Method and apparatus for filling a container with a fluid
AssigneeDunn-Edwards Corporation
InventorsKenneth N. Edwards, Micheal C. Lapp, Sr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for filling a container with a fluid comprising a fluid supply source having a pump fluidly coupled thereto and electrically interfaced to a controller. Fluidly coupled to the pump is a nozzle valve which is also electrically interfaced to the controller. During the operation of the apparatus, the container is positioned under the nozzle valve, with the controller being operable to fill the container with the first volume of the fluid from the supply source at a first flow rate, and fill the container with the second volume of the fluid at a second flow rate which is lower than the first flow rate.
Claims14
An apparatus for filling a container with a fluid, comprising:
- means for filling said container with a first volume of said fluid at a first flow rate;
- means for filling said container with a second volume of fluid at a second flow rate lower than said first flow rate;
- and
- means for controlling and coordinating the operation of said first volume filling means and said second volume filling means;
- said first and second volume filling means each comprising:
- a fluid supply source;
- a pump having a rotatable impeller therein, said pump being fluidly coupled to said supply source and electrically interfaced to said control means;
- and
- a nozzle valve fluidly coupled to said pump and electrically interfaced to said control means, said container being positioned under said nozzle valve;
- said first volume filling means further comprising:
- an incremental encoder electrically interfaced to said pump and said control means, said encoder being operable to count the rotations of the pump impeller;
- said control means being operable to sequentially activate the pump and open the nozzle valve to allow the fluid to be pumped from the supply source into the container at said first flow rate, and deactivate said pump and close said nozzle valve in response to an electrical signal generated by said encoder corresponding to a preselected number of impeller rotations programed into the control means needed to establish that the container has been filled with the first volume.
An apparatus for filling a container with a fluid, comprising:
- means for filling said container with a first volume of said fluid at a first flow rate;
- means for filling said container with a second volume of said fluid at a second flow rate lower than said first flow rate;
- and
- means for controlling and coordinating the operation of said first volume filling means and said second volume filling means;
- said container being filled with the first and second volumes of fluid while being maintained in one position on said apparatus.
A method for filling a container with a fluid comprising the steps of:
- positioning the container upon a scale;
- measuring the tare weight of the container via the scale;
- calculating a target fill weight;
- storing the target fill weight in a memory means;
- filling the container with a first volume of fluid at a first flow rate while said container is positioned upon said scale;
- and
- filling the container with a second volume of fluid at a second flow rate lower than the first flow rate while said container is positioned upon said scale.
A method for filling a container with a fluid comprising the steps of:
- positioning the container upon a scale;
- measuring the tare weight of the container via the scale;
- calculating a target fill weight;
- storing the target fill weight in a memory means;
- filling the container with a first volume of fluid at a first flow rate;
- and
- filling the container with a second volume of fluid at a second flow rate lower than the first flow rate;
- the step of filling the container with the first volume of fluid comprising the steps of:
- positioning the container under a nozzle valve;
- activating a pump fluidly Coupled to the nozzle valve;
- opening the nozzle valve to allow the fluid to be pumped from a fluid supply source coupled to the pump into the container at the first flow rate;
- counting the number of rotations of an impeller disposed within the pump via an incremental encoder electrically interfaced to the pump;
- deactivating the Rump in response to an electrical signal generated by the encoder establishing that the container has been filled with the first volume based on a preselected number of impeller rotations counted by the encoder;
- and
- closing the nozzle valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.