Flavoring dispensing apparatus, system and method
AssigneeNewco Enterprises, Inc.
InventorsJoseph P. Webster, David L. Brandsma, Michael Romanyszyn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A flavoring dispensing apparatus, system, and method configured for use with a plurality of pump equipped flavoring containers such as bottles, operable to automatically dispense relatively precise or metered amounts of flavoring, and more specifically concentrated flavoring, into a beverage container, mixing vessel, or other receiver. The containers are easily removed and replaced and flavoring levels can be automatically monitored for replacement with a fresh container.
Claims29
A dispensing system to dispense a predetermined quantity of a flavoring ingredient into a receiving container based on a user selection of a particular flavoring choice, comprising:
- a plurality of flavoring bottles containing different flavoring ingredients, respectively, supported about a rotatable carousel, the carousel being configured to allow the bottles to be individually lifted, each of the bottles being configured to dispense a predetermined quantity of the flavoring ingredient therefrom when lifted;
- a rotary driver connected to the carousel and controllably operable to rotate the carousel to position any selected one of the flavoring bottles at a predetermined dispense location;
- and
- a lift mechanism positioned in cooperative relation to the predetermined dispense location and configured to operate to individually lift the bottle at the dispense location when activated by a user selection action or input.
A dispensing apparatus for holding a plurality of pump operated flavoring bottles and for dispensing a predetermined quantity of a flavoring ingredient from a bottle into a receiving container based on a user selection of a particular flavoring choice, comprising:
- a carousel assembly supported for rotation about a central rotational axis, and carrying bottle holding assemblies for holding flavoring bottles containing different flavoring ingredients at radial peripheral positions about the axis, the bottle holding assemblies being configured to allow the bottles to be individually lifted for actuating the pump thereof to dispense a predetermined quantity of the flavoring ingredient therefrom;
- a rotary driver connected to the carousel assembly and controllably operable to rotate the carousel to position any selected one of the bottle holding assemblies at a predetermined dispense location;
- and
- a lift mechanism positioned in cooperative relation to the predetermined dispense location and configured to operate to individually lift a bottle held by the selected one of the bottle holding assemblies at the dispense location when activated by a user selection action or input.
A method of dispensing a predetermined quantity of a flavoring ingredient from a flavoring bottle into a receiving container based on a user selection of a particular flavoring choice, comprising steps of:
- providing a plurality of flavoring bottles containing different flavoring ingredients, respectively, supported about a rotatable carousel, the carousel being configured to allow the bottles to be individually lifted, each of the bottles being configured to dispense a predetermined quantity of the flavoring ingredient therefrom when lifted;
- providing a rotary driver connected to the carousel and controllably operable to rotate the carousel to position any selected one of the flavoring bottles at a predetermined dispense location;
- providing a lift mechanism positioned in cooperative relation to the predetermined dispense location and configured to operate to individually lift the bottle at the dispense location when activated by a user selection action or input;
- and
- responsive to a user selection action or input, automatically selecting a flavoring bottle and operating the rotary driver to position the selected bottle in the dispense position and to subsequently automatically operate the dispenser driver a programmed number of times responsive to a received user action or input.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.