Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02903535 2015-09-08
LIQUID CONTAINMENT AND MEASUREMENT APPARATUS AND METHOD
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a system and method for containing
and measuring
chemicals, and more specifically chemicals being withdrawn from a reservoir.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A typical drive-thru car wash consists of a series of hoses, cleaning
elements,
sprayers, and fans that may automatically execute a cleaning process on a
vehicle. A drive-
thru car wash can either utilize brushes or be brushless depending on the
setup of the car
wash.
100031 In a drive-thru car wash utilizing brushes, there is typically a
plurality of different
kinds of brushes that may provide physical contact with a vehicle driving
therethrough. The
brushes may extend radially away from a rotating axis and provide for a
repetitive contact
with the vehicle when it is within the range of the brushes. The car wash may
also have
brushes that fall from an oscillating frame. The brushes may contact the
vehicle as they
oscillate back and forth with the frame. Both the rotating brushes and the
oscillating brushes
utilize water and/or a cleaning compound sprayed onto the vehicle or applied
by the brushes
to aid in removing dirt and grime.
[0004] In a drive-thru car wash utilizing a brushless system, high-powered
jets may spray
the vehicle with water, a cleaning agent, and/or soap to remove the dirt or
grime. In this type
of car wash, the jets are strategically placed to sufficiently spray the areas
of the vehicle that
are most susceptible to accumulating debris. Additionally, there may be many
different jet
stations. Each jet station may execute a different step in the car wash
process. For example, a
first jet station may rinse the entire vehicle with water, a next station may
spray the vehicle
with a high pressure water/cleaning agent composition, and a final station may
spray the
vehicle with a water/rinsing agent composition.
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[0005] In either the brushless system or the brush system, the drive-thru car
wash may have
a forced air drying system. This drying system utilizes a plurality of fans to
provide high-
speed air drying to the surface of the vehicle prior to leaving the drive-thru
car wash.
Alternatively, some drive-thru car washes apply a spot-free rinse to the
vehicle as a final step.
After the spot-free rinse is applied, the vehicle is intended to dry clearly
without utilizing
high-speed air drying.
[0006] All types of drive-thru car wash processes incorporate the use of
chemicals to
adequately clean the vehicle. Many drive-thru car wash stations utilize many
different
chemicals during the car was process. For example, a different chemical
composition may be
used in the car wash to provide a waxing affect, a wheel cleaner, an underbody
wash, a clear
coat, a tire cleaner, and/or a spot-free rinse. Typically the chemicals used
to provide the
various car wash features are maintained in a concentrated form. When the
particular
chemical providing the desired feature is needed, it is drawn from a reservoir
and diluted with
the appropriate amount of water prior to being dispensed onto the vehicle.
[0007] The cost of the car wash often depends on the lost volume of chemicals
used to
execute the wash and the cost of each chemical. Accurately determining the
expense of a car
wash process requires knowing precisely the lost volume of each chemical used
for each car
wash process.
SUMMARY
100081 This disclosure relates to a liquid measurement and containment
apparatus,
including a reservoir defining a first interior region configured to hold a
liquid therein. The
apparatus has a valve having a first position and a second position and the
valve is coupled to
the reservoir. There is also a measurement apparatus coupled to the valve
defining a second
interior region and a tube disposed at least partially within the second
interior region of the
measurement apparatus. The valve fluidly isolates the first interior region
from the second
interior region when the valve is in the first position and the valve fluidly
couples the first
interior region with the second interior region when the valve is in the
second position.
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. ,
[0009] In a different embodiment, an assembly for monitoring the volume of
liquid used in
a system is disclosed. The system includes a machine that uses at least one
fluid, and a liquid
measurement and containment apparatus. The liquid measurement and containment
apparatus
further includes a reservoir defining a first interior region configured to
hold a liquid therein,
a valve having a first position and a second position, the valve coupled to
the reservoir, a
measurement apparatus coupled to the valve defining a second interior region,
and a tube
disposed at least partially within the second interior region of the
measurement apparatus. The
valve fluidly isolates the first interior region from the second interior
region when the valve is
in the first position and the valve fluidly couples the first interior region
with the second
interior region when the valve is in the second position. Further, the tube
fluidly couples the
machine to liquid measurement and containment apparatus.
100101 Another aspect of the present disclosure involves a method of
determining the liquid
consumption of a machine. The method involves providing a liquid measurement
and
containment apparatus having a reservoir defining a first interior region
configured to hold a
liquid therein, a valve having a first position and a second position, the
valve coupled to the
reservoir, a measurement apparatus coupled to the valve defining a second
interior region,
and a tube disposed at least partially within the second interior region of
the measurement
apparatus. The valve fluidly isolates the first interior region from the
second interior region
when the valve is in the first position and fluidly couples the first interior
region with the
second interior region when the valve is in the second position. The method
further involves
providing a machine that uses at least one liquid during a machine operation,
fluidly coupling
the machine to the measurement apparatus with the tube, filling the reservoir
with a volume of
a liquid, transitioning the valve to the second position to allow the liquid
to enter the
measurement apparatus, transitioning the valve to the first position after at
least some of the
liquid has entered the measurement apparatus, recording a first liquid height
in the
measurement apparatus, operating the machine for a period of time, recording a
second liquid
height of the measurement apparatus, and comparing the first liquid height to
the second
liquid height to determine the amount of liquid used by the machine during a
machine
operation.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure and the manner of
obtaining
them is more apparent and the disclosure itself is better understood by
reference to the
following description of the embodiments of the disclosure, taken in
conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0012] Fig. la is one embodiment of a system incorporating a liquid
containment and
measurement apparatus;
[0013] Fig. lb is an elevated perspective view of the liquid containment and
measurement
apparatus with a liquid container thereon;
[0014] Fig. 2 is a front side view of the embodiment of Fig. lb without the
container;
[0015] Fig. 3 is a left side view of the embodiment of Fig. lb;
[0016] Fig. 4 is a right side view of the embodiment of Fig. 2;
[0017] Fig. 5 is a back side view of the embodiment of Fig. 2;
[0018] Fig. 6 is an elevated perspective view of the apparatus of Fig. lb with
a third
plurality of markings;
[0019] Fig. 7 is a top side view of the embodiment of Fig. 2 showing a fill
feature;
[0020] Fig. 8 is a block diagram showing a method of controlling a valve; and
[0021] Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of a method of
using the
liquid containment and measurement apparatus in a system.
[0022] Corresponding reference numerals are used to indicate corresponding
parts
throughout the several views.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] The embodiments of the present disclosure described below are not
intended to be
exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the precise forms disclosed in the
following detailed
description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others
skilled in the art
may appreciate and understand the principles and practices of the present
disclosure.
[0024] A liquid mixture and distribution system 140 is shown in Fig. la. The
system may
have a base water source 142 that can selectively provide pressurized water to
a nozzle 144
through a main line 146. Between the water source 142 and the nozzle 144, a
tube 124 may be
fluidly coupled to the main line 146 on one end and to a measurement and
containment
apparatus 100 on the other end. The measurement and containment apparatus 100
may
contain a liquid therein. The tube 124 may selectively introduce the liquid
into the main line
146 to route the liquid with the water from the water source 142 prior to
being dispersed from
the nozzle 144. In one embodiment, a pump (not shown) may be fluidly coupled
to the tube
124 to provide sufficient pressure to selectively introduce the liquid into
the main line 146.
[0025] The measurement and containment apparatus 100 can be used in many other
applications other than the liquid distribution system 140 shown in Fig. 1 a.
More specifically,
the measurement and containment apparatus 100 may introduce a fluid into a
large reservoir
instead of a pressurized main line 146 as described above. The measurement and
containment
apparatus 100 of this disclosure is not limited to the liquid distribution
system 140 as
described above.
[0026] In one embodiment, the liquid in the measurement and containment
apparatus 100 is
a concentrated liquid that is mixed with a second liquid prior to being
dispersed. For example,
the liquid could be a concentrated detergent, rinse aid, presoak liquid, tire
cleaner, surfactant,
wax or the like that should be mixed with the second liquid (in many cases
water) prior to
being dispersed through the nozzle 144. While embodiments incorporating a
liquid for
cleaning have been disclosed herein, this disclosure should not be limited to
such
embodiments. The teachings of this disclosure are equally applicable to any
liquid that is
consumed or otherwise used in a system.
CA 02903535 2015-09-08
,
[0027] Referring now to Fig. 1 b, an elevated perspective view of the
measurement and
containment apparatus 100 is shown. The measurement and containment apparatus
100 may
have a reservoir 102 that may receive a volume of liquid. The reservoir 102
may be
rectangular in cross-section and include a front side 104, a left side 106, a
right side 108, a
back side 110, a top side 112, and a bottom side 114. The plurality of sides
104, 106, 108,
110, 112, 114 may be coupled to one another to define an inner volume (not
shown) of the
reservoir 102.
[0028] The left and right side 106, 108 may have at least one indentation 116
defined
therein. The indentation 116 may be implemented in a portion of both the left
and right side
106, 108. Further, the indentation 116 may be defined by an indentation plane
slightly offset
from, but parallel to, a side plane created by the surface of either the left
or right side 106,
108. The indentation 116 may have at least one wall 118 extending from the
indention plane
to the side plane. In different embodiments, the indentation 116 provides for
added structural
integrity of the left and right side 106, 108.
[0029] While specific indentations have been described in detail, the left and
right side 106,
108 may also have other similar known elements incorporated therein to
increase the
structural integrity of the sides. For example, instead of indentations 116, V-
shaped channels
may be incorporated into the left and right side 106, 108. Accordingly, this
disclosure is not
limited to any particular configuration. Further, the above teachings for the
left and right side
106, 108 are equally appropriate for the front and back sides 104, 110.
[0030] The reservoir 102 may be composed of a plurality of different
materials. In one
embodiment, the reservoir 102 may be a plastic composition of sufficient
thickness to allow
the reservoir 102 to retain a liquid without substantial deformation. In
another embodiment,
various metal compositions such as steel, aluminum, or the like may be used.
In yet another
embodiment, the material may be substantially translucent to allow the liquid
level to be
identified from the exterior of the reservoir. Other materials may also be
used for the reservoir
102. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to any particular material
composition.
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100311 The measurement and containment apparatus 100 may also include a
measurement
apparatus 120 selectively fluidly coupled thereto. The measurement apparatus
120 may be a
partially clear and substantially cylindrical member 121 extending from a
location proximate
to the bottom side 114 to a location proximate to the top side 112. Further,
the cylindrical
member 121 may define a volume substantially smaller than the volume defined
by the
reservoir 102. In one embodiment, the measurement apparatus 120 includes a
first plurality of
markings 132 and a second plurality of markings 134 located thereon. The first
plurality of
markings 132 may be used to indicate the volume of liquid located within the
measurement
apparatus 120. The second plurality of markings 134 may be used to indicate
the volume of a
liquid located within the reservoir 102 when the measurement apparatus 120 is
fluidly
coupled thereto. The first and second plurality of markings 132, 134 may
utilize a visible
liquid level 130 to correlate liquid height to the volume of liquid disposed
therein.
[0032] A valve 122 may be mechanically coupled between the measurement
apparatus 120
and the reservoir 102. The valve 122 may be selectively switched between a
first position and
a second position (not shown). In the first position, the valve 122 may
fluidly isolate the
contents of the measurement apparatus 120 from the contents of the reservoir
102. In the
second position, the valve 122 may fluidly couple the measurement apparatus
120 to the
reservoir 102. When the valve 122 is in the second position, the second
plurality of markings
134 may be used to indicate the volume of liquid located in the reservoir 102.
Alternatively,
when the valve 122 is in the first position, the first plurality of markings
132 may be used to
indicate the volume of liquid located in the measurement apparatus 120.
[0033] In one embodiment, the first and second plurality of markings 132, 134
are located
on the cylindrical member 121 of the measurement apparatus 120. At this
location, the second
plurality of markings 134 identify the volume of liquid in the measurement
apparatus 120, but
the first plurality of markings 132 identifies the amount of liquid in the
reservoir 102 when
the valve 122 is in the second position. In a different embodiment, the first
plurality of
markings 132 are on the reservoir 102 while the second plurality of markings
134 are on the
measurement apparatus 120. In this configuration the first and second
plurality of markings
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132, 134 identifies the volume of liquid in the reservoir 102 and the
measurement apparatus
120 regardless of the valve 122 position.
[0034] In a different embodiment, the valve 122 is electronically controlled
by a controller
(not shown). In this embodiment, the valve 122 transitions from the first
position to the
second position electronically. Additionally, in yet another embodiment, the
measurement
apparatus 120 includes an electronic sensor (not shown) coupled thereto. The
electronic
sensor transmits a signal to the controller indicative of the volume of both
the reservoir 102
and the measurement apparatus 120 instead of, or in addition to, using the
first and second
plurality of markings 132, 134.
100351 In this embodiment, the user programs a processor of the controller to
take electronic
measurements at different intervals and with the valve 122 in different
positions. The
controller then displays to the user information regarding the volume of
liquid removed from
the reservoir 102 and/or the volume of liquid removed from the measurement
apparatus 120
after a machine (not shown) using a liquid is operated for at least one cycle.
[0036] The cylindrical member 121 of the measurement apparatus 120 may also be
sufficiently sized to allow the tube 124 to become disposed therein. The tube
124 may enter
the measurement apparatus 120 at a location proximate to the top side 112. The
tube 124 may
also extend sufficiently into the measurement apparatus 120 to allow an intake
end 126 to
provide for a liquid intake location close to the valve 122. The tube 124 may
further be
coupled to the machine that removes liquid from the measurement apparatus 120.
When the
valve 122 is in the first position, the tube 124 may remove liquid from the
measurement
apparatus 120 without affecting the liquid in the reservoir 102. When the
valve 122 is in the
second position, the tube 124 may effectively remove liquid from the reservoir
102 because
the measurement apparatus 120 is fluidly coupled to the reservoir 102.
[0037] The ability of the measurement and containment apparatus 100 to provide
two
separate liquid level readings allows for increased accuracy in determining
the amount of
liquid used by the machine in a given time period of operation. For example,
if the valve 122
is in the second position, the volume of liquid removed from the reservoir 102
may be
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determined by comparing the liquid height with the second plurality of
markings 134 prior to
liquid removal with the liquid height post liquid removal. In this embodiment,
the second
plurality of markings 134 is utilized to measure substantially large changes
in the amount of
liquid removed by the tube 124.
[0038] In a similar embodiment, the user switches the valve 122 to the first
position, and
allows the tube 124 to withdraw liquid only from the isolated measurement
apparatus 120.
The user observes the liquid level shown on the first plurality of markings
132 both before
and after the liquid is withdrawn from the isolated measurement apparatus 120.
The user may
then calculate the difference between the first liquid level and the second
liquid level to
determine the overall volume of liquid removed by the tube 124.
[0039] Isolating the liquid in the measurement apparatus 120 prior to removing
any liquid
provides for a more accurate determination of the liquid height values than
allowing the
measurement apparatus 120 to be fluidly coupled to the reservoir 102. In one
nonlimiting
example, the reservoir 102 may contain 9.5 liters. The tube 124 may withdraw
3.6 milliliters
(mL) of liquid from the reservoir 102 when the valve 122 is in the second
position. The
3.6mL removed from the 9.5 liters contained in the reservoir 102 may show only
a 0.1
millimeter (mm) drop in the liquid height of the reservoir 102. The 0.1mm drop
in liquid
height may be substantially indiscernible. Accordingly, the liquid level 130
shown by the
measurement apparatus 120 may have changed minimally. In this embodiment, the
second
plurality of markings 134 is configured to determine larger changes in volume.
To provide a
more noticeable change in liquid level 130 when only a small volume of liquid
is being
removed, the valve 122 should be transitioned to the first position so the
measurement
apparatus 120 indicates a more noticeable change of the overall volume of
liquid removed by
the tube 124 as explained in more detail below.
[0040] In a similar embodiment, however, the 9.5 liters may be inserted into
the reservoir
102 while the valve 122 is in the second position. The reservoir 102 may fill
the measurement
apparatus 120 until it reaches a state of equilibrium and the reservoir 102
and the
measurement apparatus 120 both show the same liquid level 130. The valve 122
may then be
transitioned to the first position, fluidly isolating the liquid in the
measurement apparatus 120.
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In one nonexclusive embodiment, the measurement apparatus 120 may contain
about 400 mL
when the measurement and containment apparatus 100 has been filled with 9.5
liters. The
tube 124 may similarly remove 3.6mL from the isolated measurement apparatus
120.
Accordingly, a 4mm drop in the liquid contained in the measurement apparatus
120 may have
occurred. In this scenario, the 4mm drop in liquid provides a noticeable
change in the liquid
level 130 shown by the first plurality of markings 132, yielding a more
accurate determination
of the overall change in volume after the machine has been in operation for a
given amount of
time. In the nonexclusive example above, the first plurality of markings 132
may be spaced
1 mm apart from one another with each 1 mm drop in liquid height indicating a
.9mL loss of
liquid volume.
[0041] In different embodiments, the exact dimensions of the reservoir and the
measurement apparatus affect the liquid level 130 change per volume loss. For
example, a
very tall, but very thin cylinder may contain the same volume of liquid as a
very short but
very wide cylinder. However, a relatively small change in volume in the tall
cylinder may
create a noticeable change in liquid level 130 while the same change in volume
for the short
cylinder may be substantially unnoticeable. Accordingly, the teachings of this
disclosure are
not limited to any particular dimensions. Consequently, the present disclosure
includes
different combinations of volumes and reservoir dimensions.
[0042] Another aspect of the present disclosure is the ability of the
reservoir 102 to receive
a disposable container 128 along the top side 112. The container 128 may be a
typical size
and shape as is known in the art for supplying a liquid chemical for a
particular application.
The container 128 may contain the liquid that is to become disposed within the
reservoir 102.
100431 Now referring to Fig. 2, a front side view 200 of the measurement and
containment
apparatus 100 is shown. The front side view 200 more clearly shows the
measurement
apparatus's 120 size relative to the reservoir 102. More particularly, the
measurement
apparatus 120 may extend from the top side 112 to the valve 122. Further, the
measurement
apparatus 120 may be only a fraction of a width 202 of the front side 104. The
measurement
apparatus 120 may be sized so that it may define a volume sufficient to
contain at least as
much liquid as may be needed for the machine utilizing the liquid to perform
one cycle.
CA 02903535 2015-09-08
Further, the measurement apparatus 120 may be sized so that it defines a
volume that is small
enough to provide for noticeable change in liquid level 130 for every wash
cycle when the
valve 122 is in the first position.
[0044] A left side view 300 of the measurement and containment apparatus 100
is shown in
Fig. 3. In the left side view 300, the container 128 is shown in an angularly
offset disposition.
More specifically, the container 128 may be offset by an angle 0 relative to
the top side 112.
The angular offset 0 of the container 128 may be sufficient to allow the
liquid contents of the
container 128 to sufficiently flow to a spout (not shown) of the container
128.
[0045] Referring now to Fig. 4, a right side view 400 is shown. The right side
view 400
more clearly shows a liquid coupling location 402 of the valve 122 to the
reservoir 102. In
one embodiment, the liquid coupling location 402 is substantially adjacent to
the bottom side
114. By locating the liquid coupling location 402 proximate to the bottom side
114, the liquid
disposed in the reservoir 102 enters the measurement apparatus 120 until the
reservoir 102 is
substantially empty.
[0046] A back side view 500 of the measurement and containment apparatus 100
is shown
in Fig. 5. More specifically, the back side view 500 shows a door 502 that
substantially covers
an opening (not shown). The door 502 may be coupled to the back side 110
through a
plurality of fasteners. In one nonexclusive embodiment, the plurality of
fasteners may be
screws. In a different embodiment, the fasteners may be clips, adhesives,
tape, or any other
coupling method known in the art. When the reservoir 102 has been emptied of
all liquid
contents, or when the liquid contents need changed, the door 502 may be
removed to provide
easy access to a user for cleaning the internal portion of the reservoir 102.
[0047] Referring now to Fig. 6, one embodiment of an assembly 600 is shown.
More
particularly, the assembly 600 illustrates a change 602 in the liquid height
of the measurement
apparatus 120 compared to a reservoir liquid height 604. The change 602 in the
liquid height
of the measurement apparatus 120 is a result of the valve 122 being in the
first position and
the liquid being withdrawn from the measurement apparatus 120 through the tube
124 during
a wash cycle. The reservoir liquid level 604 of the reservoir 102 is also
shown in Fig. 6. When
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liquid is withdrawn from the measurement apparatus 120 while the valve 122 is
in the first
position, the liquid level 130 of the measurement apparatus 120 may be
different than the
reservoir liquid level 604. When the valve 122 is returned to the second
position, the reservoir
liquid level 604 and the liquid level 130 of the measurement apparatus 120 may
equalize to
the same level.
[0048] A third plurality of markings 606 is also shown in Fig. 6. The third
plurality of
markings 606 may be coupled to the reservoir 102 to help the user determine
the volume of
liquid in the reservoir 102, the measurements apparatus 120, or both. The
third plurality of
markings 606 may be supplemental to the first and second plurality of markings
132, 134.
Alternatively, the third plurality of markings 606 may be utilized instead of
the first and
second plurality of markings 132, 134. In different embodiments, the markings
are placed in
many locations on the measurement and containment apparatus 100 and this
disclosure is not
limited to any particular location.
[0049] A first configuration 700 of one embodiment is shown in Fig. 7. In the
first
configuration 700, the top side 112 is illustrated separated from the
disposable container 128.
Further, a cavity 702 is shown for receiving the container 128. The cavity 702
may have an
orifice 704 designed to receive the spout of the container 128. Additionally,
the cavity 702
may define a recess 706 designed to accommodate the various handling features
of the
container 128.
[0050] The orifice 704 may also have a piercing element (not shown) disposed
therearound.
The piercing element may have a diameter small enough to fit within the spout
of the
container 128 but large enough to substantially allow a liquid to flow
therethrough.
[0051] The cavity 702 may be correspondingly sized to receive the container
128. Further,
the cavity 702 may be designed to receive the container 128 at the angle e as
shown in Fig. 3.
Once the container 128 is placed within the cavity 702, the container 128 may
be substantially
stabilized by the cavity 702 to keep the container 128 from moving within the
cavity 702.
Further, the angel may be such that it causes a majority of the liquid in the
container 128 to
travel through the spout and into the reservoir 102.
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[0052] While a cavity 702 is described herein for receiving and stabilizing
the container
128, the skilled artisan understands that the cavity 702 may also be any type
of aperture that
allows a liquid to be transitioned into the reservoir 102. That is to say, the
cavity 702 may be a
through hole sufficiently sized to allow a liquid to be poured into the
reservoir. The liquid
contents of the container 128 may be poured through the through hole and the
container 128
may be discarded instead of remaining in the cavity.
[0053] Referring now to Fig. 8, one nonexclusive method 800 for measuring the
liquid used
during at least one wash cycle is shown. More specifically, when the reservoir
102 and the
measurement apparatus 120 are filled with a liquid and before the valve 122 is
transitioned to
the first position, the liquid level may be recorded in block 802. In block
804, the valve 122
may be transitioned to the first position and liquid may be drawn through the
tube 124. Next,
the drop in the liquid may be measured in block 806. Finally, in block 808,
the valve 122 may
be transitioned to back to the second position after the measurement has been
obtained to
allow the liquid level of the measurement apparatus 120 to equalize with the
liquid level of
the reservoir 102.
[0054] A cleaning method may also be initiated by uncoupling the door 502 from
the
reservoir 102. The user may rinse the internal portion of the measurement and
containment
apparatus 100 through the exposed opening of the uncoupled door 502. Finally,
the user may
replace the door 502 and couple it to the reservoir 102.
[0055] An apparatus use flowchart 900 is shown in Fig. 9. In one nonexclusive
embodiment, a user may position the measurement and containment apparatus 100
at a
desired location in block 902. In block 904, the user may insert the tube 124
into the
measuring apparatus 120 and further couple the tube 124 to the machine that is
withdrawing
the liquid in block 906. The user may then remove a cap from the container 128
that contains
a liquid chemical required by the machine in block 908. In block 910, the user
may then
position the container 128 within the cavity 702 such that the piercing
element pierces a seal
on the spout of the container 128 and the liquid contents of the container 128
flow into the
reservoir 102.
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[0056] The user may then orient the valve 122 in the second position to allow
the
measurement apparatus 120 to fill with the liquid to the same liquid level 130
as the reservoir
102 in block 912. At this point, the system may operate by using the tube 124
to withdraw
liquid from the measurement and containment apparatus 100 as shown in block
914. In block
916, as liquid is withdrawn from the measurement apparatus 120, it may be
substantially
simultaneously refilled from the reservoir 102 through the valve 122.
[0057] Alternatively, if the user wants to monitor the amount of liquid
withdrawn from the
measurement and containment apparatus 100, the user may change the valve 122
to the first
position after the reservoir liquid level 604 has become substantially the
same as the liquid
level 130 of the measurement apparatus 120. In block 918, as the tube 124
removes liquid
from the measurement apparatus 120, the measurement apparatus is not refilled
by liquid
from the reservoir 102. Accordingly, the user may record a first level
indicated by the first
plurality of markings 132 before the machine executes one or more cycle. After
the machine
has executed the one or more wash cycle, the user may record a second level
indicated by the
first plurality of markings 132. The user may then compare the first level
indicated by the first
plurality of markings 132 with the second level indicated by the first
plurality of markings
132 to determine the overall volume of liquid withdrawn during the machine
cycle.
[0058] The user may use the overall volume withdrawn during a cycle to
calculate the cost
of each cycle by determining the amount of liquid used in each cycle. In one
nonlimiting
example, the amount of liquid withdrawn for each cycle may be correlated to a
percentage of
the overall liquid supplied by the container 128. Further, the cost of the
filled container 128
may be correlated to the percentage of the contents used per cycle.
Accordingly, the cost per
cycle may be determined by the user.
[0059] The present disclosure is not limited to a car wash. Further, the term
"car wash" is
not limited in the application to the above teachings for a "car". The wash
systems described
herein apply to any type of automated or non-automated wash system and are not
limited. In
addition, in other embodiments the measurement and containment apparatus 100
is coupled to
a hand-held unit to be used by an individual. For example, trucks, planes,
sports utility
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vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, mobile homes and other objects
may utilize a wash
system incorporating the teachings of this disclosure.
[0060] The embodiments are utilized in a plurality of different types of car
wash systems
and this disclosure is not limited to any particular one. In one example, a
drive-thru car wash
system where the vehicle is driven or pushed through the car wash implements
the teachings
of this disclosure. Further, a stationary automatic car wash, where equipment
revolves around
a stationary vehicle, incorporates one or more of the teachings of this
disclosure.
Alternatively, a self-service or do it yourself style car wash may use the
teachings of this
disclosure. The present disclosure is applicable to any type of car wash
system.
[0061] Alternatively, the above teachings may be implemented in other
applications outside
of car wash systems. In one non-limiting example, the teachings of this
disclosure are applied
to measure the amount of syrup flavoring used in a carbonated soda dispenser.
Further still,
the above teachings may be applied in a chemistry lab to determine more
precisely the amount
of a certain chemical added to a mixture. The teachings may be used to more
accurately
determine the volume of liquid withdrawn from a reservoir of any size.
Accordingly, this
disclosure is not limited to a specific application.
[0062] While embodiments incorporating the principles of the present
disclosure have been
disclosed hereinabove, the present disclosure is not limited to the disclosed
embodiments.
Instead, this application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or
adaptations of the
invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended
to cover such
departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary
practice in the art
to which this disclosure pertains and which fall within the limits of the
appended claim.