Device and method for controlling the filling of a cup by a vending machine
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
UP-0760994
(2007-06-11)
|
등록번호 |
US-7546854
(2009-07-01)
|
우선권정보 |
EP-04029524(2004-12-14) |
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Ozanne, Matthieu
- Kollep, Alexandre
- Piguet, Ralph
- Terrien, Grégoire
- Greppin, Xavier
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
3 인용 특허 :
10 |
초록
▼
A device for controlling the filling of a receptacle with liquid by a drink vending machine. The device includes visual marking device for marking the liquid fill level in the receptacle, a device for emitting a signal towards the receptacle, a device for receiving an incident signal and which recei
A device for controlling the filling of a receptacle with liquid by a drink vending machine. The device includes visual marking device for marking the liquid fill level in the receptacle, a device for emitting a signal towards the receptacle, a device for receiving an incident signal and which receives the incident signal returning from the receptacle and a controlling device configured for commanding the stoppage of filling on the basis of a variation of the incident signal.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A device for controlling the filling of a receptacle with liquid by a drink vending machine comprising: means for filling the receptacle with liquid; means for controlling the means for filling acting so as to command stopping of the means for filling; means for visually mark
What is claimed is: 1. A device for controlling the filling of a receptacle with liquid by a drink vending machine comprising: means for filling the receptacle with liquid; means for controlling the means for filling acting so as to command stopping of the means for filling; means for visually marking a desired liquid fill level in the receptacle; means for emitting a signal towards the receptacle to generate an incident signal; and means for receiving the incident signal returning from the receptacle; wherein the means for controlling is configured to process the incident signal by measuring from this signal at least one variable representative of the fill level in the receptacle, and to stop the filling means when the variable reaches or exceeds a certain predefined threshold; wherein the visual marking means is arranged for indicating a user-visible mark on a side of the receptacle, with the user-visible mark on the receptacle corresponding to the desired liquid fill level in the receptacle, with the control means being arranged to stop the filling means when the liquid reaches the desired fill level set by the visual marking means, and with the visual marking means being user-adjustable to displace on the side of the receptacle the user-visible mark and the corresponding level of fill to a modified user-chosen level of fill. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the visual marking means of the level is a light-emitting device or mechanical device. 3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the visual marking means marks a location on the internal wall of the receptacle. 4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the visual marking means produces a marking in the form of a light spot on the internal wall of the receptacle. 5. The device according to claim 2, wherein the visual marking means provides an indication of level outside the receptacle. 6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the signal emitting means and signal receiving means are light signals and the incident signal is measured by the controlling means. 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the signal emitting means and signal receiving means are based on ultrasound signals. 8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the receiving means is a series of photoelectric receivers and at least one variable is a displacement of a light incident signal measured by the receivers. 9. The device according to claim 8, wherein: the signal emitting means is a photoemitter module for generating a light ray of visible light; the visual marking means is a light spot in the receptacle from the light ray generated by the photoemitter module; which spot is positioned so as to mark the desired fill level of the liquid in the receptacle; the receiving means is a photoreceiver module configured so as to sense the incident ray returning from the receptacle; and the controlling means is configured so as to measure a variation in the position of the incident ray received by the photoreceiver module and also to stop delivery of the liquid by the filling means when the position of the signal of the incident ray has reached a threshold of variation of the predetermined position. 10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the controlling means comprises a microprocessor and the photoreceiver module comprises a camera having at least one row of photosensitive photodiodes; with the photodiode row being oriented so as to receive the incident ray in such a way that a variation in the position of the ray is detected on the row by the one or more photodiodes. 11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the camera orients the row of photodiodes in the same plane as the light ray generated by the photoemitter and at a nonzero angle with respect to the ray. 12. The device according to claim 9, wherein the photoemitter module is a laser or a light emitter based on a lamp or other optoelectronic component and comprises focusing means. 13. The device according to claim 9, wherein the controlling means includes a microprocessor configured to: determine the relative initial position of the incident ray on the row thus corresponding to the position of the initial light spot in the receptacle; detect a variation in the position of the incident ray on the row corresponding to the change of position of the light spot produced by the rising of the liquid in the receptacle; command the filling means to stop as a function of the variation of the position according to a predetermined tolerance threshold. 14. The device according to claim 9, wherein the controlling means comprises a microprocessor configured so as also to detect a variation of intensity on the receiver module and operate the filling means as a function of a variation of the intensity measured. 15. The device according to claim 9, wherein the controlling means includes a microprocessor that detects of the variation of position of the incident ray by measurement and then compares an image vector representing intensity distribution produced by the row of photodiodes and detects of a change of at least one variable relating to this image vector. 16. The device according to claim 15, wherein the controlling means is configured to control the emission of the light ray from the photoemitter module which emits in pulsed signal mode so that the reception signal of the photoreceiver module can be processed by differential measurement consisting in determining the position of the incident ray by differencing between an image vector produced by the photoreceiver module during the emission of the light signal and an image vector produced by the photoreceiver module between two emissions of the light signal by the photoemitter module. 17. The device according to claim 9, which further comprises an operating member which at the start of each filling cycle commands, at least: activation of the filling mean for filling the receptacle with liquid; initialization of the controlling means for filling by a control unit. 18. The device according to claim 9, wherein the photoemitter module is configured to be able to be displaceable so as to be able to modify the position of the light spot as a function of the chosen level of fill in the receptacle. 19. The device according to claim 18, wherein the photoemitter and photoreceiver modules are jointly displaceable through a certain angular sector. 20. The device according to claim 7, wherein: the signal emitter means is a generator of ultrasonic waves directed towards the liquid surface in the receptacle; the signal receiver means is a receiver of the waves reflected by the surface of the liquid; the visual marking means representative of the desired level establishes a threshold of theoretical distance between the surface of the liquid and the wave receiver; the controlling means measures the actual distance between the liquid and the receiver during filling and commands the stoppage of the filling means when the actual distance reaches or exceeds the threshold of theoretical distance corresponding to the position of the level marked by the marking means. 21. The device according to claim 1, wherein the visual marking, emitter and receiver means are displaceable en masse so as to make it possible to modify the marking of the level of fill in the receptacle. 22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the visual marking, emitter and receiver means are displaceable through an angular arc in a manual or automated manner. 23. A method for controlling filling of a receptacle with liquid from a drink vending machine using the device of claim 1, which method comprises: visually marking the desired liquid fill level for the receptacle; emitting the signal towards the receptacle to generate the incident signal; receiving the incident signal returning from the receptacle; measuring from the incident signal the variable relating to the incident signal and representative of the actual liquid level in the receptacle; and stopping the filling of the receptacle when the measured variable reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold. 24. The method according to claim 23, wherein: the visual marking is done by pointing a light ray at the location of the desired level in the receptacle; the emitting of the signal is the emission of a light ray which generates an incident ray; the receiving of the signal is the reception of the incident ray at a nonzero angle; the measuring of the at least one variable is done by measuring displacement of the incident ray by a camera; and the stopping occurs when the variable relating to the position of the incident ray reaches a certain predetermined threshold variation. 25. The device according to claim 2, wherein the visual marking means comprises a visual marking cursor displaceable vertically with respect to a ruler scale. 26. The device according to claim 3, wherein the visual marking means comprises a visual marking cursor displaceable vertically with respect to a ruler scale.
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (10)
-
Morishita Akira (Numazu JPX) Ota Tsuyoshi (Numazu JPX) Suzuki Tatsuya (Shizuoka JPX) Ito Sukehide (Numazu JPX) Ryuko Yoshikazu (Shizuoka JPX), Apparatus for dispensing a sparkling or bubbling beverage.
-
Stembridge, William F.; Sturrock, James C.; Stembridge, W. Frank, Automatic control system for filling beverage containers.
-
Farmer M. Zane (12 Christman Tree Dr. Ashburnham MA 01430) Farmer Diane B. (12 Christman Tree Dr. Ashburnham MA 01430), Automatic level sensing system.
-
Reichenberger Arthur M. (1916 N. 21st Pl. Phoenix AZ 85006), Beverage portion controller.
-
Campagna Gerald L. (San Jose CA), Cup filling apparatus.
-
Houman Leif (Oyster Bay NY), Dispensing arrangement for a beverage such as a milkshake.
-
Skell Daniel G. (Cedarburg WI) Skell Eric D. (Cedarburg WI) Manthei Michael A. (Cedarburg WI), Dispensing method and apparatus that detects the presence and size of a cup and provides automatic fill control.
-
Guy Edward L. (340 NW. 50th Seattle WA 98107), Fill level control system for viscous, variable density fluid products.
-
Janke, Donald E., Refrigerator and automated liquid dispenser therefor.
-
Skell Daniel G. ; Skell Eric D., Triangulation position detection with fill level control.
이 특허를 인용한 특허 (3)
-
Ozanne, Matthieu; Kollep, Alexandre; Piguet, Ralph; Terrien, Grégoire; Greppin, Xavier, Device and method for controlling the filling of a cup by a vending machine.
-
Agam, Uri; Gal, Eli; Marcovecchio, Pino, Method and system for short-range ultrasonic location sensing.
-
Ashrafzadeh, Farhad; Chase, Kevin M.; Janke, Brian P.; Kanchanavally, Shreecharan; Voglewede, Ronald L., Select-fill dispensing system.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.