HK1197398A - Fluid portion dispenser - Google Patents

Description

Fluid portion dispenser

Technical Field

The present invention relates to dispensers of fluids such as liquids, powders or granular solids, and in particular to devices for dispensing a predetermined quantity of a fluid product into a container quickly, hygienically and accurately, according to the container capacity.

Background

There are many applications where it is desirable to accurately dispense a fixed volume or weight of fluid into a series of containers. For example, in the restaurant industry, when repeatedly preparing food and beverages, it may be important to accurately dispense a predetermined serving size of fluid product as needed. Within these industries, such dispensing agencies must maintain as clean and sanitary as possible, in particular to meet specific regulatory requirements. Furthermore, in order to maintain profitable business, it is also important to avoid unnecessary waste of food and beverage products and to dispense portions as efficiently as possible.

While the prior art has made available dispensing systems that perform adequately, improvements can be made in the speed at which such systems operate. In addition to the usability and ease of operation inherent in such prior art, improvements can be made in the overall cleaning and maintenance of such systems.

For example, with respect to the food industry, it is well known to provide a hand pump sauce dispenser on a table top that can be used directly by either kitchen staff or a customer. These manual pump dispensers have only one flavor reservoir that can dispense a defined or repeatable amount of flavor when the pump drive lever is fully depressed once. However, such dispensers suffer from hygiene and cleanliness issues and must be regularly emptied and cleaned. The container provided with a manual pump dispenser may also be overfilled if the container cannot receive all of the standard doses of flavoring provided by a single actuation of the pump.

When the fluid to be dispensed is formed of granules or powder, a large amount of processing work by kitchen staff is required. Staff must measure the required weight or capacity from large packaging stores, or need to individually open packages for protecting single doses or cups of fluid material. These methods are relatively slow in operation and require a significant amount of labor. In addition, single dose packaging has a high cost of environmentally friendly packaging, creating an unnecessarily large amount of waste.

In a cafe environment, a cafe is required to periodically pour a fixed volume of chilled milk into a container for use in preparing a beverage. Typically, the milk container is manually removed from the refrigerator by a coffee maker and the required volume of milk is poured into the container, which is usually of a different size depending on the type of beverage to be prepared. This method is difficult to dispense a fixed volume of milk repeatedly and quickly and often confuses the cafeteria's countertop. This method also creates unnecessary waste due to the packaging of many milk containers that will be used within a day.

Many attempts have been made in the past to solve certain problems by providing an automated fluid dispenser. For example, U.S. patent No. 4236553 entitled "Beverage port controller", owned by Arthur reicherberger, discloses an automatic Beverage dispensing system that dispenses liquid according to container capacity as a result of a probe being raised vertically by the lip of a cup provided to the dispenser and dispensing a predetermined volume of Beverage depending on the distance the probe is vertically displaced by the height of the cup. However, not only is the device inconvenient and unsightly to use, it also has the disadvantage of increasing the chance that the user will fill the cup, particularly when operated frequently, such as in a busy cafe or fast food restaurant. For example, when filling a cup with a beverage, the user must start tilting the cup to catch the cup lip under the probe and raise the probe to activate the system, which proves difficult to use. Once the beverage is dispensed into the cup, the filled cup is trapped between the probe and the dispenser base plate by the force of the probe downwardly against the lip of the cup. This would prove inconvenient to remove the cup and may increase the chance of a full cup spilling due to the force of the probe on the lip and the possibility that the cup may tip or topple over during removal from the device. Furthermore, hooking of the probe to the lip of the cup proves unhygienic, transferring residues between the cups presented to the device, in particular when dispensing liquids such as milk.

It would therefore be useful to provide a fluid dispensing system that dispenses a dose of fluid according to the volume of a container provided to the system, which is intuitive and convenient to use, without increasing the risk of the user spilling the contents of a full container. It would be advantageous to provide a dispensing device that can be used reliably and frequently and dispensed at high speeds, which minimizes waste of dispensed product and packaging of the dispensed product. It would also be advantageous to provide a system that is hygienic and does not transfer dispensed product residue between containers.

It would therefore be useful to provide a solution which avoids or reduces the disadvantages of the prior art, or which provides an alternative to the prior art methods.

Disclosure of Invention

According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a fluid portion dispenser comprising at least one fluid reservoir, one or more nozzles, each nozzle being fixed to a work surface and having a nozzle outlet configured to dispense fluid therefrom, and a pump unit connecting each reservoir to a nozzle and configured to pump fluid from each reservoir to the nozzle, wherein each nozzle comprises an activation mechanism adapted to identify the volume of a container associated with the nozzle outlet and to activate the pump unit to dispense a portion of fluid from the nozzle outlet in dependence on the identified volume of the container.

In a preferred embodiment, the capacity of the container is identified by measuring the diameter of the container. In this embodiment, the actuating mechanism comprises at least one pair of rails fixed to each other in angular relationship and disposed apart from the nozzle relative to the nozzle, and a linear displacement sensor located between each pair of rails, wherein, when associated with the nozzle outlet, the container is placed in contact with the pair of rails and the linear displacement sensor moves according to the diameter of the container.

In an alternative preferred embodiment, the actuating mechanism comprises at least one pair of opposed jaws which spring towards each other, each jaw being rotatably connected about an axis and having a rotary displacement sensor fixed to the pivot point, the container, when associated with the nozzle outlet, pushing the jaw members and causing each rotary displacement sensor to move in accordance with the diameter of the container.

According to another variant of this embodiment, the activation mechanism comprises at least one pair of rails fixed to each other in an angular relationship and disposed apart from the nozzle with respect to the nozzle, and an optical sensor configured to transmit a signal and receive a response, wherein, when associated with the nozzle outlet, the container is placed in contact with the pair of rails and the optical sensor transmits and receives a signal indicating the distance between the sensor and the container.

In an alternative embodiment, the capacity is identified by measuring the lip height of the container, and the activation mechanism comprises a stop having a surface substantially perpendicular to the countertop and located below the nozzle outlet, and an actuator arm suspended below the nozzle outlet and pivotally connected about an axis and having a rotational displacement sensor fixed at the axis point, wherein when associated with the nozzle outlet, the container contacts the countertop and the stop, rotationally moving the actuator arm according to the lip height of the container.

Preferably, the present invention includes a digital processor and memory configured to control the pump unit and dispense a dose of fluid via programmed instructions. In this embodiment, it is also preferred that the processor be capable of being calibrated from different container capacity measurements and recording each container capacity measurement in its memory.

According to another aspect of the invention, the reservoir is configured to regulate the temperature of the fluid.

Preferably, the fluid the dispenser is configured to dispense is milk.

Drawings

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1A, 1B show perspective and detail views, respectively, of a dispenser provided in a preferred embodiment;

FIG. 2 provides a schematic component description of the actuation system disposed within the dispenser shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B;

3A-3C illustrate the start-up system of FIG. 2 during operation;

FIG. 4 provides a schematic component description of an alternative starter embodiment;

5A-5C illustrate the start-up system of FIG. 4 during operation;

FIG. 7 illustrates fluid flow paths and directions implemented according to another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 shows a side view of a manifold inlet connection provided in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The present invention relates to a dispenser which provides a predetermined volume or weight of fluid depending on the volume of container provided to it. A preferred embodiment of the invention may be realized as a milk dispenser, which is mounted in a worktop in a cafe or bar environment. In particular, reference in this specification will be made to a dispenser implemented as a milk dispenser for use in a cafe environment, but it will be clear to a person skilled in the art that other applications are envisaged for the invention and that it is used in a wide range of environments.

The present invention incorporates at least one outlet nozzle mounted to the countertop. The outlet nozzle includes a conventional assembly arrangement that effectively dispenses milk and other types of fluids. Such a nozzle defines an outlet through which milk is dispensed and an inlet connected proximate the countertop to receive the fluid. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that a wide and varied range of nozzles can be used with the present invention. Furthermore, it should also be understood that the present invention may be implemented with a different number of nozzles depending on its performance requirements. In general, reference is made in this specification to the invention comprising two nozzles mounted to a countertop.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dispenser comprises a dose measuring system. The dose measuring system is used to measure and otherwise control the volume, weight or amount of fluid dispensed to a container during a single operation. For example, in one embodiment, the present invention may incorporate a load cell or similar weight measurer to weigh an empty container prior to dispensing fluid. The weight of the empty container is then subtracted from the weight of the container during dispensing of the fluid, and the dispensing operation is terminated when a predetermined weight of fluid is present in the container. In other embodiments, a flow sensor is integrated within each nozzle to measure the delivery rate of liquid to the container. In conjunction with a timer, a flow sensor may be used to control the weight or volume of liquid dispensed in a single operation. Alternatively, when the flow rate of liquid from the nozzle is reliably constant, a timer system may be used in conjunction to control the volume or weight of liquid dispensed in a single operation.

The dispenser provided according to the invention further comprises at least one activation system associated with the one or more nozzles provided. Each start-up system includes components of the present invention that signal to start or stop a dispensing operation or cycle.

In a preferred embodiment, the activation system is automatic and is capable of identifying the volume of the container provided to the nozzle. Once the container is identified, the system retrieves information related to the predetermined portion, volume or weight of liquid associated with the identified container and controls operation of the pump and nozzle to deliver the predetermined portion of liquid to the container.

In these embodiments, to operate the system, the user places a container that has been recorded in the dispenser memory during calibration under the nozzle and the dispenser will automatically provide fluid in portions to the dispenser. Such automatic triggering systems offer significant advantages over the prior art in terms of efficiency and availability. For example, in a cafe, when a coffee maker needs to fill a coffee pot with milk, the coffee pot may be placed under a nozzle to trigger the automatic filling of the coffee pot with an appropriate amount of milk. Preferably, the system has little physical interaction with the submitted container, providing an easy to use device that does not increase the risk of overflow of a full container by retaining it under the nozzle due to forces exerted on the container.

Preferably, the dispenser includes a digital processor and associated memory elements to control the operation of the dispenser's pump and to facilitate the calibration and recording procedure for each container used with the system. As will be clear and understood by those skilled in the art, this digital processor is loaded with executable instructions appropriate to its required tasks.

The present invention provides for a dispenser to be mounted in association with a countertop, the form or configuration of such countertop being determined by the location or environment in which the dispenser is to be used. For example, in a preferred embodiment of the invention configured as a coffee milk dispenser, the dispenser would be mounted on a service counter or work bench at a cafe. For example, the workstation may also require a coffee machine, a food display cabinet, and a cash register. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that space on such a countertop is at a premium and needs to be efficiently utilized to prevent confusion during high activities.

In alternative embodiments, other forms of countertops may be associated with the dispenser. For example, in other embodiments, the dispenser may be provided as part of a cafeteria facility in a food service cafeteria. In this application, buffet customers may use the present invention to dispense themselves with a fixed or controlled volume of beverage and other forms of fluid.

Preferably, the dispenser further comprises or is associated with a drainage system. The drainage system includes a drip tray and a drain pipe located directly below the nozzle outlet.

The present invention provides a dispenser comprising at least one fluid reservoir providing bulk storage of the fluid to be dispensed. The arrangement and configuration of the reservoirs is determined by the type of fluid and the application in which the invention is used. In a preferred embodiment, the reservoir is arranged to receive a plurality of individual packages or cartons of fluid to be dispensed. In this application, each package or carton has an outlet connected to a manifold system that collects the fluid from each container into a single delivery line of a nozzle. For example, in these embodiments, a reservoir formed of or capable of receiving a number of individual packages may be engaged with the manifold system. Preferably, the manifold system provides an inlet or connection for each package associated with a reservoir and has an outlet associated with or connected to a pump provided according to the invention. Thus, the manifold system may allow the reservoir to be provided with a variable total capacity depending on the number of packages connected to the manifold.

In alternative embodiments, a single carton or large packet may be stored in the reservoir to store the fluid to be dispensed. In other embodiments where powder or particles are to be dispensed, a vat or hopper based system may provide a fluid reservoir. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that the application utilizing the present invention will determine the exact form and arrangement of the fluid reservoir or reservoirs as needed.

In preferred embodiments where the fluid reservoir comprises a plurality of fluid containers, the reservoir may also be provided with an angled or inclined support surface for each container. For example, in one embodiment, the reservoir may be provided with a cabinet configuration provided with a series of trays or drawers stacked one upon the other, capable of receiving a flexible bladder containing the fluid to be dispensed. Preferably, the tray may be angled or inclined to discharge each fluid bladder to the front of the tray and to a connection associated with the inlet of the manifold system. In another preferred embodiment, this arrangement of support trays may also have a generally V-angled form to discharge all of the fluid contained within the bladder to a single central exit point adjacent the connection point of the bladder to the manifold system inlet. This particular arrangement of the support tray in the reservoir maximizes the amount of extractable fluid without requiring any manual intervention to rearrange any fluid packages.

In one embodiment where the reservoir is associated with a fluid delivery manifold system, the inlet of the manifold may incorporate a self-guiding or self-aligning connection system. The self-aligning connection system may be used to ensure that a secure, leak-free connection is provided between the manifold and the fluid package, thereby preventing leakage or contamination of any food-grade fluid.

In a preferred embodiment, the self-aligning manifold inlet connection may incorporate a generally conical guide surface disposed adjacent at least one engagement surface that is complementary in form to a receiving fixture in which the fluid package is disposed. In another preferred embodiment, a pair of complementary engagement surfaces may be provided with a conical guide surface between these surfaces. In this embodiment, the first engagement surface may be introduced into the fluid package and advanced until the manifold attachment guide surface encounters the package fixture. At this point, the conical form or shape of the guide surface will automatically align and center the manifold inlet connector to allow it to advance further into the package fixture and eventually expose the engagement surface to contact another complementary surface provided in the package. Thus, this arrangement of the manifold inlet connector can properly and automatically align the connector and complementary fixture disposed in the fluid package and provide a fluid seal with two or possibly more engagement surfaces within the connector.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention for dispensing milk, the fluid reservoir may also be integrated with or realized as a refrigeration system. For example, in one such embodiment where multiple milk cartons are connected to the nozzle by means of a manifold, the milk cartons may be located within a refrigerator that incorporates the manifold outlet.

In another embodiment, the fluid reservoir may be implemented such that it can apply a pre-treatment program to the fluid prior to dispensing. For example, in one embodiment, the reservoir may include a heating system that may increase the temperature of the fluid before the fluid reaches the nozzle. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that various additional subsystems ranging from refrigeration, heating, homogenization, mixing or controlled introduction of other additives may also be implemented in association with the fluid reservoir, if desired. With reference to the fluid reservoir, merely refrigerating the fluid in this specification should not be considered limiting in any way.

In certain embodiments, the present invention includes at least one pump to drive fluid from the reservoir to each nozzle. In a preferred embodiment, the pump is an electrically driven liquid driven pump. Preferably, the liquid pump is connected to a manifold-based fluid collection system. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the liquid pump may be connected to a single large package of fluid. However, in an alternative embodiment, the reservoir may be located at a higher position relative to each nozzle and provide fluid to the nozzles under the force of gravity, eliminating the need for a pump.

Preferably, the dispenser is arranged with its reservoir and pump remote from the outlet nozzle or the countertop in which the nozzle is mounted. This arrangement of the dispenser ensures that the countertop is used minimally to house the components of the dispenser, leaving free space for routine operations and equipment in the cafe or other similar environment. In another preferred embodiment, the fluid reservoir and pump integrated within the dispenser may be located below the countertop substantially adjacent to any provided nozzles.

In the embodiment with the nozzle in a vertical position above and removed from the reservoir, it should be clear that the head of fluid will stay in the connecting duct of the invention once the pump is deactivated. Thus, fluid that settles in the outlet nozzle and connecting tube will have a higher head than any fluid located in the reservoir, causing the settled fluid to drain back towards the reservoir under the influence of gravity. In these embodiments, the present invention may also incorporate at least one fluid control valve located between the reservoir and the nozzle used in the present invention to prevent backflow of fluid under gravity from the nozzle and associated tubing during idle periods.

In certain embodiments, a fluid control valve may be used as a forward flow control element, towards each nozzle, set by a one-way valve with a relatively low opening pressure (like, for example, 0.007 bar), which allows a rapid forward flow of fluid during dispensing. This form of valve will resist fluid backflow during idle periods by remaining closed against the force of the fluid head within the conduit and nozzle above the valve.

In another preferred embodiment, an alternative fluid control valve is provided, which is a high pressure return valve. The high pressure return control valve may employ an operating scheme that allows for reversing the operation of the pump immediately after the end of a dispense event. Such valves typically prevent fluid flow in the direction from the nozzle to the reservoir unless the pressure of the fluid exceeds a minimum level, which is the pressure applied by the pump when operating in reverse. This will allow fluid to be pumped back into the reservoir when the pump is running in reverse, but will prevent fluid from flowing in the same direction only under the weight of the pump and the higher head of the fluid head above the reservoir.

It will be clear to those skilled in the art that in the case of a manifold system associated with a reservoir having a number of fluid packages, a number of different configurations of control valves may be provided. In these embodiments, a single forward flow valve and high pressure return valve assembly may potentially be located on the outlet of the manifold. Alternatively, in other embodiments, each manifold inlet may incorporate a single forward flow valve assembly, while one or more of these outlets also incorporate a high pressure return valve assembly. Again, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that both the forward flow valve and the high pressure return valve assembly may be implemented with separate valve assemblies, or alternatively, with a single valve assembly if desired.

The design and construction of the manifold system may also be arranged to ensure that each fluid package is completely depleted before its adjacent packages are used to dispense other fluids. For example, in certain embodiments, the valves associated with the manifold inlets may be controlled to open only in a controlled sequence starting from the lowest fluid package disposed in association with the reservoir to the last topmost or highest package.

In a preferred embodiment, the dispenser may further comprise a connection to the water supply system. Preferably, the water supply system may be adapted to deliver a pressurized supply of water to a pump integrated in the present invention. This arrangement will allow the pump to dispense water from the nozzle.

The water supply connection provided to the pump can also be used in shut down flush and clean cycle operations. For example, in certain embodiments, after a food service or catering establishment is shut down, a wash cycle may be performed to flush the liquid carrying component of the dispenser with clean water. Preferably, in these embodiments, water flushed through the standard dispensing channel and dispenser assembly will eventually be delivered through the nozzle to be collected by the drain tray.

Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1A shows a perspective view of a dispenser arranged in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The dispenser 1 comprises one or more outlet nozzles 2, the outlet nozzles 2 being mounted on a countertop or counter 3. The outlet nozzle 2 is connected to a fluid reservoir, shown in this embodiment as a refrigerator 4. The fluid reservoir realized by the refrigerator 4 supplies milk to the nozzle 2 by means of the pumping unit 5. The pumping unit 5 is connected to the refrigerator 4 by a pipe manifold 6. Each manifold inlet 6a is in turn connected to a disposable package of milk 7. Below the outlet nozzle 2 a drip tray 8 is arranged, which drip tray 8 covers a drain (not shown).

Fig. 1B shows a detail of fig. 1A, showing two nozzles 2, each nozzle 2 having an activation system 10, wherein activation of the activation system 10 causes the pump to supply fluid to the nozzle 2. The activation system is seen to comprise an actuating element 12 and at least two guide rails 13.

Fig. 2 shows a top view of the activation system 10 according to the first two figures, wherein said system comprises at least one linear displacement sensor 11, the linear displacement sensor 11 being fixed with respect to the outlet of the nozzle and associated with a movable actuator 12. These components are located at the intersection of at least two guide rails 13, the two guide rails 13 having a fixed angular relationship with respect to each other and the sensor 11.

Fig. 3A, 3B and 3C illustrate the operation of the actuation system shown in fig. 2. Fig. 3A shows the system before the containers are directed to the nozzle, fig. 3B shows the displacement of the actuator 12 when the first container 14a is pushed between the rails 13 by the user, and fig. 3C shows an alternative container 14B placed between the rails. As can be seen from fig. 3B to 3C, the actuator 12 is pressed by the wall of the container 14 towards the sensor 11 until the container is in contact with both of the adjacent guide rails 13. It can be seen that the distance the actuator is depressed varies depending on the diameter of the container, with fig. 3B showing a first distance of travel for the larger container 14a, and fig. 3C showing a second, larger distance for the smaller container 14B. Depending on the diameter of the container, the guide rail prevents the container at a certain point from being directed towards the nozzle and the sensor 11, so that the displacement of the actuator is linked to a specific container diameter and effectively indicates the capacity of the container to the system. The processor is therefore triggered to activate the pump, taking into account the volume appropriate for the container to deliver a predetermined dose of fluid, according to the container calibration data recorded in the system.

In an alternative embodiment (not shown), similar to the arrangement associated with the nozzle shown in fig. 2-3, the activation system 10 is provided with at least two rails 13, the at least two rails 13 being pivotally connected to the nozzle at the ends and springing toward each other below the nozzle, requiring the user to push the rail components apart with the vessel wall to activate the system. In this embodiment, a rotary displacement sensor is also associated with each rail at its pivot point and measures the rotary displacement of each rail as the container is pushed between the nozzle lower rails. Similar to above, the rotational displacement measurement indicates to the processor the diameter of the container that has been provided to the system and triggers the processor to activate the pump to deliver a predetermined portion appropriate to the container diameter and volume.

In another alternative embodiment (not shown) the activation system is arranged in a similar arrangement to that shown in fig. 2 to 3, wherein instead of the linear displacement sensor 11 and the actuator 12 an optical sensor, such as an infrared sensor or the like, is used. In this arrangement, when a container is placed between the rails 13, the optical sensor detects the distance between its fixed position and the container and similarly indicates the diameter of the container to the processor, thus automatically dispensing the fluid in doses.

Fig. 4 and 5A-5C show side views of an alternative embodiment of the activation system 10, the activation system 10 having a pivotable actuation arm 15 rotatable about an axis 16, an angular displacement sensor 19 connected to the arm at the axis, and a stop element 18 fixed relative to the nozzle, the activation system 10 also having a surface perpendicular to the work surface 3.

As can be seen from fig. 5A to 5C, the actuator arm 15 pivots upwards due to contact with the lip of the container when the container is introduced to the activation system. A single guide 18 is provided under the movable arm to stop the advance of the introduced containers. As can be seen from fig. 5B and 5C, the actuator is rotatably placed according to the lip height of the container, and the angular displacement sensor 19 measures different displacements according to the height of the container. Similar to the previous embodiment described with respect to fig. 2-3, the displacement measurements recorded by the sensor 19 indicate to the processor the height and effective volume of the container, and the processor may then activate the pump to deliver a specified portion of fluid appropriate to the container volume based on the calibrated container volume data recorded in the system.

Fig. 6 illustrates fluid flow paths and directions provided in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention incorporating a series of flow control valves. As can be seen from fig. 6, an elevated head of water is formed between the outlet nozzle and the reservoir of the refrigeration unit arrangement shown. The refrigeration unit contains a series of fluid bladders linked to a manifold system, which in turn is connected to a pair of pumps.

In the embodiment shown with respect to fig. 6, the uppermost fluid-containing bladder 20 is connected to a manifold inlet having a pair of associated separate fluid control valves, valve 24 and valve 25. In the illustrated embodiment, the valve 24 is formed by a forward flow valve as indicated by the presented directional arrow, while the valve 25 is provided as a high pressure reverse flow valve. Instead, each bladder 21-23 is linked to a manifold valve inlet that incorporates only the positive flow valve 24 setting.

As can be seen in fig. 6, each forward flow valve 24 prevents backflow of fluid into each bladder 20-23 at the pressure of the elevation head. Conversely, when the pump is running in reverse, the valve 25 will allow the fluid supply line shown to be exhausted. Reverse activation of these pumps provides fluid at sufficient pressure to overcome the resistance of high pressure reverse flow valve 25 and return fluid to bladder 20.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of a manifold inlet connection provided in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.

As can be seen in fig. 7, the manifold inlet connection shown comprises a pair of complementary lateral engagement surfaces 26, 27 disposed above and below a conical guide surface 28. In use, the upper free end of the connecting piece is pushed into the complementary fixture of the fluid package by the upper complementary engaging surface 26 sliding through the passage formed in the fixture. As soon as the guide surface 28 of the connecting element meets the package, the connecting element automatically aligns itself by the action of the conical guide surface as the connecting element is advanced further into the package. Finally, the connecting element stops moving, and both the complementary engaging surfaces of the upper 26 and lower 27 engaging the fixing means engage the packaging fixing means, except for the other outer lateral engaging surface 29 of the face abutting the packaging device. This arrangement of the elements within the connector ensures that it automatically aligns properly with the complementary portion of the fluid package, thereby allowing the complementary engagement surfaces to form an effective fluid seal.

It will be clear that obvious variations or modifications may be made which are in accordance with the spirit and intended to be part of the present invention, and any such obvious variations or modifications are therefore within the scope of the present invention. Although the invention is described above with reference to specific embodiments, it will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to those embodiments, but can be implemented in many other forms.

In this specification, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise, the term "comprising" has a non-exclusive meaning in the sense of "comprising at least" and not an exclusive meaning in the sense of "consisting only of … …". Corresponding grammatical variations apply to other forms of words, such as "includes" and the like.

It will be clear that obvious variations or modifications can be made which are in accordance with the spirit of the invention and which are intended to be part of the present invention. Although the invention is described above with reference to specific embodiments, it will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to those embodiments, but can be implemented in many other forms.

Industrial applicability

The invention can be used in fluid dispensing operations, particularly in the catering and research industries.

The claims (modification according to treaty clause 19)

1. A fluid portion dispenser comprising:

at least one fluid reservoir;

one or more nozzles, each nozzle being secured to the countertop and having a nozzle outlet configured to dispense fluid therefrom; and

a pump unit connecting each reservoir to the nozzle and configured to pump fluid from each reservoir to the nozzle;

wherein each nozzle comprises an activation mechanism adapted to identify the volume of the container associated with the nozzle outlet and to activate the pump unit to dispense a dose of fluid from the nozzle outlet in accordance with the identified volume of the container.

2. The fluid portion dispenser of claim 1 wherein the capacity of the container is identified by measuring the diameter of the container.

3. A fluid portion dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a digital processor and memory configured to control the pump unit and dispense a portion of fluid by program instructions.

4. A fluid portion dispenser according to claim 3 wherein the processor is capable of being calibrated from different container capacity measurements and recording each container capacity measurement in its memory.

5. A fluid portion dispenser according to claim 2 wherein the actuating mechanism comprises at least one pair of rails fixed to each other in angular relationship and disposed apart from the nozzle relative to the nozzle, and a linear displacement sensor located between each pair of rails, wherein the container is placed in contact with the pair of rails when associated with the nozzle outlet and the linear displacement sensor moves in accordance with the diameter of the container.

6. A portion dispenser according to claim 2 wherein the actuating mechanism comprises at least one pair of opposed jaws which spring towards each other, each jaw being rotatably connected about an axis and having a rotary displacement sensor fixed to the axis, wherein when associated with the nozzle outlet, the container urges the jaw members apart and each rotary displacement sensor is caused to move in accordance with the diameter of the container.

7. The fluid portion dispenser of claim 2 wherein the activation mechanism comprises at least one pair of rails fixed to each other in angular relation and disposed apart from the nozzle relative to the nozzle, and an optical sensor configured to transmit a signal and receive a response, wherein the container is placed in contact with the pair of rails when associated with the nozzle outlet and the optical sensor transmits and receives a signal indicating a distance between the sensor and the container.

8. A fluid portion dispenser according to claim 1 wherein the container has a lip and the capacity of the container is identified by measuring the distance between the lip of the container and the countertop, wherein the actuating mechanism comprises a stop having a surface substantially perpendicular to the countertop and located below the nozzle outlet and an actuating arm suspended below the nozzle outlet and pivotally connected about an axis and having a rotational displacement sensor fixed at the pivot point, wherein when associated with the nozzle outlet the container contacts the countertop and the stop causing rotational movement of the actuating arm in accordance with the lip height of the container.

9. The fluid portion dispenser of claim 1 wherein the reservoir is configured to regulate the fluid temperature.

10. The fluid portion dispenser of claim 1 wherein the fluid dispensed is milk.

Claims (10)

1. A fluid portion dispenser comprising:

at least one fluid reservoir;

one or more nozzles, each nozzle being secured to the countertop and having a nozzle outlet configured to dispense fluid therefrom; and

a pump unit connecting each reservoir to the nozzle and configured to pump fluid from each reservoir to the nozzle;

wherein each nozzle comprises an activation mechanism adapted to identify the volume of the container associated with the nozzle outlet and to activate the pump unit to dispense a dose of fluid from the nozzle outlet in accordance with the identified volume of the container.

2. The fluid portion dispenser of claim 1 wherein said capacity is identified by measuring a diameter of said container.

3. A fluid portion dispenser as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a digital processor and memory configured to control the pump unit and dispense a portion of fluid by program instructions.

4. A fluid portion dispenser according to claim 3 wherein the processor is capable of being calibrated from different container capacity measurements and recording each container capacity measurement in its memory.

5. A fluid portion dispenser according to claim 2 wherein the actuating mechanism comprises at least one pair of rails fixed to each other in angular relationship and disposed apart from the nozzle relative to the nozzle, and a linear displacement sensor located between each pair of rails, wherein the container is placed in contact with the pair of rails when associated with the nozzle outlet and the linear displacement sensor moves in accordance with the diameter of the container.

6. A portion dispenser according to claim 2 wherein the actuating mechanism comprises at least one pair of opposed jaws which spring towards each other, each jaw being pivotally connected and having a rotary displacement sensor fixed to the pivot point, the container, when associated with the nozzle outlet, urging the jaw members apart and causing each rotary displacement sensor to move in accordance with the diameter of the container.

7. The fluid portion dispenser of claim 2 wherein the activation mechanism comprises at least one pair of rails fixed to each other in angular relation and disposed apart from the nozzle relative to the nozzle, and an optical sensor configured to transmit a signal and receive a response, wherein the container is placed in contact with the pair of rails when associated with the nozzle outlet and the optical sensor transmits and receives a signal indicating a distance between the sensor and the container.

8. A fluid portion dispenser as defined in claim 1 wherein the capacity is identified by measuring the lip height of the container and wherein the actuating mechanism includes a stop having a surface substantially perpendicular to the countertop and located below the nozzle outlet and an actuating arm suspended below the nozzle outlet and pivotally connected about an axis and having a rotational displacement sensor fixed at the pivot point, wherein when associated with the nozzle outlet, the container contacts the countertop and the stop causing rotational movement of the actuating arm in accordance with the lip height of the container.

9. The fluid portion dispenser of claim 1 wherein the reservoir is configured to regulate the temperature of the fluid.

10. The fluid portion dispenser of claim 1 wherein the fluid dispensed is milk.