Method and system for providing drinks, drinks container and drinks device

Abstract

Method and system of using a drinks device to provide a variety of different types of drink requiring respective mixes of components and water. Drinks containers are arranged to each house separately the required components of a respective drink. Each drinks container is provided with a respective delivery outlet for dispensing a mix of the respective housed components. The drinks device is used to act upon respective drinks containers so as to mix the separately housed components and dispense the mixed components from the respective delivery outlet in conjunction with water from a water dispenser of the drinks device.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . A drinks container comprising:
 walls, including an outer wall, defining a plurality of compartments configured to house respective components of as drink;   communication paths including openable seals for communicating said respective components for mixing, the outer wall has a delivery outlet for dispensing the mixed respective components and is configured to be openable to define the delivery outlet; and   a cooling path supplying the mixed respective components to the delivery outlet for cooling the mixed respective components flowing in the cooling path before dispensing by the delivery outlet.   
     
     
         25 . A drinks container according to  claim 24  wherein the cooling path is located immediately adjacent to an inner surface of a cooling portion of the outer wall such that cooling the outer wall at the cooling portion cools the cooling path. 
     
     
         26 . A drinks container according to  claim 25  wherein the cooling path extends along a circuitous route substantially filling the entire area of the inner surface of the cooling portion of the outer wall. 
     
     
         27 . A drinks container according to  claim 26  wherein the cooling path extends as a spiral or labyrinth to carry the mixed components to the delivery outlet. 
     
     
         28 . A drinks container according to  claim 24  wherein the outer wall includes a base portion movable inwardly of the container from a storage position to an active position and configured to open the openable seals with movement to the active position. 
     
     
         29 . A drinks container according to  claim 28  wherein the outer walls define a recess for receiving the base portion, the recess being configured to guide the base portion between the storage position and the active position. 
     
     
         30 . A drinks container according to  claim 28  wherein an inwardly facing side of the base portion includes respective piercers for the respective compartments, the piercers being configured to pierce and open the openable seals with movement of the base portion to the active position. 
     
     
         31 . A drinks container according to  claim 30  wherein the base portion defines a mixing chamber internal of the base portion and for mixing said respective components and wherein the piercers are peripheral wall sections defining the respective communication paths being located between respective compartments and the mixing chamber with openable seals for communicating said respective components to the mixing chamber for mixing prior to dispensing from the mixing chamber. 
     
     
         32 . A drinks container according to  claim 31  wherein the cooling path extends between the mixing chamber and the delivery outlet. 
     
     
         33 . A drinks container according to  claim 24  wherein the delivery outlet is provided in the base portion and the cooling path is provided internally of the base portion. 
     
     
         34 . A drinks container according to  claim 24  wherein the outer wail includes a mixer inlet far receiving mixer liquid, the drinks container further including a mixer passage connecting the mixer inlet to the delivery outlet so that the mixed respective components and the mixer liquid may be dispensed together from the delivery outlet. 
     
     
         35 . A drinks container according to  claim 34  wherein at least part of the cooling path connects the mixer passage to the delivery cadet such that mixer liquid is cooled by the cooling path. 
     
     
         36 . A drinks container according to  claim 35  including a mixing feature for mixing mixer liquid from the mixer passage with the mixed respective components from the mixing chamber. 
     
     
         37 . A drinks device for providing a variety of different types of drink into a user receptacle requiring respective mixes of components, the drinks device including:
 a holder configured to receive a drinks container wherein the drinks container includes:
 walls, including an outer wall, defining a plurality of compartments configured to house respective components of a drink; 
 communication paths including openable seals for communicating said respective components for mixing, the outer wall has a delivery outlet for dispensing the mixed respective components and is configured to be openable to define the delivery outlet; 
 a cooling path supplying the mixed respective components to the delivery outlet for cooling the mixed respective components flowing in the cooling path before dispensing by the delivery outlet; 
   a dispensing mechanism configured to open the seals of a drinks container in the holder and to drive the respective components housed in the compartments of the drinks container out of the delivery outlet to a user receptacle; and   a mixer liquid dispenser for dispensing a mixer liquid in conjunction with the mixed respective components from the delivery outlet of the drinks container into the user receptacle.   
     
     
         38 . A drinks container according to  claim 37  wherein the cooling path is located immediately adjacent to an inner surface of a cooling portion of the outer wall such that cooling the outer wall at the cooling portion cools the cooling path. 
     
     
         39 . A drinks device according to  claim 38  wherein the holder is operably associated with a cooling surface for receiving the cooling portion of the outer wall of a drinks container received by the holder, the cooling surface being configured to cool the cooling portion and the cooling path of the drinks container received by the holder. 
     
     
         40 . A drinks device according to  claim 39  wherein the cooling surface has a shape configured to match the cooling portions of outer walls of drinks containers to be received by the holder such that substantially all of a cooling portion of an outer wall of a drinks container received by the holder contacts the cooling surface. 
     
     
         41 . A drinks container according to  claim 37  wherein the outer wall includes a base portion movable inwardly of the container from a storage position to an active position and configured to open the openable seals with movement to the active position. 
     
     
         42 . A drinks container according to  claim 41  wherein an inwardly facing side of the base portion includes respective piercers for the respective compartments, the piercers being configured to pierce and open the openable seals with movement of the base portion to the active position. 
     
     
         43 . A drinks device according to  claim 42  wherein the dispensing mechanism physically moves at least a portion of the drinks container received by the holder to cause the seals of the drinks container to rapture. 
     
     
         44 . A drinks device according to  claim 41  configured to receive a drinks container wherein the dispensing mechanism includes a plate for pushing the base port on inwardly of the drinks container from the storage position to the active position. 
     
     
         45 . A drinks device according to  claim 44  wherein the plate is a cooling plate and includes the cooling surface. 
     
     
         46 . A drinks container according to  claim 34  wherein the outer wall includes a base portion movable inwardly of the container from a storage position to an active position and configured to open the openable seals with movement to the active position.