System and method for micro dosing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10011375-B1
Application number	US-201514733770-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 8, 2015
Priority date	Aug 24, 2012
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

A system and method of micro dosing containers on a conveying system is disclosed. The system includes a supply tank to maintain suspended solids in a mixture; a dosing assembly to inject micro-doses of the mixture into bottles; a recirculation assembly to circulate the mixture from the supply tank to the dosing assembly and back to the supply tank; a power and controls operation assembly to supply the system with power, to provide the system with electromechanical control and/or to provide a user interface; and a stand to hold at least the supply tank, the portable dosing assembly, the recirculation assembly and/or the power and/or controls operation assembly.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method, comprising:
mixing a solid material in a liquid to form a homogenous suspension in a supply tank;
circulating the homogenous suspension from the supply tank to a dosing pump;
injecting a desired amount of a micro-dose of the homogenous suspension into a pre-filled vessel with the dosing pump;
detecting a desired position of an opening of the pre-filled vessel prior to injecting the micro-dose of the homogenous suspension into the pre-filled vessel; and
circulating the homogenous suspension that is not injected back to the supply tank.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising agitating the homogenous suspension in the supply tank.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising controlling a rotational speed of an agitator for agitating the homogenous suspension in the supply tank.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein circulating the homogenous suspension from the supply tank to the dosing pump further comprises adjusting a flow of the homogenous suspension to maintain the solid material in suspension with a desired flow velocity.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising circulating the homogenous suspension from the supply tank to the dosing pump using a peristaltic pump.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting the desired position of an opening of the pre-filled vessel using a sensor.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising injecting the desired amount of the micro-dose of the homogenous suspension through a first flow tube to the pre-filled vessel based on detecting the opening of the pre-filled vessel at the desired position.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising circulating the homogenous suspension that is not injected through a second flow tube to the supply tank based on detecting the opening of the pre-filled vessel at an undesired position, wherein the second flow tube at least partially covers the first flow tube, and wherein the second flow tube has a larger circumference than the first flow tube.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein injecting the desired amount of the micro-dose of the homogenous suspension into the pre-filled vessel with the dosing pump is based on controlling one or more of a position and a speed of the dosing pump.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein controlling the one or more of the position and the speed of the dosing pump is based on error-sensing negative feedback.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a power supply to a power and control operation assembly for controlling one or more of:
mixing the solid material in the liquid to form the homogenous suspension in the supply tank;
circulating the homogenous suspension from the supply tank to the dosing pump;
injecting the desired amount of the micro-dose of the homogenous suspension into the pre-filled vessel with the dosing pump; and
circulating the homogenous suspension that is not injected back to the supply tank.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing a user interface to the power and control operation assembly.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid material includes mica.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the solid material further includes titanium dioxide.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid includes one or more of alcohol, water, and citric acid.

Assignees

• Gallo Winery E & J
• E&J Gallo Winery

Inventors

• Miller Jeff
• Fleming Leland
• Stern Lewis
• Puran Satish
• Branscombe Richard

Classifications

• B67C3/00

  Bottling liquids or semiliquids; Filling jars or cans with liquids or semiliquids using bottling or like apparatus; Filling casks or barrels with liquids or semiliquids · CPC title

• B65B3/12 Primary

  mechanically, e.g. by pistons or pumps · CPC title

• G01F11/32 Primary

  for liquid or semiliquid · CPC title

• B01F25/52

  with a rotary stirrer in the recirculation tube · CPC title