Liquid metering device and process for dispensing a liquid cleaning solution

Abstract

A liquid metering system for a commercial or industrial laundry operation includes a dosing tank supported by a sensor that can measure the volume of the fluid passed there though with a magnetic field. The flowrate or volume can be used to determine the amount of a cleaning solution dispensed to a plurality of washing machines. A plurality of valves, as well as the sensor and pump, may be controlled by a controller which opens and closes the valves and operates the pump, to control the dispensing of various cleaning solutions to the washing machines.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A liquid metering device for dispensing a cleaning solution in a laundry operation, the device comprising:
 a first supply tank containing a first cleaning solution;   a pump configured to withdraw the first cleaning solution from the first supply tank and provide an output stream having a flowrate;   a sensor in communication with the output stream and configured to utilize a magnetic field of the output stream to measure a volume of the output stream passing through the sensor;   a controller in communication with the sensor and configured to adjust a flowrate of the first cleaning solution based upon the volume of the output stream that has passed though the sensor.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a second supply tank containing a second cleaning solution, wherein the pump is configured to withdraw the second cleaning solution from the second supply tank. 
 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2  further comprising:
 a manifold configured to receive the first cleaning solution and the second cleaning solution and to provide a stream to the pump. 
 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a valve in communication with the controller and in communication with the output stream from the pump and being associated with a line to first washer. 
 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4  further comprising:
 a second valve in communication with the controller and in communication with the output stream from the pump and being associated with a line to a second washer. 
 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a plurality of valves, each valve in communication with the controller and in communication with the output stream from the pump and each valve associated with a line to a washer. 
 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6  further comprising:
 a plurality of supply tanks each containing a cleaning solution; and, 
 a manifold configured to receive the cleaning solutions and to provide a stream to the pump, 
 wherein the pump is configured to withdraw the cleaning solutions from the supply tanks. 
 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7  further comprising:
 a plurality of lines, each line configured to pass a cleaning solution from a supply tank to the manifold. 
 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8  wherein at least one line from the plurality of lines includes a valve, and wherein the valve is in communication with the controller. 
     
     
         10 . A process for controlling the dispensing of a liquid cleaning solution, the process comprising:
 withdrawing a cleaning solution from a supply tank;   passing a liquid output stream from a pump to a washer, the liquid output stream comprising at least the cleaning solution; and,   determining a volume of the liquid output stream of the pump with a sensor by passing the liquid output stream of the pump though a magnetic field in order to determine a dispensed amount of the cleaning solution to be passed from the pump to the washer.   
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10  further comprising:
 comparing the dispensed amount to a desired amount. 
 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 11  further comprising:
 reducing a flowrate of the cleaning solution to the washer when the dispensed amount is at least equal to the desired amount. 
 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 11  further comprising:
 continuously comparing the dispensed amount to the desired amount until the dispensed amount is at least equal to the desired amount; and, 
 controlling a valve in a line containing the cleaning solution stream when the dispensed amount is at least equal to the desired amount. 
 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 10  further comprising:
 controlling a valve based upon the dispensed amount, the valve disposed in a line containing the liquid output stream. 
 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 10  further comprising:
 controlling a plurality of valves based upon the dispensed amount, each valve disposed in a line containing the liquid output stream and each line arranged between the pump and a washer. 
 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 15  wherein the valves are controlled by allowing the liquid output stream to pass there though until the dispensed amount reaches a desired amount, and then closing the valves to prevent the liquid output stream to pass there though. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 16  further comprising:
 opening the valves to allow the liquid output stream to pass there though. 
 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 10  further comprising:
 withdrawing a second cleaning solution from a second supply tank; and, 
 determining a second volume of the liquid output stream of the pump with the sensor by passing the liquid output stream of the pump though a magnetic field in order to determine a dispensed amount of the second cleaning solution to be passed from the pump to the washer. 
 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 18  further comprising:
 passing the second cleaning solution to a plurality of washing machines via a plurality of lines. 
 
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 19  wherein each line is associated with a valve and wherein the valves are in communication with a controller, the controller being in communication with the sensor.