Patent Publication Number: US-2022219966-A1

Title: Apparatus for dispensing a beverage

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/135,208, filed Jan. 8, 2021, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/975,464 filed Dec. 18, 2015, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/203,496 filed Jul. 6, 2016, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/446,351 filed Nov. 7, 2019, the specifications of which are all hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates devices for dispensing beverages. An example of such a system is one that would be used in the commercial establishment such as a bar or restaurant for dispensing chilled beverages for sale to a customer. Such a system could also be used in a consumer setting. 
     BACKGROUND 
     There are circumstances in which it would be advantageous to be able to dispense a temperature controlled, e.g., chilled beverage very quickly. For example, in a commercial hospitality establishment it would be extremely useful to be able dispense a chilled beverage relatively rapidly and easily. A device for effecting such dispensing is, however, difficult to implement in practice because of the amount of time it takes using conventional systems to cool the beverage down to a very cold temperature, e.g., at or near the freezing point of water. It is in such a context that the need for the disclosed subject matter arises. 
     SUMMARY 
     The following presents a simplified summary of one or more embodiments in order to provide a basic understanding of the embodiments. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated embodiments and is not intended to identify key or critical elements of all embodiments nor set limits on the scope of any or all embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more embodiments in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later. 
     According to an aspect of an embodiment there is disclosed an apparatus for dispensing a liquid, the apparatus comprising a housing including a cradle structure adapted to receive a container containing the liquid placed in the cradle structure through a liquid inlet, and an inlet in the cradle structure arranged to receive liquid from the container; an outlet arranged to dispense the liquid from the housing, a heat exchanger arranged within the housing and divided into a first zone and a second zone with the first zone being in fluid communication with the inlet and the second zone being in fluid communication with the outlet, the first zone being in limited fluid communication with the second zone, and a temperature control element in thermal communication with the first zone and with the second zone, the first zone being adapted to alter a temperature of the liquid in the first zone to a temperature substantially equal to a target temperature and the second zone being adapted to maintain the liquid from the first zone at the temperature substantially equal to the target temperature. The first zone may be in limited fluid communication with the second zone through a single port between the first zone and the second zone and wherein the first zone may comprise a plurality of substantially parallel fins with adjacent pairs of fins defining channels open at both ends therebetween to define a plurality of substantially parallel channels directing liquid in the first zone from the inlet to the single port in parallel. The second zone may comprise a second plurality of substantially parallel fins with adjacent pairs of fins defining channels open at both ends therebetween to define a second plurality of substantially parallel channels directing liquid in the second zone from the single port to the inlet in parallel. The first zone may be in limited fluid communication with the second zone through a single port between the first zone and the second zone and wherein the first zone may comprise a plurality of substantially parallel fins with adjacent pairs of fins defining channels therebetween to define a plurality of channels directing liquid in the first zone from the inlet to the single port, with a first channel communicating with the inlet, a second channel communicating with the single orifice, a plurality of intervening channels communicating only with an adjacent channel to define a serpentine path. 
     The second zone may comprise a second plurality of substantially parallel fins with adjacent pairs of fins defining channels therebetween to define a second plurality of channels directing liquid in the second zone from the single port to the outlet, with a first channel communicating with the single port, a second channel communicating with the outlet, and a plurality of intervening channels communicating only with an adjacent channel to define a serpentine path. The first zone may be in limited fluid communication with the second zone through a single port between the first zone and the second zone and wherein the first zone may comprise a first set of fins arranged substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to a direction of flow from the inlet, and a second set of fins arranged substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to a direction of flow from the inlet, the first set and the second set being interdigitated to form a serpentine path between the inlet and the single port. The second zone may comprise a third set of fins arranged substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to a direction of flow out of the outlet, and a fourth set of fins arranged substantially parallel to one another and substantially perpendicular to a direction of flow out of the outlet, the third set and the fourth set being interdigitated to form a serpentine path between the single port and the outlet. The heat exchanger may comprise a plurality of fins having corrugated surfaces to increase a surface area of the fins. The apparatus may further comprise a locking mechanism arranged to prevent unauthorized removal of the container from the cradle. 
     The first temperature control element may comprise a first thermoelectric cooling element and the second temperature control element may comprise a second thermoelectric cooling element. The apparatus may further comprise a battery pack for supplying power to the first thermoelectric cooling element and the second thermoelectric cooling element. The apparatus may further comprise a spot cooling thermoelectric cooling element in thermal communication with the outlet to provide directed cooling of liquid exiting the outlet. The heat exchanger may have an internal volume in a range of about 0.1 liter to about 1 liter. A ratio of an internal volume of the first zone to an internal volume of the second zone may be about 1:1. A ratio of an internal volume of the first zone to an internal volume of the second zone may be about 3:2. 
     The apparatus may further comprise a detector arranged to detect a characteristic of a container placed in the cradle and wherein the inlet may comprise a valve adapted to selectably permit liquid from the container to enter the first zone based on the characteristic. The outlet may comprise a valve arranged within the housing and positioned to avoid retention of liquid outside of the second zone. The inlet may be arranged at a position above and aligned with the outlet, the inlet and the outlet together defining a first vertical axis, the first temperature control element and the second temperature control element being arranged vertically in a stack having a second vertical axis parallel to the first vertical axis. 
     The apparatus may further comprise a spill mat arranged below the outlet. The outlet may comprise a lever adapted to be operable with one hand. The outlet may comprise a lever having an elastic pad. The further comprising a volume detector arranged to detect a detected volume of liquid in a container inserted into the cradle and an indicator adapted to provide an indication of the detected volume. The indicator may comprise at least one LED. 
     The apparatus may further comprise a temperature detector arranged to detect a detected temperature of liquid in the second zone and an indicator adapted to provide an indication of the detected temperature. The indicator may comprise at least one LED. The apparatus may further comprise an operational status detector arranged to detect a detected operational status of the apparatus and an indicator adapted to provide an indication of the detected operational status. The indicator may comprise at least one LED. The apparatus may further comprise a data collection module adapted to gather and store data pertaining to operational parameters of the apparatus and a communications module arranged to receive data from the data collection module and adapted to communicate the data to an external device. The apparatus may further comprise a communications module arranged to receive control data from an external device. The apparatus may further comprise a touch sensitive sensor for imputing control data. The outlet further may comprise a module for controlling an amount of liquid dispensed with each actuation of the outlet. The outlet further may comprise a sensor adapted to detect a presence of a vessel for receiving the liquid and wherein the outlet may be adapted to not dispense liquid unless a vessel may be present. The outlet further may comprise a sensor adapted to detect a presence of a vessel for receiving the liquid and wherein the outlet may be adapted to dispense liquid automatically upon detecting the vessel. The apparatus may further comprise an air cooling unit arranged to cool the first temperature control element and the second temperature control element. The air cooling unit may comprise an air inlet and an air outlet separated from the air inlet by a barrier. The air inlet may comprise a first set of fins and the air outlet may comprise a second set of fins wherein the first set of fins and the second set of fins are angled away from one another. 
     The apparatus may further comprise a power management system adapted to selectably cause the apparatus to operate in a power cooling mode to increase cooling performance. The outlet may comprise an electrically actuated valve adapted to be closed when the apparatus is off. The housing may comprise a thermally insulating material. The thermally insulating material may comprise a plastic material. The second zone may have a bottom surface which is sloped to promote more complete drainage of the second zone. The temperature control elements may have a hot side and a cold side separated by insulation, and wherein the heat exchanger has a raised surface to increase a thickness of the insulation between cold and hot side. 
     The apparatus may further comprise a horizontal drain tank in fluid communication with the cradle structure. The horizontal drain tank may have a volume in the range of 2 cl to 20 cl. 
     The apparatus may further comprise a sensor for sensing a type of liquid in a container inserted in the cradle. The sensor may comprise an IR sensor. The cradle may be in fluid communication with a buffer tank arranged to catch liquid escaping the bottle. 
     Further embodiments, features, and advantages of the subject matter of the present disclosure, as well as the structure and operation of the various embodiments are described in detail below with reference to accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form part of the specification, illustrate the methods and systems of embodiments of the invention by way of example, and not by way of limitation. Together with the detailed description, the drawings further serve to explain the principles of and to enable a person skilled in the relevant art(s) to make and use the methods and systems presented herein. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a beverage dispensing system according to one aspect of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a cutaway view of a beverage dispensing system according to one aspect of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is another cutaway view of a beverage dispensing system according to one aspect of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 4  is another cutaway view of a beverage dispensing system according to one aspect of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 5  is another cutaway view of a beverage dispensing system according to one aspect of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6A  is a cutaway view of a heat exchanger for a beverage dispensing system according to one aspect of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 6B  is a cutaway view of a heat exchanger for a beverage dispensing system according to one aspect of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 7  is another cutaway view of a heat exchanger for a beverage dispensing system according to one aspect of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 8  is another cutaway view of a heat exchanger for a beverage dispensing system according to one aspect of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 9  is another cutaway view of a heat exchanger for a beverage dispensing system according to one aspect of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 10  is another cutaway view of a heat exchanger for a beverage dispensing system according to one aspect of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 11  is a circuit block diagram of a control system for a beverage dispensing system according to an aspect of an embodiment. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a beverage dispensing system according to another aspect of an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described herein. Such embodiments are presented herein for illustrative purposes only. Additional embodiments will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art based on the teachings contained herein. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various embodiments are now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to promote a thorough understanding of one or more embodiments. It may be evident in some or all instances, however, that any embodiment described below can be practiced without adopting the specific design details described below. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate description of one or more embodiments. 
     The embodiment(s) described, and references in the specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “an example embodiment,” “an exemplary embodiment,” etc., indicate that the embodiment(s) described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is understood that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described. 
     With respect to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a beverage dispensing system  10  which includes a housing  20  and structure in the housing  20  defining a cradle  30 . The housing  20  may be made of an insulating material such as a plastic. The interior of the housing  20  can then serve as a temperature controlled environment. This is useful, for example, to keep the liquid about to exit housing  20  at a controlled temperature rather than allowing the liquid to assume an ambient temperature. The cradle  30  is configured to receive a bottle  40  containing a liquid such as a beverage. In the embodiment shown, cradle  30  is configured to receive the bottle  40  while the bottle  40  is vertical and inverted. Also shown in  FIG. 1  is a nozzle  50  with an actuator or lever  60  which a user will move in order to cause liquid to flow out of the nozzle  50 . The lever  60  includes a rubber pad  70  to prevent slippage. In some embodiments, the lever  60  is not in mechanical contact with the valve that controls the flow of liquid out of the valve  50  and instead contacts a concealed switch controlling an electronically controlled valve  160  ( FIG. 3 ). Also shown in  FIG. 1  is a mat  80  for capturing spillage from the nozzle  50 . The mat  80  in some embodiments has a textured or “angled” peak-and-valley contact surface to disperse liquid falling on the mat  80  in the valleys between the peaks. 
       FIG. 1  also shows various sensors including a sensor  72  arranged to detect whether a bottle  40  is in the cavity  30  and which also may detect a level of liquid within the bottle  40 .  FIG. 1  also shows and a sensor  76  arranged to detect whether a vessel such as a glass is present beneath the nozzle  50 .  FIG. 1  also shows a panel  74  including LED lights  75  capable of displaying information regarding various conditions such as the operational status of the beverage dispensing system  10  as will be described more fully below. Show, the panel  74  and also contain a touch sensitive panel  77  for controlling the operation of the beverage dispensing system  10 . 
     With reference now to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a partially cutaway view of the beverage dispensing system  10  of  FIG. 1 . As shown, the outlet of the inverted bottle  40  is received by a mating structure  90  which is in fluid communication with the interior of a heat exchanger  100  described more detail below. The heat exchanger  100  is in thermal communication with a temperature control element  110 . As used here and elsewhere in this specification, the phrase “thermal communication” is intended to mean that there is a path along which heat can flow. 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 2 , the bottom of the heat exchanger  100  is sloped downward from the back of the heat exchanger  100  toward the front to promote drainage. A heat sink  115  absorbs heat from the temperature control element  110 . Also visible in  FIG. 2  is a fan  120  for venting waste heat from the temperature control element  110  via the heat sink  115 . 
     As can be seen in  FIG. 3 , the mating structure  90  includes a structure  130  for mating with the bottle  40  and an inlet  140  of the heat exchanger  100 . Also visible in  FIG. 3  is an outlet  150  from the heat exchanger  100  from which a liquid which has achieved a target temperature in the heat exchanger  100  flows to the nozzle  50 . As shown, the nozzle  50  includes an electronically controlled valve  160  which serves to control the amount of a pour of the beverage dispensing system  10  and also to serve as a cut off to prevent the flow of liquid out of the beverage dispensing system  10  when it is not powered. The electronically controlled valve  160  can also be provided with its own thermoelectric cooler  165  to provide for spot cooling of the liquid before exiting the nozzle  50  to ensure that the dispensed liquid is at the desired temperature. The spot cooler  165  can also be used to cool the sloped section of the container and the pipe leading to the valve. For some applications it may be preferred to have most of the volume of system upstream of the valve  60  within the housing  20  to avoid having any significant volume of liquid retained outside of the area that is thermally controlled and insulated. Also, for some applications it may be preferred to have some or all of the components of the tap system be removable to facilitate cleaning and maintenance, for example, such as being installed with push-in fittings. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, the arrangement of the lever  60  in conjunction with the nozzle  50  permits one-handed operation. 
     It will be noted that in the embodiment shown the mating structure  90 , the inlet  140 , and the nozzle  50  are essentially colinear along a vertical axis. This compact arrangement reduces the footprint of the beverage dispensing system  10 . Also visible in  FIG. 3  is the sensor  76  arranged to detect whether a vessel such as a glass is present beneath the nozzle  50 . The signal from this sensor  76  may be used to ensure that the beverage dispensing system  10  does not permit liquid to exit the nozzle  50  unless a vessel such as a glass is present. The sensor  76  may also be used to determine the presence of the vessel to effectively permit automatic operation without the need for an operator to move a mechanical actuator. The shaded area indicates an insulated region having a temperature effectively controlled by temperature control element  110 . 
       FIG. 4  is a partially cutaway view from the front of the beverage dispensing system  10 . As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , the bottle  40  is nested into the cradle structure  30 . The opening of the bottle  40  mates into a mating structure  90  from which a liquid flows through the inlet  140  into the heat exchanger  100  (not shown in  FIG. 4  but visible in other figures). Also shown in phantom in  FIG. 4  behind the bottle  40  is the sensor  72  which can provide an indication of a level of liquid in the bottle  40 . The sensor  72  can also be configured to determine the presence or absence of a bottle  40  in the cradle structure  30 . The sensor  72  can also be used to determine whether the bottle  40  is of a configuration which is authorized to be used in conjunction with the beverage dispensing system  10 . Also shown in  FIG. 4  is the sensor  76  which determines whether a vessel such as a glass is present beneath the nozzle  50 .  FIG. 4  also shows a bottle lock  78  which can be used to secure the bottle  40  in the cradle  30  and prevent unauthorized removal of the bottle  40 . 
       FIG. 5  is a cutaway view from the front through the heat exchanger  100 , the temperature control element  110 , and the heat sink  115 . The temperature control element  110  is placed in thermal contact with the heat exchanger  100 . The thermal control element  110  can be, for example, a thermoelectric cooling element. In such an embodiment, the heat exchanger  100  is used to cool liquid in the heat exchanger  100 . The fan  120  vents waste heat out of vents on the back of the beverage dispensing system  10 . The heat exchanger  100  includes a series of fins  105 . Also, as described more fully below, the heat exchanger  100  is essentially divided into two zones, a first zone in which the liquid added from the bottle  40  is brought to a temperature substantially equal to a target temperature and a second zone in which the liquid that has been cooled is maintained at a temperature substantially the same as that a target temperature and is ready for dispensing. In this context, “substantially the same” means that the temperature is close enough that any difference in temperature would be unnoticeable to an individual ingesting the chilled liquid. Although the discussion above and which follows involves chilling a liquid as an example, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill the art that the system may also be used to heat liquids to a desired temperature and make them available for dispensing. 
       FIG. 6A  shows more details of an example of one embodiment of a heat exchanger  100 . The upper left portion of  FIG. 6A  shows the mating structure  90  and the inlet  140  to the heat exchanger  100 . Also as shown in  FIG. 6A , Liquid flows through the inlet  140  into the first zone  160  of the heat exchanger  100 . The liquid then flows into a second zone  170  (see  FIG. 7 ) which is in direct fluid communication with the liquid outlet  150 . Liquid flow between the first zone  160  and the second zone  170  is restricted. In the embodiment shown, fluid flow between the first zone  160  and the second zone is restricted by separating wall  180  (see  FIG. 7 ). The restricted flow creates a condition in which fluid must flow through a large portion of the first zone  160  before it reaches the second zone  170 . Thus, while traversing the first zone  160  the liquid has sufficient dwell time in the first zone  160  achieves a temperature which is substantially the same as a target temperature and in the second zone  170  the liquid is maintained at the temperature substantially the same as target temperature. It will be noted that the bottom wall of the second zone  170  is sloped downward to promote flow from the second zone  170  to the liquid outlet  150 . 
       FIG. 6B  shows an embodiment including a drain tank  106 . When the bottle  40  is removed from the receiver  90  and placed back in, the level in the tank  106  will increase slightly due to change in pressure in the bottle. The tank  106  allows the user to remove and place the bottle multiple times before it the tank  106  overflows. In an embodiment the tank  106  is made self-draining. In an embodiment the tank  106  is disposed horizontally and may have a volume in the range of 2 cl to 20 cl. 
       FIG. 7  is an end on cutaway view of an embodiment of a heat exchanger  100 . As can be seen, the heat exchanger  100  is divided into two zones, a first zone  160  which is in fluid communication with the fluid inlet  140  (not visible  FIG. 7 ) and a second zone  170  which is in fluid communication with the fluid outlet  150 . A separating wall  180  restricts flow between the two zones such that fluid must traverse most of the first zone  160 , the cooling zone, before reaching the second zone  170 , the holding zone. Each of the zones contains a series of fins  116 . The surfaces of the fins  116  are oriented vertically to promote drainage. Also, the fins  116  have corrugated surfaces to increase their surface area to exchange heat more efficiently with the liquid in the heat exchanger  100 . The fins  116  make up part of a cold sink  117  having a raised portion  119  to increase the insulation thickness between cold and hot side of temperature control element  110 . 
       FIG. 8  is a diagram showing some principles of operation of the heat exchanger  100 . A liquid flows into the heat exchanger  100  through the inlet  140 . That fluid is introduced to a first zone  160  and flows in the flow pattern as indicated by the arrows. The fluid that flows past the fins  116  in the first zone  160  is cooled to the target temperature. The heat exchanger  100  also includes a second zone  170  which fluid passes into after it has traversed at least a portion of the first zone  160 . The fluid in the second zone  170  exchanges heat with fins  116  to keep the fluid at the target temperature until it is dispensed through the outlet  150 . The two zones are separated by a wall  180 . A port in the form of a channel  185  which restricts flow between the first zone  160  and the second zone  170 . In the embodiment shown, the first zone  160  and the second zone  170  have essentially the same volume with the entire heat exchanger having a volume in the range of 0.1 liters to two liters. It will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art, however, that the volumes do not need to be the same. For example, the first zone  160  may have twice the volume of the second zone  170 . Other volume ratios are possible such as a 3:2 and so on. In essence, the volume ratios are established to achieve the desired effect of having a first zone which brings the liquid to the desired temperature and a second zone which maintains the liquid at the desired temperature. At the same time, the second zone must have a sufficient volume to be able to provide an anticipated number of servings per unit time. 
     In the embodiments shown, there is a single thermal control element in thermal contact with both the first zone and the second zone. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, however, that each zone could be provided with its own cooling element. This would provide another means of adjusting the relative cooling of the first zone and the second zone to achieve the desired result. 
       FIG. 9  shows another arrangement for the flow paths within the heat exchanger  100 . In the arrangement of  FIG. 9 , fluid flows along a serpentine path past that the fins  116  in the first zone  160  in the flow pattern shown by the arrows and the liquid then flows to the second zone through the port  185  and follows a serpentine path and the second zone  170  until the liquid reaches an enlarged volume chamber  187  which is in direct fluid communication with the liquid outlet  150 . The arrangement of  FIG. 9  promotes relatively rapid dispensing of a larger amount of liquid. 
       FIG. 10  shows yet another possible arrangement for a heat exchanger  100  in accordance with an aspect of an embodiment. A liquid flows into the liquid inlet  140  and into the first zone  160 . The first zone  160  has a set of interdigitated fins  165  which are in thermal contact with the thermal control element  120  and together define a serpentine flow path as shown by the arrows. At the portion of the first zone  160  furthest from the fluid inlet  140  the liquid leaves the first zone  160  through orifice  185  and flows into the second zone  170 . The fluid then flows through the second zone  170  through another set of interdigitated fins  175  that together define a serpentine path eventually leading to the liquid outlet  150 . 
     At or near the cradle  30  there may be provided a sensor  72 . In this context, “near” means sufficiently proximate that the sensor  72  can detect conditions in the cradle  30  as well as in a bottle  40  placed in the cradle  30 . The sensor  72  may also include a physical condition sensor that can detect when a foreign object such as a finger has been inserted into the cradle  30 . 
     The various sensors described above make up part of an overall control system  300 , one possible arrangement for which is included in the functional block diagram shown in  FIG. 11 . As shown, the control system  300  may include a suitably programmed CPU  320  and a memory  330  for storing instructions and data connected to one another by a bus  310 . The control system  300  also includes the a communication interface  400 . The communication interface  400  may be connected to one or more switches, sensors, displays, communication systems, and controllers. For example, a physical on/off switch may be connected to the communication interface  400 . The control system  300  may also include sensors  390 . For example, a tilt sensor which detects when the beverage dispensing system  10  has been tipped may be connected to the communication interface  400 . A system status sensor  410  may also be connected to the bus  310 . 
     The communication interface  400  may include any device for communicating data to or from the CPU  320  and an outside device. For example, the communications interface  400  may be a USB interface, or an Ethernet interface. The communications interface  400  may additionally or alternately include a wireless interface such a WiFi, Bluetooth, or an NFC interface. 
     The user interface  270  can also be implemented as software operating on a computer or as an application on a smart phone or tablet or other wireless communication device. To implement this, the communications interface  310  could be configured to interface with an external device  360  such as a wireless enabled device such as a computer, tablet, or cell phone. The user could use an application on the mobile device to control operation of the beverage chilling system  10 . In a commercial establishment the external device  360  could be the establishment&#39;s vending system and the communications interface  310  could be configured to exchange data wirelessly with the establishment&#39;s vending system so as to create a record every time the beverage chilling system  10  is used. This could help reduce loss due to pilferage or excessive “comping” of patrons. If the external device  360  is a wireless enabled device such as a computer, tablet, or cell phone, an application could be installed on the external device  360  and the user interface for the application could, for example, be a visual representation of a display with controls. 
     The control system  300  may also include various control units such as a first thermal controller power control unit  382  for the first thermal controller and a second thermal controller power control unit  384  if a second thermal controller is used. for each of the cooling elements  120 . The thermal controller power control units may use pulse width modulated control of the thermal controllers in which a duty cycle of pulses is used to control the average power supplied to the thermal controllers. The power controller  380  may also interface with a spot cooler controller  386  if one is present and a fan power control  388  electrically connected to control operation of the fan assembly  200 . There may also be provision for reversing the polarity of the thermal control elements so that they heat rather than cool or vice versa. This could be useful if an excess amount of ice accumulates at the cradle  30  which may interfere with operation or even cause the bottle  40  to become trapped in the cradle  30 . 
     The sensors may also include a proximity sensor  392  for determining the presence of a bottle  40  in the cradle  30  for energy optimization and/or safety shut-off. The sensors may also include a sensor  393  for sensing an amount or level of liquid in a bottle  40  inserted into the cradle  30  for example optically or by determining net weight, for example for measuring usage patterns. The bottle level may be indicated by an indicator, for example, a column of LEDs illuminated up to the same level as the sensed level in the bottle, or may be relayed to be read remotely, e.g., by Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to a control device such as a smart phone running an app. 
     In other words, as can be seen in  FIG. 11 , the control system  300  may include a suitably programmed CPU  320 . The CPU  320  may be connected to a memory  330  through a standard interconnection such as bus  310 . The memory  330  contains instructions and other data used by the CPU  320  to control operation of the beverage dispensing device  10 . Also connected to the bus  310  are one or more input devices  340 . These input devices  340  may include the touch screen described above or any other manual user interface devices used for controlling operation of the beverage dispensing system  10 . Also connected the bus  310  may be one or more displays  350  which may include, for example, the light emitting diodes mentioned above. The displays  350  may include more complicated visual displays such as a small screen which may be a touch screen. 
     The CPU  320  is also capable of selecting between multiple power inputs through a power input unit  360  which, for example, may be connected to line power  363  or a battery pack  367 . The CPU  320  may also be connected through the bus  310  to a power control unit  380  which controls provision of power to various other systems inside the beverage dispensing system  10 . For example, the power controller  380  may supply power to the first thermal controller  382  in a controllable way. The power controller  380  may also supply power to a second thermal controller  384  if it is present, for example, to provide separate cooling and or heating to the first zone and second zone as described above. The power controller  380  may also provide power to the spot cooler  386  which would be positioned near the nozzle  50  in order to ensure that liquid leaving the dispenser is at the desired temperature when, for example, cooling the liquid. The power control unit  380  may also be connected to a fan power control which controls the speed at which the fans blow air through the heat sink to eliminate waste heat. 
     The CPU  320  may also be connected through the bus  310  to sensors  390  which include the various sensors described above. For example, the sensors  390  may include a bottle contents detection sensor  391  which determines one or more characteristics of the contents of the bottle inserted into the cradle  30 . The sensors  390  may also include a proximity sensor  392  which detects when a bottle or a foreign object is placed in the cradle. The sensors  390  may also include a volume level detector  393  which may be used to determine an amount of liquid remaining in a bottle Inserted in the cradle  30 . The sensors  390  may include a vessel detecting sensor  394  which determines when a vessel such as a glass is present underneath the nozzle  50 , to, for example, prevent dispensing when a vessel is not present or also to provide for automatic operation upon introduction of a vessel into the space below the nozzle  50 . The sensors  390  may also include a bottle type detection sensor  395  which determines whether a bottle being inserted into the cradle  30  is of a type that is authorized for use with the beverage dispensing system  10 . The sensors  390  may also include a portion sensor  397  which determines an amount of liquid has been dispenses into a vessel. 
     The CPU  320  may also communicate with the bus  310  to a communication interface  400  which permits the beverage dispensing system  10  to communicate with external devices through any one of several remote data transfer protocols such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC communications, and so forth. The beverage dispensing system  10  could communicate with external devices using these protocols, for example, provide for remote control of the beverage dispensing system  10 , to provide usage data on the number of servings dispensed by the beverage dispensing system  10 , and when they were dispensed, Possibly along with information on the physical location of the beverage dispensing unit provided by a Global Positioning System receiver which may be included also be included within the beverage dispensing system  10 . 
     The CPU  320  may also be connected by the bus  310  to an operational status sensor  410  to determine, for example, operational temperature, an amount of time the device has been operated for purposes of scheduling maintenance, a tilt sensor, and so on. The CPU  320  may also be connected through the bus  310  to the bottle lock  420  described above which can lock a bottle  40  in the cradle  30  to prevent unauthorized removal of the bottle  40  from the cradle  30 . Also, the CPU  320  may be connected via the bus  310  to a nozzle actuation unit  430  which could be used to activate the nozzle  50  based on the presence of a vessel in the area below the nozzle  50  without the need for operator to make physical contact with an actuator. 
     The arrangement of components as described above permits a relatively compact beverage dispensing system having relatively small footprint. It permits provision of a dispenser which can hold and dispense from more than one bottle such as shown in  FIG. 12 . As shown in  FIG. 12 , in a dual beverage dispensing system  15  holds the two bottles  40  and  42  may be placed side by side. The bottles may be of the same type or may be of different types holding different types of liquids. In the embodiment shown, each cradle would be provided with its own heat exchanger and thermal control element. 
     The above description includes examples of one or more embodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe every conceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes of describing the aforementioned embodiments, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of various embodiments are possible. Accordingly, the described embodiments are intended to embrace all such alterations, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the term “includes” is used in either the detailed description or the claims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is construed when employed as a transitional word in a claim. Furthermore, although elements of the described aspects and/or embodiments may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural is contemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated. Additionally, all or a portion of any aspect and/or embodiment may be utilized with all or a portion of any other aspect and/or embodiment, unless stated otherwise.