Ultrasonic Liquid Level Sensing for Touchless Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automatic liquid dispensers require user interaction, leading to unsanitary conditions and struggle with accurately filling variable-sized and shaped containers due to inadequate liquid level monitoring.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic sensor system that uses a digital controller to transmit ultrasonic pulses, detect reflections from non-moveable and moveable surfaces, and determine the liquid level within a container, allowing for touchless automatic filling and preventing overflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If conventional automatic dispensers utilize user interaction (buttons/levers) to control liquid dispensing, then the device complexity is reduced, but the sanitary safety deteriorates due to germ transmission risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical user interaction (buttons, levers) with an ultrasonic sensing system that detects container presence and liquid level automatically. The ultrasonic transducer emits sound waves and processes reflections to determine when to start, monitor, and stop dispensing, eliminating physical contact points and thereby preventing germ transmission while maintaining simple operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispenser system performs self-monitoring of liquid level and automatic control of dispensing termination. The ultrasonic sensor continuously tracks the liquid surface position and feeds this information back to the controller, which automatically stops dispensing when the liquid reaches a predetermined level, eliminating the need for user intervention and ensuring sanitary operation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional touchless dispensers utilize multiple sensors and complicated processing techniques to monitor liquid level, then the sanitary safety is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a single ultrasonic transducer that performs multiple functions: detecting container presence, monitoring liquid level, and determining when to start and stop dispensing. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for multiple specialized sensors while maintaining touchless operation and accurate liquid level monitoring, thereby reducing device complexity without compromising sanitary safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the functions of multiple sensors into a single ultrasonic sensing system. The same transducer that detects container presence also tracks liquid level by measuring the reflection from the liquid surface, merging detection and monitoring functions into one integrated component, thus simplifying the overall system architecture.
3Device complexity
If conventional dispensers utilize simple sensing to detect container presence, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement precision of liquid level deteriorates, leading to inadequate filling control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the ultrasonic transducer continuously monitors the liquid level by detecting reflections from the liquid surface. The controller receives real-time position information and adjusts dispensing accordingly, ensuring accurate filling control and preventing overflow, thereby achieving high measurement precision with a relatively simple sensing system.
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
Provides a sanitary and efficient solution for automatically filling containers of various sizes and shapes by accurately monitoring the liquid level and controlling dispensing, reducing the need for multiple sensors and enhancing operational safety.
Implementation Method 1
an ultrasonic sensor may be utilized to automatically fill a container with a liquid
Implementation Method 2
receive a sequence of reflected signals responsive to the transmitted sequence of ultrasonic pulses
Implementation Method 3
determine a distance of the moveable surface relative to the at least one non-moveable surface based on the identified at least one first pulse and the identified at least one second pulse
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for ultrasonic liquid level sensing. A circuit causes an ultrasonic transducer to transmit a sequence of ultrasonic pulses and receive a sequence of reflected signals. Each reflected signal includes at least one first reflection associated with at least one non-moveable surface and at least one second reflection associated with a moveable surface. A digital controller, for each reflected signal: determines at least one of a magnitude and a variance of the respective signal to form at least one output signal, identifies, in the at least one output signal, at least one first pulse indicative of the at least one non-moveable surface and at least one second pulse indicative of the moveable surface, and determines a distance of the moveable surface relative to the at least one non-moveable surface based on the identified first and second pulses.