Beverage dispensing apparatus

• US 5,960,997 A
• Filed: 08/12/1997
• Issued: 10/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Manitowoc Foodservice Companies Incorporated (The Manitowoc Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Multiplex Inc.
• Inventors: Forsythe, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory L
• Application Number:
  US08/909,555
• Time in Patent Office: 784 Days
• Field of Search: 222/52, 222/63, 222/641, 222/129.1-129.4
• US Class Current: 222/129.3
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/00 Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught B67D3/00 takes precedence; apparatus for making beverages A47J31/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0051 for mixing outside the nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1218 modulating the opening of a valve
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1293 Means for changing the ratio by acting on commands

Abstract

A beverage dispensing apparatus comprises a system for dispensing a base beverage including a control for controlling dispensing of a quantity of the base beverage, and a system for dispensing at least one flavoring for admixture with the dispensed base beverage. The flavoring dispensing system has a valve for controlling dispensing of the flavoring and a control operable in response to actuation of the beverage dispensing system control to dispense base beverage for opening the valve to dispense flavoring simultaneously and throughout dispensing of the base beverage with a constant volume ratio of base beverage and flavoring.

Claims

1. A beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

a system for dispensing a base beverage, said base beverage dispensing system including a control for controlling dispensing of a quantity of the base beverage; and

a system for dispensing at least one flavoring for admixture with the dispensed based beverage, said flavoring dispensing system having a valve for controlling dispensing of the flavoring and a control responsive to actuation of the beverage dispensing system control to dispense base beverage for opening the valve to dispense flavoring simultaneously and throughout dispensing of the base beverage with a constant volume ratio of base beverage and flavoring.

2. A beverage dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the beverage dispensing system further includes a switch electrically connected with the beverage dispensing system control to provide a beverage control signal to the beverage dispensing system control to actuate the system between a dispensing mode and a non-dispensing mode, the flavoring dispensing system control being electrically connected to the beverage dispensing system switch for receiving the beverage control signal.

3. A beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

a beverage dispensing system for dispensing a base beverage, said beverage dispensing system including a control for controlling dispensing of a quantity of the base beverage;

a flavoring dispensing system for dispensing at least one flavoring for admixture with the dispensed based beverage, said flavoring dispensing system having a valve for controlling dispensing of the flavoring and a control responsive to actuation of the beverage dispensing system control to dispense base beverage for opening the valve to dispense flavoring simultaneously and throughout dispensing of the base beverage with a constant volume ratio of base beverage and flavoring;

the beverage dispensing system further including a switch electrically connected with the beverage dispensing system control to provide a beverage control signal to the beverage dispensing system control to actuate the system between a dispensing mode and a non-dispensing mode, the flavoring dispensing system control being electrically connected to the beverage dispensing system switch for receiving the beverage control signal; and

a flavoring dispensing system switch electrically connected to the flavoring dispensing system control for providing a flavoring control signal to the flavoring dispensing system control when the switch is activated, the flavoring dispensing system control receiving and responding to both the beverage control signal and the flavoring control signal for opening the valve of the flavoring dispensing system to dispense flavoring into the cup simultaneously and throughout dispensing of the base beverage.

4. A beverage dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the flavoring dispensing system control has a flip flop for receiving and responding to the beverage control signal and the flavoring control signal, the flip flop being in a dispensing mode upon receiving the flavoring control signal whereby the flavoring dispensing system control is capable of opening the valve of the flavoring dispensing system in response to the flip flop receiving the beverage control signal upon and throughout dispensing of the base beverage, the flip flop being in a non-dispensing reset mode when it no longer receives the beverage control signal whereby the flavoring dispensing system control closes the valve to prevent dispensing of the flavoring and deactivates the flavoring control signal.

5. A beverage dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the valve of the flavoring dispensing system is electrically connected to the flavoring dispensing system control, the flavoring dispensing system control transmitting a valve control signal to the valve in response to receiving the beverage control signal and the flavoring control signal for opening the valve.

6. A beverage dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein the flavoring dispensing system is connected to a source of flavoring remotely located from the apparatus.

7. A beverage dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein the beverage dispensing system has a beverage line through which base beverage flows, the beverage line having an outlet positioned for dispensing the base beverage into a cup, the flavoring dispensing system having a flavoring line through which flavoring flows, the flavoring line having an outlet positioned for dispensing the flavoring into the cup, the beverage line outlet and the flavoring line outlet being arranged with respect to each other so that flavoring dispensed through the flavoring line outlet mixes with base beverage dispensed from the beverage line outlet generally within the cup.

8. A beverage dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein the flavoring line outlet is arranged with respect to the beverage line outlet so that the flow of flavoring from the flavoring line outlet intersects the flow of base beverage from the beverage line outlet for admixture as the flavoring and base beverage are dispensed into the cup.

9. A beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

a beverage dispensing system for dispensing a base beverage, said beverage dispensing system including a control for controlling dispensing of a quantity of the base beverage;

a flavoring dispensing system for dispensing at least one flavoring for admixture with the dispensed based beverage, said flavoring dispensing system having a valve for controlling dispensing of the flavoring and a control operable in response to actuation of the beverage dispensing system control to dispense base beverage for opening the valve to dispense flavoring simultaneously and throughout dispensing of the base beverage with a constant volume ratio of base beverage and flavoring; and

a flavoring dispensing system switch electrically connected to the flavoring dispensing system control for providing a flavoring control signal to the flavoring dispensing system control when the switch is activated, the flavoring dispensing system control responding to both actuation of the beverage dispensing system control and the flavoring control signal for opening the valve of the flavoring dispensing system to dispense flavoring into the cup simultaneously and throughout dispensing of the base beverage.

10. A beverage dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein the valve of the flavoring dispensing system is electrically connected to the flavoring dispensing system control, the flavoring dispensing system control transmitting a valve control signal to the valve in response to receiving the beverage control signal and the flavoring control signal for opening the valve.

11. A beverage dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein the flavoring dispensing system is connected to a source of flavoring remotely located from the apparatus.

12. A beverage dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein the beverage dispensing system has a beverage line through which base beverage flows, the beverage line having an outlet positioned for dispensing the base beverage into a cup, the flavoring dispensing system having a flavoring line through which flavoring flows, the flavoring line having an outlet positioned for dispensing the flavoring into the cup, the beverage line outlet and the flavoring line outlet being arranged with respect to each other so that flavoring dispensed from the flavoring line outlet mixes with base beverage dispensed from the beverage line outlet generally within the cup.

13. A beverage dispensing apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein the flavoring line outlet is arranged with respect to the beverage line outlet so that the flow of flavoring from the flavoring line outlet intersects the flow of base beverage from the beverage line outlet for admixture as the flavoring and base beverage are dispensed into the cup.