Sustainable bulk liquid dispensing device

• US 9,481,562 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Colleen Beth Vandersteen
• Original Assignee: Colleen Beth Vandersteen
• Inventors: Vandersteen, Colleen Beth
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnett, Nicolas A
• Application Number:
  US14/003,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20140053950A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 141/94, 141/98, 141/100, 141/104
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/0038 the liquid being stored in an intermediate container prior to dispensing
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/08 Arrangements of devices for controlling, indicating, metering or registering quantity or price of liquid transferred arrangement of flow- or pressure-control valves B67D7/36; computing, calculating, counting G06; coin-freed apparatus for dispensing fluids G07F13/00; prepayment devices for metering liquids G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/22 Arrangements of indicators or registers indicating or recording in fluid meters G01F15/06
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/224 involving price indicators
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/78 Arrangements of storage tanks, reservoirs or pipe-lines
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/845 Trolleys or like movable supports
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/06 with selective dispensing of different fluids or materials or mixtures thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

A bulk liquid dispensing system includes a plurality of dispensing devices for each dispensing a respective type of bulk liquid. Each device includes a primary tank of bulk liquid communicating with a nozzle for dispensing into a reusable container which may be provided by a customer. A secondary portable tank is interchangeably connected above the primary tank to ensure continued dispensing of liquid even as the secondary tank is interchanged. A payment system associates a debit amount with a dispensed fluid from each device resulting from a user selection and a cumulative total of the debit amounts is collected from the customer in a single transaction. The devices can be operated to dispense liquid in response to input of an identification code which is generated when the user prepays, for example through a web interface, a mobile application, a point of sale tool, or a tablet application.

Claims

1. A bulk dispensing system comprising a plurality of bulk liquid dispensing devices, each bulk liquid dispending device being provided in combination with a portable liquid container having a discharge opening, and each device comprising:

a main frame;

a primary tank fixed on the main frame having a discharge opening at a bottom end and an inlet opening at a top end and being arranged for containing a bulk liquid therein;

a dispenser nozzle supported below the primary tank in communication with the discharge opening of the primary tank;

a control valve in series with the dispenser nozzle so as to be arranged to control dispensing of the bulk liquid from the primary tank through the dispenser nozzle;

a secondary tank support arranged to support the portable liquid container thereon above the primary tank; and

a liquid conduit arranged for sealed connection with the discharge opening of the portable liquid container at an upper end and arranged for sealed connection with the inlet opening of the primary tank at a lower end so as to be arranged for communicating bulk liquid from the portable liquid container to the primary tank;

the secondary tank support and the liquid conduit both being arranged such that the portable liquid container is readily separable from the primary tank and interchangeable with a different portable liquid container of like configuration;

wherein the bulk dispending system further comprises a common payment system in communication with all of the bulk liquid dispensing devices so as to be arranged to associate a debit amount with the prescribed amount of bulk liquid of each user selection and arranged to debit from a customer a common debit amount corresponding to a cumulative total of the debit amounts.

2. The bulk dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the liquid conduit of each device is arranged for unrestricted communication of liquid from the portable liquid container to the primary tank.

3. The bulk dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a vent line in communication with the primary tank of each device having an open free end arranged to be supported higher in elevation than the portable liquid container supported on the secondary tank support.

4. The bulk dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the primary tank of each device is arranged to controllably dispense liquid therefrom through the control valve when the portable liquid container is separated from the primary tank.

5. The bulk dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the portable liquid container of each device is generally rectangular in shape and is adapted to be handled with pallet moving equipment.

6. The bulk dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a shut-off valve in series with the liquid conduit of each device.

7. The bulk dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein the primary tank of each device is arranged for communication with the portable liquid container and the dispenser nozzle such that liquid is arranged to be dispensed from the portable liquid container to the primary tank and from the primary tank through the dispenser nozzle solely under force of gravity.

8. The bulk dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a container receiving area below the dispenser nozzle of each device arranged to support an auxiliary container therein and a container sensor in the container receiving area arranged to determine a volume of the auxiliary container in the container receiving area.

9. The bulk dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a flow meter arranged to determine a prescribed volume of liquid dispensed from the dispenser nozzle of each device.

10. The bulk dispensing system according to claim 1 wherein there is provided a container supporting surface below the dispenser nozzle of each device upon which a customer container is arranged to be supported and wherein the dispenser nozzle is adjustable in height relative to the container supporting surface.

11. The bulk dispensing system according to claim 10 wherein there is provided a guard assembly including a guard member supported at a location spaced below a bottom end of the dispenser nozzle of each device which includes a locating opening in alignment with the dispenser nozzle thereabove, the guard member being arranged to engage a top end of the customer container about a neck opening of the customer container so as to being arranged to guide alignment of the dispenser nozzle with the neck opening while preventing contact of the dispenser nozzle with the customer container.

12. The bulk dispensing system according to claim 11 wherein the guard assembly and the dispenser nozzle of each device are movable together relative to the container supporting surface.

13. A bulk dispensing system comprising a plurality of bulk liquid dispensing devices, each bulk liquid dispending device being provided in combination with a portable liquid container having a discharge opening, and each device comprising:

a main frame;

a primary tank fixed on the main frame having a discharge opening at a bottom end and an inlet opening at a top end and being arranged for containing a bulk liquid therein;

a dispenser nozzle supported below the primary tank in communication with the discharge opening of the primary tank;

a control valve in series with the dispenser nozzle so as to be arranged to control dispensing of the bulk liquid from the primary tank through the dispenser nozzle;

a secondary tank support arranged to support the portable liquid container thereon above the primary tank; and

a liquid conduit arranged for sealed connection with the discharge opening of the portable liquid container at an upper end and arranged for sealed connection with the inlet opening of the primary tank at a lower end so as to be arranged for communicating bulk liquid from the portable liquid container to the primary tank;

the secondary tank support and the liquid conduit both being arranged such that the portable liquid container is readily separable from the primary tank and interchangeable with a different portable liquid container of like configuration;

wherein the plurality of bulk liquid dispensing devices are arranged in a row; and

wherein the bulk dispensing system further comprises;

a conveyor system arranged for conveying portable liquid containers along the row of devices at an elevation above the primary tanks; and

a common lift system arranged to lift portable liquid containers onto the conveyor system.

14. A bulk liquid dispensing system for dispensing bulk liquids into respective portable liquid containers, the system comprising:

a plurality of bulk liquid dispensing devices, each device comprising;

a main frame;

a primary tank fixed on the main frame having a discharge opening at a bottom end and an inlet opening at a top end and being arranged for containing a bulk liquid therein;

a dispenser nozzle in communication with the discharge opening of the primary tank; and

a control valve in series with the dispenser nozzle so as to be arranged to control dispensing of a prescribed amount of bulk liquid from the primary tank through the dispenser nozzle in response to a user selection; and

a common payment system in communication with all of the bulk liquid dispensing devices so as to be arranged to;

associate a debit amount with the prescribed amount of bulk liquid of each user selection; and

debit from a customer a common debit amount corresponding to a cumulative total of the debit amounts;

wherein the common payment system comprises a computer implemented selection tool arranged to;

receive the user selections from the customer in which each user selection comprises a type of bulk liquid and the prescribed amount of bulk liquid associated therewith; and

assign a unique identification to the customer in association with the user selections in response to payment of the common debit amount by the customer;

each bulk liquid dispensing device being associated with one respective type of bulk liquid and including a user interface arranged to receive unique identifications input from the customers so as to be arranged to dispense the prescribed amount of bulk liquid in response to receipt of the associated unique identification corresponding to the type of bulk liquid associated with that dispensing device.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the payment system comprises a plurality of customer identifications associated with respective customers and wherein the payment system is arranged to associate the respective debit amount to the customer identification of the customer when the prescribed amount of bulk liquid is dispensed from each dispensing device in response to the associated user selection being made at the device.

16. The system according to claim 14 wherein the computer implemented selection tool further comprises an internet interface permitting a customer to make user selections remotely from the dispensing devices through an internet connection.

17. The system according to claim 14 wherein the computer implemented selection tool comprises a computer application which is arranged to be executed on a smartphone or a tablet in communication with the common payment system.

18. The system according to claim 14 wherein the computer implemented selection tool is arranged to generate a single unique identification associated with all of the user selections of the respective common debit amount.