Dosing Pump Pre-Filled Chamber for Air-Free Metering Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dosing pumps for beverage machines require self-priming or air purging, which can compromise the accuracy and reproducibility of metered liquid dosing, especially for small amounts, and are cumbersome to assemble and operate.
Innovation Solution
A dosing pump with a dosing chamber pre-filled with a liquid different from the product to be metered, such as a cleaning fluid, eliminating the need for self-priming and allowing for accurate metering from the first cycle, and enabling automatic cleaning cycles with exchangeable supply packs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the dosing pump is self-priming or requires air purging, then the pump can handle air pockets, but the accuracy and reproducibility of metered dosing is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The dosing chamber is pre-filled with a different liquid (such as cleaning fluid or water) before the liquid product is introduced. This preliminary filling eliminates air pockets and ensures the pump is ready for accurate metering from the first cycle, without requiring self-priming or air purging operations
2Measurement precision
If the dosing chamber is pre-filled with a different liquid, then accurate metering is achieved from the first cycle, but additional steps for liquid exchange are required
Solution Approach 1:
The different liquid (cleaning fluid or water) used to pre-fill the dosing chamber is discarded after serving its purpose of eliminating air pockets. The chamber is then flushed with the actual liquid product, and the different liquid is recovered through the flushing process, minimizing waste and simplifying the liquid exchange
Solution Approach 2:
The different liquid acts as an intermediary substance that facilitates the transition from an air-filled chamber to a liquid-product-filled chamber. It mediates the priming process by displacing air temporarily, then is itself displaced by the liquid product during the flushing operation
3Extent of automation
If cleaning fluid is used to pre-fill the dosing chamber, then automatic cleaning cycles are enabled, but residue from the cleaning fluid may contaminate the liquid product
Solution Approach 1:
The flushing operation continuously replaces the cleaning fluid with the liquid product over multiple pump cycles. This continuous action ensures that all traces of cleaning fluid are displaced, eliminating contamination risk while maintaining the benefit of automatic cleaning cycles
Solution Approach 2:
The system rushes through the transition period where cleaning fluid and liquid product coexist by implementing a mandatory flushing sequence that quickly displaces the cleaning fluid. This rapid transition minimizes the time window for potential contamination while ensuring thorough cleaning
Data Source
AI summary
A dosing pump for dosing metered amounts of liquid product, includes an inlet adapted to be fluidly connected to a storage container, an output adapted to be connected to a beverage dispensing machine for receiving metered amounts of liquid product, and a dosing chamber arranged for transferring a liquid from the inlet to the output. The dosing chamber is at least partly filled with a liquid different from the liquid product. The different liquid can be a cleaning fluid, or be food compliant. The dosing pump can be included in an exchangeable supply pack filled with the liquid product for connecting to a beverage dispensing machine, and the output can be adapted to be brought into fluid connection with a beverage dispensing machine. When associated with a beverage dispensing machine, the dosing pump can be operated to allow the different fluid to be pumped through the beverage dispensing machine prior to a first dosing cycle of liquid product.