Flavored Beverage Dispensing Apparatus with Segmented Pump Modules
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current dispensing devices cannot reliably dispense flavored alcoholic spirits at the point of sale and consumption, limiting consumer choice and revenue for producers, as they are not designed to flavor beverages on demand.
Innovation Solution
A beverage dispensing machine that allows consumers to choose from various flavorings for alcoholic spirits like vodka, gin, or whiskey, using dedicated pumps and containers to prevent cross-contamination, with a refrigeration unit for temperature control, enabling on-demand flavoring and efficient inventory management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If pre-flavoured bottled alcoholic beverages are used, then consumer choice is limited to available pre-flavoured products, but the apparatus complexity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate functional modules: a base alcoholic beverage storage compartment, multiple independent flavoring containers (each with its own pump), and a dispensing mechanism. This segmentation allows the apparatus to offer diverse flavor combinations without requiring a single complex pre-flavoured bottle for each variant, thereby increasing consumer choice while keeping individual components simple and maintainable.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispensing apparatus is designed as a universal system that can dispense a base alcoholic beverage combined with any of multiple different flavorings. The modular architecture with interchangeable flavoring containers and a common dispensing mechanism allows the same apparatus to serve multiple functions - dispensing various flavored spirits without requiring separate dedicated devices for each flavor type.
2Reliability
If multiple flavorings are stored in separate containers with dedicated pumps, then cross-contamination between flavorings is avoided, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each flavoring is stored in a separate container with its own dedicated pump system, creating isolated fluid pathways. This segmentation prevents cross-contamination by ensuring that each pump only handles one flavoring type, eliminating the risk of mixing between different flavorings while maintaining reliable and consistent dispensing for each flavor option.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses separate pump mechanisms as intermediary devices between each flavoring container and the dispensing outlet. These intermediary pumps act as controlled interfaces that transfer flavorings independently, preventing direct contact between different flavoring streams and thus avoiding cross-contamination while enabling precise dosage control for each flavoring type.
3Productivity
If the apparatus dispenses beverage and flavorings simultaneously, then dispensing speed is improved, but the precision of dosage control may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus employs multiple pumps that operate simultaneously and continuously during the dispensing process. Each pump delivers its designated flavoring at the same time the base beverage is dispensed, creating a continuous unified stream. This simultaneous continuous action achieves rapid dispensing while maintaining precise dosage control through calibrated pump mechanisms that are designed to deliver exact volumes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces manual sequential dispensing operations with an automated multi-pump mechanical system. The coordinated operation of multiple pumps under electronic or mechanical control allows simultaneous dispensing of base beverage and flavorings with precise dosage control, eliminating the need for manual measurement and sequential addition while maintaining accuracy through engineered pump calibration.
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
Enables consumers to customize their beverages with a wider variety of flavors, simplifies production for producers by eliminating pre-flavoring, and provides valuable feedback on flavor popularity, while ensuring rapid and hygienic dispensing.
Implementation Method 1
Each of the pumps may be a peristaltic pump
Implementation Method 2
The refrigeration unit may include an evaporator coil which may be positioned around the chiller tank to cool the beverage inside the chiller tank to the second temperature
Data Source
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AI summary
An apparatus (10) for dispensing a flavoured beverage, for example a flavoured alcoholic beverage, is housed in a cabinet 16 and comprises a dispensing outlet (12) connectable to a beverage supply and a plurality of different liquid beverage flavourings, the dispensing outlet (12) being configured to dispense the beverage and a selected one or more of the liquid beverage flavourings into a drinking container. An actuating member (44) is operable by a user to initiate dispensing of the beverage and a selected one or more of the liquid beverage flavourings from the dispensing outlet (12). The apparatus (10) includes a selector (42) configured to receive a user input selection of one or more of the plurality of liquid beverage flavourings to be dispensed and a control unit (40) associated with the selector (42). Upon user operation of the actuating member (44), the control unit (40) is arranged to operate a pump 24a-f to supply a selected one or more of the liquid beverage flavourings to the dispensing outlet (12) based on the user input selection received by the selector (42).