Apparatus for dispensing a plurality of powders and method of compounding substances

• US 7,311,223 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2005
• Issued: 12/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fast & Fluid Management B.V. (RELX PLC)
• Original Assignee: Fluid Management Incorporated
• Inventors: Post, Jan H. N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman; Joseph A.
• Application Number:
  US11/100,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20050269367A1
• Time in Patent Office: 993 Days
• Field of Search: 222/1, 222/77, 222/144, 222/236, 222/241, 222/255, 222/265, 222/270, 222/273, 222/278, 222/281, 222/310, 222/333, 222/413
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 33/841 with component receptacles fixed in a circular configuration on a horizontal table, e.g. the table being able to be indexed about a vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/20 Measuring; Control or regulation
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2117 Weight
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/2207 Use of data, i.e. barcodes, 3D codes or similar type of tagging information, as instruction or identification codes for controlling the computer programs, e.g. for manipulation, handling, production or compounding in mixing plants B01F33/848 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/22162 Time of feeding of at least one of the components to be mixed
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/31 Couplings
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/715 Feeding the components in several steps, e.g. successive steps
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/71775 using helical screws
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/881 by weighing, e.g. with automatic discharge
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/244 of several materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 7/603 in measured doses, e.g. proportioning of several materials
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 11/08 having means for controlling the rate of feed or discharge regulation of flow of fluent material G05D
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 11/086 of the loss-in-weight feeding type
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 13/24 Weighing mechanism control arrangements for automatic feed or discharge
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/343 involving digital counting

Abstract

An apparatus for dispensing a plurality of powders, such as colorants for paint, caulking or grout or components of cosmetics, comprising a plurality of containers for holding the powders, a plurality of metering powder pumps, connected to a container or having a connector for releasably connecting a container to the respective powder pump, wherein the capacity of the metering powder pump is selectable.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing a plurality of materials comprising:

a plurality of containers for holding the materials, a plurality of pumps, each pump connected to a container or having a connector for releasably connecting a container to the respective pump, wherein at least some of the pumps comprise a pump chamber housing at least two pump screws including one screw having a relatively large dispensing capacity and another screw having a relatively small dispensing capacity, the pump chamber being in communication with its respective container thereby making the capacities of at least some of the pumps selectable.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each pump screw is accommodated in a pump chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least some of the pump screws are at least partially bent in a displacement direction of its respective pump.

4. The apparatus of to claim 2, wherein an effective outer diameter of the screw is smaller than the effective inner diameter of the respective chamber, resulting in clearance between the screw and chamber, and wherein the screw is provided with bristles that bridge this clearance.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, which comprises a dispensing position common to each pump and wherein a driver for engaging each pump that is located at the dispensing position.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, comprising a coupling mechanism for facilitating alignment of the driver and the pump that is located at the dispensing position.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the coupling mechanism comprises a pair of pins associated with each pump and with the driver, and a protrusion to be engaged by the pins associated with, respectively, the driver and each pump.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the protrusion comprises a resilient bushing having a recess for guiding the pins.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the driver comprises a stepper motor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more of the containers comprise a stirring mechanism.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of the stirring mechanisms comprises a stirring element mounted rotatably inside a container.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, which comprises a dispensing position common to all containers and a driver for engaging the stirring mechanism of the container that is located at the dispensing position.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, which is arranged to dispense any amount in a range from 10 mg to 1 g.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising at least one weighing device for weighing at least one of the dispensed amounts.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, which further comprises at least one container for a liquid and a liquid pump connected to that container.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pump screws comprise at least one material selected from the group consisting of a polypropylene, a polyethylene and polytetrafluoroethylene.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a cover that restricts access one or more of the containers.

18. A method of calibrating the apparatus of claim 1, comprising:

rotating one of the pump screws through several positions within one revolution of the screw, thus dispensing an amount of the powder for each position,

weighing the amount of powder dispensed at each position of the screw, and

providing a memory and storing the measured amounts for each position.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one large pump screw and at least one small pump screw are connected to two different containers, each holding a like material, wherein the large pump screw is connected to one container and the small pump screw is connected to the other container.

20. A method of compounding substances comprising:

providing an apparatus comprising a plurality of containers, each container holding a material, the apparatus also comprising a plurality of pumps and at least one motor, each pump linked to one of the containers, wherein at least some of the pumps comprise at least two pump screws including a first pump screw having a relatively large dispensing capacity and a second pump screw having a relatively small dispensing capacity, thereby making the capacities of at least some of the pumps selectable,

dispensing a first amount of material into a receptacle by means of a first pump screw of a selected pump,

weighing a first amount of material dispensed into the receptacle,

comparing the first amount dispensed with a desired amount and calculating a first difference,

dispensing a second amount into the receptacle using the small pump screw of the selected pump,

weighing the second amount of material dispensed into the receptacle,

comparing the second amount with the first difference and calculating a second difference,

using at least the second difference to adjust operation of the motor for said pump in future dispenses.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

dispensing a relatively large part of the said amount by means of the first pump screw, and

dispensing a relatively small part of the said amount by means of the second pump screw.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the the first pump screw is at least ten times larger in capacity than a second pump screw.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the weight of each of the materials is measured individually.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein at least one material is dispensed as a base material, such as a base paint.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the substances are compounded at a point-of-sale.

26. A method of dispensing a plurality of ingredients utilizing individually controlled dispense pumps drawing materials from separate material containers, the pumps positioned to dispense to a common receptacle with a weighing device associated with the receptacle and a computer controlling operation of the pumps, each pump comprising a large pump screw and a small pump screw, the method comprising:

determining a first amount of material to be dispensed into the container,

operating a large pump screw of a selected pump to draw a first amount of material from said container and dispensing first amount to said receptacle in accordance with a first program stored on said computer which relates a parameter of the large pump screw operation,

weighing an actual amount dispensed to said receptacle,

comparing the actual amount to the first amount,

determining a first difference between the actual and first amounts,

operating the small pump screw of the selected pump to move the first difference between the actual and first amounts of said material to said receptacle in accordance with a second program stored on said computer which relates to a parameter of the small pump screw operation,

weighing a second actual amount dispensed to said receptacle,

comparing the second actual amount to the first difference,

determining a second difference between the first difference and second actual amounts to provide a deviation determination for the large small screw,

utilizing said deviation determination for the small pump screw as a modifier for future dispenses from said container to said receptacle through controlled operation of the large small screw of said selected pump,

selecting a second pump and a second ingredient to be dispensed and repeating the operating, weighing, comparing, determining and utilizing for said second pump.

27. A method of compounding cosmetics formulations comprising:

providing an apparatus comprising a plurality of containers holding materials, and a plurality of pumps, at least one pump comprising a large pump screw and a small pump screw that are linked to a large orifice and a small orifice respectfully,

dispensing a first amount of one of the materials into a receptacle by means of the large pump screw through the large orifice,

weighing the dispensed amount,

comparing the dispensed amount with predetermined desired amount,

using a difference between the dispensed amount and the desired amount to calculate new amount to be dispensed and operating the small pump screw to dispense the new amount through the small orifice.