Cold Beverage Dispenser Pouch Mixing for Clean Carbonation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current single serve beverage dispensers face challenges in producing cold beverages, including maintaining optimal serving temperature, preventing flavor contamination, achieving exact mixing ratios, and minimizing dispensing time and mess, especially with carbonated drinks.
Innovation Solution
A single serve cold beverage dispenser system that uses a disposable beverage pouch or cartridge with a mixing nozzle structure for post-mixing, a removable water pitcher, and a telemetry control system for precise temperature control and carbonation, along with a Wi-Fi connection for automated reordering and user tracking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If concentrated syrups are used in disposable beverage pouches for cold drinks, then the beverage can be served at optimal temperature, but the syrups may re-coagulate and contaminate the dispensing elements
Solution Approach 1:
The syrup is extracted from the pouch and dispensed directly into the user's cup, preventing contact with the dispensing system's internal surfaces. This eliminates the re-coagulation and contamination problem while maintaining optimal serving temperature through direct dispensing.
Solution Approach 2:
The user's cup serves as an intermediary receptacle that receives the syrup directly from the pouch, acting as a barrier between the syrup and the dispensing system. This prevents the syrup from contaminating the dispensing elements while allowing temperature-controlled dispensing.
2Reliability
If the beverage pouch is at room temperature while the refrigeration unit maintains water at 33-34 degrees Fahrenheit, then the system can maintain optimal refrigeration temperature, but the dispensed beverage may be served at sub-optimal warm temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The syrup is pre-chilled in the refrigeration unit before dispensing. This preliminary cooling ensures that when the syrup is dispensed, it is already at the optimal serving temperature, eliminating the temperature mismatch between the refrigerated water and room-temperature pouch.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the chilled water from the refrigeration unit with the pre-chilled syrup from the pouch in the user's cup. Both components are cooled to optimal temperatures before combining, ensuring the final beverage is served at the correct temperature.
3Ease of operation
If a disposable beverage pouch system is used for cold beverages, then the system can be simple and easy to operate, but it cannot maintain carbonation and the beverage melts more ice
Solution Approach 1:
The syrup is extracted directly from the pouch into the user's cup, bypassing any mixing chamber or dispensing pathway that could cause carbonation loss. This direct extraction method maintains carbonation while keeping the system simple and easy to operate.
Solution Approach 2:
The syrup is rapidly dispensed through the pouch in a quick, continuous flow directly into the cup. This rapid dispensing minimizes the time the carbonated beverage is exposed to air and mixing, preserving carbonation while maintaining operational simplicity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides high-quality, optimally tempered and mixed cold beverages with minimal contamination and mess, while maintaining freshness of concentrates and allowing for efficient inventory management.
Implementation Method 1
a mixing nozzle structure that creates a vortex flow to mix concentrate and water
Implementation Method 2
a system for carbonating said liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A home beverage dispensing device for dispensing servings of a beverage, having a vessel for holding a volume of liquid. This vessel may be equipped with a refrigeration unit, or may be comprised of a removable pitcher that may be put in an external refrigerator. This invention is equipped with a radio communications controller to provide for the ability to communicate over radio frequencies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. A special disposable beverage cartridge or beverage pouch fits into the holder. This cartridge or pouch may have pressure rupturable seals or diaphragms and contain beverage concentrate. The mixing structure also receives the optionally chilled liquid from vessel for holding a volume of liquid, and ensures that the concentrate mixes with the liquid without contacting the walls of the mixing structure.