Beverage dispenser for dispensing low solubility ingredients

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11247892-B2
Application number	US-201716471348-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 13, 2017
Priority date	Dec 21, 2016
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

The present application provides a beverage dispensing system for dispensing beverages with low solubility ingredients. The beverage dispensing system may include a sweetener flow, a first diluent flow, a low solubility ingredient premixing system for mixing a low solubility ingredient with a second diluent flow to create a mixed flow, and a nozzle to mix the sweetener flow, the first diluent flow, and the mixed flow.

First claim

We claim:

1. A beverage dispensing system for dispensing beverages with low solubility ingredients, comprising:
a sweetener flow;
a first diluent flow;
an undiluted first micro-ingredient flow;
a low solubility ingredient premixing system;
wherein the low solubility ingredient premixing system mixes a low solubility second micro-ingredient having a solubility of three percent by weight or less with a second diluent flow to create a mixed flow; and
a nozzle to mix the sweetener flow, the undiluted first micro-ingredient flow, the first diluent flow, and the mixed flow.

2. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of undiluted first micro-ingredient flows.

3. The beverage dispensing system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of undiluted first micro-ingredient flows are mixed with the sweetener flow, the first diluent flow, and the mixed flow at the nozzle.

4. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the low solubility ingredient premixing system comprise a low solubility ingredient storage chamber with a volume of the low solubility micro-ingredient therein.

5. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the low solubility ingredient premixing system comprises a low solubility ingredient mixing chamber.

6. The beverage dispensing system of claim 5 , wherein the low solubility ingredient mixing chamber is in communication with one or more diluent sources.

7. The beverage dispensing system of claim 5 , wherein the low solubility ingredient mixing chamber is in communication with one or more diluent additive sources.

8. The beverage dispensing system of claim 5 , wherein the low solubility ingredient mixing chamber is in communication with one or more storage containers.

9. The beverage dispensing system of claim 5 , wherein the low solubility ingredient mixing chamber comprises a low solubility ingredient mixing device.

10. The beverage dispensing system of claim 9 , wherein the low solubility ingredient mixing device comprises a static mixer.

11. The beverage dispensing system of claim 9 , wherein the low solubility ingredient mixing device comprises a mechanical mixer.

12. The beverage dispensing system of claim 9 , wherein the low solubility ingredient mixing device comprises a heating device.

13. The beverage dispensing system of claim 12 , further comprising a cold plate downstream of the heating device.

14. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising a flush system in communication with the nozzle.

15. A method of producing a beverage with low solubility ingredients, comprising:
flowing a first diluent to a nozzle;
flowing a sweetener to the nozzle;
flowing an undiluted first micro-ingredient to the nozzle;
flowing a low solubility second micro-ingredient having a solubility of three percent by weight or less to a low solubility ingredient mixing chamber;
flowing a second diluent to the low solubility ingredient mixing chamber;
mixing the low solubility second micro-ingredient and the second diluent to create a mixed flow;
flowing the mixed flow to the nozzle; and
mixing the first diluent, the sweetener, the undiluted first micro-ingredient, and the mixed flow about the nozzle to create the beverage.

16. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the low solubility second micro-ingredient comprises steviol glycosides.

17. The beverage dispensing system of claim 16 , wherein the steviol glycosides comprise Reb A and Reb M.

18. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the low solubility second micro-ingredient comprises one or more of a nutritive sweetener and a non-nutritive sweetener.

Assignees

• Coca Cola Co

Inventors

• Moore William J
• Lane Susan R W
• Rudick Arthur G
• Prakash Indra
• Quartarone Daniel S
• Wilson Jamal Omarl
• Cannon Iii Will

Classifications

• B67D1/0047

  with movable parts, e.g. for stirring · CPC title

• B67D1/0016 Primary

  the beverage being stored in an intermediate container before dispensing, i.e. pre-mix dispensers · CPC title

• B67D1/0021

  the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers · CPC title

• B67D1/1202

  Flow control, e.g. for controlling total amount or mixture ratio of liquids to be dispensed · CPC title

• B67D1/0895

  Heating arrangements · CPC title