Motor and Pump System

• US 20170190558A1
• Filed: 12/06/2016
• Published: 07/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micro Infinity Flow, LLC
• Original Assignee: Micro Infinity Flow, LLC
• Inventors: Ubidia, Fernando A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,913,648 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0037 based on volumetric dosing
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0855 concerning the used flowmeter flowmeter per se G01F1/00, G01F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0888 Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0892 the beverage container being stored in a rack or shelf
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/10 Pump mechanism in general F04
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1202 Flow control, e.g. for controlling total amount or mixture ratio of liquids to be dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1231 Metering pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0827 Bags in box
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00091 Bar management means
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00099 Temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 17/03 driven by electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/22 by means of valves F04B49/03 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0682 using a plurality of flow sources

Abstract

The present system generally relates to a fluid flow system where a controller and motor pump assemblies are used to optimize the control of fluid flow through the system. The controller samples the back electromotive force of the motor and pump assemblies and is able to utilize the sampled back electromotive force in conjunction with predefined target back electromotive force values, preferably empirically determined and tuned to an induvial motor and for a select fluid, to tune the voltage applied to the system, control the back electromotive force of the system and, by extension, control the flow of fluid.

Claims

1. A motorized system comprising:

A motor and pump assembly having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a controller electrically connected to said assembly, and a memory storing a target back electromotive force value for said assembly,

wherein said controller is configured to control the flowrate of fluid traveling through the fluid outlet by sampling a back electromotive force of the motor and comparing the sampled back electromotive force of the motor to the target back electromotive force value and adjusting a voltage provided to said motor to adjust the speed of the assembly.

2. The motorized system of claim 1,

wherein the flow of fluid through the motor and pump assembly is controlled by the controller without utilizing an input from a sensor that senses the flowrate of fluid.

3. The motorized system of claim 1,

wherein the controller adjusts the voltage provided to said assembly by adjusting the pulse width of a base voltage.

4. The motorized system of claim 1,

wherein the controller samples the back electromotive force of the motor at a time when voltage is not being applied to the motor and after any negative voltage spike associated with the motor has dissipated.

5. The motorized system of claim 4,

wherein the controller samples the back electromotive force of the motor at a midpoint between consecutive applications of voltage to the motor.

6. The motorized system of claim 1 further comprising:

a fluid storage container containing a fluid, a supply line, a temperature sensor operably connected to said controller, and at least one temperature offset value stored in the memory,

wherein said fluid supply line is connected to said fluid storage container and said fluid inlet such that the fluid may flow from the fluid storage container to said fluid inlet,

wherein said temperature sensor senses the temperature of the fluid and transmits the sensed temperature to said controller, and

wherein said controller utilizes the sensed temperature to select at least one temperature offset value and adjusts the target back electromotive force value based on the selected temperature offset value.

7. The motorized system of claim 1,

wherein the controller is further configured to further adjust the voltage applied to the motor when adjusting of the voltage applied to the motor does not produce an expected decrease in back electromotive force.

8. The motorized system of claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured such that when the back electromotive force sampled rises a first time, the controller decreases the voltage applied, and when the next consecutive sample of the back electromotive force is greater than the first time sampled back electromotive force, the controller decreases the voltage applied further, and when the third consecutive sample of the back electromotive force is greater that the previous two consecutive samples of the back electromotive force, the controller will stop applying voltage to the assembly.

9. The motorized system of claim 1,

wherein the controller is configured to store a threshold back electromotive force value, and

wherein the controller is configured to compare one or more sampled back electromotive force values to the threshold back electromotive force value and stop applying voltage to the assembly when the one or more sampled back electromotive force values is greater than the threshold back electromotive force value.

10. The motorized system of claim 9 further comprising:

a sold-out indicator connected to the controller such that after the controller determines that the one or more sampled back electromotive force values is greater than the threshold back electromotive force value, the controller activates the sold-out indicator.

11. A motorized system comprising:

A plurality of motor and pump assemblies, each having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a controller electrically connected to said assemblies, a memory storing a plurality target back electromotive force values corresponding to said plurality of assemblies, a plurality of inputs connected to said controller

wherein said controller controls the flowrate of fluid traveling through the fluid outlets by sampling back electromotive forces of the plurality of motors and comparing the sampled back electromotive forces of the plurality of motors to the target back electromotive force value corresponding to the motors and adjusting voltages provided to said motors to adjust the speeds of the assemblies, and

wherein the flow of fluid through the assemblies is controlled by the controller without utilizing an input from a sensor that senses the flowrate of fluid.

12. The motorized system of claim 11,

wherein the controller adjusts the voltages provided to said motors by adjusting the pulse widths of a base voltage.

13. The motorized system of claim 11,

wherein the controller samples the back electromotive force of an individual motor at a time when voltage is not being applied to the individual motor and after any negative voltage spike associated with the individual motor has dissipated.

14. The motorized system of claim 13,

wherein the controller samples the back electromotive force of the individual motor at a midpoint between consecutive applications of voltage to the individual motor.

15. The motorized system of claim 13 further comprising:

a temperature offset value stored in memory and wherein the controller is configured to adjust at least one target back electromotive force value based on the temperature offset value.

16. The motorized system of claim 11,

wherein the controller is further configured to further adjust the voltage applied to the motor when adjusting the voltage applied to the motor does not produce an expected adjustment in back electromotive force.

17. A fluid dispensing system comprising:

a plurality of motor and pump assemblies, each having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a controller electrically connected to said assemblies, a memory storing a plurality target back electromotive force values corresponding to said plurality of assemblies, a plurality of inputs connected to said controller, a plurality of fluid storage containers, a nozzle, and hoses connecting the fluid outlets to the nozzle and connecting the fluid storage containers to the fluid inlets

wherein said controller is adapted to simultaneously control the flowrate of fluid traveling through the fluid outlets of at least two assemblies by sampling back electromotive forces of at least two of the motors and comparing the sampled back electromotive forces of the motors to the target back electromotive force values corresponding to the motors and independently adjusting voltages provided to the motors to adjust the speeds of the assemblies.

18. The fluid dispensing system of claim 17,

wherein said controller stores data corresponding to physical characteristics of different fluids and associates a first fluid having first physical characteristics with a first motor and associates a second fluid having second physical characteristics that are different from said first physical characteristics with a second motor, and

wherein said at least two assemblies includes the first motor and the second motor.

19. The fluid dispensing system of claim 18,

wherein said controller is adapted to simultaneously control the flowrate of fluid traveling through the fluid outlets of at least two assemblies in response to the receipt of a signal transmitted from a single input such that the first fluid flows continuously through the assembly associated with the first motor and the second fluid flows continuously through the assembly associated with the second motor while the control system receives signals associated with a single input.

20. The fluid dispensing system of claim 18,

wherein said controller is adapted to control the flowrate of said first fluid base on said first physical characteristics and control the flowrate of said second fluid based on said second physical characteristics such that the volume of said first fluid pumped through said first assembly is different than the volume of said second fluid pumped through said second assembly over the same length of time.

21. A method of mixing at least two fluids having different physical characteristics using a fluid pumping system comprising:

a. a fluid output;

b. a controller;

c. an input connected to the controller;

d. a first fluid assembly comprising;

a first fluid container connected to an inlet of a first motor and pump assembly by a conduit and a conduit connected to an outlet of said first motor and pump assembly and said fluid output such that a fluid pathway exists from the first fluid container, through the first motor and pump assembly and to the fluid output wherein said first fluid container contains a first fluid having first fluid characteristics;

e. a second fluid assembly comprising;

a second fluid container connected to an inlet of a second motor and pump assembly by a conduit and a conduit connected to an outlet of said second motor and pump assembly and said fluid output such that a fluid pathway exists from the second fluid container, through the second motor and pump assembly and to the fluid output wherein said second fluid container contains a second fluid having second fluid characteristics wherein at least one of said second fluid characteristics is different from a corresponding first fluid characteristic;

f. a first target back electromotive force corresponding to said first motor and pump assembly stored in said controller;

wherein said first target back electromotive force is a function of the first fluid characteristics;

g. a second target back electromotive force corresponding to said second motor and pump assembly stored in said controller;

wherein said second target back electromotive force is a function of the second fluid characteristics and is different from said first target back electromotive force;

the method comprising;

step 1—

transmitting a one or more signal from the input to the controller

step 2—

the controller applies a voltage to the first motor and pump assembly and to the second motor and pump assembly such that the first motor and pump assembly pumps the first fluid from the first fluid out the fluid output and the second motor and pump assembly pumps the second fluid out the fluid output;

step 3—

the controller samples the back electromotive force of the first motor and the back electromotive force of the second motor;

step 4—

the controller adjusts the voltage applied to the first motor as a function of the first target back electromotive force;

step 5—

the controller adjusts the voltage applied to the second motor as a function of the second target back electromotive force; and

step 6—

repeating steps 3 through 5 continuously for a period of time while continuously transmitting a one or more signal from the input to the controller for the same period of time.

22. The method of claim 21,

wherein the controller performs steps 4 and 5 simultaneously.

23. The method of claim 21,

wherein the total volume of fluid that flows through the first motor and pump assembly over the entirety of the period of time is different than the total volume of fluid that flows through the second motor and pump assembly over the entirety of the same period of time.