APPARATUS FOR MONITORING THE DISPENSING OF LIQUID

• US 3,655,095 A
• Filed: 01/17/1969
• Issued: 04/11/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Martin E. Kienitz
• Original Assignee: Martin E. Kienitz
• Inventors: Kienitz, Martin E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Handren, Frederick R.
• Application Number:
  US04/792,030
• Time in Patent Office: 1,180 Days
• Field of Search: 137/487.5 128/DIG.13,214E 239/68 222/59,39,52,76
• US Class Current: 222/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1689 Drip counters

Abstract

The system delivers a series of drops of liquid and is controlled to release each drop in response to a drop rate generator set at a selected drop rate desired to be delivered. Each drop actually delivered is detected. By comparing pulses derived respectively from the drop rate generator and from the actual drops delivered, any disparity between the rates will be detected. The disparity detecting means includes means which measures and is tolerant to a limited degree of measured disparity between the two rates. When the disparity between the two rates exceeds a predetermined degree, an alarm condition is established which can include conditioning the delivery means to positively arrest further delivery of drops. The delivery means operates in a manner to automatically compensate for excess drops or reduced drops fed during transient variations in the actual feeding or delivery of drops.

Claims

1. In apparatus for delivering a series of drops of liquid, and having means defining a selected drop delivery rate, delivery means controlling delivery of the drops in response to the first named means to normally deliver one drop at a time, means serving to sense each drop to be delivered and define the actual drop rate, means serving to detect a sustained disparity in the phase relationship between actual drop delivery and selected drop delivery, the last named means including means measuring and tolerant to a limited degree of measured disparity in said phase relationship and serving to register varying degrees of said disparity, said last named means being further responsive to a predetermined degree of disparity serving to condition the delivery means to inhibit or release further delivery of drops, said measuring means including counting means for registering increases and decreases in said disparity as measured from a normal position representing no disparity, said counting means being responsive to alternate receipt from the first named said means and said sensing means respectively of first and second signals to register a first and second mutually off-setting count in the counting means, and means operated by said counting means and responsive to a predetermined difference in the counted number of said first and second signals to provide an alarm signal operably coupled to said delivery means to arrest further delivery of drops.

2. In apparatus for delivering a series of drops of liquid, first means forming a series of signals at a rate corresponding to a selected drop rate, delivery means controlling delivery of the drops in response to said first means, second means serving to sense each drop to be delivered and provide signalS corresponding to the actual drop rate, and means serving to normally alternately receive both signals and serving to detect disparity in the phase between receipt of said different signals, the last named means including a counting register responsive to delivery of each drop to change its registered count in a given direction and responsive to said first means to change its registered count in an opposite direction, and responsive to increases or decreased in excess of a predetermined tolerated registered minimum to arrest delivery of drops.

3. In apparatus for delivering each of a series of drops of liquid in response to a first signal from a drop rate generator and having means for developing a second signal in response to actual delivery of each drop, and means to normally maintain an alternating relationship between said first and second signals, the improvement wherein the last named means responds to said signals for detecting a sustained change in the alternating relationship of said signals, the last named means serving to detect a condition including the interposition of an additional one of said signals between successive ones of the other of said signals and to provide a control signal, and means operated by said control signal for indicating existence and degree of said sustained change in the alternating relationship of said signals.

4. In apparatus for delivering each of a series of drops of liquid according to claim 3 wherein the means indicating existence of said sustained change in relationship includes means for arresting further delivery of drops of liquid in response to detecting existence of said sustained change in relationship as indicated by said control signal.

5. In a system for monitoring the dispensing of discrete increments of liquid in a stream subject to transient variations in the dispensing rate, the improvement comprising means for dispensing said increments, means forming a first signal representing the intended desired rate of dispensing said increments, sensing means serving to form a second signal representing the actual rate of dispensing said increments, means normally maintaining a predetermined phase relationship between said first and second signals and serving to detect a sustained change in said phase relationship to provide a control signal, means operating said dispensing means in response to said control signal to momentarily vary the rate of the actual dispensing of said increments in a manner tending to restore said normal predetermined relationship.

6. In a system for monitoring the dispensing of discrete increments of liquid according to claim 5 wherein said predetermined relationship includes an alternating formation of said first and second signals, and further wherein the last named means restores said normal alternating relationship by operating said means for dispensing said increments in a manner to momentarily dispense additional or fewer increments sufficient to re-establish said normal alternating relationship, thereby compensating for the transient variation in flow of the increments being dispensed.