Fluid dispensing apparatus
OwnerDenis E. Keyes, John R. Randallinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid dispensing apparatus is configured to dispense a predetermined volume of fluid, and includes a fluid reservoir to hold a fluid to be dispensed, a dispense tube to dispense the fluid, and an elevator mechanism. The fluid reservoir receives a fluid from a fluid supply. A dispense tube has a dispense outlet, and is connected to an outlet port on the fluid reservoir. The elevator mechanism changes a relative vertical displacement between the dispense outlet and the outlet port. Particularly, a processor controls the elevator mechanism to raise the dispense tube to a raised filling position to prevent fluid flow from the dispense outlet, and lower the dispense tube to a lowered dispensing position to dispense the fluid.
Claims15
A fluid dispensing apparatus to dispense a predetermined volume of fluid comprising:
- a fluid reservoir connected to a fluid supply;
- a dispense tube connected to an outlet port on the fluid reservoir, the dispense tube comprising a measurement portion to measure a predetermined volume of fluid to be dispensed, and a dispense portion including a dispense outlet to dispense the predetermined volume of fluid;
- an elevator mechanism comprising a vertical shaft operatively connected to the dispense tube, and configured to change a relative vertical displacement between the dispense outlet and the outlet port on the fluid reservoir;
- a dispensing sensor that is raised or lowered along the vertical shaft with the dispense tube;
- an upper sensor configured to generate one or more signals to selectively lower the dispense tube responsive to detecting a rising volume of fluid in the measurement portion of the dispense tube;
- a lower sensor configured to generate one or more signals to selectively raise the dispense tube responsive to detecting a falling volume of fluid in the measurement portion of the dispensing tube;
- and
- a processor programmed to:
- control the elevator mechanism to selectively raise the dispense tube along the vertical shaft to a raised filling position to prevent fluid flow from the dispense outlet responsive to receiving a signal from the lower sensor;
- fill the dispense tube with the predetermined volume of fluid from the fluid reservoir;
- and
- control the elevator mechanism to selectively lower the dispense tube along the vertical shaft to a lowered dispensing position to dispense the predetermined volume of fluid responsive to receiving a signal from the upper sensor.
A method of dispensing a predetermined volume of fluid comprising:
- providing a fluid reservoir having an outlet port with fluid from a fluid supply;
- connecting a dispense tube to the fluid reservoir, the dispense tube comprising a measurement portion to measure a predetermined volume of fluid to be dispensed, and a dispense portion including a dispense outlet to dispense the predetermined volume of fluid;
- generating one or more signals to selectively lower the dispense tube responsive to an upper sensor detecting a rising volume of fluid in the measurement portion of the dispense tube;
- generating one or more signals to selectively raise the dispense tube responsive to a lower sensor detecting a falling volume of fluid in the measurement portion of the dispensing tube;
- controlling an elevator mechanism to selectively raise the dispense tube to a raised filling position responsive to receiving a signal from the lower sensor to prevent fluid flow from the dispense outlet;
- filling the dispense tube with the predetermined volume of fluid from the fluid reservoir;
- and
- controlling the elevator mechanism to selectively lower the dispense tube to a lowered dispensing position responsive to receiving a signal from the upper sensor to dispense the predetermined amount of fluid from the dispense outlet;
- and
- raising or lowering a dispensing sensor with the dispense tube responsive to the sensor detecting a specified volume of fluid in the measurement portion of the dispense tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.