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US 5,190,188 AGranted
Convertible beverage dispenser
AssigneeThe Coca-Cola Company
InventorWilliam S. Credle, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A low cost, multiflavor, compact, versatile, convertible beverage dispenser that can be installed in any one of several different orientations so as to be able to fit in almost any available space. This dispenser can operate frontways or sideways and has a dispense module that is separable from a refrigeration module and that can go on top of a counter while the refrigeration module goes below. This dispenser can be used with either figals or bag-in-box and can be easily modified to dispense different numbers of beverages. When used with bag-in-box the dispenser includes built-in syrup pumps. The dispenser can also be used with a separate, additional narrower dispense module, when the built-in dispense module is too wide for a particular installation.
Claims43
A convertible multiflavor postmix beverage dispenser comprising:
- (a) a refrigeration module and a separate dispense module, said refrigeration module having a refrigeration module housing and said dispense module having a dispense module housing;
- (b) removable connecting means for connecting said housings together to operate as a one-piece unit and for separating said housings from each other to operate as a two-piece unit;
- (c) means for connecting a water line in said refrigeration module to a water line in said dispense module;
- (d) means for connecting a plurality of syrup lines in said refrigeration module to a plurality of syrup lines in said dispense module;
- (e) said refrigeration module including a refrigeration unit and a carbonation unit inside of said refrigeration module housing;
- (f) said dispense module including a plurality of selector buttons and a multiflavor dispensing valve with a dispensing nozzle for dispensing a beverage into a cup;
- (g) said refrigeration module being larger than said dispense module and said refrigeration module housing having a width equal to the length of said dispense module housing and when said housings are connected together, one end of said refrigeration module housing being connected to one side of said dispense module housing;
- (h) means on said one end of said refrigeration module housing for mounting a plurality of syrup pumps to the external surface thereof;
- and
- (i) said one side of said dispense module housing having a syrup pump opening therein and said dispense module housing including a hollow section adjacent said opening of a size sufficient to receive therein any syrup pumps mounted on said refrigeration module.
7 more elements
A convertible, multiflavor postmix beverage dispenser comprising:
- (a) a refrigeration module and a separate dispense module, said refrigeration module having a refrigeration module housing and said dispense module having a dispense module housing;
- (b) removable connecting means for connecting said housings together to operate as a one-piece unit and for separating said housings from each other to operate as a two-piece unit;
- (c) means for connecting a water line in said refrigeration module to a water line in said dispense module;
- (d) means for connecting a plurality of syrup lines in said refrigeration module to a plurality of syrup lines in said dispense module;
- (e) said refrigeration module including a refrigeration unit and a carbonation unit inside of said refrigeration module housing;
- (f) said dispense module including a plurality of selector buttons and a multiflavor dispensing valve;
- and
- (g) when said housings are connected together said dispense module housing having a syrup pump opening in the sidewall thereof facing said refrigeration module and said dispense module housing having a hollow portion adjacent said opening of a size sufficient to accommodate therein a plurality of syrup pumps.
5 more elements
A convertible, multiflavor postmix beverage dispenser comprising:
- (a) a refrigeration module and a separate dispense module, said refrigeration module having a refrigeration module housing and said dispense module having a dispense module housing;
- (b) removable connecting means for connecting said housings together to operate as a one-piece unit and for operating said housings from each other to operate as a two-piece unit;
- (c) means for connecting a water line in said refrigeration module to a water line in said dispense module;
- (d) means for connecting a plurality of syrup lines in said refrigeration module to a plurality of syrup lines in said dispense module;
- (e) said refrigeration module including a refrigeration unit and a carbonation unit inside of said refrigeration module housing;
- (f) said dispense module including a plurality of selector buttons and a multiflavor dispensing valve;
- and
- (g) said dispense module including a hollow section and a separate dispense section, each separately connected to said refrigeration module, means for disconnecting said sections from said refrigeration module, and means for connecting said sections together to form a free-standing dispense module.
5 more elements
A convertible postmix beverage dispenser comprising:
- (a) a refrigeration module and a separate dispenser module, said refrigeration module having a refrigeration module housing and said dispense module having a dispense module housing;
- (b) removable connecting means for connecting said housings together to operate as a one-piece unit and for separating said housings from each other to operate as a two-piece unit;
- (c) means for connecting a water line in said refrigeration module to a water line in said dispense module;
- (d) means for connecting a syrup line in said refrigeration module to a water line in said dispense module;
- (d) means for connecting a syrup line in said refrigeration module to a syrup line in said dispense module;
- (e) said refrigeration module including a refrigeration unit;
- (f) said dispense module including a dispensing valve and a dispensing nozzle for dispensing a beverage therefrom;
- and
- (g) said refrigeration module being larger than said dispense module and said refrigeration module housing having a width equal to the length of said dispense module housing and when said housings are connected together, one end of said refrigeration module housing being connected to one side of said dispense module housing.
6 more elements
A convertible postmix beverage dispenser comprising:
- (a) a refrigeration module and a separate dispense module, said refrigeration module having a refrigeration module housing and said dispense module having a dispense module housing;
- (b) removable connecting means for connecting said housings together to operate as a one-piece unit and for operating said housings from each other to operate as a two-piece unit;
- (c) means for connecting a water line in said refrigeration module to a water line in said dispense module;
- (d) means for connecting a syrup line in said refrigeration module to a syrup line in said dispense module;
- (e) said refrigeration module including a refrigeration unit and a carbonation unit;
- (f) said dispense module including a selector button and a dispensing valve;
- and
- (g) wherein said dispense module includes a dispense section and a hollow section, said sections each having a rear wall facing said refrigeration module when said housings are connected together, said rear walls having openings therein and means for connecting said sections together with said rear walls facing each other when said housings are separated, whereby said openings are hidden in said separated dispense module.
5 more elements
A method for dispensing beverages comprising:
- (a) providing a convertible beverage dispenser including a refrigeration module and a separate, built-in dispense module, said refrigeration module having a refrigeration module housing and said dispense module having a dispense module housing,
- (b) connecting a water line in said refrigeration module to a water line in said dispense module;
- (c) connecting a syrup line in said refrigeration module to a syrup line in said dispense module;
- (d) providing a selector button and a dispensing valve in said dispense module;
- (e) connecting said housings together when it is desired to operate said convertible dispenser as a one-piece countertop unit;
- (f) separating said housings from each other when it is desired to operate said dispenser as a two-piece unit and placing said refrigeration module below a countertop;
- (g) removing said selector button and dispensing valve from said dispense module and installing said button and valve in a second dispense module narrower than said built-in dispense module;
- (h) securing said second dispense module to said countertop;
- and
- (i) connecting said water line and said syrup line to said dispensing valve.
7 more elements
A convertible multiflavor postmix beverage dispenser comprising:
- (a) a refrigeration module and a separate, built-in dispense module, said refrigeration module having a refrigeration module housing and said dispense module having a dispense module housing;
- (b) removable connecting means for connecting said housings together to operate as a one-piece unit and for separating said housings from each other such that said refrigeration module can be placed below a countertop for use with a countertop dispense module;
- (c) means for connecting a water line in said refrigeration module to a water line in said dispense module;
- (d) means for connecting a plurality of syrup lines in said refrigeration module to a plurality of syrup lines in said dispense module;
- (e) said refrigeration module including a refrigeration unit and a carbonation unit inside of said refrigeration module housing;
- (f) said dispense module including a plurality of selector buttons and a multiflavor dispensing valve with a dispensing nozzle for dispensing a beverage into a cup;
- (g) said refrigeration module being larger than said dispense module and said refrigeration module housing having a width equal to the length of said dispense module housing and when said housings are connected together one end of said refrigeration module housing being connected to one side of said dispense module housing;
- (h) means on said one end of said refrigeration module housing for mounting a plurality of syrup pumps to the external surface thereof;
- (i) said one side of said dispense module housing having a syrup pump opening therein and said dispense module housing including a hollow section adjacent said opening of a size sufficient to receive therein any syrup pumps mounted on said refrigeration module;
- and
- (j) a second dispense module narrower than said built-in dispense module, means for securing said second dispense module to a countertop and means for receiving and mounting therein said selector buttons and said dispensing valve.
8 more elements
A method for dispensing beverages comprising:
- (a) providing a convertible beverage dispenser including a refrigeration module and a separate dispense module, said refrigeration module having a refrigeration module housing and said dispense module having a dispense module housing;
- (b) connecting a water line in said refrigeration module to a water line in said dispense module;
- (c) connecting a syrup line in said refrigeration module to a syrup line in said dispense module;
- (d) providing a selector button and a dispensing valve in said dispense module;
- (e) connecting said housings together when it is desired to operate said convertible dispenser as a one-piece countertop unit;
- (f) said housings from each other when it is desired to operate said dispenser as a two-piece unit, placing said refrigeration module below said countertop and placing only said dispense module on top of said countertop;
- and
- (g) wherein said dispense module includes a dispense section and a separate hollow section, said sections each having a rear wall facing said refrigeration module when said housings are connected together and said rear walls having openings therein, and including the step of connecting said sections together with their rear walls facing each other when said housings are separated, whereby said openings are hidden.
5 more elements
A method for dispensing beverages comprising:
- (a) providing a convertible beverage dispenser including a refrigeration module and a separate dispense module, said refrigeration module having a refrigeration module housing and said dispense module having a dispense module housing,
- (b) connecting a water line in said refrigeration module to a water line in said dispense module;
- (c) connecting a syrup line in said refrigeration module to a syrup line in said dispense module;
- (d) providing a selector button and a dispensing valve in said dispense module;
- (e) connecting said housings together when it is desired to operate said convertible dispenser as a one-piece countertop unit;
- and
- (f) disconnecting said housings from each other when it is desired to operate said dispenser as a two-piece unit, placing said refrigeration module below said countertop and placing only said dispense module on top of said countertop.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.