Dispensing portioner
AssigneeLowtemp Industries LLC
InventorsLevi Garrett Lanzrath, Jack Camins
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portion dispensing system including a portioner configured with a controller. The portioner includes a piston configured to move within a container and force product in the container out of a nozzle opening. The controller controls the piston to dispense an input product weight and can detect the weight of dispensed product. The controller can adjust the piston to provide different weights of dispensed product and can provide pullback to substantially provide accurate dosing and eliminate product from oozing out of the nozzle opening.
Claims20
A portioner comprising:
- a user interface communicatively connected to a controller configured to receive a product setpoint weight;
- a scale communicatively connected to the controller and configured to detect a dispensed product weight when product is dispensed out of a container;
- the controller being communicatively and operatively connected to a shaft motor wherein the shaft motor is configured to drive a piston within the container and force the product out of the container;
- the controller being configured to:
- receive the product setpoint weight and determine a piston setpoint based on the product setpoint weight;
- and
- implement the piston setpoint to the piston and dispense the product out of the container;
- when the product is dispensed, the controller being configured to receive the dispensed product weight and modify the piston setpoint based on the dispensed product weight.
A method for dispensing a product with a portioner, the method comprising:
- receiving a product setpoint weight from a user interface wherein the product setpoint weight is an amount of product to be dispensed from a container;
- determining a piston setpoint based upon the product setpoint weight wherein the piston setpoint corresponds to a distance a piston is driven within the container;
- driving the piston within the container to dispense the product;
- receiving a dispensed product weight from a scale configured to collect product dispensed from the container;
- and
- modifying the piston setpoint based upon the product setpoint weight and the dispensed product weight.
A portioner comprising:
- a piston mounted to a drive shaft configured to drive the piston upwards and downwards in a container;
- a nozzle opening configured to align with the container and direct a product out of the container when the piston is driven downwards;
- a wire positioned beneath the nozzle opening and configured to move across the nozzle opening and cut through the product when the piston forces the product out of the nozzle opening;
- and
- a controller configured to receive a product selection and determine at least one piston setting which corresponds to the product selection, wherein the at least one piston setting corresponds to directing the product out of the container, and pulling product suspended beneath the nozzle opening back into the container.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.