Method and apparatus for calibrating remaining doses in a refillable dispenser
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refillable dispensers inaccurately indicate when they are empty due to variance in the number of doses per refill unit, caused by internal and environmental factors, leading to premature replacement and waste of product.
Innovation Solution
A dispenser system equipped with a processor, memory, and sensors that track the number of doses dispensed and the product level, allowing for recalibration of the remaining doses based on initial full capacity and current dispense count, providing a more accurate display of the product remaining.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a predetermined number of dispenses is set for a refill unit, then the dispenser can indicate when the refill unit is empty, but the indication is inaccurate due to variance in actual dispenses per refill unit
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the actual number of dispenses from each refill unit and compares it to the predetermined count. When a discrepancy is detected, the system automatically recalibrates the predetermined number to match the actual performance, creating a closed-loop feedback mechanism that maintains accurate empty indications despite variations in dispensing behavior
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the predetermined dispense count parameter based on observed actual dispenses. By changing this parameter from a fixed value to an adaptive value that evolves with usage patterns, the system compensates for variations in pump performance, priming issues, and other factors that affect dispensing consistency
2Loss of substance
If the predetermined number is set high to ensure product remains in the refill unit, then product waste is reduced, but the dispenser indicates empty prematurely
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from actual dispense counting to continuously refine the predetermined number, ensuring that the indication of remaining doses accurately reflects the actual product volume. This eliminates the need to overestimate the predetermined number as a safety margin, allowing the system to operate with precise, data-driven parameters that minimize both waste and premature empty indications
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces the mechanical assumption of fixed dispenses per refill unit with an electronic sensing and counting system. By using sensors to detect and count actual dispenses, the system substitutes physical estimation with precise measurement, enabling accurate tracking of remaining product without relying on conservative predetermined values
3Device complexity
If internal factors such as pump priming issues and partial actuations are not accounted for, then the dispenser operation is simple, but the dose count varies significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-calibration by automatically detecting discrepancies between predetermined and actual dispense counts, then adjusting its own parameters without external intervention. This self-service approach maintains operational simplicity for the user while internally compensating for pump variations, priming issues, and partial actuations through automated adaptation
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms that monitor actual dispense outcomes and use this information to adjust future predictions. By continuously learning from actual performance data, the system compensates for internal variations in pump behavior and actuation consistency without requiring complex manual calibration or user intervention
Data Source
AI summary
An exemplary dispenser includes a housing and a refill unit. The refill unit being removable and replaceable. The dispenser also includes a processor, memory, a dose count stored in memory that is indicative of the number of doses in a full refill unit, a level sensor for detecting a predetermined level the refill unit and a dispense count indicative of the number doses of product dispensed from the refill unit. In addition, the dispenser includes memory and has logic stored in the memory for recalibrating the number of doses remaining in the refill unit as a function of the dose count, the number of doses of product dispensed and the predetermined level of product. The number of doses of product remaining in the refill unit may be displayed on the dispenser, on a remote station, or on both the dispenser and a remote station.