# US 9,753,464 B2 · Concentrate level sensing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,753,464 B2 - Document ID: US9753464B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/697,667 - Filed: 2015-04-28 - Published: 2015-09-03 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2015-04-28 - Assignees: Carrier Commercial Refrigeration, Inc. - Applicants: Carrier Commercial Refrigeration, Inc. - Inventors: James J. Minard; Mark E. Bush - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9753464B2 ## CPC - G05D 9/00: Level control, e.g. controlling quantity of material stored in vessel - B67D 1/0021: {the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers} - B67D 1/10: Pump mechanism (in general F04) - F04B 7/06: the pistons and cylinders being relatively reciprocated and rotated - G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES - 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) - 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 beverage system includes a pump that draws a set amount of a flavored concentrate into a mixing chamber through a conduit for mixing with water to form a beverage. A sensor detects when the amount of the flavored concentrate in the conduit is low or the amount of the flavored concentrate in a concentrate container is low or out. The sensor includes two wings each including a recessed surface that together define a circular space. A portion of the conduit is received in the circular space. Each of the wings includes an ultrasonic portion that emits ultrasonic waves that are non-intrusive. When the amount of flavored concentrate in the conduit is low, air bubbles are generated in the flow of the flavored concentrate as it flows along the conduit and/or a vacuum is created in the conduit to draw the conduit away from the recessed surfaces. The ultrasonic waves detect either of these two features, indicating that the amount of the flavored concentrate is low. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A concentrate system comprising: a fluid conduit, wherein concentrate flows from a concentrate container to a pump along the fluid conduit, and the pump controls a flow of the concentrate into a mixing chamber; a locking mechanism that secures a first component of the pump and a second component of the pump together; an ultrasonic sensor that generates ultrasonic waves to detect the concentrate in the fluid conduit and to detect when an amount of the concentrate in the fluid conduit is below a threshold value; and a controller that shuts down the pump when the ultrasonic sensor detects that the amount of the concentrate in the fluid conduit is below the threshold value. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The concentrate system as recited in claim 1 wherein the locking mechanism is a locking ring. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The concentrate system as recited in claim 1 wherein the fluid conduit is plastic. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The concentrate system as recited in claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic sensor includes two wings that each include a recessed portion define a space, and the fluid conduit is received in the space. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The concentrate system as recited in claim 1 wherein air bubbles form in the concentrate in the fluid conduit when the amount of the concentrate in the fluid conduit reduces below the threshold value, and the ultrasonic sensor detects the air bubbles to indicate that the amount of the concentrate in the fluid conduit is below the threshold value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The concentrate system as recited in claim 1 wherein a vacuum in the fluid conduit causes the fluid conduit to cave inwardly and disengage from the ultrasonic sensor when the amount of the concentrate in the fluid conduit is below the threshold value to indicate that the amount of the concentrate in the fluid conduit is below the threshold value. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The concentrate system as recited in claim 1 wherein the first component is an adapter plate and the second component is a pump head. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The concentrate system as recited in claim 1 further including a water source and a water line, wherein the water line provides water from the water source and into the mixing chamber to mix with the concentrate to form a beverage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The concentrate system as recited in claim 1 wherein the pump includes a piston moveable by a motor to draw the concentrate into a mixing chamber, the second component is a pump head including a pump head piston opening that receives the piston and a pump head water port, and the first component is an adapter plate including an adapter plate piston opening that receives the piston and a water opening that receives the pump head water port of the pump head. ### Claim 10 A concentrate system comprising: a fluid conduit, wherein concentrate flows from a concentrate container to a pump along the fluid conduit, and the pump controls a flow of the concentrate into a mixing chamber; a locking mechanism that secures a first component of the pump and a second component of the pump together; an ultrasonic sensor that generates ultrasonic waves to detect the concentrate in the fluid conduit and to detect when an amount of the concentrate in the fluid conduit is below a threshold value, wherein the ultrasonic sensor is located between the concentrate container and the pump, air bubbles form in the concentrate in the fluid conduit when the amount of the concentrate in the fluid conduit reduces below the threshold value, and the ultrasonic sensor detects the air bubbles to indicate that the amount of the concentrate in the fluid conduit is below the threshold value; and a controller that shuts down the pump when the ultrasonic sensor detects that the amount of the concentrate in the fluid conduit is below the threshold value. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The concentrate system as recited in claim 10 wherein the locking mechanism is a locking ring. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The concentrate system as recited in claim 10 wherein the ultrasonic sensor includes two wings that each include a recessed portion define a space, and the fluid conduit is received in the space. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The concentrate system as recited in claim 10 wherein the first component is an adapter plate and the second component is a pump head. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The concentrate system as recited in claim 10 further including a water source and a water line, wherein the water line provides water from the water source and into the mixing chamber to mix with the concentrate to form a beverage. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The concentrate system as recited in claim 10 wherein the pump includes a piston moveable by a motor to draw the concentrate into a mixing chamber, the second component is a pump head including a pump head piston opening that receives the piston and a pump head water port, and the first component is an adapter plate including an adapter plate piston opening that receives the piston and a water opening that receives the pump head water port of the pump head.