Fluid dispenser calibration system and method

• US 20050161469A1
• Filed: 03/17/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taylor Commercial Foodservice, Inc. (Middleby Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Commercial Refrigeration Incorporated (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Scordato, Joseph John, Roady, Roger
• Granted Patent: US 7,299,944 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/52
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0006 based on the timed opening of a valve
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0012 based on volumetric dosing
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0032 using flow-rate sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/12 Flow or pressure control devices or systems , e.g. valves, gas pressure control, level control in storage containers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1231 Metering pumps
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/0092 for metering by volume
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 25/17 using calibrated reservoirs

Abstract

A system and method for calibrating fluid detects an actual fluid dispensing characteristic, such as dispensing speed, and automatically adjusts the dispensing characteristic to match an ideal dispensing characteristic. The adjustment is conducted by a controller that controls fluid dispensing based on a function that correlates dispensing speed, a dispensed volume, and a dispensing time. The function allows calibration to occur automatically by converging system operation to the ideal dispensing characteristic, without requiring a user to calibrate the system through manual iterative methods.

Claims

1. A fluid calibration system, comprising:

a fluid dispenser;

an actuator coupled to the fluid dispenser that controls output of a fluid from the fluid dispenser; and

an actuator control coupled to the actuator, wherein the actuator control automatically adjusts the actuator based on a difference between an actual dispensing characteristic and an ideal dispensing characteristic, and wherein the actual dispensing characteristic is determined based upon a function and the ideal dispensing characteristic is pre-determined.

2. The fluid calibration system of claim 1, wherein the actual dispensing characteristic and the ideal dispensing characteristic are an actual flow rate and an ideal flow rate, respectively.

3. The fluid calibration system of claim 1, wherein the function used to determine the actual dispensing characteristic is a relationship between a dispenser correction amount and a measured dispensing volume dispensed over a target dispensing time.

4. The fluid calibration system of claim 3, wherein the dispenser correction amount is calculated based upon an initial motor speed and a time measured between individual motor encoder pulses.

5. The fluid calibration system of claim 4, wherein the time measured between individual motor encoder pulses is averaged over a plurality of individual motor encoder pulses.

6. The fluid calibration system of claim 1, wherein the function used to determine the actual dispensing characteristic is a relationship between a dispenser speed correction amount and a calculated dispensing time for dispensing a target dispensed volume.

7. The fluid calibration system of claim 6, wherein each of a plurality of dispensing speeds has a corresponding dispenser speed correction amount and a corresponding calculated dispensing time.

8. The fluid calibration system of claim 6, wherein the dispenser correction amount is calculated based upon an initial motor speed and a number of motor encoder pulses.

9. The fluid calibration system of claim 8, wherein the number of motor encoder pulses is determined over a reference time.

10. A calibrated fluid dispensing system, comprising:

a first fluid dispenser;

a second fluid dispenser;

a first actuator coupled to the first fluid dispenser that controls output of a first fluid from the first fluid dispenser;

a second actuator coupled to the second fluid dispenser that controls output of a second fluid from the second fluid dispenser;

a first actuator control coupled to the first actuator, wherein the first actuator control automatically adjusts the first actuator based upon a first difference between a first actual dispensing characteristic and a first ideal dispensing characteristic, and wherein the first actual dispensing characteristic is determined based upon a function and the first ideal dispensing characteristic is pre-determined; and

a second actuator control coupled to the second actuator, wherein the second actuator control automatically adjusts the second actuator respectively based upon a difference between a second actual dispensing characteristic and a second ideal dispensing characteristic, and wherein the second actual dispensing characteristic is determined based upon the function and the second ideal dispensing characteristic is pre-determined.

11. The fluid dispensing system of claim 10, wherein the first fluid is a syrup and the second fluid is a food product.

12. A method for calibrating a fluid dispensing system, comprising:

detecting an actual dispensing characteristic of a fluid dispenser controlled by an actuator;

determining a difference between the actual dispensing characteristic and an ideal dispensing characteristic; and

controlling the actuator based on the determined difference and according to a function based a time measured between individual motor encoder pulses.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of detecting an actual dispensing characteristic comprises detecting a volume of dispensed product at a reference motor speed.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of detecting comprises calculating the actual dispensing characteristic based at least upon a calibration motor voltage, a calibration number of motor encoder pulses and a standard volume.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the actual dispensing characteristic and the ideal dispensing characteristic are an actual dispensing speed and ideal dispensing speed, respectively.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the actual dispensing characteristic and the ideal dispensing characteristic are an actual flow rate and an ideal flow rate, respectively.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the act of detecting comprises detecting a first actual dispensing characteristic and detecting a second actual dispensing characteristic;

the act of determining comprises determining a difference between the first actual dispensing characteristic and a first ideal dispensing characteristic, and determining a difference between the second actual dispensing characteristic and a second ideal dispensing characteristic; and

the act of controlling comprises controlling a first actuator based on the determined difference between the first actual dispensing characteristic and the first ideal dispensing characteristic, and controlling a second actuator based on the determined difference between the second actual dispensing characteristic and the second ideal dispensing characteristic.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first actuator controls a first fluid dispenser that dispenses a first fluid and the second actuator controls a second fluid dispenser that dispenses a second fluid.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are dispensed proportional to one another.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first fluid is a syrup and the second fluid is a food product.