Dispensing device for drinks

• US 20060174778A1
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Franke Technology and Trademark Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Niro-Plan AG
• Inventors: Greiwe, Hansdieter
• Granted Patent: US 7,654,190 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/453
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4482 Details allowing to adapt the beverage-making apparatus to the size of the brewing vessel or the beverage container, e.g. with adjustable support for the beverage container or adjustable hot water outlet
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/60 Cleaning devices

Abstract

Many kinds of dispensing devices for drinks or similar fluid foodstuffs, especially for coffee and/or milk are already known. Said devices comprise supply means for supplying at least two different hot drinks, filling outlets for dispensing hot drinks into at least one cup and valve means for stopping and releasing drink pipelines between the supply devices and the filling devices. According to the invention, in order to improve hygiene and product quality, the valve means are embodied in such a manner that additional pipelines for supplying and/or discharging flushing agents for cleaning, hot water or steam for preheating or other similar fluids, can be connected to the valve means instead of to the drinks pipelines in order to treat the valve means in the areas through which hot drinks flow. As a result, a rinsing process can be automatically controlled between two dispensing steps.

Claims

1. Dispensing device for drinks or similar dosable liquid foodstuffs comprising

supply means adapted to supply at least two different hot drinks;

filling outlets adapted to dispense a hot drink into at least one container;

drink pipelines connecting the supply means to the filling outlets;

accessory pipelines for supplying and carrying away an accessory fluid in the form of at least one of flushing agents for cleaning, hot water or steam for prewarming, or other similar fluid; and

valve means for stopping and opening said drink pipelines between the supply means and the filling outlets and adapted to connect said accessory pipelines to the valve means instead of the drink pipelines in order to treat the valve means in the regions through which the hot drinks flow.

2. Dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the valve means comprises at least one movable element and a motor for moving said movable element, and defines at least two channels each of which in a first position of said movable element is assigned to at least one particular mode of operation for dispensing the hot drink, and in a second position of said movable element is connected to the accessory pipelines.

3. Dispensing device according to claim 2, wherein the movable element is constructed as a rotary disk.

4. Dispensing device according to claims 2, wherein the filling outlets are mounted directly adjacent to said movable element.

5. Dispensing device according to claims 2, wherein at least two of said movable elements are provided and each defines channels such that two or more hot drinks can be supplied to the same filling outlets either simultaneously or sequentially, as desired.

6. Dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said filling outlets each define at least two flow channels that are separated in such a way that hot drinks flowing through said separated flow channels are not mixed until after they have left the filling outlets.

7. Dispensing device according to claims 2, wherein said channels can be connected to one another in such a way that said accessory fluid can flow through several channels simultaneously.

8. Dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein one of said accessory pipelines is provided to carry away said accessory fluid, which can be passed through said drink pipelines, and means being provided to block off said drink pipelines at a site directly ahead, in the flow direction, of inflow openings provided for the accessory fluid.

9. Dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein control means are provided and are constructed in such a way that after a drink-filling process is completed a rinsing process can be carried out.

10. Dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the valve means include a foaming device to produce foam by means of at least one of steam and air.