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Sommaire du brevet 1122034 

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  • lorsque la demande peut être examinée par le public;
  • lorsque le brevet est émis (délivrance).
(12) Brevet: (11) CA 1122034
(21) Numéro de la demande: 1122034
(54) Titre français: DEBITMETRE POUR LIQUIDE
(54) Titre anglais: LIQUID FLOW METERING DEVICE
Statut: Durée expirée - après l'octroi
Données bibliographiques
(51) Classification internationale des brevets (CIB):
  • G01F 1/72 (2006.01)
  • B67D 1/08 (2006.01)
(72) Inventeurs :
  • BONNIN, RICHARD M. (Australie)
(73) Titulaires :
  • COMPUTA-BAR PTY. LTD
(71) Demandeurs :
  • COMPUTA-BAR PTY. LTD
(74) Agent: ROBIC, ROBIC & ASSOCIES/ASSOCIATES
(74) Co-agent:
(45) Délivré: 1982-04-20
(22) Date de dépôt: 1979-12-19
Licence disponible: S.O.
Cédé au domaine public: S.O.
(25) Langue des documents déposés: Anglais

Traité de coopération en matière de brevets (PCT): Non

(30) Données de priorité de la demande:
Numéro de la demande Pays / territoire Date
PD 7165 (Australie) 1978-12-20

Abrégés

Abrégé anglais


ABSTRACT
A device for metering liquid flow in a dispensing
line for a gas-pressured beverage comprising a flowmeter with
electrical contacts pulsing as an indication of fluid flow in
said line, an electrical impulse generator, an impulse counter
having multiple outputs corresponding to different counts in
the counter, and an electronic calculator with a preset
calibrated value stored in its memory and electrically con-
nected to said outputs for activation of respective ones of
its functions, said contacts being serially located in that
one of the connections assigned to an addition function of said
calculator whereby with each pulse of said contacts the total
value displayed by said calculator is increased by the value
stored in said memory, and the maximum signal input response
rate of said calculator exceeds the pulsing rate of said con-
tacts indicative of a flow of fluid with a gas content below
a predetermined level and is less than the pulsing rate of
said contacts indicative of a flow of fluid whose gas content
is above said level.

Revendications

Note : Les revendications sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.


The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property
or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A liquid-flow metering device comprising a flow-
meter for indicating externally of a dispensing line a liquid
flow therein, an electrical impulse generator, and an electri-
cal impulse counter driven by impulses from said generator, a
fluid volume calculator, and driver means responding to said
flowmeter to control the operation of said calculator, the
latter having a maximum input signal rate to permit response
only to signals indicative of fluid flow below a predetermined
rate.
2. A liquid-flow metering device according to claim
1, wherein said driver means has three sections providing out-
put signals for activating respectively a display clear funct-
ion, a memory recall function, and an addition function for
said calculator.
3. A liquid-flow metering device according to claim
2, wherein said fluid volume calculator is an electronic
calculator, and said impulse counter is a recycling counter
arrested by an inhibiting circuit at a predetermined count to
provide at an output a control signal for the driver means for
activating the addition function of said calculator.
4. A liquid-flow metering device according to claim
3, wherein said flowmeter includes electrical contacts
repeatedly operated to indicate said liquid flow, and said
contacts repeatedly apply said output signal corresponding to
said addition function to increase by the same amount with each
repetition the total displayed by the calculator.
5. A liquid-flow metering device according to claim
4, wherein said same amount corresponds to the value stored in
the calculator's memory and being indicative of a metered
- 9 -

quantity of liquid dispensed.
6. A liquid-flow metering device according to claim
5, wherein said impulse counter has a reset provision which
when operated causes said counter to recycle, and wherein
sequential outputs of said counter cause activation in turn of
the calculator's display clear function.
7. A liquid-flow metering device according to claim
1, wherein said calculator is housed within a securable tamper-
proof case.
8. A liquid-flow metering device according to claim
7, wherein said calculator's case has two key locks whereby
two manually operable keys facilitate respectively resetting
of said counter and access to said calculator.
9. A liquid-flow metering device according to claim
1, wherein said flowmeter comprises a rotatable impeller
driven by fluid flow in said dispensing line and carrying a
permanent magnet for operation intermittently of electrical
contacts external of said dispensing line.
10. A device for metering liquid flow in a dispensing
line of a gas-pressured beverage having a gas content below a
predetermined level, comprising a flowmeter with electrical
contacts pulsing as an indication of fluid flow in said line,
an electrical impulse generator, a recycling counter for
impulses from said generator having multiple sequential outputs
corresponding to different counts in the counter, a count
inhibit circuit activated from the output corresponding to
maximum count and a reset circuit for deactivating said
inhibit circuit, and an electronic calculator with a preset
calibrated value stored in its memory and electrically connected
to said outputs for activation of respective ones of its
- 10 -

functions, said contacts being serially located in that one
of the connections assigned to an addition function of said
calculator whereby with each pulse of said contacts the total
value displayed by said calculator is increased by the value
stored in said memory, and the maximum signal input response
rate of said calculator exceeds the pulsing rate of said
contacts indicative of a flow of liquid with a gas content
below said predetermined level and is less than the pulsing
rate of said contacts indicative of a flow of fluid whose gas
content is above said level.
- 11 -

Description

Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.


203~
This invention relates to metering devices for liq-
uids and more particularly to such devices which respond to
the flow of the liquid as opposed to the volume after
dispensing.
One such dev ce is incorporated in petrol pump
dispensers and comprises a rotatable turbine in the petrol
dispensing line. Either directly, or magnetically, coupled
counters respond to the rotation to calculate the volume and
value of petrol passing through the line for dispensing.
These turbine-type metering devices, however, are unsuitable
for use with the dispensing of carbonated and/or pressurised
beverages, such as beer. It frequently occurs that these
dispensing lines contain only, or a large quantity of, froth
which, while operating the turbine, is undesirable to be
included in the metered volume.
On licensed premises employing staff for the dis-
pensing of beer on tap it has been found necessary to exercise
supervision to ensure that the quantity dispensed during a
period of trading corres~onds to the money deposited in cash
registers. Flowmeter systems have been associated with the
beer lines to the taps but hitherto the dispensed quantities
recorded have been far from accurate due to the occurrence of
froth and gas in the lines frequently during trading, for
example when kegs are replaced or gas pressures are incorrectly
adjusted.
It is the main object of the invention to provide a
liquid-flow metering device which is efficient and accurate in
operation even in the dispensing of carbonated and/or press-
urised beverages.
According to the invention there is provided a liquid-
-- 2 --
'

~l~Z03~
flow metering device comprising a flowmeter for indicating
externally of a dispensing line a liquid flow therein, an
electrical impulse generator, and an electrical impulse
counter driven by impulses from said generator, a fluid volume
calculator, and driver means responding to said flowmeter to
control the operation of said calculator, the latter having
a maximum input signal rate to permit response only to signals
indicative of fluid flow below a predetermined rate.
The invention will be better~understood with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-
FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the metering
device of the invention;
FIGS. 2A and 2B are a plan and a sectional view of
a flowmeter utilized with the device;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the calculator
housing of the device; and
~IG. 4 is an end elevation of said housing with the
battery compartment door open.
A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be
described wherein the fluid-flow metering device is utilized
for the dispensing of beer with automatic indication of the
quantity of beer dispensed for each pulling operation.
Reference is now made to FIG. 1 showing schematically
the electrical construction of the device. Any form of flow-
meter 1 may be provided and preferably incorporates electrical
contacts A actuated by a rotatable ceramic magnet 2, within
the beer dispensing line 3 responding to the flow of beer
there-through. Under normal circumstances where the dis-
pensing line 3 is connected to a beer keg (not shown) properly
supplied with pressurising gas, no foaming of the beer occurs
-- 3 --

34
in the flowmeter 1. It is a recognised phenomenon that most
flowmeters will respond not only to the flow of liquid ~eer but
also to the passage of beer froth in the line. This will
~requently occur upon the depletion of beer in a keg and with
changeover, either manually or automatically, to a fresh keg.
The present invention is possible due to the realisation that
both gas and froth in the dispensing line 3 traverses at a
much faster rate than the fluid, in the order o~ 10 times the
normal rate of flow of beer. Thus, it can be seen that com-
pletely inaccurate automatic calculations of dispensed volumes
of beer occur with conventional flowmeters whenever froth or
gas is present in the line.
Electrical contacts A, therefore, function as a
magnetically sensitive reed switch which is operated by the
permanent magnet 2 connected with the measuring portion lA of
the flowmeter 1. Upon completion of one measuring cycle by
the flowmeter 1 a closed condition occurs of the reed contacts.
Connections from the reed switch A are made between a calcu-
lator 4 and a reset circuit consisting of three stages, viz. an
oscillator (or clock) 5, a counter 6, and driver unit 7.
The clock oscillator 5 is a conventional ~hree gate,
unit, comprising gates Gl, G2 and G3, whose frequency is con-
trolled b~ resistors Rl and R2, and capacitor Cl. Its
operating frequency is about Hz6. The counter 6 receives
clock pulses from the oscillator 5 which would normally drive
the counter 6 throu~h its counting range which in this case
is 0 - 9. It would repeat the cycle continuously as long as
clock pulses from oscillator 5 are present were it not for its
decoded output "7" being tied to the "clock enable" input.
When output "7" is reached a logic high is sent to "clock
-- 4 --

enable", thereby inhibiting further coun~ing. At this stage
output "7" remains high. All other outputs from counter 6
are low.
On application of a high to the input "reset" of the
counter 6, by manual, or automatic, activation of the RESET
switch decoded output "7" goes low removing inhibiting and
allowing the counter 6 to count through the output steps "1",
"3", "5", "7" and then to stop stepping. The outputs from "1"
to "7" are buffered by a quad bilateral switch 7. The drivers
of switch 7 are connected directly to the electrical connect-
ions corresponding to the function keys "Clear", "Read Memory",
"Add" and "Equals" of the calculator 4. Thus the outputs of
the counter 6 are connected as follows:
Decoded output "1" = Clear key
Decoded output "3" = Read Memory key
Decoded output "5" = Add key
Decoded output "7" = Equals key (and this halts stepping by
the counter 6).
Thus, whenever contacts A close the high from output
"7" is repeatedly applied to the calculator. The effect is
the same as pulsing the "equals" key, thereby adding to the
total displayed on the calculator the value entered into the
memory with each pulse. The value programmed will be initially
measured precisely to repres~nt the quantity of beer dispensed
for each operating cycle of the flowmeter. Each cycle will be
the interva:L covering each successive operation of the reed
switch A. Xt is a feature o~ the calculator that its speed of
response to the pulsing frequency of the contacts A of the
flowmeter 1 has an upper threshold which excLudes response to
a frequency between that derived from normal beer flow in the
-- 5 --

Z034
line 3 and that derived ~rom the passage of gas or froth in
the line 3 (being in the order of 1:10).
A special feature of the flowmeter 1, therefore, is
that, if gas either continuosly or intermittently flows through
the meter 1, although the meter 1 pulses the "e~uals" key of
the calculator 4 when this gas is present, it is not recorded
by the calculator due to the calculator's maximum input rate
being limited by its inherent design. In one ~orm the
calculator 4 incorporates the semi-conductor chip NEC 888.
The flowmeter 1 shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B is ideally
suited for incorporation within the device. It is composed of
a housing 8 having inlet and outlet adaptors 9 and 10 for
connection within a beer line 3. A removable core 11 in the
housing 8 is sealed by opposite O-rings 12 and 13 against the
inner wall of the housing 8 and has a through passage occupied
by a rotor 15 which oscillates with ithe flow of beer in the
passage to rotate an axial spindle 16 and a ceramic magnet 2
carried on one end thereof. The contacts A are embedded in the
housing 8 adjacent the magnet 2 to close when attracted or
repelled by an appropriate pole of the magnet 2 as it passes
in juxtaposition to the contacts A. This type of flowmeter 1
has a stable metering quality in service. Calibration is
obtained for programming of the memory bank of the calculator
by flow comparison with a previously calibrated flowmeter 1.
In the application of the liquid-flow metering device
of this invention in licensed clubs or other premises where
beer is dispensed from a plurality of taps and by various
employees, it will be customary for each employee to be
assigned an individual tap and cash register. A record of
cash transactions over a trading period will be maintained by
-- 6 --

Z~3~
conventional means associated with the register, while a re-
cord of the quanti~y of beer dispensed will be displayed upon
the calculator 4 (FIG~. 3 and 4) corresponding to the
assigned beer tap. The calculator 4 preferably is located
together with other calculators 4, related to the remaining
taps, at a recording location remote from the beer taps.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show one such calculator 4 enclosed
within a securable case 18 provided with a cylinder lock 19
and key 20 on a hinged front cover 24. .The calculator ~ is
mounted above a printed circuit board 21 containing the
electronic components shown in FIG. 1. A battery compartment
22 is located beneath the board 21 and an end wall 23 of the
case 18 is hinged to provide access to the compartment 22.
The hinged front cover 24 has a viewing window 25 over the
display 26 of the calculator 4 and also is provided with a
second cylinder lock 27 and key 28 which through cam 29
effects actuation of the switch 30 mounted upon an end of the
board 21. The switch 30 is the switch RESET of FIG. 1 and is
operated by the supervisor's key 28 to cancel the total dis~
played on the calculator 4 before trading commences.
A reading of the calculator's displayed total beer
volume will be made at the end of trading before the cust-
omary flu~hing of the beer pipes. At the supervisor's con-
venience this record is later checked with the cash total
recorded by the register. Due to the different rate of charge
for beer depending upon the volume served, appropriate keys
and record ~lill be provided by the register for indicating
volume per ~;ervice which traditionally is one of merely three
or four difi'erent volumes.
W~lereas.a preferred embodiment has been described.by
--7--

l~Z034
the foregoing it ahould be appreciated that other forms are
feasible within the scope of the invention.
--8--
,
.

Dessin représentatif

Désolé, le dessin représentatif concernant le document de brevet no 1122034 est introuvable.

États administratifs

2024-08-01 : Dans le cadre de la transition vers les Brevets de nouvelle génération (BNG), la base de données sur les brevets canadiens (BDBC) contient désormais un Historique d'événement plus détaillé, qui reproduit le Journal des événements de notre nouvelle solution interne.

Veuillez noter que les événements débutant par « Inactive : » se réfèrent à des événements qui ne sont plus utilisés dans notre nouvelle solution interne.

Pour une meilleure compréhension de l'état de la demande ou brevet qui figure sur cette page, la rubrique Mise en garde , et les descriptions de Brevet , Historique d'événement , Taxes périodiques et Historique des paiements devraient être consultées.

Historique d'événement

Description Date
Inactive : CIB de MCD 2006-03-11
Inactive : Périmé (brevet sous l'ancienne loi) date de péremption possible la plus tardive 1999-04-20
Accordé par délivrance 1982-04-20

Historique d'abandonnement

Il n'y a pas d'historique d'abandonnement

Titulaires au dossier

Les titulaires actuels et antérieures au dossier sont affichés en ordre alphabétique.

Titulaires actuels au dossier
COMPUTA-BAR PTY. LTD
Titulaires antérieures au dossier
RICHARD M. BONNIN
Les propriétaires antérieurs qui ne figurent pas dans la liste des « Propriétaires au dossier » apparaîtront dans d'autres documents au dossier.
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Description du
Document 
Date
(aaaa-mm-jj) 
Nombre de pages   Taille de l'image (Ko) 
Abrégé 1994-02-03 1 25
Page couverture 1994-02-03 1 10
Revendications 1994-02-03 3 91
Dessins 1994-02-03 4 95
Description 1994-02-03 7 233