Patent ID: 6446835
Filing Date: 2002-09-10
Classification: B67D

Abstract:
A cold beverage dispensing system for chilling a liquid to produce a beverage such that at least a portion of said beverage includes a frozen component, said cold beverage dispensing system comprising:a beverage hopper for retaining a quantity of said beverage; a dispensing device operatively coupled with said beverage hopper for dispensing beverage therefrom; a beverage detector for detecting the condition of either a presence or an absence of a beverage at a predetermined level in said beverage hopper and generating a refill control signal corresponding to the condition detected; a refill assembly communicating with said beverage hopper for controllably providing refill beverage to said beverage hopper; the refill assembly hingedly secured and tiltable relative to the beverage hopper; and a controller coupled to said refill assembly and said beverage detector for operating said refill assembly in response to said refill control signal to maintain said beverage in said beverage hopper at said predetermined level.