Dispenser with improved carbonated water manifold
First Claim
1. In a cold carbonated beverage dispenser having:
- a carbonator with a carbonated water outlet and at least one inlet having means for being connected to sources of water and carbon dioxide, a plurality of post-mix carbonated beverage dispensing heads, each head having a syrup inlet for being connected to a respective discrete source of beverage syrup and a carbonated water inlet for being fluidly connected to the carbonator,the improvement of;
a carbonated water distribution manifold fluidly connecting the carbonator water outlet to the carbonated water inlet of each dispensing head, said manifold comprising;
(1) a discrete tubular stainless steel outlet fitting for each dispensing head, each outlet fitting having a water outlet passageway therethrough and an outlet end fluidly connected to a respective dispensing head carbonated water inlet,(2) a carbonated water distribution plenum fluidly in between said outlet fittings and the carbonator,(3) a carbonated water inlet fitting having an inlet water passageway therethrough and its inlet end fluidly connected to the carbonator water outlet and its outlet end fluidly connected into the plenum;
(4) a generally planar stainless steel sheet metal outlet wall forming at least part of said plenum with an inlet end of each outlet fitting extending through the outlet wall and into the plenum and being welded from the inside of the plenum to an inner surface of the outlet wall, and(5) a convex smoothly curved toroidal inlet nose surrounding the inlet end of each outlet fitting, each said inlet nose being in said plenum and having a minor diameter which is substantially the same as and which is co-axial with a inlet diameter of the outlet fitting water outlet passageway.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A carbonated beverage dispenser has an improved carbonated water distribution manifold for evenly and reliably distributing carbonated water from a single carbonator and cooling structure to a plurality of post-mix dispensing valves without decarbonation, flow restriction, foaming or other deficiencies. The improved carbonated water distribution manifold is fabricated of stainless steel and has a tubular inlet fitting, a plurality of tubular outlet fittings, a distribution plenum in between the inlet and outlet fittings with the plenum having a generally planar inlet wall into which the inlet fitting extends, a generally planar outlet wall into which the outlet fittings individually extend, additional plenum walls adjoining the inlet and outlet walls and jointly forming the plenum with there being an interior carbonated water distribution chamber inside the plenum, and in which all of the inlet and outlet fittings are welded to the inlet and outlet walls respectively from inside of the distribution chamber.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. In a cold carbonated beverage dispenser having:
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a carbonator with a carbonated water outlet and at least one inlet having means for being connected to sources of water and carbon dioxide, a plurality of post-mix carbonated beverage dispensing heads, each head having a syrup inlet for being connected to a respective discrete source of beverage syrup and a carbonated water inlet for being fluidly connected to the carbonator, the improvement of; a carbonated water distribution manifold fluidly connecting the carbonator water outlet to the carbonated water inlet of each dispensing head, said manifold comprising; (1) a discrete tubular stainless steel outlet fitting for each dispensing head, each outlet fitting having a water outlet passageway therethrough and an outlet end fluidly connected to a respective dispensing head carbonated water inlet, (2) a carbonated water distribution plenum fluidly in between said outlet fittings and the carbonator, (3) a carbonated water inlet fitting having an inlet water passageway therethrough and its inlet end fluidly connected to the carbonator water outlet and its outlet end fluidly connected into the plenum; (4) a generally planar stainless steel sheet metal outlet wall forming at least part of said plenum with an inlet end of each outlet fitting extending through the outlet wall and into the plenum and being welded from the inside of the plenum to an inner surface of the outlet wall, and (5) a convex smoothly curved toroidal inlet nose surrounding the inlet end of each outlet fitting, each said inlet nose being in said plenum and having a minor diameter which is substantially the same as and which is co-axial with a inlet diameter of the outlet fitting water outlet passageway. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification