Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Raymond Cherfane · Edward Cocciadiferro ·
Assignee(s)	Flexible Products Company ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Vedder Price Kaufman & Kammholz ·
Primary Examiner	Khoi H. Tran ·
Application Number	US10120915
Filing date	04/11/2002
Issue date	03/09/2004
Prior Publication Data	US20030195651 - 10/16/2003
Predicted expiration date	07/06/2022
Patent term adjustment	86
U.S. Classifications	700/239  · 222/639  · 222/52  · 222/638  · 700/265  · 137/3  · 137/4  · 137/88  · 700/244  ·
International Classifications	--
Kind Code	B2
International Classifications	700231 · 700233 · 700239 · 700241 · 700244 · 700265 · 222 52 · 222638 · 222639 · 137 3 · 137 4 · 137 88 · 137 93 · 137607 ·

Patent Family

Abstract

This embodiment relates generally to a foam dispensing system, and more particularly to an automated monitoring and diagnostic system for use with foam dispensing systems that permits remote control of the dispensing of foam. A control console is provided that is interconnected, preferably by way of a high-speed data link, with a foam dispenser, the A and B foam component pumps, a power source and controller, and a gateway. The console preferably includes a plurality of individual control circuits, typically disposed within one or more integrated circuits. The console may instead, or additionally, include software to perform some or all of the data exchange functions. The control circuits and/or software are preferably disposed within modules that are mounted to various components of the system. The modules may include one or more sensors operatively connected to the controller that monitor and record operational parameters. The system can optionally incorporate a wide-area network and multiple local-area networks, wherein each local-area network is dedicated to a single foam-dispensing unit and includes a main console and gateway associated therewith.

Independent Claims | See all claims (24)

1. 1. A dispensing monitoring apparatus which dispenses a polyurethane foam formed as the reaction product from the mixing together of a plurality of streams of reactive foam components comprising: a power supply; a processor; a memory operatively coupled to the processor; motor control circuitry operatively coupled to the processor; at least two supply sources of reactive foam components; a dispensing unit for dispensing the polyurethane foam, the dispensing unit having a plurality of inputs for receiving respective supply streams of the plurality of reactive foam components, the dispensing unit further including a trigger that is selectively actuable by a user to dispense a preselected amount of the reactive foam components mixed together to form the polyurethane foam; a plurality of foam component supply pumps for delivering the plurality of reactive foam component supply streams from the supply sources to said dispensing unit; a pair of supply hoses interconnecting outputs of the plurality of pumps to the plurality of inputs of the dispensing unit; a datastore for storing at least one of system parameters, shot data, and node location data; at least one sensor operatively coupled to the processor for gathering shot data and transmitting the shot data to the processor; a first clock operatively coupled to the trigger for recording a time and date of the dispensing; a second clock operatively coupled to the trigger for recording a duration of the at least one shot; and a user interface for receiving from the processor and displaying data generated by at least one of the first clock, the second clock, and the at least one sensor comprising: a visual display; and a user-interactive data entry device.
2. 9. A dispensing system including a local area network comprising: a foam dispensing monitoring apparatus which dispenses a polyurethane foam formed as the reaction product from the mixing together of a plurality of streams of reactive foam components comprising: a power supply; a processor; a memory operatively coupled to the processor; motor control circuitry operatively coupled to the processor; at least two supply sources of reactive foam components; a dispensing unit for dispensing the polyurethane foam, the dispensing unit having a plurality of inputs for receiving respective supply streams of the plurality of reactive foam components, the dispensing unit further including a trigger that is selectively actuable by a user to dispense a preselected amount of the reactive foam components mixed together to form the polyurethane foam; a plurality of foam component supply pumps for delivering the plurality of reactive foam component supply streams from the supply sources to said dispensing unit; a pair of supply hoses interconnecting outputs of the plurality of pumps to the plurality of inputs of the dispensing unit; a datastore for storing at least one of system parameters, shot data, and node location data; at least one sensor operatively coupled to the processor for gathering the shot data and transmitting the shot data to the processor; a first clock operatively coupled to the trigger for recording a time and date of the dispensing; a second clock operatively coupled to the trigger for recording a duration of the at least one shot; and a user interface for receiving from the processor and displaying data generated by at least one of the first clock, the second clock, and the at least one sensor comprising: a visual display; and a user-interactive data entry device; and a gateway apparatus comprising: a first data communication link operatively coupling the gateway apparatus to the foam dispensing monitoring apparatus; and a second data communication link for operatively coupling the gateway apparatus to a master controller apparatus.
3. 19. A dispensing system including a wide area network comprising: at least one foam dispensing monitoring apparatus which dispenses a polyurethane foam formed as the reaction product from the mixing together of a plurality of streams of reactive foam components comprising: a power supply; a processor; a memory operatively coupled to the processor; motor control circuitry operatively coupled to the processor; at least two supply sources of reactive foam components; a dispensing unit for dispensing the polyurethane foam, the dispensing unit having a plurality of inputs for receiving respective supply streams of the plurality of reactive foam components, the dispensing unit further including a trigger that is selectively actuable by a user to dispense a preselected amount of the reactive foam components mixed together to form the polyurethane foam; a plurality of foam component supply pumps for delivering the plurality of reactive foam component supply streams from the supply sources to said dispensing unit; a pair of supply hoses interconnecting outputs of the plurality of pumps to the plurality of inputs of the dispensing unit; a datastore for storing at least one of system parameters, shot data, and node location data; at least one sensor operatively coupled to the processor for gathering the shot data and transmitting the shot data to the processor; a first clock operatively coupled to the trigger for recording a time and date of the dispensing; a second clock operatively coupled to the trigger for recording a duration of the at least one shot; and a user interface for receiving from the processor and displaying data generated by at least one of the first clock, the second clock, and the at least one sensor comprising: a visual display; and a user-interactive data entry device; a master controller apparatus comprising: a master processor; a master memory operatively coupled to the master processor; and a master datastore for storing and identifying locations of nodes on the wide area network; and the at least one gateway apparatus comprising: a first data communication link operatively coupling the at least one gateway apparatus to the at least one foam dispensing monitoring apparatus; and a second data communication link operatively coupling the at least one gateway apparatus to the master controller apparatus.
4. 24. A dispensing system including a wide area network comprising: a foam dispensing monitoring apparatus which dispenses a polyurethane foam formed as the reaction product from the mixing together of a plurality of streams of reactive foam components comprising: a power supply; a processor; a memory operatively coupled to the processor; motor control circuitry operatively coupled to the processor; at least two supply sources of reactive foam components; a dispensing unit for dispensing the polyurethane foam, the dispensing unit having a plurality of inputs for receiving respective supply streams of the plurality of reactive foam components, the dispensing unit further including a trigger that is selectively actuable by a user to dispense a preselected amount of the reactive foam components mixed together to form the polyurethane foam; a plurality of foam component supply pumps for delivering the plurality of reactive foam component supply streams from the supply sources to said dispensing unit; a pair of supply hoses interconnecting outputs of the plurality of pumps to the plurality of inputs of the dispensing unit; a datastore for storing at least one of system parameters, shot data, and node location data; at least one sensor operatively coupled to the processor for gathering the shot data and transmitting the shot data to the processor; a first clock operatively coupled to the trigger for recording a time and date of the dispensing; a second clock operatively coupled to the trigger for recording a duration of the at least one shot; and a user interface for receiving from the processor and displaying data generated by at least one of the first clock, the second clock, and the at least one sensor comprising: a visual display; and a user-interactive data entry device; a master controller apparatus comprising: a processor; a memory operatively coupled to the processor; and a datastore for storing and identifying locations of nodes on the wide area network; a gateway apparatus comprising: a first data communication link operatively coupling the gateway apparatus to the foam dispensing monitoring apparatus; and a second data communication link operatively coupling the gateway apparatus to the master controller apparatus; an interface apparatus operatively coupled to the foam dispensing monitoring apparatus and operatively coupled to interfaced external equipment, wherein the interface apparatus facilitates bi-directional communication between the foam dispensing monitoring apparatus and the interfaced external equipment; a data collection apparatus operatively coupled to the foam dispensing monitoring apparatus and operatively coupled to data collection external equipment, wherein the data collection apparatus facilitates unidirectional communication between the foam dispensing monitoring apparatus and the data collection external equipment; a remote communication apparatus operatively coupled to the master controller apparatus for facilitating communication to a remote gateway apparatus; and a personal computer operatively coupled to the master controller apparatus and operatively coupled to computer-driven external equipment.