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US 8,087,303 B2Granted
Product dispensing system
AssigneeDEKA Products Limited Partnership
InventorRussell H. Beavis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flow sensor includes a fluid chamber configured to receive a fluid. A diaphragm assembly is configured to be displaced whenever the fluid within the fluid chamber is displaced. A transducer assembly is configured to monitor the displacement of the diaphragm assembly and generate a signal based, at least in part, upon the quantity of fluid displaced within the fluid chamber.
Claims13
A flow sensor comprising:
- a fluid chamber configured to receive a fluid micro-ingredient from a product container;
- a diaphragm assembly configured to be displaced whenever the fluid within the fluid chamber is displaced;
- a transducer assembly configured to monitor the displacement of the diaphragm assembly and generate a signal;
- and
- a control logic subsystem in communication with a transducer assembly, the control logic subsystem configured to receive the signal from the transducer assembly and ascertain the quantity of fluid passing through the chamber,
- wherein the control logic subsystem determines, based on the signal, whether the product container contains a volume of fluid micro-ingredient or whether the product container is empty.
3 more elements
A method for determining a product container is empty comprising:
- energizing a pump assembly;
- pumping a micro-ingredient from a product container;
- displacing a capacitive plate a displacement distance;
- measuring the capacitance of a capacitor;
- calculating the displacement distance from the measured capacitance;
- and
- determining whether the product container is empty.
4 more elements
A method for determining a product container is empty comprising:
- energizing a pump assembly;
- displacing a diaphragm assembly a displacement distance by pumping a micro ingredient from a product container;
- measuring the displacement distance using a transducer assembly;
- using the transducer assembly generating a signal based, at least in part, upon the quantity of micro-ingredient pumped from the product container;
- and
- determining, using the signal, whether the product container is empty.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.