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US 12,202,740 B2Granted
Container assembly
AssigneeBrita LP
InventorsRick T. Nishijima, Elizabeth Bransford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container assembly is disclosed. The container assembly includes a container that contains a volume. Selected portions of the container assembly may provide indication to a user of features or status of the container assembly, including portions thereof.
Claims24
A system operable to determine a use of a filter in a container, comprising:
- a container extending along an axis and having a pour spout;
- a flow sensor positioned relative to the pour spout and configured to generate a sensor signal;
- an actuating member positioned in the pour spout and moveable relative to the sensor;
- a sense portion coupled to the actuating member and configured to be sensed by the flow sensor, wherein the sensor signal is generated based on sensing the sense portion;
- a position sensor coupled to the container and configured to determine a tilt angle of the container along the container axis;
- a processor module configured to execute instructions to:
- evaluate the sensor signal and the tilt angle;
- determine a flow rate out of the pour spout based upon the sensor signal and the tilt angle;
- determine a state of the filter based at least on the evaluation of the sensor signal;
- and
- generate an indication signal to provide a user signal to the user via an indicator regarding the determined state of the filter.
8 more elements
A method of determining a use of a filter in a container, comprising:
- generating a sensor signal from a flow sensor based on a movement of a sense portion connected to an actuating member relative to the sensor, wherein the sensor signal is generated based on sensing the sense portion upon movement of the actuating member within a pour spout of the container;
- executing instructions with a processor module to:
- evaluate the sensor signal;
- determine a tilt angle of the container;
- determine a flow rate out of the pour spout based upon the sensor signal and the tilt angle;
- determine a state of the filter based at least on the evaluation of the sensor signal, and
- generate an indication signal to provide a user signal to the user via an indicator regarding the determined state of the filter.
4 more elements
A system operable to determine a use of a filter in a container, comprising:
- a container extending along a 1 axis a pour spout;
- a flow meter assembly configured to be positioned near an outlet, including:
- a flow sensor configured to generate a sensor signal,
- a rotating member configured to rotate about an axis relative to the flow sensor,
- a sense portion fixed to the rotating member and configured to be sensed by the flow sensor as the rotating member rotates relative to the flow sensor, wherein the sensor signal is generated based on sensing the sense portion;
- a position sensor coupled to the container and configured to determine a tilt angle of the container along the container axis;
- a processor module configured to execute instructions to:
- evaluate the sensor signal and the tilt angle;
- determine a flow volume that has passed through the outlet based upon the sensor signal and the tilt angle;
- determine a state of the filter based at least on the evaluation of the sensor signal, and
- generate an indication signal to provide a user signal to the user via an indicator regarding the determined state of the filter.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.