Patent Application
20140069954
The present invention relates beverage dispensers, and more specifically to a refrigerated condiment dispenser configured to chill and dispense beverage condiments or other liquids from pre-formed consumer containers.
Many venues such as coffee shops are required to maintain strict temperature controls of liquid beverages, such as beverage condiments including diary creamers. Such temperature controls often include providing dairy creamers in pitchers on coffee prep stations, wherein the pitchers are emptied on a regular, timed, basis in order to ensure freshness and acceptable temperatures of the liquids disposed therein. Such disposal of creamers is often wasteful and expensive.
Some alternatives exist to providing creamers in pitchers, wherein the creamers are chilled by conventional refrigeration means, but such alternatives are often expensive to purchase and operate, and also typically require creamer to be provided in bulk non-consumer packaging. Further, such current alternatives are often difficult to load with creamer and are not suited to small coffee shops having limited space or capabilities/needs for storing large volumes of creamer.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of the prior art by providing a system, apparatus, and method for refrigerating and dispensing liquid creamers or other liquid condiments from pre-formed consumer packages. Accordingly, the following presents a simplified summary of the disclosure in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the invention nor delineate the scope of the invention. Its purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
In accordance with the present disclosure, a liquid condiment dispenser is provided, wherein the liquid condiment dispenser comprises a base and a storage container pivotally coupled to the base. The storage container is generally hollow and configured to selectively retain a pre-formed consumer package therein. The pre-formed consumer package, for example, comprises a generally rigid condiment container, wherein the storage container comprises an opening configured to accept the generally rigid condiment container. The pre-formed consumer package or generally rigid condiment container, for example, can retain a perishable liquid such as a dairy creamer, as well as any other appropriate dispensable liquid.
A pivot apparatus is further provided, wherein the pivot apparatus pivotally couples the storage container to the base. The pivot apparatus, for example, is configured to selectively rotate the storage container with respect to the base about a pivot axis. The storage container, for example, is pivotally coupled to the base along a sidewall of the storage container via the pivot apparatus, wherein the pivot axis and can be configured to be generally perpendicular or parallel to a sidewall of the storage container. The liquid condiment dispenser, for example, can further comprise a detent apparatus configured to limit the selective rotation of the storage container with respect to the base between a load position and a dispense position. In one example, the load position and dispense position are 180 degrees apart.
A cooling device is further operably coupled to the storage container, wherein the cooling device is configured to selectively cool an interior portion of the storage container. The cooling device, for example, comprises a Peltier cooler or other refrigeration mechanism. The cooling device is thereby configured to selectively cool a liquid residing within the pre-formed consumer package. A temperature monitoring device can be further provided and configured to monitor a temperature of the interior portion of the storage container.
In accordance with another aspect, a lid is provided in selective engagement with the storage container, wherein the lid selectively seals the opening of the storage container and generally confines the generally rigid condiment container within the interior portion of the storage container. One or more of the lid and the storage container, for example, can comprise a latch mechanism configured to selectively secure the lid to the storage container. According to another example, the liquid condiment dispenser further comprise thermal insulation associated with one or more of the storage container and lid, wherein the thermal insulation generally inhibits heat transfer between the interior portion of the storage container to the atmosphere when the opening of the storage container is sealed by the lid. According to another exemplary aspect, a dispensing tap is also operably coupled to the lid.
According to another aspect, a dispensing tube apparatus is further provided and configured to selectively engage a port of the generally rigid condiment container. The dispensing tube apparatus is configured to provide first and second fluid ducts between an interior volume of the generally rigid condiment container and an atmosphere that is exterior to the storage container. The dispensing tube apparatus, for example, is further selectively coupled to the dispensing tap, wherein the dispensing tap is configured to selectively block the two fluid ducts between the interior volume of the generally rigid condiment container and the atmosphere, therein selectively blocking and releasing the liquid from the pre-formed consumer package or generally rigid condiment container.
The dispensing tube apparatus, for example, comprises a cap configured to selectively engage the port of the generally rigid condiment container, wherein first and second fluid passages pass through the cap. The first and second fluid passages, for example, are generally parallel to an axis of the cap.
In accordance with another exemplary aspect, the dispensing tube apparatus comprises a vent tube and a liquid tube, therein additionally generally defining the two fluid ducts. The vent tube, for example, is fluidly coupled to the first fluid passage at the first end of the cap, and the liquid tube is associated with the second fluid passage at the first end of the cap. The vent tube can be configured to extend from the port a first distance into the generally rigid condiment container, and the liquid tube can be configured to extend from the port a second distance into the generally rigid condiment container, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance. The vent tube, for example, can be generally rigid. The first distance, for example, is associated with a length of the generally rigid condiment container, where an air gap can be reached by the vent tube. The second distance, for example, can extend a limited distance into the generally rigid condiment container, such as one inch or less. Alternatively, the liquid tube can be integral to the cap.
According to another aspect, the dispensing tube apparatus comprises first and second compressible tubes respectively fluidly coupled to the first and second fluid passages at a second end of the cap. The first and second compressible tubes, for example, extend away from the second end of the cap to the atmosphere, wherein the first and second compressible tubes are respectively fluidly coupled to the liquid tube and vent tube via the cap. Accordingly, the first fluid passage of the cap, the vent tube, and the first compressible tube generally define a first fluid duct, and the second fluid passage, liquid tube, and second compressible tube generally define the second fluid duct.
Accordingly, the dispensing tap can comprise a pinch assembly configured to selectively compress the first and second compressible tubes, therein selectively blocking fluid flow within the two fluid ducts between the interior volume of the generally rigid condiment container and the atmosphere.
In one example, the first and second compressible tubes are integrally coupled to one another. For example, a dual lumen tube generally defines the first and second compressible tubes, wherein respective lumens of the dual lumen tube are fluidly coupled to the liquid tube and vent tube via the cap. The dual lumen tube, for example is comprised of a diametrically divided cylinder made of an elastomeric material. Alternatively, the dual lumen tube comprises two generally circular tubes tangentially coupled to one another.
In another example, the port of the generally rigid condiment container can comprise a threaded opening. Accordingly, the cap is provided having an engagement portion configured to engage the threaded opening of the generally rigid condiment container. The engagement portion of the cap, for example, can comprise one or more of a thread, a barb, and a compressible seal configured to retain the cap to the port or threaded opening, while the two fluid ducts pass through the cap. The engagement portion of the cap can be further configured to generally prevent a disengagement of the cap from the port once the cap is engaged to the port.
In accordance with another exemplary aspect, a method for dispensing a perishable liquid is provided. The method, for example, comprises providing a liquid condiment dispenser having a storage container pivotally coupled to a base. The storage container is rotated with respect to the base, therein placing the storage container in a loading position, and wherein an opening of the storage container generally faces upwards. A dispensing tube apparatus is attached to a pre-formed consumer package having a liquid residing therein. The pre-formed consumer package is placed within the storage container, and the dispensing tube is coupled to a dispensing tap that is operably coupled to a lid.
The lid is further secured to the opening of the storage container, and the storage container is again rotated with respect to the base. Accordingly, the storage container is thus placed in a dispensing position, wherein the opening of the storage container generally faces downwards, and wherein the dispensing tap selectively permits dispensing of the liquid via an interaction between the dispensing tube apparatus and the dispensing tap and gravity. The liquid residing within the pre-formed consumer package can be further chilled by cooling the storage container.
The above summary is merely intended to give a brief overview of some features of some embodiments of the present invention, and other embodiments may comprise additional and/or different features than the ones mentioned above. In particular, this summary is not to be construed to be limiting the scope of the present application. Thus, to the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention comprises the features hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The following description and the annexed drawings set forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention. These embodiments are indicative, however, of a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed. Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawings.
The present disclosure is directed generally toward an apparatus, system, and method refrigerating and dispensing condiments such as coffee creamers or other condiments directly from a pre-formed consumer package. Accordingly, the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals may be used to refer to like elements throughout. It is to be understood that the description of these aspects are merely illustrative and that they should not be interpreted in a limiting sense. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident to one skilled in the art, however, that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. Further, the scope of the invention is not intended to be limited by the embodiments or examples described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, but is intended to be only limited by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
It is also noted that the drawings are provided to give an illustration of some aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure and therefore are to be regarded as schematic only. In particular, the elements shown in the drawings are not necessarily to scale with each other, and the placement of various elements in the drawings is chosen to provide a clear understanding of the respective embodiment and is not to be construed as necessarily being a representation of the actual relative locations of the various components in implementations according to an embodiment of the invention. Furthermore, the features of the various embodiments and examples described herein may be combined with each other unless specifically noted otherwise.
It is also to be understood that in the following description, any direct connection or coupling between functional blocks, devices, components, circuit elements or other physical or functional units shown in the drawings or described herein could also be implemented by an indirect connection or coupling. Furthermore, it is to be appreciated that functional blocks or units shown in the drawings may be implemented as separate features or circuits in one embodiment, and may also or alternatively be fully or partially implemented in a common feature or circuit in another embodiment.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an exemplary liquid condiment dispenser 100 is illustrated in
According to one example, the liquid condiment dispenser 100 of
It should be noted that in various embodiments, the storage container 110 can be sized to accept a plurality of sizes of the generally rigid condiment container 102. For example, the storage container 110 can be sized to retain a larger generally rigid condiment container 102 (e.g., a half-gallon size carton), wherein spacers (not shown) can be inserted into the opening 111 to also accommodate a smaller-sized generally rigid condiment container 102 (e.g., one-quart size). For example, constraints (not shown) such as wires, guides, springs, or friction-fit mechanisms may be provided to securely retain the generally rigid condiment container 104 within the storage container 110. Alternatively, the various sizes of the storage container 110 can be provided for various respective sizes of generally rigid condiment containers 102.
The storage container 110, for example, is pivotally coupled to the base 108 via a pivot apparatus 112. The pivot apparatus 112, for example, is configured to selectively rotate the storage container 110 with respect to the base 108 about a pivot axis 114, as illustrated in various orientations in
The liquid condiment dispenser 100 of
A cooling device 126, for example, is further operably coupled to the storage container 110, wherein the cooling device is configured to selectively cool an interior portion or volume 128 of the storage container, as illustrated in
According to another exemplary aspect of the disclosure, a lid 134 is in selective engagement with the storage container 110, as illustrated in the exploded view of
A dispensing tap 140 is further operably coupled to the lid 134, and a dispensing tube apparatus 142 is provided and configured to selectively engage the dispensing port 106 of the, as illustrated in
The exemplary dispensing tube apparatus 142 of
In accordance with another exemplary aspect, the dispensing tube apparatus 142 of
The first distance 158 of
According to another aspect, the dispensing tube apparatus 142 of
Accordingly, the dispensing tap 140 of
In another example, the first and second compressible tubes 164A, 164B are integrally coupled to one another, as illustrated in
In accordance with yet another exemplary aspect of the disclosure, the port 106 of the generally rigid condiment container 104 can comprise a threaded opening (not shown). Accordingly, the cap 146 of
For example, another exemplary dispensing tube apparatus 176 is illustrated in
Alternatively, in yet another example, the dispensing tube apparatus 142 of
In accordance with another exemplary aspect of the invention,
The method 200 of
In act 208, the pre-formed consumer package is placed within the storage container, and in act 210, the dispensing tube is coupled to a dispensing tap that is operably coupled to a lid. The method 200 may further comprise selectively cooling the storage container, therein selectively cooling the liquid residing within the pre-formed consumer package. The dispensing tube, for example, comprises a squeeze tube that is fed through the dispensing tap, wherein the dispensing tap is configured to selectively pinch the squeeze tube.
In act 212, the lid is secured to the opening of the storage container, and in act 214, the storage container is again rotated with respect to the base, therein placing the storage container in a dispensing position. In the dispensing position, the opening of the storage container generally faces downwards, wherein the dispensing tap selectively permits dispensing of the liquid via an interaction between the dispensing tube apparatus and the dispensing tap and gravity.
Although the invention has been shown and described with respect to a certain embodiment or embodiments, it should be noted that the above-described embodiments serve only as examples for implementations of some embodiments of the present invention, and the application of the present invention is not restricted to these embodiments. In particular regard to the various functions performed by the above described components (assemblies, devices, circuits, etc.), the terms (including a reference to a “means”) used to describe such components are intended to correspond, unless otherwise indicated, to any component which performs the specified function of the described component (i.e., that is functionally equivalent), even though not structurally equivalent to the disclosed structure which performs the function in the herein illustrated exemplary embodiments of the invention. In addition, while a particular feature of the invention may have been disclosed with respect to only one of several embodiments, such feature may be combined with one or more other features of the other embodiments as may be desired and advantageous for any given or particular application. Accordingly, the present invention is not to be limited to the above-described embodiments, but is intended to be limited only by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.
This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/698,051 which was filed Sep. 7, 2012, entitled “CHILLED BEVERAGE DISPENSER”, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61698051 | Sep 2012 | US |
