GB2137520A

GB2137520A - Beverage dispensing machine

Info

Publication number: GB2137520A
Application number: GB08406886A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Arthur Cooper
Original assignee: Sankey Vending Ltd
Current assignee: Sankey Vending Ltd
Priority date: 1983-03-17
Filing date: 1984-03-16
Publication date: 1984-10-10
Also published as: GB8406886D0; GB2137520B

Abstract

Liquid, usually water, is dispensed into a mixing bowl in at least two separate charges, a first charge commencing before and finishing after dispensing of powdered ingredient to the mixing bowl starts, and a subsequent or final charge terminating after the or all of the powder has been dispensed into the mixing bowl. Two (18, 20) or more mixing bowls, each having a set of ingredient hoppers (10, 12, 14, 16) and liquid supply means (24, 26) may be provided either dispensing separately into a cup (40) or one dispensing into another (Fig. 3 not shown) which then dispenses into a cup. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Beverage dispensing machine This invention relates to a beverage dispensing machine of the type wherein the beverage ingredients in powder form are mixed with water before the mixture is dispensed into a cup.

Machines of the aforesaid type are well known in the art and have generally been of two types viz: a first type wherein the ingredients in powder form are contained in storage hoppers all disposed round a single mixing bowl and arranged to discharge selectively and directly into the mixing bowl to which water is also supplied, and a second type wherein the ingredients are again contained in powder form in storage hoppers but wherein the hoppers are arranged in line along a mixing trough to which water is also supplied. In both such types of machine the mixing of the ingredients and the water is completed in the bowl or trough respectively before the fully mixed beverage is dispensed into a cup.

It is desirable that in the mixing of powdered ingredient with water in a beverage dispending machine the delivery of water commences before delivery to powered commences and continues after all the powder has been dispensed. This obviates sticking or lumping of the powder and ensures that the last substance to leave the mixing bowl is clean water, thereby ensuring that there is no contamination of beverage by ingredient remaining from a previous dispensing. Where powder delivery takes place over an extended period the flow rate is very low and it is difficult to achieve adequate flushing and/or mixing.

The invention seeks to mitigate or obviate this disadvantage and provides in one of its aspects a beverage dispensing machine comprising means for dispensing at least one powdered ingredient into at least one mixing bowl and means for dispensing one or more liquids to said mixing bowl(s) in at least two separate charges, a first charge delivery of which commences before the or any of the powdered ingredients is dispensed and finishes after dispensing of the or any of the said powder commences, and a final charge delivery of which commences after the first charge is delivered and which terminates after dispensing of all of the powdered ingredient has ceased.

The liquid dispensed to the mixing bowl and particularly that dispensed in said second charge is preferably pure water but the final charge may be of water previously mixed with one or more beverage ingredients.

Within the parameters of the capacities of the machine it is preferred that a machine shall be as compact and space saving as possible. With this in mind machines of the first type referred to above are often difficult to configure because the disposition of the ingredient storage hoppers all round a mixing bowl occupies an inconvenient depth of space in the machine. A further disadvantage of such an arrangement is that the hoppers at the back of the machine are difficult to reach to remove and/or replenish.

The aforesaid second type of machine is advan tageouswhen the depth of the machine is limited or when it is preferred to fit other apparatus in the back of the machine. Because the ingredient storage hoppers are arranged in a line along the mixing trough only minimum depth is utilised.

However, a machine of this type suffers from the disadvantage that incomplete mixing may take place in the trough since, due to its shape and the spacing of the hoppers therealong, it is inherently an inferior mixing configuration as compared to a bowl wherein a good swirling and mixing action may be obtained.

The present invention also seeks to provide an improved beverage dispensing machine of the aforesaid second type but which obviates or mitigates the disadvantages set out above.

In accordance with the invention there is also provided a beverage dispensing machine comprising at least two sets of ingredient storage hoppers, a mixing bowl associated with each set of hoppers for receiving powder ingredients selectively discharged from hoppers in the set and a water dispensing supply to each bowl; the hoppers being arranged substantially in side-by-side in relation with an associated bowl disposed below each set of hoppers and the machine arranged so that the constituents of at least one selected beverage dispensed by the machine are dispensed into at least one, optionally more than one and preferably two mixing bowls.

Also in accordance with the invention there is provided a method of mixing powder beverage ingredients with water in a beverage dispensing machine of the type described in the preceding paragraph wherein the supply of liquid to each mixing bowl is supplied in two separate pulses; the first of which pulses commences before the commencement of powder ingredient discharge from the hoppers of the associated set thereof and terminates before such ingredient discharge terminates and wherein the second of such pulses is of water and is timed so that each bowl in which mixing occurs is washed with clean water after the termination of the ingredient discharge.

The physical arrangement of the machine may be such that the hoppers in each set can selectively discharge their ingredients into the associated mixing bowl and each bowl can discharge its mixture of ingredients and water directly into a cup. Alterna timely the arrangement may be that the hoppers in one set thereof can selectively discharge their ingredients into the associated mixing bowl and said bowl can discharge its mixture of ingredients and water into a second mixing bowl which is selectively supplied from the hoppers of another set thereof; the beverage then being discharged directly from said second mixing bowl into a cup.

Where one mixing bowl discharges water and ingredient into second or subsequent mixing bowls then it is desirable that at least for the first bowl in which mixing occurs the first pulse is of clean water.

The first pulse for a bowl which receives the contents of another bowl may comprise those contents alone or together with a pulse of clean water. The final pulse for each bowl is most preferably clean water. It is to be understood that not all the beverages dispensed from the machine will necessarily require to be mixed in more than one mixing bowl. For example, where unsweetened black coffee is to be dispensed the only ingredient other than water required is coffee and clearly one mixing bowl will be adequate. Where for example coffee and tea beverages each with whitener and sweetener are to be offered then there may be provided at least two sets each of two hoppers one set dispensing say whitener and sweetener into one bowl and the other set dispensing coffee or tea into another bowl, the contents of both bowls being mixed either in one of the bowls or in a cup as outlined above.

The arrangements described above and the method of mixing ensure that a complete and efficient mixture of the powder ingredients is achieved with the water in each mixing bowl. It should be appreciated that it is current practice in beverage dispensing machines to dispense a uniform volume of beverage into a cup and typicaily the total volume of water in each beverage may be 160 c.c. With the machine according to the invention each mixing bowl will receive a proportion of the total final beverage volume of water typically 80 c.c., but the discharge of 80 c.c. of water into each mixing bowl, if delivered as a single discharge, could be achieved in a shortertimethan it would take for the appropriate powder ingredients to be discharged into the bowl.

Other features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of an embodiment of the invention given herein solely by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein; Figure 7 is a diagramaticviewshowing an arrangement of storage hoppers and mixing bowls of a machine in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a bar chart showing water and ingredient discharge against time in the operation of the storage hoppers and mixing bowls shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a diagramatic view similar to that of Figure 1 showing an alternative arrangement of storage hoppers and mixing bowls; and Figure 4 is a further bar chart showing water and ingredient discharge against time in the operation of the arrangement shown in Figure 3.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings there are shown four rectangular powder ingredient hoppers 10, 12,14, and 16 arranged in two sets of two hoppers 10, 12 and 14, 16 all of the hoppers being in line with one another.A respective mixing bowl 18 and 20 is located below each set of hoppers so that each bowl, in this particular arrangement, can receive powder ingredients from each of the two hoppers in the associated set. The powder ingredients are selectively discharged from the associated hoppers directly into the associated bowls by appropriate metering devices (not shown).

A water dispensing supply is provided in the machine comprising a water main inlet (not shown), a water heater 22 and two water dispensing valves 24 and 26 each of which is connected by a respective conduit and spout 28, 30 and 32, so as to be able to discharge into respective mixing bowls 18 and 20.

A further conduit and spout 36,38 leads from the base orifice of the mixing bowl 18 so as to be dischargable directly to a cup 40 whilst a similar conduit and spout 42,44 extends from the base orifice of the other mixing bowl 20 also to discharge directly into the cup 40. A whipper unit 46 may be located either as shown in conduit 36 and/or in the conduit 42.

In use, an appropriate selection of beverage ingredients will be made by the user, in the present example, the user's choice requiring the discharge of ingredients from both sets of hoppers after the selection has been activated, water flow will commence from each water dispensing valve 24 and 26 into each respective bowl 18 and 20 simultaneously and before the appropriate ingredients are discharged into the repective bowls. After the ingredient discharge has commenced the water supply will be terminated thus constituting a first pulse of water after which a second pulse of water will be discharged into both mixing bowls which second pulse will not terminate until afterthe ingredient discharge has terminated. A typical timing arrangement for the discharge of the ingredients and the water is shown in the bar chart of Figure 2.

It will of course be appreciated that not all of the ingredients will usually be utilised to make a beverage. For example, the hoppers 10-16 may contain tea, coffee, whitener (milk powder), and sweetener (sugar), in which case a maximum of three of the hoppers would be utilized for any one beverage.

Thus mixing of the ingredients and water takes place in both mixing bowls 18 and 20 simultaneous ly, according to the ingredients selected, and the mixture from both bowls will be discharged directly into the cup 40. The whipper unit 46 may or may not be activated according to the wishes of the user.

In Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings like reference numerals refer to like parts described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. In the arrangement of Figures 3 and 4 two hoppers 14 and 16 in one set thereof discharge directly into one mixing bowl 20 together with an associated water supply from valve 26 and the mixture from this bowl is then discharged through the conduit and spout 42,44 into the mixing bowl 18 disposed below the other set of hoppers 10 and 12. Again, in such an arrangement, it is necessary that the water flow be supplied in two separate pulses to each of the mixing bowls 18 and 20 and, in this arrangement, the water flow to the mixing bowl 20 is commenced before the ingredient discharge is commenced to this bowl. This first water pulse is terminated and a second water pulse is then initiated, and terminated after the termination of the ingredient discharge to this bowl 20, whether from bowl 18 or from hoppers 10 and/or 12.

The first pulse of water to the mixing bowl 18 is commenced before the ingredient discharge com mencesto such bowl 18 and the timing of commencement of this first water pulse approximates to the time of commencement of the second pulse to the mixing bowl 20. The first water pulse to the mixing bowl 18 is terminated and a second pulse is then commenced which is itself terminated after termination of the ingredient discharge to the mixing bowl 18.

This delay in initiation of the mixing of the ingredients from hoppers 10 and 12 in the mixing bowl 18 is necessary in this arrangement so that a full mixing of all the ingredients including the mixture from bowl 20 will take place in the mixing bowl 18 at the same time, after which the fully mixed beverage is discharged to the cup 40. Again the whipper unit 46 may or may not be activated according to the wishes of the user.

A typical timing arrangement for the discharge of the ingredients and the water is shown in the bar chart of Figure 4.

It is to be noted that the pulse marked X in Figure 4 may be omitted and any one or more of pulses R, S and T may be lengthened so that the amount of water delivered is unchanged. In this instance it will be seen that for the first mixing bowl, mixing commences and ends with the supply of clean water (pulses R and S) and that for the second mixing bowl, mixing commences with the supply of a water ingredient mix from the first bowl and terminates with the supply of clean water (pulse T). It is important that the supply of powder ingredients in the second bowl commences after the supply of water ingredient mix from the first bowl.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example one, two, three or more mixing bowls may be utilised. The water may be supplied in more than two charges per mixing bowl, though two is the preferred number. The water dispensed may be at ambient temperature, cooled or heated.

Claims

A beverage dispensing machine comprising means for dispensing at least one powdered ingredient into at least one mixing bowl and means for dispensing one or more liquids to said mixing bowl(s) in at least two separate charges, a first charge delivery of which commences before the or any of the powdered ingredients is dispensed and finishes after dispensing of the or any of the said powder commences, and a final charge delivery of which commences after the first charge is delivered and which terminates after dispensing of all of the powdered ingredient has ceased.
2. A beverage dispensing machine as claimed in claim 1 in which the liquid dispensed in the final charge is water.
3. A beverage dispensing machine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the liquid dispensed in the first charge is water.
4. A beverage dispensing machine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 in which the liquid dispensed in the first charge is water mixed with other beverage ingredients.
5. A beverage dispensing machine as claimed in any preceding claim in which the means for dispensing powdered ingredient comprises a hopper for each ingredient, together with means for selectively discharging a predetermined quantity of powder from the or each hopper.
6. A beverage dispensing machine as claimed in any preceding claim comprising at least two sets of ingredient storage hoppers, a mixing bowl associated with each set of hoppers for receiving powder ingredients selectively discharged from hoppers in the set and a water dispensing supply to each bowl; the hoppers being arranged substantially in side by side relation with an associated bowl disposed below each set and the machine being arranged so that the constituents of at least one seiected beverage are dispensed into at least one of the mixing bowls.
7. A beverage dispensing machine as claimed in claim 6 in which the said constituents are dispensed into more than one mixing bowl.
8. A beverage dispensing machine as claimed in claim 7 in which the said constitutents are dispensed into two mixing bowls.
9. A beverage dispensing machine as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 in which the constituents are dispensed separately from the mixing bowls into a cup.
10. A beverage dispensing machine as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 in which beverage constituents, including water, from one of the mixing bowls are dispensed from that mixing bowl into the other or another mixing bowl before being discharged into a cup.
11. A beverage dispensing machine as claimed in claim 10 in which the said other or another mixing bowl is selectively supplied with ingredients from a respective hopper or hoppers.
12. A beverage dispensing machine substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, or Figures 3 and 4forthe accompanying drawings.