Systems and methods of selecting operations for a dispenser based on path of travel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022017350-A1
Application number	US-202117374278-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 13, 2021
Priority date	Jul 17, 2020
Publication date	Jan 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

An example of a beverage dispenser includes a nozzle and a valve coupled upstream of the nozzle. A sensor is operable to detect an object within a detection zone and provide a signal representative of a distance between the object and the sensor. A controller is configured to receive the signal from the sensor. The controller is configured to determine a sub-zone from a plurality of sub-zones within the detection zone in which the object is located. The valve is controlled between an open condition to dispense the substance through the nozzle and a closed condition based upon the determined sub-zone.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A beverage dispenser comprising:
a nozzle; a valve coupled upstream of the nozzle, the valve configured to control a flow of a substance through the valve to the nozzle; a solenoid operatively connected to the valve and configured to operate the valve between an open condition and a closed condition; a sensor operable to detect an object within a detection zone and provide a signal representative of a distance between the object and the sensor; and a controller configured to receive the signal from the sensor, determine, from the signal, a sub-zone from a plurality of sub-zones within the detection zone in which the object is located, and operate the solenoid to control the valve between an open condition to dispense the substance through the nozzle and a closed condition based upon the determined sub-zone.

2 . The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to operate the beverage dispenser in a dispense mode in which the valve is controlled in the open condition and the controller is configured to operate in a standby mode in which the valve is controlled in the closed condition.

3 . The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a proximity sensor.

4 . The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the detection zone is defined by a maximum effective distance of the sensor and the detection zone defines a distant zone outside of the detection zone, wherein the plurality of sub-zones includes a dispense zone as one of the sub-zones.

5 . The beverage dispenser of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of sub-zones includes a clean zone, wherein the clean zone comprises a portion of the detection zone extending from the sensor in the direction of the maximum effective distance until the dispense zone.

6 . The beverage dispenser of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of sub-zones includes an approach zone that extends from the maximum effective distance to the dispense zone.

7 . The beverage dispenser of claim 6 , wherein the controller is configured to determine an approach path of the object within one or more sub-zones.

8 . The beverage dispenser of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to:
determine a current sub-zone in which the object is located and to determine a current mode of operation of the dispenser; select a predetermined evaluation time from a plurality of predetermined evaluation times with which to evaluate the detection of the object; compare an elapsed time to the selected predetermined evaluation time; and based upon the comparison, set the current mode of operation of the beverage dispenser.

9 . The beverage dispenser of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of predetermined evaluation times comprises a first evaluation time and a second evaluation time wherein the first evaluation time is shorter than the second evaluation time.

10 . The beverage dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the current sub-zone is the dispense zone and the current mode of operation is a standby mode, and the controller is further configured to determine a prior zone of the plurality of sub-zones in which the object was located and based upon the determined prior zone, the controller selects between the first evaluation time and the second evaluation time.

11 . The beverage dispenser of claim 10 , wherein if the prior zone is the approach zone, the controller selects the first evaluation time and if the prior zone is the distant zone or clean zone, the controller selects the second evaluation time.

12 . The beverage dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the current sub-zone is the clean zone and the current mode of operation is a standby mode, the controller selects a third evaluation time of the plurality of predetermined evaluation times, the third evaluation time is longer than the first evaluation time and the second evaluation time.

13 . A method of dispensing a beverage from a beverage dispenser, the method comprising:
detecting an object within a detection zone of a sensor, the sensor producing a signal representative of a distance between the object and the sensor; determining, from the signal, a current sub-zone from a plurality of sub-zones within the detection zone in which the object is located; determining a current mode of operation of the dispenser; selecting a predetermined evaluation time from a plurality of predetermined evaluation times based upon the determined current sub-zone and current mode of operation; and controlling the beverage dispenser in a dispense mode with a valve in an open condition to dispense a substance through a nozzle or controlling the beverage dispenser in a standby mode with the valve in a closed condition based upon an evaluation using the selected predetermined evaluation time.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the evaluation using the selected predetermined evaluation time is a comparison of an elapsed time to the selected predetermined evaluation time.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the detection zone is defined by a maximum effective distance of the sensor and the detection zone defines a distant zone outside of the detection zone, wherein the plurality of sub-zones within the detection zone comprises a dispense zone and a clean zone, wherein the clean zone is a portion of the detection zone between the sensor and the dispense zone.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of sub-zones further includes an approach zone that extends from the maximum effective distance to the dispense zone.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of predetermined evaluation times comprises a first evaluation time and a second evaluation time, wherein the first evaluation time is shorter than the second evaluation time.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the current sub-zone is the dispense zone and the current mode of operation is a standby mode, and further comprising:
determining, with the controller, a prior zone of the plurality of sub-zones in which the object was located; and selecting, with the controller, between the first evaluation time and the second evaluation time, based upon the determined prior zone.

19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
wherein if the prior zone is the approach zone, selecting the first evaluation time; and wherein if the prior zone is the distant zone or the clean zone, selecting the second evaluation time.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the current sub-zone is the clean zone and the current mode of operation is a standby mode, and further comprising:
selecting a third evaluation time of the plurality of predetermined evaluation times, wherein the third evaluation time is longer than the first evaluation time and the second evaluation time.

Assignees

• Marmon Foodservice Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Greenberg Jacob C
• Coul Christopher D
• Bendig James

Classifications

• B67D1/1277

  Flow control valves · CPC title

• H03K2217/94036

  Multiple detection, i.e. where different switching signals are generated after operation of the user is detected at different time instants at different locations during the actuation movement by two or more sensors of the same or different kinds · CPC title

• B67D1/07

  Cleaning beverage-dispensing apparatus {(B67D1/0834, B67D1/0837 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B67D1/0011

  based on the timed opening of a valve · CPC title

• H03K2217/94116

  increasing reliability, fail-safe · CPC title