Clean in place system

A cleaning system for cleaning a cone/shake dispenser, said dispenser having means for supplying fluid product to a dispensing valve, including at least one freezer, each freezer having a product inlet, a product pump for pumping product into the freezer, the dispensing valve being a draw valve which when opened dispenses product from the freezer, said cleaning system comprising:

• (i) a mixing tank for containing treatment solutions;
• (ii) means for delivering treatment solutions from said mixing tank to the fluid product supply means;
• (iii) means for actuating the dispensing valve to open and close the dispensing valve where said actuating means is responsive to valve open/close signals;
• (iv) means for controlling said cleaning system, said control means generating said valve open/close signals to open and close the dispensing valve a multiplicity of times in accordance with a predefined sequence to release intermittently the treatment solutions from the fluid product supply means through the dispensing valve;
• said delivery means delivering the treatment solutions to the product pump, said control means generating product pump on/off signals to which the product pump is responsive, said control means supplying pressurized treatment solutions in said at least one freezer by generating said product pump on signal.

A cleaning system for a cone/shake dispenser having at least one freezer, each freezer having a product inlet, a product pump for pumping product from the product inlet into the freezer, and at least one draw valve for dispensing the product in the freezer, comprising:

• water and chemical supply means for routing water from a water supply to a cone/shake dispenser's product pump, including means for routing plain water to the dispenser's product pump during rinse cycles, and for adding cleansing chemicals to water drawn from a water supply and then routing the resulting cleansing solution to the dispenser during wash cycles;
• a separate draw valve actuating means for automatically opening and closing each draw valve in the dispenser in response to draw valve open and close signals;
• control means coupled to said water and chemical supply means, said draw valve actuating means, and the dispenser's product pump, for controlling the automatic cleaning of the dispenser coupled to said cleaning system, including means for generating a product pump ON to cause the product pump in the dispenser to pump water and cleansing solution through the dispenser, means for automatically initiating rinse and wash cycles in a predefined sequence including means for causing said water and chemical supply means to supply plain water to the dispenser's product pump during rinse cycles and to supply a cleansing solution to the dispenser during wash cycles, and means for generating draw valve open and close signals to open and close each of the dispenser's draw valves a multiplicity of times in accordance with a predefined sequence so as to intermittently release water and cleansing solution from the dispenser and to create agitation in each draw valve in the dispenser for facilitating cleaning of the draw valve;
• whereby said cleaning system automatically performs a specified sequence of tasks to clean a cone/shake dispenser.

A cleaning system for a frozen confection dispenser having at least one freezer, each freezer having a product inlet and a product pump for pumping product from the inlet into the freezer, and at least one draw valve for dispensing the product in the freezer, the product pump including means for turning the product pump on and off in accordance with a product on/off signal;

• the dispenser including at least one flavor supply line coupled to a draw valve for supplying a flavored liquid to the frozen confection dispensed by the draw valve;
• said cleaning system comprising:
• startup means for generating a startup signal;
• water and chemical supply means for routing water from a water supply to a frozen confection dispenser's product pump, including means for routing plain water to the dispenser's product pump during rinse cycles, and for adding cleansing chemicals to water drawn from a water supply and then routing the resulting cleansing solution to the dispenser during wash cycles;
• separate draw valve actuating means for opening and closing each of the dispenser's draw valves in response to distinct valve open/close signals;
• a separate pump for each flavor supply line, for supplying water and cleansing solution from said water and chemical supply means to each flavor supply line, said pump having an outlet and pressure switch means on the outlet of said pump for generating a pressure signal indicating whether the pressure in the flavor supply line exceeds a predefined pressure limit;
• said pump further having on/off control means for turning on said pump only when said pressure signal indicates that the pressure in the flavor supply line does not exceed said predefined pressure limit;
• and
• control means coupled to said startup means, said water and chemical supply means, and each said draw valve actuating means;
• said control means including preprogrammed computer means for:
• responding to said startup signal by performing a specified sequence of rinsing and cleansing tasks, including generating a product pump on/off signal to turn on each said product pump, and generating valve open/close signals for opening and closing each of the dispenser's draw valves a multiplicity of times in accordance with a specified schedule so as to create agitation in each draw valve in the dispenser, thereby facilitating cleaning of the draw valves;
• whereby said cleaning system can automatically perform a specified sequence of tasks to clean a frozen confection dispenser.

A cleaning system for a cone/shake dispenser having at least one freezer, each freezer having a product inlet, a product pump for pumping product from the product inlet into the freezer, and at least one draw valve coupled to the freezer for dispensing the product in the freezer, the product pump including means for turning the product pump on and off in response to product pump ON and OFF signals;

• the dispenser further including a plurality of syrup lines coupled to a corresponding plurality of draw valves (shake dispensing draw valves) coupled to a freezer;
• said cleaning system comprising:
• water and chemical supply means for routing water from a water supply to a cone/shake dispenser's product pump, including means for routing plain water to the dispenser's product pump during rinse cycles, and for adding cleansing chemicals to water from a water supply and then routing the resulting cleansing solution to the dispenser during wash cycles;
• separate draw valve actuating means for automatically opening and closing each draw valve in the dispenser in response to draw valve open and close signals;
• a separate positive displacement pump for each syrup supply line, for supplying water and cleansing solution from said water and chemical supply means to each syrup supply line, said displacement pump having an outlet and pressure switch means on the outlet of said displacement pump for generating a pressure signal indicating whether the pressure on the corresponding syrup line exceeds a predefined pressure level, said positive displacement pump further having on/off control means for turning on said pump only when said pressure signal indicates that the corresponding line pressure is below said pressure limit;
• and
• control means coupled to said water and chemical supply means, each said draw valve actuating means, and the dispenser's product pump, for controlling the automatic cleaning of the dispenser coupled to said cleaning system, including means for generating a product pump ON to cause the product pump in the dispenser to pump water and cleansing solution through the dispenser, means for automatically initiating rinse and wash cycles in a predefined sequence by causing said water and chemical supply means to supply plain water to the dispenser's product pump during rinse cycles and to supply a cleansing solution to the dispenser during wash cycles, and means for generating draw valve open and close signals for each separate draw valve in the dispenser to open and close each of the dispenser's draw valves a multiplicity of times in accordance with a predefined sequence so as to create agitation in each draw valve for facilitating the cleaning of the draw valves;
• whereby said cleaning system automatically performs a specified sequence of tasks to clean a cone/shake dispenser.