Automated dispensing system for customized beverages
AssigneeStarbucks Corporation
InventorsNatarajan Venkatakrishnan, Andrew Corlett, Jonathan Levey, Brandon Michael Roberts
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure generally relates to an automated modular dispensing platform for creating customized beverages (e.g., using various sauces, syrups, sweeteners, colors and/or flavors added to a base beverage). The automated dispensing platform may simultaneously aggregate beverage modifiers or ingredients (e.g., sweetener, flavor, and/or color) and facilitate automated, efficient cleaning cycles for modular beverage dispensers.
Claims20
A dispensing system comprising:
- a controller;
- and
- a plurality of modular dispensers configured to removably interface with the controller, each of the plurality of modular dispensers comprises:
- a housing,
- a pump positioned in the housing,
- a user input device on the housing configured to control one or more functions of only a corresponding modular dispenser of the plurality of modular dispensers, and
- a spout for dispensing an ingredient into a vessel placed underneath the spout, wherein the spout extends from the housing,
- wherein the controller is configured to communicate instructions to at least one of the plurality of modular dispensers to dispense ingredient, and
- wherein at least a first modular dispenser of the plurality of modular dispensers is removable from the dispensing system during operation of a second modular dispenser of the plurality of modular dispensers.
A dispensing system comprising:
- a controller;
- and
- a plurality of modular dispensers configured to removably interface with the controller, each of the plurality of modular dispenser comprises a user input device and a spout, each of the plurality of modular dispensers is configured to store a beverage ingredient,
- wherein based on an input to the user input device of one of the plurality of modular dispensers, the controller is configured to communicate instructions to said one of the plurality of modular dispensers to transition between a beverage mode and a cleaning mode,
- wherein in the beverage mode, a first pump characteristic of said one of the plurality of modular dispensers is set to pump the beverage ingredient stored in said one of the plurality of modular dispensers through a supply line associated with said one of the plurality of modular dispensers,
- wherein in the cleaning mode, a second pump characteristic of said one of the plurality of modular dispensers is set to pump a cleaning fluid through the supply line instead of the ingredient,
- wherein the first pump characteristic is different from the second pump characteristic.
A method of replacing a first modular dispenser in a dispensing system comprising a plurality of modular dispensers interfaced with a controller of the dispensing system, the first modular dispenser comprising a first housing, a first pump positioned in the first housing, a first user input device on the first housing, and a first spout for dispensing an ingredient into a vessel placed underneath the first spout, wherein the first spout extends from the first housing, the method comprising:
- decoupling an interface between the first modular dispenser and the controller;
- removing the first modular dispenser from the dispensing system by:
- removing the first housing from the dispensing system with the first pump positioned in the first housing, the first user input device on the first housing, and the first spout extending from the first housing, so the entire first modular dispenser is removed from the dispensing system;
- adding a second modular dispenser to the dispensing system in place of the first modular dispenser;
- and
- communicatively interfacing the second modular dispenser and the controller,
- wherein the second modular dispenser comprises:
- a second housing;
- a second pump positioned in the second housing,
- a second user input device on the second housing;
- and
- a second spout for dispensing an ingredient into a vessel placed underneath
- the second spout, wherein the second spout extends from the second housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.