Patent Grant
10919751
Material transfer, materials handling, and batch making of mixtures are required in a multitude of commercial applications. Where those applications are related to agricultural operations, precision farming and other pressures for efficiency have driven a number of improvements, new combinations and other means to track inputs from container and field to crop yielded. Further, certain inputs are very expensive on a per ounce basis driving the need to fully empty containers and account for all of the input.
In agricultural as well as almost every other business, efficiency in terms of time, labor, and product use remains a holy grail worth pursuing.
Liquid materials are often delivered in a jug, with or without a pour spout, and usually with a lid that is removable or displaceable. Efficiency and productivity are reduced by the time required to adequately empty the contents of the jug, especially where the liquid is viscous. The alternative is no more appealing—removing the container before it is adequately drained increases the number of times a container must be loaded and leaves valuable contents in the container as waste or the subject of a second process to remove.
Further, reconciling the amount purchased with the amount used is often heavily influenced by assumptions rather than actual measurements. What was needed was a way to accurately and efficiently empty containers and effectively assure complete emptying and accounting of their contents.
The present invention is intended for use with an automated batch making assembly that includes a hopper in which a plurality of inputs are combined to form a batch. The apparatus includes means to read information provided on the input's packaging, i.e., RFID or other reader where such packaging is present. Further, the assembly includes a dispensing assembly for managing the input of liquid components. Particularly, the dispensing assembly includes means to release the vacuum that otherwise forms when a container of liquid is inverted to drain and to more fully emptying the container in an efficient manner relative to both time and volume. The invention includes a method for using said dispensing assembly.
Generally, in addition to means to read factory labels provided with the product packaging, the dispensing assembly of the present invention comprises a volume of pressurized gas in a pressurized tank and a volume of rinsate under pressure, and a conduit leading from the pressurized tank and source of rinsate said conduit comprising a first end and a second end. The second end comprises means to dispense said pressurized gas and rinsate; the first end is associated with the pressurized tank and source of rinsate. The means to dispense may be a valve comprising at least an open position and a closed position or, optionally means to adjust the degree to which said valve is opened. A valve is associated with the pressurized gas and a second valve is associated with the rinsate.
The present inventive automated batch making assembly (ABMA) comprising the dispensing assembly provides method and means to fully remove and accurately account for the contents in a container. In one embodiment the ABMA is, generally, a closed system wherein a liquid-containing container is efficiently emptied and its contents fully accounted for. In operation of the inventive means, the speed of the process of emptying or partially emptying liquid from a liquid containing container is markedly increased. Specifically, the full container may be opened and inverted over a nozzle or valve. The nozzle or valve is fluidly associated with the pressurized gas in the tank. The nozzle or valve is opened to dispense the pressurized gas into the liquid-containing container thereby eliminating/reducing the vacuum force otherwise formed when a container of fluid is inverted. Eliminating or reducing the vacuum force causes the liquid to more quickly and more completely evacuate the container.
A conduit having a first end and a second end may fluidly connect the nozzle and the pressurized gas in the tank. The conduit's first end may be associated with the pressurized gas and a source of pressurized liquid such as water to provide means to rinse any remaining contents from the container.
The ABMA preferably also includes a controller. The controller, which may be programmable, records the weight (or the labeled volume of the container which it converts to weight) of the container before the batch is begun, and records (or has previously stored) the weight of the hopper before any liquid is added. In one embodiment, the present invention comprises a reader equipped to read data on an identification tag associated with a container, said data pertaining to the contents in the container, and send that data to the controller where it may be saved.
After the container has been inverted or near inverted and the liquid dispensed as described above, and the controller determines the actual weight after dispensing is consistent with the amount of input expected to be obtained from the container within a predetermined range relative to the labeled container information (or within a predetermined range relative to the known amount in the container as previously recorded by the ABMA if this container was previously partially used), then the controller reconciles the actual weight of the liquid dispensed to the weight as labeled (or the weight as previously recorded for a partial container).
If, after liquid has been dispensed, and the measured weight is determined to be out of the predetermined acceptable range, then the controller records the weight actually measured. Thereafter, the controller causes the nozzle or valve to inject water or other rinsate into the container to wash out the remaining liquid. And, if a container is partially used in one mix and then completely drained and rinsed in another, the controller sums the measurements, compares the sum to a defined acceptable window of error and, if within that window, adjusts the last measured amount so that the total matches the container capacity.
The dispensing assembly described above may also be used for dispensing from containers where the contents need to be transferred via a closed environment. Here, a receiving valve assembly is employed to engage an adaptor cap of a container in which the liquid is housed. As previously described, the assembly may be equipped with a reader to read data on an identification tag associated with the container, said data pertaining to the contents in the container, and send that data to the controller where it may be saved. A load cell weighs at least the container and its contents before transfer and again after. This information is then converted to weight of the transferred liquid thereby recording both the amount used and the amount remaining in that container. The sensitivity of this method can be marginally increased by employing more than one load cell.
In an alternative embodiment, a closed system is provided for direct evacuation of a single container without a hopper. In this embodiment, the input container is associated with an adaptor cap which is, in turn, directly associated with a receiving valve. Pressurized gas and a rinsate supply may be fluidly connected to the receiving valve in order to assist with complete evacuation of the container. A load cell or cells associated with the receiving valve measures the weight of the input and container before dispensing and again after to determine the amount of input received.
In one embodiment, a single container of a given input is opened and used at any given time. In another embodiment, means to uniquely label a container allows the system to uniquely track multiple containers and volumes remaining in each said container of the same input. These unique labels may facilitated reading by a reader such as, but not limited to, an RFID reader.
In embodiments, means to measure fluid moving from a container may include integrated flow measurement devices in addition to or instead of weight detecting devices such as load cells.
The automated batch making assembly and the dispensing assembly, together provide means to track and account for inputs and increase efficiency.
An automated batch making assembly (ABMA) 10 combines precisely measured liquid components 20-30 or inputs to create a batch combination 50. In addition to the overall objective of precise batch creation, an ABMA assembly 10 should comprise a controller 12 which may be programmable and may comprise a measurement hopper 14 having a rinsing apparatus 16. The hopper 14 further comprises load cells 15 or level measurement sensors 22 or both associated with the controller 12. The ABMA 10 further comprises means to reconcile and account for liquid components 20-30 purchased and used, and a dispensing assembly 40 comprising means to efficiently and adequately remove 52, 56, 59 e.g., liquid components 20, 23 from their containers 20a,23a. The containers 20a,23a may each be provided with a unique container identification 112 which may be electronically readable via RFID or other means or humanly perceived or both. The ABMA preferably comprises a reader such as a bar code reader, well known in the art, to detect the container identification 112 and send it to the controller 12. The controller 12 is equipped to accept the container identification 112 read from the label on containers of inputs, and to reconcile and account for liquid components 20-23 purchased and used from those containers 20a-23a.
The present invention is focused on the dispensing assembly 40 comprising means to adequately empty containers 20a-23a of liquid components 20-23 where the liquid is to be used to produce a batch combination 50. It should be understood that the invention may comprise any number of containers.
In a preferred embodiment, the ABMA 10 may be employed as an “open system” where the operator pours measured portions of the contents of a plurality of containers 20a-23a into the hopper 14. As an example, the hopper 14 may be a stainless steel 12.5 gallon container. A lid 120 may or may not be associated with the automated batch making assembly. Where lid 120 is included it may be mounted on a frame 121 rather than the hopper 14 so that its weight does not effect that of the hopper 14 which will be weighed as means to record the weight of inputs 20-30 added. Alternatively, the lid 120, if present, may be mounted on the hopper 14.
The ABMA 10 may, alternatively, be operated as a closed or semi-closed system to reduce or eliminate exposure to the operator. In this embodiment, the lid 120 may be provided with container connectors 150 located such that the container's weight does not affect the hopper's weight. Alternatively, container connectors 150 may be provided on a frame standing separate from the hopper 14 thereby positioning a container 20a-23a above but not in physical contact with the hopper 14 so that the container's weight need not be accounted for. A lid 120 may or may not be present. The weight of the hopper 14 is recorded by the controller prior to and again after each input 20-23 is added to the hopper 14. In an alternative embodiment, a flow meter as is known in the art may be associated with the container connector 150 or incorporated therein allowing measurement of inputs to be directly determined in that manner. Preferably, the controller 12 receives and records the readings from the flow meter 21 and/or load cell 15.
In an alternative embodiment, an adapter cap 200 may be associated with the container 20a. The adapter cap 200 may comprise a valve assembly. A receiving valve assembly 210 associated with a pressurized gas supply 62, a rinsate supply 110, and at least one load cell 15 is employed. In this embodiment no hopper is included, rather the load cell 15 weighs the combination of the receiving valve assembly 210, the adapter cap 200, and the container 20a prior to dispensing from the container 20a and again after the desired amount of input 20 is dispensed. The preferred receiving valve assembly 210 is configured to associate the container 20a at an angle to facilitate draining of the input 20 from the container. A motor is preferably provided to control the flow of input 20 from the container 20a as well as control the pressurized gas 62 and rinsate 110 into the container 20a. In short, one or more of the load cell 15 may be replaced by a flow meter 21 integrated in the receiving valve assembly 210. In an alternate arrangement, the receiving valve assembly 210 is associated with the lid and, therefore, does not affect the weight of the hopper.
The closed system ABMA 10 may be manually controlled in response to prompts from the controller 12 or automatically controlled by the controller 12 as it follows a predetermined set of commands to add specified amounts of each component, e.g., 20-23 for a batch 50. The set of commands include routines for draining, rinsing, container ID recordation, and measuring. The automated batch-making assembly (ABMA) facilitates computer-assisted production of batch chemical combinations.
Water is typically employed to facilitate production of a predetermined batch of chemicals 50 and/or to rinse component containers 20a-23a. The ABMA 10 is computer-assisted and can be programmed to prompt an operator to provide certain inputs 20-23 to the hopper 14. The ABMA may be equipped with means to visually identify, read barcode, RFID, NFC to confirm container identity for inputs/components. As will be described, the ABMA 10 verifies and records those inputs and the volume amounts thereof via measurements provided by the load cells 15 and a routine to be described herein. This information is employed by the ABMA 10 to track inventory even down to the amount remaining in a partially used container 20a-23a. The more automated version of the ABMA 10 may be equipped to record volumes added and cause various inputs to be added in a particular order. Alternatively or additionally, ABMA 10 may also serve as a prompter to cause an operator to provide or load each input 20-23 in an order and/or amount required. It then records changes in weight which can be reconciled with the amount of each input 20-23 needed. The ABMA 10 provides several advantages over the prior art assemblies and methods.
The dispensing assembly 40 comprises means 56, 52, 59 to remove liquid components 20-23 from their containers 20a-23a. It should be understood that reference numbers 20-23 are used to describe a number of liquid components. Each of these liquid components are, generally, handled in the same manner by the dispensing assembly 40, therefore we will describe the dispensing assembly relative to a single liquid component 20, its container 20a having an opening 20b and a closure or lid with the understanding that each liquid component to be handled by the dispensing assembly may also have a container, an opening and a closure or lid.
The dispensing assembly, 40, comprises means 56 to remove liquid components or inputs 20 from their containers 20a and addresses a long felt need in the industry. Agricultural inputs have become more concentrated, more powerful, more specialized in their effects and, of course, more expensive. Further, the old adage “time is money” has become evermore applicable to agricultural endeavors.
One advantage provided by the ABMA 10 is facilitated by the dispensing assembly 40. The dispensing assembly 40 facilitates faster flow of liquid out of a container housing 20a. To accomplish faster emptying or partial emptying of the container 20a, means 56 to efficiently and adequately remove liquid comprises a conduit 52 having a first end and a second end, said second end comprising a valve or other means to start and stop flow through the conduit 52 as is commonly known in the art. The first end of the conduit 52 is fluidly associated with a pressurized tank holding a pressurized gas 62. A valve on the second end of the conduit 52 or otherwise positioned thereon can be opened and closed. The valve may be opened at least partially thereby allowing an amount of the pressurized gas 62 to flow into the conduit 52 for a purpose which will be described.
The container 20a housing the liquid component or input 20 comprises an opening 20b through which the liquid 20 may be poured or otherwise removed and/or means to form an opening 20b through which the liquid may be poured or otherwise removed. Said means to form an opening 20b may comprise a threaded association 208 between a closure or lid and the container 20a or a snap fit type of relationship between the closure and opening 20b in the container 20a or other conventional means. Alternatively, said means to form an opening 20b may be resealable or may not be resealable, said means may comprise a lid having a material portion that may be separable from the lid and disposed of thereby creating opening and may or may not result in the possibility of re-sealing the container 20a. In any event, the container 20a will have an opening 20b or means to form an opening 20b. The container 20a additionally comprises an end 20d opposite the opening 20b. The opening 20b provides a path through which liquid inputs 20 housed in the container 20a may be poured or otherwise removed.
In one embodiment, the dispensing assembly 40 further comprises means to secure 75 the container 20a in an inverted position with the opening 20b below the opposite end 20d. When inverted, the liquid 20 in the container 20a flows toward the opening 20b, however, because the opposite end 20d of the container 20a is sealed, the liquid 20 is unable to flow out or is only able to flow slowly and sporadically out of the opening due to the vacuum force resulting from the liquid 20 pouring out and nothing available to fill the void left in the opposite end 20d. This effect is especially pronounced where a viscous liquid is being emptied although the phenomenon occurs regardless of viscosity.
In order to facilitate faster evacuation of the liquid 20 from the container 20a, the second end 56 of the conduit 52 which may or may not comprise a nozzle is inserted into the inverted container 20a or, alternatively, inserted into the container 20a prior to inverting. An amount of the pressurized gas 62 is allowed to flow into the inverted container 20a. The gas 62 rises to the opposite end 20d which is now positioned above the opening 20b thereby eliminating the vacuum force and allowing the liquid 20 to outflow from the container 20a much faster, leaving less of the liquid component 20a in the container 20. In one embodiment, the pressure of the gas 62 may be adjusted by the operator to apply just enough to relieve the vacuum. Alternatively, the dispensing valve assembly 40 contains a pressure relief valve to not over pressurize the container 20a if the operator applies too much pressure.
It should be understood that the container 20a does not necessarily have to be inverted. For example, as previously described, the container 20a may include means to form an opening. Said means to form an opening 20b may be resealable or may not be resealable. In this embodiment, means to secure the container 20a is employed to secure the container 20a with the openable opening 20b above the opposite end, i.e., right side up. Because the opening 20b is sealed and opposite end 20d of the container is sealed, the liquid 20 is unable to flow out. In this embodiment, the operator may employ any means capable to puncture an opening in the opposite end 20d to allow the input 20 to outflow. The input 20 will only be able to flow slowly and sporadically out of the opening due to the vacuum force resulting from the liquid 20 pouring out and nothing available to fill the void left near the means to form an opening. This effect is especially pronounced where a viscous liquid is being emptied although the phenomenon occurs regardless of viscosity. An amount of the pressurized gas 62 is allowed to flow into the container 20a. The gas 62 rises to the opposite end 20b which is now positioned above the opening 20d thereby eliminating the vacuum force and allowing the liquid 20 to outflow from the container 20 much faster, leaving less of the liquid component 20a in the container 20. In one embodiment, the pressure of the gas 62 may be adjusted by the operator to apply just enough to relieve the vacuum. Alternatively, the dispensing valve assembly 40 contains a pressure relief valve to not over pressurize the container 20a if the operator applies too much pressure.
The automated batch making assembly (ABMA) 10 of the present invention comprising the dispensing assembly 40 is computer-assisted and may be employed in a number of ways. The ABMA 10 may comprise its own monitor and/or screen 80 or may be enabled via laptop or other form of CPU (computer processing unit) associated with the controller 12 or serving as the controller 12. Although not required, employment of a screen 80 to both guide and report is contemplated. One embodiment of the ABMA 10 comprises at least one hopper 14 which may or may not be substantially covered by a lid 120, and a scale 114 comprising load cells 15 for measuring the weight of the hopper 14, the hopper 14 and its contents, or the hopper 14, its contents, and the lid 120. One example method of using this embodiment of the ABMA is as follows:
Referring now to
The Dispensing Assembly 40 is associated with or integral with the ABMA 10. The dispensing assembly comprises the conduit 52 for transferring a fluid, or a gas from a pressurized tank, to a container 20a to be emptied of fluid input 20 or which is in the process of being emptied. As is known in the art, a pressurized tank may contain pressurized gas 62 such as but not limited to compressed air. The second end 56 of the conduit 52 is equipped with the valve 58 or other means to dispense the gas 62. Said means to dispense the pressurized gas may be one of any number of valves, capable of facilitating an open/closed positions allowing or disallowing flow of the pressurized gas 62 through the conduit 52.
In one embodiment an operator may be directed by the controller of the ABMA by providing a message on the screen to add fluid A. The operator may invert or overturn a container 20a full of fluid and secure its position, with its opening 20b at the bottom and its opposite end 20d at the top. Some of the fluid A may pour out, but its flow rate is known to be unacceptably slow. The operator may insert the second end 56 of the conduit 52 into the opening 20b now positioned at the bottom and open the valve 58, thereby causing the pressurized gas 62 to rise through the fluid A, eliminating the vacuum and eliminating the vacuum pressure and thereby allowing fluid A to flow more quickly from its container 20a.
Alternatively, the dispensing assembly 40 may include a platform on which the second end 56 of the conduit 52 is mounted or is otherwise associated therewith. In this embodiment, the operator inverts the container 20a (opening now on the bottom) over the conduit 52 and secures the container's 20a position and then actuates the valve 58 to cause flow of the pressurized gas 62 from the pressurized tank 60 allowing the faster evacuation of the fluid A.
In an alternative embodiment the platform or the conduit 52 is equipped with a pressure sensitive on/off switch 59, such that when the operator inverts the container 20a over the conduit 52 and places the inverted container on the frame 121, the pressure on the pressure sensitive on/off switch 59 actuates the valve 58 to cause the flow of pressurized gas 62.
In one embodiment the nozzle 56 or other device on the conduit 52 through which the low pressure gas 62 flows to aid with voiding the container 20a is simultaneously associated with a volume of rinse water 110, the nozzle 56 or other device is equipped with a switching means 61 allowing the operator to selectively flow the low pressure gas 62 or a liquid rinse 110, thereby providing an efficient means to rinse out any fluid A remaining in the container 20.
In an embodiment, the controller comprises means to monitor 15 the weight of the container said means may be associated with a platform or other support for the inverted container 20. A measurement of weight is taken from the beginning of transfer of fluid A and when its weight reaches a predetermined number, the controller 12 deems the container 20 empty and ready to rinse; the controller 12 then deactivates the low pressure gas 62 that was used to eliminate the vacuum and activates the rinse liquid 110 for cleaning the container. In a variation of this embodiment, a combination of air and rinse liquid 110 may be employed to clean the container 20; this is faster because less rinse agent 110 is used and time to drain is reduced thereby reducing container process time.
If, after removal from the container of the desired input the container is not empty, a new weight of the container is recorded by the controller and/or a new volume of the input remaining in the container is recorded. Thereafter, if that input is required for another batch, the remainder of that input from that container may be used and the container drained and rinsed at that point. A reconciliation routine is employed. The reconciliation system (1) starts with the known volume or weight of product provided in the container at purchase; (2) measures the volume of the product used in the first batch; (3) measures the volume of the product used in subsequent batches; (4) upon emptying the container, comparison of volume of product used with amount of product as provided by the container label; (5) if within accepted error window, adjusts volume of product used in the last batch to true up to the container label.
In another embodiment the system may be employed with hand-pour containers. This version of the system may include a closed version. Here, an adaptor cap 200 is attached to the container 20a and a receiver comprising a valve assembly 210 for the container is mounted over the measuring hopper 14 or, alternatively, may be mounted on the lid. The adaptor cap 200 is received by the receiver or receiving valve assembly 210 creating a fluid container connector between container 20a and measuring hopper 14 thereby providing a closed system for transfer of the contents.
In still another embodiment a closed container system is provided where a scale is mounted directly on the receiving valve assembly 210 which supports the adaptor cap and container during emptying and rinsing.
Yet another embodiment includes an air gap over the hopper to provide more accurate draining (and therefore more accurate weighing). The air gap separates the lid 120 of the hopper and the hopper 14; the hopper 14 is associated with load cells 15. Where the receiving valve assembly 210 is associated with the lid 120, and the lid 120 is not associated with the hopper 14, more accurate weight readings of the container can be recorded. Here, the scale or load cells 15 may be associated with the lid 120 to capture start and stop weight readings of the container. Or the receiver comprising a valve assembly 210 may be mounted on the lid 120. In this arrangement, the mechanics of the hopper such as a hose connected to the drain valve which may or may not have fluid remaining in it from the last container do not affect the weight readings of the container. Further, when the receiving valve assembly 210 is directly mounted on the lid 120 the container may be inverted, there is no hose or other conduit between the container and the hopper which also avoids problems of accurate weight recording.
In yet another embodiment, the dispensing assembly of the automated batch making assembly comprises a closed container system with flowmeter to measure liquid.
All of the embodiments where the output of the receiving valve assembly is the hopper, a drain valve maintains a liquid level adequate in the hopper so the pump remains primed and, further, this embodiment avoids foaming the fluids.
This application is a continuation of U.S. Utility application Ser. No. 15/667,548 which was filed on Aug. 2, 2017, which claims priority to U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Provisional Application No. 62/369,890 which was filed on Aug. 2, 2016.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20200031650 A1 | Jan 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62369890 | Aug 2016 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15667548 | Aug 2017 | US |
| Child | 16593048 | US |
