Beverage dispensing systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11713232-B2
Application number	US-201716337061-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

The present application provides a beverage dispensing system for combining a number of ingredients. The beverage dispensing system may include an ingredient pouch, an ingredient storage tank, a pump, a nozzle, an inlet diverter valve upstream of the pump, and an outlet diverter valve downstream of the pump.

First claim

We claim:

1. A beverage dispensing system for combining a number of ingredients, comprising:
an ingredient pouch;
an ingredient storage tank;
a pump;
a nozzle;
an inlet diverter valve upstream of the pump; and
an outlet diverter valve downstream of the pump;
wherein the outlet diverter valve comprises a first outlet configuration for the pump to pump the ingredient from the ingredient pouch directly to the nozzle and a second outlet configuration for the pump to pump the ingredient from the ingredient pouch to the ingredient storage tank.

2. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the inlet diverter valve comprises a first inlet configuration for the pump to pump the ingredient from the ingredient pouch to the nozzle and a second inlet configuration for the pump to pump the ingredient from the ingredient storage tank to the nozzle or to recirculate the ingredient in the ingredient storage tank.

3. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the inlet diverter valve and the outlet diverter valve comprise a three-way diverter valve.

4. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the ingredient storage tank comprises a high level probe and a low level probe.

5. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the ingredient storage tank comprises a liquid impervious membrane.

6. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the ingredient pouch is in communication with the inlet diverter valve via a tube and wherein the ingredient pouch comprises a female fitting and wherein the tube comprises a male fitting.

7. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of ingredient storage tanks in a storage tank module.

8. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the ingredient storage tank comprises a first membrane tube with a filter and a first check valve and a second membrane tube with a second check valve.

9. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the number of ingredients comprises micro-ingredients.

10. A method of pumping an ingredient from an ingredient pouch to a nozzle, comprising:
pumping the ingredient to the nozzle;
determining a low level of the ingredient in the ingredient pouch;
pumping the remaining ingredient to an ingredient storage tank;
replacing the ingredient pouch; and
pumping a portion of the ingredient back to the ingredient pouch.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of priming the replacement ingredient pouch by pumping the ingredient to the ingredient storage tank.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of pumping the ingredient from the ingredient storage tank to the nozzle.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising the step of recirculating the ingredient in the ingredient storage tank.

Assignees

• Coca Cola Co

Inventors

• Rudick Arthur G
• Welch Dick P

Classifications

• B67D1/0031 Primary

  in the form of a metering pump · CPC title

• B67D1/0034

  for controlling the amount of each component · CPC title

• B67D1/0871

  Level gauges for beverage storage containers (level indicators in general G01F) · CPC title

• B67D2001/0091

  Component storage means · CPC title

• B67D2001/0093

  Valves · CPC title