Abstract:
A beverage dispensing apparatus for dispensing one or more beverage components where the beverage dispensing apparatus has a body and at least one button protruding out through the body, the at least one button adapted to dispense a beverage from the beverage dispensing apparatus. The beverage dispensing apparatus also has at least one sensing element attached to the at least one button and at least one sensor attached to the body and aligned with at least one sensing element such that when the at least one button is depressed into the body to dispense a beverage, the at least one sensor interacts with the at least one sensing element to sense that the at least one button is depressed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/044,144, entitled “BEVERAGE DISPENSING APPARATUS WITH SENSOR ASSEMBLY FOR SENSING DISPENSING OF BEVERAGE,” filed on Aug. 29, 2014, the entire contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The invention relates to a sensor configuration for a beverage dispensing system for sensing the dispensing of the beverage component. Particularly, the invention relates to a sensor configuration that can be installed on a tower beverage dispensing system or a hand-held beverage dispenser, also known as a bar gun, to sense when a button on the bar gun or tower is depressed, which causes a beverage component to be dispensed, and thus, the sensor configuration can sense the dispensing of a beverage. 
         [0003]    Beverage dispensing systems are commonly used in a wide variety of locales, including restaurants, snack bars, convenience stores, movie theaters, and any business where beverages are served. These beverage dispensing systems often dispense a variety of beverages of differing types and flavors, such as flavored carbonated sodas, iced tea, water, or even alcoholic beverages. These devices dispense the variety of beverages either by dispensing a single component beverage or by utilizing a dispensing array, also referred to as a diffuser, through which a single beverage may pass or a base beverage and a beverage additive, flow to a dispense point that facilitates discharge of beverages or beverage additives. The beverage components are then dispensed through a dispensing nozzle into a beverage container. 
         [0004]    Some beverage dispensing systems are in the form of a beverage tower while others use a hand-held beverage dispensing handle, commonly referred to as a bar gun. The bar gun uses a single nozzle for dispensing multiple different beverages depending on the needs of the end user. A tower system can have a single nozzle or multiple nozzles for dispensing a beverage. When a single nozzle tower is used, it can be configured to dispense a variety of different beverages using valves in connection with a manifold and system of fluid lines connected to beverage sources for distributing a mixed or single component beverage through a nozzle. Buttons can be used to activate the valves to control the flow of the beverage from the system. The same concept is used with bar guns except that the buttons and valves are located in the bar gun itself rather than in the beverage tower dispenser. Beverage dispensers utilizing this concept have at least one button, and often numerous buttons, for controlling the dispensing of a single beverage component or a mixed beverage into a container. 
         [0005]    Because the button valve configuration of conventional bar guns and towers are mechanically, i.e. manually, operated, these dispensing devices often don&#39;t have means to monitor the dispensing of beverages from the bar gun or tower, which may be useful for things such as reconciling data with purchase receipts, adjusting inventory and/or monitoring re-order levels, among other things. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, it is desirable to develop an assembly that can easily be installed on a bar gun or tower beverage dispensing device such that the depressing of a button and/or dispensing of a beverage component can be sensed. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention is related to beverage dispensing apparatus that utilizes a sensor assembly to detect when a dispensing button is depressed and thus a beverage component is dispensed. 
         [0008]    One embodiment is related to a beverage dispensing apparatus for dispensing one or more beverage components where the beverage dispensing apparatus has a body and at least one button protruding out through the body, the at least one button being adapted to dispense a beverage from the beverage dispensing apparatus. The beverage dispensing apparatus also has at least one sensing element attached to the at least one button and at least one sensor attached to the body and aligned with the at least one sensing element such that when the at least one button is depressed into the body to dispense a beverage, the at least one sensor interacts with the at least one sensing element to sense that the at least one button is depressed. In one embodiment the sensing element is a magnetic element and the sensor senses the movement of the magnetic element. 
         [0009]    In some aspects, the at least one button has a shaft and a cap mounted to the top of the shaft and the at least one magnet is attached to the shaft. The shaft can have a bore and the at least one magnet is installed in the bore. In some aspects, the sensor is attached to the body by way of a sensor plate. In some embodiments the sensor plate can have multiple sensors for aligning with multiple respective magnets attached to multiple respective buttons for sensing dispensing of multiple beverage components. The beverage dispensing apparatus can further comprise a cover attached to the body and having apertures allowing the shafts to protrude through the cover with the cover being installed between the sensor plate and the button caps. 
         [0010]    Many embodiments in accordance with the present invitation are related to a bar gun for dispensing multiple beverage components, where the bar gun has an elongated body, a plurality of buttons protruding out through the body with the plurality of buttons adapted to dispense one or more of the multiple a beverage components, a plurality of magnet respectively attached to each of the plurality of buttons, and a plurality of sensor attached to the body and each aligned with each respective magnet such that when a buttons is depressed to dispense one or more beverage components, the sensor corresponding with the magnet of the depressed button interacts with the magnet of the depressed button to sense that the button is depressed and a beverage is dispensed. 
         [0011]    In some aspects, the bar gun is configured such that multiple buttons can be depressed simultaneously and the respective magnets and sensors for the multiple depressed buttons sense the dispensing of multiple beverage components. In some embodiments, the buttons each have a shaft and a respective cap mounted to the top of the shaft and the respective magnet is attached to the shaft. Each shaft can have a bore with the respective magnet is installed in the bore. In some aspects, the multiple sensors are attached to the body by way of a sensor plate connecting all the sensors together. Some embodiments include a cover attached to the body and having apertures allowing the shafts to protrude through the cover with the cover being installed between the sensor plate and the button caps. 
         [0012]    Many embodiments in accordance with the present invention include a method for sensing the dispensing of a beverage from a bar gun that includes depressing one or more of a plurality of buttons protruding through an elongated body of the bar gun, the plurality of buttons adapted to dispense one or more of the multiple a beverage components and the plurality of buttons each having a magnet aligned with respective sensors attached to the body, and sensing the dispensing one or more beverage components when the sensor corresponding with the magnet of the depressed button interacts with the magnet of the depressed button to sense that the button is depressed and a beverage is dispensed. 
         [0013]    Further understanding of the nature and the advantages of the embodiments disclosed and suggested herein may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the attached drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates a conventional bar gun handle beverage dispensing apparatus. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  illustrates a partially exploded assembly perspective view of a bar gun, in accordance with many embodiments of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  illustrates the bar gun of  FIG. 2  further including a cover. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  shows a top view of the bar gun of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  shows a side view of the bar gun of  FIG. 2  with one of the buttons in the depressed state. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  illustrates an assembled perspective view of the bar gun of  FIG. 2  with one of the buttons in a depressed state. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  illustrates an assembled perspective view of the bar gun of  FIG. 3  with one of the buttons in a depressed state. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  illustrates a partially exploded perspective view of a bar gun, in accordance with many embodiments of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0022]    Embodiments of the invention are generally directed to beverage dispenser sensor assembly for sensing when a beverage dispenser button is depressed and dispensing a beverage component. 
         [0023]    In one embodiment of the beverage dispenser in accordance with the present invention magnets and sensors can be installed as part of the original beverage dispensing tower, or hand held beverage dispenser, or as an assembly that can be installed on a pre-existing bar gun or tower beverage dispenser as a retro fit kit. In a circumstance such as upgrading with a retrofit kit, the sensing element and sensor assembly, described herein, can be added to an existing beverage dispensing tower or handle using the existing screw positions of the beverage dispenser. 
         [0024]    Hand held beverage dispensers, which allow an operator to dispense a number of different beverages by merely pressing an appropriate button on the dispenser, have been around for many years. One exemplary bar gun is as described in Assignee&#39;s pioneering patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,449 to Valiyee, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. An exemplary tower is described in Assignee&#39;s patent application, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2011/0315711 A1 to Hecht. Other similar bar guns and towers are commercially available from Automatic Bar Controls at www.wunderbar.com. 
         [0025]    Regarding a bar gun, as seen in Valiyee and illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the bar gun  1  has a handle  3  that has a nozzle  5  at one end for dispensing the beverage. At the other end, the handle  3  is connected to a flexible line  7  that connects to a brixing device  9  that contains shut off and flow valves for controlling the flow of beverage components to the bar gun. The brixing device  9  is in turn connected to a beverage source (not shown). The bar gun, also has buttons  11  on the handle  3  that activate valves for dispensing a single beverage component or a mixed beverage solution depending on the button  11  pushed by the operator and the configuration of the bar gun  1 . Beverage dispensing towers can be configured similarly with a nozzle, a tower, dispensing and flow control valves and buttons for dispensing the beverage, except the buttons are installed on the fixed tower assembly rather than on the handle of a hand held bar gun. 
         [0026]    The buttons on a bar gun handle or a tower beverage dispenser allow an operator to select particular beverage components and/or dispense the beverage components in predetermined or customizable flow rates and volumes. These buttons can be numerous, or merely be a single button, depending on the intend use of the operator or establishment utilizing the bar gun or tower. In use, the sensor configuration according to the present invention can be installed on a tower beverage dispensing device or a bar gun, which is connected to a beverage dispensing system, such as the one described above. 
         [0027]    Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide a mechanism for sensing and monitoring the dispensing of a beverage or beverage component from a beverage dispenser like a bar gun. In one embodiment, sensing occurs when a magnet installed in the bar gun button is located within a particular distance of a sensor on a sensor plate. The sensor and magnet can be controlled to send a signal to an “intelligence” system that can record the transaction, adjust inventory, monitor inventory levels, and analyze other data necessary for the venue in which such equipment is installed. Such a system for example receives data indication of a pour, as detected by the sensing elements, and can for example analyze the data of the pour for determining precision pours, tracking the number or amount of pours and tie that information to sales and transactions monitoring, calculating inventory levels based on number and volumes of pours, among other things. One such system, Skyflo®, is commercially available from Automatic Bar Controls Inc. at www.wunderbar.com. 
         [0028]    The support circuitry of the sensor may be simply directly wired to a suitable monitoring circuit, or may be completely self-contained with the ability to transmit activation data to a system for monitoring the activity of a venue such as a bar or restaurant such as Skyflo®. 
         [0029]    Some Embodiments in accordance with the present invention are related to magnetic sensors, such as Hall-Effect or reed sensors, among others, which positionally detect corresponding magnets coupled to the individual buttons of the bar gun. The type of sensor, cooperating magnet and relative positions between the sensor and magnet are configured so that detection of the button activation i.e. travel, can be accurately sensed and determined to be “inactive” (not dispensing) or “active” (dispensing a beverage) even with a rather small change in the position of the magnet being monitored by the sensors. Depending upon the location and number of sensors employed, either the basic “beverage dispense” of a bar gun can be detected, or the specific Brand/type (Cola, Orange, lemonade, etc.) available to be dispensed by the bar gun. Other types of sensing of the dispensing of the flow are possible with various kinds of sensing methods including, the sensing of the position of the sensing element and buttons, as described here, as well as optically sensing the button movement or even optically, electrically and/or magnetically sensing the flow of beverage component itself through the bar gun fluid channels, among others. 
         [0030]    The above aspects of the invention can be further understood with reference to the exemplary devices shown in  FIGS. 2-7 , although the invention is not limited to the depicted embodiments and may include many variations in accordance with the principles and aspects described herein. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  shows a partially exploded assembly view of a bar gun with a sensor configuration in accordance with the present invention. The bar gun  2  has a body  4  that extends from a back end  6  to a front end  8 . Under the front end  8 , a nozzle  10  extends from the body  4  for dispensing a beverage component into a suitable container (not shown). On the top side of the body  4  ten buttons  12  protrude up through the body  4 , and are connected with valves (not shown) inside the body  4 , which work in connection with the brixing device described above in the convention bar gun for dispensing a beverage component when the button  12  is depressed. Ten buttons are shown here, but as few as one button can be used. Alternatively, as many buttons as what is desired by a user that can be utilized on a bar gun  2  may be used. 
         [0032]    The buttons  12  have a shaft  14  that rests in a retainer  16  and a cap  18  that rests on top of the shaft  14 . When the cap  18  is pressed by a user, the shaft  14  is pressed down within the retainer  16  to activate one of the bar gun valves. The shaft has two bores  20  where a magnet  22  or the sensing element can be installed. A single bore  20  can also be used for installing the magnet  22 . The bores  20  are shown on outer and inner sides of the shaft  14 , but the bore  20  can be anywhere in the shaft  14  when the magnet  22  is held near a corresponding sensor  24 . Here the sensor  24  is shown on a sensor plate  26  the holds multiple sensors  24 . The magnet  22  rests in the bore  20  which extends down the shaft  14  to below the retainer  16 . When the button  12  is depressed, the magnet rests in the bore and is partially retained by the retainer. 
         [0033]    The plate  26  is installed to the top of the bar gun and has two arms that mount the sensors  24  under magnets  22  for each button  12 . The sensors  24  can be installed to a sensor plate  26 , as shown, or they can independently be installed near a corresponding magnet  22 . The sensors  24  are also shown as being aligned with magnets  22  on the outer portions of the buttons  24  near the sides of the bar gun  2 , but the sensors can also be installed at inner portions of the buttons  12  near the center line of the body  4  of the bar gun  2 . 
         [0034]    As shown in  FIG. 3 , a cover  28  that has button apertures  30  and mounting holes  32 , can be installed over the button shafts  14  and mounted to the body  4  via the mounting holes  32 . The cover  28  protects dirt, liquids and other contaminants from getting in the area of the shaft  14  and retainer  16  as well as the sensors  24 . 
         [0035]    In operation, when an operator depresses or activates a button  12 , they depress the button into the body  4 , which activates a valve (not shown) to dispense a beverage. When the button is depressed, the magnet  22  is brought within a closer distance to the sensor  24 . The sensor senses the magnet  22 , in turn sensing that the button has been depressed, and therefore sensing a beverage component is being dispensed. The signal from the sensing element is in the form of a 4-20 mA current and is transmitted to a current measuring device. The current measuring device may be part of the direct support circuitry of the sensor or part of the self-contained unit with the ability to transmit data to a system, such as Skyflo®. Other configurations for measuring, collecting and transmitting the current information are also possible. 
         [0036]      FIG. 4  shows a top view of bar gun  2  with the buttons  12  and the magnet  22  installed in the bore  20  of shaft  14 . One of the button caps  18  is shown removed to illustrate the magnet  22  is aligned, to the side, with the sensor  24 .  FIG. 5  illustrates a side view of the bar gun of  FIG. 4  with the magnet  22  and the sensor aligned vertically in the same lateral plane in this view in the button  12  labeled B 1 . An additional button  12 , labeled B 2 , is shown depressed and the travel of the button can be seen as well as the distance between the magnet  22  and sensor  24  in a depressed and non-depressed or inactive and active state, respectively. 
         [0037]      FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7  are rendered illustrations of  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3  with the magnet and sensor assembly of a bar gun and showing a depressed button with  FIG. 6 , showing the cover  28  removed, and  FIG. 7 , showing the cover installed on the bar gun over the sensors  24  and sensor plate  26 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 8  shows an alternative construction as what is depicted at  FIG. 3 . Here, an additional spacer  22 A, which can be constructed from an elastomeric material such as rubber, can optionally be positioned between the magnet  22  and button cap  18 . The spacer  22 A helps maintain the magnet  22  in correct position, primarily in the event of shock due to abuse of accidental dropping of the bargun. An additional spring  14 A can be optionally positioned below the shaft  14 . The spring  14 A helps maintain proper travel of the magnet  22  for reliable sensing. The spring  14 A also helps counter fictional resistance to the button, which can be caused by dirt, debris or dried (sticky) liquids that can gather over time. Although depicted in tandem, it should be understood that use of the spacer  22 A is not reliant on use of the spring  14 A, and vice versa. 
         [0039]    The above description is illustrative and is not restrictive. A recitation of “a”, “an” or “the” is intended to mean “one or more” unless specifically indicated to the contrary. Many variations of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the disclosure. One or more features from any embodiment described herein may be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the pending claims along with their full scope or equivalents.