Additive delivery control systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10843142-B2
Application number	US-201815903014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2018
Priority date	Feb 22, 2017
Publication date	Nov 24, 2020
Grant date	Nov 24, 2020

Abstract

A modular flow monitoring package (MFMP) is provided for use in an additive delivery system. The MFMP may be manufactured as an add-on to be added to an existing additive delivery system, or may be incorporated into a cartridge or container structure. The MFMP includes a flow sensor for sensing flow of a base fluid and user actuator position sensors for sensing the position of one or more user actuated additive flow adjustment levers. A visual display, which may comprise an array of multi-color LED's may convey information to a user that is relevant to a user's use of the additive delivery system or the user's nutritional needs. Such information may include a current dosage of additive, being delivered, whether a recommended dosage of additive has been consumed, remaining life of a cartridge or supply of additive, and other data relative to health or performance monitoring.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An additive delivery system comprising:
an intake tube defining a base liquid flow passage for conveying base liquid through the additive delivery system;
an additive cartridge having an interior space for containing an additive supply, the additive cartridge defining an additive flow path and an additive cartridge port for permitting flow of additive from the cartridge interior space;
the base liquid flow passage including a base liquid flow passage port arranged to cooperate with the cartridge port to provide for mixing of additive with the base liquid in response to base liquid flowing in the base liquid flow passage;
the additive cartridge including a flow adjustment actuator for allowing a user to control the amount of additive mixed with the base liquid as the base liquid flows in the base liquid flow passage;
the additive delivery system including a flow monitoring package, having a flow monitoring package flow passage defined therein for permitting flow through the flow monitoring package, the flow monitoring package including a flow measuring device for measuring flow in the flow monitoring package flow passage;
the flow monitoring package further including a sensor for sensing the position of the flow adjustment actuator; and
the additive delivery system further comprising a user interface for conveying information to the user about the additive.

2. The additive delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a visual display for indicating whether a predetermined consumption of additive has been attained.

3. The additive delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a visual display for indicating the remaining life of a supply of additive.

4. The additive delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises a plurality of discrete optical indicators.

5. The additive delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the flow adjustment actuator includes a control arm within a sealed housing, wherein the control arm includes a magnetic element for enabling actuation of the flow adjustment actuator from outside the sealed housing.

6. The additive delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface comprises at least one LED.

7. The additive delivery system of claim 1 , further comprising an end-of-life indicator for indicating the end-of-life of the cartridge.

8. The additive delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the flow measuring device comprises a magnetic turbine and a Hall effect sensor for sensing rotation of the magnetic turbine.

9. The additive delivery system of claim 1 , further comprising an identification reader for reading machine readable information associated with the cartridge.

10. The additive delivery system of claim 9 , wherein the identification reader comprises an RFID tag reader.

11. The additive delivery system of claim 9 , further comprising a position reader for reading the position of a flow control element associated with the cartridge.

12. The additive delivery system of claim 1 , further comprising a second cartridge containing a second additive.

13. The additive delivery system of claim 12 , further comprising a first control arm adapted to adjust the flow of the first additive from the first cartridge and a second control arm adapted to adjust the flow of the second additive from the second cartridge.

14. The additive delivery system of claim 13 , further comprising magnetic element disposed on each of the control arms.

15. The additive delivery system of claim 1 , further comprising a power supply.

16. The additive delivery system of claim 1 , wherein the user interface includes a visual indicator for displaying recommended dosage related information to a user based on the base fluid flow and the position of the flow adjustment actuator.

17. The additive delivery system of claim 1 , further comprising a container for the supply of base liquid, and a container lid for enclosing the container, the additive delivery system being mounted on the container lid.

Assignees

• Cirkul Inc

Inventors

• Waggoner Garrett S
• Gay Andrew
• Baarman David W

Classifications

• B01F35/833

  Flow control by valves, e.g. opening intermittently · CPC title

• B01F35/21112

  Volumetric flow rate · CPC title

• B01F33/844

  with means for customizing the mixture on the point of sale, e.g. by sensing, receiving or analysing information about the characteristics of the mixture to be made · CPC title

• B01F33/50111

  Small portable bottles, flasks, vials, e.g. with means for mixing ingredients or for homogenizing their content, e.g. by hand shaking · CPC title

• B01F25/316

  with containers for additional components fixed to the conduit · CPC title