This application claims the benefit of priority Indian application number 201611032727 filed Sep. 26, 2016, titled, “Automated Cocktail Maker Machine”, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Disclosed embodiments are related to automated systems for preparing beverages.
Mixed drinks, cocktails, or other beverages often include multiple beverage ingredients that are mixed together in specific proportions. For example, a beverage may include specific proportions of one or more alcoholic beverage ingredients such as spirits mixed with specific proportions of one or more non-alcoholic beverage ingredients such as juices or carbonated ingredients (e.g., cola, seltzer, etc.). Accordingly, preparing a beverage may require an individual to carefully measure the various beverage ingredients according to a particular recipe and combine the beverage ingredients to form the beverage.
In one embodiment, a container fitting includes a housing and a container fitting located on the housing. The container fitting is constructed and arranged to mount a beverage ingredient container to the housing. The container fitting includes a first channel to permit flow of a gas into the beverage ingredient container and a second channel to permit flow of a beverage ingredient out of the beverage ingredient container.
In another embodiment, a beverage system includes a housing having a dispensing region including a plurality of dispensing stations, a track located in the dispensing region, a carriage movable along the track between the plurality of dispensing stations, and an actuator drivingly coupled to the carriage to move the carriage along the track.
In a further embodiment, a beverage system includes a housing having a dispensing region and a beverage cup receivable in the dispensing region. The beverage cup includes a base including an actuator and a receptacle mounted on the base and including an agitator coupled to the actuator. The actuator is constructed and arranged to move the agitator to mix one or more beverage ingredients received in the receptacle to form a beverage.
In yet another embodiment, a method of operating a beverage system includes moving a beverage cup along a track to a first dispensing station of a beverage system and flowing a gas into a first container containing a first beverage ingredient. The method further includes causing flow of the first beverage ingredient out of the first container, at least in part, due to the flow of the gas into the first container, and dispensing the first beverage ingredient into the cup at the first dispensing station.
It should be appreciated that the foregoing concepts, and additional concepts discussed below, may be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. Further, other advantages and novel features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of various non-limiting embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
In cases where the present specification and a document incorporated by reference include conflicting and/or inconsistent disclosure, the present specification shall control. If two or more documents incorporated by reference include conflicting and/or inconsistent disclosure with respect to each other, then the document having the later effective date shall control.
The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures may be represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:
The inventor has appreciated numerous benefits associated with automated systems for preparing beverages such as mixed drinks and/or cocktails. For example, such systems may automatically dispense one or more beverage ingredients in predetermined quantities or ratios to prepare a desired beverage. In this manner, an automated system may afford simple, fast, and/or more precise preparation of the beverage. In some instances many individuals (e.g., bartenders and/or servers) at a bar, restaurant, or other establishment that serves mixed drinks, cocktails, and/or other beverages may need to undergo substantial training to reliably and quickly prepare a variety of beverages. Such training may involve a considerable amount of time memorizing and practicing numerous beverage recipes. Accordingly, the inventor has appreciated that an automated beverage preparation system may reduce the amount of training required to prepare beverages, as well as the cumulative labor required for preparing the beverages. Moreover, such systems may allow various beverages to be prepared consistently and accurately by multiple users.
The inventor has also recognized that many beverages may include a carbonated beverage ingredient that may lose appeal if the amount of carbonation is diminished (e.g., if the carbonated beverage ingredient goes flat). Moreover, some non-carbonated beverage ingredients (e.g., juices) may be perishable and/or may have a flavor that diminishes over time once a container of the beverage ingredient is opened. In view of the above, the inventors have appreciated benefits associated with automated beverage systems that preserve the carbonation and/or flavors of the various beverage ingredients. For example, in some embodiments an automated beverage system may include a distribution system arranged to distribute beverage ingredients from one or more containers of carbonated and/or non-carbonated beverage ingredients, and the distribution system may be constructed and arranged to seal the containers when the various beverage ingredients are not in use.
In some embodiments, a beverage preparation system may be arranged to mount and/or display one or more containers (e.g., bottles) of alcoholic or other beverage ingredients on an exterior of the beverage system. For example, the containers may be held in an inverted fashion on the exterior of the system, which may aid in dispensing the beverage ingredient from the container (e.g., due to gravity). In some instances, such an inverted arrangement of the containers of the various beverage ingredients also may provide an attractive aesthetic appearance for the beverage system, which may be desirable in some locations where the beverage system is used (e.g., bars, restaurants, clubs, private residences, or other establishments). Moreover, the external mounting/display of the beverage ingredient containers may promote visibility of the beverage ingredients, which may aid in allowing a user or customer to select a desired beverage made from those ingredients. In some embodiments, the beverage system may include one or more lighting elements that may enhance the aesthetics of the beverage system. For example, the lighting element(s) may be configured to illuminate the containers of beverage ingredients with one or more colors of light to provide a desired aesthetic appearance for the system and/or enhance the visibility of the system and the beverage ingredients mounted thereon.
As used herein, a beverage may refer to a mixed drink and/or cocktail, which may include a combination of one or more consumable beverage ingredients. The beverage ingredients may be alcoholic, non-alcoholic, carbonated, non-carbonated, and so on, and in some instances, the beverage ingredients may include suspended and/or dissolved solids or gases. In some embodiments, a beverage may be mixed via mechanical agitation to combine the beverage ingredients. For example, a beverage may be mixed by stirring multiple beverage ingredients to form a homogenous mixture within a beverage cup (or other suitable vessel). Depending on the embodiment, stirring may involve directly agitating the beverage ingredients within the cup (e.g., with a spoon or other suitable utensil) and/or applying a suitable force to the cup, such as by rotating or vibrating the cup. In some embodiments, the dispensing of the beverage ingredients into the cup may be sufficient to mix the beverage ingredients. Moreover, in some embodiments a beverage may be formed without mixing the various beverage ingredients, as the current disclosure is not limited in this regard. Accordingly, it should be understood that a beverage prepared by the automated systems described herein may include a single beverage ingredient, or a homogenous or heterogeneous mixture of two or more beverage ingredients.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an automated beverage system may include one or more container fittings that facilitate the attachment or mounting of one or more containers of beverage ingredients to the beverage system. For example, as noted above, the fittings may be arranged to mount the containers (e.g., bottles) in an inverted configuration on the exterior of the beverage system. Alternatively or additionally, a beverage system may include one or more container fittings arranged to mount beverage ingredient containers in a horizontal arrangement (e.g., via sliding the containers into a housing of the system). Moreover, a beverage system may include container fittings located on an external surface of the system (e.g., on a housing) and/or internally within the system. The container fittings may be arranged to couple to the mouth or opening of the containers and create a seal within the opening such that the contents cannot escape around a periphery of the container fitting when the container is inverted or in any other suitable orientation (e.g., upright, angled, etc.).
In some embodiments, container fittings may include one or more channels to permit flow of liquid and/or gas into and out of the containers. For example, the fittings may include a first channel through which gases may flow into or out of the container, and a second channel through which the beverage ingredient can flow into or out of the container. In one embodiment, air (or other suitable gases) may be pumped into the container via the first channel in the container fitting to aid in dispensing the beverage ingredient out of the container through the second channel. For example, such an arrangement may allow the beverage ingredient to be dispensed from the container at faster rate compared to a configuration in which the beverage ingredient is dispensed only via gravity induced flow. In some embodiments, the beverage ingredient may be dispensed via a combination of air (or other gas) pressure and gravity to further enhance the dispensing rate.
Depending on the particular embodiment, the one or more container fittings may be arranged in any suitable fashion such that gases may flow through a first channel and a beverage ingredient may flow through a second channel. Although embodiments described herein include container fittings arranged to mount containers of beverage ingredients in an inverted orientation, it should be understood that other arrangements may be suitable, as the current disclosure is not limited in this regard. For example, the fittings may be arranged to couple to containers in an upright orientation, a horizontal orientation, or at an upwardly or downwardly angled orientation. Moreover, different fittings within a single beverage system may be arranged to mount different containers in different orientations. Accordingly, a beverage system may include container fittings arranged in any suitable manner such that a beverage ingredient can be dispensed from a container via pressurized gas (e.g., air) entering the container and displacing the beverage ingredient contained therein. As noted above, pressurization of the container may allow for a beverage ingredient to be dispensed from the container faster than by gravity flow. In this manner, the pressurization of a beverage ingredient container may reduce the time required to dispense a beverage ingredient and prepare a beverage. Moreover, in some embodiments, the container fittings may be constructed and arranged to seal the beverage ingredient containers under positive pressure (i.e., a pressure greater than an ambient pressure) when the beverage ingredients are not in use. Without wishing to be bound by theory, the positive pressure may aid in maintaining the carbonation and/or flavor of the beverage ingredients, which may allow the beverage ingredients to be better preserved. Moreover, maintaining the carbonation and flavors of the beverage ingredients may reduce or eliminate the need for complex carbonating and/or flavoring systems that may otherwise be required to prepare or maintain the beverage ingredients. However, it should be understood that such systems may be included in certain embodiments of the beverage systems described herein, as the current disclosure is not limited in this regard.
According to some aspects, an automated beverage system may include a distribution system to move the one or more beverage ingredients within the system and dispense the beverage ingredients into a beverage cup or other suitable receptacle. The distribution system may include one or more pumps arranged to cause the one or more beverage ingredients to flow within the beverage system, as well as one or more valves (e.g., solenoid driven valves) associated with the beverage ingredient containers to selectively control the flow of gases and beverage ingredients into and out of the containers. In this manner, the pump(s) and valve(s) may cooperate to dispense a desired amount of a beverage ingredient from the containers. In some embodiments, the pumps may be used to pressurize the containers by pumping air (or other suitable gases) into the containers to cause flow of the beverage ingredient. For example, addition of pressure to a container while a valve associate with the container is open may cause the beverage ingredient flow out of the container and be distributed within the beverage system. When the valve is closed to prevent outflow of the beverage ingredient, the pressurization may seal the beverage ingredient container and may aid in retaining carbonation, flavors, or other desirable characteristics, as discussed previously. In some instances, the pressurization of the containers may allow for dispensing of a beverage ingredient without requiring activation of an associate pump. For example, opening a valve associated with a pressurized container may permit a desired quantity of the beverage ingredient to flow out of the container as some of the pressure is released.
In some embodiments, the use of pressure to cause flow the various beverage ingredients within the beverage system may reduce or eliminate contact between the pump and the beverage ingredients, which may aid in avoiding undesired mixing of the beverage ingredients or cross contamination of beverage ingredient flavors or characteristics. Such an arrangement may allow for easier cleaning of the beverage system, as the pumps may not require cleaning that might be necessary if they contacted the beverage ingredients directly.
In addition to the above, in certain embodiments, a distribution system may further include a cleaning system to rinse and/or clean various components of the distribution system that may contact the beverage ingredients, such as lines through which the beverage ingredients flow. For example, the cleaning system may be arranged to flush a cleaning agent such as water or a suitable cleaning solution through the lines of the distribution system. In some embodiments, the cleaning system may use one or more components of the distribution system, such as one or more pumps, to cause the cleaning agent to flow through the distribution system. For example, similar to the distribution of the beverage ingredients discussed above, the cleaning system may utilize pressurized air (or other gases) to cause flow of the cleaning agent through the distribution system.
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an automated beverage system may include one or more dispensing stations at which the one or more beverage ingredients are dispensed into to a beverage cup or other vessel to prepare a desired beverage. In some embodiments, the system may have at least a first station configured to dispense alcoholic beverage ingredients and a second station configured to dispense non-alcoholic beverage ingredients. Such an arrangement may reduce or eliminate cross contamination between alcoholic and non-alcoholic ingredients. In some embodiments, the first and second stations may be include one or more nozzles connected by a line to an associated beverage ingredient container, and the nozzles may dispense the beverage ingredients into the beverage cup. For example, the stations may be positioned above the beverage cup and the nozzles may direct the beverage ingredients to flow down into the cup.
In some embodiments, an automated beverage system may include a beverage cup arranged to receive the various beverage ingredients that comprise a desired beverage. For example, the beverage cup may configured as a removable receptacle placed below a dispensing station and arranged to receive beverage ingredients as they are dispensed from the nozzles. In some instances, the beverage cup may be a vessel (such as a glass) in which the beverage is intended to be served, and the beverage cup may be removed from the beverage system and to allow the beverage to be consumed directly from the beverage cup once the beverage is prepared. In some embodiments, such an arrangement may permit the use of multiple beverage cups such that multiple beverages may be made in sequence without requiring cleaning of the cup(s) before preparing subsequent beverages. In this manner, the use of multiple beverage cups may allow the automated beverage system to be operated in a sanitary way by reducing or preventing the possibility of cross-contamination between the beverage cups.
In some embodiments, the beverage system may include an agitator constructed and arranged to aid in mixing the beverage ingredients once they are dispensed into the beverage cup. For example, the agitator may be provided in the beverage cup, and may include a features such as paddles and/or blades that spin within the beverage cup to mix and combine the beverage ingredients. The spinning motion may be powered by a motor or other suitable actuator coupled to the agitator. In some embodiments, the motor may be powered wirelessly via a wireless power transmission system located on the beverage system, such as on a carriage arranged to hold the beverage cup. In one embodiment, a controller on the beverage system may cause a current to pass through a wireless power coil, which in turn may induce a current in a corresponding coil and motor associated with the agitator to spin the agitator within the beverage cup. Although agitators arranged to spin within a beverage cup are described herein, it should be understood that other agitator structures and/or methods to mix beverage ingredients, such as shaking or stirring, also may be suitable, as the current disclosure is not limited to spinning agitators.
In some embodiments, the agitator may include one or more components located in the beverage cup that are magnetically coupled to corresponding features on the carriage of the beverage system. For example, the agitator may include a blending component located in the beverage cup that includes magnet configured to rotate about an axis. The carriage may include a second rotatable magnet that is magnetically coupled to the magnet in the blending component such that rotational movement of the second magnet in the carriage causes the blender component to spin within the beverage cup to agitate and mix the beverage ingredients.
According to some aspects of the present disclosure, an automated beverage system may include a carriage actuator arranged to translate the carriage that holds the beverage cup(s) along a track to move the beverage cups between one or more dispensing stations where different beverage ingredients may be dispensed into the beverage cups. For example, the actuator may include a motor, servo, linear actuator, electromagnet, or other suitable device, and the actuator may be coupled to the carriage to move the carriage along a track. Depending on the particular embodiment, the actuator may be directly coupled to the carriage, or it may be coupled to the carriage via a rack and pinion, ball screw, belt drive, or any other suitable structure such that the actuator may move the carriage (and an beverage cup located thereon) between the dispensing stations of the beverage system.
In some embodiments, an automated beverage system may include a controller configured to control one or more aspects of the preparation of a beverage. For example, the controller may be associated with the pumps, valves, agitator(s), carriage actuator, and/or other components of the beverage system and may control these components to automatically prepare a desired beverage. For example, the controller may selectively activate the pumps, valves, agitator, and carriage actuator to dispense specific quantities of beverage ingredients into a beverage cup and mix the ingredients according to a desired beverage recipe.
A beverage system may also include a user interface to allow a user to select a desired beverage. For example, the user interface may be associated with the controller, and the controller may receive a request for a desired beverage from the user input and operate the beverage system to prepare the beverage automatically. Depending on the particular embodiment, the user interface may be provided on the beverage system and/or on an external device. In some embodiments, the user interface may include a mobile application on a device such as a tablet or smartphone, and the application may include a menu from which an user can request a desired beverage. The mobile application may be arranged to communicate with the beverage system, allowing the user interface to display notifications or other indications of the progress for the beverage preparation process. For example, the user may receive a notification on the device when the beverage preparation is completed.
In certain embodiments, the user interface may be configured to monitor and/or manage inventory of the beverage ingredients in the beverage system. Such an inventory management system may allow for tracking of the usage of the different beverage ingredients, and may notify a user is a container of a beverage ingredient is in need of replacement.
In some embodiments, the user interface may permit customization of a desired beverage. For example, an user may select a customized quantity of one or more beverage ingredients comprising a particular beverage. In this manner, individual users may specify the quantities and/or ratios of beverage ingredients if desired In some embodiments, the user interface may allow an individual user to save a custom beverage recipe to allow for simple reordering of the customized beverage.
As noted previously, an automated beverage system may include a distribution system including a cleaning system for cleaning lines used to distribute the various beverage ingredients. In some such embodiments, the user interface may include an option to run an automated cleaning process that activates the cleaning system and flushes the distribution lines with mineral water (or other suitable cleaning agents). In some other embodiments, the beverage system may be arranged to automatically run a cleaning cycle after a predefined period of time or after a predefined number of beverages have been prepared by the beverage system. In some instances, such arrangements may allow the beverage system to more easily meet certain standards for food safety without requiring substantial additional labor to clean the system.
Turning now to the figures, specific non-limiting embodiments of an automated beverage preparation system are described in further detail. While specific embodiments are described, it should be understood that the various components, systems, and methods of operation described herein may be combined in any suitable fashion as the current disclosure is not so limited.
In some embodiments, a dispensing region may include one or more dispensing stations at which one or more different beverage ingredients may be dispensed into a beverage cup. For example, the dispensing stations may correspond to locations within the dispensing region where the beverage cup is aligned with an outlet 110 from which one or more particular beverage ingredients are dispensed. In some embodiments, the dispensing stations may correspond to locations directly beneath the outlets 110, though other arrangements may be suitable. For example, in certain embodiments, a beverage ingredient may flow out of an outlet 110 at an angle, and the dispensing stations may correspond to locations for the beverage cup where the beverage ingredient may flow directly into the cup.
Moreover, it should be understood that the current disclosure is not limited to any particular number of dispensing stations. For example, in the embodiment depicted in
In some embodiments, one or more outlets 110 of a beverage system 100 (and corresponding dispensing stations) may be arranged to dispense a particular type of beverage ingredient. For example, a beverage system including two dispensing stations may include a first dispensing station to dispense alcoholic beverage ingredients and a second dispensing station to dispense non-alcoholic beverage ingredients. In another embodiment, a beverage system including three dispensing stations may have a first dispensing station to dispense alcoholic beverage ingredients, a second beverage station to dispense non-alcoholic and non-carbonated beverage ingredients, and a third dispensing station to dispense non-alcoholic carbonated beverage ingredients. In other embodiments, a beverage system may have a separate outlet and corresponding dispensing station for each of the beverage ingredients that may be dispensed from the beverage system. Accordingly, the current disclosure is not limited to any particular arrangement of dispensing stations in the dispensing region.
As noted above, a beverage system 100 may include a track 106 in the dispensing region, and the a carriage 108 located in the track and constructed and arranged to receive a beverage cup 700 (see
In addition to the above, it should be understood that the carriage 108 may have any suitable configuration such that a beverage cup 700 may be received on the carriage and moved between one or more dispensing stations. For example, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
In addition the containers 502 mounted to the top surface of the housing 102, the beverage system 100 may further include one or more secondary beverage containers 504 that may be inserted into a side of the housing 102. For example the secondary beverage containers may be containers of non-alcoholic beverage ingredients such as juices, and these containers may couple to the beverage system via container fittings located within the housing. Similar to the container fittings 200 and bottles 502 discussed above, a beverage system may include any suitable number of secondary beverage ingredient containers 504 and corresponding container fittings.
In some embodiments, a housing 102 may include a removal portion, such as a removable tray 112. For example, the tray may be associated with a drain located within the track 106, and any beverage ingredients that may inadvertently spill during preparation of a beverage may be directed to the removable tray 112 via the drain. In this manner, such spilled beverage ingredients may be easily cleaned and removed from the system by removing and cleaning the tray 112.
As described in more detail below, the beverage system 100 includes a pump system 120 including one or more pumps and a valve system 130 including one or more valves, and the pump and valve systems may be coupled to a controller 150 that controls operation of the pump system 120 and valve system 130 to selectively control the flow of the beverage ingredients and/or air out of and/or into the beverage containers 502, 504, and 506. Moreover, in some embodiments, a cleaning system 600 may be included. For example, the cleaning system may be associated with the pumping system 120, valve system 130, and controller 150 such that a cleaning solution (e.g., water) may be pumped through the beverage system as needed.
While three types of beverage ingredient containers are depicted in
Depending on the particular embodiment, the container fittings 200a, 200b, and 200c may have different configurations for different types of beverage ingredient containers. For example, the container fittings 200a may be specifically configured for mounting bottles of alcoholic beverage ingredients in an inverted configuration on the exterior of the beverage system, while the container fittings 200c may be configured to withstand higher pressures for use with carbonated beverage ingredients. However, in other embodiments, a beverage system may utilize the same container fitting arrangement for different types of beverage containers, as the current disclosure is not limited to any particular number or types of container fittings included on a beverage system.
In some embodiments, such as in the embodiment depicted in
While
Depending on the embodiment, the distribution system 400 may include any suitable types of pumps and/or valves. In one exemplary embodiment, the pump 126 is a diaphragm pump, and the valves 132 are solenoid valves. Moreover, the pumps and/or valves may be arranged to provide a desired flow rate when dispensing the beverage ingredients at a dispensing station. For example, the flow rate may be greater than about 20 ml/sec, greater than about 30 ml/sec, or more. In some instances, the distribution system may be arranged to dispense a beverage ingredient at a flow rate that is faster than what may be achieved by gravity-induced flow along (e.g., due to flow out of an inverted container).
In addition to the above, the distribution system may include one or more flow sensors 136 associated with the distribution lines 134. For example, the flow sensors may be arranged to measure a volume of liquid flowing from a beverage container through a distribution line 134 and to an associated outlet 110, and the volume measured by the flow sensor may be used by an associated controller to determine how much of a particular beverage ingredient has been dispensed. The controller may control the pump 126 and/or valves 132 based on the volume measured by the flow sensor to dispense a desired quantity of a particular beverage ingredient. In some embodiments, the flow sensors may include Hall Effect sensors, optical encoders, or any other suitable type of sensor to measure flow of a fluid beverage ingredient. Alternatively or additionally, a beverage system may include one or more load sensors located in a dispensing region of the beverage system, and the load sensors may be arranged to measure the weight of a beverage cup as beverage ingredients are dispensed into the beverage cup to determine an amount of beverage ingredient dispensed.
As noted previously, in some embodiments, a cleaning system (such as cleaning system 600 shown in
In addition to the above, while four beverage ingredient containers 500 and four associated valves are shown in
Referring now to
In some embodiments, it may be desirable to arrange the first and second channels 202 and 203 of a container fitting 200 such that they terminate within a container at a different heights. For example, as shown in
In some embodiments, a container fitting may include one or more features to mount and/or support a container on a beverage system. For example, in the embodiment depicted in
Moreover, in some embodiments the first and second connectors may include features to facilitate attachment of a distribution line (e.g., a pipe, tubing, hose, etc.) to the first and second connectors. For example, in the embodiment shown in
Referring now to
In some embodiments, a portion of a container fitting, such as a portion of a mounting portion 207 (see
Depending on the embodiment, a container fitting may be formed from any suitable material, which may include food grade materials. For example, the container fitting may be made of plastic, metal, ceramic, or other material suitable for use with consumable beverage ingredients. In one embodiment, the container fitting is made of an high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or low-density polyethylene (LDPE) material. Moreover, the channels within a container fitting may be arranged with any suitable diameter such that air and/or liquid beverage ingredients can flow into or out of a corresponding container, respectively, without obstruction. For example, in one embodiment, the first channel may have a diameter of about 1-4 mm (e.g., about 2.5 mm) and the second channel may have a diameter of about 2-6 mm (e.g., about 4 mm). In one such embodiment, a support through which the channels are formed may a diameter of about 10-15 mm (e.g., about 13 mm). However, it should be understood that other dimensions for the channels and/or post also may be suitable.
Moreover, as noted previously, a container fitting may be arranged to maintain a positive pressure (i.e., a pressure greater than an ambient pressure) within a container of a beverage ingredient when that beverage ingredient is not in use. For example, by maintaining a positive pressure within the container, properties of the beverage ingredient contained therein (such as flavors and/or carbonation) may be better preserved. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the container fitting may be constructed and arranged to withstand a desired positive pressure within a beverage container when the container is attached to a beverage system via the container fitting.
Referring now to
In some embodiments, the actuator 172 may include stepper motor. According to some aspects, a stepper motor may allow the controller 174 to control the position of the carriage without requiring additional sensors along the length of the track to sense the position of the carriage. For example, each step of the stepper motor may be counted by the controller and may be correlated to a distance along the track 106. In this manner, the controller 174 and stepper motor may move the carriage 108 between one or more dispensing stations by operating the stepper motor for a prescribed number of steps corresponding to a distance between dispensing stations. As noted above, sensors 162 (such as limit switches) may be located at the ends of the track, and such sensors may be used in conjunction with a stepper motor to recalibrate the position of the carriage in the case of any drift in the calculated position of the carriage.
In certain embodiments, a controller 174 and actuator 172 may cooperate to move a carriage 108 along a track 106 according to a desired movement profile, which may include various accelerations and/or velocities of the carriage. In some embodiments, a movement profile that avoids stop and go or jerky motion of the carriage (and associated beverage cup) may be desirable to avoid spilling of beverage ingredients from the beverage cup. Accordingly, the controller and actuator may cause the carriage to smoothly accelerate as it is moved away from a dispensing station and decelerate as it arrives at a subsequent dispensing station. In some embodiments, the movement profile may include one or more intermediate portions corresponding to movement between dispensing stations, and the carriage may move at a constant velocity during these intermediate portions. However, it should be understood that other movement profiles may be suitable, as this current disclosure is not limited to any particular combination of accelerations and/or velocities as a carriage is moved along a track.
As discussed previously, in some embodiments, a beverage system may include a beverage cup including an agitator arranged to mix one or more beverage ingredients together after they are received in the beverage cup. For example,
In some embodiments, an actuator of a beverage cup may be wirelessly coupled to a power source of a beverage system to power the actuator, for example via an inductive wireless power system. Accordingly, the base of a beverage cup may include a first coil 710 arranged to be wirelessly coupled to a corresponding second coil 714 located on a carriage 108 of a beverage system 100, as shown in
As discussed previously, a beverage system may include one or more controllers to control various aspects of the operation of the beverage system. For example, as discussed above in connection with
Moreover, a beverage system may include one or more user data input devices (such as buttons, dials, knobs, a keyboard, a touch screen or other), information display devices (such as an LCD display, indicator lights, etc.), and/or other components for providing desired input/output and control functions. In some embodiments, the input device and/or information display device may be a mobile device (such as a smart phone, a tablet, etc.) that communicates wirelessly to the system control circuit (e.g., via a Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi protocol) such that a user may wirelessly control the operation of the beverage system.
In some embodiments a user interface may include a mobile application configured to run on a mobile device to control the beverage system. For example, as shown in
As illustrated in
In some embodiments, it may be desirable to allow a user to customize a recipe for a particular beverage, and/or allow a user to define a custom beverage. Accordingly, in some embodiments, a user interface may permit customization of a beverage recipe (e.g., by allowing a user to vary the ingredients and/or proportions of ingredients in a recipe). In one embodiment depicted in
In addition to allowing a user to select a desired beverage, in some embodiments, a user interface may include one or more elements for managing a beverage system. For example, as illustrated in
In addition to the above, in certain embodiments, a beverage system may include one or more user interface elements located on the system. For example, as discussed previously, a beverage system may include om lighting elements (e.g., LED rings and/or strips), and the lighting elements may be selectively illuminated to indicate a status of the beverage system. In one embodiment, one or more lighting elements may be associated with a track and/or carriage, and the lighting elements may be selectively illuminated and/or change color depending on the status of a beverage preparation process. In other embodiments, one or more beverage ingredient containers may be illuminated (e.g., via lighting elements associated with container fittings), and the lighting elements may selectively illuminate a particular container as a beverage ingredient is being dispensed therefrom.
Having described various aspects of beverage systems, an exemplary method of operation of the beverage system is described in more detail in connection with
While the present teachings have been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201611032727 | Sep 2016 | IN | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IN17/50420 | 9/22/2017 | WO | 00 |