An automated liquid dispensing attachment monitors and controls preparation of drinks poured from bottles. The automated liquid dispensing attachment attaches to a bottle and senses multiple aspects of the pouring of the drink, and based on the sensor outputs, monitors and controls the flow of fluids from the bottle through the attachment. The automated liquid dispensing attachment communicates with other electronic devices to enable individualized control and monitoring, and data aggregation and analysis.

A dispensing system for a beverage comprises in a tap system a bore for housing a duct. Along the bore, close to or on the duct, at least two electrodes are provided such that at least at some locations along the duct, the two electrodes are provided opposite to one another with the duct in between, thus constituting a capacitor. An oscillating signal is provided to one electrode and a signal is read out from the other electrode. As a beverage is drawn through the duct in a container, capacitance of the capacitor changes. The flowing beverage may have different characteristics, but capacitance may also change as the beverage in the duct is in conducting contact with a container that may be in contact with a ground contact. The change of capacitance results in a change of the amplitude of a detection circuit connected to the second electrode.

A timing device is integrated into a pour cap to visually indicate when a dose has been dispensed from the container. The timing device may be secured to either the pour cap or the container and timing is configurable based on a product being dispensed.

In accordance with the principals of the present invention, a computer-controlled valve array to meter fluids is provided. An intake manifold defines a fluid-inlet chamber. A fluid inlet is in fluid communication with the fluid-inlet chamber of the intake manifold, the fluid inlet adapted to receive a high-pressure source of fluid. A number of valves have an inlet and an outlet. In an embodiment, the valves comprise pintle valves. At least one valve inlet is in fluid communication with the fluid-inlet chamber. The valves are electronically controlled to allow fluid through in response to a trigger. An outtake manifold is in fluid communication with the valve outlets. Outlet ports are in fluid communication with the outtake chamber of the outlet manifold. The outlet ports are adapted to receive and fluid communicate with the output circuit.

A dispensing system (100) includes a pour cap (102) which may be connected with the neck of a container (900). The cap base includes a main deck (108), a dispensing spout (110) and a venting tube (112). A flow regulator is mounted on the underside of the main deck such that the flow regulator restricts flow through the opening of the dispensing spout. In some embodiments, the flow regulator is a hinged spring-loaded baffle plate (116). In some embodiments, the flow regulator is a gravity ball valve (316). A visual timing device (200) may be advantageously located on the pour cap (102) so that the timing device is easily visible to a user during operation or use of the dispensing system. The constant flow rate provided by the flow regulator allows the timing device to more precisely measure each pour regardless of how much fluid is in the bottle.

A method for controlling a filling process, wherein a predetermined filling quantity of a medium is filled into a container, the flow rate of the medium flowing into the container is measured as a time series of measured values for the instantaneous flow rate and a filling quantity already filled is estimated from the time series, wherein at least one current measured value of the time series is corrected on the basis of at least one earlier measured value of an earlier time series of measured values of the flow rate of an earlier filling process.

An automated liquid dispensing attachment monitors and controls preparation of drinks poured from bottles. The automated liquid dispensing attachment attaches to a bottle and senses multiple aspects of the pouring of the drink, and based on the sensor outputs, monitors and controls the flow of fluids from the bottle through the attachment. The automated liquid dispensing attachment communicates with other electronic devices to enable individualized control and monitoring, and data aggregation and analysis.

A method for filling a target volume into a container by means of a measuring arrangement is described and illustrated. The measuring arrangement includes at least one flowmeter for measuring the flow of a medium flowing into the container, at least one actuator and at least one control unit. The flowmeter includes a computing unit. The filling process can be started and ended by actuating the actuator. The control unit is connected to the actuator and the flowmeter via a communication system. The control unit is set up in such a way that, during operation, it sends a control command to the actuator to end the filling process when a defined limit value of the fill volume, which correlates with the target volume, is reached.

A measured quantity of gas is introduced into a gas reservoir via a filling station including a flow meter. The quantity of gas transferred by the filling station to the reservoir is measured by the flow meter. The measured quantity of gas is reduced or increased by a predetermined corrective amount to yield a corrected gas quantity.

A method for controlling a magnetic valve and particularly a method for dispensing and/or aspirating a volume of liquid as well as a corresponding dispenser/pipetting apparatus is disclosed. The method for controlling a magnetic valve has measuring a capacitance at the magnetic valve and determining a position of a plunger based on the measured capacitance. The method for dispensing or aspirating a volume of liquid has controlling a flow of a system fluid by a magnetic valve located between a pressure source and a dispenser/pipetting tip, dispensing or aspirating a volume of liquid through an exterior opening of the tip dependent on the flow of the system fluid, wherein controlling the flow and determining a flow time in dependence of the volume of liquid to be dispensed or aspirated, and controlling the magnetic valve is held open for the duration of the flow time.