Contactless dispensing valve system
The present application provides a beverage dispenser for dispensing a beverage in a contactless fashion. The beverage dispenser may include a number of adjacent dispensing valves with each of the dispensing valves including a nozzle and a contactless dispensing valve system. The contactless dispensing valve system includes one or more proximity sensors positioned under the nozzle of each of the adjacent dispensing valves.
1. A beverage dispenser for dispensing a beverage in a contactless fashion, comprising:
a plurality of adjacent dispensing valves;
each of the plurality of dispensing valves comprising a nozzle; and
a contactless dispensing valve system;
the contactless dispensing valve system comprising one or more proximity sensors positioned under the nozzle of each of the plurality of adjacent dispensing valves;
wherein the one or more proximity sensors for each adjacent dispensing valve comprise differently timed light pulses.
2. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more proximity sensors for each adjacent dispensing valve comprise a field of vision of less than about thirty degrees.
3. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of adjacent dispensing valves comprises a syrup circuit and a diluent circuit in communication with the nozzle.
4. The beverage dispenser of claim 3 , wherein the syrup circuit comprises a syrup valve, the diluent circuit comprises a diluent valve, and wherein the contactless dispensing valve system comprises an on/off switch in communication with the syrup valve and the diluent valve.
5. The beverage dispenser of claim 4 , wherein the on/off switch comprises a metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor switch or a triode AC switch.
6. The beverage dispenser of claim 4 wherein the contactless dispensing valve system comprises a microcontroller in communication with the one or more proximity sensors and the on/off switch.
7. The beverage dispenser of claim 6 , wherein contactless dispensing valve system comprises an AC power source and a power converter in communication with the microcontroller.
8. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more proximity sensors comprises an ultrasonic sensor.
9. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more proximity sensors comprises an infrared sensor.
10. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more proximity sensors comprises a capacitance proximity sensor.
11. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more proximity sensors positioned under the nozzle of each of the plurality of adjacent dispensing valves comprise a plurality of proximity sensors positioned on a backboard of the beverage dispenser.
12. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more proximity sensors positioned under the nozzle of each of the plurality of adjacent dispensing valves comprise a plurality of proximity sensors positioned perpendicularly to the nozzle.
13. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the one or more proximity sensors positioned under the nozzle of each of the plurality of adjacent dispensing valves comprise three proximity sensors.
14. A method of contactless dispensing of a beverage into a container positioned about a nozzle of a multi-nozzle beverage dispenser, comprising:
positioning a plurality of sensors perpendicularly to the nozzle;
continually sensing a distance from the plurality of sensors to the container;
determining if the distance is within a threshold value; and
if so, dispensing the beverage into the container.