HOT DRINK DISPENSER

• US 3,805,999 A
• Filed: 12/26/1972
• Issued: 04/23/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Martelle J. Syverson
• Original Assignee: Martelle J. Syverson
• Inventors: Syverson, Martelle J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kocovsky, Thomas E.
• Application Number:
  US05/318,180
• Time in Patent Office: 483 Days
• Field of Search: 222/129.1,129.3,129.4,132 221/96 141/90,359
• US Class Current: 222/129.4
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/065 for drink preparation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/12 in which metering is on a time basis

Abstract

A housing includes a heated water tank, two pairs of particulate food product cartridges from which metered servings are funneled into a cup along with hot water. The hot water vapors are blown out of the housing by a fan directing air downwardly past the agitation and metering scoop in the food cartridges and through the funnel out of the machine. A cup support shelf is provided below the funnel and heated water conduit and a float is provided therebelow connected to a switch for lighting a warning light should liquid in the bottom of the housing rise above a predetermined level. The electrical circuitry is also deenergized. A control switch is actuatable by the cup to insure the cup'"'"''"'"'s presence before water or food product is discharged. A coin mechanism is provided in the housing and includes a first cam in the path of a coin for holding the coin which actuates a switch connected to a motor for rotating the cam shaft. A second cam will cause the motor to turn the cam shaft one full revolution after it has started turning by the coin actuating the switch. The coin is then dropped to the bottom of the coin mechanism. Upon the cam shaft making one complete revolution the first cam will again be in a position to receive the next coin to repeat the cycle. During the one revolution of the cam shaft food product cams will operate switches a predetermined number of times to cause solenoids connected thereto to discharge corresponding numbers of scoops of food product from the food cartridges. Still another cam controls the maximum quantity of water which can flow from a solenoid valve controlled water conduit such that no more than a cup of water will be discharged. The water cam is adjustable and includes coaxial overlapping portions which are engaged by the switch previously engaging the coin for the desired degrees of the one revolution of the cam shaft. Upon the coin dropping from the coin guide the switch actuating element moves through the coin guide for engagement with the adjustable cam.

Claims

1. A hot drink dispensing machine, comprising, a housing, a heated water tank in said housing having a discharge outlet above a cup support, a particulate food product storage chamber in said housing having a discharge outlet closely adjacent said heated water outlet, a pair of solenoids for controlling the discharge of heated water and particulate food product into a cup on said cup support, a cup actuatable switch at said cup support connected to and controlling said pair of solenoids, a fan in said housing directing air from around the discharge outlet of said particulate food product storage chamber and away therefrom such that any hot vapors from said heated water discharge outlet cannot rise into the area of said discharge outlet for said particulate food chamber, said particulate food product storage chamber being further defined as including a pair of cartridges having different particulate foods, and a metering and agitation scoop being provided in each cartridge, one of said pair of solenoids being connecteD to the scoop in one of said cartridges and a third solenoid being connected to the scoop in the other cartridge, and a two section funnel being provided below the discharge outlet of said two cartridges for channeling said particulate material into said cup, said funnel including a common vertical dividing wall, a common forward wall extending downwardly and rearwardly, a common rear vertical wall, and opposite side walls extending downwardly and laterally inwardly, said two section funnel having a two-compartment throat with said common vertical dividing wall cooperating to form said two compartments on opposite sides thereof, and said discharge outlet of said water tank being closely adjacent and behind said common rear vertical wall, and said fan being located in said housing to blow air past the discharge outlet of said cartridges through the two sections of said funnel out and away from said heated water outlet conduit, a second switch being connected to said three solenoids and a float being provided in said housing below said cup support, said float being positioned to actuate said second switch upon liquid in the bottom of said housing rising above a predetermined level.