Claims
- 1. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus having a housing containing at least one powdered beverage substance hopper for retaining a powdered beverage substance;
- a powder stirring and dispensing mechanism coupled to said hopper for stirring the powdered beverage substance within the hopper and dispensing the powdered beverage substance from the hopper;
- a heated water dispensing system to controllably dispense a desired quantity of heated water for combination with a quantity of dispensed powdered beverage substance;
- a mixing assembly communicating with said at least one hopper for receiving powdered beverage substance dispensed therefrom and communicating with said heated water dispensing system for mixing said powdered beverage substance and heated water to produce a beverage;
- a dispensing tube having a weir positioned therein, said dispensing tube communicating with said hopper and said mixing assembly to direct powder dispensed from said hopper into said mixing assembly, said weir reducing the size of a leading face of powder retained in said tube;
- a moisture removal assembly positioned between said at least one hopper and said mixing assembly for removing moisture produced by heated water mixed in said mixing assembly to reduce intrusion of said removed moisture into said powdered beverage substance retained in said at least one hopper;
- a dispensing nozzle attached to said mixing assembly for directing the flow of beverage mixed therein to a container, a beveled tip of said dispensing nozzle for preventing formation of a bubble thereover; and
- a controllable by-pass water system communicating with said heated water dispensing system for introducing unheated water into said mixing assembly for mixing with said powdered beverage substance to selectively produce unheated beverages.
- 2. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising:
- said weir being angled in a direction of the path of travel of said powder through said dispensing tube.
- 3. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said beveled tip of said dispensing nozzle is angled downwardly towards a face of said apparatus to minimize dispersion of beverage dispensed therethrough towards a patron positioned proximate to the face of said apparatus.
- 4. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 1, said powder stirring and dispensing mechanism further comprising:
- an auger positioned in a lower portion of said hopper; and
- a motor connected to said auger for rotating said auger to move powdered beverage substance through said hopper towards said dispensing tube.
- 5. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 4, further comprising: an agitator disk positioned in said hopper having teeth positioned on a circumferential edge thereof for engagement with said auger, operation of said auger by said auger motor moving said agitator disk having said teeth engaged with said auger to rotate said agitator disk in said powdered beverage substance.
- 6. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 5, said agitator disk further comprising:
- at least one fin attached to said agitator disk extending from a plane of rotation of said agitator disk.
- 7. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 5, said agitator disk further comprising:
- at least one fin attached to said agitator disk extending from a plane of rotation of said agitator disk.
- 8. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 4, said agitator disk further comprising:
- at least one agitator wire attached to and movable relative to said agitator disk, said agitator wire being retained on said disk and spaced therefrom, said agitator wire having a dimension facilitating extension from said attachment point to beyond the circumferential edge of said agitator disk for engagement with said auger.
- 9. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 4, further comprising: an agitator disk positioned in said hopper having teeth positioned on a circumferential edge thereof for engagement with said auger, operation of said auger by said auger motor moving said agitator disk having said teeth engaged with said auger to rotate said agitator disk in said powdered beverage substance.
- 10. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 9, said agitator disk further comprising:
- at least one agitator wire attached to and movable relative to said agitator disk, said agitator wire being retained on said disk and spaced therefrom, said agitator wire having a dimension facilitating extension from said attachment point to beyond the circumferential edge of said agitator disk for engagement with said auger.
- 11. In combination with a powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus, a dispensing nozzle comprising:
- a first end attached to said apparatus and receiving a beverage therefrom;
- a second free end spaced apart from said first end positioned for directing a beverage dispensed through said dispensing nozzle into a container; and
- a beveled tip on said second free end for preventing bubble formation over a bore of said dispensing nozzle, wherein said beveled tip generally provides a single bevel angle extending substantially fully across said second free end and is angled downwardly towards a face of said apparatus to minimize dispersion of a beverage dispensed therefrom towards a user positioned proximate to said face of said apparatus.
- 12. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus, said apparatus including at least one hopper for retaining a quantity of powdered beverage substance therein, two opposed walls of said hopper having a lower portion tapering inwardly to define an accumulation area; an auger positioned in accumulation area of said hopper and attached to an auger motor for moving powdered beverage substance through accumulation area of said hopper toward a dispensing outlet in said hopper for controllably dispensing a desired quantity of powdered beverage substance from said hopper, and a stirring mechanism engaged with the auger including a disk retained in said hopper having teeth along a circumferential edge thereof engageable with said auger, at least one agitator wire attached to and spaced away from said agitator disk, and wherein movement of said auger by said auger motor rotates said agitator disk and said agitator wire retained thereon in said hopper to agitate said powdered beverage substance retained therein.
- 13. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 12, said agitator disk further comprising:
- at least one fin attached to said agitator disk extending from a plane of rotation of said agitator disk.
- 14. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 12, further comprising:
- said agitator wire having a dimension facilitating extension from said attachment point to beyond the circumferential edge of said agitator disk for engagement with said auger.
- 15. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 12, said agitator disk further comprising:
- at least one fin attached to said agitator disk extending from a plane of rotation of said agitator disk; and
- at least two agitator wires attached to and spaced away from said agitator disk, said agitator wires being retained on opposite sides of said disk, said agitator wires having a dimension facilitating extension from said attachment point to beyond the circumferential edge of said agitator disk for engagement with said auger.
- 16. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus having a housing containing at least one powdered beverage substance hopper for retaining a powdered beverage substance;
- a powder stirring and dispensing mechanism coupled to said hopper for stirring the powdered beverage substance within the hopper and dispensing the powdered beverage substance from the hopper;
- a heated water dispensing system to controllably dispense a desired quantity of heated water for combination with a quantity of dispensed powdered beverage substance;
- a mixing assembly communicating with said at least one hopper for receiving powdered beverage substance dispensed therefrom and communicating with said heated water dispensing system for mixing said powdered beverage substance and heated water to produce a beverage;
- a dispensing tube having a weir positioned therein, said dispensing tube communicating with said hopper and said mixing assembly to direct powder dispensed from said hopper into said mixing assembly, said weir reducing the size of a leading face of powder retained in said tube;
- a moisture removal assembly positioned between said at least one hopper and said mixing assembly for removing moisture produced by heated water mixed in said mixing assembly to reduce intrusion of said removed moisture into said powdered beverage substance retained in said at least one hopper;
- a dispensing nozzle attached to said mixing assembly for directing the flow of beverage mixed therein to a container, a beveled tip of said dispensing nozzle for preventing formation of a bubble thereover; and
- a vent tube communicating with said heated water dispensing system for minimizing the accumulation of gas bubbles in a heated water dispensing line of said heated water dispensing system, said vent tube being configured with respect to said heated water dispensing line such that water flowing through the dispensing line backs up into the event tube thereby sealing off the vent tube wherein said vent tube drains through said heated water dispensing line at the completion of a dispensing cycle thereby providing consistent quantities of water dispensed.
- 17. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 16, further comprising:
- said weir being angled in a direction of the path of travel of said powder through said dispensing tube.
- 18. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein said beveled tip of said dispensing nozzle is angled downwardly towards a face of said apparatus to minimize dispersion of beverage dispensed therethrough towards a patron positioned proximate to the face of said apparatus.
- 19. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 16, said powder stirring and dispensing mechanism further comprising:
- an auger positioned in a lower portion of said hopper; and
- a motor connected to said auger for rotating said auger to move powdered beverage substance through said hopper towards said dispensing tube.
- 20. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus including at least one powdered beverage substance hopper for retaining a powdered beverage substance therein, a powdered beverage dispensing mechanism coupled to said hopper for dispensing powdered beverage therefrom;
- a mixing assembly positioned proximate to said at least one hopper for receiving powdered beverage substance dispensed therefrom for mixing said powdered beverage substance with water to produce a beverage;
- an angled tube having a first end communicating with a dispensing outlet of said hopper and a second end communicating with said mixing chamber, said angled tube defining an elbow therein between said first end and said second end;
- a weir positioned in said tube between said first end and said second end reducing the size of a leading face of powder retained in said tube; and
- said powdered beverage dispensing mechanism including
- an auger positioned in said hopper and attached to an auger motor for moving powdered beverage substance through said hopper toward said dispensing outlet in said hopper for controllably dispensing a desired quantity of powdered beverage substance from said hopper, and a stirring mechanism engaged with the auger including a disk retained in said hopper having teeth along a circumferential edge thereof engagable with said auger, and an agitator wire on said disk and having a dimension facilitating extension beyond the circumferential edge of said agitator disk wherein operation of said auger by said auger motor rotates said agitator disk and said agitator wire retained thereon in said hopper to agitate said powdered beverage substance retained therein.
- 21. A powdered beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus as recited in claim 20, said weir being angled away from said first end to define an acute angle with an inside surface of said angled tube relative to an attachment point of said weir in said tube.
CROSS REFERENCE
This patent application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/685,702 filed Jul. 24, 1996.
US Referenced Citations (32)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
2140390 |
Apr 1984 |
GBX |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
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Parent |
685702 |
Jul 1996 |
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