Patent · US Expired

Automatic beverage dispenser

US5454406A · kind A · utility

150Cited by
19References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 13, 1994
Grant dateOct 3, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 13, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T137/86397
  • WIPO fieldHandling
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A dispenser is programmed to automatically dispense a beverage into a plurality of different size containers by storing therein a volume designation for each size container. The flow rate of beverage through the dispenser is determined. To do so, a user manually operates the dispenser to fill a given container with the beverage while the dispenser measures the filling time. The dispenser calculates a beverage flow rate from the volume designation for the given container and the filling time. Then the flow rate and volume designations are used thereafter by the dispenser to derive a dispensing time for each different size container. Thus the dispenser is able to derive dispensing times for each container size from filling only one of the containers. A unique dispenser valve also is disclosed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.