Soft drink dispensing machine with modular customer interface unit
First Claim
1. A machine for dispensing beverages including a mixture of diluent and flavored concentrate, the machine comprising:
- a support structure;
a plurality of valve trays mounted on the support structure in side-by-side relation;
a connection block disposed on each of the plurality of valve trays, each said connection block being configured to receive a first supply of diluent and a second supply of diluent;
a valve disposed on each said connection block, each said valve being configured to be selectively movable between a closed position and an open position in fluid communication with one of the first supply and the second supply; and
a nozzle mounted to each of said plurality of valve trays at a predefined dispensing location, each said nozzle being configured to selectively receive diluent from the first supply and the second supply.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A machine for dispensing beverages may include a support structure and a plurality of valve trays mounted on the support structure in side-by-side relation. The machine may also include a connection block disposed on each of the plurality of valve trays, where each connection block may be configured to receive a first supply of a diluent and a second supply of a diluent. A valve may be disposed on each connection block, and each valve may be configured to be selectively movable between the first supply, the second supply, and a closed position. A nozzle may be mounted to each of the valve trays at a predefined dispensing location, and each nozzle may be configured to selectively receive diluent from the first supply and the second supply.
25 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A machine for dispensing beverages including a mixture of diluent and flavored concentrate, the machine comprising:
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a support structure;
a plurality of valve trays mounted on the support structure in side-by-side relation;
a connection block disposed on each of the plurality of valve trays, each said connection block being configured to receive a first supply of diluent and a second supply of diluent;
a valve disposed on each said connection block, each said valve being configured to be selectively movable between a closed position and an open position in fluid communication with one of the first supply and the second supply; and
a nozzle mounted to each of said plurality of valve trays at a predefined dispensing location, each said nozzle being configured to selectively receive diluent from the first supply and the second supply. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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14. A system of machines for dispensing beverages including a mixture of diluent and flavored concentrate, the system comprising:
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a customer unit interface including a manifold assembly, the manifold assembly including a plurality of diluent conduits and a plurality of concentrate conduits arranged in a manifold configuration;
a supply assembly including a plurality of diluent inlets and a plurality of concentrate inlets arranged in a supply configuration; and
a riser including a plurality of diluent lines and a plurality of concentrate lines, the riser configured to interface the supply assembly and the manifold assembly.
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20. A system of machines for dispensing beverages including a mixture of diluent and flavored concentrate, the system comprising:
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a plurality of customer unit interfaces, each of the plurality of interfaces including a manifold assembly, each of the manifold assemblies including a plurality of diluent conduits and a plurality of concentrate conduits arranged in a same manifold configuration;
a plurality of below-counter dispensers, each of the plurality of dispensers including a supply assembly, each of the supply assemblies including a plurality of diluent inlets and a plurality of concentrate inlets arranged in a different supply configuration; and
a plurality of risers, each of the plurality of risers including a plurality of diluent lines and a plurality of concentrate lines, the riser configured to interface one of the supply assemblies and the manifold assembly. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 24)
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23. A method for assembling a machine configured to dispense beverages including a mixture of diluent and flavored concentrate, the machine including a customer unit interface including a manifold assembly, the manifold assembly including a plurality of diluent conduits and a plurality of concentrate conduits arranged in a manifold configuration, a supply assembly including a plurality of diluent inlets and a plurality of concentrate inlets arranged in a supply configuration, and a riser including a plurality of diluent lines and a plurality of concentrate lines, the riser configured to interface the supply assembly and the manifold assembly, the method comprising:
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determining the manifold configuration;
determining the supply configuration;
selecting the riser from a plurality of risers based on the determined supply configuration, each of the plurality of risers having a different arrangement of the diluent lines and the concentrate lines at one end thereof; and
connecting the selected riser with the supply assembly and the manifold assembly.
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25. A machine for dispensing beverages that include a mixture of diluent and flavored concentrate, the machine comprising:
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a support structure;
a manifold assembly disposed at the support structure;
the manifold assembly including a plurality of diluent conduits and a plurality of concentrate conduits;
a supply assembly including a plurality of diluent inlets and a plurality of concentrate inlets;
a riser including a plurality of diluent conduits and a plurality of concentrate conduits, the riser being configured to interface the supply assembly and the manifold assembly;
a plurality of valve trays disposed on the support structure in side-by-side relation, each of the valve trays having a plurality of predefined dispensing locations formed on a lower surface thereof; and
a nozzle disposed on the valve trays at one of the predefined dispensing locations.
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Specification