The present invention pertains generally to portable spraying apparatus for distributing liquids, and more particularly to deicing systems which are attached to a reservoir loaded on a truck to deice the pavement while the truck is moving.
In today's modern society, maintaining road infrastructure is imperative in promoting commerce and safe transportation. Traffic accidents are a leading cause of death in America today. Many such collisions are due to unsafe road conditions stemming from severe weather conditions including ice and snow. While state governments are fairly proactive with maintaining the roads with large snow plowing trucks and industrial sized deicing vehicles, many smaller locally accessed roads also suffer from unsafe road conditions from severe weather. In places where local municipal governments have no programs for winter road deicing maintenance, small business owners and residents are left to deice their busy roads and intersections. Often times, such work is contracted at great expense to the individual. With the high level of financial strain experienced by most small business owners and individuals, it would be advantageous to provide consumers with a low cost, easily maintained deicing system.
A common method to lower the inherent risk of traffic accidents on roadways is to spread brine to increase the friction on the roads. Liquid brine has been shown to allow less brine usage while still attaining the desired added traction. Among those products which use liquid brine, U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,523 discloses a road brine spreader for driving along a road and spreading out liquid brine under pressure via a number of liquid nozzles.
A problem arising from the application of liquid brine is the crystallization which occurs at the end of the nozzle tips due to the severe cold weather conditions. Crystallization occurs over time and results in clogged nozzle heads and an uneven spray distribution. Because the nozzles are permanently attached to the boom, removing crystallization in the nozzle tip is burdensome and time consuming. The continual need to maintain the nozzle heads adds burden and expense to roadway deicing.
Large industrial size deicing systems are not practical for use by small business owners. In an effort to provide access to deicing systems for small business and individual use, many products have been made available for consumers. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 7,413,132 discloses a sprayer which can be towed behind a tractor or lawn mower.
The sprayer assembly includes a frame that supports a tank for storing a liquid chemical. A pump moves the liquid chemical from the tank to one or more spray nozzles through a flexible hose supported by a boom. This sprayer includes wheels to engage and move over the underlying ground surface. The sprayer assembly further discloses flexible hoses with spray nozzles which deliver the liquid chemical to the desired area. However, this sprayer assembly utilizes an external housing and an independent chassis with wheels. The internal infrastructure of the pump systems, liquid storage tanks, and power source are fully encompassed within the external housing and not easily accessible by the consumer without complete disassembly. In order to replace internal parts and diagnose maintenance issues, the entire housing must be disassembled. Less technically savvy individuals will need to take their sprayer to the manufacturer for adjustments. Further troublesome, the wheel and chassis of this sprayer provides only limited ground clearance, and is susceptible to road hazards interfering with smooth, trouble-free operation.
In light of the above, it would be advantageous to provide a sprayer assembly with separate exposed subsystems which are individually accessible. It would be further advantageous to be able to disassemble the sprayer for easy storage in the off season without requiring difficult disassembly and reassembly or the need for professional assistance. It would be further advantageous to have easily removable nozzle tips, facilitating user-friendly cleaning and reduced maintenance time.
A Large Area Liquid Solution Application of the present invention is an affordable residential and light commercial sprayer system that is simple to maintain and to use. By attaching a boom equipped with a series of sprayers to a standard truck trailer hitch receiver, and attaching an equipment panel on a reservoir loaded on a truck bed, this invention presents an effective deicing method of spraying brine evenly on the pavement.
One aspect of the present invention is the ability to provide a liquid solution application system easily fitted to any standard pickup truck. No tools are required to install the Large Area Liquid Solution Application of the present invention; rather, it can be secured manually with standard ratchet straps. Additionally, the equipment panel, including the pump and pressure gauge, is removable from the rest of the system.
The boom assembly of the Large Area Liquid Solution Application of the present invention connects to any standard trailer hitch receiver. The boom assembly utilizes detachable snap-on nozzles that are easily removed for cleaning and maintenance. The pump fittings and output houses manually snap in and out of place. Various size hoses may also be implemented for alternate uses. Communicating wirelessly, the present invention is activated by a wireless key, enabling a truck driver to control the system without needing to exit the vehicle and manually shut of the sprayer.
It is further contemplated that the preferred embodiment can provide for the application of water for gardening purposes and dust control in construction sites. Other types of liquid applications have been fully contemplated herein and can be used without departing from the scope of the present invention.
An alternative embodiment of the present invention provide for the application of liquid solution through a handheld sprayer in place of the boom assembly equipped with the series of detachable spray nozzles and attached to the standard truck trailer hitch receiver. Switching between the boom assembly equipped with the series of detachable sprayer nozzles and the handheld sprayer is accomplished quickly and easily by switching the output connecter of the equipment assembly to the desired output apparatus, either the boom assembly or the handheld sprayer.
The novel features of this invention, as well as the invention itself, both as to its structure and its operation, will be best understood from the accompanying drawings, taken in conjunction with the accompanying description, in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts, and in which:
Referring initially to
In the preferred embodiment of the Large Area Liquid Solution Application 10 of the present invention, tank 102 can hold approximately 250-270 gallons of brine, where 1 gallon of brine can cover 1000 ft2 of pavement for a total coverage area of 250,000-270,000 ft2. While this construction and loading method of the reservoir is particularly well suited for the Large Area Liquid Solution Application 10 of the present invention, other construction materials and methods of attaching the reservoir 100 to a pickup truck 20 may be used without departing form the spirit and scope of the present invention.
An equipment panel 200 is removably attached to the reservoir 100 and a boom assembly 300 is connected to a trailer hitch receiver 22 of the pickup truck 20. The equipment panel 200 is connected to the reservoir 100 and provides a flow of brine from the reservoir 100 to the boom assembly 300, where the boom assembly 300 subsequently sprays the brine onto an exterior surface.
Now referring to
Equipment panel 200 includes a 12 V/8 GPM, corrosive resistant neoprene pump 202 with pressure shut-off such as a FloJet pump. While this type of pump is particularly well suited for the Large Area Liquid Solution Application 10 of the present invention, other pumps with varying specifications may be utilized and have been fully contemplated herein. Equipment panel also includes electrical box 222 housing a power component system 223 which provides the power required to run pump 202. The electrical box 222 has an electrical port 224 which allows connection to a power source, such as a battery. Wireless transmitter key 230 wirelessly communicates with the power component system 223 housed within electrical box 222 and wirelessly activates the electrical equipment of the equipment panel 200.
The pump 202 generates hydraulic pressure and delivers a pressurized flow of fluid to the boom assembly 300. A multi-hose supply feed 216, multi-hose adapters 210(a) and 210(b), and reinforced hoses 212, 214, 218 and 220, form the fluid flow path allowing the liquid to flow from the reservoir 100 to the equipment panel 200 and through the boom assembly 300, respectively. This exposed design allows easy diagnostics of the equipment panel 200 without requiring laborious and difficult disassembly of any external housing to reach the working components of the present invention.
The liquid from the reservoir 100, via hose 218, flows into a feedback tee joint 208(a) and through hose 220 to the pump 202. The pump 202 pressurizes the fluid and delivers the fluid to hose 214 which is connected to feedback tee joint 208(b). Connected to feedback tee joint 208(b) at one tee joint is a poly ball valve 226 and connected to the other tee joint is a pressure regulator 205 with attached pressure meter 206. The poly ball valve 226 is connected to hose 212 which is connected to the boom assembly 300. The pressure regulator 205 is connected to a feedback control hose 219 which connects to feedback tee joint 208(a) to form a feedback loop which facilitates the regulation of pressure actuated by the pressure regulator 205.
In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pressure varies from 20 to 80 psi. The pump 202 includes a pressure switch which ensures a constant pressure in the pressurized side of the system. If the pump 202 reaches the pressure set point, the pump automatically shuts off. Alternatively, if the pressure falls below the pressure set point, the pump automatically turns on. It is also contemplated that a pump with a manual on-and-off switch may be used, which would allow a user to manually control the pump. If an urgent need arises to shut off the flow of fluid to the boom assembly 300, the poly ball valve 226 may be manually switched by the user to redirect all the fluid back through feedback control hose 219 into poly tee joint 208(a).
Pump 202 pressurizes and forces the liquid from the reservoir 100 through the boom assembly 300 by way of the feedback tee joint 208(b). The pressure meter 206 displays the current pressure within the hose 214, feedback tee joint 208(b), pressure regulator 205, poly ball valve 226, hose 212, and boom assembly 300. The delivery rate of the boom assembly 300 is dictated by the pressure within the system as measured by the pressure meter 206. Higher pressures will have a higher flow rate and lower pressures will have a lower flow rates. Using a pressure regulator knob 207 on the pressure regulator 205, the pressure in the system is finely tuned to adjust for the pressure required by the boom assembly 300 to deliver the amount of desired fluid. In circumstances where the pump 202 over pressurizes the system, the pressure regulator 205 will open and relieve pressure and flow fluid through the feedback hose 219. As shown, the feedback hose 219 relieves pressure and fluid back into tee joint 208(a). However, it is contemplated that the fluid may be introduced back into the system any point before the pump 202, such as directly back into the reservoir 100.
Referring now to
To reduce the risk of voltage spikes and feedback issues arising from the use of power cables and varying device impedances, a buffer circuit, circuit breaker 236, is utilized to ensure the risk of damage to property is averted. Utilizing a resectable circuit breaker ensures the pump 202 continually receives the required voltage and current while providing over current protection. Alternatively, a 40 Amp Maxi Fuse Holder and a 30 AMP Maxi Fuse may be used as circuit breaker 236 to ensure the pump 202 continually receives the required voltage, current, and over current protection as well. Using a solenoid combined with a transfer circuit buffer to convert a low signal input into high signal output is a common method of facilitating current modulation. While this particular configuration of facilitating current modulation and power supply is currently adopted, other configurations of power components, including various fuse limits and power cable tolerances, are well known to those with ordinary skill in the art and have been fully contemplated herein.
Referring now to
Further facilitating user friendliness, a wireless transmitter key 230 conveniently toggles the power to the pump 202. Wireless transmitter key 230 utilizes solid state transistors to transmit a wireless signal to communicate with the wireless receiver 232 which may be a commercially manufactured wireless transceiver system such as the Fimco 12-volt On/Off Remote Control. Having a range of 250 feet, the Fimco 12-volt On/Off remote control facilitates the user to toggle the Large Area Liquid Solution Application System 10 on or off without needing to dismount from the driver seat. Easily integrated into any system, the Fimco receiver 232 is prefabricated to connect into any Fimco product or may be wired into any 12 volt product with up to 20 Amperes. While the Large Area Liquid Application 10 of the present invention utilizes the Fimco wireless remote and receiver, other communication methods may be employed, are well known to those with ordinary skill, and can be used without departing form the scope and spirit of the present invention.
Now referring back to
A boom receiver 310 is fastened onto the boom 302 and feeds boom 302 liquid via hose 212. The boom 302 is attached to a boom bracket 306 via two adjustable fastening loops 312(a) and 312(b). The fastening loops 312(a) and 312(b) are able to slide vertically in the boom bracket 306 to facilitate height adjustment for boom 302 based on clearance needs. Boom bracket 306 is constructed with a hitch mount 308. Hitch mount 308 is constructed to adopt the standard pickup truck hitch receiver 22 shown in
The Large Area Liquid Solution Application 10 of the present invention includes the ability to facilitate quick and easy cleaning during field use. Because liquid brine is susceptible to causing crystallization in applicator tips, decrystallizing the applicator becomes essential in maintaining efficient and even application. Ten snap-on nozzles 304 are spaced equidistantly across the length of the boom 302. When crystallization noticeably affects the liquid distribution pattern, removing and cleaning the nozzles 304 from boom 302 is easily managed by the snap on mechanical capability of the nozzles 304.
Nozzles 304 include commercially available nozzle tips, such as Spraying Systems Co.'s Quick TeeJet® nozzle, and are prefabricated without threaded fittings to facilitate easy installation into the boom 302. Not only does eliminating threading aid in maintenance, but also reduces the plumbing system complexity. By reducing the likelihood of crystallization in the nozzle tips, cleaning is required less frequently and overall reliability is increased. While the Quick TeeJet® removable nozzle is particularly well suited for the Large Area Liquid Solution Application 10 of the present invention, other removable nozzles may be used without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and have been contemplated herein.
Referring now to
When a signal is received from the wireless controller 230, the wireless receiver 232 provides current from the battery 238 to the low current coil to activate the solenoid 234. Once activated, the normally-open heavy duty contactor (switch) completes the circuit and provides electricity from the battery 238 to the pump 202. It is contemplated that an alternate electricity source may be used in place of the battery 238, through circuit breaker 236. For example, the electrical energy may come directly from the truck 20 by integrating the equipment panel 200 with the electrical system of the truck 20.
Referring now to
While the particular Large Area Liquid Solution Application of the present invention as herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of obtaining the objects and providing the advantages herein before stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention. No limitations are intended to the details of construction or design herein shown other than as described in the appended claims.
This application is a continuation of, and claims the benefit of priority to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/210,027, filed on Mar. 13, 2014, entitled “Large Area Liquid Solution Application,” which claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/780,965, filed on Mar. 13, 2013, entitled “Large Area Liquid Solution Application.”
Number | Date | Country | |
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61780965 | Mar 2013 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 14210027 | Mar 2014 | US |
Child | 15485054 | US |