US 2003/0155031 A1Published application

Touchless automatic fiber optic beverage/ice dispenser

OwnerJohn C. Barton, Norma J. Bartoninventors

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A touchless automatic fiber optic beverage/ice dispenser (10, FIG. 1), dispenses ice and or beverages into a cup/container (26, FIG. 2), without user or cup/container touching any part of the machine, for sanitary effortless product filling activation. Any number of products may be dispensed from dispensing nozzles (16, 18, FIG. 1), in any volumes desired, allowing product mixing to customize beverages to the user's preference. Touchless automatically activated dispensing allows cup/container to be held in normal fashion to which people are currently accustomed. A filling indicator light (15, FIG. 1) illuminates during automatic filling. “On/off” mode selector (14, FIG. 1) prevents unauthorized product dispensation, and allows fast, easy machine cleaning. Resulting is a user friendly, commercially durable, sanitary touchless beverage/ice dispenser (10, FIG. 1), wherein germs and diseases are not transmitted from person to person via the machine, even during refilling.

Claims46

Dependent claims

A sanitary touchless automatically activated dispensing machine (10, FIG. 1) for dispensing beverages and or ice, said touchless automatically activated dispensing machine comprising:

a) a support structure, including an optional forwardly extending base (21, FIG. 1) in which is located a drain grill (20, FIG. 1), above which is optionally affixed at least one of a beverage dispensing head (12, FIG. 1), with a corresponding beverage dispensing nozzle (18, FIG. 1);
also optionally affixed above an upwardly extending front backdrop (22, FIG. 1) is at least one of an ice chute assembly member (13, FIG. 1) with a corresponding ice dispensing nozzle (16, FIG. 1), to the rear of which are a plurality of cabinet side enclosure panels (24, FIG. 1) and a top ice compartment lid (27, FIG. 1) for manual ice hopper filling, with an ice maker unit (not shown) being alternatively used for automatic ice hopper filling;
b) electronic sensing and control circuitry corresponding to the number of beverage dispensing nozzles (18, FIG. 1) and ice dispensing nozzles (16, FIG. 1), causing automatic product dispensation to be engaged in a touchless, effortless manner with neither the cup/container (26, FIG. 2 and 26, FIG. 4) nor the person filling the cup/container touching the dispensing machine (10, FIG. 1) in any way, in order to prevent germs and diseases from being transmitted from person to person via the dispensing machine.

A method of dispensing beverages and or ice into a cup/container (26, FIG. 2 and 26, FIG. 4) utilizing a dispensing machine (10, FIG. 1) incorporating effortless, sanitary touchless product dispensing activation, said method comprising the steps of:

a) sensing the presence of a cup/container (26, FIG. 2 and 26, FIG. 4) in an appropriate position for filling as per spatial relationship to a sensing device component (54, FIG. 3 and 54, FIG. 5);
b) activating control circuitry (FIG. 6 and FIG. 7) to cause automatic product dispensation into the cup/container (26, FIG. 2 and 26, FIG. 4);
c) confirming to a user that product dispensation is occurring with one or more indicator signals (15, FIG. 1);
d) sensing the absence of a cup/container (26, FIG. 2 and 26, FIG. 4) in an appropriate position for filling as per spatial relationship to a sensing device component (54, FIG. 6 and 54, FIG. 7), and terminating product dispensation;
e) allowing a user to dispense any desired volume of beverage and or ice into the cup/container (26, FIG. 2 and 26, FIG. 4);
f) allowing a user to dispense multiple beverages and or ice of any desired volumes, into the cup/container (26, FIG. 2 and 26, FIG. 4);
g) overriding touchless automatic product dispensing activation with a mode selector control (14, FIG. 1), when desired, allowing for cleaning of the dispensing machine, and to prevent unauthorized product dispensation;
and
h) allowing easier dispensing machine cleaning, due to the touchless automatic activation design.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/425,628Filed 30 Apr 2003
Priority: 13 Nov 2001
Published: 21 Aug 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

G07F 13/065
With selective dispensing of different fluids or materials or mixtures thereof: for drink preparation
A23G 9/28
Details, component parts or accessories of apparatus insofar as not peculiar to a single one of the preceding groups: for portioning or dispensing
B67D 1/00
Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
B67D 1/0888
Details: means comprising electronic circuitry

Family

Application10/008,846Division · filed 13 Nov 2001
Application10/425,628Division · filed 30 Apr 2003
US 2003/0089423 A1Published application
US 6,688,134 B2Related patent
US 6,705,356 B2Related patent
US 2003/0155031 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.