Dispensing system with liquid level sensing and level-based actions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11897754-B2
Application number	US-202217702385-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2022
Priority date	Mar 26, 2021
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A dispensing system includes a container, a holder, and a signal processing module. The container includes a body configured to store a liquid and a conductive strip coupled to an outer surface of the body. The holder is configured to receive the container. The holder includes an electrical contact configured to contact the conductive strip when the container is received in the holder. The signal processing module is in electrical communication with the electrical contact. The signal processing module is configured to receive signals from the electrical contact to determine a level of liquid within the container body based on the signals when the container is received in the holder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing system comprising:
a container comprising:
a body configured to store a liquid, and
a conductive strip coupled to an outer surface of the body;

a holder configured to receive the container, the holder comprising an electrical contact configured to contact the conductive strip when the container is received in the holder; and
a signal processing module in electrical communication with the electrical contact, the signal processing module configured to receive signals from the electrical contact to determine a level of liquid within the container body based on the signals when the container is received in the holder,
wherein the signal processing module is configured to determine the level of liquid within the container in response to determining that a dosing event has occurred.

2. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein a contact surface of the conductive strip contacts the electrical contact of the holder when the container is received in the holder, and wherein a plane tangent to the outer surface of the container at the contact surface intersects a vertical plane at an angle of between about 5 degrees and about 89 degrees.

3. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the holder comprises a tap configured to dispense the liquid from the container.

4. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the signal processing module is configured to communicate the level of liquid within the container to a user.

5. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the signal processing module is configured to determine, based on the level of liquid within the container, that a replenish threshold has been satisfied.

6. The dispensing system of claim 5 , wherein the signal processing module is configured to determine that the replenish threshold has been satisfied based on the level of liquid within the container by first determining a volume of liquid remaining in the container.

7. The dispensing system of claim 5 , wherein the signal processing module is configured to automatically order a replacement container in response to determining that the replenish threshold has been satisfied.

8. The dispensing system of claim 5 , wherein the signal processing module is configured to automatically send a communication to a user device in response to determining that the replenish threshold has been satisfied.

9. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the signal processing module is configured to determine the level of liquid within the container at a regular time interval.

10. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the conductive strip is integrally formed with a product label coupled to the outer surface of the container.

11. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the conductive strip is disposed under a product label coupled to the outer surface of the container.

12. A container comprising:
a body configured to store a liquid, the body comprising:
an outer surface,
an upper portion comprising an upper side wall portion, and
a lower portion comprising a dispensing opening and a lower side wall portion disposed at an angle of about 170 degrees to about 179 degrees relative to the upper side wall portion; and

a conductive strip coupled to the outer surface of the body, wherein an upper portion of the conductive strip is disposed on the upper side wall portion, and wherein a lower portion of the conductive strip is disposed on the lower side wall portion.

13. The container of claim 12 , wherein the lower side wall portion is disposed at an angle of about 175 degrees to about 177 degrees relative to the upper side wall portion.

14. The container of claim 12 , wherein the upper side wall portion and the lower side wall portion together form a smooth curve.

15. The container of claim 12 , wherein the conductive strip is coupled to the outer surface of the body along a coupling portion of the body, and wherein the coupling portion of the body forms a smooth curve.

16. The container of claim 12 , wherein the dispensing opening is disposed at a front portion of the body, and wherein the lower portion of the body is angled downward from a rear portion of the body toward the front portion of the body and toward the dispensing opening.

17. A method of dispensing a liquid, the method comprising:
disposing a container configured to store a liquid onto a holder, wherein a conductive strip coupled to an outer surface of the container contacts an electric contact disposed on the holder;
determining, by a signal processing module, a level of liquid within the container at a regular time interval while the container is disposed on the holder;
determining, by the signal processing module, based on the level of liquid within the container, that a replenish threshold has been satisfied; and
communicating, by the signal processing module, in response to determining that the replenish threshold has been satisfied, that the replenish threshold has been satisfied.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein communicating that the replenish threshold has been satisfied comprises ordering a replacement container.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein communicating that the replenish threshold has been satisfied comprises sending a notification to a user device.

Assignees

• Henkel Ag & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Affan Elif
• Seynaeve Dirck
• Chakrova Nadezda
• Pauwels Karel
• Gilchrest Edward
• Krystinik Andrew Bell
• Abrams Elana Rae
• Borgestedt Alexander
• Katz Stanley Maurice
• Tao Michael Cong
• Brannan Mark Craig

Classifications

• B67D3/0093 Primary

  Level indicators · CPC title

• B67D3/0067

  relating to shape or materials, e.g. bag-in-box packages [BIB], pouches · CPC title

• B67D3/0077

  Electronic circuitry · CPC title

• B67D3/0083

  for the liquid container · CPC title