Micro-ingredient based beverage dispenser
AssigneeThe Coca-Cola Company
InventorLawrence B. Ziesel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Technologies are described herein for a dispensing nozzle for a beverage dispensing system. An example embodiment of the dispensing nozzle may include a housing; a nozzle manifold containing orifices and corresponding conduits for a number of diluents, macro-ingredient sweeteners, and micro-ingredients; a sweetener channel and a diluent baffle, the combination of which facilitates the mixing of the diluent and macro-ingredient sweetener; a funnel; and a nozzle exit. The diluent, macro-ingredient sweetener, and micro-ingredients may mix in the dispensing nozzle to form a predetermined beverage. The dispensing nozzle may communicate with various aspects of the beverage dispensing system to coordinate the dispensing of the predetermined beverage.
Claims14
A dispensing nozzle comprising:
- a nozzle manifold comprising at least a first conduit configured to receive one or more diluents, at least a second conduit configured to receive one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners, and a plurality of micro-ingredient conduits configured to receive a plurality of micro-ingredients;
- wherein the nozzle manifold comprises a sweetener channel configured to receive the one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners, the sweetener channel containing a plurality of holes in a bottom surface allowing the one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners to pass through;
- wherein the nozzle manifold comprises a diluent baffle configured to receive the one or more diluents and the one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners and allow the received diluent and the macro-ingredient sweetener to mix;
- a nozzle housing, wherein a bottom portion of the nozzle housing comprises a nozzle exit;
- the nozzle housing configured to receive the mixture of the one or more diluents and the one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners and allow the mixture of the one or more diluents and the one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners to flow down the nozzle housing;
- and
- the nozzle housing further configured to allow the mixture of the one or more diluents and the one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners and the received micro-ingredients to mix about the nozzle exit.
A beverage dispensing system, comprising:
- a user interface configured to receive a beverage selection;
- a controller in communication with the user interface;
- a dispensing nozzle comprising:
- a nozzle manifold comprising at least a first conduit configured to receive one or more diluents, at least a second conduit configured to receive one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners, and a plurality of micro-ingredient conduits configured to receive a plurality of micro-ingredients;
- wherein the nozzle manifold comprises a sweetener channel configured to receive the one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners, the sweetener channel containing a plurality of holes in a bottom surface allowing the one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners to pass through;
- wherein the nozzle manifold comprises a diluent baffle configured to receive the one or more diluents and the one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners and allow the received diluent and the macro-ingredient sweetener to mix;
- a nozzle housing, wherein a bottom portion of the nozzle housing comprises a nozzle exit;
- the nozzle housing configured to receive the mixture of the one or more diluents and the one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners and allow the mixture of the one or more diluents and the one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners to flow down the nozzle housing;
- the nozzle housing further configured to allow the mixture of the one or more diluents and the one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners and the received micro-ingredients to mix about the nozzle exit;
- and
- one or more pumps in communication with the controller, wherein the one or more pumps regulate the flow of the one or more diluents, the one or more macro-ingredient sweeteners, and the plurality of micro-ingredients.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.