Hot/Cold Beverage Dispenser and Method

Abstract

A beverage dispenser for dispensing either a hot or cold beverage, for example tea, from a common mixing chamber and a method for making and/or operating the same is disclosed. The dispense has a source of hot water, usually a heater, and a source of water, a refrigeration system to cool the water and one or more sources of flavor. The hot or cold water, or both can be provided to the common or same, mixing chamber and mixed assisted with a static and/or dynamic mixer and then dispensed. The last portion of the water is used to rinse for the next beverage. Flavor or syrup pump current is sensed to provide the appropriate amount of flavor concentrate to a known quantity of water to form a beverage of appropriate strength or syrup.

1 . A beverage dispenser for dispensing hot and cold beverages, a common mixing chamber, a source of cold water, a non pressurized source of hot water, a source of flavor, means for said sources of flavor, hot and/or cold water for selectively supplying the same to the common mixing chamber, said common mixing chamber containing a mixer for mixing the selected hot water and/or cold water with said flavor to form a batch of beverage, and means for discharging the mixed batch of beverage from the dispenser. 
     
     
         2 . A dispenser as in  claim 1 , wherein said mixer is a static mixer. 
     
     
         3 . A dispenser as in  claim 1 , wherein said mixer is a dynamic mixer. 
     
     
         4 . A dispenser as in  claim 3 , wherein said dynamic mixer has a rotatable impeller in said mixing chamber. 
     
     
         5 . A dispenser as in  claim 4 , wherein said impeller is rotated by one or more of said hot and/or cold water supplied said mixing chamber. 
     
     
         6 . A dispenser as in  claim 1 , wherein said flavor comes into said mixing chamber in one direction and said one or more of said hot and/or cold water comes into said chamber in one or more other directions to shear said flavor and mix the same into said hot and/or cold water. 
     
     
         7 . A dispenser as in  claim 6 , wherein said mixed flavor and hot and/or cold water is discharged into a further mixer. 
     
     
         8 . A dispenser as in  claim 1 , wherein said non pressurized source of hot water includes an electrical water heater and an electrical heating element. 
     
     
         9 . A beverage dispenser as in  claim 1 , wherein said water is one or more of noncarbonated and carbonated water to provide beverages of different degrees of carbonation. 
     
     
         10 . Beverage A beverage dispenser as in  claim 1 , wherein said water is one or more of hot and cold water to provide beverages of different temperature. 
     
     
         11 . A dispenser as in  claim 1 , wherein said flavor is admitted into said mixing chamber to provide different Brix beverages. 
     
     
         12 . A beverage dispenser for dispensing a beverage, a common mixing chamber, a source of water, a source of flavor, means for said sources of water and flavor for selectively supplying the same to the common mixing chamber, said common mixing chamber containing a mixer for mixing the selected water with said flavor to form a batch of beverage. 
     
     
         13 . A dispenser as in  claim 12 , wherein said flavor comes into said mixing chamber in one direction and said water comes into said chamber in another direction to shear said flavor and mix the same into said water, to form the beverage, and discharging the mixed beverage from the dispenser. 
     
     
         14 . A dispenser as in  claim 13 , wherein said mixer is a static mixer. 
     
     
         15 . A dispenser as in  claim 14 , wherein said static mixer has a flight therein. 
     
     
         16 . A dispenser as in  claim 13 , wherein said mixer is a dynamic mixer. 
     
     
         17 . A dispenser as in  claim 16 , wherein said dynamic mixer has a rotatable mixer. 
     
     
         18 . A dispenser as in  claim 17 , where said impeller is rotated by water discharged into said mixing chamber. 
     
     
         19 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A beverage dispenser for dispensing a beverage, a mixing chamber, a source of water, a source of flavor, means for said sources of flavor and water for supplying the same to the mixing chamber to form a batch of beverage, said dispenser having a pump for delivering said flavor to said mixing chamber, said pump being driven by a gear box, said gear box being driven by a pump electric motor, means for measuring electric current of said pump electric motor, the flow rate of delivery of said flavor being approximately proportional to said electric current, and means for discharging the mixed batch of beverage from the dispenser. 
     
     
         24 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . A beverage dispenser for dispensing a beverage, a mixing chamber, a source water, a source of flavor, means for supplying flavor from said sources of flavor and a known quantity of water from said source of water to the mixing chamber for forming said beverage, means for delivering flavor at a constant rate to said known quantity of water as said water flows into said mixing chamber and in an amount to give a beverage of a desire Brix, and means for discharging the mixed beverage from the mixing chamber and dispenser. 
     
     
         37 - 97 . (canceled)