Multiple flavor post-mix beverage dispensing apparatus

• US 4,658,988 A
• Filed: 04/02/1984
• Issued: 04/21/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IMI Cornelius Incorporated (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cornelius Co. (Minnesota) (IMI PLC)
• Inventors: Hassell, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Handren, Frederick R.
• Application Number:
  US06/596,124
• Time in Patent Office: 1,114 Days
• Field of Search: 222/129.1, 222/129.2, 222/129.3, 222/129.4, 222/144.5, 137/607
• US Class Current: 222/129.1
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0021 the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0087 being mounted on the dispenser housing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87048 With preselecting means for plural valve actuator
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/87692 With common valve operator

Abstract

A multiple flavor post-mix beverage dispensing apparatus with a dispensing head having a nozzle, a normally closed water valve, a first normally closed primary syrup valve, a water line, and a primary syrup line, has a second normally closed primary syrup valve in a primary syrup line in series with the first valve, an alternative syrup line having a normally closed alternative syrup valve, a primary actuator switch for concurrently opening the water valve and both primary syrup valves while the alternative syrup valve is closed or dispensing only a primary beverage, and a second actuator switch for concurrently opening the water valve and alternate syrup valve while the second primary syrup valve remains closed for dispensing only an alternative beverage; an alternative construction has the same beverage componentry with a single actuator switch and a multiple pole double throw switch for selecting actuation circuitry for the primary beverage or the alternative beverage, an indicator light indicates which beverage is presently selected; the apparatus may be in the form of a kit for conversion of an existing single flavor dispensing valve into a multiple flavor dispensing head. A method of dispensing an alternative post-mixed beverage from a post-mix dispensing valve has the steps of opening a water valve and a primary syrup valve, closing a primary syrup line so primary syrup cannot flow, and opening a normally closed alternative syrup valve in an alternative syrup line to a dispensing nozzle. A plurality of alternative beverages may be added with the apparatus and method of this invention.

Claims

1. A multiple flavor post-mix beverage dispensing apparatus comprising

(a) a dispensing head having a nozzle, a normally closed water valve fluidly connected to the nozzle, a first normally closed primary syrup valve fluidly connected to the nozzle, a water line to the water valve, and a primary syrup line to the syrup valve for connection of the head to a source of primary beverage syrup;

(b) a second primary syrup valve in the primary syrup line;

(c) an alternative syrup line to the nozzle for connection of the head to a discrete source of an alternative beverage syrup;

(d) a normally closed aternative syrup valve in the alternative syrup line;

(e) primary actuation means for concurrently opening the water valve and both syrup valves in the primary syrup line while the alternative syrup valve in the alternative syrup line is closed, for dispensing a primary beverage;

(f) secondary actuation means for concurrently opening the water valve and the alternative syrup valve in the alternative syrup line, while the second primary syrup valve is closed, for dispensing an alternative beverage from the head; and

(g) in which the water valve and the first primary syrup valve are commonly connected to said primary actuation means, said primary actuation means including a single actuator, for effecting the operation of the primary actuation means.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which said second primary valve is a normally closed valve.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the primary actuation means includes an actuation switch connected to a solenoid for the water valve and the first primary syrup valve, and to a solenoid for the second primary syrup valve.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, in which said primary and secondary actuation means jointly comprise

(a) a single dispensing switch having an output pole connected to a solenoid for the water valve and the first primary syrup valve;

(b) a first SPDT switch having a first output pole connected to a solenoid for the second primary syrup valve, and a second output pole connected to a solenoid for the alternative syrup valve.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, including

(a) a second SPDT switch having a common pole connected to line power on the input side of the dispensing switch;

(b) a primary beverage indicator light connected to a first output pole of the second SPDT switch;

(c) a secondary beverage indicator light connected to a second output pole of the second SPDT switch;

(d) said first and second SPDT switches being operatively connected so that

(1) the primary beverage indicator light is on when the second primary syrup valve solenoid is functionally connected to the dispensing switch, and

(2) the secondary beverage indicator light is on when the alternative syrup valve solenoid is functionally connected to the dispensing switch;

6. A multiple flavor post-mix beverage dispensing apparatus comprising

(a) a dispensing head having a nozzle, a normally closed water valve fluidly connected to the nozzle, a first normally closed primary syrup valve fluidly connected to the nozzle, a water line to the water valve, and a primary syrup line to the syrup valve for connection of the head to a source of primary beverage syrup;

(b) a second primary syrup valve in the primary syrup line;

(c) an alternative syrup line to the nozzle for connection of the head to a discrete source of an alternative beverage syrup;

(d) a normally closed alternative syrup valve in the alternate syrup line;

(e) primary actuation means for concurrently opening the water valve and both syrup valves in the primary syrup line while the alternative valve in the alternative syrup line is closed, for dispensing a primary beverage;

(f) secondary actuation means for concurrently opening the water valve and the alternative syrup valve in the alternative syrup line, while the second primary syrup valve is closed, for dispensing an alternative beverage from the head; and

(g) in which said secondary actuation means includes an actuator switch operatively connected to a solenoid for the water valve and the primary syrup valve, and to a solenoid for the alternative syrup valve.

7. A multiple flavor post-mix beverage dispensing apparatus comprising

(a) a dispensing head having a nozzle, a normally closed water valve fluidly connected to the nozzle, a first normally closed primary syrup valve fluidly connected to the nozzle, a water line to the water valve, and a primary syrup line to the syrup valve for connection of the head to a source of primary beverage syrup;

(b) a second primary syrup valve in the primary syrup line;

(c) an alternative syrup line to the nozzle for connection of the head to a discrete source of an alternative beverage syrup;

(d) a normally closed alternative syrup valve in the alternate syrup line;

(e) primary actuation means for concurrently opening the water valve and both syrup valves in the primary syrup line while the alternative valve in the alternative syrup line is closed, for dispensing a primary beverage;

(f) secondary actuation means for concurrently opening the water valve and the alternative syrup valve in the alternative syrup line, while the second primary syrup valve is closed, for dispensing an alternative beverage from the head;

(g) said primary means having a first switch having a first pole connected to line power, a second pole connected to a primary solenoid for the water and first primary syrup valves, and a third pole connected discretely to a solenoid for the second primary syrup valve; and

in which

(h) said secondary actuation means is a second switch having a first pole connected to line power in parallel with said first switch first pole, a second pole connected to the primary solenoid in parallel with the second pole of the first switch, and a third pole connected discretely to a solenoid for the alternative syrup valve.

8. A kit for conversion of a single flavor post-mix beverage head into a multiple flavor post-mix head, comprising:

(a) a second primary syrup valve for installation into a primary syrup line upstream of an existing normally closed syrup valve;

(b) an alternative syrup line connectable to a source of secondary syrup and having an outlet fluidly connectable to a nozzle of the valve;

(c) a normally closed alternative syrup valve for installation in the alternative syrup line;

(d) primary actuation means connectable to opening means for opening a water valve and a primary syrup valve in the dispensing head and to the second primary syrup valve, said actuation means being operable for concurrently opening the water valve, the primary syrup valve and the second primary syrup valve for dispensing a first and primary beverage from the head;

(e) secondary actuation means connectable to the opening means for opening the water valve and to the alternate syrup valve, said secondary actuation means being operable for concurrently opening the water valve and the alternative syrup valve while the second primary syrup valve remains closed, for dispensing an alternative beverage from the dispensing head;

(f) said primary actuating means having a first switch having a first pole connectable to line power, a second pole connectable to a primary solenoid for the water valve and the primary syrup valve, and a third pole discretely connectable to a solenoid for the second primary syrup valve; and

in which

(g) said secondary actuation means includes a second switch having a first pole connectable to the line power in parallel with said first switch first pole, a second pole connectable in parallel with said first switch second pole to said primary solenoid, and a third pole directly connectable to a solenoid for the alternative syrup valve.

9. A kit for conversion of a single flavor post-mix beverage head into a multiple flavor post-mix head, comprising:

(a) a second primary syrup valve for installation into a primary syrup line upstream of an existing normally closed primary syrup valve;

(b) an alternative syrup line connectable to a source of secondary syrup and having an outlet fluidly connectable to a nozzle of the head;

(c) a normally closed alternative syrup valve for installation in the alternative syrup line;

(d) primary actuation means connectable to opening means for opening a water valve and said normally closed primary syrup valve in the dispensing head and to the second primary syrup valve, said actuation means being operable for concurrently opening the water valve, the normally closed primary syrup valve and the second primary syrup valve for dispensing a first and primary beverage from the head;

(e) secondary actuation means connectable to the opening means for opening the water valve and to the alternate syrup valve, said secondary actuation means being operable for concurrently opening the water valve and the alternative syrup valve while the second primary syrup valve remains closed, for dispensing an alternative beverage from the dispensing head; and

(f) in which the primary and secondary actuation means jointly include an SPDT switch having an input pole connectable to the output of a single dispensing switch, a first output pole connectable to a solenoid for the second primary syrup valve, and a second outlet pole connectable to a solenoid for the alternative syrup valve.

10. A kit according to claim 9, including

a second SPDT switch connectable to an input side of the dispensing switch;

a primary beverage indicator light connected to a first output pole of the second SPDT switch;

a secondary beverage indicator light connected to a second output pole of the second SPDT switch; and

means for commonly operating both SPDT switches.

11. A method of dispensing an alternative post-mixed beverage from a post-mix beverage dispensing head having a first and primary beverage, comprising the steps of:

(a) opening a normally closed water valve in a water line from a water source to a dispensing nozzle and opening a normally closed primary syrup valve in a primary syrup line from a primary syrup source to the dispensing nozzle;

(b) closing the primary syrup line at a location upstream of a location of the opened primary syrup valve so that water will flow but primary syrup cannot flow;

(c) concurrently opening a normally closed alternative syrup valve in a secondary syrup line leading from an alternative syrup source to the dispensing nozzle, so that an alternative syrup rather then the primary syrup will flow to the nozzle; and

in which

(d) said water valve, primary syrup valve and alternative syrup valve are all simultaneously opened, and in which said primary syrup line is closed prior to said simultaneous openings.

12. The method of claim 11, in which the water valve and the normally closed primary syrup valve are concurrently opened by a single movement, and are subsequently concurrently closed by a reversed single movement, said alternative syrup valve being concurrently opened by a different movement.

13. The method of claim 11, including the step of normally maintaining the primary syrup line open upstream of the primary syrup valve, and simultaneously opening the primary syrup valve and closing the primary syrup line upstream of the primary syrup valve to preclude primary syrup flow, while dispensing alternative beverage.

14. A method of firstly dispensing an alternative post-mixed beverage and secondly a primary post-mixed beverage from a single post-mix beverage dispensing head having a first and primary beverage, comprising the steps of:

(a) opening a normally closed water valve in a water line from a water source to a dispensing nozzle and opening a normally closed primary syrup valve in a primary syrup line from a primary syrup source to the dispensing nozzle;

(b) closing the primary syrup line at a location upstream of a location of the opened primary syrup valve so that water will flow but primary syrup cannot flow;

(c) concurrently opening a normally closed alternative syrup valve in a secondary syrup line leading from an alternative syrup source to a dispensing nozzle, so that an alternative syrup rather than the primary syrup will flow to the nozzle, and dispensing an alternative beverage;

(d) subsequently closing the water valve and the primary syrup valve and the alternative syrup valve so that the alternative syrup and alternative beverage cannot further flow;

(e) opening the primary syrup line at said location upstream of the primary syrup valve; and

(f) reopening the normally closed water valve and the normally closed primary syrup valve simultaneously with the upstream opening of the primary syrup line, and dispensing primary beverage from the head.