Patent Publication Number: US-2017348713-A1

Title: System for Dispensing a Sprayable Foamable Product

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates generally to portable systems for dispensing chemical concentrates such as polyurethane foams and in particular to a spray nozzle that incorporates a metering opening to provide for a uniform fan-shaped distribution of a foamed product. 
     Background of the Invention 
     This invention is particularly well suited for on-site applications of pressurized liquid chemicals dispensed as sprayable foams and more particularly to on-site application of polyurethane foam. On-site applications for polyurethane foam have increased substantially in recent years extending the application of polyurethane foam beyond its traditional usage in the packaging and insulation fields. For example, polyurethane foam is increasingly being used as a sealant in both residential and commercial building construction for sealing spaces between door and window frames, in addition to more traditional uses as an insulation. In cold weather climates, polyurethane foam is now commonly used as an insulator to fill essentially any air space between the wall frames of a structure. Such insulated buildings require substantially less energy to heat than non-insulated buildings. 
     Polyurethane foam for on-site applications is typically supplied as a “single-component” foam or as a “two-component’ foam. With both types of foam, the chemicals which create the foam are typically carried in portable containers, i.e. pressurized cylinders, and applied by an operator via an application gun. With a conventional two-component foam, the principle foamable component is typically supplied in one pressurized container while hardening agent, typically a polymeric isocyanate, is supplied in a second pressurized container. During application of a two-component foam, the pressurized cylinders containing the foamable agents and the hardener are connected to a type of spray gun where the components are mixed in appropriate ratios via metering mechanisms contained in the gun and are subsequently sprayed. 
     There are two principle problems with two-component polyurethane foam systems. One problem is that the guns are typically made of stainless steel and/or brass and contain precise metering mechanisms that must be cleaned shortly after use. The guns must be cleaned shortly after use because in a two-component system, the foam hardens within a relatively short period of time via chemical reaction with the isocyanate hardener. If the foam is allowed to harden within a gun, the relatively costly gun becomes unusable and typically requires disassembly and the replacement of numerous parts in the metering mechanism to return the gun to a usable state. 
     The other principle problem with two-component polyurethane foam systems is that the isocyanate based hardener is extremely toxic to the human nervous system. Isocyanates are readily absorbed via inhalation of vapor and skin contact. Therefore, the use of protective clothing and specialized respirators are required by workers applying a two-component polyurethane foam product. 
     To overcome some of the problems of two-component polyurethane foam systems, one-component foam products have been developed. In a one-component foam product, generally the resin or foamable component and the isocyanate component are supplied in a single pressurized container and dispensed through the container through a valve equipped gun, equipped with a nozzle attached to the pressurized container. With one-component polyurethane foam systems, when the foamable chemicals leave the nozzle reaction with moisture in the air causes the foam to harden. One component polyurethane foam products typically feature less overspray and introduce fewer airborne isocyanates to the atmosphere surrounding the worksite and are otherwise generally less toxic and safer to use than two-component foam systems. 
     With the development of single-component polyurethane foam systems, a need has arisen in the art for new foam application hardware that takes advantage of the fact that with a single-component system, there is no need to mix chemical components from two pressurized sources in precise ratios. Ideally, a new single-component foam application system would utilize low cost, easily transportable and easy to clean hardware which would allow the use of single-component polyurethane foams in a wider range of applications. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foam application system of the present invention comprises a pressurized source of a single-component foamable product, such as single-component polyurethane foam, an ergonomic handle removably attachable to the pressurized source of the foamable product, the handle having inlet and outlet orifices or openings for flow of the foamable product from the pressurized source, a nozzle having an inlet and an outlet orifice for dispensing the foamable product and a tubular connecting member interconnecting the outlet orifice of the handle with the inlet orifice of the nozzle. 
     The nozzle of the present invention includes design features to produce a fan shaped spray pattern of the foamable product and is also designed to reduce the incidence of leakage or dripping of either moisture or the foam product at the nozzle&#39;s outlet. The nozzle is further designed to be easily attachable and removable from the tubular connecting member which interconnects the nozzle with the pressurized source of the foamable product. The tubular connecting member is flexible and therefore allows a user to spray foam into hard to reach places, such as seams in walls, under surfaces, behind objects and the like. Another advantage of the flexible tubular interconnecting member is that it does not need to be cleaned after each use which provides the foam dispensing system of the present invention with an advantage over conventional systems which utilize spray guns which must be cleaned after each use. 
     Other advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view showing one example of the arrangement of components of the foam dispensing system of the present invention, spraying foam against a wall. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the foam dispensing system of  FIG. 1 , with the source of a pressurized foamable product (i.e. pressurized cylinder) not shown. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the foam dispensing system of  FIG. 1 , with the pressurized cylinder not shown. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the nozzle of the foam dispensing system of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross sectional view of the nozzle of the foam dispensing system shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a front end view of the nozzle of the foam dispensing system shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 7  is a side view, rotated 90° about the longitudinal axis of the nozzle of the foam dispensing system shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 8  is a rear facing perspective view of the nozzle of the foam dispensing system shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 9  is a front facing perspective view of the nozzle of the foam dispensing system shown in  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 10  is an exemplary view of a spray pattern produced by the foam dispensing system of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. The invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     With reference to  FIG. 1 , the foam dispensing system of the present invention  10  comprises a pressurized source of a sprayable foam material  12 , an adapter-handle  14 , a flexible coupler  16  and a nozzle  18 . In use, the adapter-handle  14  is connected to the source of pressurized sprayable foam material  12  and in turn is connected to the flexible coupler  16  which is connected to the nozzle  18 . For exemplary purposes only,  FIG. 1  depicts the foam dispensing system of the present invention spraying foam material  20  against a surface, such as a wall  22 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the adapter-handle  14  includes a handle portion  28  and a coupler portion  38 . The handle portion  28  has an upper end  39  and a lower end  32  and a generally circular bore  34  therebetween. At the upper end  39  is a generally circular inlet opening or orifice  36 . The inlet opening  36  will typically include a means which allows the inlet opening  36  to be attached to the pressurized source of a sprayable foam material  12 . Generally, the attachment means will constitute screw threads (not shown). Typically, the pressurized source of a sprayable foam material  12  will have an externally threaded outlet (not shown) to which the outlet opening  36  of the handle portion  28  of the adapter-handle  14  is attachable via an internal thread formed in the outlet opening  36 . 
     The adapter-handle  14  also includes the coupler portion  38 . The coupler portion  38  includes a forward end  40  and an aft end  42 , with a generally circular bore  44  therebetween. The generally circular bore  44  of the coupler portion  38  and the generally circular bore  34  of the handle portion  28  are in fluid communication with each other. The coupler portion  38  also includes an outlet opening or orifice  46  and also includes one or more grooves  48 , which may be spiral grooves, about an exterior surface  50  of the coupler portion  38 . The grooves  48  function to assist in securing a proximate end  52  of the flexible coupler  16  to the exterior surface  50  of the coupler portion  28 . 
     Generally, the proximate end  52  of the flexible coupler  16  will be a friction fit with the exterior surface  50  of the coupler portion  28 . The one or more grooves  48  formed on the exterior surface  50  of the coupler portion  28  assist an operator in sliding the proximate end  52  of the flexible coupler  16  onto the coupler portion  28  of the adapter-handle  14 . Optionally, the proximate end  52  of the flexible coupler  16  may be secured to the exterior surface  50  of the coupler portion  28  by means of hose clamps (not shown). Many types of hose clamps are suitable and known in the art. 
     The adapter-handle  14  of the present invention also includes a finger grip portion  54  which includes a lower finger grip  56  and an upper finger grip  58 . An underside of the finger grip  56  has a curved portion  62  and an underside of the upper finger grip  54  has two curved portions  60  and  64 . The curved design of the lower and upper grip portions provides for an ergonomic grip that allows a user to readily grasp and use the adapter-handle  14 , including in cold weather climates where the use of gloves may be required. 
     With continued reference to  FIGS. 2-3 , the flexible coupler  16  is a flexible tube having a distal end  68  and a proximate end  52  with a bore  70  therebetween. The proximate end  52  of the flexible coupler slides over the exterior surface  50  of the coupler portion  38  of the adapter-handle  14  in a friction fit relationship. The distal end  68  of the flexible coupler  16  likewise slide overs a rear exterior surface  70  of the nozzle  18  in a friction fit relationship. The rear exterior surface  70  of the nozzle  18  may be optionally be equipped with one or more grooves  72 , which may be spiral grooves, to assist in sliding the distal end  68  of the flexible coupler  16  over the rear exterior surface  70  of the nozzle  18 . Optionally, hose clamps (not shown) may be used at either or both of the proximate or the distal end connections. The nozzle  18  may also be equipped with a one or more ribs  74  formed on the nozzle. The one or more ribs  74  function as finger grips which allow a user to push exterior surface  70  of the nozzle  18  into the distal end  68  of the flexible coupler  16 . 
     The flexible coupler  16  may be made from any number of materials including rubber, woven cloth and plastic materials. However, clear, semi-ridged or flexible plastic materials such as polypropylene or polyethylene are preferred because a user may monitor the flow of pressurized chemicals through the tube if the tube is constructed of a clear material. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 4-9 , the nozzle  18  of the foam dispensing system of the present invention  10  includes a pressure chamber  76  having a proximate end  78  and distal end  80  with a generally circular bore  82  therebetween. Immediately adjacent, the pressure chamber  76  is a nozzle head  84 . In fluid communication with the distal end  80  of the generally circular bore  82  of the pressure chamber  76  is a discharge tube  86  which has a proximate end  88  which is exposed to the generally circular bore  82  of the pressure chamber  76 . The discharge tube  86  terminates at a distal end  96  which terminates in a discharge orifice  90 , (best shown in  FIGS. 6 and 9 ). 
     Formed into the nozzle head  84  are inwardly angled v-shaped walls  94  which form a slot  92  (see  FIG. 6 ). The inwardly angled v-shaped walls  94  of slot  92  which intersects with and cuts through a portion of the discharge orifice  90  such that the discharge orifice  90  has an opening in the form of an elongated oval shape  98 . (See  FIG. 6 .) The elongated oval shape  98  of the discharge port  90  causes foamable product to be dispensed from the pressurized source of sprayable foam material in a fan shaped pattern  106  (see  FIG. 10 ). The length  104  of the elongated oval shape  98  of the discharge orifice  90  tends to control the effective length  102  of the spray pattern  106 . (See  FIG. 10 .) The width  107  of the elongated oval shape  98  of the discharge port tends to control the width of the spray pattern  106 . In the exemplary embodiment, the inwardly angled v-shaped walls  94  are about 60 degrees apart and experimentation has shown this degree of angular separation between the v-shaped walls to produce a discharge orifice  90  with an elongated oval shape  98  which produces an effective fan shaped pattern. 
     The nozzle head  84  of the nozzle  18  also includes spray limiting walls  108  which are disposed spaced apart from and parallel to the slot  92  of the nozzle head  84 . The separation of the spray limiting walls  108  from the slot  92  aids in controlling the effective width  100  of the fan shaped spray pattern  106 . The length  102  and width  100  and other shape characteristics of the spray pattern  106  are essentially controlled by the length  104  and width  107  of the elongated oval shape  98  of the discharge orifice  90  and to a lesser degree by the spray limiting walls  108  of the nozzle head  84 . 
     In operation, the adapter-handle  14  is connected to the flexible coupler  16  which in is connected to the nozzle  18 . For exemplary purposes only,  FIG. 1  depicts the foam dispensing system of the present invention spraying foam material  20  against a surface, such as a wall  22 . The adapter-handle  14 , flexible coupler  16  and nozzle  18  forms an assembly whereby the adapter-handle  14  is attached (typically by threading) to the source of pressurized sprayable foam material  12 . The source of pressurized sprayable foam material  12  has the ability to start and stop the flow of pressurized sprayable foam material. Once the flow of material is started foamable material flows through the adapter-handle  14 , through the flexible coupler  16  and is dispensed in an atomized/droplet form by the nozzle  18 . By means of the flexible coupler  16 , foam may be sprayed in hard to reach places such as under surfaces, behind objects and the like. Another advantage of the foam dispensing system of the present invention is that the flexible coupler  16  and nozzle  18  do not need to be rinsed between uses where are significant advantages over prior systems which utilize spray guns which must be cleaned between uses. 
     The foregoing detailed description and appended drawings are intended as a description of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and are not intended to represent the only forms in which the present invention may be constructed and/or utilized. Those skilled in the art will understand that modifications and alternative embodiments of the present invention which do not