Portable system for dispensing controlled quantities of additives into a beverage
First Claim
1. A portable, self-contained beverage apparatus, comprising:
- a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid;
a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly;
said dispensing assembly including a plurality of apertures structured and arranged to retain additive vessels containing the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid; and
the dispensing assembly including a pumping mechanism for dispensing contents of an additive vessel of the additive vessels;
the pumping mechanism including a reciprocating piston assembly;
the pumping mechanism including at least one component contained within the additive vessel that can be removed from the dispensing assembly; and
the portable, self-contained beverage apparatus including a controller that controls the dispensing by the dispensing assembly of the variable, non-zero quantities of the additives into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly; and
wherein the controller controls the dispensing by the dispensing assembly of the variable, non-zero quantities of the additives based on a consumable liquid level of the consumable liquid determined by a level sensor and the known storage capacity of the container assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A portable, self-contained beverage apparatus includes a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid, and a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid. The dispensing assembly includes multiple apertures structured and arranged to retain vessels containing the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid. The beverage apparatus also includes a level sensor disposed within the container assembly that determines a consumable liquid level of the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly. In certain embodiments, one or more positive displacement pumping mechanisms are configured to pump additive liquid from additive containers into a beverage chamber.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A portable, self-contained beverage apparatus, comprising:
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a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid; a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly; said dispensing assembly including a plurality of apertures structured and arranged to retain additive vessels containing the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid; and the dispensing assembly including a pumping mechanism for dispensing contents of an additive vessel of the additive vessels; the pumping mechanism including a reciprocating piston assembly; the pumping mechanism including at least one component contained within the additive vessel that can be removed from the dispensing assembly; and the portable, self-contained beverage apparatus including a controller that controls the dispensing by the dispensing assembly of the variable, non-zero quantities of the additives into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly; and wherein the controller controls the dispensing by the dispensing assembly of the variable, non-zero quantities of the additives based on a consumable liquid level of the consumable liquid determined by a level sensor and the known storage capacity of the container assembly. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A portable, self-contained beverage apparatus, comprising:
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a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid; a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly; said dispensing assembly including a plurality of apertures structured and arranged to retain additive vessels containing the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid; and the dispensing assembly including a pumping mechanism for dispensing contents of an additive vessel of the additive vessels; the pumping mechanism including a reciprocating piston assembly; the pumping mechanism including at least one component contained within the additive vessel that can be removed from the dispensing assembly; and the portable, self-contained beverage apparatus further including; a controller that controls the dispensing by the dispensing assembly of the variable, non-zero quantities of the additives into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly; and reading means for reading identification information on the additive vessels retained in the apertures, said controller controlling the dispensing by the dispensing assembly based on the identification information. - View Dependent Claims (12)
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13. A portable, self-contained beverage apparatus, comprising:
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a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid; a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly; said dispensing assembly including a plurality of apertures structured and arranged to retain additive vessels containing the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid; and the dispensing assembly including a pumping mechanism for dispensing contents of an additive vessel of the additive vessels; the pumping mechanism including a reciprocating piston assembly; the pumping mechanism including at least one component contained within the additive vessel that can be removed from the dispensing assembly; and the portable, self-contained beverage apparatus further including; a controller that controls the dispensing by the dispensing assembly of the variable, non-zero quantities of the additives into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly; and a level sensor disposed within the container assembly that determines a consumable liquid level of the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly; the level sensor sensing the consumable liquid level at different times; the controller tracking the consumable liquid level in the container assembly and the quantity of at least one additive dispensed into the consumable liquid, and a memory device storing the tracked consumable liquid level in the container assembly and the quantity of the at least one additive.
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14. A portable, self-contained beverage apparatus, comprising:
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a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid; a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly; said dispensing assembly including a plurality of apertures structured and arranged to retain additive vessels containing the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid; and the dispensing assembly including a pumping mechanism for dispensing contents of an additive vessel of the additive vessels; the pumping mechanism including a reciprocating piston assembly; the pumping mechanism including at least one component contained within the additive vessel that can be removed from the dispensing assembly; and the portable, self-contained beverage apparatus further including; a controller that controls the dispensing by the dispensing assembly of the variable, non-zero quantities of the additives into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly; and the controller controlling the dispensing by the dispensing assembly to maintain a targeted concentration of at least one of the additives in the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly, wherein said controlling is based on tracked consumable liquid level and the quantity of the at least one of the additives.
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15. A portable, self-contained beverage apparatus, comprising:
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a container assembly having a known storage capacity for storing a consumable liquid; a dispensing assembly disposed within the container assembly that dispenses variable, non-zero quantities of additives into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly; said dispensing assembly including a plurality of apertures structured and arranged to retain additive vessels containing the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid; and the dispensing assembly including a pumping mechanism for dispensing contents of an additive vessel of the additive vessels; the pumping mechanism including a reciprocating piston assembly; the pumping mechanism including at least one component contained within the additive vessel that can be removed from the dispensing assembly; and the portable, self-contained beverage apparatus including three additive vessels, of the additive vessels, retained in the plurality of apertures that contain the additives to be dispensed into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly; wherein each of the additive vessels includes a one-way valve through which additive contained in the respective additive vessel is dispensed into the consumable liquid stored in the container assembly; and wherein each of the additive vessels has a plurality of bellows formed in at least one side wall of the additive vessel.
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Specification