Patent ID: 11952254
Assignee: MACHAN INVESTMENTS, LLC
Field: Handling (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A fluid dispensing assembly configured to selectively refill a jar, the fluid dispensing assembly comprising:
A) a housing comprising an internal case assembly and supported by a chassis and configured to be positioned on a horizontal support surface;
B) a bulk source container configured to be supported by a bulk source container scale assembly comprising an active radio frequency identification (RFID) reader on the housing and to receive a fluid, the bulk source container comprising an open top and passive RFID tag;
C) a bulk source container tower assembly configured to be supported by the housing, and comprising i) an extruded aluminum central element comprising a longitudinal central axis, open top and bottom ends, and four equal sized channels comprising open top and bottom channel ends and evenly spaced within the extruded aluminum central element around the longitudinal central axis, ii) a cap assembly sized to fit and close the extruded aluminum central element open top end, iii) a top manifold assembly, iv) a bottom manifold assembly fluidly connected to a pumping assembly in the internal case assembly and sized to fit and close the extruded aluminum central element open bottom end including fluid connectivity to any channel housing a tube for fluid flow, v) an external 90 degree bend tube fluidly connected the top manifold assembly and sized to fit within the bulk source container open top to a position above a bulk source container internal bottom surface, vi) a first tube comprising first tube open top and bottom ends and sized to fit within one extruded aluminum cenral element open channel, wherein a bulk source container tower first tube open top end is fluidly connected to the bulk source container tower external 90 degree bend tube in the top manifold assembly, vii) and a second tube comprising a length and diameter equal to the bulk source container tower first tube and second tube open top and bottom ends, wherein the second tube is sized to fit within a bulk source container tower extruded aluminum central element open channel opposite the bulk source container tower extruded aluminum central element open channel housing the bulk source container tower first tube with the second tube open top end attached to the top manifold assembly, and viii) a mechanical assembly affixed to the cap assembly to selectively raise and lower the bulk source container tower manifold assembly and first and second tubes for replacement of a nearly empty bulk source container;
D) a fill jar configured to be supported by a fill jar scale assembly and active RFID reader on the housing and to receive a fluid, the fill jar comprising an open top lip and passive RFID tag;
E) a fill jar tower assembly configured to be supported by the housing, comprising i) an extruded aluminum central element comprising an longitudinal central axis, open top and bottom ends, and four equal sized channels evenly spaced within the central element around the longitudinal central axis, ii) a fill jar cap assembly sized to fit and close the central extruded aluminum element open top end, iii) a top manifold assembly, iv) a bottom manifold assembly fluidly connected to the pumping assembly in the internal case assembly and sized to fit and close the fill jar tower extruded aluminum central element open bottom end including fluid connectivity to any channel housing a tube for fluid flow, v) an external 90 degree fill jar tube fluidly connected to the top manifold assembly and sized to fit within the fill jar at a position below the fill jar opened top lip, vi) a first tube comprising first tube open top and bottom ends and sized to fit within one fill jar tower extruded aluminum central element open channel, wherein a fill jar tower first tube open top end is fluidly connected to the fill jar tower external 90 degree bend tube within the top manifold assembly, vii) and a second tube comprising a length and diameter equal to the first tube and second tube open top and bottom ends, wherein the second tube is sized to fit within an extruded aluminum central element open channel opposite the extruded aluminum central element open channel housing the first tube with the second tube open top end attached to the top manifold assembly, and viii) a mechanical assembly affixed to the fill jar tower top cap assembly to selectively raise and lower the fill jar tower top manifold assembly and first and second tubes for replacement of a full fill jar with an empty fill jar;
F) a microprocessor-based control element within the internal case assembly electronically coupled to i) the pumping assembly, ii) the mechanical assemblies to selectively raise and lower the bulk source tower manifold assembly and the fill jar tower manifold assembly, iii) the bulk source container scale assembly and active RFID reader, iv) the fill jar scale assembly and active RFID reader, and v) a liquid crystal display (LCD) assembly; and
G) a power jack configured to adapt an alternating current source of electrical power to a direct current source of electrical power and electrically coupled to the microprocessor-based control element, the pumping assembly, the mechanical assemblies to selectively raise and lower the bulk source container tower top manifold assembly and the fill jar tower top manifold assembly, the bulk source container scale assembly and active RFID reader, the fill jar scale assembly and active RFID reader, and the LCD assembly, for the fluid dispensing assembly to selectively refill the fill jar from the bulk source container.