Apparatus for producing a liquid concentrate from a dry material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9981228-B2
Application number	US-201615298292-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 20, 2016
Priority date	Sep 8, 2010
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus for converting a dry material into a liquid concentrate includes a mixing vessel having an outlet opening, a dispenser for dispensing a predetermined weight of a dry material at a predetermined drop rate onto a predetermined drop location within the vessel, an inlet pipe connectable to a source of liquid for introducing a liquid into the vessel; a sensor for sensing the volume of liquid within the vessel; a pump for supplying a pressurized flow of recirculating liquid to the vessel; and a first, a second and a third agitating nozzle mounted within the vessel. Each agitating nozzle is operative to produce a jet of liquid oriented in a predetermined direction within the vessel. The nozzles are cooperable to generate within the vessel a moving body of liquid into which a dry material dispensed into the vessel is able to dissolve or to disperse.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mixing apparatus for converting a dry material into a concentrated liquid, the apparatus comprising:
a mixing vessel having a substantially frustoconical region that tapers toward an outlet opening, the vessel having an axis therethrough;
a dispenser for dispensing a predetermined weight of a dry material at a predetermined drop rate onto a predetermined drop location located on the frustoconical region within the mixing vessel;
an inlet pipe extending through the interior of the mixing vessel at a position offset from the axis and in a direction generally parallel thereto connectable to a source of liquid for introducing a liquid into the vessel;
a liquid level sensor disposed within the vessel for sensing the volume of liquid within the vessel and for signaling for terminating liquid flow upon the introduction of a predetermined volume of liquid into the vessel, the predetermined volume of liquid being directly related to the weight of the dry material dispensed into the vessel;
a pump having an input port and an output port, the input port being in fluid communication with the outlet opening of the vessel via a pump suction line, the output port of the pump being connected to a recirculation line having a valve positioned therein for directing the flow of liquid into the mixing vessel or into a retail delivery line, the pump being operative to draw liquid through the outlet opening of the vessel and to supply a pressurized flow of liquid to the recirculation line;
a hollow standpipe extending centrally and axially through the mixing vessel, having a threaded lower end extending through the outlet opening of the vessel for permitting a sealed connection between the interior of the mixing vessel and the pump suction line, the hollow standpipe having a slotted region just above the threaded lower end for permitting liquid to pass from the mixing vessel through the slotted region of the hollow standpipe, through the outlet opening, and into the pump suction line;
a perforated member disposed over the outlet opening of the vessel positioned immediately adjacent to and surrounding the slotted region of the exterior of the hollow standpipe for preventing material of a predetermined size from being drawn into the pump;
a first agitating nozzle mounted within the vessel adjacent to the predetermined drop location and disposed below the liquid level sensor, the first agitating nozzle being connected to the recirculation line, the first agitating nozzle being able to produce a liquid jet directed toward and onto the predetermined drop location and operative to produce an agitating flow directed along a spiraling trajectory that extends upwardly, outwardly from and about the axis; and
a second agitating nozzle mounted within the vessel and disposed below the liquid level sensor, the second agitating nozzle being connected to the recirculation line, the second agitating nozzle being able to produce a liquid jet oriented to generate within the vessel a rotating flow of liquid directed substantially circumferentially with respect to the vessel;
said first and second agitating nozzles being cooperable to generate within the mixing vessel a moving body of liquid into which the dry material dispensed into the mixing vessel is able to dissolve or to disperse.

2. The mixing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first agitating nozzle is an eductor nozzle and the second agitating nozzle is an eductor nozzle.

3. The mixing vessel of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser is mounted axially above the mixing vessel, the dispenser comprising a supply hopper, a load cell for predetermining the weight of the dry material to be dispensed and a dispensing valve for controlling the flow of the dry material from the supply hopper to the mixing vessel.

4. The mixing vessel of claim 1 further comprising a rinse nozzle disposed within the vessel, the rinse nozzle being connectable to a source of rinse liquid.

5. A mixing apparatus for converting a dry material into a concentrated liquid, the apparatus comprising:
a mixing vessel having a substantially frustoconical region that tapers toward an outlet opening, the vessel having an axis therethrough;
a dispenser for dispensing a predetermined weight of a dry material at a predetermined drop rate onto a predetermined drop location located on the frustoconical region within the mixing vessel;
an inlet pipe extending through the interior of the mixing vessel at a position offset from the axis and in a direction generally parallel thereto connectable to a source of liquid for introducing a liquid into the vessel;
a liquid level sensor disposed within the vessel for sensing the volume of liquid within the vessel and for signaling for terminating liquid flow upon the introduction of a predetermined volume of liquid into the vessel, the predetermined volume of liquid being directly related to the weight of the dry material dispensed into the vessel;
a pump having an input port and an output port, the input port being in fluid communication with the outlet opening of the vessel via a pump suction line, the output port of the pump being connected to a recirculation line having a valve positioned therein for directing the flow of liquid into the mixing vessel or into a retail delivery line, the pump being operative to draw liquid through the outlet opening of the vessel and to supply a pressurized flow of liquid to the recirculation line;
a hollow standpipe extending centrally and axially through the mixing vessel, having a threaded lower end extending through the outlet opening of the vessel for permitting a sealed connection between the interior of the mixing vessel and the pump suction line, the hollow standpipe having a slotted region just above the threaded lower end for permitting liquid to pass from the mixing vessel through the slotted region of the hollow standpipe, through the outlet opening, and into the pump suction line;
a perforated member disposed over the outlet opening of the vessel positioned immediately adjacent to and surrounding the slotted region on the exterior of the hollow standpipe for preventing material of a predetermined size from being drawn into the pump;
a first agitating nozzle mounted within the vessel disposed below the liquid level sensor, the first agitating nozzle being connected to the recirculation line, the first agitating nozzle being able to produce a liquid jet oriented to generate within the vessel a rotating flow of liquid directed substantially circumferentially with respect to the vessel; and
a second agitating nozzle mounted within the vessel adjacent to the perforated member and disposed below the liquid level sensor, the second agitating nozzle being connected to the recirculation line, the second agitating nozzle being able to produce a liquid jet directed substantially downwardly and inwardly toward and onto the perforated member disposed over the outlet opening of the vessel for preventing the accumulation of material near the perforated member;
said first and second agitating nozzles being cooperable to generate within the mixing vessel a moving body of liquid into which the dry material dispensed into the mixing vessel is able to dissolve or to disperse.

6. The mixing apparatus of claim 5 wherein the first agitating nozzle is an eductor nozzle and the second agitating nozzle is an eductor nozzle.

7. The mixing vessel of claim 5 , wherein the dispenser is mounted axially above the mixing vessel, the dispenser comprising a supply hopper, a load cell for predetermining the weight of the dry material to be dispensed and a dispensing valve for controlling the flow of the dry material from the supply hopper to the mixing vessel.

8. The mixing vessel of claim 5 further comprisi

Assignees

• Du Pont

Inventors

• Gaultney Lawrence Doka

Classifications

• B01F15/0216

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F5/0212

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F15/00422

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F2215/0009

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F5/10

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic