EP0069036B1 - Dispenser for the automatic filling of portable receptacles for consumption fluids - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to automatic dispensers in take-out containers, of variable dimensions, of a food liquid which is stored in bulk in one or more tanks.

Food beverages such as wine, mineral or spring water, fruit juices, edible oils, milk, etc., are generally sold at retail already packaged in bottles or containers. Pre-packaging leads to packaging costs, an increase in weight and volume during handling, transport and sales exposure and lost packaging costs or return and return of packaging.

An objective of the invention is to eliminate these additional costs by allowing the sale of food liquids stored in bulk in take-out containers, belonging to the customer, which can therefore have variable dimensions and which the customer places himself under a distributor. automatic which can dispense either a determined dose, for example a liter or multiples of a liter, or a predetermined dose by the customer, or even any volume corresponding to that of the container, which distributors issue a ticket which indicates the price and / or the quantity of liquid dispensed and equipped with means which measure the quantity of liquid dispensed with all the precision required for measuring devices which charge a price to the public.

Another object of the invention is to provide automatic dispensers of liquid food particularly suitable for retail, in self-service stores where the customer presents his ticket at a cash desk, but which can be used in any retail store.

Automatic distributors of liquid stored in bulk are known, for example petrol dispensing stations, which continuously measure the volume of petrol dispensed and which display the price thereof or which issue a ticket.

Gas stations have a manual valve that is placed at the end of a flexible tube and this design is ill-suited to self-service vending because it would lead to acts of vendalism.

Automatic dispensers are also known which are used in bars or restaurants to fill a glass, a cup or a beaker, that is to say containers having roughly consistent dimensions.

Such dispensing devices are described for example in patent FR-A-2250 162 (R. EGGLER), US-A-3145741 (JT SMITH and AI), US-A-2 757 846 (AJ VARRIN and AI) and US -A-2 795 355 (J. SOMOZO).

Patent US-A-3,916,963 (MC INTOSH) describes an automatic drink dispenser for filling cups which has a pouring spout connected to one or more reservoirs by one or more solenoid valves, a switch which controls the opening of the solenoid valves, means for measuring the quantity of liquid distributed by the spout in each cup and for controlling the closing of said solenoid valves and a means for supporting the cup located under the spout.

US-A-3,637,118 (PETROCY and AI) describes a liquid dispensing tank which is equipped with a pouring spout placed at the end of a flexible tube, which spout is automatically raised upwards by a spring, so that the flexible tube is bent and acts as a shutter.

In these known devices, the dose of liquid dispensed is not measured with great precision. In addition, the containers used are containers such as substantially identical cups or glasses.

• - ces appareils doivent pouvoir distribuer des doses de liquide variables selon la capacité des récipients et, dans tous les cas, ces doses doivent être mesurées avec une précision suffisante pour être homologués par les Services Officiels de Vérification des Appareils de Mesure et de Facturation au Public ;
• - ces appareils doivent pouvoir s'adapter à la forme et à la hauteur variable des récipients ;
• - ces appareils, qui sont à la disposition du public, doivent être munis d'un dispositif de sécurité qui interdit de laisser couler le liquide si aucun récipient n'est placé sous le bec verseur ;
• - ces appareils doivent être équipés d'un distributeur de ticket indiquant la quantité et/ou le prix de la dose de liquide versée dans chaque récipient.

The problems to be solved for producing liquid dispensing devices according to the invention, which can be used in self-service shops to serve customers who bring their containers of variable shape and height, are the following:

• - these devices must be able to distribute variable doses of liquid according to the capacity of the containers and, in all cases, these doses must be measured with sufficient precision to be approved by the Official Verification Services of Measuring and Billing Devices to the Public ;
• - these devices must be able to adapt to the shape and variable height of the containers;
• - these devices, which are available to the public, must be fitted with a safety device which prevents the liquid from flowing if no container is placed under the spout;
• - these devices must be equipped with a ticket dispenser indicating the quantity and / or the price of the dose of liquid poured into each container.

• - un bec verseur qui est relié à un réservoir par l'intermédiaire d'une électrovanne ;
• - un interrupteur qui commande l'ouverture de ladite électrovanne ;
• - des moyens pour mesurer la quantité de liquide distribué par le bec verseur dans chaque récipient et pour commander la fermeture de l'électrovanne ;
• - et un moyen de support d'un récipient situé sous le bec verseur.

The distributors according to the invention comprise one or more distribution units grouped in a cabinet and each unit comprises, in a known manner:

• - a spout which is connected to a reservoir via a solenoid valve;
• - a switch which controls the opening of said solenoid valve;
• - Means for measuring the quantity of liquid dispensed by the spout in each container and for controlling the closing of the solenoid valve;
• - And a means of supporting a container located under the spout.

The solution to the problems posed is achieved by means of a dispensing device which includes a means of editing a ticket indicating the quantity and / or the price of the dose of liquid dispensed in each container, in which the spout is movable. to adapt to the height of the containers and includes automatic return means to a rest position and a microswitch, which is associated with each spout, has a contact which is actuated when said spout is in the rest position and this contact is placed in the control circuit of said solenoid valve, so that it prohibits the opening thereof, as long as said pouring spout is in said rest position.

According to a first embodiment, the pouring spout is a rigid tube articulated around a horizontal axis and comprises an automatic return means towards a low position where the end of the spout is at a height above said support means less than the height of the smallest container and a microswitch having a contact which is open when said spout is in said rest position, which contact is placed in an opening control circuit of said valve and prevents the opening of the latter if said pouring spout has not been lifted by a container placed below it.

According to a second embodiment, the spout is a vertical tube which slides in a vertical guide means, which comprises an automatic return means towards a high rest position where the end of said spout is located at a height above of said support greater than the height of the largest container, a handle which makes it possible to engage said spout in a container and to keep it there and a microswitch having an open contact when said spout is in said high rest position, which contact is placed in a circuit for controlling the opening of said valve and prohibits opening of the latter as long as said pouring spout is in the high position.

An apparatus according to the invention, which is intended to be used automatically by the public, with containers of variable dimensions belonging to customers, must include means for detecting the presence of a container, which prevent the opening of the valve. dispensing in the absence of a container under the spout, to avoid loss of liquid due to false operations or acts of vandalism.

In the case where the spout is movable and returned to a low or high rest position, the limit switches which equip these spouts constitute a first means of detecting a container.

To reinforce the detection of the presence of a container, the container support is placed on deformable supports and comprises a microswitch having an open contact when said support means is in the high position, which contact prevents the opening of said valve. .

In addition, each distribution unit advantageously comprises at least one transmitter-receiver pair placed on either side of the normal position of a container under said spout, which receiver has a contact which is actuated when the beam coming of the transmitter is interrupted by a container and which prevents the opening of said valve until a container is not properly positioned under said spout.

The dispensing devices according to the invention allow the retail sale of food liquids such as mineral or spring waters, wine, sugary drinks, etc., in take-out containers, which belong to the customer and which may have variable shapes and capacities.

The dispensers according to the invention are designed to be used by the public while avoiding as much as possible false operations which could cause loss of liquid or invoicing errors. They include in particular means for detecting the presence of a receptacle which make it possible to detect the latter with certainty despite the variable dimensions and shapes of the receptacle by using both the height of the receptacle by limit switch contacts a movable spout, the weight of the container by a support placed on deformable supports and the width of the container by transmitter-receiver pairs whose beams are interrupted by the container.

The container detection means also make it possible to avoid acts of vandalism as much as possible.

The dispensing devices according to the invention are also designed to adapt to the variable volume of the customer's container.

According to a first embodiment, they comprise a volumetric dispenser, that is to say a container of well-determined volume which meets the precision requirements required for dispensing volumes of the order of one liter. Such an apparatus allows one or more doses to be dispensed in a container.

According to a second embodiment, a dispensing device according to the invention is equipped with a volume sensor which can measure any volume by emitting pulses whose number is proportional to the volume delivered, the precision then being equal to the volume elementary represented by an impulse which may be weak enough to meet the required precision requirements. This second embodiment allows the customer to choose, without any restriction, the quantity he wishes and which may be less than the capacity of the container. However, to avoid the risk of overflow, this type of dispenser includes a level sensor which automatically closes the dispensing valve when the container is almost full.

• Les figures 1 et 2 sont une vue en élévation latérale et une vue de face d'un meuble groupant deux unités de distribution.
• La figure 3 est une coupe partielle d'un bec verseur articulé et du support de récipient d'une unité de distribution.
• La figure 4 est un schéma d'un premier mode de réalisation des circuits électroniques d'un distributeur équipé d'un doseur volumétrique.
• La figure 5 est un schéma d'un deuxième mode de réalisation des circuits électroniques d'un distributeur équipé d'un doseur volumétrique et d'un moyen de programmation.
• Les figures 6, 7 et 8 sont des vues d'un bec verseur coulissant d'un distributeur équipé d'un capteur de volume et d'un capteur de niveau.
• La figure 9 est un schéma des circuits électroniques d'un distributeur équipé d'un capteur de volume continu.

The following description refers to the appended drawings which represent, without any limiting nature, exemplary embodiments of automatic dispensers according to the invention.

• Figures 1 and 2 are a side elevational view and a front view of a cabinet grouping two distribution units.
• Figure 3 is a partial section of an articulated pouring spout and the container support of a dispensing unit.
• Figure 4 is a diagram of a first embodiment of the electronic circuits of a distributor equipped with a volumetric metering device.
• FIG. 5 is a diagram of a second embodiment of the electronic circuits of a distributor equipped with a volumetric dispenser and a programming means.
• Figures 6, 7 and 8 are views of a sliding spout of a dispenser equipped with a volume sensor and a level sensor.
• FIG. 9 is a diagram of the electronic circuits of a dispenser equipped with a continuous volume sensor.

Figures 1 and 2 show an automatic liquid dispensing device, for example a wine dispenser. This device comprises a cabinet 1 containing one or more distribution units, for example two units in the case of the figure. Each unit has a pouring spout 3 which is connected to a tank or tank not shown containing bulk liquid. The reservoir can be located above the cabinet or outside the cabinet to which it is connected by a pipe 2. Each unit includes a means of precise measurement of the quantity of liquid which is distributed by each spout, this means being interposed between line 2 and the spout.

The accuracy of the measurement must be sufficient to meet the requirements for devices intended to measure volumes for billing the public.

Figures 1 and 2 show a first preferred embodiment of an apparatus intended to deliver predetermined or predetermined volumes of liquid which are equal to a determined dose or to a multiple of this dose. In this case, the measuring means is a volumetric metering device 4, that is to say a container of well-determined volume which is connected to the pipe 2 in bypass between two valves 5a, 5b and which comprises two low level probes 4b and high level 4a. These dosers are known and they exist commercially.

The valves 5a, 5b are for example solenoid valves or any other equivalent motorized valve, for example a pneumatic or hydraulic valve.

When the valve 5a is open and the valve 5b closed, the metering device 4 fills up to the level of the probe 4a. When the valve 5b is open and the valve 5a closed, the liquid contained in the metering device flows until the level of the liquid reaches the low level determined by the probe 4b. By construction, the volume of liquid between the high and low levels is equal to a volume determined with great precision, for example to a volume of one liter or five liters. The capacities of the dosers may vary from one unit to another.

Such a volumetric metering device requires a filling time and an emptying time which are for example 15 seconds each and the electronic circuits which control the openings and closings of the valves 5a, 5b and which will be described later, are synchronized to respect between two successive valve operations a minimum duration equal to the filling or emptying time.

To increase the possible rate, the dispenser may include two metering tanks 4, one of which is filling while the other is being emptied.

An apparatus according to the invention is intended for dispensing a dose of liquid in a take-away container 6 which belongs to the customer and which can have very variable dimensions depending on whether they are bottles of various shapes, carboys, containers etc ...

According to a characteristic of the invention, the pouring spout 3, 3a is movable to adapt to the shape of the container and, in the absence of a container, it is automatically returned to a rest position.

Figures 1 and 3 show a first embodiment of a pouring spout which is a rigid tube 3, provided with an angled spout 3a. The tube 3 is articulated around a horizontal axis 7 and it is connected to the outlet of the valve 5b by a flexible tube 9. An air intake 10, visible in FIG. 1, is located immediately downstream of the valve 5b to allow the rapid flow of the liquid contained between the valve 5b and the end of the spout after closing the valve 5b.

In the absence of container 6, a spring 8 recalls the spout 3 towards a low rest position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3 where the end of the spout 3a is located at a height h above the support 11 less than the height of the smallest container 6, so that it is necessary to lift the spout to engage a container under the spout.

Each unit has a sink 12 which is located under the spout to collect accidental liquid spills. The sink 12 includes a support means 11 for the container 6 which is for example a lattice or perforated or grooved plate or any other equivalent support means.

The dispensers according to the invention are intended in particular to be placed in self-service stores and they must include security devices preventing loss of liquid as a result of false operations or acts of vandalism, in particular security devices which detect the presence of a container 6 and which prohibit the opening of the drain valve 5b in the absence of a container well positioned under the spout.

FIG. 3 represents a first detection device which is constituted by a microswitch 17 which is actuated by the spout 3 when the latter is in the low rest position and which has an open contact in this position. This contact is placed in a circuit for controlling the opening of the valve 5b and it prohibits the opening of the latter until the pouring spout has not been lifted by a container placed below the spout.

However, it is possible to lift the spout by hand without placing a container under the spout.

To enhance security, the device described comprises another means of detecting a container, which is constituted by a support 11 which is placed on deformable supports 13 which are deformed by the weight of the container.

The support 11 cooperates with a microswitch 13a having an open contact when the support is in the high rest position. This contact is placed in the control circuit of the drain valve 5b and it prohibits the opening of the latter as long as no container is placed on the support 11.

Figures 1 and 2 show another means of detecting a container 6 under the spout. This means consists of transmitter-receiver pairs, for example photoelectric pairs in visible light or, preferably, in infrared or ultrasound to avoid acts of vandalism.

These pairs comprise for example for each unit, three transmitters 14, 15, 16 located on a canopy 1a which overhangs the pouring spouts and which emit three beams 14a, 15a, 16a which overlap at a point 18 located slightly above the beak pourer, so that the three beams are interrupted by a container normally positioned under the spout, regardless of its size or shape.

Each receiver 14b, 15b, 16b has a contact which is closed when the corresponding beam is interrupted by a container and these contacts are incorporated in the control of the drain solenoid valve 5b and prevent the opening thereof if none of the beams is not interrupted.

FIG. 3 represents another embodiment of a detector which comprises a single transmitter-receiver pair 18, 19, 20, situated in the vertical plane perpendicular to the axis 7 which is swept by the spout 3 when it pivots around of the axis 7. The beam 19 passes slightly below the end of the spout 3a when the latter is in the low rest position. This arrangement makes it possible to safely detect the presence of a container 6 with a single transmitter-receiver pair.

The device according to Figures 1 and 2 comprises, for each unit, a switch for example a push button which is operated by the customer to control a dispensing cycle after placing a container under the spout.

The apparatus according to FIGS. 1 to 3 comprises several variant embodiments which correspond to different operating modes.

According to a first variant, the device automatically delivers a determined dose which corresponds to the volume of the dispenser 4 each time the client presses the button 21.

If the customer's container has a volume equal to several doses, the customer can press button 21 several times. At the end of the cycle, the device issues a single ticket which indicates the total volume delivered and / or the price of this volume. total.

According to a second variant, the device is preprogrammable by the customer or by the operator. It includes programming means making it possible to record the number of doses desired, this number corresponding to the number of times that the button 12 is pressed. After which the device automatically performs all the operations and it issues a single ticket indicating the total volume delivered and / or the total price to be paid.

FIG. 4 is a general diagram of a first embodiment of the electronic circuits fitted to a unit of an apparatus according to the invention. This figure shows the switch 21 and a contact of the microswitch 17 fitted to the spout.

The switch 17 is associated with a flip-flop composed of two “NAND” gates 17a, 17b, the outputs of which are crossed on the inputs. Similarly, the switch 21 is associated with a flip-flop composed of two “NAND” doors 21a, 21b.

The reference 12 represents a monostable. The mark 23 represents a rocker. The reference 24 represents a clock which oscillates for example at a frequency of 1 MHz. The reference 25 represents an AND gate for validation of the clock. The reference 26 represents printer timing circuits which are composed of two frequency dividers 26a, 26b which each divide the pulses by two and of an inverter circuit 26c. The circuits 26 are intended to obtain a correct rate for the printer.

The reference 27 represents a summing circuit intended to generate the control signal from the printer 28.

The marks 29a, 29b represent two binary counters. The reference 30 represents a memory which is for example a programmable memory (PROM) which can contain several messages each having 16 bytes, each message indicating the number of doses dispensed and / or the total price thereof.

The binary counter 29a serves as the address counter for the most significant bit of each message and makes it possible to search the memory for the start of the message corresponding to the total number of doses delivered.

The marks 31a, 31b represent two stages of a three-state memory (circuit 74 367) intended to isolate the outputs to the printer.

The reference 32 is an AND gate with four inputs which are connected to the four outputs of the counter 29b which determines the addresses of each character of a message.

Reference 33 is a pulse counter. Reference 35 is a B.C.D. with seven segments which controls a light display 35 with light-emitting diodes, which displays in decimal the number of doses dispensed. It is assumed that the number of doses that can be totaled is limited for example to nine and the memory 30 therefore contains nine messages.

Reference 36 represents the metering device 4 or electronic circuits forming an integral part of the metering device 4. The terminal D is at logic level "1 *, when the metering device is available. It is at logic level "0 _" when the metering unit is being emptied or filled. Terminal D is connected to an input of door 21 a and inhibits the flip-flop 21a, 21 b when the metering unit is being emptied or Terminal C represents the control of the valves 5a, 5b of the metering device which is carried out by the pulses emitted by the output 21a of the flip-flop 21a, 21b. The rising edges of the pulses control the emptying of the metering device 4.

The operation is as follows.

It is the return to the pouring spout's rest position which triggers the printing of a ticket indicating the total quantity delivered and / or the total price to be paid. The customer places his container on the support 11. By doing this, he switches the switch 17, which produces a falling edge at the outlet of 17a and therefore a rising edge at the outlet of 17b. The falling edge at the output of 17a switches the monostable 22. The output of the monostable resets flip-flop 23 and the address counters 29a, 29b and 33, if these have not been reset at the end from the previous cycle.

The circuits are ready for a new cycle.

The negative pulse at the output of 17b is sent to an input of the gate 21a and authorizes the control of the metering device.

When the customer presses the push-button 21, on condition that the other presence detectors of the container not shown in the diagram authorize dispensing, the outlet 21a emits a rising edge which controls the opening of the drain valve 5b.

One dose is dispensed. When the distribution of the dose is finished, the probe 4b of the metering device automatically controls the closing of the valve 5b and the opening of the valve 5a to refill the metering unit 4. During this time, the output D of circuit 26 prohibits the passage of a new order through gate 21a.

Each order to open the valve 5b leaving the door 21a is transmitted to the counter 33 which records it and it is displayed on the indicator 35. Likewise, each order is recorded by the address counter 29a.

When the emptying and filling cycle of the dispenser 4 is complete, the customer can, without touching the container 6, press the button 21 again to obtain a second dose added to the first and so on.

When the client decides that the container is sufficiently full, he removes it and the spout 3 returns to the rest position. The contact 17 switches, which produces a falling edge at the output of 17b which switches rocker 23 whose output Q goes to level 1, which opens the door 25 and authorizes the printing of the message contained in the memory 30. L the address for the start of the message to be printed is given by the counter 29a which has counted the number of doses delivered.

The printer works as follows. During the first clock pulse 24, the first character located at the address of the memory indicated by the counter 29a is selected.

The output of the divider 26a is inverted by 26c and is applied to the validation inputs of the two circuits 31a, 31b, which allows the passage to the printer 28 of the first character of the message taken from the memory. The adder circuit 27 adds up the signal leaving the gate 25, the output of the inverter 26c and the output of the divider 26b and delivers a signal which serves as a control signal from the printer.

The embodiment described comprises a memory and a printer.

Alternatively, it could include a distributor of preprinted tickets each carrying a number of doses and / or the price thereof and a ticket selector which would be controlled by the counter 19a and by a nine-position decoder and which would issue a ticket totaling the number of doses recorded by this counter when switch 17 would flip.

Figure 5 is a general diagram of a second embodiment of the electronic circuits of an apparatus according to Figures 1 to 3 preprogrammable by the customer or by the operator.

A part of the diagram is similar to that of FIG. 4 and the homologous components are represented by the same references and fulfill the same functions.

The device according to FIG. 5 comprises a programming push-button 37 which is associated with a rocker made up of two “NAND AND 37a and 37b” doors. The client presses the button 37 a number of successive times equal to the whole number of doses he wishes. Each press of the button 37. creates at the output of 37b an impulse which is recorded by the counter 33 which is an up-down counter and the total number of doses is displayed on the light display 35.

In this example, the display has a single decimal display module and the maximum number of doses is nine.

A press of the client on the button 21 causes a flip-flop 38 whose part Q goes to level 1. This output is connected to an input of an AND gate 39 whose second input is connected to the output of an OR gate 40 having four inputs connected to the four outputs of the counter 33. When the flip-flop 38 flips, the AND gate 39 therefore lets the pulse pass if the counter 33 is not at zero, that is to say if at least one dose has been preprogrammed.

The marks 41a, 41b represent a timer which is a frequency divider with several stages whose input is connected to the clock 24 and which has the function of dividing the clock frequency to obtain a lower frequency compatible with the filling and emptying times of the doser4. If for example the emptying time and the filling time are equal to 15 seconds each, the frequency at the output of the divider 41 b is 1/30 Hz.

When the output of door 39 passes to level 1 as a result of the pressure exerted on the button 21, it unlocks the divider 41 b which starts to emit pulses.

The output of the divider 41b is connected to the metering device 36.

The divider 41 b emits, every thirty seconds, a rising edge which controls the emptying of the metering device 4 and a falling edge every thirty seconds which controls the filling of the metering device 4.

The output of the divider 41 b is connected to a terminal for cutting the counter 33. Each falling edge emitted by the divider 41 b decreases the number recorded in the counter 33 by one. When the counter 33 has reached zero, the number of scheduled doses has been distributed.

The zero crossing of the counter 33 blocks the AND gate 39. the output of the gate 39 is connected to an inverter 42 whose output is connected to an input terminal of the flip-flop 23.

The change of state of the output of door 29, inverted by 42 toggles the flip-flop 23 whose output Q goes to level 1 and unlocks door 25 which authorizes the printing of a ticket indicating the total quantity debited and / or the price of it.

The output of the divider 41b is also connected to the input of the address counter 29a and when the counter 33 has returned to zero, the number of doses originally programmed and dispensed is entered in the counter 29a and gives the address of the first character of each message written in the memory 30 which has a minimum capacity of 9 x 16 = 144 bytes, each message comprising 16 bytes each indicating an integer number of doses dispensed and / or the price thereof.

The printing circuits are the same as those in FIG. 4 and the printing of the ticket takes place according to the same process.

At the end of printing a message, the four outputs of the counter 29b are at level one. Door 32 opens. The output of this door is connected to the input of the monostable 22 and the latter switches when the door 32 opens.

The output of the monostable 22 resets the flip-flops 23 and 38 and the counters 33, 29a and 29b.

If, accidentally the reset was not ordered by the end of the printing, it would be at the start of the next cycle by opening the contact 17 when the customer places a container under the spout 3 and lifts it .

FIGS. 1 to 5 describe an example of a dispenser equipped with a metering container 4. It is specified that this metering container can be replaced by any other metering unit capable of dispensing one or more determined or determinable doses, for example by a volume sensor at pulses which is associated with a pulse counter itself associated with a comparator which stops the distribution when a predetermined number of pulses is reached.

According to a second alternative embodiment, the means used to measure the quantity of liquid dispensed is a continuous volume sensor which delivers an analog electrical signal or a number of pulses which is proportional at all times to the total volume which has passed through the sensor since the flow of a distribution.

Such a sensor can be constituted for example by a turbine meter which is driven in rotation by the liquid by emitting pulses, each pulse representing a sufficiently small elementary volume for example of the order of a centiliter, so that the measurement responds the precision requirements of a device intended to charge a price to the public.

This solution has the advantage that the quantity of liquid dispensed to a customer can be freely chosen by the latter without it being necessary for it to be equal to an integer multiple of a dose.

FIG. 6 represents a second embodiment of a movable pouring spout which slides vertically.

The figure corresponds to an apparatus equipped with a continuous volume sensor 42 which is placed near the spout upstream of a valve 43, which is for example a solenoid valve.

It is specified that a sliding spout can also be used on distributors equipped with volumetric metering devices and that pivoting pouring spouts according to FIG. 3 can be used on distributors equipped with a continuous volume sensor and, in this case, they are fitted with a level sensor as described below.

Figure 6 shows a partial vertical section of a sliding spout. Figure 7 is an axial section on a larger scale of the end of the spout. FIG. 8 is a cross section along VIII-VIII of FIG. 7.

In this embodiment, the spout can be moved vertically to adapt to the variable height of customer containers.

The pouring spout according to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 comprises an internal rigid tube 51 which is connected by a hose 52, to a bulk storage tank for liquid not shown, through a solenoid valve 43 and a continuous volume sensor 42.

The solenoid valve 43 is placed as close as possible to the end of the spout in order to reduce the volume of the pipe located downstream of the solenoid valve. The spout has an air intake 10, located immediately downstream of the solenoid valve.

The tube 51 contains a small tube 45 in which is placed a level sensor 44 which consists for example of two electrodes 44a connected by wires 46 to electronic circuits.

As a variant, the tube 45 could be placed outside the tube 51. The tube 45 is open at its two ends. The lower end of the tube 45 is located near the open end of the tube 51 and the ends of the two electrodes are located near the lower end of the tube 45.

As soon as the liquid level reaches the electrodes 44a, an electric current is established and the signal is detected and used by the electronic circuits which automatically control the closing of the solenoid valve 43.

As a variant, the level sensor may comprise a single electrode, the second being replaced by the tube 45 which is conductive.

The electrode level sensor is a preferred embodiment of a space-saving sensor which can be placed very close to the end of the spout. This sensor can be replaced by other equivalent level sensors.

The tube 51 slides vertically in a guide means, for example in an outer tube 53 of larger diameter. The tube 51 has fins 54 which are engaged in vertical slots 55 cut in the tube 53. The fins 54 prevent the tube 51 from rotating on its axis and the ends of the slots 55 serve as upper and lower stops which limit the travel of the inner tube. The height of the slots 55 is slightly greater than the difference in height between the highest and the smallest of the containers 6 that can be used.

Of course, the tube 53 could be replaced by any other guide means, for example by vertical rods.

A spring 56 is placed in the space between the inner tube and the outer tube.

A handle 57 fixed to the external tube makes it possible to manually hold it in the low position where the end of the tube is engaged in the neck of a container 6, as shown in FIG. 1.

When the handle is released, the spring 56 returns the internal tube to its rest position which is the high position. Of course, the spring 56 can be replaced by equivalent means, for example the tube 51 can be suspended from a spring which is stretched when the tuge 51 is lowered. It can be suspended from a counterweight.

Alternatively, the hose 52 can be wound on a spring reel which tends to rewind it when it is unwound and which returns the tube 51 to the high rest position.

A limit switch 58 detects the high rest position of the internal tube 51. This switch fulfills certain functions of the switch 17 in FIG. 3. It prohibits the opening of the solenoid valve 43 at the start of a cycle. It also controls the printer and the reset of the counting unit when printing is complete, if it is activated during a cycle before level sensor 44.

The lower end of the tube 51 comprises a detector for the presence of the container 6, which is shown on a larger scale in FIG. 7. This detector has a ring 59 which slides outside the tube 51 between two flanges or stop rings 60 and 61. The upper flange 60 carries a microswitch 62 the contact of which is closed by the sliding ring when the latter is in the high position.

The ring 59 comprises a flange 63 or radial arms whose external diameter corresponds to that of the widest necks, which bears on the upper edge of the neck of the container 6 when the spout is lowered inside thereof which has the effect of pushing the ring up and closing a contact of the switch 62. This contact is incorporated in the chain of contacts for detecting the presence of the container 6 which are mounted in series and which prohibit the opening of the solenoid valve 43 as long as one of them is open.

The contact of the switch 62 obliges the client to keep the pouring spout 51 engaged in the neck of the container during all the filling and he therefore precisely determines the position of the level sensor 44 relative to the upper edge of the neck of the container.

If the customer releases the traction on the handle 57, the contact 62 opens and it controls the closing of the solenoid valve 43 and the stopping of the distribution.

The switch 62 associated with the sliding ring 59 is a very safe means of detecting the presence of the pouring spout in the neck. As a result, in this embodiment, the contact of the switch 62 can be used to replace the manual button for controlling the start of a cycle.

The same sliding ring detection device can be used on the pouring spout 3 articulated around a horizontal axis shown in FIG. 3. However, in the case where the angled end 3a of the pouring spout engages at an angle neck, the sliding ring may not work reliably. This is why, in the case of an articulated spout 3, provision is made to use, preferably, an optical detector of the presence of the container 6 under the spout.

FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of such a detector which comprises a light source 18 situated in the vertical plane perpendicular to the axis 7 which is swept by the spout.

The light source 18 is located for example slightly below the front edge of the sink 3 and it emits an oblique ray of light 19 which passes slightly below the free end of the spout in the rest position and which is received by a photoelectric detector 20 located on the vertical wall of the cabinet 1 or behind a hole in this wall. The detector 20 receives the light beam 19 if it is not intercepted by a container 6. It is obviously possible to invert the light source and the photoelectric detector or put them side by side and place a mirror at the other end of the light path. This position in the vertical plane swept by the spout makes it possible to use only a single light beam which is interrupted by a container 6 which necessarily intersects this vertical plane if it is placed under the spout, but which can also even if it is not exactly under the spout.

In this embodiment, the skeleton plate 11 has a slot or a void located at the intersection of the plate and the vertical plane swept by the spout. This vacuum allows the drops of liquid to fall to the bottom of the sink without leaving a trace on the plate, hence better cleanliness. It also allows the free passage of the light ray and therefore it allows the light source or the photoelectric receiver to be placed under the plane of the stage where they are better protected.

In the case where the level sensor 44 is constituted by two electrodes placed in a tube 45 which is open at the upper end, it is advantageous to connect the tube 45 to the discharge of a small fan which blows automatically from the air in the tube 45 when the spout is in the rest position in order to dry the electrodes and to avoid risks of parasitic conduction by drops of liquid establishing electrical contact between the two electrodes 44a or between one of them and the mass of the tube 45.

FIG. 9 is an overall diagram of an embodiment of the electronic circuits which constitute the logic unit of a dispensing device comprising a continuous volume sensor.

The references 71 to 78 represent AND logic gates. The reference 79 represents an OR logic gate. The references 80, 81, 82, 83 are JK type flip-flops.

JK type flip-flops have two logic inputs J and K and two logic outputs Q and Q, a clock input CK and a reset to zero terminal.

The operation of these flip-flops is summarized in the truth table below:

The outputs of the flip-flop change polarity after the falling edge of a clock pulse.

The truth table shows that if J = K = 1, the rocker acts as divider by two of the clock pulses.

FIG. 8 shows two flip-flops 80, 81 associated with two AND gates 72 and 75 with two inputs. The two inputs of gate 72 are connected respectively to the output Q of flip-flop 80 and to the output Q of flip-flop 81. The two inputs of gate 75 are connected respectively to output Q of flip-flop 80 and on output Q of flip-flop 81. It is known that such an arrangement makes it possible to obtain slots of definite duration and equal to the period of the clock whatever the duration of the pulses received on the inputs J and K of the first rocking. This assembly replaces the monostables to issue a slot of well-defined duration.

If for example the inputs J and K of the two flip-flops are at zero and that one carries the input J of flip-flop 80 at polarity 1 for any duration, at the first falling edge of the clock Q80 and J81 pass to the value 1 while Q80 and K81 take the value 0.

On the second falling edge of the clock, the Q80 and Q80 outputs do not change. The Q81 output takes the value 1 and the output at 81 takes the value 0.

There is therefore obtained at the output of gate 75 a slot which begins with a first falling edge of the clock signal and which ends with the next falling edge, that is to say a signal whose duration is equal to the clock period.

Found in Figure 8 the electromagnet 43a which controls the solenoid valve 43 and which is excited through an amplifier 43b for amplifying the logic signals which control the electromagnet.

There is also the volume sensor or flow meter 42 which emits pulses, each of which represents a unit of volume. The flow 42 emits for example 300 pulses per liter, so that each pulse represents a unit volume equal to 3.33 ml. It is assumed that the dispensing device is designed to supply containers with a maximum capacity of 5 liters, which therefore corresponds to 1,500 pulses.

Reference 84 is a pulse counter with 12 binary outputs.

The reference 85 is a memory with a capacity of 24 K bytes which contains 1,500 messages and 16 bytes each. Each of the messages indicates one of the 1,500 volumes and the price thereof.

The messages are stored in memories 85, so that the address of the first byte of each message corresponding to one of the 1,500 volumes is expressed by the binary number transmitted on the outputs of the counter 84 when the counter has recorded the number of pulses indicating the volume debited.

In other words, the binary outputs of the counter 84 serve as the address for the first byte of each message recorded in the memory 85.

Each byte of memory 85 is identified by 16 address wires, the 12 of which have the highest weight correspond to the 12 outputs of the counter 84 and the 4 of which have the least weight correspond to the 4 outputs of a second binary counter 86. The counters 84 and 86 constitute the address counter of the memory 85.

The reference 87 represents a buffer memory with a capacity of 1 byte into which the 16 bytes of the message whose address was selected at the end of distribution are successively transferred. Reference mark 88 represents a printer which prints the message contained in the buffer memory.

In the example shown, the prices to be paid corresponding to all the possible multiples of the unit volume, that is to say to all the multiples of 3.33 ml, are therefore calculated in advance and stored in memory 85 , which makes it possible to build dispensing devices comprising only simple logic components without any calculation unit. When the unit prices are modified, the memory 85 is changed or the content thereof is erased and new messages corresponding to the new unit prices are recorded.

As a variant, a calculation unit could be used which would each time produce the product of the number of volume units counted by the counter 84 by the price of the volume unit contained in a memory.

The reference 89 represents the synchronization clock which is for example an oscillator having a frequency of 1 MHz. The mark 90 represents a frequency divider which divides for example by 50,000 the frequency of the clock and which therefore emits on 20 Hz. The mark 91 represents the motor of the small fan which is connected to the upper end of the tube 45 containing the electrodes of the level sensor 44 to dry these. The reference 91a is an amplifier which amplifies the fan control signal.

The signal inputs, apart from the pulses coming from the sensor 42, arrive at the two terminals J and K of the flip-flop 80.

The references 92 and 92a represent the push button which is used to manually control the start of a dispensing operation. As a variant, the manually-operated push-button 92 can be replaced by a contact, for example by a contact of the switch 62 in the case of the spout of FIGS. 6 and 7.

The output of the push button 92 is connected to an input of the door 51 and sends a logic signal 1 to this input when the contact is formed.

In the case of the figure, the push button 92 cancels the voltage 5 V at the input of an inverter 92a so that the output of the inverter goes to level 1.

The other inputs of door 71 are connected to safety contacts 93, ... 93 _n which are the contacts of the presence detectors of the container under the spout.

In the case of a pivoting pouring spout according to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the contacts 93, ... 93 _n are in particular the contacts of the receivers 14b, 15b, 16b or of the receiver 20 of FIG. 3.

If the light beam is not interrupted, the photoelectric receivers emit a 0 signal.

Another detector is a contact of the switch 17 which emits a signal 0 if the spout is in the rest position. Another safety contact can be a contact of the switch 13a actuated by the plate 11 which emits a signal 0 as long as no container is placed on the plate.

In the case of the sliding spout according to FIGS. 6 and 7, one of the contacts 93 is a contact of the switch 62 which emits a signal 0 as long as the ring 59 is not in abutment against the switch. In this case, the signal emitted by the sliding ring 59 indicates, very weakly, the presence of a container and one can be satisfied with a single safety contact.

An input of the gate 71 is connected through an inverter 94 to the output Q of the flip-flop 82 to prohibit a new distribution during the printing of the ticket.

The door 71 is an authorization door which allows the control signal sent by the push button 92 to pass only if all the security conditions are well fulfilled.

The input K of the flip-flop 80 receives the end of filling signals which control the closing of the solenoid valve 43 and the printing of a ticket. This input K is connected to the output of the OR gate 79. A first input of the gate 79 is connected to the output of the level sensor 44 which emits a signal at the end of filling of the container. A second input of door 79 is connected through door 74 to a contact 95 which emits a logic signal 1 when the spout returns to the rest position. In the case of the pivoting spout, the contact 95 is a contact of the switch 17. In the case of the sliding spout, the contact 95 is a contact of the switch 58. The second input of the door 74 is connected to an auxiliary contact of the solenoid valve 43 which emits a logic signal 1 when the solenoid valve is open.

The closing signal is sent normally to the input K of the flip-flop 80 by the level sensor 44. However, if it has not been sent by this sensor when the spout returns to the rest position, and if the solenoid valve is still open at this time, it is contact 95 which then controls the end of a filling cycle, i.e. closing of the solenoid valve and printing of a ticket.

The two inputs J and K of the flip-flop 83 are constantly at level 1 (+ 5V), so that the flip-flop 83 is used to halve the frequency leaving the divider 90 in order to synchronize the print validation signal which is emitted through door 76 with the counter increment signal 86.

The output Q of flip-flop 81 is at level 1 permanently during all the filling. The output Q of the flip-flop 82 is at level 1 permanently during the entire printing operation and this signal, inverted by the inverter 94, inhibits the gate 71 during the entire printing and editing time d 'a ticket.

The resets of flip-flops 80, 81, 82 and 83 are connected in parallel, which enables all flip-flops to be reset at the same time.

Gate 78 has four inputs which are connected to each of them respectively. four outputs from counter 86.

When the output of the counter 86 indicates the binary number 15, all the outputs are at level 1 and the output of the gate 78 passes to level 1. This output, which is connected to the input K of the flip-flop 82, switches that -ci and the output Q of the flip-flop 82 passing at level 1 opens the door 83, which indicates the end of the printing.

The operation is as follows.

At the start, the inputs J and K of all the flip-flops are at level zero, the outputs Q at level 0 and the outputs Q at level 1. Gate 77 is blocked and no counting can take place. The solenoid valve is closed.

Doors 72 and 73 are blocked. When a customer presses the filling button 92, if all the safety contacts 93 ₁ ... 93 _n are at level 1, the door 71 allows logic signal 1 to pass. The flip-flops 80 and 81 switch and a pulse, including the duration is equal to the clock period, is emitted by the gate 75 as already explained. The output of door 75 is connected to the resets to zero of the counters 84 and 96 and these are therefore reset to zero automatically by the action on the push button 92 in this example.

As a variant, a diagram could be produced in which the resetting of the counters would be controlled by the end of printing.

At the same time, the passage to level 1 of the output Q of the flip-flop 81 controls the opening of the solenoid valve 43. The liquid distribution begins. The sensor 42 emits pulses which pass through the door 71 which opened at the same time as the solenoid valve. The counter 84 counts the pulses emitted by the flow meter.

When one of the two inputs to OR gate 79 receives a signal at level 1 indicating either the end of filling or the return of the pouring spout to the rest position before the solenoid valve is closed, the input K of flip-flop 80 goes to level 1, input J then being at level zero, flip-flops 80 then 81 switch, outputs Q pass to level zero and gate 72 emits a pulse in time slot whose duration is equal to a period d 'clock.

The passage to the zero level of the output Q of the flip-flop 81 controls the closing of the solenoid valve 43 and blocks the door 77. The counter 84 no longer receives pulses. The slot emitted by the gate 72 switches the input J of the flip-flop 82 to 1 and the output Q passes to level 1 on the falling edge of the clock pulse which follows. This passage to level 1 of the output Q of the flip-flop 82, closes the door 71 preventing the start of a new cycle. It unlocks the gate 73 which lets pass the pulses emitted by the Q output of the flip-flop 83 at the frequency of 10 Hz. At the same time, the passage to level 1 of the Q output of the flip-flop 82 commands the start-up of the fan 71.

The output of gate 73 is connected to the validation input of buffer memory 87.

The sixteen pulses emitted by gate 73 advance the outputs of counter 86 by 15 steps corresponding to the 16 bytes of a message.

Each pulse validates the buffer memory 87 and transfers into it, one after the other, the 16 bytes composing the message whose address has been selected by the counter 84.

The output of the gate 76 delivers a synchronous signal to that which is delivered by the gate 73, but of duration twice as low and this signal serves as validation signal of the printer 88, that is to say that it controls the printing of the byte which has just been transferred to the buffer memory (signal called “strobe •).

When all the outputs of the counter 86 are at level 1, that is to say that 16 bytes have been transferred into the buffer memory and printed, the output of the gate 78 goes to level 1, which toggles the flip-flop 82 .

Printing is finished. The door 71 is open, and the device is ready to execute a new filling order under the control of the push button 92.

The diagram in FIG. 8 corresponds to an embodiment in which the closing of the solenoid valve 43 and the printing of a message are simultaneously controlled by a signal emitted by the OR gate 79 which comes either from the level sensor 44, or contact 95 for the rest position of the spout.

Alternatively, the closure of the solenoid valve can be dissociated from the printer control. We can provide for example that the closing of the solenoid valve is controlled by the level sensor or by a safety contact, for example by a contact of the switch 17 in the case of a spout. pivoting or by the contact 62 in the case of the sliding spout, and that printing is controlled in all cases by returning the spout to the rest position, that is to say by a contact of the switch 17 or by switch 58.

Claims (14)

1. Automatic dispensers in take-away containers (6) having varying dimensions, of accurately- measured doses varying according to the capacity of the container, of a liquid which is stored in bulk in one or more tanks, said dispenser comprises one or more supply units housed in a cabinet (1), each unit comprising, in known manner :

- a dispensing spout (3,51) connected to said tank (5a, 43) via an electrovalve ;

- a switch (21, 62) controlling the opening of said electrovalve ;

- means for measuring the quantity of liquid supplied by said dispensing spout in each container and for controlling the closing of said electrovalve ;

- and means (11) for supporting said container situated under said dispensing spout (3, 51), characterized in that it comprises means for printing a ticket indicating the quantity and/or the price of the dose of liquid supplied in each container, in that said dispensing spout (3, 51) is movable to adapt to the height of the container and comprises automatic return means towards a rest position, and in that a microswitch (17, 58) operationally coupled to each dispensing spout, comprises a contact actuated when said dispensing spout is in rest position, said contact being placed in the control circuit of said electrovalve, so that it prevents same from opening as long as the dispensing spout is in said rest position.

2. Dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that said dispensing spout is a rigid tube (3) pivoting about a horizontal axis (7) and comprises automatic return means (8) towards a low position where the end (3a) of the dispensing spout is placed at a height (h) above said supporting means (11) lower than the height of the smallest container, and a microswitch (17) having a contact which is open when said dispensing spout is in said rest position, said contact being placed in a circuit controlling the opening of said electrovalve and prevents same from opening if said dispensing spout has not been raised up by a container placed under it.

3. Dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that said dispensing spout is a vertical tube (51) sliding in a vertical guiding means (53) which comprises an automatic return means (56) towards a high rest position where the end of said dispensing spout is situated at a height above said support greater than the height of the biggest container, a handle (57) adapted to engage said dispensing spout into a container and to hold it there, and a microswitch (58) having an open contact when said dispensing spout is in said high rest position, said contact being placed in a circuit controlling the opening of said electrovalve (5b) and prevents same from opening as long as said dispensing spout is in high position.

4. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lower end of said dispensing spout is provided with a collar (59) sliding on the outside of said dispensing spout when said collar rests against the upper edge of the neck of a container (6) into which said dispensing spout is engaged, and further comprises a microswitch (62) actuated by said sliding collar, and permitting the opening of said electrovalve (5b, 43) when said dispensing spout is engaged into the container, and controlling the closing as soon as said dispensing spout is brought out of said container.

5. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said means supporting the container (11) rests on deformable supporting members (13) and comprises a microswitch (13a) having an open contact when said supporting means is in high position, said contact preventing the electrovalve from opening.

6. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that each supply unit comprises at least a transmitter-receiver couple (14, 15, 16, 14b, 15b, 16b) placed on either side of a container (6) in normal position under said dispensing spout (3), said receiver comprises a contact which is actuated when the emitted beam (14a, 15a, 16a) is interrupted by a container and prevents said electrovalve (5b, 43) from opening as long as a container (6) is not correctly positioned under said dispensing spout.

7. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said means for measuring the quantity of liquid dispensed in a volumetric dosing apparatus (4) placed between two electrovalves : a filling electrovalve (5a) and an emptying electrovalve (5b), and said apparatus comprises a push-button (21) emitting one pulse for each pressure, a pulse counter (29a) which records the number of pressures on said push-button, a memory (30) containing several messages each indicating the volume and/or the price of a whole number of doses, and a printer (28) which records the message recorded at the address determined by said pulse counter (29a) which acts as address counter of said memory (30).

8. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said means for measuring the quantity of dispensed liquid is a volumetric apparatus (4) for dosing a determined volume placed between two electrovalves : a filling electrovalve (5a) and a emptying electrovalve (5b), and said apparatus comprises a programming push-button (37), a reversible counter (33) which records the number of pressures on said push-button, each pressure corresponding to a dose, a second push-button (21) which validates the programmed quantity and which controls the beginning of the distribution, a rating device (41a, 41 b) issuing pulses at a frequence compatible with the time required for filling and emptying said dosing container, a memory (30) in which several messages are recorded, each indicating the volume and/or the price of a whole number of doses, a counter counting said memory addresses and a printer (28), and the upward edges of the pulses issued by said rating device of the number of doses recorded in said reversible counter are recorded by said address counter and control the opening of said electrovalve (5b) emptying the dosing device, whereas the downward pulse edges control the opening tof said electrovalve (5a) filling the dosing device.

9. Dispenser according to any one of claims 7 and 8 comprising a clock (24) connected to the printer (28) through an AND gate (25) for validating the clock, characterized in that a contact of said microswitch (17) causes the opening of the gate (25) when said dispensing spout returns to rest position after a dispensing cycle, this causing the printing of a ticket totalling the quantity of liquid and/or the total price of the whole number of doses delivered throughout said cycle.

10. Dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that each dispensing spout (51) comprises a continuous volume sensor (42) which is placed upstream of said electrovalve (43) and a level sensor (44) which is placed close to the end of said dispensing spout and which automatically controls the closing of said electrovalve (43) when it detects the presence of a liquid.

11. Dispenser according to claim 10, characterized in that each dispensing spout is provided with a small tube (45) the lower end of which is open and is close to the open end of said dispensing spout, said small tube containing said level sensor (44) which is constituted by one or two electrodes.

12. Dispenser according to claim 11, characterized in that the upper end of said small tube (45) is connected to the delivery end of a small fan (91) which is automatically started at the end of each dispensing cycle.

13. Dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that each unit comprises a continuous volume sensor (42) which is placed upstream of said valve (43) and which issues pulses, each corresponding to a low unitary volume which has gone throught the sensor, a binary counter (84) which records the pulses, a memory (85) in which are recorded the messages indicating the volume and/or the price corresponding to all integral multiples of said unit volume, said pulse counter acting as address counter for said memory and a level sensor (44) placed at the end of the dispensing spout, said level sensor automatically controlling the closing of said valve (43) and the printing of a ticket containing the message recorded in the memory at the address recorded by said address counter, and further-more a contact (95) of said microswitch (17, 58) controls the closure of the electrovalve and the printing of a ticket when said dispensing spout returns in rest position if said operations have not been controlled by said level sensor.

14. Dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that said dispensing spout comprises an air intake (10) situated immediately down-stream of said electrovalve (5b) to allow the rapid flow of the liquid contained in said electrovalve and in the end of the dispensing spout.

Images