Patent ID: 7806294

Claim:
A beverage dispenser, comprising: a flow control module that is configured to be coupled to a plurality of incoming supply lines carrying water and at least one beverage additive, and wherein the flow control module provides individual channels through which the water and beverage additive pass at a controlled flow rate; a switch module configured to receive the water and beverage additive from the flow control module, wherein the switch module provides individual channels through which the water and beverage additive respectively pass, the switch module comprising a switch associated with each of the channels through which the water and beverage additive pass that may be selectively actuated to individually control the flow of the water and beverage additive through the switch module; a nozzle configured to receive the water and beverage additive downstream from the switch module and providing individual channels through which the water and beverage additive are dispensed; a control panel configured to receive user input for a beverage additive selection and a request to dispense a blended beverage including the selected beverage additive; and a control unit coupled to the control panel and the switch module, wherein the control unit is configured (i) to determine whether a blended beverage dispense is permitted for the selected beverage additive, (ii) to direct, if it is determined that the blended beverage dispense is permitted, the dispense of the blended beverage including the selected beverage additive by selectively actuating a group of switches associated with the water and the selected beverage additive, and (iii) to disallow, if it is determined that the blended beverage dispense is not permitted for the selected beverage additive, the dispense of a blended beverage while permitting a subsequent dispense of a controlled amount of the selected beverage additive by selectively actuating at least one switch associated with the selected beverage additive.