Dispensing – Automatic control – Motor control
Reexamination Certificate
2001-08-09
2004-02-03
Mar, Michael (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
Automatic control
Motor control
C222S071000, C222S129300, C417S044100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06685054
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an apparatus and method for delivering liquids different from each other in a property such as density, viscosity, etc.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In liquid delivery apparatuses for delivering liquids different from each other in a property such as density, viscosity, etc for example, oils such as edible or lubricating oils, paints, blood, and syrup, for example, the delivery is regulated according to the properties of the liquid to be delivered. Further, the delivery is regulated according to a fluctuation in delivery of the liquid as a result of a change in a property of the liquid due to a change in external environment, such as a change in temperature. These types of regulation work produce, for example, a waste of a lot of money and a waste of a lot of time, because they incur personnel expenses and cause a miss of an opportunity of production or sale due to the necessity of suspending the operation of the liquid delivery apparatus during the regulation.
For example, in the case of beverage dispensers or cup-type vending machines, syrup as a concentrate of a beverage material is diluted with diluting water, such as water or carbonated water, at a predetermined dilution level to prepare a beverage which is then sold. For conventional beverage dispensers or cup-type vending machines, in order to dilute the syrup at a proper dilution level, a flow regulator or a flow meter is provided in a feed line for the syrup and a feed line for the diluting water so that the syrup can be mixed with the diluting water while controlling the flow rate of the syrup and the flow rate of the diluting water.
FIG. 1
is a schematic diagram showing the construction of a beverage feeding apparatus wherein a flow regulator for regulating the flow rate is provided in each of a feed line for syrup and a feed line for diluting water. In
FIG. 1
, numeral
1
designates a solenoid valve for a water inlet, numeral
2
a water pump, numeral
3
a water cooling coil, numeral
41
a flow regulator for water, numeral
5
a solenoid valve for water, numeral
6
a water feed line, numeral
7
a solenoid valve for water feed to a carbonator, numeral
8
a carbonator, numeral
42
a flow regulator for carbonated water, numeral
10
a carbonated water cooling coil, numeral
11
a solenoid valve for carbonated water, numeral
12
a carbonated water feed line, numeral
13
a carbon dioxide bomb, numeral
14
a syrup tank, numeral
15
a syrup cooling coil, numeral
43
a flow regulator for syrup, numeral
17
a solenoid valve for syrup, numeral
18
a syrup feed line, and numeral
19
a multivalve.
Water enters the water pump
2
through the solenoid valve
1
for a water inlet, and is fed by means of the water pump
2
into the multivalve
19
through the water feed line
6
. In this case, upon the delivery from the water pump
2
, water is passed through the water cooling coil
3
for cooling water, the flow regulator
41
for regulating the flow rate of water, and the solenoid valve
5
for water, and then enters the multivalve
19
. As soon as a preset time has elapsed, a feed control unit (not shown) stops the water pump
2
, and, at the same time, closes the solenoid valve
1
for a water inlet and the solenoid valve
5
for water to stop the feed of water. Further, the water feed line
6
is branched off at a position between the water cooling coil
3
and the flow regulator
41
for water, and is connected to the carbonator
8
through the solenoid valve
7
for water feed to a carbonator. A float switch (not shown) for detecting the level of water is provided within the carbonator
8
. As soon as the level of water within the carbonator
8
reaches the lower limit position, the solenoid valve
1
for a water inlet and the solenoid valve
7
for water feed to a carbonator are opened and, in addition, the water pump
2
is operated to feed water into the carbonator
8
. As soon as the level of water within the carbonator
8
reaches the upper limit position, the solenoid valve
1
for a water inlet and the solenoid valve
7
for water feed to a carbonator are closed, and, in addition, the operation of the water pump
2
is stopped. Carbon dioxide fed from the carbon dioxide bomb
13
is dissolved in the fed water to prepare carbonated water. The carbonated water is forced out from the carbonator
8
by pressure of the carbon dioxide, and is fed into the multivalve
19
through the carbonated water feed line
12
, that is, through the flow regulator
42
for regulating the flow rate of carbonated water, the carbonated water cooling coil
10
for cooling carbonated water, and the solenoid valve
11
for carbonated water. As soon as a preset time has elapsed, the feed control unit closes the solenoid valve
11
for carbonated water to stop the feed of carbonated water.
On the other hand, syrup is forced out from the syrup tank
14
by the pressure of carbon dioxide fed from the carbon dioxide bomb
13
, and is then fed into the multivalve
19
through the syrup feed line
18
, that is, through the syrup cooling coil
15
for cooling syrup, the flow regulator
43
for regulating the flow rate of syrup, and the solenoid valve
17
for syrup. As soon as a preset time has elapsed, the feed control unit closes the solenoid valve
17
for syrup to stop the feed of syrup. In this connection, it should be noted that the syrup tank
14
, the syrup cooling coil
15
, the flow regulator
43
for syrup, the solenoid valve
17
for syrup, and the syrup feed line
18
are provided by the number corresponding to the number of types of beverages to be sold.
Within the multivalve
19
, the syrup fed from the syrup tank
14
through the syrup feed line
18
, that is, through the syrup cooling coil
15
, the flow regulator
43
for syrup, and the solenoid valve
17
for syrup is mixed with diluting water such as water or carbonated water fed through the solenoid valve
5
for water or the solenoid valve
11
for carbonated water to prepare a beverage which is then discharged.
FIG. 2
is a schematic diagram showing the construction of a beverage feeding apparatus wherein a flow meter, which has a rotator of paddle, oval or other type rotated in synchronization with the flow rate of syrup or the flow rate of diluting water, detects the speed of rotation of the rotator, and outputs pulses synchronized with the flow rate to permit the output pulses to be input into a feed control unit (not shown) to measure the flow rate of the syrup or the diluting water, is provided in each of a syrup feed line and a diluting water feed line. In
FIGS. 1 and 2
, like parts have the same reference numerals. In
FIG. 2
, numeral
1
designates a solenoid valve for a water inlet, numeral
2
a water pump, numeral
3
a water cooling coil, numeral
44
a flow meter for water, numeral
5
a solenoid valve for water, numeral
6
a water feed line, numeral
7
a solenoid valve for water feed to a carbonator, numeral
8
a carbonator, numeral
45
a flow meter for carbonated water, numeral
10
a carbonated water cooling coil, numeral
11
a solenoid valve for carbonated water, numeral
12
a carbonated water feed line, numeral
13
a carbon dioxide bomb, numeral
14
a syrup tank, numeral
15
a syrup cooling coil, numeral
46
a flow meter for syrup, numeral
17
a solenoid valve for syrup, numeral
18
a syrup feed line, and numeral
19
a multivalve.
Water enters the water pump
2
through the solenoid valve
1
for a water inlet, and is fed by means of the water pump
2
into the multivalve
19
through the water feed line
6
, that is, through the water cooling coil
3
for cooling water, the flow meter
44
for measuring the flow rate of water, and the solenoid valve
5
for water, As soon as the number of pulses output from the flow meter
44
for water reaches a preset number of pulses, the feed control unit stops the water pump
2
and, at the same time, closes the solenoid valve
1
for a water inlet and the solenoid valve
5
for water to stop the feed of water. Further, the water feed line
6
Buechner Patrick
Mar Michael
Sanyo Electric Co,. Ltd.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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