KR-102962614-B1 - Self-contained, demand-adaptive warmer for storing, heating, and preserving instant beverages

KR102962614B1KR 102962614 B1KR102962614 B1KR 102962614B1KR-102962614-B1

Abstract

A beverage warmer comprises a plurality of product shelves, and each product shelf has a plurality of product lanes. Each product lane has a peripheral area, a heating area, and a serving area. A product is loaded into the beverage warmer in the peripheral area of the product lane and, upon removal from the beverage warmer, is transported through the heating area and the serving area, respectively. The product may be maintained in the heating area for a predetermined period and may be subjected to a first temperature. Upon expiration of the period, the product is transported from the heating area to the serving area. The product is maintained in the serving area at a second temperature, and the second temperature is lower than the first temperature.

Inventors

해먼즈 마커스
윈터할터 마이클
포커스 필립
메이 폴 에드워드
브랜든-존스 줄리언

Assignees

더 코카콜라 컴파니

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20210513
Priority Date: 20200513

Claims (20)

A product shelf having a peripheral storage area, a heating area, and a serving area, comprising a first door between the storage area and the heating area, and a second door between the heating area and the serving area, wherein each of the first and second doors may be configured between an open and a closed position, and the product shelf further comprises a plurality of product lanes, each of which extends through the peripheral storage area, the heating area, and the serving area; and A beverage warmer comprising a controller configured to operate the first door to transfer a product from the surrounding storage area through the heating area, and to operate the second door to transfer the product from the heating area to the serving area.
A beverage warmer according to claim 1, wherein the serving area comprises a serving area sized to accommodate a first number of products.
In paragraph 2, the beverage warmer, wherein the surrounding storage area includes a loading area sized to accommodate a second number of products.
In paragraph 3, the second number of the above-mentioned product is greater than the first number of the above-mentioned product, a beverage warmer.
In paragraph 3, the above heating zone is a beverage warmer comprising a heating area sized to accommodate a single product.
A beverage warmer according to claim 1, wherein the serving zone includes a proximity sensor configured to detect whether a product is located within the serving zone.
A beverage warmer according to claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to determine that the product has been removed from the serving area in response to the proximity sensor detecting that the product is not present at the location after the proximity sensor detects that the product is present at the location.
A beverage warmer according to claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to operate the first door to transfer the product from the surrounding storage area to the heating area in response to determining that the product has been removed from the serving area.
A beverage warmer according to claim 1, wherein the second door includes a wall through which a portal is penetrated, and the portal is located on the upper part of the wall.
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A beverage warmer according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of product shelves.
As a method of operating a beverage warmer, A step of receiving a product within the loading area of a product lane on the product shelf of the beverage warmer; A step of transferring the product from the loading area to the heating area through the first door; A step of heating the product within the heating zone at a heating temperature for a heating time; A step of transferring the product from the heating area to the serving area through the second door after the heating time; A step of maintaining the product within the serving area at a serving temperature; A step of detecting that the above product is removed from the serving area; and A method comprising the step of determining that the current time is a low-demand period and, in response, deciding not to transfer the second product from the loading area to the heating area through the first door.
In claim 12, the step of detecting whether the second product is within the loading area of the product lane; and A method further comprising the step of detecting that the above product is removed from the serving area and, in response, transferring the second product from the loading area to the heating area through the first door.
In claim 12, the step of heating the product within the heating zone comprises the step of heating the product with one or more heating elements within the heating zone.
A method according to claim 14, wherein the one or more heating elements comprise two heating elements located on both sides of the heating area.
A method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of heating air within a serving area to a serving temperature using one or more heating elements within a serving area including the serving area.
A method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of circulating the heated air within the serving area with one or more fans located within the serving area.
In claim 12, the step of detecting that the product is not present within the serving area; and A method comprising the step of displaying time on a display adjacent to the serving area, wherein the time indicates the amount of time remaining until the heated product is transferred from the heating area to the serving area through the second door.
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A method according to claim 12, wherein the step of transporting the product through the first door includes the step of rotating the first door, and the step of transporting the product through the second door includes the step of rotating the second door.

Description

Self-contained, demand-adaptive warmer for storing, heating, and preserving instant beverages Cross-reference of related applications This application claims the advantage of U.S. provisional application serial number 63/024,188 filed on May 13, 2020, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein by reference. Ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, such as coffee or tea, are often served at high temperatures (e.g., 40 to 70°C). Current RTD beverage warmers heat all RTD beverages stored in product cabinets to their target consumption temperature. Consequently, all RTD beverages stored in the cabinets are maintained at high temperatures. The shelf life of RTD beverages is reduced when stored at high temperatures due to ingredient degradation and product spoilage, which leads to lower product quality over time. Consequently, current RTD beverage warmers result in high spoilage rates because they maintain large quantities of products at high temperatures for extended periods. Product spoilage leads to losses in the form of product buybacks from distributors. Furthermore, when consumer demand is high, products can sell out quickly, requiring time to restock available products. In a first aspect of the present disclosure, a beverage warmer comprises a product shelf having an ambient storage zone, a heating zone, and a serving zone. The product shelf comprises a first door between the storage zone and the heating zone, and a second door between the heating zone and the serving zone. Each of the first and second doors may be configured between an open and a closed position. The beverage warmer further comprises a controller configured to operate the first door to transfer a product from the ambient storage zone through the heating zone and to operate the second door to transfer a product from the heating zone to the serving zone. In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the serving area includes a serving area sized to accommodate a first number of products. In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the peripheral storage area includes a loading area sized to accommodate a second number of products. In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the second number of products is greater than the first number of products. In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the heating zone includes a heating area sized to accommodate a single product. In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the serving area includes a proximity sensor configured to detect whether a product is located within the serving area. In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the controller is configured to determine that the product has been removed from the serving area in response to the proximity sensor detecting that the product is not at the location after detecting that the product is at the location. In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the controller is further configured to operate a first door to transfer a product from a surrounding storage area to a heating area in response to determining that the product has been removed from the serving area. In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the second door comprises a wall through which a portal is penetrated, and the portal is located on the upper part of the wall. In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the product shelf further comprises a plurality of product lanes, each product lane extending through a peripheral storage area, a heating area, and a serving area. In some embodiments of the first aspect of the present disclosure, the beverage warmer further comprises a plurality of product shelves. In a second aspect of the present disclosure, a method for operating a beverage warmer comprises the step of receiving a product within a loading area of a product lane on a product shelf of the beverage warmer. The method comprises the step of transferring the product from the loading area to a heating area through a first door. The method comprises the step of heating the product within the heating area to a heating temperature for a heating time. The method comprises the step of transferring the product from the heating area to a serving area through a second door after the heating time. The method comprises the step of maintaining the product within the serving area at a serving temperature. In some embodiments of the second aspect of the present disclosure, the method further comprises the step of detecting whether the second product is within the loading area of the product lane. The method further comprises the step of detecting that the product is removed from the serving area and, in response, transferring the second product from the loading area to the heating area through the first door. In some embodiments of the second aspect of the present disclosure, t