Abstract:
A beverage dispenser has a water tank to provide water to a mixing manifold. Liquid concentrate stored in a reservoir feeds to the mixing manifold. Downstream of the mixing manifold is a mixing bowl receiving powdered ingredients from a hopper. Pumps such as peristaltic pumps, move the fluid. The whole process is controlled by a microprocessor.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present field of the invention relates to a single nozzle beverage dispensing machine that may produce a multitude of beverage drinks from a limited source of liquid and dry powder concentrated ingredients. Specifically the beverage dispensing machine may, at the direction of programmable selection switches, dispense beverages which comprise one or more source concentrate ingredients blended with potable water to produce a myriad of beverage types.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Beverage dispensing machines have been present in the marketplace for an extended period of time. Typically they are dispensers of single ingredient beverages such as fruit juices, coffees, teas and carbonated soft drinks.  
         [0003]     Presently known beverage dispensing machines typically mix the ingredient concentrate with potable water at the dispense nozzle, producing a single flavor profile from only a single ingredient source. To produce a blended beverage requires the user to first fill a portion of a drinking vessel with an estimated volume of one ingredient beverage, then to add to that volume one or more additional volumes of alternative ingredient beverage to produce a beverage concoction that requires secondary stirring with a spoon or other implement to produce an homogenous mixed beverage.  
         [0004]     Other known beverage dispensers mix the ingredient concentrate and potable water in a chamber immediate to the dispense nozzle. The mix chamber may be a specifically designed volume containing fixed vanes or other features that cause turbulence between the ingredient concentrate and potable water to effect thorough blending of the two. Alternatively, the mix chamber may incorporate a powered blade or impeller to more thoroughly blend ingredient concentrate and potable water to produce a finished beverage.  
         [0005]     Other known beverage dispensers do mix various dry powder ingredients, such as creamer and sugar for coffee dispensers. However, no known beverage dispensers incorporate both dry powder and liquid concentrate ingredients in their mixing scheme.  
         [0006]     It is an inherent weakness of existing known beverage dispensers that they cannot produce a beverage consisting of mixed ingredients from a single dispensing nozzle. The reasons for this weakness are the inability of the dispensing machines to accurately produce a mixed beverage consisting of repeatable ratios of alternative ingredients and potable water. Further, it is considered undesirable to introduce multiple ingredient concentrates to the same mixing chamber or nozzle as this may cause cross contamination of ingredients such as to produce beverages with undesirable flavor characteristics.  
         [0007]     It is an object of the invention to provide both individual ingredient beverages and precisely mixed liquid concentrate and dry ingredient beverages using a single dispensing nozzle.  
         [0008]     It is another object of the invention to provide a dispenser immune to cross contamination of ingredients, which may produce undesirable flavors in each dispensed beverage.  
         [0009]     These and other objects of the invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading the disclosure of the invention.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     A beverage dispenser has a water tank to provide water to a mixing manifold. Liquid concentrate stored in a reservoir feeds to the mixing manifold. Downstream of the mixing manifold is a mixing bowl receiving powdered ingredients from a hopper. Pumps such as peristaltic pumps, move the fluid. The whole process is controlled by a microprocessor.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram of the beverage dispensing machine;  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view showing the various mechanisms which make up the present invention beverage dispensing machine; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is an exploded view showing the various mechanisms which make up a second embodiment of the beverage dispensing machine.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     The assembly  100  is seen in  FIG. 1 . A microprocessor controlled power circuit board  101  provides programmable power commands to control the actions of all electrical elements of the beverage dispensing machine. Switch  102  is the emergency stop command switch, while switch  103  is programmed to supply a definitive total volume of beverage. Selector switches  104  are used to select specific mix programs stored within the microprocessor&#39;s memory.  
         [0015]     Water pump  105  recirculates potable water contained in reservoir  106  to maintain constant pressure and flow while solenoid valve  107  is closed. Solenoid valve  107  is powered by the microprocessor controlled power circuit board  101  in response to the input of switches  104 .  
         [0016]     Liquid concentrate ingredients are stored in reservoirs  111  and  113  which supply pumps  112  and  114 . The pumps may be any conventional type, such as peristaltic pumps. The pumps are controlled by power input from microprocessor controlled power circuit board  101  in response to the input of switches  104 . Dry powder concentrate ingredients are stored in reservoir  109  which supplies auger A 1   110  which itself is actuated by power signal from microprocessor controlled power circuit board  101  in response to the input of switches  104 .  
         [0017]     When pumps  112  and  114  are actuated by power from microprocessor controlled power circuit board  101  in response to the input of switches  104 , the output is directed into mix manifold  115  which also simultaneously receives potable water from solenoid valve  107 . The potable water and the liquid concentrate ingredients are dynamically blended to produce a beverage stream to mixing bowl  108  Auger A 1   110  also supplies mixing bowl  108  with dry powder concentrate ingredients to mixing bowl  108  which then whips them into the beverage stream from mix manifold  115  which then delivers the finished mixed beverage to dispenser nozzle  116 .  
         [0018]     Programming contained within microprocessor controlled power circuit board  101  directs water pump  105  and the impeller of mixing bowl  108  to continue operating after auger  110  and peristaltic pumps  112  and  114  have shut down. This short period of potable water flow then flushes clean the mix manifold  115  mixing bowl  108  and dispensing nozzle  116  thus keeping the system clean.  
         [0019]      FIG. 2  shows an exploded view of the components comprising the system. Water tank  106  is connected to solenoid valve  107  by a first hose  121 . A second hose  122  leads from the solenoid valve to a manifold  115 . Liquid concentrate ingredients are supplied to the manifold from reservoirs  111 ,  113  by hoses  123  extending between the reservoirs and connected thereto by a fitting, such as a bayonet fitting  130 . The pumps  112 ,  114  are connected to the ports  132  on the manifold  115  by hoses  125 . A check valve  135  at the junction of the hose  125  and port  132  prevents backflow into the hoses  125 . A hose  137  leads from the outlet of the manifold  115  to the mixing bowl  108  which has a cover  140  the contents of the mixing bowl  108  are sent to dispenser  116  which is driven by motor  142 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 3  shows a second embodiment in the invention. Elements are identical to that of  FIG. 2 . use the same reference numeral and will not be further described here. In this system, the water reservoir  106  is connected to a pump  105  by a hose  144 . A second hose  146  leads from the pump  105  to the solenoid valve  107 . When the solenoid is not energized, water is recirculated back to the reservoir  106 , but upon energizing, water flows to the manifold  115 . Dry powder is held within hopper  109  containing the auger  110 . Auger  110  is driven by motor  148  to dispense powder from the hopper  109  into the mixing bowl  108 . The hopper  109  also has cover  149 .  
         [0021]     While the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, variations and modifications would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. The invention encompasses such variations and modificaitons.