Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080229845 | Flowmeter Assembly - A beverage dispenser provides numerous inventive features in its refrigeration system, diluent delivery system, concentrate delivery system, mixing and dispensing system, and control system. The refrigeration system employs a plate heat exchanger to provide on demand refrigeration of an intermittent water flow. The diluent delivery system includes a flowmeter/solenoid/check-valve assembly. The concentrate delivery system employs a positive displacement pump. The mixing and dispensing system includes a mixing nozzle that has a locking feature such that an elevated blocking surface directly faces the inlet of pressurized diluent to create turbulence. The control system receives package-specific information from a scanner and diluent flow rate information from the flowmeter, and then determines the pump speed in order to set a desired mix ratio. | 09-25-2008 |
20080272143 | Concentrate Level Sensing - A beverage system includes a pump that draws a set mount of a flavored concentrate into a mixing chamber through a conduit for mixing with water to form a beverage. A sensor detects when the amount of the flavored concentrate in the conduit or in the container is low or out. The sensor includes two wings each including a recessed surface that together defines a circular space. A portion of the conduit is received in the circular space. Each of the wings includes an ultrasonic portion that emits ultrasonic waves that are non-intrusive. When the amount of flavored concentrate in the conduit is low, air bubbles are generated in the flow along the conduit and/or a vacuum is created in the conduit to draw the conduit away from the recessed surface. The ultrasonic waves detect either of these two features, indicating that the amount of the flavored concentrate is low. | 11-06-2008 |
20080282724 | Beverage Dispenser with On-Demand Refrigeration - A beverage dispenser provides numerous inventive features in its refrigeration system, diluent delivery system, concentrate delivery system, mixing and dispensing system, and control system. The refrigeration system employs a plate heat exchanger to provide on demand refrigeration of an intermittent water flow. The diluent delivery system includes a flowmeter/solenoid/check-valve assembly. The concentrate delivery system employs a positive displacement pump. The mixing and dispensing system includes a mixing nozzle that has a locking feature such that an elevated blocking surface directly faces the inlet of pressurized diluent to create turbulence. The control system receives package-specific information from a scanner and diluent flow rate information from the flowmeter, and then determines the pump speed in order to set a desired mix ratio. | 11-20-2008 |
20080302818 | Ratio Control in Postmix Dispenser - A beverage dispenser provides numerous inventive features in its refrigeration system ( | 12-11-2008 |
20080317603 | Locking Ring in a Pump of a Beverage System - A beverage system includes a pump that draws a set amount of a flavored concentrate into a mixing chamber for mixing with water to form a beverage. A locking ring attaches an adapter plate to a pump head. When the locking ring is in a locked position, a magnet of the locking ring is detected by a reed switch. If the locking ring rotates from the locked position, the reed switch does not detect the magnet, indicating that the locking ring, and therefore the pump head, is incorrectly or not completely installed. The controller then stops operation of the pump. | 12-25-2008 |
20080317611 | Adapter Plate in a Pump of a Beverage System - A beverage system includes a pump that draws a set amount of a flavored concentrate into a mixing chamber for mixing with water to form a beverage. A pump head includes a piston opening that receives a piston and a water port that defines a water flow path. The pump head includes protrusions. An adapter plate includes a piston opening that receives the piston and a water opening that receives the water port of the pump head. The adapter plate includes depressions. When the adapter plate is installed in the pump, the piston opening of the adapter plate and the piston opening of the pump head align, and the water port of the pump head is received in the water opening of the adapter plate. The protrusions of the pump heads are received in the depressions of the adapter plate, aligning the pump head and the adapter plate. | 12-25-2008 |
20090183779 | NO-DRIP CHECK VALVES - A mechanism to check fluid flow from a tube or spigot when it is disconnected from a downstream conduit is provided. The mechanism includes a duckbill check valve that has its bills pointed in the upstream direction. To keep the bills apart for the fluid flow to continue, the downstream conduit has to be inserted against the underside of the bills. Once the downstream conduit separates from the valve, the valve closes itself. | 07-23-2009 |
20100036528 | DATA INPUT SYSTEM IN POSTMIX DISPENSER - A beverage dispenser comprises a diluent delivery system, concentrate delivery system, mixing and dispensing system, and control system. The concentrate delivery system employs a positive displacement pump. The control system receives package-specific information from a scanner and diluent flow rate information from the flowmeter, and then determines the pump speed in order to set a desired mix ratio. | 02-11-2010 |
20100301066 | MIXING NOZZLE - A beverage dispenser provides numerous inventive features in its refrigeration system, diluent delivery system, concentrate delivery system, mixing and dispensing system, and control system. The refrigeration system employs a plate heat exchanger to provide on demand refrigeration of an intermittent water flow. The diluent delivery system includes a flowmeter/solenoid/check-valve assembly. The concentrate delivery system employs a positive displacement pump. The mixing and dispensing system includes a mixing nozzle that has a locking feature such that an elevated blocking surface directly faces the inlet of pressurized diluent to create turbulence. The control system receives package-specific information from a scanner and diluent flow rate information from the flowmeter, and then determines the pump speed in order to set a desired mix ratio. | 12-02-2010 |
20110296664 | Flowmeter Assembly - A beverage dispenser provides numerous inventive features in its refrigeration system, diluent delivery system, concentrate delivery system, mixing and dispensing system, and control system. The refrigeration system employs a plate heat exchanger to provide on demand refrigeration of an intermittent water flow. The diluent delivery system includes a flowmeter/solenoid/check-valve assembly. The concentrate delivery system employs a positive displacement pump. The mixing and dispensing system includes a mixing nozzle that has a locking feature such that an elevated blocking surface directly faces the inlet of pressurized diluent to create turbulence. The control system receives package-specific information from a scanner and diluent flow rate information from the flowmeter, and then determines the pump speed in order to set a desired mix ratio. | 12-08-2011 |