INJECTION CONTROLLER WITH INSULATION COMPONENT MONITORING AND VERBAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF DISPENSE-RELATED INFORMATION

Abstract

A controller for a wall cavity insulation injection system monitors foam precursor dispensing from storage vessels, in embodiments via flow gauges and/or scales, and improves dispense volume accuracy and/or quality by providing audible, verbal information to the operator, enabling injection of high expansion foams without wall blowout. Embodiments verbally up-count or down-count elapsed time, dispensed quantities, and/or filled volumes to enable dispensing without cavity volume input. Other embodiments accept cavity volume input and down-count to a required time, quantity or volume. Bar codes, QR codes, etc. can be associated with wall cavities and/or precursor vessels and scanned to input information. Embodiments monitor precursor dispense ratios and/or precursor vessel contents, and prevent further dispensing upon detection of an error condition to avoid off-ratio dispensing and system contamination by air due to an empty precursor vessel. Embodiments verbally describe errors and suggest remedies for correction thereof. Embodiments further include visual displays.

Claims

1. A controller for an insulation injection system comprising a first precursor vessel, the controller comprising: an audio device; a first metering device configured to obtain first metered information relevant to at least one of an amount of a first precursor contained in the first precursor vessel and a rate of flow of the first precursor out of the first precursor vessel; and a computing device configured to receive the first metered information from the first metering device and to cause the audio device to emit audible operator information as comprehensible speech that is perceptible to an operator during an injection shot, said injection shot being a period of time during which the first precursor is dispensed from the first precursor vessel and injected by the operator into a cavity, at least some of said operator information being determined according to the first metered information, said operator information including progress information that enables the operator to anticipate an end of the injection shot, thereby enabling the operator to accurately dispense a desired quantity of the first precursor into the cavity.

2. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first metering device is a flow measurement device configured to measure the rate of flow of the first precursor out of the first precursor vessel.

3. The controller of claim 1, wherein the first metering device is a weight measurement device configured to measure a weight of the first precursor vessel.

4. The controller of claim 1, wherein the progress information includes at least one of a verbal count of elapsed time during the injection shot, a count of a quantity of dispensed precursor, and a count of a volume of foam that has been or will be formed within the cavity due to the dispensing shot.

5. The controller of claim 1, wherein: the computing device is configured to accept the desired quantity as an input or to determine the desired quantity according to at least one quantity-related input, and to monitor the dispensing of the first precursor during the injection shot; and the progress information includes information that informs the operator of a relative degree of completion of the injection shot.

6. The controller of claim 5, wherein the computing device is configured to: accept, as a quantity-related input, cavity volume information relating to a volume of the cavity to be filled with foam; and calculate the desired quantity of the first precursor according to the cavity volume information.

7. The controller of claim 6, wherein: the computing device is configured to accept the desired quantity of the first precursor as an input or determine the desired quantity of the first precursor according to at least one quantity-related input; the controller further comprises a flow valve associated with the first precursor vessel; and the controller is further configured to close the flow valve and thereby halt the dispensing of the first precursor when the desired quantity of the first precursor has been dispensed.

8. The controller of claim 1, wherein: the insulation injection system further comprises a second precursor vessel configured to dispense a second precursor which, upon mixing with the first precursor, reacts with the first precursor to form an insulating foam within the cavity; and the controller further comprises a second metering device configured to obtain second metered information relevant to at least one of an amount of the second precursor contained in the second precursor vessel and a rate of flow of the second precursor out of the second precursor vessel; the computing device is configured to determine a dispensing ratio of the first and second precursors, said dispensing ratio being a ratio of relative amounts in which the first and second precursors are being mixed by the insulation injection system to form the foam insulation; and the controller is configured to detect an error condition if the dispensing ratio deviates by more than a specified ratio deviation from a desired dispensing ratio.

9. The controller of claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to: estimate a remaining amount of the first precursor contained in the precursor vessel; and cause the audio device to emit audible information regarding the remaining amount of the first precursor contained in the precursor vessel as comprehensible speech that is perceptible to the operator.

10. The controller of claim 9, wherein the computing device is configured to determine that an error condition exists if the estimated remaining amount of the first precursor contained in the first precursor vessel is less than a determined minimum first precursor vessel quantity.

11. The controller of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to: accept quantity information relevant to the first precursor vessel; and estimate the remaining amount of the first precursor contained in the first precursor vessel according to the first metered information and the quantity information.

12. The controller of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to: determine a rate of flow of the first precursor out of the first precursor vessel according to the first metered information; estimate a pressure within the first precursor vessel according to the determined rate of flow of the first precursor out of the first precursor vessel; and estimate the remaining amount of the first precursor contained in the first precursor vessel according to the estimated pressure within the first precursor vessel.

13. The controller of claim 1, wherein upon determining that an error condition exists, the controller is configured to: alert the operator that the error condition exists; provide to the operator audible error information as comprehensible speech that provides information to the operator regarding the error condition; and cease emitting the progress information.

14. The controller of claim 13, wherein the error information includes information relevant to correcting the error condition.

15. The controller of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises a scanning device configured to scan visible indicia.

16. The controller of claim 15, wherein the computing device is configured to receive from the scanner information encoded by the visible indicia relevant to at least one of: cavity volume information relating to a volume of the cavity to be filled with insulation; a quantity of the first precursor that is contained within the first precursor vessel; a weight of the first precursor vessel and a quantity of the first precursor that is contained within the first precursor vessel when the first precursor vessel is filled with the first precursor; and a weight of the first precursor vessel when the precursor vessel is empty of the first precursor.

17. The controller of claim 1, wherein the controller further comprises an audio detection device, and wherein the computing device is configured to accept audible, verbal information from the operator.

18. The controller of claim 1, further comprising a visual display configured to present visible information relevant to the dispensing of the precursor from the precursor vessel.

19. The controller of claim 1, wherein the audio device is remote from the computing device, and is in wireless communication with the computing device.

20. The controller of claim 19, wherein the audio device is configured for attachment to a head of the operator proximal to at least one ear of the operator.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] FIG. 1A is a simplified illustration of the components included in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0051] FIG. 1B is an illustration of a computing device that includes a speaker and a display panel in a first embodiment of the present invention;

[0052] FIG. 2 is an illustration of a display panel included in a second embodiment of the present invention; and

[0053] FIG. 3 is a block diagram that illustrates relationships between components of an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The present invention is a novel control apparatus that is included in an insulation dispensing system, and a method of use thereof. The disclosed control system is able to improve the accuracy of dispensed precursor quantities, and in embodiments also of dispense ratios, during injection of foam into wall cavities, even when it may not be convenient for the operator to directly view the dispensing system. Embodiments are further able to detect an error condition such as a loss of shot time calibration, a mixing ratio error, and/or a near-empty condition of a precursor storage vessel, and are further able to verbally alert an operator via audible, comprehensible speech regarding the error condition, and to provide detailed information about the error condition and how it should be corrected. Embodiments prevent further dispensing of precursor into wall cavities until the error condition is corrected.

[0055] Embodiments provide sufficient improvement in dispensing accuracy to enable the practical use of pour foams instead of froth foams as foam-in-place injected insulation with consistent, accurate filling of wall cavities without danger of wall blow-outs.

[0056] With reference to FIG. 1A, the controller 100 of the present invention associates a metering device, such as a flow valve 500, 510 and/or a scale 122, 124, with each precursor storage vessel 110, where the metering devices are configured to determine a flow rate of the associated precursor as it is dispensed, and/or a weight of the remaining contents of each vessel. For example, in the two-component embodiment of FIG. 1A, the disclosed control apparatus 100 includes first and second flow meters 500, 510 that respectively monitor flow rates of the first and second precursor components as they are delivered to the proportioner 102, or in similar embodiments directly to the dispensing gun 104 of the dispensing system. The metering devices of the illustrated embodiment further include first and second scales 122, 124 that monitor the weights of the precursor vessels 110, and thereby monitor the amount of precursor that remains in each storage vessel 110. In some embodiments, for example if flow gauges 500, 510 are not included, the scales 122, 124 are used to determine the rates at which the precursors are dispensed by monitoring changes in the weights of the precursor storage vessels.

[0057] The present invention further includes an audio device 150, and a computing device 106 configured to receive information from the metering device(s) 500, 510 and to cause the audio device 150 to provide audible information to the user in the form of comprehensible speech. The computing device 106 can be a laptop, tablet computer, or smart cellular telephone with display. The audio device 150 can be a speaker, an ear-insertable device, or any other device that is able to emit audible sound, and can be independent of the operator or configured for attachment to the operator proximal to at least one of the operator's ears. The controller 100 further include hoses 520, 530 and fittings 108, and with reference to FIG. 3 can include a separate circuit board 540, microcontroller 550, and/or amplifier 560.

[0058] Depending on the embodiment, all functional components of the disclosed controller 100 can be housed together, as shown in FIG. 1A, or elements such as the audio device 150 can be separated. The components of the controller 100 can be housed together, as shown in FIG. 1A, for example when the precursor material storage vessels 110 are located within hearing distance of the operator when the operator is dispensing the precursor(s) into a wall cavity 112. When the precursor storage vessels 110 are located beyond the hearing distance of the operator, components the audio device 150, and in some embodiments other components such as the computing device 106, can be moved to a location remote from the other components that is proximal to the operator. Depending on the embodiment, other components of the disclosed controller 100, such as the circuit board 540 (if included) and amplifier 560, can communicate with the audio device 150 and any other remote components such as the computing device 106 via a wired or wireless connection, such as via a wireless LAN or Bluetooth.

[0059] According to a typical embodiment, as precursor material is being injected into a wall cavity 112, it flows from the precursor storage vessel(s) 110 through the hoses 520, 530 and fittings 108, through the flow meters 500 and 510 (if present), and out to the proportioner 102, or directly to the dispense gun 104. The flowmeters 500 and 510 and/or scales 122, 124 provide metering information to the computing device 106, which can be configured to control a microcontroller 550 and circuit board 540.

[0060] Once the metering information has been processed, the computing device 106 forwards operator information as audible speech to the audio device 150, which can include an amplifier 560 and speaker 150, for output to the operator, and in embodiments also to a display such as the display of a tablet computer 106, for visual output. Depending on the embodiment, the audible, verbal information can include a count-up or count-down, according to elapsed time, dispensed quantities, and/or volume filled, while the metering information is used to ensure that the flow rates, and in embodiments the precursor ratio, have not drifted. Amounts of precursor that have been disbursed, and/or the equivalent amount of volume that has been filled, can be determined from the metering data provided by the metering devices 500, 510, 122, 124. Information can also be stored by the computing device 106 for subsequent reporting and processing.

[0061] Accordingly, metering data from the metering devices 500 and 510, 122, 124 is processed by the computing device 106, which uses the audio output device 150 to provide accurate, essential, real time data to the operator as audible speech with virtually no delay.

[0062] A major risk when injecting foam precursors into a wall cavity 112 in a building is that the operator might accidentally overfill the cavity 112 and cause a blows out of the wall. So as to avoid this risk, in embodiments the audio device 150 is used to audibly count out the volume of material that has been dispensed. If data regarding the fill volume of a wall cavity has previously been input to the computing device 106, the audio device 560, 150 can verbally tell the operator to stop the dispensing when the appropriate amount of material has been injected or sprayed into the wall cavity.

[0063] Depending on the embodiment, this audible counting can be in standard units, such as grams, or any units that are appropriate for the wall cavity volume. For instance, if in a certain embodiment each count represents 10 grams and the audio device 560, 150 counts out 1, 2, 3, 4, then 40 grams of material will have been dispensed.

[0064] Cavities 112 of different widths and/or volumes that are present in the same structure will require different volumes of precursor, and hence different shot counts. For example, a 2 wide cavity will have half the volume, and will require half the shot count, of a 4 wide cavity (assuming that the other cavity dimensions are equal). Entering new shot counts for every wall cavity can be time consuming and distracting for the operator. One way to avoid this is for the controller 100 to count up rather than down e.g. to audibly recite 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 rather than 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

[0065] Another approach is to place an adhesive label 114 on the outer surface of each wall cavity 112 on which the volume of that cavity is displayed as a scannable symbol, such as numbers presented in E13B font, a barcode, or a QR code. When precursor is to be injected into a wall cavity, a scanner 116, which can be attached to the dispense gun 104, can then be used to read the information on the label 114 attached to that wall panel 112, which can be transmitted to the computing device 106. The audio device 560, 150 can then count up or down according to the cavity volume as specified by the scanned symbol 114.

[0066] In embodiments, the controller further includes automatic control valves 118, 120, and the computing device 106 can send a signal to the automatic control valves 118, 120 that will stop the flow of foam precursor(s) when the specified volume of precursor has been dispensed, or when an error condition is detected.

[0067] Off-ratio material, i.e. precursors that are dispensed in an incorrect ratio, is another major risk when injecting foam precursors into a wall cavity 112. If the wall cavities of a building or valuable structure have been filled with off-ratio material, resulting odors and off-gassing can require that the contractor remove all of the dispensed foam material, which can be a time consuming and exceedingly expensive procedure.

[0068] In order to avoid dispensing off-ratio materials, or at least to halt the dispensing before it becomes an expensive problem, in embodiments the computing device 106 compares the flow rates of the precursors as determined by the metering devices 118, 120, 122, 124 and calculates the dispense ratio, thereby monitoring the dispensed precursor ratio in real or near-real time. For example, in the case of a two-component foam that combines precursor A with precursor B, in embodiments the A flow rate, as measured for example by a side-A flowmeter 500, is compared to the B flow rate, as measured for example by a side-B flowmeter 510. Software executed by the computing device 106 then processes the data to determine if the precursors are being dispensed in the require ratio. In other embodiments, the dispensing ratio is determined at specified intervals, for example by comparing the average amounts of dispensed precursors over a plurality of dispense shots. In embodiments, the controller 100 can provide audible, verbal updates to the operator. For example, if the material is on-ratio, the audio device 150 might output the audible words On-ratio.

[0069] If the precursors are not being dispensed in the required ratio, embodiments issue an audible, verbal alert indicating that dispensing should cease. So as to ensure that the operator does not continue to inject off-ratio material into wall cavities, embodiments enter a ratio control mode, wherein the system becomes usable only for corrective actions, but not for wall cavity injection. For instance, in embodiments the counting function of the computing device 106 is disabled, so that the dispensing system can only be used for corrective action, but not for injection.

[0070] Embodiments further provide audible, verbal instructions to the operator indicating how the problem can be corrected. The exact instructions will depend on the dispensing system's mechanism for controlling flow rates. For example, in a dispensing system that controls flow rates with manually operated valves, if the material is somewhat off-ratio, the audio device 150 might output B side slightly too high, turn the B side control valve down 1 unit. Or similarly, in a dispensing system that uses pressures to control precursor flow rates, the output of the audio device might be A side much too high, turn the A side pressure down 30 psi.

[0071] Another potential problem that can occur when filling wall cavities with foam is that a storage vessel 110 can run out of precursor while the precursor is being injected. These material-out conditions can disrupt work flow, and can also cause air to be injected into downstream hoses 520, 530 and possibly other apparatus 102, 104, so that the downstream hoses 520, 530 and other apparatus 102, 104 must be purged of all air before work can resume. Purging air from a long hose such as a 300-foot hose is very time consuming, and can generate hazardous aerosolized particulates. Furthermore, in a multi-precursor system if one precursor runs out before another, off-ratio material may be injected or sprayed into a wall cavity 112.

[0072] Accordingly, in embodiments the controller 100 of the present invention avoids material-out conditions by using metering data from the flowmeters 500 and 510 together with total dispensing times to calculate the total volume or weight of precursor that has been dispensed from each storage vessel 110 since the storage vessel 110 was last re-filled or exchanged. In similar embodiments, scales 122, 124 are used to determine the amount of remaining precursor. In still other embodiments, the pressure with each of the precursor vessels 110 is measured using a gauge 570, 580, or the flow rate of each precursor is used to infer the pressure within each precursor vessel 110, and the remaining quantity of precursor within each precursor vessel 110 is then estimated from the pressure. This approach can be applicable when the precursor vessels 110 are not pressurized by an external source, so that the pressure within each precursor vessel 110 drops in a predictable manner as the contents are dispensed.

[0073] According to the embodiment, a verbal warning can be given to the operator when a precursor vessel 110 is about to become empty. Embodiments cease to provide progress information when a precursor vessel 110 is nearly empty, which effectively prevents the operator from continuing to dispense precursor because the operator relies upon the progress information to ensure that the desired quantities of precursor are accurately dispensed.

[0074] Depending on the embodiment, information regarding the status of the precursor storage vessels 110 can be provided to the computing device 106 manually, or determined by the controller 100 automatically. In some embodiments that do not include scales 122, 124 as metering devices, the controller 100 will prompt the operator to enter the current weight of each storage vessel 110 whenever a certain number of minutes of non-use has elapsed, and/or whenever the controller 100 has been turned off and back on again. For example, after 10 minutes of non-use the controller 100 can prompt the user with options indicating no change or new tank. If the answer is no change, the controller 100 will use the last known estimate of the storage vessel contents. If the answer is new tank, the system will prompt the user to enter the new tank weight (i.e. weight of the precursor contained in the newly installed storage vessel 110). Since operators can sometimes forget to reset tank weights, embodiments will refuse to count and/or will otherwise prevent dispensing of the precursors until the required new tank information has been provided.

[0075] Other embodiments perform an automatic reset of the precursor storage vessel weight, for example using data from pressure sensors 570 and 580 and/or from another electronic circuit. For example, in embodiments if a pressure sensor 570, 580 detects a significant increase in pressure in a storage vessel 110 or in a hose 520 that is connected to a storage vessel 110, the controller 100 can automatically determine that a new storage vessel 110 having a high pressure has been installed. In other embodiments, sensors are used to detect disconnection of the precursor supply hoses 520, 530, whereupon the controller determines that a new or refilled storage vessel 110 has been installed. In embodiments that include scales 122, 124 configured for measuring the weights of the storage vessels 110, direct measurement of the weights, in combination with known empty weights of the storage vessels 110, can be used by the controller 106 to determine whether a new vessel 110 has been installed, and generally to determine how much precursor is currently within each of the vessels 110.

[0076] In embodiments the pressure within a precursor vessel 110 will decrease in a known way as precursor is dispensed from the vessel 110. Accordingly, embodiments utilize precursor vessel pressures to infer the quantity of precursor that is contained within each precursor vessel 110. This can be helpful, for example, when the computing device 106 has been reset and does not have a complete history of precursor dispensing times and rates since a precursor vessel 110 was last refilled or replaced. Precursor vessel pressures are directly measured in some embodiments by pressure gauges 570, 580. In other embodiments, because precursor flow rates can be directly related to the precursor vessel pressures, the computing device 106 is able to infer the precursor vessel pressures from measured or calculated precursor flow rates, and on that basis the computing device 106 is further able to estimate the amounts of precursor that are contained within each of the precursor vessels 110.

[0077] In various embodiments, when the computing device 106 determines that the storage vessel 110 is nearly empty, the audio device 560, 150 will provide an audible, verbal warning to the operator so that the operator can plan accordingly. For instance, the audio device 560, 150 can output a message such as 50 pounds dispensed, 30 pounds remaining or approximately 10 cavities remaining.

[0078] With reference to FIGS. 1B and 2, in addition to audible, verbal output to the operator, embodiments also provide output from the computing device 106 on a visible screen 200, 210 such as a tablet computer/display home screen 210. This can include a visual indication that a precursor storage vessel is almost empty, such as a tank volume indicator 340 that flashes yellow and then red as the final quantity of precursor is expended from the storage vessel 110.

[0079] Although the operator is usually busy looking at the wall cavity 112 that is being filled with foam, an assistant may be viewing the screen 210 of the computing device to monitor for any issues as precursor is dispensed. The display screen 210 in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 3 uses colored status lights 300, 310, and 320 to provide an at a glance indication of health status. In particular, in the illustrated embodiment the status lights 300, 310 and 320 are green when all systems are working well, yellow when there is a potential problem, and red when there is a confirmed problem. For example, the colored ratio status light 300 could be green if the ratio in which the precursors are being dispensed is well within the manufacturer's tolerance specifications, yellow when the dispensing ratio is in a borderline region, and red when an off-ratio condition exists. The visual status indicators 300, 310 and 320 can also provide numeric information. For example, a flow rate status indicator 310 can display a 7 to indicate that the flow rate of a precursor is 7 grams/second.

[0080] The display screen 200 in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1B includes a shot count indicator 330 and tank volume indicator 340. The shot count indicator 330 provides visual information that duplicates the audibly provided shot count. To further protect against potential wall cavity overfill and blow-out, the shot count indicator 330 flashes red in the illustrated embodiment if the shot time is too long.

[0081] The screen 210 in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 2 provides shot count information in terms of dispensed quantities of precursor 350, 360, as well as additional diagnostic information beyond what is provided by the display screen of FIG. 1B. Quantities of dispensed pounds of precursor 350, 360, precursor flow rates 370, 380, and precursor storage vessel pressures and temperatures are indicated separately for the A side and B side of a two-component system in the illustrated embodiment. Providing this information separately for each of the two precursor flow streams can provide additional helpful diagnostic information to the operator. For example, if the flow rate status light 300 on the tablet computer/display home screen 200 is indicating that the precursors are being dispensed off ratio, and if the A side flow rate 370 is indicating an unusual flow rate of 1 lb/min while the B side flow rate 380 is indicating a normal flow rate of 8 lbs/min, the operator will immediately know that it is the A side that requires maintenance and/or adjustment. Bar indicators as illustrated by items 400 and 410 provide a pseudo-analog indication in the illustrated embodiment of the current values of flow rate, pressure, and temperature in relation to an overall range. In general, bar indicators can provide to operators a quick at a glance understanding of the current status of the system.

[0082] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, flow rate data from flowmeters 500 and 510 is processed through a microcontroller 540 and stored in a computing device 106. In similar embodiments, dispensed quantities of precursor are determined using scales 122, 124 that monitor the weights of the precursor vessels 110. This data can be later processed to provide job close out and validation data, for example to a building owner and/or to a manager of injection jobs. Information from the computing device 106 can be saved either on a removable memory device, such as a thumb drive, and physically transferred to another computer, data can be transferred directly to another computer via a wireless link, or data can be wirelessly transmitted to a cloud-based storage device. The types of information that can be communicated to building owners from stored data can include: [0083] Validation that that material injected into the building was on-ratio. [0084] Estimated increased insulation value of material added to building cavities [0085] Estimated energy savings from added insulation

[0086] The types of information communicated to managers from stored data can include: [0087] Actual vs estimated pounds of precursor used [0088] Cost of material dispensed [0089] Actual vs estimated labor hours [0090] Cost of labor [0091] Average injection time per cavity or square foot per day [0092] Average thickness of material dispensed [0093] Precursor ratio drift and corrective actions taken [0094] Material temperature and viscosity

[0095] The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. Each and every page of this submission, and all contents thereon, however characterized, identified, or numbered, is considered a substantive part of this application for all purposes, irrespective of form or placement within the application. This specification is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of this disclosure.

[0096] Although the present application is shown in a limited number of forms, the scope of the invention is not limited to just these forms, but is amenable to various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof. The disclosure presented herein does not explicitly disclose all possible combinations of features that fall within the scope of the invention. The features disclosed herein for the various embodiments can generally be interchanged and combined into any combinations that are not self-contradictory without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the limitations presented in dependent claims below can be combined with their corresponding independent claims in any number and in any order without departing from the scope of this disclosure, unless the dependent claims are logically incompatible with each other.