Back to results
US 9,162,904 B2Granted
Cleaning solution generator
AssigneeTennant Company
InventorsRobert James Guastella, Daniel L. Joynt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A cleaning solution generator comprising a housing with an interior reservoir and a brine tank, the cleaning solution generator being configured to generate an alkaline solution from a mixed solution and to operably direct the generated alkaline solution to the interior reservoir of the housing.
Claims17
A cleaning solution generator comprising:
- a housing providing a rigid structure retaining components of the generator;
- an interior reservoir integrally fabricated within a hollow portion of the housing;
- a brine tank integrally fabricated as a pocket within the housing, wherein the housing, the interior reservoir and the brine tank are integrally formed as a single article;
- a brine tank cover, which covers the pocket and is accessible from an exterior of the housing;
- a water inlet line configured to receive water;
- a water softener retained by the housing and comprising:
- resin chamber disposed at least partially within the brine tank, and configured to retain a core resin;
- and
- a first inlet configured to receive the water from the water inlet line;
- a first outlet configured to direct a first portion of the received water from the water inlet line to the resin chamber to soften the first portion of the received water with the core resin;
- one or more lines configured to receive the softened water from the water softener chamber, and to direct the received softened water out of the water softener;
- and
- a second outlet configured to direct a second portion of the received water from the water inlet line to the brine tank to produce a brine solution in the brine tank;
- a manifold retained by the housing and configured to receive and mix the softened water from the water softener and the brine solution from the brine tank to produce a mixed solution;
- an electrolysis cell retained by the housing and configured to receive the mixed solution and to generate an alkaline solution from at least a portion of the mixed solution;
- and
- a fluid conduit assembly configured to operably direct the generated alkaline solution to the interior reservoir of the housing.
14 more elements
A cleaning solution generator comprising:
- a housing providing a rigid structure retaining components of the generator;
- an interior reservoir integrally fabricated within a hollow portion of the housing;
- a brine tank integrally fabricated as a pocket within the housing, wherein the housing, the interior reservoir and the brine tank are integrally formed as a single article, and the brine tank is accessible from an exterior of the housing;
- a water inlet line configured to receive water;
- a water softener retained by the housing and comprising:
- a resin chamber disposed at least partially within the brine tank, and configured to retain a core resin;
- and
- a first inlet configured to receive the water from the water inlet line;
- a first outlet configured to direct a first portion of the received water from the water inlet line to the resin chamber to soften the first portion of the received water with the core resin;
- one or more lines configured to receive the softened water from the water softener chamber, and to direct the received softened water out of the water softener;
- and
- a second outlet configured to direct a second portion of the received water from the water inlet line to the brine tank to produce a brine solution in the brine tank;
- an injection pump retained by the housing and configured to draw the brine solution from the brine tank;
- a manifold retained by the housing and configured to receive the softened water from the water softener and the brine solution from the injection pump to produce a mixed solution;
- an electrolysis cell retained by the housing and configured to receive the mixed solution and to generate an alkaline solution from at least a portion of the mixed solution;
- a fluid assembly configured to operably direct the generated alkaline solution to the interior reservoir of the housing;
- a current sensor configured to measure an electrical current induced across the electrolysis cell;
- and
- a control system retained by the housing and configured to adjust a pump rate of the injection pump in response to the measured currents from the current sensor, and further configured to direct a portion the brine solution from the brine tank into the water softener to regenerate the core resin.
16 more elements
A cleaning solution generator comprising:
- a housing providing a rigid structure retaining components of the generator;
- an interior reservoir integrally fabricated within a hollow portion of the housing;
- a brine tank configured to supply a brine solution and integrally fabricated as a pocket within the housing, wherein the housing, the interior reservoir and the brine tank are integrally formed as a single article;
- a water inlet line configured to receive water;
- a water softener comprising:
- a resin chamber disposed at least partially within the brine tank, and configured to retain a core resin;
- and
- a first inlet configured to receive the water from the water inlet line;
- a first outlet configured to direct a first portion of the received water from the water inlet line to the resin chamber to soften the first portion of the received water with the core resin;
- one or more lines configured to receive the softened water from the water softener chamber, and to direct the received softened water out of the water softener;
- and
- a second outlet configured to direct a second portion of the received water from the water inlet line to the brine tank to produce a brine solution in the brine tank;
- a water line configured to receive the softened water from the water softener;
- an injection pump configured to inject a second portion of the brine solution from the brine tank to mix with the softened water from the water line to produce a mixed solution;
- an electrolysis cell configured to receive the mixed solution and to generate an alkaline solution from at least a portion of the mixed solution;
- and
- a fluid conduit assembly configured to operably direct the generated alkaline solution to the interior reservoir of the housing.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.