Rotary-drive dispenser
Assigneefqubed
InventorsIlya Feygin, John M. Newsam
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A liquid dispenser that uses rotary motion to create a relative movement between one or more dispensing elements and one or more receivers is disclosed. The dispensing elements are fluidically coupled to one or more reservoirs, which contain ingredients that are to be dispensed by the dispensing elements into one or more receivers. The receivers are disposed on a receiver support structure that is located beneath the dispensing elements. In some embodiments, the dispenser operates according to a quasi-continuous dispensing protocol or quasi-simultaneous dispensing protocol, or both quasi-continuous and quasi-simultaneous dispensing protocol.
Claims26
An apparatus comprising:
- a receiver support structure, wherein:
- said receiver support structure has a central axis;
- and
- said receiver support structure supports a plurality of receivers, wherein said plurality of receivers are disposed at a first radial distance from said central axis;
- a first dispensing element, wherein:
- said first dispensing element dispenses a first ingredient;
- and
- said first dispensing element is disposed above said receiver support structure at said first radial distance;
- a drive system, wherein:
- said drive system comprises a first drive;
- and
- said drive system causes, via rotary motion, a relative movement between said dispensing element and said receivers;
- and
- a system controller, wherein:
- said system controller comprises means for causing said dispensing element to dispense said first ingredient as a plurality of pulses;
- and
- each pulse contains less than twenty percent of a total amount of said first ingredient to be delivered to one of said receivers.
An apparatus comprising:
- a dispensing system, wherein said dispensing system has a first plurality of dispensing elements for dispensing a second plurality of ingredients into a third plurality of receivers;
- a drive system, wherein said drive system causes, via a rotary motion, a relative movement between said dispensing system and said receivers to align one of said dispensing elements with one of said receivers;
- and
- a system controller, wherein said system controller comprises:
- means for causing said dispensing element to dispense each of said ingredients as a plurality of pulses;
- and
- means for determining flow rate of said second plurality of ingredients into said third plurality of receivers on a per ingredient, per receiver basis, said means for determining flow rate comprising:
- a device for measuring total flow of each of said ingredients;
- and
- means for apportioning said flow on a per ingredient, per receiver basis.
An apparatus comprising:
- a dispensing system, wherein said dispensing system has a first plurality of dispensing elements for dispensing a second plurality of ingredients into a third plurality of receivers;
- a drive system, wherein said drive system causes, via a rotary motion, a relative movement between said dispensing system and said receivers to align one of said dispensing elements with one of said receivers;
- and
- a system controller, wherein said system controller comprises means for distributed dispensing.
An apparatus comprising:
- a first drive;
- a rotatable member, wherein:
- said rotatable member is coupled to said first drive;
- and
- said rotatable member comprises a first arm and a second arm;
- a first platform, wherein said first platform:
- is disposed beneath said rotatable member;
- supports a plurality of receivers;
- and
- is coupled to a second drive;
- a second platform, wherein said second platform:
- is disposed beneath said first platform;
- supports a plurality of reservoirs, and
- is coupled to said first drive;
- a first dispensing element, wherein said first dispensing element:
- depends from said first arm;
- and
- is fluidically coupled to at least a first one of said reservoirs;
- and
- a second dispensing element, wherein said second dispensing element:
- depends from said second arm;
- and
- is fluidically coupled to at a second one of said reservoirs.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.