U.S. patent number 3,892,335 [Application Number 05/420,665] was granted by the patent office on 1975-07-01 for beverage dispenser.
This patent grant is currently assigned to William V. Braley, R. A. Harman, Jr.. Invention is credited to Alfred A. Schroeder.
United States Patent |
3,892,335 |
Schroeder |
July 1, 1975 |
Beverage dispenser
Abstract
A dispenser for dispensing cool beverages which insures that
every drink is cool, yet still has a large maximum serving
capacity. The beverage dispenser has a cooling unit mounted for
quick connection and disconnection on a tank with cooling coils
immersed in a cooling liquid such as water. The beverage conduits
are located on the inside of the cooling coils with the entrance
and the exit of the beverage conduits into the tank being under the
cooling coils and up over the side of the tank. A baffle plate is
located between the cooling coils and the entrance and exit of the
beverage conduits to prevent freeze-up of the beverage lines upon
an accumulation of ice around the cooling coils. A propeller is
located in the center of the liquid to insure proper circulation
for maximum cooling. The drink dispenser is located at the exit of
the beverage line so that every drink is cooled.
Inventors: |
Schroeder; Alfred A. (San
Antonio, TX) |
Assignee: |
Braley; William V. (San
Antonio, TX)
Harman, Jr.; R. A. (San Antonio, TX)
|
Family
ID: |
23667372 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/420,665 |
Filed: |
November 30, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
222/129.1; 62/77;
60/390; 222/146.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B67D
1/0864 (20130101); F25D 31/003 (20130101); B67D
1/0021 (20130101); B67D 2210/00031 (20130101); B67D
2210/00104 (20130101); B67D 2210/00047 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F25D
31/00 (20060101); B67D 1/08 (20060101); B67D
1/00 (20060101); B67d 005/56 () |
Field of
Search: |
;222/146C,129.1
;62/389,390,394,396,298,77,395 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Reeves; Robert B.
Assistant Examiner: Lane; Hadd
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Cox, Smith, Smith, Hale &
Guenther Incorporated
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A beverage dispenser for dispensing cool beverages from a supply
stored at ambient temperatures, said dispenser comprising:
a receptacle having a wall and containing a cooling liquid;
beverage conduits for conducting said beverages through said
receptacle, said beverage conduits being immersed in said liquid
and located around the center of said receptacle;
cooling unit for cooling said liquid having cooling conduits
immersed in said liquid around said beverage conduits, said cooling
unit being removable without disconnecting said beverage
conduits;
a baffle plate in said recetacle adjacent to but spaced from said
wall providing a tempering space, said beverage conduits passing
through said tempering space for a substantial distince and then
exiting from said receptacle said baffle also permitting a
circulation of said cooling liquid between said tempering space and
said cooling conduits, said baffle plate protecting said beverage
conduits from freezing, yet helping to maintain every dispensed
drink below a predetermined temperature for serving; and
means for dispensing said cool beverages from said beverage
conduits.
2. The beverage dispenser as recited in claim 1 further comprises
means for circulating said cooling liquid within said receptacle
and means for measuring the temperature of said cooling liquid to
regulate said cooling unit.
3. The beverage dispenser as recited in claim 2 wherein said
beverage conduits exit over the top of said receptacle and said
cooling unit sits on the top of said receptacle.
4. The beverage dispenser as recited in claim 3 wherein all
beverage conduits enter and exit over the same wall of said
receptacle, said receptacle being of a rectangular type with said
baffle plate forming a fifth wall.
5. The beverage dispenser as recited in claim 4 wherein the baffle
plate has a top portion that extends substantially vertical between
said beverage conduits and said cooling conduits and a bottom
portion that extends substantially horizontal between said beverage
conduits and said cooling conduits, said baffle plate having a
means for removably attaching to a wall of said receptacle.
6. The beverage dispenser as recited in claim 4 wherein said
beverage conduits are arranged in a rectangular accordion shape
with the center thereof containing said circulating means.
7. The beverage dispenser as recited in claim 4 wherein said
beverage conduits are arranged in a spiral around the circulating
means which is located in the center of said receptacle.
8. The beverage dispenser as recited in claim 1 wherein said
beverages are mixed from a syrup in said dispensing means, said
beverage conduits having a plurality of conduits for each
dispensing means to mix said beverages, all beverage conduits being
cooled by said cooling liquid.
9. The beverage dispenser as recited in claim 8 wherein a single
beverage conduit supplies carbonated water for mixing with the
syrup for different type beverage drinks to be mixed from
syrups.
10. The beverage dispenser as recited in claim 8 wherein a single
beverage conduit supplies water for mixing with concentrated drinks
for different type beverages.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a device for dispensing beverages, and
more particularly, to improvements of such device to increase the
drink serving capacity and to insure that the occasional drink is
properly cooled.
In public restaurants, cafeterias, snack bars, etc., counter space
is at a premium. Most beverage dispensing machines which are
located on the counter should be small, compact and very easy to
service. The normal method of servicing the drink dispensing
machines when the cooling unit may have a malfunction is to simply
replace the cooling unit with another unit and take the defective
one back to the shop for repairs. Therefore, the cooling unit
should be very easily removed without disturbing the beverage
conduits. Another feature that is very important is that the
beverage dispenser serves the occasional drink below a
predetermined temperature and has a large maximum drink serving
capacity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Basically, there are two types of electric beverage dispensers
manufactured. The first type being referred to is called dry
refrigeration, where the output of the beverage dispenser is
limited to the capability of the compressor. Normally this type of
beverage dispenser is designed for the evaporator coils to be
submerged in the product that is to be dispensed, and it does not
store any cooling capacity. Since no cooling capacity is stored,
only a limited number of drinks could be dispensed.
The second type of electric beverage dispenser is the one to which
the present invention is directed. Ice accumulation on the
evaporator coils in a cooling liquid provides the stored cooling
capacity. This type of beverage dispenser has a tank, normally
filled with water, in which the evaporator coil is submerged.
Additionally, the beverage lines are also submerged inside the tank
and begin and terminate at some point exterior to the tank. Ice is
formed on the evaporator coils, and the water is agitated by means
of a motor driven propeller or other suitable means so that the
water circulates across the product lines and the ice thereby
assuring even and rapid heat transfer. As the beverage is dispensed
from the product line, it is cooled to the desired temperature. The
amount of beverage that may be dispensed at a given temperature is
proportional to the amount of ice formed on the evaporator
coil.
Dispensers of this type are rated by the number of a given size
drink, below a given temperature, during a given period of time
they can dispense. Additionally, they are rated by the temperature
of the occasional drink, i.e., the temperature of a drink drawn
after the beverage dispensing unit has not been used for a period
of several hours. In the beverage dispensing market, it is
desirable that the beverages be dispensed at a temperature of
40.degree. Fahrenheit or below. Therefore, the occasional drink,
which may have some of the beverage in the conduit lines external
to the cooling tank, should be below this maximum temperature. A
test, generally used to determine the maximum capacity of a
beverage dispensing machine, is the number of 6 ounce beverages
that a machine can dispense within 1 hour and not exceed the
temperature of 40.degree. Fahrenheit. Since commercial
establishments that sell beverages depend upon their beverage
dispenser, it is important that the unit be easily serviced and
repaired in the field. Because the cooling unit is the part that
normally needs repair, the best way for repair is to quickly remove
the cooling unit and replace it with the working unit. The
defective unit can then be taken to the shop for repairs. This is
the method that is currently used by most personnel servicing
beverage dispensing machines.
Of the ice-bank type beverage dispensers, there are basically two
models in use today. The first of these models has the beverage
conduits running around the inside periphery of the tank, starting
and terminating at some point exterior to the tank, with the
evaporator coil submerged in the liquid inside the beverage
conduits. This type of design allows for easy withdrawal of the
cooling unit for servicing; however, has the resultant disadvantage
in that there is less cubic space in which ice can form around the
evaporator coils. Also, the beverage lines are located near the
exterior of the tank, which acts as a heater to the cooling
liquid.
The other model of the ice-bank beverage dispenser is actually the
reverse of the first, with the evaporator coils being placed
adjacent to the periphery of the tank and the beverage conduits
being placed in the interior space. By this type of arrangement the
evaporator coils can form a much larger ice-bank than the previous
design. However, the product lines, in order to terminate at a
point exterior to the tank, must run over the evaporator coils,
with the resultant disadvantage being that the product lines must
be disconnected in order to remove the cooling unit. If the product
line runs under the evaporator coil and up the side of the
container, the beverage contained in the line would freeze if not
in continual use, or the ice-bank size would have to be decreased,
thereby lowering the capacity of the beverage dispensing unit. If
the beverage conduits were terminated through the bottom of the
bank, expensive seals would be required, plus the first drink
dispensed would be of a high temperature and would probably have to
be thrown away. The present invention relates to the ice bank type
of dispenser by combining the advantages of both designs without
the inherent disadvantages. Additionally, it dispenses the
occasional drink at a lower temperature than has been possible
heretofore.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an ice-bank
type beverage dispenser that dispenses an occasional drink at a
satisfactory temperature without suffering a loss in the maximum
output capacity.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a beverage
dispenser that is small and economic to manufacture, easy to
service and having a large output capacity.
It is still another object of the present invention to locate the
cooling coils around the beverage conduits in such a manner that
the cooling unit can be easily removed for servicing.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide the
entrance and the exit of the beverage line conduits under the
evaporator coils with a baffle plate inserted therebetween.
It is a still further object of the present invention to maintain
the exit lines of the beverage conduits near freezing so that the
occasional drink will be dispensed at an unusually low
temperature.
It is still another object of the present invention to have a
baffle plate between the entrance and exit of the beverage conduits
of the beverage dispenser and the evaporator coils with the baffle
plate allowing free circulation of the cooling liquid.
It is even another object of the present invention to provide an
agitator propeller that circulates the cooling liquid over the
evaporator coils and the beverage conduits on both sides of the
baffle plate.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of the cooling unit being attached to
the beverage dispenser.
FIG. 2 is an illustrative sectional view of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a top view of the beverage conduits visible in FIGS. 1
and 2.
FIG. 4 is a side view of the beverage conduits shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of FIG. 1 illustrating the
baffle plate position in the beverage dispenser.
FIG. 6 is a side view of the baffle plate.
FIG. 7 is a left side view of FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is a top view of the beverage dispenser with the cooling
unit removed.
FIGS. 9-13 are alternative configurations of the beverage
conduits.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown an exploded view of a
beverage dispenser with the cooling unit 15 separated from the tank
portion 16. The cooling unit 15 will have a decorative cover 35
over the cooling unit so that it will be attractive when setting on
a serving counter. The cooling unit 15 has a compressor 17 that
pressurizes the refrigerant, normally freon, to a highly
pressurized vapor. The refrigerant is then changed to the liquid
state in condenser 18, thereby giving off a large amount of heat.
The condenser 18 is cooled by means of a fan 19 (not visible in
FIG. 1). As compressor 17 sucks the liquid freon into the
evaporator coils 20, the freon changes from the liquid to a low
pressure gaseous state, thereby absorbing much of the heat from the
surroundings. Thereafter, the low pressure vapor is repressurized
by the compressor 17.
The entire cooling unit 15 is attached to the tank portion 16 by
means of bolts 21. By simply taking nuts off of bolts 21 and
picking up on the cooling unit 15 by handles 22, the cooling unit
15 can be removed and another one set in its place. Since the tank
16 is normally filled with a liquid, such as water, a propeller 23
driven by a motor 24 circulates the water inside the tank portion
16. A thermostat 25 that controls the compressor 17 is inserted in
the insulated receptacle 26 to maintain the water above the
freezing point.
The tank portion 16 consists of an insulated receptacle 26 that is
generally rectangular in shape. Beverage conduits 27 are located
around the center of the insulated receptacle 26 with the cooling
coils 20 being between the walls of the receptacle 26 and the
beverage conduits 27. The beverage conduits 27 enter the tanks
under the evaporator coils 20 and behind the baffle plate 28, as
will be explained in more detail subsequently. The beverages or the
beverage mixes are stored at a remote location with the connection
being made in the front wall 29 of the tank portion 16. The
beverage conduits 27, which exit behind baffle plate 28, are
connected directly to dispenser heads 30. By pushing lever 31, a
beverage will be dispensed out of nozzle 32. A number of dispenser
heads 30 and beverage conduits 27 will allow for a variety of
drinks. Drain pan 33 will take care of any spillage that may occur
while dispensing the desired beverage. Also, line 34 (shown in the
cutaway) empties any water overflow into drain pan 33.
Referring now to FIG. 2 of the drawings, there is shown an
illustrated sectional view of FIG. 1 that is not cut along a given
section line. In FIG. 2, the previously described parts of the
cooling unit 15 can be seen plus the decorative cover 35. The
evaporator coils 20 are immersed in the water 36 so that after
running the compressor unit 15 a period of time an ice-bank 37 will
form about the evaporator coils 20. The beverage conduits 27 are
located inside the ice-bank 37, with propeller 23 being located
very near the center of the insulated receptacle 26 for circulating
the water 36 to obtain a uniform heat distribution. Because of the
physical arrangement of the beverage conduits 27, it may be
necessary to retain the beverage conduits 27 by means of a frame 38
attached by any suitable means, such as brackets 39, to the bottom
of the insulated receptacle 26. Otherwise, the beverage conduit 27
would have a tendency to spring apart and the lines would freeze in
the ice-bank 37. All of the beverage conduits 27 enter and exit the
insulated receptacle 26 under baffle plate 28 and over wall 40. By
making the baffle plate 28 so that is does not completely extend
from one side to the other of the insulated receptacle 26 as the
water 36 is circulated by propeller 23 water will continue to flow
in a tempering space formed by the wall 29 and the front of baffle
plate 28. This flow of water in front of baffle plate 28 will keep
the beverage conduits 27, that are connected to dispenser heads 30,
at a very low temperature.
The present beverage dispenser, shown in the drawings, is of the
post mix type, where a syrup and carbonated water are mixed
together inside the nozzle 32 of the dispenser head 30. Therefore,
both the syrup and the carbonated water should be cooled within the
isolated receptacle 26. FIGS. 3 and 4 show one possible
configuration for a four head dispenser using a post mix type of
syrup for four different types of drinks. For the purposes of
illustration, we will assume that conduit 41, which enters at point
A, is the carbonated water line. After flowing down behind the
baffle plate 28, under the evaporator coils 20 and around the
center of the isolated receptacle 26, the carbonated water conduit
41 is split by couplings 42 to connect to each one of the dispenser
heads 30. If point B represents the entry point of the syrup for
the first drink, a conduit 43 may carry the syrup behind the baffle
plate 28 around the center of the isolated receptacle 26 inside the
frame 38 and back out for dispensing through the first of the
dispenser heads 30. Likewise, a second flavored syrup may enter
through point C, flow in a similar manner through conduit 44 and
back out for dispensing through a second dispenser head 30. Again,
a third flavored syrup may enter through point D, flow through
conduit 45 in a similar manner and out through a third dispensing
head 30 for a third flavored drink. Also, a fourth flavored syrup
may enter through point E of conduit 46 and exit through a fourth
dispensing head for a fourth flavor.
Using a post mix type of syrup with carbonated water, it is
particularly desirable that the syrup be maintained as close to
freezing point as possible to reduce the amount of bubbling caused
by carbonation. Since the syrup and carbonated water normally mix
with one part syrup to five parts carbonated water, a shorter
length of beverage conduit 27 is required for the syrup than is
required for the carbonated water. Because of the difference in
density between the syrup and the carbonated water and to insure
that the syrup is as close to the freezing point as possible
without freezing, the length of the carbonated water line should be
approximately four times as great as the length of the syrup
contained within the isolated receptacle 26.
Still referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the circulating propeller 23 fits
within space 47 of the beverage conduits 27. Gap 49 is where the
evaporator coils 20 and baffle plate 28 fit when the evaporator
coils 20 are encircling the center portion of the beverage conduits
27 as would be their normal operating configuration.
Referring now to FIG. 5, there is a partial pictorial view of the
baffle plate 28 and the beverage conduits 27 with the insulated
receptacle 26 and the dispenser heads 30 shown in phantom lines,
that illustrates the positioning of the baffle plate 28. Referring
to FIG. 5 in conjunction with FIGS. 6 and 7, the beverage conduits
27 extend under the bottom 50 of the baffle plate 28. Thereafter,
the beverage conduits 27 make an approximately 90.degree. turn to
extend up wall 40 of insulated receptacle 26 and behind the upper
portion 51 of baffle plate 28.
By arranging the beverage conduits 27 and the evaporator coils 20
in the manner just described, a much better beverage dispensing
machine can be manufactured for use in the commercial market. Once
the evaporator coils 20 are inserted in the water and allowed to
operate for a period of time, an ice-bank 37 will accumulate around
the evaporator coils 20. The thermostat 25 will control the
operation of the compressor 18 so that the ice-bank accumulation
will not become too excessive. The propeller continually circulates
the water 37 inside the insulated receptacle 26 to insure a uniform
heat distribution. Beverage conduits 27 that are contained near the
center of the isolated receptacle 26 are cooled to a near freezing
point. By locating the evaporator coils on the outside of the
beverage conduits 27, a larger ice-bank 37 can accumulate without
the freezing of the beverage in the beverage conduits 27. This
large ice-bank accumulation greatly increases the maximum capacity
of the drink dispensing unit.
Another feature of the present invention is the use of the baffle
plate 28. As the propeller 23 turns to continually circulate the
water 36, water will flow under the bottom 50 of the baffle plate
28 and between the upper portion 51 and wall 40. If such a
dispensing unit were allowed to set for a long period of time, a
slurry solution would form between wall 40 and the upper portion
51. Since the length of the beverage conduit 27 between water 37
and the dispenser head 30 is a very short distance, any drink
dispensed after a long period of non-use would be of an acceptable
temperature, between freezing and 40.degree. Fahrenheit. The baffle
plate 28 can be manufactured from a substance such as aluminum or
stainless steel or any other suitable alloy and still not have
sufficient heat transfer characteristics to freeze-up the beverage
lines as they enter or exit the insulated receptacle 26. It should
be understood, however, that the baffle plate 28 could be
manufactured from any suitable substance, such as plastic, without
deviating from the general idea of the present invention.
After extensive testing, it was found that a beverage dispenser
incorporating the ideas of the present invention would dispense the
occasional drink at a much lower temperature than was heretofore
possible. Also, the maximum capacity of the present unit would be
much greater than previously known units, even the design that
located the evaporator coils around the outer edge of a container.
Part of this is attributed to the baffle plate 28 that acts as a
heat transfer element while still protecting the beverage conduits
from freeze-up. Without question, a beverage dispenser embodying
the present invention is easier serviced, has greater maximum
output and dispensing the occasional drink at a much lower
temperature. All of these features cannot be found in the
previously designed models.
Since it is somewhat difficult getting all the beverage conduits 27
within the space allocated, different possible designs of the
beverage conduits are shown in FIGS. 9-12. These FIGS. are only
pictorial representations of other arrangements of the beverage
conduits 27 and therefore only show one conduit. FIG. 9 uses a
spiral type of arrangement around the propeller 23. The design
shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 only show one or two laps around the
propeller 23 to give the pictorial representation. FIG. 12 is using
the horizontal accordion arrangement, whereas the preferred
embodiment shown in FIG. 8 is using the vertical accordion
configuration.
The beverage dispenser embodying the present invention has been
described as a four drink dispenser post mix type using four
separate syrups and carbonated water. This type of beverage
dispenser is more complicated than the pre-mixed type which only
requires one line for each drink that is to be dispensed.
Therefore, it should be obvious that the present invention can be
used with the pre-mixed type as well as the post mix. Another
obvious alternative is to have the concentrated drink, such as
orange juice, where the concentrated portion is mixed with water.
Again two conduits would be required as with a post mix beverage
having a syrup and carbonated water, with both lines being cooled
by the water 36 in insulated receptacle 26.
* * * * *