Liquid dispensing and vending
AssigneeArtesa LLC
InventorsJoshua Thomas Brown, Thomas Robert Young, Robert Czarnek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A liquid dispensing and vending apparatus comprises filling module(s), user container holder(s), positioning mechanism(s) and controller module(s). The filling module(s) comprise: machine container(s) configured to hold liquid(s), nozzle(s) configured to dispense liquid(s) to user container(s), and measuring pump module(s) configured to pump a measured amount of liquid(s) from machine container(s) to nozzle(s). The user container holder(s) are configured to hold user container(s). Positioning mechanism(s) align user container holder(s) with filing module(s). Controller module(s) execute production instructions causing liquid formulations to be dispensed into user container(s).
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a) at least one filling module, each of the at least one filling module comprising:
- i) a machine container configured to hold at least one of a multitude of liquids;
- ii) a nozzle configured to dispense at least one of the multitude of liquids to at least one user container;
- and
- iii) a measuring pump module configured to pump a measured amount of at least one of the multitude of liquids from the machine container to the nozzle;
- b) at least one user container holder configured to hold the at least one user container;
- c) a positioning mechanism configured to align the at least one user container holder with respect to the at least one filling module;
- d) a controller module configured to execute production instructions comprising mixing instructions for at least one identified liquid from the multitude of liquids by sequentially, for liquid(s) referenced in the mixing instructions:
- i) align, employing the positioning mechanism, the at least one user container holder with the at least one filling module containing the at least one identified liquid;
- and
- ii) dispense, according to mixing instructions, a measured volume of the at least one identified liquid from the at least one filling module containing the at least one identified liquid;
- e) a droplet dislodger proximate to the nozzle, wherein the droplet dislodger is configured to use at least one of:
- a shaker or a vibrator;
- and
- f) a circular carousel;
- wherein the positioning mechanism is disposed on the circular carousel and configured to align the at least one user container holder with respect to each of the at least one filling module by moving the at least one user container holder rotationally around the circular carousel.
An apparatus comprising:
- a) a circular carousel;
- b) a plurality of filling modules each corresponding to a distinct liquid of a plurality of liquids and each comprising:
- i) a machine container configured to hold the corresponding liquid;
- ii) a nozzle configured to dispense the corresponding liquid to a user container;
- and
- iii) a measuring pump module configured to pump a measured amount of the corresponding liquid from the machine container to the nozzle;
- c) a user container holder configured to hold the user container;
- d) a positioning mechanism disposed on the circular carousel and configured to align the user container holder with respect to each of the plurality of filling modules by moving the user container holder rotationally around the circular carousel;
- and
- e) a controller module configured to, for each of one or more liquids, of the plurality of liquids, referenced in a set of mixing instructions:
- i) align, via the positioning mechanism, the user container holder with the filling module corresponding to the referenced liquid;
- and
- ii) dispense, according to the set of mixing instructions, a measured volume of the referenced liquid from the corresponding filling module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.