Automated beverage dispensing system and method

Abstract

A beverage production system is provided that includes a cup dispensing station configured to dispense a cup and a beverage dispensing station configured to dispense a beverage. The beverage production system also includes a carousel assembly having a central axis, an inner carousel including a row of cup holders, and an outer carousel disposed circumferentially about the inner carousel. The inner carousel is configured to rotate about the central axis to align the row of cup holders with the cup dispensing station and the beverage dispensing station. The carousel assembly is configured to align an opening in the carousel assembly with the cup holders in the row, the opening being adjacent to the outer carousel. The beverage production system also has an actuator configured to move cups positioned in the cup holders of the row onto the outer carousel.

Description

Background Art

[0001] Restaurants and other food service facilities may dispense a large number of beverages to customers during business hours. Therefore, food service facilities may have a beverage machine or other similar system that can be used by customers and / or employees to efficiently produce beverages. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0002] To describe in detail various exemplary embodiments, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0003] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a beverage production system according to some embodiments;

[0004] Figure 2 According to some embodiments Figure 1 A perspective view of a beverage processing component of a beverage production system;

[0005] Figure 3 According to some embodiments Figure 1 An exploded view of a turntable assembly of a beverage production system;

[0006] Figure 4 According to some embodiments Figure 1 An exploded view of a cup dispensing station of a beverage production system;

[0007] Figure 5 According to some embodiments Figure 4 An exploded view of a dispenser of a cup dispensing station;

[0008] Figure 6 According to some embodiments Figure 5 an enlarged side view of the distributor ring gear and wedge assembly in a first position;

[0009] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 an enlarged side view of the ring gear and wedge assembly in a second position;

[0010] Figure 8 According to some embodiments, Figure 1 A top view of a wedge assembly within a cup dispensing station of a beverage production and dispensing system;

[0011] Figure 9-11 According to some embodiments Figure 1 A perspective view of a cup dispensing station of a beverage production system;

[0012] Figure 12 According to some embodiments Figure 1 Schematic diagram of an ice dispensing station of a beverage production system;

[0013] Figure 13According to some embodiments Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a beverage dispensing station of a beverage production system;

[0014] Figure 14 and 15 According to some embodiments Figure 1 A schematic side view of a capping station of a beverage production system;

[0015] Figure 16 According to some embodiments Figure 1 A perspective view of a capping station of a beverage production and dispensing system;

[0016] Figure 17 According to some embodiments Figure 1 A top view of a pair of converging rails of a capping station of a beverage production system;

[0017] Figure 18 According to some embodiments Figure 1 A perspective view of a cap press of a capping station of a beverage production system;

[0018] Figure 19 According to some embodiments, Figure 1 A perspective view of a compression band securing a lid to a cup within a capping station of a beverage production system;

[0019] Figure 20 According to some embodiments, Figure 1 A perspective view of a roller assembly for securing a lid to a cup within a capping station within a beverage production and dispensing system;

[0020] Figure 21 According to some embodiments Figure 1 Schematic diagram of a heat seal capping assembly of a capping station of a beverage production system;

[0021] Figure 22 According to some embodiments Figure 1 A side view of a beverage identification component of a beverage production system;

[0022] Figure 23 is a flow chart of a method for producing a beverage according to some embodiments;

[0023] Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of a computer system suitable for implementing one or more embodiments disclosed herein;

[0024] Figure 25 is a perspective view of a beverage production system according to yet another embodiment;

[0025] Figure 26 According to one embodiment Figure 25a perspective view of a modified turntable assembly of a beverage production system;

[0026] Figure 27 yes Figure 26 A partial cross-sectional view of a modified turntable assembly illustrating a slide assembly according to one embodiment;

[0027] Figure 28 According to one embodiment Figure 27 An enlarged perspective view of the sliding assembly shown in FIG;

[0028] Figure 29 is a side perspective view of another embodiment of a modified turntable assembly and slide assembly;

[0029] Figure 30A According to another embodiment Figure 29 A perspective view of the upper and lower magnetic assemblies of the slide assembly shown in FIG;

[0030] Figure 30B is a perspective view of upper and lower magnetic assemblies and an inner turntable according to another embodiment;

[0031] Figure 30C is a perspective view of the underside of a slide assembly and a modified turntable according to another embodiment;

[0032] Figure 31 is a perspective view of a modified turntable assembly positioned in a sink according to another embodiment;

[0033] Figure 32 is a perspective view of a sink and drain according to one embodiment;

[0034] Figure 33 is a perspective view of a modified turntable assembly according to another embodiment positioned in a sink with the cup holder removed;

[0035] Figure 34 is a perspective view of a sink according to another embodiment with a modified turntable assembly removed;

[0036] Figure 35 is a perspective view of a sink and drain according to one embodiment;

[0037] Figure 36A -E is a diagram of a modified turntable assembly drive system according to one embodiment;

[0038] Figure 37 yes Figure 25 Another perspective view of a beverage production system showing a capping and printing assembly according to one embodiment;

[0039] Figure 38is a view of a capping and printing assembly and a lifting assembly according to one embodiment;

[0040] Figure 39A is a top view of a portion of a modified turntable assembly and a lift assembly according to one embodiment;

[0041] Figure 39B is a perspective view of a cup holder according to one embodiment;

[0042] Figure 40A According to one embodiment Figure 25 A perspective view of a portion of a beverage production system;

[0043] Figure 40B and 40C According to another embodiment Figure 25 perspective views of other parts of the beverage production system;

[0044] Figure 41 is a perspective view of a beverage production system according to another embodiment;

[0045] Figure 42 According to some embodiments Figure 41 A perspective view of a conveyor belt assembly of a beverage production system;

[0046] Figure 43 According to some embodiments Figure 42 A top view of a conveyor belt assembly;

[0047] Figures 44-47 According to some embodiments Figure 42 A perspective view of a cup holder of a conveyor belt assembly;

[0048] Figure 48 is a perspective view of a beverage production system according to another embodiment;

[0049] Figure 49 According to some embodiments Figure 48 A side sectional view of a cup dispensing station of a beverage production system;

[0050] Figure 50 is a perspective view of a beverage production system according to yet another embodiment;

[0051] Figure 51 is a perspective view of a beverage production system according to yet another embodiment;

[0052] Figure 52 yes Figure 51 Another perspective view of the beverage production system shown in;

[0053] Figure 53 It shows Figure 51 and 52A perspective view of a turntable of a beverage production system shown in FIG;

[0054] Figure 54 is a view of an embodiment of a cup holder and transition assembly of the beverage production system;

[0055] Figure 55 is another view of the beverage production system and transition components;

[0056] Figure 56 is a rear perspective view of a cup holder according to one embodiment;

[0057] Figure 57 is a bottom perspective view of a cup holder according to one embodiment;

[0058] Figure 58 is a perspective view of a lifting mechanism according to one embodiment;

[0059] Figure 59 is a perspective view of a positioning plate according to one embodiment;

[0060] Figure 60 is a perspective view of a capping and printing system according to one embodiment;

[0061] Figure 61 is another perspective view of a capping and printing system according to one embodiment;

[0062] Figure 62 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a beverage production system; and

[0063] Figure 63 is a perspective view of a scraper according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] The following discussion is directed to various embodiments. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the examples disclosed herein have broad application, and that the discussion of any embodiment is intended only as an example of that embodiment and is not intended to imply that the scope of the present disclosure (including the claims) is limited to that embodiment.

[0065] The accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For the sake of clarity and conciseness, certain features and components herein may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form, and some details of some conventional elements may not be shown.

[0066] In the following discussion and in the claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are used in an open-ended manner and, thus, should be interpreted to mean "including, but not limited to... ." Additionally, the term "coupled" means either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, if a first device is coupled to a second device, that connection may be through a direct connection between the two devices, or through an indirect connection established via other devices, components, nodes, and connections. Additionally, as used herein, the term "axial" generally means along or parallel to a given axis (e.g., the central axis of a body or port), while the term "radial" generally means perpendicular to a given axis. For example, an axial distance refers to a distance measured along or parallel to an axis, while a radial distance refers to a distance measured perpendicular to the axis.

[0067] As previously mentioned, beverage machines or other similar systems can be used in restaurants or catering facilities to produce beverages. However, many of these devices require physical human interaction in many (or all) steps of the beverage production process. For example, when a beverage is produced at a beverage machine, a waiter, customer, or the like may still be required to pick up a cup, align and hold the cup under the nozzle of the selected beverage type, and operate or otherwise interact with the device to dispense the desired beverage. Each of these additional, manual interactions may increase the time and complexity of the beverage production process and, therefore, may reduce the efficiency of the entire food service operation.

[0068] Thus, embodiments disclosed herein include beverage production systems and related methods that can further improve the efficiency of the beverage production and dispensing process by automating many, most, or substantially all steps involved in producing a beverage. Thus, by utilizing the embodiments disclosed herein, the number of manual steps required to complete a beverage order can be reduced, thereby increasing the efficiency of the beverage production process and improving the overall food service operation.

[0069] Now refer to Figure 1 , shows a beverage production system 100 according to some embodiments. As will be described in more detail below, the beverage production system 100 can be used to automatically prepare and dispense complete or substantially complete beverages during operation, thereby reducing the number of manual operations performed by waiters, customers, etc. Generally, the beverage production system 100 includes an ice chamber 112, a cabinet 114, and a beverage processing assembly 120 located between the ice chamber 112 and the cabinet 114.

[0070] Now refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The beverage processing assembly 120 includes a plurality of stations for performing various stages or steps of the beverage production process. Specifically, the beverage processing assembly 120 includes a cup dispensing station 130, an ice dispensing station 180, a beverage dispensing station 190, and a capping station 200. Beverages can be produced by the turntable assembly 122 stepping through the stations 130, 180, 190, and 200.

[0071] Now refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 , the turntable assembly 122 includes a central axis 155 and a pair of concentric turntables 124, 126. Specifically, the turntable assembly 122 includes an inner turntable 124 and an outer turntable 126 disposed circumferentially about the inner turntable 124. The inner turntable 124 includes and defines a first, or inner, row 154 of cup holders 125, and the outer turntable 126 includes and defines a second, or outer, row 156 of cup holders 125. Both the inner row 154 and the outer row 156 extend annularly about the central axis 155, with the inner row 154 disposed radially inward of the outer row 156. Specifically, in some embodiments, the first row 154 and the second row 156 extend circumferentially about the central axis 155 such that the cup holders 125 of the rows 154, 156 are arranged in concentric circles about the axis 155.

[0072] Specific reference Figure 3 , the inner turntable 124 and the outer turntable 126 are supported by a base plate 149. More specifically, the base plate 149 includes a pair of circumferential guide rails 148, 147 that support the turntables 124, 126 via a pair of bearings 144, 146, respectively. The bearings 144, 146 can facilitate rotation of the turntables 124, 126, respectively, relative to the base plate 149 about a central axis 155 during operation. In some embodiments, the bearings 144, 146 can include wheels, sliding surfaces, and / or other suitable components or features to facilitate movement (e.g., rotation) of the turntables 124, 126 relative to the base plate 149. In other embodiments, the inner turntable 124 can be supported by a shaft (not shown), and the outer turntable 126 can be supported along the outer diameter of the inner turntable 124 by a support structure (not shown) of the beverage production system 100.

[0073] The inner and outer turntables 124, 126 are housed within a housing 140, which is in turn mounted on a base plate 149 to conceal the rails 147, 148 and the bearings 144, 146. A gearbox 142 is mounted on the housing 140 and includes one or more gears (not shown) that mesh with gear teeth or other suitable structures formed on the outer turntable 126. In other embodiments, either or both of the outer and / or inner turntables 126, 124 may be driven by rubber wheels (not shown) that frictionally engage the exterior of the turntables 124 and / or 126 or other portions thereof.

[0074] First driver 141 and second driver 143 are supported in a housing 145 that is coupled to a side of base plate 149 opposite from turntables 124, 126 and housing 140. However, in other embodiments (not shown), second driver 143 may be mounted on the same side as turntables 124, 126. In this embodiment, the output shaft of first driver 141 passes through a first hole 150 in base plate 149 to couple with inner turntable 124, and the output shaft of second driver 143 passes through a second hole 152 in base plate 149 to engage a gear within gearbox 142. In some embodiments, drivers 141, 143 may comprise electric motors; however, in other embodiments, drivers 141, 143 may comprise pneumatic motors, hydraulic motors, etc.

[0075] During operation, the drivers 141, 143 can be powered to rotate the discs 124, 126, respectively, about the central axis 155. Specifically, the first driver 141 can be powered to rotate the inner disc 124 about the axis 155; and the second driver 143 can be powered to rotate the outer disc 126 about the axis 155 via a gear (not shown) within the gearbox 142. Figure 1 and Figure 2 , rotation of the turntables 124, 126 about the axis 155 can selectively advance the beverage through the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 within the beverage processing assembly 120. Since the turntables 124, 126 are driven by separate drives (e.g., Figure 3 , 143) rotates about axis 155, so that during operation, turntables 124, 126 can rotate about axis 155 independently of each other. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, the independent rotation of turntables 124, 126 can provide redundancy for beverage production system 100 in the event of failure of one or more components thereof. Additionally, the independent rotation of turntables 124, 126 can allow beverage production to be subdivided and organized via rows 154, 156. For example, rows 154, 156 can be arranged to produce beverages for different sources (e.g., drive-thru orders versus dine-in orders), and / or can be used to produce different beverage types (e.g., carbonated versus non-carbonated, hot versus cold). Further details of embodiments of stations 130, 180, 190, 200 are now described below.

[0076] Now refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4In some embodiments, the cup dispensing station 130 includes a central axis 135, a dispenser 134, and a plurality of tubular silos 132 coupled to the dispenser 134 and extending axially from the dispenser 134 relative to the axis 135. Each silo 132 includes a first or upper end 132a and a second or lower end 132b opposite the upper end 132a. The lower end 132b is coupled to a corresponding receiving aperture 136 in the dispenser 134, and the upper end 132a extends axially away from the dispenser 134. Each silo 132 can receive and store a plurality of stacked cups 50. In some embodiments, the cups 50 can be loaded into the silo 132 from the upper end 132a. In some embodiments, the silo 132 can be detached from the dispenser 134 to facilitate loading of the cups 50 therein. In other embodiments (not shown), the outer configuration of the plurality of tubular silos 132 may be hexagonal or other shapes rather than circular, and may include an opening on one side of the tubular silo 132 to receive the cups, allowing the cups to be loaded from the side rather than from the top or bottom. In this embodiment, a hexagon or other shape may be used to accommodate a cup based on the geometry of the open faced tubular silo 132 .

[0077] The dispenser 134 is a generally cylindrical member including a first or upper side 134a, a second or lower side 134b opposite the upper side 134a, and a cylindrical outer surface 134c extending axially between the sides 134a, 134b. A receiving aperture 136 extends axially through the dispenser 134 relative to the axis 135 between the sides 134a, 134b. The cartridge 132 is engaged within the receiving aperture 136 on the upper side 134a such that, during operation, a cup 50 dispensed from the cartridge 132 passes through the receiving aperture 136 and is ejected from the lower side 134b.

[0078] Dispenser 134 is positioned within housing 131. During operation, dispenser 134 can rotate within housing 131 about axis 135. A bearing 139 can be inserted within housing 131 to engage with the underside 134b of dispenser 134 and thereby facilitate rotation of dispenser 134 about axis 135 during operation. A driver 138 can be coupled to one or more gears 133 within gearbox 129 of housing 131. In some embodiments, driver 138 comprises an electric motor; however, in other embodiments, driver 138 can comprise a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like. The one or more gears 133 can couple (e.g., mesh) with gear teeth or other suitable structure on the cylindrical outer surface 134c of dispenser 134. A top plate 137 can cover gearbox 129, and driver 138 can be supported on top plate 137. In other embodiments, dispenser 134 can be driven by a timing pulley (not shown) that engages the top of dispenser 134.

[0079] Still refer to Figure 1 and Figure 4During operation, the driver 138 can rotate the dispenser 134 about the axis 135 via the one or more gears 133. Specifically, the driver 138 can rotate the dispenser 134 to align selected silos 132 and receiving apertures 136 in the dispenser 134 with the rows 154, 156 of cup holders 125 on the carousel assembly 122. In some embodiments, the silos 132 can accommodate cups of different sizes and / or types, which can be selectively aligned with the rows 154, 156 during operation to produce a desired beverage.

[0080] Now refer to Figure 5 In some embodiments, the dispenser 134 includes a housing 163 that defines an interior chamber 167. A cover 160 can be mounted to the housing 163 to enclose the chamber 167 and conceal components disposed therein (described in greater detail below). The cover 160 can define an upper side 134a, and the housing 163 can define a lower side 134b and a cylindrical outer surface 134c of the dispenser 134.

[0081] A plurality of ring gears 166 are disposed within chamber 167 and aligned with each receiving aperture 136 along a corresponding axis 165. A drive gear 168 engages (e.g., meshes) with gear teeth or other suitable structure on a radially outer surface of each ring gear 166. The drive gears 168 are coupled to a driver 162, which can be mounted to cover 160. For example, the drive gears 168 can engage with an output shaft (not shown) of the driver 162, which passes through a suitable hole (not shown) in cover 160. During operation, the driver 162 can rotate the drive gears 168 to thereby drive the ring gears 166 to rotate about the corresponding axis 165. Bearings 169 can be mounted within chamber 167 to facilitate and support rotation of the ring gears 166 about axis 165. In some embodiments, the driver 162 comprises an electric motor; however, in other embodiments, the driver 162 can comprise a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor, etc.

[0082] Each axis 165 is parallel to and radially offset from the central axis 135. In some embodiments, the axes 165 are evenly spaced circumferentially around the axis 135. Figure 4 and Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment of the cup dispensing station 130, there are a total of three bins 132 and, therefore, three receiving apertures 136. As a result, the axes 165 are spaced approximately 120° apart circumferentially about the axis 135. In other embodiments, more or fewer than three bins 132 may be included to accommodate a desired number of cup sizes or types.

[0083] A plurality of wedges 164 are located within each gear ring 166. Referring now to Figure 6 and Figure 7Each wedge 164 includes a cylindrical body 174 having a central or longitudinal axis 175. Within each ring gear 166, the axis 175 of the wedge 164 can be parallel to and radially offset from the axis 165. The body 174 includes a plurality of gear teeth 176 that extend circumferentially about the axis 175. The teeth 176 can engage (e.g., mesh) with corresponding teeth 172 on the radially inner surface 170 of the ring gear 166. Thus, rotation of the ring gear 166 about the axis 165 causes the wedge 164 to rotate about the axis 175 via the engagement of the teeth 172, 176.

[0084] A pair of wedges 178, 179 extend radially outward from the body 174. The wedges 178, 179 can extend radially outward from radially opposite sides of the body 174 relative to the axis 175. In some embodiments, the wedges 178, 179 can extend approximately 180° circumferentially around the body 174; however, in some embodiments, the wedges 178, 179 can extend more or less than 180° circumferentially around the body 174. Additionally, the wedges 178, 179 are axially spaced from one another such that the wedge 178 can be axially above the wedge 179 along the axis 175. Accordingly, the wedge 178 can be referred to herein as a first or upper wedge 178, and the wedge 179 can be referred to herein as a second or lower wedge 179.

[0085] During operation, the wedges 164 can be rotated about the axis 175 to engage the wedges 178, 179 with the cups 50 extending into the receiving apertures 136 of the dispenser 134. Generally speaking, when desired, the upper wedges 178 can be engaged between axially adjacent cups 50 to dislodge the cups 50 from the dispenser 134, and the lower wedges 179 can support the cups 50 within the dispenser 134 when the cups 50 are not being dispensed from the dispenser 134. Specifically, during operation, each wedge 164 can be rotated about the axis 175 to engage the cups 50 extending into the receiving apertures 136 of the dispenser 134. Figure 6 The first position shown and Figure 7 The second position shown is switched to selectively remove and dispense cups 50 from the dispenser 134. Figure 6 ), the lower wedge 179 can be rotated circumferentially about the axis 175 so as to extend radially inward toward the axis 165 and the cup 50. As a result, the lower wedge 179 of each wedge 164 can engage the lip 52 of the lowest cup 50 in the dispenser 134 to prevent the wedge assembly 164 from sliding out of the dispenser 134 when the wedge assembly 164 is in the first position ( Figure 6 ) when the cup 50 falls through the dispenser 134.

[0086] When it is desired to dispense a cup 50 from the dispenser 134, the wedge 164 may be moved from the first position ( Figure 6 ) switches to the second position ( Figure 7) to engage the upper wedge 178 between the lips 52 of the two lowest cups 50 in the dispenser 134. The upper wedge 178 may include an axial width that tapers axially as it moves circumferentially (e.g., relative to the axis 175) so that when the body 174 is moved from the first position ( Figure 6 ) rotates about axis 175 to a second position ( Figure 7 ), the lips 52 of the adjacent cups 50 are gradually pushed apart along the axis 165 until the contact between the adjacent cups 50 is reduced to a certain extent, so that the cup 50 at the axial bottom can pass through the receiving hole 136 and fall into the Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the cup holder 125 in one of the rows 154, 156 on the turntable assembly 122 shown. Figure 7 ), the undispensed cup 50 in the dispenser 134 can be supported by the upper wedge 178.

[0087] Once the lowermost cup 50 has been dispensed from the dispenser 134, the wedge assembly 164 can be moved from the second position ( Figure 7 ) again and converts back to the first position ( Figure 6 ), thereby realigning the lower wedge 179 within the cup 50. When the body 174 is moved from the second position ( Figure 7 ) rotates about axis 175 to a first position ( Figure 6 ), the cups 50 can fall downwardly along the axis 165 so that the lip 52 of the lowest cup 50 in the dispenser 134 engages the lower wedge 179 as before. Thus, once the wedge assembly 164 returns to the first position ( Figure 6 ), the dispenser 134 is again ready to dispense another cup 50 in the manner described above. In some embodiments, the wedge assembly 164 can be moved from the first position ( ) to the second position ( ) by continuous rotation of the body 174 about the axis 175 (e.g., a full 360° rotation about the axis 175). Figure 6 ) switches to the second position ( Figure 7 ), and then back to the first position ( Figure 6 ).

[0088] While some specific examples of the cup dispensing station 130 have been described above, it should be understood that in various embodiments, various features of the cup dispensing station 130 may be changed, replaced, or removed, and that some embodiments of the cup dispensing station 130 may include additional features. For example, referring to Figure 8In some embodiments, the dispenser 134 can include one or more reciprocating wedges 270 within and around the receiving aperture 136 in place of or in addition to the wedge 164. The wedge 270 includes one or more wedges 272 that can slideably engage between axially adjacent cups 50 along the lip 52 as the wedge 270 translates radially inward toward the axis 165. The wedges 272 can include inclined or angled surfaces so that as the wedge 270 translates radially inward toward the axis 165, adjacent cups 50 are moved axially away from each other along the axis 165 so that the lowermost cup 50 can be removed to fall through the receiving aperture 136 as generally described above.

[0089] Now refer to Figure 9 In some embodiments, the cup dispensing station 130 may include a grabber arm 274 that can grab the cups 50 passing through the dispenser 134 and pull them downward toward the carousel assembly 122 (Note: Figure 9 Only a schematic diagram of the outer row 156 is provided to simplify the drawing).

[0090] Now refer to Figure 10 In some embodiments, the silo 132 can be linearly reciprocated along the track 276 or other structure to selectively move the silo 132 to the turntable assembly 122 ( Figure 2 ) rows 154, 156 aligned (Note: Figure 10 Again, only a schematic representation of one of the rows 156 is included to simplify the drawing.) In some of these embodiments, the cups 50 may be dispensed from the cartridge 132 by any of the methods and systems described herein and / or other known methods and systems. Figure 10 Depicts Figure 9 The grabbing arm 274 is shown to illustrate some examples.

[0091] Now refer to Figure 11 In some embodiments, the silo 132 can be fixed and coupled to the turntable assembly 122 ( Figure 2 ) rows 154, 156 are aligned. In some of these embodiments, additional bins 132 may be included to allow cups of different sizes and types to be dispensed to each of the rows 154, 156 (Note: Figure 11 Again, only a schematic representation of one of the rows 156 is included to simplify the drawing.) In some of these embodiments, the cups 50 may be dispensed from the cartridge 132 by any of the methods and systems described herein.

[0092] Reference again Figure 2 After dispensing the cup 50 into the cup holder 125 of one or both of the rows 154, 156 of the carousel assembly 122, the carousel 124, 126 rotates about the axis 155 to advance the empty cup 50 to the ice dispensing station 180. Figure 12In some embodiments, the ice dispensing station 180 includes an inlet 182, a pair of outlets 188, 189, and a chute 185 located between the inlet 182 and the outlets 188, 189. The outlet 188 can be aligned with the inner row 154 ( Figure 2 ) and the outlet 189 can be aligned with the outer row 156 ( Figure 2 )alignment.

[0093] Inlet 182 may be coupled to Figure 1 The ice chamber 112 shown may alternatively include Figure 1 A stirrer 184 is disposed within the inlet 182. The stirrer 184 includes a plurality of blades 186 that are driven by a driver 187 to rotate within the inlet 182. The engagement between the blades 186 and the ice within the inlet 182 breaks up any ice blockages therein and helps ensure that ice continues to pass through the inlet 182 and into the chute 185.

[0094] The dispensing valve 181 is located in the chute 185. The dispensing valve 181 may generally comprise a gate valve which may be in a first or closed position (in Figure 12 ) and a second or open position (shown in solid lines in Figure 12 189) and allows the dispensing valve 181 to move between a closed position and an open position (shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1 ), the former for blocking the flow of ice through the chute 185 toward the outlets 188, 189, and the latter for allowing the flow of ice through the chute 185 toward the outlets 188, 189. In some embodiments, the actuator 183 can actuate the dispensing valve 181 between a closed position and an open position by pivoting the valve 181 about the hinge 177. In some embodiments, the dispensing valve 181 can translate into and out of the chute 185 during operation in a direction generally perpendicular to the flow or movement of ice within the chute 185.

[0095] In some embodiments, an outlet selection valve 193 is coupled to outlets 188, 189. The outlet selection valve 193 may include a gate 173 that is pivotable about a hinge 191 to selectively block one of the outlets 188, 189. Specifically, the actuator 192 may pivot the gate 173 about the hinge 191 to a first position (in the Figure 12 188 so that ice advancing from the chute 185 is directed to the outlet 189. In addition, the actuator 192 can pivot the gate 173 about the hinge 191 to the second position (in the Figure 12 188 ) to block outlet 189 so that ice advancing from chute 185 is directed into outlet 188 .

[0096] Now briefly refer to Figure 2 and Figure 12, outlets 188, 189 can be aligned with rows 154, 156. Thus, during operation, when ice is to be dispensed into a cup 50 received in a cup holder 125 in one of rows 154, 156, actuator 183 can shift dispensing valve 181 to an open position, allowing the ice to pass through chute 185 under the force of gravity. Depending on whether the cup receiving the ice is located in a cup holder 125 in the inner row 154 or in a cup holder 125 in the outer row 156, actuator 192 can pivot gate 173 of outlet selector valve 193 to a first or second position to direct the ice from the desired, corresponding outlet 188, 189. During these operations, actuator 187 can rotate blades 186 of agitator 184 within inlet 182 to ensure that the ice is continuously advanced toward chute 185.

[0097] In some embodiments, outlet selection valve 193 may be replaced by a pair of valves or gate assemblies coupled to outlets 188, 189. Thus, in these embodiments, ice may be dispensed from one or both outlets 188, 189 by actuating a gate assembly (not shown) of a selected outlet 188, 189 during operation.

[0098] Valves (e.g., valves 181, 193, etc.) may be actuated to dispense ice from outlets 188, 189 within a specified time period to prevent overfilling. In some embodiments, suitable sensors or other measuring devices may be included within ice dispensing station 180 to monitor the volume of ice dispensed from outlets 188, 189 to prevent overfilling. In some embodiments, a weight or force sensor (e.g., at Figure 1 and Figure 2 In these various embodiments, the amount of ice to be dispensed (and therefore the various parameters used to monitor the amount of ice dispensed) can depend on the size of the cup 50 aligned with the ice dispensing station 180.

[0099] In some embodiments, the drivers 187, 183, 192 may include electric motors. However, the drivers 187, 183, 192 may include any suitable drive device, such as a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like.

[0100] In other embodiments, the ice dispensing station 180 may include only one outlet, such as outlet 188 or 189, rather than a pair of outlets 188 and 189, and dispense ice into cups 50 in only one of the rows (e.g., outer or inner rows 154 or 156). For example, in this embodiment (not shown), outlet 189 may be omitted, as may the drive 192 and the pivoting gate 173. Also in this embodiment, the agitator 184 and blade 186 may be replaced by an auger or other element in communication with a timing circuit to operate for a specified duration to dispense the appropriate amount of ice into the cup. This embodiment is intended for use with variations of the beverage dispensing system 100 that provide beverage dispensing only to one of the inner or outer rows 154, 156, rather than to both rows 154 and 156.

[0101] Reference again Figure 2 After dispensing ice into the cup 50 at the ice dispensing station 180, the turntables 124, 126 can be rotated about the axis 155 to align the cup 50 with the beverage dispensing station 190. The beverage dispensing station 190 includes a pair of nozzles 194, 196—a first nozzle 194 aligned with the inner row 154 of the cup holders 125, and a second nozzle 196 aligned with the outer row 156 of the cup holders 125. During operation, the nozzles 194, 196 can dispense a selected beverage into the cups 50 located in the rows 154, 156, respectively.

[0102] Now refer to Figure 13 In some embodiments, each nozzle 194, 196 can be coupled to a dispensing valve assembly 195. In turn, the dispensing valve assembly 195 can be coupled to a carbonated water source 197, a non-carbonated water source 198, and a plurality of flavoring sources 199. Additional valves, pumps, and other components can be included to facilitate and control the flow of fluids from the sources 197, 198, 199; however, to simplify the drawings, these additional components are not shown. During operation, when a cup (e.g., Figure 1 and Figure 2 When the cup 50 (in the dispenser) is aligned with one of the nozzles 194, 196, the selected beverage is dispensed by flowing water from one (or both) of the sources 197, 198 and the flavoring from one or more of the sources 199 to the dispense valve assembly 195. Thereafter, the dispense valve assembly 195 can be actuated to route the fluid to the selected nozzle 194, 196. The fluid can be mixed between the dispense valve assembly 195, the nozzles 194, 196, and / or therebetween to form the selected beverage. In other embodiments, additional fluid sources can be connected to the dispense valve assembly 195 to dispense beverages that do not require mixing, such as, but not limited to, juice, coffee, and milk.

[0103] The dispensing valve assembly 195 may include or be coupled to a timer to ensure that the correct amount of fluid is dispensed from the selected nozzle 194, 196 while preventing overfilling. In some embodiments, the dispensing valve assembly 195 may additionally or alternatively monitor the volume of fluid dispensed to and from the nozzles 194, 196 (e.g., via a flow rate sensor, pressure sensor, etc.) to prevent overfilling. In some embodiments, a weight or force sensor (e.g., at Figure 1 and Figure 2 In these various embodiments, the amount of fluid to be dispensed (and therefore the various parameters used to monitor the amount of fluid dispensed) can depend on the size of the cup 50 aligned with the beverage dispensing station 190.

[0104] Although Figure 13 The embodiment of the beverage dispensing station 190 shown in FIG includes two nozzles 194, 196, but it should be understood that in other embodiments, different numbers and arrangements of nozzles may be utilized. For example, referring again to FIG. Figure 1 and Figure 2 In some embodiments, the beverage dispensing station 190 may include multiple nozzles for dispensing beverages into cups 50 disposed in the inner row 154 and / or multiple nozzles for dispensing beverages into cups 50 disposed in the outer row 156. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, the number and arrangement of the nozzles (e.g., nozzles 194, 196) of the beverage dispensing station 190 may allow for a specific beverage or group of beverages to be dispensed from a selected nozzle and may increase the number of beverages that can be dispensed into cups 50 over a period of time. Additionally, the nozzles (e.g., nozzles 194, 196) of the beverage dispensing station 190 may be coupled to sources 197, 198, 199, respectively, so that beverages can be dispensed simultaneously from the various nozzles during operation. In embodiments where a beverage is only filled in one of the cup holders in the inner or outer rows 154, 156, only one of the nozzles 194, 196 may be present.

[0105] Reference again Figure 2 After the beverage is dispensed into the cup 50 via the beverage dispensing station 190, the turntables 124, 126 rotate about the axis 155 to align the cup 50 with the capping station 200. Generally speaking, the capping station 200 may include a plurality of tubular cartridges 202 that may receive and hold a plurality of lids 60 to be dispensed and placed on the cup 50 during operation.

[0106] Now refer to Figure 14 and 15 , which shows an embodiment of a capping station 200. Figure 14 and 15As shown, silo 202 includes a central or longitudinal axis 205, a first or upper end 202a, and a second or lower end 202b opposite upper end 202a. Caps 60 can be stacked into silo 202 from upper end 202a and dispensed from silo 202 at lower end 202b via cap dispensing assembly 210.

[0107] In some embodiments, the cap dispensing assembly 210 may include a gripper 214 pivotally coupled to the cartridge 202 via a hinge 212 adjacent the lower end 202b. A driver 226 is coupled to the gripper 214 and / or the hinge 212, which may be pivotally coupled to the cartridge 202 via a hinge 212. Figure 14 The first position shown and Figure 15 The gripper 214 is selectively rotated about the hinge 212 between the illustrated second positions. In some embodiments, the actuator 226 may include an electric motor; however, in other embodiments, the actuator 226 may include a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like.

[0108] The gripper 214 includes a first or inner end 214a adjacent to the hinge 212 and a second or outer end 214b extending away from the hinge 212. Additionally, the gripper 214 includes a first lid gripper 216 at (or adjacent to) the outer end 214b and a second lid gripper 218 at (or adjacent to) the inner end 214a. The first lid gripper 216 and the second lid gripper 218 may include teeth or other suitable structures that can engage and retain the lid 60 during a dispensing operation. The first lid gripper 216 can be fixed in position at (or adjacent to) the outer end 214b of the gripper 214, while the second lid gripper 218 can be pivotally coupled to (or adjacent to) the inner end 214a of the gripper 214 via a hinge 220. Additionally, the second lid holder 218 may be rotationally biased (e.g., via a torsion spring or other suitable means) about the hinge 220 such that the second lid holder 218 is biased into engagement with the lid 60 held by the gripper 214 ( Figure 14 ).

[0109] By rotating the gripper 214 to Figure 14 The cap 60 is dispensed from the cartridge 202 in the first position to engage with the lowermost cap 60 in the cartridge 202. More specifically, Figure 14 In the position of the lid 60, the lid 60 is clamped or engaged between the first lid clamp 216 and the second lid clamp 218. As previously described, the second lid clamp 218 can be biased about the hinge 220 to engage with the lid 60. Next, when it is desired to dispense the lid 60 onto a cup aligned with the capping station 200 (e.g., Figure 1 and Figure 2 When the cup 50 is on top of the cup 50, the driver 226 can move the gripper 214 from Figure 14The first position is rotated about the hinge 212 to Figure 15 When the gripper 214 rotates about the hinge 212 to Figure 15 When the second position of the second lid clamp 218 is reached, the second lid clamp 218 can engage with a cam surface 224 coupled to (or mounted adjacent to) the hinge 212. As a result, after the second lid clamp 218 engages with the cam surface 224, continued rotation of the gripper 214 about the hinge 212 toward the second position can force the second lid clamp 218 to rotate about the hinge 220, thereby disengaging the lid 60 so that the lid 60 can fall toward the cup 50 aligned therewith under the action of gravity. Thereafter, the actuator 226 can rotate the gripper 214 back about the hinge 212 to the second position. Figure 14 60 so as to engage with another cap 60. Because, as described above, during the cap dispensing operation, the gripper 214 is in the first position ( Figure 14 ) and the second position ( Figure 15 ) pivot about hinge 212, so that the lid 60 can be inserted into the cartridge "upside down" so that when they are rotated together with the gripper 214 to Figure 15 In the second position, the bottom side of the lid 60 faces the cup 50 (not shown).

[0110] In some embodiments, the gripper 214 may be omitted and the caps 60 may be dispensed from the cartridge 202 by other systems and methods. Figure 16 In some embodiments, the cartridge 202 can include a slot 230 extending radially through the wall of the cartridge 202 at a point closer to the lower end 202b than the upper end 202a. The lid 60, inserted into the upper end 202a of the cartridge 202, can be dropped or otherwise advanced axially downwardly within the cartridge 202 along the axis 205 to ultimately align with the slot 230. A punch 232 can be coupled to the cartridge 202 and aligned with the slot 230. During operation, the punch 232 can be selectively translated radially relative to the axis 205 (e.g., via a suitable driver or actuator) through the slot 230. Each time the punch 232 radially passes through the slot 230, the lid 60 can be radially pushed out of the slot 230 and the cartridge 202, thereby being dropped downwardly onto the cup 50 (which can be located within the cup holder 125).

[0111] In some embodiments, the cap 60 dispensed from the capping station 200 may not be aligned with the cup 50. Thus, in some embodiments, a dispensing mechanism (e.g., gripper 214) of the capping station 200 can align the cap 60 with the cup 50 (e.g., so that the cap 60 is substantially centered on the top of the cup 50). In some embodiments, the capping station 200 can include a separate device or component for aligning the cap 60 with the cup 50 after dispensing the cap 60 (e.g., from the silo 202). For example, referring now to Figure 17, the cup 50 and the dispensed lid 60 can be routed (e.g., via the turntables 124, 126) between a pair of converging rails 234. The shape and position of the rails 234 can be selected so that the lid 60 can be aligned with the cup 50 below as the cup 50 and lid 60 move therebetween.

[0112] Once the lid 60 is dispensed onto the cup 50 and aligned therewith, the lid 60 can then be secured or pressed onto the cup 50. In some embodiments, Figure 14 and Figure 15 The gripper 214 can be axially translated relative to the axis 205 (eg, independently or in conjunction with the cartridge 202 ) to press the dispensed lid 60 onto the cup 50 .

[0113] In some embodiments, the dispensed lid 60 can be compressed onto the cup 50 via a separate press or other suitable equipment. For example, referring now to Figure 18 In some embodiments, the press 237 can engage the lid 60 after the lid 60 is loosely mounted (e.g., placed) on the cup 50. The press 237 includes a plunger 236 coupled to a linear actuator 238. The plunger 236 can take any suitable shape that can engage the lid (e.g., Figure 14 and Figure 15 The plunger 236 can be selectively extended and retracted along the central axis 235 via a linear actuator 238. In some embodiments, the linear actuator 238 can include a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder. In some embodiments, the linear actuator 238 can include an electric linear actuator.

[0114] Now refer to Figure 19 In some embodiments, the dispensed lid 60 may be dispensed via rows 154, 156 ( Figure 2 ) The conveyor belts 240 are spaced apart and compressed onto the cups 50. Specifically, during operation, the lids 60 and cups 50 are compressed onto the corresponding cup holders 125 of the rows 154, 156 (in Figure 19 ) and the band 240 are compressed, thereby securing the lid 60 to the cup 50.

[0115] Now refer to Figure 20In some embodiments, the capping station 200 may include a roller assembly 242 to compress and secure the dispensed lid 60 to the cup 50. The roller assembly 242 may include a ring 244 and a plurality of rollers 246 rotatably mounted to the ring 244. The rollers 246 may be generally cylindrical and include a central axis 245. The rollers 246 may be mounted to the ring 244 such that the axis 245 is angled relative to the central axis 55 of the cup 50. In some embodiments, the axis 245 is disposed at an angle θ relative to the central axis 55 that is greater than 0° and less than 90°. During operation, the cup 50 and the dispensed lid 60 are aligned with the roller assembly 242, and the roller assembly 242 is lowered along the axis 55 to engage the lid 60 while rotating about the axis 55, such that the rollers 246 compress the lid 60 onto the cup 50.

[0116] Now refer to Figure 21 In some embodiments, the capping station 200 ( Figure 1 and 2 ) may include a heat seal capping assembly 250. The heat seal capping assembly 250 includes a heat sealer 256 that can cut and heat seal a lid onto the cup 50 from a continuous web of lidding material 258 (e.g., a polymer film) that is unwound from a start roll 252 and taken up by a take-up roll 254. Specifically, the heat sealer 256 may include a heating element (not shown) and may translate along the axis 55 toward the cup 50 to cut a portion of the lidding material 258 and fuse the lidding material 258 to the rim of the cup 50. In some embodiments, a pair of heat sealers 256 may be included in the heat seal capping assembly 250, with each heat sealer 256 aligned with a respective one of the rows 154, 156 of the turntable assembly 122. In some embodiments, each row 154, 156 may be aligned with a separate, independent heat seal capping assembly 250.

[0117] In some embodiments, some or all of the capping process can be performed manually (e.g., by an employee or customer). For example, in some embodiments, the lid 60 can be manually taken and secured to the cup 50. In some embodiments, the capping station 200 can dispense (and possibly align) the lid 60 onto the cup 50, but the employee / customer can then manually compress the lid 60 onto the cup 50. Thus, in some embodiments, the beverage processing assembly 120 ( Figure 1 and 2 ) in which part or all of the capping station 200 is omitted.

[0118] Now refer to Figure 1 and Figure 22 In some embodiments, the beverage production system 100 may include a beverage identification component 260 to identify beverages that have advanced through the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 and are ready for pickup by an employee or customer. Figure 22 As best shown, the beverage identification assembly 260 can include a plurality of emitters 262 coupled to the beverage processing assembly 120 and configured to emit light 264 onto the cup 50 and (if present) the lid 60, which can be used to identify a particular beverage or beverage order. In some embodiments, the light 264 can be color-coded so that a particular beverage (or order) is identified by a different color. In some embodiments, the light 264 can form an image (e.g., text and / or symbols) on the beverage that can provide sufficient information (e.g., name, order number, table number, vehicle identification). In some embodiments, the emitters 262 can include light emitting diodes (LEDs) and / or other suitable light emitting devices.

[0119] Reference again Figure 1 and Figure 2 During operation, a command to produce a selected beverage can be received by a suitable electronic device (not shown) of the beverage production system 100. For example, an employee or customer can select a desired beverage on the user interface 110 and then initiate the beverage production process generally described above. In some embodiments, the user interface 110 can include a touch-sensitive electronic display. In some embodiments, the beverage production system 100 can receive a command to produce a beverage from other electronic devices communicatively coupled to it via a suitable network or connection. For example, in some embodiments, the beverage production system 100 can receive a command to produce a beverage from a point-of-sale system of a restaurant or catering facility, which can receive orders via customers or employees. In some embodiments, the point-of-sale system can form part of a computer system that also includes the beverage production system 100 (e.g., the computer system 400 described below).

[0120] Once the beverage production system 100 receives a command to produce a beverage, the turntables 124, 126 can rotate about the axis 155 to advance the cup holders 125 through the stations 130, 180, 190, 200. Simultaneously, the components and mechanisms within each station 130, 180, 190, 200 can be actuated in the manner described above to produce the beverage. Specifically, as described above, the cup dispensing assembly 130 can dispense a cup 50 from the hopper 132 into one or both of the cup holders 125 in the rows 154, 156. Thereafter, the cup 50 is aligned with the ice dispensing station 180, thereby dispensing ice into the cup 50. In some cases, depending on the selected preferences for each requested beverage, ice may not be dispensed into one or more cups when aligned with the ice dispensing station 180. Next, the cup 50 and ice (if dispensed) are aligned with the beverage dispensing station 190, thereby dispensing the selected beverage into the cup 50 (e.g., via nozzles 194, 196). Next, depending on the capping system employed, the cup 50 may be advanced to the capping station 200 whereby a lid 60 may be dispensed from a cartridge 202 and secured to the cup 50, or a film lid may be placed and secured to the cup, such as by heat sealing. Figure 1 and Figure 22 After the cup 50 is advanced through the capping station 200, the cup is typically moved so as to align with the beverage identification assembly 260, which can then identify the specific, finished beverage as generally described above via projected light 264. As previously mentioned, in some embodiments, some or all of the capping process can be performed manually, such that the capping station 200 can be simplified or omitted entirely from the beverage processing assembly 120.

[0121] Now refer to Figure 23 , shows a method 300 for producing a beverage using an embodiment of the beverage dispensing system 100 according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, one or more elements of the method 300 can be performed by components of the beverage processing assembly 120 described herein and / or by a computer system (e.g., the computer system 400 described in more detail below). Therefore, when describing features of the method 300, reference will continue to be made to Figure 1 The beverage production system 100 shown in FIG. Figure 2 Beverage processing assembly 120 depicted in FIG.

[0122] Initially, the method 300 includes receiving instructions (or commands) for producing a desired beverage at block 302. The instructions may be generated or received by an employee or customer interacting with a user interface device, such as Figure 1 In some embodiments, the instruction may be generated or received by a point of sale system used by a restaurant or dining establishment, as described above.

[0123] The method 300 also includes selecting a row 154, 156 on the turntable assembly 122 to produce a beverage at block 304. Specifically, in some embodiments, the row selection at block 304 can be determined based on predefined rules for producing beverages using the beverage production system 100. For example, as described above, in some embodiments, the source of the beverage order (e.g., drive-thru, dine-in) can determine which row 154, 156 is selected at block 304. Additionally, in some embodiments, the type and / or size of the desired beverage can also determine which row 154, 156 is selected at block 304.

[0124] The method 300 also includes aligning the silo 132 of the cup dispensing station 130 with the selected row 154, 156 at block 306 and dispensing the cup 50 from the silo 132. As previously described, the silo 132 can contain cups 50 of different sizes and / or types therein. Thus, during operation, based on the instructions received at block 302, the silo 132 containing the desired cup size and type can determine which silo 132 will be used to dispense the cup 50 for the beverage production operation. In some embodiments, as previously described, the dispenser 134 of the cup dispensing station 130 can be rotated (e.g., via Figure 4 ) to align the selected bin 132 with the selected row 154 , 156 on the carousel assembly 122 .

[0125] The method 300 also includes aligning the dispensed cup 50 with the outlet 188, 189 of the ice dispensing station 180 at block 308 and dispensing ice into the cup 50 from the aligned outlet 188, 189. The outlet 188, 189 used to dispense ice at block 308 may be determined by the row 154, 156 selected at block 304. As described above, in some embodiments, the outlet selection valve 193 ( Figure 12 ) to direct the dispensed ice out of the selected outlet 188, 189.

[0126] The method 300 also includes aligning the nozzles 194, 196 of the beverage dispensing station 190 with the cup 50 at block 310 and dispensing the beverage from the aligned nozzles 194, 196. As with the ice dispensing station 180, the nozzles 194, 196 used to dispense the beverage at block 310 may be determined by the selection of the rows 154, 156 at block 304. In some embodiments, the nozzles aligned at block 310 may be selected based on the type of beverage produced by the instructions received at block 302.

[0127] The method 300 also includes dispensing the lid 60 onto the cup 50 using the capping station 200 at block 312. In some embodiments, the capping station 200 can be actuated to dispense the lid 60 onto the cup 50 and then manually secured by an employee or customer. In some embodiments, the capping station 200 can be actuated to both dispense the lid 60 and secure the lid 60 to the cup 50.

[0128] In each of blocks 306 , 308 , 310 , and 312 of the method 300 , the turntables 124 , 126 of the turntable assembly 122 may be rotated (e.g., via the drivers 141 , 143 ) to align the cup holder 125 (and / or the cup 50 positioned therein) with each of the cup dispensing station 130 , the ice dispensing station 180 , the beverage dispensing station 190 , and the capping station 200 .

[0129] Figure 24 4 shows a computer system 400 suitable for implementing one or more embodiments disclosed herein. For example, the beverage production system 100 ( Figure 1 ) may include or be coupled to a computer system 400. During operation, the beverage production system 100 may utilize the computer system 400 to receive and process beverage orders (or commands related thereto) and to actuate the various components of the beverage processing assembly 120 as described above. In some embodiments, one or more components of the computer system 400 may be located at Figure 1 14. In other embodiments, the beverage production system 100 may include all or some aspects of the computer system 400 connected to a point of sale or other system that also includes all or some aspects of the computer system 400, or a combination thereof. This configuration allows beverage selection to be made at the beverage dispensing production system 100, at the point of sale system, or both.

[0130] Computer system 400 includes a processor 402 (which may be referred to as a central processing unit or CPU) in communication with storage devices including secondary storage 404, read-only memory (ROM) 406, random access memory (RAM) 408, input / output (I / O) devices 410, and network connectivity devices 412. Processor 402 may be implemented as one or more CPU chips.

[0131] It will be appreciated that by programming computer system 400 and / or loading executable instructions, at least one of CPU 402, RAM 408, and ROM 406 is altered, thereby converting a portion of computer system 400 into a specific machine or device having the novel functionality taught by the present disclosure. A fundamental fact of the electrical and software engineering fields is that functionality that can be implemented by loading executable software into a computer can be converted to hardware implementation using well-known design rules. The decision between software and hardware implementation is typically driven by considerations of design stability and the number of units to be produced, rather than any issues related to the transition from the software to hardware domain. Designs that are subject to frequent changes may generally be more preferably implemented in software because the cost of reproducing the hardware implementation is higher than the cost of reproducing the software design. Stable designs that will be produced in large quantities may generally be more preferably implemented in hardware, such as in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), because hardware implementations may be less expensive than software implementations for high-volume production. Typically, a design can be developed and tested in software and then converted to an equivalent hardware implementation by hardwiring the software instructions in the ASIC using well-known design rules. In the same way that a machine controlled by a new ASIC is a specific machine or device, similarly, a computer that has been programmed and / or loaded with executable instructions can be considered a specific machine or device.

[0132] Furthermore, after system 400 is turned on or booted up, CPU 402 can execute a computer program or application. For example, CPU 402 can execute software or firmware stored in ROM 406 or in RAM 408. In some cases, at boot time and / or when an application is launched, CPU 402 can copy the application or portion of the application from secondary storage 404 to RAM 408 or to the CPU 402's own memory space, and then CPU 402 can execute the instructions contained in the application. In some cases, CPU 402 can copy the application or portion of the application from memory accessed via network connection device 412 or via I / O device 410 to RAM 408 or to the CPU 402's own memory space, and then CPU 402 can execute the instructions contained in the application. During execution, the application can load instructions into CPU 402, such as loading some of the application's instructions into the CPU 402's cache. In some cases, the executing application can be said to configure CPU 402 to do something, such as configuring CPU 402 to perform the functionality provided by the subject application. When the CPU 402 is configured by an application program in this manner, the CPU 402 becomes a special-purpose computer or special-purpose machine.

[0133] Secondary storage 404, typically comprised of one or more disk drives or tape drives, is used for non-volatile data storage and serves as an overflow data storage device if RAM 408 is not large enough to hold all working data. Secondary storage 404 can be used to store programs, which are loaded into RAM 408 when those programs are selected for execution. ROM 406 is used to store instructions and possibly data that are read during program execution. ROM 406 is a non-volatile storage device that typically has a small storage capacity relative to the larger storage capacity of secondary storage 404. RAM 408 is used to store volatile data and possibly instructions. Access to ROM 406 and RAM 408 is typically faster than access to secondary storage 404. In some cases, secondary storage 404, RAM 408, and / or ROM 406 may be referred to as computer-readable storage media and / or non-transitory computer-readable media.

[0134] I / O devices 410 may include printers, video monitors, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), touch screen displays (e.g., Figure 1 ), keyboard, keypad, switches, dial, mouse, trackball, voice recognizer, card reader, paper tape reader, or other well-known input and output devices.

[0135] The network connection device 412 can take the form of a modem, a modem bank, an Ethernet card, a universal serial bus (USB) interface card, a serial interface, a token ring card, a fiber distributed data interface (FDDI) card, a wireless local area network (WLAN) card, a radio transceiver card, and / or other well-known network devices. The network connection device 412 can provide a wired communication link and / or a wireless communication link (for example, a first network connection device 412 can provide a wired communication link, and a second network connection device 412 can provide a wireless communication link). The wired communication link can be provided according to Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), Internet Protocol (IP), time division multiplexing (TDM), cable data service interface specification (DOCSIS), wavelength division multiplexing (WDM), and / or similar protocols. In one embodiment, the radio transceiver card can provide a wireless communication link using protocols such as code division multiple access (CDMA), global system for mobile communications (GSM), long term evolution (LTE), WiFi (IEEE 802.11), Bluetooth, Zigbee, narrowband Internet of Things (NB IoT), near field communication (NFC), radio frequency identification (RFID), and the like. The radio transceiver card can support radio communications using 5G, 5G New Radio, or 5G LTE radio communication protocols. These network connection devices 412 enable the processor 402 to communicate with the Internet or one or more intranets. Through this network connection, it is conceivable that the processor 402 can receive information from the network or output information to the network during the execution of the above-mentioned method steps. Such information is generally represented as a sequence of instructions to be executed by the processor 402, which can be received from the network and output to the network in the form of a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave. Therefore, the present disclosure envisions receiving instructions via the network connection device 412, such as customer orders received via an online or so-called Internet application, including beverage orders, which are then automatically produced by the beverage production system 100 without the input of employees or personnel located at or operating the beverage production system 100.

[0136] This information, which may include data or instructions to be executed by processor 402, may be received from and output to the network in the form of, for example, a computer data baseband signal or a signal embodied in a carrier wave. The baseband signal or signal embedded in a carrier wave, or other types of signals currently used or hereafter developed, may be generated according to several methods well known to those skilled in the art. In some cases, the baseband signal and / or the signal embedded in a carrier wave may be referred to as a transient signal.

[0137] The processor 402 executes instructions, codes, computer programs, scripts that it accesses from a hard disk, floppy disk, optical disk (these various disk-based systems can be considered secondary storage 404), a flash drive, ROM 406, RAM 408, or a network connection device 412. Although only one processor 402 is shown, multiple processors may be present. Thus, although instructions may be discussed as being executed by one processor, the instructions may be executed simultaneously, serially, or in other ways by one or more processors. The instructions, codes, computer programs, scripts, and / or data that may be accessed from the secondary storage 404 (e.g., a hard disk, floppy disk, optical disk, and / or other device), ROM 406, and / or RAM 408 may in some cases be referred to as non-transitory instructions and / or non-transitory information.

[0138] In one embodiment, computer system 400 may include two or more computers communicating with each other that collaborate to perform tasks. For example, but not limited to, an application may be partitioned in a manner that allows concurrent and / or parallel processing of the application's instructions. Alternatively, data processed by the application may be partitioned in a manner that allows concurrent and / or parallel processing of different portions of the data set by two or more computers. In one embodiment, computer system 400 may employ virtualization software to provide the functionality of multiple servers, a functionality that is not directly tied to the number of computers in computer system 400. For example, virtualization software may provide twenty virtual servers on four physical computers. In one embodiment, the functionality disclosed above may be provided by executing applications and / or applications in a cloud computing environment. Cloud computing may include providing computing services using dynamically scalable computing resources via a network connection. Cloud computing may be supported, at least in part, by virtualization software. Cloud computing environments may be established by an enterprise and / or leased from a third-party provider as needed. Some cloud computing environments may include cloud computing resources owned and operated by the enterprise as well as cloud computing resources leased and / or rented from a third-party provider.

[0139] In one embodiment, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided as a computer program product. The computer program product may include one or more computer-readable storage media containing computer-usable program code to implement the functionality disclosed above. The computer program product may include data structures, executable instructions, and other computer-usable program code. The computer program product may be embodied in removable computer storage media and / or non-removable computer storage media. Removable computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to, paper tape, magnetic tape, disk, optical disk, solid-state memory chip, such as analog tape, compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), floppy disk, USB flash drive, digital card, multimedia card, etc. The computer program product may be adapted for the computer system 400 to load at least a portion of the contents of the computer program product into the auxiliary memory 404, ROM 406, RAM 408, and / or other non-volatile and volatile memory of the computer system 400. The processor 402 may process the executable instructions and / or data structures by directly accessing the computer program product, for example, by reading from a CD-ROM disk inserted into a disk drive peripheral device of the computer system 400. Alternatively, the processor 402 may process the executable instructions and / or data structures by remotely accessing a computer program product, such as by downloading the executable instructions and / or data structures from a remote server via the network connection device 412. The computer program product may include instructions for loading and / or copying data, data structures, files, and / or executable instructions into the secondary storage 404, ROM 406, RAM 408, and / or other non-volatile and volatile storage of the computer system 400.

[0140] In some cases, secondary storage 404, ROM 406, and RAM 408 may be referred to as non-transitory computer-readable media or computer-readable storage media. Similarly, dynamic RAM embodiments of RAM 408 may also be referred to as non-transitory computer-readable media because the dynamic RAM stores information written to it while it receives power and operates according to its design, such as for a period of time while the computer system 400 is turned on and running. Similarly, processor 402 may include internal RAM, internal ROM, cache memory, and / or other internal non-transitory storage blocks, segments, or components, which in some cases may be referred to as non-transitory computer-readable media or computer-readable storage media.

[0141] Figure 25Another embodiment of a beverage production system 500 is shown. Beverage production system 500 can be similar to beverage production system 100 in some respects. For example, beverage production system 500 can utilize cup dispensing station 130 described above. However, beverage production system 500 includes some significant differences, such as a capping and printing assembly 502 for sealing and identifying filled beverages, as discussed further below. While it is contemplated that beverages can be dispensed in two rows, in this embodiment, beverage production system 500 can be configured so that cups, ice, and beverages are dispensed in only one row, such as the inner or outer rows, but not in both rows of the turntable. This embodiment shows beverage filling being completed in the outer row of cup holders.

[0142] Also refer to Figure 26 , the beverage production system 500 may also employ a modified turntable assembly 504 (also in Figure 25 ). The modified turntable assembly 504 can be similar in some respects to the turntable assembly 122 described above. The modified turntable assembly 504 is configured with an outer turntable 505 having an outer row of cup holders 506 and an inner turntable 507 having an inner row of cup holders 508. The inner and outer turntables 505 and 507 (which may be collectively referred to as the modified turntable 510) are configured to rotate independently of each other and may include a drive, motor, and gearbox (not shown) that operate similarly to the operation described above with respect to the inner turntable 124 and outer turntable 126.

[0143] The cup holders 506 and 508 are configured to hold cups 50 dispensed from the cup dispensing station 130. The cup holders 506 and 508 can be sized to accommodate cups 50 of various sizes. The outer row of cup holders 506 can include an opening 512 near the bottom outer side 511 of the outer row of cup holders 506. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the outer and inner row of cup holders 506 and 508 are not circular, but rather U-shaped. Thus, the outer and inner turntables 505 and 507 can be rotated so that the U-shaped opening of a particular outer row of cup holders 506 is aligned with the U-shaped opening of a particular inner row of cup holders 508. For example, Figure 26 5. A cup 520 is shown disposed in an outer row of cup holders 506 aligned with an inner row of cup holders 508. When the cup 520 is located in the outer row of cup holders 506, it can be filled with a beverage by the beverage dispensing station 502.

[0144] Also refer to Figure 27In a partial cross-sectional view of the embodiment, a slide assembly 530 located below the turntable assembly 510 includes an arm 532 that can be actuated to extend through the opening 512 in the outer row of cup holders 506, receive the cup 520, and slide or move the cup 520 from its position in the outer row of cup holders 506 into an aligned inner row of cup holders 508. Once the cup 520 is filled with a beverage, the cup 520 can remain in the outer row of cup holders 506 or slide into an empty cup holder in one of the inner row of cup holders 508. Thus, in this embodiment, the inner row of cup holders 508 provides additional space for storing beverages filled in the outer row of cup holders 506 until they are retrieved for delivery to a customer or for self-service by the customer.

[0145] Figure 28 One embodiment of a slide assembly 530 is shown in greater detail. The slide assembly 530 includes an arm 532, a rail 534, a motor 536, and a belt drive 538. The arm 532 includes a portion 533 formed to engage the curved side of the cup 520. The arm 532 is slidably mounted to the rail 534 and is also connected to the belt drive 538. The motor 536 is an electric motor, however in other embodiments the motor 536 may include a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor, etc. The motor 536 is coupled to the belt drive 538 and, when actuated, drives the belt drive 538, which causes the arm 532 to traverse the rail 534 and move the cup 520 as described above. The motor 536 may be coupled to a computer and / or other system that operates in conjunction to rotate the turntable 510 to open an opening 512 (also referred to as a "cup holder" or "cup holder") in one of the outer rows of cup holders 506. Figure 26 and 27 ) is aligned with the arm 532 for sliding a cup (e.g., cup 520) from the outer row of cup holders 506 to the inner row of cup holders 508.

[0146] Although Figure 26 and 27 The modified carousel assembly 504 shown in the drawing shows twelve cup holders in the outer row of cup holders 506 and seven cup holders in the inner row of cup holders 508, but the present disclosure contemplates fewer or more cup holders and fewer or more rows, as may be determined by the overall size of the beverage production system 500, the size of the cups 520, and other considerations that will occur to those skilled in the art.

[0147] Figure 29 is another partial cross-sectional view of the modified turntable assembly 504 showing the outer turntable 505 with the outer row of cup holders 506 . Figure 29 Another embodiment of a slide assembly 530 is shown below the modified turntable assembly 504. Figure 30AAs shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG, the sliding assembly 530 in this embodiment includes an upper magnetic assembly 560 and a lower magnetic assembly 561. The upper magnetic assembly 560 includes an arm 532 having a portion 533 that is configured to engage a cup 50 to transfer the cup 50 from the outer row of cup holders 506 to the inner row of cup holders 508 via an opening 512 in the outer row of cup holders 506, as substantially described above. The upper magnetic assembly 560 includes a body 562, which can be a metal, plastic, or polymer body or cover, that houses a magnet located within a lower plate region 563 of the upper magnetic assembly 560. The magnet located within the lower plate region 563 can be integrally formed with the lower plate region 563 or can be housed in an opening formed in the lower plate region 563.

[0148] Lower magnetic assembly 561 includes a generally L-shaped bracket 564, with a flat upper portion 565 generally parallel to the lower plate area 563 of upper magnetic assembly 560. Upper portion 565 includes a magnet 570 coupled to upper portion 565. Bracket 564 also includes a side portion 566 generally perpendicular to upper portion 565. Bracket 564 includes a lip 567 and a mounting point 568. Lower magnetic assembly 561 is mounted to guide rail 534 of slide assembly 530 by engaging lip 567 with the upper portion of guide rail 534 and is connected to an arm 569 mounted to one side of guide rail 534 at mounting point 568. In this manner, when the belt drive 538 of slide assembly 530 engages arm 569 and traverses guide rail 534, lower magnetic assembly 561 is moved forward and rearward along the top of guide rail 534. In some embodiments, the lip 567 of the lower magnetic assembly 561 can be mounted to a bracket 572 located on top of the rail 534, and the belt drive 538 engages the bracket 572 and / or arm 569 to facilitate movement of the lower magnetic assembly 561 along the slide assembly 530. The magnets of the upper and lower magnetic assemblies 560, 561 can be integrally formed, disposed in openings or recesses in the respective components, press-fit, glued, mechanically fastened, or otherwise configured in a manner that will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0149] In some embodiments, the magnets in the upper and lower magnetic assemblies 560, 561 may include multiple magnets in each of the upper and lower assemblies 560, 561. In embodiments with multiple magnets in each of the upper and lower assemblies 560, 561, some of the magnets may be positioned with different polarity orientations relative to the polarity of the other magnets in each of the upper and lower assemblies 560, 561, such that the upper magnetic assembly 560 can only be positioned in one (correct) position, e.g., Figure 29 The direction or orientation shown) is magnetically positioned to prevent the operator from inadvertently placing the upper magnetic assembly 560 in the wrong direction.

[0150] The guide rail 534 and the lower magnetic assembly 561 are located below the sink 600 (described below). Figures 31-35 Discussion, in Figure 29 60). A modified turntable assembly 504 is positioned within the sink 600 so that spills and waste from beverage preparation flow into the sink for drainage and cleaning. The upper magnetic assembly 560 is mounted above the sink 600, just above the lower magnetic assembly 561. Thus, the sink 600 is positioned within the gap 571 between the upper and lower magnetic assemblies 560, 561. In this manner, when the guide rails 534 cause the lower magnetic assembly 561 to traverse the slide assembly 530, the attractive force of the magnets 570 on the upper portion 565 of the lower magnetic assembly 561 against the magnets in the body 562 of the upper magnetic assembly 560 causes the upper magnetic assembly 560 to move within the bottom of the sink 600 along a path corresponding to the lower magnetic assembly 561.

[0151] Because upper magnetic assembly 560 is positioned at the bottom of sink 600, where spills from beverages prepared by beverage production system 500 may collect, upper magnetic assembly 560 may require periodic cleaning. As described above, upper magnetic assembly 560 can be manufactured so that its outer surface is plastic, polymer, or otherwise provided with a coating that allows for easy cleaning. In this manner, upper magnetic assembly 560 can be easily removed for cleaning because there is no mechanical or fixed connection to slide assembly 530, and the only connection between upper and lower magnetic assemblies 560, 561 is magnetic. Therefore, the magnetic coupling of upper and lower magnetic assemblies 560, 561 allows for easy manual removal and replacement by a user or operator of beverage production system 500 without the need for tools or disassembly of slide assembly 530. Furthermore, this configuration prevents spills from beverage preparation from contacting lower magnetic assembly 561, motor 536, belt drive 538, guide rail 534, and the like, which are located below or beneath the sink.

[0152] Figure 30B is a perspective view of another embodiment showing the lower magnetic assembly 561 coupled to the bracket 572 with the slide assembly 530 and the remainder of the outer turntable 505 cut away. Figure 30CA perspective view of the lower portion or bottom of the inner and outer turntables 505 and 507 and the sliding assembly 530 is shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper magnetic assembly 560 is provided with a push plate 573, which can be connected to the bottom or lower portion of the main body 562 of the upper magnetic assembly 560. In some embodiments, the push plate 573 may not be connected to the bottom of the main body 562, but rather may be connected or mounted only to the front end 574 of the main body 562. The push plate 573 may be configured with a wedge 575 or a V-shaped leading edge. It will be appreciated that ice dispensed into a cup 50 located in the outer turntable 505 may overflow and collect in the outer row of cup holders 506. When the cup 50 moves to the inner row of cup holders 508, the ice may be pushed by the cup 50 and thus also collected in the inner row of cup holders 508. The ice may further fall and collect in the sink 600 below the inner and outer turntables 505 and 507. Because the upper magnetic assembly 560 is located at the bottom of the trough 600, ice may prevent the upper sliding assembly 560 from moving smoothly and efficiently along the bottom of the trough 600 when transferring cups 50. The leading edge of the wedge 575 of the push plate 573 acts as a snowplow to move or displace ice that is in the path of the upper magnetic assembly 560 at the bottom of the trough 600 during cup transfer.

[0153] Figure 30B Figure 5-C also shows another embodiment of the inner turntable 507 that modifies the inner cup holders 508. In this embodiment, an opening 576 is provided in the rear lower portion 577 of each inner cup holder 508. The opening 576 allows ice that collects or is pushed into the inner cup holders 508 (e.g., by a cup 50) to be further pushed and exit the inner cup holders 508 through the opening 576 and fall into the trough 600 located below the inner turntable 507. This prevents the accumulation of ice that might otherwise collect at the bottom of the inner cup holders 508 and hinder the transfer of the cup 500 into the inner cup holders 508.

[0154] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the inner row cup holders 508 include a slope 578 along a lower front edge 579 of the inner row cup holders 508. The height or thickness of the slope 578 gradually increases from the lower front edge 579 toward the height of the bottom 585 of the inner row cup holders 508. The slope 578 allows the bottom edge of the cup 50 to transition more smoothly from the outer row cup holders 506 to the inner row cup holders 508, rather than hitting or getting stuck on a vertical or steep edge at the lower front edge 579 of the inner row cup holders 508.

[0155] Figure 30B Also shown in Figure 5C is a notch 587 forming a rectangular opening along the lower front edge 579 of the inner cup holder 508. The notch 587 allows the arm 532 of the upper magnetic assembly 560 to fully extend into the inner cup holder 508 to allow the cup 50 to be fully moved into position in the inner cup holder 508.

[0156] Figure 31FIG2 is a perspective view of a modified turntable assembly 504 disposed in a sink 600 according to another embodiment of a beverage production system 500. In this embodiment, an upper sensor 588 is shown positioned above the inner turntable 507. The upper sensor 588 can be attached to a portion or structure of the beverage production system 500 above the inner turntable 507. The upper sensor 588 is positioned perpendicularly relative to the surface of the turntable 504 to sense the presence of a cup 50 in the inner row of cup holders 508. In this embodiment, only one sensor 588 is provided and positioned to determine the presence of a cup 50 in the inner row of cup holders 508 at the location where the cup 50 is transferred from the outer row of cup holders 506 to the inner row of cup holders 508 by the slide assembly 530. However, it should be understood that in other embodiments, one or more additional sensors may be used and positioned to detect the presence of a cup 50 in other locations, or to detect the presence of a cup 50 in all cup holders of the inner turntable 507. Additionally, the upper sensor 588 may be movable, such as driven by a motor, to sense cups 50 in other locations, or may include sensor arrays in various orientations to sense cups 50 in any combination of cup holders in the inner turntable 507 .

[0157] Similarly, a side sensor 589 is located adjacent to the outer turntable 505 and can be connected to the sink 600 or other structure of the beverage production system 500. The side sensor 589 is positioned horizontally relative to the surface of the turntable 504 to sense the presence of a cup 50 in the outer row of cup holders 506. In this embodiment, only one sensor 589 is provided and positioned to determine the presence of a cup 50 in the outer row of cup holders 506 at the location where the cup 50 is transferred from the outer row of cup holders 506 to the inner row of cup holders 508 by the slide assembly 530. The side sensor 589 can be positioned at a certain height to horizontally detect a portion of a cup 50 that passes through and above the outer turntable 505, as well as extending above the outer turntable 505. It should be understood that in other embodiments, one or more additional sensors can be used and positioned to detect the presence of a cup 50 in other locations, or to detect the presence of a cup 50 in all cup holders on the outer turntable 505. In addition, the side sensors 589 may be movable, such as driven by a motor, to sense cups 50 in other locations, or may include sensor arrays in various orientations to sense cups 50 in any combination of cup holders in the outer turntable 505. The sensors 588, 589 may be photoelectric, ultrasonic, passive infrared or other motion sensors, infrared transducers, ultrasound, cameras, computer vision, combinations thereof, or any other known or later developed sensor capable of detecting the presence of one or more cups in the inner and / or outer rows of cup holders 506, 508.

[0158] The following is a brief overview of the operation of a portion of a beverage production system 500 according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the slide assembly 530 is positioned to transfer cups 50 from the outer row of cup holders 506 to the inner row of cup holders 508 immediately prior to dispensing and filling the cups 50 in the outer turntable 505. As the cups 50 are dispensed and filled, the completed beverages remain in the cup holders on the outer turntable 505. As the outer turntable 505 rotates (e.g., clockwise) to continue dispensing and filling the beverage, the side sensor 589 determines whether a cup 50 is present in a cup holder adjacent to the slide assembly 530. If no cup 50 is detected, the outer turntable 505 can be rotated to continue filling the beverage. However, if the side sensor 589 detects a cup 50 in an adjacent cup holder on the outer turntable 505, the upper sensor 588 detects whether a cup 50 is present in the inner row of cup holders 508 at the location where the cup 50 was transferred by the slide assembly 530 to the inner turntable 507. If the upper sensor 588 determines that there is no cup 50 in the adjacent inner row of cup holders 508, the slide assembly is actuated and the cup 50 is moved or transferred from the outer row of cup holders 506 to the inner row of cup holders 508. The outer turntable 505 is then rotated to fill the cup holder vacated by the transfer with the next beverage. However, if the upper sensor 588 detects a cup 50 in an inner row of cup holders 508 adjacent to the slide assembly 530, the inner turntable 507 is rotated (e.g., in either direction) to determine whether the next inner row of cup holders is occupied. If the next inner row of cup holders is occupied, the inner turntable 507 continues to rotate until an empty cup holder is found or all cup holders in the inner turntable 507 are determined to be occupied. The system can employ logic to periodically rotate or recheck the outer and inner turntables 505, 507 for empty cup holders.

[0159] Figure 31 Details regarding the sink 600 are shown. In this embodiment, the sink 600 is substantially rectangular, but in other embodiments may be oval, circular, or otherwise shaped. The sink 600 may be constructed of plastic, polymer, aluminum, or other materials. In this embodiment, the sink 600 is a single, unitary component constructed of a substantially polymeric material. Also refer to Figure 32 , the sink 600 has an upper outer edge 601 that extends around the sink 600 from a recessed basin 602. The upper outer edge 601 is provided for holding and positioning the sink 600 within a cabinet, frame, or other structure (not shown) of the beverage production system 500. The recessed basin 602 has a wall 604 that extends from a top surface 606 of the sink 600 to a bottom surface 608 that defines a generally circular shape of the recessed basin 602. The sink 600 includes an opening or drain 610 on the bottom surface 608 where spillage and waste from beverages produced by the beverage production system 500 can be collected and removed from the sink 600. A pipe (not shown) can be connected to the drain 610 to drain spillage and waste.

[0160] refer to Figures 31-33 , the sink 600 and the recessed basin 602 are sized to receive the modified turntable assembly 504. In this view, the outer and inner turntables 505 and 507 with the outer and inner rows of cup holders 506 and 508 are shown positioned in the recessed basin 602 of the sink 600. Notably, the cup holders 506a (discussed in more detail below) are positioned in the recessed basin 602. Figure 31 is shown as being disposed in the outer row cup holder 506 and in Figure 33 In some embodiments, for example, Figure 31-3 6 , the cup holder 506 a may be provided only in the outer row of cup holders 506 , and the inner row of cup holders 508 may not include the cup holder 506 a , but rather the structure of the cup holder may be integrally formed as a part of the inner turntable 507 .

[0161] The recessed basin 602 may include a lip 612 extending around an upper portion of the recessed basin 602 (see FIG. Figure 32 ), which is configured to receive the outer edge 614 of the outer turntable 505 (see Figure 31 ). The wall 604 may include ribs 616 or other various configurations extending from the wall 604 to facilitate engagement with a mating portion (not shown) of the outer turntable 505. In addition, a feature 619, such as a track or channel, is formed in the bottom 608 of the sink 600. The feature 619 is configured to facilitate guided movement of the upper magnetic assembly 560 on the bottom 608 of the sink 600, as described above with respect to Figure 27-3 0, when the sliding assembly 530 is actuated.

[0162] The sink 600 may also include a centering post 618 disposed in the middle of the recessed basin 602 and extending from the bottom 608 of the sink 600, which is configured to mate with an opening 620 in the center of the inner turntable 507. In some embodiments, the centering post 618 is provided to orient the inner turntable 507 to rotate about the centering post 618. In this embodiment, the motor or drive may be located elsewhere and engage the inner turntable 507 to rotate the inner turntable 507. Also refer to Figure 34 , showing a side view of the sink 600. In this embodiment, the centering post 618 can be omitted, and an opening (not shown) can be provided in the bottom 608 of the sink 600 in the place of the centering post 618. The motor 630 can drive the shaft 632, which passes through the opening, and the engaging end 634 of the shaft 632 (see also Figure 35 ) can be configured to connect to the inner turntable 507 to rotate the inner turntable 507. In this embodiment, the inner turntable 507 is formed with a centrally located opening that is formed to cooperate with the engagement end 634 of the shaft 632 for rotation. Figure 34As shown, it can be seen that the sink 600 generally slopes from the left side 635 to the right side 636 toward the drain 610 to promote the flow of liquid overflow in the recessed basin 602 toward the drain 610 for drainage.

[0163] exist Figure 35 In the illustrated embodiment, sink 600 may also include an inner wall 638 that generally defines an inner concentric ring within recessed basin 602 (relative to the outer concentric ring defined by wall 604 of recessed basin 602), which is sized and configured to receive inner turntable 507. In this embodiment, inner wall 638 does not form a complete circle and includes an opening 640. Opening 640 is provided on modified turntable assembly 504 at the location where cups 50 are transferred from the outer row of cup holders 506 to the inner row of cup holders 508 by slide assembly 530, as previously described, to allow cups 50 to pass therethrough. Inner wall 638 may provide additional structure to stabilize inner turntable 507 during rotation and may also act as a barrier to prevent cups 50 that do not transition between inner and outer turntables 505 and 507 from dislodging or sliding out of the inner row of cup holders 508 during rotation. In this embodiment, inner wall 638 may prevent liquid spills from directly reaching drain 610. Therefore, in this embodiment, the inner wall 638 can be provided with a drainage channel opening 642 at the lower portion of the wall 638 adjacent to the bottom 608 of the sink 600. The drainage channel opening 642 can be located on the side of the wall 638 closest to the drain opening 610, so that the inclined overall design of the bottom 608 of the sink 600 discussed above (see FIG. Figure 34 ) allows overflow to leave the area within the inner wall 638 and flow toward the drain 610.

[0164] from Figure 29-35 As can be seen, each individual cup holder 506a, outer and inner turntables 505 and 507, and upper magnetic assembly 560 of slide assembly 530 are easily removable, either individually or together, to facilitate cleaning of the individual cup holders 506a, outer and inner turntables 505 and 507, and upper magnetic assembly 560. Once removed, the sink 600 and recessed basin 602 can be accessed and cleaned, regardless of whether the sink 600 is removed, and any excess liquid from cleaning will flow along the slope toward drain 610 and out of the sink 600. Thus, the inner turntable 507 can be removed by simply pulling the inner turntable 507 from its engagement end 634 with the shaft 632 (see also FIG. 1 ). Figure 35 ) is lifted from the stationary engagement of the inner turntable 507 to easily remove and return it to its position in the sink. Similarly, the outer turntable 505 can be easily removed and returned to its position in the sink 600 without any disassembly or reassembly of the drive system or other components.

[0165] Figure 36A -E is a perspective view illustrating one embodiment of a drive system 700 for driving the outer turntable 505. Figure 36A An outer turntable 505 is shown disposed in a recessed basin 602 of a sink 600. In this embodiment, the drive system 700 may include two clamping drives 704 and two idler pulleys 706 mounted to the sink 600. Each clamping drive 704 includes an electric motor 702, although pneumatic or other systems may be used in other embodiments. The motor 702 drives upper and lower clamping rollers 708, 710. In some embodiments, the motor 702 may drive rotation of both the clamping rollers 708, 710, while in other embodiments, the drive may only drive rotation of the lower clamping roller 710, with the upper clamping roller 708 being provided for stabilization and tensioning, or vice versa. The clamping drives 704 and upper and lower clamping rollers 708, 710 may be provided in a manner similar to the embodiment of the present invention. Figure 36E , where the edge portion 712 of the outer turntable 505 is shown positioned between the upper and lower pinch rollers 708, 710 such that the upper and lower pinch rollers 708, 710 frictionally engage the upper and lower surfaces of the edge portion 712 of the outer turntable 505. Thus, when the motor 702 drives one or both of the pinch rollers 708, 710, the frictional engagement of the upper and lower pinch rollers 708, 710 with the edge portion 712 of the outer turntable 505 facilitates rotation of the outer turntable 505 in a desired direction.

[0166] The idler pulley 706 includes an idler roller 714 and a weight bearing 716. The idler roller 714 is positioned against and engages the outer edge of the outer turntable 505 and is provided to tension and stabilize the outer turntable 505 along a horizontal plane parallel to the upper horizontal surface of the outer turntable 505. Similarly, the weight bearing 716 is positioned below and engages the lower surface of the rim portion 712 of the outer turntable 505 and is provided to tension and stabilize the outer turntable 505 along a vertical plane parallel to the vertical surface of the wall 604 of the recessed basin 602, for example, to prevent the outer turntable 505 from sagging near the location of the idler pulley 706. The upper and lower clamp rollers 708, 710, the idler roller 714, and the weight bearing 716 can be constructed of rubber or other materials to promote frictional engagement of the rollers with the surface of the outer turntable 505.

[0167] While the clamping drives 704 and idler pulleys 706 are shown as being positioned at certain locations around the water tank 600 and outer turntable 505, in other embodiments, the clamping drives 704 and idler pulleys 706 may be provided in other arrangements and configurations. Similarly, while two clamping drives 704 and two idler pulleys 706 are shown, it is contemplated that fewer or more may be provided in other embodiments. Furthermore, while two idler pulleys 706 are described, it will be understood that the idler pulleys 706 are primarily used to support the outer turntable 505, and that other support structures or systems readily apparent to those skilled in the art may be used.

[0168] refer to Figure 37, a portion of a beverage production system 500 is shown in greater detail. A cup 50 is shown positioned in one of the outer rows of cup holders 506 (shown in partial cross-section) of a modified carousel assembly 504 (shown in partial cross-section). Also shown are a capping and printing assembly 502 and a beverage dispensing station 503.

[0169] Also refer to Figure 38 , showing the capping and printing assembly 502 in more detail. The capping and printing assembly 502 includes a sealing film 544, an inline printer 540, and a perforator 542. The sealing film 544 can be provided in roll form (as shown) and is located on a series of rollers 546. The sealing film 544 can be fed into one or more motor-driven rollers 548 so that when the sealing film 544 is pulled by the one or more motor-driven rollers 548, the roll of sealing film 544 unwinds and extends over the cup 50, into a position for sealing as a lid 60. The inline printer 540 prints beverage identification indicia on the upper side or top side of the sealing film 544 so that it is visible to the waiter or customer. The beverage identification indicia can identify the type and size of the beverage, the associated order number, the customer's name, or any other useful or identifying information.

[0170] The perforator 542 can puncture holes, score lines, or create various indentations in the sealing film 544 to facilitate, for example, but not limited to, the introduction of a straw through the sealing film 544. The heat sealing head 550 is positioned over the sealing film 544 and the lip or rim of the cup 50. The heat sealing head 550 can then be powered to generate heat to heat-seal the sealing film 544 to the lip or rim of the cup 50. The sealing film 544 can then be separated, for example, but not limited to, by cutting the sealing film 544 or tearing along the perforated or scored portion of the sealing film 544. The present disclosure also contemplates that in other embodiments, the printing, perforating, and heat-sealing processes can occur in other orders.

[0171] Figure 38 Also shown is a lift assembly 580. The lift assembly 580 is used to vertically lift the cup 50 from its seated position in the outer row cup holder 506 to bring the top lip or rim of the cup 50 to a position below the capping and printing assembly 502 for capping the cup 50. The lift assembly 580 includes a linear actuator 582 and a cup centering device 584. The cup centering device 584 is coupled to an elbow 586 extending from the bottom of the linear actuator 582. A belt-driven motor (not shown) drives the linear actuator 582 up and down in a vertical direction perpendicular to a plane parallel to the surface of the modified turntable assembly 504. The belt-driven motor (not shown) can be electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, or the like. A plunger and limit switch 583 are configured to determine when the linear actuator 582 has vertically lifted the cup 50 to a position sufficient for capping.

[0172] Also refer to Figure 39A , shows a top view of a portion of the modified turntable assembly 504. It can be seen that the cup centering device 584 is located in an opening in the bottom 590 of the outer row of cup holders 506. In this embodiment, the cup centering device 584 is cross-shaped and extends through a larger, but similarly configured, cross-shaped opening 581 in the bottom of the outer row of cup holders 506. Figure 39B A more detailed perspective view of one of the outer row cup holders 506 (also referred to as cup holders 506a) is further shown. A cup centering device 584 is configured to engage the bottom of a cup 50 and vertically lift the cup 50 out of the outer row cup holders 506 when the linear actuator 582 is raised. The cup centering device 584 can be configured to facilitate engagement of the bottom of the cup 50 so that the cup centering device 584 is substantially centered on the bottom of the cup 50 to stabilize the cup 50 during lifting and lowering. While the cup centering device 584 is shown as being generally cross-shaped, other shapes and configurations for engaging the bottom of a cup 50 for this purpose will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0173] When the capping and printing process is complete, the linear actuator 582 lowers the cup 50 back into position in the outer cup holder 506. Before rotating the outer turntable 505, the linear actuator 582 can be further lowered so that the cup centering device 584 is located below the bottom of the outer cup holder 506 and has a gap therebetween to avoid interfering with the rotation of the outer turntable 505.

[0174] In other embodiments (not shown), all or part of the capping and printing assembly 502 may be positioned above the cup 50 and moved vertically downwardly to the cup 50 to cap the cup 50 while the cup 50 remains stationary in the outer row of cup holders 506 .

[0175] Figure 40A Another view of a portion of a beverage production system 500 is shown. An ice chute 594 is shown connected to a portion of an ice dispenser 596 for dispensing ice into cups 50 located in the outer row of cup holders 506. In this embodiment, as previously described with reference to FIG. Figure 12 As discussed, the ice dispenser 596 is configured to provide ice only to cups 50 on the outer row of cup holders 506 . Figure 40B and 40CAdditional portions of the beverage production system 500 are shown. As can be seen, the beverage production system 500 includes the cup dispensing station 130, the ice dispensing chute 594, the beverage dispensing station 503, and the serially positioned printing and capping assembly 502. Thus, the beverage production system 500 fulfills an order by dispensing cups 50 into outer row cup holders 506, dispensing ice into the cups 50, filling the cups 50 with the beverage via the beverage dispensing station 503, and capping and printing a label onto the cups 50 via the capping and printing assembly 502. As described above, this process also includes moving filled beverages from the outer row cup holders 506 to the inner row cup holders 508 as needed so that more beverages can be prepared and stored until retrieved for service.

[0176] It will be appreciated that the overall configuration of the beverage production system 500 may have advantages over the beverage production system 100 described further above. For example, beverage delivery may be accomplished only in the outer rows of cup holders 506 by providing only a single station for each process of dispensing cups, ice, beverages, and caps, as opposed to multiple rows requiring multiple stations for each process, thereby requiring additional space, equipment, and complexity.

[0177] Now refer to Figure 41 , shows another embodiment of a beverage production system 800. The beverage production system 800 includes a support table 810 and several components of the system described above, including a beverage processing assembly 120 located on the support table 810, and an ice chamber 112 and an electronic device housing 814 disposed below the table 810.

[0178] The beverage processing assembly 120 includes a plurality of stations for performing various stages or steps of the beverage production process. Specifically, the beverage processing assembly 120 includes a cup dispensing station 130, an ice dispensing station 180, a beverage dispensing station 190, and a capping station 200. Beverages can be produced by advancing through the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 using a conveyor assembly 822.

[0179] Now refer to Figure 42 , the conveyor assembly 822 includes a central hub 824 and a plurality of cup holders 828 movably coupled to the hub 824. Specifically, the central hub 824 has an oblong or racetrack-shaped periphery or side surface 826. The cup holders 828 are movably coupled to the central hub 824 so that during operation, the cup holders 828 can traverse along the periphery 826 to advance through the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 of the beverage processing assembly 120.

[0180] Now refer to Figure 43In some embodiments, cup holders 828 can be coupled to a continuous conveyor belt 821 that rotates about a pair of pulleys 823. The conveyor belt 821 can include a belt or chain coupled to a plurality of cup holders 828. Specifically, each cup holder 828 includes a cup holder 829 that is coupled to the conveyor belt 821 with a support 827. Each pulley 823 includes a central axis 825. During operation, one or both of the pulleys 823 can be actuated (e.g., via an electric, pneumatic, hydraulic motor, or other suitable drive) to rotate about the respective axis 825, thereby causing the conveyor belt 821 to rotate generally about the central hub 824. The rotation of the conveyor belt 821 about the pulleys 823 also causes the cup holders 828 to move along the periphery 826 of the central hub 824.

[0181] In various embodiments, the cup holder 828 may include many different shapes, designs, and features. For example, referring now to Figure 44 In some embodiments, the cup holder 829 may include a ring that can tightly engage the cup 50 to prevent (or at least limit) movement of the cup 50 therein as the cup holder 828 moves along the periphery 826 of the central hub 824 during operation. Figure 42 and 43 ).

[0182] Now refer to Figure 45 In some embodiments, the cup holder 829 can include a cup-shaped member having a sidewall 841 and a bottom 842. In some embodiments, the sidewall 841 can loosely contact the cup 50 to allow some movement of the cup 50 within the cup holder 829 during operation.

[0183] Now refer to Figure 46 In some embodiments, the cup holder 829 may include a plurality of leaf spring elements 844 that are biased to engage with a cup 50 ( Figure 42 and 43 In some embodiments, the leaf spring element 844 can engage with the cup 50 to prevent movement of the cup 50 during operation.

[0184] Now refer to Figure 47In some embodiments, the cup holder 829 can include a pair of gripper arms 846 that can be actuated to engage and retain a cup 50 during operation. For example, in some embodiments, one or both of the gripper arms 846 can be pivotally coupled to an elongated member 848 that is telescopically inserted into the support 827. A biasing member 849 (e.g., a coil spring) can be coupled to the elongated member 848 to bias the elongated member 848 into the support 827. When the elongated member 848 moves into the support 827 (e.g., via the biasing member 849), the gripper arms 846 can engage the support 827 and rotate toward each other about an axis 845. Thus, during operation, when a cup 50 is inserted into the holder 829, the gripper arms 846 can close onto the inserted cup 50 via the spring force provided by the biasing member 849. In addition, in some embodiments, an additional support ring 843 can be included on the bracket 829 below the gripper arms 846 to provide additional support for the cup 50 inserted therein. Without wishing to be bound by any particular theory, the actuation of the gripper arms 846 can allow cups of different sizes (e.g., having different widths) to be securely held within the cup holder 829 during operation. In some embodiments, when the bracket 829 is aligned with the cup dispensing station 130, the gripper arms 846 can be actuated away from each other against the spring force provided by the biasing member 849 to receive the dispensed cup 50. The actuation of the gripper arms 846 away from each other can be accomplished by engagement of the gripper arms 846 (or components coupled thereto) with cam surfaces on or adjacent to the conveyor assembly 822.

[0185] Now refer to Figure 42 and 43 As will be described in more detail below, during operation, the cup holder 828 can be moved along the periphery 826 of the central hub 824 to align the cup holder 828 (particularly the cup holder 829) with the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 to dispense the cup 50, ice, beverage, and lid 60, respectively, as part of the beverage production process.

[0186] refer to Figure 41 The beverage production system 800 may include systems that are substantially similar in operation and configuration to the aforementioned systems, such as the tubular cartridge 132 of the cup dispensing station 130 , the dispenser 134 , the beverage dispensing nozzle 194 , and the tubular cartridge 202 containing the lid 60 of the capping station 200 .

[0187] In addition, the beverage production system 800 is provided with a user interface 116. An employee or customer can select a desired beverage on the user interface 116 and then initiate the beverage production process generally described above. In some embodiments, the beverage production system 800 can receive a command to produce a beverage via other electronic devices that are communicatively coupled to the beverage production and distribution system 800 via a suitable network or connection. For example, in some embodiments, the beverage production system 800 can receive a command to produce a beverage from a point-of-sale system of a restaurant or catering facility, which can receive orders from customers or employees. In some embodiments, the point-of-sale system can include a portion of a computer system that also includes the beverage production system 800 (e.g., the computer system 400 described above).

[0188] Once the beverage production system 800 receives a command to produce a beverage, the cup holder 828 can be advanced in the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 via the conveyor assembly 822 as previously described. Simultaneously, the components and mechanisms within each station 130, 180, 190, 200 can be actuated in the manner described above to produce the beverage.

[0189] In some embodiments, the beverage production system 800 may include a beverage identification assembly 860 to identify beverages that have advanced through the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 and are ready for retrieval by an employee or customer. Specifically, the beverage identification assembly 860 may include a plurality of lights 862 (e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs) and / or other suitable light emitting devices) coupled to the beverage processing assembly 120, which are configured to emit light of a selected color that may correspond to a particular beverage (or order). During operation, a cup 50 (including or not including a lid 60) may be aligned with a selected light 862 via the conveyor assembly 822, and the light 862 emits light of a color corresponding to the aligned beverage. In some embodiments, the light 862 may include an electronic display (e.g., a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic LED (OLED) display, a micro-LED display) that can display an image (e.g., text and / or symbols) to convey sufficient information for identifying the beverage (e.g., name, order number, table number, vehicle identification).

[0190] Now refer to Figure 48 , shows another embodiment of a beverage production system 900. The beverage production system 900 may include many features that are substantially similar in configuration and operation to the aforementioned systems, such as a support table 810, a beverage processing assembly 120 positioned on the support table 810, an ice chamber 112 supported above the beverage processing assembly 120, and an electronic device housing 814 disposed below the table 810.

[0191] The beverage processing assembly 120 includes a plurality of stations for performing various stages or steps of the beverage production process. Specifically, the beverage processing assembly 120 includes a cup dispensing station 130, an ice dispensing station 180, a beverage dispensing station 190, and a capping station 200.

[0192] Beverages can be produced by advancing the turntable 922 through the stations 130, 180, 190, 200. More specifically, the turntable 922 is a cylindrical member that includes a plurality of cup holders 925 disposed around its peripheral edge. During operation, a driver (e.g., an electric motor, a hydraulic motor, a magnetic motor, a pneumatic motor) can rotate the turntable 922 about a central axis 927 to align the cup holders 925 with the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 to dispense cups 50, ice, beverages, and lids 60, respectively, as part of the beverage production process.

[0193] In this embodiment, reference is now made to Figure 48 and 49 , a plurality of silos 132 are coupled to and extend from respective dispensers 134. The silos 132 can receive a plurality of stacked cups 50 therein. Each dispenser 134 is generally aligned with a cup holder 925 such that during operation, cups 50 can be supplied from the silos 132 to the dispensers 134 and then dispensed from the dispensers 134 into aligned cup holders 925 on the carousel 922. In some embodiments, the silos 132 can be detached from the dispensers 134 to facilitate loading of cups 50 therein.

[0194] In some embodiments, each dispenser 134 can be configured to dispense different sizes and / or types of cups 50 into the cup holders 925 during operation. Figure 48 As shown, the dispensers 134 are arranged such that for a particular rotational position of the turntable 922 about the axis 927 , each dispenser 134 is aligned with a different one of the cup holders 925 .

[0195] Now specific reference Figure 49 Each dispenser 134 includes a central axis 135, a first or upper side 134a, and a second or lower side 134b opposite the upper side 134a. A receiving aperture 136 extends axially through the dispenser 134 between the sides 134a, 134b relative to the axis 135. A corresponding cartridge 132 is engaged within the receiving aperture 136 on the upper side 134a and extends away from the upper side 134a along the axis 135. During operation, a cup 50 dispensed from the cartridge 132 passes through the receiving aperture 136 and is ejected from the lower side 134b.

[0196] The dispenser 134 has an internal chamber 167 into which the cup 50 can enter and exit via the receiving aperture 136. A ring gear 166 is disposed within the chamber 167 and aligned with the receiving aperture 136 along the axis 135. A drive gear 168 engages (e.g., meshes) with gear teeth or other suitable structure on a radially outer surface of each ring gear 166. The drive gear 168 is coupled to a driver 162 that can be mounted within the internal chamber 167. During operation, the driver 162 can rotate the drive gear 168 to thereby drive the ring gear 166 to rotate about the axis 135. In some embodiments, the driver 162 includes an electric motor; however, in other embodiments, the driver 162 may include a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor, etc. A plurality of wedges 164 are located within the ring gear 166, each wedge 164 including a cylindrical body 174 having a central or longitudinal axis. Other operations of the dispenser 134 are similar to those described above with respect to Figure 6 and Figure 7 The basic similarity described.

[0197] Now refer to Figure 50 , shows another embodiment of a beverage production system 1000. Similar to the systems discussed above, the beverage production system 1000 includes a support table 810, a beverage processing assembly 120 located on the support table 810, an ice chamber 112 supported above the beverage processing assembly 120, and an electronic device housing 814 disposed below the table 810.

[0198] The beverage processing assembly 120 includes a plurality of stations for performing various stages or steps of the beverage production process, which can be similar in configuration and operation to the previously described systems, such as a cup dispensing station 130, an ice dispensing station 180, a beverage dispensing station 190, and a capping station 200. Beverages can be produced by advancing through the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 using a conveyor assembly 1122. In some embodiments, the configuration and operation of the conveyor assembly 1122 can be similar to those described above with respect to the beverage production process. Figures 42-47 The conveyor belt 822 is similar. Similarly, the cup dispensing station 130 and the capping station 200 can operate according to any of the various configurations discussed above.

[0199] The beverage production system 1000 may also include a beverage identification component 1260, which may include a plurality of emitters 1262 coupled to the beverage processing component 120 and configured to emit light 1264 onto the cup 50 and (if present) the lid 60, which may be used to identify a particular beverage or beverage order. In some embodiments, the light 1264 may be color-coded so that a particular beverage (or order) is identified by a different color. In some embodiments, the light 1264 may form an image (e.g., text and / or symbols) on the beverage that may provide sufficient information (e.g., name, order number, table number, vehicle identification). In some embodiments, the emitters 1262 may include light emitting diodes (LEDs) and / or other suitable light emitting devices.

[0200] Figures 51-53 A beverage production system 1300 of yet another embodiment is shown. Beverage production system 1300 can be similar in some respects to various beverage production systems previously described (e.g., beverage production system 500). For example, in this embodiment, a modified turntable assembly 504 includes an outer turntable 505 and an inner turntable 507. However, in this embodiment, the outer turntable 505 does not have an outer row of cup holders 506, but rather is a flat rotating surface or disc 1302. Disc 1302 can be made of a variety of materials, including plastic or polymer materials, rubber, stainless steel, or other materials. In some embodiments, disc 1302 can be made of a material that promotes frictional engagement of cups 50 with disc 1302 to prevent the cups 50 from sliding on disc 1302 while still allowing the cups 50 to be transferred to disc 1302. In this embodiment, the inner turntable 507 continues to have an inner row of cup holders 508. In this embodiment of the beverage production system 1300, the inner row of cup holders 508 (also referred to as cup holders 506a in this description) is a separate, removable component from the inner turntable 507, although it is contemplated that these components may be integrally formed in other embodiments. Similar to the above, the inner and outer turntables 505 and 507 are configured to rotate independently of each other and may include a drive, motor, and gearbox (not shown), the operation of which is similar to that described above with respect to the inner and outer turntables 124, 126 and the beverage production system 500.

[0201] The beverage production system 1300 employs another embodiment of the cup dispensing station 130. In this embodiment, a plurality of tubular silos 132 are secured above a modified carousel assembly 504 and arranged to dispense cups 50 of various sizes into the inner rows of cup holders 508. The cups 50 are automatically dispensed from the tubular silos 132 in the various ways described above. For example, when a beverage of a specific size is ordered, the beverage production system 1300 uses the techniques described herein to cause the tubular silo 132 containing the ordered size cups 50 to dispense or drop the cups 50 into the cup holders 508 directly below.

[0202] In this embodiment, the beverage is prepared in the inner turntable 507 and moved to the outer turntable 505 for the user to retrieve. Figure 53 , the beverage production system 1300 includes a circular dividing wall 1304 located between the inner and outer turntables 507, 505. The dividing wall 1304 provides a barrier to assist in positioning the cup 50 in the inner row of cup holders 508 as the cup 50 is dropped into the inner row of cup holders 508 and rotated to a station for receiving ice and beverages.

[0203] Also refer to Figure 54 In some embodiments, a sink 1307 similar to the sink 600 described above can be used in this embodiment and can be modified to include a divider wall 1304 as part of or integral with the sink 1307. The divider wall 1304 includes a gap 1306 such that the divider wall 1304 does not extend completely around the circumference of the inner turntable 507. The gap 1306 in the divider wall 1304 is located at a transfer position 1308, where the cup 50 is transferred from the inner row of cup holders 508 to the disk 1302 of the outer turntable 505. Similar to the above, the cup holders 508 can include a cup holder opening 1310 to allow a transition arm 1312 of a transition assembly (not shown) to slide a cup 50 located in an adjacent cup holder 508 onto the outer turntable 505. The transition assembly can be similar to the slide assembly 530 discussed above and can be magnetically driven, or can include other motors or drives to drive the transition arm 1312 to achieve such movement of the cup 50, as is well known to those skilled in the art. The function of the transition arm 1312 can be similar to the arm 532 of the transition assembly 530 discussed above. In this embodiment, the transition arm 1312 is a substantially cylindrical shaft, but can be configured in other ways in other embodiments.

[0204] Also refer to Figure 55 , the transition arm 1312 is shown in the extended position. Also shown is a transition platform 1314 located between the cup base bottom 1316 and the disc 1302. It will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the width of the dividing wall 1304 can create a spacing difference between the cup base bottom 1316 and the disc 1302. The transition platform 1314 spans the space between the cup base bottom 1316 and the disc 1302 to allow for a smooth and uniform transition or movement of the cup 50 from the cup base 508 to the disc 1302. In addition, from Figure 54 and 55 As can be seen in the embodiment shown in FIG, the inner turntable 507 includes an upper frame 1318, which is a substantially circular plate configured with a U-shaped opening 1320 for receiving the cup holder 506a. In this embodiment, the upper lip 1322 of the cup holder 506a extends above the U-shaped opening 1320 and rests on the upper frame 1318 by gravity.

[0205] Figure 55 The sink 1307 is shown exposed by removing the upper frame 1318 and a plurality of cup holders 508. Although the upper frame 1318 and cup holders 508 are depicted as separate components, these and other components of the beverage production system described herein may be integrally formed into one or more unitary components for ease of construction, operation, or other considerations.

[0206] Also shown are drive system components 1324 , which may include motors, rollers, and other components, as previously described or otherwise required, for rotating the inner and / or outer turntables 507 , 505 .

[0207] Figure 56 Another view of the cup holder 506a according to this embodiment is shown. In this figure, the upper lip 1322 and the cup holder opening 1310 can be seen. Also refer to Figure 57 , illustrating the bottom side 1326 of the cup holder 506a. As will be discussed in more detail below, in this embodiment, the entire cup holder 506a can be raised from the inner turntable 507 as part of the beverage dispensing process. While in this embodiment, the cup holder 506a is raised for capping the cup 50, in other embodiments, the cup holder 506a can also be raised for dispensing ice and / or adding a beverage to the cup 50. According to this embodiment, the bottom side 1326 of the cup holder 506a is provided with a groove 1328 for secure and stable lifting. While this embodiment illustrates the groove 1328, other embodiments contemplate various configurations of the bottom side 1326 of the cup holder 508 for stably engaging the cup holder 508 during vertical movement, as will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art.

[0208] Figure 58 One embodiment of a lift mechanism 1330 is shown, configured to vertically lift the cup holder 508 during beverage dispensing. In this embodiment, the lift mechanism 1330 is positioned below the inner turntable 507 and the water tank 1307, adjacent to the cup holder 508 to be raised for capping and printing. The lift mechanism 1330 generally includes a drive system 1332 and a plurality of lift shafts 1334. The lift shafts 1334 are connected to the drive system 1332 such that when the drive system 1332 is actuated, the drive system 1332 causes the lift shafts 1334 to vertically lift. While the drive system 1332 can operate in a variety of ways, in this embodiment, the drive system 1332 can include a stepper motor 1336 and a lead screw 1338 connected thereto.

[0209] Also refer to Figure 59, a positioning plate 1340 can be installed in the sink 1307 adjacent to and below the location of the cup holder 508 to be lifted. The positioning plate 1340 is provided with a plate opening 1342 sized to receive the lifting shaft 1334 therethrough. When the lifting shaft 1334 is actuated by the drive system 1332, the lifting shaft end 1344 is configured and arranged to engage the groove 1328 on the bottom side 1326 of the cup holder 506a. Although the lifting mechanism 1330 is shown as having three (3) lifting shafts 1334, other numbers of lifting shafts 1334 can be used.

[0210] Figure 60 and 61 A view of the capping and printing system 1350 is shown positioned above the inner turntable 507 and above the cup holder 508 to be lifted by the lifting mechanism 1330. In this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 1330 lifts the cup holder 506a for capping and printing the cup 50 positioned in the cup holder 508. As described above, in other embodiments, additional lifting mechanisms 1330 may be provided to lift additional cup holders 508 in other beverage dispensing positions. The capping and printing system 1350 may include aspects of the capping and printing assembly 502 discussed above for capping and printing. For example, the capping and printing system 1350 may include the sealing film 544, the inline printer 540, and the perforator 542, as described above, as well as other components. In this manner, when the cup holder 508 is lifted, the cup 50 positioned therein is positioned within the opening 1352 of the capping and printing system 1350 for capping and printing the cup 50.

[0211] Figure 62 The positions of the ice dispensing station 180, the beverage dispensing station 190, and the capping and printing system 1350 are shown according to one embodiment. It can be seen that when the inner turntable 507 rotates clockwise, the cup 50 is dispensed into the cup holder 508, the cup 50 is positioned under the ice dispensing station 180 to dispense ice into the cup 50, then to the beverage dispensing station 190 to dispense the beverage into the cup 50, and then to the capping and printing system 1350 to cap the cup 50 and provide an identifying mark on the cap.

[0212] In this embodiment, the beverage dispensing station 190 includes two (2) nozzles 1353A, 1353B for dispensing beverages, although other numbers of nozzles are contemplated. In this embodiment, the first nozzle 1353A can be used to substantially fill the cup 50 with the beverage at a first position 1354, while the second nozzle 1353B can be used to top off or complete the filling of the beverage at a second position 1356. It may be useful to provide two beverage filling positions to completely fill the cup 50 with the desired beverage. However, in other embodiments, the first and second nozzles 1353A, 1353B can be used to dispense different types of beverages to provide redundancy, or to increase the production or quantity of beverages that can be dispensed.

[0213] Once a beverage is dispensed on the inner turntable 507, the filled cup 50 can be transferred to the outer turntable 505 via the transition arm 132. The outer turntable 505 can then be indexed or rotated clockwise one or more cup positions to provide space for the next completed beverage. By providing the outer turntable 505 with a disc 1302 rather than a separate cup holder, this design can provide the benefit of providing additional space for more completed beverages and also allow for easier access to completed beverages.

[0214] In operation, the beverage production system 1300 can receive input from a point of sale or other system (e.g., the computer system 400 discussed above). In addition, sensors positioned at various locations around the beverage production system 1300 can be used to control the advancement of the inner and outer turntables 507, 505 to ensure that, for example, finished beverages on the disk 1302 are accessible to the user and do not interfere with newly dispensed beverages from the inner turntable 507.

[0215] While the beverage production system 1300 is described as having cup holders 508 only on the inner turntable 507 and no cup holders on the outer turntable 505, it is contemplated that in other embodiments, the outer turntable 505 may have one or more cup holders 506a, and the inner turntable 507 may have fewer or no cup holders 508. Furthermore, while beverage production is described in this embodiment as being performed on the inner turntable 507, it is contemplated that beverages may also be dispensed on the outer turntable 505, or both. Furthermore, while the filled beverage is described as being transferred from the inner turntable to the outer turntables 507, 505, the filled beverage may remain on the inner turntable 507, or may be filled on the outer turntable 505 and transferred to the inner turntable 507.

[0216] Figure 63A scraper 1360 is shown engaging the disk 1302 to remove material 1362 that may collect on the upper surface 1364 of the disk 1302. It will be appreciated that during beverage dispensing, material, such as beverage spillage, ice, and moisture, may collect on the upper surface 1364 of the disk 1302. When a cup 50 is transferred to the disk 1302, the upper surface 1364 may become slippery, and the cup 50 may not remain stable on the disk 1302 and may undesirably slide or move on the disk 1302 as the outer turntable 505 rotates or indexes. In this embodiment, the scraper 1360 may include a body 1366 having an engagement member 1368 connected to its lower end 1370. The engagement member 1368 is positioned adjacent to the upper surface 1364 of the disk 1302. As the disk 1302 rotates, the engagement member 1368 engages and wipes or removes moisture that may have collected on the upper surface 1364 of the disk 1302. In this embodiment, the scraper 1360 is located adjacent the left side 1372 of the beverage production system 1300 and is arcuate across the width of the disk 1302. Moisture collected by the engagement member 1368 can be wiped or swept from the disk 1302 to be collected in the channel 1374 between the disk 1302 and the dividing wall 1304. The channel 1374 can be formed as part of the gutter 1307 or otherwise provided for removing waste material 1362 to a drain, as described above. In some embodiments, multiple scrapers 1360 can be used and provided at other locations around the disk 1302, so long as the scrapers 1360 do not interfere with the finished beverage rotating on the disk 1302. For example, during beverage production, it may be convenient to prevent a filled beverage from rotating or indexing beyond the left side 1372 of the beverage production system 1300, as the beverage may become out of reach of the user. Therefore, the scraper 1360 may preferably be located adjacent to the disk 1302, in a position to avoid engaging the filled beverage. Although the scraper 1360 is described as having an arcuate design, other embodiments are contemplated in which the scraper 1360 may be substantially straight, wedge-shaped, or configured in other ways. In other embodiments, the scraper 1360 may be located adjacent to the disk 1302 and periodically actuated, for example, via a motor, to wipe the upper surface 1364 of the disk 1302, and then stored in a position away from the upper surface 1364 to allow the finished beverage on the disk 1302 to pass through without engaging the scraper 1360. Other configurations will also occur to those skilled in the art.

[0217] Although the systems described herein, including beverage production systems 100, 500, 800, 900, 1000, and 1300 and their respective various subsystems, assemblies, and components, have been described individually, the present disclosure contemplates implementations in conjunction with any arrangement of the various systems and subsystems described above. As one example of contemplated alternatives and combinations, with respect to Figure 37The capping system described can be used in place of Figure 15-20 Furthermore, it is envisaged that a beverage identification system, e.g. Figure 41 and 50 Those described in , can be used in any other beverage production system described herein. Similarly, although not all described beverage production systems use a user interface 116 for selecting the desired beverage on the user interface 116 and connecting via a point of sale system, or are provided with a water tank below the conveyor belt, the present disclosure contemplates such a combination with any disclosed beverage production system. As a further example, although only two turntables are shown in the beverage production system 500, namely the outer turntable and the inner turntable 505 and 507, one or more additional concentric rows of turntables can be added to increase the total number of beverages that can be prepared and stored for retrieval. In addition, it is envisioned that the beverage production system 500 or other systems can be used in combination with additional conveyors, wherein the beverage is moved from the production conveyor belt or turntable to a conveyor belt that transports the beverage to other places in the institution to customers or employees, to further improve convenience and efficiency. These are just some examples of the combinations contemplated by the present disclosure. For the sake of brevity, each contemplated combination will not be discussed, but it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. In view of the present disclosure, these and other combinations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the various components and support structures may be constructed from metals or metal alloys, plastic or polymer materials, or any suitable material.

[0218] Embodiments disclosed herein include beverage production systems and related methods that can further improve the efficiency of the beverage production process by automating many, most, or substantially all steps involved in producing a beverage. Thus, by utilizing the embodiments disclosed herein, the number of manual steps required to produce a beverage can be reduced, thereby increasing the efficiency of the beverage production process and improving the overall food service operation. Although exemplary embodiments have been shown and described, modifications thereof may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope or teachings herein. The embodiments described herein are intended to be exemplary only and not restrictive. Many variations and modifications of the systems, devices, and processes described herein are possible and are within the scope of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but is limited only by the claims that follow, the scope of which shall include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Unless expressly stated otherwise, the steps in a method claim may be performed in any order.

Claims

1. A beverage production system, characterized in that: include: a cup dispensing station configured to dispense cups; a beverage dispensing station configured to dispense a beverage; as well as A turntable assembly, comprising: central axis; an interior turntable, including a row of cup holders; and An outer turntable is circumferentially arranged around the inner turntable; wherein the inner turntable is configured to rotate about the central axis to align the rows of cup holders with the cup dispensing station and the beverage dispensing station; wherein the turntable assembly is configured to align an opening in the turntable assembly with a cup holder in the row, the opening being adjacent to the outer turntable; and An actuator is configured to move cups positioned in the cup holders of the row onto the outer turntable.

2. The beverage production system according to claim 1, characterized in that The outer turntable comprises a circular disc having a substantially flat circular surface.

3. The beverage production system according to claim 2, characterized in that Also included is a scraper disposed adjacent to the disc.

4. The beverage production system according to claim 2, characterized in that A portion of the scraper is in contact with the flat circular surface of the disk.

5. The beverage production system according to claim 2, characterized in that The actuator includes a slide assembly including an arm configured to slide the cups positioned in the cup holders of the row onto the puck of the outer turntable.

6. The beverage production system according to claim 1, characterized in that Also included is a water tank, and wherein at least a portion of the turntable assembly is adjacent to the water tank.

7. The beverage production system according to claim 6, characterized in that The bottom of the sink is angled relative to the top of the sink such that the bottom slopes toward the drain opening of the sink.

8. The beverage production system according to claim 1, characterized in that Each cup holder in the row is individually removable.

9. The beverage production system according to claim 1, characterized in that A first drive system drives the outer turntable and a second drive system drives the inner turntable, such that the first and second drive systems enable the outer turntable and the inner turntable to move independently.

10. The beverage production system according to claim 9, characterized in that Also included is a processor, a display, and circuitry operably coupled to the first and second drive systems, the cup dispensing station, the beverage dispensing station, and the actuator to dispense a beverage.

11. The beverage production system according to claim 1, characterized in that Also included is a processor, circuitry, and one or more sensors coupled to the beverage production system and configured to rotate the outer turntable so that cups on the outer turntable do not completely rotate a full revolution around the outer turntable.

12. The beverage production system according to claim 1, characterized in that Also included is a lifting assembly configured to vertically lift a cup holder containing a cup out of the inner turntable.

13. The beverage production system according to claim 12, characterized in that A capping assembly is also included, and wherein the lifting assembly is configured to lift the cup holder to engage the cup contained in the cup holder with the capping assembly for capping the cup.

14. The beverage production system according to claim 13, characterized in that The capping assembly is configured to position a film lid over an upper rim of the cup and heat seal the film lid to the upper rim of the cup.

15. A method for producing a beverage, characterized in that include: dispensing cups into cup holders in an inner turntable of the turntable assembly at a cup dispensing station; dispensing beverages into the cups in the inner turntable of the turntable assembly at a beverage dispensing station; rotating the inner turntable about a central axis of the turntable assembly to align the cup holders in the inner row with openings between the inner turntable and an outer turntable of the turntable assembly, the outer turntable being disposed circumferentially around the inner turntable; as well as Cups are moved from the cup holders in the inner row through the aligned openings onto the outer turntable via an actuator.

16. The method according to claim 15, characterized in that The outer turntable comprises a circular disc having a substantially flat circular surface.

17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that Also included is providing a scraper adjacent the disk.

18. The method according to claim 17, characterized in that Also includes: rotating the disc; as well as At least part of the material on the upper surface of the disk is removed via the scraper.

19. The method according to claim 14, wherein The method further includes vertically lifting the cup holder above the inner turntable via a lifting assembly.

20. The method according to claim 19, characterized in that The method further includes capping an upper edge of the cup via a capping assembly when the cup in the cup holder is lifted above the inner turntable.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein Also included is independently rotating the inner and outer turntables.

Images