Beverage forming and dispensing system

• US 20040084475A1
• Filed: 04/14/2003
• Published: 05/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PepsiCo Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PepsiCo Incorporated
• Inventors: Cahill, Brian T., Bethuy, Timothy W., Black, William J., Nelson, Andrew D., Mehn, Peter D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,077,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0032 using flow-rate sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0085 electro-mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0855 concerning the used flowmeter flowmeter per se G01F1/00, G01F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1218 modulating the opening of a valve
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1222 Pressure gauges
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1243 comprising flow or pressure sensors, e.g. for controlling pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1295 Ratio defined by setting flow controllers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1455 the valve shutter being opened in the same direction as the liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0811 provided with coded information
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 11/132 by controlling the flow of the individual components G05D11/133 takes precedence

Abstract

A beverage dispensing system includes separate valves for controlling the flow rate of a diluent and a concentrate. Various concentrates of different viscosities can be used and the selected concentrate is identified. The flow rate of the concentrate is determined based on temperature and pressure and on information related to the identified concentrate. The valves are controlled so that the concentrate and diluent reach target flow rates. The target flow rates satisfy a target ratio of diluent to concentrate. If the actual flow rates cannot reach the target flow rates, then the target flow rates are modified to satisfy the target ratio. The structure of the concentrate valve is designed to accommodate proportional metering of any one of the various concentrates.

Claims

1. A beverage dispensing system comprising:

a base including diluent and concentrate supply lines; and

a flow control assembly mountable on said base and comprising as an integral unit;

connections for connecting with said diluent and concentrate supply lines,

a first valve for controlling the flow rate of the diluent,

a second valve for controlling the flow rate of the concentrate selected from among a plurality of concentrates,

an identification unit for identifying the selected concentrate,

a first sensor used to determine an actual flow rate of the diluent from said first valve,

a second sensor used to determine an actual flow rate of the concentrate from said second valve, and

a controller for controlling said first and second valves based on information from said identification unit and said first and second sensors, wherein based on information from said identification unit, said controller determines a concentrate target flow rate of the selected concentrate and a target ratio of the flow rates of the diluent and concentrate, thereby determining a diluent target flow rate of the diluent, said controller controlling said first valve to dispense the diluent at the diluent target flow rate and controlling said second valve to dispense the concentrate at the concentrate target flow rate.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein if the actual flow rate of at least one of the diluent and the concentrate cannot meet its respective target flow rate, said controller changes at least one of the target flow rates to be within a controllable range, the modified target flow rates satisfying the target ratio.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said identification unit comprises a memory chip connectable to said controller.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said identification unit comprises a device for reading a magnetic strip, a bar code or an RFID chip.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said second sensor comprises a pressure sensor and a temperature sensor.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein said controller determines the actual concentrate flow rate based on the identity of the selected concentrate and the sensed temperature and pressure of the concentrate.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said controller selects from stored data assigned to each of the plurality of concentrates based on the identity of the selected concentrate in order to determine the actual concentrate flow rate.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the stored data comprises one of look-up tables and polynomials assigned to each of the plural concentrates, with the variables being temperature and pressure.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said first valve comprises a valve member of a simple design and said second valve comprises a valve member of a more compound design.

10. A method of dispensing a beverage, said method comprising the steps of:

identifying a concentrate from among plural concentrates;

determining a target flow rate of a diluent;

determining a target flow rate of the concentrate based on information corresponding to the identified concentrate;

determining a target ratio of diluent and concentrate flow rates based on information corresponding to the identified concentrate;

determining an actual flow rate of the diluent;

determining an actual flow rate of the concentrate based on information corresponding to the identified concentrate;

controlling the actual flow rates of the diluent and concentrate to meet their respective target flow rates; and

if the actual flow rate of at least one of the diluent and the concentrate cannot meet its respective target flow rate, changing at least one of the target flow rates to be within a controllable range, the modified target flow rates satisfying the target ratio.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the actual flow rate of the concentrate is determined based on the pressure and temperature of the concentrate.

12. An apparatus for dispensing a beverage, said apparatus comprising:

means for identifying a concentrate from among plural concentrates;

means for determining a target flow rate of a diluent;

means for determining a target flow rate of the concentrate based on information corresponding to the identified concentrate;

means for determining a target ratio of diluent and concentrate flow rates based on information corresponding to the identified concentrate;

means for determining an actual flow rate of the diluent;

means for determining an actual flow rate of the concentrate based on information corresponding to the identified concentrate;

means for controlling the actual flow rates of the diluent and concentrate to meet their respective target flow rates; and

means for, if the actual flow rate of at least one of the diluent and the concentrate cannot meet its respective target flow rate, changing at least one of the target flow rates to be within a controllable range, the modified target flow rates satisfying the target ratio.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the actual flow rate of the concentrate is determined based on the pressure and temperature of the concentrate.

14. A dispensing apparatus for dispensing a beverage formed by mixing a diluent and a concentrate at a target ratio, said valve unit comprising:

a diluent flow control valve formed of a first valve seat and a first poppet received within said first valve seat, said first poppet having a simple shape; and

a concentrate flow control valve formed of a second valve seat and a second poppet, said second poppet having a more compound shape than the shape of said first poppet.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said second poppet is formed of two or more sections of simple shapes serially connected.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein said second valve seat is of a simple shape of dimensions complementary to one of the two or more sections forming said second poppet.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein one of the two or more sections forming said second poppet is used in conjunction with said second valve seat to control the flow rate of a first concentrate and another of the sections is used to control the flow rate of a second concentrate have a different viscosity than that of the first concentrate.

18. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein said first poppet has a simple conical shape and said second poppet is formed of at least two conical sections of different sizes and serially connected.

19. A valve assembly for controlling fluid flow, comprising:

a flow passage formed in a valve body;

a first valve seat positioned in said flow passage;

a second valve seat positioned in said flow passage upstream of said first valve seat;

a first valve member positioned in said flow passage for engaging said first valve seat;

a second valve member provided in said flow passage for engaging said second valve seat;

a first actuator for actuating said first valve member between an open position for allowing fluid to flow through said flow passage and a closed position for preventing fluid from flowing through said flow passage;

a second valve actuator for moving said second valve member between a first position for allowing a maximum flow rate and a second position for allowing a minimum flow rate; and

a controller for controlling said first and second actuators to regulate the flow of fluid through said flow passage.

20. The valve assembly according to claim 19, wherein said first and second valve members comprise disks.

21. The valve assembly according to claim 19, wherein said second valve member includes an orifice for defining the minimum flow rate and a restriction provided in said valve passage defines the maximum flow rate.

22. The valve assembly according to claim 21, wherein said second valve member further comprises additional orifices to allow maximum flow therethrough and to facilitate movement of said second valve member in an upstream direction.

23. The valve assembly according to claim 22, wherein the additional orifices are of a cumulative cross-section greater than the cross-section of the restriction.

24. The valve assembly according to claim 19, wherein said first and second valve members are held in unactuated positions by pressure of fluid in the flow passage.

25. The valve assembly according to claim 19, wherein said flow passage is linear.