Non-Intrusive Ultrasonic Sensor for Beverage Concentrate Level Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing beverage system sensors are intrusive and fail to effectively detect low levels of flavored concentrate, leading to beverage dilution and quality issues.

Innovation Solution

A non-intrusive ultrasonic sensor system that uses wings with recessed surfaces and ultrasonic portions to detect air bubbles and vacuum changes in the conduit, signaling the controller to stop the pump when the concentrate level is low, ensuring accurate detection without disrupting the concentrate container.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If prior sensors are used to measure the amount of flavored concentrate, then the level can be detected, but the sensor is intrusive with the concentrate container

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconcentrate level detectionVSAvoidintrusion into concentrate container

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses air bubbles as an intermediary medium to transmit ultrasonic waves from the sensor to the flavored concentrate. The sensor remains outside the concentrate container, and ultrasonic waves travel through air bubbles in the conduit to detect concentrate level, eliminating direct intrusion into the concentrate container while maintaining detection capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces direct mechanical contact sensors with ultrasonic sensing. Instead of using a physical sensor that touches the concentrate container, ultrasonic waves are used to detect concentrate level remotely through the conduit walls and air bubbles, substituting mechanical intrusion with acoustic wave propagation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the concentrate container is allowed to empty completely, then no intrusion is needed, but the beverage becomes diluted and quality deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenon-intrusive sensingVSAvoidbeverage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The ultrasonic sensor detects air bubbles in the conduit before the concentrate container becomes completely empty. This preliminary detection allows the system to alert users or automatically shut off the pump in advance, preventing beverage dilution and quality deterioration while maintaining a non-intrusive sensing approach

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Measurement precision

If a vacuum is created in the conduit, then the walls cave inwardly indicating low volume, but this may disrupt the concentrate flow

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconcentrate volume detectionVSAvoidconduit wall deformation

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The ultrasonic sensor provides continuous feedback about the presence of air bubbles in the conduit. When air bubbles are detected, indicating low concentrate volume, the system can respond by shutting off the pump or alerting users, creating a feedback loop that prevents excessive vacuum formation and conduit wall deformation while maintaining accurate volume detection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

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 prevents beverage dilution by accurately detecting low concentrate levels, allowing for timely replacement and maintaining beverage quality, while being non-invasive and reliable.

Implementation Method 1

Each of the wings includes an ultrasonic portion that emits ultrasonic waves that are non-intrusive. When the concentrate container begins to empty and the amount of concentrate in the conduit is low, air bubbles are generated in the flow of the flavored concentrate. The ultrasonic waves that are generated by the ultrasonic portions detect the air bubbles.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectUltrasonic waves: Ultrasound

Implementation Method 2

As the amount of flavored concentrate in the conduit, and therefore the concentrate container, decreases, a vacuum is also created in the conduit. The vacuum causes the walls of the conduit to cave inwardly and away from the wings, disengaging the conduit from the recessed surface of the wings.

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectVacuum: Vacuum

Data Source

PatentUS9753464B2Concentrate level sensing

Publication Date: 2017.09.05 TAYLOR COMMERCIAL FOODSERVICE LLC

AI summary

A beverage system includes a pump that draws a set amount of a flavored concentrate into a mixing chamber through a conduit for mixing with water to form a beverage. A sensor detects when the amount of the flavored concentrate in the conduit is low or the amount of the flavored concentrate in a concentrate container is low or out. The sensor includes two wings each including a recessed surface that together define a circular space. A portion of the conduit is received in the circular space. Each of the wings includes an ultrasonic portion that emits ultrasonic waves that are non-intrusive. When the amount of flavored concentrate in the conduit is low, air bubbles are generated in the flow of the flavored concentrate as it flows along the conduit and/or a vacuum is created in the conduit to draw the conduit away from the recessed surfaces. The ultrasonic waves detect either of these two features, indicating that the amount of the flavored concentrate is low.