US 3,940,019 AGranted

Automatic mixed drink dispensing apparatus

AssigneeLeisure Products, Inc.

InventorsRobert W. Kross, Larry D. Fiel, Charles R. Crockett, George B. Neely, Louis J. Benton

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Abstract

An automatic mixed drink dispensing apparatus includes a housing including a secured liquor receiving zone which receives a plurality of liquor containers. The housing also receives syrup containers, a water container, and a carbon dioxide container. An ice chest is mounted in the upper portion of the housing and has a liquid chilling apparatus in the bottom thereof. A dispensing head is mounted on the housing and extends into a mixed drink preparation zone. Drains extend from a point in the mixed drink preparation zone beneath the dispensing head and from a point in the bottom of the ice chest to a drain pan slidably supported in the bottom of the housing. Liquor pumps function to withdraw liquor from the liquor containers and to discharge the liquor through the dispensing head. The syrup containers are pressurized with carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide container, whereby syrup is caused to flow through the liquid chilling apparatus and through the dispensing head. A water pump withdraws water from the water container and directs the water through the liquid chilling apparatus and through the dispensing head. The water pump also directs water into a carbonating apparatus which supplies carbonated water. The flow of the various liquids through the dispensing head is regulated by solenoid-actuated valves which are in turn controlled by electronic circuitry. The electronic circuitry responds to actuation of push-buttons individual to particular mixed drinks to select the liquids necessary in formulating a desired mixed drink and to actuate the valves to effect discharge of the proper amount of each liquid through the dispensing head.

Claims39

Dependent claims

An automatic mixed drink dispensing apparatus comprising:

a housing including a bottom wall, front and back walls, opposed side walls, and a top wall defining a mixed drink preparation zone;
said walls of the housing defining therebetween a wholly enclosed liquor receiving zone characterized by means for receiving a plurality of quantities of different liquors each in its original container;
means for securing the housing against access to the interior of the liquor receiving zone from any point around the entire exterior periphery thereof;
said walls of the housing defining a wholly enclosed syrup receiving zone for receiving a plurality of quantities of different syrups each in its original container;
said walls of the housing defining a wholly enclosed water receiving zone;
said walls of the housing defining a wholly enclosed carbon dioxide receiving zone;
ice receiving means mounted in the upper portion of the housing and accessible from the mixed drink preparation zone;
liquid chilling means mounted in the bottom of the ice receiving means;
a liquid dispensing head mounted on the housing and extending into the mixed drink preparation zone at a point over the top wall of the housing;
drain pan means supported in the bottom of the housing and including valve means for selectively permitting fluid flow out of the drain pan means;
drain means for directing liquids from a point in the mixed drink preparation zone under the dispensing head and from a point in the ice receiving means to the drain pan means;
a plurality of liquor pumps each for withdrawing liquor from one of the quantities of liquor in the liquor receiving zone and for discharging the liquor through the dispensing head;
syrup pumping means for withdrawing syrups from the quantities of syrup in the syrup receiving zone and for directing the syrups through the liquid chilling means and through the dispensing head;
water pumping means for withdrawing water from the water receiving zone and for directing water through the liquid chilling means and through the discharge head;
carbonating means for receiving water from the water pumping means, for receiving carbon dioxide gas from the carbon dioxide receiving zone, and for forming carbonated water;
means for directing carbonated water from the carbonating means through the liquid chilling means and through the dispensing head;
said liquors, syrups, water, and carbonated water defining a plurality of liquids available for formulating mixed drinks;
and
electronic circuitry means for receiving a plurality of input signals each individual to a particular mixed drink and responsive thereto for selecting one or more of the plurality of liquids to be used in formulating a desired mixed drink and for effecting discharge of a predetermined quantity of each selected liquid through the dispensing head.

16 more elements

An automatic mixed drink dispensing apparatus comprising:

a housing including a bottom wall, front and back walls, opposed side walls, and a top wall defining a mixed drink preparation zone;
said front, back, and side walls each defining at least one openable panel to provide access to substantially the entire interior of the housing;
a bulkhead extending between the front, back, top, and bottom walls for cooperation with portions of the front, back, and side walls to define a wholly enclosed liquor receiving zone characterized by means for receiving a plurality of quantities of different liquors each in its original container;
means for securing the housing against access to the interior of the liquor receiving zone from any point around its entire exterior periphery;
means within the housing for receiving a plurality of syrup containers each having a quantity of syrup therein;
means within the housing for receiving a water container having a quantity of water therein;
means within the housing for receiving a carbon dioxide container having a quantity of carbon dioxide therein;
ice receiving means mounted in the upper portion of the housing and accessible from the mixed drink preparation zone;
liquid chilling means mounted in the bottom of the ice receiving means;
a dispensing head mounted on the housing and extending into the mixed drink preparation zone at a point over the top wall of the housing;
drain pan means slidably supported in the bottom of the housing and including valve means for selectively permitting fluid flow out of the drain pan means;
drain conduit means for directing liquids from a point in the mixed drink preparation zone under the dispensing head and from a point in the ice receiving means to the drain pan means;
a plurality of liquor pumps each for withdrawing liquor from one of the liquor containers in the liquor receiving zone and for discharging the liquor through the dispensing head;
syrup pumping means for withdrawing syrups from the syrup containers and for directing the syrups through the liquid chilling means and through the dispensing head;
valve means for controlling the flow of syrups through the dispensing head under the action of the syrup pumping means;
water pumping means for withdrawing water from the water container and for directing the water through the liquid chilling means and through the dispensing head;
valve means for controlling the flow of water through the dispensing head under the action of the water pumping means;
carbonating means for receiving water from the water pumping means, for receiving carbon dioxide gas from the carbon dioxide container, and for forming carbonated water;
means for directing carbonated water from the carbonating means through the liquid chilling means and through the dispensing head;
valve means for controlling the flow of carbonated water through the dispensing head;
said liquors, syrups, water, and carbonated water defining a plurality of liquids available for formulating mixed drinks;
a plurality of push-buttons each corresponding to a particular mixed drink;
and
electronic circuitry means responsive to actuation of the push-button for selecting one or more of the plurality of liquids to be used in formulating a desired mixed drink and for effecting discharge of a predetermined quantity of each selected liquid through the dispensing head.

21 more elements

An automatic mixed drink dispensing apparatus comprising:

means defining a mixed drink preparation zone;
means defining a liquor receiving zone for receiving a plurality of quantities of different liquors each in its original container;
means for receiving a plurality of syrup containers each having a quantity of syrup therein;
means for receiving a water container having a quantity of water therein;
means for receiving a carbon dioxide container having a quantity of carbon dioxide therein;
ice receiving means accessible from the mixed drink preparation zone;
liquid chilling means mounted in the bottom of the ice receiving means;
a dispensing head extending into the mixed drink preparation zone;
drain means positioned in the mixed drink preparation zone beneath the dispensing head;
a plurality of liquor pumps each for withdrawing liquor from one of the liquor containers in the liquor receiving zone and for discharging the liquor through the dispensing head;
solenoid-actuated valve means for controlling the flow of liquor through the dispensing head under the action of the liquor pumps;
syrup pumping means for withdrawing syrups from the syrup containers and for directing the syrups through the liquid chilling means and through the dispensing head;
solenoid-actuated valve means for controlling the flow of syrups through the dispensing head under the action of the syrup pumping means;
water pumping means for withdrawing water from the water container and for directing water through the liquid chilling means and through the dispensing head;
solenoid-actuated valve means for controlling the flow of water through the dispensing head under the action of the water pumping means;
carbonating means for receiving water from the water pumping means, for receiving carbon dioxide gas from the carbon dioxide container, and for forming carbonated water;
means for directing the carbonated water from the carbonating means through the liquid chilling means and through the dispensing head;
solenoid-actuated valve means for controlling the flow of carbonated water through the dispensing head;
said liquors, syrups, water and carbonated water defining a plurality of liquids available for formulating mixed drinks;
a plurality of push-buttons each corresponding to a particular mixed drink;
circuit means responsive to the actuation of the push-buttons for generating a plurality of output signals indicative of the particular liquids from the plurality thereof to be utilized in formulating the desired mixed drink and further indicative of the quantity of each liquid to be dispensed;
and
electronic circuitry means responsive to the output signals from the circuit means for operating the solenoid-actuated valve means corresponding to each of the selected liquids for a predetermined period of time and thereby discharging the proper quantity of each selected liquid through the dispensing head.

20 more elements

An automatic mixed drink dispensing apparatus comprising:

means defing a mixed drink preparation zone;
means defining a liquor receiving zone for receiving a plurality of quantities of different liquors each in its original container;
means for receiving a plurality of syrup containers each having a quantity of syrup therein;
means defining a source of water;
means defining a source of carbonated water;
a dispensing head extending into the mixed drink preparation zone;
drain means positioned in the mixed drink preparation zone beneath the dispensing head;
a plurality of liquor pumps each for withdrawing liquor from one of the liquor containers in the liquor receiving zone and for discharging the liquor through the dispensing head;
solenoid-actuated valve means for controlling the flow of liquor through the dispensing head under the action of the liquor pumps;
syrup pumping means for withdrawing syrups from the syrup containers and for directing the syrups through the liquid chilling means and through the dispensing head;
solenoid-actuated valve means for controlling the flow of syrups through the dispensing head under the action of the syrup pumping means;
means for directing water from the source through the dispensing head;
solenoid-actuated valve means for controlling the flow of water through the dispensing head;
means for directing the carbonated water from the source through the dispensing head;
solenoid-actuated valve means for controlling the flow of carbonated water through the dispensing head;
said liquors, syrups, water and carbonated water defining a plurality of liquids available for formulating mixed drinks;
a plurality of push-buttons each corresponding to a particular mixed drink;
circuit means responsive to the actuation of the push-buttons for generating a plurality of output signals indicative of the particular liquids from the plurality thereof to be utilized in formulating the desired mixed drink and further indicative of the quantity of each liquid to be dispensed;
and
electronic circuitry means including means for generating a plurality of outputs each corresponding to a different predetermined period of time and logic means responsive to the output signals from the circuit means for operating the solenoid-actuated valve means corresponding to each of the selected liquids for a predetermined period of time corresponding to a selected one of said outputs and thereby discharging the proper quantity of each selected liquid through the dispensing head.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.