CN114127007A

CN114127007A - System and method for dispensing beverages

Info

Publication number: CN114127007A
Application number: CN202080025510.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: J·C·撒维诺
Original assignee: Plant Faucet Co
Current assignee: Plant Faucet Co
Priority date: 2019-02-07
Filing date: 2020-02-04
Publication date: 2022-03-01
Also published as: EP3921272A1; WO2020163399A1; EP3921272A4; JP2022520224A

Abstract

A system for dispensing vegetable milk comprising: a mixing chamber for emulsifying a vegetable paste and water; a vegetable paste reservoir connected to the mixing chamber via a first conduit; a water reservoir connected to the mixing chamber via a second conduit; and a cooling system. The system comprises: a suction system for moving a prescribed amount of vegetable paste into the mixing chamber upon receiving a user input via a user interface; a flow system for flowing water from the water reservoir to the mixing chamber; and a control system. The control system receives the user input, activates the aspiration system, and activates the flow system. Additionally, the control system activates the mixing chamber to emulsify the vegetable paste and water and dispense a vegetable mixture of emulsified paste and water.

Description

System and method for dispensing beverages

Cross Reference to Related Applications

This application claims priority from US provisional patent application 62/802,693 entitled "Food and Beverage Product Mixing and Dispensing Machine" filed on 7.2.2019, US provisional patent application 62/821,644 entitled "Food and Beverage Product" filed on 21.3.2019, US patent application 16/409,759 entitled "Food and Beverage Product" filed on 10.5.2019, and international patent application PCT/US2019/031884 entitled "Food and Beverage Product" filed on 10.5.2019, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for forming food and beverage products, and more particularly, to nut or grain-based food and beverage products.

Background

In recent years, the consumption of vegetal or non-dairy alternatives has increased significantly. Today, milk allergy, lactose intolerance, calorie concerns and preferences for a purely vegetarian diet influence consumers' tendency to choose alternatives to milk. In addition, due to concerns about saturated fat levels, hormone content, the environmental impact of animal produced methane and the use of antibiotics by cows, one may prefer a substitute that does not contain dairy products. For example, botanical beverages can be taken from soy, various nuts, or grains. Many retail vegetable products (e.g., almond milk, cashew milk, etc.) incorporate large amounts of synthetic ingredients to achieve the level of sterility required for commercial distribution and retail. Additionally, retail products may have up to 20 ingredients such as gums, thickeners, vitamin packs, and preservatives that are added to the perishable liquid product to obtain an appealing taste, mouthfeel, color, etc. and retain it for a commercially acceptable shelf life.

Commercial processes for making commercial vegetable milk, such as nut milk, often occur at high temperatures (e.g., 135 ℃/275 ° F). This type of processing can result in a deterioration in the flavor, color and smell of milk. In addition, one factor that drives up the cost of commercial distribution of nut milk is the fact that they are aqueous and must be refrigerated.

Making a preservative-free pure ("clean") botanical beverage is also challenging. These beverages often contain only a small amount of ingredients (e.g., nuts/nut paste and water) and can be too perishable to be sold through a distribution chain. Furthermore, although botanical ingredients may not decay themselves and may be stored at room temperature, these ingredients become highly perishable once commercially processed with various liquids (e.g., water). Even dairy products with added preservatives do not last more than a week in the consumer's refrigerator due to the transit time in distribution and the time the product is on the retail shelf before purchase.

Nut milk (e.g., almond milk) can be made in different ways. For example, nut milk may be made by emulsifying/mixing nut flour (i.e., ground nuts) with other desired ingredients such as water, spices, other flavorings, sweeteners, and the like. Alternatively, nut milk may be made by emulsifying a predetermined amount of nut paste with other desired ingredients. Each of these technologies for making nut milk presents unique challenges, in part due to the physical differences between nut flour and nut paste. For example, unlike nut flours, which typically have a dry, granular consistency, nut pastes typically have a more fluid or pasty consistency due to the release of natural oils from the nut material during comminution. Over time, these natural oils can "separate" from the solid components of the nut paste, resulting in the formation of separate layers of different constituent materials in the packaged nut paste.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the process of mixing the various components (such as the vegetable paste and water) includes a process of emulsifying the components, i.e., forming a stable emulsion of two or more components (e.g., the paste and water) even when the components are immiscible. As used herein, the term "stable emulsion" refers to an emulsion having components that are inseparable once emulsified. Further, as used herein, the terms "mixing element," "mixing chamber," and the like may refer to "emulsification element," "emulsification chamber," and the like.

The separation of the constituent components that occurs within a bale of nut paste presents a challenge to producing high quality nut milk from the packaged nut paste. For example, it can be difficult to dispense a predetermined amount of packaged nut paste having a desired concentration of all of the constituent ingredients for emulsification/mixing with other nut milk ingredients because the separation of the nut paste components inside its package can result in a disproportionate amount of some of the separated ingredients (e.g., thick paste) leaving the package without a proportionate amount of other ingredients (e.g., oil). This can result in poor quality nut milk. The same challenge exists for other types of materials, including other food and beverage ingredients that are easily separated, which is not limited to nut pastes.

The present invention addresses the problems associated with making the above-described nut-based milk (e.g., problems associated with the commercial process of nut-based milk and challenges associated with making a pure ("thorough") nut-based beverage). As described below, the present invention emulsifies water with the nut paste to make fresh nut milk on demand (i.e., the product is freshly made just in front of the consumer), thereby eliminating the need to transport refrigerated beverages (which may be 90% water). Accordingly, the present disclosure describes beverage product emulsification and dispensing systems that may be used to overcome one or more of the above-described problems and/or other problems of the prior art.

Accordingly, there is a need to provide systems and methods that improve the production of various vegetable milks. The present invention addresses the above-mentioned problems and other deficiencies in prior systems and methods. The disclosed systems and methods further describe a method of forming a milk product from the nut paste or grain paste and dispensing the milk product to a consumer.

Drawings

The drawings are not necessarily to scale or exclusive. Instead, emphasis is generally placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention described herein. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate some embodiments consistent with the present disclosure and together with the detailed description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings:

fig. 1A is a front view of an example system for producing a food or beverage product according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 1B is a rear view of an example system for producing a food or beverage product according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 1C is another front view of an example system for producing a food or beverage product according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 1D is a top view of a bottle holder according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 1E is an example bag for containing vegetable paste according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 1F is an example apparatus for removing vegetable paste from a bag, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 1G is an exemplary embodiment for removing vegetable paste from a bag according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 1H is another rear view of an example system for producing a food or beverage product according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1I is an example shelving system for supporting bottles, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 1J is an example embodiment of a rail for supporting a neck of a bottle according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2A is a schematic view of an example mixing chamber (capable of emulsification) according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2B is a schematic of another example mixing chamber (capable of emulsification) with an example bellows, according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 is an example flow chart for determining a matrix-water ratio of a beverage according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4A is an example system including multiple mixing chambers (all capable of emulsification) according to embodiments of the disclosure.

Fig. 4B is an example embodiment of a mixing chamber (capable of emulsification) with a funnel unit according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4C is an example connection between a motor and a mixing element (capable of emulsification) according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4D is an example embodiment of a mixing chamber containing a mixing element capable of emulsification according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is an example embodiment of a mixing chamber containing a cooling jacket capable of emulsification according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 is an example embodiment of an apparatus for controlling operation of a system for producing a food or beverage product according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is an example flow chart of an illustrative process for cleaning a dispensing system according to a disclosed embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an example process of cleaning a dispensing system according to the disclosed embodiments.

FIG. 9 is another example process of cleaning a dispensing system according to the disclosed embodiments.

Fig. 10 is an example user interface of a dispensing unit for dispensing a non-milk containing beverage product according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 11 is an example smartphone application for selecting beverage products according to user preferences, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Disclosure of Invention

In accordance with disclosed embodiments, a system for dispensing vegetable milk may comprise: a mixing chamber configured to emulsify a vegetable paste and water; a vegetable paste reservoir connected to the mixing chamber via a first conduit; a water reservoir connected to the mixing chamber via a second conduit; and a cooling system. The cooling system may be configured to cool water within the water reservoir to a first prescribed temperature and to cool the contents of the mixing chamber to a second prescribed temperature. Additionally, the system may include: a suction system configured to move a prescribed amount of botanical paste into the mixing chamber upon receiving a user input via a user interface; and a flow system configured to flow water from the water reservoir to the mixing chamber. The system may also include a control system. The control system may be configured; receiving an input of the user; activating the suction system to move a prescribed amount of botanical paste into the mixing chamber based on the user's input; and activating the flow system to flow an amount of water into the mixing chamber, the amount of water corresponding to the prescribed amount of vegetable paste. Additionally, the control system may be configured to: starting the mixing chamber to emulsify the vegetable paste and water; and dispensing the emulsified paste and water botanical mixture.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments discussed with respect to the accompanying drawings. In some instances, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings and the following description to refer to the same or like parts. Unless defined otherwise, technical and/or scientific terms have the meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The disclosed embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the disclosed embodiments. Thus, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be necessarily limiting.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, the process of mixing the various components (such as the vegetable paste and water) includes a process of emulsifying the components, i.e., forming a stable emulsion of two or more components (e.g., the paste and water) even when the components are immiscible. As used herein, the term "stable emulsion" refers to an emulsion having components that cannot be separated once emulsified. Further, as used herein, the terms "mixing element," "mixing chamber," and the like may refer to "emulsification element," "emulsification chamber," and the like. Emulsions may be part of the more common two-phase material system known as colloids. While the terms "colloid" and "emulsion" are sometimes used interchangeably, an emulsion should be used when both phases (dispersed and continuous) are liquids and/or pastes. In an emulsion, one liquid/paste (the dispersed phase) is dispersed in the other (the continuous phase). Examples of emulsions include vinegar, homogenized milk, vegetable milk, and the like. An emulsion of the vegetable paste and water can form vegetable milk. For high quality vegetable milk, it is necessary to emulsify the vegetable paste with water.

An exemplary embodiment of a system 100 for producing vegetable milk is illustrated in fig. 1A. The system 100 (also referred to as a kiosk 100) may be configured to receive, store, and dispense food or beverage material (e.g., paste, also referred to as a substrate), and form vegetable milk (also referred to herein as a beverage). It should be noted that in some instances, the food or beverage material may include animal food products (e.g., cheese, milk, etc.); however, for the sake of brevity, the beverage formed by kiosk 100 may be referred to as vegetable milk. The kiosk 100 may be a vending machine that dispenses several types of food or beverage products, as shown in fig. 1A. Kiosk 100 may be formed from any suitable material, such as metal (e.g., aluminum, steel, etc.), plastic, glass, rubber, etc. Fig. 1A shows the front, top, back, left and right portions of the kiosk 100. As shown in fig. 1A, the front portion may have an interface 120A, the interface 120A for selecting various options for a beverage product, such as an amount of the beverage product, a creaminess of the beverage product (e.g., a matrix-water ratio of the nut-based milk may determine the creaminess of the nut-based milk product), additives of the beverage product (e.g., additives of the beverage product may include maple syrup, vanilla flavor, chocolate flavor, presence and amount of ice, sweeteners, vitamins, proteins, oils, live probiotic cultures, fiber, grains, nuts, nut granules, etc.). Additional interfaces 120A may be used to select other properties of the beverage product, such as product temperature or product color (e.g., product color may be affected by food coloring).

Interface 120A may be any suitable interface for selecting various options for beverage products. For example, the interface may include a touch screen, a set of buttons, a set of joysticks, an audio interface (e.g., interface 120A may capture audio signals from a user, such as a user's voice), an image capture interface (e.g., interface 120A may capture user gestures), or any other suitable interface (e.g., a graphical interface that may interact with a computer mouse).

The kiosk 100 may have an enclosure 122A for housing a container 124A (also referred to as a bottle 124A, with the understanding that the container 124A may be any suitable container, e.g., a plastic box, cardboard box, cup, etc., made of any suitable material) that may contain a beverage product that may be configured to flow from a beverage product dispensing device (e.g., nozzle) located in the top of the enclosure 122A. The housing 122A is accessible from the front of the kiosk 100. The user may place the bottle 124A into the housing 122A such that the beverage product may be allowed to pour into the bottle 124A without spilling. In various embodiments, after placing the bottle 124A, the user may begin dispensing the beverage product into the bottle 124A via the interface 120A. In an example embodiment, the kiosk 100 may be configured to detect the presence of a bottle 124A within the housing 122A (e.g., the kiosk 100 may include a light sensor, weight sensor, etc. for detecting the bottle 124A). In various embodiments, kiosk 100 may have a computing device configured to facilitate performing various checks prior to dispensing a beverage product. For example, the computing device may check for the presence of plant-based substrates within the kiosk 100, check for the presence of purified water within the kiosk 100, check the temperature of the purified water and the substrates within the kiosk 100, and test the operation of various valves of the kiosk 100 prior to dispensing the beverage product. Various checks of the computing device are further described below.

Fig. 1A shows that the left side of the kiosk 100 may have an interface 120A and a housing 122A, and the right side may have an interface 120B and a housing 122B that may contain a bottle 124B. In an example embodiment, the left side may dispense a first type of beverage product (e.g., nut-based milk such as almond milk, cashew milk, etc.) and the right side may dispense a second type of beverage product (e.g., grain-based milk such as oat-based milk, etc.). It should be noted that any suitable beverage product that requires mixing (including emulsifying) a base (e.g., a paste) with a liquid (e.g., water) can be dispensed. For example, any botanical milk (e.g., seed-based milk) can be dispensed. Some examples of vegetable milk may include sunflower seed milk, pumpkin seed milk, sesame milk, peanut milk, and the like. In various embodiments, to ensure that the milk is not contaminated, each side of the kiosk 100 may dispense only a particular type of milk (e.g., the left side of the kiosk 100 may dispense almond milk, while the right side of the kiosk 100 may dispense oat-based milk). In an example embodiment, when the beverage is dispensed into a bottle (e.g., bottle 124A), the bottle 124A may be weighed to ensure that it receives the correct amount of botanical beverage product.

In various embodiments, the beverage product may involve mixing (including emulsification) of the matrix with water. The substrate (e.g., vegetable paste) may comprise a plant material (e.g., nuts or grains) that has been pre-treated and stored in a shell to prevent spoilage. Any suitable solution may be used to make the vegetable paste (e.g., by grinding nuts into smaller particles, releasing their oil, and refining to liquid viscosity). While many nuts and seeds have sufficient oil content to be ground into a liquid paste without additives, grain-based milks such as oat or rice milk may require the addition of enzymatic reactions such as amylase or additional vegetable oils such as sunflower seed oil. In order to provide an optimal emulsion/mixture of final product/milk and with the most efficient plant paste suction, the average micron size should be below 100um, with a target micron size of 1-20 um. The paste may also be pasteurized at 160-.

In various embodiments, one or more types of substrates may be stored in a storage container located in a compartment of kiosk 100. For example, fig. 1A shows

compartments

123A and 123B that can store vegetable paste. These compartments may be cooled and may have corresponding access doors.

Fig. 1B shows a back view of kiosk 100. kiosk 100 may include

doors

125A and 125B and conduit 128. conduit 128 may include

conduits

126A, 127A, 126B, and 127B.

Doors

125A and 125B may be used to access various components of kiosk 100. These components may include an air/water pump, one or more refrigeration units, a cooling coil, a water tank, a mixing chamber for mixing (including emulsifying) water with the vegetable paste, a pump to deliver vegetable paste from a storage unit to the mixing chamber, a pump to deliver water from the water tank to the mixing chamber via a suitable conduit configured to flow water from the water tank to the mixing chamber, an electronic control board, cleaning fluids for cleaning various components of the kiosk 100, and the like. Additional details of the various components of kiosk 100 are described below. The conduit 128 may be used to convey water (or other fluids) to and from the kiosk 100. In an example embodiment, some of the conduits (e.g., conduit 126B) may be configured to deliver used water (i.e., water that cannot be recovered by the machine) to a sewer system. In some cases, water with mixed chemicals for cleaning purposes may be delivered to the sewer system, and in other cases, at least some of the conduits 128 may be connected to a storage enclosure configured to collect used water from the kiosk 100. In various embodiments, at least some of the conduits 128 may be connected to a water supply (e.g., a tap water supply) for supplying water into the kiosk 100. Such water may be used by kiosk 100 for various purposes. For example, the water may be used for cleaning purposes, or the water may be filtered (e.g., using a carbon block filter, reverse osmosis, or any other suitable method) to provide purified water for the kiosk 100. In various embodiments, the filtered water may be disinfected using Ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1B, the kiosk 100 includes a supply cable 129 for transmitting power to the various components of the kiosk 100.

Fig. 1C shows the front of the kiosk 100, and the kiosk 100 may include

front doors

131A, 132A, 131B, and 132B. The

open doors

131A and 132A may correspond to the left side of the kiosk 100, while the

closed doors

131B and 132B may correspond to the right side of the kiosk 100. As shown in fig. 1C, gate 131A (131B) may include interface 120A (120B). In some embodiments, the

doors

131A and 132A may open outward as shown by arrow 130 (i.e., clockwise using the left side hinge), while in other embodiments, the doors 131A and/or 132A may open upward, downward, or toward the middle of the kiosk 100 (i.e., counterclockwise using the right side hinge). In various embodiments, the gate 131A may include wiring for powering the interface 120A. For example, the wiring may extend from the body of the kiosk 100 to the door 131A via wires, or may be guided through the hinges of the door 131A using any suitable method (e.g., electrical hinges).

The door 131A (door 131B) may include an opening 133A (opening 133B) through which a user may place the bottle 124A onto the bottle holder 135. An example bottle holder is shown in fig. 1D, which may include an area 137 for placement of the bottle 124A and an opening 136 for collection of spilled vegetable milk or water. Area 137 may be a recess in rack 135 such that when a particular sized bottle 124A is placed in area 137, vegetable milk may be poured into the 124A bottle without spilling. For example, the nozzle of mixing chamber 145 shown in fig. 1C may be positioned directly above center 138 of region 137 to ensure that vegetable milk does not spill when poured into the 124A bottle. In alternative embodiments, region 137 may not include a recess, alternatively including a guide ring (a guide square for a square bottle, a guide hexagon for a hexagonal bottle, or any other suitable shape designed for a similarly shaped bottle) that facilitates placement of bottle 124A on stand 135 to prevent spillage of vegetable milk (also referred to as a beverage). In some embodiments, several concentric shapes may be used as guides to facilitate placement of different types of bottles.

Returning to FIG. 1C, door 131A leads to an enclosure 139 containing chamber 145. The chamber 145 is configured to receive the vegetable paste via the matrix inlet 141 and water via the water inlet 142. The chamber 145 can include a mixing element 143 and a motor 144 for actuating the mixing element 143 to mix (including emulsify) the water in the chamber 145 with the vegetable paste. In an example embodiment, element 143 may comprise a set of blades configured to effectively mix (including emulsify) the water/paste composition within chamber 145. The element 143 is rotatable about its vertical axis by a motor 144, which motor 144 may be any suitable motor (e.g., an electric motor, a pneumatic motor, and/or the like). In an example embodiment, the mixing elements 143 (capable of emulsification) may be rotated at high speeds (e.g., 5500 rpm).

In an alternative embodiment, the mixing element 143 may comprise a set of mesh openings, and the motor 144 may be a pump configured to draw the water/paste composition through the set of mesh openings. Further details of such a mixing system (where emulsification may be performed) will be discussed further.

Fig. 1C further illustrates a door 132A leading to a compartment 123A that may contain one or more storage containers (e.g.,

containers

152 and 154, as shown in fig. 1C). These containers may contain a vegetable paste that can be delivered from the container by means of a suitable pump (e.g., a vacuum pump, peristaltic pump, etc.). Although compartment 123A is shown as being located at the bottom of kiosk 100, in some cases compartment 123A may be located at the top of kiosk 100 and the botanical paste may be delivered from

containers

152 and 154 with the assistance of gravity. In various embodiments, the vegetable paste can be configured to be flowable (i.e., to exhibit the properties of a liquid while being transferred from the

containers

152 and 154 to the mixing chamber 145 capable of emulsification). For such a configuration, the vegetable paste may flow out of the

containers

152 and 154 via the respective outlets 140a1 and 140a 2. To maintain the pressure within

vessels

152 and 154, inlets 117a1 and 117a2 may supply pressurized gas (e.g., air) into these vessels.

An example container (e.g., container 152) for containing a plant paste is shown in fig. 1E. The container 152 may be made of any suitable material and may have any suitable shape. The container 152 may be sized and shaped to suit the particular size and geometry requirements of the system design. For example, the container 152 may include a rectangular shape, a cylindrical shape, a spherical shape, a conical shape, or another external shape. In an example embodiment, the container 152 may be a flexible bag (referred to herein as bag 152). Fig. 1E shows a bag 152 containing the substrate 10, which substrate 10 may be any suitable vegetable paste (e.g., almond paste, cashew paste, etc.). Bag 152 may be formed from any food grade material such as high density polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, fluoropolymers, and/or the like. In some cases, bag 152 may be formed from a polymer, plastic, paper, or metal foil material. In example embodiments, the flexible bag 152 may be formed of an anti-fouling material, or may include an anti-fouling coating (e.g., a release coating).

As shown in fig. 1E, the bag 152 may have an outlet valve 41, and the outlet valve 41 may be a food grade one-way silicone valve designed to release the substrate 10 from the bag 152 when a pressure differential is applied across the valve (the pressure outside the bag 152 is low). In various embodiments, valve 41 may include a head unit for tight connection to conduit 140a1 (e.g., tight connection in region 23). In an example embodiment, the head unit may include a sanitary fitting. In an example embodiment, the conduit 140a1 may be directly connected to a head unit (e.g., a sanitary fitting). Alternatively or additionally, conduit 140a1 may be connected to a manifold that may be connected with a head unit. In an example embodiment, conduit 140a1 may be connected to the head unit using any suitable solution, such as a "push-to-connect" connection, which may involve pushing the end of conduit 140a1 onto the head unit. Alternatively, the conduit 140a1 may include a screw fitting that may be connected with the head unit via a tightening action.

In various embodiments, any suitable method may be used to remove the substrate 10 from the bag 152. In the exemplary embodiment shown in fig. 1F, the substrate 10 may be extruded from the bag 152 using movable rotatable rollers 25A-25B supported by the unit 26 and activated by a motor 27. In an alternative embodiment shown in fig. 1G, the bag 152 may be located within another bag 21, and the substrate 10 may be squeezed out of the bag 152 by creating pressure in the bag 21. In an example embodiment, the pressure within the bag 21 may be created by drawing a gas (e.g., air) into the bag 21 via the valve 42 of the connector 22. In various embodiments, the valve 42 may be a one-way valve that allows air to enter the bag 21 without exiting the bag 21. In an example embodiment, the bag 21 may have a release valve 43 for releasing air from the bag 21 when necessary.

In some embodiments, the bag 152 can be configured to be cooled to prevent or inhibit separation of constituent components (e.g., vegetable paste) of the feedstock in the bag 152. The bag 152 may be configured to receive or contact a coolant to cause the contents of the chamber to be cooled. The coolant may include a material that facilitates heat transfer to cause the feedstock in the bag 152 to be cooled, such as air, water, a refrigerant, a gas, or a cooling substance (e.g., a cooled gas, liquid, or solid material). In some embodiments, the bag 152 may be combined with, connected to, or located near a cooling device or component. For example, the bag 152 may be surrounded by a member or container (e.g., a cooling jacket) configured to allow a coolant to surround and contact the bag 152 to cool the contents of the bag 152. In some embodiments, the space surrounding the bag 152 may be cooled (e.g., using a refrigeration system) to allow the bag 152 to be in a cooled environment to cause the contents of the compartment to be cooled.

The flow of plant paste through the outlets 140A1 and 140A2 may be controlled by valves that may be opened/closed based on electrical signals received as a result of input from the interface 120A. The valve that controls the flow of the plant paste may be any suitable valve (e.g., an electrically operated valve, a pneumatically operated valve, etc.). In some embodiments, a compressor may be used to open and close the valve when the valve is pneumatic. For example, the compressor may operate the example pneumatic valve at 40-120 psi.

In various embodiments, the valves may be controlled by a computing device 150 (e.g., raspberry pie, Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), etc.), as shown in fig. 1H. In various implementations, the processor may include storage (e.g., random access memory, etc.), memory (e.g., hard disk drive, solid state drive, etc.). In various embodiments, the computing device 150 may control some/all aspects of the operation of the kiosk 100. Such as various valves, motors, compressors, displays, buttons, etc. For example, computing device 150 may control input/output data for

interfaces

120A and 120B. In an example embodiment, when the user selects the option for vegetable milk via interface 120A (120B), computing device 150 may determine a set of consecutive operations for producing the beverage and send a signal to the pneumatic manifold to activate compressor 151 (as shown in fig. 1H) to provide gas pressure to various valves controlled by computing device 150. In some cases, the air compressor 151 may be configured to fill the air reservoir with air maintained at a high pressure and use the air from the air reservoir to actuate various valves. When the pressure in the air tank is below the target minimum value, the air compressor 151 may replenish the air in the air tank.

In an example embodiment, the computing device 150 may open one or more valves that control the flow of the matrix, one or more valves that control the flow of purified water, one or more valves that control the flow of water used to cool various portions of the kiosk 100, and one or more valves that control additives to the beverage (e.g., maple syrup, vanilla syrup, etc.). In addition, the computing device 150 may control various other components of the kiosk 100, such as a motor for mixing (including emulsifying) water with the paste/matrix, a pump for pumping a cleaning agent through different portions of the kiosk 100, a refrigeration unit for cooling various components of the kiosk 100, and so forth.

Fig. 1H shows a rear view of kiosk 100. As shown in fig. 1H, various components of the kiosk 100 are accessible from the rear of the kiosk 100 via

doors

125A and 125B. Similar to the previous

discussion regarding doors

131A and 132A,

doors

125A and 125B may be opened in any suitable manner. Fig. 1H shows that the various compartments, such as

compartments

169, 139, 180, and 190, are accessible from the rear side of kiosk 100. For example, as previously discussed, compartment 139 includes mixing chamber 145 and may include various conduits (e.g., conduits 141 and 142) connected to various valves (e.g.,

valves

161 and 162, as shown in fig. 1H). Further, the conduit 147 may be used to supply an additive (e.g., maple syrup) to the beverage, and the supply of the additive may be controlled by the valve 163. In various embodiments, the chamber 145 may be weighed using the scale system 165. The system may be connected to the mixing chamber 145 using any suitable means. In an example embodiment, the scale system 165 is securely connected to the mixing chamber 145 using a solid member 167. In some cases, the scale system 165 can be configured to continuously measure the weight of the components of the mixing chamber 145 and the matrix/water mixture in the chamber 145.

Fig. 1H shows a compartment 169 containing a cleaning-in-place (CIP) system 170, the CIP system 170 including various cleaning and sanitizing agents for cleaning/sanitizing various portions of the kiosk 100. For example, storage container 171 may contain a CIP cleaner and container 172 may contain a disinfectant. Additionally, other containers (e.g., container 173) may contain other decontaminants (e.g., another type of CIP cleaner or another type of sanitizer). In various embodiments, storage vessels 171-173 can store high concentrations of cleaning liquid and can only be accessed by trained technicians with appropriate safety devices. In some cases, the compartment 169 may have a separate door (not shown).

FIG. 1H also illustrates a compartment 180 that may include a compressor 151 and a computing device 150 as previously described. As previously described, the compressor 151 may provide pressure to pneumatically control the various valves of the kiosk 100, and the computing device 150 may operate a set of switches (e.g., electrical solenoid-based switches) to select the valve that needs to be opened. The computing device 150 may be connected to the network via a cable 153 and configured to transmit various data (e.g., kiosk usage data, amount of water and substrate remaining within the kiosk 100, compressor pressure data, temperature of water and substrate within the kiosk 100, coolant level of a refrigeration unit, amount of cleaner or sanitizer in a CIP system, etc.) to a manager of the kiosk 100, a supplier of the kiosk 100, or any other authorized entity.

As shown in fig. 1H, the kiosk 100 may include compartments 190 for a storage tank 191 that stores purified water, and a tank 192 for storing tap water for use with the CIP system 170. In various embodiments, the reservoir 191 may be connected to the mixing chamber 145 via a suitable conduit. In some cases, tap water may be disinfected via heating or using chemicals such as chlorine. In various embodiments, the kiosk 100 may have more than one tank for purified water. For example, when a first tank is emptied, the kiosk 100 may be configured to use a second tank of purified water while refilling the first tank with purified water and cooling the first tank of purified water to a target temperature. In various embodiments, the dimensions of the first and second reservoirs for purified water may be selected such that the first reservoir may be refilled and cooled during a time interval that is less than the time required to empty the second reservoir when continuously dispensing the botanical beverage product.

As shown in fig. 1H, the compartment 190 may also contain a refrigeration unit 193, the refrigeration unit 193 may maintain various components of the kiosk 100 at a desired temperature. For example, the refrigeration unit 193 may cool purified water to a temperature near freezing. In some embodiments, the refrigeration unit may be configured to freeze at least a portion of the purified water into ice pieces to further prevent bacterial growth. In some cases, the ice cubes may be thawed shortly before the beverage is made using purified water (e.g., they may be thawed by placing the ice cubes in a housing containing purified water slightly above the freezing temperature). It should be noted that the refrigeration unit 193 may be used to maintain the temperature of various objects/compartments of the kiosk 100. For example, the unit 193 may circulate a coolant to cool the

compartments

123A and 123B containing the vegetable paste. Additionally, the unit 193 can circulate a coolant near the mixing chamber 145 to cool the vegetable milk within the chamber 145. In an example embodiment, the chamber 145 may include a cooling jacket for cooling the vegetable milk to a temperature in the range of 0-5 ℃, as further described below.

In various embodiments, at least one of the compartments may include a heater designed to heat water to use the hot water (or steam) for cleaning purposes. In an example embodiment, the heater may be activated during a cleaning process. The heater may be configured to heat tap water (e.g., water in the storage tank 192).

It should be noted that the compartments shown in fig. 1A-1H are merely illustrative and that various other configurations may be used. For example, the botanical paste may be located at the back of the kiosk 100 at the top of the kiosk 100. Additionally, the compartments may combine various elements (e.g., mixing chamber 145, compressor 151, computing device 150, etc.) in any suitable manner. For example, the compartment 180 may include a refrigeration unit 193, and the compartment 190 may include the computing device 150.

In some cases (not shown in fig. 1A-1H), the kiosk 100 may include a "grab-and-go" refrigerator section for containing bottles pre-filled with various types of botanical beverages. Such bottles can be filled with various vegetable drinks at the beginning of the day. This "pick and go" portion may allow a user to quickly remove the bottle of vegetal milk without waiting for the kiosk 100 to dispense the desired beverage. In an example embodiment, any suitable sensor may be used (e.g., using an optical sensor) to track the bottle within the "walk-and-pick" portion, and when the bottle is removed from the "walk-and-pick" portion, the sensor may send a signal to the computing device 150 indicating that the bottle has been removed. In some cases, the bottles may carry a label (e.g., radio frequency id (rfid), colored closure, etc.) to indicate the type of beverage contained in the bottle. The tag-related information may be detected by a sensor within the "take-and-go" portion and sent to the computing device 150 for billing purposes. For example, the computing device 150 may track the number of bottles within the "take-and-go" portion, the type of beverage selected by the consumer, and whether the consumer moved one or more bottles from one portion of the "take-and-go" portion to another portion of the "take-and-go" portion. In some cases, the bottles in the "take-and-go" section may be placed on a rack that includes a recess configured to position the bottles in a particular position relative to the sensor (e.g., to position the bottles below the light sensor).

FIG. 1I shows a shelving system 181 that includes bottles (e.g., bottles 124C) suspended from rails 182. As shown in FIG. 1I, the rails 182 may be organized in rows and columns, and each rail may hold several bottles. The bottles may be pulled from the rails for use by the consumer. In various embodiments, the bottle may include appropriate labels that may be used to determine the price of the beverage. In some cases, kiosk 100 may produce a paper sticker label that may be attached to a bottle to determine the price of a beverage (e.g., the sticker may include a Universal Product Code (UPC) code). In various embodiments, once the bottle is filled with a beverage, the user may place a cap on the bottle. In some cases, as shown in fig. 1J, the bottle may be held on the rail 182 by a neck 185 of the bottle. The various rails may be slightly angled to allow the bottles to slide toward the ends of the rails as indicated by region 183. The ends of the rails 183 may have hook-

like elements

186A and 186B to prevent the bottles 124C from sliding off the rails 182. Bottle neck 185 may be moved upward relative to guide 182 using the upward motion indicated by arrow 184A, thus allowing the bottle to be removed from guide 182 by the motion indicated by arrow 184B. Release of bottle neck 185 may be accomplished due to the particular shape of bottle neck 185 (i.e., bottle neck 185 narrows in area 187, allowing area 187 of bottle neck 185 to pass through space 188 between

elements

186A and 186B).

It should be noted that the design of rail 182 and bottle neck 185 is merely exemplary and that any other suitable mechanism may be used to release the bottle from rail 182 (e.g., the end of rail 182 may have a spring-loaded clamp that holds the bottle and may release the bottle as it is pulled from rail 182). Additionally, positioning the bottle such that the rails 182 support the bottle is only one example embodiment. For example, in an alternative embodiment, the bottle may simply be placed on a shelf.

It should be noted that any other suitable design of the bottle may be allowable. In some cases, the user may be allowed to carry his or her own bottle. In some cases, the bottles may be configured to be compressed, and each bottle may occupy a small amount of space. Such bottles may be formed by decompressing them (i.e., removing them from compression). Such a bottle design may allow for an increased number of bottles that may be stored within the kiosk 100 and allow for easier loading of the bottles.

In various embodiments, as shown in fig. 2A, the kiosk 100 may include one or more mixing chambers 145, the mixing chambers 145 configured to receive the substrate 10 from the bag 152 (e.g., via the conduit 141, as shown in fig. 2A). The mixing chamber 145 can have any suitable shape, such as cylindrical, spherical, rectangular, or another shape, and it can emulsify the material it is mixing. The mixing chamber 145 can be formed from any suitable material, such as metal, plastic, glass, and/or another type of material. In some embodiments, the mixing chamber 145 can include an outlet 146 (also referred to as a nozzle 146) for dispensing material (e.g., food or beverage product) from the mixing chamber 145.

In various embodiments, conduit 141 may be connected to mixing chamber 145 via valve 15 and configured to only allow flow from bag 152 to mixing chamber 145. For example, the valve 15 may be a check valve or a poppet valve and/or the like. As shown in fig. 2A, the mixing chamber 145 may include a mixing element 143 driven by a motor 144. The mixing element 143 can be configured to mix food or beverage ingredients within the mixing chamber 145. The mixing element 143 can be shaped to facilitate mixing (including emulsification) of the raw materials within the mixing chamber 145. For example, the mixing elements 143 may include rods, hooks, blades, paddles, agitators, stirrers, scrapers, and/or other shapes, tools, or devices. It is contemplated that mixing element 143 may comprise one or more shapes, tools, or devices (i.e., it may comprise a single shape, tool, or device or a plurality of shapes, tools, or devices). In some embodiments, the mixing element 143 can also or alternatively include one or more components configured to scrape or scrape the interior of the mixing chamber 145. For example, the mixing element 143 can include one or more paddles, extensions, wipers, or the like configured to contact the interior of the mixing chamber 145 to collect, dislodge, or scrape material thereon.

The motor 144 may be an electric motor such as a Direct Current (DC) motor, a servo motor, or an Alternating Current (AC) motor. In some embodiments, the amount of force and/or speed at which the mixing element 143 rotates may, in part, define the requirements (and thus design) of the motor 144 and/or the suitability of various types of commercially available motors that may be used. For example, in some cases, the motor 144 may only be required to achieve a single speed or power level. In other embodiments, the motor 144 may be required to achieve multiple speeds. In some cases, the motor 144 may be a pneumatically or hydraulically driven motor. It is to be understood that for pneumatic or hydraulic motors, similar considerations of speed and power requirements of the motor 44 are addressed by considering motor parameters such as pressure, displacement, rotational speed, direction of rotation, time-dependent rotational speed (e.g., pulsating operation), as well as application considerations (e.g., size, cost, complexity, serviceability, maintenance, hygiene, etc.). The motor 144 may be equipped with a suitable power source such as an electric power source (e.g., a battery, a capacitor, a power source, a direct connection to a utility power source, etc.), a pneumatic power source (e.g., a compressor, a tank, an accumulator, etc.), a hydraulic power source (e.g., a pump, a tank, an accumulator, etc.), and associated electrical or mechanical conduits.

The mixing chamber 145 can include one or more additional openings having valves configured to receive materials or processing aids from one or more input sources (e.g., a water source). For example, the mixing chamber 145 may include a second opening for the conduit 142, the conduit 142 configured to receive water from a water source. The conduit 142 may be connected to the mixing chamber 145 via a valve 17. In various embodiments, valve 17 may be configured to only allow flow from the water source to mixing chamber 145. For example, the valve 17 may be a check valve or a poppet valve and/or the like.

In various embodiments, the mixing chamber 145 can include a pressure sensor associated with the mixing chamber 145 (e.g., connected to the mixing chamber 145, disposed within the mixing chamber 145, etc.) and configured to generate a pressure measurement signal based on an amount of product present in the chamber 145.

FIG. 2A shows an example mixing chamber 145 surrounded by a cooling jacket 149. The cooling jacket 149 may include channels for circulating a cooling fluid configured to cool the matrix/water mixture 210 (also referred to as the beverage 210 or vegetable milk 210), as shown in fig. 2A. As previously described, the substrate 10 may be delivered into the mixing chamber 145 using the conduit 141. Additional conduits 142 may be used to deliver purified water into the chamber 145. The mixing chamber 145 may also include an additional conduit 225 for delivering cleaning agent to the mixing chamber 145 during the cleaning process. The substrate 10 and the purified water 12 may be mixed (including emulsified) using a mixing element 143, and the mixing element 143 may be rapidly rotated about its vertical axis using a motor 144. Mixing chamber 145 may include a nozzle 146 configured to pour beverage 210 into bottle 124A. Additionally, the conduit 147 may include additives as previously discussed that may be poured into the bottle 124A via the nozzle 148. In various embodiments,

nozzles

148 and 146 may be combined into a single outlet channel. In various embodiments, in order not to contaminate the mixing chamber 145, the additive does not enter the mixing chamber, thus requiring an auxiliary nozzle (nozzle 148) to deliver the additive to the bottle 124A.

The mixing chamber 145 may be configured to be weighed by a scale system 165. In order for the scale system 165 to measure the weight of the mixing chamber 145, the mixing chamber may be configured to perform a slight vertical motion 215A. For example, the mixing chamber 145 may be supported by a suspension spring (e.g., spring 216) that may allow slight movement of the mixing chamber 145. In various embodiments, at least some portions of

conduits

141, 142, and 225 may also perform slight vertical motions (e.g., motions 215B-215D, as shown in fig. 2A). For example,

conduits

141, 142, and 225 may have at least some portions formed of a flexible material capable of allowing vertical movement of portions of

conduits

141 and 142. Similarly, the motor 144 may perform vertical motion 215E because it may be connected to a power/signal source through a flexible power/data cable 220. In an alternative embodiment, the motor 144 and the mixing element 143 may not move with the movement of the mixing chamber 145 when the motor 144 and the mixing element 143 are disengaged from the mixing chamber 145.

It should be noted that the range of vertical motion of the mixing chamber 145 can be configured by selecting the stiffness of the spring 216. It should be noted that spring 216 is only one example of a connection that allows slight vertical movement of mixing chamber 145. Other connections may include rubber gaskets, pneumatic cylinders, etc. In an example embodiment, the mixing chamber 145 may be supported by the spring 216 by attaching the mixing chamber 145 to a portion of the spring (e.g., the top 217 of the spring 216) via a connector 218 that is securely attached to the cell 167 of the chamber 145. It should be noted that connector 218 and unit 167 may have any suitable shape and may be made of any suitable material (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.).

In various embodiments, the scale system 165 can be configured to measure the weight of the substrate 10 and purified water 12 entering the mixing chamber 145 in order to properly and consistently produce a vegetable milk formula. For example, if a vegetable milk formula requires 1/4 by weight ratio of substrate 10 to water 12, system 165 may be used to ensure that 1/4 by weight ratio of substrate 10 to water 12 is properly maintained. For example, the kiosk 100 may be configured to pour a first predetermined amount of water 12 into the mixing chamber 145 and then measure the weight of the poured water to verify that the correct amount of water 12 is in the mixing chamber 145. Subsequently, the kiosk 100 may be configured to pour a second predetermined amount of the substrate 10 and then measure the substrate/water mixture210. If, for example, the weight of the water 12 in the mixing chamber 145 is measured as W_wAnd the weight of the substrate/water mixture 210 in the mixing chamber 145 is measured as W_mThe weight of the substrate 10 is calculated as W_B＝W_m-W_wAnd a ratio W_B/W_wMay be W_B/W_w1/4 ±. e, where e is the error. If |. epsilon | < E₀I.e. the absolute value of the error is less than the target value E₀An 1/4 ratio of substrate 10 to water 12 is achieved. In summary, R may be used for substrate to water ratio (e.g., R — 1/4)) and overwritten W_B/W_wR ±. epsilon. However, if the error |. epsilon | ≧ E₀Then the vegetable milk formula is incorrect and the matrix/water mixture may be discarded 210. In various embodiments, the nozzle 146 includes a nozzle valve 230, the nozzle valve 230 for preventing the substrate/water mixture 210 from being poured out of the mixing chamber 145 before mixing (including emulsification) of the substrate 10 with the water 12 is complete. In an example embodiment, if | ∈ | ≧ E₀The kiosk 100 may be configured to prevent the nozzle valve 230 from opening and may be further configured to discard the substrate/water mixture 210 via the discard conduit 231 by opening the valve 232, as indicated in fig. 2A.

Alternatively, the kiosk 100 may be configured to perform a set of steps for correcting the substrate-water ratio without discarding the substrate/water mixture 210 via the discard conduit 231. For example, if W_B/W_w＝R-∈₁The kiosk 100 may be configured to have a weight W_w∈₁An amount of substrate 10 is added to the substrate/water mixture 210 to obtain the correct ratio W_NB/W_wR (here, W)_NBIs related to the previous basic mass W_BDifferentiated new basis weights). It should be noted that dispensing small, precise quantities of the substrate 10 may be more challenging than dispensing small, precise quantities of the water 12 due to the high viscosity (and possible flow in lumps) of the substrate 10, thereby preventing fine flow control of the substrate 10. On the other hand, due to the low viscosity of the water 12, it is possible to have a fine flow control of the water 12. Therefore, when W_B/W_w＝R-∈₁In time, kiosk 100 may be configured to have a weight W_w∈₂＞W_w∈₁An amount of substrate 10 is added to the substrate/water mixture 210. In the amount of W_w∈₂After the substrate 10, the substrate-water ratio may be changed to W_NB/W_w＝R+(∈₂-∈₁) (wherein e is₂＞∈₁) Indicating that there are more substrates 10 than needed for the correct formulation). Then, the amount of the additive is determined by₂-∈₁)W_wWater 12/R to correct for the matrix-water ratio. In various embodiments, when the scale system 165 is used to determine that the substrate-water ratio is correct, the final amount of substrate/water mixture 210 can be weighed and an additional amount of mixture 210 can be discarded via conduit 232.

It should be noted that the steps of adding the matrix 10 and water 12 to obtain the correct matrix-water ratio may be iteratively performed until the correct ratio is obtained. For example, water 12 may be added first, then matrix 10 may be added, and then either matrix 10 or water 12 may be added to correct for the matrix-water ratio. The process of adding the matrix 10 or water 12 may be repeated multiple times until the correct matrix-water ratio is established.

In some embodiments, the kiosk 100 may recalibrate the valve used to control the dispensing substrate 10 or water 12 based on the weight measurements obtained using the system 165. For example, if the valve (e.g., valve 15, as shown in fig. 2A) used to dispense the substrate 10 is calibrated to dispense 100 grams of substrate 10, but 110 grams of substrate 10 are dispensed, as measured by the weight of the system 165, the valve 15 may be recalibrated (i.e., configured to dispense a slightly smaller amount of substrate 10 to properly dispense 100 grams of substrate 10). For example, the valve 15 may be recalibrated by reducing the amount of time the valve 15 is open, or by reducing the rate at which the substrate 10 is transported into the mixing chamber 145 via the conduit 141 (the rate of transport of the substrate 10 being dependent on the pressure differential moving the substrate 10 through the conduit 141).

In various embodiments, the computing device 150 and scale system 165 may be configured to recalibrate the example valve in real-time. For example, the device 150 may be configured to instruct the valve 15 (or valve 17) to dispense a small target amount of substrate 10 (or water 12) by opening the valve 15 (or valve 17, as shown in fig. 2A) a given amount and/or by providing a pressure differential across the valve 15/17. The valve 15/17 may dispense a first amount of material, and the scale system 165 may be configured to measure the dispensed first amount of material and provide the measurement to the computing device 150. If the first amount of material does not match the target amount of material, the computing device 150 may adjust the setting for the valve 15/17 (e.g., increase the material flow through the valve 15/17, decrease the material flow through the valve 15/17, or keep the valve 15/17 open for a longer/shorter period of time). The calibration steps described above may be repeated multiple times to produce the desired amount of material to be dispensed by valve 15/17. In the event that the valve 15/17 is unable to dispense the appropriate amount of material within a given time interval (e.g., within 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 45 seconds, 50 seconds, 60 seconds, etc.), the valve 15/17 may be closed and the computing device 150 may report warning data to an administrator of the kiosk 100. It should be noted that the calibration steps described for valve 15 may be applied to any valve of kiosk 100.

In various embodiments, the computing device 150 may report some (or all) of the failures of the kiosk 100 (e.g., failures of valves, scale systems 165, temperature sensors, refrigeration units 193, compressors 151, etc.) to an administrator of the kiosk 100. Additionally, when the kiosk 100 is out of supply (e.g., the substrates 10 in the

containers

152 and 154 are out of supply), the computing device 150 may be configured to report the supply shortage to the provider of the kiosk 100. Further operation of the computing device 150 and reporting by the computing device 150 is discussed below.

To prepare a botanical beverage, water 12 may first be flowed into the mixing chamber 145, and the scale system 165 may be configured to measure the weight of the water 12 in the absence of the substrate 10. After the water flows into the mixing chamber 145, the substrate 10 may be introduced and the weight of the water 12 and substrate 10 may again be measured to infer the weight of the substrate 10. In various embodiments, the substrate 10 may be introduced in small amounts and the weight of the substrate 10 may be measured cyclically to obtain the correct paste-to-water weight ratio. In some embodiments, the substrate 10 and water 12 may be mixed (including emulsified) in the mixing chamber 145 after the substrate 10 is introduced into the auxiliary weight/volume measurement vessel.

Fig. 2A shows that the

conduits

142 and 141 may be attached to the mixing chamber 145, thus increasing the weight of the mixing chamber 145 measured by the scale system 165. In addition, as the conduit carries the substrate 10 and water 12 toward the mixing chamber 145, dynamic forces associated with the flow of the substrate 10 and water 12 can affect the readings of the scale system 165 and can introduce errors in the weight measurement. By separating the housings of the

conduits

141 and 142, the motor 144, the mixing element 143 and the mixing chamber 145, errors in the weight measurement can be reduced.

In the example embodiment shown in fig. 2B, the mixing chamber 145 may be suspended from the hub 250 via bellows 240. The bellows 240 may be configured to expand and the hub 250 may be securely connected to a portion of the kiosk 100 via the connector unit 251. Since the hub 250 is supported by the connector unit 251, it does not increase the weight of the mixing chamber 145, nor does the elements (e.g., the

conduits

141, 142, and 225) connected to the hub 250 increase the weight of the mixing chamber 145. The bellows 240 may allow the mixing chamber 145 to move slightly as shown by arrow 215A, and the weight of the mixing chamber 145 (and the matrix/water mixture 210) may be measured by the scale system 165. Note that the scale system 165 as shown in fig. 2B may be configured differently from the scale system 165 as shown in fig. 2A. For example, a scale system may be disposed above the mixing chamber 145 and the connector unit 218 may be disposed vertically, as shown in fig. 2B. The additional solid member 167 may have a different shape than that shown in fig. 2A and may be located at the top of the mixing chamber 145. The differences between the scale system 165 of fig. 2A and 2B are shown to illustrate various possible designs of the system 165, and it should be understood that any other suitable variant is possible.

In various embodiments, the substrate 10 or water 12 flows into the hub 250 before being poured by gravity into the mixing chamber 145. In an example embodiment, the hub 250 may include a funnel for directing the flow of the substrate 10 and/or water 12 toward the mixing chamber 145. In alternative embodiments, hub 250 may not include a bottom portion and may only be configured to support

conduits

141, 142, and 147.

Fig. 3 shows an example process 300 for obtaining a suitable matrix-water ratio for vegetable milk. In step 301 of the process 300, the computing device 150 may be configured to control the valve 17 to cause a predetermined amount of purified water 12 to flow into the mixing tankIn the chamber 145. Upon receiving the water 12, the scale system 165 of the mixing chamber 145 may weigh the water 12 to obtain a water weight W in step 303_w. In step 305, the computing device 150 of the kiosk 100 may determine the water weight W_wWhether less than or equal to the target water weight W required for the correct formulation of vegetable milk₀. If W is_w＜W₀(NO, step 305), the process 300 may proceed to step 319 and determine to ensure W_w≥W₀But additional water volume needs to be added. Alternatively, if W_w≥W₀(YES, step 305), the process 300 may proceed to step 307, in step 307, the computing device 150 may weigh W_wDetermines the target amount of substrate 10 to produce the correct substrate-to-water ratio R. In step 311, the computing device 150 may be configured to control the valve 15 to flow a target amount of the substrate 10 into the mixing chamber 145. In step 313, the mixing chamber 145 can receive the substrate 10 and measure the resulting weight W of the substrate/water mixture using the scale system 165_m. Further by starting from W_mMinus W_wThe computing device 150 may be configured to calculate the weight of the substrate 10 as W_B＝W_m-W_w. In step 315, the computing device 150 may evaluate the substrate-water ratio W_B/W_wAnd compares it with the target ratio R. If W is_B/W_wR (yes, step 315), the process 300 may proceed to step 321, where the computing device 150 may determine whether excess vegetable milk needs to be removed from the mixing chamber 145 in step 321. If it is desired to remove some of the phytochemicals 210 (step 321, yes), the process 300 may proceed to step 323 and remove excess mixture 210 via conduit 231 (as shown in fig. 2A). Alternatively, if the mixture 210 does not need to be removed from the chamber 145 in step 321 (e.g., the mixture 210 has the correct weight for dispensing into the bottle 124A, as shown in fig. 2A), the process 300 can be successfully completed. It should be noted that expression W_B/W_wApproximate sign indication W in R_B/W_wMay not be exactly equal to R, but may deviate from R within the allowed range of values (e.g., within one to ten percent of the value of R).

If the correct substrate-water ratio is not obtained, the process 300 proceeds to step 317 where the computing device 150 determines if an additional amount of substrate 10 or an additional amount of water 12 needs to be added to the substrate/water mixture 210 to obtain the correct substrate-water ratio R. If additional amounts of substrate 10 need to be added (step 317, yes), process 300 may proceed to step 307. Alternatively, if more water 12 needs to be added (step 317, no), the process 300 may proceed to step 319, where the amount of water may be determined by the computing device 150 in step 319. After completing step 319, process 300 may proceed to step 301 and flow an additional amount of water to mixing chamber 145.

In various embodiments, the matrix 10 and water 12 may be pre-mixed to form a concentrate in order to accelerate the preparation of the vegetable milk. For example, a suitable ratio (e.g., a ratio of 1, 1/2, 1/3, etc.) of substrate-water concentrates can be used to rapidly mix the substrate/water mixture 210 in the mixing chamber 145. In an example embodiment, a concentrate having a precise matrix-to-water ratio may be prepared in a separate compartment, and when a request for vegetable milk is received, the concentrate may be mixed with water in the mixing chamber 145 to produce the desired vegetable milk. In various embodiments, the concentrate may be maintained at a low temperature (e.g., a temperature slightly above the freezing point) to prevent bacterial growth in the concentrate. The concentrate may be stored for a short duration (e.g., one hour, several hours, one day, several days, etc.) and may be discarded if not used for a set duration. In various embodiments, several different types of concentrates may be used for different botanical beverages.

Figure 4A shows an exemplary embodiment of a kiosk having several mixing chambers 145A-145C, all capable of emulsifying the materials they are mixing. Each mixing chamber may be dedicated to a particular type of milk. For example, chamber 145A may be used to prepare almond milk, chamber 145B may be used to prepare oatmeal milk, and chamber 145C may be used to prepare peanut milk. Note that the peanut milk preparation chamber 145C is not usable to prepare any other type of milk to prevent residual peanut particles from contaminating other types of vegetable milk, thereby preventing a user allergic to peanuts from potentially developing an allergic reaction. In an example embodiment of the kiosk 100, as shown in fig. 4A, the kiosk 100 may have a single housing 122 (as opposed to the

multiple housings

122A and 122B shown in fig. 1A), and the mixing chambers 145A-145C securely connected to the turntable 411 may be rotated to be positioned over the bottles 124, as shown in fig. 4A. In fig. 4A, rotation of the turntable is indicated by arrow 414, and the turntable may be rotated about a vertical axis (not shown) using a suitable motor controlled by computing device 150.

In an example embodiment, mixing chambers 145A-145C may have a similar design as mixing chamber 145 shown in fig. 2B, except that hub 250 does not include

conduits

141, 142, and 147. Details of the modified mixing chamber (e.g., chamber 145A) are shown in fig. 4B. As shown in fig. 4B, mixing chamber 145A includes a funnel unit 425A for receiving substrate 10 and water 12 from

respective faucets

451 and 442.

Faucets

451 and 442 are at a distance above funnel unit 425A such that mixing chamber 145A may move away from

faucets

451 and 442. For example, when the rotating stage 411 rotates as shown in fig. 4A, the mixing chamber 145A may rotate away from the

faucets

451 and 442.

Returning to fig. 4A, the user may select a vegetable milk (e.g., almond milk), and a mixing chamber (e.g., chamber 145A for almond milk) may be positioned above bottle 124.

Containers

431 and 433 may contain various types of concentrates for different types of milk. For example, container 431 may be almond milk concentrate, container 432 may be oatmeal concentrate, and container 433 may be peanut milk concentrate. When the user selects almond milk, computing device 150 may be configured to open faucet 451, and almond milk concentrate may flow into funnel unit 425A of mixing chamber 145A via conduit 461. In various embodiments, conduits 461 & 463 for bringing different concentrates to the corresponding taps 451 & 453 may be supported by the unit 412 and the arm unit 413. The unit 412 and the arm unit 413 may be arranged to ensure that: as the funnel units 425A-425C rotate with the rotation of the turntable 411, they do not interfere with the movement of these funnel units. As shown in fig. 4A, purified water 12 may flow from faucet 442 via a plumbing unit 464 originating from reservoir 434.

In an example embodiment, the motor 144 may be supported by a member 417, which member 417 may move the motor 144 up/down and connect the motor 144 with one of the mixing bars 417A-417C for the mixing chambers 145A-145C. The mixing rods 417A-417C may be attached to corresponding mixing elements (e.g., the mixing element 143 illustrated in fig. 2B). Movement of the motor 144 in the up/down direction allows the motor 144 to be disconnected from the mixing chamber and used with the mixing chamber 145B as a different mixing chamber (e.g., mixing chamber 145B) rotates in a position above the bottle 124. The motor 144 and the mixing bar (e.g., mixing bar 417A) may be connected using a connecting element 415, as shown in fig. 4A and 4C. Fig. 4C shows an example connecting element 415 including a groove 415F. The top of the stem 417A may include a flower unit 418A, and the flower unit 418A may be inserted into a receiving flower-shaped recess 415F of the connecting element 415. The flower unit 418A and the groove 415F can be designed to mate upon rotation of the groove 415F relative to the flower unit 418A. In an example embodiment, the flower groove 415F and the cell 418A can include a large number of leaflets (e.g., 8 leaflets, where the leaflets 415F1 and 418A1 are shown in fig. 4C), and the flower groove 415F and the cell 418A can mate after the connecting element 415 is rotated an angle relative to the stem 417A (e.g., mate after being rotated an angle less than 45 degrees). In various embodiments, the motor 144 may apply some force toward the bar 417A such that after the groove 415F and the flower unit 418A are mated, the motor 144 locks with the bar 417A.

Returning again to fig. 4A, while mixing chamber 145A may be used to dispense almond milk, the other mixing chambers may be rinsed or cleaned. For example, chamber 145B may be flushed or cleaned using any suitable cleaning/rinsing liquid transferred from reservoir 435 to mixing chamber 145B via conduit 465, which may be placed within support unit 421 and arm unit 416, as shown in fig. 4A. In an example embodiment, the cleaning/rinsing liquid may be poured into the chamber 145B via a tap 455 attached to the arm unit 416. Similar to the support unit 412 and the arm unit 413, the support unit 421 and the arm unit 416 may be disposed so as not to interfere with the movement of the chamber when they rotate with the turntable 411. Similarly, faucet 442 and plumbing unit 464 are positioned such that they do not obstruct movement of chambers 145A-145C. In example embodiments, the mixing chamber 145 may be flushed every five minutes, every ten minutes, every fifteen minutes, every twenty minutes, etc. In some cases, mixing chamber 145 may be flushed after each use, after every two, three, four, five, ten, twenty uses, etc. In some cases, the mixing chamber 145 may be flushed after one of a set number of uses or a set duration.

The

support units

412, 421, the pipe unit 464, the

arm units

413 and 416, and the turntable 411 may be made of any suitable material that is durable and can be easily cleaned. Such materials may include stainless steel, aluminum and aluminum alloys, copper alloys, plastics, fluoropolymers, and the like. In some cases, the various components shown in fig. 4A may have an antimicrobial surface coating (e.g., fluorocarbon, containing TiO)₂Coatings of (ii), etc.).

As described above, the motor 144 may be configured to move up/down and connect with the mixing bars 417A-417C. While this configuration allows for the use of a single motor 144, it may take some time to move the motor 144 up/down and connect it to the mixing bars 417A-417C. To speed up the preparation of the dairy product, the mixing assembly (i.e. the mixing motor and the mixing element) may be part of a hub 250, as shown for example in fig. 4B. With this configuration, mixing can begin once the mixing assembly associated with the mixing chamber introduces the matrix/water mixture into the mixing chamber.

In some cases, when the flowable concentrate is mixed with purified water to produce vegetable milk, no significant mixing, active mixing, or emulsification is required, and the naturally-formed mixture of flowable concentrate and purified water can be poured directly into the bottle 124. In an alternative embodiment, the mixing chambers 145A-145C may have a set of mesh openings that allow the concentrate and purified water to mix. For example, fig. 4D shows an example embodiment that includes a mixing element 482 (e.g., a mesh) and an inclined surface 481 for directing the concentrate/water mixture 483 within the mixing chamber 145A and causing mixing of the concentrate with water. In various embodiments, the mixing element can have any suitable shape (e.g., the mixing element can have a circular, rectangular, or other cross-section). The mixing element 482 may include fixed (i.e., "static") components such as a plurality of surfaces, blades, fins, or other protrusions. The components of the mixing elements 482 may be arranged in a predetermined uniform pattern, or may be arranged in a non-uniform or random arrangement. The arrangement of the components of the mixing element 482 may be designed to achieve at least some mixing (or optimal mixing) or agitation of the mixture 210. For example, the components of the mixing element 482 may be designed or configured to cause separated components of the mixture 210 to be re-mixed, injected, or otherwise combined (i.e., reduced or reversed separated) during passage through the element 482. In some embodiments, the mixing elements 482 can include screens, meshes, grates, foams, or other structured components configured to cause agitation or turbulence in the material passing through the static mixer. Mixing element 482 may enable mixing of the components of mixture 210 without additional moving parts that may increase the cost and/or complexity of mixing chamber 145. In some embodiments, the chamber 145 may not include a mixing element 482. In other embodiments, chamber 145 can include a plurality of mixing elements.

As previously discussed, the mixing chambers 145A-145C may be cooled with a coolant that circulates within a cooling jacket. For example, FIG. 5 shows a cooling jacket 502 adjacent to a wall of the chamber 145. In various embodiments, the cooling jacket 502 may be formed from a thermally conductive material (e.g., copper, aluminum, stainless steel, aluminum/copper/magnesium alloys, and/or the like). The cooling jacket 502 is conductively coupled to an outer surface of the chamber 145, wherein the term "conductively coupled" means that heat from the chamber 145 can be conducted away from the chamber 145 via the jacket 502. In various embodiments, the jacket 502 may include a channel 501 for flowing cooling liquid (e.g., cooling water, coolant, etc.) for convectively transferring heat from the jacket 502 to a radiator/ambient environment, etc. In various embodiments, the rate of heat transfer from chamber 145 can be determined by the temperature of the flowing cooling liquid and the flow rate of the cooling liquid. In various embodiments, both the temperature and the flow rate of the flowing cooling liquid may be controlled by the computing device 150. In some embodiments, the jacket 502 may include a temperature sensor 503 for measuring the temperature over the area of the jacket 502. The computing device 150 may use the data of the sensor 503 to modify the cooling rate of the chamber 145. In some embodiments, the beverage product within the mixing chamber 145 can be maintained at a temperature in the range of 33 to 48 degrees fahrenheit.

Fig. 5 shows an opening 526 with a valve 230 and a conduit 511 with a valve 516 for auxiliary product flow. In an exemplary embodiment, the ancillary products may include flavors, additives, food colors, and the like. In various embodiments, the vegetable milk and the auxiliary product may flow out toward the bottle via the nozzle 146. In an example embodiment, valve 230 may be a one-way valve, allowing the matrix/water mixture 210 (also referred to as beverage product 210) to flow out of mixing chamber 145 and preventing auxiliary product from entering chamber 145. Similarly, valve 516 may be a one-way valve, allowing the auxiliary product to exit conduit 511, but preventing any other substance (e.g., beverage product 210) from entering conduit 511 carrying the auxiliary product.

As previously described, the kiosk 100 may include a computing device 150 operatively coupled to (e.g., electronically and/or electrically connectable to) one or more components of the kiosk 100. The computing device 150 may include one or more components, such as a storage device 696 and at least one processor device 698. The storage 696 may be or include a non-transitory computer-readable medium, and may include one or more memory units of the non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of storage 696 may be or include any type of disk (including floppy disks, optical disks, DVDs, CD-ROMs, microdrive, and magneto-optical disks), ROMs, RAMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, DRAMs, VRAMs, flash memory devices, magnetic or optical cards, or any type of media or device suitable for storing computer-readable instructions and/or data. The memory unit may include permanent and/or removable portions of a non-transitory computer readable medium (e.g., a removable medium such as an SD card, RAM, etc., or an external memory).

Non-transitory computer-readable media associated with storage device 696 may also be configured to store logic, code, and/or program instructions that are executable by processor device 698 to perform any suitable implementation of the methods described herein. For example, a non-transitory computer readable medium associated with storage device 696 may be configured to store computer readable instructions that, when executed by processor device 698, cause the processor to perform a method comprising one or more steps. In some embodiments, computer readable instructions may be stored in or as one or more modules associated with one or more methods or processes. A method performed by processor device 698 based on instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium may include processing inputs such as data or information stored in the non-transitory computer readable medium of storage device 696, inputs received from input devices, inputs received from sensing components (e.g., received directly from one or more sensors or retrieved from memory), and/or other inputs. The non-transitory computer readable medium may be configured to store data sensed by the one or more sensors for processing by the processor device 698. In some implementations, a non-transitory computer readable medium may be used to store the processing results generated by the processor device 698.

Processor device 698 can include one or more processors (e.g., microprocessors), and can be or include a programmable processor (e.g., a Central Processing Unit (CPU)). The processor device 698 may be operatively coupled to the memory device 696 or another storage device configured to store programs or instructions executable by the processor device 698 to perform one or more method steps. Note that the method steps described herein may be stored in storage device 696 and executed by processing device 698 to cause method steps to be performed.

Referring to fig. 6, in some embodiments, the computing device 150 may be configured to monitor and/or control one or more components of the kiosk 100. For example, the device 150 may be connected to one or more temperature sensors configured to detect the temperature of one or more components or spaces within the kiosk 100. For example, the device 150 may be connected to a temperature sensor 662 (e.g., a first temperature sensor), the temperature sensor 662 being associated with (e.g., coupled to, in contact with, disposed on or within, etc.) a storage container (e.g., storage container 152, as shown in fig. 1C) for storing the substrate 10 and configured to sense or detect the temperature of the substrate 10 within the container 152.

The temperature sensor 662 may be electronically and/or electrically connected to the computing device 150. The apparatus 150 may be configured to receive a temperature measurement signal from the temperature sensor 662 and control the temperature of the ingredient within the container 152 based on the temperature measurement signal from the temperature sensor 662. For example, the computing device 150 may be electronically and/or electrically connected to a cooling device (e.g., a refrigeration unit 193, as shown in fig. 1H) and configured to control an aspect of the cooling device to affect and control the temperature of the feedstock within the vessel 152. For example, the device 150 may be configured (e.g., programmed with computer readable instructions, connected to a memory storing computer readable instructions executable by the electronic device 150, etc.) to control other components, such as valves, power sources, motors, pumps, electronics, fans, or units 193, in order to change or maintain the temperature of the feedstock within the vessel 152. In this way, separation of the constituent components of the substrate 10 within the container 152 may be inhibited or prevented.

Additionally, the computing device 150 can be connected to a temperature sensor 664 (e.g., a second temperature sensor), the temperature sensor 664 being associated with (e.g., connected to, in contact with, disposed on or within, etc. the mixing chamber 145 (as shown, for example, in fig. 2B) the mixing chamber 145 and configured to sense or detect a temperature of the feedstock (e.g., the substrate 10, the water 12, other ingredients, and combinations thereof) within the mixing chamber 145. The temperature sensor 664 may be electronically or electrically connected to the device 150. The apparatus 150 can be configured to receive the temperature measurement signal from the temperature sensor 664 and control the temperature of the material within the mixing chamber 145 based on the temperature measurement signal from the temperature sensor 664. For example, the device 150 may be electronically or electrically connected to a refrigeration unit 193 for cooling the mixing chamber 145 and configured to control an aspect of the cooling device to affect and control the temperature of the feedstock within the mixing chamber 145. For example, the device 150 can be configured (e.g., programmed with computer readable instructions, connected to a memory storing computer readable instructions executable by the electronic device 150, etc.) to control other components, such as valves, power sources, motors, pumps, electronics, fans, or units 193, in order to change or maintain the temperature of the substrate/water mixture within the mixing chamber 145. In this manner, the material contained in the mixing chamber 145 and dispensed from the mixing chamber 145 can be at or maintained at a suitable temperature to preserve the food or beverage ingredients and/or for consumption of the product dispensed from the mixing chamber 145.

The computing device 150 may also be connected to a temperature sensor 666 (e.g., a third temperature sensor), the temperature sensor 666 being associated with (e.g., coupled to, in contact with, disposed on or within) a tank (e.g., the water storage tank 191, as shown in fig. 1H) and configured to sense or detect a temperature of water within the tank 191 or exiting the tank 191. Temperature sensor 666 may be electronically or electrically connected to device 150. The apparatus 150 may be configured to receive a temperature measurement signal from the temperature sensor 666 and control the temperature of water from within the tank 191 or drawn from the tank 191 based on the temperature measurement signal from the temperature sensor 666. As mentioned above, the device 150 may be electrically or electronically connected to the unit 193, the unit 193 being used for cooling the water in the water tank 191, among other uses. As mentioned above, the device 150 may be configured to control other components, such as valves, power sources, motors, pumps, electronics, fans or units 193, in order to change or maintain the temperature of the water within or exiting the water tank 191. In this manner, the ingredients mixed with water from the water tank 191 can be brought to or maintained at a suitable temperature to preserve the food or beverage ingredients and/or for consumption of the product dispensed from the mixing chamber 145.

In addition, the device 150 can use the information regarding weight from the scale system 165 to sense or detect the weight of the ingredients (e.g., water 12, substrate 10, other ingredients, combinations thereof, etc.) within the mixing chamber 145, as shown in fig. 2B. In various embodiments, data from the system 165 may be received by the device 150, and the device 150 may be configured to control the weight of the substrate/water within the mixing chamber 145 in response to the weight information received from the system 165. For example, the device 150 may be electronically or electrically connected to a valve 670, as schematically shown in fig. 6, the valve 670 (e.g., a first valve) configured to control the transfer of the substrate from the container 152 to the mixing chamber 145. Additionally, the device 150 may be connected to another valve 672 (e.g., a second valve), the valve 672 configured to control the delivery of water from the water storage tank 191 to the mixing chamber 145 and configured to control the substrate/water ratio and the total weight of the substrate/water mixture within the mixing chamber 145. For example, the device 150 may be configured (e.g., programmed with computer readable instructions, connected to a memory storing computer readable instructions executable by the device 150, etc.) to control, for example, valves (e.g., valve 670 for adding substrate 10 from the container 152, valve 672 for adding water 12 from the water tank 191, etc.), motors, pumps, electronics, or other components of the kiosk 100 to change or maintain the weight of the ingredients in the mixing chamber 145. In this manner, the dosing (i.e., addition) of ingredients (e.g., substrate 10, water 12, etc.) in the mixing chamber 145 can be controlled and/or overfilling of the mixing chamber 145 prevented according to predetermined recipe specifications.

The computing device 150 can be connected to a liquid level sensor 668 (e.g., a first liquid level sensor), the liquid level sensor 668 being associated with the mixing chamber 145 (e.g., connected to the mixing chamber 145, in contact with the mixing chamber 145, disposed on or within the mixing chamber 145, etc.) and configured to sense or detect a level of a material (e.g., water 12, substrate 10, other ingredient, combinations thereof, etc.) within the mixing chamber 145. The level sensor 668 may be electrically or electronically connected to the apparatus 150. The apparatus 150 may be configured to receive a level measurement signal from the level sensor 668 and control the level of the ingredient within the mixing chamber 145 based on the level measurement signal from the level sensor 668.

The device 150 may also be configured (e.g., programmed with computer readable instructions, connected to a memory storing computer readable instructions executable by the device 150) to control a valve 230 (e.g., a third valve) as shown in fig. 5, the valve 230 for controlling dispensing of material from the mixing chamber 145 into the bottle 124 as shown in fig. 4A. The device 150 can be configured to cause the valve 230 to operate, for example, for a predetermined period of time, so as to dispense a corresponding predetermined quantity of vegetable milk into the bottle 124. In some embodiments, device 150 may be configured to automatically determine the amount of time to open valve 230 (e.g., based on a detected, sensed, determined, or otherwise input amount of raw material permitted to enter mixing chamber 145) to dispense an appropriate amount of vegetable milk into bottle 124.

Additionally, the computing device 150 may be configured to control a valve 676 (e.g., a fourth valve), the valve 676 being used to control the exposure of the mixing chamber 145 to a low pressure source. The device 150 may be configured to operate the valve 676 to control the pressure within the mixing chamber 145 to control the reduction of foam within the mixing chamber 145 during the mixing operation. Additionally, the computing device 150 may be configured to control a valve 686 (e.g., a fifth valve), the valve 686 being used to control the flow of cleaning/sanitizing agent to clean various components of the kiosk 100. It should be noted that various other valves may also be controlled by the computing device 150.

Additionally, the computing device 150 may be connected to a pressure sensor 680, the pressure sensor 680 being associated with the mixing chamber 145 (e.g., connected to the mixing chamber 145, disposed within the mixing chamber 145, etc.) and configured to generate a pressure measurement signal. The device 150 may be configured to control the valve 676 and/or components of the low pressure source (e.g., pump, motor, power source, valves, etc.) based on the pressure measurement signal from the pressure sensor 680 to control the pressure within the mixing chamber 145, e.g., to cause the pressure to match a set pressure value.

Additionally, the device 150 may be configured to control the motor 144, as shown, for example, in fig. 2B. For example, the device 150 may control the rotational speed of the motor 144 (e.g., the rotational speed may be in the range of 5000-. Additionally, the device 150 may control the duration of mixing (including emulsification), the torque of the motor 144, and any other suitable aspect of the motor 144.

In various embodiments, the computing device 150 may be configured to receive, collect, and save (e.g., save in memory) data (e.g., measurement data) collected (i.e., sensed or measured) via the various temperature, weight, and pressure sensors of the kiosk 100. The device 150 may be configured to monitor data collected via various sensors and determine if and/or when any of the data indicates a fault or error. For example, the apparatus 150 may be configured to compare the data value to a stored reference value and determine whether and/or to what extent the data is mathematically different from the reference value. The apparatus 150 may be configured to generate a signal indicative of an error when a difference between sensed or measured data is equal to, greater than, or less than a reference value by a predetermined amount (i.e., an amount equal to an error value). The error value may be determined empirically or may be assumed, inferred, or employed based on known information (e.g., information about the system component provided by the component manufacturer) or based on previous test results.

In some embodiments, data collected via sensors of the kiosk 100 may be used to determine when the supply or reserve of one or more ingredients dispensable by the kiosk 100 is insufficient (i.e., when the amount stored or reserved is below a threshold amount) or depleted. For example, the computing device 150 may be configured to monitor the weight of the substrate 10 or the level of the substrate 10 within the container 152 and determine if and/or when the substrate 10 is inadequate or depleted within the container 152.

In various implementations, the computing device 150 may be electronically and/or electrically connected to a communication device (e.g., a radio transceiver) and may be configured to transmit an error signal or error message to a remote communication device (e.g., a remote computer, mobile phone, server, etc.) based on a determined error value, such as any of the error values discussed above. The communication device may be a communication device configured to send and/or receive messages via a radio communication protocol such as WiFi, CDMA, 3G, 4G, LTE, bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), or via a wired communication system such as telephone, cable, fiber optic, or other connection. In some implementations, the device 150 is accessible via the internet by a local or remote computing device (e.g., a computer, mobile device, tablet, proprietary hardware, etc.). In this manner, any data, error signals or messages, other diagnostics, and/or data metrics sensed by the sensors of the kiosk 100 or stored by the computing device 150 or within the computing device 150 may be accessed by the owner, operator, and/or technician of the kiosk 100. In some embodiments, the device 150 may be configured to allow remote access via the electronic communication mechanisms described above to access and manipulate system control settings (e.g., temperature set point, pressure set point, dosing amount, etc.). In some embodiments, the computing device 150 may be configured to automatically send a message consistent with the above to a remote communication device indicating an insufficient supply or depletion of the ingredient to enable automatic ordering of the ingredient.

As shown in fig. 2B, mixing chamber 145 can be periodically cleaned to maintain desired sanitary conditions within the housing of chamber 145. In an example embodiment, the mixing chamber 145 may be cleaned according to a time interval since the last use of the kiosk 100. For example, when the kiosk 100 is not activated (i.e., not engaged in dispensing a beverage product), the chamber 145 may be flushed with water every ten minutes. In an example embodiment, hot water with a temperature in excess of 100 ° F may be used. It should be noted that the ten minute time interval is merely illustrative and that any other suitable inactive interval may be selected as the duration of time after which the kiosk 100 may need to be flushed. In some cases, the kiosk 100 may be rinsed for a selected duration of time, which may depend on various factors such as the frequency of use of the kiosk 100, the type of substrate 10 used to prepare the beverage product, the temperature of the mixing chamber 145, the ambient humidity, and the like.

In some embodiments, as previously discussed, the kiosk 100 optionally may include a Cleaning In Place (CIP) system 170 for cleaning and/or sanitizing the components of the kiosk 100, as shown in fig. 1H. For example, the CIP system 170 may include a cleaning material source configured to store cleaning material. The CIP system 170 may be configured to introduce cleaning material into portions of the kiosk 100, for example, by admitting the cleaning material into a water supply conduit connected to the mixing chamber 145 (as shown in fig. 1H). It is contemplated that the source of cleaning material may be used to clean different components of the kiosk 100 such as, for example, various conduits carrying water. The computing device 150 may be configured to operate various valves and/or water supplies to automatically manage cleaning materials or respond to explicit commands of a user (e.g., received via the interface 120A).

In various embodiments, the CIP system 170 may include periodic internal cleaning and may include a fully automated system with a programmable logic controller, multiple tanks, sensors, valves, heat exchangers, data acquisition, and specially designed spray nozzle systems.

In example embodiments, the components of the kiosk 100 may be cleaned with a CIP cleaner such as AFCO 5229, AFCO 2548, 5222HD CIP 20, AFCO5235 super CIP 200, and/or the like, and the components of the kiosk 100 may be disinfected with a CIP disinfectant such as AFCO 4325, PER OX SAN, AFCO 4312VIGILQUAT, and/or the like.

In some embodiments, the rinse cycle may include rinsing with hot water. For example, the water temperature may be between 30 and 100 degrees celsius. In some cases, the flush cycle may include dispensing water vapor into the interior of the mixing chamber 145, as shown in fig. 2B. For example, in order to destroy bacteria, water vapor having a temperature of about ten to several hundred degrees celsius or higher may be used. In some cases, multiple rinse cycles may be used, with the water temperature being different for different cycles. In some embodiments, various other sterilization techniques may be used to clean/sterilize the interior surfaces of the mixing chamber 145. For example, in some embodiments, hot air (air having a temperature of about ten to several hundred degrees celsius) may be distributed within the mixing chamber 145. In some embodiments, mixing chamber 145 can be irradiated by UV radiation in order to sterilize the surfaces of chamber 145.

It should be noted that UV radiation may be used to disinfect various surfaces of the components of the kiosk 100. For example, UV radiation may be used to disinfect various conduits (e.g., conduits 141 and/or 142) and areas of the kiosk 100 near the nozzle 146, as shown in fig. 2A. In some embodiments, the botanical beverage product (e.g., mixture 210, as shown in fig. 2A) can be irradiated by UV radiation to reduce the presence of microorganisms within the product. For example, the mixture 210 may be placed in a UV transparent envelope and may be irradiated with UV radiation in the wavelength range of 240 and 310 nanometers. The transparent outer shell may be formed from a UV transparent material such as quartz or a fluoropolymer (e.g., EFEP, ETFE, etc.).

In some embodiments, when deeper cleaning is required, a rinse cycle may be followed by a dosing cleaning cycle. The dosing cleaning cycle may involve surfactants such as anionic surfactants (e.g., alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates, and/or the like) or other surfactants (e.g., amphoteric or nonionic), caustic soda, and/or the like. In some cases, the surfactant can be delivered via a conduit 225 and sprayed onto the inner wall of the mixing chamber 145 using any suitable method (e.g., using a spray ball). In various embodiments, the deep cleaning cycle may be followed by a rinse cycle. In some embodiments, the mixing element 143 can be activated during a dosing cleaning cycle to mix liquids (e.g., water and surfactant) dispensed into the mixing chamber 145 during the dosing cleaning cycle.

In some embodiments, a disinfection cycle may be used. The disinfection cycle may involve a disinfection solution, which may include a disinfectant such as peracetic acid, chlorine, bromine, peroxide (e.g., hydrogen peroxide solution), and/or the like. In some cases, the disinfectant may be delivered via conduit 225 and sprayed onto the inner walls of the mixing chamber 145 using any suitable method (e.g., using a spray ball). In various embodiments, the disinfection cycle may be followed by a rinse cycle. In some embodiments, during a disinfection cycle, the mixing element 143 can be activated to mix the liquid (e.g., a disinfecting solution) dispensed into the mixing chamber 145 during disinfection. During a cleaning cycle, as shown in fig. 2A, the outlet 146 may be closed using a valve (e.g., valve 230, shown in fig. 5) to prevent cleaning liquid from escaping from the chamber 145.

Fig. 7 shows that cleaning of the mixing chamber 145 may include the steps of: rinsing chamber 145 (step 711), cleaning chamber 145 with the ration (step 712), and sterilizing chamber 145 (step 713). Steps 711-713 may be used in any suitable combination. The last step during cleaning of the mixing chamber 145 can be step 711 (i.e., rinsing the chamber 145). In an exemplary embodiment, FIG. 7 shows a process 710 for cleaning the chamber 145 having a series of steps 711 and 715 performed one after the other. It should be noted that any other suitable sequence of steps 711-715 may be used.

In various embodiments, the process of cleaning the components of the kiosk 100 may be described by the process 800 shown in fig. 8. In step 801 of process 800, the system may first be pre-rinsed with water (e.g., purified water, water treated with a disinfectant, heat or UV radiation, etc.), which may be performed to wet the inner surfaces of mixing chamber 145, conduit 142, and mixing element 143, and remove residue. In some cases, the conduit 141 may also be cleaned.

In step 802, the CIP cleaner may be introduced into the components of the kiosk 100 (e.g., into the mixing chamber 145 and conduits 141 and 142). In some embodiments, the dispenser may introduce the CIP cleaning into the components of the kiosk 100 after selecting a desired dose (e.g., volume) of the CIP cleaning. In various embodiments, the concentrated CIP cleaner may be used to clean the components of the kiosk 100 after being diluted. In various embodiments, the CIP cleaner and/or the water used to dilute the cleaner may be maintained at room temperature or heated to a suitable temperature. The dosage of the concentrated CIP cleaner can be measured and controlled by any suitable means including, for example, a Venturi System (Venturi System), and the CIP cleaner can be delivered to the components of the kiosk 100 via the dispenser/Venturi. In various embodiments, the CIP cleaning may be forced into the components of the kiosk 100 at high pressure/velocity. Various valves can be opened or closed to control the delivery of a predetermined concentration of CIP cleaning from the dispenser/venturi into the mixing chamber 145. In various embodiments, the CIP cleaner may include a surfactant and a caustic.

In various embodiments, process 800 may include one or more iterations between step 801 and step 802, which are schematically indicated by loop 1 in fig. 8. For example, the process 800 may include a single sequence of steps 801 (rinsing step) and 802 (cleaning step), or it may include several repetitions of the sequence. Once cycle 1 is complete, the components of kiosk 100 may be sterilized in step 803. For example, in step 803, a CIP disinfectant may be introduced into the components of the kiosk 100 (e.g., into the mixing chamber 145, conduits 141 and 142). In some embodiments, the dispenser may introduce the disinfectant into the components of the kiosk 100 after selecting a desired dose (e.g., volume) of CIP disinfectant. In various embodiments, the concentrated CIP disinfectant may be used to clean the components of the kiosk 100 after being diluted. In various embodiments, the CIP disinfectant and/or water used to dilute the cleaning may be maintained at room temperature or heated to a suitable temperature. The dosage of the concentrated CIP disinfectant may be measured and controlled by any suitable means including, for example, a venturi system, and may be delivered to the components of the kiosk 100 via a dispenser/venturi. In various embodiments, the CIP disinfectant may be forced into the components of the kiosk 100 at a high pressure/velocity. Various valves can be opened or closed to control the delivery of a predetermined concentration of CIP sterilant from the dispenser/venturi into the mixing chamber 145. In various embodiments, the CIP disinfectant may include peracetic acid. In an example embodiment, the CIP disinfectant may be placed overnight in the range of mixing chamber 145 to outlet 146 to ensure that no microorganisms are growing.

In various embodiments, process 800 may include one or more iterations between steps 801 and 803, which are schematically indicated by loop 2 in fig. 8. For example, the process 800 may include a single sequence of steps 801 (a rinsing step) and 803 (a disinfecting step), or it may include several repetitions of the sequence. Once cycle 2 is complete, the final cleaning step may be a rinse step 801, after which step 801 air may be blown through the components of the kiosk 100 and the components dried.

The critical parameters must be met and maintained within specification for the duration of the cycle. If the specifications are not met or maintained, cleaning will not be assured and will have to be repeated. Key parameters include temperature, flow rate/supply pressure, chemical concentration, chemical contact time, and final rinse conductivity (which indicates that all cleaning chemicals have been removed).

In various embodiments, the kiosk 100 may be cleaned multiple times during a day. For example, the system may be cleaned in the morning, at noon, and in the evening. In various embodiments, the mixing chamber 145 may be cold water flushed at a frequency of 5-20 minutes of inactivity at the kiosk 100.

Fig. 9 illustrates an example process 900 for cleaning a kiosk 100 according to the disclosed embodiments. In step 901 of process 900, kiosk 100 may be configured to select cleaning parameters. Such parameters may include the temperature of the water being used to clean the kiosk 100 or/and the concentration of the cleaning chemical. It should be noted that the cleaning parameters may be determined based on the cleaning requirements and requirements for the chemicals as well as the concentrations of the chemicals used during the cleaning process. In step 903, the CIP system 170 may clean the kiosk 100 using any suitable method, including the methods described above. In step 905, the CIP system may flush the kiosk 100 using any suitable method including the methods described above. In step 907, the CIP system may perform a cleaning test. The cleaning test may use any suitable method to determine whether the kiosk 100 or components and surfaces of the kiosk 100 are cleaned. In an example embodiment, the cleaning test may be a reflectance test (e.g., measuring the reflectance of various surfaces and comparing the reflectance to a predetermined value). For example, the reflectivity of the surface may change due to the presence of microbial films. Additionally, or alternatively, various visual tests may be performed to detect microbial growth or to detect surfaces that may require cleaning. For example, the visual test may include capturing images of the surface and using a computer-based model to recognize the presence of contaminants on various surfaces of the kiosk 100. In some embodiments, a fluorescence test can be performed to determine the presence of a microorganism. For example, UV radiation (e.g., radiation in the wavelength range of 250-500 nm) may be used to determine the presence of microbial contamination based on fluorescent radiation emitted by the microorganisms when exposed to UV radiation. If the cleaning test is unsuccessful (no, step 907), the CIP system may be configured to return to step 901 and repeat the cleaning process. If the cleaning test is successful (YES, step 907), then in step 909, the CIP system may be configured to perform a flush test. The flush test determines whether the kiosk 100 is sufficiently flushed (i.e., whether there is no cleaning chemistry present in the system). The rinse test may be performed using any suitable method, such as using conductivity analysis. Conductivity analysis may help to confirm that the rinse process was successful (e.g., most of all cleaning chemicals were removed). Since various cleaning solutions are more conductive than the water used for rinsing, conductivity measurements are a reasonable way to monitor the cleaning step and the final rinse. If the flush test is successful (yes at step 909), the CIP system may end the cleaning process, whereas if the flush test is not successful (no at step 909), the CIP system may be configured to return to the flush step 905 and repeat step 905 and subsequent tests at

steps

907 and 909.

Fig. 10 and 11 indicate various methods of user interaction with kiosk 100 or kiosk 100. In an example embodiment, the kiosk 100 may be configured to present the user with an interface (e.g., interface 120A) that allows the user to select various parameters of the botanical beverage product. In an example embodiment, a user may select a botanical beverage product (e.g., almond milk, oatmeal-based milk, etc.). In addition, the user may select the "creaminess" of the vegetable beverage. As used herein, the term "creaminess" defines the ratio of the matrix 10 to the water 12 used to make the beverage. In some embodiments, the user may select an additive (e.g., vanilla, chocolate, etc.) for the beverage. Fig. 10 shows that the kiosk 100 may include buttons 1001, a touch screen 1002 containing Graphical User Interface (GUI)

elements

1003 and 1005, or any other suitable means for controlling the parameters of the beverage dispensed. In an example embodiment, element 1003 may be a category of beverage selectable by the user, and element 1005 may indicate to the user the pages and number of pages available for the user to select a beverage. Elements 1004A-1004C may be beverage options. For example, element 1004A may allow the user to select maple syrup, element 1004B may allow the user to select vanilla syrup, and element 1004C may allow the user to select cream weight for vegetable milk. In various embodiments, elements 1004A-1004C may include strip elements 1005A-1005C for determining the quantity of each product. In the example embodiment shown in fig. 10, the user may select only a small amount of vanilla syrup, as indicated by short bar element 1005B. In various embodiments, the extent of the strip elements may be preset. For example, as an exemplary embodiment, the conditional element 1005C may range from 0.125 to 1, resulting in a beverage having a matrix-water ratio of 1/8 to 1. Similarly, suitable ranges may be established for various additives (e.g., maple syrup, sugar, chocolate, etc.).

Fig. 11 illustrates a mobile device 1101 (e.g., smartphone, tablet, etc.) that may be used to select beverage parameters. In an example embodiment, the mobile device 1101 may display a QR code 1111, which may contain information regarding beverage parameters. The QR code may be scanned by the kiosk 100 to send the beverage parameters to the computing device 150 for preparation of the vegetable milk.

As previously described, the computing device 150 may perform various functions of controlling the kiosk 100 and report operational data (e.g., data related to malfunction of the kiosk 100, data related to use of the kiosk 100, data related to supply remaining in the kiosk 100, or any other suitable data related to the kiosk 100) to the kiosk dashboard. In various embodiments, the operating data of kiosk 100 may be transmitted to the kiosk dashboard over a suitable network (e.g., the internet, etc.). In an example embodiment, the kiosk dashboard may be an internet site provided by a server residing in the cloud. The server may receive the kiosk 100 operational data from the computing device 150, process the data, and display the data on the kiosk dashboard. In an example embodiment, the operational data of the kiosk 100 may include any suitable data related to a failure of the kiosk 100 (e.g., a failure of the chiller unit 193, the compressor 151, the motor 144, the valves of the mixing chamber 145, a failure of the interface 120A (120B), a blockage of various conduits, a failure of a heater for heating water, a leak of the

water tanks

191 and 192, the presence of residue in the tanks 191(192), odors of various components of the kiosk 100, the presence of surface contamination observed by cameras inside the kiosk, the presence of abnormal noise, etc.). Additionally, as discussed above, the computing device 150 may report to the kiosk dashboard the supply amount (e.g., the amount of substrate 10 and/or the amount of purified water) available to the kiosk 100.

In some cases, the computing device 150 may issue some informational message to the user of the kiosk 100. For example, the computing device 150 may inform the user through the interface 120A that the botanical beverage was dispensed after cooling the water, or that the mixing chamber is undergoing a flush. In some cases, if the kiosk 100 is undergoing maintenance, the interface 120A may inform the user that a botanical beverage is not available.

In various embodiments, as shown in fig. 1C, several containers (e.g., containers 152 and 154) may be used to supply the substrate 10 for a botanical beverage. The computing device 150 may track the amount of substrate 10 remaining in the

containers

152 and 154 and notify the supplier when the

containers

152 and 154 need to be replaced. In an example embodiment, when the container 152 is empty, the computing device 150 may be configured to begin using the substrate 10 from the container 154 and inform the supplier that the container 152 is empty and needs to be replaced. In some cases, the computing device 150 may estimate the number of beverages that can be dispensed by the kiosk 100 before the kiosk 100 is completely depleted of the substrate 10. In some instances, the computing device 150 may estimate the amount of time remaining before the kiosk 100 runs out of substrates 10. In various embodiments, the computing device 150 may report various data related to the availability of supplies and the failure of the kiosk 100 to a kiosk dashboard accessible to an administrator of the kiosk 100 and a supplier of the kiosk 100. In an example embodiment, an administrator of the kiosk 100 may have a first set of privileges and a vendor may have a second set of privileges to gain access to data of the kiosk dashboard. For example, the supplier of the kiosk 100 may not have access to data relating to the failure of the kiosk 100.

For each dispensing transaction of the kiosk 100, the computing device 150 may generate a report and submit the report to the kiosk dashboard. The transaction report may include the amount of vegetable milk dispensed, the type of bottle used, the type of beverage dispensed, how much time it took to dispense the beverage, and/or any other suitable data related to dispensing the vegetable beverage. Additionally, as previously discussed, the computing device 150 may report to the kiosk dashboard when a bottle is removed from the "get-and-go" refrigerator section.

In various embodiments, the kiosk 100 may be designed to prevent improper connection of supplies (e.g., botanical substrates) in the kiosk 100. For example, a kiosk may have: a first connector in a first receiving shape for connecting the almond substrate, a second connector in a second receiving shape for connecting the cashew substrate, a third connector in a third receiving shape for connecting the oat paste, etc. A first connector in a first receiving shape may only accept receptacles in a corresponding first insertion shape (e.g.,

receptacles

152, 154, as shown in fig. 1C), but may not accept any other insertion shape. Similarly, a second connector in a second receiving shape may only accept a corresponding second insertion shape, a third connector with a third receiving shape may only accept a corresponding third insertion shape, and so on. In alternative embodiments, the connectors of the kiosk 100 and the housing containing the different botanical substrates may be color coded to properly connect the housings. Alternatively, there may be a sensor that can inspect a color or label that may be associated with the housing (e.g., the housing may have an RFID tag and the kiosk 100 may have an RFID sensor located near the connection for connecting the housing).

In various embodiments, the computing device 150 may report the runtime parameters of the kiosk 100 (e.g., the temperature of the purified water in the

water tanks

191 and 192, the temperature of the substrate, etc.) to the kiosk dashboard. If the runtime parameters are outside of specification, the computing device 150 may include error codes.

In various embodiments, an administrator of kiosk 100 may remotely manage aspects of the operation of kiosk 100. For example, as shown in fig. 4A, the administrator may adjust the temperature of different components of the kiosk 100, the pressure of different valves, the pressure within the mixing chamber 145, parameters of the motor 144, flow rates of various conduits, rotation of the turntable 411, or any other parameter controlled by the computing device 150. For example, the administrator may remotely open/close the doors of the kiosk 100. In some cases, the administrator may communicate with the supplier of the kiosk 100 to re-supply the kiosk 100. In some cases, the vendor may remotely adjust at least some parameters of the kiosk 100. In various embodiments, the kiosk 100 may have multiple suppliers with different responsibilities and with different information available to them via the kiosk dashboard. For example, the first supplier may be a supplier of botanical substrates, and the second supplier may be a supplier of cleaning and sanitizing agents for the kiosk 100. The third supplier may be a mechanic for providing new parts to the kiosk 100 and for configuring various components of the kiosk 100.

According to disclosed embodiments, a system for dispensing vegetable milk may include a mixing chamber configured to emulsify a vegetable paste and water as previously described. The system can include a plant paste reservoir (e.g.,

containers

152 and 154, as shown in fig. 1C) connected to the mixing chamber via a first conduit (e.g., outlet connection 140a1, as shown in fig. 1C), a water reservoir (e.g., tank 191, as shown in fig. 1H) connected to the mixing chamber (e.g., chamber 145) via a second conduit, and a cooling system (e.g., system 193). The cooling system may be configured to cool water within the reservoir to a first prescribed temperature (e.g., near a freezing temperature or any other suitable temperature) and to cool the contents of the mixing chamber to a second prescribed temperature (e.g., near a freezing temperature or any other suitable temperature). Additionally, the system can include a suction system configured to move a prescribed amount of vegetable paste into the mixing chamber upon receiving a user input via the user interface. The specified amount of vegetable paste may be the amount required to form the desired creaminess and volume of vegetable milk. The system may also include a flow system configured to flow water from the water reservoir to the mixing chamber. Additionally, the system may include a control system. The control system may be configured to: receiving input of a user; activating a suction system to move a prescribed amount of vegetable paste into the mixing chamber based on user input; and activating the flow system to flow an amount of water into the mixing chamber, the amount of water corresponding to the prescribed amount of vegetable paste. Additionally, the control system may be configured to: starting the mixing chamber to emulsify the vegetable paste and water; and dispensing the emulsified paste and water botanical mixture.

The foregoing description has been presented for purposes of illustration. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the precise form or embodiments disclosed. Modifications and adaptations to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosed embodiments. For example, while certain components have been described as being coupled to one another, such components may be integrated with one another or distributed in any suitable manner.

Moreover, although illustrative embodiments have been described herein, the scope includes any and all embodiments having equivalent elements, modifications, omissions, combinations (e.g., across aspects of the various embodiments), adaptations and/or alterations based on the present disclosure. The elements of the claims are to be interpreted broadly based on the language employed in the claims and not limited to examples described in the present specification or during the prosecution of the application, which examples are to be construed as non-exclusive. Additionally, the steps of the disclosed methods may be modified in any manner, including reordered steps and/or insertion or deletion steps.

The features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, and thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such systems and methods which fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. As used herein, the indefinite articles "a" and "an" mean "one or more". Similarly, the use of plural terms does not necessarily indicate plural, unless it is clear from a given context. Words such as "and" or "mean" and/or "unless specifically indicated otherwise. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation illustrated and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the term "group" means one or more (i.e., at least one) and the phrase "any solution" means any now known or later developed solution.

Other embodiments will be apparent from consideration of the specification and practice of the embodiments disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the disclosed embodiments being indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. A system for dispensing vegetable milk, the system comprising:

a mixing chamber configured to emulsify a vegetable paste and water;

a vegetable paste reservoir connected to the mixing chamber via a first conduit;

a water reservoir connected to the mixing chamber via a second conduit;

a cooling system configured to:

cooling the water in said reservoir to a first prescribed temperature;

cooling the contents of the mixing chamber to a second prescribed temperature;

a suction system configured to move a prescribed amount of botanical paste into the mixing chamber upon receiving a user input via a user interface;

a flow system configured to flow water from the water reservoir to the mixing chamber; and

a control system configured to:

receiving an input of the user;

activating the suction system to move the prescribed amount of botanical paste into the mixing chamber based on the user's input;

activating the flow system to flow an amount of water into the mixing chamber, the amount of water corresponding to the prescribed amount of vegetable paste;

activating the mixing chamber to emulsify the vegetable paste and water; and

dispensing the vegetable mixture of emulsified paste and water.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further configured to:

activating the suction system to draw the specified amount of paste into the mixing chamber;

determining a weight of the mixing chamber;

determining an amount of water required to flow into the mixing chamber based on the determined weight of the mixing chamber; and

activating the flow system to cause the determined amount of water to flow into the mixing chamber.