Foods and beverages: apparatus – Beverage
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-27
2001-06-05
Alexander, Reginald L. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Beverage
C099S283000, C099S28900D, C099S323300, C426S594000, C426S597000, C366S160500, C222S129400, C222S146100, C222S135000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240829
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to beverage forming and dispensing systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to beverage forming and dispensing systems for effectively preparing a beverage mixture from concentrate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Beverages formed from concentrates are enjoyed around the world. An important advantage of forming a beverage from a concentrate is that only the concentrate need be shipped to the dispensing site; any available water supply at the site can be used to form the bulk of the final mixed product. An advantage in forming traditionally brewed drinks, such as tea and iced tea, from concentrate is that the time-consuming brewing process is eliminated.
There are many types of beverage making machines or appliances for forming beverages from concentrate. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,920,871 relates to a beverage making appliance in which hot water is discharged onto a brewing material, such as ground coffee or tea leaves, placed in a filter within a brewing funnel. In making iced tea, a brewed concentrate discharges from the brewing funnel and combines with cold water to form an iced tea stock. However, in this beverage making appliance, the concentrate must first be brewed and the ratio of the cold water and hot water concentrate is not precisely metered.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,309,939 and 4,579,048 relate to beverage brewing apparatuses in which beverage concentrate is first brewed from a dry beverage-making material in a funnel. The concentrate is distributed into a reservoir into which cold water is added to dilute the concentrate into an acceptable strength. However, the cold water is supplied to the reservoir after the hot concentrate begins to flow into the reservoir. Accordingly, the cold water and hot concentrate may stratify in the reservoir and not mix sufficiently.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,579,678 relates to an apparatus for automatically sweetening tea in which heated water combines with tea in a brewing station to form tea concentrate where it is mixed in a canister with a delivered sweetener. After sufficient tea concentrate is brewed and delivery of the sweetener is completed, a quantity of diluting water is mixed with the hot tea concentrate and dissolved sweetener. Because the diluting water is supplied after a complete batch of tea concentrate is brewed, the resulting mixture may stratify and not mix sufficiently.
It is known to agitate a mixture for prevention of stratification and for more effective mixing. However, more complicated structure and greater power consumption is necessary to effect agitation.
From the foregoing, it is apparent that there is still a need for an improved method and apparatus for automatically preparing beverages from concentrate and ensuring that the resulting beverage mixture is sufficiently mixed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for preparing a beverage from concentrate.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus which effectively mixes a beverage concentrate and diluting water.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for preparing a beverage from concentrate and allowing an operator or consumer to tailor the beverage to a preferred taste.
In one aspect of the present invention, a beverage mixture forming apparatus includes a batch vessel, first and second valves, and a controller. The first valve distributes a mixture of hot water and a beverage concentrate into the batch vessel. The second valve distributes cold water into the batch vessel. The controller controls the first valve to intermittently distribute the mixture of the hot water and the beverage concentrate and the second valve to intermittently distribute the cold water in forming a batch of the beverage mixture.
In another aspect of the present invention, a beverage mixture forming apparatus includes receiving means for receiving fluids, first and second distribution means, and control means. The first distributing means distributes a mixture of hot water and a beverage concentrate into the receiving means. The second distributing means distributes cold water into the receiving means. The control means controls the first distributing means to intermittently distribute the mixture of the hot water and the beverage concentrate and controls the second distributing means to intermittently distribute the cold water in forming a batch of the beverage mixture.
In still another aspect of the present invention, a method of forming a beverage mixture includes the steps of distributing a mixture of hot water and a beverage concentrate into a batch vessel in a first distributing step, distributing cold water into the batch vessel in a second distributing step, and controlling the first distributing step to intermittently distribute the mixture of the hot water and the beverage concentrate and controlling the second distributing step to intermittently distribute the cold water in forming a batch of the beverage mixture.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for forming a batch of a beverage mixture includes receiving means, means for supplying hot water, means for supplying cold water, means for supplying a beverage concentrate, and distributing means. The distributing means intermittently distributes a quantity of a mixture of the hot water and the beverage concentrate and intermittently distributes a quantity of the cold water into the receiving means to form the batch of the beverage mixture.
In a still further aspect of the present invention, a method for forming a batch of a beverage mixture includes the steps of supplying hot water, cold water and a beverage concentrate, and intermittently distributing a quantity of a mixture of the hot water and the beverage concentrate and intermittently distributing a quantity of the cold water into a batch vessel to form the batch of the beverage mixture.
The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments thereof which are to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:
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Alexander Reginald L.
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
PepsiCo. Inc.
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