Beverage dispenser
OwnerGregory Russell Van Zeelandinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A beverage dispenser comprising a chamber adapted to contain the beverage to be dispensed, an outlet from the chamber to dispense the beverage, at least one inlet to the chamber for the addition of at least one gas and/or liquid, at least one mass measurement means adapted to determine the mass of the chamber with beverage contained therein, and a controller that determines a quantity of gas and/or liquid to be added to the chamber at least partially determined by the measured mass.
Claims18
A frozen carbonated beverage dispenser comprising:
- a pressure chamber adapted to contain a controlled amount of the frozen carbonated beverage to be dispensed as well as a controlled amount of carbonating gas;
- an outlet from the pressure chamber to dispense the frozen carbonated beverage;
- at least one inlet to the pressure chamber for the addition of at least one carbonating gas and/or replacement liquid to be frozen and carbonated to form the frozen carbonated beverage;
- at least one mass measurement means adapted to determine the mass of the pressure chamber with frozen carbonated beverage contained therein and determine the amount of frozen carbonated beverage in the pressure chamber;
- and
- a controller that determines a quantity of gas and/or liquid to be added to the pressure chamber at least partially determined by the measured mass to maintain a predetermined ratio of frozen carbonated beverage relative to carbonating gas in the pressure chamber.
A method of controlling a quantity of gas and/or liquid to be added to a frozen carbonated beverage dispenser, the method comprising the steps of:
- measuring the mass of a pressure chamber with a frozen carbonated beverage to be outlet contained therein;
- determining a quantity of carbonating gas and/or liquid to be frozen and carbonated to form the frozen carbonated beverage to be added to the pressure chamber at least partially determined by the measured mass;
- and
- adding the determined quantity of carbonating gas and/or liquid to be frozen and carbonated to form the frozen carbonated beverage to the pressure chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.