Dispensing method and apparatus utilizing a sensor to determine a time that a dispensing valve is open
AssigneePrince Castle LLC
InventorsLoren Veltrop, Christopher Lyons
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Relatively small, fixed-volumes of liquid are measured and dispensed from a bulk container by empirically determining the liquid surface height and opening a dispensing valve for a time period that is calculated using a volume of liquid specified to be dispensed and the empirically-determined liquid surface height. The liquid surface height in the container is determined empirically for subsequent volumes of liquid that are dispensed. Dispensing accuracy is maintained whether the container is full or nearly empty.
Claims12
A method of dispensing a user-specified volume of liquid from a container, the method comprising:
- opening a valve connected to the container to dispense the user-specified volume of liquid through the valve, a length of time that the valve is required to be open being determined from a weight impressed on a load cell by the container;
- said length of time being determined by evaluating a polynomial having coefficients, the coefficients of the polynomial operating on a value, which is representative of a signal obtained from the load cell.
A method of dispensing a user-specified volume of liquid from a container coupled to a load cell, configured to generate a signal representing a weight impressed on the load cell by the container and its content, the container being coupled to a pinch valve that is both manually operable and computer operable, the method comprising:
- manually opening the pinch valve to dispense a first volume of liquid;
- and
- after the first volume of liquid is dispensed, opening the pinch valve by a computer to dispense a second, user-requested volume of liquid, the time that the valve is required to be open to dispense the second volume of liquid being determined after the first volume of liquid is dispensed, by evaluating a polynomial having coefficients, the coefficients of the polynomial operating on a value, which is representative of a signal obtained from the load cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.