Dry chemical dispensing system

Abstract

A dry chemical dispensing system includes one or more chemical dispenser, a fluid supply conduit, and a fluid pressure source. The fluid supply conduit is adapted to couple to a fluid source, and supplies fluid from the source to dry chemicals installed in the chemical dispensers. The fluid supplied to the dry chemicals dissolves a portion into solution. The fluid pressure source maintains a substantially constant fluid pressure magnitude in the fluid supply conduit. Thus, any variations in pressure of the fluid source do not affect the pressure of the fluid supplied to the chemical dispensers. As a result, dissolved chemical concentration is substantially controlled.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A system for dispensing one or more chemical solutions, comprising: 
 a chemical dispenser having an internal cavity adapted to receive a chemical therein, and a fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the internal cavity;    a fluid supply conduit having a first end adapted to couple to a fluid source and a second end in fluid communication with the chemical dispenser internal cavity; and    a fluid pressure source in fluid communication with the fluid supply conduit, the fluid pressure operable to maintain a first substantially constant fluid pressure magnitude in at least a first section of the fluid supply conduit.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a regulator valve mounted on the fluid supply conduit and fluidly coupled between the chemical dispenser and the fluid pressure source, the regulator valve operable to maintain a second substantially constant fluid pressure magnitude in at least a second section of the fluid supply conduit.    
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a first control valve mounted on the fluid supply conduit and fluidly coupled between the chemical dispenser and the fluid pressure source, the control valve moveable between an open and a closed position.    
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a controller coupled to the first control valve and operable to selectively move the first control valve to at least one of the open and the closed positions.    
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a venturi pump having at least a first fluid inlet port, a second fluid inlet port, and an outlet port, the first fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to the fluid supply conduit, and the second fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to the chemical dispenser fluid outlet port.    
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 a second control valve fluidly coupled in series between the fluid supply conduit and the venturi pump first inlet port, the second control valve moveable between an open and a closed position.    
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 a controller coupled to the second control valve and operable to selectively move the second control valve to at least one of the open and the closed positions.    
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a first control valve mounted on the fluid supply conduit and fluidly coupled downstream of the fluid pressure source, the control valve moveable between an open and a closed position;    a venturi pump having at least a first fluid inlet port, a second fluid inlet port, and an outlet port, the first fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to the fluid supply conduit, and the second fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to the chemical dispenser fluid outlet port;    a second control valve fluidly coupled in series between the fluid supply conduit and the venturi pump first inlet port, the second control valve moveable between an open and a closed position; and    a controller operably coupled to the first and second control valves and operable to selectively move the first and second control valves to at least one of the open and the closed positions.    
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid pressure source comprises a fluid expansion tank.  
     
     
         10 . A system for dispensing one or more chemical solutions to one or more laundry machines, the system comprising: 
 a plurality of chemical dispensers, each chemical dispenser having an internal cavity adapted to receive a chemical therein, and a fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the internal cavity;    a fluid supply conduit having a first end adapted to couple to a fluid source and a plurality of second ends, each of the plurality of second ends in fluid communication, one each, with the one of the chemical dispenser internal cavities; and    a fluid pressure source in fluid communication with the fluid supply conduit, the fluid pressure source maintaining a first substantially constant fluid pressure magnitude in at least a first section of the fluid supply conduit.    
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a regulator valve mounted on the fluid supply conduit and fluidly coupled between the chemical dispensers and the fluid pressure source, the regulator valve operable to maintain a second substantially constant fluid pressure magnitude in a least a second section of the fluid supply conduit.    
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a first control valve mounted on the fluid supply conduit and fluidly coupled between the chemical dispensers and the fluid pressure source, the control valve moveable between an open and a closed position.    
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 a controller coupled to the first control valve and operable to selectively move the first control valve to at least one of the open and closed positions.    
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a first venturi pump having at least a first fluid inlet port, a second fluid inlet port, and an outlet port, the first venturi pump first fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to the fluid supply conduit, and the first venturi pump second fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to at least two of the chemical dispenser fluid outlet ports; and    a second venturi pump having at least a first fluid inlet port, a second fluid inlet port, and an outlet port, the second venturi pump first fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to the fluid supply conduit, and the second venturi pump second fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to at least one of the chemical dispenser fluid outlet ports.    
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 a second control valve fluidly coupled in series between the fluid supply conduit and the first venturi pump first inlet port, the second control valve moveable between an open and a closed position; and    a third control valve fluidly coupled in series between the fluid supply conduit and the second venturi pump first inlet port, the third control valve moveable between an open and a closed position.    
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a controller coupled to the second and third control valves and operable to selectively move the second and third control valves to at least one of the open and closed positions.    
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a first control valve mounted on the fluid supply conduit and fluidly coupled downstream of the fluid pressure source, the control valve moveable between an open and a closed position;    a first venturi pump having at least a first fluid inlet port, a second fluid inlet port, and an outlet port, the first venturi pump first fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to the fluid supply conduit, and the first venturi pump second fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to at least two of the chemical dispenser fluid outlet ports;    a second venturi pump having at least a first fluid inlet port, a second fluid inlet port, and an outlet port, the second venturi pump first fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to the fluid supply conduit, and the second venturi pump second fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to at least one of the chemical dispenser fluid outlet ports.;    a second control valve fluidly coupled in series between the fluid supply conduit and the first venturi pump first inlet port, the second control valve moveable between an open and a closed position;    a third control valve fluidly coupled in series between the fluid supply conduit and the second venturi pump first inlet port, the third control valve moveable between an open and a closed position; and    a controller operably coupled to the first, second, and third control valves and operable to selectively move the first, second, and third control valves to at least one of the open and closed positions.    
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the fluid pressure source comprises a fluid expansion tank.  
     
     
         19 . A system for dispensing one or more chemical solutions to one or more laundry machines, the system comprising: 
 a detergent container having an internal cavity adapted to receive a substantially solid detergent therein, and a detergent solution outlet port in fluid communication with the internal cavity;    an acidic softener container having an internal cavity adapted to receive a substantially solid acidic softener therein, and a softener solution outlet port in fluid communication with the internal cavity;    a bleach container having an internal cavity adapted to receive a substantially solid bleach therein, and a bleach solution outlet port in fluid communication with the internal cavity;    a fluid supply conduit having a fluid inlet adapted to couple to a fluid source and first, second, and third fluid outlets, the first, second, and third fluid outlets in fluid communication with the detergent container internal cavity, the acidic softener container internal cavity, and the bleach container internal cavity, respectively;    a first discharge conduit in fluid communication with the detergent container fluid outlet port and the acidic softener container fluid outlet port;    a second discharge conduit in fluid communication with the bleach container fluid outlet port; and    a fluid pressure source in fluid communication with the fluid supply conduit, the fluid pressure source maintaining a first substantially constant fluid pressure magnitude in at least a section of the fluid supply conduit.    
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 a first control valve mounted on the fluid supply conduit and fluidly coupled between the fluid pressure source and the fluid supply line first outlet, the first control valve moveable between an open and a closed position;    a second control valve mounted on the fluid supply conduit and fluidly coupled between the fluid pressure source and the fluid supply line second outlet, the second control valve moveable between an open and a closed position;    a third control valve mounted on the fluid supply conduit and fluidly coupled between the fluid pressure source and the fluid supply line third outlet, the third control valve moveable between an open and a closed position;    a first venturi pump having at least a first fluid inlet port, a second fluid inlet port, and an outlet port, the first venturi pump first fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to the fluid supply conduit, and the first venturi pump second fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to the first fluid discharge conduit;    a second venturi pump having at least a first fluid inlet port, a second fluid inlet port, and an outlet port, the second venturi pump first fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to the fluid supply conduit, and the second venturi pump second fluid inlet port fluidly coupled to the second fluid discharge conduit;    a fourth control valve fluidly coupled in series between the fluid supply conduit and the first venturi pump first inlet port, the fourth control valve moveable between an open and a closed position;    a fifth control valve fluidly coupled in series between the fluid supply conduit and the second venturi pump first inlet port, the fifth control valve moveable between an open and a closed position; and    a controller operably coupled to the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth control valves and operable to selectively move the control valves to at least one of the open and closed positions.    
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 a regulator valve mounted on the fluid supply conduit and fluidly coupled between the chemical dispensers and the fluid pressure source.    
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the fluid pressure source comprises a fluid expansion tank.