a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the air inlet and the diameter of the liquid inlet;
an air passage through the housing to the mixing chamber, the air passage linearly reducing in cross-section as it passes through the housing to increase the velocity of the air;
a liquid passage through the housing, the liquid passage extending along the longitudinal axis for a first portion of the liquid passage and extending along a non-longitudinal axis for a second portion of the liquid passage;
the liquid passage connecting to the air passage in an entrapment zone located downstream of the area of reduced cross-section of the air passage wherein liquid traveling through the liquid passage is entrained in the air traveling along the air passage while the air is traveling at a higher velocity than the air was traveling when it first entered the air inlet;
wherein the liquid entrained air is expelled into the mixing chamber which has a larger volume than the entrapment zone;
a porous passage member located downstream of the mixing chamber wherein the porous passage member causes the mixture of liquid and air to be expelled as a foam.

Assignees

• Yates James M
• Gojo Ind Inc

Inventors

• Yates James M

Classifications

• B05B7/0483

  with gas and liquid jets intersecting in the mixing chamber · CPC title

• B05B7/0491

  the liquid and the gas being mixed at least twice along the flow path of the liquid · CPC title

• B05B7/0475

  with means for deflecting the peripheral gas flow towards the central liquid flow (B05B7/0458 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B05B7/0037

  including sieves, porous members or the like · CPC title

• A47K5/14 Primary

  Foam or lather making devices · CPC title