Systems and methods for dispensing flavor doses and blended beverages

• US 7,806,294 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2006
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
• Original Assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
• Inventors: McDougall, Douglas Jon, Gatipon, Shaun B., Eberhart, Byron L. III, Young, Roland E., Martindale, Richard A., Baker, Bret D., Hecht, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver; Kevin P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shearer; Daniel R
• Application Number:
  US11/557,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20070114244A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 222/129.1, 222/129.3, 222/129.4, 700/233, 700/239, 992/80
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0022 the apparatus comprising means for automatically controlling the amount to be dispensed
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0036 based on the timed opening of valves
• 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 1/0044 for mixing inside the dispensing nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/005 with means for converging streams
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0051 for mixing outside the nozzle
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0052 by means for directing respective streams together
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/06 Mountings or arrangements of dispensing apparatus in or on shop or bar counters shop or bar counters per se A47F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0888 Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/12 Flow or pressure control devices or systems , e.g. valves, gas pressure control, level control in storage containers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1256 Anti-dripping devices drip trays B67D1/16
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1297 Ratio defined by setting of timers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/0006 Manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00086 Selector circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00091 Bar management means

Abstract

Disclosed are systems and methods for dispensing flavor doses and beverages. A beverage tower may be provided that has a small footprint and that is capable of dispensing a wide variety of flavor doses and blended beverages. The beverage tower may include a flow control module that controls the flow rate of beverage additives and water through the beverage tower and a switch module that includes a plurality of switches that may be selectively opened and closed to control the flow of beverage additives and water through the beverage tower to a point of dispense. A flavor dose or blended beverage may be dispensed by the beverage tower in accordance with user input that is provided to the beverage tower via a control panel. The user input may specify a desired beverage additive, a desired cup size, and an indication of whether a flavor shot or a blended beverage is desired. Additionally, a user may define and program into the memory of the beverage tower the various flavor doses and blended beverages that are capable of being dispensed by the beverage tower.

Claims

1. A beverage dispenser, comprising:

a flow control module that is configured to be coupled to a plurality of incoming supply lines carrying water and at least one beverage additive, and wherein the flow control module provides individual channels through which the water and beverage additive pass at a controlled flow rate;

a switch module configured to receive the water and beverage additive from the flow control module, wherein the switch module provides individual channels through which the water and beverage additive respectively pass, the switch module comprising a switch associated with each of the channels through which the water and beverage additive pass that may be selectively actuated to individually control the flow of the water and beverage additive through the switch module;

a nozzle configured to receive the water and beverage additive downstream from the switch module and providing individual channels through which the water and beverage additive are dispensed;

a control panel configured to receive user input for a beverage additive selection and a request to dispense a blended beverage including the selected beverage additive; and

a control unit coupled to the control panel and the switch module, wherein the control unit is configured (i) to determine whether a blended beverage dispense is permitted for the selected beverage additive, (ii) to direct, if it is determined that the blended beverage dispense is permitted, the dispense of the blended beverage including the selected beverage additive by selectively actuating a group of switches associated with the water and the selected beverage additive, and (iii) to disallow, if it is determined that the blended beverage dispense is not permitted for the selected beverage additive, the dispense of a blended beverage while permitting a subsequent dispense of a controlled amount of the selected beverage additive by selectively actuating at least one switch associated with the selected beverage additive.

2. The beverage dispenser of claim 1, wherein the control panel is further configured to receive a size selection from the user.

3. The beverage dispenser of claim 1, wherein the switch module is comprised of a unitary block defining the individual channels and configured for securely coupling to the switch associated with each of the individual channels.

4. The beverage dispenser of claim 1, wherein the control panel includes a removable selection card, wherein the removable selection card depicts one or more user input options.

5. The beverage dispenser of claim 4, wherein the removable selection card comprises a mylar card.

6. The beverage dispenser of claim 1, wherein the nozzle comprises a plurality of injectors configured to dispense the beverage additive received by the nozzle, wherein each of the plurality of injectors comprises a respective mouth formed in a concave manner extending upwardly into the injector.

7. The beverage dispenser of claim 1, wherein the nozzle further comprises:

a plurality of dispensers; and

a nozzle cap configured to direct the flow of water dispensed from said dispensers such that the dispensed water mixes with a beverage additive dispensed by the nozzle at a point below the nozzle in order to form a blended beverage.

8. The beverage dispenser of claim 7, wherein the brix ratio of a blended beverage dispensed by the beverage dispenser does not vary by more than approximately one degree throughout the blended beverage.

9. The beverage dispenser of claim 1, wherein the control panel comprises a plurality of coupling capacitor sensing elements configured to receive the user input.

10. The beverage dispenser of claim 1, wherein the user input is received by the control panel without the user making physical contact with the control panel.

11. The beverage dispenser of claim 2, wherein the control unit further comprises a memory configured to store a plurality of beverage additive shot sizes and a plurality of ratios associated with the different size selections provided by the control panel, wherein the plurality of ratios define respective amounts of beverage additive to be mixed with a predetermined amount of water for a plurality of blended beverage dispensed by the beverage dispenser.

12. The beverage dispenser of claim 11, wherein the control panel is further configured to receive user input for reprogramming one or more beverage additive shot sizes and ratios that are stored in the memory.

13. The beverage dispenser of claim 1, wherein the control unit further comprises a memory configured to store information associated with a plurality of beverage additives and an indication as to whether a blended beverage dispense is permitted for each of the plurality of beverage additives.

14. The beverage dispenser of claim 13, wherein the memory includes historical data relating to the use of the beverage dispenser.

15. The beverage dispenser of claim 11, wherein the memory further comprises default settings that define flavor shot sizes and ratios of a plurality of flavor shots and blended beverages.

16. The beverage dispenser of claim 14, wherein:

the control panel is further configured to receive a user selection of a top off selection, and

the control unit is further configured (i) to access the historical data stored in the memory, (ii) to determine whether a last dispense was for a blended beverage or for a controlled amount of beverage additive, (iii) to direct, if it is determined that the last dispense was for a blended beverage, the dispense of an additional amount of the blended beverage, or (iii) to prevent, if it is determined that the last dispense was for a controlled amount of beverage additive, the dispense of an additional amount of the beverage additive.

17. A method for dispensing beverage additives and beverages comprising:

receiving water and at least one beverage additive from a plurality of incoming supply lines;

controlling the flow of the received water and beverage additive with a respective flow rate device and individually actuatable switch associated with each incoming supply line;

receiving user input comprising a beverage additive selection and a request to dispense a blended beverage including the selected beverage additive;

determining, by a computing device, whether a blended beverage dispense is permitted for the selected beverage additive;

dispensing, if it is determined that the blended beverage dispense is permitted, predetermined amounts of the water and the selected beverage additive by selectively actuating a group of switches associated with the water and the selected beverage additive; and

disallowing, if it is determined that the blended beverage dispense is not permitted for the selected beverage additive, the dispense of a blended beverage while permitting a subsequent dispense of a predetermined amount of the selected beverage additive by selectively actuating at least one switch associated with the selected beverage additive.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving user input further comprises receiving a size selection.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving user input comprises receiving user input based on a removable selection card, wherein the removable selection card depicts one or more user input options.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the beverage additive is dispensed from a nozzle that comprises a plurality of injectors configured to dispense the beverage additive received by the nozzle, wherein each of the plurality of injectors comprises a respective mouth formed in a concave manner extending upwardly into the injector.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein directing the dispense of a predetermined amount of the water further comprises:

directing the flow of dispensed water such that the dispensed predetermined amount of the water mixes with the predetermined amount of the selected beverage additive dispensed by the nozzle at a point below the nozzle in order to form a blended beverage.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the user input comprises a first user input, and further comprising:

storing, in a memory device, historical data associated with a last dispense;

receiving, second user input comprising a top off selection;

accessing, by the computing device, the stored historical data associated with the last dispense;

determining, by the computing device, whether the last dispense was for a blended beverage or for a predetermined amount of beverage additive;

dispensing, if it is determined that the last dispense was for a blended beverage, an additional amount of the blended beverage, and

preventing, if it is determined that the last dispense was for a predetermined amount of beverage additive, the dispense of an additional amount of the beverage additive.