CONTAINER-LESS CUSTOM BEVERAGE VENDING INVENTION

• US 20160368752A1
• Filed: 08/31/2016
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MYX Drinks LLC
• Original Assignee: Ecowell, LLC
• Inventors: Bethuy, Timothy William, David, Preston Fitzjarrell, Wiant, Matthew J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,017,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4403 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0036 based on the timed opening of valves
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0037 based on volumetric dosing
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/004 the diluent being supplied from water mains
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0041 Fully automated cocktail bars, i.e. apparatuses combining the use of packaged beverages, pre-mix and post-mix dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0047 with movable parts, e.g. for stirring
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0048 with baffles
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0057 Carbonators
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/006 Conventional carbonators
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0085 electro-mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/07 Cleaning beverage-dispensing apparatus B67D1/0834, B67D1/0837 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0862 in the form of a cold plate or a cooling block
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0864 in the form of a cooling bath
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0867 the cooling fluid being a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0869 using solid state elements, e.g. Peltier cells
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0882 Devices for controlling the dispensing conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0888 Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/10 Pump mechanism in general F04
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/122 modulating a pumping rate
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/0001 for liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00015 : UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/0006 : Manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00118 : Heating and cooling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 : Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 : Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/065 : for drink preparation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/10 : with associated dispensing of containers, e.g. cups or other articles

Abstract

Methods and apparatus describing a convenience beverage vending machine and its operation are described. An embedded computer interface allows consumers to create their own drinks or choose from a menu of drinks. Drinks are dispensed in a container. The beverages may be made from hot water, cold water or carbonated water that is mixed with various flavors of syrup, sweeteners and nutritional supplements. Identification may be presented and the computer recognizes the consumer and pulls up that consumer'"'"'s account to determine funds available and previous drink selections and mixtures. The machine may incorporate an automatic cleaning cycle for both the valves and the dispense area.

Claims

1. A beverage dispensing system comprising:

a plurality of reservoirs holding a respective plurality of separate ingredients to be used in customizable beverage recipes;

a dosing system, interconnected to the plurality of reservoirs, for controlling a concentration of any ingredient among the plurality of separate ingredients;

a controller coupled to the dosing system, for receiving user preferences for a beverage and controlling the dosing system to select any combination among the plurality of separate ingredients according to the user preferences, such that the dosing system controls selection of certain combinations and concentrations among the plurality of separate ingredients based on the user preferences to form one or more selected ingredients; and

a dispense nozzle in communication with the dosing system, for independently receiving each selected ingredient and water, mixing the one or more selected ingredients and the water within the dispense nozzle and dispensing the beverage that has been mixed in the dispense nozzle.

2. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one outlet tube, coupled to the dispense nozzle and separate from an outlet of the dispense nozzle, for dispensing one or more water choices comprising a temperature range from cold to hot and a carbonation level from non-carbonated to fully carbonated selectable by a user to define the beverage.

3. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the dosing system includes:

a plurality of ingredient pumps coupled to the respective plurality of reservoirs; and

for each reservoir, a differential pressure sensor between the associated ingredient pump and the dispense nozzle and adapted for fluid communication with a corresponding separate ingredient, for measuring a differential pressure of the separate ingredient when the respective ingredient pump is in operation, wherein the controller is configured to determine a flow rate of the corresponding separate ingredient from the measured differential pressure and control operation of the respective ingredient pump based on the flow rate with respect to the user preferences.

4. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the dosing system includes:

a plurality of ingredient pumps coupled to the respective plurality of reservoirs; and

for each ingredient pump, a pulse counter sensor in communication with the respective ingredient pump, for measuring pulses associated with rotation of the ingredient pump when the respective ingredient pump is in operation, wherein the controller is configured to determine a dispense amount of the corresponding separate ingredient from the measured pulses and control operation of the respective ingredient pump based on the dispense amount with respect to the user preferences.

5. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1, further comprising a filtration system including at least one filter for purifying the water prior to directing the water to the dispense nozzle.

6. The beverage dispensing system of claim 5, wherein the at least one filter includes at least one of a sediment filter, a carbon filter, a sub-micron filter and an anti-microbial filter.

7. The beverage dispensing system of claim 5, wherein the filtration system includes:

a booster pump in communication with the controller and a water supply source of the water;

an accumulator tank in communication with an outlet of the booster pump and an inlet of the at least one filter, for storing a reserve supply of water; and

a pressure sensor in communication with an outlet of the at least one filter and the controller, for measuring a water pressure from the outlet of the at least one filter,

wherein the controller controls the booster pump to adjust a flow rate of the water output by the filtration system based on at least one of the measured water pressure of the pressure sensor and an operational state of the beverage dispensing system.

8. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1, further comprising a thermoelectric cooling (TEC) cooling system for cooling the water prior to transferring the water to the dispense nozzle.

9. The beverage dispensing system of claim 8, wherein the TEC cooling system cools the water without cooling the one or more selected ingredients.

10. The beverage dispensing system of claim 8, wherein the TEC cooling system further includes a carbonator for carbonating the water.

11. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface for selection of the user preferences to define the beverage to be dispensed.

12. A dispenser of a beverage dispensing system comprising:

a water rinse outlet for dispensing water in a full cone spray;

a plurality of ingredient outlets for separately dispensing any combination of ingredients among a plurality of separate ingredients according to one or more customizable beverage recipes; and

a nozzle comprising;

a cone-shaped portion having a central opening at an apex adapted for receiving the water rinse outlet and a plurality of openings located around the central opening adapted for receiving the plurality of ingredient outlets, and

a funnel portion in fluid communication with a base of the cone-shaped portion and having an outlet, such that one or more ingredients among the plurality of separate ingredients associated with a particular beverage are mixed with the full cone spray within the cone-shaped portion and the funnel portion and dispensed via the outlet.

13. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein said cone nozzle is shaped as a concave cone.

14. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein each ingredient outlet is associated with a rounded outlet that protrudes from an inner surface of the cone-shaped portion.

15. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the rounded outlet is configured to produce a circular exit geometry for a corresponding separate ingredient such that the separate ingredient is dispensed in a direction perpendicular to the base of the cone-shaped portion.

16. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the water rinse outlet contains physical features to divide water flow into a first portion of water that exits the water rinse outlet in a straight line direction and a second portion of water that is diverted through one or more passageways that spin the water around the straight line flow of the first portion as it exits the water rinse outlet, to form the full cone spray.

17. The dispenser of claim 12, further comprising a funnel-shaped cover disposed over the funnel portion.

18. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the full cone spray is further adapted to rinse any separate ingredients or mixed ingredients remaining within the cone-shaped portion and the funnel portion between dispensing of beverages.

19. The dispenser of claim 12, further comprising at least one outlet tube external to the outlet of the funnel portion for dispensing at least one of chilled water and chilled carbonated water.

20. A chiller system of a beverage dispensing system comprising:

a controller;

a thermo-electric cooling (TEC) device coupled to the controller, the TEC device having at least one cold plate and a heatsink; and

an insulated water bath enclosure enclosing;

a water bath,

the at least one cold plate positioned in the water bath,

a cooling coil positioned in the water bath, the cooling coil adjacent to and separated from the at least one cold plate, the cooling coil adapted to receive water at a first temperature and output chilled water having a second temperature lower than the first temperature, and

a circulation pump, coupled to the controller, positioned in the water bath, the controller controlling the circulation pump to direct water flow within the water bath in a directed path over the cooling coil and the at least one cold plate.

21. The chiller system of claim 20, wherein the controller controls the circulation pump and the TEC device such an ice bank reserve is formed on the at least one cold plate.

22. The chiller system of claim 21, wherein the controller is adapted to adjust power supplied to the TEC device according to at least one of an amount of the ice bank reserve and predetermined operation conditions of the beverage dispensing system.

23. The chiller system of claim 20, further comprising a distributer positioned in the water bath and in fluid communication with the cooling coil, the distributer distributing the water flow directed by the circulation pump around the cooling coil.

24. The chiller system of claim 23, further comprising a carbonator tank positioned in the water bath such that the cooling coil is located around an exterior of the carbonator tank, the carbonator tank in fluid communication with the distributer, the carbonator tank adapted to dispense chilled carbonated water.

25. The chiller system of claim 20, further comprising at least one cooling fan positioned adjacent to the heat sink adapted to cool the heatsink.