Exterior configuration of a foam-in-bag dispenser assembly Number:7,386,969 from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) owispatent A dispenser system as in a foam-in-bag dispenser system with a smooth dispenser housing over which the film passes without interruption and which houses a mixing module with reciprocating rod and supports drive components of a drive transmission which is engaged with the rod for reciprocation within the mixing module. Also the drive transmission of a preferred embodiment includes a sliding crank mechanism covered by the dispenser housing and a motor is in driving engagement with the drive transmission with the motor being positioned external to the housing. The driver of the drive transmission for the rod also preferably functions to drive a physical outlet cleaning device and the housing also features a plurality of passages for receiving chemicals, a solvent and a heater unit.<H configuration, dispenser, Exterior, config, 7386969.html, Patent, pto, 7386969

Title: Exterior configuration of a foam-in-bag dispenser assembly

Abstract: A dispenser system as in a foam-in-bag dispenser system with a smooth dispenser housing over which the film passes without interruption and which houses a mixing module with reciprocating rod and supports drive components of a drive transmission which is engaged with the rod for reciprocation within the mixing module. Also the drive transmission of a preferred embodiment includes a sliding crank mechanism covered by the dispenser housing and a motor is in driving engagement with the drive transmission with the motor being positioned external to the housing. The driver of the drive transmission for the rod also preferably functions to drive a physical outlet cleaning device and the housing also features a plurality of passages for receiving chemicals, a solvent and a heater unit.

Patent Number: 7,386,969 Issued on 06/17/2008 to Hayduk

Inventors: Hayduk; Matthew (Glen Cove, NY)
Assignee: Intellipack (Tulsa, OK)

Appl. No.: 10/623,720

Filed: July 22, 2003

Related U.S. Patent Documents


Application Number	Filing Date	Patent Number	Issue Date
60469035	May., 2003
60469037	May., 2003
60469042	May., 2003

Current U.S. Class: 53/459 ; 53/115; 53/467; 53/80

Current International Class: B65B 9/00 (20060101)

Field of Search: 53/459,464,467,473,80,81,115,173,574

References Cited [Referenced By]

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Other References

AccuPak.RTM. Menu Direct Polyurethane Foam Packaging System, Flexible Products company, (29 pages) (Nov. 1998). cited by other .
Flexible Products "AccuPak Menu Direct", Supplemental Information Attachment I, AccuPak Menu Direct Wiring Diagram (1 page) with two pages of additional information under the heading "AccuPak 24--Heater Control Settings" (date not available) (presumed corresponds to Nov. 1998 date in AC above). cited by other .
Flexible Products "AccuPak Menu Direct", Supplemental Information Attachment II, Heater Assembly (heated channel hose and wire connector interchange) (3 pgs) (date not available) (presumed corresponds to Nov. 1998 date in AC above). cited by other .
Flexible Products "AccuPak Menu Direct", Supplemental Information Sheet, Attachment III, Manifold and Tubing Assembly Schematic (date not available) (presumed corresponds to Nov. 1998 date in AC above). cited by other .
SpeedyPacker.TM. Foam-In-Bag Packaging System, User's Guide, Sealed Air Corporation, dated Jul. 2, 1996. cited by other .
AccuFlow 20D, Electronic Manual, Flexible Products Company, Revised Oct. 21,1998, (38 pages). cited by other .
Instapak 901/970 Foam Packaging System, User's Guide, (1998). cited by other .
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Allied Motion, Emoteq Corp., Engineered Motion Technology Brushless Motors and Drives, dated pulled from Internet Feb. 20, 2003, file://C:\Documents%20and%20Settings\Administrator\Local%Settings\Temp\GW- }OOO. . . (4 pgs). cited by other .
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Primary Examiner: Tawfik; Sameh H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP

Parent Case Text

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e) is claimed relative to the Provisional Patent Applications referenced as "C", "D" and "H" in the Table immediately below, each of which was filed on May 9, 2003. The disclosure of each of the 15 provisional applications A to O set forth below is incorporated herein by reference.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 REF. ID. Ser. No. FILED TITLE A 60/468,942 May 9, 2003 Dispenser Assembly With Mixing Module Design B 60/469,034 May 9, 2003 Bagger With Integrated, Inline Chemical Pumps C 60/469,035 May 9, 2003 Mixing Module Drive Mechanism D 60/469,037 May 9, 2003 Mixing Module Mounting Method E 60/469,038 May 9, 2003 Dispenser Tip Management System F 60/469,039 May 9, 2003 Hinged Front Access Panel For Bag Module Of, For Example, A Foam In Bag Dispenser G 60/469,040 May 9, 2003 Improved Film Unwind System With Hinged Spindle And Electronic Control Of Web Tension H 60/469,042 May 9, 2003 Exterior Configuration Of A Foam-In-Bag Dispenser Assembly I 60/468,988 May 9, 2003 Bag Forming System Edge Seal J 60/468,989 May 9, 2003 Improved Heater Wire K 60/468,982 May 9, 2003 Foam-In-Bag Dispenser System With Internet Connection L 60/468,983 May 9, 2003 Ergonomically Improved Push Buttons M TBD Jun. 18, 2003 Control System For A Foam-In-Bag Dispenser N TBD Jun. 18, 2003 A System And Method For Providing Remote Monitoring Of A Manufacturing Device O TBD Jun. 18, 2003 Push Buttons And Control Panels Using Same

Claims

What is claimed:

1. A foam-in-bag dispenser system, comprising: a film supply support; a film feeding device for drawing film from a film source supported on said film supply support; a dispenser having a foam material outlet; a bag forming apparatus which forms bags for receiving the foam material output of the dispenser, and wherein said dispenser comprises a mixing module which receives a foam precursor chemical and a dispenser housing which supports said mixing module and is in contact with film being drawn past said housing by said film feeding device, and said housing being dimensioned as to present a smooth, wrinkle avoidance contact surface over all areas of film contact with said housing, and wherein said housing is positioned relative to film travel such that opposing, interior web surfaces of the film diverge to opposite sides of an upstream end of said housing and, while in a diverged and spaced apart state, said opposing, interior web surfaces slide, in contact, along respective planar front and back side walls of said housing, and wherein said dispenser housing is positioned such that an interior edge region of the interior web surfaces runs, while said opposing, interior web surfaces are in a diverged and spaced apart state, along and in contact with said planar front and back side wall surfaces of the housing.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the upstream end of said housing includes a diverging outward upper edge portion and said front and back side walls are planar side walls of said housing that extend directly off and continuously down from respective opposite ends of said diverging outward upper edge portion.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a dispenser housing support which supports said dispenser housing so as to have a fixed interior end and a free outward end, and wherein said dispenser housing has a mixing module reception chamber with a wall surface having a chemical fill outlet which feeds into a chemical inlet of said mixing module.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said film feeding device includes a source of C-fold film and feeds said C-fold film past said housing with a fold edge of said C-fold film positioned even further outward, in a direction of elongation of said dispenser housing, of said outward end of said dispenser housing and with the opposite non-joined edges being located a distance outward, in the same direction of elongation of said dispenser housing, of the interior end of said housing.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said film feeding device includes a nip roller set which receives film following passage downstream with respect to film feed travel of said housing and places in contact the non-joined edges for edge sealing purposes.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said mixing module includes a reciprocating rod in a chemical outlet passage of said mixing module and said housing supports drive components of a drive transmission which is engaged with said rod for reciprocation within said mixing module.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said drive transmission includes a sliding crank mechanism covered by said dispenser housing.

8. The system of claim 6 further comprising a motor in driving engagement with said drive transmission with said motor being positioned so as to be external to said housing and external to film passing in contact with said housing relative to a surface plane of the film.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said housing includes a main housing portion which has outer walls representing said front and back side walls which form a majority of the planar surface area in contact with the film being fed past said housing.

10. The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said dispenser housing includes a free end housing section with said mixing module being releasably mounted at said free end housing section and said free end housing section having an access door which is adjustable between a closed, mixing module cover mode and an open mixing module access mode.

11. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein said access door is pivotably mounted for rotation between said cover mode and said access mode.

12. The system as recited in claim 11 wherein said free end housing section includes a fixed surface to which is connected a door closure and mixing module seal compression device which is adjustably mounted for movement between a compression on access door state and a non-compression on access door state.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 wherein said door closure and mixing module seal compression device comprises an over center toggle clamp.

14. The system as recited in claim 13 wherein said overcenter toggle clamp includes means for adjusting full toggle closure compression level on said door.

15. The system as recited in claim 10 wherein said housing and mixing module include male/female position mount means for positioning said mixing module in a proper location prior to door closure covering.

16. The system as recited in claim 1 further comprising a chemical inlet manifold and a dispenser housing support which supports said dispenser housing so as to have a fixed interior end and a free outward end, and wherein said fixed interior end is in chemical flow communication with said inlet manifold and said housing has first and second chemical passageways formed therein and extending from said inlet manifold to outlet port holes positioned for fluid communication with inlet ports formed in said mixing module when supported in said housing.

17. The system as recited in claim 16 wherein said mixing module has inlet port projections which are sized for retention of seals which stay fixed to said mixing module and form a sealing relationship with the outlet ports of said chemical passageways formed in said housing.

18. The system as recited in claim 17 further comprising a solvent passage hole in said manifold and a solvent passageway in said dispenser housing having a solvent outlet port positioned for solvent feed to said solvent passage hole of said mixing module when mounted on said dispenser housing.

19. The system as recited in claim 18 further comprising a heater reception passageway formed in said dispenser housing and positioned within two inches of each of said dispenser housing chemical and solvent passageways.

20. The system as recited in claim 19 further comprising an inlet manifold heater positioned in said inlet manifold.

21. The system as recited in claim 16 further comprising manifold flow shut off valves, pressure transducers for a monitoring pressure levels of chemical being fed to said dispenser housing and filter units supported by said inlet manifold and said dispenser housing encompassing a portion of a drive system for reciprocating the end rod of said mixing module and said drive system including a drive motor, and wherein each of said shut off valves, drive motor, filter units, and transducers are spaced a distance inwardly away, in a direction of elongation of the housing, from an interior edge of the film being fed past said housing so as to avoid foam contact therewith.

22. The system as recited in claim 16 further comprising a heater reception passageway formed in said dispenser housing and positioned so as to extend adjacent and in a common direction of elongation of said dispenser housing chemical passageways and within two inches of each of said dispenser housing chemical passageways.

23. The system of claim 1 wherein said mixing module has a module housing within which is positioned a mixing chamber with a rod reception passageway and at least one chemical inlet passage opening into said rod reception passageway, said mixing module further comprising a rod which is received for reciprocation in said rod passageway and has an engagement section; and a drive mechanism, said drive mechanism including a motor and a drive transmission in driving communication with both said motor and said rod engagement section, said drive transmission including a crank and slider combination, and said drive transmission being contained in said dispenser housing.

24. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein said bag forming apparatus is positioned for receipt of chemical output by said mixing module for containment in said bag once formed.

25. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein said crank and slider combination include a crank member which is rotatably driven by said motor and which is connected to a first end of a crank connecting rod which crank connecting rod has a second end connected to a slider, and said crank and slide combination being positioned at a forward, dispensing end of said dispenser housing.

26. The system as recited in claim 25 wherein said slider is a piston member having a first end pivotably connected to said connecting rod and a separate end with an engager receiving said mixing module rod engagement section, and with said crank and slider mechanism being positioned above said mixing module at the forward dispensing end of said dispenser housing.

27. The system as recited in claim 26 wherein said piston is multi-walled and confined for linear travel by a pair of parallel slide walls.

28. The system as recited in claim 26 wherein said mixing module rod includes a main body which is free of any annular recessed areas along an axial length extending from a first free end to said mixing module rod engagement section, and wherein said engagement section is an expanded member relative to said main body which extends radial out to a greater extent than said main body at least at a border region between said main body and engagement section.

29. The system as recited in claim 28 wherein said engager of said piston includes a slotted recess with an enlarged area for receipt of said engagement section of said rod and a smaller recess for receipt of a portion of said main body.

30. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein said drive transmission includes a drive shaft which is driven by an output shaft of said motor and which is in driving communication with a crank mechanism of said crank and slide combination and received within said dispenser housing.

31. The system as recited in claim 30 wherein said crank mechanism comprises a first crank section and a second crank section releasably secured to said first crank section and having first and second crank extensions, and said support for said mixing module including a dispenser housing having a first bearing section and a second bearing section within which said first and second crank extensions are respectively received with at least one of said bearing sections being supported by a detachable section of said dispenser housing.

32. The system as recited in claim 31 wherein said crank and slide mechanism further includes a connecting rod and a piston as said slider with said connecting rod is pivotably joined to each of said piston and crank mechanism and said piston including means for releasable engagement with said mixing module rod and said piston being confined for linear travel by a confining section of said dispenser housing.

33. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein said dispenser housing has a mixing module mounting section and a cover positionable over said mixing module upon receipt in said mounting section, and said motor being supported by said dispensing housing at an external location to said dispenser housing and said crank and slider mechanism being supported internally within said dispenser housing.

34. The system as recited in claim 33 wherein a main shaft extends through an axial passageway in said dispenser housing to an outward end of said dispenser housing and said crank mechanism converts rotation forces of said main shaft to linear reciprocation forces vertically aligned with a vertically mounted mixing module in said dispenser housing.

35. The system as recited in claim 23 further comprising means for monitoring a location of said mixing module rod within said mixing module.

36. The system as recited in claim 35 wherein said means for monitoring includes an encoder associated with said motor which is a DC brushless motor and said means for monitoring further comprising a processor for processing position data received by said encoder.

37. The system as recited in claim 36 further comprising a home position sensor which is in communication with said processor and positioned at a location which monitors a position of either said mixing module rod or a location of an object in said drive transmission.

38. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein said drive mechanism provides maximum drive output in unison with end points of reciprocation travel in said mixing module rod.

39. The system as recited in claim 38 wherein the maximum drive output is in excess of 1000 lbf at said end points which coincide with end points of travel in a slider of said crank and slider combination.

40. The system as recited in claim 23 wherein said drive transmission includes a one way clutch and a secondary transmission system for driving an addition component in said dispenser system with said motor, and said secondary transmission system being received within said dispenser housing.

41. The system as recited in claim 40 wherein said additional component is a cleaning brush drive system which is positioned for cleaning engagement with an outlet end of said mixing module.

42. A foam-in-bag dispenser system, comprising: a film supply support; a film feeding device for drawing film from a film source supported on said film supply support; a dispenser having a foam material outlet; a bag forming apparatus which forms bags for receiving the foam material output of the dispenser, and wherein said dispenser comprises a mixing module which receives a foam precursor chemical and a dispenser housing which supports said mixing module and is in contact with film being drawn past said housing by said film feeding device, and said housing having an outwardly diverging upper section and front and rear planar side walls extending down from respective front and rear ends of said outwardly diverging upper section and providing wrinkle avoidance contact surfaces to interior, front and rear film sections that diverge about said housing, and while in a diverged, spaced apart state are drawn both along and in contact with respective front and rear planar side walls of said dispenser housing positioned between said front and rear film sections.

43. The dispenser system of claim 42 wherein said dispenser housing is designed such that said diverging upper section and front and rear planar side walls have a width that exceeds a width, relative to a common direction of width extension, of the film material being fed past said dispenser housing.

44. A foam-in-bag dispenser system, comprising: a film supply support; a film feeding device for drawing film from a film source supported on said film supply support; a dispenser having a foam material outlet; a bag forming apparatus which forms bags for receiving the foam material output of the dispenser, and wherein said dispenser comprises a dispenser material module which receives a foam precursor chemical and a dispenser housing which internally receives said module and is in contact with film being drawn past said housing by said film feeding device, and said housing being dimensioned as to present smooth front and back contact surfaces relative to film webs of said film being separated by an upstream end of said housing and fed along and in contact with said front and back contact surfaces of said dispenser housing which extend off from the upstream end of said housing; means for completing bag formation including end seal formation means which rejoins said webs together below said dispenser housing to form a bag end seal; and a drive mechanism for opening and closing an outlet port in said module, said drive mechanism including a motor supported externally of said dispenser housing and a drive transmission received by said dispenser housing, and said dispenser housing being supported in cantilever fashion such that an inner edge of film width falls between a free end of the cantilevered dispenser housing and said motor during film feed.

45. The dispenser system of claim 44 wherein a cross-sectional plane extending through the edge sealer of said system extends between an inner end of said dispenser housing and said free end of said dispenser housing.

46. A foam-in-bag dispenser system, comprising: a film feeding device for drawing film from a film source; a dispenser having a foam material outlet; a bag forming apparatus which forms bags for receiving the foam material output of the dispenser, and wherein said dispenser comprises a dispenser housing which internally receives foam chemical precursor, and said dispenser housing being in contact with interior surfaces of opposing film web sections of a film, with said film sections being drawn past said housing by said film feeding device so as to partially envelope said housing, and wherein a cross-sectional vertical plane extending through an edge sealer of said bag forming apparatus extends between the inner and outer ends of said dispenser housing, and said opposing film web sections have opposing interior surfaces which opposing interior surfaces include edge regions that are to be sealed by the edge sealer and are drawn over and in contact with a smooth surface region of said dispenser housing which avoids wrinkle formation in said edge regions of the film being fed to said edge sealer for sealing.

47. The dispenser system of claim 46 wherein the film being fed past said dispenser housing is C-fold film with a fold edge representing said outer edge and the opposite, non-fold edging of the C-fold film representing the inner edge and with the non-fold edging being positioned outward of the innermost edge of said dispenser housing so as to have the edging of said film sections to be edge sealed positioned outward of that innermost edge of said dispenser housing for promoting film contact with said smooth contact and underlying support region of said dispenser housing.

48. The dispenser system of claim 46 wherein said dispenser housing has a mixing module and a moving member which travels within a passageway of said mixing module and a motor for driving said moving member, and said motor being positioned such that the inner edge of the film positioned closest to said motor falls outward of both the innermost edge of said dispenser housing and said motor.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed at a dispensing system and components therefore, with a preferred embodiment featuring a foam-in-bag dispensing apparatus and components having application in the foam-in-bag system and, in some instances, utility alone or in combination with other systems. The present invention is also directed at a method of manufacturing a foam-in-bag apparatus, as well as the above noted components, and a method of using a foam-in-bag system to produce foam filled bags, and a method of using the above noted components.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Over the years a variety of material dispensers have been developed including those directed at dispensing foamable material such as polyurethane foam which involves mixing certain chemicals together to form a polymeric product while at the same time generating gases such as carbon dioxide and water vapor. If those chemicals are selected so that they harden following the generation of the carbon dioxide and water vapor, they can be used to form "hardened" (e.g., a cushionable quality in a proper fully expanded state) polymer foams in which the mechanical foaming action is caused by the gaseous carbon dioxide and water vapor leaving the mixture.

In particular techniques, synthetic foams such as polyurethane foam are formed from liquid organic resins and polyisocyanates in a mixing chamber (e.g., a liquid form of isocyanate, which is often referenced in the industry as chemical "A", and a multi-component liquid blend called polyurethane resin, which is often referenced in the industry as chemical "B"). The mixture can be dispensed into a receptacle, such as a package or a foam-in-place bag (see e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,674,268, 4,800,708 and 4,854,109), where it reacts to form a polyurethane foam.

A particular problem associated with certain foams is that, once mixed, the organic resin and polyisocyanate generally react relatively rapidly so that their foam product tends to accumulate in all openings through which the material passes. Furthermore, some of the more useful polymers that form foamable compositions are adhesive. As a result, the foamable composition, which is often dispensed as a somewhat viscous liquid, tends to adhere to objects that it strikes and then harden in place. Many of these adhesive foamable compositions tenaciously stick to the contact surface making removal particularly difficult. Solvents are often utilized in an effort to remove the hardened foamable composition from surfaces not intended for contact, but even with solvents (particularly when considering the limitations on the type of solvents suited for worker contact or exposure) this can prove to be a difficult task. The undesirable adhesion can take place in the general region where chemicals A and B first come in contact (e.g., a dispenser mixing chamber) or an upstream location, as in individual injection ports, in light of the expansive quality of the mix, or downstream as in the outlet tip of the dispenser or, in actuality, anywhere in the vicinity of the dispensing device upon, for instance, a misaiming, misapplication or leak (e.g., a foam bag with leaking end or edge seals). For example, a "foam-up" in a foam-in-bag dispenser, where the mixed material is not properly confined within a receiving bag, can lead to foam hardening in every nook and cranny of the dispensing system making complete removal not reasonably attainable, particularly when considering the configuration of the prior art systems.

Because of this adhesion characteristic, steps have been taken in the prior art to attempt to preclude contact of chemicals A and B at non-desired locations as well as precluding the passage of mixed chemicals A/B from traveling to undesired areas or from dwelling in areas such as the discharge passageway for aiming the A/B chemical mixture. Examples of injection systems for such foamable compositions and their operation are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,568,003 and 4,898,327, and incorporated herein by reference. As set forth in both of these patents, in a typical dispensing cartridge, the mixing chamber for the foam precursors is a cylindrical core having a bore that extends longitudinally there through. The core is typically formed from a fluorinated hydrocarbon polymer such as polytetrafluoroethylene ("PTFE" or "TFE"), fluorinated ethylene propylene ("FEP") or perfluoroalkoxy ("PFA"). Polymers of this type are widely available from several companies, and one of the most familiar designations for such materials is "Teflon", the trademark used by DuPont for such materials. For the sake of convenience and familiarity, such materials will be referred to herein as "Teflon", although it will be understood that materials having the above and below described qualities are available from companies other than DuPont and can be used if otherwise appropriate.

While features of the present invention are applicable to single component dispensing systems, the present invention is particularly suited for systems that have a plurality of openings (usually two) arranged in the core in communication with the bore for supplying mixing material such as organic resin and polyisocyanate to the bore, which acts as a mixing chamber. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is utilized a combination valving and purge rod positioned to slide in a close tolerance, "interference", fit within the bore to control the flow of organic resin and polyisocyanate from the openings into the bore and the subsequent discharge of the foam from the cartridge.

Teflon material and many of the related polymers have the ability to "cold flow" or "creep". This cold flow distortion of the Teflon is both beneficial (e.g., allowing for the conformance of material about surfaces intended to be sealed off) and a cause of several problems, including the potential for the loss of the fit between the bore and the valving rod as well as the fit between the openings (e.g., ports) through which the separate precursors enter the bore for mixing and then dispensing. In many of the prior art systems utilizing Teflon, the Teflon core is fitted in the cartridge under a certain degree of compression in order to help prevent leaks in a manner in which a gasket is fitted under stress for the same purpose. This compression also encourages the Teflon to creep into any gaps or other openings that may be adjacent to it which can be either good or bad depending on the movement and what surface is being contacted or discontinued from contact in view of the cold flow.

Under these prior art systems, however, over time the sealing quality of the core is lost at least to some extent allowing for an initial build up of the hardenable material which can lead to a cycle of seal degradation and worsening build up of hardened material. This in turn can lead to a variety of problems including the partial blockage of chemical inlet ports so as to alter the desired flow mix and degrade the quality of foam produced. In other words, in typical injection cartridges the separate foam precursors enter the bore through separate entry ports. Polyurethane foam tends to build up at the area at which the precursor exits the port and enters the mixing chamber. Such buildups cause spraying in the output stream, and dispensing of the mixture in an improper ratio. The build up of hardened material can also lead to partial blockage of the dispenser's exit outlet causing a misaiming of the dispensed flow into contact with an undesirable surface (e.g., the operator or various nooks and crannies in the dispenser). Another source of improper foam output is found in a partially or completely blocked off dispenser outlet tip that, if occurs, can lead the foam spray in undesirable areas or system shutdown if the outlet becomes so blocked as to preclude output. A variety of prior art systems have been developed in an effort avoid tip blockage, particularly in automated systems, as in foam-in-bag systems, which impose additional requirements due to the typical high usage level and the less ready access to the tip as compared to a hand-held dispenser. The prior art systems include, for example, porous tips with solvent flush systems. However, over time these tips tend to load up with hardened foam and eventually become ineffective.

The build of hardened/adhesive material over time can lead to additional problems such as the valve rod and even a purge only rod, becoming so adhered within its region of reciprocal travel that either the driver mechanism is unable to move the rod (leading to an oft seen shut down signal generation in many common prior art systems) or a component along the drive train breaks off which is often the annular recessed valve rod engagement location relative to some prior art designs.

The above described dispensing device has utility in the packing industry such as hand held dispensers which can be used, for instance, to fill in cavities between an object being packed and a container (e.g., cardboard box) in which the object is positioned. Manufacturers who produce large quantities of a particular product also achieve efficiencies in utilizing automated dispensing devices which provide for automated packaging filling such as by controlled filling of a box conveyed past the dispenser (e.g., spraying into a box having a protective covering over the product), intermediate automated formation of molded foam bodies, or the automatic fabrication of foam filled bags, which can also either be preformed or placed in a desired location prior to full expansion of the foam whereupon the bag conforms in shape to the packed object as it expands out to its final shape.

With dispensing devices like the hand held and foam-in-bag dispensing apparatus described above, there is also a need to provide the chemical(s) (e.g., chemicals "A" and "B") from their respective sources (typically a large container such as a 55 gallon container for each respective chemical) in the desired state (e.g., the desired flow rate, volume, pressure, and temperature). Thus, even with a brand new dispenser, there are additional requirements involved in attempting to achieve a desired foam product. Under the present state of the art a variety of pumping techniques have arisen which feature individual pumps designed for insertion into the chemical source containers coupled with a controller provided in an effort to maintain the desired flow rate characteristics through monitoring pump characteristics. The individual in "barrel" pumps typically feature a tachometer used in association with a controller attempting to maintain the desired flow rate of chemical to the dispenser by adjustment in pump output. The tachometers used in the prior art are relatively sensitive equipment and prone to breakdowns.

In an effort to address the injection of chemicals into the mixing chamber at the desired temperature(s) there has been developed heater systems positioned in the chemical conduits extending between the chemical supply and the dispenser, these heaters include temperature sensors (thermisters) and can be adjusted in an effort to achieve the desired temperature in the chemical leaving the feed line or conduit. Reference is made to, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,890,836 and 3,976,230, which references are incorporated by reference. These chemical conduit heater wires suffer from a variety of drawbacks such as (a) poor sensor (e.g., thermistors) responsiveness due to non head-on flow positioning of the sensor or difficulty in manipulating the sensor without breakage to be in the proper orientation, (b) difficulty in positioning the tip of the heater wire close enough to the dispenser to avoid cold shot formation and associated material stretch limitations in the heater wire conduit needed to avoid stretching and separation of the dispenser from the tip of the heater wire when the other "fixed" end originates from the pump control region, (c) increased pump weight and an increase in the length and cost associated with the leads extending from the heater wire tip to heater wire control and power source locations at the pump end, (d) an associated increase in electromagnetic interference (EMI) due to the longer "umbilical" cords and thermister leads, (e) poor thermister reliability in its heavy flex location within the interior of the heater wire, (f) difficulty in feeding heater elements within the outer protective chemical conduit, and (g) cost and production limitations in the overall heater wire and conduit length requiring relatively close positioning of the chemical driven source to the dispenser location.

As noted above, in the packaging industry, a variety of devices have been developed to automatically fabricate foam filled bags for use as protective inserts in packages. Some examples of these foam-in-bag fabrication devices can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,376,219; 4,854,109; 4,983,007; 5,139,151; 5,575,435; 5,679,208; 5,727,370 and 6,311,740. In addition to the common occurrence of foam dispenser system lock up, cleaning downtime requirements, poor mix performance in prior art foam-in-bag systems, a dispenser system featuring an apparatus for automatically fabricating foam filled bags introduces some added complexity and operator problems. For example, an automated foam-in-bag system adds additional complexity relative to film supply, film tracking and tensioning, bag sealing/cutting, bag venting, film feed blockage. Thus, in addition to the variety of problems associated with the prior art attempts to provide chemicals to the dispenser in the proper rate, keeping the dispenser cartridge operational, and feeding film properly, the prior art foam-in-bag systems also represent a particular source of additional problems for the operators. These additional problems include, for example, attempting to understand and operate a highly complicated, multi-component assembly for feeding, sealing, tracking and/or supplying film to the bag formation area; high breakdown or misadjustment occurrence due to the number of components and complex arrangement of the components; high service requirements (also due in part to the number of components and high complexity of the arrangement in the components); poor quality bag formation, often associated with poor film tracking performance, difficulty in achieving proper bag seals and cuts, particularly when taking into consideration the degrading and contamination of heater wires due to, for example, foam build up and the inability to accurately monitor current heated wire temperature application, difficulty in formation and maintaining clear bag vent holes, as well as the inevitable foam contamination derivable from a number of sources such as the dispenser and/or bag leakage, and clean up requirements in general and when foam spillage occurs.

Another particularly problematic area associated with the prior art foam-in-bag system lies in the area of heated resistance wire replacement, both in regard to edge sealing and in regard to the cross-cutting sealing systems. In the prior art systems, there is often required delicate operator manipulation (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,219) with certain tools to achieve removal and reinsertion of broken, or worn, heated wires (which is a common occurrence in the thin heated resistance wires used in the industry to form the seals and cuts).

In addition, prior art systems suffer from other drawbacks, such as relatively slow bag formation and a slow throughput of completed bags which, in some systems, is partially due to a reverse feed requirement to break an upper, not-yet-completely formed bag from a completed bag adhered together by a bond formed by the earlier melted and presently cooled plastic material on the heated cross-cut wire.

The prior art mixing cartridge driven mechanisms for reciprocating valve rods has also shown in the field to be inadequate as they are subject to often breakdowns and often quickly become unable to achieve rod reciprocation after a minor build up of foam in the cartridge. An additional problem associated with the mixing chamber used on fixed dispenser embodiments such as a foam-in-bag dispenser is the difficulty in proper removal and mounting of a mixing module in the support housing. Prior art systems also suffer from hose and cable management (e.g., electronics, chemical supply and solvent supply) difficulties due to their becoming tangled and in a state of disarray so as to present obstacles to operators and potential equipment malfunctions due to cable or hose interference with moving components or the hoses/cables becoming disconnected and/or damaged.

The pump equipment of prior art systems are also prone to malfunction including the degrading of seals (e.g., isocyanate forms hardened crystals when exposed to air which can quickly degrade soft seals). The pumping systems currently used in the field are also subject to relatively rapid deterioration as they often operate at high rates during usage due to, for example, general inefficiency in driving the chemical from its source to the dispenser outlet. The common usage of in-barrel pump systems also introduces limitations in chemical source locations (e.g., typically a 20 foot range limitation for standard heater wire conduit and in barrel pump systems), which can make for difficulties in some operator facilities where it is required or preferred to have the chemical source located at a greater distance from the dispenser. The common usage of in-barrel pumps for prior-art dispenser systems also presents a requirement for multiple chemical sources to achieve the required one-to-one chemical source and pump combination, which in particularly problematic for operators running numerous dispenser systems.

Prior art foam-in-bag systems, in presumably an effort to accurately dispense foam into the bag, locate the dispenser within the bag being formed (e.g., all dispenser components placed between the film left and right side edges and above the end seal of the bag). These prior art arrangements present problems from the stand point of the placement of the dispenser and its various components such as filters, chemical valving lines, and other components required for accessing a mixing module, all in the bag formation region. This positioning places those components in an area highly prone to chemical contact even with a properly functioning dispenser. Efforts have been made in the prior art to protect the dispenser through the use of covers, but these covers have shown to be highly ineffective in protecting the components. Once foam hardens on the components they are often made even more difficult to access when servicing is desired. Also, the non-smooth, multi-protrusion and edge presentment design of prior art foam dispensers, in addition to making cleaning impractical, have a tendency to create film tracking problems and/or require added guidance members to avoid film/dispenser contact.

In addition to the difficulty in achieving proper wire temperature levels in the chemical conduit heater wires, there has also been experienced difficulty in achieving proper end and edge sealing/cutting, and venting wire temperatures in prior art foam-in-bag systems. There is also associated with prior art systems problems in achieving proper positioning and in gaining access for servicing heater wires. The two most common prior art systems take different approaches with a first utilizing a rolling heater wire which presents added complexity in power supply as well as difficulty in removing and re-inserting heater wires. The second approach uses a non-rolling drag technique (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,472,638) that, while being easy to remove and re-insert, has experienced difficulty in the field in maintaining a proper location of the exposed heater wire relative to the film being driven thereby, which is due in part to a tendency for the heated seal wires becoming more and more embedded in the underlying support.

Film replenishment in the prior art systems has also proven to be difficult. Accessing prior art systems to remove the emptied roll and to replace it with a new role, which can be relatively heavy as in 25 lbs. or so, is only achieved with great difficulty due to the insertion location being in the rear, intermediate region of a typical foam-in-bag system design. This location is highly straining on the operator.

Many prior art foam-in-bag systems and other automated dispending systems have shown in the field to have high service requirements due to, for example, breakdowns and rapid supply usage requirements (e.g., film, solvent, precursor chemicals, etc.). There is thus a great deal of servicing associated with prior art systems as in problem solving and in maintaining adequate supply levels. The prior art systems suffer from the problem of difficult and often non-adequate servicing which can be operator or service representative induced (e.g., failing to monitor own supply levels or anticipating level of usage or difficulty in responding timely to service requests which are often on an emergency or rush basis as any down time can be highly disruptive to an operator in timely meeting orders).

As can be seen there are numerous potential areas that can create problems in the field of dispensing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A foam-in-bag dispenser system, comprising a film supply support, a film feeding device for drawing film from a film source supported on the film supply support, a dispenser having a foam material outlet, a bag forming apparatus which forms bags for receiving the foam material output of the dispenser, and wherein the dispenser comprises a mixing module which receives a foam precursor chemical and a dispenser housing which internally receives the mixing module and is in contact with film being drawn past the housing by the film feeding device, and the housing being dimensioned as to present a smooth contact surface over all areas of film contact with the housing. Preferably the housing includes a curved upper edge and two planar side surfaces extending down from respective opposite ends of the curved upper edge and a dispenser housing support which supports the dispenser housing so as to have a fixed interior end and a free outward end, with the planar side surfaces representing front and back surfaces, and wherein the film feeding device feeds front and back film sheet sections into contact with respective front and rear planar side surfaces. The film being fed is preferably a C-fold film fed past the housing with a fold edge of the C-fold film positioned even further outward of the outward end of the dispenser housing and with the opposite non-joined edges being located a distance outward of the interior end of the housing.

The film feeding device preferably includes a nip roller set which receives film following passage downstream with respect to film feed travel of the housing and places in contact the non-joined edges for edge sealing purposes. Also, the mixing module featured includes a reciprocating rod in a chemical outlet passages of the mixing module and the housing supports drive components of a drive transmission which is engaged with the rod for reciprocation within the mixing module. Also the drive transmission of a preferred embodiment includes a sliding crank mechanism covered by the dispenser housing and a motor is in driving engagement with the drive transmission with the motor being positioned external to the housing.

The main housing portion, which has outer walls representing a majority of the planar surface area in contact with the film being fed past the housing is an extruded component which includes extruded passageways for the chemicals and the solvent and a heater unit positioned in close proximity.

The dispenser housing further includes a free end housing section with the mixing module being mounted at the free end housing section and the free end housing section having an access door which is adjustable between a closed, mixing module cover mode and an open mixing module access mode, and wherein the access door is pivotably mounted for rotation between the cover mode and the access mode.

The invention also features a free end housing section includes a fixed surface to which is connected a door closure and mixing module seal compression device which is adjustably mounted for movement between a compression on access door state and a non-compression on access door state such as one wherein the door closure and mixing module seal compression device comprises an over center toggle clamp. The overcenter toggle clamp includes means for adjusting full toggle closure compression level on the door. Also the housing and mixing module include male/female position mount means for positioning the mixing module in a proper location prior to door closure covering.

The present invention also comprises a chemical inlet manifold and a dispenser housing support which supports the dispenser housing so as to have a fixed interior end and a free outward end, and wherein the fixed interior end is in chemical flow communication with the inlet manifold and the housing has first and second chemical passageways formed therein and extending from the inlet manifold to outlet port holes positioned for fluid communication with inlet ports formed in the mixing module when supported in the housing. A preferred embodiment of the invention also has inlet port projections which are sized for retention of seals which stay fixed to the mixing module and form a sealing relationship with the outlet ports of the chemical passageways formed in the housing. In addition the system comprises a solvent passage hole in the manifold and a solvent passageway in the dispenser housing having a solvent outlet port positioned for solvent feed to the solvent passage hole of the mixing module when mounted on the dispenser housing.

The system further comprising a heater reception passageway formed in the dispenser housing and positioned within two inches of each of the dispenser housing chemical and solvent passageways and an inlet manifold heater positioned in the inlet manifold. The system further comprises manifold flow shut off valves, pressure transducers for a monitoring pressure levels of chemical being fed to the dispenser housing and filter units supported by the inlet manifold and the dispenser housing encompassing a portion of a drive system for reciprocating the end rod of the mixing module and the drive system including a drive motor, and wherein each of the shut off valves, drive motor, filter units, and transducers are spaced a distance inwardly away, in a direction of elongation of the housing, from an interior edge of the film being fed past the housing so as to avoid foam contact therewith.

A dispenser sys