The invention relates to a lever assembly for a beverage dispensing system.
Particularly, the invention relates to a lever assembly that can be installed on a tower beverage dispensing system, alternatively referred to as a “tea urn”, a “kiosk”, or a “fluid dispenser”, to provide greater control and leverage in operating valves utilized by the beverage dispensing system for controlling the dispensing of a beverage.
Beverage dispensing systems are commonly used in a wide variety of locales, including restaurants, snack bars, convenience stores, movie theaters, and any business where beverages are served. These beverage dispensing systems often dispense a variety of beverages of differing types and flavors, such as flavored carbonated sodas, iced tea, water, or even alcoholic beverages. These devices dispense the variety of beverages either by dispensing a single component beverage or by utilizing a dispensing array, also referred to as a diffuser, through which a single beverage may pass or a base beverage and a beverage additive, flow to a dispense point that facilitates discharge of beverages or beverage additives. The beverage components are then dispensed through a dispensing nozzle into a beverage container.
Some beverage dispensing systems are in the form of a beverage tower where the tower system can have a single nozzle or multiple nozzles for dispensing a beverage. When a single nozzle tower is used, it can be configured to dispense a variety of different beverages using valves in connection with a manifold and system of fluid lines connected to beverage sources allowing for distributing a mixed or single component beverage through a nozzle. Buttons can be used to activate the valves to control the flow of the beverage from the system. (The same concept is used with handheld bar guns except that the buttons and valves are located in the bar gun itself rather than in the beverage tower dispenser.) The beverage dispensers utilizing this concept have at least one button, and often numerous buttons, for controlling the dispensing of a single beverage component or a mixed beverage into a container.
Some operators perceive the buttons used on the described beverage dispensers to have some disadvantages because the buttons mechanically activate the valves of the beverage dispensing system. According to some operators, the buttons seem small and may fill with overspray from the beverage itself, causing them to get sticky and harder to depress with prolonged use. Some operators consider the buttons to lack any mechanical advantage because the force needed to open the valves is the same force required to operate the button. With prolonged use, some operators find operating the bar gun or tower assembly more difficult.
Accordingly, it is desirable to develop an assembly that can easily be installed on a tea urn or other such tower beverage dispensing device to make dispensing beverages easier.
The present invention is related to beverage dispensing lever assemblies, and more specifically to beverage dispensing lever assemblies that are configured to be installed on a tea urn or tower beverage dispensing device, providing levers on the tea urn and/or beverage dispensing tower for activating valves for dispensing a beverage.
Embodiments of the present disclosure are generally directed to beverage dispenser lever assemblies, and more specifically to lever assemblies that engage valves within a tea urn and/or tower beverage dispensing device.
Further embodiments of the lever-switching beverage dispenser assembly in accordance with the present disclosure are configured so that the lever-switching beverage dispenser assembly can be installed as part of the original beverage dispensing tower or installed on a pre-existing tower beverage dispenser as a retrofit kit. In a circumstance such as upgrading with a retrofit kit, existing valve control structures, such as a button plate assembly, can be removed and can be replaced by the lever-switching beverage dispenser assembly using the existing screw positions of the tower beverage dispenser.
Some embodiments of the present disclosure implement a four-lever dispenser assembly, allowing for the distribution of fluid through four channels within a beverage dispenser valve unit. The four-level configuration can operate with each level operating independently as well as with any combination of the four levers operating concurrently, mixing fluid streams to be dispensed through the nozzle.
Further understanding of the nature and the advantages of the embodiments disclosed and suggested herein may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the attached drawings.
Illustrative aspects of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the following drawing figures. It is intended that the embodiments, aspects and figures disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.
11A.
Throughout this description for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the many aspects and embodiments disclosed herein. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the many aspects and embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. In other instances, known structures and devices are shown in diagram or schematic form to avoid obscuring the underlying principles of the described aspects and embodiments.
Beverage dispensing towers can be configured with a nozzle, a tower, dispensing and flow control valves, and buttons for dispensing the beverage, where the buttons are installed on a fixed portion of the tower assembly. In some embodiments, dispensing and flow control valves can include a brixing device that contains shut off and flow valves for controlling the flow of beverage components from a beverage source to the nozzle of the dispensing tower. An exemplary tower beverage dispenser is described in Assignees' patent application, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2011/0315711A1 to Hecht, which is incorporated by reference herein. Other similar tower beverage dispensers are commercially available from Automatic Bar Controls at www.wunderbar.com.
Generally, the buttons on a tower beverage dispenser allow an operator to select particular beverage components and/or dispense the beverage components in predetermined or customizable flow rates and volumes. These buttons can be numerous, or merely be a single button, depending on the intended use of the operator or establishment utilizing the tower. Operation of the tower beverage dispenser can include activating valves for dispensing a single beverage component or a mixed beverage solution, depending on the button pushed by the operator and the configuration of the valves. In use, the lever assembly according the present disclosure can be installed on a tower beverage dispensing device, connected to a beverage dispensing system, such as the one described above, to achieve some or all of the functionality of button controlled beverage dispensing systems.
Mechanical hydraulic lever systems as disclosed herein retain advantages over electromechanical systems that are seeing increased use and penetration in the industry. In many respects, a mechanical hydraulic system of control provides for a desired functionality, while having a lower cost as compared to electromechanical or digitally controlled systems. Indeed, the maintenance of a mechanical hydraulic system can be more straightforward than electromechanical or digitally controlled systems, where the relatively less complex mechanical system is relatively easier to assemble, disassemble and repair, and is inherently less prone to failure (i.e. more reliable) exactly because of the relatively less complex, yet still innovative, construction and design of the system. Further, a mechanical hydraulic system as disclosed herein is not dependent on building or grid electricity to function. Such a non-electrical implementation can be applicable to a wide variety of fluid dispensers, tea urn, kiosks, beverage towers, and the like.
The aspects of the disclosure herein can be further understood with reference to the exemplary devices shown in the Figures, although the invention is not limited to the depicted embodiments and may include many variations in accordance with the principles and aspects described herein.
In some assemblies, not all of the channels will be connected to a gas or fluid source, since not every beverage tower will necessarily have a number of beverage source supplies to match the number of channels within the beverage dispenser valve unit 100. In some aspects, the fluid sources connected to one or more of the channels can hold the same beverage, different beverages, or combinations of beverages from one or more fluid sources. Nozzle 104 can be configured to receive fluid and/or gas through any or all of first channel 118, second channel 120, third channel 122, fourth channel 124, and fifth channel 126.
In various aspects, the valves used for any or all of the first dispenser valve 128, second dispenser valve 130, third dispenser valve 132, fourth dispenser valve 134, and fifth dispenser valve 136 can be gate valves, plunger valves, check valves, ball valves, other one-way valves, or the like.
In some implementations, any one or all of first lever 208, second lever 210, third lever 212, fourth lever 214, and/or the actuating plate 106 can be configured such that when actuated, first dispenser valve 128 is opened within first channel 118 concurrently with another dispenser valve to which the actuated lever is mechanically connected. Accordingly, in an exemplary embodiment, a system having a lever-switching beverage dispenser assembly 200 can be configured to have a gas route through first channel 118 and to have fluids route through second channel 120, third channel 122, fourth channel 124, and fifth channel 126. Operation of first lever 208 can open both first dispenser valve 128 and second dispenser valve 130, thereby channeling both gas and fluid through their respective passageways to nozzle 104. Each of second lever 210, third lever 212, and fourth lever 214 can be similarly operated. In other words, any one lever can be configured to be operable with and actuate the first dispenser valve 128 along with any one or combination of the second dispenser valve 130, the third dispenser valve 132, the fourth dispenser valve 134, and/or the fifth dispenser valve 136.
In alternative implementations, any one or more of first lever 208, second lever 210, third lever 212, fourth lever 214, and/or the actuating plate 106 can be configured such that when actuated, first dispenser valve 128 is not actuated, while the valves associated with the individual levers remain able to actuate. In other words, any one lever can be configured to not actuate the first dispenser valve 128, while still being operable to actuate any one or combination of the second dispenser valve 130, the third dispenser valve 132, the fourth dispenser valve 134, and/or the fifth dispenser valve 136. Such implementations can be applied, for example, for use or dispensing of a pre-mixed beverage or fluid.
Further shown are set screw 144 along with washer and screw 145. Set screw 144 couples with actuating plate 106 and is positioned and configured to allow for adjusting the degree of actuation for first dispenser valve 128. Washer and screw 145 holds actuating upper plate 106 in position within the dispenser body 102 of the assembly. First dispenser valve 128, second dispenser valve 130, third dispenser valve 132, fourth dispenser valve 134, and fifth dispenser valve 136 are shown below dispenser body 102, removed from their respective channels, with second dispenser valve 130 shown as further exploded into constituent parts. Lower plate 110 is generally positioned under the dispenser valves when within the dispenser body 102, with valve setting pins 111 securing each of second dispenser valve 130, third dispenser valve 132, fourth dispenser valve 134, and fifth dispenser valve 136 within the dispenser body when assembled. Nozzle 104 is also further shown in detail, with O-rings 107 and aerator 105 forming nozzle 104,
11D is a side profile view of the tower beverage dispensing device 400 as shown in
In further aspects of the tower beverage dispensing device 400 as shown in
The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in the context of describing the invention (especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unless otherwise noted. The term “connected” is to be construed as partly or wholly contained within, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. Recitation of ranges of values herein are merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range, or gradients thereof, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each separate value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to better illuminate embodiments of the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.
Preferred embodiments of this invention are described herein, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the invention. The invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, and certain shown exemplary embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described above in detail. Variations of those preferred embodiments and the disclosure generally, within the spirit of the present invention, may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventors intend for the invention to be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly, it should be understood that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or forms disclosed, but on the contrary, this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicable law. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in all possible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/340,422, filed May 23, 2016, entitled “Lever-Switching Multiple Fluid-Input Beverage Dispenser,” the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20170334703 A1 | Nov 2017 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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62340422 | May 2016 | US |