GB2152477A - Improvements relating to liquid dispensers - Google Patents

Abstract

A liquid dispenser is fitted to an inverted bottle and delivers a measured quantity of liquid on each actuation, this quantity being visible in a flask (3). A valve (4) within the flask is normally in a lowered position closing off the discharge outlet (10), a vent (9) also being closed, but when raised these are opened while the mouth of the bottle is blocked. The valve is under the control of an electronic timer (17) which, once activated as a glass is offered up, acts through a solenoid (11) to lift the valve (4) for a predetermined time, thus delivering a set quantity of liquid, and then closes valve (4) for the flask (3) to refill. The timer (17) also prevents any further activation for a brief period after the first one to ensure that refilling is complete. The activations can be electronically recorded, thus giving an instantly accessible record of the amount dispensed. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to liquid dispensers This invention relates to liquid dispensers and is primarily concerned with those for measuring out a specific quantity of spirits from an inverted bottle, such as seen in every public house and club bar.

The invention is concerned with a liquid dispenser of the type comprising a flask for receiving a set volume of liquid from an inverted bottle, and for discharging that set volume when valve means within the flask are actuated, the valve means being arranged to stopper the bottle and vent the flask when the discharge is in progress, and otherwise to block the discharge opening and the vent, allowing the flask to refill from the bottle. Such a dispenser will be referred to as "of the type described". Hitherto, the valve means have been operated by a mechanical trigger, actuated either by the glass being offered up to a movable bar below the flask or by a finger of the hand holding the glass engaging a lever. When used properly, these work very well, but they are susceptible to tampering and abuse.For example, with an inattentive customer, a barmaid can withdraw the glass prematurely, reversing the valve operation, and thus giving short measure, or to a favoured customer the valve can be given an extra nudge to dispense more than the set amount. There is no record of what has been dispensed other than the level of the liquid remaining in the bottle.

It is the aim of this invention to provide a dispenser which cannot be operated to give short or long measure, and which will enable records to be kept of the amount of liquid dispensed.

According to the present invention there is provided a liquid dispenser of the type described, wherein the valve means are governed by an electronic timer circuit, the circuit being activated by means such as a trigger switch operated by a finger offering up a glass to the dispenser, and being arranged upon such activation to hold the valve means in the discharge position for a set period, and then to reverse the valve means and to prevent re-activation for a further period after said set period.

Thus, the switch may be released immediately, but it has set in train the dispensing of liquid, which cannot be interrupted, and it is then ensured that there is a reasonable period for the flask to refill completely before the dispenser is capable of delivering another measure.

Conveniently, the valve means are actuated by a solenoid under the control of the timer circuit.

The electrical operation of the valve means easily lends itself to recording each operation, for a pulse from the switch can be directed to a register which will record everything dispensed. This information can be used in stock control and accounting.

For a better understanding of the invention, one embodiment will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying draw ings, in which: Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a liquid dispenser, Figure 2 is a plan view, with a top cover re moved, of the dispenser of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a simplified wiring diagram associ ated with the dispenser, and Figure 4 is a block graph of the logic control of the circuit of Figure 3.

In general appearance and function the dis penser appears conventional, and resembles that described in our co-pending application no.

8326401. It has a horizontal base plate 1 with, at the rear end (to the left in Figure 1) a downwardly projecting leg 2; these being integrally moulded in hard plastics material. Below the front of the plate 1, there is a transparent flask 3 of generally frustoconical form which contains valve 4. The flask screws up on and seals against the circular base of an inverted mushroom shaped fitting 5 with a hollow stem which projects up through the plate 1 and above a cover 6 to enter into the mouth of an inverted bottle (not shown) The valve is moved vertically through the agency of an L-shaped rod 7 which connects to one end of a toggle lever 8 mounted above the plate 1. The rod 7 incorporates a venting arrangement for the flask, generally indicated 9, which is similar to that of our application No. 8326401.The valve can be moved between the lowered position shown, where the vent is closed and the flask is free to be filled from the bottle, and an upper position where it closes the hollow stem of the member 5 and opens the port 10 at its base to discharge a set quantity of liquid. At the same time the vent 9 is open.

Instead of operating the toggle lever 8 by a mechanical trigger, its rear end is coupled to the armature of a solenoid 11. The main coil of this is secured below the plate 1, within a casing 12, and its armature projects up through a hole in the plate. A spring 13 biases the armature up to the position shown, so that the toggle lever 8 is normally tilted to move the valve 4 down to close the port 10. When energised the solenoid 11 pulls the armature down against the spring 13 to lift the valve and dispense liquid from the flask. This operation is initiated by a micro switch 14 at the bottom of the casing 12, convenient for a finger of a hand holding a glass up to the flask 3.

Also shown in Figure 1 are a power connector 15, a relay 16, a control logic board 17 and an L.E.D. 18, the latter being on the front of the cover 6 to indicate the state of operation, as will be described below. The assembly so far described can be disengaged from a clamp and cradle assembly 19 similar to that described in application No.

8326401, and the power connector 15 couples the electrical supply when the assembly is properly mounted. Preferably, this supply will be transformed down from the mains to two DC levels, one at 24 volts for the solenoid and the other at 5 volts for the control logic, L.E.D. and micro switch.

Referring now to Figure 3, the control logic 17 is conveniently built around an LM556 micro chip timer set up for monostable operation. It has two separate modes T1 and T2, T1 having a duty cycle of approximately 1.2 seconds and T2 having a duty cycle of approximately 3 seconds. These times are adjustable by potentiometers 20 and 21 respectively, although in practice it is expected to have fixed value resistors.

The T1 output, when active, operates the relay 16, and thereby energises the solenoid 11. This is bridged by a diode 22 to prevent back EMF. The T2 output, which is normally low by virtue of resistor 24, is to an input of an OR-gate 23, whose other input is governed by the micro switch 14. Normally, this input is high, through a resistor 25, but when the micro switch 14 is closed it goes low.

The output of the OR-gate 23 is normally high, therefore, and it is applied to both the T1 and T2 inputs of the timer chip 17.

When the power is switched on, the normal conditions mentioned above hold, and there is no T1 output. However, when the micro switch 14 is closed, both inputs of the OR-gate will then be low, and its output will be pulled low through resistor 26. This triggers both timer modes, as may be seen graphically in Figure 4. The T1 output will close the relay 16 and energise the solenoid 11 to cause liquid to be dispensed. The T2 output having also gone high will change the output of the ORgate 23 back to high, and correspondingly the T1 and T2 inputs to the timer chip 17. The release of the micro switch 14 will have no effect, nor will reclosing it, while the T2 cycle persists. The T1 cycle, as mentioned above, ends after about 1.2 seconds, re-opening the relay 16 and de-energising the solenoid 11. The valve 4 reverts to the Figure 1 position and the flask 3 re-fills. It does so without any chance of interruption for the duty cycle of T2 is continuing, making the output of the OR-gate 23 high and giving no chance to re-trigger the timer chip 17.

The L.E.D. 18 illuminates in correspondence with the duty cycle of T2. It lights up to show that dispensing and refilling is in operation, and when extinguished it will signify that the dispenser is refilled and ready for further use.

As mentioned above, the micro switch signal can further be used to register each use.

Claims (4)

1. A liquid dispenser of the type described, wherein the valve means are governed by an eiectronic timer circuit, the circuit being activated by means such as a trigger switch operated by a finger offering up a glass to the dispenser, and being arranged upon such activation to hold the valve means in the discharge position for a set period, and then to reverse the valve means and to prevent re-activation for a further period after said set period.

2. A liquid dispenser as ciaimed in claim 1, wherein the valve means are actuated by a solenoid under the control of the timer circuit.

3. A liquid dispenser as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in combination with means for recording the activations of the timer circuit, thereby to enable the amount of liquid dispensed to be determined.

4. A liquid dispenser substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.