GB2431395A

GB2431395A - Method and apparatus for dispensing a beverage

Info

Publication number: GB2431395A
Application number: GB0521167A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Robert Fletcher
Original assignee: Mars Inc
Current assignee: Mars Inc
Priority date: 2005-10-18
Filing date: 2005-10-18
Publication date: 2007-04-25
Also published as: FR2893244B1; GB0521167D0; FR2893244A1; DE102006048351B4; GB0620733D0; DE102006048351A1; GB2431396B; GB2431396A

Abstract

A method of filling a receptacle 40, such as disposable cups used for in-cup beverage dispense systems, comprising: (a) injecting a stream of a first liquid into the receptacle, and (b) spraying a second liquid into an upper region of the receptacle to form a liquid curtain inside the receptacle for limiting the escape of non aqueous components from the receptacle during said filling. Also provided is a liquid dispensing apparatus, comprising: a nozzle assembly 10 with a first liquid injector for injecting a stream of first liquid into a receptacle; and a second liquid injector for providing a spray of a second liquid inside the receptacle for limiting the escape of non aqueous components from the receptacle during said filling.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DISPENSING A BEVERAGE

The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for the dispensing of beverages into a receptacle such as a cup.

It is known to use beverage dispensing machines in which an aqueous liquid is deposited into a receptacle. The receptacle may already contain a concentrated ingredient. For example, GB 2 402 386 discloses a dispensing system of the in-cup type, in which a cup containing a portion of powdered beverage ingredients in its base is split from a stack of such cups, placed in a cup filling station, and filled with hot water to form a beverage.

WO 02/087400 describes a dispensing system fbr the preparation of foamed beverages such as cappuccino. In this system, a concentrated aqueous dispersion of a foamable ingredient is deposited in the base of a cup, and a high velocity jet of water is then injected into the dispersion to produce a foam inside the cup by high shear mixing.

In other beverage dispensing systems, the receptacle may initially be empty and the dispensing system fills the receptacle with water and a beverage ingredient, either sequentially or simultaneously. For example, the beverage may be prepared inside the dispensing machine in a mixing chamber, or by injection of water into a beverage concentrate capsule. The beverage then flows into the receptacle. In other dispensing machines, one or more beverage components and water are separately deposited into a receptacle, either sequentially or simultaneously.

In many of the above systems, it has been found that as the beverage is produced or deposited in the receptacle, some of the concentrated beverage ingredient or the mixed beverage may splash out of the receptacle and onto the dispensing machine or the sunoundings of the dispensing machine. This can lead over time to contamination on or around the receptacle and dispensing machine. It may also lead to the production of a beverage with a reduced concentration of beverage ingredient due to loss of ingredient from the receptacle. These problems are aggravated by high filling speeds and the use of high velocity water jets.

Accordingly, in a first aspect, the present invention addresses the above identified problems by providing a method of filling a receptacle having a base, at least one side wall, an upper region and a lower region, comprising: (a) injecting a stream of a first liquid into the receptacle, and (b) spraying a second liquid into an upper region of the receptacle to form a liquid curtain inside the receptacle for limiting the escape of non aqueous components from the receptacle during said filling.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a liquid dispensing apparatus, comprising: a first liquid injector for injecting a stream of first liquid into a receptacle; and a second liquid injector for providing a spray of a second liquid inside the receptacle for limiting the escape of non aqueous components from the receptacle during said filling.

Suitably, the apparatus according to the present invention is suitable for performing a method according to the first aspect of the invention.

The liquid curtain, which is preferably a water curtain, retains beverage components inside the container by capturing and entraining particles or droplets splashed up from the beverage or concentrates in the bottom of the container. Preferably, the spraying step is substantially simultaneous with at least part of the injection step, fix example it may be simultaneous with at initial period of the injection step when escape of concentrated ingredients from the bottom of the receptacle is most likely. The spraying may be intermittent or continuous, but preferably it is continuous at least for the initial part of the injection step.

The receptacle normally comprises a base and side walls defining an interior volume that is open at the top. Preferably the receptacle comprises a cup or a mug. Suitably, the receptacle is a thermoplastic receptacle, which may be disposable. The interior volume may typically be in the range of from about 50m1 to about 500ml, for example from about lOOmI to about 350ml. Especially suitable receptacles arc the disposable cups used for in- cup beverage dispensing systems such as KLIX (RTM) cups. These cups are supplied with a solid particulate ingredient in the base of the cup, and are therefore prone to loss of ingredient during filling. A further advantage is that the liquid spray can assist circulation of liquid along the sides of the cup. The in-cup systems have projecting ribs in the cup to assist stacking and splitting of cups from the stack, and these ribs can produce "dead zones" with poor liquid circulation inside the cups.

The beverage may be any hot or cold beverage, including for example infusions such as freshly brewed tea or coffee, instant tea or coffee, soup, hot chocolate, water, flavored waters, fruit juices, or carbonated beverages. The receptacle may be provided with a concentrated beverage ingredient prior to injecting the liquid into the receptacle. In such a case, the first and/or second liquid preferably consist essentially of water, optionally mixed with steam. The ingredient is any food-acceptable substance. Preferably, the ingredient is a particulate solid. Typically the ingredient comprises a partially or completely dehydrated beverage such as coffee.

The first liquid and the second liquid may be the same. Alternatively, the first and second liquids may be different to one another. Preferably, the second liquid is water, since the escape of water droplets from the spray will not cause contamination of the apparatus adjacent to the receptacle. In certain embodiments, for example for in-cup dispensing systems, both the first and second liquids are water.

Alternatively, the first and/or second liquids may comprise an aqueous dispersion of one or more beverage ingredient. For example, the liquids may comprise one or more components selected from tea extracts, coffee extracts, chocolate extracts, a whitener and a sweetener.

In these embodiments, the method may further comprise the steps of: providing a capsule containing a beverage ingredient; and injecting at least a portion of the liquids into the receptacle through the capsule. The beverage ingredient typically comprises ground coffee or leaf tea, preferably in an amount suitable to brew a single cup of beverage. The capsule is normally disposable after one use. The capsule may comprise: side walls defining an enclosed region containing the beverage ingredient.

The spray may comprise a sheet of the second liquid forming a substantially continuous liquid curtain across all or part of the receptacle. Alternatively, the spray may be formed from a plurality of fine jets or droplets of the second liquid. That is to say, the liquid spray need not be continuous, provided that the spray performs the task of catching and entraining the majority of the particles or droplets containing non-aqueous components which attempt to splash out of the receptacle. The liquid spray is preferably located substantially inside the internal volume of the receptacle, suitably in an upper region of said internal volume, so that it remains substantially above the level of the liquid filling in the receptacle at least initially. It will be appreciated that the location of the liquid spray may be moved during filling so as to keep the spray above the level of the liquid in the receptacle, It will also he appreciated that the liquid spray may only be applied for an initial part of the liquid filling procedure, when the risk of splashing powdered or concentrated beverage ingredients from the receptacle is greatest. The spray may then cease while filling of the receptacle is completed.

The spray may suitably have a lateral component of velocity, for example it may be directed radially outwardly from a nozzle that may be located in a radially central region of the receptacle, that is to say at a location proximate to the longitudinal axis of the receptacle. Typically the second liquid forming the spray strikes the side wall of the receptacle at a height above the level of liquid in the receptacle so as to catch any contents which attempt to splash out of the receptacle during its filling.

At least a portion of the liquid that is injected into the receptacle is in the stream of first liquid, rather than the spray of second liquid. In certain embodiments, the majority of the water used to form the beverage is injected into the receptacle in the first liquid stream, and a minority of the said water is injected into the receptacle as the second liquid spray. The amount of first liquid in the stream and second liquid in the spray are preferably independently adjustable to minimise the amount of second liquid in the spray and reduce the time taken to produce a beverage. Suitably, the first liquid forming the jet and the second liquid forming the spray may pass through different parts of the beverage making apparatus before reaching the respective outlets.

In one embodiment of the apparatus according to the present invention, the first and second liquid injectors may comprise a coaxial injector and spray nozzle. The apparatus may for example comprise a pair of coaxial cylindrical walls, the inner wall having a radius r1 and the outer wall having a radius r2, defining respective inner and outer channels. The inner channel may extend further than the outer channel. For example, where the nozzle comprises two coaxial cylindrical walls, the inner wall may extend further than the outer wall. The second liquid which passes through the outer coaxial channel forms the spray and the first liquid which passes through the inner coaxial channel forms the stream.

The outlets of the two channels are arranged so that the first liquid passing through the first channel forms a jet and the second liquid passing through the outer channel is dispersed so as to form the spray.

The injector nozzle and/or the spray nozzle may be formed by injection molding of a thermoplastic. Preferably, the nozzles are demountably fitted to the beverage making apparatus to permit replacement or cleaning of the nozzles. The nozzles can be made disposable to avoid problems of scale build-up in nozzles or contamination by prolonged use.

The apparatus according to the present invention normally further comprises a cup stand for receiving and positioning a receptacle at an optimum position for the filling.

It will be appreciated that the first and/or the second outlets may be vertically movable during the filling step to optimise the filling of the receptacle.

It will be appreciated that the optional and/or preferred features described in conjunction with any one of the above aspects of the invention may also be present, alone or in combination with any of the other optional and/or preferred features, in embodiments according to any other aspect of the invention.

Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to figure 1, the apparatus comprises a beverage making apparatus of the in-cup dispensing type comprising a conventional hot water supply and pump (not shown). The hot water supply is connected to nozzle assembly 10 through appropriate control valves (not shown). The nozzle assembly 10 comprises a pair of coaxial cylindrical walls 20, 30, the inner wall 20 having a radius r and the outer wall 30 having a radius r2. An inner channel 25 is defined by the inner surface of the inner wall 20. An outer channel 35 is defined by the inner surface of the outer wall 30 and an outer surface of the inner wall 20.

In use, a receptacle 40, for example a KLIX (RTM) cup, containing a concentrated beverage ingredient 45 is positioned on a cup stand so as to collect the water ejected from the nozzle 10. The inner wall 20 of the nozzle 10 extends further in a coaxial direction towards the receptacle 40 than the outer wall 30 of the nozzle 10.

Hot water is injected into the receptacle 40 through both the inner and outer channels 25, 35 of the nozzle 10. The liquid which is injected into the receptacle 40 through the inner channel 25 forms a stream 50. The liquid which is injected into the receptacle 40 through the outer channel 35 forms a spray 60 that strikes the side wall 42 of the receptacle 40 close to its opening 44. The spray 60 of liquid acts to catch and entrain any concentrated beverage ingredient, and/or mixed beverage which attempts to splash out of the receptacle 40. The spray 40 thus prevents contamination of the machine and surrounding area, and permits faster filling of the cup.

The above embodiment has been described by way of example only. Many other embodiments falling within the scope of the accompanying claims will be apparent to the skilled reader.

Claims

1. A method of filling a receptacle having a base, at least one side wall, an upper region and a lower region, comprising: (a) injecting a stream of a first liquid into the receptacle, and (b) spraying a second liquid into an upper region of the receptacle to form a liquid curtain inside the receptacle for limiting the escape of non aqueous components from the receptacle during said filling.

2. A method according to claim I wherein the second liquid is sprayed radially outwardly from a spray nozzle.

3. A method according to claim I or claim 2, wherein the second liquid consists essentially of water.

4. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein said step of spraying is carried out simultaneously with said step of injecting

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein said step of spraying is performed during an initial part of said step of injecting.

6. A method according to any preceding claim 4, wherein the first and second liquids are injected into the receptacle through coaxial channels, the first liquid passing through the inner channel to a first outlet and the second liquid passing through the outer channel to a spray nozzle.

7. A method according to any preceding claim wherein the receptacle contains a concentrated beverage ingredient prior to said injection.

8. A method according to any preceding claim, wherein the volume of said first liquid injected into the receptacle is greater than the volume of said second liquid introduced into the receptacle in the step of spraying.

9. A liquid dispensing apparatus, comprising: a first liquid injector for injecting a stream of first liquid into a receptacle; and a second liquid injector for providing a spray of a second liquid inside the receptacle for limiting the escape of non aqueous components from the receptacle during said filling.

10. A liquid dispensing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first and second liquid injectors comprise coaxial channels.

11. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

12. An apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.