Bunn-o-matic Corporation

Jeffery W Kadyk

William E Midden

John T Knepler

Suresh Radhakrishnan

Jesse Darley

Todd James Bakken

Jesse Charles Darley

William H Thomas

Knute Alstad

Jason Ray Lieving

Sheryl Dyer

Joel Morton

A cold drink apparatus, system, and method of operation for producing a chilled or partially frozen beverage product, often referred to as a slush beverage or 'granita' beverage. The apparatus includes a chilling structure and some form of blade or auger that moves relative to the chilling structure to strip product off and circulate the beverage along the chilling structure. The apparatus further includes a heating structure and heating operation to heat to at least partially thaw the product so that it returns to a generally liquid or solution state. Such heating operation reduces downtime for permitting for machine maintenance and/or permitting the sugar or solution within the product to be redistributed and refrozen to maintain desired qualities and consistency of the product.

Heating system for cold drink apparatus and methods of use

A beverage dispensing apparatus including a cabinet for retaining a beverage product and from which the beverage product is controllably dispensed. The cabinet includes structures and systems to make cooling more efficient and maintain more constant product temperatures. The structures and systems function to reduce heat transfer between beverage product stored in containers in the cabinet and the ambient environment. The apparatus maintains a minimal equipment footprint, maintains ease of installing and removing the beverage containers, and accommodates a variety of types of products and types of product containers.

Product cooling system, method and apparatus to reduce heat transfer

A mixing device has a cavity within a body with an inlet for an ingredient. A water inlet is located in the cavity of the body such that the water inlet and the ingredient inlet impinge upon one another to mix the fluids within a chamber located within the cavity. The mixture then dispenses downstream through an outlet. The chamber is located upstream of the water inlet in order to facilitate the mixing process.

Component mixing method, apparatus and system

A peristaltic pump assembly and system that facilitates reliable and efficient engagement and removal of a flexible tube. A stator is pivotally retained on a structure and cooperatively operated by a lever arm and cam to engage and disengage the stator from the tube and a corresponding rotor. The stator pivots at a point distal from a point of rotation of the rotor and the lever arm moves about a fixed rotation axis to engage and disengage the stator with the tube relative to the rotor.

Peristaltic pump

A refill system and method of use for a beverage dispenser. The refill system includes a fill tube coupled to the water bath generally at an upper portion to dispense water into the water bath. The tube is configured for coupling to a dispense nozzle of the beverage dispenser. The beverage dispenser can be operated to dispense water only when the fill tube is coupled to the nozzle. The beverage dispenser can be controlled to prevent dispensing of product into the water bath when the fill tube is attached to the nozzle. An overflow tube may be provided and may be used to monitor the level of water retained in the water bath.

Water bath refill system

A mixing device and method for mixing at least one first ingredient and at least one second ingredient. The device includes a body which has a wall defining a cavity. A first inlet communicates with the cavity for introducing the first ingredient and a second inlet communicates with the cavity for introducing the second ingredient. An outlet is provided in communication with the cavity receiving the mixed first and second ingredient which have been mixed in the cavity. The ingredients are mixed by introducing one ingredient as a stream and the second ingredient as a forcefully introduced stream. An area upstream of the ingredients is provided for mixing ingredients. Once mixed the ingredients must flow through the body before reaching the outlet. The device can be in the form of a kit for retrofitting on existing devices such as beverage dispensers.

An apparatus and method of dispensing a partially frozen beverage. The apparatus includes at least one beverage hopper for retaining a quantity of partially frozen beverage. The beverage hopper has a dispensing aperture formed therein and a guide member in an exterior surface of the beverage hopper. A chilling unit cools the partially frozen beverage retained within the beverage hopper. A dispenser assembly is provided which includes a handle, a biasing element, a gasket and a slideable valve member. the valve member has a portion dimensioned to slideably engage the guide member of the beverage hopper.

Dispenser valve assembly

A system for sensing the torque exerted upon a motor shaft assembly relative to the consistency of a mixture. The system includes a moving member for moving the mixture. One form of the mixture may be a chilled beverage in which the moving member moves the chilled beverage within a container. The motor shaft assembly includes a drive device coupled to the moving member for imparting movement to the moving member and a drive shaft connecting the drive device in the moving member. The drive shaft defines an axis of rotation. The drive shaft is adapted for rotation to effect movement of the moving member. The drive shaft includes at least one axially aligned resilient coupling extending generally coaxial with and radially spaced from the axis of rotation. The resilient coupling is adapted for rotation relative to the drive shaft so that when the drive shaft is rotated the relative position of the drive shaft and the resilient coupling varies in relation to the torque exerted upon the motor shaft assembly relative to the consistency of mixture. A sensor is positioned proximate to the drive shaft for detecting the relative position of the drive shaft and the resilient coupling as it varies in relation to the torque exerted upon the motor shaft assembly relative to the consistency of the mixture.

Cold drink system

An apparatus for producing a chilled or partially frozen beverage often referred to as a slush beverage. A variety of apparatuses have been designed to produce chilled beverages as well as to produce beverages which are in a &ldquo;slush&rdquo; form. Some of these apparatuses are referred to as &ldquo;granita&rdquo; machines. Such apparatuses can be used to produce slush beverages from a variety of products including fruit juices, coffee-based beverages, tea-based beverages, as well as beverages containing alcohol. Such apparatuses includes a chilling structure, and some form of blade or auger which moves relative to the chilling portion to strip the frozen product off and circulate the beverage along the chilling portion. Circulation of the beverage along the chilling portion helps to reduce the temperature of the beverage mixture thereby approaching a slush consistency.

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Sherman, IL, United States of America

Jeffery W Kadyk