Flexible high speed filling line for personalized beverage package mixes with dispensing needles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020247660-A1
Application number	US-201816756308-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 17, 2018
Priority date	Oct 17, 2017
Publication date	Aug 6, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present application provides a micro-ingredient tower for filling a container with a number of different micro-ingredients. The micro-ingredient tower may include a number of micro-ingredient containers therein and a nozzle head. The nozzle head may include a number of dispensing needles therein such that each of the dispensing needles doses a micro-ingredient into the container.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A micro-ingredient tower for filling a container with a number of different micro-ingredients, comprising:
a plurality of micro-ingredient containers; and a nozzle head; wherein the nozzle head comprises a plurality of dispensing needles therein such that each of the plurality of dispensing needles doses a micro-ingredient into the container.

2 . The micro-ingredient tower of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dispensing needles is positioned within the nozzle head in a circular configuration.

3 . The micro-ingredient tower of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dispensing needles comprises stainless steel.

4 . The micro-ingredient tower of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dispensing needles comprises eight dispensing needles.

5 . The micro-ingredient tower of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dispensing needles comprises sixteen dispensing needles.

6 . The micro-ingredient tower of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle head comprises the plurality of dispensing needles and a macro-ingredient nozzle.

7 . The micro-ingredient tower of claim 1 , wherein each dispensing needle comprises an inner diameter of about 0.03 inches or an outer diameter of about 0.05 inches.

8 . The micro-ingredient tower of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle head comprises a 3-D printed thermoplastic.

9 . The micro-ingredient tower of claim 1 , further comprising:
a loading section; and a dispensing section.

10 . The micro-ingredient tower of claim 9 , wherein the loading section comprises a plurality of loading trays with the plurality of micro-ingredient containers.

11 . The micro-ingredient tower of claim 10 , wherein the dispensing section comprises a plurality of dispensing trays with a plurality of dispensing pouches.

12 . The micro-ingredient tower of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of micro-ingredient containers is in fluid communication with the plurality of dispensing pouches.

13 . The micro-ingredient tower of claim 9 , wherein the dispensing section comprises a sold out system.

14 . The micro-ingredient tower of claim 1 , further comprising a dispensing pump upstream of the nozzle head.

15 . A method of filling a container with a plurality of micro-ingredients in a micro-ingredient tower, comprising:
loading a plurality of micro-ingredient containers therein; pumping the plurality of micro-ingredients to a plurality of nozzle heads; and dosing the container with the plurality of micro-ingredients from a plurality of dispensing needles in the plurality of nozzle heads.

Assignees

• Coca Cola Co

Inventors

• Mehta Anish
• Carpenter Gregg
• Rahman Mamunur
• Garcia Manuel I

Classifications

• B67D2001/0827

  Bags in box · CPC title

• B67D1/0801

  of beverage containers, e.g. casks, kegs · CPC title

• B67C3/208 Primary

  specially adapted for adding small amounts of additional liquids, e.g. syrup · CPC title

• B67D1/0043

  Mixing devices for liquids · CPC title

• B67D1/0016 Primary

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