Patent ID: 9550158
Date: 2017-01-24
CPC Classifications: B01F,B05B,G01F

Claim:
1. A method of operating a metering device for metered dispensing of pumpable color pigment preparations, the steps comprising: providing a metering device comprising a dispensing means connected to a plurality of canisters; a controller; and a conveyor; providing at least one calibration sensor arranged on said canisters coupled to said controller in a signal transmitting manner; storing a defined and predetermined calibration fill level in said controller; filling said canisters with a defined starting quantity of a medium to be dispensed; drawing up a defined dispensing volume of the medium from at least one of said canisters by means of said controller; conveying medium to said dispensing means by means of said conveyor; determining the current actual fill level by means of said controller depending on the dispensing volume drawn from the respective canister; transmitting a sensor signal from said calibration sensor to said controller in the event that the medium in said canister reaches at least a defined and predetermined calibration fill level previously stored in said controller; determining when the current, actual fill level of said canister reaches said defined and predetermined calibration fill level previously stored by said controller reducing the respective actual fill level of said canisters by the value corresponding to the dispensing volume drawn from said canister; storing the new, current actual fill level of said canisters after the volume has been reduced by said dispensing amount; comparing a new, currently stored actual fill level of said canisters with at least one predetermined fill level threshold; displaying a refill indication when a new, currently stored actual fill level of said canister reaches or falls below said predetermined fill level threshold; refilling said canister with a defined refill volume; detecting and transmitting said refill volume to said controller; storing current actual fill level start value as the sum of the refill volume and the last stored actual fill level; transmitting a signal from said calibration sensor to said controller in the case where the fill level of the medium corresponds to the at least one calibration fill level; and recognizing by means of said controller that the calibration fill level is effective new, current actual fill level.