Beverage dispense head assembly

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing beverage dispense heads lack efficient mixing and dispensing mechanisms for creating mixed beverages, particularly in reducing cross-contamination and ensuring precise control over alcoholic and non-alcoholic ingredient integration.

Innovation Solution

A beverage dispense head assembly featuring a liquor port assembly with tangentially angled ports, a mixer port assembly with varying port sizes, a mixing bowl, and a diffuser to ensure even fluid distribution and mixing, along with seals and angled surfaces to minimize turbulence and cross-contamination.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of substance

If beverage containers are held in an upright position during dispensing, then product loss from foaming and overflow is reduced, but the container requires additional support structures and positioning mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebeverage product lossVSAvoidcontainer support structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of substanceVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The container support structure is merged with the dispensing head assembly itself. The dispensing head serves dual functions: both dispensing the beverage and providing the support structure to hold the container in the required upright position during dispensing. This integration eliminates the need for separate support mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The container support structure is designed to automatically position and hold containers in the upright position during dispensing operations. The system self-regulates container positioning without requiring external intervention or complex control mechanisms, thereby reducing overall system complexity while preventing product loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple beverage containers are stored in the refrigerator, then product variety and selection are improved, but temperature uniformity across containers deteriorates due to warm air circulation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebeverage selection varietyVSAvoidtemperature uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The cooling system provides localized cooling zones within the refrigerator. Different regions of the refrigerator can maintain different temperature characteristics, allowing multiple containers to be stored with improved temperature uniformity across each container while maintaining product variety. Each container receives optimized cooling appropriate to its position and type.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP4304427B1Beverage dispense head assembly
Publication Date: 2026.05.06 SMART BAR USA LLC
  • EP4304427B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4304427B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4304427B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A beverage dispense head assembly is made of a liquor port assembly, a mixer port assembly, a diffuser and a mixing bowl. The liquor port assembly has liquor ports that dispense liquid at an inward angle and outside the mixing bowl. The mixer port assembly has a first mixer port that dispenses liquid into the diffuser, and a second mixer port that dispenses liquid directly into the cavity of the mixing bowl. The diffuser has a cavity that dispenses liquid onto a shoulder extending from the diffuser wall, and a flange with ports to allow liquid to escape from the diffuser and into the cavity of the mixing bowl. The mixing bowl has a second opening at a second end thereof providing an exit to the mixing bowl for the liquids therein.