Beverage dispensing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029904-B2
Application number	US-201615231941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2016
Priority date	Mar 6, 2006
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

The present application describes a product dispenser, such as a beverage dispenser. The product dispenser may include a nozzle, a first pump in fluid communication with a beverage base source and the nozzle, a second pump in fluid communication with a flavoring source and the nozzle, and a user interface for receiving a request for a beverage. The user interface may include a product button that represents a beverage base, and an additive button that represents a flavor, wherein in response to a first selection of the product button and a second selection of the additive button, the user interface may be adapted to instruct a dispense of the beverage base and the flavor to the nozzle at a given flow rate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A beverage dispenser, comprising:
a nozzle;
a first pump in fluid communication with a beverage base source and the nozzle;
a second pump in fluid communication with a flavoring source and the nozzle; and
a user interface for receiving a request for a beverage, wherein the user interface comprises a product button that represents a beverage base, and an additive button that represents a flavor, and one or more intensity indicators that indicate a strength of the beverage;
wherein in response to a first selection of the product button and a second selection of the additive button, the user interface is adapted to instruct a dispense of the beverage base and the flavor to the nozzle at a given flow rate.

2. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the beverage base is dispensed via the first pump and the flavor is dispensed via the second pump.

3. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the flavor is dispensed via pulsing of the second pump, and wherein a first pulsing level for the second pump is determined based at least in part on the given flow rate.

4. The beverage dispenser of claim 3 , wherein the beverage base is dispensed via pulsing of the first pump, and wherein a second pulsing level for the first pump is determined based at least in part on the given flow rate.

5. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the beverage is dispensed from the nozzle during a continuous pour at the given flow rate.

6. The beverage dispenser of claim 5 , wherein the beverage base and the flavor are mixed continuously during the continuous pour.

7. The beverage dispenser of claim 6 , wherein any volume of the beverage can be dispensed during the continuous pour.

8. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the user interface is presented at a touchscreen display.

9. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a physical pour button to initiate dispensing of the beverage.

10. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the beverage dispenser is positioned at a first location and the beverage base source is positioned at a second location that is remote to the beverage dispenser.

11. The beverage dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the flavoring source is positioned within or adjacent the beverage dispenser.

12. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the second pump is a metering device.

13. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a metering device positioned between one of the beverage base source or the flavoring source and the nozzle.

14. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the flavor is a flavor additive.

15. The beverage dispenser of claim 14 , wherein the flavor additive is not added until a predetermined portion of a minimum beverage size has been dispensed.

16. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more intensity indicators represent an amount of calories in the beverage.

17. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein an intensity of the beverage is modifiable via an intensity button presented at the user interface.

18. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a consumer data system in communication with the beverage dispenser, wherein the consumer data system is configured to generate a beverage recommendation for a user based at least in part on health information associated with the user.

19. A beverage dispenser, comprising:
a nozzle;
a first pump in fluid communication with a beverage base source and the nozzle;
a second pump in fluid communication with a flavor source and the nozzle; and
a user interface for receiving a request for a beverage, wherein the user interface comprises a product button that represents a combination of a beverage base and a flavor, wherein in response to a selection of the product button, the user interface causes a dispense of a combination of the beverage base and the flavor to the nozzle at a given flow rate; and
wherein the flavor is not added until a predetermined portion of a minimum beverage size has been dispensed.

20. The beverage dispenser of claim 19 , wherein the beverage base is dispensed via the first pump and the flavor is dispensed via the second pump.

Assignees

• Coca Cola Co

Inventors

• Carpenter Gregg
• Newman Jr David R
• Patel Nilang
• Phillips Paul A
• Rudick Arthur G
• Ziesel Lawrence B

Classifications

• G16H20/60

  relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets · CPC title

• B67D1/0027

  control of the amount of one component, the amount of the other components(s) being dependent on that control · CPC title

• G07F13/065

  for drink preparation · CPC title

• B67D1/0888

  Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means) · CPC title

• B67D1/0051

  for mixing outside the nozzle · CPC title