US 5,190,189 A · Low height beverage dispensing apparatus · patentgrep

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Abstract

The present invention is a beverage dispenser having a low overall vertical height profile. The dispenser includes a water bath tank. The tank volume is enclosed along a top surface thereof by a support plate. A condenser extends horizontally with and adjacent to a top surface of the support plate. A motor is secured to the top plate and includes a shaft with a blade on one end thereof for agitating the water held within the water bath, and includes a condenser cooling fan on the opposite end of the shaft thereof for cooling the condenser. An evaporator is located in the tank horizontally with and closely adjacent to the tank bottom surface. An elongate carbonator extends lengthwise in a substantially horizontal manner in the tank and is located therein between the support plate and the evaporator. In one embodiment, the level of water within the carbonator is regulated by the buoyancy level of the carbonator in the tank.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A carbonated beverage dispenser, comprising:

a cooling tank having a bottom end surface and perimeter walls extending upwardly therefrom to a top end defining a tank interior volume for holding a volume of water therein, and a rigid support cover extending over the tip end the support cover having a top surface, and a bottom surface facing the tank interior volume,
a drive motor secured to the cover top surface and including a drive shaft, the drive shaft having an upwardly extending portion having a cooling fan thereon,
refrigeration means including a condenser and an evaporator, the condenser extending substantially horizontally with the support cover top surface and positioned adjacent to and above the cooling fan, and the evaporator held in the tank and extending substantially parallel with and adjacent the bottom end surface of the cooling tank for cooling the water therein,
an elongate carbonator secured within the cooling tank and extending substantially horizontally therein between the cover and the tank bottom surface, and
means for maintaining a volume of carbonated water in the carbonator within a desired volume range.

2 more elements

A carbonated beverage dispenser, comprising:

a cooling tank having a bottom end surface and perimeter walls extending upwardly therefrom to a top end defining a tank having an interior volume for holding a volume of water therein, and a rigid support cover extending over the top end the support cover having a top surface, and a bottom surface facing the tank interior volume, refrigeration means including a condenser and an evaporator, the condenser extending substantially horizontally with and secured adjacent to the support cover top surface and the evaporator held in the tank and extending substantially horizontally with and adjacent to the bottom end surface of the cooling tank for cooling the water therein,
water pump means connected to a source of water and operable for providing a pressurized flow of water from the water source, a carbonator pivotally secured on one end thereof within the cooling tank and extending lengthwise therein between the evaporator and the cover the carbonator having a gas inlet for connecting to a pressurized source of carbon dioxide, a water inlet connected to the pump means for permitting filling of the carbonator with water by operating of the pump means and a carbonated water outlet connected to a dispensing valve, and
control means for operating the pump means for pumping water into the carbonator when the water therein goes below a desired low level and for turning off the operating of the pump means when the water level in the carbonator reaches a desired high level, and the control means including switch means secured to the support cover and the switch means responsive to movement of the carbonator to a first position for turning on the pump means for filling the carbonator and the switch means responsive to movement of the carbonator to a second position for turning off the pump means when the carbonator reaches the second position.

A carbonated beverage dispenser comprising:

a cooling tank having a bottom end surface and perimeter walls extending upwardly therefrom to a top end defining a tank having an interior volume for holding a volume of water therein, and a rigid support cover extending over the top end the support cover having a top surface, and a bottom surface the tank interior volume, refrigeration means including a condenser and an evaporator, the condenser extending substantially horizontally with and secured adjacent to the support cover top surface and the evaporator extending substantially horizontally with and adjacent to the bottom end for cooling the water therein,
water pump means connected to a source of water and operable for providing a pressurized flow of water from the water source, a carbonator pivotally secured on one end thereof within the cooling tank for permitting floating support thereof by the water therein and the carbonator secured therein so that the carbonator is allowed to float in the water between a top buoyancy water filling level and a bottom minimum buoyancy level, the carbonator having a gas inlet for connecting to a pressurized source of carbon dioxide, a water inlet connected to the pump means for permitting filling of the carbonator with water by operating of the pump means and a carbonated water outlet connected to a dispensing valve, and
control means for maintaining a volume of water in the carbonator within a desired volume range, the control means including switch means secured to the support cover and the switch means responsive to movement of the carbonator for turning on the pump means when the carbonator reaches the top buoyancy position and the switch means for turning off the pump means when the carbonator reaches the minimum buoyancy position.

A carbonated beverage dispenser, comprising:

a cooling tank having a bottom end surface and perimeter walls extending upwardly therefrom to a top end defining a tank having an interior volume for holding a volume of water therein, and a rigid support cover extending over the top end the support cover having a top surface, and a bottom surface facing the tank interior volume, refrigeration means including a condenser and an evaporator, the condenser extending substantially horizontally with and secured adjacent to the support cover top surface and the evaporator extending substantially horizontally with and adjacent to the bottom end for cooling the water therein,
water pump means connected to a source of water and operable for providing a pressurized flow of water from the water source, a carbonator pivotally secured on one end thereof to the top cover and within the cooling tank for permitting floating support thereof by the water therein so that the carbonator is allowed to float in the water between a top buoyancy water filling level and a bottom minimum buoyancy level, the carbonator having a gas inlet for connecting to a pressurized source of carbon dioxide, a water inlet connected to the pump means for permitting filling of the carbonator with water by operating of the pump means and a carbonated water outlet connected to a dispensing valve, and
control means for maintaining a volume of water in the carbonator within a desired volume range, the control means including switch means secured to the support cover and the switch means responsive to movement of the carbonator for turning on the pump means when the carbonator reaches the top buoyancy position and the switch means for turning off the pump means when the carbonator reaches the minimum buoyancy position.

A carbonated beverage dispenser, comprising:

a cooling tank having a substantially horizontal bottom end surface and perimeter walls extending upwardly therefrom to a top end defining a tank having an interior volume for holding a volume of water therein, and a rigid support cover extending over the top end support cover having a top surface, and a bottom surface facing the tank interior volume,
refrigeration means a condenser and an evaporator, the condenser extending substantially horizontally and secured adjacent the support cover top surface and the evaporator held in the tank and extending substantially horizontally and adjacent to the bottom end for cooling the water therein,
an elongate carbonator pivotally secured within the tank on one end thereof and extending lengthwise between the cover and the evaporator, the carbonator having a gas inlet for connecting to a pressurized source of carbon dioxide, a water inlet connected to the pump means for permitting filling of the carbonator with water by operating of the pump means, and a carbonated water outlet connected to a dispensing valve,
control means responsive to movement of the carbonator and connected to the pump means for controlling the operating thereof wherein the control means initiates the operating of the pump means for filling the carbonator with water when the carbonator moves to a water filling position and stops the operating of the pump means when the carbonator moves to a carbonator full position.

1 more element

A carbonated beverage dispenser, comprising:

a cooling tank having a substantially horizontal bottom end surface and perimeter walls extending upwardly therefrom to a top end defining a tank having an interior volume for holding a volume of water therein, and a rigid support cover extending over the top end the support cover having a top surface, and a bottom surface facing the tank interior volume,
refrigeration means including a condenser and an evaporator, the condenser extending substantially horizontally and secured adjacent the support cover top surface and the evaporator held in the tank and extending substantially horizontally and adjacent to the bottom end for cooling the water therein,
an elongate carbonator pivotally secured within the tank on one end thereof and extending lengthwise between the cover and the evaporator, the carbonator having a gas inlet for connecting to a pressurized source of carbon dioxide, a water inlet connected to the pump means for permitting filling of the carbonator with water by operating of the pump means and a carbonated water outlet connected to a dispensing valve, control means responsive to movement of the carbonator and connected to the pump means for controlling the operating thereof wherein the control means initiates the operating of the pump means for filling the carbonator with water when the carbonator moves to a water filling position and stops the operating of the pump means when the carbonator moves to a carbonator full position, and the control means including switch means secured to the support cover and the carbonator pivotally secured to the cover, and the switch responsive to movement of the carbonator towards a first position adjacent the support cover for turning on the pump means for filling the carbonator and the switch responsive to movement of the carbonator towards a second position below the support cover for turning off the pump means.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.