Food service beverage dispenser

Automatic dispensing apparatus for dispensing predetermined quantities of different beverages from one dispensing station, the invention comprises a housing having a water supply subsystem located therein for supplying either hot or cold water to the dispensing station for ejection into a cup, the housing further having a plurality of dry powder beverage base containers, each container having a powder metering mechanism for ejecting a predetermined quantity of powder into a delivery chute, the delivery chute directing the powder into the cup for mixing with the hot or cold water. Portions of the powder metering mechanisms remote from the containers and upper portions of the delivery chutes, one delivery chute being provided for each container to avoid cross-contamination, are disposed within a warm air enclosure to prevent moisture contamination of the dry powders. A warm air flow subsystem heats the warm air enclosure and, by producing a positive pressure therein relative to ambient pressure at the lower ends of the delivery chutes, prevents the movement of moisture-laden air upwardly through the delivery chutes into contaminating contact with the container and the dry powders contained therein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to the dispensing of hot beverages 
wherein a dry beverage base and a reconstituting medium therefor is mixed 
in a use container, the invention more particularly relating to an 
apparatus for dispensing a plurality of different beverages at a single 
dispensing station without product cross-contamination or contamination of 
the dry beverage bases by moisture and other contaminating elements. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Apparatus capable of dispensing dry beverage base powders selectively into 
a cup for mixing therein with water also discharged into the cup by the 
apparatus are known in the art. The prior art further encompasses the 
provision of warm air circulation within a dry discharge apparatus for 
preventing hardening or moisture absorption by the powder material. The 
prior art further provides powder metering mechanisms, such as discharge 
augers, capable of discharging a predetermined quantity of a dry powder 
into a mixing container. The following U.S. Pat. Nos. are exemplary of the 
prior art: 2,755,000, 3,364,959, 2,954,145, 3,531,019, 3,088,490 
3,671,020, 3,195,588. 
The prior art does not provide the particular combination of structural 
elements provided by the present apparatus, the present apparatus 
providing structure for accomplishing similar functions but which, by the 
particular nature of such structure, produces such similar functions in a 
dissimilar manner, the structure of the present apparatus being not 
heretofore available in or contemplated by the prior art. In particular, 
the present apparatus is capable of dispensing a plurality of dry beverage 
base powders selectively into a use container for mixing therein with a 
solvent or extraction medium, the particular structure of the present 
apparatus allowing high volume use thereof, the apparatus having a 
relatively large storage capacity for the several dry powders dispensed 
therefrom. Further, the stored dry powders dispensed by the present 
apparatus are maintained by the apparatus without contamination due either 
to environmental contamination, such as by moisture, oxygen, and the like, 
or by contamination with other dry powders stored within said apparatus. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present dispensing apparatus is particularly intended for use in 
"on-floor" pantries of institutions, such as hospitals, which employ 
convenience food systems complimentary to or in place of a central 
kitchen. In such "on-floor" pantries, a hot beverage is typically prepared 
in the pantry and served with a meal which has been reconstituted or 
heated in the pantry after supply from a central kitchen. It is 
particularly desirable to prepare hot beverages in an "on-floor" pantry 
immediately before serving of the beverage to the user, such procedure 
reducing heat loss from the beverage, taste deterioration of the beverage, 
and associated problems. Existing dispensing apparatus suitable for such 
uses typically only dispense coffee and hot water, such devices utilizing 
mixing chambers internally of the apparatus and thereby being susceptible 
to the sanitation and malfunction problems associated with such apparatus. 
Separate dispensing apparatus for supplying the other beverages typically 
served in such situations can not economically and conveniently be 
provided. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a dispensing apparatus 
capable of dispensing a plurality of different beverages from one 
dispensing station, it being necessary to avoid contamination of a given 
beverage so dispensed with any of the other beverages dispensed by the 
apparatus. The present invention provides such an apparatus capable of 
dispensing a plurality of different beverages without contamination of any 
one of same by any of the other beverages so dispensed. The present 
dispensing apparatus particularly provides for selective dispensing of any 
one of a plurality of dry beverage base powders stored within the 
apparatus, the powder and a reconstituting liquid or extraction medium 
being discharged into a use container for mixing therein. The present 
apparatus is, therefore, capable of dispensing beverages such as coffee, 
tea, decaffeinated coffee, or hot water, as desired. The present apparatus 
comprises water and powder delivery subsystems capable of the rapid 
recycling necessary in a high volume use environment. Although the present 
apparatus is capable of dispensing a plurality of different beverages from 
a single dispensing station, cross-contamination of the beverage products 
is prevented through the use of separate structure for delivering each dry 
beverage base powder into the use container, the delivery structure being 
configured to avoid accidental and un-intended contamination of any given 
dry beverage base powder with any other such powder contained within the 
apparatus. The present apparatus further includes a warm air enclosure 
defined by a shroud which encloses at least portions of the dry beverage 
base powder delivery structure. The warm air enclosure or shroud acts to 
protect the dry beverage base powders contained within the apparatus from 
contamination by moisture or other contaminants, the enclosure being 
warmed by a warm air flow subsystem which also acts to produce a positive 
pressure within the enclosure. The present apparatus further comprises a 
unitary closure lid capable of closing the separate dry beverage base 
powder storage containers housed within the apparatus, thereby to prevent 
contamination of the powders by moisture, oxygen, or the like. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus 
capable of dispensing a plurality of different beverages from a single 
dispensing station without cross-contamination of the beverages and 
without contamination of the beverages by substances contained in the 
ambient environment of the apparatus. 
It is another object of the invention to provide an apparatus capable of 
dispensing a plurality of different beverages and having warm air 
circulation and containing structure capable of preventing the incursion 
of moisture into storage containers containing the dry beverage base 
powders used to make up the different beverages dispensed by the 
apparatus, said structure preventing "caking" or hardening of the powders 
due to moisture absorption. 
These together with other objects and advantages which will become 
subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation 
as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to 
the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals 
refer to like parts throughout.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, a dispensing 
apparatus according to the present invention is shown generally at 10 to 
comprise a generally box-like housing 12 having a housing closure 14 
removably mounted to the upper portion thereof for access into the 
interior of said housing. The apparatus 10 is seen to be conveniently 
disposable on a service shelf. A dispensing station 16 is seen to be 
provided in an external face of the housing 12, the dispensing station 16 
being also shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 to comprise a splash guard 18 of 
substantially semi-cylindrical conformation, the splash guard 18 having a 
perimetric flange 20 for mounting said guard 18 to adjacent surface 
portions of the face of the housing 12. The dispensing station 16 further 
comprises a platform 22 having a perforated drain plate 24 disposed 
thereover, a use container or cup into which a beverage is to be dispensed 
being disposable on the drain plate 24 in a position suitable for 
dispensing of a dry beverage base powder and a reconstituting liquid or 
extraction medium into the container for mixing therein. A hot water 
selector 26 and dry beverage base powder selectors 28, which selectors can 
comprise "push" buttons, are positioned on the face of the housing 
adjacent the dispensing station 16. Activation of a product selector 28 
provides both the necessary powder and water for preparation of a desired 
beverage while the hot water selector 26 will deliver only hot water when 
required for other dietary purposes. 
Referring now particularly to FIG. 2, the housing 12 is seen to contain a 
warm air flow subsystem shown generally at 30, a dry beverage base powder 
containing and dispensing subsystem shown generally at 40, a dry beverage 
base powder delivery subsystem shown generally at 50, and, as shown in 
FIGS. 4 and 5, a water supply subsystem shown generally at 60. The warm 
air flow subsystem 30 is seen to comprise a convection tube 32 which can 
be L-shaped to provide a horizontally directed output at 34 of warm air 
heated within an air inlet chamber 36 by a resistance heating element 38, 
air being drawn into the air inlet chamber 36 from externally of the 
housing 12 to be heated in a known fashion by the heating element 38. Warm 
air exiting the chamber 36 rises through the convection tube 32 and is 
directed into a primary warm air chamber 80 defined by a cylindrical 
chamber housing 82. A lower end portion of a conical housing 84 extends 
into the chamber 80 through an upper end portion of the housing 82, the 
conical housing 84 partially defining a secondary warm air chamber 86 in 
cooperation with a substantially cylindrical upper housing portion 88 
formed unitarily with the conical housing 84. A plurality of delivery 
chutes 90 are disposed within the secondary warm air chamber 86, lower end 
portions of the chutes 90 extending from the lower open end of the conical 
housing 84 and into the primary warm air chamber 80. A cover 92 of 
substantially cylindrical conformation is seen to be open at the lower end 
thereof and closed at the upper end, the cover 92 being received over the 
cylindrical upper housing portion 88 to further define the secondary warm 
air chamber 86. The cover 92 is provided with a diametric upstanding plate 
93 on the upper closed end portion thereof with the upper edge being 
arcuate and provided with a notch 94. A pivotal U-shaped fastening member 
96 is mounted on an interior structural portion of the housing 12 and 
engages notch 94 for releasably holding the cover 92 in place over the 
cylindrical upper housing portion 88. 
The cover 92 and the housing portion 88 have cutout portions 98 and 99, 
respectively, which align to allow extension of free end portions of 
auger-containing delivery tubes 100, said free end portions of said 
delivery tubes 100 further extending into the secondary warm air chamber 
86 through a cutout portion 102 in each of the delivery chutes 90. 
Containers 42 store the dry beverage base powders dispensed by the 
apparatus 10 into the use container shown in phantom at 104 in FIG. 2. 
Each of the containers 42 contains a dry powder useful as a beverage base 
for producing a given beverage when mixed with a suitable liquid in the 
use container 104. A powder metering mechanism 44 is provided beneath each 
of the containers 42, the metering mechanism 44 preferably comprising a 
motor-driven auger 46 such as can be better seen in FIG. 3. Each auger 46 
is housed within an auger housing 48, which auger housing 48 communicates 
at one end with one each of the delivery tubes 100, each auger 46 
extending into the interior of each of the delivery tubes 100. At the 
other ends of the auger housings 48, electrically driven motors 49 are 
mounted for power rotation of the augers 46 on selection of the 
appropriate dry beverage base powder selectors 28, said selectors 28 being 
electrically connected through appropriate electrical relays to the motors 
49. 
As can be particularly seen in FIG. 2, the interior of each of the 
containers 42 communicates with the interior of the auger housing 48 
surmounted by said containers 42, dry beverage base powders contained 
within the containers 42 being gravity fed into said auger housings 48. 
Therefore, on actuation of one of the augers 46, a quantity of the dry 
beverage base powder contained within the surmounting container 42 is 
caused to be displaced into the associated delivery tube 100 and dispensed 
from the end of said tube 100 into the associated delivery chute 90. The 
dry powder thus dispensed into the delivery chute 90 is gravity-fed from 
the lower end of said chute 90 through output nozzle 52 disposed beneath 
and aligned with the lower ends of the delivery chutes 90, the dry powder 
being thereby discharged into the use container 104. As will be described 
hereinafter, liquid discharged into the use container 104 for mixing with 
the dry beverage base powder dispensed as indicated hereinabove exits the 
water supply subsystem 60 through a conduit 62, the free end of which 
extends through the output nozzle 52 into surmounting relation to the use 
container 104. As can further be seen in FIG. 2, the upper ends of the 
delivery chutes 90 extend above the delivery tubes 100 to prevent 
accidental discharge of dry powder from any one of the delivery tubes 100 
into any one of the delivery chutes 90 not immediately associated with 
said delivery tube 100. As can further be seen in FIG. 2, each delivery 
chute 90 has a tab member 108, a notch 110 being formed between the body 
of the delivery chute 90 and the tab member 108, the notch 110 receiving a 
wall segment of the cylindrical upper housing portion 88 thereinto to 
suspendibly mount the delivery chutes 90 within the chamber 86. 
The warm air exiting the convection tube 32 causes the temperature in the 
primary warm air chamber 80 to be approximately 50 degrees F. over ambient 
temperature. The heated air within the primary chamber 80 heats the lower 
ends of the delivery chutes 90 and further heats the conical housing 84 
and upper housing portion 88 to provide a temperature within the secondary 
warm air chamber 86 of approximately 10 degrees F. over ambient. The flow 
of warm air through the primary chamber 80 also provides a positive 
pressure within the secondary chamber 86, ambient air having moisture or 
other contaminant present therein being therefore prevented from moving 
into the secondary chamber 86 through the opening in the lower portion of 
the conical housing 84 through which the lower ends of the delivery chutes 
90 extend. The structure thus described provides a temperature gradient 
between the lower ends of the delivery chutes 90 and the upper ends 
thereof, the delivery tubes 100 extending into the second chamber 86 and 
usually containing dry beverage base powder therewithin being at a lower 
temperature than the temperature within the primary chamber 80 to prevent 
deterioration of said powder. As can further be seen in FIG. 3, an auger 
shut-off switch 106 is provided to prevent dispensing of the dry beverage 
base powders contained within the containers 42 during periods when the 
apparatus 10 is unattended. As can further be seen in FIG. 3, the delivery 
chutes 90 are preferably formed substantially as frusto-conical sections, 
the upper ends of the chutes 90 being of a larger diameter than are the 
lower ends of said chutes. 
Referring now to FIG. 6, the cover 92 can be seen in detail to be held over 
the secondary chamber 86 by the fastening member 96, free ends of the 
fastening member 96 being mounted for rotation by means of fixed mounting 
tabs 112 attached to interior structural portions of the housing 12. 
Referring once again to FIG. 2, the perforated drain plate 24 is seen to 
be spaced from planar interior portions of the platform 22, said interior 
portions of the platform 22 comprising a spillage reservoir which may be 
connected to a drain (not shown), water spilled within the confines of the 
platform 22 flowing through the apertures in the plate 24 and into the 
reservoir portion of the platform 22 for containment therein. The 
reservoir portion of the platform 22 is intended to be of sufficient 
volumetric capacity to contain at least a full single discharge of water 
from the conduit 62. 
Referring now particularly to FIGS. 4 and 5, the water supply subsystem 60 
is seen to comprise a hot water storage tank 54 having a heater element 56 
disposed therein, the heater element 56 being thermostatically controlled 
in a known manner. Relatively cold water is supplied to the tank 54 from 
externally of the housing 12 through a water inlet supply line 58 having 
an inlet valve 64 disposed in said line 58 for controlling the flow of 
water into the tank 54. As water enters the tank 54 through the supply 
line 58, heated water is caused to rise in a riser tube 68 until a syphon 
tube 62 is caused to be primed. At this point, the hot water flowing out 
of the syphon tube 62 equals the cold water entering the tank 54 through 
the supply line 58 except for a small portion of water which flows through 
a make-up orifice 70 through a lower wall portion 71 of a make-up 
reservoir 72 defined by partition 73 located within riser tube 68. When 
the valve 64 is closed, hot water will continue to be run until the water 
in the riser tube 68 is below the inlet of the syphon tube 62, at which 
time the heater element 56 can be activated to cause the water in the tank 
54 to expand and rise within the riser tube 68. Water entering the make-up 
reservoir 72 through the orifice 70 is maintained therein until needed to 
make-up water lost through evaporation such as occurs during extended 
inoperative periods. Effectively, the use of a relatively small riser tube 
68 results in a very short elapsed time between the opening of the inlet 
valve 64 and the flow of hot water through the syphon tube 62. Further, 
the present structure provides a relatively short time between the opening 
of the inlet valve 64 and the discontinuation of flow through the syphon 
tube 62 while maintaining a large capacity with the ability to provide a 
rapid "first drink response" due to the presence of make-up water within 
the make-up reservoir 72. A vapor relief tube 74 is vented to ambient 
through the housing 12. A thermostat 76 is seen to control actuation of 
the heater element 56. Further, a deflector 78 acts to maintain the 
relatively cold water entering the tank 54 in the lower portions of said 
tank 54 on entry of the water into said tank. 
Referring again to FIG. 2, the housing closure 14 is seen to have lids 114 
for each of the containers 42 permanently attached thereto, the lids 114 
being formed of a flexible plastic material. The lids 114 are each seen to 
have an upwardly extending annular flange 116 formed thereon, the flanges 
116 abutting and sealing with perimetric upper edge portions 118 of the 
containers 42. It is to be understood that the containers 42, and thus the 
lids 114, can be formed in a square, rectangular, cylindrical, or other 
cross section as desired. The containers 42 are seen to extend at the 
upper ends thereof through openings 120 formed in a deck plate 122 
comprising an upper internal structural portion of the housing 12. 
Vertically oriented flange members 124 are disposed about perimetric edges 
of the openings 120. The containers 42 are seen to have downwardly 
extending flange members 126 formed about the upper portions thereof and 
extending from the exterior surfaces of said containers 42, the flange 
members 124 being received within a recess defined by the flange members 
126 and external surfaces of the upper portions of the containers 42 
spaced from said flange members 126. Therefore, the mating flange members 
124 and 126 effectively seal the openings 120 to prevent spillage of dry 
beverage base powder into the interior of the apparatus 10 when the 
containers 42 are filled with said dry powders. Accordingly, all of the 
containers 42 are exposed for inspection and refilling on opening of the 
housing closure 14, closing of the housing closure 14 bringing the lids 
into closing relation with the containers 42 in a single movement. 
Since this dispenser will be used in hospital pantries, it will most likely 
be mounted beneath a shelf between adjacent equipment or articles thus 
necessitating that the dispenser be moved forwardly for refilling the 
canisters or for other service. In order to accommodate such movement, the 
water supply is through a metal reinforced flexible tube rather than 
standard copper tubing which will break when repeatedly bent. 
Also, a limited direction wheel system is provided for facilitating outward 
and inward movement of the dispenser. The wheels 13 have a brake (not 
shown) which renders the wheels immobile when the dispenser is in use. The 
tracks 15 support the dispenser on a support surface of lower shelf 17. 
Slides similar to conventional drawer slides may also be used to support 
the dispenser beneath a shelf, on a counter top or any other surface such 
that lateral movement will be prevented thereby preventing pinched fingers 
when moving the dispenser in relation to a pantry shelf or the like. 
The product strength (ratio of product to water) adjustments are made by 
altering the auger rather than the time cycle and there is only one cold 
beverage selection and two hot beverage selections which enables a unique 
control circuit to be used. One hot beverage selection is active when the 
unit is at rest so that when the push button is depressed, a hot beverage 
will be dispensed. This reduces the control problem to selection between 
one hot and one cold beverage as the water select relay is normally in the 
hot water mode. The cold beverage selection push button actuates a second 
relay which deenergizes the hot water select relay to enable tap water to 
flow directly to the use container thus enabling the control arrangement 
to use only two relays or relay switches (not shown) to provide four 
selections with each push button also operating a timer for controlling 
the product motor or coil. 
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the 
invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily 
occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the 
invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and 
accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted 
to, falling within the scope of the invention.