The Coca-cola Company

Ronald L Wiley

Benjamin D Miller

Phillip B Groover

Roger C Whigham

John H Bearden

Thaddeus M Jablonski

George H Hoover

Annie T Ellis

Robert C Iwans

Wolfgang Fischer

Kathryn M Chase

Richard T Kennedy

An auxiliary chamber is connected to the main pumping chamber of a liquid dispensing pump. The auxiliary chamber includes a resilient rolling diaphragm in fluid communication with the fluid in the main pumping chamber and is expandable for receiving liquid from the main pumping chamber during an output stroke with an adjustable stop member being located behind the diaphragm for restricting the displacement of the diaphragm by the volume of fluid entering the secondary chamber from the pumping chamber and thus controlling the output from the pump by controlling the net internal pump chamber volume.

Variable output pump adjustment mechanism

Automatic beverage dispenser

An automatic beverage dispenser having a single flavor or a multiflavor automatic beverage dispensing valve (faucet) and including a system for preventing the dispensing of a warm casual drink. The automatic dispenser includes an on-board computer having a timer circuit to purge the warm water in the uncooled portion of the water line between the cooling apparatus and the dispensing valve whenever a drink is requested and no drink has been dispensed for a particular period of time. The warm water is purged or drained out for a period of time needed to purge the warm water from the uncooled portion of the water line. In another embodiment, a temperature sensor is included in the water line and the warm water purging terminates when the temperature falls to a predetermined value.

Beverage dispensing system with warm water purging

A beverage dispenser valve system in which the mixture ratio is controlled by continuous modulation of the solenoid valves. The solenoid valves have movable stop means (or push rods) that control the travel of the armature, which in turn controls the position of a needle valve with respect to the valve seat to gradually change the flow opening and thus the syrup and water flow rates. A microprocessor uses the movable stop to adjust the syrup and/or water flow rate to deliver the proper ratio of syrup to water based on the flow of water and syrup as measured by flow meters. In addition, the total flow rate from the nozzle can be controlled and varied in relation to the distance the cup lever arm is depressed; thus, the flow rate can be made slow at the beginning and end, and fast in-between.

Beverage dispensing valve with flow control lever arm

An automatic beverage dispenser having a multiflavor automatic beverage dispensing valve (faucet) and including means for preventing color and flavor carryover from one drink to the next. The automatic dispenser includes an electronic control system with an on-board computer with a microprocessor which, when a drink vend signal is received by the electronic control system, first checks to determine whether a dark or light colored drink was requested, then checks the last vend to determine if it was a light or dark drink. If the drink ordered was a light drink and the previous drink was a dark drink, then the controller looks to see if the cup dispenser position is occupied. If it is occupied, the flush is delayed until it is free when the soda water will flush to cleanse the nozzle. After flushing, the vend is processed.

Beverage dispensing system with clear dring purge and method

An automatic beverage dispensing system including a conveyor, a multiflavor valve, and a programmable cup drop system which includes means for searching through a plurality of separate cup supply tubes for a cup of the selected size.

Automatic beverage dispensing system with programmable cup drop

An automatic postmix beverage dispenser having a single or multiflavor automatic beverage dispensing valve (faucet) and including means for preventing the dispensing of a warm casual drink. The automatic dispenser includes an on-board computer having a timer circuit to purge the warm water in the uncooled portion of the water line between the cooling means and the automatic beverage dispensing valve whenever a drink is requested and no drink has been dispensed for a particular period of time. The warm water is drained out for a period of time needed to drain the warm water in the uncooled portion of the water line. In another embodiment, a thermometer is used and the water is purged when a drink is requested and the water temperature is above a certain value, and until it is reduced to a desired temperature.

Postmix beverage dispensing system with warm water purging and method

An automatic postmix beverage dispensing system including a conveyor, a multiflavor valve, and a stationary flavor indicator adjacent to each cup pick-up station to inform the operator what beverage is in each cup. Each time the conveyor advances the cups one station, the flavor indicator scrolls forward to continue to correctly identify the beverage in each cup. The flavor indicator can also include order indicia identifying the order number of each cup.

Automatic postmix beverage dispensing system with flavor indicators

A post-mix beverage dispenser apparatus includes a syrup compartment in which a plurality of inverted flavor concentrate containers are plugged into sockets associated with selectively actuatable dispensing nozzles. The containers are also supported by snapping the sidewalls thereof into conformally shaped cooling fins. The fins and containers are properly dimensioned so that a snap-fit results therebetween. The cooling fins are directly attached to a thermally conductive plate which is in direct thermal contact with a water reservoir. Water within the reservoir is chilled by a suitable refrigeration device disposed therein. A carbonator tank is also disposed within the water reservoir.

Refrigeration system for a beverage dispenser

A multiflavor valve assembly and a multiflavor tower using such valve assembly. The valve assembly uses microprocessor controlled ratio control. The tower can dispense six flavors through a single nozzle assembly, while using significantly less counter space than six separate valves would require. The valve assembly uses two water flow modules, six syrup flow modules, one control board with a microprocessor, one interface board with its microprocessor, and thirteen touch buttons on the selection panel.

Narrow, multiflavor beverage dispenser valve assembly and tower

A post-mix beverage dispenser apparatus includes a syrup compartment in which a plurality of inverted flavor concentrate containers are plugged into sockets associated with selectively actuatable dispensing nozzles. The containers are also supported by snapping the sidewalls thereof into conformally shaped cooling fins. The fins and containers are properly dimensioned so that a snap-fit results therebetween. The cooling fins are directly attached to a thermally conductive plate which is in direct thermal contact with a water reservoir. Water within the reservoir is chilled by a suitable refrigeration device disposed therein. A carbonator tank is also disposed within the water reservoir. An agitator assembly rests on top of the water reservoir and includes an impeller, a heat sink and a pair of ice detecting probes which extend into the water.

Growing community of inventors

Marietta, GA, United States of America

Ronald L Wiley