# US 8,783,513 B2 · Product dispensing system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,783,513 B2 - Document ID: US8783513B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/692,375 - Filed: 2012-12-03 - Published: 2013-07-04 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2007-09-06 - Assignees: DEKA Products Limited Partnership - Applicants: DEKA Products Limited Partnership - Inventors: Russell H. Beavis; Benjamin W. Jones; John M. Kerwin; Larry B. Gray; Casey P. Manning; Felix Winkler; Robert A. Charles - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8783513B2 ## CPC - B67D 7/14: responsive to input of recorded programmed information, e.g. on punched cards - A47J 31/36: with mechanical pressure-producing means - A47J 31/40: Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea - A47J 31/42: Beverage-making apparatus with incorporated grinding or roasting means for coffee {(coffee mills A47J42/00; coffee roasters in general A23N12/08)} - A47J 31/52: Alarm-clock-controlled mechanisms for coffee- or tea-making apparatus {; Timers for coffee- or tea-making apparatus; Electronic control devices for coffee- or tea-making apparatus} - A47J 31/525: {the electronic control being based on monitoring of specific process parameters} - A47J 31/5255: {of flow rate} - F04B 13/02: of two or more fluids at the same time - B67D: DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes B08B9/02; emptying or filling of bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels, or similar containers, not otherwise provided for B67C; water supply E03; pipe systems F17D; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D; measuring volume, volume flow, mass flow or liquid level, metering by volume G01F; coin-freed or like apparatus G07F) - A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES - F04B: POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS; PUMPS (machines for liquids, or pumps, of rotary-piston or oscillating-piston type F04C; non-positive-displacement pumps F04D; pumping of fluid by direct contact of another fluid or by using inertia of fluid to be pumped F04F) ## Abstract A product dispensing system includes a flow control device configured to regulate a first ingredient. A pump module is configured to be coupled to a supply of a second ingredient. A controller is configured to provide a first control signal to the flow control device for controlling the supply of a first quantity of the first ingredient based upon, at least in part, a predetermined recipe. The controller is further configured to provide a second control signal to the pump module for controlling the supply of a first quantity of the second ingredient based upon, at least in part, the predetermined recipe. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A product dispensing system comprising: a flow control device configured to regulate a first ingredient, the flow control device comprising: a flow measuring device configured to provide a feedback signal based upon a volume of the first ingredient flowing within the flow control device; a pump module configured to be coupled to a supply of a second ingredient; a controller configured to provide a first control signal to the flow control device for controlling the supply of a first quantity of the first ingredient based upon, at least in part, a predetermined recipe, and to provide a second control signal to the pump module for controlling the supply of a first quantity of the second ingredient based upon, at least in part, the predetermined recipe; and a fluid delivery system comprising: a fluid pathway having an inlet disposed at a first vertical height and an exit disposed at a second vertical height higher than the first vertical height; a fluid pump disposed between the fluid inlet and the fluid exit, the fluid pump further disposed at a third vertical height higher than the first vertical height and lower than the second vertical height; and a flow sensor disposed between the fluid inlet and the fluid pump, the flow sensor configured to detect the flow of fluid through the fluid pathway; wherein air entering the fluid inlet may travel through the fluid pathway and exit via the fluid exit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The product dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the flow control device further comprising a variable line impedance configured to regulate the first ingredient based upon, at least in part, the feedback signal of the flow measuring device and the first control signal provided by the controller. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The product dispensing system of claim 2, wherein the flow measuring device comprising a positive displacement flow measuring device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The product dispensing system of claim 3, wherein the positive displacement flow measuring device comprising a gear-based positive displacement flow measuring device. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The product dispensing system of claim 2, wherein the variable line impedance comprising: a first rigid member having a first surface; a second rigid member having a second surface; and a variable cross-section fluid pathway defined by, at least in part, the first surface and the second surface; wherein the first surface being movable relative to the second surface to increase and decrease the variable cross-section fluid pathway. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The product dispensing system of claim 5, further comprising a stepper motor coupled to one of the first rigid member and the second rigid member for moving the first surface relative to the second surface. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The product dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the pump module is configured to releasably engage the supply of the second ingredient. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The product dispensing system of claim 7, wherein the pump module comprising a bracket assembly configured to releasably engage a plurality of supplies of the second ingredient. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The product dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the pump module comprising a solenoid piston pump assembly configured to provide a calibratedly determined volume of the second ingredient. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The product dispensing system of claim 1, further comprising a flow sensor associated with the pump module, the flow sensor comprising: a fluid chamber configured to receive a fluid; a diaphragm assembly configured to be displaced whenever the fluid within the fluid chamber is displaced; and a transducer assembly configured to monitor the displacement of the diaphragm assembly and generate a flow signal based, at least in part, upon the quantity of fluid displaced within the fluid chamber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The product dispensing system of claim 10, wherein the transducer assembly comprising a first capacitive plate coupled to the diaphragm and moveable therewith, and a second capacitive plate rigidly affixed relative to the fluid chamber, the flow signal based upon, at least in part, a change in capacitance between the first capacitive plate and the second capacitive plate. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The product dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the flow control device and the pump module are coupled to a nozzle for mixing the first ingredient and the second ingredient. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The product dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the inlet of the fluid pathway is coupled to an ingredient supply. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The product dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the flow sensor comprising: a fluid chamber configured to receive a fluid; a diaphragm assembly configured to be displaced whenever the fluid within the fluid chamber is displaced; and a transducer assembly configured to monitor the displacement of the diaphragm assembly and generate a flow signal based, at least in part, upon the quantity of fluid displaced within the fluid chamber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The product dispensing system of claim 14, wherein the transducer assembly comprising a first capacitive plate coupled to the diaphragm and moveable therewith, and a second capacitive plate rigidly affixed relative to the fluid chamber, the flow signal based upon, at least in part, a change in capacitance between the first capacitive plate and the second capacitive plate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The product dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the fluid pump comprising a solenoid piston pump assembly configured to provide a calibratedly determined volume of the second ingredient. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The product dispensing system of claim 1 wherein the flow control device further comprising: the flow measuring device configured to generate a flow feedback signal indicative of a volume of content flowing within a line of a dispensing system; a feedback controller system, responsive to the flow feedback signal and configured to compare a desired flow volume to the flow feedback signal to generate a flow control signal, wherein the feedback controller system comprising a feed forward controller for establishing, at least in part, an initial value for the flow control signal; and a variable line impedance positioned within the line of the dispensing system and responsive to the flow control signal, the variable line impedance being configured to regulate the volume of content flowing within the line of the dispensing system based, at least in part, upon the flow control signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The product dispensing system of claim 17, wherein the variable line impedance comprising: a first rigid member having a first surface; a second rigid member having a second surface; and a variable cross-section fluid pathway defined by, at least in part, the first surface and the second surface; the first surface being movable relative to the second surface to increase and decrease the variable cross-section fluid pathway. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The product dispensing system of claim 17, further comprising a binary valve positioned within the line of the dispensing system for selectively preventing flow of content within the line of the dispensing system.