Dispensing system, components of a dispensing system, and method of manufacturing, operating and servicing a dispensing system and components thereof

A dispensing apparatus, comprising:

• a dispenser housing having a dispensing end and a reception chamber formed in said dispenser housing;
• a mixing chamber member received within the reception chamber of said dispenser housing, said mixing chamber member having a mixing chamber formed therein, fluid passageways opening into said mixing chamber, and a discharge outlet for discharging mixed fluid;
• a purge rod received within said mixing chamber;
• means for reciprocating said rod positioned within said mixing chamber between a fluid dispense mode position and a fluid non-dispense mode position, and said rod being in a non-interference relationship with respect to said mixing chamber so as to define a solvent flow passageway between said rod and said mixing chamber;
• and
• means for supplying solvent to said solvent flow passageway such that the solvent flows along said rod and forms a solvent fluid layer between said rod and said mixing chamber so as to provide for non-interference reciprocation of said rod within said mixing chamber between said fluid dispense and non-fluid dispense mode positions.

A dispensing apparatus for mixing and dispensing chemicals which react following mixing, comprising:

• a dispenser housing;
• a mixing chamber member received within said housing and having a pair of chemical inlet ports opening into a mixing chamber defined by said mixing chamber member and a mixed chemical discharge outlet;
• a rod received within said mixing chamber,
• a solvent supply system which includes a solvent supply passageway formed between an exterior of said rod and said mixing chamber member for providing solvent both to said discharge port and to and through solvent supply channels that extend through and out of said chemical inlet ports.

A reactive foam dispensing system, comprising:

• a dispensing apparatus having a mixing chamber member with a mixing chamber and discharge outlet, said dispensing apparatus further comprising a purge rod received within said mixing chamber member in non-interference fashion so as to define a solvent flow passageway between a full length of said purge rod received within said mixing chamber and said mixing chamber member, and said solvent flow passageway including two inlet solvent flush sections which double as independent reactive foam precursor inlets having outlet openings for introducing reactive foam precursor material into said mixing chamber when said dispensing apparatus is in a foam dispense mode;
• reactive foam precursor supply means for supplying reactive foam precursors to said respective reactive foam precursor inlets, and said reactive foam precursor supply means including precursor seals positioned upstream of the outlet openings of said reactive foam precursor inlets so as to preclude reactive foam precursor introduction into said mixing chamber during a non-dispensing state of said dispensing apparatus and to allow introduction of the reactive foam precursors during a dispensing state of the dispensing apparatus;
• and
• a solvent supply system for supplying solvent to and though the solvent flow passageway formed between said purge rod and mixing chamber member and to and through said independent reactive foam inlets when said dispensing apparatus is in said non-dispensing state.

A dispensing system for reactive foam material, comprising:

• a first chemical supply system;
• a second chemical supply system;
• a dispenser in fluid communication with said first and second chemical supply systems, said dispenser including an internal mixing area wherein a first chemical and a second chemical, respectively supplied from said first and second chemical supply systems, come in contact, said dispenser further comprising a purge rod received within and extending along with a mixed chemical outlet passageway of said dispenser which outlet passageway extends from a mixed chemical outlet in said dispenser and is in fluid communication with said mixing area;
• said purge rod being received within said outlet passageway so as to be reciprocable within said mixing chamber between a retracted mode to facilitate foam dispensing and an extension mode;
• and
• a solvent supply system in fluid communication with said dispenser for supplying solvent to said dispenser, and said dispenser including a solvent flush passageway arrangement which delivers solvent to said outlet passageway such that a solvent supply is provided between a surface of said dispenser defining said outlet passageway and an external surface of said purge rod received within said outlet passageway, and said solvent supply being received within said outlet passageway so as to be free to flow past an end of said purge rod and to said mixed chemical outlet.

A dispensing system for reactive foam material, comprising:

• a first chemical supply system;
• a second chemical supply system;
• a dispenser in fluid communication with said first and second chemical supply systems, said dispenser including a mixing chamber member that defines an internal mixing area in which a first chemical and a second chemical, respectively supplied from said first and second chemical supply systems are received, and said mixing chamber member having chemical inlet conduits to and through with the first and second chemicals flow in passing into the internal mixing area;
• a solvent supply system in fluid communication with said dispenser for supplying solvent to said dispenser, and said dispenser including a solvent flush passageway arrangement which delivers solvent to the mixing area and to and through each of said chemical conduit openings.

A dispensing system for reactive foam material, comprising:

• a first chemical supply system;
• a second chemical supply system;
• a dispenser in fluid communication with said first and second chemical supply systems, said dispenser including an internal mixing area wherein a first chemical and a second chemical, respectively supplied from said first and second chemical supply systems, come in contact, said dispenser further comprising a purge rod received within and extending along with a mixed chemical outlet passageway of said dispenser which outlet passageway extends from a mixed chemical outlet in said dispenser and is in fluid communication with said mixing area;
• a solvent supply system in fluid communication with said dispenser for supplying solvent to said dispenser, and said dispenser including a solvent flush passageway arrangement which delivers solvent to said outlet passageway such that a solvent supply is provided between a surface of said dispenser defining said outlet passageway and an external surface of said purge rod received within said outlet passageway, and said solvent supply system including an external solvent supply source which is positioned external to said dispenser and includes a solvent conduit in fluid communication with a solvent inlet port of said dispenser, and said solvent supply system further comprising means for introducing, on demand, a replacement supply of solvent from said external solvent supply source, which replaced solvent directly positions solvent between said purge rod and said outlet passageway so as to replace solvent that has flowed past the purge rod and has been released from said dispenser.

A dispensing system for reactive foam material, comprising:

• a first chemical supply system;
• a second chemical supply system;
• a dispenser in fluid communication with said first and second chemical supply systems, said dispenser including an internal mixing area wherein a first chemical and a second chemical, respectively supplied from said first and second chemical supply systems, come in contact, said dispenser further comprising a purge rod received within a mixed chemical outlet passageway of said dispenser which outlet passageway extends from an outlet in said dispenser and is in fluid communication with said mixing area;
• a solvent supply system in fluid communication with said dispenser for supplying solvent to said dispenser, and said dispenser including a solvent flush passageway arrangement which delivers solvent to said outlet passageway such that a solvent layer is formed between a surface of said dispenser defining said outlet passageway and an external surface of said purge rod received within said outlet passageway, and
• wherein said mixing chamber member includes a first chemical injection port and a second chemical injection port which each extend from an external portion of said mixing chamber member and open into said mixing area, and said dispenser including a housing within which said mixing chamber member reciprocates between a first and second location, and said housing having first and second chemical passageways which are positioned so as to be aligned or in fluid communication with said injection ports of said mixing chamber member when said mixing chamber member is in said first location and not aligned or in fluid communication with said injection ports when said mixing chamber member is in said second location.