US 12,311,399 B2
Beverage dispensing nozzle
Evans Eboigbodin, White Plains, NY (US); Steven T. Jersey, Laguna Niguel, CA (US); Fernando A. Ubidia, Ludlow, MA (US); Aaron Stein, Middletown, CT (US); and Jose-Luis Arroyo, Springfield, MA (US)
Assigned to PepsiCo, Inc., Purchase, NY (US)
Filed by PepsiCo, Inc., Purchase, NY (US)
Filed on May 2, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/310,947.
Application 18/310,947 is a division of application No. 16/792,016, filed on Feb. 14, 2020, granted, now 11,679,397.
Prior Publication US 2023/0264211 A1, Aug. 24, 2023
Int. Cl. B05B 7/04 (2006.01); B01F 25/00 (2022.01); B01F 101/14 (2022.01)
CPC B05B 7/0408 (2013.01) [B01F 25/00 (2022.01); B01F 2101/14 (2022.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A nozzle, comprising:
a nozzle head, comprising:
a flavoring inlet for receiving a flavoring; and
a base liquid inlet for receiving a base liquid;
a flavoring outlet;
a diffuser assembly comprising at least one diffuser plate having an annular region defining a plurality of peripheral openings through which the base liquid flows; and
a receptacle, wherein the flavoring outlet is configured to release the flavoring into the receptacle, the receptacle comprising:
an inner wall having a curvature;
a receptacle outlet for dispensing the base liquid and the flavoring from the nozzle;
an upper end, wherein the flavoring outlet is arranged at the upper end of the receptacle;
a lower end, wherein the receptacle outlet is disposed at the lower end of the receptacle; and
a vent tube configured to equalize a pressure within the receptacle with a pressure external to the nozzle, wherein the vent tube extends through a receptacle wall at a location between the upper end of the receptacle and the lower end of the receptacle,
wherein the flavoring inlet is in fluid communication with the receptacle such that the flavoring flows through the receptacle toward the receptacle outlet in a longitudinal direction of the nozzle, and wherein the diffuser assembly is in fluid communication with the receptacle such that the base liquid flows along the inner wall of the receptacle.