Automated dispenser and method for dispensing
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B67D-007/78
B65D-083/06
B65D-085/804
A47G-019/34
B01F-013/10
A47J-031/40
출원번호
US-0014213
(2013-08-29)
등록번호
US-9469463
(2016-10-18)
발명자
/ 주소
Murray, James Bruce
Salazar, Carlos Eduardo
Giunta, Francis James
Hanna, Kenneth Scott
출원인 / 주소
Tastetro, Inc.
대리인 / 주소
De Klerk, Stephen M.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
0인용 특허 :
18
초록▼
An automated dispenser for dispensing spices, condiments, herbs, teas, ground coffees, or powdered beverages, having a plurality of cartridges mounted on a carrier respectively containing the items, having a dispenser with relative movement capable between the dispenser and the cartridges. A look-up
An automated dispenser for dispensing spices, condiments, herbs, teas, ground coffees, or powdered beverages, having a plurality of cartridges mounted on a carrier respectively containing the items, having a dispenser with relative movement capable between the dispenser and the cartridges. A look-up table is provided for operation of the dispenser to dispense a particular variety of mixtures and quantities from the cartridges. When a spice blend and associated dispensing program is selected by a user, the dispensing program aligns the dispenser relative to the cartridge carrier and cartridge, to dispense a particular quantity and, in the case of a mix, to subsequently align with other selected cartridges to provide, from the cartridges, the mix of spices, herbs, condiments, powdered beverages or ground coffees. A specialized cartridge for use in the automated dispenser is also disclosed.
대표청구항▼
1. An automated spice, herb, condiment, tea, powdered beverage, and/or ground coffee dispenser, comprising: (a) a plurality of cartridges, adapted to be individually filled, respectively, with one of the items selected from the group of items comprising said spices, herbs, teas, condiments, powdered
1. An automated spice, herb, condiment, tea, powdered beverage, and/or ground coffee dispenser, comprising: (a) a plurality of cartridges, adapted to be individually filled, respectively, with one of the items selected from the group of items comprising said spices, herbs, teas, condiments, powdered beverages, and ground coffee beans;(b) a cartridge carrier adapted to mount and hold said plurality of cartridges;(c) dispensing means, comprised of a least one spindle or rotary arm, which when activated, engages and extends a sliding member from within a respective cartridge, to trigger dispensation by gravity of a calibrated amount of one of said items, from a selected cartridge;(d) said dispensing means and cartridges adapted for relative movement therebetween to allow said dispensing means to be aligned, when desired, with a selected cartridge of said plurality of cartridges; and(e) a memory look-up table, containing a plurality of separate, discrete dispensing programs for operation of the dispensing means and said spindle or rotary arm to dispense quantities of said items from various of said cartridges, wherein when a dispensing program is selected by a user, the dispensing program aligns the dispensing means relative to the cartridge carrier and, in particular, a selected cartridge, to: (i) dispense a particular quantity of an item from said selected cartridge; and(ii) in the case of a selected mix, to subsequently align with other selected cartridges to dispense, from said cartridges, a desired mix of said items. 2. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cartridge carrier is stationary and the dispensing means rotates in a circular arc relative to the said cartridge carrier to the location of a specific cartridge. 3. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dispensing means is stationary and cartridge carrier and cartridges thereon move relative to said dispensing means. 4. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein a funnel is positioned below the cartridge carrier, said funnel having an off-centre funnel opening beneath which a receptacle may be located in which said spice, condiment, tea, herbs, or ground coffee may be collected. 5. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cartridges consist of two (2) compartments, namely: an upper storage chamber and a lower dispensing chamber. 6. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 5, wherein the upper storage chamber has at least one slot or cavity in the bottom of the said chamber to allow the spice and condiments to fall by gravity into the lower dispensing chamber. 7. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 5, wherein the lower dispensing chamber is configured as a sliding member with at least one slot or cavity, which can be selectively opened by withdrawal from an associated cartridge to allow a calibrated quantity of one of said items to fall by gravity onto the funnel. 8. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 5, wherein the dispensing means is operatively coupled to a motor which, when actuated, moveably positions the rotary arm or spindle relative to the cartridge carrier on which said cartridges are situated, to thereby align same with a selected cartridge, further having means to extend said sliding member from within said selected cartridge to thereby dispense a quantity of one of said items from said specific cartridge. 9. The automated dispenser as claimed in claim 8, wherein said cartridge carrier is circular, and said motor, when actuated, rotates the dispensing means relative to the cartridge carrier a number of angular degrees to align said dispensing means with said specific cartridge, whereafter said rotary arm or spindle which forms part of the dispensing means is adapted to move radially outwardly and cause said specific cartridge to dispense said quantity. 10. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 9, wherein the rotary arm or spindle is fitted at the end with a dispensing hook or trigger which, when actuated, engages the lower dispensing chamber of a cartridge. 11. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 10, wherein the dispensing means, when actuated, oscillates back and forth in a radial direction to open and close the dispensing chamber a pre-programmed number of times in order to obtain said quantity of a spice or condiment. 12. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 4, wherein the funnel is adapted such that all surfaces thereof slope downwardly toward the direction of the funnel opening. 13. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 4, wherein the funnel is configured such that all surfaces thereof slope down towards the direction of the funnel opening, and wherein the automated dispenser has agitation means to agitate the funnel during the dispensing sequence to facilitate the movement of the item dispensed from said selected cartridge down the funnel towards the receptacle. 14. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 13, wherein the said agitating means comprises an electric motor coupled to said funnel adapted to cause vibration of said funnel during dispensation of said items. 15. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 1, adapted to allow a user to select blends of said items, and having an EPROM computer chip or other electronic memory device flash memory which is programmed with a plurality of instructions for each blend of items which may be selected, which instructions direct relative movement between said dispensing means and said cartridge carrier, to allow dispensation of one of said items or a blend of said items from said automated dispenser. 16. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 15, wherein once a spice, condiment, herb, tea, or ground coffee, or mixture thereof, is selected by a user, said automated dispensing device selects a corresponding series of instructions programmed on said EPROM computer chip or other electronic memory device, and rotates the dispensing means to a selected of said plurality of cartridges and repeats the process, if necessary, in accordance with said selected instructions, until the selected spice, condiment, herb, tea, or ground coffee, or mixture thereof, is dispensed. 17. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 15, wherein said EPROM computer chip or other electronic memory device allows the user to scroll through spice mixes, select or set favorite blends and associated instructions, set the spice quantities to be dispensed, and dispense said spice mixes. 18. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 1, having means to allow the user to ascertain a quantity of remaining quantity of spice, condiment, herb, tea, or ground coffee, or mixture thereof remaining in each cartridge. 19. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dispensing means is stationary and the cartridge carrier rotates in a circular arc relative to the dispensing means to align a specific cartridge with the dispensing means. 20. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 19, wherein the cartridge carrier is coupled to a motor which, when activated, rotates the said cartridge carrier and the plurality of cartridges thereon a programmed number of degrees to align a specific cartridge with the dispensing means, whereupon said rotary arm or spindle moves radially outwardly towards the lower dispensing chamber to engage the cartridge to allow for withdrawal of said dispensing chamber from within said cartridge. 21. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 19, wherein a funnel is positioned below the cartridge carrier and dispensing means with an off-centre funnel opening to a receptacle where the spice and condiments are collected. 22. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 19, wherein the cartridges each comprise of two (2) compartments, namely: an upper storage chamber and slidable lower dispensing chamber. 23. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 22, wherein the upper storage chamber has at least one slot or cavity in the bottom of the said chamber to allow an item contained in said cartridge to fall by gravity into the lower dispensing chamber. 24. An automated as claimed in claim 22, wherein the lower dispensing chamber is configured as a sliding member with at least one slot or cavity, which sliding member can be repetitively opened and closed to allow a calibrated quantity of spice to fall by gravity onto a funnel positioned below the cartridge carrier and dispensing means with an off-centre funnel opening to a receptacle where the spice and condiments are collected. 25. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 19, wherein the cartridge carrier is coupled to a motor which, when actuated, rotates said carrier a programmed number of degrees to align with the dispensing means, whereupon a rotary arm or spindle thereafter moves radially out towards the dispensing chamber of a selected cartridge, and withdraws the sliding member from the selected cartridge. 26. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 25, wherein the dispensing means is fitted at the end with a dispensing hook or trigger which, when actuated, engages the lower dispensing chamber of said selected cartridge. 27. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 26, wherein the dispensing means, when actuated, oscillates back and forth in a radial direction to open and close the lower dispensing chamber a pre-programmed number of times in order to obtain a specified quantity of a spice or condiment. 28. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 21, wherein the funnel is designed such that all surfaces slope downwardly towards a direction of the funnel opening. 29. An automated dispenser as claimed in claims 28, wherein the funnel agitates during the dispensing sequence to facilitate the movement of the spice and condiment down the funnel towards the receptacle. 30. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 25, wherein the said agitating means is normally inactive and includes an electric motor coupled to said funnel and adapted to vibrate same when activated during the dispensing sequence. 31. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 19, further having an eprom chip or flash memory or similar memory device, further having a plurality of dispensing programs, further having means to allow a user to select one of a number of spice mixes and an associated dispensing program. 32. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 31, wherein once a selected dispensing program is initiated, the program automatically rotates the cartridge carrier to the dispensing means to dispense a particular spice, and then repeats the process with other selected cartridges until the specified spice mix is dispensed. 33. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 31, programmed to allow the user to scroll through spice mixes, select or set favorite blends, set the spice quantities to be dispensed, and activate the dispensing of a selected quantity of an individual spice, a spice blend, a favorite spice mix, or to save a mix in the program. 34. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 33, programmed to allow the user to verify the remaining quantity of spice in each cartridge. 35. An automated spice, herb, condiment, tea, and/or ground coffee dispenser, comprising: (a) a plurality of cartridges, adapted to be individually filled, respectively, with one of the items selected from the group of items comprising spices, herbs, teas, condiments, and ground coffee beans;(b) a cartridge carrier adapted to hold said plurality of cartridges in a radially spaced and contiguously arranged circumferential manner around said vertical axis of said cartridge carrier;(c) a dispensing means, comprised of a least one spindle or rotary arm extending radially outwardly from said vertical axis, which when activated, engages with a slider member to trigger dispersal by gravity of a calibrated amount of spice, herb, condiment, or powdered beverage, from a selected cartridge;(d) said dispensing means adapted for circular movement relative to said cartridge carrier about said vertical axis. 36. An automated dispenser as claimed in claim 35, further having cartridges which bear unique identification, and further having cartridge recognition system to identify each of said plurality of cartridges using unique identification thereon. 37. A cartridge adapted for use in any of the automated dispensers as claimed in any one of claim 1 or 36. 38. A method for dispensing spice, herbs, condiments, and/or powdered beverages via an automated dispenser, wherein said automated dispenser comprises: (a) a plurality of cartridges, adapted to be individually filled, respectively, with a variety of spices, herbs, condiments, and/or powdered beverages;(b) a cartridge carrier, having a vertical axis, designed to hold said plurality of cartridges in a radially spaced and contiguously arranged circumferential manner around said carrier and vertical axis thereof;(c) a dispensing means, comprised of a least one spindle or rotary arm extending radially outwardly from said vertical axis, which when activated, engages with a slider member to trigger dispersal by gravity of a calibrated amount of spice, herb, condiment, or powdered beverage, from a selected cartridge;(d) said dispensing means adapted for circular movement relative to said cartridge carrier about said vertical axis; and(e) a memory look-up table, containing a plurality of separate, discrete dispensing programs for directing relative motion of the dispensing means relative to said cartridge carrier to dispense a particular variety of mixtures and quantities from said cartridges, wherein when a dispensing program is selected by a user, the dispensing program aligns the dispensing means relative to the cartridge carrier and, in particular, a selected cartridge to: (i) dispense a particular quantity of spice or condiment;(ii) and, in the case of a mix, to subsequently align with other selected cartridges to provide, from said cartridges, a desired mix of spice, herbs, condiments, and/or granulated beverage; said method comprising the steps of: (i) a user selecting a dispensing program;(ii) said dispensing program thereafter aligning one or more of said cartridges with said dispensing means to dispense quantities of said spice, condiment, herbs, or granulated beverage, from one or more of said cartridges.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (18)
Engels, Marcel Hendrikus Petrus; Kruit, Martin; Van Beelen, Nico; Krom, Ronald Peter; Voskuil, Marcus Johannes; Oostendorp, Mattijs, Apparatus for dispensing a plurality of fluids.
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