Method and apparatus for dispensing cold beverage

• US 4,687,120 A
• Filed: 09/27/1985
• Issued: 08/18/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cornelius Co. (Minnesota) (IMI PLC)
• Original Assignee: Cornelius Co. (Minnesota) (IMI PLC)
• Inventors: McMillin, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rolla, Joseph J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shaver, Kevin P.
• Application Number:
  US06/781,158
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 222/129, 222/129.1-129.4, 222/146.6, 222/1, 222/334, 222/255, 62/306, 62/338, 62/453, 62/394-397
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0021 the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/045 using elastic bags and pistons actuated by air or other gas
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/06 Mountings or arrangements of dispensing apparatus in or on shop or bar counters shop or bar counters per se A47F9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1231 Metering pumps
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1277 Flow control valves
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2210/00031 Housing

Abstract

A cold beverage dispensing apparatus is powerable by compressed gas and has a thermally insulated cabinet having a cooling chamber containing a source of compressed gas and a water reservoir and a normally non-pressurized syrup pump fluidly connectible to a non-pressurized syrup tank in the chamber, a dispensing nozzle and a manual actuator are on the outside of the cabinet, a pneumatic power valve is operable to connect the gas source to the pump and expel syrup to the nozzle, a pneumatic water valve servo is connected to all of the power valves and the opening of any power valve will effect operation of the servo and opening of the water valve, the pump is inside of the syrup tank and used propellant gas is vented inside the cabinet, a gas bottle and the syrup tanks are racked on the inside of a cabinet door and the power valves are pneumatically connected in series between the gas source and the water reservoir. A method of dispensing cold beverage includes the steps of cooling water and syrup to just above freezing, pressurizing the water, transferring non-pressurized syrup under gravity into a non-pressurized syrup pump and concurrently dispensing water and syrup by opening a water valve and applying the compressed gas pressure upon beverage in the pump, and terminating dispensing by venting used gas into a common cooling chamber.

Claims

1. Cold beverage dispensing apparatus powerable by compressed gas, comprising:

(a) a thermally insulated cabinet having a cooling chamber containing

(1) a refrigeration evaporator

(2) a source of compressed gas

(3) a water reservoir sized to hold a plurality of servings of water,

(4) a non-pressurized syrup tank sized to hold a plurality of servings of syrup, said tank having a breather to atmosphere within the cabinet, and

(5) a normally non-pressurized syrup pump having a syrup inlet in fluid communication with the syrup tank;

(b) a normally closed water valve fluidly connected to an outlet of the reservoir;

(c) a dispensing nozzle on the outside of the cabinet, said nozzle being fluidly connected to the syrup pump and the water valve;

(d) a pneumatic dispensing power valve having an inlet connected to the source of compressed gas, an outlet connected to the syrup pump, a vent, and a valve element having a normal position in which the valve inlet is closed and the syrup pump is fluidly connected through the valve outlet to the vent, said valve element being selectively movable to an alternate dispensing position in which the inlet is fluidly connected to the outlet and the source of compressed gas is fluidly connected to the syrup pump, and in which the vent is closed;

(e) a manually operable dispensing actuator on the outside of the cabinet, said actuator being operatively connected to move the valve element to the dispensing position

(f) the power valve outlet has a flow restrictor upstream of a gas line connecting the power valve to the pump, said gas line being frictionally connected to both the power valve and the pump.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, including a pneumatic water valve opening servo operatively connected to the water valve, and a second gas line fluidly connecting the servo to the power valve outlet.

3. A multiple flavor cold beverage dispensing apparatus powerable by compressed gas, comprising:

(a) a thermally insulated cabinet having a cooling chamber containing;

(1) a refrigeration evaporator,

(2) a source of compressed gas,

(3) a water reservoir sized to hold a plurality of servings of water,

(4) a plurality of non-pressurized syrup tanks, each having a breather to atmosphere within the cabinet, and

(5) a normally non-pressurized syrup pump for each of said tanks and having a syrup inlet in fluid communication with a respective syrup tank;

(b) a normally closed water valve fluidly connected to an outlet of the reservoir;

(c) a pneumatic valve opening servo operatively connected to the water valve;

(d) a dispensing nozzle on the outside of the cabinet, said nozzle being fluidly connected to the syrup pumps and the water valve;

(e) a like plurality of pneumatic dispensing power valves each having an inlet fluidly connected to the source of compressed gas, an outlet connected to a respective syrup pump, a vent, and a valve element having a normal position in which the valve inlet is closed and the respective syrup pump is fluidly connected through the valve to the vent, said valve element being selectively movable to an alternate dispensing position in which the inlet is fluidly connected to the outlet and the source of compressed gas is fluidly connected to the respective syrup pump, and in which the vent is closed;

(f) manually operable dispensing actuators on the outside of the cabinet, said actuators being operatively connected to move a respective valve element to the dispensing position; and

in which

(g) each power valve is individually connected to the servo, said servo having a pneumatic OR logic mechanism, and in which

(h) the servo has a servo chamber for each power valve, and barriers which fluid tightly separate the servo chambers from each other.

4. A pneumatically powerable multi-flavor post-mix carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

(a) a source of carbon dioxide gas having means for regulating the pressure of the gas;

(b) a source of cold carbonated water under pressure;

(c) a plurality of non-pressurized syrup storage tanks, each syrup tank being sized to hold a quantity of syrup sufficient for dispensing a plurality of servings of post-mix carbonated beverage, each syrup tank having a breather to atmosphere;

(d) a like plurality of pneumatically powerable syrup pumps, each pump having a syrup inlet in fluid communication with a respective syrup tank;

(e) a normally closed water valve having an inlet in fluid communication with the carbonated water source;

(f) a dispensing nozzle connected by a water dispensing line to an outlet of the water valve, and to an outlet of a respective syrup pump by a syrup dispensing line;

(g) a pneumatic servo for opening the water valve and being operatively connected thereto;

(h) a like plurality of pneumatic power valves for dispensing, each power valve having

(1) an inlet in fluid communication with the carbon dioxide source,

(2) first and second outlets in fluid communication with a respective syrup pump and with the servo respectively,

(3) a vent, and

(4) a valve element movable from a normal postion in which the inlet is closed to the outlets and the outlets are fluidly connected to the vent, to an alternate dispensing position in which the inlet is fluidly connected to the outlets and the outlets are closed to the vent;

(i) a dispensing actuator connected to move a selected valve element from the normal position to the dispensing position;

(j) a carbon dioxide gas supply line connecting the gas source to the water source, with the supply line extending through the power valves; and

in which

(k) each power valve has a third outlet, said inlet of a first power valve of said plurality of pneumatic power valves being directly connected to the gas source, said third outlet of a last power valve of said plurality of pneumatic power valves being connected to the head space, said third outlet of the first power valve of said plurality of said pneumatic power valves being connected to the inlet of the next power valve of said plurality of pneumatic power valves and so on until said third outlet of the next to the last power valve of said plurality of pneumatic power valves is connected to the inlet of the last power valve.

5. Cold beverage dispensing apparatus powerable by compressed gas, comprising

(a) a thermally insulated cabinet having a cooling chamber containing

(1) a refrigeration evaporator,

(2) a source of compressed gas

(3) an upright cylindrical reservoir sized to hold a plurality of servings of water,

(4) a non-pressurized syrup tank sized to hold a plurality of servings of syrup, said tank having a breather to atmosphere within the cabinet, and

(5) a pneumatically powerable and normally non-pressurized syrup pump having a syrup inlet in fluid communication with the syrup tank;

(b) a normally closed water valve fluidly connected to an outlet of the reservoir;

(c) a dispensing nozzle on the outside of the cabinet, said nozzle being fluidly connected to the syrup pump and to the water valve;

(d) a pneumatic dispensing power valve having an inlet connected to the gas source, an outlet connected to the syrup pump, a vent, and a valve element having a normal position in which the valve inlet is closed and the valve outlet and the syrup pump are fluidly connected to the vent, said valve element being selectively movable to an alternate dispensing position in which the valve inlet is fluidly connected to the valve outlet and the gas source is fluidly connected to the syrup pump, and in which the vent is closed;

(e) a manually operable dispensing actuator on the outside of the cabinet, said actuator being operatively connected to move the valve element from the normal position to the dispensing position and to effect opening of the water valve;

(f) said refrigeration evaporator being within the cooling chamber, said evaporator having a U-shape when viewed from above with a base of the U-shape being along a back side of the cooling chamber and rearward of the reservoir and each leg of the U-shape extending forward alongside a respective side of the cooling chamber, each leg extending toward a front side of the cabinet, said evaporator being spaced up and off of a bottom of the cooling chamber and being positioned in the upper part of and adjacent to a top of the cooling chamber, the uppermost part of the reservior being positioned just forward of the base of the U-shape and between the legs, said syrup tank being mounted forward of the reservoir, and

(g) in which each leg of the evaporator has fore-aft length which is longer than a diameter of the reservoir, said reservoir being completely within the profile of the U-shaped evaporator when viewed from above, the syrup tank being mounted on a normally closed door on the front of the cabinet said syrup tank being at least partially in between the evaporator legs when viewed from above, the tank being pivotable out of its position between the legs and out of cooling chamber when the door is open.

6. A method of dispensing one of plurality of flavors of cold carbonated post-mix beverages, comprising the steps of:

(a) cooling a reserve of water to just above freezing;

(b) cooling a plurality of tanks of syrup at ambient pressure to substantially the same temperature of the cooled water;

(c) pressurizing the water with a head pressure of compressed carbon dioxide gas at a regulated predetermined pressure, and carbonating the water;

(d) transferring by gravity a fraction of the syrup in each syrup tank into a normally non-pressurized compressed gas powerable syrup pump and maintaining the syrup in each pump at least as cool as syrup in the syrup tank;

(e) concurrently dispensing cooled water and a selected one syrup at substantially the same pressure and temperature by simultaneously;

(1) fluidly connecting the compressed carbon dioxide gas to a selected one of the syrup pumps and propelling syrup from the selected one pump to a dispensing nozzle with the head pressure, while

(2) fluidly connecting the carbon dioxide gas at the head pressure to a single one of plurality of pressure chambers in a pneumatic servo operatively connected to the water valve for opening the water valve, and thereby effecting pneumatic opening of the water valve regardless of which syrup has been selected and propelling carbonated water with and under the head pressure through the opened water valve and to the dispensing nozzle;

(f) combining the flows of carbonated water and the selected one syrup to form a cold carbonated post-mixed beverage; and

(g) terminating dispensing by closing the water valve and disconnecting the compressed carbon dioxide gas pressure from the syrup pump and from the servo, and then venting used carbon dioxide gas from the pump and the servo.

7. The method of claim 6, including the step of venting used carbon dioxide gas from the servo into a water and syrup cooling chamber.

8. A multiple flavor cold beverage dispensing apparatus powerable by compressed gas, comprising:

(a) a thermally insulated cabinet having a cooling chamber containing

(1) a refrigeration evaporator,

(2) a source of compressed gas,

(3) a water reservoir sized to hold a plurality of servings of water,

(4) a plurality of non-pressurized syrup tanks, each having a breather to atmosphere within the cabinet, and

(5) a normally non-pressurized syrup pump for each of said tanks and having a syrup inlet in fluid communication with a respective syrup tank;

(b) a normally closed water valve fluidly connected to an outlet of the reservoir;

(c) a pneumatic valve opening servo operatively connected to the water valve;

(d) a dispensing nozzle on the outside of the cabinet, said nozzle being fluidly connected to the syrup pumps and the water valve;

(e) a like plurality of pneumatic dispensing power valves each having an inlet fluidly connected to the source of compressed gas, an outlet connected to a respective syrup pump, a vent, and a valve element having a normal position in which the valve inlet is closed and the respective syrup pump is fluidly connected through the valve outlet to the vent, said valve element being selectively movable to an alternate dispensing position in which the inlet is fluidly connected to the outlet and the source of compressed gas is fluidly connected to the respective syrup pump, and in which the vent is closed;

(f) manually operable dispensing actuators on the outside of the cabinet, said actuators being operatively connected to move a respective valve element to the dispensing position; and

in which

(g) said power valves are connected in series.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, in which each power valve outlet comprises a first and second outlet, the first outlet being in fluid communication with a respective syrup pump, and the second outlet being in fluid communication with the servo.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the servo is mounted inside of a cabinet door.

11. The machine of claim 8 in which each power valve is individually connected to the servo, said servo having a pneumatic OR logic mechanism.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, including a carbonated water power valve having a like said inlet, vent and valve element as said pneumatic power valves, said carbonated water power valve having a servo outlet connected only to the servo, said gas source being a source of carbon dioxide gas.

13. A pneumatically powerable multi-flavor post-mix carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus comprising:

(a) a source of carbon dioxide gas having means for regulating the pressure of the gas;

(b) a source of cold carbonated water under pressure;

(c) a plurality of non-pressurized syrup storage tanks, each syrup tank being sized to hold a quantity of syrup sufficient for dispensing a plurality of servings of post-mix carbonated beverage, each syrup tank having a breather to atmosphere;

(d) a like plurality of pneumatically powerable syrup pumps, each pump having a syrup inlet in fluid communication with a respective syrup tank;

(e) a normally closed water valve having an inlet in fluid communication with the carbonated water source;

(f) a dispensing nozzle connected by a water dispensing line to an outlet of the water valve, and to an outlet of a respective syrup pump by a syrup dispensing line;

(g) a pneumatic servo for opening the water valve;

(h) a like plurality of pneumatic power valves for dispensing, each power valve having

(1) an inlet in fluid communication with the carbon dioxide source,

(2) outlets in fluid communication with a respective syrup pump and with the servo,

(3) a vent, and

(4) a valve element movable from a normal position in which the inlet is closed to the outlets and the outlets are fluidly connected to the vent, to an alternate dispensing position in which the inlet is fluidly connected to the outlets and the outlets are closed to the vent;

(i) a dispensing actuator connected to move a selected valve element from the normal position to the dispensing position; and

in which

(j) a carbon dioxide gas supply line connects the gas source to the water source with the supply line extending through the power valves, said power valves being connected in series in the gas supply line.

14. The appartus of claim 13, in which said outlets of each power valve comprises a first and second outlet, the first outlet being in fluid communication with a respective syrup pump, and the second outlet being in fluid communication with the servo.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 in which each power valve is individually connected to the servo, said servo having a pneumatic OR logic mechanism.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, including a carbonated water power valve having a like inlet, vent and valve element as said pneumatic power valves, and also having a servo outlet in fluid communication only with the servo.

17. Cold beverage dispensing apparatus powerable by compressed gas, comprising

(a) a thermally insulated cabinet having a cooling chamber containing

(1) a refrigeration evaporator,

(2) a source of compressed gas

(3) a water reservoir sized to hold a plurality of servings of water,

(4) a non-pressurized syrup tank sized to hold a plurality of servings of syrup, said tank having a breather to atmosphere within the cabinet and a normally closed and removable filling cover on a top of the tank, and

(5) a pneumatically powerable and normally non-pressurized syrup pump inside of the syrup tank, said pump having a syrup inlet in fluid communication with the syrup tank;

(b) a normally closed water valve fluidly connected to an outlet of the reservoir;

(c) a dispensing nozzle on the outside of the cabinet, said nozzle being fluidly connected to the syrup pump and to the water valve;

(d) a pneumatic dispensing power valve having an inlet connected to the gas source, an outlet connected to the syrup pump, a vent, and a valve element having a normal position in which the valve inlet is closed and the valve outlet and the syrup pump are fluidly connected to the vent, said valve element being selectively movable to an alternate dispensing position in which the valve inlet is fluidly connected to the valve outlet and the gas source is fluidly connected to the syrup pump, and in which the vent is closed;

(e) a manually operable dispensing actuator on the outside of the cabinet, said actuator being operatively connected to move the valve element from the normal position to the dispensing position;

(f) a syrup dispensing line connecting the pump to the nozzle, said syrup dispensing line entering into the syrup tank through the top of the tank, said syrup dispensing line having a disconnect outside of the tank and a normally closed check valve between the disconnect and the nozzle;

(g) a rack inside of the cabinet and in the cooling chamber, said rack supporting the syrup tank, the syrup tank being disconnectible by separation of the syrup delivery line disconnect and being removable from the rack and the apparatus; and

in which

(h) the syrup pump has a filling check valve inside of and adjacent to a bottom of the syrup tank, the syrup tank and pump and that part of the syrup delivery line between the pump and the disconnect all being completely self-draining as a unit when removed from the apparatus and inverted.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, including a pump gas line connecting the power valve outlet to the syrup pump, said pump gas line entering into the syrup tank through a top of said tank.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, in which the tank has a retainer holding the pump on a bottom of the syrup tank.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, in which the pump has an upward extending handle inside of the tank.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, for multi-flavors, including

(a) a plurality of said syrup tanks;

(b) a like plurality of said syrup pumps, each pump having its syrup inlet in fluid communication with a respective syrup tank;

(c) a pneumatic valve opening servo operatively connected to the water valve;

(d) a like plurality of said power valves, each power valve having its outlet fluidly connected to a respective syrup pump and to the servo.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, including a carbon dioxide gas supply line connecting the gas source to a gas filled head space above a water level in the water reservoir, said gas line extending through the power valves, said gas source being a source of carbon dioxide gas.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, in which the evaporator is on the back side of the cooling chamber, and in which the syrup tank is mounted on the front side of the cooling chamber.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, in which the evaporator extends around each side of the water reservoir.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, in which the syrup tank is mounted on the door, the tank being pivotable out of the cooling chamber when the door is opened.

26. Cold beverage dispensing apparatus powerable by compressed gas, comprising:

(a) a thermally insulated cabinet having a cooling chamber containing;

(1) a refrigeration evaporator,

(2) a source of compressed gas,

(3) a water reservoir sized to hold a plurality of servings of water,

(4) a non-pressurized syrup tank sized to hold a plurality of servings of syrup, said tank having a breather to atmosphere within the cabinet, and

(5) a normally non-pressurized syrup pump having a syrup inlet in fluid communication with the syrup tank;

(b) a normally closed water valve fluidly connected to an outlet of the reservoir;

(c) a dispensing nozzle on the outside of the cabinet, said nozzle being fluidly connected to the syrup pump and the water valve;

(d) a pneumatic dispensing power valve having an inlet connected to the source of compressed gas, an outlet connected to the syrup pump, a vent, and a valve element having a normal position in which the valve inlet is closed and the syrup pump is fluidly connected through the valve outlet to the vent, said valve element being selectively movable to an alternate dispensing position in which the inlet is fluidly connected to the outlet and the source of compressed gas is fluidly connected to the syrup pump, and in which the vent is closed;

(e) a manually operable dispensing actuator on the outside of the cabinet, said actuator being operatively connected to move the valve element to the dispensing position;

(f) a pneumatic opening servo operatively connected to the water valve, and a gas line fluidly connecting the servo to the power valve outlet, said water valve servo being normally fluidly connected to the power valve vent.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, in which the power valve vent is in the cooling chamber.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, in which the water reservoir has a circular profile when viewed from above, in which the evaporator has a U-shape when viewed from above, and in which the evaporator is larger than and is wrapped around at least half of the reservoir.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, including a pair of wheels along and under a lower edge of a back panel of the cabinet, a pair of spacer handles projecting rearward from adjacent an upper edge of the cabinet back panel, a refrigeration condenser on the back panel and in between the wheels and the spacer handles, and a water supply line extending through and down the outside of the cabinet back panel.

30. The machine of claim 29, including a cabinet door which comprises a front side of the cabinet, said nozzle being mounted on an outside surface of the door.

31. The machine of claim 29, in which the dispensing actuator is a downwardly depressible push button.

32. The machine of claim 29, in which the water reservoir is mounted in said cabinet adjacent to the back panel and just forward of the wheels.

33. The machine of claim 32, including a refrigeration compressor laterally between the wheels and directly under the water reservoir.

34. The apparatus of claim 26, in which the compressed gas source is a supply of carbon dioxide gas.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, including a water pump for filling the reservoir, said water pump being within the cooling chamber and underneath the evaporator.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, in which the supply comprises a carbon dioxide bottle and a pre-set carbon dioxide pressure regulator mounted in a gas bottle rack within the cooling chamber.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, in which the gas bottle, the regulator and the bottle rack are mounted on an inside surface of a cabinet door.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, in which the bottle, regulator and bottle rack are immediately adjacent a hinge upon which the door is pivotally mounted.