Computerized beer dispensing system

A computerized dispensing system comprising:

• a tap means connected to a beverage source for dispensing the beverage, said tap means including an electrically operated valve means for controlling the beverage flow from the tap means;
• a computerized controller connected to the electrically operated valve means, a front panel including a keypad having a beverage volume selection means and a volume adjust means connected to the computerized controller, said computerized controller responsive first, to actuation of the volume selection means first to turn on the electrical valve to start a flow of the beverage and to begin counting the flow time and secondly to stop the flow of the beverage after dispensing a preselected beverage volume and to determine the flow time therefor, and secondly, to dispense said volume thereafter responsive to actuation of the volume selection means, and to the volume adjust means for thereafter incrementally adjusting the flow time up or down as required to maintain substantially the selected volume of dispensed beverage;
• and
• wherein the computerized controller further includes a first means connected to the means for controlling operation of the electrical valve means for determining the number of preselected volumes dispensed and second means connected to the first means for determining the total number of beverage ounces dispensed;
• and
• further including a purge selection means connected to the computerized controller and the computerized controller includes means connected to the first and second means for disabling the first and second means during operation of the electrical valve means during purging whereby during purging the tap means is cleaned with the beverage or a cleaning fluid without incrementing the number of volumes and ounces dispensed.

A computerized dispensing system comprising:

• a tap means connected to a beverage source for dispensing the beverage, said tap means including an electrically operated valve means for controlling the beverage flow from the tap means;
• a computerized controller connected to the electrically operated valve means, a front panel including a keypad having a beverage volume selection means and a volume adjust means connected to the computerized controller, said computerized controller responsive first, to actuation of the volume selection means first to turn on the electrical valve to start a flow of the beverage and to begin counting the flow time and secondly to stop the flow of the beverage after dispensing a preselected beverage volume and to determine the flow time therefor, and secondly, to dispense said volume thereafter responsive to actuation of the volume selection means, and to the volume adjust means for thereafter incrementally adjusting the flow time up or down as required to maintain substantially the selected volume of dispensed beverage;
• and
• wherein the front panel further includes an on/off switch and a key switch including normal and program positions and the computerized controller means includes first, second, and third means connected, respectively, to the on/off switch, and normal and program positions of the key switch for initializing the computerized controller and selecting the normal and surge operating modes, respectively, for the computerized controller whereby upon initialization with the key switch set to normal the normal mode is ready and can be changed to the purge mode only when the program position is selected using a key for the key switch.

A computerized dispensing system comprising:

• a source of beverage for dispensive;
• a tap means for dispensing the beverage;
• a sensor fitting means having a passage for connecting the beverage source to the tap means, a tubular means having a first end in operative association with the passage for substantially continuously converting the velocity of the beverage flowing in the passage to pressures indicative thereof, and a transducer means connected to a second end of the tubular means for generating signals indicative of the pressures;
• and
• a controller means including a first means connected to the sensor fitting means for receiving the pressure indicating signals, a second means connected to the first means for determining the time for dispensing a preselected volume of the beverage using the pressure indicating signals, and a third means connected to the tap means for operating the tap means a time sufficient for dispensing substantially the preselected beverage volume.

A computerized dispensing system comprising:

• a sensor fitting means for passing the flow of pressurized beverage from a source thereof, said sensor fitting means responsive to pressure of the flowing beverage and atmospheric pressure for producing difference pressure signals indicative of changes in the flowing fluid pressure and including first and second flared ends, a constricted passage between said first and second ends, a pressure transducer mounted between said first and second flared ends, and a passage connecting the first flared end to the pressure transducer, said transducer being in communication with the atmospheric pressure and passage to the first flared end for generating the difference pressure indicating signals, and a temperature sensor mounted between the first and second flared ends of the sensor fitting means for measuring the temperature of the beverage flowing through the sensor fitting, and said computerized controller responsive to the output of the temperature sensor for controlling the on/off operation of the dispensing system;
• a tap means connected to the sensor fitting means for dispensing the beverage flowing from the sensor fitting means, said tap means including an electrically operated valve means for controlling the flow of the beverage from the tap means, a nozzle connected to the valve means, and a cooling means attached to the nozzle;
• and
• a computerized controller including means responsive to the difference pressure signals of the sensor fitting means for determining substantially continuously the time required for dispensing a substantially exact quantity of the beverage, and means for generating valve means actuating signals during the valve on time said electrically operated valve means responsive to the valve actuating signals for dispensing the substantially exact quantity of the beverage, and means connected to the cooling means, said cooling means responsive to computerized controller signals for cooling the nozzle whereby the generation of foam until the nozzle reaches the temperature of the beverage is substantially reduced by the cooling of the nozzle by the cooling means.

A computerized dispensing system comprising:

• a difference pressure and temperature sensor fitting means including a difference of pressure sensor for producing difference pressure signals indicative of changes in the flowing fluid pressure and a temperature sensor for producing temperature signals indicative of changes in temperature of the flowing fluid in the fitting means;
• a tap means connected to the difference pressure and temperature sensor fitting means for dispensing the fluid flowing from the sensor fitting means, said tap means including an electrically operated valve means for controlling the flow of fluid from the tap means;
• and
• a programmable controller means including a central processing unit including means connected to the difference pressure and temperature sensor fitting means for receiving the difference pressure and temperature indicating signals and generating signals indicative of abnormal pressures or temperatures or both, and means responsive to the abnormal pressure or temperature of both signals for cutting off operation of the electrically operated valve means;
• a plurality of power connector circuits connected to the central processing unit for controlling normal operation modes of the computerized dispensing system including an override circuit connected to the central processing unit, said central processing unit being responsive to power from the override circuit for inactivating the means for switching off the electrically operated valve means for a pressure failure and switching back on the electrically operated valve;
• and a display means connected to the central processing unit for displaying selected operational modes.