WO2022183279A1

WO2022183279A1 - Fluid depositing device

Info

Publication number: WO2022183279A1
Application number: PCT/CA2022/050280
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew Cuthbert; Ahmed AL AMAWI; Michael LIO; Griffin D. MCLEAN
Original assignee: Atg Pharma Inc.
Priority date: 2021-03-01
Filing date: 2022-02-28
Publication date: 2022-09-09

Abstract

A depositing device such as a cartridge depositor for vaporizers features uniformly heated wetted materials, a heated enclosure capable of maintaining up to one hundred twenty degrees (120°) Celsius; construction from food grade, FDA-listed wetted materials; and a quick cartridge body change-over due to a hinged motor design. The depositing device is extremely easy and fast to clean and creates little to no product waste due to the elimination of product lines.

Description

TITLE: FLUID DEPOSITING DEVICE

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/200,325, filed March 01, 2021. The U.S. Provisional Patent Application is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, including without limitation, the specification, claims, and abstract, as well as any figures, tables, appendices, or drawings thereof.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and/or corresponding method of use in at least the filling and dispensing industry. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present invention relates to a depositing device for filling vaporizers in high throughput applications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The background description provided herein gives context for the present disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art.

[0004] Volumetric fillers are well-known in the dispensing and filling arts, including in association with dispensing oils and other products in to large and small containers. One common design involves a piston and cylinder (or a syringe and plunger) than acts as a pump to withdraw liquid from a reservoir on an intake stroke and dispense the liquid to an outlet on a return stroke. Such volumetric fillers also commonly include a first check valve that permits liquid to flow from the reservoir to the cylinder or syringe on the intake stroke but prevents backflow to the reservoir on the dispensing stroke, and a second check valve that permits flow from the cylinder or piston to the outlet on the dispense stroke, but prevents backflow from the outlet during the intake stroke. For example, see U.S. Patent Nos. 4,187,890 and 10,440,989. Alternatively, it is well-known to use a single two-position three- way valve instead of a pair of check valves. See U.S. Patent No. 1,401,150 and U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2010/0276034 Al. [0005] Previous technology has generally succeeded in dispensing liquid into an intended target. However, existing technology has generally struggled to accurately deposit some of the more viscous oil formulations available in the cannabis industry. This is likely due to the temperature-sensitive nature of these formulations, as the viscosity of these formulations can vary widely with temperature. If there is, say, an area of the dispensing apparatus that is slightly colder or warmer than another area of the apparatus, this can result in locally increased viscosity, thereby slowing the flow of liquid and causing inaccurate deposits. In some cases, formulated oil products can be so viscous that, even at high temperatures, the oil does not flow fast enough to be deposited in a semi-automated fashion.

[0006] Thus, there exists a need in the art for an apparatus that provides the oil with additional biasing, not just relying on low viscosity and gravity. There also exists a need in the art for a precise and reliable metering system to ensure each deposit is accurate regardless of oil properties.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The following objects, features, advantages, aspects, and/or embodiments, are not exhaustive and do not limit the overall disclosure. No single embodiment need provide each and every object, feature, or advantage. Any of the objects, features, advantages, aspects, and/or embodiments disclosed herein can be integrated with one another, either in full or in part.

[0008] It is a primary object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to improve on or overcome the deficiencies in the art. For example, introduction of a moveable piston onto the surface of the fluid chamber can effectively bias the oil product. The piston can be actuated using a precision ball-screw motor, capable of achieving positional accuracy sufficient to satisfy even the most stringent regulatory requirements.

[0009] The primary use case for systems disclosed herein are for cartridge filling, because the filling of vaporizer cartridges encompasses the most extreme usage conditions (temperatures, volumes, precision, etc.).

[0010] It is a further object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to ensure uniform heating within the fluid chamber. For example, a heated enclosure that surrounds and insulates the fluid chamber can be provided. Additional volumes of product can be kept at the desired temperature in a separate, local heating bath (hereinafter referred to as the “thermal bath”).

[0011] It is still yet a further object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to ensure there is no contamination from the thermal bath. For example, a threaded stopper can be placed onto the outlet of the product cartridges prior to emersion into the thermal bath. [0012] It is still yet a further object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to accommodate for the large majority of cartridge volumes in the cannabis industry, such as a deposit volume range of 0.3mL to 1.8mL.

[0013] It is still yet a further object, feature, and/or advantage of the present invention to adapt industrial processes and workflows which allow for ongoing modifications to same. For example, such workflows and processes can establish connectivity to a larger reservoir without check valves, such as manual shut-off valves. The operator should be able to control the heat of both the depositor and onto the thermal bath. The controlling apparatus is preferably separate.

[0014] Temperature controllers can regulate temperature of both heating systems using closed control loops. More particularly, heating of the product cartridge can be controlled the control loop closed via a thermocouple. The control loop mechanism employs feedback so as to allow for continuously modulated control. A proportional-integral-derivative (“PID”) controller, in particular, can be used to continuously calculate an error value e(t) as the difference between a desired setpoint (“SP”) and a measured process variable (“PV”) and applies a correction based on proportional, integral, and derivative terms (denoted P, I, and D respectively). These temperature controllers preferably incorporate bright, easy to read alphanumeric LED displays, indicating PV and SP values, and preferably enable a process to reach a predetermined SP in the shortest time, with the minimum of overshoot during power-up or external load disturbance. A programming port is preferably available for automatic configuration, calibration, and testing the temperature controller(s), without the need to access any panels of the temperature controller(s).

[0015] The thermal bath should be controlled in the same manner as the product cartridge, only using a different apparatus.

[0016] Ideal industrial processes and workflows should maintain and/or improve efficiencies and are capable of can be easily adapted to address future pain points not yet revealed. For example, it is preferred that a tolerance of +/- 1.5% fill volume accuracy is maintained during use of the depositor. The volume of the vessel used in same should contain enough product to continuously fill for at least 1 hour, under the following throughput conditions: filling 0.5mL cartridges at 4s cycle time, which corresponds to 450mL (~16 fl. oz) of product per hour. The total product volume in the thermal bath should accommodate for 3 hours of continuous operation under the aforementioned throughput conditions. Wetted materials (both direct and incidental) are preferably able to withstand cleaning using ethanol and isopropyl alcohol across infinite cycles, are food grade materials, include easy to clean surfaces, and are free of areas where bacteria can accumulate. The entire cleaning process preferably takes no more than 20 minutes, with no product degradation. Preferably, no more than lOg of product remains before the deposit integrity is adversely affected, either by cavitation or deposit mass error.

[0017] The depositor(s) and robotic liquid filling system(s) described herein are not limited by size or application specific requirements unless expressly claimed or stated. It should however be appreciated different optimal configurations for the equipment/system may exist where there are different capacity requirements. For example, in one embodiment, an ideal capacity of the depositor and robotic filling system is described as follows:

• all wetted components are made of food grade construction materials, said materials preferably being listed and approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) (e.g., Polished 304 Stainless Steel, Delrin® acetal, Viton®);

• all wetted components are suitably designed for food grade cleaning procedures (e.g., include smooth cleaning surfaces);

• the robotic liquid filling system is capable of operating continuously over a 10 hour period;

• heated and/or wetted materials are rated to at least 120°C;

• the unit is able to deposit 5000 shots while maintaining a bilateral mass tolerance of 2.5% (deviation from average);

• the entire wetted path is heated, especially at the point of deposit, such that product solidification as a result of cooling is mitigated;

• there is no product drip when the unit is not depositing;

• the product outlet comprises a Luer taper or 1/8 national pipe tapered (“NPT) threads; and • there is a mechanical interface between the ball screw and the piston such that the operator can quickly and easily load and unload new cartridges onto the ball screw for depositing.

[0018] With the aforementioned capacities, vendors are able to supply mill test certificates, wetted material lists, MSDS, and metallurgical composition documentation.

[0019] The depositor(s) and robotic liquid filling system(s) disclosed herein can be adapted such so as to be used in a wide variety of applications. For example, the actuation method of the depositor, ball-screw motor activation, has a number of positive down-stream system benefits, such as improved calibration, better user experience, and greater accuracy that are useful for apparatuses in the pharmaceutical industry. Calibrations of actual deposit volume can be conducted by allowing the operator to deposit and weigh shot masses iteratively until the displayed value is deposited across a small sample of shots. Aspects of the present invention can also be implemented on systems employing peristaltic pumps.

[0020] It is preferred the depositor be safe, cost effective, compact, and durable. For example, the apparatus can be adapted to resist thermal transfer and/or electric conductivity. Moreover, the entirety of the fluid chamber, heated enclosure and ball-screw motor can be housed in a single unit. This compact-footprint design reduces the wetted path of the device, which reduces cleaning time, material cost, and surface area to be heated, further contributing to heat uniformity.

[0021] At least one embodiment disclosed herein comprises a distinct aesthetic appearance. Ornamental aspects included in such an embodiment can help capture a consumer’s attention and/or identify a source of origin of a product being sold. Said ornamental aspects will not impede functionality of the present invention.

[0022] Methods can be practiced which facilitate use, manufacture, assembly/installation, maintenance, and repair of the depositor which accomplish some or all of the previously stated objectives. For example, loading the product container described herein can take less than two minutes. Product to be deposited can be contained in an open top vessel such as a flask or tote.

[0023] One or more depositors as described herein can be incorporated into systems or kits which accomplish some or all of the previously stated objectives. In greater particularity, the depositor described herein can be fully integrated onto robotic liquid fdling systems that include a semi-automated means of fdling bottles, cartridges, capsules with liquid or powder, vials, gummies, topical creams, salves, and the like. Examples of said robotic liquid fdling systems include the RoboCAP™ robot sold by ATG Pharma Inc., and in greater particularity include at least sizes 000 through 5 of same. The depositor(s) can also be fully integrated with product vessels, heating equipment, product tubing, and manually operated liquid fdling systems.

[0024] Cartridges are loaded by drawing heated product from the outlet of the cartridge. A tool (manual or automatic) can be supplied to load the cartridge with heated product without the use of the motor on robotic liquid fdling systems. Where four (4) cartridges are loaded, pistons can be seated on top of the product such that there is no air exposure to the cartridge. [0025] According to some additional aspects of the present disclosure, the depositor comprises containers or packages having a piston with a movable bottom or partition having approximately the same section as the container. The piston or moveable bottom is actuated by the ball screw motor.

[0026] These and/or other objects, features, advantages, aspects, and/or embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art after reviewing the following brief and detailed descriptions of the drawings. Furthermore, the present disclosure encompasses aspects and/or embodiments not expressly disclosed but which can be understood from a reading of the present disclosure, including at least: (a) combinations of disclosed aspects and/or embodiments and/or (b) reasonable modifications not shown or described.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Several embodiments in which the present invention can be practiced are illustrated and described in detail, wherein like reference characters represent like components throughout the several views. The drawings are presented for exemplary purposes and may not be to scale unless otherwise indicated.

[0028] Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a typical vaporizer cartridge inlet, shown to scale beside a 1.47 mm 18g cannula dispensing tip.

[0029] Figure 2 shows a plan views of filling target geometries for vaporizer cartridges, wherein the hatched areas indicate filling targets.

[0030] Figure 3 shows an environmental view of an exemplary robotic liquid filling system usable with the improved depositor assembly described herein. [0031] Figure 4A shows an exploded, unassembled view of a depositor, which includes a fluid chamber, a heated enclosure, and a ball-screw motor all housed in a single unit.

[0032] Figure 4B shows a partially assembled view of an improved depositor of Figure 4A. [0033] Figure 4C shows an end view of the assembly of Figure 4B.

[0034] Figure 4D shows a section view of the assemblies of Figures 4B-4C.

[0035] Figure 5 shows an exploded, perspective view of a coupling mechanism to connect the piston.

[0036] Figures 6-10 show engineering drawings of a 500mL depositor according to at least some aspects of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the depositor.

[0038] Figure 7 shows a side, elevational view of the depositor of Figure 6.

[0039] Figure 8 shows a side, cross-sectional view of the depositor of Figure 6.

[0040] Figure 9 shows a tip-end, elevational view of the aforementioned depositor of Figure 6.

[0041] Figure 10 shows a detailed, cross-sectional view of the tip of the depositor of Figure 6

[0042] Figures 11-13 conceptualize a cartridge body heater according to at least some aspects of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 11 shows a perspective view of the aforementioned cartridge body heater. [0044] Figure 12 shows a partially hidden, side plan view the aforementioned cartridge body heater.

[0045] Figure 13 shows a partially hidden, end plan view the aforementioned cartridge body heater.

[0046] Figure 14 shows an exploded view of a cartridge depositor for use in the compound pharmacy industry compatible with a pneumatically powered piston.

[0047] Figure 15 shows yet another depositor with a motor fixed in position above the cartridge body and a cartridge body that can be loaded from the front instead of the top, according to some aspects of the present disclosure.

[0048] Figure 16 illustrates a flow chart describing a method of filling cartridges with liquid product using a manual product loading tool. [0049] An artisan of ordinary skill need not view, within isolated figure(s), the near infinite number of distinct permutations of features described in the following detailed description to facilitate an understanding of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0050] The present disclosure is not to be limited to that described herein. Mechanical, electrical, chemical, procedural, and/or other changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. No features shown or described are essential to permit basic operation of the present invention unless otherwise indicated.

[0051] Figure 4A shows the structural and mechanical elements of the depositing device 100, also called a depositor. The depositing device 100 mounts to a robotic liquid filling system 50 with robotic arm 60. One example of such mounting is shown and described in the environmental view of Figure 3. This configuration allows for easy loading and unloading of cartridge bodies.

[0052] With greater particularity, the depositing device includes at one end a combination comprising a ball screw 101 and ball nut 102 (not expressly shown: the ball nut is part of the mechanism denoted 104) type stepper motor. The ball screw 101 and ball nut 102 secure into the rest of the stepper motor assembly by way of motor mounting plate 103 and piston coupling 104, which as shown employs a cruciform shaped protrusion 105. The ball screw 101 and ball nut 102 as a combination lineally actuate the piston 106, translating rotational motion from the rotating table 107 into linear motion with little friction. The use of the ball screw 101 and ball nut 102 allow the stepper motor to control the piston 106 with extremely high precision. In other words, the precision ball-screw motor 101-102 can be coupled to the piston 106 through use of a ball nut 102 with ball screw pitch specific to a corresponding ball screw 101 and is capable of achieving positional accuracy sufficient to satisfy even the most stringent regulatory requirements.

[0053] The mechanical design of a coupling mechanism to connect the piston in the ball- screw motor is illustrated in Figure 5. The stepper motor includes a rotating table 107. A first half of the rotating table 107 comprises a coupling plate 108 having a cruciform shaped aperture 109. The cruciform shaped aperture 109 receives in interlocking relation the cruciform shaped protrusion 105. Any other suitable shape besides a cruciform can be used to achieve such an interlocking relation. For example, the surface of the protrusion 105 may be selected from the group consisting of oval (including ellipse, circle, etc.), partial ellipse (including semicircle), stadium, regular polygon (including triangle, rectangle, etc.), complex polygons (including cruciform, star), irregular polygon, cone, and a combination thereof. A second half of the rotating table 107 attaches a circular disc having many openings for screws 111 to pass therethrough. The screws 111 pass further through pegs 110. The pegs 110 are attached operatively / directly to the coupling plate 108. Nuts 112 secure the screws

110 to the disc at the openings, both of which are preferably circularly shaped.

[0054] Fasteners other than screws 111 and nuts 112 can be employed. For example, bolts, pins, rivets, staples, washers, grommets, latches (including pawls), ratchets, clamps, clasps, flanges, ties, adhesives, welds, any other known fastening mechanisms, or any combination thereof may be used to facilitate fastening.

[0055] The depositor 100 further comprises a body that is also referred to as the fluid chamber 113. The depositor 100 employs the moveable piston 106 onto a surface of a fluid within the fluid chamber 113 or an internal surface of the fluid chamber 113 itself to bias the liquid product, which is most often an oil product. The piston coupling 104 allows the operator to load and unload the body 113.

[0056] Within the body 113 there exists a sleeve 117 that includes a heated enclosure 114 therewithin. One or more sleeve mounting flanges 115 that include locators 116 that position and/or orient the sleeve 117 in relation to the robotic fdling apparatus 50 described in Figure 3. The locators 116 in this instance are apertures meant to line up with apertures 120 of a corresponding robot mounting flange 119 of a robot mounting plate 118 located on the robot 50. Fasteners capable of fastening such flanges to one another, such as screws 112 and nuts

111 can also be used here, as shown in Figure 4B. The depositor 100, mounting plate 118, and all other components seen in Figure 4B are even further secured to the robot 50 by way of a T-bar 129 and sliding bracket 130.

[0057] The sliding bracket 130 in particular can allow the robot 50 to move the depositor 100 in a first direction. A slidable connection caused by the sliding bracket 130 and the T- bar 129 can be established through the use of one or more suitable slidable elements, including: a friction fit on a slip (non-stick) surface, guides, tracks, piston(s), shaft(s), sleeve(s), collar(s), ball bearings, actuator(s), linkage(s), pivot(s), and/or the like. It is preferred that the slidable connection only allow the sliding bracket 130 to slide in one dimension (i.e. linearly) with respect to the T-bar 129. The sliding bracket 130 can be fixed in place using set screws (not shown). Yet, it is to be appreciated some minor relief in a second dimension can be to mitigate wear, tear, or failure of slidable components and/or elements. To that end, oils, grease, lubricants, antistatic agents, and/or other non-viscous fluids or devices can be applied where wear and tear is expected to further mitigate the same over time.

[0058] The robot 50 preferably allows for movement of custom molded trays 80 in only a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. In so doing, the molded trays 80 and depositor 100 would allow for total two dimension movement in the xy-plane. That being said, alternatively making one or both the molded trays 80 and depositor 100 moveable in both x and y directions is possible, though this type of setup would be likely be much more costly to build.

[0059] The resulting orientation is perhaps best seen in Figure 4C, which shows that when assembled, the axial (longitudinal) axis of the depositor 100 is parallel to an axial (longitudinal) axis of the body 113, the sleeve 114, and the mounting plate 118. This orientation ensures the ball-screw motor 101, 102 can be rigidly mounted such that the heated enclosure 117 is held straight along said axial direction. Deflection along this axis may result in deposit error and thus should be avoided.

[0060] Further identified in Figure 4D are a ball catch 121 and bullet hinge that allow the entire motor plate to pivot, which gives the operator access to load and unload the cartridges. Another purpose of the ball catch 121 and bullet hinge is to hold and help locate the bottom of the cartridge body 102 such that it remains in the same position across operation cycles The ball catch 121 is a fitting which functions by means of a spring-loaded ball pressing against a striking-plate. The bullet hinge comprises three main components: the pin side 122 (the male component), the leaf side 123 (the female component) and a brush that stands between two halves. The bullet hinge can comprise steel, brass, aluminum, and/or any other suitable materials depending on the application

[0061] Other suitable hinges may be substituted for the bullet hinge 122, 123, and can include living hinges, spring hinges, barrel hinges, pivot hinges, butt/mortise hinges, case hinges, continuous hinges or piano hinges, concealed hinges, butterfly hinges, flag hinges, strap hinges, H hinges, HL hinges, and the like. In other words, these alternative hinges can comprise any known device which connects two solid objects, while allowing only a limited angle of rotation between them. These hinges can thus connect two objects such that rotation is relative about a fixed axis of rotation and all other translations or rotations are prevented (/. e. , there is only one degree of freedom). The hinge or hinged connection may have varying amounts or levels of rotation, perhaps fixed by stoppers or other mechanisms which restrict movement.

[0062] Referring back to Figures 4A-4D, the depositor assembly 100 utilizes a heated enclosure 114 that surrounds and insulates the fluid chamber to ensure uniform heating. The entirety of the fluid chamber, heated enclosure 114, and ball-screw motor 106 can thus be housed in a single unit. This compact-footprint design reduces the wetted path of the device, which reduces cleaning time, material cost, and surface area to be heated (further contributing to heat uniformity).

[0063] Further aspects, configurations, and/or developments relating to the fluid chamber 113 can be seen in Figures 6-10. In particular, the nozzle 124, a coupling flange 125, and a male Luer lock 126 can be seen. At one end of the fluid chamber 113, the nozzle 124 acts the portion of the fluid chamber 113 through which fluid product is deposited. At the other end, the coupling flange 125 allows for the body 113 to be coupled to the coupling mechanism (piston coupling) 104.

[0064] As shown in great detail in Figure 9, the male Luer lock 126 is a tapered fluid fitting and is one component of a system of small-scale fluid fittings used for making substantially leak-free connections and mating female parts of external devices. While the male Luer lock 126 can be used alone, it is contemplated herein that there could exist another flow control that helps prevents further dripping used in combination with the male Luer lock 126, such as a threaded stopper initially and removably secured to the nozzle 124. Another example of a flow control could be restriction by a manual shut-off valve, and could arise where a secondary in-feed vessel fluidly connected to the depositing device 100 is incorporated into the system 50.

[0065] While the geometry of the fluid chamber 113 can be machined from a single piece of round stainless-steel stock, it is preferred the geometry of the cartridge be implemented with a two-piece design. One sanitary fabricated option is to procure a machined cap and weld the cap to stainless steel tubing.

[0066] Figures 11-13 show the sleeve 114, heated enclosure 117 (also called a heater), sleeve mounting flanges 115, locators 116, and location at which an insulation material 127, such as an insulating sleeve (e.g. melamine foam), can be placed to provide insulation to the fluid chamber 113. The fluid outlet 128 of the sleeve 114 itself can also be seen.

[0067] Referring to the entirety of Figures 3-13, it is to be appreciated design of the ball- screw motor 101, 102 and fluid chamber 113 will, at least in part, determine the specification, design, procurement and testing results, including power requirements, mounting and insulation considerations, of the corresponding heated enclosure.

[0068] Motor precision calculation considers parameters like ball screw length, step angle, pitch of ball screw, and deposit volume. A printed circuit board (“PCB”) control circuit with a microcontroller controls these parameters and thereby controls the stepper motor in terms of speed, direction, and step count. The robotic liquid filling system 50 will automatically deposit product upon receiving an instruction, e.g. a peak to peak trigger pulse.

[0069] To provide an interface for the user to specify and calibrate liquid deposit volumes, the system includes a human machine interface (“HMI”), such as a thin-film-transistor TFT ) touch-screen display. The operator communicates with the microcontroller through input/output “I/O” modules, which allows for manipulation of the motors. Through testing of the stepper motor, positional accuracy and the effectiveness of the PCB / solid-state relay can be improved through use of HMI in an effort to optimize the aforementioned parameters and to adapt the microcontroller system to control motor parameters through the TFT touch screen display.

[0070] Figure 14 shows details of an alternative compounding development resulting in a cartridge depositor 200 compatible with a pneumatic pump employing a piston with a pneumatic connection (not shown). The cartridge depositor 200 shown therein shows some analogous and some not so analogous components to the depositor 100 of Figures 4-13. For example, the cartridge depositor 200 includes a body defining a fluid chamber 213, a sleeve 214, a heated enclosure 217, a mounting plate 218, a depositing tip 224, an annular rim 225, a clamp 230, a T-shaped support plate 240, and a mounting bracket 250. Where applicable, components from Figures 3-13 and Figure 14 may be substituted for one another, harmonized, used in combination with, and the like, so as to result in a cartridge depositor 200 that utilizes a stepper motor (not shown in Figure 14) usable in pneumatic and/or peristaltic pump systems.

[0071] Figure 15 shows details of an alternative compounding development resulting in a cartridge depositor 300 with a motor fixed in position above the cartridge body 314 and a cartridge body 314 that can be loaded from the front instead of the top. To help alleviate the challenges associated with coupling and uncoupling mid-dispense, the piston coupling 104 can be removed from the design so that the piston 306 is only uncoupled from the ball screw 301 at the top of the dispense cycle. The cartridge depositor 300 can also remotely toggle electromagnets on and off. Thumb screws 332 used as coupling mechanism for clamp 330. [0072] Moreover, to help alleviate challenges associated with alignment between the motor and cartridge, which in some instances can actually be limited by a motor that is on a pivot: (a) the motor can be fixed in position above the cartridge body 314, (b) the cartridge body 314 can be loaded from the front and not the top; and (c) the motor can be configured so as to no longer pivot, further fixing the motor in position with respect to the cartridge body 314. These features can help locate the cartridge in the +z direction and increase positional accuracy in the x and y directions. With respect to feature (b) above, additional heated element(s) and insulation can be used to help keep the cartridge body 314 warm.

[0073] It is to be appreciated some cartridge bodies ( e.g . 500cc) can be quite heavy and can potentially slow the robot. Therefore, the cartridge body 314, can be, but is limited to being, a two and a half inch (2.5in) polished sanitary tubing with a six inch (6in) section. The cartridge body can weight just over one pound (e.g., approximately 1.06 lbs, >1 lb, etc.) and can be adapted to hold less than five hundred millilitres (e.g., approximately a 433mL capacity, < a 500mL capacity, etc.). The cartridge body 314 can include a bore sufficiently smooth to reduce and/or eliminate excess friction creating larger motor force requirements. [0074] Where applicable, components from Figures 3-14 and Figure 15 may be substituted for one another, harmonized, used in combination with, and the like, so as to result in a cartridge depositor 300 that loads the cartridge body 314 from the front, in addition to and/or in lieu of being loaded from the top.

[0075] In fact, systems and designs of the depositors 100, 200, 300 depend largely on their end use application. As seen in Figure 16, fluid chambers 113 can be cartridges, though capsules are also contemplated. Cartridges, such the large majority of cartridge volumes in the cannabis industry with a deposit volume range of 0.3mL to 1.8mL, can be fdled with fluid product using a manual product loading tool from an external fluid supply 132 in step (1).

[0076] A single cartridge can be loaded into the depositor 100 and the rest of the cartridges / additional volumes of product placed into a thermal bath 131 in step (2). The thermal bath 131 will keep the liquid product at the desired temperature for a desired time. When the cartridge loaded into the depositor 100 is fully depleted, a pre-heated cartridge from the thermal bath 131 can then be interchanged for the depleted cartridge, as shown in step (3). [0077] As described herein, the switch to ball-screw motor actuation has a number of extremely unexpected and positive down-stream system benefits, such as improved calibration, a better user experience, and greater accuracy with respect to at least the filling of liquid vaporizer cartridges, and from the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of the stated objectives.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0078] The following table of reference characters and descriptors are not exhaustive, nor limiting, and include reasonable equivalents. If possible, elements identified by a reference character below and/or those elements which are near ubiquitous within the art can replace or supplement any element identified by another reference character.

Table 1: List of Reference Characters

GLOSSARY

[0079] Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used above have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which embodiments of the present invention pertain.

[0080] The terms “a,” “an,” and “the” include both singular and plural referents.

[0081] The term “or” is synonymous with “and/or” and means any one member or combination of members of a particular list.

[0082] The terms “invention” or “present invention” are not intended to refer to any single embodiment of the particular invention but encompass all possible embodiments as described in the specification and the claims.

[0083] The term “about” as used herein refer to slight variations in numerical quantities with respect to any quantifiable variable. Inadvertent error can occur, for example, through use of typical measuring techniques or equipment or from differences in the manufacture, source, or purity of components. [0084] The term “substantially” refers to a great or significant extent. “Substantially” can thus refer to a plurality, majority, and/or a supermajority of said quantifiable variable, given proper context.

[0085] The term “generally” encompasses both “about” and “substantially.”

[0086] The term “configured” describes structure capable of performing a task or adopting a particular configuration. The term “configured” can be used interchangeably with other similar phrases, such as constructed, arranged, adapted, manufactured, and the like.

[0087] Terms characterizing sequential order, a position, and/or an orientation are not limiting and are only referenced according to the views presented.

[0088] A “stepper motor” is a brushless DC electric motor that divides a full rotation into a number of equal steps.

[0089] A “ball screw” is a mechanical linear actuator that translates rotational motion to linear motion with little friction. A threaded shaft provides a helical raceway for ball bearings which act as a precision screw. The ball screw is designed with close tolerances and is therefore suitable for use in situations where high precision is important.

[0090] “Peristaltic” liquid pumps, sometimes known as “hose” pumps, are positive displacement pumps that squeeze plastic tubing through rollers in rotatory movement. Peristaltic pumps are capable of accommodating large rates and volumes. A peristaltic pump provides free contamination because the elements never touch the fluid. Beneficially, no seal is required to keep liquid within the tubes so leakage is avoided.

[0091] A “hydraulic” pump is a mechanical source of power that converts mechanical power into hydraulic energy (hydrostatic energy, i.e., flow, pressure). Hydraulic pumps generate flow with enough power to overcome pressure induced by the load at the pump outlet. When a hydraulic pump operates, a vacuum is created at the pump inlet, which forces liquid from the fluid chamber into the inlet line to the pump and by mechanical action delivers this liquid to the pump outlet and forces it into the hydraulic system. Hydrostatic pumps are hydraulic pumps that utilize positive displacement while hydrodynamic pumps are hydraulic pumps that can use fixed displacement.

[0092] “Pneumatic” pumps use compressed air to create force that is used to move fluids through a piping system. Their system of operation is very similar to that of “hydraulic” pumps. Essentially, pneumatic pumps use air in the same way that hydraulic pumps use fluids. Both pneumatic and hydraulic pumps are capable of creating amplified levels of pressure that generate large amounts of power.

[0093] A “Luer taper” is a standardized system of small-scale fluid fittings used for making leak-free connections between a male-taper fitting and its mating female part on medical and laboratory instruments, including hypodermic syringe tips and needles or stopcocks and needles.

[0094] The “scope” of the present invention is defined by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. The scope of the invention is further qualified as including any possible modification to any of the aspects and/or embodiments disclosed herein which would result in other embodiments, combinations, subcombinations, or the like that would be obvious to those skilled in the art.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A fluid depositing device (100) comprising: a fluid chamber (113), said fluid chamber (113) housing at least:

(i) a linear actuator (106) capable of biasing a fluid product;

(ii) a stepper motor capable of depositing selectable, stepped volumes of the fluid product to an end use-application; and

(iii) a heated enclosure (117) surrounding the fluid chamber (113); and a nozzle (124) for depositing the fluid product.

2. The fluid depositing device (100) of claim 1 wherein wetted materials enclose and define a fluid path for transporting the fluid product from the fluid chamber (113) to the filling ports.

3. The fluid depositing device (100) of claim 2 wherein the wetted materials are food grade materials selected from the group consisting of:

(a) stainless steel;

(b) an acetal homopolymer (polyoxymethylene); and

(c) a fluorocarbon.

4. The fluid depositing device (100) of any one of claims 1-3 wherein the stepper motor comprises, at least in part, a ball nut — ball screw (102, 101) combination.

5. The fluid depositing device (100) of claim 4 further comprising a mechanism (104) coupling the stepper motor to the linear actuator (106), wherein the mechanism (104) comprises a cruciform shaped protrusion (105) adapted to interferingly fit with a corresponding cruciform shaped aperture (109) located in a coupling plate (108) of a rotating table (107) of the stepper motor.

6. The fluid depositing device (100) of any one of claims 1-5 further comprising a sleeve (114) having a movable bottom or partition having approximately the same section as an outer perimeter of the fluid chamber (113).

7. The fluid depositing device (100) of any one of claims 1-6 further comprising locators (116) on a front of the fluid chamber (113) and a mounting flange (115) for mounting the fluid dispensing device (100) to a robotic liquid fdling system (50).

8. The fluid depositing device (100) of any one of claims 1-7 wherein the heated enclosure (117) can maintain a temperature of up to 120°C.

9. The fluid depositing device (100) of any one of claims 1-8 further comprising a bullet hinge comprising: a pin side (122), a leaf side (123), and a brush that stands between the leaf side (123) and the pin side (122).

10. The fluid depositing device of any one of claims 1-9 further comprising a threaded stopper removably secured to the nozzle (124) of the fluid chamber (113).

11. An automated robotic liquid fdling system (50) comprising: a fluid depositing device (100) of any one of claims 2-10; a robotic arm (60) capable of (i) holding and (ii) positioning, at least with respect to a first axis, the fluid depositing device (100); a vessel for storing liquid product prior to depositing, said vessel being in fluid communication with the fluid depositing device (100); and molded trays (80) (i) customized based upon a type of liquid product to be deposited; and (ii) being positionable with respect to a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis.

12. The automated robotic liquid filling system (50) of claim 11 further comprising a flow control capable of temporarily disabling fluid communication through the fluid path.

13. The automated robotic liquid filling system (50) of any one of claims 11-12 wherein the automated robot maintains +/- 1.5% fill volume accuracy.

14. The automated robotic liquid fdling system (50) of any one of claims 11-13 wherein the automated robot is adapted to fill capsules and/or cartridges.

15. The automated robotic liquid fdling system (50) of any one of claims 11-14 wherein the automated robotic liquid fdling system (50) is free from pressure vessels and fluid product lines.

16. The automated robotic liquid fdling system (50) of any one of claims 11-15 wherein a temperature controller (90) utilizes a closed control loop to regulate a temperature within the heated disclose, said temperature being sensed with a thermocouple (92).

17. The automated robotic liquid fdling system (50) of any one of claims 11-16 further comprising a mixer inside the vessel (132).

18. A cartridge depositor (100, 200) comprising: a cartridge body (113, 213) capable of containing a liquid product and depositing the liquid product through a depositing tip (124, 224); a piston (106) movable onto a surface of the fluid chamber to bias the liquid product; a precision ball-screw motor (101, 102) capable of depositing precise, metered volumes of the liquid product into fdling ports; a mechanism (104) coupling the precision ball-screw motor (101, 102) to the piston (106); and a sleeve (114) insulated by an insulating material (127).

19. The cartridge depositor (100, 200) of claim 18 further comprising a human machine interface (“HMI”) and a printed circuit board which allow an operator to select an amount of the precise, metered volumes of the liquid product to be deposited into the fdling ports.

20. The cartridge depositor (200) of any one of claims 18-19 wherein the cartridge depositor (200) is implemented within a pump with a type selected from the group consisting of: (a) peristaltic; and

(b) pneumatic.