Device and method for controlling the filling of a cup by a vending machine

• US 7,753,091 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2009
• Issued: 07/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Original Assignee: Nestec SA (Nestle SA)
• Inventors: Kollep, Alexandre, Ozanne, Matthieu, Greppin, Xavier, Terrien, Grégoire, Piguet, Ralph
• Primary Examiner(s): MAUST, TIMOTHY LEWIS
• Application Number:
  US12/398,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20090173409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 495 Days
• Field of Search: 141/2, 141/83, 141/94, 141/95, 141/192, 141/198, 367/107, 367/111, 367/908, 732/90.V
• US Class Current: 141/198
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/525 the electronic control being based on monitoring of specific process parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1238 comprising means for detecting the liquid level in vessels to be filled, e.g. using ultrasonic waves, optical reflexion, probes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 367/908 Material level detection, e.g. liquid level

Abstract

A device for controlling the filling of a receptacle with liquid by a drink vending machine. The device includes visual marking device for marking the liquid fill level in the receptacle, a device for emitting a signal towards the receptacle, a device for receiving an incident signal and which receives the incident signal returning from the receptacle and a controlling device configured for commanding the stoppage of filling on the basis of a variation of the incident signal. The receiving device includes a series of photoelectric receivers and at least one variable which is a displacement of a light incident signal measured by the receivers.

Claims

1. A device for controlling filling of a receptacle with liquid in a drink vending machine comprising:

means for filling the receptacle with liquid;

means for visually marking a desired liquid fill level for the receptacle;

means for emitting a signal towards the receptacle to generate an incident signal;

means for receiving the incident signal coming from the receptacle, wherein the receiving means is a series of photoelectric receivers; and

means for controlling the filling means to cease filling, the controlling means configured for processing of the incident signal by measuring at least one variable which is representative of the desired fill level and is a displacement of a light incident signal measured by the receivers; and

then stopping the filling means from further delivery of liquid when the measured variable reaches or exceeds a certain predefined threshold.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the visual marking means of the level is a light-emitting device or mechanical device.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein the visual marking means marks a location on the internal wall of the receptacle.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein the visual marking means produces a marking in the form of a light spot on the internal wall of the receptacle.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein the visual marking means provides an indication of level outside the receptacle.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the signal emitting means and signal receiving means are light signals and the incident signal is measured by the controlling means.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the signal emitting means and signal receiving means include further components that are based on ultrasound signals.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

the signal emitting means is a photoemitter module for generating a light ray of visible light ;

the visual marking means is a light spot in the receptacle from the light ray generated by the photoemitter module;

which spot is positioned so as to mark the desired fill level of the liquid in the receptacle;

the receiving means is a photoreceiver module configured so as to sense the incident ray returning from the receptacle; and

the controlling means is a microprocessor configured so as to measure a variation in the position of the incident ray received by the photoreceiver module and also to stop delivery of the liquid by the filling means when the position of the signal of the incident ray has reached a threshold of variation of the predetermined position.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the photoreceiver module comprises a camera having at least one row of photosensitive photodiodes;

with the photodiode row being oriented so as to receive the incident ray in such a way that a variation in the position of the ray is detected on the row by the one or more photodiodes.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the camera orients the row of photodiodes in the same plane as the light ray generated by the photoemitter and at a nonzero angle with respect to the ray.

11. The device according to claim 8, wherein the photoemitter module is a laser or a light emitter based on a lamp or other optoelectronic component and comprises focusing means.

12. The device according to claim 8, wherein the microprocessor of the controlling means is configured to:

determine the relative initial position of the incident ray corresponding to The position of the initial light spot in the receptacle;

detect a variation in the position of the incident ray corresponding to the change of position of the light spot produced by the rising of the liquid in the receptacle;

command the filling means to stop as a function of the variation of the position according to a predetermined tolerance threshold.

13. The device according to claim 8, wherein the microprocessor is configured to also detect a variation of intensity on the receiver module and operate the filling means as a function of a variation of the intensity measured.

14. The device according to claim 8, wherein the microprocessor detects the variation of position of the incident ray by measurement and then compares an image vector representing intensity distribution produced by the row of photodiodes, and detects a change of at least one variable relating to this image vector.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein the microprocessor of the controlling means is further configured to control the emission of the light ray from the photoemitter module which emits in pulsed signal mode so that the reception signal of the photoreceiver module can be processed by differential measurement consisting in determining the position of the incident ray by differencing between an image vector produced by the photoreceiver module during the emission of the light signal and an image vector produced by the photoreceiver module between two emissions of the light signal by the photoemitter module.

16. The device according to claim 8, which further comprises an operating member which at the start of each filling cycle commands, at least:

activation of the filling mean for filling the receptacle with liquid;

initialization of the controlling means for filling by a control unit.

17. The device according to claim 8, wherein the photoemitter module is configured to be able to be displaceable so as to be able to modify the position of the light spot as a function of the chosen level of fill in the receptacle.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein the photoemitter and photoreceiver modules are jointly displaceable through a certain angular sector.

19. The device according to claim 7, wherein:

the signal emitter means is a generator of ultrasonic waves directed towards the liquid surface in the receptacle;

the signal receiver means is a receiver of the waves reflected by the surface of the liquid;

the visual marking means representative of the desired level establishes a threshold of theoretical distance between the surface of the liquid and the wave receiver;

the controlling means measures the actual distance between the liquid and the receiver during filling and commands the stoppage of the filling means when the actual distance reaches or exceeds the threshold of theoretical distance corresponding to the position of the level marked by the marking means.

20. The device according to claim 1, wherein the visual marking, emitter and receiver means are displaceable en masse so as to make it possible to modify the marking of the level of fill in the receptacle.

21. A device for controlling filling of a receptacle with liquid in a drink vending machine comprising:

means for filling the receptacle with liquid;

means for visually marking a desired liquid fill level for the receptacle;

means for emitting a signal towards the receptacle to generate an incident signal; and

means for receiving the incident signal coming from the receptacle;

wherein the visual marking, signal emitting and signal receiving means are displaceable together through an angular arc in order to modify the marking of the desired fill level of the receptacle.

22. The device according to claim 21, wherein the visual marking, emitter and receiver means are displaceable through the angular arc in a manual or automated manner, and wherein the receiving means is a series of photoelectric receivers.

23. A method for controlling filling of a receptacle with liquid from a drink vending machine which comprises:

visually marking a desired liquid fill level a desired liquid fill level for the receptacle;

emitting a light signal towards the receptacle to generate a light incident signal;

receiving the incident signal coming from the receptacle by a series of photoelectric receivers with at least one variable measured by the receivers is a displacement of the light incident signal;

monitoring of a variable relating to the light incident signal and representative of an actual liquid level in the receptacle; and

stopping the filling of the receptacle when the variable reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein:

the visual marking is done by pointing a light ray at the location of the desired level in the receptacle;

the emitting of the signal is the emission of a light ray which generates an incident ray;

the receiving of the signal is the reception of the incident ray at a nonzero angle;

the monitoring of the at least one variable is done by measuring displacement of the incident ray by a camera; and

the stopping occurs when the variable relating to the position of the incident ray reaches a certain predetermined threshold variation.