Automated beverage dispensing system and method

Abstract

To provide an automated beverage dispensing system and method.SOLUTION: The beverage production system includes: a cup dispensing station configured to dispense cups; a beverage dispensing station configured to dispense a beverage; and a turntable assembly. The turntable assembly includes a central axis, an inner turntable including a first row of cup receptacles, and an outer turntable including a second row of cup receptacles. The outer turntable is disposed circumferentially about the inner turntable, and the outer turntable is configured to rotate about the central axis to align the cup receptacles of the second row with the cup dispensing station and the beverage dispensing station. The turntable assembly is configured to align an opening in a cup receptacle in the second row with an opening in a cup receptacle in the first row.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Background technology]

[0001] Restaurants and other dining establishments may distribute large numbers of beverages to customers during a period of operation. As a result, the dining establishments may have beverage dispensers or other similar systems that may be used by customers and / or employees to efficiently produce beverages. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0002] The following discussion is directed to various embodiments, however, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the examples disclosed herein have a wide range of applications, and the discussion of any embodiment is meant to be merely illustrative of that embodiment, and is not intended to suggest that the scope of the disclosure, including the claims, is limited to that embodiment.

[0003] The drawing figures are not necessarily to scale: certain features and components herein may be shown exaggerated in scale or in somewhat schematic form, and some details of conventional elements may not be shown for clarity and conciseness.

[0004] In the following discussion and claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are used in a non-limiting manner and should therefore be interpreted to mean "including, but not limited to...". Also, the terms "couple" or "couples" are intended to mean either an indirect or direct connection. Thus, when a first device couples to a second device, the connection may be through a direct connection of the two devices or through an indirect connection established via other devices, components, nodes, and connections. In addition, as used herein, the terms "axial" and "axially" generally mean along or parallel to a given axis (e.g., the central axis of a body or port), while the terms "radial" and "radially" generally mean perpendicular to a given axis. For example, an axial distance refers to a distance measured along or parallel to an axis, and a radial distance means a distance measured perpendicular to an axis.

[0005] As described above, beverages may be produced in a restaurant or dining establishment using a beverage dispenser or other similar system. However, many such devices require physical human interaction throughout many (or all) of the steps of the beverage production process. For example, when producing a beverage in a beverage dispenser, a server, customer, etc. may still be required to take a cup, align and hold the cup under the nozzle of the selected beverage type, engage with the device to cause it to dispense the desired beverage, or otherwise interact with it. Each of these additional manual interactions may add time and complexity to the beverage production process, and thus reduce the efficiency of the overall food service operation.

[0006] Thus, the embodiments disclosed herein include beverage production systems and associated methods that may further increase the efficiency of the beverage production and distribution process by automating many, most, or substantially all of the steps to produce a beverage. Thus, through the use of the embodiments disclosed herein, the number of manual steps that may be required to fulfill a beverage order may be reduced, thereby increasing the efficiency of the beverage production process and improving overall food service operations. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] For a detailed description of various exemplary embodiments, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings.

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a beverage production system according to some embodiments.

[0009] [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a beverage handling assembly of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0010] [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a turntable assembly of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0011] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a cup dispensing station of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0012] [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a dispenser of the cup dispensing station of FIG. 4 according to some embodiments.

[0013] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an enlarged side view of the ring gear and wedge assembly of the distributor of FIG. 5 in a first position according to some embodiments.

[0014] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of the ring gear and wedge assembly of FIG. 6 in a second position according to some embodiments.

[0015] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a top view of a wedge assembly that may be used in the cup dispensing station of the beverage production and dispensing system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0016] [Figure 9] 9-11 are perspective views of a cup dispensing station of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 10] 9-11 are perspective views of a cup dispensing station of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 11] 9-11 are perspective views of a cup dispensing station of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0017] [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of an ice dispensing station of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0018] [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a beverage dispensing station of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0019] [Figure 14] 14 and 15 are schematic side views of a capping station of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments. [Figure 15] 14 and 15 are schematic side views of a capping station of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0020] [Figure 16]FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a capping station of the beverage production and dispensing system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0021] [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a top view of a pair of converging rails of the capping station of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0022] [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a lid press of the capping station of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0023] [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a compression belt for securing lids to cups in the lid applying station of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0024] [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a roller assembly for securing lids to cups in the capping station of the beverage production and dispensing system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0025] [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram of a heat seal capping assembly of the capping station of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0026] [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a side view of a beverage identification assembly of the beverage production system of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments.

[0027] [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a flow diagram of a method for producing a beverage, according to some embodiments.

[0028] [Figure 24]FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram of a computer system suitable for implementing one or more embodiments disclosed herein.

[0029] [Diagram 25] FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a beverage production system according to yet another embodiment.

[0030] [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a perspective view of a modified turntable assembly of the beverage production system of FIG. 25 according to one embodiment.

[0031] [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a partial cutaway view of the modified turntable assembly of FIG. 26 shown with a slide assembly, according to one embodiment.

[0032] [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is an enlarged perspective view of the slide assembly illustrated in FIG. 27, according to one embodiment.

[0033] [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is a side perspective view of another embodiment of a modified turntable assembly and slide assembly.

[0034] [Figure 30A] 30A is a perspective view of the upper and lower magnetic assemblies of the slide assembly shown in FIG. 29 according to another embodiment.

[0035] [Figure 30B] FIG. 30B is a perspective view of the upper and lower magnetic assemblies and the inner rotating stage according to another embodiment.

[0036] [Figure 30C] FIG. 30C is a perspective view of the underside of a slide assembly and modified turntable according to another embodiment.

[0037] [Diagram 31] FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a modified turntable assembly positioned within a sink according to another embodiment.

[0038] [Diagram 32] FIG. 32 is a perspective view of a sink and drain according to one embodiment.

[0039] [Diagram 33] FIG. 33 is a perspective view of a modified turntable assembly positioned within a sink with the cup holder removed, according to another embodiment.

[0040] [Diagram 34] FIG. 34 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the sink with the modified turntable assembly removed.

[0041] [Diagram 35] FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a sink and drain, according to one embodiment.

[0042] [Figure 36-1] 36A-E are diagrams of a modified turntable assembly drive system, according to one embodiment. [Figure 36-2] 36A-E are diagrams of a modified turntable assembly drive system, according to one embodiment.

[0043] [Figure 37] FIG. 37 is another perspective view of the beverage production system of FIG. 25 illustrating a lid fastener and print assembly according to one embodiment.

[0044] [Figure 38] FIG. 38 is a diagram of a capping and printing assembly and a lifting assembly according to one embodiment.

[0045] [Figure 39A]FIG. 39A is a top view of a portion of a modified turntable assembly and lifting assembly, according to one embodiment.

[0046] [Figure 39B] FIG. 39B is a perspective view of a cup container according to one embodiment.

[0047] [Figure 40A] FIG. 40A is a perspective view of a portion of the beverage production system of FIG. 25 according to one embodiment.

[0048] [Figure 40B] 40B and 40C are perspective views of other portions of the beverage production system of FIG. 25 according to further embodiments. [Figure 40C] 40B and 40C are perspective views of other portions of the beverage production system of FIG. 25 according to further embodiments.

[0049] [Diagram 41] FIG. 41 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a beverage production system.

[0050] [Diagram 42] FIG. 42 is a perspective view of a conveyor assembly of the beverage production system of FIG. 41 according to some embodiments.

[0051] [Diagram 43] FIG. 43 is a top view of the conveyor assembly of FIG. 42 according to some embodiments.

[0052] [Diagram 44] 44-47 are perspective views of a cup receptacle of the conveyor assembly of FIG. 42 according to some embodiments. [Diagram 45] 44-47 are perspective views of a cup receptacle of the conveyor assembly of FIG. 42 according to some embodiments. [Figure 46]44-47 are perspective views of a cup receptacle of the conveyor assembly of FIG. 42 according to some embodiments. [Figure 47] 44-47 are perspective views of a cup receptacle of the conveyor assembly of FIG. 42 according to some embodiments.

[0053] [Figure 48] FIG. 48 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a beverage production system.

[0054] [Figure 49] FIG. 49 is a side cross-sectional view of a cup dispensing station of the beverage production system of FIG. 48 according to some embodiments.

[0055] [Figure 50] FIG. 50 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a beverage production system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0056] 1, a beverage production system 100 is shown, according to some embodiments. As will be described in more detail below, the beverage production system 100 may be used to automatically prepare and dispense complete or substantially complete beverages during operation, thereby reducing the number of manual actions performed by servers, customers, etc. Generally, the beverage production system 100 includes an ice chamber 112, a cabinet 114, and a beverage handling assembly 120 positioned between the ice chamber 112 and the cabinet 114.

[0057] 1 and 2, the beverage handling assembly 120 includes a number of stations for performing various stages or steps of the beverage production process. In particular, the beverage handling assembly 120 includes a cup dispensing station 130, an ice dispensing station 180, a beverage dispensing station 190, and a lidding station 200. A beverage may be produced by progressing through stations 130, 180, 190, 200 using the turntable assembly 122.

[0058] 2 and 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 that is circumferentially disposed about the inner turntable 124. The inner turntable 124 includes and defines a first or inner row 154 of cup receptacles 125, and the outer turntable 126 includes and defines a second or outer row 156 of cup receptacles 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. In particular, in some embodiments, the first row 154 and the second row 156 extend circumferentially about a central axis 155 such that the cup receptacles 125 in the rows 154, 156 are arranged concentrically about the axis 155.

[0059] 3, the inner rotating platform 126 and the outer rotating platform 124 are supported by a base plate 149. More specifically, the base plate 149 includes a pair of circumferential rails 148, 147 that support the rotating platforms 124, 126, respectively, via a pair of bearings 144, 146, respectively. The bearings 144, 146 may facilitate rotation of the rotating platforms 124, 126 about a central axis 155 relative to the base plate 149 during operation. In some embodiments, the bearings 144, 146 may comprise wheels, sliding surfaces, and / or other suitable components or features for facilitating movement (e.g., rotation) of the rotating platforms 124, 126 relative to the base plate 149. In other embodiments, the inner rotating platform 126 may be supported by a shaft (not shown) and the outer rotating platform 124 is supported along an outer diameter of the outer rotating platform 124 by a support structure (not shown) of the beverage production system 100.

[0060] The inner rotating bed 124 and the outer rotating bed 126 are received within an outer housing 140, which in turn is mounted on a base plate 149, concealing the rails 147, 148 and bearings 144, 146. A gearbox 142 is mounted to the outer housing 140, including one or more gears (not shown) that mesh with gear teeth or other suitable structure formed on the outer rotating bed 126. In other embodiments, one or both of the outer rotating bed 126 and the inner rotating bed 124 may be driven by rubber wheels (not shown) that are frictionally engaged on the outside of the rotating beds 124 and / or 126, or with other portions.

[0061] The first drive 141 and the second drive 143 are supported within a housing 145 that is coupled to a base plate 149 on a side opposite the rotating beds 124, 126 and the outer housing 140. However, in other embodiments (not shown), the second drive 143 may be mounted on the same side as the rotating beds 124, 126. In this embodiment, the output shaft of the first drive 141 extends through a first opening 150 in the base plate 149 and couples with the inner rotating bed 124, and the output shaft of the second drive 143 extends through a second opening 152 in the base plate 149 and engages with a gear in the gearbox 142. In some embodiments, the drives 141, 143 may comprise electric motors, however, in other embodiments, the drives 141, 143 may comprise pneumatic motors, hydraulic motors, etc.

[0062] During operation, the drives 141, 143 may be energized to rotate the turntables 124, 126, respectively, about a central axis 155. In particular, the first drive 141 may be energized to rotate the inner turntable 124 about axis 155, and the second drive 143 may be energized to rotate the outer turntable 126 about axis 155 via gears (not shown) in the gearbox 142. Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, rotation of the turntables 124, 126 about axis 155 may selectively progress beverages through stations 130, 180, 190, 200 in the beverage handling assembly 120. Because the turntables 124, 126 are rotated about axis 155 via separate drives (e.g., drives 141, 143 shown in FIG. 3), the turntables 124, 126 may be rotated about axis 155 independently of one another during operation. Without being limited to this or any other theory, the independent rotation of the turntables 124, 126 may provide redundancy to the beverage production system 100 in the event of failure of one or more of its components. Additionally, the independent rotation of the turntables 124, 126 may allow beverage production to be subdivided and organized via the rows 154, 156. For example, the rows 154, 156 may be arranged to produce beverages for different sources (e.g., drive-thru orders vs. dine-in orders) and / or may be used to produce different beverage types (e.g., carbonated vs. non-carbonated, hot vs. cold). Further details of embodiments of stations 130, 180, 190, 200 are now described below.

[0063] 1 and 4, in some embodiments, the cup dispensing station 130 includes a central axis 135, a dispenser 134, and a plurality of tubular magazines 132 coupled to the dispenser 134 and extending axially therefrom relative to the axis 135. Each magazine 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 receptacle 136 in the dispenser 134, and the upper end 132a is axially extended away from the dispenser 134. Each magazine 132 may receive and store a plurality of stacked cups 50. In some embodiments, the cups 50 may be loaded into the magazine 132 from the upper end 132a. In some embodiments, the magazine 132 may be decoupled from the dispenser 134 to facilitate loading of the cups 50 therein. In other embodiments (not shown), the exterior configuration of the multiple tubular magazines 132 may not be round, but may instead be hexagonal or other shape and may include openings on the sides of the tubular magazines 132 for receiving cups so that the cups may be loaded from the side instead of the top or bottom. In such embodiments, the hexagon or other shape may retain the cups based on the geometry of the tubular magazine 132 without the lid.

[0064] 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. The receptacle 136 extends axially through the dispenser 134 between the sides 134a, 134b relative to an axis 135. The magazine 132 is engaged within the receptacle 136 on the upper side 134a such that during operation, cups 50 dispensed from the magazine 132 move through the receptacle 136 and are ejected from the lower side 134b.

[0065] The distributor 134 is positioned within the housing 131. During operation, the distributor 134 may rotate within the housing 131 about the axis 135. A bearing 139 may be inserted within the housing 131 and engage a lower side 134b of the distributor 134, thus facilitating rotation of the distributor 134 about the axis 135 during operation. A driver 138 may be coupled to one or more gears 133 positioned within a gearbox 129 of the housing 131. In some embodiments, the driver 138 comprises an electric motor, however, in other embodiments, the driver 138 may comprise a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like. The one or more gears 133 may be coupled (e.g., meshed) with gear teeth or other suitable structure on a cylindrical outer surface 134c of the distributor 134. A top plate 137 may cover the gearbox 129, and the driver 138 may be supported on the top plate 137. In other embodiments, the distributor 134 may be driven by a timing belt pulley (not shown) that is engaged with an upper portion of the distributor 134 .

[0066] 1 and 4 , during operation, the driver 138 may rotate the dispenser 134 about the axis 135 via one or more gears 133. Specifically, the driver 138 may rotate the dispenser 134 to align selected ones of the magazines 132 and receptacles 136 in the dispenser 134 with the rows 154, 156 of cup receptacles 125 on the turntable assembly 122. In some embodiments, the magazine 132 may hold cups of different sizes and / or types that may be selectively aligned with the rows 154, 156 to produce a desired beverage during operation.

[0067] 5, in some embodiments, the dispenser 134 includes an outer housing 163 that defines an interior chamber 167. A cap 160 may be fitted to the housing 163 to close the chamber 167 and conceal components disposed therein (described in more detail below). The cap 160 may define an upper side 134a, and the housing 163 may define a lower side 134b and a cylindrical outer surface 134c of the dispenser 134.

[0068] A plurality of ring gears 166 are disposed within the chamber 167 and aligned with each of the containers 136 along a corresponding axis 165. A drive gear 168 is engaged (e.g., meshed) with gear teeth or other suitable structure on a radially outer surface of each of the ring gears 166. The drive gears 168 are coupled to a driver 162, which may be mounted to the cap 160. For example, the drive gear 168 may be engaged with an output shaft (not shown) of the driver 162 that extends through a suitable opening (not shown) in the cap 160. During operation, the driver 162 may rotate the drive gears 168, thereby driving the rotation of the ring gears 166 about the corresponding axis 165. A bearing 169 may be disposed within the chamber 167 to facilitate and support the rotation of the ring gears 166 about the axis 165. In some embodiments, the driver 162 comprises an electric motor, however, in other embodiments, the driver 162 may comprise a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like.

[0069] Each axis 165 is parallel to and radially offset from the central axis 135. In some embodiments, the axes 165 are uniformly circumferentially spaced about the axis 135. In the embodiment of the cup dispensing station 130 shown in Figures 4 and 5, there are a total of three magazines 132, and thus three receptacles 136. As a result, the axes 165 are circumferentially spaced about 120° from each other about the axis 135. In other embodiments, more or less than three magazines 132 may be included to accommodate a desired number of cup sizes or types.

[0070] A plurality of wedge members 164 are positioned within each ring gear 166. Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, each wedge member 164 includes a cylindrical body 174 including a central or longitudinal axis 175. Within each ring gear 166, the axis 175 of the wedge members 164 may be parallel to the axis 165 and radially offset therefrom. The body 174 includes a plurality of gear teeth 176 extending circumferentially about the axis 175. The teeth 176 may 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 results in rotation of the wedge members 164 about the axis 175 via the engagement of the teeth 172, 176.

[0071] A pair of wedges 178, 179 extend radially outward from body 174. Wedges 178, 179 may extend radially outward from radially opposite sides of body 174 relative to axis 175. In some embodiments, wedges 178, 179 may extend approximately 180° circumferentially about body 174; however, wedges 178, 179 may extend more or less than 180° circumferentially about body 174 in some embodiments. Additionally, wedges 178, 179 are axially spaced from one another such that wedge 178 may be axially positioned above wedge 179 along axis 175. Thus, wedge 178 may be referred to herein as a first or upper wedge 178 and wedge 179 may be referred to herein as a second or lower wedge 179 .

[0072] During operation, the wedge members 164 may rotate about axis 175 to cause the wedges 178, 179 to engage the cups 50 extending into the receptacle 136 of the dispenser 134. Generally speaking, the upper wedge 178 may engage between axially adjacent cups 50 to remove the cups 50 from the dispenser 134 when desired, and the lower wedge 179 may support the cups 50 within the dispenser 134 when the cups 50 are not to be dispensed therefrom. In particular, during operation, each wedge member 164 may transition between a first position shown in FIG. 6 and a second position shown in FIG. 7 to selectively remove and dispense the cups 50 from the dispenser 134. In the first position (FIG. 6), the lower wedge 179 may be rotated circumferentially about axis 175 to extend radially inward toward the axis 165 and thus the cups 50. As a result, the lower wedge 179 of each wedge member 164 can engage with the edge 52 of the bottom cup 50 in the dispenser 134 to prevent the cup 50 from falling through the dispenser 134 when the wedge assembly 164 is in the first position (FIG. 6).

[0073] When it is desired to dispense a cup 50 from the dispenser 134, the wedge member 164 may be transitioned from a first position (FIG. 6) to a second position (FIG. 7) by rotating the body 174 about an axis 175, thereby engaging the upper wedge 178 between the edges 52 of the two lowest cups 50 in the dispenser 134. The upper wedge 178 may have an axial width (e.g., relative to the axis 175) that tapers axially as it moves circumferentially about the body 174 such that as the body 174 rotates about the axis 175 from the first position (FIG. 6) to the second position (FIG. 7), the edges 52 of adjacent cups 50 are progressively forced apart along the axis 165 until the contact between adjacent cups 50 is reduced axially to a point where the lowest cup 50 may drop axially through the receptacle 136 and into the cup receptacle 125 in one of the rows 154, 156 on the turntable assembly 122 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When in the second position (FIG. 7), the undispensed cups 50 in the dispenser 134 may be supported by the upper wedge 178.

[0074] Once the bottom cup 50 has been dispensed from the dispenser 134, the wedge assembly 164 may again be transitioned from the second position (FIG. 7) back to the first position (FIG. 6) by rotating the body 174 about the axis 175, thereby realigning the lower wedge 179 within the cup 50. As the body 174 is rotated about the axis 175 from the second position (FIG. 7) to the first position (FIG. 6), the cup 50 may drop downwardly along the axis 165 such that the edge 52 of the bottom cup 50 in the dispenser 134 engages the lower wedge 179 as previously described. Thus, once the wedge assembly 164 has returned to the first position (FIG. 6), the dispenser 134 is again ready to dispense another cup 50 in the manner described above. In some embodiments, the wedge assembly 164 may be transitioned from a first position (FIG. 6) to a second position (FIG. 7) and back to the first position (FIG. 6) via continuous rotation of the body 174 about the axis 175 (e.g., a full 360° about the axis 175).

[0075] Although several specific examples of cup dispensing station 130 are described above, it should be understood that various features of cup dispensing station 130 may be modified, substituted, or eliminated in various embodiments, and some embodiments of cup dispensing station 130 may include additional features. For example, with reference to FIG. 8, in some embodiments, dispenser 134 may include one or more reciprocating wedge members 270 centered within container 136 instead of, or in addition to, wedge member 164. Wedge member 270 includes one or more wedges 272 that may slidingly engage between axially adjacent cups 50 along edges 52 as wedge 270 is translated radially inward toward axis 165. The wedge 272 may include a sloped or angled surface such that as the wedge 270 translates radially inward toward the axis 165, adjacent cups 50 are moved axially away from one another along the axis 165 so that the bottom cup 50 may generally be removed to drop through the container 136 as described above.

[0076] Referring now to FIG. 9, in some embodiments, the cup dispensing station 130 may include a gripper arm 274 that can grasp the cups 50 extending through the dispenser 134 and pull them downward toward the turntable assembly 122 (Note: to simplify the drawing, only a schematic depiction of the outer row 156 is provided in FIG. 9).

[0077] 10, in some embodiments, the magazine 132 may linearly reciprocate along a track 276 or other structure to selectively align the magazine 132 with the rows 154, 156 of the turntable assembly 122 (FIG. 2). (Note: FIG. 10 again includes only a schematic representation of one of the rows 156 to simplify the drawing.) In some of these embodiments, the cups 50 may be dispensed from the magazine 132 via any of the methods and systems described herein and / or other known methods and systems. FIG. 10 depicts the gripper arm 274 of FIG. 9 to illustrate some examples.

[0078] 11, in some embodiments, the magazine 132 may be fixed and aligned with the rows 154, 156 of the turntable assembly 122 (FIG. 2). In some of these embodiments, additional magazines 132 may be included to allow different cup sizes and types to be dispensed onto each of the rows 154, 156 (Note: FIG. 11 again includes a schematic representation of only one of the rows 156 to simplify the drawing). In some of these embodiments, the cups 50 may be dispensed from the magazine 132 via any of the methods and systems described herein.

[0079] 2, after a cup 50 is dispensed into one or both cup receptacles 125 of rows 154, 156 of the turntable assembly 122, the turntables 124, 126 are rotated about axis 155 to advance the empty cup 50 to an ice dispensing station 180. Now referring to FIG. 12, in some embodiments, the ice dispensing station 180 includes an inlet 182, a pair of outlets 188, 189, and a chute 185 positioned between the inlet 182 and the outlets 188, 189. The outlet 188 may be aligned with the inner row 154 of the cup receptacles 125 (FIG. 2), and the outlet 189 may be aligned with the outer row 156 of the cup receptacles 125 (FIG. 2).

[0080] Inlet 182 may be coupled to or may comprise part or all of ice chamber 112 shown in FIG. An agitator 184 is disposed within inlet 182. Agitator 184 includes a plurality of paddles 186 that are driven to rotate within inlet 182 by a drive 187. Engagement between the paddles 186 and the ice within inlet 182 helps to break up any ice jams therein and ensure continued progression of the ice through inlet 182 and into chute 185.

[0081] A dispensing valve 181 is positioned within the chute 185. The dispensing valve 181 may generally comprise a gate valve transitionable between a first or closed position (shown in solid lines in FIG. 12 ) to block the progression of ice through the chute 185 towards the outlets 188, 189, and a second or open position (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 12 ) to allow ice to progress through the chute 185 towards the outlets 188, 189. In some embodiments, a driver 183 may actuate the dispensing valve 181 between the closed and open positions by pivoting the valve 181 about a hinge 177. In some embodiments, the dispensing valve 181 may translate in and out of the chute 185 in a direction that is generally perpendicular to the flow or movement of ice within the chute 185 during operation.

[0082] In some embodiments, an outlet selection valve 193 is coupled to the outlets 188, 189. The outlet selection valve 193 may comprise a gate 173 that is pivotable about a hinge 191 to selectively block one of the outlets 188, 189. In particular, a driver 192 may pivot the gate 173 about the hinge 191 to a first position (shown in solid lines in FIG. 12 ) to block the outlet 188 such that ice traveling out of the chute 185 is directed into the outlet 189. In addition, the driver 192 may pivot the gate 173 about the hinge 191 to a second position (shown in dotted lines in FIG. 12 ) to block the outlet 189 such that ice traveling out of the chute 185 is directed into the outlet 188.

[0083] 2 and 12, the outlets 188, 189 may be aligned with the rows 154, 156. Thus, during operation, when ice is to be dispensed into a cup 50 received in a cup receptacle 125 of one of the rows 154, 156, the driver 183 may transition the dispensing valve 181 to an open position so that the ice may proceed through the chute 185 under gravity. Depending on whether a cup for receiving ice is positioned in a cup receptacle 125 of the inner row 154 or the outer row 156, the driver 192 may pivot the gate 173 of the outlet selection valve 193 to a first position or a second position to direct the ice out the desired corresponding outlet 188, 189. During these operations, the driver 187 may rotate the paddle 186 of the agitator 184 in the inlet 182 to ensure continued progression of ice toward the chute 185.

[0084] In some embodiments, the outlet selection valve 193 may be replaced with a valve pair or gate assembly coupled to the outlets 188, 189. Thus, in these embodiments, ice may be dispensed out of one or both of the outlets 188, 189 by actuating a gate assembly (not shown) for the selected outlet 188, 189 during operation.

[0085] Valves (e.g., valves 181, 193, etc.) may be actuated to dispense ice out of outlets 188, 189 for a defined period of time to prevent overfill. In some embodiments, a suitable sensor or other measuring device may be included within ice dispensing station 180 to monitor the volume of ice dispensed from outlets 188, 189 to prevent overfill. In some embodiments, a weight or force sensor may be employed (e.g., within cup receptacle 125 of FIGS. 1 and 2) to monitor the combined weight of the cup and dispensed ice to prevent overfill. In these various embodiments, the amount of ice to be dispensed (and thus the various parameters for monitoring the amount of ice dispensed) may depend on the size of the cup 50 that is matched with ice dispensing station 180.

[0086] In some embodiments, the drives 187, 183, 192 may comprise electric motors, however, the drives 187, 183, 192 may comprise any suitable drive device, such as, for example, pneumatic motors, hydraulic motors, etc.

[0087] In other embodiments, instead of a pair of outlets 188, 189, ice dispensing station 180 may include only one outlet, such as either outlet 188 or 189, to dispense ice into cups 50 in only one of the rows, such as either the outer row or the inner row 154 or 156. For example, in this embodiment (not shown), outlet 189 may be omitted, as may drive 192 and pivot gate 173. Also, in this embodiment, agitator 184 and paddle 186 may be replaced with an auger or other element that operates for a defined duration and communicates with timing circuitry to dispense the appropriate amount of ice into the cups. This embodiment contemplates a variation of beverage dispensing system 100 that provides beverage fill in only one of inner row 154 or outer row 156, instead of beverage fill in both rows 154 and 156.

[0088] 2, after ice is dispensed into the cups 50 at the ice dispensing station 180, the turntables 124, 126 may rotate about axis 155 to align the cups 50 with a beverage dispensing station 190. The beverage dispensing station 190 includes a pair of nozzles 194, 196, where a first nozzle 194 is aligned with the inner row 154 of the cup receptacle 125 and a second nozzle 196 is aligned with the outer row 156 of the cup receptacle 125. During operation, the nozzles 194, 196 may dispense a selected beverage into the cups 50 positioned in the rows 154, 156, respectively.

[0089] 13, in some embodiments, the nozzles 194, 196 may each be coupled to a dispensing valve assembly 195. The dispensing valve assembly 195 may in turn 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 may be included to facilitate and control the flow of fluids from the sources 197, 198, 199, however, these additional components are not shown to simplify the drawings. During operation, when a cup (e.g., cup 50 of FIGS. 1 and 2) is aligned with one of the nozzles 194, 196, a selected beverage is dispensed by causing water to flow from one (or both) of the sources 197, 198 and flavorings to flow from one or more of the sources 199 to the dispensing valve assembly 195. The dispensing valve assembly 195 may then be operated to route the fluids to the selected nozzles 194, 196. The fluids may be mixed in and / or between the dispensing valve assembly 195, nozzles 194, 196 to form a selected beverage. In other embodiments, additional fluid sources may be connected to the dispensing valve assembly 195 to dispense beverages that do not require mixing, such as, but not limited to, juice, coffee, and milk.

[0090] 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 overfill. In some embodiments, the dispensing valve assembly 195 may additionally or alternatively monitor the volume of dispensed fluid to and from the nozzle 194, 196 (e.g., via flow rate sensors, pressure sensors, etc.) to prevent overfill. In some embodiments, weight or force sensors may be employed (e.g., in the cup receptacle 125 of FIGS. 1 and 2) to monitor the combined weight of the cup, ice (if applicable), and dispensed beverage to prevent overfill. In these various embodiments, the amount of fluid to be dispensed (and thus the various parameters for monitoring the amount of fluid dispensed) may depend on the size of the cup 50 that is matched with the beverage dispensing station 190.

[0091] While the embodiment of the beverage dispensing station 190 shown in FIG. 13 includes two nozzles 194, 196, it should be understood that different numbers and arrangements of nozzles may be utilized in other embodiments. For example, referring again to FIGS. 1 and 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 being limited to this or any other theory, the number and arrangement of the nozzles (e.g., nozzles 194, 196) of the beverage dispensing station 190 may allow a specific beverage or group of beverages to be dispensed from a selected nozzle, which may increase the number of beverages that may 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 separately coupled to sources 197, 198, 199 such that beverages may be dispensed simultaneously from various nozzles during operation. In embodiments where beverage is filled only on one of the inner or outer rows 154, 156 of cup receptacles, only one of the nozzles 194, 196 may be present.

[0092] 2, after the beverage is dispensed into the cup 50 via the beverage dispensing station 190, the turntables 124, 126 rotate about axis 155 to align the cup 50 with the lid application station 200. Generally speaking, the lid application station 200 may include a number of tubular magazines 202 that may receive and hold a number of lids 60 to be dispensed and deposited onto the cups 50 during operation.

[0093] Reference is now made to Figures 14 and 15, in which an embodiment of a lid application station 200 is shown. As shown in Figures 14 and 15, the magazine 202 includes a central or longitudinal axis 205, a first or upper end 202a, and a second or lower end 202b opposite the upper end 202a. The lids 60 may be stacked into the magazine 202 from the upper end 202a and dispensed from the magazine 202 at the lower end 202b via a lid dispensing assembly 210.

[0094] In some embodiments, the lid dispensing assembly 210 may include a grapple 214 pivotally coupled to the magazine 202 via a hinge 212 proximate the lower end 202b. A driver 226 is coupled to the grapple 214 and / or the hinge 212 that may selectively rotate the grapple 214 about the hinge 212 between a first position shown in FIG. 14 and a second position shown in FIG. 15. In some embodiments, the driver 226 may include an electric motor, however, in other embodiments, the driver 226 may include a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like.

[0095] The grapple 214 includes a first or inner end 214a proximate the hinge 212 and a second or outer end 214b that flares away from the hinge 212. In addition, the grapple 214 includes a first lid grip 216 at (or adjacent) the outer end 214b and a second lid grip 218 at (or adjacent) the inner end 214a. The first lid grip 216 and the second lid grip 218 may include teeth or other suitable structure that may engage and retain the lid 60 during a dispensing operation. The first lid grip 216 may be fixed in position at (or adjacent) the outer end 214b of the grapple 214, while the second lid grip 218 may be pivotally coupled to the grapple 214 at (or adjacent) the inner end 214a via a hinge 220. The second lid grip 218 may also be biased to rotate (e.g., via a torsion spring or other suitable device) about the hinge 220 such that the second lid grip 218 is biased into engagement with the lid 60 held by the grapple 214 (FIG. 14).

[0096] A lid 60 may be dispensed from the magazine 202 by rotating the grapple 214 to a first position of FIG. 14 and engaging the bottom lid 60 in the magazine 202. More specifically, in the position of FIG. 14, the lid 60 is grasped or engaged between the first lid grip 216 and the second lid grip 218. As explained above, the second lid grip 218 may be biased about the hinge 220 to engage the lid 60. Then, when it is desired to dispense a lid 60 onto the top of a cup (e.g., cup 50 of FIGS. 1 and 2) that is aligned with the lid applying station 200, the driver 226 may rotate the grapple 214 about the hinge 212 from the first position of FIG. 14 to the second position of FIG. 15. As the grapple 214 rotates about the hinge 212 to the second position of FIG. 15, the second lid grip 218 may engage a camming surface 224 coupled to (or mounted proximate to) the hinge 212. As a result, continued rotation of the grapple 214 about the hinge 212 toward the second position following engagement of the second lid grip 218 with the camming surface 224 may force the second lid grip 218 to rotate about the hinge 220, thereby disengaging from the lid 60 such that the lid 60 may fall under gravity toward the cup 50 aligned with it. The driver 226 may then rotate the grapple 214 about the hinge 212 back toward the first position of FIG. 14 to engage another lid 60. Because the grapple 214 pivots about the hinge 212 between a first position (FIG. 14) and a second position (FIG. 15) during the lid dispensing operation as described above, the lids 60 may be inserted "upside down" in the magazine (not shown) such that the bottom sides of the lids 60 face the cups 50 when they are rotated with the grapple 214 to the second position of FIG. 15.

[0097] In some embodiments, the grapple 214 may be omitted and the lid 60 may be dispensed from the magazine 202 via other systems and methods. Referring now to FIG. 16, in some embodiments, the magazine 202 may include a slot 230 extending radially through a wall of the magazine 202 at a point closer to the lower end 202b than to the upper end 202a. A lid 60 inserted into the upper end 202a of the magazine 202 may drop or otherwise progress axially downward through the magazine 202 along the axis 205 until it is aligned with the slot 230. A ram 232 may be coupled to the magazine 202 and aligned with the slot 230. The ram 232 may be selectively translated (e.g., via a suitable drive or actuator) radially relative to the axis 205 through the slot 230 during operation. Each time the ram 232 translates radially through the slot 230, the lid 60 may be pushed radially out of the slot 230 and the magazine 202, causing it to fall downward toward the cup 50 (which may be positioned within the container 125).

[0098] In some embodiments, the lid 60 dispensed from the lid application station 200 may be misaligned with the cup 50. Thus, in some embodiments, the dispensing mechanism (e.g., grapple 214) of the lid application station 200 may align the lid 60 with the cup 50 (e.g., such that the lid 60 is substantially centered on the top of the cup 50). In some embodiments, the lid application station 200 may include a separate device or assembly for aligning the lid 60 with the cup 50 following dispensing of the lid 60 (e.g., from the magazine 202). For example, referring now to FIG. 17 , the cup 50 and dispensed lid 60 may be routed (e.g., via the turntables 124, 126) between a pair of converging rails 234. The shape and position of the rails 234 may be selected such that the lid 60 may be aligned with the underlying cup 50 as the cup 50 and lid 60 are moved therebetween.

[0099] Once the lid 60 has been dispensed onto and aligned with the cup 50, the lid 60 may be stuck or pressed onto the cup 50. In some embodiments, the grapple 214 of FIGS. 14 and 15 may be translated axially relative to the axis 205 (e.g., independently or together with the magazine 202) to press the dispensed lid 60 onto the cup 50.

[0100] In some embodiments, the dispensed lid 60 may be compressed onto the cup 50 via a separate press or other suitable device. For example, referring now to FIG. 18, in some embodiments, a press 237 may engage the lid 60 after it is loosely fitted (e.g., dropped) onto the cup 50. The press 237 includes a plunger 236 coupled to a linear actuator 238. The plunger 236 may comprise any suitable shape that may correspond to the shape of the lid (e.g., lid 60 of FIGS. 14 and 15). The plunger 236 may be selectively extended and retracted along a central axis 235 via the linear actuator 238. In some embodiments, the linear actuator 238 may comprise a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder. In some embodiments, the linear actuator 238 may comprise an electric linear actuator.

[0101] 19, in some embodiments, dispensed lids 60 may be compressed onto cups 50 via a belt 240 that is spaced apart from rows 154, 156 (FIG. 2). In particular, during operation, the lids 60 and cups 50 are compressed between a corresponding cup receptacle 125 (not shown in FIG. 19) of the rows 154, 156 and the belt 240, thereby securing the lids 60 to the cups 50.

[0102] 20, in some embodiments, the lid applying station 200 may include a roller assembly 242 for compressing and securing the dispensed lid 60 onto the cup 50. The roller assembly 242 may include a ring 244 and a number of rollers 246 rotatably mounted to the ring 244. The rollers 246 may be generally cylindrical in shape 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 greater than 0° and less than 90° relative to the central axis 55. During operation, the cup 50 and dispensed lid 60 are aligned with the roller assembly 242, which is lowered to engage the lid 60 along the axis 55 and simultaneously rotated about the axis 55 such that the rollers 246 compress the lid 60 onto the cup 50.

[0103] 21, in some embodiments, the lid applying station 200 (FIGS. 1 and 2) may include a heat seal lid applying assembly 250. The heat seal lid applying assembly 250 includes a heat sealer 256 that may cut and heat seal a lid onto the cup 50 from a continuous belt of lid applying material 258 (e.g., a polymeric film) that is deployed from a start roller 252 and rolled up by a finish roller 254. In particular, the heat sealer 256 may include a heating element (not shown) and may be translated along an axis 55 toward the cup 50 to cut away a portion of the lid applying material 258 and fuse the lid applying material 258 to the periphery of the cup 50. In some embodiments, a pair of heat sealers 256 may be included within the heat seal lid applying assembly 250, with each heat sealer 256 aligned with a corresponding one of the rows 154, 156 of the turntable assembly 122. In some embodiments, each row 154 , 156 may be aligned with a separate and independent heat seal lidding assembly 250 .

[0104] In some embodiments, some or all of the capping process may be performed manually (e.g., by an employee or customer). For example, in some embodiments, the lid 60 may be manually collected and secured to the cup 50. In some embodiments, the capping station 200 may dispense (and potentially align) the lid 60 onto the cup 50, but the employee / customer may then manually compress the lid 60 onto the cup 50. Thus, in some embodiments, some or all of the capping station 200 may be omitted from the beverage handling assembly 120 (FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0105] 1 and 22, in some embodiments, the beverage production system 100 may include a beverage identification assembly 260 to identify beverages that have progressed through the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 and are ready for collection by an employee or customer. In particular, as shown in most detail in FIG. 22, the beverage identification assembly 260 may comprise a plurality of emitters 262 coupled to the beverage handling assembly 120 configured to emit light 264 onto the cup 50 and lid 60 (if present) that may be used to identify a particular beverage or beverage order. In some embodiments, the light 264 may be color coded to identify a particular beverage (or order) using different colors. In some embodiments, the light 264 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 262 may comprise light emitting diodes (LEDs) and / or other suitable light emitting devices.

[0106] 1 and 2, during operation, a command to produce a selected beverage may be received by suitable electronics (not shown) of beverage production system 100. For example, an employee or customer may select a desired beverage on user interface 110, which then generally initiates the beverage production process described above. In some embodiments, user interface 110 may comprise a touch-sensitive electronic display. In some embodiments, beverage production system 100 may receive commands to produce a beverage via other electronic devices that are communicatively coupled to beverage production and dispensing system 100 via a suitable network or connection. For example, in some embodiments, beverage production system 100 may receive commands to produce a beverage from a point of sale system of a restaurant or dining establishment that may receive an order via a customer or employee. In some embodiments, the point of sale system may comprise part of a computer system (e.g., computer system 400 described below) that also includes beverage production system 100.

[0107] Once a command to produce a beverage is received by the beverage production system 100, the turntables 124, 126 may be rotated about axis 155 to advance the cup receptacle 125 through the stations 130, 180, 190, 200. Simultaneously, the assemblies and mechanisms within each of the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 may operate in the manner described above to produce the beverage. Specifically, as described above, the cup dispensing assembly 130 may dispense a cup 50 from the magazine 132 into a cup receptacle 125 in one or both of the rows 154, 156, after which the cup 50 is aligned with the ice dispensing station 180, whereby ice is dispensed into the cup 50. In some instances, depending on the selected preferences for each beverage requested, ice may not be dispensed into the cup or cups when aligned with the ice dispensing station 180. The cup 50 and ice (if dispensed) are then aligned with the beverage dispensing station 190, whereby the selected beverage is dispensed into the cup 50 (e.g., via nozzles 194, 196). Depending on the capping system employed, the cup 50 may then be advanced to the capping station 200, whereby a lid 60 may be dispensed from a magazine 202 and secured onto the cup 50, or a film lid is placed onto the cup and secured, such as by heat sealing. Finally, with brief reference to FIGS. 1 and 22, after the cup 50 has been advanced past the capping station 200, the cup is generally moved to be aligned with the beverage identification assembly 260, which may then generally identify the particular completed beverage via projected light 264, as described above. As previously described, in some embodiments, some or all of the capping process may be performed manually, and thus the capping station 200 may be simplified or omitted entirely from the beverage handling assembly 120.

[0108] 23, a method 300 of producing a beverage using an embodiment of the beverage dispensing system 100 is shown, according to some embodiments. In some embodiments, one or more elements of the method 300 may be performed by components of the beverage handling assembly 120 as described herein and / or by a computer system (such as computer system 400, described in more detail below). Accordingly, in describing features of the method 300, continued reference is made to the beverage production system 100 shown in FIG. 1 and the beverage handling assembly 120 depicted in FIG. 2.

[0109] Initially, method 300 involves receiving an instruction (or command) to produce a desired beverage (or beverages) at block 302. The instruction may be generated or received via an employee or customer's interaction with a user interface device, such as user interface 110 shown in FIGURE 1. In some embodiments, the instruction may be generated or received by a point of sale system utilized by the restaurant or dining establishment as described above.

[0110] The method 300 also includes selecting a row 154, 156 on the turntable assembly 122 for producing a beverage at block 304. Notably, in some embodiments, the row selection at block 304 may be determined based on predefined rules for producing a beverage 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) may dictate the row 154, 156 selected at block 304. Additionally, in some embodiments, the type and / or size of the desired beverage may also dictate the row 154, 156 selected at block 304.

[0111] The method 300 also includes aligning the magazine 132 of the cup dispensing station 130 with the selected row 154, 156 and dispensing a cup 50 from the magazine 132, at block 306. As described above, the magazine 132 may hold cups 50 of different sizes and / or types therein. Thus, during operation, based on the instruction received at block 302, the magazine 132 holding the desired cup size and type may dictate the magazine 132 that should be utilized to dispense the cup 50 for the beverage production operation. In some embodiments, as described above, the dispenser 134 of the cup dispensing station 130 may be rotated (e.g., via the drive 138 shown in FIG. 4 ) to align the selected magazine 132 with the selected row 154, 156 on the turntable assembly 122.

[0112] The method 300 also includes aligning the dispensed cup 50 with an outlet 188, 189 of the ice dispensing station 180 and dispensing ice into the cup 50 from the aligned outlet 188, 189, at block 308. The outlet 188, 189 utilized to dispense the ice at block 308 may be dictated by the row 154, 156 selected at block 304. As explained above, in some embodiments, the outlet selection valve 193 (FIG. 12) may be actuated to direct the dispensed ice out the selected outlet 188, 189.

[0113] The method 300 also includes aligning the nozzles 194, 196 of the beverage dispensing station 190 with the cup 50 and dispensing the beverage from the aligned nozzles 194, 196 at block 310. Similar to the ice dispensing station 180, the nozzles 194, 196 utilized to dispense the beverage at block 310 may be dictated by the selection of the columns 154, 156 at block 304. In some embodiments, the aligned nozzles at block 310 may be selected based on the type of beverage being produced based on the instructions received at block 302.

[0114] The method 300 also includes, at block 312, dispensing a lid 60 onto the cup 50 using the capping station 200. In some embodiments, the capping station 200 may be operated to dispense a lid 60 onto the cup 50, which may then be manually secured by an employee or customer. In some embodiments, the capping station 200 may be operated to both dispense the lid 60 and secure the lid 60 to the cup 50.

[0115] In each of blocks 306, 308, 310, 312 of method 300, the turntables 124, 126 of the turntable assembly 122 may be rotated (e.g., via drives 141, 143) to align the cup receptacle 125 (and / or the cup 50 positioned therein) with the cup dispensing station 130, the ice dispensing station 180, the beverage dispensing station 190, and the lid-attaching station 200, respectively.

[0116] FIG. 24 illustrates a computer system 400 suitable for implementing one or more embodiments disclosed herein. For example, beverage production system 100 (FIG. 1) may include or be coupled to computer system 400. During operation, beverage production system 100 may utilize computer system 400 to receive and process beverage orders (or commands associated therewith) and operate various components of beverage handling assembly 120 as described above. In some embodiments, one or more components of computer system 400 may be located within cabinet 114 shown in FIG. 1. In other embodiments, beverage production system 100 may include all or some aspects of computer system 400, which is connected to a point of sale or other system, which also contains all or some aspects of computer system 400, or a combination thereof. Such a configuration allows beverage selection to be made in either beverage dispensing production system 100, the point of sale system, or both.

[0117] Computer system 400 includes a processor 402 (which may be referred to as a central processing unit or CPU) in communication with secondary storage 404, memory devices including 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.

[0118] It should be understood that by programming and / or loading executable instructions onto the computer system 400, at least one of the CPU 402, RAM 408, and ROM 406 is modified, transforming the computer system 400, in part, into a particular machine or device having novel functionality as taught by the present disclosure. It is fundamental to the electrical and software engineering arts that functionality that can be implemented by loading executable software into a computer can be translated into a hardware implementation by well-known design rules. The decision to implement a concept in software or hardware typically hinges on considerations of the stability of the design and the number of units to be produced, rather than any issues involved in translating from the software domain to the hardware domain. Generally, designs that still undergo frequent changes may be preferred to be implemented in software, since redoing a hardware implementation is more expensive than redoing a software design. Generally, stable designs that will be produced in large quantities may be preferred to be implemented in hardware, for example, in application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), since hardware implementation may be less expensive than software implementation for mass production processes. Often, designs are developed and tested in software form, and can later be transformed by well-known design rules into an equivalent hardware implementation in an application specific integrated circuit that physically incorporates the software's instructions. In the same way that a machine controlled by a new ASIC is a specific machine or device, similarly, a computer programmed and / or loaded with executable instructions can be considered a specific machine or device.

[0119] In addition, after the system 400 is turned on or started, the CPU 402 may execute a computer program or application. For example, the CPU 402 may execute software or firmware stored in the ROM 406 or stored in the RAM 408. In some cases, at startup and / or when an application is started, the CPU 402 may copy the application or a portion of the application from the secondary storage device 404 to the RAM 408 or to a memory space within the CPU 402 itself, and the CPU 402 may then execute the instructions that make up the application. In some cases, the CPU 402 may copy the application or a portion of the application from memory accessed via the network connectivity device 412 or via the I / O device 410 to the RAM 408 or to a memory space within the CPU 402, and the CPU 402 may then execute the instructions that make up the application. During execution, the application may load instructions into the CPU 402, for example, loading some of the application's instructions into a cache of the CPU 402. In some contexts, an executing application may be considered to configure CPU 402 to do something, such as configuring CPU 402 to perform a function or functions facilitated by the present application. When CPU 402 is so configured by an application, CPU 402 becomes a special purpose computer or machine.

[0120] Secondary storage 404 typically consists of one or more disk drives or tape drives and is used for non-volatile storage of data and is used as an overflow data storage device when RAM 408 is not large enough to hold all working data. Secondary storage 404 may be used to store programs that are loaded into RAM 408 when such 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 memory device that typically has a small memory capacity relative to the larger memory capacity of secondary storage 404. RAM 408 is used to store volatile data and possibly instructions. Access to both ROM 406 and RAM 408 is typically faster than access to secondary storage 404. Secondary storage 404, RAM 408, and / or ROM 406 may be referred to in some contexts as computer-readable storage media and / or non-transitory computer-readable media.

[0121] The I / O devices 410 may include a printer, a video monitor, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touch screen display (such as the user interface 110 shown in FIG. 1), a keyboard, a keypad, switches, dials, a mouse, a trackball, a voice recognition device, a card reader, a paper tape reader, or other well-known input and output devices.

[0122] The network connectivity devices 412 may 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 Optic Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) card, a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) card, a wireless transceiver card, and / or other known network devices. The network connectivity devices 412 may provide wired and / or wireless communication links (e.g., a first network connectivity device 412 may provide a wired communication link and a second network connectivity device 412 may provide a wireless communication link). The wired communication links may be provided in accordance with Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), Internet Protocol (IP), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Data Service Interface Standard over Cable (DOCSIS), Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM), and / or the like. In an embodiment, the wireless transceiver card may 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), etc. The wireless transceiver card may facilitate wireless communication using 5G, 5G New Radio, or 5G LTE wireless communication protocols. These network connectivity devices 412 may enable the processor 402 to communicate with the Internet or one or more intranets. Using such network connections, it is envisioned that the processor 402 may receive information from or output information to a network in the course of performing the method steps described above.Such information, often represented as a sequence of instructions to be executed using the processor 402, may be received from and output to a network, for example in the form of a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave. Thus, the present disclosure contemplates receiving instructions, such as a customer order received online or via a so-called Internet application or otherwise, via the network connectivity device 412, including an order for a beverage, which is then produced automatically by the beverage production system 100 without input from employees or personnel located at or operating the beverage production system 100.

[0123] Such information, which may include, for example, data or instructions to be executed using the processor 402, may be received from and output to a network, for example, in the form of a computer-based 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 now used or hereafter developed, may be generated according to a number of methods known to those skilled in the art. The baseband signal and / or signal embedded in a carrier wave may be referred to in some contexts as a transient signal.

[0124] The processor 402 executes instructions, code, computer programs, scripts that it accesses from a hard disk, floppy disk, optical disk (all of these various disk-based systems may be considered secondary storage 404), flash drive, ROM 406, RAM 408, or network connectivity device 412. Although only one processor 402 is shown, multiple processors may be present. Thus, although instructions may be discussed as being executed by a processor, the instructions may be executed simultaneously, sequentially, or otherwise by one or more processors. Instructions, code, computer programs, scripts, and / or data that may be accessed from secondary storage 404, e.g., a hard drive, floppy disk, optical disk, and / or other devices, ROM 406, and / or RAM 408, may in some contexts be referred to as non-transient instructions and / or non-transient information.

[0125] In an embodiment, computer system 400 may comprise two or more computers in communication with each other that cooperate to perform a task. For example, but not by way of limitation, an application may be partitioned in a manner that allows for concurrent and / or parallel processing of instructions of the application. Alternatively, data processed by an application may be partitioned in a manner that allows for concurrent and / or parallel processing of different portions of a data set by two or more computers. In an embodiment, virtualization software may be employed by computer system 400 to provide a number of server functionality that is not directly bound to the number of computers in computer system 400. For example, the virtualization software may provide 20 virtual servers on four physical computers. In an embodiment, the functionality disclosed above may be provided by running the application and / or multiple applications in a cloud computing environment. Cloud computing may include providing computing services over a network connection using dynamically scalable computing resources. Cloud computing may be supported, at least in part, by virtualization software. Cloud computing environments may be established by enterprises and / or rented on an as-needed basis from third-party providers. Some cloud computing environments may include cloud computing resources that are owned and operated by an enterprise, as well as cloud computing resources that are rented and / or leased from third-party providers.

[0126] In an embodiment, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided as a computer program product. The computer program product may comprise one or more computer-readable storage media having computer usable program code embodied therein to implement the functionality disclosed above. The computer program product may comprise data structures, executable instructions, and other computer usable program code. The computer program product may be embodied in removable and / or non-removable computer storage media. Removable computer readable storage media may comprise, but are not limited to, paper tape, magnetic tape, magnetic disks, optical disks, solid-state memory chips, such as analog magnetic tape, compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM) disks, floppy disks, jump drives, digital cards, multimedia cards, and others. The computer program product may be suitable for loading at least a portion of the contents of the computer program product by the computer system 400 into the secondary storage 404, into the ROM 406, into the RAM 408, and / or into other non-volatile and volatile memories of the computer system 400. Processor 402 may process the executable instructions and / or data structures, in part, by directly accessing a computer program product, such as by reading it from a CD-ROM disk inserted into a disk drive peripheral of computer system 400. Alternatively, processor 402 may process the executable instructions and / or data structures by accessing the computer program product remotely, such as by downloading the executable instructions and / or data structures from a remote server through network connectivity device 412.The computer program product may comprise instructions that facilitate loading and / or copying data, data structures, files, and / or executable instructions to secondary storage 404, to ROM 406, to RAM 408, and / or other non-volatile and volatile memory of the computer system 400.

[0127] In some contexts, secondary storage 404, ROM 406, and RAM 408 may be referred to as non-transitory computer readable media or computer readable storage media. A dynamic RAM embodiment of RAM 408 may likewise be referred to as a non-transitory computer readable medium in that the dynamic RAM stores information that is written to it while it receives power and operates according to its design, for example, during periods during which computer system 400 is turned on and operating. Similarly, processor 402 may comprise internal RAM, internal ROM, cache memory, and / or other internal non-transitory storage blocks, sections, or components that may be referred to in some contexts as non-transitory computer readable media or computer readable storage media.

[0128] FIG. 25 illustrates another embodiment of a beverage production system 500. The beverage production system 500 may be similar to the beverage production system 100 in some respects. For example, the beverage production system 500 may employ the cup dispensing station 130 described above. However, the beverage production system 500 includes some notable differences, such as a lidding and printing assembly 502 for sealing and identifying filled beverages, which will be discussed further below. While it is anticipated that beverages may be dispensed in both rows, in this embodiment, the beverage production system 500 may be configured such that cups, ice, and beverages are dispensed on only one row, such as on either the inner row or the outer row, rather than on both rows of the turntable. This embodiment illustrates beverage filling in cup holders in the outer row.

[0129] 26, the beverage production system 500 may also employ a modified turntable assembly 504 (also shown cut away in FIG. 25). The modified turntable assembly 504 may 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 receptacles 506 and an inner turntable 507 having an inner row of cup receptacles 508. The inner and outer turntables 505 and 507, which may collectively be referred to as a modified turntable 510, are configured to rotate independently of one another and may include drives, motors, and gearboxes (not shown) that operate similarly to those described above with respect to the inner turntable 124 and outer turntable 126 described above.

[0130] The cup receptacles 506 and 508 are configured to hold cups 50 dispensed from the cup dispensing station 130. The cup receptacles 506 and 508 may be sized to hold cups 50 of various sizes. The outer row of cup receptacles 506 may include an opening 512 near a bottom outer side 511 of the outer row of cup receptacles 506. Also, instead of being circular, the outer and inner rows of cup receptacles 506 and 508 are U-shaped in this embodiment. Thus, the outer and inner turntables 505 and 507 may be rotated such that the U-shaped opening of a particular outer row of cup receptacles 506 may be aligned with the U-shaped opening of a particular inner row of cup receptacles 508. For example, a cup 520 is shown in FIG. 26 positioned in an outer row cup receptacle 506 aligned with an inner row cup receptacle 508. The cup 520 may be filled with a beverage via the beverage dispensing station 502 while positioned in the outer row of cup receptacles 508.

[0131] 27 in partial cutaway view, a slide assembly 530, positioned below the turntable assembly 510, includes an arm 532 that extends through an opening 512 in the outer row of cup receptacles 506 that retains the cup 520 and that can be actuated to slide or move the cup 520 from its position in the outer row of cup receptacles 506 into an aligned inner row of cup receptacles 508. Once the cup 520 is filled with a beverage, the cup 520 may remain in the outer row of cup receptacles 506 or slide into an unoccupied cup receptacle in one of the inner rows of cup receptacles 508. Thus, in this embodiment, the inner row of cup receptacles 508 provides excess space for storing beverages filled on the outer row of cup receptacles 506 until they are ready for delivery to or collection by the customer.

[0132] 28 illustrates one embodiment of slide assembly 530 in more detail. Slide assembly 530 includes an arm 532, a rail 534, a motor 536, and a belt drive 538. Arm 532 includes a portion 533 that is shaped to engage a curved side of cup 520. Arm 532 is slidably mounted to rail 534 and is connected to belt drive 538. Motor 536 is an electric motor, however, in other embodiments motor 536 may comprise a pneumatic motor, hydraulic motor, etc. Motor 536 is coupled to belt drive 538 and, when actuated, drives belt drive 538, which causes arm 532 to traverse rail 534 and move cup 520 as discussed above. The motor 536 may be coupled to a computer and / or other system that operates in coordination to rotate the turntable 510 to align the arm 532 with an opening 512 (also see Figures 26 and 27) in one of the outer rows of cup receptacles 506 to slide a cup, such as cup 520, from the outer row to the inner row of cup receptacles 506, 508.

[0133] Although the modified turntable assembly 504 shown in Figures 26 and 27 is illustrated with twelve cup receptacles in the outer row of cup receptacles 506 and seven cup receptacles in the inner row of cup receptacles 508, the present disclosure contemplates fewer or more cup receptacles 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 as would occur to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0134] FIG. 29 is another partial cutaway view of the modified turntable assembly 504 illustrating the outer turntable 505 with the outer row of cup receptacles 506. FIG. 29 illustrates another embodiment of a slide assembly 530 positioned below the modified turntable assembly 504. Also shown in the exploded perspective view of FIG. 30A, the slide 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 with a portion 533 configured to engage a cup 50 and transfer the cup 50 from the outer row of cup receptacles 506 to the inner row of cup receptacles 508 through an opening 512 in the outer row of cup receptacles 506, substantially as discussed above. The upper magnetic assembly 560 includes a body 562, which may be a metal, plastic, or polymer body or coating, that houses a magnet located within a lower plate area 563 of the upper magnetic assembly 560. The magnets located within the lower plate area 563 may be integrally formed with the lower plate area 563 or may be housed within openings formed in the lower plate area 563 .

[0135] The lower magnetic assembly 561 includes a bracket 564 that is generally L-shaped and includes a flat upper portion 565 that is generally parallel to the lower plate area 563 of the upper magnetic assembly 560. The upper portion 565 includes a magnet 570 that is coupled to the upper portion 565. The bracket 564 also includes a side portion 566 that is generally perpendicular to the upper portion 565. The bracket 564 includes an edge 567 and a mounting point 568. The lower magnetic assembly 561 is mounted to the rail 534 of the slide assembly 530 by engagement of the edge 567 with the upper portion of the rail 534, and is attached at the mounting point 568 to an arm 569 that is mounted on the side of the rail 534. In this manner, the lower magnetic assembly 561 is transported back and forth on the rail 534 as the belt drive 538 of the slide assembly 530 engages the arm 569 and traverses the rail 534. In some embodiments, an edge 567 of the lower magnetic assembly 561 may be mounted to a carriage 572 that is positioned on the rail 534, and a belt drive 538 engages the carriage 572 and / or an 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 may be integrally formed, provided within openings or recesses in separate assemblies, press fit, glued, mechanically fastened, or otherwise configured as would be readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0136] The magnets in the upper and lower magnetic assemblies 560, 561 may, in some embodiments, 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 a different directional polarity 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 may only be magnetically positioned in one (e.g., correct position, as shown in FIG. 29) direction or orientation to prevent an operator from inadvertently placing the upper magnetic assembly 560 facing the wrong direction.

[0137] The rail 534 and lower magnetic assembly 561 are positioned below the sink 600 (discussed below with respect to Figures 31-35 and not shown in Figure 29). The modified turntable assembly 504 is positioned within the sink 600 such that overflow and waste from beverage preparation overflows into the sink for drainage and cleaning. The upper magnetic assembly 560 is mounted above the sink 600 directly 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 rail 534 causes the lower magnetic assembly 561 to traverse the slide assembly 530, the attractive force of the magnet 570 on the upper portion 565 of the lower magnetic assembly 561 to the magnet in the body 562 of the upper magnetic assembly 560 causes the upper magnetic assembly 560 to traverse a path corresponding to the lower magnetic assembly 561 along and within the bottom of the sink 600.

[0138] Because the upper magnetic assembly 560 is disposed within the bottom of the sink 600 where overflow from beverages prepared by the beverage production system 500 may collect, the upper magnetic assembly 560 may require periodic cleaning. As discussed above, the upper magnetic assembly 560 may be machined such that the outer surface is plastic, polymeric, or otherwise equipped with a coating that allows for easy cleaning. In this manner, the upper magnetic assembly 560 may be easily removed for cleaning since there is no mechanical or fixed connection with the slide assembly 530 and the only engagement between the upper and lower magnetic assemblies 560, 561 is magnetic. Thus, the magnetic coupling of the upper and lower magnetic assemblies 560, 561 allows for easy manual removal and replacement by a user or operator of the beverage production system 500 without the need for tools or disassembly of the slide assembly 530. Additionally, this configuration prevents overflow from the beverage preparation from contacting the lower magnetic assembly 561, motor 536, belt drive 538, rails 534, etc., which are positioned below or beneath the sink.

[0139] FIG. 30B is a perspective view of another embodiment illustrating the lower magnetic assembly 561 coupled to a carriage 572 from which the remaining portions of the slide assembly 530 and outer rotating platform 505 are cut away. FIG. 30C illustrates a bottom or lower perspective view of the inner and outer rotating platforms 505, 507 and slide assembly 530. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper magnetic assembly 560 includes a pusher plate 573 that may be attached to the bottom or lower portion of the body 562 of the upper magnetic assembly 560. In some embodiments, the pusher plate 573 may not be attached to the bottom of the body 562, but instead may simply be attached or fitted to the front end 574 of the body 562. The pusher plate 573 may be configured with a wedge 575 or a V-shaped leading edge. It should be appreciated that ice dispensed into cups 50 located in the outer rotating platform 505 may spill and collect in the outer row of cup receptacles 506, and as the cups 50 are moved to the inner row of cup receptacles 508, the ice may be pushed by the cups 50 and may also collect in the inner row of cup receptacles 508. Ice may also fall and collect in the sink 600 below the inner and outer rotating platforms 505, 507. Because the upper magnetic assembly 560 is positioned in the bottom of the sink 600, ice may impede the smooth and efficient transition of the upper slide assembly 560 along the bottom of the sink 600 while transferring the cups 50 between the outer and inner rotating platforms 505, 507. The leading edge of the wedge 575 of the pusher plate 573 acts as a de-icer, moving or displacing ice located in the bottom of the sink 600 in the path of the upper magnetic assembly 560 during cup transfer.

[0140] 30B-C also show another embodiment of the inner rotating platform 507 with modifications to the inner row of cup receptacles 508. In this embodiment, an opening 576 is provided in a rear lower portion 577 of each of the inner row of cup receptacles 508. The opening 576 allows, for example, ice that collects or is pushed into the inner row of cup receptacles 508 by a cup 50 to be further pushed and exit the inner row of cup receptacles 508 through the opening 576 and fall into a sink 600 located below the inner rotating platform 507. This prevents accumulation of ice that would otherwise collect at the bottom of the inner row of cup receptacles 508 and impede the transfer of cups 50 into the inner row of cup receptacles 508.

[0141] Additionally, in this embodiment, the inner row of cup receptacles 508 includes a ramp 578 along a lower leading edge 579 of the inner row of cup receptacles 508. The ramp 578 increases gradually in height or thickness from the lower leading edge 579 toward the height of the bottom 585 of the inner row of cup receptacles 508. The ramp 578 allows the bottom edge of the cup 50 to make a smoother transition from the outer row of cup receptacles 506, 508 to the inner row instead of hitting or catching on a vertical or steep edge at the lower leading edge 579 of the inner row of cup receptacles 508.

[0142] 30B-C is a notch 587 that forms a rectangular opening along the lower front edge 579 of the inner row of cup receptacles 508. The notch 587 allows the arm 532 of the upper magnetic assembly 560 to extend fully into the inner row of cup receptacles 508, allowing full movement of the cup 50 into position in the inner row of cup receptacles 508.

[0143] FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a modified turntable assembly 504 disposed within a sink 600 according to another embodiment of the beverage production system 500. In this embodiment, an upper sensor 588 is shown positioned above the inner turntable 507. The upper sensor 588 may be attached to a portion or structure of the beverage production system 500 above the inner turntable 507. The upper sensor 588 is positioned perpendicular to the surface of the turntable 504 to sense the presence or absence of a cup 50 in the inner row of cup receptacles 508. In this embodiment, only one sensor 588 is provided and positioned to determine whether a cup 50 is located in the inner row cup receptacle 508 at a position where the cup 50 is transitioned from the outer row of cup receptacles 506, 508 to the inner row 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 in all cup receptacles in 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 an array of sensors variously oriented to sense cups 50 in any combination of cup receptacles on the inner turntable 507.

[0144] Similarly, a side sensor 589 may be positioned adjacent the outer turntable 505 and attached 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 or absence of a cup 50 in the outer row of cup receptacles 506. In this embodiment, only one sensor 589 is provided and positioned to determine whether a cup 50 is located in the outer row cup receptacle 506 at a location where the cup 50 is transitioned from the outer row of cup receptacles 506, 508 to the inner row by the slide assembly 530. The side sensor 589 may be positioned horizontally across and above the outer turntable 505 at a height to detect a portion of the cup 50 that extends above the outer turntable 505. 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 in other locations or in all cup receptacles in the outer turntable 505. Additionally, the lower sensor 589 may be movable, such as driven by a motor, to sense cups 50 at other locations, or may include an array of sensors variously oriented to sense cups 50 in any combination of cup receptacles on 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 known or later developed sensor capable of detecting the presence of one or more cups 50 in the inner and / or outer rows of cup receptacles 506, 508.

[0145] The following is a brief overview of the operation of a portion of the beverage production system 500, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the slide assembly 530 is positioned to transition the cup 50 from the outer row of cup receptacles 506, 508 to the inner row at a location immediately prior to the location on the outer turntable 505 where the cup 50 is dispensed and filled. As the cup 50 is dispensed and filled, the filled beverage remains in the cup receptacle on the outer turntable 505. As the outer turntable 505 is rotated, for example in a clockwise direction, to continue to dispense and fill beverage, the side sensor 589 determines whether a cup 50 is present in the cup receptacle located adjacent to the slide assembly 530. If no cup 50 is detected, the outer turntable 505 may be rotated to continue filling beverage. However, if the side sensor 589 detects a cup 50 in an adjacent cup receptacle on the outer rotating platform 505, the upper sensor 588 detects whether a cup 50 is present in the inner row cup receptacle 508 where the cup 50 will be transitioned by the slide assembly 530 to the inner rotating platform 507. If the upper sensor 588 determines that no cup 50 is present in the adjacent inner row cup receptacle 508, the slide assembly is actuated and the cup 50 is moved or transitioned from the outer row cup receptacle 506 to the inner row cup receptacle 508. The outer rotating platform 505 is then rotated to fill the cup receptacle vacated by the transition with the next beverage. However, if the upper sensor 588 detects a cup 50 in the inner row cup receptacle 508 located adjacent the slide assembly 530, the inner rotating platform 507 is rotated, for example, in either direction, to determine whether the next inner cup receptacle is occupied. If the next cup receptacle on the inner row is occupied, the inner turntable 507 continues to rotate until an empty cup receptacle is located or until it is determined that all cup receptacles on the inner turntable 507 are occupied. The system may employ logic to periodically rotate or recheck for empty cup receptacles on one or both of the outer and inner turntables 505, 507.

[0146] FIG. 31 illustrates details about the sink 600. The sink 600 is generally rectangular in this embodiment, but may be oval, round, or otherwise shaped in other embodiments. The sink 600 may be constructed from plastic, polymer, aluminum, or other materials. In this embodiment, the sink 600 is a single, integral component constructed substantially from a polymeric material. Also referring to FIG. 32, the sink 600 has an upper outer edge 601 that extends from the recessed basin 602 around the periphery of the sink 600. The upper outer edge 601 is provided to retain and position 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 to a bottom surface 608 of the sink 600 that defines the generally rounded outer shape of the recessed basin 602. Sink 600 includes an opening or drain 610 on a bottom surface 608 where overflow and waste from beverages prepared by beverage production system 500 can collect and be removed from sink 600. Plumbing (not shown) may be connected to drain 610 for draining overflow and waste.

[0147] 31-33, sink 600 and recessed basin 602 are resized to receive modified turntable assembly 504. In this view, outer and inner turntables 505 and 507 with outer and inner rows of cup receptacles 506 and 508 are shown positioned within recessed basin 602 of sink 600. Notably, cup holder 506a (discussed in more detail below) is shown disposed in the outer row of cup receptacles 506 in FIG. 31 and removed from the view illustrated in FIG. 33. In some embodiments, such as those illustrated in FIGS. 31-36, cup holder 506a may be provided only in the outer row of cup receptacles 506, and the inner row of cup receptacles 508 may not include cup holder 506a, and instead the cup holder may be integrally formed as part of inner turntable 507.

[0148] The recessed trough 602 may include a rim 612 (see FIG. 32) extending about an upper portion of the recessed trough 602 that is configured to receive an outer edge 614 (see FIG. 31) of the outer rotating platform 505. The wall 604 may include ribs 616 or various other configurations extending therefrom to facilitate engagement with a mating portion (not shown) of the outer rotating platform 505. Additionally, features 619, such as tracks or channels, are formed in the bottom 608 of the sink 600. The features 619 are configured to facilitate guided movement of the upper magnetic assembly 560 along the bottom 608 of the sink 600 as the slide assembly 530 is actuated, as discussed above with respect to FIGS. 27-30.

[0149] The sink 600 may also include a centering post 618 provided in the middle of the recessed basin 602 and extending from the bottom 608 of the sink 600 that is configured to mate with an opening 620 in the center of the inner rotating platform 507. In some embodiments, the centering post 618 is provided to orient the inner rotating platform 507 for rotation about the centering post 618. In this embodiment, a motor or drive may be located elsewhere and engage the inner rotating platform 507 for rotation of the inner rotating platform 507. Also, referring to FIG. 34, a side view of the sink 600 is illustrated. In this embodiment, the centering post 618 may be omitted and an opening (not shown) in the bottom 608 of the sink 600 may be provided in the location of the centering post 618. A motor 630 may drive a shaft 632 extending through the opening, and an engagement end 634 of the shaft 632 (see also FIG. 35) may be configured for attachment to the inner rotating platform 507 for rotation of the inner rotating platform 507. In this embodiment, the inner rotating platform 507 is formed with a centrally located opening that is configured to mate with the engagement end 634 of the shaft 632 for rotation. As illustrated in FIG. 34, the sink 600 can be viewed as generally sloped from a left side 635 to a right side 636 toward the drain 610 to encourage flow of liquid overflow within the recessed basin 602 toward the drain 610 for disposal.

[0150] In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 35, the sink 600 may also include an inner wall 638 generally defining an inner concentric ring (relative to the outer concentric ring defined by the wall 604 of the recessed basin 602) within the recessed basin 602 that is sized and configured to receive the inner rotating platform 507. In this embodiment, the inner wall 638 does not form a complete circle, but includes an opening 640. The opening 640 is provided at a location on the modified rotating platform assembly 504 where the cups 50 are transferred by the slide assembly 530 from the outer row of cup receptacles 506 to the inner row of cup receptacles 508, as discussed above, to allow the cups 50 to pass therebetween. The inner wall 638 may provide additional structure to stabilize the inner rotating platform 507 during rotation, and may also act as a barrier to prevent cups 50 that have not been transitioned between the outer and inner rotating platforms 505 and 507 from moving or sliding out of the inner row of cup receptacles 508 during rotation. In this embodiment, the inner wall 638 may prevent liquid overflow from reaching the drain 610 directly. Thus, in this embodiment, the inner wall 638 may include a drain access opening 642 along a lower portion of the wall 638 adjacent to the bottom 608 portion of the sink 600. The drain access opening 642 may be located on the side of the wall 638 closest to the drain 610 such that the sloped overall design of the bottom 608 of the sink 600 discussed above (see FIG. 34 ) allows overflow to exit the area within the inner wall 638 and flow into the drain 610.

[0151] As can be seen in FIGS. 29-35, the individual cup holders 506a, the outer and inner rotating platforms 505 and 507, and the upper magnetic assembly 560 of the slide assembly 530 are all easily removable, either separately or together, for easy cleaning of the individual cup holders 506a, the outer and inner rotating platforms 505 and 507, and the upper magnetic assembly 560, respectively. Once removed, the sink and recessed basin 602 can be accessed and cleaned with or without removal of the sink 600, and any excess fluid from cleaning will tip into the drain 610 and exit the sink 600. Thus, the inner rotating platform 507 can be easily removed and replaced back into position within the sink by simply lifting the inner rotating platform 507 out of its stationary engagement with the engagement end 634 of the shaft 632 (see also FIG. 35). Similarly, the outer rotating platform 505 may be easily removed and replaced in place within the sink 600 without any disassembly or reassembly of the drive system or other components.

[0152] 36A-E are perspective views illustrating one embodiment of a drive system 700 for driving the outer rotating platform 505. FIG. 36A illustrates the outer rotating platform 505 disposed within the recessed basin 602 of the sink 600. In this embodiment, the drive system 700 may include two pinch drives 704 and two idlers 706 mounted to the sink 600. Each of the pinch drives 704 includes an electric motor 702, although in other embodiments, pneumatic or other systems may be employed. The motors 702 drive upper and lower pinch rollers 708, 710. In some embodiments, the electric motors 702 may drive the rotation of both pinch rollers 708, 710, while in other embodiments, the drives may drive the rotation of only the lower pinch roller 710, with the upper pinch roller 708 being provided for stability and tensioning, or vice versa. The pinch drive 704 and the upper and lower pinch rollers 708, 710 can be seen in an exploded view in Figure 36E, where an edge portion 712 of the outer rotating bed 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 sides of the edge portion 712 of the outer rotating bed 505. Thus, as the electric 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 rotating bed 505 facilitates rotation of the outer rotating bed 505 in the desired direction.

[0153] The idler 706 includes an idle roller 714 and a lift bearing 716. The idle roller 714 is positioned against and engages the outer edge of the outer rotating bed 505 and is provided to support and stabilize the outer rotating bed 505 along a horizontal plane parallel to the upper horizontal surface of the outer rotating bed 505. Similarly, the lift bearing 716 is positioned below and engages the lower surface of the edge portion 712 of the outer rotating bed 505 and is provided to support and stabilize the outer rotating bed 505 along a vertical plane parallel to the vertical surface of the wall 604 of the recessed trough 602, for example, to prevent sagging of the outer rotating bed 505 near the location of the idler 706. The upper and lower pinch rollers 708, 710 and the idle roller 714 and the lift bearing 716 may be constructed from rubber or other materials to promote frictional engagement between the rollers and the outer rotating bed 505 surface.

[0154] Although the pinch drives 704 and idlers 706 are shown centrally located about the sink 600 and the outer rotating platform 505, the pinch drives 704 and idlers 706 may be provided in other arrangements and configurations in other embodiments. Similarly, while two pinch drives 704 and two idlers 706 are shown, it is envisioned that fewer or more may be provided in other embodiments. Also, while two idlers 706 are described, it should be understood that the idlers 706 are provided primarily to support the outer rotating platform 505, and that other support structures or systems may be employed, as would be readily envisioned by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0155] 37, a portion of the beverage production system 500 is shown in greater detail. Cups 50 are shown positioned in one of the outer rows of cup receptacles 506 (shown partially cut away) of a modified turntable assembly 504 (also shown partially cut away). A lidding and printing assembly 502 and a beverage dispensing station 503 are also shown.

[0156] 38, the lidding and printing assembly 502 is shown in more detail. The lidding and printing assembly 502 includes a sealing film 544, an in-line printer 540, and a punch 542. The sealing film 544 may be provided in a roll (as shown) and positioned on a series of rollers 546. The sealing film 544 may be fed into one or more motors / rollers 548 such that as the sealing film 544 is drawn in by the one or more motors / rollers 548, the roll of sealing film 544 unfolds and extends above the cup 50 into position for sealing as a lid 60. The in-line printer 540 prints beverage identification indicia on the top or upper side of the sealing film 544 such that it is visible to a server or customer. The beverage identification indicia may identify the type and size of the beverage, an associated order number, a customer name, or any other useful or identifying information.

[0157] The perforator 542 may pierce holes, perforate, or create various indentations in the sealing film 544, for example, but not limited to, to facilitate the introduction of a drinking straw through the sealing film 544. A sealer valve 550 is positioned above the sealing film 544 and the edge or periphery of the cup 50. The sealer valve 550 may then be energized to generate heat to heat seal the sealing film 544 about the edge or periphery of the cup 50. The sealing film 544 may then be separated, such as, but not limited to, by cutting the sealing film 544 or tearing along the perforated or perforated sections of the sealing film 544. The present disclosure also contemplates that the printing, piercing, and heat sealing processes may be performed in other sequences in other embodiments.

[0158] Also shown in FIG. 38 is a lifting assembly 580. The lifting assembly 580 operates to vertically lift the cup 50 from a seated position in the outer row of the cup receptacle 506 and bring the top edge or rim of the cup 50 into position below the lidding and printing assembly 502 for lidding the cup 50. The lifting assembly 580 includes a linear actuator 582 and a cup centering device 584. The cup centering device 584 is coupled to an elbow 586 that extends from the bottom of the linear actuator 582. A belt drive motor (not shown) drives the linear actuator 582 vertically up and down perpendicular to a plane parallel to the surface of the modified turntable assembly 504. The belt drive motor (not shown) may be electric, hydraulic, pneumatic, etc. A plunger and limit switch 583 is configured to determine when the linear actuator 582 has raised the cup 50 vertically enough into position for lidding.

[0159] 39A, a top-down view of a portion of the modified turntable assembly 504 is shown. As can be seen, the cup centering device 584 is positioned within an opening in the bottom 590 of the outer row of cup receptacles 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 receptacles 506. FIG. 39B further illustrates in greater detail a perspective view of one of the outer row cup receptacles 506, which may also be referred to as cup retainer 506a. The cup centering device 584 is configured to engage the bottom of the cup 50 and vertically lift the cup 50 out of the outer row of cup receptacles 506 as the linear actuator 582 rises. Cup centering device 584 may be configured to facilitate engagement of the bottom of cup 50 such that cup centering device 584 is generally centered about the bottom of cup 50 and stabilizes cup 50 during the lifting and lowering process. Cup centering device 584 is shown as generally cross-shaped, although other shapes and configurations may be readily envisioned as alternatives for engaging the bottom of cup 50 for these purposes.

[0160] Once the capping and printing process is complete, the linear actuator 582 lowers the cups 50 back to their home position in the outer row of cup receptacles 506. Before the outer turntable 505 is rotated, the linear actuator 582 may be further lowered such that the cup centering device 584 is positioned below and away from the bottom of the outer row of cup receptacles 506 so as not to interfere with the rotation of the outer turntable 505.

[0161] In other embodiments (not shown), all or a portion of the capping and printing assembly 502 may be positioned above the cups 50 and moved vertically downward toward the cups 50 to cap the cups 50 while the cups 50 remain stationary in the outer row of the cup receptacle 506.

[0162] FIG. 40A illustrates another view of a portion of the beverage production system 500. An ice chute 594 is shown connected to a portion of an ice dispenser 596 for dispensing ice into cups 50 positioned in the outer row of cup receptacles 506. In this embodiment, the ice dispenser 596 is configured to provide ice only into cups 50 on the outer row of cup receptacles 506, as discussed above with reference to FIG. 12. FIGs. 40B and 40C illustrate yet other portions of the beverage production system 500. As can be seen, the beverage production system 500 includes a cup dispensing station 130, an ice dispensing chute 594, a beverage dispensing station 503, and a printing and capping assembly 502, positioned in series. Thus, the beverage production system 500 fulfills an order by dispensing cups 50 into the outer row of cup receptacles 506, dispensing ice into the cups 50, filling the cups 50 with beverage via beverage dispensing station 503, and capping and printing indicia thereon via capping and printing assembly 502. As discussed above, the process also includes moving filled beverages from the outer row of cup receptacles 506 to the inner row of cup receptacles 508, as desired, to allow more beverages to be prepared and stored until collected for service.

[0163] It should be appreciated that the overall configuration of beverage production system 500 may have advantages over beverage production system 100, as further described above. For example, filling beverages only in the outer rows of cup receptacles 506 may be accomplished with only a single station per dispensing cups, ice, beverages, and lid covers, as opposed to multiple rows requiring multiple stations per process, and thus requiring extra space, equipment, and complexity.

[0164] 41, another embodiment of a beverage production system 800 is shown. The beverage production system 800 includes several components of the systems described above, including a support pedestal 810 and a beverage handling assembly 120 positioned on the support 810, and an ice chamber 112 and electronics housing 814 disposed below the pedestal 810.

[0165] The beverage handling assembly 120 includes a number of stations for performing various stages or steps of the beverage production process. In particular, the beverage handling assembly 120 includes a cup dispensing station 130, an ice dispensing station 180, a beverage dispensing station 190, and a lidding station 200. A beverage may be produced by progressing through stations 130, 180, 190, 200 using a conveyor assembly 822.

[0166] 42, the conveyor assembly 822 includes a central hub 824 and a plurality of cup receptacles 828 movably coupled to the hub 824. In particular, the central hub 824 has a perimeter or side surface 826 that is oval or stadium shaped. The cup receptacles 828 are movably coupled to the central hub 824 such that, during operation, the cup receptacles 828 may be traversed along the perimeter 826 and progress through the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 of the beverage handling assembly 120.

[0167] 43, in some embodiments, cup receptacles 828 may be coupled to a continuous conveyor 821 that is rotated about a pair of pulleys 823. The conveyor 821 may comprise a belt or chain coupled to a plurality of cup receptacles 828. In particular, each cup receptacle 828 includes a cup holder 829 that is coupled to the conveyor 821 with supports 827. Each pulley 823 includes a central axle 825. During operation, one or both of the pulleys 823 may be actuated (e.g., via an electric, pneumatic, hydraulic motor, or other suitable drive) to rotate about the corresponding axle 825, thereby generally rotating the conveyor 821 about the central hub 824. The rotation of the conveyor 821 about the pulleys 823 also moves the cup receptacles 828 along the periphery 826 of the central hub 824.

[0168] The cup receptacle 828 may include a number of different shapes, designs, and features in various embodiments. For example, referring now to FIG. 44, in some embodiments, the cup holder 829 may comprise a ring that may tightly engage the cup 50 to prevent (or at least limit) movement of the cup 50 therein as the cup receptacle 828 is moved along the periphery 826 of the central hub 824 during operation (FIGS. 42 and 43).

[0169] 45, in some embodiments, the cup holder 829 may comprise a cup-shaped member having a sidewall 841 and a bottom 842. The sidewall 841 may loosely contact the cup 50 in some embodiments to allow some movement of the cup 50 within the cup holder 829 during operation.

[0170] 46, in some embodiments, the cup retainer 829 may include a plurality of leaf spring elements 844 that are biased into engagement with a cup 50 (FIGS. 42 and 43) inserted therein. In some embodiments, the leaf spring elements 844 may engage the cup 50 to prevent movement of the cup 50 during operation.

[0171] 47, in some embodiments, the cup holder 829 may include a pair of gripper arms 846 that may be actuated to engage and hold a cup 50 during operation. For example, in some embodiments, one or both of the gripper arms 846 are pivotally coupled to an elongated member 848 that may extend and retract into the support 827. A biasing member 849 (e.g., a coiled spring) may be coupled to the elongated member 848 to bias the elongated member 848 into the support 827. As the elongated member 848 moves into the support 827 (e.g., via the biasing member 849), the gripper arms 846 may engage the support 827 and rotate toward each other about the axis 845. Thus, during operation, when a cup 50 is inserted into the holder 829, the gripper arms 846 may close on the inserted cup 50 via the spring force provided by the biasing member 849. Additionally, in some embodiments, an additional support ring 843 may be included on the holder 829 below the gripper arms 846 to provide additional support to a cup 50 inserted therein. Without being limited to this or any other theory, actuation of the gripper arms 846 may allow cups of different sizes (e.g., having different widths) to be securely held within the cup holder 829 during operation. In some embodiments, the gripper arms 846 may be actuated away from one another against a spring force provided by a biasing member 849 to receive a dispensed cup 50 when the holder 829 is aligned with the cup dispensing station 130. Actuation of the gripper arms 846 away from one another may be accomplished via engagement of the gripper arms 846 (or a component coupled thereto) with a camming surface on or adjacent to the conveyor assembly 822.

[0172] 42 and 43, during operation, the cup receptacle 828 may be moved along the periphery 826 of the central hub 824 to align the cup receptacle 828 (and particularly the cup holder 829) with stations 130, 180, 190, 200 for dispensing cups 50, ice, beverages, and lids 60, respectively, as part of the beverage production process, as will be described in more detail below.

[0173] Referring to FIG. 41, the beverage production system 800 may include systems substantially similar in operation and configuration to those described above, such as the tubular magazine 132 of the cup dispensing station 130, the dispenser 134, the beverage dispensing nozzles 194, the tubular magazine 202 containing the lids 60 of the lid-applying station 200, etc.

[0174] In addition, beverage production system 800 includes a user interface 116. An employee or customer may select a desired beverage on user interface 116, which then generally initiates the beverage production process described above. In some embodiments, beverage production system 800 may receive commands to produce beverages via other electronic devices that are communicatively coupled to beverage production and dispensing system 800 via a suitable network or connection. For example, in some embodiments, beverage production system 800 may receive commands to produce beverages from a point of sale system of a restaurant or dining establishment that may receive orders via a customer or employee. In some embodiments, the point of sale system may comprise part of a computer system (e.g., computer system 400 described above) that also includes beverage production system 800.

[0175] Once a command to produce a beverage is received by beverage production system 800, cup receptacle 828 may be progressed through stations 130, 180, 190, 200 via conveyor assembly 822 as previously described. Simultaneously, the assemblies and mechanisms within each of stations 130, 180, 190, 200 may operate in the manner described above to produce the beverage.

[0176] In some embodiments, the beverage production system 800 may include a beverage identification assembly 860 to identify beverages that have progressed through the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 and are ready for collection by an employee or customer. In particular, the beverage identification assembly 860 may comprise a plurality of lights 862 (e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs) and / or other suitable light emitting devices) coupled to the beverage handling assembly 120 that are configured to emit light of a selected color that may correspond to a particular beverage (or order). During operation, a cup 50 (with or without a lid 60) may be aligned with a selected one of the lights 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 comprise an electronic display (e.g., a liquid crystal display, a plasma display, an organic LED (OLED) display, a micro LED display) that may display an image (e.g., text and / or symbols) to convey sufficient information (e.g., name, order number, table number, vehicle identification) to identify the beverage.

[0177] 48, another embodiment of a beverage production system 900 is shown. The beverage production system 900 may include several features substantially similar in configuration and operation to those discussed above, such as a support pedestal 810, a beverage handling assembly 120 positioned on the support 810, an ice chamber 112 supported above the beverage handling assembly 120, and an electronics enclosure 814 disposed below the pedestal 810.

[0178] The beverage handling assembly 120 includes a number of stations for performing various stages or steps of the beverage production process. In particular, the beverage handling assembly 120 includes a cup dispensing station 130, an ice dispensing station 180, a beverage dispensing station 190, and a lidding station 200.

[0179] Beverages may be produced by progressing through stations 130, 180, 190, 200 using a turntable 922. More specifically, the turntable 922 is a cylindrical member that includes a plurality of cup receptacles 925 disposed about its peripheral edge. During operation, a drive (e.g., electric, hydraulic, magnetic, pneumatic motor) may rotate the turntable 922 about a central axis 927 to align the cup receptacles 925 with stations 130, 180, 190, 200 for dispensing cups 50, ice, beverages, and lids 60, respectively, as part of the beverage production process.

[0180] 48 and 49, in this embodiment, a plurality of magazines 132 are coupled to and extend from corresponding dispensers 134. The magazines 132 may receive a plurality of stacked cups 50 therein. Each dispenser 134 is generally aligned with a cup receptacle 925 such that during operation, cups 50 may be fed from the magazines 132 to the dispenser 134 and then dispensed from the dispenser 134 into the aligned cup receptacle 925 on the turntable 922. In some embodiments, the magazines 132 may be decoupled from the dispensers 132 to facilitate the loading of cups 50 therein.

[0181] In some embodiments, each dispenser 134 may be configured to dispense a different size and / or type of cup 50 into the cup receptacles 925 during operation. As shown in FIG. 48 , the dispensers 134 are arranged such that each dispenser 134 is aligned with a different one of the cup receptacles 925 for a particular rotational position of the turntable 922 about axis 927.

[0182] 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 receptacle 136 extends axially through the dispenser 134 between the sides 134a, 134b relative to the axis 135. A corresponding magazine 132 is engaged within the receptacle 136 on the upper side 134a and extends away from the upper side 134a along the axis 135. During operation, cups 50 dispensed from the magazine 132 move through the receptacle 136 and are ejected from the lower side 134b.

[0183] The dispenser 134 has an interior chamber 167 through which the cup 50 may enter and exit via the container 136. A ring gear 166 is disposed within the chamber 167 and aligned with the container 136 along the axis 135. A drive gear 168 is engaged (e.g., meshed) with gear teeth or other suitable structure on a radially outer surface of each of the ring gears 166. The drive gear 168 is coupled to a driver 162, which may be mounted within the interior chamber 167. During operation, the driver 162 may rotate the drive gear 168, thereby driving the rotation of the ring gear 166 about the axis 135. In some embodiments, the driver 162 comprises an electric motor, however, in other embodiments, the driver 162 may comprise a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor, or the like. A plurality of wedge members 164 are positioned within the ring gear 166, each wedge member 164 including a cylindrical body 174 including a central or longitudinal axis. Splitter 134 otherwise operates substantially similarly to that described above with respect to FIGS.

[0184] 50, another embodiment of a beverage production system 1000 is shown. Similar to the systems discussed above, the beverage production system 1000 includes a support base 810, a beverage handling assembly 120 positioned on a support 1110, an ice chamber 112 supported above the beverage handling assembly 120, and an electronics housing 814 disposed below the base 810.

[0185] The beverage handling assembly 120 includes a number of stations for performing various stages or steps of a beverage production process, which may be similar in configuration and operation to those discussed above, such as the cup dispensing station 130, the ice dispensing station 180, the beverage dispensing station 190, and the lidding station 200. The beverage may be produced by progressing through the stations 130, 180, 190, 200 using a conveyor assembly 1122. In some embodiments, the conveyor assembly 1122 may be configured and operated similarly to the conveyor 822 described above with respect to FIGS. 42-47. Similarly, the cup dispensing station 120 and the lidding station 200 may operate according to any of the various configurations discussed above.

[0186] The beverage production system 1000 may also include a beverage identification assembly 1260, which may comprise a plurality of emitters 1262 coupled to the beverage handling assembly 120 configured to emit light 1264 onto the cup 50 and (if present) lid 60, which may be used to identify a particular beverage or beverage order. In some embodiments, the light 1264 may be color coded to identify a particular beverage (or order) using different colors. 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 comprise light emitting diodes (LEDs) and / or other suitable light emitting devices.

[0187] Although the systems described herein, including beverage production systems 100, 500, 800, 900, and 1000 and each of their various subsystems, assemblies, and components, are described separately, the present disclosure contemplates implementations combining any arrangement of the various systems and subsystems described above. As just one example of contemplated substitutions and combinations, the lid fastener system described with respect to FIG. 37 may be used in place of the lid fastener system described with respect to FIGS. 15-20. Additionally, it is contemplated that beverage identification systems such as those described in FIGS. 41 and 50 may be employed in any of the other beverage production systems described herein. Similarly, while not all of the beverage production systems described employ a user interface 116 for selection of a desired beverage on the user interface 116 and a connection via a point of sale system or a sink provided below the conveyor, the present disclosure contemplates such combinations with any of the disclosed beverage production systems. As a further example, although only two turntables, namely, the outer turntable and the inner turntable 505 and 507, are shown in the beverage production system 500, one or more additional concentric rows of turntables may be added to increase the overall number of beverages that can be prepared and stored for retrieval. It is also envisioned that the beverage production system 500 or others may be used in conjunction with additional conveyors, where beverages are moved from the production conveyor or turntable to a conveyor that transports the beverage to customers or staff at another location in the facility for further convenience and efficiency. These are only a few of the examples of combinations envisioned by the present disclosure. For purposes of brevity, each of the envisioned combinations will not be discussed, but will readily occur to those of skill in the art. These and other combinations will readily occur to those of skill in the art in view of the present disclosure. Additionally, the various components and support structures may be constructed from metal or metal alloys, plastic or polymeric materials, or any suitable materials.

[0188] The embodiments disclosed herein include beverage production systems and associated methods that may further increase the efficiency of the beverage production process by automating many, most, or substantially all of the steps to produce a beverage. Thus, through the use of the embodiments disclosed herein, the number of manual steps that may be required to produce a beverage may be reduced, thereby increasing the efficiency of the beverage production process and improving overall food service operations.

[0189] 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 of the present specification. The embodiments described herein are illustrative only and not limiting. Many variations and modifications of the systems, apparatus, and processes described herein are possible and within the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the scope of protection is not limited to the embodiments described herein, but only by the claims that follow, which scope is intended to include all equivalents of the subject matter of the claims. Unless expressly stated otherwise, steps in a method claim may be performed in any order. The recitation of identifiers such as (a), (b), (c) or (1), (2), (3), etc., before steps in a method claim is not intended to and does not prescribe a particular order for the steps, but rather is used to simplify subsequent references to such steps. (Item 1) 1. A beverage production system comprising: a cup dispensing station configured to dispense cups; a beverage dispensing station configured to dispense a beverage; 1. A turntable assembly comprising: A central axis, an inner turntable including a first row of cup containers; an outer turntable including a second row of cup containers, the outer turntable being circumferentially disposed about the inner turntable; the outer turntable is configured to rotate about the central axis to align the second row of cup containers with the cup dispensing station and the beverage dispensing station; the turntable assembly includes an outer turntable configured to align openings in cup containers in the second row with openings in cup containers in the first row; an actuator configured to move a cup positioned in the cup receptacle in the second row into a registered opening of the cup receptacle in the first row; a rotating base assembly comprising: A beverage production system comprising: (Item 2) Item 3. The beverage production system of item 1, wherein the actuator includes a slide assembly including an arm configured to slide a cup positioned in the cup receptacle in the second row into a aligned opening of the cup receptacle in the first row. 3. The beverage production system of claim 2, wherein the arm extends through an opening in the cup receptacle in the second row, engages the cup, and moves the cup positioned in the cup receptacle in the second row into the aligned opening of the cup receptacle in the first row. (Item 4) 2. The beverage production system of claim 1, further comprising a sink, the turntable assembly being disposed within the sink. (Item 5) Item 5. The beverage production system of item 4, wherein the turntable assembly is removable from the sink. (Item 6) 5. The beverage production system according to claim 4, wherein the inner turntable and the outer turntable are each separately removable from the sink. (Item 7) 5. The beverage production system of claim 4, wherein the bottom portion of the sink is angled relative to the top portion of the sink such that the bottom portion slopes toward a drain of the sink. (Item 8) 2. The beverage production system of claim 1, wherein each of the cup receptacles in the second row is separately removable, the outer turntable is separately removable from the cup receptacles in the second row of cup receptacles, and the inner turntable is an integral part of the first row of cup receptacles integrally formed therein. (Item 9) 2. The beverage production system of claim 1, wherein a first drive system drives the outer turntable and a second drive system drives the inner turntable such that the first drive system and the second drive system enable the outer turntable and the inner turntable to move independently. (Item 10) 10. The beverage production system of claim 9, further comprising a processor, a display, and circuitry operably coupled to the first drive system and the second drive system, the cup dispensing station, the beverage dispensing station, and an actuator for dispensing the beverage. (Item 12) a sink, the turntable assembly being disposed within the sink, and the slide assembly being an upper assembly including a magnet and the arm, the upper magnetic assembly being disposed at a bottom portion of the sink; A drive system; a slide attached to the drive system; a lower assembly including a magnet, the lower assembly operably coupled to the slide, the drive system, slide, and lower assembly being disposed adjacent to the upper assembly and beneath the sink; 3. The beverage production system of claim 2, further comprising: (Item 13) Item 1. The beverage production system of item 1, further comprising a lid application station configured to place a film lid over an upper periphery of the cup and heat seal the film to the lid. (Item 14) Item 14. The beverage production system of item 13, further comprising a printing station configured to print indicia identifying the type of beverage dispensed into the capped cup. (Item 15) Further, the second row of cup containers includes an opening at a bottom portion of the second row of cup containers, and the beverage production system further includes a lifting assembly, the lifting assembly comprising: A drive system; a lifting mechanism operatively coupled to the drive system, at least a portion of the lifting mechanism being positioned below the opening in the bottom portion of the second row of the cup receptacle such that, upon actuation, the drive system drives a portion of the lifting mechanism through the opening in the bottom portion of the second row of the cup receptacle for engagement of a cup disposed therein; Item 15. A beverage production system according to item 14, comprising: (Item 16) Item 16. The beverage production system of item 15, wherein a portion of the lifting assembly positioned below the opening in the bottom portion of the second row of cup containers includes a cup centering device configured to engage the bottom of a cup. (Item 17) Item 16. The beverage production system of item 15, wherein the lifting assembly further includes a switch for limiting a height by which the lifting mechanism lifts the cup out of the second row of cup containers, the limit switch being configured to lift the cup into engagement with the lidding and printing station. (Item 18) Item 14. The beverage production system of item 13, further comprising a piercing station configured to pierce an opening in the film lid after the film lid is heat sealed around an upper periphery of the cup. (Item 19) A timing network; a drive system in communication with the timing circuitry; an ice bin configured to hold ice; an auger coupled to the drive system and in communication with the ice bin; an ice chute positioned to receive ice processed through the ice bin via the auger, a portion of the ice chute positioned above at least one of the second row of cup receptacles for dispensing ice into cups positioned therein, the timing circuitry operating the auger for an amount of time determined based on a size of the cups positioned in the second row of cup receptacles; Item 1. The beverage production system of item 1, further comprising: (Item 20) 1. A method for producing a beverage comprising: dispensing a cup at the cup dispensing station into a cup in an outer carousel of a carousel assembly; Dispensing beverages at a beverage dispensing station into cups in an outer carousel of said carousel assembly; rotating the outer turntable about a central axis of the turntable assembly to align the second row of cup receptacles with the cup dispensing station and the beverage dispensing station; aligning openings in the second row of cup receptacles with openings in the first row of cup receptacles on an inner rotating platform, the outer rotating platform being circumferentially disposed about the inner rotating platform; moving a cup from a cup positioned in the cup receptacle in the second row into a aligned opening of the cup receptacle in the first row via an actuator; A method comprising:

Claims

1. A beverage production system, comprising: a cup dispensing station configured to dispense cups; a beverage dispensing station configured to dispense a beverage; Rotating table assembly and Equipped with The turntable assembly includes: A central axis, an inner turntable including an array of cup containers; an outer turntable arranged circumferentially about the inner turntable, the inner turntable configured to rotate about the central axis to align the plurality of cup receptacles with the cup dispensing station and the beverage dispensing station, the turntable assembly configured to align an opening in the turntable assembly with a cup receptacle, the opening being adjacent to the outer turntable; an actuator configured to move cups positioned in the row of cup receptacles onto the outer carousel; A beverage production system comprising:

2. The beverage production system of claim 1, further comprising an ice dispensing station configured to dispense ice.

3. The beverage production system of claim 1, further comprising a capping and printing station configured to cap and print dispensed cups.

4. A beverage production system as described in claim 3, wherein the actuator is positioned adjacent to the row of the plurality of cup containers and beyond the lidding and printing station.

5. The beverage production system of claim 3, further comprising a lifting assembly configured to engage the cup with the capping and printing station for capping and printing the cup.

6. The beverage production system of claim 1, further comprising an ice dispensing station configured to dispense ice, the ice dispensing station being positioned between the cup dispensing station and the beverage dispensing station.

7. A beverage production system as described in claim 1, wherein the inner turntable is independently removable with respect to the outer turntable.

8. A beverage production system as described in claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of cup containers in the row of cup containers is independently removable from the inner turntable.

9. A beverage production system, comprising: a cup dispensing station configured to dispense cups; a beverage dispensing station configured to dispense a beverage; Rotating table assembly and Equipped with The turntable assembly includes: A central axis, an inner turntable including an array of cup containers; an outer turntable arranged circumferentially about the inner turntable, the inner turntable configured to rotate about the central axis to align one of the plurality of cup receptacles with one of the cup dispensing station or the beverage dispensing station; an actuator configured to move a cup positioned in one of the plurality of cup receptacles of the inner carousel onto the outer carousel; A beverage production system comprising:

10. A beverage production system as described in claim 9, wherein the inner turntable and the outer turntable are configured to rotate independently about the central axis.

11. The beverage production system of claim 9, wherein the inner turntable is configured to rotate to align the one of the plurality of cup containers with the cup dispensing station, and the inner turntable is further configured to rotate to align the one of the plurality of cup containers with the beverage dispensing station.

12. The beverage production system of claim 9, wherein the turntable assembly is configured to align an opening in the turntable assembly with the one of the plurality of cup containers in the row of cup containers, and the opening is positioned adjacent to the actuator, such that the actuator is configured to move the cup positioned in the one of the plurality of cup containers on the inner turntable through the opening and onto the outer turntable.

13. The beverage production system of claim 9, further comprising an ice dispensing station configured to dispense ice.

14. The beverage production system of claim 9, further comprising a capping and printing station configured to cap and print dispensed cups.

15. The beverage production system of claim 14, further comprising a lifting assembly configured to engage the cup with the capping and printing station for capping and printing the cup.

16. A method for producing a beverage, comprising: dispensing a cup into one of the cup receptacles on the inner carousel of the carousel assembly at a cup dispensing station; dispensing a beverage into the cup on the inner carousel of the carousel assembly at a beverage dispensing station; aligning the cup container on the inner turntable with an opening between the inner turntable and the outer turntable of the turntable assembly by rotating the inner turntable about a central axis of the turntable assembly, the outer turntable being disposed circumferentially about the inner turntable; moving the cup from the cup container on the inner turntable through the opening onto the outer turntable via an actuator; 16. A method for producing a beverage comprising:

17. The method for producing a beverage as described in claim 16, further comprising dispensing ice into the cup.

18. The method for producing a beverage comprising: lifting the cup via a lifting assembly; Capping and printing the cup via a capping and printing station; 20. The method for producing a beverage of claim 16, further comprising:

19. The method for producing a beverage comprising: rotating the inner turntable after capping and printing the cup; moving the cup from the cup container on the inner turntable onto the outer turntable via the actuator; 20. The method for producing a beverage of claim 18, further comprising:

20. The method for producing a beverage as described in claim 16, further comprising independently rotating the inner turntable and the outer turntable.

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