Cooling system for beverage coolers

Abstract

A readily attachable baffle and conduit for heat exchangers to control the flow of cold air in a beverage cooler to cool the dispensing faucets and retard cold air loss when cooler doors are opened.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention.

This invention relates to cooling systems for beverage dispensers, especially so-called direct draw beer dispensers.

2. Prior Art.

The desirability of cooling faucets or taps used to dispense carbonated beverages, especially draft beer, has been recognized for some time. Typically, the faucets for dispensing carbonated beverages, such as beer, are supported on a standard that extends upward a substantial distance from a cooler in which the keg or beverage container is housed. This subjects the faucet and the immediately adjacent conduit to the warming effect of the ambient room temperature. When the liquid being dispensed is warmed by the faucet and conduit, dissolved carbon dioxide leaves the solution in the form of gas bubbles, causing undesirable foaming. In addition, the escaping gas that leaves solution travels back through the dispensing conduit to the beverage container, causing other dissolved gas within the liquid container to leave solution. The accompanying loss in dissolved carbon dioxide causes the beverage to go flat. Moreover, the presence of warmer liquid in the conduit to the faucet requires that a quantity of the liquid be drawn off before business is opened each day, and when the time interval between uses throughout the day is significant, the warming of the beverage causes the faucet to spit and foam. Beverage losses are also experienced when tapping a keg, because the beverage must cool the warmer portion of the conduit and the faucet resulting in a warming and a loss of the initial quantity drawn. A further problem is created with beer by secondary fermentation in the faucet conduit if the temperature rises to above 45.degree. or 50.degree. Fahrenheit, as during off hours. Contamination of the beer in the primary dispenser can result.

Proposals have been made to cool the faucets or taps of beer coolers through air circulation (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,257,070) or through the use of other cooling fluid. Nevertheless, the above problems still exist today with typical beverage dispensers, indicating that heretofore no practical solution acceptable commercially has been available.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to improved apparatus for controlling the flow of cooled air in a refrigerated cooler, especially a so-called "back bar" or other direct draw refrigeration unit, and also for walk-in or remote cool systems used to dispense beverages, such as beer. Through the use of the present invention, improved control is afforded over the flow of cooled air within a refrigerated unit, to assure that a significantly high percentage of the cooled air is channeled directly to the faucets or taps associated with the refrigeration unit. Basically, this is accomplished by directing a high percentage of cooled air directly from the heat exchange, i.e., cooling unit, within the refrigerated container to standards or jackets that house a portion of the dispensing conduits and support the faucets. With the present invention the temperature at the faucet shanks can be maintained as cold or actually colder than the average temperature of the refrigerated chamber because recirculation of cooled air between the heat exchange and the faucet standards is largely restricted to a limited region within the refrigerated chamber. Further, in one type of arrangement the air cooled by the heat exchanger is collected under positive pressure and channeled to the jackets about the dispensing conduits so that further cooling of the channeled air occurs due to heat exchange and expansion as it is channeled to and escapes adjacent the faucet and conduit, thereby enhancing the cooling effect of the air at the desired location. For example, with the present invention the temperature in the faucet standard will be typically maintained at about 36.degree. to 38.degree. Fahrenheit while the refrigeration chamber is maintained at about 40.degree. Fahrenheit. The improved control of air circulation through the use of the present apparatus also inhibits much of the loss of cold air normally experienced when a refrigerated cooler is opened, which, in the case of a typical back bar, may be one hundred times or more per day. In this way a more uniform temperature with the refrigerated chamber is achieved.

The above results are accomplished through a low-cost, easily-installed, baffle-like apparatus adapted to be applied to the input, output or both, of existing refrigeration units typically used with beverage coolers. The construction is readily adaptable to the different installations with minor on-site modifications to the baffle-like apparatus and essentially without modification to the existing coolers. This feature of low cost and adaptability to existing units of different designs is especially important because of the lack of any standard construction and the large number of installations already in use which could not be replaced or retrofitted with new heat exchange units without substantial cost.

The specific construction and the manner in which the invention operates to obtain the above-mentioned features and advantages will be understood from the detailed description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a beverage cooler, illustrating one typical arrangement in which a heat exchanger is located and showing the manner in which the present invention modifies the flow of cooled air to cool dispensing faucets;

FIG. 2 is a partial detailed view of the heat exchanger of FIG. 2, illustrating diagrammatically the manner in which the present invention modifies the flow of cooled air;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation view taken approximately from the plane of line 3--3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4--4 of FIG. 3, diagrammatically indicating the manner in which the present invention modifies the flow of air from a heat exchanger and channels it to a faucet standard;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic detailed view similar to FIG. 2, but illustrating the manner in which the present invention cooperates with a heat exchanger of different construction;

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic detailed view, with parts broken away illustrating the manner in which the present invention cooperates with a heat exchanger and refrigeration unit of yet a different construction;

FIG. 7 is a partial diagrammatic view of a heat exchanger similar to that shown in FIG. 5, but illustrating a different manner in which the present invention can be arranged to cooperate with a heat exchanger to control the air flow; and

FIG. 8 is a front view of another embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A typical arrangement of a back bar 10 for dispensing beer or other beverages, is indicated at 10 in FIG. 1. The back bar includes a refrigerated chamber 12 with front opening doors 14, and contains kegs 15 or other containers for beverage. The containers are pressurized, as by a cylinder of carbon dioxide (not shown) and the beverage is dispensed from each keg through a respective flexible conduit 16 to a faucet 18 on each of two faucet standards 20. Each standard is secured to the top wall 21 of the refrigerated chamber 12 and communicates therewith through an aperture 22 in the top wall. A heat exchanger 24 is secured to or adjacent the lower surface of the top wall, within the chamber 12. In the embodiment shown, the heat exchanger includes cooling coils 26, two fans 28, 29 and a surrounding housing 30. The fans are continuously operated and draw air through the housing at a central location, move it across the coils and discharge the air from opposite ends of the housing. The discharged air is normally circulated throughout the chamber 12. With such a conventional arrangement, little or no circulation of cold air flows through the faucet standard. Moreover, when one or both of the doors 14 to the refrigerated chamber are opened, the colder air adjacent the lower regions of the chamber escapes and additional air is blown from the chamber due to the action of the fan 28, 29. This normal situation is substantially changed by two baffles 34, shown one on each end of the heat exchanger 24, each with a flexible conduit 38 directed to one side of an adjacent aperture 22. A divider wall 40 extends vertically in each faucet standard 20 part way to the top, to provide a divided path of flow for circulating air.

The construction of the baffles 34 and the manner in which they affect the flow of circulating air is best illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 4 of the drawings. Each baffle 34 has a plate-like body portion 42 and a skirt-like side wall 44 partially about the perimeter of the body portion. The side wall defines two openings 46, 47, each of a different size and has a foot-like flange 50 for support and attachment of the baffle to a heat exchange unit. The body portion 42 has an aperture 52 adjacent the side wall, approximately midway between the two side wall openings 46, 47. In addition, two recesses 54, 56 are formed in the plate-like body portion extending substantially parallel to each other across the major portion of the body, parallel to the side wall openings. The recesses are shaped deeper at a central portion and shallow at opposite ends. In the preferred embodiment, the recesses taper in depth from each end to the center. The recesses are also wider at the midportion than at opposite ends. As shown in the embodiment 34' of FIG. 8, recesses 54', 56' can be of modified construction, in which they at least partially converge to communicate directly with the aperture 52 and wall 58 at one end. The aperture 52 is surrounded by a cylindrical wall 58 for attachment of the flexible conduit 38.

Preferably, the baffle 34 is formed of a plastic material, such as ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) and may be suitably shaped through vacuum forming, as over a male mold. The cylindrical wall 58 as initially formed is closed at the extending end by a wall 63 (FIG. 6), but in most uses the wall 62 is removed, as by cutting, typically at the time of installation. By way of example, a typical baffle suitable for most back bars and refrigeration units is approximately 8 inches long by 4 inches wide, with a skirt slightly less than 1 inch in height. The depth of the recesses 54, 56 is approximately five-eights of a inch at the central portion and the aperture 52 is approximately 11/8 inches in diameter. A sheet material thickness initially of 0.090 inch has been found suitable for forming the baffle, which is reduced in thickness to approximately 0.060 inch at many portions, after forming. In the region of the end wall closure 62, the thickness may diminish to as thin as 0.030 inch.

As illustrated by the arrows A in FIGS. 2 and 4, the baffles 34, when secured in the relative locations to a heat exchanger as shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, directly obstruct the discharge of cooled air from the heat exchanger. This cooled air strikes each baffle substantially at right angles to the general plane of the baffle. The recesses 54, 56 receive a portion of the flow of air and deflect it to a direction transverse from the initial direction created by the fan or blower and to a certain extent also reverse the direction, causing turbulence. In addition, the curved side wall portions not only contain a certain volume of the air under increased station pressure, but also encourage circulation of the air within the baffle, in combination with the turbulence. This turbulence and circulation of the air moves a major portion of the air obstructed by the baffle, preferably about 80 percent, to the aperture 52, from whence the air escapes the baffle and is moved by virtue of the greater pressure behind the baffle, through the flexible conduit 38 to the base of the faucet standard, on one side of the divider 40. Upon escape of the pressurized cool air from behind the baffle and then from the flexible conduit to the larger chamber formed by the tubular faucet standard 20, and due to the path of the conduit through the cooled chamber, a slight further drop in temperature of the air of perhaps a degree or two Fahrenheit is believed to be created, further enhancing the cooling effect within the standard. The cold air flows upward from the base of the standard on one side of the divider 40 and down the opposite sides cooling the faucet conduit 16 and also the faucet shank (not shown) within the standard, which in turn cools the external faucet by conduction. A minor portion of the air directed by the fan or blower against the baffle 34 escapes through the openings 46, 47 in the side wall. The larger opening 46 is directed upward, so that air escaping through it is circulated, in the upper regions of the cooling chamber and is quickly recirculated, resulting in the circulation of relatively cold air through the flexible conduits 38. The smaller opening 47 is directed downward, so that a small amount of cool air moves directly to lower regions of the refrigerated chamber 12 for general purpose cooling. This restriction upon the flow of air from the fans or blowers substantially retards any air loss from the refrigerated chamber when one or both of the doors 14 are opened. It especially retards the direct blowing or forcing of a substantial flow of air from the refrigerated chamber through the door openings.

FIG. 5 illustrates the manner in which the baffles 34 are used with a heat exchanger 65 of different construction mounted in a similar manner to the top wall 21 in a refrigerated chamber, but having a fan 67 at a lower opening to blow air from the chamber across the cooling coils 68 and thence outward through side openings 69. The baffles 34 are placed over the side openings 69 in a manner similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 through 4, except that the orientation of the side openings 46, 47 are vertical, so as to direct a minor portion of the air discharged, from the heat exchanger horizontally opposite directions, rather than vertically, for recirculation. This tends to restrict the recirculation to the upper regions of the refrigerated chamber, resulting in a cold flow of air through the conduits 38 to the faucet standards 20.

The manner in which the baffles 34 are used with a heat exchanger 75 of yet a different construction is shown in FIG. 6. The heat exchanger 75 is constructed to provide direct channels 76, 77 to a faucet standard 78 common to two faucets 79, 80. The faucet standard is divided into three sections or channels 78a, b, c, by vertical dividers 82, 83 and the entire faucet standard communicates to the upper portion of the heat exchanger, in direct communication with the zone surrounding cooling coils 86. Beverage conduits 88, 89 extend upward through the two outside sections 78a, c, of the faucet standard. Each of the two outside sections 78a, c, communicates with a respective channel 76, 77 for the circulation of cooled air to the faucet standard. The central passageway 78b returns the air from the faucet standard to the cooling coils. Fans or blowers 94, 95 at opposite ends of the heat exchanger 75 draw air through the bottom of the heat exchanger, across the coils in opposite horizontal directions, and discharge the flow through side openings 98, 99. In the normal operation of the heat exchanger before being modified with the baffles 34, a major portion of the air drawn across the coils would be discharged through the openings 98, 99 by the fans 94, 95 and only a small portion would flow upward through the channels 76, 77 and circulate through the faucet standard.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the baffles 34 are placed across the discharge openings 98, 99 on opposite sides of the heat exchanger. Because of the existence of the conduits 76, 77, the end of the cylindrical wall 58 of the baffle is left closed. A major portion of the cooled air directed outward through the openings 98, 99 by the fans is obstructed by the baffles 34 and caused to become turbulent and circulate. As a result of this turbulence, an increase in static pressure benind the baffle is created, causing a major portion of the air driven by the fans 94, 95 to flow through the channels 76, 77, and a minor portion is allowed to escape through the openings 46, 47 in the side walls of the baffle members. As shown, these openings are oriented to discharge the air horizontally to generally restrict the immediate circulation of cooled air to the upper regions of the cooling chamber.

A further modified arrangement for controlling the flow of cooled air with the baffle 34 to cool a faucet standard is shown in FIG. 7 in connection with a heat exchanger 105 similar to that described in connection with FIG. 5, but discharging about substantially the entire periphery. In this arrangement, the baffle 34 is placed over the intake to the fan 107. No baffle is placed over the outlet flow of cooled air discharged from the heat exchanger. The flexible conduit 38 is directed to one side of the divider 40 of the tubular faucet standard 20, preferably the side farthest from the heat exchanger. A major portion of the air intake area to the fan and heat exchanger is blocked by the baffle while some air flow to the inlet is permitted through the side wall openings 46, 47 and through any peripheral area of the fan intake not covered by the baffle. As a result, the fan 107 creates a substantial suction through the conduit 38, exhausting air from the faucet standard 20 and causing cool air discharged from the heat exchanger to flow quite directly to the zone of lower pressure, i.e., the lower opening to the faucet standard. This is illustrated diagrammatially by the arrows A in FIG. 7. This arrangement permits more general circulation of cooled air throughout the refrigerated chamber while yet materially enhancing the circulation of cool air through the faucet standard.

In all embodiments the baffles 34 can be conveniently and easily attached to the heat exchange unit in any expeditious manner desired, as by securing the skirt flanges to the outside surface with an adhesive tape, by applying an adhesive to the surface of the flange that contacts the heat exchanger casing, with self tapping screws, clips, or other industrial fasteners, or by securing magnets to the flange which then hold the baffle against the steel parts of the heat exchanger.

It will be appreciated from the above description of preferred arrangements for utilizing the present invention, that through this invention it is possible to modify existing beverage dispensers conveniently and inexpensively to direct a major portion of the cooled air moved across the heat exchanger of the units to the faucet standards and thereby assure the effective cooling of the faucet shanks and beverage conduits leading to the faucets, whereby the disadvantage attendant the high faucet temperatures are eliminated.

While preferred apparatus and arrangements have been described in detail, it will be appreciated that various modifications or alterations may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a beverage cooler having a heat exchanger and an air circulating fan or blower for directing air flow across the heat exchanger to cool the air, apparatus readily attachable to the heat exchanger for limiting the amount and direction of the cold air circulation comprising a baffle member with an air-obstructing body portion adapted to be oriented transversely of the direction in which the fan faces and spaced peripheral side wall portions extending from the body portion that provide an abutting periphery for locating the body portion spaced from an external surface of the heat exchanger through which air is moved by said fan and against which the baffle member is secured and that provide openings through which air can flow relative to the heat exchanger in a direction transverse to that in which the fan faces, said body portion being generally plate-like with at least one elongated cavity formed therein, open in the direction the side wall portions extend from the body portion, for creating turbulence in a flow of air directed against said body portion.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said side wall portions define two openings on opposite sides of the body portion, one opening being larger than the other so that different quantities of air are directed in generally opposite directions.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1 including an aperture in said body portion for the escape of air directed against said body portion.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said aperture is adjacent one of said side wall portions.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein there are two elongated cavities in said body portion and said aperture is between the two.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said side wall portions are curved to direct air in a circulating path within the baffle member.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said elongated cavity is deeper centrally of its length than at its ends.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said elongated cavity is wider centrally of its length than at its ends.

9. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said elongated cavity intersects said aperture.

10. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 including a duct directly communicating with said aperture for conveying air between said heat exchanger and a location spaced therefrom.

11. In a beverage cooler having a refrigerated chamber, a tubular faucet standard opening into said chamber and through which a beverage dispensing conduit extends with substantial space therebetween, a heat exchanger within an upper portion of the chamber and a fan or blower associated with the heat exchanger for moving air thereacross, adjunct apparatus attached to said heat exchanger for moving cooled air through said faucet standard, comprising a baffle with skirt-like side wall portions spaced about the periphery of the baffle to provide side openings, a portion of said baffle forming a cavity that extends across a major portion of the baffle, the depth of said cavity being greatest at a portion thereof adjacent a central portion of the baffle and being least at a portion adjacent a peripheral portion of the baffle, an aperture through said baffle, and a tubular conduit communicating between said aperture and said faucet standard.

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said side wall portions are curved, include means for securing the baffle to a heat exchange with the baffle spaced therefrom, and provide openings of different area at opposite locations about the periphery to direct flows of air of different quantities in different directions.

13. Apparatus as set forth in claim 12 including a second cavity constructed as the first each displaced on opposite sides of the center of the baffle, and wherein the aperture is between the cavities and adjacent a side wall portion.

14. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein the baffle is secured across an air discharge passage of said heat exchanger.

15. In a beverage cooler having a refrigerated chamber, a tubular faucet standard opening into said chamber and through which a beverage dispensing conduit extends with substantial space therebetween, a heat exchanger within the chamber and a fan or blower associated with the heat exchanger for moving air thereacross, adjunct apparatus attached to said heat exchanger for moving cooled air through said faucet standard, comprising a baffle adjacent the heat exchanger located to partially obstruct air drawn to the heat exchanger by the fan, an aperture in said baffle permitting air to be drawn through the baffle to the heat exchanger by the fan, and a conduit communicating between the aperture and the tubular faucet standard for drawing air from the faucet standard to the heat exchanger.

16. Apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said baffle has skirt-like sidewall portions about the periphery that space the baffle from an air inlet to the heat exchanger when the side wall abuts the heat exchanger, thereby preventing complete obstruction by the baffle of air flow from immediately adjacent the heat exchanger and causing air other than that drawn through the conduit to be drawn predominantly laterally of the direction the fan blows.

17. In a method of cooling a beverage dispensing faucet and adjacent conduit carried by a hollow faucet standard that communicates with a refrigerated chamber having a heat exchanger in an upper portion and a fan or blower associated with the heat exchanger for moving air thereacross, and for retarding cold air loss when the refrigerated chamber is opened, the steps comprising: substantially blocking the direct flow of air discharged from the heat exchanger and directing a major portion of the blocked flow to the upper region of the chamber and to said faucet standard where it can be promptly recirculated while directing a minor portion of the flow to lower regions of the chamber, whereby the faucet standard is cooled, predominantly cold air is recirculated in upper regions of the chamber, and the amount of air blown from the chamber when the chamber is opened is substantially reduced.

18. In a method of cooling a beverage dispensing faucet and adjacent conduit carried by a hollow faucet standard that communicates with a refrigerated chamber having a heat exchanger and a fan or blower associated with the heat exchanger for moving air thereacross, the steps comprising blocking air moved across the heat exchanger by the fan, causing the air to circulate within a confined zone a major part to discharge under pressure created by the fan through a conduit leading from said zone to the faucet standard and a minor part to discharge directly to the chamber, and allowing the air to escape from the conduit into the faucet standard and then return to the chamber.

19. A method as set forth in claim 18 including the step of expanding the air as it discharges from the conduit to the faucet standard.

20. A method of modifying a refrigerated beverage cooler to cool a dispensing faucet and adjacent beverage conduit carried by a hollow faucet standard that communicates with a refrigerated chamber having a heat exchanger and a fan or blower, comprising applying a baffle against the heat exchanger to block a flow of air moved by the fan across the heat exchanger, providing a passage that allows a minor portion of the blocked flow to escape laterally of the baffle directly to the chamber, connecting a flexible duct from the baffle to the faucet standard, creating turbulence in the blocked flow of air, and directing a major portion of the blocked flow through the duct to the faucet standard.