Beverage dispenser

• US 20060043101A1
• Filed: 08/26/2004
• Published: 03/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cornelius Inc. (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: IMI Vision Ltd. (IMI PLC)
• Inventors: Bramley, Hugh Christopher, Nighy, Richard, Bhimani, Alan
• Granted Patent: US 7,331,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0025 based on volumetric dosing
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0043 Mixing devices for liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/105 for two or more components
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 11/029 provided with electric controlling means G01F11/022 and G01F11/024 take precedence

Abstract

Apparatus for dispensing a post-mix beverage is characterized by a beverage concentrate metering system comprising a reservoir of beverage concentrate, a disposable pump unit containing a pair of piston pumps and inlet and outlet valves from each piston pump. The inlet valves are coupled to the reservoir of beverage concentrate and the outlet valves are coupled to a mixer. A control valve introduces diluent to the concentrate intermediate the outlet valves and mixer and a reusable pump drive operates the piston pumps. The control valve and pump drive are operated by a control system in a manner such that a predetermined ratio of diluent to concentrate is delivered to the mixer. Downstream from the mixture the admixture of diluent and concentrate is dispensed as a beverage into a cup.

Claims

1. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage from a beverage dispenser, comprising the steps of providing a container of beverage concentrate connected to a disposable pump unit that includes a twin barrel piston pump, each barrel having an inlet, an outlet and a piston;

fluid coupling the barrel inlets to the container of beverage concentrate via at least one inlet valve;

using a non-disposable drive system to reciprocate each piston in its barrel in a first direction in a fill cycle to draw beverage concentrate into the barrel from the container via the inlet and the at least one inlet valve and then in a second and opposite direction in a emptying cycle to eject fluid from the barrel via the barrel outlet;

operating the drive system to reciprocate the pistons such that at least one of the pistons is always moving in the second direction in its barrel to eject beverage concentrate from its barrel to provide a substantially constant and uninterrupted output flow of beverage concentrate from the twin barrel piston pump during a dispense cycle;

introducing a flow of chilled diluent to beverage concentrate ejected from the pump;

controlling at least one of the drive system for the pump and the flow rate of diluent introduced to the beverage concentrate to achieve a predetermined ratiometric mixture of diluent to beverage concentrate; and

passing the mixture of diluent and beverage concentrate through a mixer to provide a substantially homogeneous mixture of the same for dispensing from the dispenser into a receptacle.

2. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 1, wherein said step of operating the drive system reciprocates the pistons such the emptying cycles of the pistons overlap to provide a substantially continuous flow of concentrate.

3. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 1, wherein said step of operating the drive system reciprocates each piston independently of the other so that the fill cycle of each piston is be performed in a shorter time than the emptying cycle of the piston.

4. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 2, wherein said step of using a non-disposable drive system includes using rotating cranks to reciprocate the pistons.

5. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 1, wherein said controlling step controls the outlet flow of beverage concentrate from the pump by controlling said drive system to vary the speed of reciprocation of the pistons of the pump.

6. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 1, including the step of programming the dispenser to dispense a beverage of a known size.

7. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 1, including the step of operating the dispenser to continuously dispense a beverage for as long as said dispenser operating step is performed.

8. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 1, including the steps, upon exhaustion of the beverage concentrate in the container, of replacing the exhausted container with a fresh container of beverage concentrate;

and generating a signal indicative of performance of said replacing step.

9. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 1, including automatically identifying selected characteristics of beverage concentrate in the container, and modifying performing said step of controlling at least one of the drive system for the pump and the flow rate of diluent introduced to the beverage concentrate to achieve a predetermined ratiometric mixture of diluent to beverage concentrate in accordance with the identified selected characteristics.

10. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 8, including the steps, performed in response to occurrence of said generating step, of generating an indication of the number of beverages available to be dispensed from said fresh container of beverage concentrate;

reducing the indication of the number of beverages available to be dispensed in response to the dispensing of beverages; and

, when an indication is generated that there are only a predetermined number of beverages remaining to be dispensed from the container, generating a signal to inform a user of the dispenser that the container of beverage concentrate will soon need replacing.

11. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 1, wherein said step of using a non-disposable drive system includes the steps of engaging a piston rod of each piston with a cam surface of an associated cam;

rotating each cam at the same constant speed; and

providing each cam with a selected cam profile so that the relative motions of the two pistons are determined by the profiles of their cams.

12. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 1, including the steps of pre-programming the dispenser to dispense selected different sizes of beverages.

13. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 12, including the step of operating the dispenser to continuously dispense a beverage for as long as said dispenser operating step is performed.

14. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 11, including the steps, upon exhaustion of the beverage concentrate in the container, of replacing the exhausted container with a fresh container of beverage concentrate;

and generating a signal indicative of performance of said replacing step.

15. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 14, including automatically identifying selected characteristics of beverage concentrate in the container, and modifying performing said step of controlling at least one of the drive system for the pump and the flow rate of diluent introduced to the beverage concentrate to achieve a predetermined ratiometric mixture of diluent to beverage concentrate in accordance with the identified selected characteristics.

16. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage according to claim 14, including the steps, performed in response to occurrence of said generating step, of generating an indication of the number of beverages available to be dispensed from said fresh container of beverage concentrate;

reducing the indication of the number of beverages available to be dispensed in response to the dispensing of beverages; and

, when an indication is generated that there are only a predetermined number of beverages remaining to be dispensed from the container, generating a signal to inform a user of the dispenser that the container of beverage concentrate will soon need replacing.

17. An apparatus for dispensing a post-mix beverage, comprising diluent supply means;

a beverage concentrate supply and metering system, said system including a disposable pump unit containing inlet valve means for connection to a supply of beverage concentrate, a pair of pistons disposed for reciprocation in a pair of barrels, outlet valve means for delivery of beverage concentrate and a non-disposable pump drive for reciprocating said pistons in said barrels;

means for bringing together diluent and beverage concentrate delivered from said outlet valve means;

a control system for controlling said diluent supply means and said beverage concentrate supply and metering system to bring together beverage concentrate and diluent in a desired ratiometric mixture thereof; and

means for mixing together the diluent and beverage concentrate and for dispensing the mixture from said apparatus.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said dispensing apparatus includes a user interface for allowing selection of a predetermined sized beverage to be dispensed, said control system controlling the ratiometric mixture of concentrate to diluent to produce the selected size drink at the required ratiometric mixture.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the dispenser is be provided with a user interface to allow the user to select continuous dispense, starting and stopping as signalled by the user.

20. An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein said dispensing apparatus includes sensor means for detecting the presence of a receptacle positioned to be filled with beverage, and means responsive to said sensor means for initiating dispensing of the beverage.

21. An apparatus according to claim 17, including a supply of beverage concentrate, said disposable pump unit comprising a unitary component of said supply of beverage concentrate for being replaced along with said supply of beverage concentrate when said supply of beverage concentrate is exhausted.

22. An apparatus according to claim 17, including a supply of beverage concentrate, said disposable pump unit and said supply of beverage concentrate being two separate parts which are connected together at said dispensing apparatus.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, including means, operative upon said disposable pump unit and said supply of beverage concentrate being connected together, for preventing disconnection of the same.

24. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said disposable pump unit said supply of beverage concentrate can be disconnected and said disposable pump unit reused.

25. Apparatus for dispensing a post-mix beverage, said apparatus comprising a reservoir of beverage concentrate;

a disposable pump unit including a pair of piston pumps having inlet means fluid coupled to beverage concentrate in said reservoir and outlet means;

pump drive means for being coupled to said disposable pump unit for operating said pump unit to pump concentrate from said inlet means to said outlet means;

a mixer fluid coupled to said pump unit outlet means;

a control valve having an inlet for being fluid coupled to a supply of diluent for the beverage concentrate and an outlet for being fluid coupled to introduce diluent to beverage concentrate intermediate said disposable pump outlet means and said mixer; and

control system means for operating said pump drive means and said control valve to provide a predetermined ratio of diluent to concentrate as delivered to said mixer.

26. A method of dispensing a post-mix beverage, said method comprising the steps of providing a reservoir of beverage concentrate;

fluid coupling an inlet to a pair of piston pumps of a disposable pump unit to beverage concentrate in the reservoir;

fluid coupling an outlet from the pair of piston pumps to a mixer;

connecting a pump drive to the disposable pump unit to operate the piston pumps;

controlling the pump drive to reciprocate pistons of the pair of piston pumps of the disposable pump unit to pump beverage concentrate from the inlet to the pair of piston pumps to the outlet from the pair of piston pumps;

delivering beverage concentrate from the outlet from the piston pumps to a mixer;

fluid coupling diluent for the beverage concentrate from a supply of diluent through a control valve to the beverage concentrate being delivered to the mixer to introduce diluent to the concentrate; and

controlling operation of the pump drive and the control valve so that a predetermined ratio of diluent to beverage concentrate is delivered to the mixer.