Patent Application
20220281736
The present invention relates to liquid level metering, and particularly to beverage liquid levels carried on one's person.
It is known in the prior art water level meters have existed for as long as water level storage has existed. Initially this was done by making charcoal or other markings on the side of natural water basins. Water level detection has expanded to nearly every form of storage vessel. Many containers have hash marks on them and are translucent which allows users to see the level. More advanced detection equipment have developed to make liquid level detection easier. Advanced level detection equipment uses electronic sensors which can report the water level electronically to computers.
Outdoor enthusiasts, law enforcement, fire fighters, and military members frequently use hydration equipment during activities and operations. This hydration equipment uses a pack of to hold a vessel containing a beverage. The vessel may be flexible. The pack may be mounted in numerous configurations and positions on the human body.
The only way to know how much water remains in the vessel is to remove the pack and check it manually by eye or touch. Checking the water level requires activity to be stopped. Users may be unable to stop their activity to check their beverage level or may simply forget. Not being able to check water levels in the packs during activity may put the user in a life-threatening position. The first indication they have ran out of water is they are out of water.
Advantages of Invention
The advantage of using the proposed invention include:
In accordance with the embodiments the product collects data relating to beverage consumption, then broadcasts it to a smart device to easily see.
There are several embodiments which accomplish the objective of the product; however, the first embodiment which is illustrated in
Embodiment 1—The first embodiment uses a sensor which may contact the beverage or may be contactless. The sensor may sense the amount of water that passes from the apparatus.
The vessel used in packs may be made from a flexible material which like polyurethane; this means that the vessel is susceptible to shape changes from outside forces. An example of this would-be backpacking supplies which are being stored in a backpack with the vessel pressing up against backpacking supplies. The vessel is also susceptible to shape changes as the beverage is consumed and internal pressure causes it to collapse in on itself.
The vessel has a fitting 2 where the beverage is conducted out of the vessel for consumption. The fitting may have a straw 3 which delivers the beverage to a mouthpiece 5 where the beverage is delivered for consumption.
The apparatus is installed between the fitting and the mouthpiece. It may be installed at a convenient location along the length of the straw.
Embodiment 2—the second best embodiment is illustrated in
Similar to the first embodiment the vessel will have a fitting 2 where the beverage is conducted out of the vessel for consumption. The fitting may have a straw 3 which delivers the beverage to a mouthpiece 5 where the beverage is delivered for consumption.
Consider Embodiment 2 the apparatus 4 is fixed to the side of the container and uses contactless sensors to identify where the beverage is located within the container.
Embodiment 3—the least effective method is illustrated in
Similar to the first two embodiments the vessel will have a fitting 2 where the beverage is conducted out of the vessel for consumption. The fitting may have a straw 3 which delivers the beverage to a mouthpiece 5 where the beverage is delivered for consumption.
In Embodiment 3 the apparatus is in two parts the first part 4 is fixed to the inside of the vessel and contains sensors which contact the beverage to identify where the beverage is located within the vessel. The second part 6 is on the outside of the container and may have a wired or wireless connection to the apparatus within the vessel. The second part will be used to broadcast data observed by the sensors on the inside of the vessel.
Mechanical Process—Each of the embodiments have the same general form of construction. This form of construction is illustrated in
The sensors described above may include flow sensors, float sensors, ultrasonic sensors, light sensors, motion sensors, and radiation sensors.
The sensor circuit may resemble the one illustrated in
The battery or battery charge circuit may resemble the one illustrated in
The battery charge circuit may be eliminated leaving only the battery circuit.
The antenna broadcast a wireless signal transmitting the recorded data.
Embodiments may also include temporary data storage drive 5 within apparatus.
Process of reporting
Collection of initial input—this may be done automatically 1 by allowing sensor to report initial fluid level. It may also be done manually 2 by the user inputting the starting volume. In either case initial Volume is denoted by Vn=0.
Beverage is then consumed 3 represented by volumetric flow rate (Q) multiplied by time (t) which equals the change in volume ΔV. Q is the volumetric flow rate defined by Q=vA where v=flow velocity and A=cross sectional vector area/surface. Change in volume may also be ΔV=x1−x2 where x1 is the previous sensor reading and x2 is the current sensor reading.
After consumption of the beverage the initial level Vn=0 is now changed to Vn 4. The apparatus must solve for Vn.
The apparatus will then broadcast Qt 5 or store Qt on the temporary data storage as described above from
Qt is then received by a device 6 via the broadcast from the apparatus. The device will also receive any manual input from the user. The receiver receives data as Qt, Vn=0, or Vn.
The device must solve for Vn 8. If no Qt or Vn is received from the broadcast, then the equation default is:
V
n
=V
n=0
If no Qt is received but a new Vn is received that does not equal the previous Vn, then the previous Vn becomes Vn-1 and the following equation is used to solve for Vn:
V
n
=v
(n-1)
If Qt is received it cancels out any previous Vn or Vn=0. When a Qt is received any Vn or Vn=0 now becomes V(n-1) and the following equation is used to solve for Vn:
V
n
=V
(n-1)
−ΣQt
or
V
n
=V
(n-1)
−ΣQt
A newly found Vn 9 is then recorded within the device software. The new Vn is displayed to the user via the display 15 or is used to create additional outputs.
There would be three types of modifications that may be made to Vn which will then be reported through a display.
A modification may include Vn=M 10 which are modification crated based on presets that are within the device software.
A modification may include Vn=U 11 which are modifications which are influenced by settings/inputs created by the User 12. These inputs may include distance travelled, activity start time, calories burned, calories consumed, average heart rate, heart rate, body weight, body weight over time, altitude, outside temperature, body temperature, wellbeing indicator, previous beverage consumption, previous calorie consumption, stress levels, sweat rate, barometric data, regional data, location, age, height, sex, medications, disease data, sleep data and so on.
A modification may include Vn=P 13 which are modifications that are influenced by inputs from third-party devices 14. These inputs received from third-party devices may include distance travelled, activity start time, calories burned, calories consumed, average heart rate, heart rate, body weight, body weight over time, altitude, outside temperature, body temperature, wellbeing indicator, previous beverage consumption, previous calorie consumption, stress levels, sweat rate, barometric data, regional data, location, age, height, sex, medications, disease data, sleep data and so on.
Display/Notify 15 the display or notification communicating the data and information may be through visual display on a smartphone, tv, monitor, wearable device, small device display. The data and information may also be transmitted through sound, bioimplants or haptics.
