Water dispensers and, more particularly, a self-contained refrigerant circulating table top water dispenser using a refrigerated cold plate.
This patent application incorporates herein by reference US Patent Application Publication No. US 2011/0011108, published Jan. 20, 2011, and U.S. Pat. No. 7,296,428, issued Nov. 20, 2007.
Cold plates may be used to chill dispensed beverages. Cold plates act as heat exchangers, providing the chilling of a fluid passing therethrough. Cold plates are known generally in the art of beverage dispensing.
It is known in the art that cold plates may receive a refrigerant, such as Freon or SUVA®L/04A, and acting as an evaporator, absorb heat from a multiplicity of fluid bearing tubes in close proximity to the refrigerant tubes of the cold plate. The fluid bearing tubes may include tubes which engage a dispensing valve for dispensing the fluid into a container and service to a consumer. That is to say, it is known, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 7,296,428, to use a cold plate as an evaporator (heat exchanger) to absorb heat from a fluid to be dispensed therefrom.
It is an object of the present invention to provide for carbonated and non-carbonated beverages (including chilled and non-chilled beverage) to be dispensed from a self-contained modular, table top dispenser of potable fluids. More particularly, it is an object of the present invention to provide for the dispensing of carbonated and non-carbonated chilled water as well as non-carbonated non-chilled water.
Applicants provide a portable, modular table top system for dispensing at least chilled carbonated water, chilled non-carbonated water, and ambient (non-chilled) non-carbonated water therefrom. The system is dimensioned to be a table top system, in that its dimensions make it easy enough for one or two people to lift and place on a table or table-like support. The water dispensing system is also designed to be self-contained in that it needs only to engage a source of AC electricity, a source of pressurized CO2, and an external source of pressurized, ambient, non-carbonated water, such as from a city main or municipal water supply. The table top water dispenser includes a cold plate that is chilled by evaporation of a refrigerant, which is part of a cold plate cooling circuit, which includes a compressor and a condenser. A pump and a motor move non-carbonated water through the cold plate to a dispensing valve engaged therewith. The same motor and pump typically drive non-carbonated water through the cold plate, through the carbonator where it becomes carbonated, and through the cold plate again, and out a second dispensing valve. A third dispensing valve is engaged to the remote source of pressurized water and bypasses the cold plate and, also, typically the pump for dispensing from a third dispensing valve.
Applicants provide a system for dispensing multiple potable fluids therefrom, the system comprising a cold plate; a means for cooling the cold plate wherein the means for cooling the cold plate is a refrigerant; a first fluid circuit for carrying ambient water through a pump, through the cold plate, through a carbonator, then back through the cold plate and out a first dispensing valve.
Applicants' first dispensing valve dispenses a chilled carbonated beverage therefrom, where the cold plate is chilled with the use of a refrigerant for substantially evaporating a refrigerant therein.
An embodiment of Applicants' invention has a first fluid circuit carrying water, such as city water from a remote water supply, being received in Applicants' table top, portable water dispensing system.
In a preferred embodiment, Applicants' system is a table top system, that is, capable of being handled by one or two people and compact enough to be set up on a table top, bar top or other vertical support without modification of that support. Therefore, it is typically self-contained and needs only to be plugged into an outside electrical source, an outside source of CO2 and an outside (remote) source of pressurized water (such as city water).
A second fluid circuit may be included in a preferred embodiment of Applicants' present system, which second circuit may carry water or other fluid through the cold plate and then to a second dispensing valve, typically adjacent the first dispensing valve and part of the same modular unit. That is to say, the second fluid circuit would bypass the carbonator and pump, but not the cold plate, and passes through the cold plate at least once before dispensing.
In yet another embodiment of Applicants' present system, a third fluid circuit is provided for carrying water or other pressurized fluid directly to a third dispensing valve; that is, through a third fluid circuit that bypasses the cold plate, carbonator, and, optionally, the pump, and is served from a separate dispensing valve at room temperature.
All of the at least three dispensing valves are typically mounted on a faceplate or front panel that is typically part of the housing of the modular, table top system.
Attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference is a document entitled “Microprocessor-Controlled Multi-Mode Beverage Dispenser,” which published patent application illustrates a cold plate cooling circuit, which may be used to cool the cold plate of the fluid dispensing system. The present system, however, typically uses any form of evaporator type cold plate.
Applicants disclose, in one embodiment, a dispenser having an evaporator cold plate, the dispenser includes tubes or fluid lines for engagement to a source of water at ambient temperature; a carbonator; a pump; a housing having a front plate; a first fluid circuit engaging, in order, the source of water, the pump, the cold plate, the carbonator, the cold plate again, and a first dispensing valve located adjacent the faceplate. A second fluid circuit engages the water source, the second fluid circuit carrying fluid to the cold plate, and a second dispensing valve on the front panel. A third fluid circuit engages the water source and a third dispensing valve located on the front panel.
An embodiment of Applicants' beverage dispensing device has a cold plate engaging a refrigeration system. The system engages a remote pressurized water source, a remote source of pressurized CO2 and a remote source of electricity. An embodiment includes a housing having a top wall, a front panel, a rear panel, two side walls, and a bottom wall. A pump having a low end and a high end is provided, the pump for engaging the remote source of pressurized water. A carbonator engages the remote source of pressurized CO2 gas, the carbonator has a fluid input and a fluid output. A first line engages the high end of the pump, the first line also engages the cold plate and is configured for serpentine, heat exchange engagement with the cold plate. The first line leaves the cold plate. A first junction is configured for receiving the first line. The first junction engages a second and a third line. The second line is for carrying fluid from the first line and engaging the cold plate and configured for serpentine, heat exchange engagement therewith. The third line is for carrying fluid from the first line to the fluid input of the carbonator. A fourth line is for engaging the carbonator fluid output, the fourth line then engaging the cold plate, and configured for serpentine, heat exchange engagement therewith. A fifth line is also provided and is adapted to engage the remote pressurized water source. The fifth line bypasses the cold plate. A first dispensing valve is adapted to receive water from a removed end of the second line, for dispensing chilled, non-carbonated water therefrom. A second dispensing valve is adapted to receive carbonated water from a removed end of the fourth line for dispensing chilled, carbonated water therefrom. A third valve is engaged with a removed end of the fifth line for dispensing non-chilled, non-carbonated water therefrom.
The cold plate assembly 19 engages a dispensing circuit 104 comprising multiple fluid circuits. A housing 106 is provided which typically is generally rectangular and includes a top cover 3, bottom wall 3a, and four side walls 1/2/4/7, one of which is typically a front plate or front panel 4 as seen in
While elements 102/104 illustrate the cold plate cooling circuit and a dispensing fluid circuit, respectively, there may also be portions within housing 106 which substantially include within them most of the elements that make up the respective circuits 102/104. That is to say, the interior of housing 106 may include a cold plate cooling circuit area 108 and a dispensing fluid circuit area 110, the two areas within the housing but generally spaced apart from one another, generally adjacent, as seen in
Applicants' system 100 is substantially self-contained, requiring only engagement with remote AC power 112, an external source of pressurized CO2 114, and an external pressurized water supply 116, such as city (or municipal) water.
In an embodiment illustrated in
First fluid circuit also typically includes a line 202 from the pump high side to the cold plate 19, and from the cold plate 19 to carbonator 42 as illustrated in
Applicants' device typically includes a second fluid circuit comprising a line 206 carrying water from a pressurized remote ambient source, such as water supply 116, to cold plate 19 and then out to dispensing valve 22B located on front panel 4 of housing 106. Line 206 may or may not bypass the pump, but will engage the cold plate at least once and will bypass the carbonator.
Applicants' dispensing circuit 104 may also comprise a third fluid dispensing circuit, here comprising water supply 116 engaging line 208 for bypassing cold plate 19, carbonator pump 39, and carbonator 42, and for engaging and mounting on front panel 4, a third dispensing valve 22C adjacent and aligned with the aforementioned dispensing valves 22A/22B. Third dispensing valve 22C will dispense ambient, un-carbonated water.
As seen in the illustrations, the three dispensing valves are typically adjacent one another on front panel 4, with the first valve 22A dispensing carbonated water therefrom and driven by a high pressure pump, through a carbonator and having passed twice through cold plate 19 as illustrated. It is seen that the second fluid circuit may utilize the pressure of the remote pressure water supply 116, for example, city water, to drive the fluid a single time through the cold plate for dispensing through second dispensing valve 22B. The third fluid circuit is seen to receive remote pressurized water from remote source 116 and bypass the cold plate. Dispensing valves 22A/22B/22C typically engage front panel as illustrated and set above a drip tray 20, which may include a cup rest 21 thereon.
A preferred embodiment of Applicants' device is illustrated in
Turning back to junction 322, an output line 314 inputs to carbonator 42. Output of carbonator 42 is designated line 316a, which inputs fluid, typically cold soda water, to the cold plate at coil tubes 316b. Tubes 316b output to dispensing valve 22a, and represent “twice chilled” carbonated (soda) water. Line 308 may be ⅜ inch ID going to ¼ inch ID after junction 318 and into dispensing valve 22c. This will help maintain water pressure in dispensing valve 22c even when pump 39 is running.
Note that cold non-carbonated water dispensed at 22b, in the
The elements list below, along with
Moreover, with reference to
One of the features of Applicants' invention is its ability to be easily handled by one or two people for placement on a table top or other support surface. Many water dispensing systems are big and bulky due, in some cases, to the nature of the cold plate and sometimes due to the nature of the placement of towers or other remote locations for dispensing valves. In a preferred embodiment of Applicants' invention, dispensing valves are directly adjacent and indeed thread into the core of the cold plate itself. That is to say, the nozzle of the water dispensing valves is within two to six inches of the cold plate and just a few inches from the front panel. Moreover, the size of Applicants' housing, that is the six walls that make up the housing, has a length, width, and height that make it a compact, easily transported unit. For example, Applicants' preferred height is about 18.9 inches, width about 18.9 inches, and depth about 22.2 inches. In a preferred range, Applicants' depth is between about 18 to 26 inches, height about 15 to 21 inches, and width about 15 to 21 inches.
Although the invention has been described in connection with the preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the invention's particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alterations, modifications, and equivalences that may be included in the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/383,462, filed Sep. 16, 2010.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61383462 | Sep 2010 | US |