Apparatus and method for dispensing a frozen alcoholic beverage
AssigneeGrindmaster Corporation
InventorsMichael J. Edrington, Richard L. Sipp
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for dispensing a frozen alcoholic beverage in which an alcoholic beverage component is mixed with at least one other liquid component prior to freezing and dispensing as a frozen beverage product. The individual beverage components flow through the dispensing apparatus from separate containers through separate pressure-controlled component feed systems, exiting into a common mixing area where they form a single beverage product. This resulting product then enters the freezing and dispensing system where it is maintained at a pressure of about 20-27 psi while being processed into a frozen alcoholic beverage product until it is dispensed.
Claims29
A mixing, freezing and dispensing apparatus for mixing multiple beverage components into an alcohol-containing single beverage product and thereafter freezing the single beverage product and dispensing the single beverage product as a frozen alcoholic beverage, comprising:
- a delivery system for delivery at least three separate beverage components, including a component containing a percentage of alcohol, said delivery system comprising a plurality of feed systems, each of said feed systems being associated with a respective beverage component and operating to feed a predetermined amount of the associated beverage component from a source thereof to mixing area in which the predetermined amounts are combined into the alcohol-containing single beverage product;
- and
- a freezing and dispensing system in liquid communication with said mixing area for freezing and thereafter dispensing the frozen alcoholic beverage, said delivery system responsive to said freezing and dispensing system upon dispensing the alcoholic beverage for feeding the predetermined amounts of the beverage components to the mixing area.
A mixing, freezing and dispensing apparatus for mixing multiple beverage components into an alcohol-containing single beverage product and thereafter freezing the single beverage product and dispensing the single beverage product as a frozen alcoholic beverage, comprising:
- a freezing-and-dispensing system for freezing and thereafter dispensing the single beverage product, holding the single beverage produce at a pressure between about 15 and 30 PSI until the single beverage product is dispensed as a frozen alcoholic beverage.
A mixing, freezing and dispensing apparatus for mixing multiple beverage components into an alcohol-containing single beverage product and thereafter freezing the single beverage product and dispensing the single beverage product as a frozen alcoholic beverage, comprising:
- a delivery system for delivery at least three separate beverage components, including a component containing a percentage of alcohol, said delivery system comprising a plurality of feed systems, each of said feed systems being associated with a respective beverage component and operating to predetermined amount of the associated beverage component from a source thereof to a mixing area in which the predetermined amounts are combined into the alcohol-containing single beverage product;
- and
- a freezing and dispensing system in liquid communication with said mixing area for freezing and thereafter dispensing the frozen alcoholic beverage, said delivery system responsive to said freezing and dispensing system upon dispensing the frozen alcoholic beverage for feeding the predetermined amounts of the beverage components to the mixing area, and each of said feed systems further comprising a first valve and said freezing and dispensing system comprising a first sensing mechanism for sensing the dispensing of the frozen alcoholic beverage, all of said first valves opening when the frozen alcoholic beverage is dispensed for feeding the predetermined amounts of the beverage components to said mixing area, thereby replenishing the single beverage product in the freezing and dispensing system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.