Dispenser for generating ozone containing fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9936841-B2
Application number	US-201514835412-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2015
Priority date	Feb 27, 2009
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

A dispenser for generating ozone containing fluid comprising: drawing atmospheric air into an air compartment, generating ozone within the air compartment from air in the air compartment by conversion within the compartment of oxygen in the air within the compartment into ozone to form ozonated air, discharging the ozonated air from the air compartment, mixing the ozonated discharged air with a flowable fluid to form an ozonated fluid-air mixture, and passing the ozonated fluid-air mixture out a discharge outlet. Preferably, the method is carried out in a dispenser utilizing a piston pump to draw air through a corona discharge ozone generator and to draw liquid from a liquid reservoir and simultaneously pass both the ozonated air and liquid through a foam generator to generate foam.

First claim

We claim:

1. A dispenser dispensing ozone containing foam comprising:
an ozone generating chamber,
the ozone generating chamber having an air inlet in communication with a source of air and an outlet,
an ozone generator within the ozone generating chamber to generate ozone from air in the ozone generating chamber by conversion within the ozone generating chamber of oxygen in the air within the ozone generating chamber into ozone to form ozonated air,
a fluid containing reservoir containing a fluid capable of foaming,
a liquid pump,
an air pump,
the air pump comprising a piston pump having a piston-forming element reciprocally coaxially slidable within a piston chamber-forming member in which an air compartment is formed between the piston-forming element and the piston chamber-forming member,
the piston-forming element reciprocally movable relative the piston chamber-forming member in a cycle of operation between a refracted position and an extended position,
the air compartment having a variable volume which changes from a minimum volume to a maximum volume,
the volume of the air compartment being at the maximum volume when the piston-forming element is in a first position of the refracted position and the extended position,
the volume of the air compartment being at the minimum volume when the piston-forming element is in a second position of the retracted position and the extended position different than the first position,
the outlet of the ozone generating chamber in communication with an ozone inlet to the air compartment,
the piston-forming element movable relative the housing in a cycle of operation to draw ozonated air from the chamber into the air compartment and discharge ozonated air from the air compartment,
the liquid pump operative to draw liquid from the reservoir and discharge liquid,
a foam generator for simultaneous passage of ozonated air which has been discharged from the air compartment and fluid which has been discharged from the liquid pump to generate foam for discharge out a discharge outlet,
an air drying member provided such that air drawn into an air inlet passes through the air drying member before entering the ozone generating chamber, and
wherein the reservoir and the air drying member are provided as a removable and replaceable modular cartridge which is removably coupled to a remainder of the dispenser for removal and replacement by similar modular cartridges.

2. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein the liquid pump comprises a portion of the cartridge removable and replaceable therewith, with the liquid pump coupled to an outlet of the reservoir.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein the air pump comprises a portion of the cartridge removable and replaceable therewith.

4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2 wherein upon movement of the cartridge in a linear direction relative to the remainder of the dispenser, the air drying member is coupled to the air inlet of the ozone generating chamber, and the piston-forming element of the liquid pump is coupled to an actuator carried on the remainder of the dispenser for moving the piston-forming element of the liquid pump.

5. A dispenser as claimed in claim 3 wherein upon movement of the cartridge in a linear direction relative to the remainder of the dispenser, the air drying member is coupled to the air inlet of the ozone generating chamber, and the piston-forming element of the liquid pump is coupled to an actuator carried on the remainder of the dispenser for moving the piston-forming element of the liquid pump.

6. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 including a one-way ozone outlet valve between the ozone generating chamber and the air compartment permitting fluid flow from the ozone generating chamber to the air compartment and preventing fluid flow from the air compartment to the ozone generating chamber.

7. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 including a one-way air inlet valve across the air inlet permitting air flow to the air drying member and preventing air flow from air drying member.

8. A dispenser as claimed in claim 3 wherein the liquid pump is a piston pump with a piston element for the liquid pump reciprocally movable with movement of the piston-forming element of the air pump, the liquid pump discharges fluid into the air chamber, and the liquid pump either is in phase with the air pump by discharging liquid into the air compartment during the ozone discharging stroke, or out of phase with the air pump by discharging liquid into the air compartment during the ozone discharging stroke.

9. A dispenser as claimed in claim 8 wherein a liquid compartment for the liquid pump is formed between the piston-forming element and the piston chamber-forming member.

10. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ozone generator comprises a corona discharge generator.

11. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein the amount of ozone required for each cycle of operation of the air pump is substantially generated by the ozone generator during that cycle of operation.

12. A dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein the amount of ozone required for each cycle of operation of the air pump is substantially generated by the ozone generator during the ozone charging stroke.

Assignees

• Op Hygiene Ip Gmbh

Inventors

• Ophardt Heiner
• Jones Andrew

Classifications

• A47K5/1217

  Electrical control means for the dispensing mechanism · CPC title

• C01B13/10

  Preparation of ozone · CPC title

• A47K5/14

  Foam or lather making devices · CPC title

• B05B11/108

  Means for counting the number of dispensing strokes · CPC title

• G01F11/025

  with manually operated pistons (G01F19/005 takes precedence) · CPC title