US 4,440,320 AGranted

Foam dispensing apparatus

OwnerSteven A. Wernickeinventor

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Abstract

A foam dispenser for converting a plurality of foam components into an expanded foam which can be flushed with a cleaning solution after the foam is discharged is distinguished by the use of a rotary valve member corresponding to each foam component introduced into the dispenser to constitute the expanded foam. Each rotary valve member has a single passageway and is mounted for movement between positions in which (a) the passageway communicates with the tube carrying the foam component and (b) the passageway communicates with a tube carrying the cleaning solution, thus permitting cleaning of the dispenser at all points downstream of where the foam components enter the valve. The distance between where the foam component is introduced into the dispenser and the point where the foam component enters the valve is so short that no significant amounts of buildup of the foam component can occur. Further, all the valves are rotated in unison by a double-acting air cylinder between communication with the foam component carrying tubes and communication with the cleaning solution carrying tubes. Actuation of the air cylinder is controlled by a timing device, so that repeated dispensings of a predetermined volume of expanded foam are possible.

Claims6

Dependent claims

A foam dispenser for converting a plurality of foam components into an expanded foam and having means for flushing the dispenser with a cleaning solution after the foam is discharged comprising, in combination:

(a) a barrel having a plurality of passages formed therein which communicate with a mixing chamber;
(b) a nozzle connected to the barrel having a bore therethrough, one end of which communicates with the mixing chamber while the other end provides an opening for discharging the expanded foam from the dispenser;
(c) a tube for carrying each foam component to the dispenser, each such tube having a corresponding tube for carrying the cleaning solution to the dispenser;
(d) a rotary valve member for each pair of foam component and cleaning solution tubes, each such valve having a single passageway formed therethrough with an inlet and outlet, each valve being mounted for movement on the barrel so that the inlet of each valve is rotatable between positions nearly coterminous with the outlets of the foam component tubes and the cleaning solution tubes, and the outlet of the valve remains in communication with the mixing chamber;
and
(e) means for moving all valves in unison between communication with the foam component carrying tubes and communication with the cleaning solution carrying tubes so that after the foam components have been mixed and the expanded foam discharged from the dispenser the entire dispenser, from the point where the foam components enter the dispenser, can be flushed with the cleaning solution.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.