Patent ID: 8113384

Claim:
A method comprising: providing a base having a plurality of base conduits through which separate fluid streams are permitted to flow and a plurality of base valves, each base valve located in a separate one of the base conduits and positioned to normally block fluid flow out of the base conduit; providing different beverage-forming fluids to each base conduit; providing a first dispensing head for attachment to the base configured to form a first beverage, the first dispensing head having: a first set of passageways, the first set of passageways being fewer in number than the number of conduits in the base, the first set of passageways being positioned, upon the attachment step, to be coupled to a first set of the base conduits; a dispensing valve associated with each of the first set of passageways for regulating fluid flow through each passageway in the first set of passageways; and a first set of valve actuators, each valve actuator being associated with a separate passageway in the first set of passageways; configuring the first dispensing head to be removable from the base where the first set of valve actuators are retracted away from the associated base valves so that the base valves close; providing a second dispensing head attachable to the base at the same location as the first dispensing head on the base, the second dispensing head being different from the first dispensing head, the second dispensing head having: a second set of passageways disposed differently from the first set of passageways in the first dispensing head, the second set of passageways being positioned to, upon the attachment step, be coupled to a second set of base conduits in a different arrangement from the first set of base conduits to dispense a second beverage different than the first beverage; a second dispensing valve associated with each of the passageways in the second set of passageways, the second dispensing valve for regulating fluid flow through a passageway in the second set of passageways; and a second set of valve actuators, each valve actuator in the second set of valve actuators being associated with a separate passageway in the second set of passageways.