Patent ID: 9511987
Filing Date: 2016-12-06
CPC Classification: B67D

Claim Text:
1. A beverage dispenser for fixing a cup of beverage with concentrated syrup and dilution water premixed together at a mixing station at a predetermined dilution ratio so as to be capable of being supplied from the mixing station into a cup of desired cup size from among a plurality of different selectable cup sizes, comprising: a syrup supply source for supplying at least one type of concentrated syrup for a beverage via a tube element having a given tube thickness for fonning therein a fluid conduit and extending to the mixing station by way of a tube pump arranged to be driven by a pulse-operated drive motor; a dilution water supply unit for supplying a flow of dilution water at a preselected constant flow rate (volume/unit time) to the mixing station, wherein the flow of dilution water is passed through a flow regulator for controlling fluid flow rate and an electronically-operated solenoid valve for the dilution water adapted to be electronically-operated and closably opened for allowing the flow of the dilution water to pass therethrough at the preselected constant flow rate during opening thereof; at least one mixer arranged at the mixing station to blend therein the concentrated syrup and the dilution water thereby fixing the beverage to be supplied into a cup of the desired cup-size selected from among a plurality of different cup-sizes; and, a dilution ratio adjusting device configured to blend the concentrated syrup with the dilution water at the predetermined dilution ratio to thereby fix the beverage to be supplied into the cup of a selected one of the different cup sizes, wherein the dilution ratio adjusting device comprises a controller unit including: a memory unit for storing therein a dilution ratio adjusting program, and (a) data of at least one dilution ratio predetermined to be suited for at least one type of concentrated syrup for fixing a beverage, (b) data of a plurality of different (small to large) cup-sizes for the fixed beverage, (c) data of tube information including a plurality of given tube thickness values of a respective plurality of different tube elements, each being used for conveying concentrated syrup from the syrup supply source by way of the tube pump, (d) data of a flow rate of dilution water supplied by the dilution water supply unit as per a unit time, and (e) data of each amount of concentrated syrup delivered by the tube pump in association with the data of a selected tube thickness value of a respective one of the plurality of tube elements, a data processing unit for implementing the dilution ration adjusting program according to the stored data of the memory unit thereby calculating amounts of the concentrated syrup and the dilution water to allow an amount of beverage to be blended and fixed within a substantially same identical time duration from start to stop for a selected one of the plurality of different cup sizes, wherein the data processing unit is configured to store or hold, in the memory unit, data of the calculated amounts of the concentrated syrup and the dilution water for at least one type of concentrated syrup and for each of the plurality of different cup sizes; a cup-size selecting unit for inputting a selection of a desired cup size to be supplied with concentrated syrup and dilution water for the beverage from the memory unit into the data processing unit; a syrup type selecting unit for inputting a selection of a type of concentrated syrup for the beverage from the memory unit into the data processing unit; a dilution water control unit for controlling operation of the electronically-operated solenoid valve for the dilution water and the flow regulator, respectively, to thereby allow the calculated amount of dilution water to flow into a predetermined cup via the mixer based upon the selection input from the cup-size selection unit and the selection input from the syrup type selecting unit: and, a drive unit for driving the pulse-operated drive motor to thereby operate the tube-pump so that the calculated amount of concentrated syrup is supplied into the cup via the mixer, based on both the selection input from the syrup type selecting unit and the selection input from the cup-size selecting unit.