Apparatus and method for dispensing an individual beverage serving

An apparatus for dispensing an individual beverage serving, said beverage including both a flavoring constituent and a base liquid, said dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a housing adapted to receive a rupturable packet containing a predetermined amount of said flavoring constituent, said housing having one wall and an opposing movable platen;
• electro-mechanically actuated platen driving means for rapidly moving said platen from an open position spaced from said housing wall to a packet rupturing position and thereafter slowly moving said platen from said packet rupturing position to a closed position immediately adjacent said housing wall, said platen driving means including a rotatable cam having a cam surface configured to cause said rapid and slow platen movement thereby rupturing said packet and discharging said flavoring constituent;
• a nozzle assembly having a first inlet positioned to receive said flavoring constituent discharged from said packet, a second inlet to receive said base liquid, a mixing zone for mixing said flavoring constituent with said base liquid to make said beverage, and an outlet for discharging said individual serving of said beverage into a serving container;
• and
• said platen driving means further including first biasing means for urging said platen driving means toward said platen, said first biasing means generating a first biasing force greater than that required to rupture said packet.

An apparatus for dispensing an individual beverage serving, said beverage including both a flavoring constituent and a base liquid, said dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a housing adapted to receive a rupturable packet containing a predetermined amount of said flavoring constituent, said housing having one wall and an opposing movable platen;
• electro-mechanically actuated platen driving means for rapidly moving said platen from an open position spaced from said housing wall to a packet rupturing position and thereafter slowly moving said platen from said packet rupturing position to a closed position immediately adjacent said housing wall, said platen driving means including a rotatable cam having a cam surface configured to cause said rapid and slow platen movement thereby rupturing said packet and discharging said flavoring constituent;
• a nozzle assembly having a first inlet positioned to receive said flavoring constituent discharged from said packet, a second inlet to receive said base liquid, a mixing zone for mixing said flavoring constituent with said base liquid to make said beverage, and an outlet for discharging said individual serving of said beverage into a serving container;
• and
• said packet containing both a predetermined volume of flavoring constituent and a predetermined volume of gas less than about 10 milliliters, and said platen drive means operating to move said platen in a preselected manner dependent upon said predetermined volumes of flavoring constituent and gas to thereby achieve a substantially homogeneous beverage serving.

An apparatus for dispensing an individual beverage serving, said beverage including both a flavoring constituent and a base liquid, said dispensing apparatus comprising:

• a housing adapted to receive a rupturable packet containing a predetermined amount of said flavoring constituent, said housing having one wall and an opposing movable platen;
• electro-mechanically actuated platen driving means for rapidly moving said platen from an open position spaced from said housing wall to a packet rupturing position and thereafter slowly moving said platen from said packet rupturing position to a closed position immediately adjacent said housing wall, said platen driving means including a rotatable cam having a cam surface configured to cause said rapid and slow platen movement thereby rupturing said packet and discharging said flavoring constituent;
• a nozzle assembly having a first inlet positioned to receive said flavoring constituent discharged from said packet, a second inlet to receive said base liquid, a mixing zone for mixing said flavoring constituent with said base liquid to make said beverage, and an outlet for discharging said individual serving of said beverage into a serving container;
• and
• said platen driving means further including means for moving said platen away from said housing wall a preselected distance immediately after said platen reaches said packet rupturing position but before moving said platen toward said closed position.

A system for dispensing an individual serving of a beverage containing both a liquid flavoring constituent and a base liquid, said system comprising:

• a rupturable packet containing a predetermined volume of said flavoring constituent and a predetermined volume of gas;
• means for delivering said base liquid to a nozzle;
• a packet rupturing mechanism including a wall and a platen adapted to receive and rupture said packet thereby discharging said flavoring constituent into said nozzle;
• and
• platen control and drive means for continuously controlling the movement of said platen toward said wall in a preselected manner dependent upon the predetermined volumes of said flavoring constituent and gas within said packet to thereby obtain a predetermined flow rate of said flavoring constituent from said packet and a substantially uniform mixture of said flavoring constituent and said base liquid in said individual beverage serving.

A method for dispensing an individual beverage serving which contains both a flavoring constituent and a base liquid, said method comprising:

• placing a packet containing a predetermined volume of said flavoring constituent and a predetermined volume of a gas into a packet rupturing mechanism having a movable platen;
• moving said platen and continuously controlling the movement of said platen in a preselected manner dependent upon the predetermined volumes of said flavoring constituent and gas within said packet to thereby rupture said packet and discharge said flavoring constituent into a nozzle at a controlled and predetermined flow rate;
• delivering said base liquid to said nozzle in a measured amount;
• and
• discharging said beverage serving from said nozzle.