US 12,405,141 B2
Flow detection circuit
Edwin Johannes Cornelis Griffioen, Amstelveen (NL); and Johannes Adriaan Dronkert, Nieuw-Vennep (NL)
Assigned to Heineken Supply Chain B.V., Amsterdam (NL)
Appl. No. 17/774,157
Filed by Heineken Supply Chain B.V., Amsterdam (NL)
PCT Filed Dec. 4, 2020, PCT No. PCT/NL2020/050759
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 4, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/112679, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 10, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 2024388 (NL), filed on Dec. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0404184 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. G01F 1/58 (2006.01); B67D 1/08 (2006.01); B67D 1/12 (2006.01); G01F 1/56 (2006.01); G01F 1/696 (2006.01); G01F 13/00 (2006.01); G01F 23/263 (2022.01)
CPC G01F 1/584 (2013.01) [B67D 1/0888 (2013.01); B67D 1/1243 (2013.01); G01F 1/56 (2013.01); G01F 1/696 (2013.01); G01F 13/006 (2013.01); G01F 13/008 (2013.01); G01F 23/266 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A circuit for detecting a liquid flow through a duct of a tap for dispensing beverages, the circuit comprising:
an alternating signal source having a signal terminal arranged to provide an alternating signal to a first electrode of a capacitive element comprising two electrodes provided adjacent to the duct along at least part of a length of the duct and the alternating signal source further comprising a zero terminal;
a detection circuit arranged to be connected to the capacitive element for receiving an input signal from a second electrode of said two electrodes of the capacitive element and arranged to detect a signal amplitude value, the detection circuit being arranged to provide a detection signal based on the signal amplitude value at a detection terminal of the detection circuit;
an electronic digital processing circuit arranged to:
receive the detection signal;
determine whether the detection signal satisfies a pre-determined criterion; and
provide a flow signal if the pre-determined criterion is met;
wherein:
the detection circuit comprises a signal transformation circuit for transforming the input signal received from the second electrode, to provide a transformed signal having been transformed from a time domain to a frequency domain;
the detection circuit further comprises a convolution module that provides an output that is a convolution of the transformed signal with an auxiliary signal; and
the detection signal is based on the output of the convolution module,
wherein the detection signal is indicative of said liquid flow flowing through the duct.