Concentrate dispensing system for a post-mix beverage dispenser

Claim 2

In a post-mix beverage dispenser including a water supply assembly, a concentrate supply assembly and a mixing assembly for mixing water from the water supply assembly and concentrate from the concentrate supply assembly together to form the post-mix beverage, the improvement comprising: (a) peristaltic pump means having a rotary pumping member; (b) the concentrate supply assembly being disposable and including,

Claim 3

a disposable concentrate container; and 2. disposable flexible conduit means connecting said concentrate container to said mixing assembly and being disposed in operative engagement with said rotary pump member to cause concentrate in the container to be pumped through the conduit means to the mixing assembly; (c) nozzle means within the mixing assembly coupled to the water supply assembly for directing the water to an isolated mixing area out of contact with any surfaces of the dispenser, said nozzle means including 1. a housing having an input end for the water and concentrate, and a discharge opening at an output end thereof, said housing having an axial bore extending from the input end to the discharge opening, 2. a toroidal chamber at said input end of the housing having an inlet conduit for said water tangentially disposed with respect thereto to create a swirling of the water in said chamber, 3. means for directing said water from said toroidal chamber through the housing concentrically about the axial bore and out of said discharge opening to convergence at the isolated area outboard of the nozzle, and 4. means for directing a stream of the concentrate from the input end along the longitudinal axis of the housing through said axial bore to said mixing area, the diameter of the stream being less than the diameter of the axial bore to preclude the concentrate from contacting any surfaces of the nozzle housing; and whereby the water and concentrate are mixed together to form a post-mix beverage and the concentrate is precluded from contacting any portions of the water supply or mixing assemblies of the dispenser.

Claim 4

a disposable concentrate container; and 2. disposable flexible conduit means connecting said concentrate container to said mixing assembly and being disposed in operative engagement with said rotary pump member to cause concentrate in the container to be pumped through the conduit means to the mixing assembly; (c) nozzle means within the mixing assembly coupled to the water supply assembly for directing the water to an isolated mixing area out of contact with any surfaces of the dispenser, said nozzle means including 1. a housing having an input end for the water and concentrate, and a discharge opening at an output end thereof, said housing having an axial bore extending from the input end to the discharge opening, 2. a toroidal chamber at said input end of the housing having an inlet conduit for said water tangentially disposed with respect thereto to create a swirling of the water in said chamber, 3. means for directing said water from said toroidal chamber through the housing concentrically about the axial bore and out of said discharge opening to convergence at the isolated area outboard of the nozzle, and 4. means for directing a stream of the concentrate from the input end along the longitudinal axis of the housing through said axial bore to said mixing area, the diameter of the stream being less than the diameter of the axial bore to preclude the concentrate from contacting any surfaces of the nozzle housing; and whereby the water and concentrate are mixed together to form a post-mix beverage and the concentrate is precluded from contacting any portions of the water supply or mixing assemblies of the dispenser.

Claim 5

The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the disposable concentrate container has an external surface portion with a complementary shape to an external surface of the rotary member of the peristaltic pump, and the disposable flexible conduit means is operatively engaged between said surface portion and said external surface.

Claim 6

The dispenser of claim 2 wherein said rotary pumping member has a circular external surface.

Claim 7

The dispenser of claim 2 wherein said disposable container includes a rigid outer shell, a portion of which forms said surface portion, and a sealed collapsible bag within said rigid outer shell, said bag having a discharge opening in fluid communication with said disposable flexible conduit means through a valve means.

Claim 8

The dispenser of claim 4 wherein said surface portion with the complementary shape is disposed on a bottom wall of the rigid shell and said valve means is disposed in said bottom wall adjacent said surface portion with an actuator stem extending from said bottom into contact with a stationary support surface, whereby the weight of said container causes the support surface to depress said stem to open said valve means when said surface portion with said complementary shape operatively engages the conduit means.

Claim 9

The nozzle of claim 1, wherein said nozzle means for directing the water includes a plurality of radial vanes defining spaced ports about the circumference of the housing, said ports converging toward the longitudinal axis of said housing in a direction extending from said toroidal chamber to the discharge opening.