Abstract:
A chemical diluter system includes a housing. A container is mounted in the housing and is adapted for storing soluble flowable chemical solids. A mixing chamber is disposed within the housing and adjacent to the container. A disposable dispenser is attached to the container for automatically dispensing a measured amount of the chemical solids from the container into the mixing chamber via gravity flow. The mixing chamber is adapted to receive fluid for dissolution of the chemical solids and for dispensing a diluted chemical solution of the chemical solids.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to chemical diluters for the dissolution of a solid concentrated chemical product, and more particularly to a diluter system having disposable components. 
     BACKGROUND ART OF THE INVENTION 
     Typical automated devices for dissolution of a solid concentrated chemical product, such as for example, pelletized, granular or powdered form, require an electric motor driven pump for mixing, transferring liquid or dispensing. Such diluters also require periodic manual cleaning which is time consuming and costly. 
     A need has arisen for a diluter system that accomplishes the transfer of liquids, solution mixing and dispensing all facilitated without the use of complex pumping systems and which utilizes the benefit of gravity flow to form a compact system. A need has further arisen for a system that utilizes key recyclable components resulting in a maintenance free diluter system and which eliminates time consuming manual cleaning. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, a chemical diluter system is provided. The system includes a housing. A container is mounted in the housing and is adapted for storing soluble flowable chemical solids. A mixing chamber is disposed within the housing and adjacent to the container. A disposable dispenser is attached to the container for automatically dispensing a measured amount of the chemical solids from the container into the mixing chamber via gravity flow. The mixing chamber is adapted to receive fluid for dissolution of the chemical solids and for dispensing a diluted chemical solution of the chemical solids. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention and for further advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the present diluter system; 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view of the present diluter system illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 3  is a side elevational view of the present diluter system illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIGS. 4  is a bottom plan view of the present diluter system illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a rear elevational view of the present diluter system illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the base utilized with the present diluter system; 
         FIG. 7  is a front elevational view of the base illustrated in  FIG. 6  utilized with the present diluter system; 
         FIG. 8  is a side elevational view of the base utilized with the present diluter system; 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom plan view of the mix tank utilized with the present diluter system; 
         FIG. 10  is a front elevational view, partially in section, of the mix tank illustrated in  FIG. 9  utilized with the present diluter system; 
         FIG. 11  is a side elevational view of the mix tank utilized with the present diluter system; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a chemical solids reservoir utilized with the present diluter system; 
         FIG. 13  is an exploded perspective view of the chemical solids reservoir illustrated in  FIG. 12  utilized with the present diluter system; 
         FIG. 14  is a top plan view of the components of the present diluter system mounted to the base; 
         FIG. 15  is a front elevational view, partially in section, of the present diluter system illustrated in  FIG. 14 ; and 
         FIG. 16  is a side elevational view, partially in section, of the present diluter system illustrated in  FIG. 14   
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring simultaneously to  FIGS. 1-5 , the present automated chemical diluter system is illustrated, and is generally identified by the numeral  20 . Diluter system  20  includes a removable cover  30  which is completely removable to facilitate access to the interior of diluter system  20  for maintenance and chemical solids replacement. Cover  30  includes a front  22 , top  26  and bottom  28 . Extending from bottom  28  of cover  30  is an outlet port  34  for the dispensing of diluted chemical solutions of the chemical solids. 
     Diluter system  20  includes a base  24  ( FIG. 5 ) which includes slotted screw apertures  32  for mounted diluter system  20  to a support structure, such as for example, a wall. 
     Referring simultaneously to  FIG. 6-8 , base  24  of diluter system  20  includes a vertical wall mounting face plate  65 . Base plate  65  includes a bracket  46  for mounting cover  30  ( FIG. 1 ) to base  24 . Base plate  65  includes a horizontal upper base plate  66  on which the components of diluter system  20  are mounted. Base plate  66  is integral with face plate  65 , and is further connected to face plate  65  utilizing support members  62 . 
     Base plate  66  also functions to receive a slide-in disposable component mix tank  56  ( FIGS. 9-11 ). Mix tank  56  is also supported by a horizontal lower base plate  64  which is integral to face plate  65 . Lower base plate  64  is further connected to face plate  65  utilizing support members  63 . Outlet port  34  is integral with horizontal lower base plate  64 . 
     Horizontal upper base plate  66  includes an aperture  68  through which measured chemical solids are dispensed by diluter system  20  into mix tank  56 . Horizontal upper base plate  66  further includes apertures  69  through which fluid is dispensed into mix tank  56  utilizing nozzles  116  and  118  ( FIG. 14-16 ). 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 9-11 , mix tank  56  is illustrated and is generally funnel or cone shaped. Mix tank  56  is disposable and recyclable, and includes an open top  56   a , an outlet port  56   b  and a drain filter  56   c . Mix tank  56  has a capacity calculated to provide sufficient volume for the proper dissolution of the chemical solids. Chemical solids flow via gravity into top  56   a  of mix tank  56 , and with the addition of fluid, such as for example, water, the chemical solids are dissolved in mix tank  56 . Drain filter  56   c  functions to retain any incompletely dissolve chemical solids. 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , diluter system  20  utilizes a chemical solids reservoir  70  which includes a bottle  44  in which the chemical solids component is shipped to the installation site or customer. When shipped, the bottle  44  contains an initial volume or weight of chemical solids. Chemical solids reservoir  70  becomes an integral assembly component of diluter system  20 . Bottle  44  includes a lid  52 . Lid  52  includes a drop port  54  which mates with aperture  68  ( FIG. 6 ) in horizontal upper base plate  66  through which chemical solids are dispensed from bottle  44 . Lid  52  further includes a drive shaft aperture  52   a , and ribs  52   b  to be subsequently described with respect to  FIG. 13 . Bottle  44  may be discarded and recycled following dispensing of all chemical solids contained within bottle  44  following service intervals. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 13 , bottle  44  is selectively attached to horizontal upper base plate  66  utilizing a feeder drive base  72  mounted above mix tank  56 . A feeder aperture  72   a  contained within base  72  through which chemical solids pass is aligned with drop port  54  of lid  52  and aperture  68  of horizontal upper base plate  66 . 
     Base  72  also includes apertures  86  and  88 . Base  72  further includes interiorally disposed slots  72   b . Lid  52  of bottle  44  is secured to base  72  by ribs  52   b  of lid  52  positioned within slots  72   b  of base  72  to form a matching ribbed interlocking friction fitments between lid  52  and base  72 . Removal of bottle  44  is facilitated by simply lifting up bottle  44  from base  72 . Lid  52  of bottle  44  is disposable and recyclable and may be replaced when necessary during normal interval maintenance. 
     Lid  52  includes female threads  53  for attachment to male threads  45  on bottle  44 . Disposed between lid  52  and bottle  44  is a rotating feeder cup  74  and a chemical solids dam  78 . Rotating feeder cup  74  includes a slot  76  and a drive shaft port  74   a . Chemical solids dam  78  includes a slot  80  and ribs  78   a . Chemical solids dam  78  is locked into place by receiving keyed receivers  52   c  notched into lid  52 . The position of keyed receiver notches  52   c  positions chemical solids dam  78  as an excluding interfacial slanted dam between rotating feeder cup  74  and the chemical solids contained within bottle  44 . Alignment of slot  76  of rotating feeder cup  74  with aperture  80  of chemical solids dam  78  permit chemical solids contained within bottle  44  to pass into lid  52 , rotate around into alignment with port  54 , exit lid  52  through port  54 , and then subsequently pass through feeder aperture  72   a  of feeder drive base  72 , and through aperture  68  of horizontal upper base plate  66  into mix tank  56 . Chemical solids dam  78  also functions as a moisture barrier which prevents moisture entering bottle  44  which could cause clumping or swelling of the chemical solids contained within bottle  44  and subsequent failure of the reservoir  70 . 
     Rotating feeder cup  74  is actuated via a feeder gear drive assembly  50 . Feeder gear drive assembly  50  includes a drive motor  82  and an output shaft  84 . Output shaft  84  passes through aperture  88  within feeder drive base  72  and is connected to a gear drive set including gears  90 ,  92  and  94 . Gear  94  includes a drive shaft  96  which passes through aperture  86  of feeder drive base  72  and drive shaft aperture  52   a  of lid  52  for engagement with drive shaft port  74 a of rotating feeder cup  74 . Motor  82  is actuated either manually or automatically, cycling drive shaft  96  360° from 0° predetermined (start) to 360° (stop). During the rotation of rotating feeder cup  74 , rotating feeder cup  74  receives chemical solids as they emerge from slot  80  of chemical solids dam  78 . Motor  82  can be actuated to cycle on and off at predetermined times, causing rotating feeder cup  74  to complete one revolution for every predetermined time period, such as once per hour or once per day. 
     Slot  76  is sized to receive a measured amount of chemical solids from bottle  44 . Chemical solids migrate into and fill slot  76  of rotating feeder cup  74  via gravity feed to a specific weight range or volume of chemical solids based on the size of slot  76  and the density of the particular chemical being used, which determines the measured amount of solids. The measured amount of chemical solids will be less than the initial volume or weight of solids in the bottle  44  when shipped, so that all of the chemicals in the bottle can be dispensed over a service interval, such as a month. Chemical solids are held in slot  76  by lid  52 . As feeder cup  74  continues to rotate, due to rotation of gear  94  through actuation of motor  82 , the 360° rotation rotates slot  76  over port  54  of lid  52  so that the chemical solids, by gravity, are released from lid  52  into mix tank  56  for dissolution. Rotating feeder cup  74  blocks the flow of chemical solids from bottle  44  and through aperture  80  of chemical solid dam  78  until slot  76  once again aligns with slot  80 . Feeder cup  74  completes one revolution at predetermined time intervals based on the cycling on and off of motor  82 , causing a measured amount of chemical solids to be dispensed from bottle  44  to mix tank  56  at those predetermined time intervals. This allows the contents of bottle  44  to be dispensed in small amounts every hour or day, for example, until the entire contents are emptied in a longer service interval, such as every month. The amount of measured chemical solids dispensed from bottle  44  may be modified by adjusting the size of slot  76  and/or altering the rotational speed of drive shaft  96  to increase or decrease the length of the predetermined time intervals for dispensing solids over the longer service interval. 
     Feeder driver base  72 , rotating feeder cup  74  and chemical solids dam  78  are all disposable and recyclable components that may be replaced whenever it is necessary during normal interval maintenance or when cleaning is required. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 14-16 , chemical solids reservoir  70  and feeder gear drive assembly  50  are illustrated attached to horizontal upper base plate  66 , and in alignment with mix tank  56 . Also illustrated in  FIGS. 14-16  is a battery  42  and control solenoid  48 . Solenoid  48  controls the flow of fluid to jet inlets of water jet nozzles  116  and  118  which create flow streams through apertures  69  of horizontal upper base plate  66  for providing fluid flow into mix tank  56  for dissolution of the chemical solids originally contained within bottle  44 . Nozzles  116  and  118  create a spinning water movement within mix tank  56 . Dissolution fluid from a fluid source flows to solenoid  48  via a fluid supply tube  110  which passes through an aperture in cover  30 . Fluid flows out of solenoid  48  via tubes  112  and  114  to nozzles  116  and  118 , respectively.