Mass-based dispensing using optical displacement measurement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8944286-B2
Application number	US-201213686322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2012
Priority date	Nov 27, 2012
Publication date	Feb 3, 2015
Grant date	Feb 3, 2015

Abstract

A dispensing system and methods employed therein uses optical displacement sensing to control dispensation of one or more products. An optical displacement sensor measures displacement of a load beam supporting a vessel from which the product is to be dispensed. The displacement of the load beam is related to the amount (weight) of the product remaining in the vessel. The system may thus control dispensation of the product based on the optical displacement measurements.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a load beam that supports a vessel containing a product to be dispensed, wherein the load beam includes a beam extension adapted to support the vessel containing the product to be dispensed, and a hook portion adapted to permit hanging of the vessel containing the product to be dispensed;
a product dispenser that dispenses the product based on a weight of the product remaining in the vessel;
an emitter that emits an optical sig…

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Mehus Richard J
• Kraus Paul R
• Popa Mihnea A

Classifications

• B67D7/06 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• A47L15/449 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A47L2401/30

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A47L2501/07

  Human Necessities · mapped topic