US 4,544,084 A · Beverage dispenser

Abstract

A self-contained unitary attachment engageable atop the supply tank of a beverage dispensing machine in place of the standard cover therefore. The attachment includes a liquid concentrate reservoir that depends into the beverage in the tank and up into a housing portion of the attachment. The housing portion of the attachment accommodates a proportional mixing device with inlets connected with the reservoir and a pressure water supply and an outlet communicating with the tank, a valve to start and stop the flow of water, a pressure regulator related to the water supply, liquid level sensors responsive to high and low liquid levels in the tank, a signalling device to signal when the reservoir is substantially empty of concentrate and a control circuit connected with the valve and liquid level sensors whereby the valve is opened and closed to maintain the liquid level in the tank between high and low levels. The attachment can be engaged with and removed from a related dispensing machine without modification or alteration of the machine. The attachment only has a single water supply line and a single electric supply cord extending from it to releasably connect with a pressurized water supply and a power supply. The housing portion has a normally closed opening above the reservoir to effect intermittent filling of the reservoir with concentrate.

Drawings

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Drawings

Claims8

Dependent claims

In combination, a beverage dispensing machine comprising a base engageable on a supporting structure, an upwardly opening beverage supply tank engaged atop and carried by the base and having a lower substantially horizontally base wall and vertical side walls with upper edges defining a cover engaging rim, a discharge opening at the lower end of the tank and a beverage dispensing valve connected with the discharge opening and accessible at the exterior of the machine;

an automating unit to automatically mix predetermined volumes of water and beverage flavored syrup to make beverage and deliver that beverage into the tank and cyclically operable to maintain the fluid level in the tank between predetermined high and low levels, said automating unit comprises a housing with vertically spaced top and bottom walls and side walls, said bottom wall is removably positioned above the tank and has means engageable with said rim to maintain the housing positioned atop the tank, an elongate vertical upwardly opening syrup reservoir extending through said bottom wall and having a lower portion depending from that wall into the beverage in the tank and an upper portion extending up into the interior of the housing, a vertical access opening in the top wall communicates with the open top of the reservoir and a manually movable lid normally positioned at said access opening and normally overlying the reservoir, a proportional mixing device mounted within the housing to receive and mix water and syrup and to deliver it into the tank and including an aspirator unit with an elongate mixing chamber, a water nozzle passage directing water through the mixing chamber from one end thereof, a beverage outlet communicating with the other end of the mixing chamber and opening to the interior of the tank at an opening in said bottom wall and a syrup inlet communicating with the mixing chamber between the ends thereof and connected with the upper outlet end of an elongate suction tube extending into and having a lower inlet end opening at the lower portion of the reservoir, a normally closed electrically operated on and off valve with an outlet communicating with the water nozzle passage and an inlet connected with the outlet end of an elongate water supply line extending through and out of the housing, said water supply has an inlet end connected with a pressurized water supply, liquid level sensing means carried by the bottom wall and depending into the tank and including switching means actuated when the level of the beverage in the tank reaches said predetermined high and low levels and electric circuit means mounted within the housing and connected with and between the liquid level sensing means and the electrically operated valve and a power service cord connected with the electric circuit means and extending from the housing to a remote power service, said circuit operates to cause the valve to open when the switching means is actuated in response to the level of the beverage in the tank moving to said lower liquid level and to cause said valve to close when the switching means is actuated in response to the level of the beverage in the tank rising to said upper liquid level.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description6,831 words

Summary2,141 words

#This invention has to do with a non-carbonated beverage dispensing machines and is particularly concerned with an automating adapter unit for such machines.

#In the art of vending and dispensing beverages, the prior art has developed and provides special machines for the handling of different classes of beverages. In the case of non-carbonated, fruit-flavored beverages, such as orange, lemon and grape flavored beverages, the prior art provides counter-top machines which comprise box-like bases intended to be engaged and supported atop a counter or the like and which carry upwardly projecting beverage supply tanks. The bases of such machines normally have manually operable beverage dispensing valves or spigots projecting therefrom and house refrigeration systems and recirculating pump means to chill or cool and to circulate the beverage in the supply tanks. In most machines of the character referred to, the tanks have bottom walls formed with downwardly opening cavities in which evaporator coils or units of the refrigeration systems are engaged to effect cooling of the beverage in the tanks and on which pumps of the recirculating pump means are mounted or through which fluid-conducting parts of said pump means are engaged. Finally, the machines of the class here concerned with are provided with substantially flat, horizontal covers removably engaged over and closing the upper ends of the supply tanks.

#Machines of the character referred to above have become substantially standardized and while the details of construction and design of machines produced by each manufacturer differ from machines of other manufacturers, all of such machines are essentially alike as regards their general combination and relationship of parts.

Brief description of the drawings8 figures

#FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a standard beverage dispensing machine;

#FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the machine shown in FIG. 1 with my new automating unit related to it;

#FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially as indicated by line 3--3 on FIG. 2;

Detailed description4,571 words

#In FIG. 1 of the drawings, I have shown a typical, non-carbonated beverage dispensing machine M. The machine M includes a box-like base B with vertical front, rear and side walls 10, 11 and 12, a downwardly disposed counter-engaging bottom and a horizontal tank supporting top 13. A beverage supply tank T is engaged on the top of and projects upwardly from the base B. The tank T is typical of the tanks of most beverage dispensing machines of the class here concerned with and is rectangular in horizontal cross-section. The tank has flat, substantially vertical, front, side and rear walls 14, 15 and 16, a bottom or base wall 17 and an upper rim 18 defining an open top. The bottom or base wall 17 has an upwardly projecting downwardly opening cup-like projection 19 defining a donwardly opening well or cavity 19' in which an evaporator coil or evaporator unit E, projecting upwardly from the base B, is engaged. The bottom wall also has a fitting 20 in which the lower end portion of an elongate vertical stand-pipe P' is engaged. The stand-pipe P' depends from the tank into the base B where it connects with a recirculating pump means (not shown). The upper end of the standpipe terminates and opens upwardly within the top portion of the tank T to direct beverage onto the lower side of a cover Y which normally overlies and closes the top of the tank and from which the beverage drops and/or cascades down into the tank. The bottom wall of the tank also has a fitting 21 in which the upper end of a drain pipe is engaged, which pipe depends into the base and connects with the pump means.

#In some machines of the character here concerned with, the pump means includes a pump structure mounted on or incorporated in the bottom wall of the tank and which is driven by an electric motor mounted in the base B, as by means of a magnetic drive operating through the bottom wall of the tank.

#In practice, the type or kind of recirculating pump means with which the machine is equipped can vary widely since it has little or no direct effect on my invention.

Beverage dispenser

Life of this patent

Beverage dispenser

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims8

Description6,831 words

Drawings

Classification10 codes

Life of this patent

Description6,831 words