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US 7,013,932 B2Granted
Automatic portion control system using strain gauge technology
AssigneeControl Products, Inc.
InventorsChris Berghoff, Gary R L Olson, Sean Theisen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An automatic portion control system, comprising: a dispensing mechanism adapted for dispensing a first substance into a container; a scale adapted for weighing said container; and control circuitry adapted for reading a container weight from said scale and controlling said dispensing mechanism accordingly. The invention further comprises a method for dispensing a product into a container, comprising the steps of: weighing a container; and dispensing the product into the container until reaching the estimated filled weight of the container.
Claims8
An automatic portion control system, comprising:
- (a) a dispensing mechanism adapted for dispensing a first substance into a container;
- (b) a scale adapted for weighing said container;
- (c) control circuitry adapted for reading a container weight from said scale and controlling said dispensing mechanism accordingly;
- (d) a proximity sensor adapted for sensing the presence of a container;
- and
- (e) a container size sensor adapted for detecting two or more container types, each of said container types having a predetermined volume, wherein said control circuitry comprises a microprocessor adapted for reading a container weight from said scale and controlling said dispensing mechanism according to a detected container type, its known empty weight and volume, and its present weight.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.