GB2464681A

GB2464681A - A font housing having a cooling chamber in contact with a housing side

Info

Publication number: GB2464681A
Application number: GB0819250A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tony Jarrett; Louise Felton; Ray Wrapson
Original assignee: Scotsman Beverage Systems Ltd
Current assignee: Welbilt Halesowen Ltd
Priority date: 2008-10-21
Filing date: 2008-10-21
Publication date: 2010-04-28
Also published as: GB0819250D0

Abstract

A font 10 for dispensing a beverage comprises a housing 12 provided by a plurality of sides including a front side 15 which faces outwardly of a bar and a rear side 16 which supports a dispense tap 13. The sides 15, 16, 17, 18 establish a hollow H through which a beverage line 14 extends to the tap 13. For at least one of the sides 15, 17, 18 there is provided a chamber 30 which in use is flooded with coolant, the chamber 30 being attached to the respective side 15, 17, 18 so as to be in thermal contact with at least a part of the side. In use, the coolant in the chamber 30 cools the side of the housing 12 such that condensation and/or ice is formed on an outside surface of the side of the housing 12. Preferably, the cross-section of the coolant line (33a, b, fig. 9) feeding the chamber 30 is substantially smaller than the cross-section of the chamber 30.

Description

Title: Font for Dispensing Beverage

Description of Invention

This invention relates to a font for dispensing beverage, such as for example beer.

Fonts are known which include a housing of a plurality of sides, with at least one of the sides being cooled by coolant sufficiently for condensation or even ice to form on the outside surface of the housing side, as a marketing tool to indicate that the beverage dispensed by the housing is cold.

Proposals are known in which the coolant is conveyed in a cooling line which is in thermal communication with a part of the font housing. Such a proposal enables the part only of the font housing to be selectively cooled, but is inefficient.

Another proposal uses a coolant chamber which is formed integrally with the font housing, the chamber being flooded with coolant. This provides for more efficient cooling of the font housing, but the construction of the housing with an integral chamber or chambers, is expensive.

According to one aspect of the invention we provide a font for dispensing a beverage, the font in use, being mounted on a bar, and the font including housing provided by a plurality of sides including a front side which faces outwardly of the bar and a rear side which supports a dispense tap from which the beverage is dispensed, the sides establishing a hollow through which a beverage line extends to the tap, and wherein for at least one of the sides there is provided a chamber which in use is flooded with coolant, the chamber being attached to the respective side so as to be in thermal contact with at * 2 least a part of the side, so that in use, the coolant in the chamber cools the side of the housing such that condensation and/or ice is formed on an outside surface of the side of the housing.

By virtue of the invention, font cooling is achieved more efficiently than where a cooling line is provided for the coolant in contact with a font side, and the construction of a font with a separate chamber or chambers, is less expensive than providing an integral chamber.

Preferably the chamber is flooded with coolant from a coolant supplied from a coolant feed line, the cross section of the coolant feed line being significantly less than the cross section, or average cross section where the chamber is not of constant cross section, of the chamber. The chamber may include an integral inlet connection which has a cross section generally corresponding to that of the coolant feed line to which the inlet connection is connected.

The chamber may include an integral outlet connection, which is connected in use to a conduit which may extend to an inlet connection of another chamber or return coolant directly to a cooling plant which may be located near to the bar e.g. beneath the bar, or remotely for example in a plant room such as a cellar.

In each case the chamber may have at least one major wall, and at least one minor wall, the major wall or walls being wider than the minor wall or walls.

Desirably the or one of the major walls lies alongside the part of the housing side to which it is attached in thermal contact with the side.

In one embodiment, the chamber is provided by a metal walled container, e.g. made of stainless steel which is entirely separate from the housing wall to which it is attached. The container may include at least one integral or * 3 attached tab for receiving a fastener for attaching to the housing side, and/or at least one bracket may be provided to attach the container to the housing side. In each case the chamber will be attached in thermal contact with the housing side.

In another embodiment, the chamber may be provided at least in part by a shell, for example provided by a moulding in a plastic material, which shell is separate from the font housing side and is attached to the housing side e.g. by at least one fastener and/or bracket. For example, the font housing may include in at least one of the sides which extend between the front and rear sides of the housing, an aperture in which in use a decorative display panel may be mounted, which panel may be illuminated from within. The coolant chamber of the invention may extend around the periphery of the aperture and the moulding of the chamber may be integral with an infill for the aperture, which may for example, provide a reflector to reflect the light outwardly through the display panel.

Although the chamber may be provided entirely by the shell, desirably the shell provides a part only of the chamber, with the chamber otherwise being provided by a closure plate which closes the shell, such as a metal closure plate, to provide for optimal heat exchange between the part of the font housing side with which the chamber is in thermal contact, and the coolant.

In one embodiment, a pair of chambers are provided, which are attached, one at each of two housing sides between the front and rear sides. Desirably, a coolant chamber is provided in thermal contact with a part of the front side too, so that condensation and/or ice forms on the front side of the housing.

The coolant may flow from the cooling plant first to a chamber of one of the sides between the front and rear sides, then to the chamber attached to the * 4 front side, and then to the chamber at the other of the sides between the front and rear sides, before returning to the plant for re-cooling.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-FIGURE 1 is a perspective illustrative view of a beverage dispensing font in accordance with the present invention; FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the inside of one side of the font housing showing a first embodiment of the invention; FIGURE 3 is an exploded alternative perspective view of the side of the font housing of figure 2; FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional perspective part view of the side of the font housing side of figures 2 and 3; FIGURE 5 is a view similar to figure 2, but of an alternative embodiment; FIGURE 6 is a perspective part view of the font housing side of the figure 5 embodiment; FIGURE 7 is a partial illustrative cross section through the font of figure 1 showing the location of a coolant chamber attached to a front face of the font; FIGURE 8 is a view similar to figure 4 but of an upper part of the font, and showing a modification; FIGURE 9 is an illustration of a possible coolant circuit in the font.

Referring to figures ito 4, a font 10 includes a housing 12 which in use is mounted on a bar (not shown) for dispensing beverage, such as beer.

The beverage is cooled by a beverage cooling plant which may be located locally to the font 10, e.g. beneath the bar, or remotely in a plant room such as a cellar. If desired, as well as a remote beverage cooling plant, a local beverage cooling plant may be provided. The cooled beverage is dispensed from the font 10 through a dispensing tap 13 to which the beverage is supplied by a beverage supply line (similar to that shown at 14 in figure 6) from the cooling plant, the beverage line 14 passing upwardly through a hollow H of the housing 12, to the tap 13, the hollow H being established by sides of the housing 12, and being of any suitable shape.

Figure 1 shows a housing 12 which has four sides, namely a front side 15, which faces outwardly of the bar for viewing by the public, a rear side 16 which supports the tap 13, and faces rearwardly of the bar, and a pair of sides 17, 18 each of which extends between the front and rear sides 15, 16, the front and rear sides 15, 16 and the sides 17, 18 in the example, enclosing the hollow H. The front side 15 carries in an aperture 15b thereof, a display panel 15a with information about the beverage dispensed by the font 10, and the display panel I 5a may be illuminated from within as will be described below. In this example, each of the two sides 17, 18 between the front and rear sides 15, 16 also have respective display panels 17a, 18a, again which can be illuminated from within. The front side display panel 15a and the side display panels 17a, 18a each close an aperture 15b, 17b, 18b in a respective side 15, 17, 18.

Otherwise the front side 15 at least and the sides 17, 18 between the front and rear sides 15, 16 may be made of metal or the like conducting material on which condensation and/or ice may form as described below.

Behind the front side display panel 15a there is a moulding (similar to that indicated at 19 in figure 6) which is covered on an outwardly facing surface thereof, with a reflective coating, and between the display panel 15a and the moulding 19, a source of illumination may be provided to illuminate the display panel I 5a, such as an electrically lit bulb, an LED or the like.

Similarly, behind the side display panels 17a, 18a there is a respective reflective coated moulding like those shown at 20, 21 in figure 6, and between the mouldings 20 and 21, and the respective display panels 17a, 18a, sources of illumination may again be provided.

The beverage line 14 extends upwardly through the hollow H and preferably is insulated from the front and rear sides 15, 16 and the sides 17, 18 between the front and rear sides 1516, by insulation which may be provided to fill or substantially fill, the hollow H. (This is omitted in figure 6 and figure 7 for clarity).

Referring particularly to figures 2, 3 and 4, the nature of the moulding 21 for side 18 is shown in more detail. The moulding 21 includes an infill region 25 which closes the aperture 1 8b and provides the reflective coating, and is shaped to enable a light source to be accommodated between the infill region and the display panel 18a, and a peripheral chamber region 26.

The moulding 21 is a shell.

The peripheral chamber region 26 of the moulding 21 is generally channel shaped in cross section and extends in this example around the entire aperture 1 8b and provides part of a chamber wall of a font coolant chamber 30. As best seen in figures 3 and 4, the peripheral chamber region 26 is closed by a metal closure plate 28 which is of triangular configuration in the example, to match the configuration of the aperture 18a and the peripheral chamber region 26 of the moulding 21, as is best seen in figure 4.

In use, the chamber 30 provided by the peripheral chamber region 26 of the moulding 21 and the metal closure plate 28, is flooded with coolant and the metal of the plate 28 provides for optimum thermal communication between * 7 the coolant and the part of the side 18 of the font housing 12 with which the chamber 30 is in contact, thus most efficiently to promote the formation of condensation on the external surface of the side 18, and even the formation of ice where the coolant is sufficiently cool.

The moulding 21 and the closure plate 28 are attached to the inside of side 18 of the font housing 12 by a plurality of fasteners some of which are indicated at 31. To facilitate sealing and to maximise heat transfer, a heat transfer paste may be provided between at least the metal plate 28 and the font side 18, and as necessary a gasket may be required between the moulding 21 and the metal plate 28, such a gasket being indicated in the modification of figure 8, at 27.

Coolant is fed into the chamber 30 via an inlet connection indicated at 33, to which connection 33 a coolant feed line 29 is connected. Coolant lines in the font 10 are shown at 33a and 33b in figure 6 in an unconnected condftion and in figures 7 and 8 connected in a coolant circuit which will be described below.

The coolant feed line 29 feeds the coolant from a local and/or remote coolant cooling plant (which may be the same cooling plant as is used for cooling the beverage or separate) and the cross section of the inlet connection 33 is similar to that of the coolant feed line 29. The cross section of the chamber 30 is substantially greater than that of the coolant feed line 29 and inlet connection 33, and generally where the chamber 30 is not of constant cross section, the average cross section of the chamber 30 is preferably substantially greater, even an order of magnitude greater, than the cross section of the coolant feed line 29 and inlet connection 33.

Coolant passes from the chamber 30 via an outlet connection 34. The exiting coolant may then pass to another chamber of the font housing 12 via a conduit, for example a chamber like chamber 30 but provided to cool the * 8 opposite side 17 of the font housing 12, and/or to a chamber T (shown in figure 7 and to be described) for cooling a part of the front side 15 of the font housing 12, or the coolant may exit the chamber 30 attached to side 18 of the housing 12 and pass directly back to a local and/or remote coolant cooling plant for further cooling via a coded return line (shown at 33b in figure 6 in an unconnected condition and shown connected to the chamber T in figure 7).

The coolant feed line 29 at least, and the beverage supply line 14 may be contained in a common "python" or separate "pythons' between the cooling plant and the font housing 12 if required, to minimise temperature gain of each.

It will be appreciated that the chamber 30 provided by the peripheral moulding region 26 of the shell 21, and the closure plate 28 is separate from the font housing side 18, and is attached to the side 18 by the fasteners 31. Moreover the chamber 30 is in thermal communication with a part only of the side 18. In this example the uppermost part of the housing side 18, indicated at 35, is not in thermal contact with the chamber 30. However where the side 18 is made of metal, the cooling effect provided by the cold chamber 30 may spread throughout the side 18, and even to the front side 15 of the font housing 12.

The opposite side 17 of the font housing 12 to that shown in figures 2 and 3 is provided with a coolant chamber 30 in substantially identical fashion to the side 18. If desired the path for the coolant from the coolant cooling plant may be first to the chamber 30 provided for side 17 and then to the chamber of side 18 described above, with or without the intermediary of passing through a coolant chamber which is provided to cool the front side 15 of the font housing 12. * 9

Because in the example, the front display panel 15a occupies a substantial part of the front side 15 both widthwise and lengthwise, a coolant chamber I for cooling the front side 15 needs to be accommodated at an uppermost region 15d and because in the font 10 design shown, the cross section of the hollow H decreases towards the uppermost end 15d, the coolant chamber T for the front face 15 would need to be correspondingly shaped and sized.

Like the chamber 30 for side 18 shown in figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, and the substantially similar chamber for the opposite font housing side 17, a coolant chamber I for cooling the front side 15 is separate from the front side 15, and is attached to the front side 15 in thermal contact with the part 1 5d of the housing 12. In the example, the housing is cast in metal such as aluminium or steel for maximum heat (cool) conduction.

Because the chambers 30, T are each separate from the respective font sides 17, 18, 15, if desired only a part of a side may be cooled to promote the formation of condensation and/or ice, or indeed if no font cooling was required, the same font housing 12 design could be used without some or all of the coolant chambers 30, T. Thus parts of the sides to be cooled may be isolated from other parts, as required.

In a modified embodiment, if desired, no metal closure plate 28 may be provided to provide part of the wall of the chamber 30, but the chamber 30 may be provided solely by a moulding which may wholly contain the coolant, or the moulding may be sealed directly onto an inside surface of the side 17, 18, l5to be cooled, with or without a gasket 27.

In the example, it can be seen that the chamber 30 has a pair of major chamber walls (wide walls) provided on the one hand by the moulding 21 and on the other hand, by the closure plate 28, one of the wide major walls, i.e. * 10 that provided by the closure plate 28, being in thermal contact with the font side 17, 18, 15, whilst minor walls of the chamber 30 connecting the wide walls, are narrow. This construction maximises heat transfer for a given chamber cross section. Other designs may be used.

Referring now to figures 5, 6 and 7, an alternative embodiment of the invention is illustrated. Similar parts to the design of the font 10 of figures ito 4 are given the same references.

In this example, the coolant chambers 30 for the font 10 opposite sides 17, 18 are not provided by plastic shell mouldings but by metal (stainless steel) containers of box section which are attached to the respective parts of the font sides 17, 18. Each such chamber 30 is attached to the respective font side 17, 18 by a fastener (for example of the type shown at 31 in figure 3), which engages a tab 31a which is fixed to (e.g. by welding) or integral with the chamber 30, and a bracket 38 which is secured to the font side 18 by fasteners at fastening locations 31b. The chamber 30 has an inlet connection 33 and an outlet connection 34. As with the previously described embodiment, the cross section of the chamber 30 (or in a different design the average cross section) is substantially greater than that of the coolant feed line 29 and coolant return line 33b, the cross sections of the inlet and outlet connections 33, 34 at least approximating to the cross sections of the coolant feed 29 and return 33b lines.

Where the chamber 30 is a box section, a widest (major) side of the section is in thermal communication with the font housing side 17, 18.

Figure 8 illustrates a possible coolant circuit within the font 10. * 11

Coolant feed line 29 feeds the coolant first to the inlet 33a of the chamber 30 which is attached to side 17 of the font housing 12. The inlet 33a may pass along a significant length of the box section chamber 30 so the coolant is fed along the chamber 30 before passing into the chamber proper. The outlet 33b from the chamber 30 then extends from, in the example, a lower end of the chamber 30, and then to the chamber T which is attached to the part 1 5d of the front side 15.

Coolant exits the chamber T of the front side 15 and passes via another conduit indicated at 33a' into the chamber indicated at 30' in this figure, which is attached to side 18 of the housing 12, opposite side 17. In this example, the inlet conduit 33a' feeds coolant into the chamber 30' proper at its lower end, and an outlet 33b' from chamber 30' of side 18, extends from a higher point in the chamber 30' to encourage coolant flow along the chamber 30'.

The outlet conduit 33b' returns the coolant to the cooling plant.

Various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

The font 10 design illustrated is purely exemplary and may be widely varied as required. However to achieve font housing 12 cooling, in each case, a coolant chamber in thermal contact with at least a side of the font housing 12 is attached to a part of a housing side 17, 18, 15 to promote the formation of condensation and/or ice. To form ice, the font side would need to be cooled to below zero Celsius, in which case the coolant would typically be a glycol based coolant. Where only condensation is required to be formed on the outside surface of the housing 12, cooled water at just above zero Celsius temperatures can be used as a coolant. * 12

In each case the beverage supply line 14 is insulated from the coolant chamber or chambers 30 so that the serving temperature of the beverage is not affected by any cooling effect by the coolant at least within the font 10 itself.

In each case the chamber 30, 1, or at least a part of the chamber 30, T for the coolant, is separate from the font side 17, 18, 15 to which it is attached, although the coolant chamber 30, T may be provided in part by the font side 17, 18, 15 where the chamber 30 is provided in part by a shell.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof. * 13

Claims

CLAIMS1. A font for dispensing a beverage, the font in use, being mounted on a bar, and the font including housing provided by a plurality of sides including a front side which faces outwardly of the bar and a rear side which supports a dispense tap from which the beverage is dispensed, the sides establishing a hollow through which a beverage line extends to the tap, and wherein for at least one of the sides there is provided a chamber which in use is flooded with coolant, the chamber being attached to the respective side so as to be in thermal contact with at least a part of the side, so that in use, the coolant in the chamber cools the side of the housing such that condensation and/or ice is formed on an outside surface of the side of the housing.
2. A font according to claim 1 wherein the chamber is flooded with coolant from a coolant supplied from a coolant feed line, the cross section of the coolant feed line being significantly less than the cross section, or average cross section where the chamber is not of constant cross section, of the chamber.
3. A font according to claim 2 wherein the chamber includes an integral inlet connection which has a cross section generally corresponding to that of the coolant feed line to which the inlet connection is connected.
4. A font according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the chamber includes an integral outlet connection, which is connected in use to a conduit which extends to an inlet connection of another chamber or returns coolant directly to a cooling plant. * 14
5. A font according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the chamber has at least one major wall and at least one minor wall, the major wall or walls being wider than the minor wall or walls.
6. A font according to claim 5 wherein the or one of the major walls lies alongside the part of the housing side to which it is attached in thermal contact with the side.
7. A font according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the chamber is provided by a metal walled container which is entirely separate from the housing wall to which it is attached.
8. A font according to claim 7 wherein the container includes at least one integral or attached tab for receiving a fastener for attaching to the housing side, and/or at least one bracket is provided to attach the container to the housing side.
9. A font according to any one of claims 1 to 6 wherein the chamber is provided at least in part by a shell, which is separate from the font housing side and is attached to the housing side.
10. A font according to claim 9 wherein the shell is provided as a moulding in a plastic material.
11. A font according to claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the font housing includes in at least one of the sides which extend between the front and rear sides of the housing, an aperture in which in use a decorative display panel is mounted. * 15
12. A font according to claim 11 wherein the coolant chamber extends around the periphery of the aperture.
13. A font according to claim 12 where dependent upon claim 10 wherein the moulding of the chamber is integral with an infill for the aperture.
14. A font according to any one of 9 to 13 wherein the shell provides a part only of the chamber, with the chamber otherwise being provided by a closure plate which closes the shell.
15. A font according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a pair of chambers are provided, which are attached, one at each of two housing sides between the front and rear sides.
16. A font according to any one of the preceding claims wherein a coolant chamber is provided in thermal contact with a part of the front side.
17. A font according to claim 16 where dependent upon claim 15 wherein the coolant flows from the cooling plant first to a chamber of one of the sides between the front and rear sides, then to the chamber attached to the front side, and then to the chamber at the other of the sides between the front and rear sides, before returning to the plant for re-cooling.
18. A font substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and/or as shown in any of the accompanying drawings.
19. Any novel feature or novel combination of features described herein and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.