Liquid dispenser with ozonating, recirculating and improved temperature control functions
AssigneeMTN Products, Inc.
InventorsChun Yen Wang, Gregory N. Spear
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Liquid dispensing systems which sanitize the liquid and liquid-contacting parts of a liquid dispensing system using ozonation, by periodically flushing the system with ozonated gas or liquid. Also disclosed and claimed are an apparatus and method for controlling temperature variations between the liquid in holding (e.g., cold and/or hot) tanks and the liquid as it is dispensed, which may be used with an Insta-Boil feature.
Claims20
A liquid dispensing device capable of being used to perform the following steps:
- dispensing a liquid through a dispensing mechanism that is in fluid communication with a first liquid communication means;
- and
- periodically, automatically flushing liquid collecting in the first liquid communication means from the first liquid communication means during a time when no dispensing of the liquid has occurred, to facilitate the prevention of pathogen contamination within the liquid contained in the first liquid communication means during non-dispensing time periods.
A liquid dispensing device capable of dispensing a liquid through a dispensing mechanism that is in fluid communication with a first liquid communication means, and also capable of being used to perform the following steps:
- prior to dispensing the liquid, and after a request for dispensing has been made to the system by an operator of the system, automatically flushing liquid that has collected in the first liquid communication means from the first liquid communication means;
- and
- replacing the flushed liquid in the first liquid communication means with liquid at a predetermined, desired temperature.
A liquid dispensing system, comprising:
- a liquid supply;
- a first liquid communication means allowing the liquid to flow along a first path from the liquid supply to a dispenser;
- a pump for drawing the liquid from the liquid supply and causing it to flow along the first path as controlled by the user, the pump automatically activating on a periodic basis during a non-liquid-dispensing mode to flush liquid in the first liquid communication means from the first liquid communication means, and to replace the flushed liquid with chilled liquid, in order to maintain a temperature of the liquid within the first liquid communication means below a certain predetermined temperature to limit the growth of pathogens within the liquid.
A method for sanitizing a liquid dispensing system, comprising the steps of:
- providing a liquid supply source;
- providing a first liquid communication means allowing the liquid to flow along a first path between the liquid supply source and a dispenser, and
- sanitizing substantially all of the waterways of the system and the dispenser by sufficiently ozonating the liquid within the waterways.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.