TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention described herein pertains generally to an improved fluid dispensing device, e.g., a one-component or two-component polyurethane foam.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to a pressurized chemical dispensing apparatus, and more particularly to a hand-held apparatus particularly suitable for use in dispensing two-component systems, more particularly urethane foams, wherein the apparatus includes a dispensing assembly interconnected to the canister supplies. Optionally the apparatus is contained within a kit which permits one-handed operation.

The use of urethane and similar expandable foams has increased over the years for numerous applications. Urethane foams are well known as having desirable characteristics useful for many applications, such as insulation, adhesives or sealants. Urethane foams are also well known for their compatibility with low cost blowing agents which allow such foams to be applied by way of pressurized containers as well as their natural adhesive qualities which allow such foams to bond excellently to any number of substrates. Typically, urethane foams are the reaction product of two individual components, one being an isocyanate and the other being a resin. These two individual components when reacted together under pressure, give the resultant foam various chemical compositions, each such composition having significant utility in a particular application. Thus, urethane foams may be specially formulated to provide a final foam which is rigid, semi-rigid or flexible.

Closed cell urethane foams have particular utility in building and structural insulation while open cell urethane foams have particular utility in packaging or non-insulating purposes. Regardless of cell structure, two-component urethane foams are typically formed by mixing the two or more individual foam components together when the foam components exit respective supply containers. Individual material supply tubes leading from each foam component container convey the foam components to a foam dispensing apparatus, such as a nozzle.

There are numerous applications in which polyurethane foam is used at a site for any number of applications in addition to its traditional use in the building trades as a source of insulation. Recently polyurethane foam has become used with increasing frequency as a sealant in the building trades for sealing spaces between window and door frames and the like and as an adhesive for glueing flooring and roof tiles and the like. The polyurethane foam for such in-situ applications is typically supplied as a one-component froth foam or a two-component froth foam. A one-component foam means that both the resin and isocyanate for the foam is supplied in a single pressurized container and dispensed from the container through a valve or gun attached to the container. A two-component “froth” foam means that one component is supplied in one pressurized container, typically the “A” container (i.e., polymeric isocyanate, fluorocarbons etc) while the resin is supplied in a second pressurized container, typically the “B” container (i.e., polyols, catalyst, flame retardants etc.). Typically, two-component kits use pressurized cylinders which are connected by hoses to a dispensing gun. There are advantages and disadvantages to one-component and two-component foams. One of the advantages of the two-component system is its relatively long shelf life resulting from the fact that the chemicals are not mixed until they encounter one-another in the dispensing gun.

One application for a hand-held, portable two-component polyurethane froth foam kit exists in the mining industry. In the event of a fire in a shaft being tunneled, standard procedure is to extinguish the fire by sealing the shaft with a fire “door” and then pumping out from the shaft sealed by the door, the air in the shaft to extinguish the fire. It has been found that polyurethane foam is excellent for sealing the bulkhead or door to the tunnel. As already noted, the polyurethane foam has an adhesive characteristic and the foam can be formulated to provide a relatively quick tack free time with little permeability for gas escape. Surprisingly, the fire door is not adjacent an open flame, and whatever temperature the gases exhausted from the shaft are, they are not sufficiently high in temperature to disintegrate the foam. Because of its long shelf life, a two-component foam is ideal for this application. Standard procedure is to simply provide two-component kits at the shaft being tunneled to seal and secure the fire door or bulkhead to the shaft in the event of a fire.

Different packaging arrangements are used by different manufacturers. Many two-component kit packages use some form of tray with knock-out holes through which the hoses extend after the box is opened and the hoses attached to the cylinder's valved fitting. However, there is at least one two-component polyurethane froth foam box which utilizes cylinders equipped with “dip tubes” which extend through the outlet valve from the inside bottom of the cylinder. This allows the cylinders to be placed upright in the box instead of upside down. This carton does not use a tray and has the hoses extend out the side of the box through knock-out plugs. The carton is carried by a strap affixed to the top cover. The top cover is a flap which has to be opened and closed to gain access to the cylinder's valve after the hoses are connected to the cylinders.

What has been missing from the Prior Art however, is a foam dispensing device which couples both fail-safe operation by a two-stage activation procedure, coupled with a dispensing mechanism whereby the dispensing means: is biased into a closed position; is actuated by rotational movement about a cannister longitudinal axis; has an extendable nozzle extension; and has a means for preventing hose deformation/crimping during shipment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to an easily assembled foam dispensing apparatus in which two foam component supply containers are held in place by an carrier assembly which includes a dispensing trigger assembly which is separate from the carrier assembly.

In one aspect of the Prior Art as illustrated inFIGS. 1-7, the entire dispensing apparatus and carrier unit is contained in a carrying case. The carrying case contains two foam component supply canisters and an actuating assembly in the form of two foam component supply tubes, each having a predefined length which is sufficient to permit a dispensing assembly attached to the supply tubes to be operated remotely from the carrying case while interconnected thereto. The material supply tubes, dispensing assembly and one or more detachable dispensing nozzles are positioned within a designated area within the carrying case so that the apparatus may be sold as a single unit or kit. The case not only functions as a carrier assembly for the dispensing apparatus, but may also function as a shipping container therefor or as a display case.

In one aspect of the invention, a fluid dispensing apparatus is described which includes: at least one elongated cylinder; a longitudinally axial sliding valve in a hemispherical dome of each cannister, the valve biased in a closed position; a cylinder actuator bottom for each cannister, each cylinder actuator bottom having a centrally disposed cylinder actuator bottom aperture disposed therein and an outer cylindrical collar, the collar having at least two first detents positioned about the exterior of the collar, each detent connected to a descending peripheral slot which extends about a portion of the periphery of the collar and which terminates toward a base of the cylinder actuator bottom; a cylinder actuator top for each cannister, each having a centrally disposed cylinder actuator top aperture disposed therein, the cylinder actuator top aperture in sliding engagement with the cylinder actuator bottom aperture, the cylinder actuator top having at least two resiliently movable fingers, each finger having a projection extending into an interior of the cylinder actuator top, the finger projection in initial axial mating engagement with the at least two first detents and subsequent sliding engagement with the descending peripheral slot of each detent by rotational movement of the cylinder actuator top, the rotational movement effecting downward pressure on the valve of each cannister to position the valve in an open position; the fluid dispensing apparatus having an elongated housing: the housing having a rear and a front and a removable nozzle connector; at least one deformable plastic hose in leak-proof communication with the valve of each cannister at one end and in leak-proof communication with a rear inlet of the removable nozzle connector for a nozzle at an opposed end; the nozzle connector comprising: a means for removable mating engagement with a front of the elongated housing of the fluid dispensing apparatus and a mating means at a rear end of the nozzle connector; a means for removable mating engagement with a tapered plastic tip at a front of the nozzle connector; and a removable hose crimping prevention means for maintaining the at least one plastic hose with less than full deformation during storage or shipment, the hose crimping prevention means positioned between the bottom of the housing and a pivotable trigger of the spray apparatus.

Preferably, the plastic tip is a color-changing tip which comprises at least one thermochromic material selected from the group consisting of at least one liquid crystal or at least one leuco dye. Preferably, the at least one thermochromic material is at least two thermochromic materials disposed within the plastic tip or thereupon the at least one plastic hose, each of said at least two thermochromic materials effecting a color change at a different temperature. In yet another aspect, the at least one thermochromic material is at least three thermochromic materials disposed within the plastic tip or thereupon the at least one plastic hose, each of said at least three thermochromic materials effecting a color change at a different temperature.

The container for the above is of sufficient length and width to contain the at least one elongated cylinder, and often two elongated cylinders. The elongated cylinders may comprise an “A” and a “B” cylinder for a two-component polyurethane foam, but may also include a single cylinder for a one-component polyurethane foam or two cylinders, each having the same or different composition for a one-component foam. While polyurethane foams are the targeted application, the application is not limited to foams or to polyurethane, but includes all pressurized fluid dispensing applications in which the cylinders either contain all of the reactants or some of the reactants, or even different reactants depending on the targeted end-use application.

In another aspect, the removable hose crimping prevention means is an elongated plastic insert having an extension at one end and the nozzle connector is completely disengageable from the housing.

In another embodiment, the fluid dispensing kit includes: at least one elongated cylinder; a longitudinally axial sliding valve in a hemispherical dome of each cannister, the valve biased in a closed position; a cylinder actuator bottom for each cannister, each cylinder actuator bottom having a centrally disposed cylinder actuator bottom aperture disposed therein and an outer cylindrical collar, the collar having at least two first detents positioned about the exterior of the collar, each detent connected to a descending peripheral slot which extends about a portion of the periphery of the collar and which terminates toward a base of the cylinder actuator bottom; a cylinder actuator top for each cannister, each having a centrally disposed cylinder actuator top aperture disposed therein, the cylinder actuator top aperture in sliding engagement with the cylinder actuator bottom aperture, the cylinder actuator top having at least two resiliently movable fingers, each finger having a projection extending into an interior of the cylinder actuator top, the finger projection in initial axial mating engagement with the at least two first detents and subsequent sliding engagement with the descending peripheral slot of each detent by rotational movement of the cylinder actuator top, the rotational movement effecting downward pressure on the valve of each cannister to position the valve in an open position; the fluid dispensing apparatus comprising an elongated housing: the housing having a rear and a front and a removable nozzle connector; at least one deformable plastic hose in leak-proof communication with the valve of each cannister at one end and in leak-proof communication with a rear inlet of the removable nozzle connector for a nozzle at an opposed end; the nozzle connector comprising: a means for removable mating engagement with a front of the elongated housing of the fluid dispensing apparatus and a mating means at a rear end of the nozzle connector; a means for removable mating engagement with a tapered plastic tip at a front of the nozzle connector; a removable hose crimping prevention means for maintaining the at least one plastic hose with less than full deformation during storage or shipment, the hose crimping prevention means positioned between the bottom of the housing and a pivotable trigger of the spray apparatus; the rectangular container with a pivotable top into which is positioned the at least one elongated cylinder, each having the longitudinally axial sliding valve in the hemispherical dome of each cannister, the cylinder actuator bottom, the cylinder actuator top, the fluid dispensing apparatus, and the removable hose crimping prevention means, at least a portion of which extends through a side wall of the container.

The kit preferably includes at least one plastic tip which is a color-changing tip.

Another aspect of the invention includes a hemispherical cylinder valve opening device which comprises: a cylinder actuator bottom for each cannister, each having a centrally disposed cylinder actuator bottom aperture disposed therein and an outer cylindrical collar, the collar having at least two first detents positioned about the exterior of the collar, each detent connected to a descending peripheral slot which extends about a portion of the periphery of the collar; and a cylinder actuator top for each cannister, each having a centrally disposed cylinder actuator top aperture disposed therein, the cylinder actuator top aperture in sliding engagement with the cylinder actuator bottom aperture, the cylinder actuator top having at least two resiliently movable fingers, each finger having a projection extending into an interior of the cylinder actuator top, the finger projection in initial axial mating engagement with the first detent and subsequent sliding engagement with the descending peripheral slot and second detent by rotational movement of the cylinder actuator top, the rotational movement effecting downward pressure on the valve of each cannister to position the valve in an open position.

The cylinder valve opening device will include a plurality of detents at various locations. In one aspect, a second detent is adjacent the first detent and a third detent at an end of the descending peripheral slot of the cylinder actuator bottom. The cylinder valve opening device will have a plurality of ribs which extend peripherally from the centrally disposed cylinder actuator bottom aperture and extend to the outer cylindrical collar.

In an aspect of the invention, the cylinder actuator bottom for each cannister has at least three detents positioned about the exterior of the collar, each detent connected to the descending peripheral slot which extends about a portion of the periphery of the collar; and a cylinder actuator top for each cannister wherein each cylinder actuator top has at least three resiliently movable fingers for insertion into each of the at least three detents in the cylinder actuator bottom.

The invention includes a spray wand which comprises: an essentially hollow elongated housing having a rear and a front; a pivotable trigger biased in a forward direction; at least one deformable plastic hose in leak-proof communication with a valve of at least one supply cannister at one end and in leak-proof communication with a rear inlet of a removable nozzle connector for a nozzle at an opposed end; the nozzle connector including: a means for removable mating engagement with the front of the housing at a rear end of the nozzle connector; a means for removable mating engagement with a tapered wand tip at a front of the nozzle connector; a removable hose crimping prevention means for maintaining the at least one plastic hose with less than full deformation during storage or shipment, the hose crimping prevention means positioned between the bottom of the housing and the pivotable trigger of the spray wand, thereby preventing full forward extension while the crimping prevention means is positioned therein.

In one version of the above, the spray wand means for removable mating engagement with the front of the housing at a rear end of the nozzle connector is a mating semicircular female slot with a semicircular housing. The spray wand means for removable mating engagement with a tapered wand tip at the front of the nozzle connector is a mating pair of wings at a rear of the tapered wand tip with a pair of receiving slots at the front of the nozzle connector.

The fluid dispensing device will further include a means to prevent crimping of a hose within a dispensing wand comprising: an elongated essentially hollow housing having a front and a back, the housing containing at least one deformable plastic tube in fluid connection with a pressurized source of reactants and a dispensing nozzle at the front; a pivotable forwardly-biased trigger attached to a bottom of the hollow housing, the trigger having a forward-extending projection, the trigger controlling a flow of fluid within the at least one deformable plastic tube by the interaction of a fixed v-shaped projection from the top of the housing and a movable projection at a top of the trigger; a crimping minimization means positioned between the bottom of the hollow housing and a top surface of the forward-extending projection, the crimping minimization means prohibiting full forward extension of the trigger, the crimping minimization means maintaining at least a partial opening of the at least one plastic tube.

The crimping minimization means is a plastic insert, the insert having a body and a forward-extending projection, a length of the forward-extending projection being sufficient to extend through a side wall of a rectangular container housing the device during shipment.

Additionally, the invention encompasses a kit comprising: an enclosed container having a lid, the lid being pivotable or removable from the container; at least one elongated pressurized cylinder within the container, the cylinder having a hemispherical domed top and a valve; at least one pair of mating cylinder actuators, the pair of cylinder actuators depressing the cylinder valve by rotational movement of at least one actuator; a deformable plastic hose positioned to each cylinder valve at one end and positioned to a rear of a removable wand assembly at an opposed end; the wand assembly removably engaging a front of a housing of the wand assembly; the wand assembly further comprising a pivotable trigger for flow control, the trigger biased in a closed forward position; and the wand assembly stored and shipped with the trigger in at least a partial open position by the insertion of an anti-crimping hose deformation means positioned between the trigger and a bottom of the housing of the wand assembly.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent from a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate the parts and appended claims.

