Automatic glass filling system for champagne

[GMIT34]

Hie i am doing my final project, and i will be working on an Automatic glass filling system for champagne.This will involve emptying the champagne into 4-5 glasses and having them ready for delivery to the respective tables.
I am trying to find out if anyone has an idea of how i can sense the presence of the champagne glass and be able to have the system to tell if the glasses are empty or not?Any ideas??

 

[mgb_phys]

Industrially you would probably use a load cell (ie weigh each glass) as a project I would try a video camera and recognise the glass in the picture

 

[GMIT34]

Thank you with the reply,the video camera or photo comparison sounds a very good idea.will research more into that.

 

[minger]

You could try "faking" an industrial load cell. My idea is something like this. The glasses are put on a small plate which is held by a vertical spring(s). The weight of the empty glasses lines up an electrical connection. Further weight (i.e. full glasses) pushes the connection past the point of connection so that there is a weight range of which the filler will operate.

I guess one problem of my setup would be the actual connection of course. My first guess would be magnetic, but they would have the effect of holding the plate from falling properly. You would need some sort of lubricant and a separation plate.

Oo, another idea (curious cause I might be a boozehound myself). The plate is again on a spring (but just a soft spring to keep it from falling quickly). The plate is attached to a vertical gear rack. That rack is then in turn connected to a pinion, which is attached to the bottle. Now, the fully mechanical design works like this.

The glasses are placed on the plate. The weight of the glasses pushes the rack down, which turns the pinion. The bottle is then tipped over enough to start pouring. The liquid is poured into a manifold (tube) which has holes cut into it, which will be lined up with the glasses.

Upon filling, the glasses get heavier, and the plate pushes farther down on the spring. When the glasses are full, the racked will be pushed down far enough such that the rack becomes disengaged from the pinion. With nothing holding the pinion, it rotates back to its starting point (by way of another spring).

The problem here would be implementing some sort of ratcheting action on the rack to enable them to become engaged again without disturbing the pinion.

 

[chayced]

what about an optical sensor system? the glass is inserted, trips one sensor. The glass then files until it trips another. If you are using all the same style glasses it should work perfectly. Just don't forget a time delay or it will start filling before the glass is fully inserted.

 

[duration]

I have a similar device that uses a scale with an operational window - you set the glass on the pad, once the scale reads the expected weight (and not over! which means it won't start pouring until you take your hand away from the surface of the load cell and the glass), a nozzle lowers then a precise amount of liquid is poured into the glass, measured by volume rather than how full the glass is. The only problem with this setup is that you need to calibrate both the scale and volume dispensed to the parameters of the glass you are using and you must do so every time you use a glass that is a different weight or volume. I could imagine such a dispenser having multiple presets however mine does not.

Simple solution - use a set of identical glasses. Cheers!

p.s. This type of system would be much less expensive to build than using optical sensors and it would not be difficult to incorporate an assembly line