Product identification system for beverage dispenser
AssigneeThe Coca-Cola Company
InventorsAlfred A. Schroeder, Michael T. Romanyszyn, Jr., Norman P. Wittig, Jack F. Brumley
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Abstract
A system for automatically identifying the desired concentrate to water ratio of a juice product in a concentrate container inserted into a juice dispenser and for automatically switching the ratio control system to the desired ratio. The system includes a product ratio I.D. member having ratio indicia on the fill plug of the container and a sensor in the dispenser. The sensed information is used by the ratio control system in the dispenser to change the pump motor speed to provide the desired ratio.
Claims5
Apparatus for automatically identifying a desired product ratio of a product in a concentrate container inserted into a postmix beverage dispenser comprising:
- (a) said postmix beverage dispenser;
- (b) said beverage dispenser including a concentrate container-receiving chamber;
- (c) a product ratio I.D. sensor located in said chamber;
- (d) said concentrate container located in said chamber, said container including product ratio indicia thereon;
- (e) said dispenser including means for receiving and supporting said container in said chamber in a single orientation of said container;
- (f) said product ratio indicia on said container being located on said container in a position such that when said container is in said single orientation in said chamber, said indicia is adjacent to said sensor;
- (g) said container including a fill plug and wherein said indicia being on said fill plug;
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- (h) said sensor including a pair of Hall effect sensors mounted in said chamber.
Apparatus for automatically identifying a desired product ratio of a product in a concentrate container inserted into a postmix beverage dispenser comprising:
- (a) said postmix beverage dispenser;
- (b) said beverage dispenser including a concentrate container-receiving chamber;
- (c) a product ratio I.D. sensor located in said chamber;
- (d) said concentrate container located in said chamber, said container including product ratio indicia thereon;
- (e) said dispenser including means for receiving and supporting said container in said chamber in a single orientation of said container;
- (f) said product ratio indicia on said container being located on said container in a position such that when said container is in said single orientation in said chamber, said indicia is adjacent to said sensor;
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- (g) said dispenser including means for automatically switching the mixing ratio of the dispensed beverage in response to said desired product ratio.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.