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

Claim 8:
9. A fluid dispensing assembly configured to selectively refill a jar, the fluid dispensing assembly comprising:
A) a housing comprising an internal case and supported by a chassis and configured to be positioned on a support surface, the housing further comprising a microprocessor-based control element within the internal case comprising wireless and USB connectivity and electronically coupled within the housing to i) a bulk source container tower, ii) a fill jar tower, iii) a pumping assembly, iv) mechanical assemblies to selectively raise and lower a bulk source container tower manifold assembly and a fill jar tower manifold assembly, v) a bulk source container scale assembly and active radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, vi) a fill jar scale assembly and active RFID reader, and vii) an LCD assembly comprising an interactive display configured to be viewed on a front wall of the housing wherein real time fluid dispensing operational parameters and apparatus diagnostics are on the interactive display;
B) a bulk source container configured to be supported by the bulk source container scale assembly on the housing and to contain a fluid, and comprising an opened top and passive RFID tag;
C) a fill jar configured to be supported by the fill jar scale assembly on the housing and to receive a fluid, and comprising an opened top end lip and passive RFID tag;
D) a bulk source container tower assembly configured to be supported by the housing, and comprising i) a bulk source container tower assembly 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 bulk source container tower cap assembly sized to fit and close the extruded aluminum central element open top end, iii) a bulk source container tower top manifold assembly, iv) a bulk source container tower bottom manifold assembly fluidly connected to the pumping assembly in the internal case assembly and sized to fit and close the bulk source container tower assembly 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 affixed to the 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 central element open channel, wherein the first tube open top end is fluidly connected to the bulk source container tower external 90 degree bend tube within the top manifold assembly, vii) and a bulk source container tower 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 bulk source container tower second tube is sized to fit within an extruded aluminum central element open channel opposite the bulk source container tower 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 bulk source container tower cap assembly to selectively raise and lower the top manifold assembly and first and second tubes for replacement of the bulk source container when the bulk source container is nearly empty;
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 tower cap assembly sized to fit and close the extruded aluminum central element open top end, iii) a fill jar tower top manifold assembly, iv) a fill jar tower 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 tube affixed to the top manifold assembly and sized to fit within a fill jar opened top to a position below a fill jar opened top lip, vi) a fill jar tower 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 fill jar tower second tube comprising a length and diameter equal to the fill jar tower first tube and second tube open top and bottom ends, wherein the fill jar tower second tube is sized to fit within a fill jar tower extruded aluminum central element open channel opposite the fill jar tower extruded aluminum central element open channel housing the fill jar tower first tube and second tube top end is attached to the top manifold, and viii) a mechanical assembly affixed to the fill jar tower cap assembly to selectively raise and lower the fill jar tower top manifold assembly for replacement of a full fill jar with an empty fill jar;
F) the bulk source container tower top manifold assembly further comprises a bulk source container tower extrusion bushing, compression fittings stabilizing the bulk source container tower cap assembly and the bulk source container tower top manifold, a bulk source container tower cap assembly mold-in insert, and wherein the mechanical assembly to selectively raise and lower the bulk source container tower top manifold assembly comprises a stepper source shaft, a stepper motor, and a sensor fixedly attached to the bulk source container tower cap assembly such that a top end of the bulk source container tower stepper source shaft is secured to a bottom surface of the top manifold allowing the stepper source shaft to move through the bulk source container tower stepper motor in the cap assembly as the top manifold and first and second tubes are raised above the cap assembly and lowered back upon the cap assembly;
G) the jar tower top manifold assembly further comprises a fill jar tower extrusion bushing, compression fittings stabilizing the fill jar tower cap assembly and the fill jar tower top manifold, a fill jar tower cap assembly mold-in insert, and wherein the mechanical assembly to selectively raise and lower the top manifold assembly comprises a stepper source shaft, a stepper motor, and a sensor fixedly attached to the cap assembly such that a top end of the stepper source shaft is secured to a bottom surface of the top manifold allowing the stepper source shaft to move through the stepper motor in the cap assembly as the top manifold and first and second tubes are raised above the cap assembly and lowered back upon the cap assembly;
H) the bulk source container scale assembly comprises a bulk source container platform, an active RFID reader, and load cell sensors within the housing in proximate location to the bulk source container tower such that an input end of the external 90 degree bend tube affixed to the bulk source container tower top manifold assembly and sized to fit within the at source container opened top is centered above the bulk source container platform;
I) the fill jar scale assembly comprises a fill jar platform, an active RFID reader, and load cell sensors within the housing in proximate location to the at least one fill jar tower such that an output end of the external 90 degree bend tube affixed to the fill jar tower top manifold assembly and sized to fit within the fill jar opened top lip is centered above the fill jar platform;
J) wherein a power jack within the housing is configured to adapt an alternating current source of electrical power to a direct current source of electrical power for the fluid assembly apparatus to selectively refill the fill jar from the bulk source container;
K) wherein the microprocessor-based control element selectively generates a dispensing sequence and selectively turns the pumping assembly on and off based upon real time active RFID reader inputs and real time weight inputs from both the bulk source container scale assembly and the fill jar scale assembly;
L) the microprocessor-based control element comprises an electronic memory module containing a database pertaining to the bulk source container and the fill jar, the database being retrievable to a remote data server via wireless communication or by direct access through a USB connection port in a wall of the housing; and
M) wherein the LCD assembly comprises an interactive display positioned on and coupled to a front wall of the housing wherein the interactive display is configured to be viewed, the display being electronically coupled to the microprocessor-based control element wherein real time fluid dispensing operational parameters and apparatus diagnostics are provided.