Method and apparatus for dispensing a beverage

• US 4,181,242 A
• Filed: 05/30/1978
• Issued: 01/01/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cornelius Co. (Minnesota) (IMI PLC)
• Original Assignee: Cornelius Co. (Minnesota) (IMI PLC)
• Inventors: Zygiel, executrix, by Mary E., Zygiel, deceased, Alfred E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bartuska, F. J.
• Application Number:
  US05/871,303
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 222/129.2, 222/133, 222/334, 222/373, 222/386.5, 222/209, 222/207, 222/1, 137/564.5, 137/101.11
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0027 control of the amount of one component, the amount of the other components(s) being dependent on that control
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0052 by means for directing respective streams together

Abstract

Apparatus for mixing and dispensing a beverage has a mixing head, a water line having a partially restricted outlet for backing up water pressure, a concentrate chamber having a diaphragm, a bypass line from the water line to the chamber for bypassing water from the water line against the diaphragm and forcing concentrate to the mixing head, and an open drain in the bypass line for exhausting water from the concentrate chamber; also disclosed is a method of mixing and dispensing a beverage in which pressurized water is first used to propel concentrate and then exhausted out a drain.

Claims

1. In apparatus for mixing and dispensing a beverage having a dispensing head for mixing of water and beverage concentrate;

a water line having one end for being connected to a supply of pressurized water, a valve for control of flow of water through the line, and a water pressure chamber downstream of the valve and having a partially obstructed outlet for developing pressure in the chamber during flow of water therethrough, said water pressure chamber outlet being in direct fluid communication with the dispensing head;

a reservoir for containing a supply of beverage concentrate;

a concentrate pump in fluid communication with the reservoir, said pump being fillable with concentrate from the reservoir;

a valve between the reservoir and the pump for allowing concentrate flow from the reservoir to the pump and for preventing concentrate flow from the pump to the reservoir;

a concentrate line between the pump and the dispensing head, there being a valve in the concentrate line for controlling flow of concentrate therethrough;

a bypass line fluidly connecting the water pressure chamber to the pump for bypassing water from the water pressure chamber to the pump under the pressure formed by the flow of water through the partially obstructed outlet; and

a diaphragm positioned in the pump for physically separating concentrate and water in the pump, the diaphragm beig distortable upon flow of and under the pressure of bypassed water flowing into the pump, for pressurizing the concentrate in the pump and forcing concentrate through the concentrate line from the pump to the dispensing head;

the improvement comprising;

(a) a water pressure actuatable automatic bypass water check valve fluidly connected in the bypass line between the water pressure chamber and the pump, said bypass line extending downwardly to a level below the level of said water pressure chamber with said bypass check valve being operative for automatically allowing a discrete flow of bypass water from the water pressure chamber to the pump under the pressure formed by the flow of water being dispensed through the partially obstructed outlet, and for automatically precluding any reverse flow if this discrete bypass water back to the water pressure chamber; and

(b) an always open bypass water drain in the bypass line between the bypass check valve and the concentrate pump, said drain

(1) being at a level below the level of the water pressure chamber outlet,

(2) being in unobstructed fluid communication with both of the bypass check valve and the concentrate pump, and providing fluid communication between the pump and ambient,

(3) being sized substantially smaller in cross section than the bypass line and forming a greater restriction to flow of water therethrough than any restriction to flow of water through the bypass line,

(4) leading to a waste outlet, for operative draining of

a. a minor portion of the flow of bypassed water during and concurrent with pumping of concentrate, and

b. the major portion of the flow of bypassed water subsequent to concentrate pumping and during refill of the pump with concentrate, and

(5) having the internal cross-sectioned area of a diameter in the range of 1 to 2 millimeters, for retaining by capillary action a prime of bypassed water within the bypass line and between the check valve and concentrate pump when and after said water line valve is closed;

whereby the improved apparatus does not drain the bypassed water out of the water pressure chamber outlet and on top of beverage formed of water and concentrate from the pump.

2. In a method of mixing and dispensing a beverage having the steps of:

(a) opening a water valve and passing a flow of water through a water line, from a pressurized source to a dispensing head;

(b) partially obstructing the flow of water and developing a bypass pressure downstream of the valve when the valve is opened;

(c) providing beverage concentrate in a concentrate pump;

(d) bypassing a discrete portion of the flow of water which is under the bypass pressure, from the water line and via a bypass line to the concentrate pump, and physically separating the bypassed water from the concentrate within the pump;

(e) transferring the bypass pressure through the bypassed water and against the concentrate in the pump, and pumping concentrate from the pump to the dispensing head with the bypass pressure by displacing the concentrate within the pump with bypassed water;

(f) mixing the flowing water at the dispensing head with the concentrate pumped to the dispensing head and dispensing the mixed water and concentrate as a drinkable mixed beverage; and

(g) closing the water valve and simultaneously terminating flow of all water and concentrate to the dispensing head;

the improvement comprising the further steps of;

(1) draining a portion of the discrete bypassed water from the bypass line directly to a waste outlet during and simultaneously with the pumping of the concentrate,

(2) restricting the volumetric rate during such draining to a rate of volumetric flow less than the volumetric rate of flow of concentrate being concurrently pumped to the dispensing head so that only a minor portion of the bypassed water is so drained simultaneously with pumping,

(3) subsequently draining a remaining and majority portion of the bypass water previously used for pumping concentrate from the pump and not drained during pumping of concentrate from the pump, directly from the bypass line to a waste outlet after terminating dispensing and while simultaneously refilling the pump with concentrate, said first step of draining and said subsequent draining being a continuous single flow without interrruption therebetween, and, with none of the draining flow being dispensed into beverage previously dispensed, and

(4) retaining a prime of bypassed water in the bypass line by capillary action within a drain from the bypass line after completion of the subsequent draining and refilling of the pump.