Abstract: The present disclosure relates to devices, systems, and methods for quantitative measurements of colloid properties with a depletion force sensor. An example system of the present disclosure may include a well, a mass, a sensor, and a processor. The well may be contain a test fluid. The mass has a surface which may be immersed in the test fluid during operation. The sensor may include a sensing element which may be immersed in the test fluid during operation. The sensing element may include a sensor face separated from the surface of the mass by a gap. The sensor may measure a force on the sensing element relative to the mass. The processor may be coupled to the sensor and may determine properties of the test fluid based on the force.
Abstract: A carbonated beverage maker includes a water reservoir, a carbon dioxide creation chamber, and a carbonation chamber. The water reservoir holds ice water and has a first impeller and a shroud surrounding the first impeller. The carbon dioxide creation chamber contains chemical elements and receives warm water. The chemical elements react with each other to create carbon dioxide when the warm water is introduced to the carbon dioxide creation chamber. The carbonation chamber is connected to the water reservoir and the carbon dioxide creation chamber. The carbonation chamber has a second impeller that includes a stem portion and blades. The stem portion and the blades define conduits therein. The blades create a low pressure region in a lower portion of the carbonation chamber such that carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide creation chamber flows through the conduits to the low pressure region.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 8, 2017
Date of Patent:
December 13, 2022
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Steven T. Jersey, Stephen Brown, Farideh Goudarzi, Steven Headen, Miles Hember, Alexander Norman, Andrew Potter, Gary Stacey
Abstract: Beverage chillers are disclosed. A beverage chiller may include a container platform that receives a beverage container and a chiller tank. The chiller tank may have a central axis and may have an agitator. The chiller tank may be filled with water. A conveyor may move the container platform and beverage container into the chiller tank. The container platform and beverage container may rotate in a first direction in the chiller tank and the agitator may rotate the water in a second direction.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
October 10, 2019
Date of Patent:
December 6, 2022
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Prashant Deshpande, Gurmeet Bhutani, Brian Kelly, Wilton Brown
Abstract: A beverage dispenser having a beverage-level indicating system. The beverage dispenser includes a housing and a dispensing head arranged on the housing for dispensing a beverage into a beverage container. The beverage dispenser further includes a beverage-level sensor arranged on the housing and which determines a beverage level within the beverage container without contacting the beverage within the beverage container, a beverage-level indicator that provides a visual indication of the beverage level within the beverage container, and a control unit that causes the beverage-level indicator to indicate the beverage level within the beverage container based on the beverage level as determined by the beverage-level sensor.
Abstract: Mobile vending machines for storing and dispensing products to consumers at various locations. A mobile vending machine may include a product storage system, a user interface, a powertrain system, and a control unit. A consumer may view a list of products in the mobile vending machine using a mobile device, such as a smart phone. The consumer may summon the mobile vending machine to a location using the mobile device, and the mobile vending machine may automatically complete a transaction with the consumer, where the consumer receives a product from the mobile vending machine. The control unit may enable the mobile vending machine to autonomously travel to the location of the consumer.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
November 25, 2020
Date of Patent:
November 15, 2022
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Emad Jafa, Cheuk Chi Lau, Xuejun Li, Yong Serock, Wai Ting Chan, Samuel Luke Johnstone, Martyn Thomas Mitchell, Euan Morrison, Erik David Williams
Abstract: A drink station is provided with an alkaline filter cartridge in fluid communication with an ambient temperature water line provide alkaline water, and with a chilled water mixed with the alkaline water at a spigot to provide chilled alkaline water. A hot water heating element is located below the spigot so hot water flows upward for dispensing from the spigot, with a vent line between the heating element and spigot helping hot water to flow from the spigot to the heating element. A refrigeration system and a carbonation system is also provided. The refrigeration system uses the ice-bank technology. A submersible agitator pump improves heat exchanged between ice-bank and water by forced convection. The agitator pump operating based on the temperature of the drinking water. A figure eight evaporator coil can provide two cylindrical ice banks and two chilled water coils to increase the chilled water capacity.
Abstract: An interactive beverage container includes a beverage container that defines an opening which may be sealed by a closure. The closure may further include circuity that is configured to transmit data to a mobile device. When the closure is in a closed configuration with the closure attached to the opening, the circuitry does not transmit data to the mobile device and when the closure is in an open configuration with the closure removed from the opening, the circuitry transmits data to the mobile device. The data may include nutritional information, marketing materials, videos, track loyalty programs, and/or provide games or contests.
Abstract: A beverage container that includes a base, a cylindrical sidewall extending from and integrally formed with the base, and an upper region extending from the sidewall and defining an upper opening. The beverage container includes a longitudinal axis extending in a direction from the base to the upper opening. The beverage container further includes a continuous channel formed in and extending around a circumference of the sidewall. The continuous channel is sinusoidal such that the continuous channel forms peaks and troughs. A height of the continuous channel as measured in a direction of the longitudinal axis from a peak to a trough is about 30% to 80% of a height of the sidewall, such that the continuous channels resists elongation of the beverage container in a direction of the longitudinal axis.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
February 21, 2019
Date of Patent:
September 20, 2022
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Advait Bhat, Bruno Telesca, Marc T. Wiescinski
Abstract: A vending machine with a curved exterior shape is disclosed. Some embodiments of the vending machine are circular in design, and include a transparent upper housing that allows customers to see into the interior of the vending machine. Products for vending may be stored in a non-transparent lower housing. A centrally-located product delivery system transports products for vending from the lower housing to delivery portals located on the upper housing. The product delivery system is able to move along a vertical line and rotate through the horizontal plane and can deliver products from any portion of the lower housing to any delivery portals located on the upper housing.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
December 14, 2020
Date of Patent:
September 20, 2022
Assignee:
PepsiCo, Inc.
Inventors:
Emad Jafa, Xuejun Li, Yong Serock, Cheuk Chi Lau, Martyn Mitchell, Euan Morrison, Wai Chan, Sam Johnstone, Erik Williams
Abstract: A beverage dispensing system is provided, including a main body having a base portion, and a cradle portion configured to support a beverage container including a beverage to be dispensed. The cradle portion may include an elongated cavity, and a shoulder configured to receive an inverted beverage container. The beverage dispensing system may further include an adaptor, and a self-venting tap, and the adaptor is configured to couple a beverage container to the self-venting tap, such that a beverage may be dispensed through the tap.
Abstract: A service trolley for dispensing beverages includes a frame having an upper end opposite a lower end, and a tabletop arranged on the upper end of the frame. The trolley further includes wheels arranged on the lower end of the frame configured to allow the frame to roll on a surface. The trolley includes a beverage dispenser arranged within the frame that includes a multi-serve beverage container for storing a beverage, a dispensing head in communication with the beverage container via a conduit, and a pressurized vessel configured to contain a pressurized gas in communication with the beverage container so as to drive a flow of the beverage from the beverage container to the dispensing head.
Abstract: Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for analyzing second party advertising data. An embodiment operates by determining a set of dimensions that a source uses to aggregate data for an advertising campaign. The embodiment creates a subunit advertising campaign based at least in part on the advertising campaign, the determined set of dimensions, and a dimension of interest. The embodiment receives measurement data associated with an execution of the subunit advertising campaign. The embodiment then analyzes the measurement data.
Inventors:
Xavier Cortadellas, Joseph Clarkson, Renee Hamaoui, Toby Richard David Wingfield, Camille Anna Rucker, Charles Simon Paradise, Ronald Edward Ondrey, Daniel Craig Grossman
Inventors:
Marco Cimatti, Jodi T. D'Amato, Rachel Katz, Kate Keparutis, Anton Ljunggren, Jasmine Richards, Koby Hebborn Trout, Amy Wong, Jean Edward Page, Adrian Taylor, Cory Tobin, Michelle Brandon, Andrew Dernavich, Elisabeth Gerber, Mark Lukasiewicz, Ben Bloodworth, Ashley Carwile, Brittany Christian, Tien Ho, David Murray