U.S. patent number RE31,434 [Application Number 06/374,021] was granted by the patent office on 1983-11-01 for portable liquid metering device.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Electro Data Systems, Inc.. Invention is credited to David H. Reilly.
United States Patent |
RE31,434 |
Reilly |
November 1, 1983 |
Portable liquid metering device
Abstract
A portable liquid metering device for detachably securing to the
opening of a liquid container and adapted to discharge a
predetermined volume of liquid upon tipping and having a register
for counting and displaying the number of times the bottle is
tipped.
Inventors: |
Reilly; David H. (Fort
Lauderdale, FL) |
Assignee: |
Electro Data Systems, Inc.
(Fort Lauderdale, FL)
|
Family
ID: |
26696584 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/374,021 |
Filed: |
May 3, 1982 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
022984 |
Mar 22, 1979 |
04265370 |
May 5, 1981 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
222/25; 222/211;
222/37; 222/641 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G01F
11/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01F
11/00 (20060101); B67D 005/30 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/23,25,36,37,641,153,129.3,129.4,206,211,215 ;335/174,206 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Marmor; Charles A.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Zallen; Joseph
Claims
I claim:
1. A self-contained portable liquid metering and dispensing device
comprising: a housing (10) having upper pouring means (10a) and
lower inlet means (19) for detachably securing .Iadd.the housing
.Iaddend.to the opening of a liquid container; air means (16)
extending through said housing into said lower means (19); conduit
means connecting said pouring and lower means and including a
flexible resilient portion (13), means (12a) for pinching off flow
in said resilient portion (13), a reverse polarity motor means (11)
connected to and actuating said pinching means (12a); power means
(20) for actuating said motor means (11); .[.movable magnet means
(24b) moved by tipping of the device; switch means (24) actuated by
said magnet means (24g).].; .Iadd.switch means (24) actuable by
tipping of the device; .Iaddend.logic means (100) actuated by said
switch means (24) to cause said motor means to rotate to release
said pinching means (12a) from said resilient portion (13), stop
rotation for a predetermined period of time and then rotate on
reverse to pinch off said resilient portion (13); and means (17)
for counting and displaying the number of actuations of said switch
means (24); all of said means being carried completely by said
housing.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein means (22) carried by said housing
are provided to vary said predetermined period of time.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein means (18) carried by said housing
are provided to count and display the number of times the device is
removed from the liquid container.
4. The device of claim 1, 2 .[.or 3.]., .Iadd.3 or 5
.Iaddend.wherein display is not visible except when user passes a
magnet over a magnetic reed switch means (23) carried by said
housing and connected to said logic means (100). .Iadd. 5. The
device of claim 1 wherein movable magnet means (24b) is provided
which is moved by tipping of the device so as to actuate said
switch means (24). .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
This invention relates to a portable liquid metering device. In
particular it relates to such a device which can be inserted in the
neck of a bottle, as for example, a bottle of liquor.
The prior art as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,882,086;
3,428,218; 3,688,947; 3,993,218; 3,170,597; 3,257,034, and
3,599,833 and does not describe a commercially satisfactory
device.
One object of this invention is to provide a portable liquid
metering device which can be inserted on top of a bottle and
automatically deliver a predetermined measured amount of liquid in
a rapid manner by the simple act of tipping the bottle.
Another object of this invention is to provide such a device which
will count and store information relating to the quantities
dispensed, which information can be readily obtained at a later
time.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide such a device
which will automatically provide information as to the number of
bottles in which the device has been inserted.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent
from the description and claims which follow taken together with
the appended drawings.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
This invention comprises broadly a portable liquid metering and
dispensing device adapted to be fitted into the opening of a
container such as a bottle. The device has an upper pouring spout
which is connected by a conduit to an inlet in the lower end of the
device within the neck of the bottle. Means are provided for
normally blocking the passage of liquid through the conduit by a
valve or the like. When the bottle is tipped a switch actuates
means which unblock the conduit for a predetermined period of time
and then reblock it. Thus, when the device inserted into a bottle
is in inverted position liquid from the bottle passes from the
inlet through the outlet to a glass for a period of time which
correlates with the desired volume of liquid. As long as the bottle
is kept inverted no further flow will occur. However, when the
bottle is turned right side up the tipping switch can then be
reactivated by tipping the bottle.
In its preferred form a logic circuit is provided which upon a
signal from the tipping switch activates the means to open the
conduit and then re-activates the means to close the conduit and
also both counts and displays the number of times this action takes
place. The tipping switch can be a mercury switch or other switch
sensitive to its position with respect to gravity as for example, a
sliding magnet switch. The valve is preferably a pinch valve
operated by a cam or gear. It is also preferred that the device
include a bottle removal counter and display which will count and
display the number of times the device is removed from a bottle by
means of a switch. Further, in order to give security to the device
the actual reading of the display could be arranged to be actuated
by a magnetic reed switch responsive to an independent magnet.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a device made in accordance with
this invention inserted into the neck of a bottle.
FIG. 2 is a partial cross-section view.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of the motor and cam.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the electrical aspects of the
invention.
SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF INVENTION
Referring now to the drawings the device illustrated comprises a
housing 10 having an upper pour spout 10a and a flexible conduit 13
such as latex rubber tubing. Flexible conduit 13 is attached to a
rigid conduit 14 which leads to an inlet 15 in a bottom means 19
for securing to a bottle. An air tube 16 having a check valve 16a
extends through the inlet and housing to the outside air.
Within the housing is a motor 11 which drives a member 12, which
member has a projection 12a normally pinching flexible conduit 13
in conjunction with spring 12a against rigid wall 12c. Upon proper
actuation of the motor projection 12a is removed thus permitting
flow of liquid through the conduit. Further actuation of the motor
causes projection 12a to pinch the conduit and block the flow of
liquid in the conduit. An on/off switch 21 is provided as well as a
knob 22 for adjusting the duration of time that the conduit is left
open and hence in proportionate amount to the flow of liquid that
is discharged from the bottle.
A logic circuit 100 is provided such as a micro processor circuit
which acts so as to control the motor 11 in response to a tipping
switch 24 which can for example be a mercury switch or a sliding
magnet switch 24a power is consumed. The logic circuit 100 has
means for counting and displaying the number of times there are
pairs of motor pulses and thus counts the number of times there is
dispensing from the bottle, sometimes referred to as shot count 17.
In addition the logic circuit provides for counting the number of
times the device is removed from a bottle, hence the number of
bottles with which the device has been used, display 18. Such
information as shot count 17 and bottle count 18 are vital and
important information for the control at bars where liquor is
dispensed. In order to increase security further, the actual
display of the stored information is not visible except when the
user passes a magnet over a magnetic reed switch whereby the LED
display becomes visible. A typical setting of the motor 11 is such
that a pulse rotates the motor ten revolutions in one direction and
after the time delay which can be varied by control 22, the motor
is reversed in polarity to make ten revolutions in the reverse
direction.
In the circuit exemplified in FIG. 5 the basic elements of the
driving system are dual mono stable multi vibrators 27, 28, 28a, 29
(RCA COS/MOS Digital Integrated Circuits, high voltage B series,
RCA CD 3098B.) The display elements 30, 31 and 32 actuate light
emitting diodes, 33, 34 and 35 so as to give the shot count display
17 while circuit 36 actuates light emitting diode 33 for the bottle
count 18. Resistor 103 and fixed capacitor 104 are associated with
circuit 27, resistor 105 and fixed capacitor 106 are associated
with circuit 28a, and resistance 108 and capacitors 109 are
associated with circuit 29.
The switching and power arrangement comprises battery 20 whose
positive side is connected to switches as follows:
(a) Through the noise filter comprising capacitor 101 and resistor
102 to tipping switch 24.
(b) Through tipping switch 24 to shot count switch 25 which
activates the motor 11 and its associated controls in accordance
with signals from the micro processor.
(c) To bottle switch 26 which has noise filter capacitor 111 in
series with resistance 116.
(d) To magnetically activated reed switch 23 for activating the
display section of the device.
The DC motor 11 is connected across transistors 38, 39, 40 and 43,
which in conjunction with transistors 41 and 42 with resistances
112, 113, 114, 115 and 117 provide switching control for the motor
from the micro processor elements 27, 28, 28a, and 29. Resistors
113 and 115 are base-limiting resistors for transistors 38 and 39.
Resistors 112 and 117 are base-limiting for transistors 40 and 43.
Transistors 41 and 42 act as level transition switches in going
from the micro-processor elements 27, 28, 28a and 29 to the motor
switches.
Components which can be used in the circuitry of this invention are
commercially available; thus, ultra-miniature slide switches of the
dual wipe type are available from UID. Fixed variable resistors are
available from a number of different sources as are capacitors.
Seven-segment light emitting diodes are available from Monsanto.
Integrated circuit components for the logic circuit are available
from RCA and from Intersel, Inc. Counters and encoders are
available from National Semi-Conductor. Mercury switches are
available from a number of sources including Gordos Corp. and reed
switches are also obtainable from Gordos.
It should be noted that the embodiment illustrated and described
herein requires no chamber for storage of liquid prior to
dispensing. While the bottle with the dispensing device attached is
in the normal upright position there is no liquid in the device. As
soon as the device is tipped the conduit 13 is unblocked for a
short period of time permitting instant pouring and each pour is
automatically counted and the count is available for display.
Adjustment of the pour size from for example one sixteenth to six
ounces is accomplished by adjustment of the potentiometer 22 which
adjusts the length of time that the conduit is unblocked. Since the
entire logic and display circuit is contained within the device
itself there is no need for auxiliary devices in order to keep an
accurate control of the number of drinks that are served from a
particular bottle or the number of bottles with which the device
has been associated.
Another particular advantage of this embodiment is that the
consumption of power is so low that the battery rarely needs
changing. The preselected time delay during which the liquid is
flowing out by gravity does not consume any power since the only
time the motor is on is during the short pulses for blocking and
unblocking.
The magnet slide switch illustrated in FIG. 2 whereby the switch is
activated by the magnetic slug sliding by gravity to the magnetic
reed switch can also be used to give a fast double pour by a slight
shake which would unlatch the circuit and then permit the
unblocking-blocking cycle to be repeated. It should be noted that
the circuit is so arranged that reopening of the pour switch, be it
the magnetic slide switch, or the mercury switch, is required
before the unblocking-blocking cycle can be repeated.
While the illustrated embodiment is limited to metering, dispensing
and counting a shot size which can be varied by adjustment of the
potentiometer, it is also feasible although not illustrated, to
have an additional micro processor-display circuit which can be
alternately used for a preselected larger size volume. Thus for
example an additional switch will give the user the chance to
deliver one ounce shots or two ounce shots.
In addition to having the shot counts and bottle removal, counts
stored in the portable device of this invention, such information
could by state of the art techniques be transferred to another
logic device which could monitor a large number of portable
devices.
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