Method and apparatus for mixing and applying material
AssigneeOwens Corning Intellectual Capital, LLC
InventorsRobert J. O'Leary, Christopher Relyea
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for mixing and applying a bead of material. For example, the bead of material can be used to seal gaps cracks and seams of a building. The apparatus includes a supply machine and an applicator. The supply machine provides each of the parts of the material to the applicator at a controlled rate. The applicator mixes the parts of the material at a nozzle. The applicator provides a bead (rather than spraying) of the mixed material through the nozzle. The bead of material may be applied in a precise manner to seal gaps, cracks and seams of an existing building and/or the bead may be provided during new construction of a building between components of the building.
Claims21
An apparatus for mixing and applying a bead of material comprising:
- a supply machine that includes:
- a first container;
- a first pump coupled to the first container for metering a first material from the first container to a first line;
- a second container;
- a second pump coupled to the second container for metering a second material from the second container to a second line;
- and
- an applicator that includes:
- a first valve that receives the first material from the first line;
- a second valve that receives the second material from the second line;
- a nozzle that receives the first and second materials from the first and second valves;
- a control in communication with the first pump, the second pump, the first valve, and the second valve, such that activation of the control causes operation of the first pump, operation of the second pump, opening of the first valve, and opening of the second valve to supply the first and second materials to the nozzle, mix the first and second materials in the nozzle, and dispense a bead of the first and second materials with the nozzle.
An apparatus for mixing and applying a bead of material comprising:
- a supply machine that includes:
- a first container;
- a first pump coupled to the first container for metering a first material from the first container to a first line;
- a second container;
- a second pump coupled to the second container for metering a second material from the second container to a second line;
- a cleaning air tank for containing pressurized cleaning air;
- and
- an applicator that includes:
- a first valve that receives the first material from the first line;
- a second valve that receives the second material from the second line;
- a first nozzle that receives the first and second materials from the first and second valves;
- a cleaning air valve that receives pressurized cleaning air from the cleaning air tank;
- a second nozzle that delivers the pressurized air to clean an area where the bead is to be dispensed when the cleaning air valve is open;
- a control in communication with the first valve and the second valve, such that activation of the control causes opening of the first valve and opening of the second valve to dispense a bead of the first and second materials with the nozzle.
A supply machine for supplying a first material and a second material to a dispenser comprising:
- a housing;
- a container sensor disposed in the housing;
- a first container disposed in the housing, wherein the first container contains a supply of the first material;
- a second container disposed in the housing, wherein the second container contains a supply of the second material;
- a sensed device connected to at least one of the first container and the second container;
- a first pump coupled to the first container for metering the first material from the first container;
- a second pump coupled to the second container for metering a second material from the second container to the second line;
- wherein the container sensor is configured to sense the sensed device when the first container and the second container are correctly positioned in the housing;
- and
- wherein the first and second pumps are prevented from operating when an output from the container sensor indicates that at least one of the first container and the second container are incorrectly positioned in the housing.
A supply machine for supplying a first material and a second material to a dispenser comprising:
- a housing;
- a first container disposed in the housing, wherein the first container contains a supply of the first material;
- a second container disposed in the housing, wherein the second container contains a supply of the second material;
- a first pump coupled to the first container for metering the first material from the first container;
- a first pump inlet pressure sensor that measures a pressure at an inlet of the first pump;
- a first pump outlet pressure sensor that measures a pressure at an outlet of the first pump;
- a second pump coupled to the second container for metering a second material from the second container to the second line;
- a second pump inlet pressure sensor that measures a pressure at an inlet of the second pump;
- a second pump outlet pressure sensor that measures a pressure at an outlet of the second pump;
- wherein operation of both the first pump and the second pump is prevented when a high vacuum is sensed by either or both of the inlet pressure sensors;
- and
- wherein operation of both the first pump and the second pump is prevented when a high pressure is sensed by either or both of the outlet pressure sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.