Coupling Device

Abstract

An assembly for estimating consumption of a fluid includes a coupling device enabling fluid flow, a carrier assembly slidingly coupled to the coupling device, a biasing mechanism positioned between the coupling device and the carrier assembly, and a displacement sensing mechanism including a sensor coupled to one of the coupling device and the carrier assembly, and a magnet coupled to the other of the coupling device and the carrier assembly. The displacement sensing mechanism is configured to sense a displacement of the magnet relative to the sensor due to coupling of a fluid source to the coupling device.

1 . An assembly for estimating consumption of a fluid, the assembly comprising: 
 a coupling device enabling fluid flow;    a carrier assembly slidingly coupled to the coupling device;    a biasing mechanism positioned between the coupling device and the carrier assembly; and    a displacement sensing mechanism including a sensor coupled to one of the coupling device and the carrier assembly, and a magnet coupled to the other of the coupling device and the carrier assembly;    wherein the displacement sensing mechanism is configured to sense a displacement of the magnet relative to the sensor due to coupling of a fluid source to the coupling device.    
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a magnetic position sensor coupled to the carrier assembly, the magnet is coupled to the coupling device, the magnet moves with the coupling device, and the magnetic position sensor detects a relative displacement of the magnet.  
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 2 , further comprising a microcontroller programmed to estimate a volume of fluid in the fluid source based on the displacement of the magnet.  
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising a data communications module programmed to communicate the displacement to a host controller.  
   
   
       5 . The assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the biasing mechanism is a spring.  
   
   
       6 . A system for estimating consumption of a fluid, the system comprising: 
 a coupling device;    a carrier assembly slidingly coupled to the coupling device;    a biasing mechanism positioned between the coupling device and the carrier assembly;    a displacement sensing mechanism coupled to the carrier assembly; and    a data communications module coupled to the carrier assembly;    wherein, subsequent to connecting a mating insert to the coupling device, a fluid from a fluid source is delivered through the coupling device, and the fluid source applies a load to the coupling device;    wherein the displacement sensing mechanism is configured to sense a displacement of the coupling device relative to the carrier assembly due to the load associated with the fluid source; and    wherein the data communications module is programmed to estimate a volume of fluid in the fluid source based on the displacement.    
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising the fluid source containing the fluid.  
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 7 , further comprising the mating insert coupled to the fluid source.  
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the displacement sensing mechanism includes: 
 a magnetic position sensor coupled to the carrier assembly; and    a magnet coupled to the coupling device;    wherein the magnet moves with the coupling device, and the magnetic position sensor detects a displacement of the magnet.    
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the data communications module includes a microcontroller, and the magnetic position sensor communicates the displacement of the magnet to the microcontroller, and the microcontroller is programmed to estimate the volume of the fluid in the fluid source based on the displacement of the magnet.  
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the data communications module communicates the volume of the fluid to a host controller, and the host controller estimates a fill level of the fluid source based on the volume of the fluid.  
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the data communications module writes the fill level of the fluid source to a data tag associated with the fluid source.  
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the biasing mechanism is a spring.  
   
   
       14 . A coupling device, comprising: 
 a magnet coupled to the coupling device; and    a magnetic position sensor coupled to the coupling device and configured to sense an angle of magnetic flux of the magnet;    wherein the coupling device is programmed to estimate a connected or disconnected state of the coupling device relative to a mating coupling device based on the angle of the magnetic flux of the magnet measured by the magnetic position sensor.    
   
   
       15 . A method for estimating consumption of a fluid in a fluid source, the method comprising: 
 coupling a carrier assembly and biasing mechanism to a coupling device;    coupling an insert of the fluid source to the coupling device;    sensing a displacement of the coupling device relative to the carrier assembly when the fluid source is coupled to the coupling device; and    estimating a volume of a fluid in the fluid source based on the displacement.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the displacement is sensed using a sensing mechanism including a magnetic position sensor, and a magnet, wherein the magnet moves with the coupling device, and the magnetic position sensor detects a displacement of the magnet.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising communicating the displacement to a host controller.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising estimating a fill level of the fluid source based on the displacement.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising writing the fill level of the fluid source to a data tag associated with the fluid source.