Patent ID: 8444015

Claim:
A fluid dispensing apparatus to dispense a predetermined volume of fluid comprising: a fluid reservoir connected to a fluid supply; a dispense tube connected to an outlet port on the fluid reservoir, the dispense tube comprising a measurement portion to measure a predetermined volume of fluid to be dispensed, and a dispense portion including a dispense outlet to dispense the predetermined volume of fluid; an elevator mechanism comprising a vertical shaft operatively connected to the dispense tube, and configured to change a relative vertical displacement between the dispense outlet and the outlet port on the fluid reservoir; a dispensing sensor that is raised or lowered along the vertical shaft with the dispense tube; an upper sensor configured to generate one or more signals to selectively lower the dispense tube responsive to detecting a rising volume of fluid in the measurement portion of the dispense tube; a lower sensor configured to generate one or more signals to selectively raise the dispense tube responsive to detecting a falling volume of fluid in the measurement portion of the dispensing tube; and a processor programmed to: control the elevator mechanism to selectively raise the dispense tube along the vertical shaft to a raised filling position to prevent fluid flow from the dispense outlet responsive to receiving a signal from the lower sensor; fill the dispense tube with the predetermined volume of fluid from the fluid reservoir; and control the elevator mechanism to selectively lower the dispense tube along the vertical shaft to a lowered dispensing position to dispense the predetermined volume of fluid responsive to receiving a signal from the upper sensor.