Pre-Filled Dosing Pump Chambers for Accurate First-Cycle Metering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage dispensing pumps require self-priming or air purging, which can compromise the accuracy and reproducibility of metered dosing, especially when handling small amounts for human consumption beverages.
Innovation Solution
An exchangeable supply pack with a dosing pump that includes a dosing chamber pre-filled with a liquid different from the product, 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.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the dosing pump is pre-filled with a liquid different from the product (e.g., cleaning fluid), then accurate metering from the first cycle is ensured and air pockets are eliminated, but additional complexity is introduced in managing multiple liquids and cleaning cycles
Solution Approach 1:
The dosing chamber is pre-filled with a liquid (such as cleaning fluid or water) before the product is dispensed. This preliminary filling action eliminates air pockets and ensures that the pump is primed and ready for accurate metering from the first beverage preparation cycle, without requiring self-priming or air purging operations
Solution Approach 2:
A different liquid (cleaning fluid or water) is introduced as an intermediary substance to replace air in the dosing chamber before product dispensing. This intermediary liquid serves as a medium that ensures proper priming and can also function as a cleaning agent, thereby eliminating the need for separate priming operations
2Device complexity
If the dosing pump requires self-priming or air purging, then the pump structure can be simpler, but the dosing accuracy and reproducibility are compromised due to air pockets and delivery delays
Solution Approach 1:
The dosing chamber is pre-filled with liquid before operation to eliminate air pockets that would otherwise compromise dosing accuracy. This preliminary priming action ensures consistent and reproducible metering from the first cycle, eliminating delivery delays caused by air evacuation requirements
3Reliability
If cleaning cycles are implemented to clean the liquid tract, then hygiene and food safety are improved, but the operation time and complexity of the beverage dispensing machine increase
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning function is merged with the priming liquid already present in the dosing chamber. The same liquid that primes the pump can also serve as a cleaning agent, eliminating the need for separate cleaning cycles and reducing overall operation time while maintaining food safety standards
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid in the dosing chamber serves multiple functions: it primes the pump for accurate dosing and simultaneously acts as a cleaning agent for the liquid tract. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate cleaning operations and minimizes total machine operation time
Data Source
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Figure 2A~2B
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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.