Patent Application
20210276854
Refrigerated beverage dispensers, such as kegerators, that are designed to house and dispense contents from pressurized beverage containers are narrow use devices that often outlive their original purpose. Typically, refrigerated beverage dispensers are designed to rely on an elevated internal pressure beverage containers, such as plastic or steel kegs, which are pressurized by cylinders of nitrogen or carbon dioxide gas to dispense contents of a beverage container from a relatively elevated outlet of the refrigerated beverage dispenser. As a result, refrigerated beverage dispensers typically cannot dispense beverages from containers lacking an elevated internal pressure and/or incapable of achieving such pressure. Furthermore, refrigerated beverage dispensers, such as kegerators, are typically designed to operatively connect the outlet of the refrigerated beverage dispenser only to a narrow variety of container outlets, such as keg couplers. As a result, refrigerated beverage dispensers typically lack the hardware necessary to operatively connect the outlet of the refrigerated beverage dispenser to a beverage container that falls outside the intended use of the refrigerated beverage container.
Consequently, owners of refrigerated beverage dispensers that are interested in dispensing non-carbonated beverages such as coffee conveniently from a refrigerated container without using a pressurized delivery system are prompted to convert the refrigerated beverage container with adaptive hardware, or invest in a separate apparatus altogether.
According to one aspect, a refrigerated beverage dispenser conversion system includes an electric pump configured for being mounted within an interior of a refrigerated beverage dispenser, the electric pump having an inlet and an outlet. An inlet barb is operatively connected to the electric pump at the inlet, and an inlet hose is operatively connected to the inlet barb at a first end of the inlet hose. The inlet barb and the inlet hose are sized to engage an outlet of a container disposed within the refrigerated beverage dispenser to bring the container in fluid communication with the electric pump. An outlet barb is operatively connected to the electric pump at the outlet and sized for operatively connecting to an outlet hose in fluid communication with an outlet of the refrigerated beverage dispenser. The outlet barb is differently sized from the inlet barb, such that the refrigerated beverage dispenser conversion system is configured to bring the container in fluid communication with the preexisting, pre-installed outlet of the refrigerated beverage dispenser.
According to another aspect, a method of converting a refrigerated beverage dispenser includes locating an electric pump, an inlet barb connected with an inlet of the electric pump, and an inlet hose connected to the inlet barb at a first end of the inlet hose within an interior of a refrigerated beverage dispenser. The method also includes operatively connecting a second end of the inlet hose with an outlet fitting of a bag-in-box container holding a non-carbonated beverage such that the bag-in-box container is in fluid communication with the electric pump. The method also includes operatively connecting an outlet hose in fluid communication with the preexisting, pre-installed outlet of the refrigerated beverage dispenser located external to the refrigerated beverage dispenser with an outlet of the electric pump, thereby bringing the bag-in-box container in fluid communication with the outlet of the refrigerated beverage dispenser.
According to another aspect, a method of configuring an electric pump system for converting a refrigerated beverage dispenser includes operatively connecting a first end of an inlet hose to an inlet barb, and operatively connecting an electric pump with the inlet barb at an inlet of the electric pump. The inlet barb and the inlet hose are sized to fit an outlet of a container and thereby bring the container in fluid communication with the electric pump. The method also includes operatively connecting a second end of the inlet hose with a quick connect spear configured for engaging the outlet of the container, and operatively connecting the electric pump with an outlet barb at an outlet of the electric pump. The outlet barb is sized to fit an outlet hose in fluid communication with the preexisting, pre-installed outlet of the refrigerated beverage dispenser located external to the refrigerated beverage dispenser, wherein the inlet barb and the outlet barb are different sizes.
It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawings herein are merely illustrative and that various modifications and changes can be made in the structures disclosed without departing from the present disclosure. Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views,
With reference back to
As depicted in
The outlet hose 122 is operatively connected to the electric pump 114 through an outlet barb 144. As depicted, the outlet barb 144 connects a first end 150 of the outlet hose 122 and an outlet 152 of the electric pump 114, and is fastened to the outlet hose 122 with a second clamp 154. In fastening the outlet barb 144, the second clamp 154 is placed over the first end 150 of the outlet hose 122, and tightened over the outlet hose 122 where the outlet hose 122 connects with the outlet barb 144. The outlet hose 122 is in fluid communication with the outlet 112 of the refrigerated beverage dispenser 102 located external to the refrigerator 104 at a second end 160 of the outlet hose 122. The outlet hose 122 can be the hose, often referred to as a “beer line,” provided by the manufacturer of the kegerator. This hose can be connected with the draft tower 110 upon receipt of the kegerator from the manufacturer or retailer.
As depicted in
The inlet barb 132, inlet hose 120, and quick connect spear 162 are sized to adapt the inlet 140 of the electric pump 114 to the outlet 172 of the container 118, while the outlet barb 144 is sized to adapt the outlet 152 of the electric pump 114 to the outlet hose 122 of the refrigerated beverage dispenser 102. Additionally, the inlet 140 of the electric pump 114 and the outlet 152 of the electric pump 114 are respectively sized according to the outlet 172 of the container 118 and the outlet hose 122 of the refrigerated beverage dispenser 102. Consequently, the inlet barb 132 and the outlet barb 144 have different internal diameters, and the inlet hose 120 and outlet hose 122 have different internal diameters. In this manner, each element cooperatively brings the outlet 172 of the container 118 in fluid communication with the outlet 112 of the refrigerated beverage dispenser 102 across the electric pump 114. In an embodiment, the inlet barb 132 is smaller in internal diameter than the outlet barb 144, and the inlet hose 120 is smaller in internal diameter than the outlet hose 122.
As depicted in
As depicted, the electric pump 114 is mounted above the container 118, such that a top surface 184 opposite from the bottom of the container 118 faces the electric pump 114. To accommodate disparate locations and angles of the outlet 152 of the electric pump 114 and the outlet 172 of the container, the inlet hose 120 is sufficiently flexible to be maneuvered around the container 118 from the electric pump 114.
The electric pump 114 receives power from a power adapter 190 depicted in
The electric pump 114 is configured such that actuation of the tap handle 106 from an off position to a dispensing position actuates the electric pump 114 to deliver contents from the container 118 to the outlet 112 of the refrigerated beverage dispenser 102. With the electric pump 114 configured for pumping contents of the container 118, and the container 118 being gravity assisted, the refrigerated beverage dispenser 102 does not require pressurized tanks, including the nitrogen tank or carbon dioxide tank mentioned above, to draw contents from the container 118 to the outlet 112 of the refrigerated beverage dispenser 102.
Assembling the conversion system 100 as in
The quick connect spear 162 is inserted into the second end 164 of the inlet hose 120 and the inlet hose 120 is fastened around the quick connect spear 162 with the third clamp 170, operatively connecting the quick connect spear 162 to the second end 164 of the inlet hose 120. The quick connect spear 162 is connected to the second end 164 of the inlet hose 120 prior to connecting the inlet hose 120 with the container 118. The inlet barb 132 is operatively connected to the electric pump 114 at the inlet 140 of the electric pump 114, bringing the inlet hose 120 in fluid communication with the electric pump 114.
Installing the conversion system 100 in the refrigerated beverage dispenser 102 includes connecting the outlet barb 144 to the outlet hose 122 by inserting the outlet barb 144 into the first end 150 of the outlet hose 122 as in
With the conversion system 100 assembled and installed in the refrigerated beverage dispenser 102 as in
The electric pump 114 is mounted to the interior wall 124 of the refrigerated beverage dispenser 102 by driving screws through the mounting flanges 130 and into the interior wall 124 of the refrigerated beverage dispenser 102. As depicted, the electric pump 114 is mounted above the container 118, with the container 118 disposed in the interior 116 of the refrigerated beverage dispenser 102 such that the outlet 172 of the container 118 is directed downwards from the side 180 of the container 118, or most bottom point of the container 118. With this orientation and location of the outlet 172 of the container 118 with respect to the container 118, gravity directs contents of the container 118 toward the outlet fitting 174 until the container 118 is empty.
With the conversion system 100 assembled and installed into the refrigerated beverage dispenser 102 as in
It will be appreciated that various embodiments of the above-disclosed and other features and functions, or alternatives or varieties thereof, may be desirably combined into many other different systems or applications. Also that various presently unforeseen or unanticipated alternatives, modifications, variations or improvements therein may be subsequently made by those skilled in the art which are also intended to be encompassed by the following claims.
