Monitored-Pressure Ingredient Dispensing for Custom Fluid Mixtures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional beverage dispensing systems require significant storage space for basic beverage components, often necessitating separate storage and refrigeration, and lack customization capabilities, making them inefficient and unsuitable for household or commercial use.
Innovation Solution
An automated fluid mixture dispensing system that uses monitored pressure to combine predefined chemical ingredients, allowing for customizable preparation and dispensing of various fluid mixtures, such as beverages, cleaning products, and cosmetics, by pressurizing ingredient reservoirs within a cartridge and controlling the flow through valves to achieve precise volume dispensing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional beverage dispensing systems use basic beverage components (concentrates or syrups), then the system can dispense beverages, but the storage space requirement increases significantly and refrigeration is needed
Solution Approach 1:
The basic beverage component is segmented into multiple individual chemical ingredients stored in separate reservoirs within a cartridge. Each ingredient is dispensed in precise small quantities (less than 0.1 mL for some ingredients) rather than using a large-volume concentrate, thereby reducing overall storage space while maintaining beverage dispensing capability
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of ingredient quantity from large-volume concentrates to precise micro-quantities of individual chemical ingredients. By controlling dispensing volume to less than 0.1 mL for certain ingredients and using predefined chemical compositions, the system reduces storage requirements while preserving the ability to dispense various beverages
2Volume of stationary object
If traditional beverage dispensing systems store basic beverage components outside the dispensing system, then storage space is reduced, but the system cannot allow customization and requires separate storage facilities
Solution Approach 1:
The cartridge system serves multiple functions: it stores individual chemical ingredients, provides precise dosing mechanisms, enables customization through software control, and integrates directly into the dispensing system. This multi-functionality allows customization capability while maintaining a compact footprint without requiring separate storage facilities
Solution Approach 2:
The cartridge acts as an intermediary between storage and dispensing functions. It contains pre-measured individual ingredients that can be selectively combined according to user preferences, enabling customization while keeping the system compact and self-contained without external storage requirements
3Volume of stationary object
If the system uses small quantities of individual chemical ingredients (less than 0.1 mL), then storage footprint is reduced, but precise dispensing control is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates pressure sensors that monitor the dispensing process in real-time. By measuring pressure changes during ingredient dispensing, the system can precisely control and verify the quantity dispensed, ensuring accurate delivery of small volumes (less than 0.1 mL) while maintaining reduced storage footprint
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces traditional mechanical dispensing mechanisms with pressure-based control and monitoring. Pressure sensors and controlled pressure application enable precise metering of small ingredient quantities without complex mechanical dosing mechanisms, achieving high dispensing precision in a compact form factor
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system reduces storage footprint by enabling precise dispensing of ingredients with varying volume percentages, allowing for efficient preparation of customized fluid mixtures while minimizing storage needs and accommodating diverse mixture requirements.
Implementation Method 1
set a pressure of the chamber using the pressure source... and dispense, using the pressure, at least two ingredients from the respective set of ingredients
Data Source
AI summary
Ingredient dispensing systems and methods in a fluid mixture system using a monitored chamber pressure are disclosed. One system includes a chamber, an inlet to the chamber, a set of ingredient reservoirs, in the chamber, storing a respective set of ingredients and sealed by a respective set of valve, a pressure source, and a controller. The system is programmed to set a pressure of the chamber using the pressure source and the inlet to the chamber. The system is also programmed to dispense, using the pressure, at least two ingredients from the respective set of ingredients by actuating at least two valves from the respective set of valves.