Agitating – Having specified feed means – Liquid injector within mixing chamber
Patent
1987-01-20
1988-07-26
Jenkins, Robert W.
Agitating
Having specified feed means
Liquid injector within mixing chamber
141279, 366165, B01F 504
Patent
active
047596341
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a beverage preparing and dispensing apparatus.
The invention has particular application in the preparation of beverages in which powdered ingredients are either dissolved or suspended in a liquid. Examples of such powdered ingredients are sugar, powdered coffee and tea, dry milk, powdered cream or creme substitute, cocoa, and various powders for the preparation of soft drinks. The powder may be pre-packed in a disposable drinking vessel, e.g. a plastic beaker. A variety of powders can also be dispensed or apportioned into the drinking vessels in measured quantities from a so-called "automatic powder dispenser", or in some other way. The liquid used is normally hot or cold water, although it may also be milk or some other liquid.
One frequent problem encountered with known apparatus for preparing beverages from powdered ingredients is that the powder does not dissolve properly or pass into suspension in the manner desired. This is because the liquid exiting from the apparatus solely meets and stirs the powder within a part-zone on the bottom of the drinking vessel, while other part-zones on the bottom of the vessel remain unaffected, so that the powder present in these other part-zones is essentially undistubed, these part-zones being referred to as "dead zones". Certain powders also tend to stick firmly to the bottom of the drinking vessel, therewith also making it difficult to stir-up the powder with a spoon after the beverage has been dispensed. This means in practice that it is almost always necessary to stir beverages with a spoon when using the prior known apparatus for preparing and dispensing beverages comprising powdered ingredients. This naturally increases the cost of the beverages, this extra cost being in the form of the additional expense of providing and handling spoons or like devices, over and above the unavoidable costs of the raw ingredients and the plastic beakers.
Consequently, the object of the present invention is to provide a beverage preparing and dispensing apparatus of the aforedescribed kind, in which the dispensed liquid stirs-up and disperses all of the powdered ingredient present in a drinking vessel, immediately upon being dispensed thereinto.
To this end the invention is mainly characterized as a beverage dispensing apparatus in which the outlet portion of the feed conduit is arranged to be moved during the dispensing operation in a manner to agitate and mix the ingredients.
In order to achieve this, at least the outlet portion of the feed conduit is arranged to follow a substantially circular path and/or the outlet or feed channel of the outlet portion is arranged to move along an imaginary, substantially conical surface.
It is essential to the function of the apparatus that the feed conduit is in motion at the latest when liquid begins to leave the exit orifice of the feed conduit. To this end, the feed conduit is conveniently arranged to be set in motion at the same time as the valve is opened for apportioning a liquid flow to the drinking vessel. Preferably, the feed conduit is kept in motion for at least as long as the valve is kept open. However, should the aforesaid motion commence before liquid begins to run into the drinking vessel, or ceases before the last of the apportioned liquid runs into the vessel, there will be no deleterious affect on the stirring function of the apparatus to dissolve and disperse powdered beverage ingredients. The essential factor is that the powder is effectively agitated during the first second of a filling or dispensing sequence. At this point the liquid has reached a level in the drinking vessel at which the stirring or agitating effect is greatly reduced.
Thus, the liquid is dispensed in a directed jet which describes an approximate circular movement path. This causes all the powdered substance on the bottom of the drinking vessel to swirl-up in the liquid dispensed thereinto. At the same time, all the liquid present in the drinking vessel is set into motion. The result is thus the same as that achieve
REFERENCES:
patent: 3398935 (1968-08-01), Livesey
patent: 4302113 (1981-11-01), Rumfola
patent: 4495086 (1985-01-01), Hiroshima
Jede-Automater AB
Jenkins Robert W.
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