Method and apparatus for forming frozen beverage blocks
AssigneeFBW, Inc.
InventorsJoel Freedman, Shea Barr, Michael Willson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method or apparatus for forming frozen beverage blocks from a liquid beverage. The method may include introducing a beverage into a beverage receiving reservoir. Next, the beverage may flow from the beverage receiving reservoir into a holding tank. The flow from the beverage receiving reservoir into the holding tank may be done entirely via gravity. Upon the temperature of the beverage located within the holding tank being measured at or below a predetermined lower threshold temperature, the beverage may be permitted to flow from the holding tank into a cool beverage reservoir of a freezing subsystem. The freezing subsystem may be configured to convert the beverage from a liquid into frozen beverage blocks.
Claims15
An apparatus for forming frozen beverage blocks comprising:
- a beverage receiving inlet configured to receive a beverage;
- a holding tank configured to hold the beverage that is introduced into the beverage receiving inlet;
- a freezing subsystem comprising a cool beverage reservoir and an evaporator, the cool beverage reservoir comprising a collection trough that is configured to receive the beverage upon the beverage being released from the holding tank and a collection tank, the collection trough comprising a floor having an opening that provides a pathway from the collection trough into the collection tank so that a portion of the beverage located in the collection trough flows into the collection tank;
- a pump subsystem comprising a pump conduit having a first end located in the collection tank of the cool beverage reservoir and a second end that is coupled to a pump;
- and
- wherein the pump subsystem is configured to pump the beverage from the cool beverage reservoir to a top of the evaporator, the beverage configured to cascade down the evaporator and either freeze along the evaporator to form the frozen beverage blocks from the beverage or flow back into the cool beverage reservoir to be pumped once again to the top of the evaporator.
A method of forming frozen beverage blocks comprising:
- introducing a beverage into a beverage receiving reservoir;
- flowing the beverage from the beverage receiving reservoir into a holding tank;
- upon the temperature of the beverage in the holding tank being measured to be at or below a predetermined lower threshold temperature, allowing the beverage to flow from the holding tank into a cool beverage reservoir of a freezing subsystem;
- measuring a liquid level of the beverage in the cool beverage reservoir of the freezing subsystem using a liquid level sensor that is operably coupled to a controller;
- upon the liquid level of the beverage in the cool beverage reservoir being measured by the liquid level sensor to be at or above a predetermined upper threshold, the controller closing a second valve that is located downstream of the holding tank and upstream of the freezing subsystem so that the beverage cannot flow from the holding tank into the freezing subsystem;
- and
- forming frozen beverage blocks from the beverage in the freezing subsystem.
A method of forming frozen beverage blocks comprising:
- introducing a beverage into a beverage receiving reservoir;
- flowing the beverage from the beverage receiving reservoir into a holding tank;
- upon the temperature of the beverage in the holding tank being measured to be at or below a predetermined lower threshold temperature, allowing the beverage to flow from the holding tank into a cool beverage reservoir of a freezing subsystem;
- and
- forming frozen beverage blocks from the beverage in the freezing subsystem;
- wherein forming frozen beverage blocks from the beverage comprises pumping the beverage from the cool beverage reservoir of the freezing subsystem to a top end of an evaporator of the freezing subsystem with a pump that is operably coupled to a controller, the beverage cascading downwardly along the evaporator of the freezing subsystem from the top end of the evaporator to a bottom end of the evaporator and either freezing along the evaporator to form the frozen beverage blocks or flowing back into the cool beverage reservoir, wherein the beverage flows continuously along a closed-loop flow path between the cool beverage reservoir and the evaporator until either:
- (1) the pump is deactivated;
- or (2) the beverage freezes;
- and
- wherein, prior to flowing from the evaporator back into the cool beverage reservoir, the beverage flows along an evaporator lip located along the bottom end of the evaporator and from the evaporator lip to a flap member that extends into the cool beverage reservoir to reduce a distance that the beverage free falls into the cool beverage reservoir and prevent the beverage from foaming.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.