Patent Application

App. No. 12/874,488

Abstract

Claims (38)

1 . A carbonated beverage maker capable of making customized beverages in a single-serving, said beverage maker comprises:

a water reservoir in fluid communication with carbonation chamber for mixing a selected mixing volume of fluid with carbon dioxide;

a pressurized carbon dioxide source in fluid communication with said carbonation chamber;

an individually packed, single use disposable flavor cup containing a flavor and having a sealed cover that covers and seals said flavor cup;

a water injection nozzle for accessing said flavor cup and operatively charging said selected mixing volume of fluid therein;

a discharge port for accessing said flavor cup and operatively discharging said mixed, flavored mixed volume of fluid and wherein a single-serving glasses, on-demand volume of flavored beverage is therein made and dispensed;

said carbonation chamber comprising a pressure vessel assembly of a fixed volume be utilized for the absorption of carbon dioxide into said liquid for use in the manufacture of a sparkling type beverage, said chamber having a controlled volume in CO 2 absorption can be performed and controlled.

2 . The beverage maker of claim 1 , wherein said carbonation chamber forms an internal volume designed to hold a selected liquid volume, plus an additional head space, wherein said volume is of a predetermined and fixed proportion to a second volume of flavorings, essences or syrups retained within said individually packed, single use disposable flavor cups.

3 . The beverage maker of claim 2 , wherein said carbon dioxide source is operatively interactive with said carbonation chamber such as to allow a pressure of between 125 to 150 psi to be created for the carbonation of liquid charged within said chamber.

4 . The beverage maker of claim 3 , wherein the flow of carbon dioxide is controlled to said chamber to pre-pressurize said CO 2 in said chamber.

5 . The beverage maker of claim 4 , wherein an additional flow of carbon dioxide is controlled to said chamber by pulsing said CO 2 through or in said pre-pressurized chamber.

6 . The beverage maker of claim 1 , wherein said individually packed, single use disposable flavor cups containing a flavor further operatively interact with a Central Processing Unit that operationally controls said beverage maker.

7 . The beverage maker of claim 6 , wherein said flavor cups further comprise a coded authentication mechanism capable of being identified by said Central Processing Unit of the beverage maker.

8 . The beverage maker of claim 7 , wherein said coded authentication mechanism allows the settings of the beverage maker to be pre-set to accommodate normal condition anticipated for use with a particular beverage.

9 . The beverage maker of claim 8 , wherein said precoded authentication of preset normal conditions are selected from the group comprising: overall beverage size; activation of carbonation; level of carbonation; verification of expiration of use; and validation of authorized source.

10 . The beverage maker of claim 9 , wherein said coded authentication mechanism comprises:

an RFID tag or transponder device utilized to store and remotely retrieving data, said tag applied to or incorporated into said flavor cup; and

an RFID reader with antenna incorporated with said beverage maker and in operative communication with said Central Processing Unit in order to allow for retrieval of information from the RFID tag and implementation of system default settings in response to the retrieved information.

11 . The beverage maker of claim 1 , wherein said a water injection nozzle for accessing said flavor cup and operatively charging said selected mixing volume of fluid therein comprises:

an upper shank separated by a lower blade by a narrowed constrictive section;

an upper vent hole formed in the upper shank;

a lower vent hole formed in the lower blade section and connected by a slot to a discharge orifice terminating at the lower blade;

and wherein said flavor cup, when penetrated by said piercing needle, functions as a mixing chamber for carbonated or noncarbonated chilled water and flavor syrup.

12 . The beverage maker of claim 11 , wherein said individually packed, single use disposable flavor cups comprise a vacuum formed design incorporating an indexing ridge, and a sealed foil cover for covering and sealing the flavor cup;

wherein when said cups are placed in said beverage maker, said foil is pierced on the top and, in doing so, allows the cup to move downward and be pierced a second time from the bottom;

wherein when said piercing needle approaches from the top of the cup, it engages said foil and seals about its perimeter by said foil and around the piercing cite.

13 . The beverage maker of claim 12 , wherein said single use disposable flavor cup comprising:

a mixing area of a volume greater than the volume that will be filled with the flavors of choice;

a vacuum formed sidewall incorporate a indexing ridge;

an upper peripheral flange; and

a sealed foil cover attached to said flange for covering and sealing said flavor cup.

14 . The beverage maker of claim 13 , wherein said flavor cup functions as a mixing chamber for carbonated or noncarbonated chilled water and flavor syrup.

15 . The beverage maker of claim 1 , wherein said beverage maker further comprises an overall outer housing for containing the working components having an overall height of less than 15.5 inches, and an overall width of less than 14 inches wide, and an overall depth of 12.75 inches deep.

16 . A method to utilize the beverage maker of claim 1 , said method comprises the steps:

selecting an individually packed, single use disposable flavor cup containing a first preselected volume of flavor;

obtaining coded information from said flavor cup identifying settings of the beverage maker to be pre-set to accommodate normal condition anticipated for use with a particular beverage, wherein said precoded authentication of preset normal conditions are selected from the group comprising: overall beverage size; activation of carbonation; level of carbonation; verification of expiration of use; and validation of authorized source;

operatively mixing a second predetermined volume of fluid with said flavor, said second predetermined volume at a fixed, predetermined ration with said first predetermined volume; and

discharging said mixed said first volume and said second volume as a fluid comprising a single-serving, on-demand volume of flavored beverage therein made and dispensed.

Assignments (9)