Liquid food dispenser system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10370236-B2
Application number	US-201815894571-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2018
Priority date	Jul 7, 2006
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

A system and method for dispensing fluids is introduced. A preferred embodiment comprises a sealed tank, a bag containing fluid inside the sealed tank, an outlet for dispensing the liquid in the bag, and a pressure generating device to create pressure in the sealed tank.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for dispensing a liquid, the system comprising:
a first liquid source, the first liquid source being under a first pressure through a first bag;
a second liquid source, the second liquid source being under a second pressure through a second bag; and
a combiner comprising:
a first input port coupled to the first liquid source with a first connection comprising a first tube;
a second input port coupled to the second liquid source with a second connection comprising a second tube, wherein the first tube and the second tube comprise a tube set, wherein the tube set comprises a tube-within-a-tube tube set, wherein the second tube is disposed within the first tube; and
an output port, wherein a first liquid entering the first input port combines with a second liquid entering the second input port to create a combined liquid, and wherein the combined liquid exits the output port, wherein flow rates of the first and second liquid sources can be adjusted by adjusting the first and second pressures, and wherein a ratio of a relative concentration of the first and second liquids at the output port is related to a ratio of the first and second flow rates.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tube-within-a-tube tube set is disposable and easy to replace.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the combined liquid is a dairy beverage product.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first liquid source supplies a first dairy liquid and the second liquid source supplies a second dairy liquid different from the first dairy liquid.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the first liquid source and the second liquid source are the only sources of dairy liquid.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first liquid source is a bag-in-box system.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the combiner further comprises a water inlet.

8. A system for dispensing a liquid, the system comprising:
a first tube with a first input and a first output;
a second tube surrounding the first tube, the second tube having a second input and a second output, wherein the first output is located within the second tube;
a first connection tube connected to the first input and to a first liquid source, the first liquid source comprising a first bag;
a second connection tube connected to the second input and to a second liquid source, the second liquid source comprising a second bag different from the first bag; and
a control unit to separately control a first external pressure on the first bag of the first liquid source and a second external pressure on the second bag of the second liquid source to create a plurality of flow rates from each of the first liquid source and the second liquid source.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first tube and the second tube are disposable and easy to replace.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a water inlet, wherein the control unit is connected to the water inlet.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the first tube comprises a first check valve and the second tube comprises a second check valve.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control unit is configured to modulate the first external pressure and the second external pressure in real time.

13. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a first liquid within the first liquid source and a second liquid within the second liquid source.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first liquid source is a first dairy source, the second liquid source is a second dairy source, and the first liquid source and the second liquid source are the only dairy liquid sources within the system.

15. A system for dispensing a liquid, the system comprising:
a controller connected to a first pressure vessel and a second pressure vessel, the controller configured to adjust a first pressure on a first bag within the first pressure vessel and a second pressure on a second bag within the second pressure vessel based upon desired concentrations within a liquid from an output, the first pressure different from the second pressure;
a first transfer tube extending between the first pressure vessel to a first input of a first tube of a nozzle;
a second transfer tube extending between the second pressure vessel to a second input of a second tube of the nozzle, the first tube extending partially through the second tube and having a first output within the second tube; and
the second tube comprising the output.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first tube and the second tube are disposable and easy to replace.

17. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a first liquid product within the first bag within the first pressure vessel; and
a second liquid product within the second bag within the second pressure vessel.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first liquid product is a first dairy liquid product, the second liquid product is a second dairy liquid product, and the first dairy liquid product and the second dairy liquid product are the only two sources of dairy liquid within the system.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the nozzle further comprises a water inlet.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first tube comprises a first check valve and the second tube comprises a second check valve.

Assignees

• Fairlife Llc

Inventors

• Doelman Timothy Peter
• Baxter Vincent A

Classifications

• B65D47/242

  moving helically · CPC title

• B65D47/244

  being rotated without axial translation, whilst transmitting axial motion to an internal valve stem or valve seat · CPC title

• B67D1/1245

  Change-over devices, i.e. connecting a flow line from an empty container to a full one · CPC title

• B67D1/1277 Primary

  Flow control valves · CPC title

• B67D1/1252

  Gas pressure control means, e.g. for maintaining proper carbonation (for beer engines B67D1/025) · CPC title