Handheld fluid meter

• US 10,376,911 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2018
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Graco Minnesota Incorporated (Graco Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Graco Minnesota Incorporated (Graco Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bauck, Mark L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Lien M
• Application Number:
  US15/863,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20180185868A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 222 71, 222 72, 222460, 7386179, 7386152, 73207, 7386187, 7386182-86184
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 12/008 integrated in or attached to a discharge apparatus, e.g. a spray gun
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/04 with pressurised or compressible container aerosol containers B65D83/14; with pump
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 2011/027 for filling oil into engines
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/04 for transferring fuels, lubricants or mixed fuels and lubricants
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/22 Arrangements of indicators or registers indicating or recording in fluid meters G01F15/06
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/05 by using mechanical effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/00 Apparatus for measuring by volume and delivering fluids or fluent solid materials, not provided for in the preceding groups
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/006 measuring volume in function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/061 for remote indication

Abstract

A wireless metered fluid dispenser brings discrete fluid dispense events inside of a fluid management system. The wireless metered fluid dispenser allows a customer to visually confirm the fluid being dispensed and provides automatic tracking of the fluid dispense event within a wireless tracking system. A volumetric flowmeter attached to the bottom of a container or funnel tracks the amount of fluid dispensed when pouring from a container. The volumetric meter is wirelessly connected to a computer system for the transmission of data, for the purpose of centralized control and billing.

Claims

1. A handheld fluid meter comprising:

a fluid reservoir;

a valve including a rigid body extending between a first end and a second end, the body including a passage between the first end and the second end, wherein the first end is directly attached to and supports the fluid reservoir, wherein the body includes a handle portion configured to be manipulated by a hand of a user, and wherein the valve is disposed downstream of the fluid reservoir and configured to control a flow of fluid out of the fluid reservoir through the passage; and

a flowmeter directly attached to the second end of the body of the valve and disposed within the flow of fluid out of the valve, such that the valve is disposed between the fluid reservoir and the flowmeter, the flowmeter configured to measure a volumetric flow of the fluid through the meter and configured to wirelessly communicate the volumetric flow.

2. The handheld fluid meter of claim 1, wherein the fluid reservoir is removably attached to the valve.

3. The handheld fluid meter of claim 2, wherein the fluid reservoir comprises a funnel.

4. The handheld fluid meter of claim 2, wherein the fluid reservoir comprises a container prefilled with a known volume of fluid.

5. The handheld fluid meter of claim 1, wherein the valve comprises:

a valve mechanism; and

a valve trigger configured to be manually displaced to mechanically open the valve.

6. The handheld fluid meter of claim 1, wherein the flowmeter comprises:

a volumetric meter configured to receive the fluid flow and to measure a volumetric flow; and

a communication module configured to wirelessly communicate the volumetric flow.

7. The handheld fluid meter of claim 6, wherein the communication module comprises a transceiver configured to both send and receive signals.

8. The handheld fluid meter of claim 6, wherein the volumetric meter is a positive displacement meter.

9. The handheld fluid meter of claim 6, wherein the flow meter further comprises a user interface.

10. The handheld fluid meter of claim 1, further comprising:

a nozzle extending from the flowmeter, the nozzle configured to route the fluid exiting the flowmeter.

20. The handheld fluid meter of claim 5, wherein the trigger is mounted on the handle and the trigger is configured to pivot on the handle to mechanically open the valve.

11. A fluid management system comprising:

a fluid management computer comprising;

a processor; and

a memory encoded with instructions that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to track and record a characteristic of a fluid being dispensed by one of a plurality of fluid dispensing components;

wherein at least one of the plurality of fluid dispensing components is a handheld fluid meter, the handheld fluid meter comprising;

a fluid reservoir;

a valve including a rigid body extending between a first end and a second end, the body including a passage between the first end and the second end, wherein the first end is directly attached to and supports the fluid reservoir, wherein the body includes a handle portion configured to be manipulated by a hand of a user, and wherein the valve is disposed downstream of the fluid reservoir and configured to control a flow of fluid out of the fluid reservoir through the passage; and

a flowmeter directly attached to the second end of the body of the valve and disposed within the flow of fluid out of the valve, the flowmeter configured to measure a volumetric flow of the fluid through the flowmeter and configured to wirelessly communicate the volumetric flow to the fluid management computer.

12. The fluid management system of claim 11, further comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with the fluid management computer via a wired connection and further configured to communicate with the handheld fluid meter via a wireless connection.

13. The fluid management system of claim 11, wherein the handheld fluid meter further comprises:

a communication module configured to send signals to the fluid management computer and to receive signals from the fluid management computer.

14. The fluid management system of claim 11, wherein the handheld fluid meter further comprises a user interface.

15. The fluid management system of claim 11, wherein the valve comprises:

a valve mechanism; and

a valve trigger configured to be manually displaced to mechanically open the valve.

16. The fluid management system of claim 11, wherein the flowmeter comprises:

a volumetric flow meter configured to receive the fluid flow and to measure a volumetric flow; and

a communication module configured to receive the volumetric flow from the volumetric flow meter and to wirelessly communicate the volumetric flow.

17. The fluid management system of claim 11, wherein the handheld fluid meter is gravity fed.

18. A method of tracking discrete fluid dispense events, the method comprising:

generating a work order associated with a discrete fluid dispense event;

dispensing the fluid according to the work order through a handheld fluid meter and from a container mounted on and supported by the handheld fluid meter, the handheld fluid meter including;

a valve including a rigid body extending between a first end and a second end and having a passage through the body between the first end and the second end, wherein the first end is directly attached to and supports the container, wherein the body includes a handle portion configured to be manipulated by a hand of a user, and wherein the valve is disposed downstream of the container and configured to control a flow of fluid out of the container and through the passage; and

a flowmeter directly attached to the second end of the body of the valve such that the body of the valve is between the container and the flowmeter, and the flowmeter is disposed within the flow of fluid out of the passage; and

generating a volumetric flow count of the fluid with the flowmeter and wirelessly communicating the volumetric flow count to a fluid management computer with the flowmeter.

19. A handheld fluid meter comprising:

a fluid reservoir comprising;

a neck; and

a cone-shaped body extending between the neck and a mouth, the cone-shaped body configured to route a fluid received through the mouth to the neck;

a valve attached to the fluid reservoir, the valve comprising;

a body extending between a first end, a second end, and a passage through the body between the first end and the second end, the first end connected to the neck of the fluid reservoir, the body further including a handle portion configured to be manipulated by a hand of a user, wherein the body supports the fluid reservoir;

a valve member disposed within the body downstream of the first end, the valve member movable between an open position where fluid can flow through the passage and a closed position where the fluid is prevented from flowing through the passage; and

a trigger mounted on the body and connected to the valve member, the trigger configured to actuate the valve member between the open position and the closed position; and

a flowmeter attached to the second end of the body downstream of the valve member, the flowmeter configured to measure a volumetric flow of the fluid through the meter and configured to wirelessly communicate the volumetric flow.