Beverage dispensing nozzle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11679397-B2
Application number	US-202016792016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2020
Priority date	Feb 14, 2020
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

A nozzle for dispensing a beverage includes a nozzle head having a base liquid inlet configured to receive a base liquid and a flavoring inlet configured to receive a flavoring. The nozzle further includes a diffuser assembly that is in fluid communication with the base liquid inlet and which includes a diffuser plate having a plurality of peripheral openings through which the base liquid flows. The nozzle further includes a receptacle that is in fluid communication with the diffuser assembly and the flavoring inlet. The receptacle of the nozzle includes an inner wall, and the peripheral openings of the diffuser assembly are arranged so as to direct flow of the base liquid along the inner wall of the receptacle. The receptacle further includes an outlet through which the flavoring and the base liquid are dispensed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A nozzle for dispensing a beverage, comprising:
a nozzle head, comprising:
a base liquid inlet configured to receive a base liquid from a base liquid source, and
a flavoring inlet configured to receive a flavoring from a flavoring source;

a diffuser assembly in fluid communication with the base liquid inlet, wherein the diffuser assembly comprises at least one diffuser plate having an annular region with a plurality of peripheral openings through which the base liquid flows; and
a receptacle in fluid communication with the diffuser assembly and the flavoring inlet, comprising:
an inner wall,
an outlet through which the base liquid and the flavoring are dispensed, and
an upper end and a lower end, wherein the nozzle head and the diffuser assembly are arranged at the upper end of the receptacle, and wherein the outlet is disposed at the lower end of the receptacle,

wherein the peripheral openings of the diffuser assembly are arranged so as to direct a flow of the base liquid along the inner wall of the receptacle, and wherein the flavoring inlet directs a flow of the flavoring through the receptacle in a longitudinal direction of the nozzle.

2. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the flavoring inlet is one of a plurality of flavoring inlets, and wherein the base liquid inlet is one of a plurality of base liquid inlets.

3. The nozzle of claim 2 , wherein the nozzle head comprises a central section and a peripheral section that surrounds the central section, and wherein the plurality of flavoring inlets is arranged in the central section and the plurality of base liquid inlets is arranged in the peripheral section.

4. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the at least one diffuser plate comprises a first diffuser plate and a second diffuser plate arranged in a stacked configuration.

5. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the diffuser assembly comprises a central opening in which a base of the nozzle head is arranged.

6. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein an inner edge of a peripheral opening of the plurality of peripheral openings is aligned with the inner wall of the receptacle.

7. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the receptacle tapers from the upper end toward the lower end.

8. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the inner wall of the receptacle comprises a curvature.

9. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the flavoring and the base liquid intersect within the receptacle.

10. The nozzle of claim 9 , wherein the flavoring intersects with the base liquid at the outlet of the receptacle.

11. The nozzle of claim 9 , wherein
the flow of the flavoring and the flow of the base liquid are dispensed together through the outlet.

12. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein an outflow stabilizer is arranged within the outlet of the receptacle, and wherein the outflow stabilizer is configured to direct the flow of the base liquid and the flavoring through the outlet along a longitudinal axis of the nozzle.

13. The nozzle of claim 1 , further comprising one or more vent holes arranged on an upper end of the receptacle configured to equalize a pressure within the receptacle with an external pressure.

14. The nozzle of claim 1 , comprising
a vent tube configured to equalize a pressure within the receptacle with a pressure external to the beverage dispensing nozzle.

15. The nozzle of claim 14 , further comprising a plurality of vanes radially arranged on the inner wall of the receptacle.

16. The nozzle of claim 14 , wherein the vent tube comprises an upper end and a lower end, and wherein the upper end is arranged within the receptacle and comprises an opening on a sidewall of the vent tube, and wherein the lower end is arranged outside of the receptacle and comprises an opening.

17. The nozzle of claim 14 , wherein the vent tube is arranged parallel to a longitudinal axis of the nozzle.

18. The nozzle of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal direction of the nozzle is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the nozzle.

19. The nozzle of claim 18 , wherein the peripheral openings are located radially outward of the flavoring inlet and the inner wall is configured to guide the base liquid radially inward to intersect a flavoring axis at the outlet of the receptacle, the flavoring axis being parallel to the longitudinal axis an extending through the flavoring inlet.

Assignees

• Pepsico Inc

Inventors

• Eboigbodin Evans
• Jersey Steven T
• Ubidia Fernando A
• Stein Aaron
• Arroyo Jose-Luis

Classifications

• B01F25/00

  Flow mixers; Mixers for falling materials, e.g. solid particles (centrifugal mixers B04) · CPC title

• B05B7/0408 Primary

  with arrangements for mixing two or more liquids · CPC title

• B01F2101/14

  Mixing of ingredients for non-alcoholic beverages; Dissolving sugar in water · CPC title

• B67D1/0085 Primary

  electro-mechanical · CPC title

• B01F25/23

  Mixing by intersecting jets · CPC title