Mixed drink preparation apparatus

Claim 2

An automatic mixed drink preparation apparatus comprising: a housing including a bottom wall, front and back walls, opposed side walls, and a top wall defining a mixed drink preparation zone; the back wall defining at least one openable panel to provide access to substantially the entire interior of the housing; the housing defining therein a liquor receiving zone characterized by means for receiving a plurality of quantities of different liquors each in its original container; means within the housing for receiving a plurality of mix containers each having a quantity of mix therein; means within the housing for receiving a water container having a quantity of water therein; means within the housing for receiving a carbon dioxide container having a quantity of carbon dioxide therein; a dispensing head mounted on the housing and extending into the mixed drink preparation zone at a point over the top wall of the housing; drain container means mounted in the housing; drain means for directing liquids from a point in the mixed drink preparation zone under the dispensing head to the drain container means; a plurality of liquor pumps each for withdrawing liquor from one of the liquor containers in the liquor receiving zone and for discharging the liquor through the dispensing head; valve means for controlling the flow of each liquor through the dispensing head under the action of the liquor pumps; mix pumping means for withdrawing mixes from the mix containers and for discharging the mixes through the dispensing head; valve means for controlling the flow of mixes through the dispensing head under the action of the mix pumping means; mechanical refrigeration means mounted in the housing and comprising liquid chilling means; water pumping means for withdrawing water from the water container and for directing the water through the liquid chilling means and through the dispensing head; valve means for controlling the flow of water through the dispensing head under the action of the water pumping means; carbonating means for receiving water from the water pumping means, for receiving carbon dioxide gas from the carbon dioxide container, and for forming carbonated water; means for directing carbonated water from tHe carbonating means through the liquid chilling means and through the dispensing head; valve means for controlling the flow of carbonated water through the dispensing head; said liquors, mixes, water, and carbonated water comprising a plurality of liquids available for use in formulating mixed drinks; a plurality of selectable cards each corresponding to a particular mixed drink and each bearing input means representative of the particular mixed drink; and electronic circuitry means responsive to the input means of the cards for selectively actuating predetermined valves for predetermined periods of time and thereby effecting discharge through the dispensing head of a predetermined quantity of each liquid from the plurality thereof that is required for the selected mixed drink.

Claim 3

The automatic mixed drink preparation apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each liquor pump comprises: cylinder means; piston means mounted for reciprocation in the cylinder means; check valve means for admitting liquor from one of the containers thereof to one end of the cylinder means; check valve means for directing liquor from said one end of the cylinder means to the dispensing head; means for selectively admitting pressurized carbon dioxide gas from the carbon dioxide container to the opposite end of the cylinder means and thereby actuating the piston means to force liquor out of the cylinder means and through the dispensing head; and spring means for subsequently returning the piston means and thereby drawing liquor into said one end of the cylinder means from the container thereof.

Claim 4

The automatic mixed drink preparation apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the mix pumping means comprises: means for directing pressurized carbon dioxide gas from the carbon dioxide container into each mix container; and means for directing mix from each mix container through the dispensing head under the action of the pressurized carbon dioxide gas.

Claim 5

The automatic mixed drink preparation apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the electronic circuitry means further includes counter means for recording the quantity of liquor that is dispensed from the liquor containers in the liquor receiving zone through the dispensing head.

Claim 6

The automatic mixed drink preparation apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the mechanical refrigeration means further comprises: means defining an enclosed zone; means for circulating a chilled fluid within the enclosed zone; and means for receiving water from the water pumping means and for circulating the water in the enclosed zone and thereby chilling the water by heat transfer to the chilled fluid circulated therein.

Claim 7

The automatic mixed drink preparation apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the carbonation apparatus further comprises: container means mounted within the enclosed zone of the mechanical refrigeration means; means for receiving water from the water pumping means and for discharging the water into the container means; means for receiving carbon dioxide gas from the carbon dioxide container and for bubbling the carbon dioxide gas through liquid accumulated in the container means; and means for receiving carbonated water from the container means and for circulating the carbonated water through the enclosed zone and thereby further cooling the carbonated water by heat transfer to the chilled fluid circulating therein.

Claim 8

An automatic mixed drink preparation apparatus comprising: a housing including a bottom wall, front and back walls, opposed side walls, and a top wall defining a mixed drink preparation zone; said walls of the housing defining therebetween a wholly closed liquor receiving zone characterized by means for receiving a plurality of quantities of different liquors each in its original container; said walls of the housing defining a wholly enclosed mix receiving zone for receiving a plurality of quantiTies of different mixes each in a container; said walls of the housing defining a wholly enclosed water receiving zone for receiving a quantity of water in a container; said walls of the housing defining a wholly enclosed carbon dioxide receiving zone for receiving a quantity of carbon dioxide in a container; a dispensing head mounted in the housing and extending into the mixed drink preparation zone at a point over the top wall of the housing; drain container means supported in the housing; drain means for directing liquid from the point in the mixed drink preparation zone under the dispensing head into the drain container means; a plurality of liquor pumps each for withdrawing liquor from one of the liquor containers in the liquor receiving zone and for discharging the liquor through the dispensing head; a plurality of valve means each for regulating the quantity of liquor discharged through the dispensing head by one of the liquor pumps; mix pumping means for withdrawing mixes from the mix containers in the mix receiving zone and for directing the mixes through the dispensing head; a plurality of valve means each for regulating the quantity of mix discharged through the dispensing head from one of the mix containers; mechanical refrigeration means defining liquid chilling means; water pumping means for withdrawing water from the water container in the water receiving zone and for directing water through the liquid chilling means and through the dispensing head; valve means for regulating the quantity of water discharged through the dispensing head; carbonating means for receiving water from the water pumping means and for receiving carbon dioxide gas from carbon dioxide containers in the carbon dioxide receiving zone and for forming carbonated water; means for directing carbonated water from the carbonating means through the dispensing head; valve means for regulating the quantity of carbonated water discharged through the dispensing head; said liquors, mixes, water, and carbonated water defining a plurality of liquids available for use in formulating mixed drinks; a plurality of cards each corresponding to a particular mixed drink and each bearing input means indicative of both the particular liquids to be used and the quantity of each liquid to be used in formulating the corresponding mixed drink; and electronic circuitry means responsive to the input means of the cards for actuating the valve means to discharge predetermined quantities of one or more of the liquids comprising the plurality of liquids through the dispensing head.

Claim 9

An automatic mixed drink preparation apparatus comprising: a housing including a bottom wall, front and back walls, opposed side walls, and a top wall defining a mixed drink preparation zone; said walls of the housing defining therebetween a wholly closed liquor receiving zone characterized by means for receiving a plurality of quantities of different liquors each in its original container; said walls of the housing defining a wholly enclosed mix receiving zone for receiving a plurality of quantiTies of different mixes each in a container; said walls of the housing defining a wholly enclosed water receiving zone for receiving a quantity of water in a container; said walls of the housing defining a wholly enclosed carbon dioxide receiving zone for receiving a quantity of carbon dioxide in a container; a dispensing head mounted in the housing and extending into the mixed drink preparation zone at a point over the top wall of the housing; drain container means supported in the housing; drain means for directing liquid from the point in the mixed drink preparation zone under the dispensing head into the drain container means; a plurality of liquor pumps each for withdrawing liquor from one of the liquor containers in the liquor receiving zone and for discharging the liquor through the dispensing head; a plurality of valve means each for regulating the quantity of liquor discharged through the dispensing head by one of the liquor pumps; mix pumping means for withdrawing mixes from the mix containers in the mix receiving zone and for directing the mixes through the dispensing head; a plurality of valve means each for regulating the quantity of mix discharged through the dispensing head from one of the mix containers; mechanical refrigeration means defining liquid chilling means; water pumping means for withdrawing water from the water container in the water receiving zone and for directing water through the liquid chilling means and through the dispensing head; valve means for regulating the quantity of water discharged through the dispensing head; carbonating means for receiving water from the water pumping means and for receiving carbon dioxide gas from carbon dioxide containers in the carbon dioxide receiving zone and for forming carbonated water; means for directing carbonated water from the carbonating means through the dispensing head; valve means for regulating the quantity of carbonated water discharged through the dispensing head; said liquors, mixes, water, and carbonated water defining a plurality of liquids available for use in formulating mixed drinks; a plurality of cards each corresponding to a particular mixed drink and each bearing input means indicative of both the particular liquids to be used and the quantity of each liquid to be used in formulating the corresponding mixed drink; and electronic circuitry means responsive to the input means of the cards for actuating the valve means to discharge predetermined quantities of one or more of the liquids comprising the plurality of liquids through the dispensing head.

Claim 10

The automatic mixed drink preparation apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the carbonating apparatus further comprises: container means; means for receiving water from the water pumping means and for discharging the water into the container means; means for receiving carbon dioxide gas from the carbon dioxide container and for bubbling the carbon dioxide through liquid standing in the container means; and means for receiving carbonated water from the container means and for circulating the carbonated water through the liquid chilling means.

Claim 11

The automatic mixed drink preparation apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the mechanical refrigeration means further comprises: means defining an enclosed zone; the container means of the carbonating apparatus being mounted within the enclosed zone; means for circulating a chilled fluid within the enclosed zone and thereby chilling the contents of the container means of the carbonating apparatus by heat transfer to the chilled fluid; and means for receiving water from the water pumping means and for circulating the water in the enclosed zone and thereby chilling the water by heat transfer to the chilled fluid circulating therein.

Claim 12

The automatic mixed drink preparation apparatus according to claim 7 further characterized by counter means responsive to Each actuation of the electronic circuitry means to dispense liquor through the dispensing head for recording the quantity of liquor dispensed from the liquor containers in the liquor receiving zone.

Claim 13

The automatic mixed drink preparation apparatus according to claim 7 wherein each liquor pump comprises: a cylinder; a piston mounted for reciprocation within the cylinder; means for admitting liquor from one of the liquor containers to one end of the cylinder; means for directing liquor from said one end of the cylinder to the dispensing head; means for selectively admitting pressurized carbon dioxide gas from the carbon dioxide container to the opposite end of the cylinder and thereby actuating the piston to force liquor out of the cylinder and through the dispensing head; and means for subsequently returning the piston from the opposite end of the cylinder and thereby drawing liquor out of the liquor container and into said one end of the cylinder.

Claim 14

The automatic mixed drink preparation apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the mix pumping means comprises: means for directing pressurized carbon dioxide gas from the carbon dioxide container in the carbon dioxide receiving zone into each of the mix containers in the mix receiving zone and thereby pressurizing the mix containers; and means for directing mix from each mix container through the dispensing head under the action of the pressurized carbon dioxide gas therein.