Beverage supplying device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10377620-B2
Application number	US-201515522051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Oct 31, 2014
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

A beverage supplying device includes a touch panel for receiving an operation for selecting a main syrup constituting a main beverage, and a topping syrup added as flavoring to the main beverage. The device further includes a second syrup solenoid valve for opening and closing a passage for supplying the topping syrup that is stored under pressure in a syrup tank and a second syrup pump for intermittently supplying the topping syrup while the second syrup solenoid valve is open, the second syrup pump being provided to the passage for supplying the topping syrup between the syrup tank and the second syrup solenoid valve. The device further includes a nozzle for producing the main beverage by mixing the main syrup with water or carbonated water at a prescribed ratio, and producing a beverage by mixing the topping syrup with the main beverage without diluting the topping syrup.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A beverage supplying apparatus comprising:
a syrup tank that stores a syrup under pressure, the syrup being used as a main syrup or a topping syrup depending on an operation;
an operation receiver that receives the operation for selecting the main syrup constituting a main beverage and the topping syrup to be added to the main beverage;
a valve that opens/closes a passage for supplying the syrup stored in the syrup tank;
a pump that is provided in the syrup supplying passage between the syrup tank and the valve and that intermittently supplies the syrup when the valve is open; and
a mixer that, when the syrup is selected as the main syrup, produces the main beverage by diluting the main syrup with water or carbonated water and intermittently supplies another syrup selected as the topping syrup without diluting the another syrup to the main beverage and produces a beverage by mixing the topping syrup with the main beverage, and that, when the syrup is selected as the topping syrup, produces the main beverage by diluting another syrup selected as the main syrup with water or carbonated water and intermittently supplies the topping syrup without diluting the topping syrup to the main beverage and produces a beverage by mixing the topping syrup with the main beverage,
wherein the mixer repeatedly performs a plurality of times, for a time period during which the main syrup is supplied, one cycle comprising a time period during which the topping syrup is supplied and a time period during which the topping syrup is not supplied.

2. The beverage supplying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
after the beverage is supplied, the operation receiver further receives an additional operation for instructing an addition of the beverage; and
the mixer produces a new beverage, while the additional operation for instructing the addition of the beverage is being performed, by mixing the beverage, the water or carbonated water and the main syrup, and further adds the topping syrup to the new beverage without diluting the topping syrup when a time period during which the additional operation for instructing the addition of the beverage is being performed exceeds a prescribed time greater than 0 seconds.

3. The beverage supplying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:
after the beverage is supplied, the operation receiver further intermittently receives additional operations for instructing an addition of the beverage a plurality of times; and
the mixer produces a new beverage, while the additional operations for instructing the addition of the beverage are being performed, by mixing the beverage, the water or carbonated water and the main syrup, and further adds the topping syrup to the new beverage without diluting the topping syrup when a total time period during which the additional operations for instructing the addition of the beverage are being performed exceeds a prescribed time greater than 0 seconds.

4. A beverage supplying apparatus comprising:
a syrup tank that stores a syrup under pressure, the syrup being used as a main syrup or a topping syrup depending on an operation;
an operation receiver that receives the operation for selecting the main syrup constituting a main beverage and the topping syrup to be added to the main beverage;
a valve that opens/closes a passage for supplying the syrup stored in the syrup tank;
a pump that is provided in the syrup supplying passage between the syrup tank and the valve and that intermittently supplies the syrup when the valve is open; and
a mixer that, when the syrup is selected as the main syrup, produces the main beverage by diluting the main syrup with water or carbonated water and that, when the syrup is selected as the topping syrup, intermittently supplies the topping syrup without diluting the topping syrup to the main beverage, a beverage being produced by mixing the topping syrup with the main beverage,
wherein the mixer repeatedly performs a plurality of times, for a time period during which the main syrup is supplied, one cycle comprising a time period during which the topping syrup is supplied and a time period during which the topping syrup is not supplied.

5. The beverage supplying apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
after the beverage is supplied, the operation receiver further receives an additional operation for instructing an addition of the beverage; and
the mixer produces a new beverage, while the additional operation for instructing the addition of the beverage is being performed, by mixing the beverage, the water or carbonated water and the main syrup, and further adds the topping syrup to the new beverage without diluting the topping syrup when a time period during which the additional operation for instructing the addition of the beverage is being performed exceeds a prescribed time greater than 0 seconds.

6. The beverage supplying apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein:
after the beverage is supplied, the operation receiver further intermittently receives additional operations for instructing an addition of the beverage a plurality of times; and
the mixer produces a new beverage, while the additional operations for instructing the addition of the beverage are being performed, by mixing the beverage, the water or carbonated water and the main syrup, and further adds the topping syrup to the new beverage without diluting the topping syrup when a total time period during which the additional operations for instructing the addition of the beverage are being performed exceeds a prescribed time greater than 0 seconds.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Makino Atsushi
• Goitsuka Akira
• Takahashi Fumihiro

Classifications

• B67D1/1215

  combined with a counter · CPC title

• B67D1/0037

  based on volumetric dosing · CPC title

• B67D1/0039

  the controls involving at least two different metering technics · CPC title

• B67D1/0888

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

• B67D1/0057

  Carbonators · CPC title