BEVERAGE DISPENSING
First Claim
1. A beverage dispenser for dispensing a carbonated beverage from a beverage source into a receptacle, the dispenser comprising:
- a housing defining an interior volume and having a first surface proximal to the beverage source and a second surface distal to the beverage source;
a conduit in fluid communication with the beverage source entering the first surface of the housing and terminating proximate the second surface of the housing;
a flow meter in fluid communication with the conduit;
a flow rate controller disposed within the interior volume of said housing, the flow rate controller including a processor;
a user interface including a user-selectable indicia for providing data to the processor;
a subsurface dispensing nozzle in fluid communication with the terminal end of the conduit,wherein flow through the conduit to the subsurface dispensing nozzle is compensated by the flow rate controller to maintain substantially hydraulic beverage flow within the conduit; and
wherein at least one of the beverage flow and aggregate volume of beverage dispensed is controlled by the flow rate controller based on data provided to the processor by a user operation of the user interface.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A beverage dispenser for dispensing a carbonated beverage includes a housing defining an interior volume and having a first surface proximal to the beverage source and a second surface distal to the beverage source. The beverage dispenser includes a conduit in fluid communication with the beverage source entering the first surface of the housing and terminating proximate the second surface of the housing. The dispenser includes a flow rate controller including a processor disposed within the interior volume of said housing and a subsurface dispensing nozzle in fluid communication with the terminal end of the conduit. The dispenser also includes a user interface including user-selectable indicia for providing data to the processor. The flow through the conduit to the subsurface dispensing nozzle is compensated to maintain substantially hydraulic beverage flow within the conduit, and is based on data provided to the processor by a user operation of the user interface.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A beverage dispenser for dispensing a carbonated beverage from a beverage source into a receptacle, the dispenser comprising:
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a housing defining an interior volume and having a first surface proximal to the beverage source and a second surface distal to the beverage source; a conduit in fluid communication with the beverage source entering the first surface of the housing and terminating proximate the second surface of the housing; a flow meter in fluid communication with the conduit; a flow rate controller disposed within the interior volume of said housing, the flow rate controller including a processor; a user interface including a user-selectable indicia for providing data to the processor; a subsurface dispensing nozzle in fluid communication with the terminal end of the conduit, wherein flow through the conduit to the subsurface dispensing nozzle is compensated by the flow rate controller to maintain substantially hydraulic beverage flow within the conduit; and wherein at least one of the beverage flow and aggregate volume of beverage dispensed is controlled by the flow rate controller based on data provided to the processor by a user operation of the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A beverage dispensing system for use in an environment having an ambient pressure and temperature comprising:
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a source of pressurized gas; a beverage source including a beverage pressurized to a level greater than the ambient pressure by the source of pressurized gas; a dispenser including a conduit in fluid communication with the beverage source and a subsurface dispensing nozzle in fluid communication with the conduit; a flow meter in fluid communication with the conduit; a flow rate controller disposed along said at least one conduit proximal to the beverage source in relation to the subsurface dispensing nozzle, the flow rate controller including a processor; a user interface including a user-selectable indicia for providing data to the processor; and wherein flow of the beverage through the conduit to the subsurface dispensing nozzle is compensated by the flow rate controller to maintain substantially hydraulic flow within the conduit; and wherein at least one of the beverage flow and aggregate volume of beverage dispensed is controlled by the flow rate controller based on data provided to the processor by a user operation of the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. An apparatus for compensation of flow in a fluid dispensing system comprising:
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a subsurface fluid dispensing nozzle for initiating and terminating fluid flow; a fluid flow pathway; and a volumetric fluid flow rate controller including a processor, the volumetric fluid flow controller in communication with the subsurface fluid dispensing nozzle via the fluid flow pathway and defining a first fluid flow rate through the subsurface fluid dispensing nozzle; and a user interface including a user-selectable indicia for providing data to the processor; a flow meter in fluid communication with a conduit; and wherein at least one of the first flow rate and an aggregate volume of dispensed fluid is controlled by the volumetric fluid flow controller based on data provided to the processor by a user operation of the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A beverage dispenser for dispensing a carbonated beverage from a beverage source into a receptacle, the dispenser comprising:
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a housing defining an interior volume and having a first surface proximal to the beverage source and a second surface distal to the beverage source; a conduit in fluid communication with the beverage source entering the first surface of the housing and terminating proximate the second surface of the housing; a flow meter in fluid communication with the conduit; a flow rate controller including a processor and disposed within the interior volume of the housing; a subsurface dispensing nozzle in fluid communication with the terminal end of the conduit, wherein flow through the conduit to the subsurface dispensing nozzle is compensated to maintain substantially hydraulic beverage flow within the conduit by adjusting the contact between a flow rate controller and the conduit; and a user interface including a user-selectable indicia for providing data to the processor, the user interface configured and arranged for receiving information indicating at least one condition selected from the group of conditions consisting of;
the volume of a receptacle, duration of dispensation, and thickness of a foam layer of the beverage after dispensation; andwherein at least one of the first volumetric flow rate and an aggregate volume of dispensed fluid is controlled by the volumetric flow rate controller based on data provided to the processor by a user operation of the user interface. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52)
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Specification