Patent Grant
7757498
The present invention relates generally to beverage dispensing systems, and in particular to ice/beverage dispensers having cold plates that are used as cooling engines for chilling product at locations remote from the ice/beverage dispensers.
It is known in the beverage dispensing art to use combined ice and beverage dispensers that employ cooling engines, usually cold plates, to provide heat exchange cooling of various drinks. The ice/beverage dispenser is usually contained in a single cabinet, in an upper portion of which is an ice retaining bin and in a lower portion of which is a cold plate. The cold plate is cooled by a volume of ice gravity fed from a lower opening in the bin into the lower portion of the cabinet and onto and in heat exchange contact with the cold plate. The ice chills the cold plate which, in turn, provides for heat exchange cooling of beverage liquids flowed through tubing chilling circuits embedded in the cold plate. In situations where a cold plate is used in conjunction with a post-mix ice/beverage dispenser, sources of carbonated water and beverage syrup flavorings are connected to the cold plate to be cooled for delivery to post-mix beverage dispensing valves. Carbonated drinks are produced when the cooled carbonated water and syrup flavoring constituents are subsequently mixed together and dispensed from the post-mix valves.
An ice/beverage dispenser customarily has four or more, and often eight or more, post-mix beverage dispensing valves for dispensing various selected beverages. The valves are normally positioned along a front surface of the dispenser, normally accommodating access to the dispenser by only one person at a time. In fast food restaurants where a number of customers may be awaiting service of beverage orders, the inability of more than one person at a time to access the dispenser can result in unwanted delays in servicing customers.
To decrease the time required to serve a number of beverages, it is known to utilize, together with an ice/beverage dispenser, a separate remote beverage dispensing tower that is coupled to the ice/beverage dispenser. A beverage dispensing tower typically is a simplified structure consisting primarily of a cabinet for carrying a limited number of post-mix beverage dispensing valves, but the tower customarily does not have either ice retaining and dispensing capability, a cold plate or associated sources of water and syrup. When a remote tower is to be coupled to a base unit comprising an ice/beverage dispenser for receiving water and beverage syrup from the ice/beverage dispenser, a challenge is to make the process of installation and connection quick and efficient, while maintaining at the tower good drink quality at required temperatures.
To provide for dispensing chilled beverages from the tower, a cooling system is provided for the beverage liquids. The tower may be a considerable distance from the supplies of beverage liquids which, along with their cooling system, are normally located at the ice/beverage dispenser. The chilled beverage liquids are usually delivered through a python to the remote tower, and during idle periods when beverages are not being dispensed from the tower, the beverage liquids do not flow through and can become warm in the python, and if dispensed into a cup for service to a customer can result in an inferior beverage. So that a warm drink will not be dispensed, during idle periods when the tower is not in use, it is known to recirculate the beverage liquids between the cooling system and tower, so that they will remain cold in the python.
Known systems for cooling plain and/or carbonated water delivered to a remote beverage dispensing tower make use of a mechanical refrigeration system to create a large ice bank in an agitated water bath, or such systems can comprise a cold plate in an ice bin, which cold plate and ice bin are not part of and are separate from the ice/beverage dispenser. The water line(s) are immersed in the water bath or passed through cold plate circuits, for chilling of the water prior to the water being delivered through the python to post-mix beverage dispensing valves of the remote tower. If desired, the syrup lines for the tower can also be immersed in the water bath or flowed through the cold plate circuits for cooling or, alternatively, the syrup can be chilled by the syrup lines being in close heat exchange relationship with the chilled water lines in the python. Incoming water to the tower, if not already carbonated, may be carbonated via a carbonator tank and water supply pump associated with the tower. While such refrigeration systems for beverage liquid components delivered to a remote tower are effective, they are expensive to implement and increasing cost constraints have resulted in a demand for less cost prohibitive solutions. A somewhat more economical approach is for the same carbonator as is used to deliver carbonated water to the primary ice/beverage dispenser to be used to provide carbonated water for the remote dispensing tower. However, a disadvantage of this arrangement is that during periods of peak use of the ice/beverage dispenser and remote tower, the ability of the carbonator to continuously deliver chilled carbonated water is compromised.
Another disadvantage of such refrigeration systems concerns a decrease in cooling efficiency as a result of flowing syrup through the python in order to chill the syrup. The syrup is warm when it enters the python, and chills as it flows through the python as a result of being in heat exchange contact with the cold water conduit in the python. The amount of heat infiltration that occurs between ambient and the syrup, and therefore the amount of warming of the syrup, is in accordance with the temperature gradient that exists between ambient and the syrup. Thus, the cooler the temperature that the syrup is brought to in the python, the greater is the temperature gradient that exists between ambient and the syrup, and the greater is the amount of heat infiltration to the syrup and warming of the syrup. Such heat infiltration represents a decrease in cooling efficiency, and would be decreased, if not eliminated, if the syrup were not chilled by being flowed through the python, but instead was delivered at ambient temperature to the remote tower and then chilled at the tower.
Establishments in which ice/beverage dispensers are used often serve various consumable items other than beverages, many of which require chilling either to maintain their quality or because they are perishable. Chilling of such products customarily is accomplished through use of a mechanical refrigeration system, which adds additional cost to the food service operation.
Ice/beverage dispensers utilize a cooling engine for chilling beverages served by the dispenser. Such cooling engine customarily comprises a cold plate designed to have a cooling capacity sufficient to properly chill beverages served by a dispenser during periods of peak demand, with little surplus cooling capacity remaining during such periods. However, a cold plate could be made to have a cooling capacity in excess of the maximum required to fully meet the beverage chilling needs of a dispenser, in which case it could advantageously also be used to chill liquid beverage components delivered to a remote beverage dispensing tower, or to chill other remotely located products as may be served by the establishment where the ice/beverage dispenser is used. If an ice/beverage dispenser were made to have such a surplus capacity cold plate, it would also be advantageous to provide the cold plate with some means that enables a user to selectively fluid couple to one or more of its cooling circuits, without need for extensive modification of its plumbing, for convent transfer of its cooling capacity to a remote location. This would desirably enable a user of the ice/beverage dispenser to use the dispenser either as a stand-alone unit, or to retrofit the dispenser so that its cold plate then serves either as a cooling engine for product to be chilled at a remote location or to chill product for delivery to a remote location. In addition, because a cold plate depletes ice in contact with it when it is used in heat transfer cooling of product, it would be desirable to provide some means to ensure that a sufficient supply of ice always remains in contact with the cold plate.
An object of the present invention is to provide an ice/beverage dispenser having a cold plate adapted to serve as a cooling engine for product delivered to or chilled at a remote location.
Another object is to provide such an ice/beverage dispenser having a cold plate that may readily be adapted for use of the dispenser as a stand-alone unit or retrofit of the dispenser so that the cold plate serves as a cooling engine for product delivered to or chilled at a remote location.
A further object of the invention is to provide such an ice/beverage dispenser having a cold plate that has surplus cooling capacity that may be utilized by the dispenser when the cold plate is not otherwise serving as a cooling engine for other product.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide such an ice/beverage dispenser having a cold plate that is used as a cooling engine to chill warm beverage syrup at a remote location.
In accordance with the present invention, a beverage dispensing system comprises a beverage dispenser including a beverage dispensing valve and a cold plate having fluid chilling circuits; a beverage dispensing tower remote from the beverage dispenser and including a beverage dispensing valve and a heat exchanger having a heat exchange circuit and a fluid chilling circuit; and means for flowing beverage syrup through the heat exchanger fluid chilling circuit to a syrup inlet to the tower beverage dispensing valve. Also included is a closed-loop fluid circulating circuit extending between the beverage dispenser and the tower and including a fluid chilling circuit of the cold plate and the heat exchange circuit of the heat exchanger; and means for circulating fluid through the closed-loop circuit to chill the fluid upon passage through the cold plate fluid chilling circuit and to deliver the chilled fluid to and through the heat exchange circuit of the heat exchanger to chill the heat exchanger and thereby to chill beverage syrup flowed through the heat exchanger fluid chilling circuit, so that chilled beverage syrup is delivered to the tower beverage dispensing valve.
In a described embodiment, the circulating means circulates water through the closed-loop circuit, and included is means for fluid coupling chilled water in the closed-loop circuit to a water inlet to the tower beverage valve. The beverage dispenser includes a bin for holding a supply of ice, a cold plate compartment containing the cold plate, and means for delivering ice from the bin into the cold plate compartment and into heat exchange contact with the cold plate to chill the cold plate. The cold plate fluid chilling circuits include a first fluid chilling circuit for chilling a beverage component for dispensing by the beverage dispenser beverage dispensing valve and an auxiliary fluid chilling circuit, and the beverage dispenser has valve means which in a first state couples the auxiliary fluid chilling circuit in the closed-loop fluid circulating circuit and in a second state removes the auxiliary fluid chilling circuit from the closed-loop fluid circulating circuit and couples the auxiliary fluid chilling circuit in fluid circuit with the first fluid chilling circuit, so that the beverage component to be dispensed by the beverage dispenser valve is then chilled by both the first and auxiliary cold plate fluid chilling circuits.
The beverage dispensing system can also include a second beverage dispensing tower remote from the beverage dispenser and including a beverage dispensing valve and a heat exchanger having a heat exchange circuit and a fluid chilling circuit; and means for flowing beverage syrup through the second tower heat exchanger fluid chilling circuit to a syrup inlet to the second tower beverage dispensing valve. In this case, the closed-loop fluid circulating circuit also includes the heat exchange circuit of the second tower heat exchanger, so that chilled fluid in the closed-loop circuit also flows through the heat exchange circuit of the second tower heat exchanger to chill beverage syrup flowed through the fluid chilling circuit of the heat exchanger, whereby chilled beverage syrup is delivered to the second tower beverage dispensing valve. Also included in this case are means for fluid coupling chilled water in the closed-loop circuit to a water inlet to the second tower beverage valve.
So that the beverage dispenser cold plate will always be in contact with a supply of ice, it is contemplated that there be means responsive to dispensing of beverage at the remote tower for operating the means for delivering ice from the bin into the cold plate compartment.
The invention also contemplates a method of using a beverage dispenser that includes a beverage dispensing valve and a cold plate having fluid chilling circuits to provide chilling for beverages to be dispensed at a remote location by a tower that includes a beverage dispensing valve and a heat exchanger having a heat exchange circuit and a fluid chilling circuit The method comprises the steps of flowing fluid through a closed-loop fluid circulation circuit that includes at least one cold plate fluid chilling circuit and the heat exchanger heat exchange circuit to chill the fluid as it flows through the cold plate fluid chilling circuit and to chill the heat exchanger as the chilled fluid flows through the heat exchange circuit. Also included is the step of fluid coupling beverage syrup through the heat exchanger fluid chilling circuit to a syrup inlet to the tower beverage dispensing valve, so that chilled syrup is delivered to the tower valve.
In a described practice of the method, the fluid flowed through the closed-loop circulation circuit is water, and included is the step of fluid coupling chilled water in the closed-loop circuit to a water inlet to the tower beverage dispensing valve.
In accordance with a further practice of the method, included are the steps of providing a beverage dispenser having a beverage dispensing valve and a cold plate having fluid chilling circuits; providing a beverage dispensing tower remote from the beverage dispenser and having a beverage dispensing valve and a heat exchanger having a heat exchange circuit and a fluid chilling circuit; flowing beverage syrup through the heat exchanger fluid chilling circuit to a syrup inlet to the tower beverage dispensing valve; and circulating fluid through a closed-loop fluid circulating circuit extending between the beverage dispenser and the tower and including a fluid chilling circuit of the cold plate and the heat exchange circuit of the heat exchanger to chill the fluid as it passes through the cold plate fluid chilling circuit and to deliver the chilled fluid to and through the heat exchange circuit of the heat exchanger to chill beverage syrup flowed through the heat exchanger fluid chilling circuit, so that chilled beverage syrup is delivered to the tower beverage dispensing valve.
It is contemplated that the circulating step comprise circulating water through the closed-loop circuit, and included is the step of fluid coupling chilled water in the closed-loop circuit to a water inlet to the tower beverage valve. The beverage dispenser can include a bin for holding a supply of ice and a cold plate compartment containing the cold plate, in which case included is the step of delivering ice from the bin into the cold plate compartment and into heat exchange contact with the cold plate.
It also is contemplated that the cold plate fluid chilling circuits include a first fluid chilling circuit for chilling a beverage component for dispensing by the beverage dispenser valve and an auxillary fluid chilling circuit, in which case included are the mutually exclusive steps of either fluid coupling the auxiliary fluid chilling circuit in the closed-loop fluid circulating circuit or fluid coupling the auxiliary fluid chilling circuit in fluid circuit with the first fluid chilling circuit for chilling of the beverage component to be dispensed by the beverage dispenser valve by both the first and auxiliary cold plate fluid chilling circuits.
A second beverage dispensing tower may be provided remote from the beverage dispenser and include a beverage dispensing valve and a heat exchanger having a heat exchange circuit and a fluid chilling circuit, in which case included are the additional steps of flowing beverage syrup through the second tower heat exchanger fluid chilling circuit to a syrup inlet to the second tower beverage dispensing valve; and fluid coupling the closed-loop fluid circulating circuit in-line with the heat exchange circuit of the second tower heat exchanger, so that chilled fluid in the closed-loop circuit is also flowed through the heat exchange circuit of the second tower heat exchanger to chill beverage syrup flowed through the fluid chilling circuit of the second tower heat exchanger, whereby chilled beverage syrup is delivered to the second tower beverage dispensing valve. Also in this case, the circulating step circulates water through the closed-loop circuit, and included is the step of fluid coupling chilled water in the closed-loop circuit to a water inlet to the second tower beverage valve.
The foregoing and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become apparent upon a consideration of the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The present invention provides an improved ice/beverage dispensing and product chilling system in which a cold plate of an ice/beverage dispenser is used as a cooling engine for product to be chilled at a remote location or to chill product for delivery to a remote location. The ice/beverage dispenser may be of the general type shown in
With reference also to
The cold plate 26 of the ice/beverage dispenser 10 is adapted for use as a cooling engine for product to be delivered to or chilled at a remote location, which product may comprise beverage components such as water and syrup. For the purpose, the cold plate is provided with a surplus of cooling capacity, in excess of that required to properly chill beverages served by the dispenser 10 during periods of peak use. This may be accomplished, for example, by having the cold plate be of the multi-layered type and providing the cold plate with extra or auxiliary fluid chilling circuits, so that the total number of fluid chilling circuits of the cold plate exceeds the number normally required by the dispenser 10. To avoid the necessity of changing or modifying the cold plate of an ice/beverage dispenser in order to retrofit the dispenser to serve as a cooling engine for other product, it is desirable that in the original manufacture of the dispenser, its cold plate be constructed to provide such excess cooling capacity. If the dispenser is not to serve as a base unit cooling engine for other product, the auxiliary cooling circuit(s) of its cold plate can advantageously be used to provide a surplus of cooling capacity for the dispenser itself that can, for example, improve a carbonation process performed in the dispenser. Should it be desired to retrofit the dispenser to cool other product, the auxiliary cold plate chilling circuit(s) can be converted to that use. Since fluid connections in an ice/beverage dispenser are plumbed, it is contemplated that the dispenser 10 be provided, as initially manufactured, with valve means fluid coupled to its cold plate and easily switchable between a first state in which the auxiliary chilling circuits of the cold plate 26 function to cool beverages served by the dispenser and a second state, used when the cold plate of the dispenser is retrofit to be a cooling engine for other product, in which the auxiliary chilling circuits of the cold plate are used to chill such other product. In this manner, the auxiliary chilling circuits of the cold plate advantageously are at all times used, either to provide a surplus of cooling for the dispenser or to chill other product.
The invention finds use in a variety of applications, in that the transferable chilling feature of the ice/beverage dispenser 10, via use of its cold plate 26 as a cooling engine, can be used to chill any product that requires cooling below ambient and delivery to or chilling at a location remote from the dispenser. The dispenser can be adapted for recirculating a primary fluid to a remote location for consumption, or a recirculating fluid can be used, via a heat exchange process at a remote location, to chill or maintain cold any product, e.g., perishable food. Among various uses contemplated for the invention are: recirculating cold carbonated water through a manifold for delivery as a carbonated drink; recirculating cold potable water through a manifold for delivery as a non-carbonated beverage; recirculating cold potable water to a heat exchanger/carbonator tank for delivery as a carbonated beverage; recirculating cold potable water through a manifold for delivery at a cold water fountain; recirculating cold water to a heat exchanger/container to cool a dairy products such as milk, cream or butter; recirculating cold water to a heat exchanger/container to maintain a salad bar; and recirculating cold fruit juice through a manifold for delivery as a beverage. These uses are not intended to be exclusive, but are merely suggestive of the many uses available for the invention. Also, when it is not necessary that beverages be served from an ice/beverage dispenser, such as the dispenser 10, but only that cooling provided by a cold plate be made available at a remote location, it is not necessary that the cold plate used as a cooling engine for the remote location be part of an ice/beverage dispenser, but instead can be a cold plate located in an ice bin, for example as would be represented solely by the cold plate compartment 27 and cold plate 26 of the dispenser 10.
Reference is made to the schematic representations of systems shown in
In the system of
In the system of
In the system of
In the system of
To facilitate an appreciation of the invention, it will be described in connection with its use in beverage dispensing systems that include the ice/beverage dispenser 10 and a remote beverage dispensing tower, such that the invention provides for the cold plate of the ice/beverage dispenser to serve as a cooling engine for beverage components to be dispensed at the remote tower. These beverage dispensing systems, shown schematically in
When using a remote beverage dispensing tower, a challenge is to maintain the ability to dispense a cold drink at the remote location. If the tower experiences periods of idleness or low demand, the temperatures of the beverage components in the long interconnecting pythons can warm up to the prevailing ambient temperature, resulting in a warm and unsatisfactory beverage of inferior quality being dispensed.
With reference to the beverage dispensing system of
To improve the efficiency of the carbonation process and so that cold carbonated water will be available for dispensing into drinks served by the ice/beverage dispenser 10, a carbonator pump 72 delivers water through tubing circuits 74 in the cold plate 26 and through the check valve 66 and solenoid controlled valve 68 to the carbonator 62, the pump 72 and valve 68 being operated by a controller 76. The carbonator 62 has a water level sensor 78 that provides an input to the controller 76, such that the controller operates the carbonator pump 72 and the valve 68 in a manner to maintain desired levels of water in the carbonator 62. So that carbonated water in the carbonator 62 will be and will remain cold for dispensing, the carbonator 62 advantageously is located in the cold plate compartment 27 of the dispenser 10 in heat exchange contact with the cold plate 26.
As is conventional, the remote beverage dispensing tower 52 does not have a cold plate and is not provided with a supply of ice. Therefore, to improve the efficiency of the carbonation process by the remote carbonator 50 and so that cold carbonated water will be available for delivery to the beverage dispensing tower valves 60, to refill the carbonator tank 50, the carbonator pump 72 delivers water through the cold plate circuits 74, the check valve 56 and the solenoid controlled valve 58 to an inlet to the carbonator tank 50, with the pump 72 and valve 58 being operated by the controller 76. The carbonator 50 includes a water level sensor 80 that provides an input to the controller 76, such that the controller operates the carbonator pump 72 and the valve 58 in a manner to maintain desired levels of water in the carbonator 50. So that carbonated water in the carbonator 50 will be and will remain cold for dispensing, a closed loop cold water recirculation circuit delivers chilled water to and into heat exchange relationship with the carbonator tank. The chilled water is flowed through the closed loop circuit by the carbonator pump 72, and beginning at an outlet from the pump 72, the closed loop water recirculation circuit leads to and passes through the cold plate circuit 74, where the cold plate acts as a cooling engine to chill the water. From the cold plate circuit 74, the recirculation circuit leads through a python 82 to an inlet to a coil of tubing 84 that is wrapped around the exterior of the carbonator tank 50 in intimate heat exchange contact with the tank, so that there is a transfer of heat from carbonated water in the tank to the chilled water flowing through the coil of tubing. From the coil of tubing 84, the closed loop water recirculation circuit returns through the python 82 and a solenoid controlled valve 86 to an inlet to the carbonator pump 72, the valve 86 also being operated by the controller 76. The inlet to the carbonator pump 72 is fluid coupled to the potable water supply, and so that concentrate beverage syrup delivered to the remote tower beverage dispensing valves 60 will be cold, the syrup supply lines may be in intimate heat exchange contact with the cold water recirculation circuit.
The controller 76 utilizes three different control schemes, as seen in
The
In the
Referring to the
The second carbonator pump 88 serves as a recirculating pump for supplying cold water through a check valve 92, a dedicated cold plate circuit 94 and the python 82 to the cooling coil 84 wrapped around and in heat exchange relationship with the carbonator tank 50 of the remote tower 52, which water is then returned through the python and the solenoid controlled valve 86 to the inlet to the pump 88. The second carbonator pump 88 has two modes of operation, a standby mode and a carbonator tank refill mode. In the standby mode of the carbonator pump 88, the valve 58 is closed and the valve 86 is opened, so that the pump then circulates cooling water through the coil 84 to chill the carbonator tank 50. In the refill mode, the valve 58 is opened and the valve 86 is closed, so that the pump 88 then delivers cold water to the inlet to the carbonator tank 50 to refill the tank. Because two pumps are used and each delivers water through separate cold plate circuits, it is not necessary to prioritize refilling of the carbonator tanks 50 and 62, and both tanks can be refilled at the same time.
In the
In the
While the
It would be desirable to be able to quickly, conveniently and efficiently retrofit an existing ice/beverage dispenser, located on a user's premises, to function as a base unit for an associated remote tower, without need for extensive modification of the dispenser and reworking of plumbing. This would enable a user, who already has an ice/beverage dispenser, to economically increase beverage serving capacity and/or the number of different beverages served, simply by the addition of a remote tower that is coupled to and served by an existing ice/beverage dispenser, without requiring the user to purchase a new ice/beverage dispenser or incur the costs of extensive retrofitting of the existing dispenser. To facilitate such expansion of beverage serving capability, it is contemplated that valves, adapter blocks or conversion modules be included as original parts of an ice/beverage dispenser as manufactured and delivered to a customer, which adapter blocks would facilitate economical and convenient conversion or retrofit of the ice/beverage dispenser to serve as a base unit, such that its cold plate supports cooling of beverages at a remote beverage dispensing tower. As will be become apparent, an adapter block is, functionally, any type of valving arrangement that is switchable between states such that, in one state, it provides for dedication of all chilling circuits of the cold plate 26 to the ice/beverage dispenser 10 and, in another state, it provides for dedication of one or more chilling circuits of the cold plate for use in chilling fluid delivered to a remote location, such as to a remote beverage dispensing tower.
In each of the systems of
Referring to the
The
In the
It is noted that the
In the
In a first one of its functions, the second carbonator pump 88 serves to deliver cold water through the adapter block 102, the cold plate auxiliary cooling circuit 106, the adapter block 100 and the python 82 to the cooling coil 84 wrapped around and in heat exchange contact with the remote tower carbonator tank 50. After exiting the cooling coil 84, the water returns through the python and solenoid controlled valve 86 to the inlet to the pump 88. A check valve 116 prevents flow of the water to the pump 72.
In a second one of its functions, the carbonator pump 88 serves to refill the remote tower carbonator tank 50. In a recirculating or standby mode of the pump 88, the valve 58 is closed and the valve 86 is opened, so that the pump then circulates cooling water through the coil 84 to chill the carbonator tank 50 as above described. In a refill mode of the pump 88, the valve 58 is opened and the valve 86 is closed, so that the pump then delivers chilled water to the inlet to the carbonator tank 50 to refill the tank. Because two pumps are used, a separate one for each of the base unit and remote tower carbonator tanks 62 and 50, it is not necessary to prioritize refilling of the tanks to ensure that sufficient water pressure will be available at the orifice inlets to the tanks for proper atomization of water entering the tanks during refill, and both tanks can be refilled at the same time.
From
Each adapter block 100 and 102 includes a body 118 having a passage 120 with opposite ends 122 and 124. A valve member receiving passage 126 extends generally orthogonal to the plane of the drawing and therefore to the passage 120 and is in fluid communication with the passage 120 through a channel 128. Valve members in the form of rotors 130 are received in the passages 126 and have tabs 132 that extend into radial extensions 134 of the passages. The radial extensions have an arcuate extent on the order of about 90° and define at their opposite ends stops for engaging the tabs upon rotation of the rotors, whereby the rotors are constrained for back and forth rotational movement to an extent generally on the order of 90°. The rotors 130 have arcuate passages 136 with opposite ends 138 and 140, the passages have an extent on the order of about 90°, and the bodies 118 have openings 142 and 144 that, together with the channel 128, can communicate with ends of the rotor passages 136 upon rotation of the rotors. The channel 128 and the opening 144 are generally diametrically opposed and the opening 142 is at about 90° with respect to each of the channel 128 and opening 144. O-ring seals 146 in the channels 140 and openings 142 and 144 seal with the rotors 130. Covers 148 close opposite sides of the adapter block bodies 118 and an opening 150 in one cover 148 for each adapter block accommodates outward extension of rotor shafts 152 for manual rotation of the rotors between their two positions 90° apart, which positions define the first and second states of the adapter blocks 100 and 102.
Dole fittings 154 are secured by retainers 156 in the ends 124 of the body passages 120 as well as in the openings 142 to fluid couple the adapter blocks 100 and 102 to and mount the adapter blocks on the ice/beverage dispenser cold plate 26, such that the passage ends 124 are fluid coupled to opposite ends of the cold plate chilling circuit 104 and the openings 142 are fluid coupled to opposite ends of the cold plate chilling circuit 106. Dole fittings 158 are secured by retainers 160 in the ends 122 of the body passages 120 and provide a fluid inlet to the adapter block 102 and a fluid outlet from the adapter block 100. In addition, Dole fittings 162 are secured in the adapter block openings 144 and, for the arrangement shown in
The adapter blocks 100 and 102 advantageously are mounted on and fluid coupled to the cold plate 26 of the ice/beverage dispenser 10 as delivered to a customer, irrespective of whether the dispenser, at the time of delivery, is to be immediately coupled to and serve as a base unit for a remote beverage dispensing tower. As delivered to a customer, the dispenser is in condition to serve as a stand-alone unit and the inlet Dole fitting 158 to the adapter block 102 is fluid coupled to the outlet from the carbonator pump 72 to receive a flow of water in the direction of an arrow 166 and the outlet Dole fitting 158 from the adapter block 100 is fluid coupled to the carbonator tank 62 to deliver a flow of water to the tank in the direction of an arrow 168.
As mentioned,
As described, in one state the valves or adapter blocks 100 and 102 fluid couple the ice/beverage dispenser carbonator pump 72 to the dispenser carbonator tank 62 through the cold plate fluid chilling circuit 104 and place the cold plate auxiliary fluid chilling circuit 106 in-line with the closed-loop fluid recirculation circuit including the python 82. In their other state, the adapter blocks continue to fluid couple the carbonator pump 72 to the carbonator tank 62 through the fluid chilling circuit 104, while removing the auxiliary fluid chilling circuit 106 from being in-line with the closed-loop recirculation circuit of the python 82, and instead place it in parallel with the fluid chilling circuit 104 and therefore in-line between the carbonator pump 72 and carbonator tank 62. Since in each of their states the adapter blocks 100 and 102 fluid couple the carbonator pump 72 to the carbonator tank 62 through the cold plate fluid chilling circuit 104, it is not necessary that this particular fluid coupling be provided through the adapter blocks. It therefore is contemplated that the outlet from the carbonator pump 72 be plumbed to fluid connect through the cold plate fluid chilling circuit 104 to the inlet to the carbonator tank 62 without use of the adapter blocks 100 and 102, and that valves or adapter blocks then be used to either place the cold plate auxiliary fluid chilling circuit 106 in-line with the closed-loop fluid recirculation circuit of the python 82 or to place the auxiliary chilling circuit in parallel with the fluid chilling circuit 104, and thereby in line-between the carbonator pump 72 and carbonator tank 62. A disadvantage of this latter arrangement, a design for which would be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, is that additional hard plumbing would be required, which more conveniently can be provided by use of adapter blocks. Also, if the adapter blocks in this latter arrangement are mounted directly on the cold plate, the mounting would be less secure, since each adapter block would then be coupled to only one inlet/outlet of the cold plate, instead of to two.
The carbonator tank 184 provides carbonated water to some of the ice/beverage dispenser post-mix valves 18 through a delivery line 200 that includes fluid chilling circuits 202 and 204 of the cold plate 34. The carbonator tank 186, in turn, provides carbonated water to the remote tower post-mix valves 182 through a check valve 206 and a carbonated water delivery line 208 that includes a fluid chilling circuit 210 of the cold plate. All of the post-mix valves need not necessarily receive carbonated water, and in the embodiment shown plain water is supplied to two of the ice/beverage dispenser valves 18 through a delivery line 212 that includes a cold plate fluid chilling circuit 214.
The line 208 for delivering carbonated water from the carbonator tank 186 to the remote tower post-mix valves 182 defines a closed loop fluid convening circuit with circulation being provided by a pump 216 driven by a motor 218. It is understood that while in this embodiment a separate pump 216 and motor 218 provide circulation of carbonated through the line 208, use of such separate motor and pump is not necessary and circulation can be provided using any of the techniques employed in previously described embodiments of beverage dispensing systems. For example, carbonated water in the line 208 could be circulated by the ice/beverage dispenser carbonator motor and pump 190 and 188, or by the remote tower carbonator motor and pump 198 and 196, along with appropriate valving.
Whenever a beverage is drawn from the ice/beverage dispenser 10 or remote tower 180, the dispenser cold plate 34 is loaded as a result of warm beverage components flowing through its chilling circuits. As is known, an attempt is made to maintain cold plate performance by agitation of ice in the ice retaining compartment 25 of ice/beverage dispenser hopper 24 to cause ice pieces to pass through the lower hopper opening 33 into the underlying cold plate compartment 27 and onto the upper heat exchange surface of the cold plate 34. Such agitation customarily occurs in response to two events: 1) when ice is dispensed from the hopper 24 through the ice chute 23, with agitation moving ice pieces to and through the hopper ice outlet opening and into the ice chute for dispensing into a cup, and also moving ice through the hopper lower opening 33 into the cold plate compartment 27; and 2) periodically at selected intervals as determined by a timer, so that when the dispenser 10 is idle for an extended period, the mass of ice in the hopper is prevented from agglomerating and congealing into a lump. Consequently, when a drink is drawn from the dispenser 10, even though warm beverage components flow through and load the cold plate, resulting in melting of ice on the heat exchange surface of the cold plate, since a drink dispense at the dispenser is usually accompanied by an ice dispense into a cup, agitation of ice occurs to replace cold plate ice consumed incident to the drink dispense. However, agitation of ice does not occur when drinks are dispensed from the remote tower 180, with the result that the dispensing of drinks from the tower can overload the cold plate 34 and result in an absence of ice on its heat exchange surface.
When the ice/beverage dispenser 10 is combined with and serves as a base unit for the remote tower 180, agitation of ice in the dispenser hopper 24 may not occur sufficiently often, in response to the service of beverages by the dispenser, to replenish ice that melts on the cold plate heat exchange upper surface when the cold plate is loaded by warm beverage components flowing through it incident to drawing drinks at the remote tower. This undesirable situation can occur because cups filled with beverage at the remote tower 180 do not necessarily receive ice from the ice/beverage dispenser 10, and therefore do not trigger an ice agitation event. Consequently, if for an extended period drinks are drawn from the remote tower into cups filled with ice from a separate supply of ice, and if during that period ice agitation and replenishment of ice on the ice/beverage dispenser cold plate heat exchange upper surface 34 does not occur because the dispenser is idle, it is possible that the cold plate will become overloaded in the area of the water chilling circuit that serves the tower, resulting in melting of ice and no ice coverage on the cold plate in that area. The result will be warm beverages dispensed at the tower.
To prevent overloading of the cold plate 34 in the area of the fluid chilling circuit that serves the remote tower 180, it is contemplated that the drawing of drinks from tower be sensed and that the ice/beverage dispenser agitator motor 29 be operated in response to one or more drinks being drawn from the tower. One way to sense the dispensing of drinks at the tower is by detecting energization of the remote tower carbonator pump motor 198 to deliver replacement water into the tower carbonator tank 184, which occurs upon a sufficient decrease in the level of water in the tank following the dispensing one or more beverages from the tower. Upon occurrence of energization of the pump motor 198, the agitator motor 29 may be energized for a predetermined time to rotate the agitator 32 and cause some of the ice pieces in the hopper 24 to pass downward through the hopper lower opening 33 into the underlying cold plate compartment 27 to maintain a supply of ice in contact with the entirety of the heat exchange upper surface of the cold plate 34, including the area of the surface in proximity to the remote tower carbonated water chilling circuit.
Timed energization of the agitator motor 29, in response to drinks dispensed at the remote tower 180, may be implemented in various ways, as is readily apparent to one skilled in the art. One way, as mentioned above, is by sensing the dispensing of drinks at the remote tower 180 by detecting energization of the remote tower carbonator motor 198, which may be accomplished, for example, through use of a circuit of a type as the one shown in
Thus, to maintain a supply of ice on the cold plate, (1) the agitator motor 29 is activated either by closing of the ice dispense switch DG1 when the ice gate opens to dispense ice from the ice/beverage dispenser 10 into a cup or by closing of the normally-open contact PA for off-cycle agitations at time intervals set by a user; (2) the agitator board TR1 has a built-in feature that provides a timed agitation every time the agitator board is powered up; (3) an ice agitation to replenish ice on the cold plate 34 is initiated every time the carbonator motor 198 is energized in response to a sensed low level of water in the carbonator tank 186; and (4) during times when the carbonator motor 198 is energized to refill the carbonator tank, dispensing of ice and attendant agitation of ice in the hopper are accommodated.
It is understood that other techniques can be used to sense the drawing of drinks at the remote tower in order to initiate an ice agitation event at the ice/beverage dispenser. For example, for the case where there is no separate carbonator pump for the remote tower, as in
In the embodiments of beverage dispensing systems described thus far, in which an ice/beverage dispenser serves as a base unit for a remote beverage dispensing tower, chilling of the syrup component of beverages dispensed at the tower is accomplished by heat exchange contact of the syrup line(s) with the chilled water line(s) within a python extending between the ice/beverage dispenser and tower. While the technique is effective, a disadvantage concerns a decrease in cooling efficiency as a result of flowing syrup through the python in order to chill it. The syrup is warm when it enters the python and becomes colder as it flows through the python in heat exchange contact with the cold water line in the python. Although the python is insulated, heat infiltration nevertheless occurs between ambient and syrup in the python, the amount of which is in accordance with a temperature gradient that exists between ambient and the syrup. Thus, the cooler the temperature the syrup is brought to in the python, the greater is the temperature gradient that exists between ambient and the syrup, and the greater is the amount of heat infiltration to the syrup. Such heat infiltration represents a decrease in cooling efficiency, and it therefore is contemplated that heat infiltration be decreased by not flowing the syrup through the python in order to chill it, but instead by delivering the syrup at ambient temperature to the remote tower, and then chilling the syrup only after it is at the tower.
The ice/beverage dispenser 302 is used as a base unit for a remote beverage dispensing tower, indicated generally at 330, such that the cold plate 304 of the dispenser serves as a cooling engine for both water and syrup beverage components dispensed at the remote tower. The remote tower does not have its own ice supply, but instead is provided with a heat exchanger 332, which may be like the heat exchanger of
An advantage of the arrangement is that all of the syrup circuits of the ice/beverage dispenser cold plate 304 may be dedicated to the base ice/beverage dispenser, and by keeping the ambient syrup circuits 308a and 308b out of the python 336, heat infiltration into the python is reduced as compared to when the syrup circuits pass through the python. Also, the ambient syrup circuits can be connected directly to the heat exchanger at the remote tower, which facilitates installation of the remote tower and supply of syrups to the tower, and the syrups delivered to the remote tower are cooled at the point of sale for improved drink quality.
A further advantage is that a beverage dispensing system can easily be expanded to include multiple remote towers. For example, and with reference to
While
The beverage dispensing system of
The ice/beverage dispenser 402 is used as a base unit for a remote beverage dispensing tower, indicated generally at 430, such that the cold plate 404 of the dispenser serves as a cooling engine for water delivered to the remote tower. To deliver chilled water to the remote tower, a chilled water circulation circuit 434 is provided within a python 436 extending between the base unit dispenser 402 and the remote tower 430. The fluid circulation circuit 434 includes an auxiliary fluid chilling circuit 438 of the cold plate 404 and a motor driven pump 440. The fluid circulation circuit 436 is fluid coupled through a line 444 to the water supply line 412 to maintain a supply of water in the circulation circuit, and water is recirculated through the circulation circuit by the motor driven pump 440. Water flowing through the auxiliary fluid chilling circuit 438 of the cold plate 404 is chilled as a result of the cold plate being in contact with ice, and water line 446 branch off of the circulation circuit 434 to deliver chilled water to water inlets to each of a pair of post-mix beverage valves 448 of the remote tower for being dispensed in the service of drinks to customers, with water drawn from the circulation circuit being replenished by water from the line 444. To deliver beverage syrups to the valves 448, two of the syrup lines 408a and 408b extend from the syrup supplies to respective syrup inlets to the valves.
The invention therefore advantageously provides flexibility for use of the cold plate in the ice/beverage dispenser 10, in that when the dispenser is used as a stand-alone unit, two or more cold plate circuits may be used to provide a surplus of cooling capacity for water delivered to the dispenser carbonator tank to improve the carbonation process and better ensure that cold drinks will be served. However, should the need arise, the ability to conveniently use the dispenser to deliver chilled product to or to chill product at a remote location is readily available, which adds value to ice/beverage dispensers delivered to customers. Additional value resides in the ability to expand the variety or quantity of drinks available without need to invest in a new ice/beverage dispenser (base unit) constructed for the purpose. Also, the plug-and-play feature of the valves or adapter blocks coupled to the cold plate makes switchover fast and easy when expanding use of the ice/beverage dispenser to support delivery of a chilled product to or chilling of a product at a remote location. At the same time, cold plate performance is ensured during periods when the ice/beverage dispenser is idle but drinks are being dispensed at the remote tower, by providing for ice agitation in response to the drawing of drinks at the tower.
While embodiments of the invention have been described in detail, various modifications and other embodiments thereof may be devised by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/091,327, filed Mar. 28, 2005 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,305,847, which in turn claims benefit of each of provisional application Ser. No. 60/559,240, filed Apr. 3, 2004, and of provisional application Ser. No. 60/573,882, filed May 24, 2004.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5319947 | Fischer | Jun 1994 | A |
| 5524452 | Hassell et al. | Jun 1996 | A |
| 5535600 | Mills | Jul 1996 | A |
| 5950866 | Lancaster | Sep 1999 | A |
| 5974824 | Galockin et al. | Nov 1999 | A |
| 6266945 | Schroeder | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6463753 | Haskayne | Oct 2002 | B1 |
| 6505758 | Black et al. | Jan 2003 | B2 |
| 6560972 | Ubidia | May 2003 | B2 |
| 6698229 | Renken et al. | Mar 2004 | B2 |
| 6725687 | McCann et al. | Apr 2004 | B2 |
| 6880358 | Lucas et al. | Apr 2005 | B2 |
| 7036326 | Allison | May 2006 | B2 |
| 7389647 | Abraham, III | Jun 2008 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20080276641 A1 | Nov 2008 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60559240 | Apr 2004 | US | |
| 60573882 | May 2004 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 11091327 | Mar 2005 | US |
| Child | 11977643 | US |
