Beverage dispenser

• US 3,898,861 A
• Filed: 08/20/1973
• Issued: 08/12/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John R. Mcmillin
• Original Assignee: John R. Mcmillin
• Inventors: McMillin, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Skaggs, Jr., H. Grant
• Application Number:
  US05/389,808
• Time in Patent Office: 722 Days
• Field of Search: 222/76,1,23,129,129.3,129.4,134,135,148,145,146C 137/238 239/112,113,428.5,419.5 62/177
• US Class Current: 62/177
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0021 the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/005 with means for converging streams
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/07 Cleaning beverage-dispensing apparatus B67D1/0834, B67D1/0837 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00104 Cooling only
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 31/002 Liquid coolers, e.g. beverage cooler receptacle coolers F25D31/006
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/4245 Cleaning or steam sterilizing

Abstract

A beverage dispenser is arranged to be connected to a source of potable water and an electric power supply and also to receive thawed-out beverage ingredient such as juice concentrate. The dispenser is thus arranged to store the concentrate, to cool water, to mix the concentrate and the water in the proper ratio. An important feature includes a flushing system to flush those portions that handle the beverage ingredient such as juice, such portions being those that are downstream of the beverage ingredient storage means.

Claims

1. A beverage mixing and dispensing system comprising:

a. a source of flavored beverage ingredient of the liquid concentrate type;

b. a mixing and dispensing spout;

c. a line connecting concentrate source to said spout;

d. a selectively actuatable control member in said concentrate line for controlling flow of the beverage ingredient through said spout;

e. a normally closed main valve for being connected to a supply of pressurized water and connected to said spout independently of said concentrate line so that the beverage ingredient is mixed with diluting water within said spout when said main valve and said control member are actuated; and

f. a normally closed flushing valve for being connected to the same supply of water and connected to said concentrate line upstream of said control member, said flushing valve being sized to have a flow rate capacity which is greater than the flow rate capacity of said control member, whereby beverage is mixed and dispensed when said control member and said main valve are jointly actuated, and whereby at least a portion of said concentrate line, said control member and said spout are flushed when said control member and said flushing valve are jointly actuated.

2. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 1 including a bypass line having a throttling valve therein, said bypass line being connected between said main valve and said concentrate line upstream of said control member, for partially diluting the beverage ingredient upstream of said spout.

3. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 1 in which said spout has an inlet open to the atmosphere and an air throttling valve for adjustably controlling the amount of air admixed to the beverage ingredient and water mixture.

4. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 1 which includes a supply of water, said supply comprising:

a. a water line for being connected to a pressurized source of water;

b. a refrigeration system having an evaporator line extending through and along the length of said water line; and

c. a thermostatic control for said refrigeration system having a sensing element extending along portions of said water line.

5. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 4 in which said evaporator line is arranged as a helical coil and said water line is arranged as a helical coil surrounding individual turns of the evaporator line coil.

6. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 5 in which said sensing element has portions disposed intermediate individual turns of the water coil in direct engagement with a pair of adjacent turns.

7. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 6 in which said thermostatic control is of the limited vapor fill type, a portion of said sensing element engaging turns at the inlet end of the water coil, and another portion of said sensing element engaging turns at the outlet end of the water coil.

8. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 5 in which said sensing element is arranged in a zig-zag manner in engagement with successive adjacent pairs of the water coil.

9. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 8 including an arcuate clamp forcing said sensing element into positive engagement with said successive adjacent pairs of the water coil.

10. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 5 in which the refrigeration system includes an accumulator connecting the evaporator to a suction line, said accumulator being disposed centrally of said water line coil.

11. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 4, including a second evaporator line connected in parallel with said first-named evaporator line and disposed to refrigerate said source of beverage ingredient, a second thermostatic control for said refrigeration system responsive to the temperature of said source of beverage ingredient, and a valve in said first-named evaporator line under the control of said first-named thermostatic control.

12. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 11 in which said first-named thermostatic control includes a switch, said valve in said first-named evaporator line being a solenoid valve, and a relay, said switch being connected through a stationary normally closed contact in said relay to said solenoid valve, said second thermostatic control including a switch connected to the coil of said relay and to a stationary normally open contact, the movable contact of said relay being connected to power said refrigeration system.

13. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 1 in which said main valve is also fluidly connected to said concentrate line upstream of said control member, said main valve and said control member being of eLectrical types and being electrically connected in parallel, and a dispensing switch connected in series therewith.

14. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 13 in which said flushing valve is a solenoid valve connected in an electrical circuit parallel to said main solenoid valve and in series with said dispensing switch, and a flushing switch in said parallel electrical circuit.

15. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 1 in which said control member is a pump.

16. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 15 including a check valve in said concentrate line upstream of the connection of said concentrate flushing valve to said line.

17. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 16 in which a portion of the ingredient line is disposed between said check valve and the point where said flushing valve is connected to said line.

18. A beverage mixing and dispensing system comprising:

a. a dispensing spout;

b. a source of liquid flavored beverage ingredient of the concentrate type, including a storage tank, an ingredient line connecting said tank to said spout and a selectively actuatable control member in said line for controlling flow of the beverage ingredient through said spout;

c. a diluent line connected to said spout, including a selectively actuatable main valve and a flow restrictor downstream of said main valve, said line being connectable to a pressurized supply of beverage diluent;

d. a diluent bypass line having throttling means therein, said bypass line being connected to said beverage diluent line intermediate said main valve and said flow restrictor, and to said source of beverage ingredient intermediate said tank and said control member; and

e. means connected to said control member and to said main valve for simultaneously actuating said control member and said main valve.

19. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 18 including a check valve in said ingredient line intermediate said control member and said concentrate tank.

20. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 19 including a flush line connected to said ingredient line intermediate said check valve and said control member, said flush line being connectable to a source of water and being sized to provide a flow rate of water at least equal to the flow rate of said control member.

21. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 20 in which said flush line is connected to said diluent line and includes selectively actuatable valve means.

22. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 18 including a check valve in said bypass line.

23. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 18 in which said throttling means in said bypass is sized to have a flow rate less than that of said control member.

24. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 23 in which said throttling means is adjustable.

25. A beverage mixing and dispensing system according to claim 18 in which said spout has an air inlet open to the atmosphere, and an air throttling valve for adjustably varying the effective opening size of said air inlet and therefore the amount of air drawn in with the beverage ingredient.

26. A method of mixing and dispensing a beverage from a supply of flavored liquid beverage ingredient and a separate supply of pressurized diluent, comprising:

a. transferring diluent from the pressurized supply through a line at a predetermined rate of flow to a mixing zone while restricting flow to maintain at least a portion of the supply pressure in the line;

b. transferring ingredient through a line to the mixing zone;

c. transferring additional diluent at a predetermined rate of flow from the diluent line upstream of the flow restriction into the ingredient line to initially dilute the ingredient;

d. controlling the rate of flow of the initially diluted ingrediEnt to the mixing zone; and

e. mixing the initially diluted ingredient with the first-mentioned transferred diluent to form the beverage.

27. A method of mixing and dispensing a beverage according to claim 26 in which the initially diluted ingredient is positively pumped at a predetermined rate.

28. A method of mixing and dispensing a beverage according to claim 27 in which the step of transferring ingredient is augmented by pumping suction, and in which the step of transferring additional diluent is augmented by said portion of the supply pressure in the diluent line.

29. A method of mixing and dispensing a beverage according to claim 26 in which the transfer rate of diluent into the ingredient line is maintained at less than the controlled rate of flow.

30. A method mixing and dispensing beverage according to claim 26 including the step of checking against flow of concentrate ingredient in the ingredient line to the concentrate ingredient supply.

31. A method of mixing and dispensing a beverage according to claim 26 in which said restricting of diluent flow is at the downstream end of said diluent line to increase its velocity as it enters the mixing zone.

32. A method of mixing and dispensing according to claim 26, including the steps of:

a. connecting the supply of pressurized diluent directly to the ingredient line; and

b. checking against flow of diluent into the supply of ingredient while also checking against flow of ingredient, to thereby flush a portion of the ingredient line and the mixing zone with diluent.

33. A method of mixing and dispensing a beverage from a supply of liquid flavored beverage ingredient and a separate supply of pressurized diluent, comprising concurrently:

a. transferring diluent from the pressurized supply at a predetermined rate to a mixing zone;

b. transferring ingredient through a line from the ingredient supply to the mixing zone;

c. transferring additional diluent at a predetermined rate from the pressurized supply into said ingredient line to initially dilute the ingredient;

d. controlling the rate of flow of the initially diluted ingredient to the mixing zone; and

e. mixing the initially diluted ingredient and the first-mentioned transferred diluent to form the beverage.

34. A method of mixing and dispensing a beverage according to claim 33 in which the first-mentioned transferring step and the controlling step are simultaneously initiated.

35. A method of mixing and dispensing a beverage from a supply of liquid beverage ingredient and a separate supply of pressurized diluent, comprising:

a. transferring diluent from the pressurized supply at a predetermined rate to a mixing zone;

b. pumping ingredient through a line from the ingredient supply while also pumping additional diluent from the pressurized supply into the ingredient line to both initially dilute the ingredient and to deliver the initially diluted ingredient at a predetermined rate to the mixing zone;

c. checking against flow of initially diluted ingredient into the ingredient supply; and

d. mixing said initially diluted ingredient and diluent in the mixing zone to form the beverage.

36. A beverage mixing and dispensing system comprising:

a. a dispensing spout;

b. a source of liquid flavored beverage ingredient, including a storage tank, an ingredient line connecting said tank to said spout, a check valve in said line intermediate said tank and said spout and a selectively actuatable control member in said line intermediate said check valve and said spout for controlling flow of beverage ingredient through said spout;

c. a diluent line connected to said spout, including a selectively actuatable main valve, said diluent line being connectable to a pressurized supply of diluent;

d. a diluent bypass line having a throttling means and a check valve therein, said bypass line being connected to said diluent line and to said ingredient line intermediatE said check valve and said control member; and

e. means connected to said control member and to said main valve for simultaneously actuating said control member and said main valve.

37. A beverage mixing and dispensing system comprising:

a. a dispensing spout;

b. a source of flavored liquid beverage ingredient, including a storage tank, an ingredient line connecting said tank to said spout and a selectively actuatable control member in said line for controlling flow of the beverage ingredient through said spout;

c. a diluent line connected to said spout, including a selectively actuatable main valve, said diluent line being connectable to a pressurized supply of diluent;

d. a diluent bypass line having throttling means therein, said bypass line being connected to said ingredient line intermediate said control member and said vat, and being connected to receive diluent from said diluent line; and

e. means connected to said control member and to said main valve for simultaneously actuating said control member and said main valve, and to thereby control flow in said diluent bypass line.