MXPA00001564A - Beverage dispensing system with flavor additive system - Google Patents

Abstract

A beverage dispensing system comprises an apparatus for dispensing a base beverage including a controller for dispensing a quantity of the base beverage, and a system for dispensing at least one flavoring for admixture with the dispensed base beverage. The flavoring dispensing system has a valve (55) for controlling dispensing of the flavoring (53) and a control (49) operable in response to actuation of the beverage dispensing system control to dispense base beverage for opening the valve (55) to dispense flavoring simultaneously and throughout dispensing of the base beverage with a constant volume ratio of base beverage and flavoring.

Description

DISPATCHING SYSTEM OF BEVERAGES WITH ADDITIVE FLAVOR SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to a beverage dispensing apparatus, and more particularly to a beverage dispensing apparatus for dispensing conventional beverages with additional flavor. The apparatus of this invention is especially suitable (though not exclusively) for supplying flavor drinks (eg, non-alcoholic beverages). Soft drinks are traditionally supplied by a conventional beverage dispenser in which a base beverage in the form of a concentrated syrup, such as a cola syrup, is dispensed together with a dilute agent, such as carbonated water, into a beaker. The dispensing system includes a housing unit, an assortment nozzle, hydraulic lines connecting the nozzle to the syrup source of the base beverage and a source of diluted agent, a valve for controlling the assortment of the base beverage and a switch, like a lever or a control board, to control the actuation of the valve. Flavoring these standard base beverages with an additional flavoring such as cherry or vanilla flavoring has become particularly common. Currently, flavor to the standard base beverage is added and packaged as a syrup flavor pre-mixed before being connected to the hydraulic lines of the beverage dispenser to fill in a conventional manner. For example, beverages sold under the brand name of Cherry Coke and Vanilla Coke are produced by adding cherry or vanilla flavoring with the base glue syrup to create a flavored cola syrup that can be dispensed by a normal beverage dispenser. However, adding flavor to the base beverage before dispensing may result in uneven dispersion or stratification of the flavor throughout the base beverage, resulting in a noticeable variation in flavor while the beverage is consumed. In addition, pre-mixing the flavor requires additional process equipment, thus increasing the cost of the flavor beverage and the time required to create the flavor beverage. Manual addition of flavor to a base beverage after it has been dispensed into a glass is also known. This method of flavoring the beverage also results in an increase in the time to create the beverage and a stratification of the flavor throughout the beverage. In addition, since several sizes of vessels require correspondingly variable amounts of added flavoring, the flavoring mixture after the base beverage is dispensed can not ensure that the proper flavor-to-base ratio of the size of one glass to the other is maintained. .

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Among the various objects of this invention, one can note the arrangement of an improved beverage dispensing apparatus for supplying flavoring in a glass to be mixed with a base beverage; the arrangement of said apparatus that maintains a constant volume ratio of flavor to a base beverage without considering the size of the vessel that is filled with beverage; and the arrangement of said apparatus that allows the flavor source to be located away from the apparatus. In general, a beverage dispensing apparatus of the present invention comprises a system for dispensing a base beverage that includes a control for controlling the assortment of a quantity of the base beverage, and a system for supplying at least one flavor to mix with the beverage. assorted base drink. The flavoring dispenser system has a valve for controlling the flavoring assortment and an operable control in response to the operation of the control of the beverage spout system to supply the base beverage to open the valve in order to simultaneously supply the flavor and supply in a uniform the base drink with a constant volume ratio of the base drink and flavoring. Other objects and characteristics will be partly evident and partly indicated later.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1is a schematic of a beverage dispensing apparatus of the present invention; Figure 2 is a graph of a second embodiment of a beverage dispensing apparatus of the present invention; and Figure 3 is an electrical installation diagram of the beverage dispensing apparatus of Figures 1 and 2. The corresponding parts are designated by corresponding numbers in all views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES Referring to the drawings, and in particular to Figure 1, the beverage dispensing apparatus of the present invention is indicated in its entirety as 21. The beverage dispensing apparatus 21 is particularly suitable for dispensing flavor drinks in which the flavoring It is stocked in a glass simultaneously with a standard base drink to be mixed with the base drink. The base drink may be a non-alcoholic beverage, such as those known under the trade names of COCA COLA, PEPSI, SEVEN-UP, or another type of commonly-stocked beverage, without additional flavoring. The dispensing apparatus 21 as shown comprises a base beverage dispensing system, generally indicated with 23, for dispensing the base beverage in a glass 25 or other type of container and a flavoring dispensing system, generally indicated with 27, for dispensing one or more flavorings in the glass to mix with the basic beverage dispensed. The base beverage dispensing system 23 is operable between an assortment mode in which the base beverage is dispensed into a beaker 25 and a non-assortment mode. The system 23 comprises a main housing 31 and a drainage tray 33 integrally formed with and extending forward from a lower portion of the main housing. A valve housing 35 projects forwardly from the main housing 31 and is spaced over the drip tray 33 to allow the vessel 25 to be placed on the drip tray generally below the valve housing during the assortment of the base beverage. The valve housing 35 as shown is integrally formed with the main housing 31, but may also be constructed separate from the main housing and attached thereto through suitable connectors (not shown) and remain within the scope of this invention. A nozzle 37 is installed on the underside of the valve housing 35 to provide an outlet through which the base beverage is dispensed into the vessel 25. A pipe 43 extends into the valve housing 35 and the main housing 31 generally from the nozzle 37 to a source of the base beverage syrup 41 remotely located from the main housing to define a beverage line through which the base beverage syrup flows. As illustrated in diagram form in Figure 1, the source of the syrup of ~ T ^ f - ~ 1flffit - -JiiMíiiíüf »T fiíÉ-ii r ~ Éf ^ - - -" '- * - * - base drink 41 includes a dispensing device, such as a pump (not shown), to effect the distribution of the base beverage through the beverage line 43. An additional line (not shown) dispenses carbonated water or other dilute agent to the nozzle 37 to mix with the base beverage in the nozzle and dispenses into the vessel 25. A valve of solenoid 45 is disposed in the valve housing 35 and communicates with the beverage line 43 to function as a control to control the assortment of the base beverage In the assortment mode of the beverage base assortment system 23, the valve 45 opens to allow the base beverage assortment, and closes in non-assortment mode to block flow through the beverage line 43 to the nozzle 37. A second solenoid valve 47 in the valve housing 35 controls the assortment of carbonated water, a switch for the s The base beverage assortment system is defined by a lever 49 projecting downwardly from the valve housing 35 rearwardly of the nozzle 37. The lever 49 is electrically connected by means of suitable wiring to the solenoid valve 45 and is able to operate, such as for example pushing the vessel 25 back against the lever, to an assortment position in which the beverage control signal is generated and transmitted to the solenoid valve to cause the valve to open to supply the base beverage. A suitable deflection spring (not shown) biases the lever 49 to an unactuated and unsupplied position when the vessel 25 is no longer being pushed against the lever. The valve 47 controlling the carbonated water assortment is also opened by operating the lever 49. The lever 49 preferably extends downwardly from the valve housing 35 to a length sufficient to accommodate various sizes of vessels (e.g., corresponding vessel heights). to small, medium and large drink portions). Still referring to Figure 1, the flavoring spout system 27 comprises a pair of tubes 51 defining the flavor lines for distributing flavor to the cup 25 from a respective source of flavor 53 located away from the main housing 31. The number of lines of flavor 51 can vary depending on the number of flavors that can be added to a particular base beverage. For example, the flavor lines 51 of the illustrated embodiment allow up to two flavorings to be supplied together with the base beverage. However, for purposes of further describing the flavoring spout system 27 of the present invention, reference will be made only to components sufficient to supply a single flavor, it being understood that other flavors may be included in the flavoring spout system and dispensed from Similarly. The flavor source 53 includes a dispensing device, such as a pump (not shown) or other suitable device, for effecting flavor distribution from the flavor source through the flavor line. It is also contemplated that the dispensing device may be located in the main housing 31 and remain within the scope of the invention. A solenoid valve 55 is disposed in the main housing 31 in fluid communication with the flavor line 51 to control the assortment of the flavor. The valve 55 includes a conventional flow control device 57 for controlling the flow rate through the valve when the valve is opened. A portion 59 of the flavor line 51 upstream of valve 55 extends forwardly and outwardly through the main housing 31 and passes through a support block 61 installed on the underside of the valve housing 35 rearwardly of the valve housing. the nozzle 37. The support block 61 supports the flavor line 51 against sinking and protects the line against impact damage. The flavor line 51 generally passes longitudinally through the support block 61 and has an outlet 63 very close to the nozzle 37 of the base beverage spout system 23. The outlet 63 of the flavor line 51 is oriented slightly downwardly. to direct the flavoring assortment from the flavor line to the vessel 25 below the nozzle 37. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the outlet of the flavor line 63 is angular with respect to the nozzle 37 so that the tastant assortment cross the flow of the assorted base drink from the nozzle of the base drink dispenser system 23 to facilitate mixing of the flavor and base drink. It is understood that the support block 61 can be installed in the main housing 31, disposed in the valve housing 35 or main housing, or it can be omitted without departing from the scope of this.

The invention relates to the invention, provided that the outlet 63 of the flavor line 51 is oriented to supply the flavor in the vessel 25. A control 65 for the flavoring assortment system 27 is arranged in the main housing 31 and is electrically connected to the flavoring solenoid valve 55 to control the operation of the valve. The control 65 is also connected through a suitable wiring to the beverage assortment switch 49. Thus, the beverage control signal is transmitted and received by both the base beverage solenoid 45 and the control 65 when the lever is operated 49 to supply the base drink. A switch 67 (for example a button) projects outwardly from the front of the main housing 31 and is capable of transmitting a flavor control signal upon actuation of the switch, such as by pushing in against the switch. The switch of the flavoring spout system 67 is electrically connected through a suitable wiring to the control of the flavoring spout system 65 so that the flavor control signal is transmitted and received by the control. Switch 67 may also include a lighting device (not shown) to illuminate the switch when the switch is activated. In this embodiment, the flavoring spout system 27 only tastes in the vessel 25 in response to the control 65 that receives the beverage control signal and the flavor control signal. With reference to Figure 3, the control of the flavoring spout system 65 receives the flavor control signal via line 300 when "» - + - ** .. -_ * »£. TfÉJftríf¡- -arr * Sfi fe-aa ^ a 'fea- j =» the operator presses the flavoring spout switch 67 and receives the beverage control signal via line 302 when the operator operates the lever 49 to supply the base beverage As described above, the beverage control signal is also transmitted to the base beverage solenoid valve 45 to cause the base beverage to be dispensed. a flavor is desired, then the control of the flavoring spout system 65 remains inactive and the base beverage is dispensed in a conventional manner, however, the control 65 responds to the flavor control signal and the beverage control signal to supply the flavoring in order to mix with the base beverage As an example, the flavor spout switch 67 is modeled by a single-shot, single-pole normally open switch, which only provides a momentary contact when pressed by the operator. The control 65 includes a tilting circuit 304 (for example, a tilting circuit JK) which is generally timed by the positive running transitions of the flavor control signal input via line 300. As shown in FIG. 3, the tilting circuit 304 has an output Q connected to a gate 306 via line 308. In response to the momentary operation of the flavoring spout switch 67, an assortment mode is initiated by setting the output Q high. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the gate 306 performs an AND function at the output Q of the swinging circuit, which is input via line 308 and the drink control signal which is inputted? via line 300. The output of compifwi 306 on line 310 constitutes a valve control signal for driving the flavor solenoid valve 55 to supply the flavor concurrently with the base beverage. In turn, a line 312 provides feedback from the output of the gate 306 on line 310 to an AND gate 314 I which combines the valve control signal with the flavor control signal to tune the tilting circuit 304. this way, the control of the flavoring spout system 65 resets the tilting circuit 304, initiating a reset mode of non-assortment, when the beverage control signal is no longer present. In other words, the tilting circuit 304 is configured to operate in an assortment mode upon receipt of the flavor control signal transmitted upon actuation of the flavorant spout system switch 67, and a reset non-assortment mode in which the flavor control signal is deactivated In the assortment mode, the tilting circuit 304 is capable of generating and transmitting the valve control signal to the flavor solenoid valve 55 upon receiving the beverage control signal to open the valve to simultaneously dispense the flavor with the beverage base throughout the assortment of base drink. Figure 3 also illustrates a circuit system similar to the above-described circuit system for providing a valve control signal to a second flavored assortment solenoid valve. »" 4f ".- * During operation, with the base beverage system 23 assembled in a conventional manner, the flavor line 51 is connected to the flavor source 53 and the flow control 57 of the valve is adjusted to provide a predetermined flow rate of flavor through the valve in accordance with a desired concentration ratio of flavor and base beverage To provide only the base beverage (e.g. without additional flavoring), the cup 25 is placed vertically on the drain pan 33 below the nozzle 37 of the base drinking fountain system 23 and pushed against the lever 49. The The actuation of the lever 49 to its assortment position generates the beverage control signal which is transmitted and received by the solenoid valves 45, 47 in the beverage line 43 and the carbonated water line. Upon receipt of the control signal, the valves 45, 47 are opened to allow the flow of the base beverage and carbonated water through the beverage line and out of the nozzle 37 in the vessel 25. When the vessel 25 is filled to the desired level, it moves away from the lever 49 and the lever is diverted to its original non-assortment position, deactivating the beverage control signal so that the valves 45, 47 close. To supply flavoring together with the base drink, the switch of the Flavor spout system 67 is driven by pushing in against the switch. The switch 67 is illuminated by the lighting device to indicate that the switch has been activated. The actuation of the switch 67 generates and transmits a flavor control signal which is received by the tilting circuit 304 of the control of the flavoring spout system 65 to place the tilting circuit in its assortment mode. The vessel 25 is then placed on the drip tray 33 and pushed against the lever 49 as described above to transmit the beverage control signal to the 5 valves 45, 47 to supply the base beverage. The beverage control signal is also transmitted and received by the tilting circuit 304. Because the tilting circuit 304 is in its assortment mode (having received the flavor control signal), it generates and transmits the control signal of valve to the valve 55 in the flavor line 51. On receiving the valve control signal, the flavor solenoid valve 55 is opened to supply flavor from the flavor line outlet 63 simultaneously with the assortment of the base drink. The flavoring assortment of the outlet of the flavor line 63 crosses the flow of the base beverage from the nozzle 37 as it flows into the vessel 25 to facilitate mixing the base and flavoring beverage before touching the button or the beverage level of the glass. The flavoring is supplied throughout the assortment of the base drink. Once the cup 25 is filled to the desired level, it moves away from the lever 49 to deactivate the beverage control signal. The solenoid valves 45, 47 in the valve housing 35 are closed and, since the tilting circuit 304 no longer receives the beverage control signal, the tilting circuit is placed in its non-assortment reset mode where the valve control signal is deactivated and the flavoring solenoid valve 55 It is closed. The flavor control signal is also deactivated and the flavor selection switch 67 is turned off. Figure 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the beverage dispensing apparatus 221 of the present invention in which the switch of the base beverage dispenser system is defined by a control board 269. The base beverage dispenser system 223 includes the main housing 231, drip tray 233, and valve housing 235 integrally formed with the main housing. The control board 269 is disposed in front of the valve housing 235 and is electrically connected by means of suitable wiring to the base beverage solenoid valve (not shown in Figure 2 but is substantially similar to the valve 45 of Figure 1 ). The controls 271 of the control board 269 are capable of actuation, such as by pushing into the control, to an assortment position in which the beverage control signal is generated and transmitted to the solenoid valve 45 to cause the valve to open to supply the base beverage. The control board 269 may be connected to a time device (not shown) so that the beverage control signal is deactivated after a predetermined time corresponding to the volume of the base beverage to be delivered (e.g., small, medium, large ). The control board 269 can also be manually operable by which the control 271 must be manually held in its assortment position to generate the beverage assortment control signal so that the control signal is transmitted only while the operator is pressing the control. ß * The flavor line 251 of the flavoring spout system 227 of this second embodiment Extends outwardly through the main housing 231 in the middle of the run-off tray 233 and main housing 235 and extends upwards, passing through and through a support block 261 installed on the underside of the valve housing rearwardly of the nozzle 237. A cover 273 is secured to the main housing 231 on the flavor line 251 and extends vertically between the support block 261 and the place where the flavor line extends out from the main housing to protect the flavor line from unintentional contact of the operator. As shown in Figure 2, the flavor line 251 generally follows a curved upward and forward path through the support block 261 which ends very close to the nozzle 237 of the base beverage dispenser system 223. The outlet 263 of the flavor line 251 is oriented slightly downward to direct the tastant assortment from the outlet of the flavor line to the vessel 225 below the nozzle 237. The orientation of the outlet of the flavor line 263 is preferably such that the assorted flavor crosses the flow of the base-based beverage from the nozzle 237 of the base drink dispenser system 223 to facilitate the mixing of the flavor and base beverage. It is understood that the support block 261 may be installed in the main housing 231, disposed in the valve housing 235 or main housing, or may be omitted without departing from the scope of this invention, provided that the flavor line i ^^^ nm 251 is oriented to fill the sabotizator in the vessel 225. A mounted bracket 275 disposed in the main housing 231 supports the solenoid valve 255 in fluid communication with the flavor line 251. The control of the delivery system of flavoring 265 and the system switch 5 flavoring spout 267 are constructed and arranged in a manner substantially similar to that of the first embodiment. The operation of the dispensing apparatus 221 of the second embodiment is also similar to that described above with respect to the first embodiment and, in particular, with respect to FIG. 3. To supply the flavoring together with the base beverage, the switch of the flavoring dispenser system 267 is actuated by pushing into the switch. The switch 267 is illuminated by the lighting device to indicate that the flavor selection switch has been activated. The actuation of the switch 267 generates and transmits a flavor control signal which is received by the tilting circuit 304 of the control of the flavoring spout system 265 to place the tilting circuit in its assortment mode. The vessel 225 is then placed on the drip tray 233 and a control 271 of the control board 269 (eg, small, medium, large) is pressed to generate and transmit the beverage control signal to the valve of base drink solenoid 45 to supply the base beverage. Pressing control 271 also activates the time device so that the beverage control signal is deactivated after a predetermined time corresponding to the selected beverage size. The control signal The drink is also transmitted and received by the tilting circuit 304. Because the tilting circuit 304 is in its assortment mode (having received the control signal of flavoring), the tilting circuit generates and transmits the valve control signal to the flavor solenoid valve 255. Upon receiving the valve control signal, the flavor solenoid valve 255 is opened to supply the flavor from the outlet of flavor line 263 simultaneously with the assortment of the base beverage. The tastant assortment of the flavor line outlet 263 crosses the flow of the base beverage from the nozzle 237 as it flows to the vessel 225 to facilitate mixing of the base beverage and the flavor before touching the button or the beverage level of the beverage. glass. The flavoring is supplied throughout the assortment of the base drink. When the time to fill the base drink ends, the time device deactivates the beverage control signal. The solenoid valve 45 in the valve housing 235 closes and, because the swing circuit 304 no longer receives the beverage control signal, the swing circuit is placed in its reset mode of non-assortment in which the signal of Valve control is deactivated and the flavor solenoid valve closes. The flavor control signal is also deactivated and the flavor selection switch 267 is reset and turned off. From the foregoing, it will be noted that the beverage dispensing apparatus shown and described herein satisfies the various objects of the invention and provides other advantageous results. Provide control of flavoring spout system 65 for controlling the operation of the flavoring solenoid valve 55 in response to the assortment of the base beverage allows the flavoring to be supplied into a beaker 25 simultaneously and throughout the assortment of the base beverage. This results in a more uniform and complete flavor mixture with the base beverage to provide a fresher and more consistent flavor during the consumption of the beverage. Further, because the control of the flavoring spout system 65 responds only to the beverage control signal, the apparatus automatically maintains a constant volume ratio of flavor to the base beverage, regardless of the size of the vessel being filled. In addition, because the flavoring is supplied simultaneously with the base beverage, the pre-mix of the beverage is eliminated, thereby reducing the cost of the additional process equipment and the time required to create the flavored beverage. In addition, the flavoring sources 53 can be located away from the apparatus so that no extra space is needed to incorporate the flavoring spout system 27 with the base drinking fountain system 21. As several changes could be made to the above structures without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all material contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings be construed as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Claims (8)

w NEW DMA INVENTION CLAIMS

1. A beverage dispensing apparatus comprising: a system for dispensing a base beverage, said base beverage dispensing system that includes a control for controlling the assortment of a quantity of the base beverage; a system for supplying at least one flavor to mix with the assorted base beverage, said flavor dispenser system having a 10 valve to control the assortment of the flavoring and an operable control in response to the actuation of the control of the drinking fountain system to supply base drink to open the valve in order to simultaneously dispense the flavor and uniformly supply the base beverage with a ratio of constant volume of base drink and flavoring.

2. A beverage dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the beverage dispensing system also includes a switch electrically connected to the control of the beverage dispensing system to provide a beverage control signal to the control of the system. drinker to power, the system between 20 an assortment mode and a non-assortment mode, the control of the flavoring spout system being electrically connected to the switch of the beverage spout system to receive the beverage control signal.

$ # 3. - A beverage dispensing apparatus according to claim 2, further characterized in that it comprises a switch of the flavoring spout system electrically connected to the control of the flavoring spout system to provide a flavor control signal to the control of the spout system of flavoring when the switch is activated, the control of the flavoring spout system that receives and responds to the beverage control signal and the flavor control signal to open the valve of the flavoring spout system in order to supply flavor on the glass simultaneously and supply the base drink evenly. 4. A beverage dispensing apparatus according to claim 3, further characterized in that the control of the flavoring spout system has a tilting circuit for receiving and responding to the beverage control signal and the flavor control signal, the tipping circuit in an assortment mode upon receipt of the flavor control signal whereby the control of the flavoring spout system is able to open the valve of the flavoring spout system in response to the tipping circuit receiving the beverage control signal when dispensing and throughout the assortment of the base drink, the tilting circuit being in a readjusted mode of non-assortment when it no longer receives the signal of the beverage control by which the control of the flavoring spout system closes the valve to prevent the assortment of the flavor and deactivates the flavor control signal.

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5. - A beverage dispensing apparatus according to claim 3, further characterized in that the valve of the flavoring spout system is electrically connected to the control of the flavoring spout system, the control of the flavoring spout system that transmits a valve control signal to the valve in response to the receipt of the beverage control signal and the flavor control signal to open the valve.

6. A beverage dispensing apparatus according to claim 5, further characterized in that the flavoring spout system is connected to a flavor source located remotely from the apparatus.

7. A beverage dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized in that the beverage spout system has a beverage line through which the base beverage flows, the beverage line having an outlet positioned to supply the beverage base in a glass, the flavoring spout system having a flavoring line through which the flavoring flows, the flavor line having an outlet positioned to supply the flavor in the glass, the outlet of the beverage line being ordered and the flavor line output with respect to each other so that the tastant assortment through the flavor line outlet is mixed with the base beverage stocked from the beverage line outlet generally within the vessel. ** A "~ ^« * - ^ w -i

8. - A despaGl device? ÓV of beverages according to claim 7, further characterized in that the flavor line output is ordered with respect to the beverage line output so that the flavor flow of the flavor line outlet crosses the flow of the base beverage from the outlet of the beverage line to mix as the flavor and base drink in the glass are dispensed. * «**. t ™