1. A precision measurement dispenser device, comprising:
at least one storage compartment for receiving and holding a quantity of material to be dispensed, the at least one storage compartment comprising:
a dispensing section;
a dispensing port at a lower end;
a base unit comprising:
a controller having an input section for receiving data and an output section for directing the operation of the dispensing section;
a scale for weighing material dispensed by the dispensing section, the scale being operative to provide feedback to the controller for monitoring the quantity of material dispensed from the dispensing section;
a keypad for data entry to the controller,
wherein:
the input section of the controller is configured to receive data from the keypad indicating a type of ingredient of the material and a desired quantity of material to be dispensed expressed in volumetric units,
a processor of the controller is configured to convert the desired volumetric units of the type of ingredient to corresponding weight units of material to be dispensed, and
the output section of the controller is configured to output a control signal to the dispensing unit to cause the dispensing unit to dispense the desired quantity of material by weight.
2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display operatively connected with the controller.
3. The device of claim 1, further comprising an electronic storage operative to store volumetric unit to mass unit conversion factors for one or more of the types of ingredients of the materials to be dispensed, wherein the processor accesses the electronic storage in directing operation of the dispensing section.
4. The device of claim 3, wherein the electronic storage is further operative to store at least one recipe consisting of a plurality of ingredients and corresponding amounts of the ingredients to be dispensed.
5. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage compartment is configured to be interchangeable.
6. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage compartment comprises a plurality of storage compartments mounted for movement relative to the base unit so as to position a single selected storage compartment at a time adjacent the base unit.
7. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage compartment comprises a plurality of storage compartments; and
the base unit is movable so as to position the base unit adjacent a single selected storage compartment at a time.
8. The device of claim 7, wherein the base unit is movable along a rail.
9. The device of claim 1, wherein the base unit further comprises a motor unit for cooperating with and operating the dispensing section.
10. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage container includes an airtight cover and the dispensing section of the at least one storage container includes an airtight sealing means.
11. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least storage container is operatively connected to a vacuum means.
12. The device of claim 1, wherein the canister further comprises a storage recess configured to retain a desiccant or a humectant.
13. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least storage container is operatively associated with a temperature control means.
14. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage container further comprises a motor unit for cooperating with and operating the dispensing section.
15. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage container further comprises an identification means; and
the base unit comprises a reader for the identification means in communication with the controller.
16. The device of claim 15, wherein the identification means is selected from the group consisting of barcodes, QR codes, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, near field communication (NFC) tags, and Bluetooth low energy (BLE) tags.
17. The device of claim 1, further comprising a transparent portion in the at least one storage compartment for viewing stored material.
18. The device of claim 1, wherein the base unit further comprises a display operatively connected with the controller.
19. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one storage compartment further comprises a labeling means selected from the group consisting of a stick-on label portion, magnetic labels, label frames for holding printed labels, dry-erase portions for hand labeling, and chalkboard portions for hand labeling.
20. The device of claim 1, wherein the dispensing section is positioned within the at least one storage compartment.
21. The device of claim 3, further comprising:
a wireless transceiver attached to the processor of the controller and configured for communication with an external network.
22. The device of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions configured to perform operations comprising:
downloading, from a network via the wireless transceiver, at least one recipe consisting of a plurality of ingredients and corresponding amounts of the ingredients to be dispensed; and
storing the at least one recipe in the electronic storage.
23. The device of claim 22, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions configured to perform operations comprising:
updating the ingredients of the at least one recipe from a network via the wireless transceiver.
24. The device of claim 1, wherein the dispensing section further comprises:
a primary auger, operatively coupled to the controller such that rotation of the primary auger moves material within the storage container to the dispensing port.
25. The device of claim 24, wherein the dispensing section further comprises:
a precision auger, operatively coupled to the controller such that the precision auger is rotated a specific number of rotations corresponding to an amount of material to be dispensed.
26. The device of claim 1, wherein the dispensing section further comprises:
an agitator, operatively coupled to the controller, such that activation of the agitator agitates material contained within the storage container.
27. The device of claim 1, wherein the storage container further comprises:
at least two segregated compartments, each of the at least two segregated compartment including a dispensing section and dispensing port.
28. The device of claim 27, wherein only one compartment at a time is mechanically coupled with the base unit.
29. A method of managing ingredient combination by a precision measurement dispenser device via a mobile communications device, comprising:
presenting, by a display of the mobile communications device, one or more instructions of a recipe;
transmitting, by a transceiver of the mobile communications device, an ingredient identifier and measurement quantity associated with an instruction presented on the display to a precision measurement dispenser device;
receiving, by a transceiver of the precision measurement dispenser device, the ingredient identifier and measurement quantity;
retrieving, from a memory of the precision measurement dispenser device, a canister identifier associated with the ingredient identifier;
determining, by the processor of the precision measurement dispenser device, whether the canister identifier of a storage container removable coupled to a base unit of the precision measurement dispenser device matches the retrieved canister identifier; and
dispensing, by a dispensing means of the precision measurement dispenser device, an amount equal to the measurement quantity, of an material contained in the storage container removable coupled to the base unit, in response to determining that the canister identifier of the storage container removable coupled to the base unit matches the c retrieved canister identifier.
30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:
transmitting, by the transceiver of the precision measurement dispenser device, a dispensing confirmation to the mobile communication device;
receiving, by the transceiver of the mobile communication device, the dispensing confirmation; and
presenting, by the display of the mobile communication device, a subsequent instruction of the recipe.
31. The method of claim 30, further comprising reiterating the method until dispensing confirmations for all instructions of the recipe are received by the mobile communication device.
32. The method of claim 29, further comprising:
transmitting, by the transceiver of the precise measurement dispenser device a dispensing error notification to the mobile communication device;
receiving, by the transceiver of the mobile communication device, the dispensing error notification; and
presenting, by a display of the mobile communication device, an error message.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein the error message directs a user to remove the current storage container and couple the correct storage container to the base unit.
34. The method of claim 29, further comprising:
detecting, by a processor of the precision measurement dispenser device, the canister identifier of a canister removable coupled to a base of the precision measurement dispenser device.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A measuring device for obtaining inlet invert measurements, pipe invert measurements, and pipe diameter measurements, comprising:
a. an invert measuring rod, comprising:
i) a plurality of rod segments, each rod segment having a threaded bore at a first end and an axially extending threaded stud at a second end, the threaded bores and studs of adjacent rod segments when engaged and connecting adjacent rod segments one to another forming a continuous rod;
ii) a plurality of scale portions disposed lengthwise on corresponding rod segments to define a rod scale with measurement indicators increasing from the bottom to the top of the continuous rod when the rod segments are assembled; and
iii) a conical rod tip extending downwardly from the bottom of the lowermost segment of the continuous rod when assembled;
b. a foot assembly, comprising:
i) a guide rod removably connected to and extending perpendicularly from the bottom of the lower segment of the continuous rod, when connected having a free end opposite the connecting with the invert measuring rod;
ii) a bottom conical foot connected to and extending downwardly from the free end of the guide rod and parallel to the invert measuring rod, the bottom conical foot having an axial length the same as axial length of the conical rod tip, and extending from the free end of the guide rod parallel to the invert measuring rod; and
iii) a top conical foot connector to and extending upwardly from the free end of the guide rod, parallel to the invert measuring rod; and
c. a diameter measuring sleeve, comprising:
i) a tubular portion positionable concentrically about the invert measuring rod and having an inner diameter just greater than the outer diameter of the invert measuring rod to create a friction fit therebetween permitting sliding movement of the tubular portion along the length of the invert measuring rod to a selected position and retaining the tubular portion at the selected position on the rod; and
ii) a measurement scale disposed lengthwise on the tubular portion with numerical indicators of measure increasing from the collar to the bottom of the tubular portion.