Abstract:
The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser configured to dispense variable serving sizes of cold beverages. The dispenser can dispense both carbonated and non-carbonated beverages. The dispenser includes a mechanism to carbonate water and can be used with a variety of different syrup flavors.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/010,422 entitled “Beverage Dispenser and Related Methods” filed Jun. 10, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as if fully set forth herein. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0003]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0004]    The disclosed subject matter is in the field of beverage dispensers. 
         [0005]    2. Background of the Invention 
         [0006]    A beverage is a liquid drink for human consumption. Beverage varieties include, but are not limited to: water, alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, carbonated drinks, fruit or vegetable juice, and hot drinks (e.g., coffee, tea, and hot chocolate). Beverages of any variety are consumed by the general population on a daily basis. 
         [0007]    Beverages, other than water, frequently involve complicated or lengthy preparations. As a result, large quantities of premade beverages are frequently canned or bottled for later consumption. Consuming canned or bottled beverages can be problematic. For instance, bottled or canned beverages, once opened, must be consumed within a relatively short period to avoid spoliation of the beverage (e.g., the flattening of a carbonated soda). Also, bottled or canned beverages can result in waste, particularly in the case of aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Finally, canned and bottled soda typically lacks the freshness of soda dispensed from a soda fountain. 
         [0008]    To avoid spoliation and to adjust serving sizes, sometimes beverages are dispensed from a dispenser that mixes a concentrate flavoring, or syrup, with a base fluid like water. For instance, traditional soda fountains and dispensers have been in existence for years and use bag-in-box (BIB) pumps to deliver syrups to a mix system. The traditional systems mix the beverage components (i.e. carbon dioxide, water, or syrup) via motors and contain numerous moving parts. Additionally, these dispensers are too large and expensive to be practical for home use. Instead, soda dispensers are mostly used commercially in establishments like restaurants, bars, and convenience stores. 
         [0009]    Recently, there have been some developments in beverage makers or dispensers for home use. For instance, sodastream is a machine that allows a user to mix carbonated beverages at home. To use the sodastream, a reusable 1 L bottle that is only compatible with sodastream is placed into a pump so that carbon dioxide may be pumped into the water. Later, the carbonated water can be mixed with syrup to make a carbonated beverage. One downside of sodastream is that it does not create single servings of carbonated beverages. It must be mixed in 1 L batches, and not variable single servings. Another downside of the sodastream is that the user manually measures and mixes the syrup and carbonated water, which can lead to inconsistent flavors if a user adds too much or too little syrup. 
         [0010]    While there is very little in the area of at home single serving carbonated beverage dispensers, there are several products available for making single servings of hot, noncarbonated beverages. Products like Keurig® and Nesspresso® allow a user to brew a single cup of coffee or other hot beverage. To use one of these devices, a user places a premeasured disposable cup of coffee grounds, dried tea, or another hot beverage mix in the machine. The machine then introduces a predetermined amount of hot water through the cup to “brew” the beverage. The machine then dispenses the hot drink. Because both the coffee and the water are premeasured, the single cup coffee makers will only make hot drinks in discreet sizes. 
         [0011]    Most recently Santoiemmo (U.S. Pat. No. 8,250,972) taught a device that can dispense single servings of carbonated beverages. Santoiemmo&#39;s device works similar to single serve coffee machines—it uses premeasured amounts of syrup and mixes it with a predetermined amount of water. Santoiemmo&#39;s device mixes soda in a machine, but it can only do so in discrete serving sizes. For example, Santoiemmo&#39;s device might have three possible settings, such as 6 oz, 12 oz, and 16 oz. If the machine had only those three settings, a user would be unable to dispense a 10 oz drink. 
         [0012]    In view of the foregoing, a need exists to create a machine that dispenses cold beverages of variable sizes but on a small scale suitable for home use. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0013]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a dispenser of carbonated drinks that is small enough for at home use. 
         [0014]    It is another object of the present application to dispense carbonated drinks in variable serving sizes. 
         [0015]    It is another object of the present invention to dispense non-carbonated drinks, in addition to carbonated sodas. 
         [0016]    It is another object of the present invention to dispense cold, chilled drinks in variable quantities and with consistent flavor. 
         [0017]    In one embodiment, disclosed is a beverage dispenser capable of making and dispensing cold beverages comprising: a water source; a chiller; a flavor port; a flavor injector; and a discharge port for dispensing the beverage. Suitably, the water source may be a live water line, and the chiller may be a thermoelectric chiller. For carbonated beverages, the dispenser may further comprise a carbon dioxide port. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0018]    The manner in which these objectives and other desirable characteristics can be obtained is explained in the following description and attached figures in which: 
           [0019]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the soft drink dispenser. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a flavor bullet. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a front view of a flavor bullet. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a front view of a flavor bullet dispensing syrup. 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is perspective view of a flavor injector inside the dispenser. 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a see through perspective view of the flavor injector showing the interior components. 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a zoom-in perspective view of a flavor port. 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  is a rear perspective view of the dispenser. 
           [0027]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a carbon dioxide canister for the dispenser of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0028]      FIG. 10  is an interior view that shows how the flavor injector and the flavor bullet interact. 
           [0029]      FIG. 11  is a diagram that shows the preferable method of mixing carbon dioxide and water. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0030]    Disclosed is a beverage dispenser capable of making and dispensing cold beverages comprising: a water source; a chiller; a flavor port; a flavor injector; and a discharge port for dispensing the beverage. Further disclosed, is a method of making a beverage in a beverage maker comprising: chilling water in a water source; pumping the water the past the outlet of a flavor injector; and, dispensing the water. The specific details are disclosed with reference to attached figures. 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the drink dispenser machine as it is assembled for use. In this particular embodiment, the machine features a parabolic-type shape. The exterior of the machine can be made of durable plastic capable of withstanding hot or cold temperatures. When using the dispenser, a user turns the machine on and off with the power button  2 . The power button is usually located near the top of the machine in the center. On either side of the power button are two lights. The carbon dioxide light  4  is suitably located on the right of the power button  2 . The carbon dioxide light  4  turns red when the machine needs a refill of carbon dioxide. On the left of the power button  2  is a water light  6 . The water light  6  will turn red when the machine needs a refill of water. Just above the power button  2  is the door  9  to the flavor port  8  (see  FIG. 7 ). The flavor port  8  opens and closes so that the user can insert a flavor bullet  300  (see  FIG. 2 ) inside of the drink dispenser. The flavor bullet  300  (see  FIG. 2 ) contains a concentrated drink mix that will blend with either still water or soda water to create a beverage. 
         [0032]    Still referring to  FIG. 1 , underneath the power button  2  and lights are two additional buttons. The soda water dispensing button  10  is located on the right. When the soda water dispensing button  10  is pushed, the machine will dispense a carbonated beverage in a steady stream. If there is no flavor bullet  300  inserted in the flavor port  8 , then the machine will dispense just soda water, as long as the door  9  to the flavor port  8  is closed. If there is a flavor bullet in the flavor port  8 , then the machine will dispense a flavored, carbonated beverage of choice. While the soda water dispensing button  10  is being pressed, the machine will continue to dispense the beverage. This allows a user to choose the serving size he or she wishes to consume. By pressing the soda dispensing button  10  for a short time, the machine will dispense a small amount of beverage. If a user presses the soda dispensing button  10  for a longer period of time, then the machine will dispense a larger serving of beverage. 
         [0033]    To the left of the soda water dispensing button  10 , is the water dispensing button  12 . When a user pushes the water dispensing button  12 , the machine will dispense non-carbonated water if there is no flavor bullet in the flavor port  8 . If there is a flavor bullet in the flavor port  8 , then the machine will dispense a non-carbonated drink, such as juice or a sports drink. The water dispensing button  12  typically works like the soda dispensing button  10 . A user can choose the serving size based on the length of time he or she holds down on the water dispensing button  12 . 
         [0034]    Still looking at  FIG. 1 , when the drink dispenser dispenses a beverage, the contents, i.e. syrup and water, flow through the flavor diffuser  14 . The diffuser  14  aids in mixing the syrup and water by slowing down the flow of the liquids. The diffuser  14  may be a commercially available product or it may be a diffuser  14  specially fitted to accompany the present invention. The diffuser  14  aids in making the taste of the beverages consistent. The diffuser  14  is made of a dishwasher safe plastic and can be easily washed to maintain a consistent quality to the drinks. Once the drink has been mixed in the diffuser  14 , the drink will be dispensed through the nozzle  16 . The nozzle  16  will also be made of a dishwasher safe material and is capable of being removed and replaced. 
         [0035]      FIG. 1  shows the base of the machine, there is a drip tray  18  and a splash guard  20 . The drip tray  18  is a shallow container at the base of the machine. The drip tray  18  can trap liquid that inadvertently drips from the nozzle  16 . A splash guard  20  covers the top of the drip tray  18 . The splash guard  20  has a grill like surface that allows liquids to trickle into the drip tray  18 . The splash guard  20  minimizes splash that might occur from an accidental spill. Both the drip tray  18  and the splash guard  20  are removable and made of a dishwasher safe material. 
         [0036]    The drinks that are dispensed from the machine are preferably cold by virtue of a thermoelectric chiller  22 . The thermoelectric chiller  22  works by having current flow through two conductors. The thermoelectric chiller  22  uses thermoelectric technology to chill the temperature of the water so that drinks dispensed from the machine are at a cool temperature as if they had just come out of a refrigerator. When current flows through two different conductors, heat can be generated or removed at the junction point. A thermoelectric mechanism creates a hot sink and a cold sink and heat can be extracted away from the chiller using a fan. The cold sink lowers the temperature of the water. This is similar to technology found in dispensers that dispense cold filtered water. When the power to the machine described in the present invention is turned on, the thermoelectric chiller  22  will begin to chill water stored in the machine. If the user choses to connect the machine to a live water line, then the thermoelectric technology will work in a similar manner to filtered water dispenser. 
         [0037]    Looking at  FIG. 1 , just below the thermoelectric cooler  22  is a light  24 . In this embodiment, the two strips just below the cooler light up when the machine is turned on. The light  24  provides illumination if the lighting is minimal. The machine can also be made without the light  24 . In the preferred embodiment, if the user holds down on the power button  2  for five seconds, the light  24  will dim to 50% capacity and if the user holds down the power button  2  for ten seconds the light  24  will turn off while the machine will remain on. In one embodiment, the machine will automatically turn off after a period of inactivity. However, the refrigeration will remain on as long as the machine is plugged in. 
         [0038]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a flavor bullet  300 . The flavor bullet  300  is a sleek plastic container that contains syrup. The syrup can come in many different flavors such as cola, lemon-lime, root beer, and ginger ale, among others. In this embodiment, for example, the flavor bullet  300  might contain two ounces of syrup. At the bottom of the flavor bullet  300  is a cap  34 . The cap  34  covers a hole  36  (see  FIG. 4 ) at the bottom of the flavor bullet  300 . 
         [0039]      FIG. 3  shows front view of a preferable flavor bullet. 
         [0040]      FIG. 4  shows a flavor bullet  300  dispensing syrup  35 . There is a single opening in the flavor bullet  300 , which is a hole  36  at the bottom. When the flavor bullet  300  is inserted into the machine, the pressure injector  200  (see  FIG. 5 ) fits into the hole  36 . When the flavor bullet  300  is in the machine, syrup will flow out of the hole  36  into the flavor injector  200  (see  FIG. 5 ). In an alternate embodiment (not shown), the flavor bullet  300  features at least one hole to the side of the central hole  36  that allows for faster syrup flow. The flavor bullet  300  also features a threaded section  37  which allows a user to screw the flavor bullet  300  into a drink machine so that it fits snugly, ensuring consistent suction. 
         [0041]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a flavor injector  200  and  FIG. 6  is a perspective view showing the interior of the flavor injector  200 . The flavor injector  200  is an interior component of the machine (see  FIG. 10 ). The flavor injector  200  is used for injecting syrup into a stream of water at a premeasured ratio. The flavor injector  200  features a syrup sensing rod  201 . The syrup sensing rod  201  is preferably constructed from tungsten or tungsten steel, but may be made from another type of metal or a sturdy polymer. When a flavor bullet  300  is inserted into the dispenser, the flavor bullet will fit snugly over the top of the syrup sensing rod  201 . The syrup sensing rod  201  is connected to a wire  212 , which electronically monitors the syrup level in the flavor bullet  300 . The syrup sensing rod  201  is housed inside of a pressure injector  202 . The pressure injector  202  is preferably made from Teflon®. The flavor bullet  300  which is insertably placed down onto and over the syrup sensing rod  201  and pressure injector  202 . The pressure injector  202  pumps air from a tube  211  into the flavor bullet  300 . The air increases the pressure inside of the flavor bullet, forcing the syrup into a reservoir  209 . From the reservoir  209 , the syrup travels to the syrup inlet  203 . The syrup then travels out of the syrup outlet  204 . Once the syrup travels out of the syrup outlet  204 , it will be mixed with either still water or carbonated water in the beverage outlet  208 . In the syrup inlet  203 , there is a syrup sensing screw  205 . The syrup sensing screw  205  works in conjunction with the syrup sensing rod  201 . Both syrup sensors electronically detect when there is no more syrup in the flavor bullet and the reservoir  209 , at which point the dispenser will shut down the flow of water out of the nozzle  16 . When the flavor bullet  300  runs out of syrup, the water flow will stop until the cartridge  300  is replaced or the door  9  to the flavor port  8  is closed. 
         [0042]    The flavor injector  200  features two openings beneath the beverage outlet  208 , a still water inlet  206  and a carbonated water inlet  207 . When a non-carbonated drink is selected by the user, water will enter the flavor injector  200  via the still water inlet  206 . Ultimately, the water enters the beverage outlet  208  where it is mixed with syrup. From there, the mixed beverage travels to the nozzle  16  where it is dispensed for consumption. When a user selects a carbonated beverage, carbonated water enters the flavor injector  200  via the carbonated water inlet  207 . The carbonated water then mixes with syrup in the beverage outlet  208  and then travels to the nozzle  16  where it is dispensed for consumption. 
         [0043]    In the preferred embodiment, the flavor injector  200  also features a self-cleaning feature. After each drink has been dispensed, a solenoid valve (not shown) will open and slowly drizzle between six and 10 milliliters of carbonated water into the self-cleaning outlet  210 . The carbonated water removes syrup remaining in the reservoir  209 , syrup inlet  203 , syrup outlet  204 , and the beverage outlet  208 . This self-cleaning mechanism prevents cross-contamination of different drink flavors. 
         [0044]      FIG. 7  is a close up view of the flavor port  8 , into which a flavor bullet  300  (see  FIG. 3 ) may be inserted. The figure shows the door  9  to the flavor port  8  open. When the door  9  to the flavor port  8  is open, a flavor bullet  300  (see  FIG. 3 ) can be inserted into the flavor port  8 . As discussed later in  FIG. 10 , the hole  36  in the flavor bullet  300  (see  FIG. 3 ) will line up with the syrup sensing rod  201  in the flavor injector  200 . 
         [0045]      FIG. 8  is a back perspective view of the dispenser. On the bottom left hand side is the plug  7 . An AC adapter will connect the drink dispenser to a wall outlet, which will supply power to the dispenser. In the preferred embodiment, the plug  7  will be compatible with commercially available AC adapters. 
         [0046]    At the top of the machine is a water access hatch  5 . The machine can be supplied with water in one of two ways. Water can be poured directly into the water access hatch  5 . In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the drink dispenser holds up to two liters of water. The invention can also be hooked up to a live water line via the water line port  9 . In the preferred embodiment, there is a sensor inside of the water storage area that senses when the water level is low and causes the water sensing light  6  to change color in order to alert the user that the water needs to be refilled. Preferably, the water sensor is an electronic probe, but any other type of water level sensor, such as an optical, a float sensor, or a microwave sensor, may be used in conjunction with the machine. 
         [0047]    Still referring to  FIG. 8 , in the back of the machine is a carbon dioxide access door  3 . The carbon dioxide access door  3  opens and through the carbon dioxide access door  3 , a canister of carbon dioxide can be inserted into the machine. In a preferred embodiment, the user will use screwless carbon dioxide canisters specially configured to work with the drink dispenser, but the drink machine may also be configured to work with small canisters of carbon dioxide that are commercially available. In a preferred embodiment, there is a sensor inside of the carbon dioxide storage area that senses when the carbon dioxide level is low which causes the carbon dioxide sensing light  4  to change color in order to alert the user that the dispenser needs a new canister of carbon dioxide. Preferably, this sensor is a pressure switch that monitors the pressure of the carbon dioxide, but the sensor may be any other type of sensor such as a microwave, infrared, ultrasonic, or capacitance sensor. 
         [0048]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of a pressure regulator  400  for carbon dioxide of the preferred embodiment of the dispenser. In the preferred embodiment a carbon dioxide source fits inside of the pressure regulator  400 , which may be a screwless and threadless device inside of the dispenser. 
         [0049]      FIG. 10  shows how the flavor injector  200  and the flavor bullet  300  preferably interact inside of the machine. The drawing shows a basic outline of the machine. The drawing shows an approximate location of a carbonation tank  104 , although location may vary. The flavor bullet  300  has been inserted into the flavor port  8 . The bottom of the flavor bullet  300  sits atop of the flavor injector  200 . The syrup sensing rod  201  and pressure injector tube  202  are inside of the flavor bullet  300 . The flavor injector  200  is also connected to a water source  102 . A water source  102  splits into two channels, one that flows to the carbonation tank  105 B and another channel that flows directly to the still water inlet  206  of the flavor injector  200 . Water that goes to the carbonation tank  105 B will be carbonated. Once the water is carbonated, the water flows out of carbonation tank  104  via solenoid (See  FIG. 11 ) to the carbonated water inlet  207  of the flavor injector  200 . Once the water (still or carbonated) and syrup both flow into the flavor injector  200 , and the mixed beverage dispenses out the beverage outlet  208 . There is a second channel connected to the carbonation tank  104  that connects to the self-cleaning outlet  210  of the flavor injector  200 . This drawing does not show all of the details of the inner workings of the invention, it is merely illustrative of how the flavor injector  200  and flavor bullet  300  interact. 
         [0050]    When the drink dispenser mixes a carbonated drink, the water will be carbonated before it enters the carbonated water inlet  107  of the flavor injector  100 . Water may be carbonated by one of several different methods, preferably mixing water and carbon dioxide in a high pressure tank. 
         [0051]      FIG. 11  shows a preferred method for mixing the carbon dioxide and water to create carbonated water. First, water from the water source  102  fills the carbonation tank  104 . The carbonation tank  104  has three water level probes  105 . When there is enough water in the carbonation tank  104  to reach the top water level probe  105 C, the water pump  106  shuts off. After the water pump  106  shuts off, a solenoid  110  from the carbon dioxide source  103  opens, jetting carbon dioxide into the tank  104  via a tapered tube  107 . Carbon dioxide will be jetted into the tank  104  in three bursts. The first burst will increase the pressure in the carbonation tank to 120 PSI. The tank  104  exhausts the pressure down to 60 PSI, and after the tank  104  reaches 60 PSI, there will be a second burst to increase the pressure to 120 PSI. The tank  104  will again exhaust to 60 PSI and then there will be a third burst of air to get the tank  104  to a pressure of 120 PSI, where the pressure will remain. After the three bursts, the water travels out of the tank via a dispenser solenoid  109  to the flavor injector  200 . As the water leaves the tank  104 , the carbon dioxide will continue to enter the tank in order to keep the pressure constant. If water is void from the middle probe  105 B, preferably the eight ounce mark, or bottom probe  105 A, an exhaust solenoid  108  will open for evacuating excess pressure from the tank and allowing the tank to refill again. When a user has finished pouring a drink, the carbonation system will wait ten seconds before refilling the carbonation tank  104  and creating a new batch of carbonated water. The pressure in the tank is operably kept at 120 PSI. If the tank fills from the middle probe  105 B the carbon dioxide will jet for two bursts as opposed to three. 
         [0052]    It is to be noted that appended drawings illustrate only typical embodiments of this invention, are not to scale, and therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope, for the invention may admit to other equally effective embodiments which are appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
         [0053]    All features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying claims, abstract, and drawing, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features. 
         [0054]    Any element in a claim that does not explicitly state “means for” performing a specified function, or “step of” in the clause as specified in 35 U.S.C. §112, paragraph 6 may not be intended as a means plus claim. 
         [0055]    This application incorporates by reference U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/134,309 entitled “Beverage Dispenser and Related Methods.”