Compact Beverage Dispenser with Variable Carbonation Mixing Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage dispensers for carbonated beverages are large, expensive, and not portable, primarily designed for high-volume commercial use, lacking in size, cost, and operational efficiency for smaller volumes and portability while maintaining quality.
Innovation Solution
A compact beverage dispenser that mixes a flow of concentrate, water, and gas, incorporating a carbonator with a water input, gas input, chilling reservoir, and dispensing nozzle, along with a user interface for selecting beverages and flavors, and a potable water/ice slurry refrigeration system for efficient cooling, allowing for portable and cost-effective operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional beverage dispensers are designed for large volume commercial use, then cooling and dispensing speeds are maximized, but the device size and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The beverage dispenser is divided into separate functional modules: a carbonator unit for producing carbonated water, a refrigeration unit for cooling, and a dispensing unit for mixing and dispensing. This segmentation allows each module to be optimized independently, reducing overall device size while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs nested configurations where the concentrate coil is positioned inside the carbonated water reservoir, and the chilling reservoir is integrated within the carbonator assembly. This nesting approach maximizes space utilization, allowing compact design without sacrificing cooling capacity or dispensing speed.
2Productivity
If conventional beverage dispensers are designed for large volume commercial use, then cooling and dispensing speeds are maximized, but the device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates automatic sensor-based detection for concentrate levels and carbonated water supply status. When concentrate is low or carbonated water is available, the system automatically activates dispensing operations without manual intervention, reducing labor costs and improving operational efficiency while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes variable flow rate control for concentrate and carbonated water mixing, allowing optimization of dispensing speed and beverage quality. By dynamically adjusting flow parameters based on demand, the system achieves high productivity while using smaller, more cost-effective components compared to conventional fixed-flow commercial dispensers.
3Volume of moving object
If a compact beverage dispenser is used, then portability and cost are improved, but maintaining high-quality carbonated beverages becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs sensors that continuously monitor carbonated water levels, concentrate flow rates, and mixing ratios. This feedback mechanism ensures consistent beverage quality by automatically adjusting parameters to maintain optimal mixing proportions, even in the compact design where thermal mass is reduced.
Solution Approach 2:
The carbonator pre-produces and stores carbonated water in an integrated reservoir before dispensing. This preliminary carbonation action ensures that high-quality carbonated water is always available for immediate mixing with concentrate, maintaining beverage quality standards in the compact dispenser without requiring large external storage tanks.
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 solution provides high-quality carbonated beverages in a compact, cost-effective, and portable format, enabling efficient operation and maintenance, while ensuring continuous availability of beverages through intelligent inventory management and adjustable carbonation levels.
Implementation Method 1
a chilling reservoir in communication with the flow of water
Implementation Method 2
a carbonator with a water input in communication with the flow of water, a gas input in communication with the flow of gas
Data Source
AI summary
A dispenser system for providing variable carbonation can include a carbonated water source in communication with a carbonated water valve for controlling flow of carbonated water through the dispenser system; a still water source in communication with a still water valve for controlling flow of still water through the dispenser system; a nozzle in fluid communication with the carbonated water source and still water source; a processing device adapted to modulate the carbonated water and still water valves within a modulate cycle to achieve a ratio of carbonated to non-carbonated water; and a pour mechanism adapted to provide an input to the processing device to dispense the beverage.