Sanitizing and cleaning device for pressurized soft drink systems and the like

Apparatus detachably connected to soft drink dispensing systems and the like which include a source of gas under pressure, various drink dispensing conduits normally connected between tanks of post or pre mixed drinks and a dispensing head, said dispensing head including a control tap for each of said conduits for dispensing the drink under pressure provided by the source of gas, said conduits being detachably connected to said tanks by means of conventional quick connector couplings;

• the apparatus comprising in combination a main tank, means to fill said tank with a rinsing fluid such as water, means on said main tank connectable to the associated source of gas under pressure to pressurize the contents of said main tank, outlet means on said main tank detachably and operatively connectable to the drink conduits and dispensing head of the associated dispensing system, said last mentioned means including a conduit having the intake end thereof adjacent the base of said tank and extending downwardly into said tank, and a one-way valve adjacent said intake end acting in the direction of the other end of said last mentioned conduit, a cleansing fluid container within said main tank, means to fill said container with cleaning fluid, means communicating between said tank and said container whereby when said main tank is pressurized, said container is also pressurized, and an automatic valve assembly within said container controlling said discharge of the associated cleansing fluid in said container to said outlet means of said main tank, means operatively connecting said automatic valve assembly with said outlet means whereby when the associated dispensing head control tap is opened, gas under pressure forces the cleaning fluid from said container into said outlet means and thence through said system, said automatic valve assembly closing off said container from said tank when the contents of said container have been discharged.