External Foam Presence Sensor for Dispensing Nozzles

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing expandable foam dispensing systems often result in foam expansion outside intended containers, causing damage and inefficiencies due to improper dispensing, leading to potential losses in production time and equipment damage.

Innovation Solution

A system featuring a dispensing nozzle and external sensing apparatuses, including temperature and capacitive sensors, to detect the presence of foam within a container, allowing for real-time monitoring and remedial actions such as stopping dispensing or moving container-forming layers to prevent foam from expanding into undesirable areas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If foam is dispensed into containers without monitoring, then the dispensing process is simple and fast, but foam may expand outside intended containers causing damage and production losses

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveproper foam dispensingVSAvoiddispensing system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sensing apparatus detects the presence of foam forming composition before it can expand outside the container. By performing detection in advance, the system allows remedial actions to be taken before damage occurs, resolving the contradiction between maintaining simple dispensing and ensuring reliable containment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The sensing apparatus provides real-time feedback about foam presence to the control system. This feedback mechanism enables the system to monitor dispensing accuracy and trigger remedial actions when anomalies are detected, improving reliability without requiring complex manual monitoring procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If sensing apparatus is added to detect foam presence, then foam containment reliability is improved, but system complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefoam containment accuracyVSAvoidsystem component count

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex mechanical monitoring systems with sensing apparatus that detects foam presence through physical or chemical properties. This substitution maintains high containment accuracy while reducing mechanical complexity compared to traditional mechanical sensors or manual inspection methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The sensing apparatus acts as an intermediary between the foam dispensing process and the control system. It translates foam presence into detectable signals without requiring direct mechanical interaction with the foam, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining reliable detection capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If remedial actions are taken immediately upon detecting foam presence, then damage is minimized, but production time may be lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveequipment damageVSAvoidproduction downtime

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

By detecting foam presence early in the dispensing process, the system enables remedial actions to be taken before damage occurs. This preliminary detection allows for quick correction without requiring complete production shutdowns, minimizing both damage and time loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

When foam presence is detected, the system can discard the affected portion of the dispensing process and recover by resuming normal operation. This approach minimizes damage by isolating the problematic section while maintaining overall production efficiency through quick recovery procedures.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #34Discarding and recovering

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Ensures proper dispensing of foam into containers, minimizing damage and production losses by accurately detecting foam presence and taking corrective actions, thus maintaining operational efficiency and safety.

Implementation Method 1

the temperature sensor is an infrared temperature sensor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectInfrared temperature detection: Infrared Radiation

Implementation Method 2

mixing two or more liquid chemicals to facilitate an exothermic reaction that results in the mixed chemicals changing shape into a solid

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectExothermic reaction: Exothermic Reaction

Data Source

PatentUS10946563B2Expanding foam presence sensor and related methods

Publication Date: 2021.03.16 SEALED AIR U S

AI summary

Various embodiments are directed to sensor apparatuses configured to detect the presence of foam forming composition in various regions within a foam dispensing apparatus. In various embodiments, the foam dispensing apparatus comprises a dispensing nozzle positioned between at least two container-forming layers and configured to dispense foam forming composition into a container interior formed by the container-forming layers. The sensing apparatus may be positioned external to the container interior, on an opposite side of a container-forming layer relative to the nozzle, and the sensing apparatus may be configured to detect whether foam forming composition is present within a field of view of the sensing apparatus, which encompasses a portion of the container interior. The sensing apparatus may comprise a contactless temperature sensor configured to detect the presence of foam forming composition based on the detected temperature of a surface within the field of view of the sensor apparatus.