Brewed iced tea or non-carbonated drink dispenser

• US 6,915,732 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2003
• Issued: 07/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PepsiCo Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PepsiCo Incorporated
• Inventors: Jones, Brian C., Tauer, Mark, Kumar, Sanjay, Dzibela, Scott A., Ubidia, Fernando
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US10/402,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20040194629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 993/233, 992/75, 992/89.R, 992/83, 222/129.1, 222/481.8, 222/145.5, 222/146.2, 733/04.R, 346/620
• US Class Current: 99/275
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/402 Liquid dosing devices

Abstract

A beverage dispensing apparatus includes a mixing chamber for mixing hot water, a beverage concentrate and cold water, as well as one or more additives. The hot water and cold water are supplied at a predetermined flow rate at a predetermined proportion, regardless of the pressure of the water supply. A water heater supplies the hot water within a specified pressure range and without significant entrapped air.

Claims

1. A beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

a water supply;

a concentrate supply;

a mixing chamber for mixing water and the concentrate and dispensing the mixture;

a pressure regulator connected to said water supply;

a water heater connected downstream of said pressure regulator;

a hot water inlet valve disposed in a hot water line between said pressure regulator and said mixing chamber for controlling flow of hot water to said mixing chamber;

a hot water restriction disposed in the hot water line and having a first fixed orifice flow size;

a cold water valve disposed in a cold water line between said pressure regulator and said mixing chamber for controlling flow of cold water to said mixing chamber;

a cold water restriction disposed in the cold water line and having a second fixed orifice flow size; and

a controller for controlling said concentrate supply and said hot and cold water valves to respectively supply concentrate, hot and cold water to said mixing chamber simultaneously to form a beverage mixture of predetermined proportions, wherein said hot and cold water restrictions meter the hot and cold water at a predetermined ratio regardless of the pressure of said water supply.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said concentrate supply comprises a concentrate source and a gear pump.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the flow rate from said concentrate source is controlled by said controller using pulse width modulation.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a source of an aroma substance connected to said mixing chamber and controlled by said controller.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the aroma substance is pumped by a pump from the source, said pump being supplied from the source and discharging through an outlet line connected to said mixing chamber, wherein a return line with a restriction is provided between said outlet line and the source.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said water heater comprises a tank having a top, a bottom and a side wall and including a water inlet and a water outlet, said outlet provided at a top of said tank, a heating unit for heating water in said tank, a dip tube extending from said outlet into said tank to establish a headspace between the top of said tank and the water level in said tank, and a check valve communicating with the headspace to maintain the interior of said tank at no more than a predetermined maximum pressure.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the mixing chamber comprises a chamber housing having a central bore, an outlet provided at a proximal end of said chamber housing, a hot water inlet provided at a distal end of said chamber housing and coaxial with said central bore, a cold water inlet disposed downstream of said hot water inlet and communicating with said central bore at an angle transverse to the axis of said central bore, and a concentrate inlet disposed between said hot water inlet and said cold water inlet and communicating with said central bore.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising cladding having the appearance of a real leaf brewing urn.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a hot water outlet valve disposed between said water heater and said mixing chamber, said hot water outlet valve being controlled by said controller to open simultaneously with said hot water inlet valve during dispensing.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said mixing chamber is connected to a beverage mixture outlet.