EP0159399A1 - Liquid dispensers - Google Patents
Liquid dispensers Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0159399A1 EP0159399A1 EP84113306A EP84113306A EP0159399A1 EP 0159399 A1 EP0159399 A1 EP 0159399A1 EP 84113306 A EP84113306 A EP 84113306A EP 84113306 A EP84113306 A EP 84113306A EP 0159399 A1 EP0159399 A1 EP 0159399A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- concentrate
- diluent
- valve
- package
- dispensing
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/0042—Details of specific parts of the dispensers
- B67D1/0057—Carbonators
- B67D1/0069—Details
- B67D1/0071—Carbonating by injecting CO2 in the liquid
- B67D1/0072—Carbonating by injecting CO2 in the liquid through a diffuser, a bubbler
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/0015—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught the beverage being prepared by mixing at least two liquid components
- B67D1/0021—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught the beverage being prepared by mixing at least two liquid components the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/0042—Details of specific parts of the dispensers
- B67D1/0043—Mixing devices for liquids
- B67D1/0051—Mixing devices for liquids for mixing outside the nozzle
- B67D1/0052—Mixing devices for liquids for mixing outside the nozzle by means for directing respective streams together
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/0042—Details of specific parts of the dispensers
- B67D1/0057—Carbonators
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/0042—Details of specific parts of the dispensers
- B67D1/0057—Carbonators
- B67D1/0069—Details
- B67D1/007—Structure of the carbonating chamber
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/0042—Details of specific parts of the dispensers
- B67D1/0078—Ingredient cartridges
- B67D1/0079—Ingredient cartridges having their own dispensing means
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/08—Details
- B67D1/12—Flow or pressure control devices or systems, e.g. valves, gas pressure control, level control in storage containers
- B67D1/14—Reducing valves or control taps
- B67D1/1405—Control taps
- B67D1/1438—Control taps comprising a valve shutter movable in a direction parallel to the valve seat, e.g. sliding or rotating
- B67D1/1444—Control taps comprising a valve shutter movable in a direction parallel to the valve seat, e.g. sliding or rotating the valve shutter being rotated
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/08—Details
- B67D1/0801—Details of beverage containers, e.g. casks, kegs
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/0042—Details of specific parts of the dispensers
- B67D1/0081—Dispensing valves
- B67D2001/0087—Dispensing valves being mounted on the dispenser housing
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/08—Details
- B67D1/0801—Details of beverage containers, e.g. casks, kegs
- B67D2001/0812—Bottles, cartridges or similar containers
- B67D2001/0814—Bottles, cartridges or similar containers for upside down use
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/08—Details
- B67D1/0801—Details of beverage containers, e.g. casks, kegs
- B67D2001/0812—Bottles, cartridges or similar containers
- B67D2001/0814—Bottles, cartridges or similar containers for upside down use
- B67D2001/0815—Bottles, cartridges or similar containers for upside down use with integral venting tube
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D2210/00—Indexing scheme relating to aspects and details of apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught or for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
- B67D2210/00028—Constructional details
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D2210/00—Indexing scheme relating to aspects and details of apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught or for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
- B67D2210/00028—Constructional details
- B67D2210/00031—Housing
- B67D2210/00034—Modules
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D2210/00—Indexing scheme relating to aspects and details of apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught or for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
- B67D2210/00028—Constructional details
- B67D2210/00031—Housing
- B67D2210/00039—Panels
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D2210/00—Indexing scheme relating to aspects and details of apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught or for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
- B67D2210/00028—Constructional details
- B67D2210/00047—Piping
- B67D2210/00049—Pipes
- B67D2210/00052—Pipes with flow tranquilisers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D2210/00—Indexing scheme relating to aspects and details of apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught or for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
- B67D2210/00028—Constructional details
- B67D2210/00047—Piping
- B67D2210/0006—Manifolds
Definitions
- This invention relates to drink dispensers in general and more particularly to a dispensing device for making carbonated beverages in the home which uses concentrate packages.
- carbonated beverages which are consumed in the home are supplied to the consumer in either cans or bottles.
- cans are supplied in 12 ounce sizes and bottles in sizes up to two litres.
- a carbonated beverage is made up of carbonated water to which there is mixed a juice or syrup.
- a good tasting beverage requires good water, the proper level of carbonation and the proper proportions between the syrup and carbonated water.
- the equipment used includes a carbonator for carbonating the water, a concentrate, i.e., a juice or syrup, a dispenser for dispensing the concentrate in the proper quantities and mixing it with the carbonated water, and a filling device for filling it into the bottles.
- a chiller unit for chilling the water to be carbonated. Carbonation is carried out by bringing carbon dioxide and water into contact with each other in such a manner that the carbon dioxide disolves into the water. Typically the water is over carbonated since in the step of dispensing into the bottles or cans, a certain amount is lost. Systems can be operated in which the water and syrup are mixed prior to or after carbonation.
- carbonated beverages are also dispensed at restaurants, and at soda fountains and the like.
- the devices used for such dispensing are known as post mix dispensers, and include the same basic elements as one finds in a carbonation plant. In other words, they include means for chilling the water, carbonating equipment for carbonating the water, a juice or syrup dispenser for dispensing metered amounts of concentrate and a tap for dispensing the mixture of concentrate and water into a glass or cup. Typically, mixing of the concentrate and water is carried out at the tap.
- the present invention relates to a system in which the concentrate for the dispenser is supplied in packages so that users, instead of carrying bottles and cans of carbonated beverage from stores to their homes, can simply carry the packages of concentrate, which on a volume for volume basis will provide many more drinks than bottles or cans containing the same volume of carbonated beverage. The consumer therefore does not have to transport large quantities of water from store to home, which of course is a considerable saving. As alluded to above many factors influence the creation of an efficient in-home dispensing system and the packages therefor.
- these factors include, but are not limited to, the size of the dispenser, the cost of producing a drink from the dispenser, as compared with the cost of buying the equivalent drink from a supermarket or drug store, the number of flavours of drink which can be dispensed from the machine, the ease with which concentate packages can be removed and replaced, the prevention of leakage and dripping of concentate, the ability to dispense the beverage in a continuous manner, the designing of the system so that certain sanitory conditions are met, and the keeping to a minimum cleaning of the device to keep it in a sanitory condition.
- the present invention provides a system for in-home drinks dispensing which, it is believed, either overcomes, or goes a long way to overcoming, all of the aforesaid difficulties.
- a general object of the present invention is to provide an economical, efficient dispensing system for beverages which are made by mixing a diluent with a concentrate, in particular for carbonated beverages. Furthermore, by the use of such dispenser and packages, dispensing any of a plurality of different carbonated beverages such as cola, diet cola, quinine water, orange, rootbeer, etc., in an efficient manner, whould be possible. In addition, such a dispenser should also be adaptable to dispensing still beverages such as fruit drinks or juices, and hot in addition to cold beverages. Although reference has been made herein to in-home use of the dispenser the dispenser and packages according to the invention can be used anywhere, where post mix dispensing of beverages is required, such as in restaurants, bars soda fountains, etc.
- a dispenser adapted to receive removably a package of concentrate and wherein operation of the dispenser causes flow of concentrate from such a package when in the dispenser, characterised in that the dispenser comprises selectively and relatively movable parts which when moved in one direction operate on the package to allow concentrate to flow from a package outlet into face space without contacting the dispenser so that the concentrate can be caught directly in a cup located under the package outlet, and the said parts can be moved under the control of an operator in the opposite direction to terminate such concentrate flow.
- the dispenser of the present invention when for dispensing carbonated drinks is adapted to be either a self-standing unit which must be periodically refilled with water, or to be a plumbed in unit to which water is supplied from the water mains.
- the dispenser of the present invention is disclosed primarily as a unit for dispensing carbonated beverages and also as an in-home dispensing unit, it is not limited to such functions. Obviously, as will become evident, the dispenser, with appropriate modification, can also be used in restaurants, soda fountains and the like. Furthermore, in addition to dispensing carbonated beverages in which carbonated water is mixed with a concentrate such as a flavouring syrup, quinine concentrate or the like, the apparatus of the present invnetion may also be used for dispensing stil beverages and for dispensing hot beverages. In other words, it is generally adaptable to dispensing any beverage in which a concentrate is mixed with a diluent. The diluent need not be still water or carbonated water although in most cases it will.
- the concentrate need not touch any part of the dispensing apparatus. What this means is that dilute concentrate which, 'particularly when it is something like syrup, can result in the growth of mold, never contacts the machine. This maintains sanitary conditions.
- the container is particualry adapted to filling in a near sterile condition which may be of particular importance with respect to some types of hot and still drinks.
- a pressurising gas which could be an inert gas such as nitrogen where carbonation is not desired, the gas may be used to maintain near sterile conditions and to maintain flavour integrity in the apparatus over periods of time.
- this pressurized gas would, of course, also pressurize the water supply.
- the various features of the present invention which give it its simplicity and compactness will be of advantage in dispensing other types of beverages, i.e., still cold and hot beverages, in addition to cold carbonated beverages.
- the present invention will be described in detail in connection with an in-home dispensing unit particularly adapted for carbonated beverages.
- the various aspects of the present invention are also useful in other environments, such as in restaurants, soda fountains, etc.
- the dispenser of the present invention can also be used for making still drinks, for example, for mixing a fruit juice concentrate with water to make a juice, and also for making hot drinks by mixing hot water with a suitable concentrate.
- Fig. 1 is a generalized block diagram of a system according to the present invention.
- the system includes a water source 11.
- this is a source of diluent which is later mixed with a concentrate. Although it will, in most cases, be water, other diluents might be used.
- Shown in connection with the water source is an inlet 13.
- the inlet 13 may be an inlet which is plumbed into the plumbing of the location where the dispenser is used or may simply be an opening in the water tank which permits refilling.
- the water from the water source is shown passing through a heat exchanger 15. Shown associated with the heat exchanger 15 is a cooling unit 17 and a heating unit 18.
- Cooling can be supplied to the heat exchanger 15 by opening a valve 19 and heating or cooling will be associated directly with the water source or water tank 11.
- the heat exchanger 15 and associated cooling 17 and heating 18 simply comprise means for adjusting the temperature of the diluent.
- a carbonator 23 At the outlet of the heat exchanger 15 is a carbonator 23.
- Carbonator 23 is supplied with carbon dioxide from a tank 25 through a reducing valve 26, a line 27 and, a manifold 29 When the carbonator is in use, carbonated water is supplied over line 33 to the manifold 29.
- the manifold 29 supplies this water or other diluent to dispensing valves 35 and 36 in accordance with the present invention.
- Still water is applied over a line 34 to.a mixing valve 31 which has a second inlet supplied with carbonated water from line 33 and permits supplying to dispensing valve 36 any desired proportions or mixture of still and/or carbonated water.
- a mixing valve 31 which has a second inlet supplied with carbonated water from line 33 and permits supplying to dispensing valve 36 any desired proportions or mixture of still and/or carbonated water.
- containers 37 filled with a concentrate which is to be mixed with the diluent.
- the metering valve for concentrate is in the container 37 and is coupled to and cooperates with the dispensing valves 35 and 36. That is, the container 37 with the concentrate includes valving means to meter the amount of concentrate in response to a relative movement of two parts of a container brought about by the dispensing valve 35 or 36.
- the supply of carbon dioxide over line 27 is also used to pressurize the concentrate in the containers 37 after being coupled through a reducing valve 39. Also shown is a line 40 coupling carbon dioxide to water source 11 to supply the diluent at a constant pressure. As with the means for changing the temperature of the diluent the carbonator may also be built into the water container as is the case in the embodiment to now be described. In that case, water source 11 is also the carbonator. Furthermore, although carbon dioxide is shown as the pressurizing gas, in embodiments where carbonation is not desired, it may be replaced by any inert gas such as nitrogen.
- the embodiment of the dispenser illustrated in perspective view of Figs. 2a and 2b includes a supporting structure 41 which is preferably of molded plastic.
- Structure 41 includes a base 43 and an upstanding T-shaped portion 45.
- the T-shaped portion 45 includes a top wall 47 front and rear walls 49 and 51; respectively, and a central divider 53.
- a cooling unit 55 mounted to the base 43 is a cooling unit 55.
- Shown in the cooling unit 55 are ventilation openings 57 which communicate with additional ventilation openings 59 formed in the base 43.
- a diluent tank e.g., a water supply and carbonator tank 61 to be described in more detail below.
- a cover 63 Surrounding this portion of the unit is a cover 63 which has a depending flange portion 65 which engages corresponding lip 67 on the central portion 45.
- the carbonator is adapted to be easily removed and refilled with water when necessary.
- a heating unit or combined heating and cooling unit, can be provided to permit the possibility of dispensing either cold or hot drinks.
- a tank of a pressurizing gas e.g., a carbon dioxide tank, 68 shown in phantom.
- the carbon dioxide tank or bottle 68 is connected to a reducing valve 69 by means of a quick disconnect clamp 71 to permit ease of replacement of the carbon dioxide bottle 68 which may be a conventional commercial unit.
- the manifold 77 distributes the pressurizing gas and diluent, e.g., carbon dioxide and carbonated water. The front portion of the manifold 77 is visible on Fig.
- each of the dispensing valve 79A and 79B is a container 81 containing therein a concentrate to be mixed with the diluent supplied from the diluent tank 61.
- a removable tray 82 Disposed above each of the dispensing valve 79A and 79B is a container 81 containing therein a concentrate to be mixed with the diluent supplied from the diluent tank 61.
- a removable tray 82 retained magnetically for example, for catching any spillage. Tray 82 may be removed and rinsed periodically.
- the containers 81 are particularly adaptable to packaging and storing all types of concentrate in a sanitary manner.
- Covering the carbon dioxide tank 68 is a second cover 83, which similarly has a depending flange 85 engaging a lip on the T-shaped central structure 45.
- Fig. 3 is a plan view of the dispenser of Figs. 2a and 2b with the covers 63 and 83 removed and the T-shaped center section 45 also removed for clarity of presentation.
- the carbon dioxide bottle 68 is visible along with its quick disconnect clamp 71 and reducing valve 69.
- the reducing valve is semi-rigidly mounted and coupled by tubing 87 to the manifold 77. Portions of valves 79A and 79B which are molded integrally with the manifold are also shown.
- Also shown in cross section is the carbonator tank 61.
- the carbonator tank contains a coupling 89 which permits a quick disconnect with the manifold 77.
- Reducing valve 69 reduces the carbon dioxide pressure to 40 psi.
- C0 2 at this pressure is fed through a passage 91 in the manifold 77 to the disconnect coupling 89. From that point it flowsthrough tubing 90 to a restrictor 93, and thence to a diffuser 95.
- Carbonated water is removed from the carbonator tank through a line 97 extending to the bottom of tank 61 and leading to the coupling 89 whence it enters a passage 99 in the manifold.
- This passage connects with two smaller passages 101 and 103, which lead to outlets 105 and 107, in the portion of the valves which is integral with the manifold. At each of the outlets an O-ring seal 109 is provided.
- Carbon dioxide is also fed through a further pressure reducing valve 111 which is built into the manifold, where the pressure is reduced to 5 psi. From valve 111 the carbon dioxide flows in a passage 113 to which are connected two passages 115 and 117, which lead to elongated openings 119 and 121 in the portion of the manifold which comprises part of the valve. Again, in each case an 0-ring seal 123 of neoprene or the like is inserted.
- the manifold 77 can be made of various materials, a plastic is preferred. With such plastic the manifold can be molded and any necessary machining carried out to form the various passageways.
- the pressure reducing valve 111 shown in Fig. 4 is shown in more detail in the cross section of Fig. 5 and a description of operation and function thereof is given in said European Application.
- each valve is made up of four basic parts. These include a base portion 181 which is molded as part of the manifold 77. However, it should be recognised that such base portions can be made separately with appropriate connections for carbon dioxide pressure line 117 and water inlet line 103.
- the base portion 181 of the valve is a member containing a large cylindrical bore 182. At the bottom of this bore is located the inlet opening 121 for the carbon dioxide with its O-ring seal 123 and the inlet opening 107 for the diluent, e.g., carbonated water, with its O-ring seal 109. Also located in the base portion is a vent hole 183, an opening 185 through which the concentrate, e.g., a syrup, will be dispensed in a manner to be described below, and a drain passage 187 for the residue of diluent, e.g., carbonated water, after it has passed through the valve.
- the concentrate e.g., a syrup
- a central rotatable valve member 189 Inserted into the bore 182 is a central rotatable valve member 189. It is supported within the bore 182 for rotation therein in response to operation of a handle 191 and seals against O -rings 109 and 123. Overlying the central rotatable member is an adjustment disc l93. The adjustment disc remains essentially fixed but is adjustable to take into account different environmental conditions in metering of the concentrate. This adjustment is accomplished by an adjusting screw 195. As can best be seen from reference to Figs. 4 and 6, the adjusting screw includes a knob 196 on the end of a shaft 198. The shaft passes through and is rotatable within a threaded plugs 197.
- the threaded plug 197 is screwed into a cover portion 201 of the valve which fits over and retains in place central member 189 and adjusting disc 193.
- a worm gear 199 Near the end of the shaft 198 is a worm gear 199 which is secured thereto.
- the end 203 of the shaft 198 is supported for rotation in a bore 207, as best seen in Fig. 4.
- the worm gear 199 is exposed through an opening 194 and engages appropriate teeth 209 on the adjustment disc 193 permitting a limited degree of rotation thereof. Once adjusted by the adjustment screw 195, however, the disc 193 remains fixed.
- container 81 includes a body in the form of a necked bottle 238 and a cap 230.
- the bottle may be of a transparent or translucent material so that the contents can be viewed when the container is in use, and a user can see at glance the level of the contents of the container.
- Dispensing of the concentrate from the container 81 is in response to a relative rotation of its cap 230 with respect to tabs 211 on the neck of the bottle 238. This opens a valve in container 81 and carries out a metering action in a manner to be described more fully below.
- the cap 230 also contains a tab 213.
- the tab 213 engages in a notch 215 in the central member 189.
- the tabs 211 engage in notches 217 in the adjustment disc 193.
- the central valve member 189 is arranged to rotate a given amount to open the metering valve within the container by rotating cap 230 which is engaging the notch 215 in the central valve member 189. Fine adjustment of this metering is possible by means of the adjusting screw 195 which increases or decreases theinitial setting of the position of the cap 230 relative to the body 238 so as to vary the rate of flow of concentrate from the container upon a pre-set and subsequent rotation of the cap 230.
- the dispensing valve performs three separate functions. It performs a function of venting the container, a function of pressurizing the container with the low pressure carbon dioxide and a function of causing the simultaneous dispensing of concentrate and diluent.
- the central valve member 189 contains a central bore 219 in and at the bottom of which there is provided a cylindrical member 221, containing a partial bore 232 in the upper portion thereof, and supported by three struts 223.
- One of the struts 223 contains therein a passage 225 (Figs. 6a; 6b), which communicates with the bore 232.
- the other end of the passage 225 is brought through to the bottom of the central valve member 189 and at a location permitting alignment with vent hole 183 and outlet 121 in the base member 181 of the valve.
- tubular member 227 As best seen from Figs. 7 and 8 inserted within the bore 232 is tubular member 227. This tubular member communicates with a tube 229 (Fig.7) extending to the bottom of the container 81 (which will be the top with the container 81 in the inverted position shown) for the purposes of venting and pressurizing, in a manner to be more fully described below.
- FIG. 6a With reference to Fig. 6a, the position of the valve with the handle 191 fully to the left is shown. In this position containers are inverted into and removed from the equipment and the passage 225 is aligned with the vent hole 183 permitting venting of the container 81 through tube 229, a tubular member 227 (Fig. 7) in bore 232, passage 225 and vent hole 183. This corresponds to the cross sectional view of Fig. 7.
- Fig. 6b which is a quiescent position of a container in the machine
- handle 199 is centered
- the passage 225 is overlying the opening 121 and is sealed by the O-ring seal 123.
- the diluent outlet 107 with its seal 109 is still covered by the bottom of central valve member 189. This corresponds to the cross section of Fig. 8.
- Fig. 6c which is the dispensing position in which concentrate and diluent flow from the machine, and the container cannot be removed
- handle 191 is all the way to the right, and an inlet opening 231 in central valve member 189 is aligned with the opening 107 to permit a flow of diluent, e.g., carbonated water, through and out of the valve.
- diluent e.g., carbonated water
- FIG. 10 shows the passage 225 still aligned with the opening 121 during dispensing.
- the passages for the carbonated water in this position i.e., the position also shown in Fig. 6c, is illustrated by Fig. 9.
- the diluent thus flows into a pressure reducing chamber 235, and thence out of a spout 237, which is carried by member 189.
- spout 237 therefore moves with member 189 and because it projects under the base 181 the base is provided with a lobe cut-out237A (Fig. 4) to permit the spout so to move.
- the spout is directed at an angle to cause mixing of the diluent and concentrate in a manner to be seen more clearly below in connection with Fig. 10.
- Chamber 235 is designed for minimum agitation of the diluent to prevent excessive loss of carbon dioxide.
- the dimensions of chamber 235 and spout 237 are such that an adequate flow of diluent is maintained, and that with a predetermined diluent pressure, the outlet flow rate is sufficient to obtain the necessary mixing with the concentrate without excessive foaming.
- the bottle 238 has a plug 239 in its neck.
- the plug contains a central bore 241 having a sloped portion, i.e., of somewhat conical shape, 243 at its inner end. There is a central passage 245 through the inner end of the plug.
- the plug is of generally cylindrical shape and is press fitted into the neck 247 of the bottle 238. Alternatively, it can be molded as part of the bottle 238.
- the plug contains a circumferential flange 249 which extends beyond the neck 247 of the bottle. Placed over the neck of the bottle is the cap 230.
- the cap contains, in its central portion, a cylindrical shaped member 251 which terminates in a conical section 252 at its inner end. Conical section 252 abuts against the tapered conical section 243 of the plug 239. Inwardly extending member 251 contains at the inner end thereof, a bore 253 into which is inserted the dip tube 229. The dip tube extends through the opening 245 in the plug with a spacing. At the outer end of the cap, in the center thereof, is a larger bore 255 extending into member 251 and communicating with bore 253. At the inner end of this bore a check valve 257 is disposed. In the case of the present embodiment, the check valve is in the form of a split seal valve. However, any other type of check valve can be used.
- the split seal check valve is held in place by a cylindrical insert 259.
- the fitting 227 which is surrounded by an O-ring seal 260 to seal inside the cylindrical insert 259 in cap 230, is inserted into the center of the insert 259 and acts against the check valve 257 to open it permitting carbon dioxide to flow into the container through the dip tube 229.
- the concentrate will be contained in the portion of the container above the plug 239.
- the cooperation between the plug 239 and the inward projecting member 251 on the cap perform the valving action needed to dispense a metered amount of concentrate.
- the conical surface 243 of plug 229 forms a valve seat for the conical tip 252 of member 251. It can be seen, that movement of the member 251 away from the plug 239 will permit a flow of concentrate around the dip tube 229 and into the area between the member 251 and the plug 239.
- Fig. 10 What happens when such movement occurs is illustrated by Fig. 10.
- concentrate flows around the dip tube 229 and into a space 263 between the plug 239 and the member 251.
- the flange 249 has been lifted away from the cap 230 and an opening 265 formed in the cap is exposed.
- a double seal is provided.
- concentrate can now flow through opening 265 under the pressure which is maintained in the container because of the C0 2 and drop, through a gap between the struts 223 shown in Fig. 4, and Fig.
- the flowing concentrate 269 flows essentially straight down.
- the diluent e.g., the carbonated water, flows from the spout 237 at an angle intersecting the flow of concentrate in free space and mixing with it prior to reaching the cup 267.
- valve within container 81 is opened in response to rotation of its cap 230 with respect to its body 238 brought about by rotation of central valve member 189 with respect to adjustment disc 193 which, once adjusted by adjusting screw 195, remains fixed during operation.
- the manner in which the rotary motion of the central valve member 189 brings about a separation of the plug 239 and the cap 230 is best illustrated by Figs.l0a and 10a.
- Fig. 10a the insertion of the tabs 211 into the slots 217 in the adjustment ring 193 is illustrated. As described above, this holds bottle 238 fixed.
- the manner in which the tab 213 on the cap 230 is inserted into the slot 215 to cause the cap 230 to rotate with central valve member 189 is also evident. The relationship between these parts is also illustrated in Fig. 6 and Fig. 4.
- the neck 247 of bottle 238 contains a pair of opposed projecting nibs 271. These projecting nibs fit into cam slots or grooves 273 formed on opposite sides of the inside of cap 230.
- FIG. 10b A view of a portion of the cap 230 unfolded is shown in Fig. 10b.
- the slot contains a horizontal portion 275 followed by a sloping or angled portion 277. It can be seen that, as the central valve member 189 is rotated, it carries with it the cap 230 because of the insertion of the tab 213 in the slot 215. Rotation while the nibs are in the horizontal area 275 of the slot will result in no relative linear up or down motion between the cap 230 and the bottle 238, and thus the valve formed by the plug 239 and the member 251 remains closed. Travel in the horizontal portion 275 takes place between the positions of central valve member 189 shown in Fig. 6a and 6b.
- the nibs 271 will begin to move into the angled portion 277 causing the projection 251 to move away from the insert 239, in order to reach the position shown in Fig. 10, to dispense the concentrate at a preset metered flow rate. It will be arranged that the nibs 271 will be in a position in the said straight portions 275 intermediate the ends thereof when the container is in the machine and the rotary valve is in the position shown in Fig. 6a to enable ring 193 to be adjusted in both directions but that movement of the rotary valve to the Fig. 6b position will not cause the nibs 271 to ride up the angled portion 277. Also, the angled portions 277 should be of sufficient length that the nibs lie between the ends of the angled portions 277 when the machine is in the Fig. 6c position, again to permit the adjustment of said ring 193.
- Fig. 10a Also shown in cross section on Fig. 10a is the worm gear 198 of the adjustment screw 195 of Figs. 4 and 6. it is evident, that the dispensing action, i.e., the opening of the valve in the container takes place because of a relative movement between the cap 230 and the bottle 238.
- the bottle 238 is held fixed because of the insertion of the tabs 211 in the slots 217 in the adjustment ring 193.
- the starting position i.e. when in the position of Fig. 6b of the nibs 271 in slots 273 and the degree of rotation of the cap 230 by means of the tab 213 in the slot 215 in the central valve member 189 determines the degree of opening of the valve i.e.
- the nibs 271 will be positioned, as explained herein, during manufacture so that when the container is inserted in the valve, movement of the member 189 between the Figs. 6a and 6c position, will give the desired amount of valve opening based on the viscosity of the concentrate and on a standard ambient temperature, e.g., 20oC, without any adjustment of the adjustment screw 195. However, if the drink dispenser is operated under ambient conditions where a higher or lower temperature exists, this will affect the flow rate for a given opening of the valve.
- the adjustment screw 195 is utilized to solve this problem. If the user finds that too much or too little concentrate is being dispensed, the adjustment screw can be turned. This rotates the adjustment ring 193 and in effect causes a relative rotation between the cap 230 and bottle 238 to bias the nibs 271 in one direction or the other. In turn, this means that for a given rotation of the central valve member 189 the nibs 271 will move up the angled or sloped portion 277 a greater or lesser extent. This in turn will control the degree to which the valve is opened. To enable the adjustment to take place, the said slots 277 must, as explained herein, be of sufficient length.
- a carbon dioxide bottle 68 will be in place and the carbonator 61 will be filled with water which has been carbonated by passing carbon dioxide through it, the carbon dioxide being passed through the diffuser 95.
- the carbonator will be at the pressure of 40 psi to which the regulating valve 69 is set, i.e., this pressure will be maintained in the head space above the water in carbonator 61.
- the water in the carbonator will have been cooled by the cooling means 55 shown on Fig. 2b.
- Low pressure, 5 psi carbon dioxide will be available in the passage 113, and, because of the pressurization of the carbonator 61, carbonated water under pressure will be available in the passage 99.
- the concentrates may comprise a syrup for making soft drinks such as cola, orange soda, root beer, etc., or can comprise, for example, an additive to make quinine water and so forth.
- the concentrate could be a fruit juice concentrate, or, where it was desired to make a hot drink, for example, a coffee, tea or hot chocolate concentrate.
- the container 81 with the concentrate is inserted into the valve or valves (the illustrated embodiment includes two valve mechanisms' however, a single valve or more than two could be provided). It is inserted so that the tabs 211 are in the slots 217 and the tab 213 inserted into the slot 215, as best seen from Figs. 6 and 11. As it is inserted the member 227 will open the check valve 257 (Fig. 8). At this point, the handle 191 will be in the position shown in Fig. 6a. This will bring the dip tube 229 which is in communication with the inside of the container in communication with the vent hole 183 through the passage 225 shown on Fig. 6a.
- the handle is moved to the position shown in 6b.
- the passage 225 is lined up with the outlet 123 and carbon dioxide passes to the fitting 227 and through the check valve 257 and the dip tube 229 into the bottle 218 to pressurize it.
- the nibs 271 move in the straight section 275 of the slot 273 in the cap 230 shown in Figs. 10a and lOb.
- the handle 191 When it is desired to dispense a drink, the handle 191 is pushed to the right from the Fig. 6b position to that shown in -Fig. 6c against the force of the return spring 233. In this position, the channel 225 is still lined up with the opening 121 and the container remains pressurized.
- the water outlet 231 lines up with the opening 107 and carbonated water is dispensed from the spout 237 shown on Figs. 9 and 10.
- the nibs 271 have now moved into the slanted section 277 of the slot 273 in the cap 230.
- any water left in chamber 235 or inlet 231 of Fig. 9 can drain both through spout 237 and drain outlet 187 to completely drain all diluent. From this point on, additional drinks can be dispensed simply by moving the handle 191 to the position shown in Fig. 6c.
- the two concentrate containers 81 contain respectively cola and diet cola. Assume it is now desired to dispense quinine water. One of the containers 81 must thus be removed and replaced with another containing a quinine water concentrate.
- the container 81 to be removed is, of course, pressurized. To relieve the pressure in the container 81 the handle 191 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 6a. In this position, the container is now vented, venting taking place through the passage 225 and the vent opening 183. With the pressure relieved on the concentrate container 81 it may now be removed. As it is removed, referring to Fig.
- the cola concentrate will be a relatively thick syrup whereas the quinine water concentrate will be relatively thin. This requires different degrees of opening of the valve made up by the member 251 and plug 239.
- the necessary metering which must be carried out is accomplished by adjusting the positioning of the tabs 213 with respect to slot 273 on the cap 230 during manufacture.
- the nib in the rest position, referring to Fig. lOb, for a cola syrup the nib will be relatively close to the angled section 277, but not so close as to cause flow of concentrate from the container when the rotary valve is in the Fig. 6b position.
- the nibs 271 will only ride up on the angled portion a small amount.
- this control can be obtained by using different angles on the angle portion 277.
- the dispensing arrangement including the valve and container should be evident. It can be made essentially of all plastic parts which are easily molded, other materials can of course be used.
- the bottle 238 may be made of glass or metal.
- the dispensing valve in one piece with the manifold and through the design of a manifold which essentially carries the supply of materials to the valve, the need for numerous tubes and the disadvantages associated therewith is avoided.
- the design of the valving in the container permits presetting at the factory with the adjustment screw on the manifold giving the fine adjustment necessary to take care of temperature variations or personal taste.
- Fig. 10 that the concentrate passes directly from the container into the cup. It has been well established, that mold growth is likely to occur with dilute syrup. With the disclosed dispensing arrangement the syrup is diluted only after leaving the dispenser. This offers great advantage over most prior art dispensers in which mixing took place within the machine and which could lead to unsanitary conditions.
- a particular advantage of the invention is that the package and its contents can be removed from the equipment at any time, and the valve can receive a further package containing concentrate of a different flavour.
- the packages are preferably designed to be of the throw-away variety, and to this end the components thereof are preferably constructed from plastics material.
- dispensing is accomplished by rotating a handle such as the handle 191 of Figs. 6a-6c.
- a handle such as the handle 191 of Figs. 6a-6c.
- an actuator such as is common in water dispensing apparatus in restaurants.
- the present invention can be adapted to such simply by providing conventional means for converting motion of this nature into the rotary motion needed to rotate the rotating part of 189 of the valve. It is believed that such linkages are well within the scope of those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail herein. Modifications of the nature just described and other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
- each embodiment there is control of the degree of opening of the package valve.
- Control of the degree of opening the valve is necessary for a number of reasons.
- different concentrates will have different viscosities.
- diluent at a predetermined constant rate and where, to get a properly flavoured drink, a certain amount of concentrate must be mixed with that diluent
- different degrees of openings will be necessary in order to accommodate the different flow characteristics of different concentrates due to their different viscosities, that flow being under essentially constant pressure.
- changes in environmental conditions, particularly temperature can effect the viscosity and may require further adjustment.
- the last two types of adjustments mentioned are adjustments which must be done at the dispensing apparatus.
- the first type of adjustment i.e., adjustment to take into account different viscosities can be accomplished either through proper dimensioning of the container parts or through a combination of dimensioning of the container parts and an adjustment in the dispensing valve in the machine with which the container is used. Providing such control by means of dimensioning at the container is thought to be preferable. This is because it requires no further adjustment by the user other than to accommodate that variation.
- the dispensing valve with which the container or package cooperates can then be constructed so as to bring about a pre-established amount of movement of the first and second parts with respect to each other utilizing the means provided on the package for effecting the movement of these first and second parts.
- these means for effecting the movement will be so constructed and dimensioned that for this pre-established amount of movement the separation of the two valve parts will give the desired degree of opening for the particular concentrate contained within the package.
- the packages may well be dimensioned identically and the dispensing valve with which it cooperates made adjustable in order to allow different amounts of motion depending on the concentrate in use. This, of course, would require a step on the part of the user of setting the valve for the particular concentrate to be used. It would, however, simply manufacture of the packages since all could be identical.
- the first and second valve parts can take any one of a number of different forms.
- the two valve parts may comprise two disc-like members rotatable with respect to each other, each disc containing an opening therein, one opening in communication with the volume of concentrate in the container and the other opening in communication with the outlet.
- the degree of overlap of the two openings and/or the size of the smaller of the two openings will determine the flow rate of concentrate.
- the opening in the second valve part which contains the outlet could be made relatively large and the opening in the other container part could be made of a size to meter the desired amount of concentrate.
- Movement of the two openings into alignment with each other, in response to a preset degree of movement of the two container parts with respect to each other, would thus result in metering the desired amount of concentrate.
- the disadvantage of an embodiment of this nature is that it does not easily permit additional control to take into account temperature variations or the taste of the user.
- FIG. 11 An alternative embodiment for the dispensing valve is illustrated in Fig. 11.
- the dispensing unit it may be desired to have the dispensing unit at a sink.
- the remainder of the above described apparatus would be disposed below the sink.
- the valve would, of course, not be part of the manifold 77.
- the lines 113 and 99 would be brought out from the manifold through suitable fittings 104 and 118 similar to fittings 129 and 131, described above, containing check valves.
- a quick disconnect coupling such as the coupling 89 may mate to these fittings with tubing extending from the coupling to inlets at the rotary valve 76c.
- Valve 76C is disposed on the end of an angled arm 502 with a container 81 placed thereon.
- the arm is supported for rotation above a sink 504.
- the opening in the sink normally used for a spray attachment can be used.
- the arm 502 may be rotated counterclockwise to move the dispenser out of the way into a locked position.
- the arm 502 is moved to the position shown and dispensing will take place over the sink so that any spillage or drips will be caught in the sink.
- the arm 502 and at least the visible parts of the valve 76C in this case will be made of a material to match the sink fittings. Operation of the valve 76C in conjunction with the container 81 in all other respects will be the same as described above.
- the rate of flow of the diluent can be controlled either by dimensioning of the size of the diluent tubing or passages e.g., passages 103, or by the insertion of a limiting orifice, for example, as described in said European Application No. 80200611.4
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- Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This invention relates to drink dispensers in general and more particularly to a dispensing device for making carbonated beverages in the home which uses concentrate packages.
- Consumers throughout the world consume large quantities of carbonated beverages. Typically, carbonated beverages which are consumed in the home are supplied to the consumer in either cans or bottles. Typically, cans are supplied in 12 ounce sizes and bottles in sizes up to two litres. A carbonated beverage is made up of carbonated water to which there is mixed a juice or syrup. A good tasting beverage requires good water, the proper level of carbonation and the proper proportions between the syrup and carbonated water. Thus, in the production of bottles or cans of carbonated beverages under factory conditions the equipment used includes a carbonator for carbonating the water, a concentrate, i.e., a juice or syrup, a dispenser for dispensing the concentrate in the proper quantities and mixing it with the carbonated water, and a filling device for filling it into the bottles. Also included is a chiller unit for chilling the water to be carbonated. Carbonation is carried out by bringing carbon dioxide and water into contact with each other in such a manner that the carbon dioxide disolves into the water. Typically the water is over carbonated since in the step of dispensing into the bottles or cans, a certain amount is lost. Systems can be operated in which the water and syrup are mixed prior to or after carbonation.
- In addition to bottled and canned carbonated beverages, carbonated beverages are also dispensed at restaurants, and at soda fountains and the like. The devices used for such dispensing are known as post mix dispensers, and include the same basic elements as one finds in a carbonation plant. In other words, they include means for chilling the water, carbonating equipment for carbonating the water, a juice or syrup dispenser for dispensing metered amounts of concentrate and a tap for dispensing the mixture of concentrate and water into a glass or cup. Typically, mixing of the concentrate and water is carried out at the tap.
- It is felt that there is a need for domestic versions of such dispensers, because if carbonated beverages are purchased in cans, for example, each time a can is used the contents of the whole can must be consumed. Any of the beverage left over for any period of time will lose its carbonation. Large reclosable containers to some extent overcome this problem. However, even though these containers are reclosable, after a period of time, carbonated beverages in these containers, will lose their carbonation. Thus, the ability to in effect make carbonated beverages in the quantities needed in the home would be great advantage. However, for an in-home dispenser to be practical, and economically feasible, it must be relatively inexpensive and easy to operate.
- Until recently, there has been very little attention given to in-home carbonated beverage dispensers, and in the in-home beverage dispensers which have been proposed, concentrate and carbonated water generally are mixed in ratios left to the judgement of the user. Thus someone making a drink would have to judge how much syrup to dispense into a given container, dispense that syrup and then add carbonated water or vice versa. Obviously, consistent consecutive beverages are not thus obtained. Possibly, because of difficulties in using this type of device, in-home dispensers for carbonated beverages have not become as popular as it is felt they could.
- In addition to carbonated beverages, large amounts of juices and other fruit drinks and large amounts of hot beverages are also consumed. In many instances, such beverages are also made by mixing a concentrate with a diluent and the present invention can be applied to the dispensing of such beverages.
- The present invention relates to a system in which the concentrate for the dispenser is supplied in packages so that users, instead of carrying bottles and cans of carbonated beverage from stores to their homes, can simply carry the packages of concentrate, which on a volume for volume basis will provide many more drinks than bottles or cans containing the same volume of carbonated beverage. The consumer therefore does not have to transport large quantities of water from store to home, which of course is a considerable saving. As alluded to above many factors influence the creation of an efficient in-home dispensing system and the packages therefor. These factors include, but are not limited to, the size of the dispenser, the cost of producing a drink from the dispenser, as compared with the cost of buying the equivalent drink from a supermarket or drug store, the number of flavours of drink which can be dispensed from the machine, the ease with which concentate packages can be removed and replaced, the prevention of leakage and dripping of concentate, the ability to dispense the beverage in a continuous manner, the designing of the system so that certain sanitory conditions are met, and the keeping to a minimum cleaning of the device to keep it in a sanitory condition.
- It is perhaps because of the many difficulties which face in-home dispensers, that they have not been more widely used. The present invention provides a system for in-home drinks dispensing which, it is believed, either overcomes, or goes a long way to overcoming, all of the aforesaid difficulties.
- A general object of the present invention is to provide an economical, efficient dispensing system for beverages which are made by mixing a diluent with a concentrate, in particular for carbonated beverages. Furthermore, by the use of such dispenser and packages, dispensing any of a plurality of different carbonated beverages such as cola, diet cola, quinine water, orange, rootbeer, etc., in an efficient manner, whould be possible. In addition, such a dispenser should also be adaptable to dispensing still beverages such as fruit drinks or juices, and hot in addition to cold beverages. Although reference has been made herein to in-home use of the dispenser the dispenser and packages according to the invention can be used anywhere, where post mix dispensing of beverages is required, such as in restaurants, bars soda fountains, etc.
- In accordance with the present invention there is provided a dispenser adapted to receive removably a package of concentrate and wherein operation of the dispenser causes flow of concentrate from such a package when in the dispenser, characterised in that the dispenser comprises selectively and relatively movable parts which when moved in one direction operate on the package to allow concentrate to flow from a package outlet into face space without contacting the dispenser so that the concentrate can be caught directly in a cup located under the package outlet, and the said parts can be moved under the control of an operator in the opposite direction to terminate such concentrate flow.
- By arranging the concentrate which flows from the package is caught directly in the cup from which the beverage is consumed, which represents a considerable advantage, as there will be no dilute beverage in contact with the dispenser, and the need for cleaning of the dispenser will be much reduced.
- The dispenser of the present invention when for dispensing carbonated drinks is adapted to be either a self-standing unit which must be periodically refilled with water, or to be a plumbed in unit to which water is supplied from the water mains.
- Although the dispenser of the present invention is disclosed primarily as a unit for dispensing carbonated beverages and also as an in-home dispensing unit, it is not limited to such functions. Obviously, as will become evident, the dispenser, with appropriate modification, can also be used in restaurants, soda fountains and the like. Furthermore, in addition to dispensing carbonated beverages in which carbonated water is mixed with a concentrate such as a flavouring syrup, quinine concentrate or the like, the apparatus of the present invnetion may also be used for dispensing stil beverages and for dispensing hot beverages. In other words, it is generally adaptable to dispensing any beverage in which a concentrate is mixed with a diluent. The diluent need not be still water or carbonated water although in most cases it will. As alluded to the above, by disposing the metering valve for the concentrate within the package and disposing the package above the dispensing valve, the concentrate need not touch any part of the dispensing apparatus. What this means is that dilute concentrate which, 'particularly when it is something like syrup, can result in the growth of mold, never contacts the machine. This maintains sanitary conditions. Furthermore, the container is particualry adapted to filling in a near sterile condition which may be of particular importance with respect to some types of hot and still drinks. In operation, when pressurised by a pressurising gas, which could be an inert gas such as nitrogen where carbonation is not desired, the gas may be used to maintain near sterile conditions and to maintain flavour integrity in the apparatus over periods of time. In such a case, this pressurized gas would, of course, also pressurize the water supply. In other words, the various features of the present invention which give it its simplicity and compactness will be of advantage in dispensing other types of beverages, i.e., still cold and hot beverages, in addition to cold carbonated beverages.
- Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:-
- Fig. 1 is a block diagram of the. dispensing system of the present invention;
- Fig. 2a is a front perspective view of a dispenser according to the present invention;
- Fig. 2b is a rear perspective view of the dispenser of 'Fig. 2a;
- Fig. 3 is a plan view of the dispenser according to Figs. 2a and 2b;
- Fig. 4 is a plan view of the valve of Fig. 6 partially cut away showing the valve integral with a manifold;
- Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation view of the pressure reducing valve of Fig. 4, the section being taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 4;
- Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a practical embodiment of a package or container and a rotary valve according to the present invention;
- Figs. 6a, 6b and 6c are diagrammatic presentations illustrating the three possible positions.of the valve of Fig. 6;
- Fig. 7 is a section along the lines 7-7 of Fig. 4;
- Fig. 8 is a section along the lines 8-8 of Fig. 4;
- Fig. 9 is a section alone the lines 9-9 of Fig. 4 illustrating the diluent flow channels;
- Fig. 10 is a section along the lines 10-10 of Fig. 4 showing the valve of Figs. 4 and 6 in the dispensing condition;
- Fig. 10a is a section along the lines 11-11 of Fig. 4 illustrating the camming action within the container;
- Fig. 10b is an unfolded view of the camming slot of Fig. 10a; and
- Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the valve adapted as a sink dispenser.
- The present invention will be described in detail in connection with an in-home dispensing unit particularly adapted for carbonated beverages. However, the various aspects of the present invention are also useful in other environments, such as in restaurants, soda fountains, etc. Furthermore, in addition to being useful for preparing carbonated drinks, the dispenser of the present invention can also be used for making still drinks, for example, for mixing a fruit juice concentrate with water to make a juice, and also for making hot drinks by mixing hot water with a suitable concentrate.
- Thus, Fig. 1 is a generalized block diagram of a system according to the present invention. The system includes a water source 11. In more general terms, this is a source of diluent which is later mixed with a concentrate. Although it will, in most cases, be water, other diluents might be used. Shown in connection with the water source is an
inlet 13. Theinlet 13 may be an inlet which is plumbed into the plumbing of the location where the dispenser is used or may simply be an opening in the water tank which permits refilling. The water from the water source is shown passing through aheat exchanger 15. Shown associated with theheat exchanger 15 is a cooling unit 17 and aheating unit 18. Cooling can be supplied to theheat exchanger 15 by opening a valve 19 and heating or cooling will be associated directly with the water source or water tank 11. In general terms, theheat exchanger 15 and associated cooling 17 andheating 18 simply comprise means for adjusting the temperature of the diluent. At the outlet of theheat exchanger 15 is acarbonator 23.Carbonator 23 is supplied with carbon dioxide from atank 25 through a reducingvalve 26, aline 27 and, a manifold 29 When the carbonator is in use, carbonated water is supplied overline 33 to themanifold 29. The manifold 29 supplies this water or other diluent to dispensingvalves line 34 to.a mixingvalve 31 which has a second inlet supplied with carbonated water fromline 33 and permits supplying to dispensingvalve 36 any desired proportions or mixture of still and/or carbonated water. Also located at the dispensingvalves containers 37 filled with a concentrate which is to be mixed with the diluent. As will be more fully described, the metering valve for concentrate is in thecontainer 37 and is coupled to and cooperates with the dispensingvalves container 37 with the concentrate includes valving means to meter the amount of concentrate in response to a relative movement of two parts of a container brought about by the dispensingvalve line 27 is also used to pressurize the concentrate in thecontainers 37 after being coupled through a reducingvalve 39. Also shown is aline 40 coupling carbon dioxide to water source 11 to supply the diluent at a constant pressure. As with the means for changing the temperature of the diluent the carbonator may also be built into the water container as is the case in the embodiment to now be described. In that case, water source 11 is also the carbonator. Furthermore, although carbon dioxide is shown as the pressurizing gas, in embodiments where carbonation is not desired, it may be replaced by any inert gas such as nitrogen. - The embodiment of the dispenser illustrated in perspective view of Figs. 2a and 2b includes a supporting
structure 41 which is preferably of molded plastic.Structure 41 includes abase 43 and an upstanding T-shapedportion 45. The T-shapedportion 45 includes atop wall 47 front andrear walls central divider 53. At the one end of the unit, as best seen in Fig. 2b, mounted to thebase 43 is a coolingunit 55. Shown in thecooling unit 55 areventilation openings 57 which communicate withadditional ventilation openings 59 formed in thebase 43. Disposed atop the coolingunit 55 is a diluent tank, e.g., a water supply andcarbonator tank 61 to be described in more detail below. Surrounding this portion of the unit is acover 63 which has a dependingflange portion 65 which engages correspondinglip 67 on thecentral portion 45. The carbonator is adapted to be easily removed and refilled with water when necessary. As an alternative to acooling unit 55, a heating unit, or combined heating and cooling unit, can be provided to permit the possibility of dispensing either cold or hot drinks. - At the other end of the dispensing apparatus, supported on the
base 43, is a tank of a pressurizing gas, e.g., a carbon dioxide tank, 68 shown in phantom. The carbon dioxide tank orbottle 68 is connected to a reducingvalve 69 by means of aquick disconnect clamp 71 to permit ease of replacement of thecarbon dioxide bottle 68 which may be a conventional commercial unit. Extending through the dividingwall 53 and secured to abracket 73 thereon by means of screws orbolts 75 is a manifold 77 which will be described in detail below. The manifold 77 distributes the pressurizing gas and diluent, e.g., carbon dioxide and carbonated water. The front portion of the manifold 77 is visible on Fig. 2a. Integral with the manifold are two dispensingvalves valve container 81 containing therein a concentrate to be mixed with the diluent supplied from thediluent tank 61. Belowvalves removable tray 82, retained magnetically for example, for catching any spillage.Tray 82 may be removed and rinsed periodically. Again, although disclosed hereinafter as supplying carbonated water, it will be recognized that, by disconnecting the carbonator apparatus, still beverages can be dispensed, and, by heating instead of cooling the diluent, hot drinks can also be dispensed. As will become more evident below, thecontainers 81 are particularly adaptable to packaging and storing all types of concentrate in a sanitary manner. - Covering the
carbon dioxide tank 68 is asecond cover 83, which similarly has a dependingflange 85 engaging a lip on the T-shapedcentral structure 45. - Fig. 3 is a plan view of the dispenser of Figs. 2a and 2b with the
covers center section 45 also removed for clarity of presentation. In this view, thecarbon dioxide bottle 68 is visible along with itsquick disconnect clamp 71 and reducingvalve 69. The reducing valve is semi-rigidly mounted and coupled bytubing 87 to themanifold 77. Portions ofvalves carbonator tank 61. The carbonator tank contains acoupling 89 which permits a quick disconnect with the manifold 77. - Reducing
valve 69 reduces the carbon dioxide pressure to 40 psi. C02 at this pressure is fed through apassage 91 in the manifold 77 to thedisconnect coupling 89. From that point it flowsthroughtubing 90 to a restrictor 93, and thence to adiffuser 95. Carbonated water is removed from the carbonator tank through aline 97 extending to the bottom oftank 61 and leading to thecoupling 89 whence it enters apassage 99 in the manifold. This passage connects with twosmaller passages outlets ring seal 109 is provided. Carbon dioxide is also fed through a further pressure reducing valve 111 which is built into the manifold, where the pressure is reduced to 5 psi. From valve 111 the carbon dioxide flows in apassage 113 to which are connected twopassages elongated openings ring seal 123 of neoprene or the like is inserted. Although the manifold 77 can be made of various materials, a plastic is preferred. With such plastic the manifold can be molded and any necessary machining carried out to form the various passageways. - The manifold 77 and the dispensing valves are shown in more detail in Fig. 4. A full description of the quick release coupling between the manifold and the diluent tank is given in European Patent Application No. 80200611.4 (Publication No. 0 022 589) and reference is made thereto for details.
- The pressure reducing valve 111 shown in Fig. 4 is shown in more detail in the cross section of Fig. 5 and a description of operation and function thereof is given in said European Application.
- The construction of the dispensing
valves base portion 181 which is molded as part of the manifold 77. However, it should be recognised that such base portions can be made separately with appropriate connections for carbondioxide pressure line 117 andwater inlet line 103. - Since both valves are identical, only the
right hand valve 79B. will be described in detail. Thebase portion 181 of the valve is a member containing a largecylindrical bore 182. At the bottom of this bore is located the inlet opening 121 for the carbon dioxide with its O-ring seal 123 and the inlet opening 107 for the diluent, e.g., carbonated water, with its O-ring seal 109. Also located in the base portion is avent hole 183, anopening 185 through which the concentrate, e.g., a syrup, will be dispensed in a manner to be described below, and adrain passage 187 for the residue of diluent, e.g., carbonated water, after it has passed through the valve. Inserted into thebore 182 is a centralrotatable valve member 189. It is supported within thebore 182 for rotation therein in response to operation of ahandle 191 and seals against O-rings screw 195. As can best be seen from reference to Figs. 4 and 6, the adjusting screw includes aknob 196 on the end of ashaft 198. The shaft passes through and is rotatable within a threaded plugs 197. The threadedplug 197 is screwed into acover portion 201 of the valve which fits over and retains in placecentral member 189 and adjustingdisc 193. Near the end of theshaft 198 is aworm gear 199 which is secured thereto. When inserted into thecover portion 201, theend 203 of theshaft 198 is supported for rotation in abore 207, as best seen in Fig. 4. Theworm gear 199 is exposed through anopening 194 and engagesappropriate teeth 209 on theadjustment disc 193 permitting a limited degree of rotation thereof. Once adjusted by theadjustment screw 195, however, thedisc 193 remains fixed. - As shown in Fig. 6,
container 81 includes a body in the form of anecked bottle 238 and acap 230. The bottle may be of a transparent or translucent material so that the contents can be viewed when the container is in use, and a user can see at glance the level of the contents of the container. Dispensing of the concentrate from thecontainer 81 is in response to a relative rotation of itscap 230 with respect totabs 211 on the neck of thebottle 238. This opens a valve incontainer 81 and carries out a metering action in a manner to be described more fully below. To accomplish this rotation, thecap 230 also contains atab 213. Thetab 213 engages in anotch 215 in thecentral member 189. Thetabs 211 engage innotches 217 in theadjustment disc 193. Thecentral valve member 189 is arranged to rotate a given amount to open the metering valve within the container by rotatingcap 230 which is engaging thenotch 215 in thecentral valve member 189. Fine adjustment of this metering is possible by means of the adjustingscrew 195 which increases or decreases theinitial setting of the position of thecap 230 relative to thebody 238 so as to vary the rate of flow of concentrate from the container upon a pre-set and subsequent rotation of thecap 230. - The dispensing valve performs three separate functions. It performs a function of venting the container, a function of pressurizing the container with the low pressure carbon dioxide and a function of causing the simultaneous dispensing of concentrate and diluent. The
central valve member 189 contains acentral bore 219 in and at the bottom of which there is provided acylindrical member 221, containing apartial bore 232 in the upper portion thereof, and supported by threestruts 223. One of thestruts 223 contains therein a passage 225 (Figs. 6a; 6b), which communicates with thebore 232. The other end of thepassage 225 is brought through to the bottom of thecentral valve member 189 and at a location permitting alignment withvent hole 183 andoutlet 121 in thebase member 181 of the valve. As best seen from Figs. 7 and 8 inserted within thebore 232 istubular member 227. This tubular member communicates with a tube 229 (Fig.7) extending to the bottom of the container 81 (which will be the top with thecontainer 81 in the inverted position shown) for the purposes of venting and pressurizing, in a manner to be more fully described below. - With reference to Fig. 6a, the position of the valve with the
handle 191 fully to the left is shown. In this position containers are inverted into and removed from the equipment and thepassage 225 is aligned with thevent hole 183 permitting venting of thecontainer 81 throughtube 229, a tubular member 227 (Fig. 7) inbore 232,passage 225 and venthole 183. This corresponds to the cross sectional view of Fig. 7. - In the position shown in Fig. 6b, which is a quiescent position of a container in the machine, the interior of the container is pressurized but there is no flow of concentrate or diluent from the machine, and the container cannot be removed from the machine, handle 199 is centered, the
passage 225 is overlying theopening 121 and is sealed by the O-ring seal 123. This admits the low pressure carbon dioxide to thepassage 225 from whence it can flow through thetubular member 227 into the container throughtube 229, to pressurize the container with a constant pressure. In this position, thediluent outlet 107 with itsseal 109, is still covered by the bottom ofcentral valve member 189. This corresponds to the cross section of Fig. 8. - Finally, in the position shown in Fig. 6c, which is the dispensing position in which concentrate and diluent flow from the machine, and the container cannot be removed, handle 191 is all the way to the right, and an
inlet opening 231 incentral valve member 189 is aligned with theopening 107 to permit a flow of diluent, e.g., carbonated water, through and out of the valve. At this time, because of theelongated opening 121, thepassage 225 is still in communication with the carbon dioxide supply to maintain pressurization of the container. This corresponds to the cross section of Fig. 9 and 10. Movement of thehandle 191 to the right takes place against the biasing force of aspring 233 which is arranged to return thehandle 191 to its middle position. - Once pressurized, if it is desired to remove the container with the concentrate and replace it with another, it is only necessary to move the
handle 191 to the position shown in Fig. 6a, to vent thecontainer 81 to permit relieving the pressure therein and allow removal. - The cross section of Fig. 10 shows the
passage 225 still aligned with theopening 121 during dispensing. The passages for the carbonated water in this position, i.e., the position also shown in Fig. 6c, is illustrated by Fig. 9. Shown is thepassage 103 which communicates with theopening 107 which is surrounded by the O-ring seal 109, sealing against therotary valve member 189 and communicating with thepassage 231 therein. The diluent thus flows into apressure reducing chamber 235, and thence out of aspout 237, which is carried bymember 189. It will be appreciated thatspout 237 therefore moves withmember 189 and because it projects under the base 181 the base is provided with a lobe cut-out237A (Fig. 4) to permit the spout so to move. The spout is directed at an angle to cause mixing of the diluent and concentrate in a manner to be seen more clearly below in connection with Fig. 10.Chamber 235 is designed for minimum agitation of the diluent to prevent excessive loss of carbon dioxide. The dimensions ofchamber 235 and spout 237 are such that an adequate flow of diluent is maintained, and that with a predetermined diluent pressure, the outlet flow rate is sufficient to obtain the necessary mixing with the concentrate without excessive foaming. When thehandle 191 returns to the position shown in Fig. 6b, thepassage 231 overlies thedrain passage 187 which has a downward slope. Thus, any diluent remaining inchamber 235 can drain into a glass or cup placed below. - Referring now to Figs. 8 and 10, it will be seen that the
bottle 238 has aplug 239 in its neck. The plug contains acentral bore 241 having a sloped portion, i.e., of somewhat conical shape, 243 at its inner end. There is acentral passage 245 through the inner end of the plug. The plug is of generally cylindrical shape and is press fitted into theneck 247 of thebottle 238. Alternatively, it can be molded as part of thebottle 238. At its outer end, the plug contains acircumferential flange 249 which extends beyond theneck 247 of the bottle. Placed over the neck of the bottle is thecap 230. The cap contains, in its central portion, a cylindrical shapedmember 251 which terminates in aconical section 252 at its inner end.Conical section 252 abuts against the taperedconical section 243 of theplug 239. Inwardly extendingmember 251 contains at the inner end thereof, abore 253 into which is inserted thedip tube 229. The dip tube extends through theopening 245 in the plug with a spacing. At the outer end of the cap, in the center thereof, is alarger bore 255 extending intomember 251 and communicating withbore 253. At the inner end of this bore acheck valve 257 is disposed. In the case of the present embodiment, the check valve is in the form of a split seal valve. However, any other type of check valve can be used. The split seal check valve is held in place by acylindrical insert 259. The fitting 227 which is surrounded by an O-ring seal 260 to seal inside thecylindrical insert 259 incap 230, is inserted into the center of theinsert 259 and acts against thecheck valve 257 to open it permitting carbon dioxide to flow into the container through thedip tube 229. In the portion of the container above theplug 239, the concentrate will be contained. The cooperation between theplug 239 and the inward projectingmember 251 on the cap perform the valving action needed to dispense a metered amount of concentrate. Theconical surface 243 ofplug 229 forms a valve seat for theconical tip 252 ofmember 251. It can be seen, that movement of themember 251 away from theplug 239 will permit a flow of concentrate around thedip tube 229 and into the area between themember 251 and theplug 239. - What happens when such movement occurs is illustrated by Fig. 10. As shown by the
arrows 261, concentrate flows around thedip tube 229 and into aspace 263 between theplug 239 and themember 251. At the same time, theflange 249 has been lifted away from thecap 230 and anopening 265 formed in the cap is exposed. In the closed condition, a double seal is provided. First there is the seal betweenconical surfaces flange 249 overopening 265. With thecap 230 moved downward, concentrate can now flow throughopening 265 under the pressure which is maintained in the container because of the C02 and drop, through a gap between thestruts 223 shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6c, into acup 267, placed below the dispensing valve. The flowingconcentrate 269 flows essentially straight down. The diluent, e.g., the carbonated water, flows from thespout 237 at an angle intersecting the flow of concentrate in free space and mixing with it prior to reaching thecup 267. - As noted above, the valve within
container 81 is opened in response to rotation of itscap 230 with respect to itsbody 238 brought about by rotation ofcentral valve member 189 with respect toadjustment disc 193 which, once adjusted by adjustingscrew 195, remains fixed during operation. The manner in which the rotary motion of thecentral valve member 189 brings about a separation of theplug 239 and thecap 230 is best illustrated by Figs.l0a and 10a. In Fig. 10a the insertion of thetabs 211 into theslots 217 in theadjustment ring 193 is illustrated. As described above, this holdsbottle 238 fixed. Furthermore, the manner in which thetab 213 on thecap 230 is inserted into theslot 215 to cause thecap 230 to rotate withcentral valve member 189 is also evident. The relationship between these parts is also illustrated in Fig. 6 and Fig. 4. - As illustrated in Fig.- 10a, the
neck 247 ofbottle 238 contains a pair of opposed projectingnibs 271. These projecting nibs fit into cam slots orgrooves 273 formed on opposite sides of the inside ofcap 230. - A view of a portion of the
cap 230 unfolded is shown in Fig. 10b. In this figure, the shape of theslots 273 is evident. The slot contains ahorizontal portion 275 followed by a sloping orangled portion 277. It can be seen that, as thecentral valve member 189 is rotated, it carries with it thecap 230 because of the insertion of thetab 213 in theslot 215. Rotation while the nibs are in thehorizontal area 275 of the slot will result in no relative linear up or down motion between thecap 230 and thebottle 238, and thus the valve formed by theplug 239 and themember 251 remains closed. Travel in thehorizontal portion 275 takes place between the positions ofcentral valve member 189 shown in Fig. 6a and 6b. However, with further rotation to the position shown in 6c thenibs 271 will begin to move into theangled portion 277 causing theprojection 251 to move away from theinsert 239, in order to reach the position shown in Fig. 10, to dispense the concentrate at a preset metered flow rate. It will be arranged that thenibs 271 will be in a position in the saidstraight portions 275 intermediate the ends thereof when the container is in the machine and the rotary valve is in the position shown in Fig. 6a to enablering 193 to be adjusted in both directions but that movement of the rotary valve to the Fig. 6b position will not cause thenibs 271 to ride up theangled portion 277. Also, theangled portions 277 should be of sufficient length that the nibs lie between the ends of theangled portions 277 when the machine is in the Fig. 6c position, again to permit the adjustment of saidring 193. - Also shown in cross section on Fig. 10a is the
worm gear 198 of theadjustment screw 195 of Figs. 4 and 6. it is evident, that the dispensing action, i.e., the opening of the valve in the container takes place because of a relative movement between thecap 230 and thebottle 238. During normal operation, thebottle 238 is held fixed because of the insertion of thetabs 211 in theslots 217 in theadjustment ring 193. Thus, during normal dispensing, the starting position i.e. when in the position of Fig. 6b of thenibs 271 inslots 273 and the degree of rotation of thecap 230 by means of thetab 213 in theslot 215 in thecentral valve member 189 determines the degree of opening of the valve i.e. the amount of travel ofnibs 271 in slopingportions 277. This total amount of rotation ofcap 230 is fixed, in that movement of thelever 191 of Fig. 6c is limited by thespring 233. Normally, for a given concentrate, thenibs 271 will be positioned, as explained herein, during manufacture so that when the container is inserted in the valve, movement of themember 189 between the Figs. 6a and 6c position, will give the desired amount of valve opening based on the viscosity of the concentrate and on a standard ambient temperature, e.g., 20oC, without any adjustment of theadjustment screw 195. However, if the drink dispenser is operated under ambient conditions where a higher or lower temperature exists, this will affect the flow rate for a given opening of the valve. For example, although in the temperature climates a temperature close to 20oC. will normally be maintained in wintertime, in the summertime temperatures considerably higher may occur. The higher temperatures in many cases will lower the viscosity of the concentrate and too much concentrate may be dispensed. Theadjustment screw 195 is utilized to solve this problem. If the user finds that too much or too little concentrate is being dispensed, the adjustment screw can be turned. This rotates theadjustment ring 193 and in effect causes a relative rotation between thecap 230 andbottle 238 to bias thenibs 271 in one direction or the other. In turn, this means that for a given rotation of thecentral valve member 189 thenibs 271 will move up the angled or sloped portion 277 a greater or lesser extent. This in turn will control the degree to which the valve is opened. To enable the adjustment to take place, the saidslots 277 must, as explained herein, be of sufficient length. - The operation of the dispensing valve will now be explained. With reference to Fig. 3 a
carbon dioxide bottle 68 will be in place and thecarbonator 61 will be filled with water which has been carbonated by passing carbon dioxide through it, the carbon dioxide being passed through thediffuser 95. The carbonator will be at the pressure of 40 psi to which the regulatingvalve 69 is set, i.e., this pressure will be maintained in the head space above the water incarbonator 61. Furthermore, the water in the carbonator will have been cooled by the cooling means 55 shown on Fig. 2b. Low pressure, 5 psi carbon dioxide will be available in thepassage 113, and, because of the pressurization of thecarbonator 61, carbonated water under pressure will be available in thepassage 99. Thus, at each of the valves a supply of carbon dioxide will be available at theoutlets outlets - With the valve in the Fig. 6a position, the
container 81 with the concentrate is inserted into the valve or valves (the illustrated embodiment includes two valve mechanisms' however, a single valve or more than two could be provided). It is inserted so that thetabs 211 are in theslots 217 and thetab 213 inserted into theslot 215, as best seen from Figs. 6 and 11. As it is inserted themember 227 will open the check valve 257 (Fig. 8). At this point, thehandle 191 will be in the position shown in Fig. 6a. This will bring thedip tube 229 which is in communication with the inside of the container in communication with thevent hole 183 through thepassage 225 shown on Fig. 6a. - Next, the handle is moved to the position shown in 6b. Now the
passage 225 is lined up with theoutlet 123 and carbon dioxide passes to the fitting 227 and through thecheck valve 257 and thedip tube 229 into the bottle 218 to pressurize it. During this movement between the position of Figs. 6a and 6b, thenibs 271 move in thestraight section 275 of theslot 273 in thecap 230 shown in Figs. 10a and lOb. - When it is desired to dispense a drink, the
handle 191 is pushed to the right from the Fig. 6b position to that shown in -Fig. 6c against the force of thereturn spring 233. In this position, thechannel 225 is still lined up with theopening 121 and the container remains pressurized. Thewater outlet 231 lines up with theopening 107 and carbonated water is dispensed from thespout 237 shown on Figs. 9 and 10. Thenibs 271 have now moved into the slantedsection 277 of theslot 273 in thecap 230. This results in the cap being moved away from the bottle so that themember 251 moves away from theplug 239, opening the metering valve for the concentrate which now flows in the direction of thearrows 261 shown on Fig. 10 into thespace 263 and thence out thehole 265 in the cap and down toward acup 267 in astream 269. The downward flowing -stream 269 intersects thestream 270 of carbonated water in free space causing the two to mix intimately as they are dispensed into thecup 267. When the desired amount of drink has been dispensed, thehandle 191 is released and returns to the position shown on Fig. 6b. Thebottle 238 remains pressurized, but the flow of concentrate is stopped because of the closing of the valve therein and the flow of carbonated water stopped because of the movement of theoutlet 231 away from theopening 107. - Any water left in
chamber 235 orinlet 231 of Fig. 9 can drain both throughspout 237 anddrain outlet 187 to completely drain all diluent. From this point on, additional drinks can be dispensed simply by moving thehandle 191 to the position shown in Fig. 6c. - Assume for the moment that the two
concentrate containers 81 contain respectively cola and diet cola. Assume it is now desired to dispense quinine water. One of thecontainers 81 must thus be removed and replaced with another containing a quinine water concentrate. Thecontainer 81 to be removed is, of course, pressurized. To relieve the pressure in thecontainer 81 thehandle 191 is moved to the position shown in Fig. 6a. In this position, the container is now vented, venting taking place through thepassage 225 and thevent opening 183. With the pressure relieved on theconcentrate container 81 it may now be removed. As it is removed, referring to Fig. 8, it is evident that once it is lifted upward and the fitting 227 is no longer acting against thecheck valve 257, thecheck valve 257 will close. This prevents any possibility of the concentrate getting into or dripping out of thedip tube 229. The new container is then put into place after which the steps described above are followed. - Typically, the cola concentrate will be a relatively thick syrup whereas the quinine water concentrate will be relatively thin. This requires different degrees of opening of the valve made up by the
member 251 and plug 239. The necessary metering which must be carried out is accomplished by adjusting the positioning of thetabs 213 with respect to slot 273 on thecap 230 during manufacture. In other words, in the rest position, referring to Fig. lOb, for a cola syrup the nib will be relatively close to theangled section 277, but not so close as to cause flow of concentrate from the container when the rotary valve is in the Fig. 6b position. On the other hand, for something like quinine water it will be placed further to the left so that, with movement of the valve to the Fig. 6c position, thenibs 271 will only ride up on the angled portion a small amount. Alternatively, this control can be obtained by using different angles on theangle portion 277. - The various advantages both with respect to construction and operation of the dispensing arrangement including the valve and container should be evident. It can be made essentially of all plastic parts which are easily molded, other materials can of course be used. For example, the
bottle 238 may be made of glass or metal. By forming the dispensing valve in one piece with the manifold and through the design of a manifold which essentially carries the supply of materials to the valve, the need for numerous tubes and the disadvantages associated therewith is avoided. The design of the valving in the container permits presetting at the factory with the adjustment screw on the manifold giving the fine adjustment necessary to take care of temperature variations or personal taste. Furthermore, it is important to note, when referring to Fig. 10 that the concentrate passes directly from the container into the cup. It has been well established, that mold growth is likely to occur with dilute syrup. With the disclosed dispensing arrangement the syrup is diluted only after leaving the dispenser. This offers great advantage over most prior art dispensers in which mixing took place within the machine and which could lead to unsanitary conditions. - It is possible to design the package or container according to different methods and several alternative constructions are illustrated in Figs. 11 to 18 of the said European Application No. 80200611.4 and, as explained in said application the package may be of the gravity feed type as opposed to being pressurised.
- In the dispensing of carbonated beverages from small dispensers as described herein, and designed for in-home use, a particular advantage of the invention is that the package and its contents can be removed from the equipment at any time, and the valve can receive a further package containing concentrate of a different flavour. The packages are preferably designed to be of the throw-away variety, and to this end the components thereof are preferably constructed from plastics material.
- Various modificaions may be made without parting from the scope of the invention, and the examples described are only specific embodiments of constructions of packages.
- It is generally indicated that dispensing is accomplished by rotating a handle such as the
handle 191 of Figs. 6a-6c. In many instances,. it might be desired to simply press a glass, into which dispensing is to take place, against an actuator such as is common in water dispensing apparatus in restaurants. The present invention can be adapted to such simply by providing conventional means for converting motion of this nature into the rotary motion needed to rotate the rotating part of 189 of the valve. It is believed that such linkages are well within the scope of those skilled in the art and will not be described in detail herein. Modifications of the nature just described and other modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. - In each embodiment there is control of the degree of opening of the package valve. Control of the degree of opening the valve is necessary for a number of reasons. In the first place, different concentrates will have different viscosities. Thus, assuming the use of diluent at a predetermined constant rate and where, to get a properly flavoured drink, a certain amount of concentrate must be mixed with that diluent, different degrees of openings will be necessary in order to accommodate the different flow characteristics of different concentrates due to their different viscosities, that flow being under essentially constant pressure. Secondly, changes in environmental conditions, particularly temperature can effect the viscosity and may require further adjustment. Finally, although standards have been set with respect to the mixing of a diluent and concentrate such as the mixing of a syrup and carbonated water, which standards are used in making bottled drinks, personal tastes do differ and someone using the container of the present invention in a dispensing apparatus may wish to adjust it to his own personal taste.
- The last two types of adjustments mentioned are adjustments which must be done at the dispensing apparatus. The first type of adjustment i.e., adjustment to take into account different viscosities can be accomplished either through proper dimensioning of the container parts or through a combination of dimensioning of the container parts and an adjustment in the dispensing valve in the machine with which the container is used. Providing such control by means of dimensioning at the container is thought to be preferable. This is because it requires no further adjustment by the user other than to accommodate that variation. The dispensing valve with which the container or package cooperates can then be constructed so as to bring about a pre-established amount of movement of the first and second parts with respect to each other utilizing the means provided on the package for effecting the movement of these first and second parts. In such a case, these means for effecting the movement will be so constructed and dimensioned that for this pre-established amount of movement the separation of the two valve parts will give the desired degree of opening for the particular concentrate contained within the package. Alternatively, the packages may well be dimensioned identically and the dispensing valve with which it cooperates made adjustable in order to allow different amounts of motion depending on the concentrate in use. This, of course, would require a step on the part of the user of setting the valve for the particular concentrate to be used. It would, however, simply manufacture of the packages since all could be identical.
- The first and second valve parts can take any one of a number of different forms. For example, the two valve parts may comprise two disc-like members rotatable with respect to each other, each disc containing an opening therein, one opening in communication with the volume of concentrate in the container and the other opening in communication with the outlet. The degree of overlap of the two openings and/or the size of the smaller of the two openings will determine the flow rate of concentrate. Thus, for example in such an embodiment the opening in the second valve part which contains the outlet could be made relatively large and the opening in the other container part could be made of a size to meter the desired amount of concentrate. Movement of the two openings into alignment with each other, in response to a preset degree of movement of the two container parts with respect to each other, would thus result in metering the desired amount of concentrate. The disadvantage of an embodiment of this nature is that it does not easily permit additional control to take into account temperature variations or the taste of the user. Similarly, rather than utilizing rotating movement in which two holes are aligned by rotation one can carry out a linear movement of for example a cap with respect to the neck of a bottle, each containing therein a hole. Again, the movement would be of a predetermined amount to align the two holes to cause flow of the concentrate.
- An alternative embodiment for the dispensing valve is illustrated in Fig. 11. In some cases it may be desired to have the dispensing unit at a sink. In such a case the remainder of the above described apparatus would be disposed below the sink. In such a case, the valve would, of course, not be part of the manifold 77. Rather, referring, for example, to Fig. 4, the
lines suitable fittings coupling 89 may mate to these fittings with tubing extending from the coupling to inlets at the rotary valve 76c.Valve 76C is disposed on the end of anangled arm 502 with acontainer 81 placed thereon. The arm is supported for rotation above asink 504. For example, the opening in the sink normally used for a spray attachment can be used. When not in use, thearm 502 may be rotated counterclockwise to move the dispenser out of the way into a locked position. When it is desired to dispense, thearm 502 is moved to the position shown and dispensing will take place over the sink so that any spillage or drips will be caught in the sink. Preferably, thearm 502 and at least the visible parts of thevalve 76C in this case will be made of a material to match the sink fittings. Operation of thevalve 76C in conjunction with thecontainer 81 in all other respects will be the same as described above. - In this embodiment, and in the previously described embodiments, the rate of flow of the diluent can be controlled either by dimensioning of the size of the diluent tubing or passages e.g.,
passages 103, or by the insertion of a limiting orifice, for example, as described in said European Application No. 80200611.4
Claims (4)
characterised in that the dispenser comprises selectively and relatively movable parts which when moved in one direction operate on the package to allow concentrate to flow from a package outlet into face space without contacting the dispenser so that the concentrate can be caught directly in a cup located under the package outlet, and the said parts can be moved under the control of an operator in the opposite direction to terminate such concentrate flow.
Applications Claiming Priority (6)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
GB7924162 | 1979-07-11 | ||
GB7924162 | 1979-07-11 | ||
US14068580A | 1980-04-16 | 1980-04-16 | |
US14069880A | 1980-04-16 | 1980-04-16 | |
US140685 | 1980-04-16 | ||
US140698 | 1980-04-16 |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP80200611.4 Division | 1980-06-26 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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EP0159399A1 true EP0159399A1 (en) | 1985-10-30 |
EP0159399B1 EP0159399B1 (en) | 1988-01-07 |
Family
ID=27260743
Family Applications (5)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP87109913A Withdrawn EP0250003A1 (en) | 1979-07-11 | 1980-06-26 | Beverage dispenser |
EP19840113017 Expired EP0175815B1 (en) | 1979-07-11 | 1980-06-26 | Beverage dispenser |
EP19840113306 Expired EP0159399B1 (en) | 1979-07-11 | 1980-06-26 | Liquid dispensers |
EP19800200611 Expired EP0022589B1 (en) | 1979-07-11 | 1980-06-26 | A package for use in a beverage dispenser |
EP19830105649 Expired EP0100414B1 (en) | 1979-07-11 | 1980-06-26 | Beverage dispenser |
Family Applications Before (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP87109913A Withdrawn EP0250003A1 (en) | 1979-07-11 | 1980-06-26 | Beverage dispenser |
EP19840113017 Expired EP0175815B1 (en) | 1979-07-11 | 1980-06-26 | Beverage dispenser |
Family Applications After (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19800200611 Expired EP0022589B1 (en) | 1979-07-11 | 1980-06-26 | A package for use in a beverage dispenser |
EP19830105649 Expired EP0100414B1 (en) | 1979-07-11 | 1980-06-26 | Beverage dispenser |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (5) | EP0250003A1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE3071958D1 (en) |
ES (5) | ES8105676A1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0336730A1 (en) * | 1988-04-05 | 1989-10-11 | Sanden Corporation | Beverage dispensing unit |
Families Citing this family (32)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
EP0250003A1 (en) * | 1979-07-11 | 1987-12-23 | Cadbury Schweppes Plc | Beverage dispenser |
US4306667A (en) * | 1979-10-12 | 1981-12-22 | The Coca-Cola Company | Post-mix beverage dispensing system syrup package, valving system, and carbonator therefor |
US4357284A (en) * | 1981-06-26 | 1982-11-02 | Coca Cola Company | CO2 Supply system for a carbonator device |
EP0080261A3 (en) * | 1981-10-09 | 1984-07-25 | Cadbury Schweppes Limited | Liquid dispensing package and valve |
US4493441A (en) * | 1981-11-12 | 1985-01-15 | The Coca-Cola Company | Portable post-mix beverage dispenser unit |
ATE49949T1 (en) * | 1981-11-12 | 1990-02-15 | Coca Cola Co | DISPENSING DEVICE FOR POST-MIXED BEVERAGES. |
DE3372604D1 (en) * | 1982-06-29 | 1987-08-27 | Cadbury Schweppes Plc | In-home drink dispenser |
US4570830A (en) * | 1983-06-28 | 1986-02-18 | Cadbury Schweppes, Plc | Gravity dispenser |
EP0223209A3 (en) * | 1985-11-20 | 1988-10-05 | Cadbury Schweppes Plc | In-home drink dispenser |
EP0246052A1 (en) * | 1986-05-10 | 1987-11-19 | Cadbury Schweppes Limited | Improvements relating to beverage dispensers |
US4909417A (en) * | 1987-08-18 | 1990-03-20 | Ripley Wayne H | Cap base dispensing apparatus |
US5000357A (en) * | 1987-10-13 | 1991-03-19 | Abc/Sebrn Tech Corp. Inc. | Soft drink dispenser |
GB8808193D0 (en) * | 1988-04-08 | 1988-05-11 | Cadbury Schweppes Plc | Improvements relating to dispensing of liquids |
US4947739A (en) * | 1989-02-17 | 1990-08-14 | Charlie O Company, Inc. | Home soda dispensing system |
US6234345B1 (en) | 1999-03-03 | 2001-05-22 | The Coca-Cola Company | Transportation vending machine |
US9821992B2 (en) | 2006-03-06 | 2017-11-21 | The Coca-Cola Company | Juice dispensing system |
US7913879B2 (en) | 2006-03-06 | 2011-03-29 | The Coca-Cola Company | Beverage dispensing system |
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1981
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Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP0175815A3 (en) | 1987-04-15 |
ES8306575A1 (en) | 1983-06-01 |
ES509096A0 (en) | 1983-12-01 |
EP0175815B1 (en) | 1989-11-23 |
EP0250003A1 (en) | 1987-12-23 |
ES499736A0 (en) | 1982-09-01 |
EP0100414A2 (en) | 1984-02-15 |
ES8204694A1 (en) | 1982-05-01 |
EP0175815A2 (en) | 1986-04-02 |
EP0159399B1 (en) | 1988-01-07 |
ES493281A0 (en) | 1981-06-16 |
ES8105676A1 (en) | 1981-06-16 |
EP0022589A2 (en) | 1981-01-21 |
EP0022589A3 (en) | 1982-04-07 |
ES499735A0 (en) | 1982-05-01 |
EP0100414A3 (en) | 1985-10-30 |
EP0100414B1 (en) | 1988-06-01 |
ES8207093A1 (en) | 1982-09-01 |
ES509216A0 (en) | 1983-06-01 |
DE3071958D1 (en) | 1987-06-04 |
ES8401419A1 (en) | 1983-12-01 |
EP0022589B1 (en) | 1987-04-29 |
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