Drink dispensing system

• US 7,080,525 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2003
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: McCann's Engineering & Manufacturing Company LLC (Ali Holding Srl)
• Original Assignee: McCann's Engineering & Manufacturing Company LLC (Ali Holding Srl)
• Inventors: Verley, Donald J., McCann, Gerald P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad m.
• Application Number:
  US10/735,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20040123619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 622/89, 623/44, 623/96, 623/98, 623/90, 623/89, 222/146.6, 222/424, 222/129.1, 222/144.5, 261/DIG.7
• US Class Current: 62/389
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0021 the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0064 Cold plate
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0084 Hand-held gun type valves
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0406 with means for carbonating the beverage, or for maintaining its carbonation B67D1/0418 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0857 Cooling arrangements cooling systems per se F25B

Abstract

A drink dispensing system having sets of faucet dispensers, ice storage bins adjacent to the sets of faucet dispensers, respectively, a common carbonator and circulation pumps associated with fluid circuits provide circulating flow through cold plates defining bottoms to the ice storage bins. Flow may be in parallel or in series to each of the separate stations. The circulating system is illustrated to be for the carbonated water supply while noncirculating supply systems provide noncarbonated water and syrup to the dispensing stations. Circulating systems for bar guns using a cold plate are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A drink dispensing system comprising

a carbonated water recirculation circuit;

a bar gun in fluid communication with the carbonated water recirculation circuit;

a circulation pump having a capacity of about 15 gal./hr. for inducing circulation in the carbonated water recirculation circuit;

an ice storage bin including heat transfer coils therein and in the carbonated water recirculation circuit.

2. The drink dispensing system of claim 1 further comprising

a bundle of supply tubes extending to the bar gun and including a supply line and a return line in the carbonated water recirculation circuit, the bar gun being in fluid communication with the carbonated water recirculation circuit through the supply line and the return line.

3. The drink dispensing system of claim 1 further comprising

a bundle of supply tubes extending to the bar gun including a supply line, the bar gun being in fluid communication with the carbonated water recirculation circuit solely through the supply line.

4. The drink dispensing system of claim 1 further comprising

a carbonator in fluid communication with the carbonated water recirculation circuit.

5. A drink dispensing system comprising

a carbonated water recirculation circuit;

a bar gun in fluid communication with the carbonated water recirculation circuit;

a circulation pump capable of inducing circulation in the carbonated water recirculation circuit;

an ice storage bin including heat transfer coils in the carbonated water recirculation circuit;

a carbonator in the carbonated water recirculation circuit, the bar gun being in continuous fluid communication with the carbonator through the heat transfer coils, the circulation pump inducing flow from the heat transfer coils toward communication with the bar gun and from fluid communication with the bar gun to the carbonator, there being no flow from the carbonator to communication with the bar gun except through the heat transfer coils.

6. The drink dispensing system of claim 5, the carbonated water recirculation circuit including a section in fluid communication with the bar gun at a first end and with the carbonator at a second end, the circulation pump being in the section.

7. The drink dispensing system of claim 6, the carbonator being in the carbonated water recirculation circuit downstream of the circulation pump and upstream of the heat transfer coils.

8. The drink dispensing system of claim 5 further comprising

a check valve between fluid communication with the bar gun and the carbonator allowing flow only toward the carbonator from fluid communication with the bar gun.

9. The drink dispensing system of claim 5, the ice storage bin further including a cold plate, the heat transfer coils being in the cold plate.

10. A method for supplying carbonated beverages comprising

supplying ice to a cold plate;

circulating carbonated water at about 15 gal./hr. through a closed carbonated water circuit having a carbonator, coils in the cold plate and being in fluid communication through a junction in the closed circuit with a bar gun having one or more dispenser valves, including recirculation of the carbonated water through the coils in the cold plate in the closed circuit until the carbonated water both to and from the junction in the closed circuit is 33°

F. or below.

11. The method for supplying carbonated beverages of claim 10, circulating carbonated water further including recirculation of the carbonated water through a tube bundle of the bar gun to and from the junction.

12. The method for supplying carbonated beverages of claim 10 further comprising

dispensing carbonated water from the bar gun including recirculation of carbonated water through a supply line in a tube bundle from the junction to the bar gun.

13. A drink dispensing system comprising

a carbonated water recirculation circuit;

a bar gun in fluid communication with the carbonated water recirculation circuit;

a circulation pump capable of inducing circulation in the carbonated water recirculation circuit;

an ice storage bin including heat transfer coils therein and in the carbonated water recirculation circuit;

a carbonator in the carbonated water recirculation circuit, the bar gun being in continuous fluid communication with the carbonator through the heat transfer coils, the circulation pump being a 15 gal./hr. pump.