US 5,901,884 AGranted

Beverage dispenser

AssigneeIMI Cornelius Inc.

InventorsDouglas P. Goulet, Joseph W. Bartoletti, Sr.

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Abstract

A beverage dispenser includes an outer housing having a water bath tank therein and a refrigeration retaining component area therein positioned directly adjacent and next to the water bath tank. A refrigeration chassis provides for retention and carrying of a refrigeration system including a compressor, a condenser and powered cooling fan and an evaporator. The chassis and refrigeration components form a U-shape wherein one "leg" thereof consists of a rectangular sheet metal frame for retaining the compressor and condenser and the other leg consists of the evaporator. The bridge or end portion of the U-shape consists of a horizontal top plate portion of the chassis and the fluid connection between the evaporator and the condenser. The evaporator is suspended from the horizontal top plate. The U-shape of the chassis and refrigeration components facilitates a method of manufacture. In particular, a carbonator, syrup cooling coils and a water cooling coil are first positioned in the water bath tank at an end thereof adjacent the end of the housing on which a plurality of beverage dispensing valves are secured. The assembled chassis with refrigeration components secured thereto is then lifted and lowered into the dispenser housing wherein the evaporator is placed into the water bath tank along an end thereof opposite from the carbonator and cooling coils, and where the compressor and condenser are placed into the refrigeration component retaining area.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A beverage dispenser, comprising:

a lower housing, the lower housing having a top end and a bottom end and four side walls extending therebetween defining an interior housing area, and defining a dispenser front end and a dispenser rear end opposite there from, and the dispenser front end for suspending one or more beverage dispensing valves thereon,
the interior housing area divided into a water bath tank area and a component receiving area, the water bath tank for holding a volume of water therein fluidly separate from the component area, and the water bath tank having a front end adjacent the dispenser front end, and the component receiving area having a rear end adjacent the dispenser rear end,
one or more beverage lines secured to the one or more valves for delivering beverage thereto from one or more corresponding sources thereof, each one or more line having a heat exchange portion extending through the water bath tank for providing heat exchange contact with the water therein,
a component chassis having a substantially horizontal frame member, the frame member having top and bottom support surfaces and extending from a first end to a second end thereof,
refrigeration means for providing cooling of the water held in the water bath tank, the refrigeration means including a condenser secured adjacent the top surface of the horizontal frame member and adjacent the second end thereof, a refrigeration compressor secured to the bottom surface of the horizontal frame member adjacent the second end thereof, and a refrigeration evaporator secured to the bottom surface of the horizontal frame member and spaced from the refrigeration compressor in a direction towards the horizontal frame member first end and the component chassis secured to the lower housing whereby the refrigeration compressor is positioned in the component receiving area and the refrigeration evaporator is suspended in the water bath tank.

2 more elements

A method of manufacturing a beverage dispenser, the beverage dispenser having a lower housing, the lower housing having a top end and a bottom end and four side walls extending therebetween defining an interior housing area, and defining a dispenser front end and a dispenser rear end opposite there from, and the dispenser front end for suspending one or more beverage dispensing valves thereon, the interior housing area divided into a water bath tank area and a component receiving area, the water bath tank for holding a volume of water therein and fluidly separate from the component area, and the water bath tank having a front end adjacent the dispenser front end, and the component receiving area having a rear end adjacent the dispenser rear end, one or more beverage lines secured to the one or more valves for delivering beverage thereto from one or more corresponding sources thereof, each one or more line having a portion extending through the water bath tank for providing heat exchange contact with the water therein, a component chassis having a substantially horizontal frame member, the frame member having top and bottom support surfaces and extending from a first end to a second end thereof, refrigeration means for providing cooling of water held in the water bath tank, the refrigeration means including a condenser secured adjacent the top surface of the component chassis and adjacent the second end thereof, a refrigeration compressor secured to the bottom surface of the component chassis adjacent the second end thereof, and a refrigeration evaporator secured to the bottom surface of the component chassis and spaced from the refrigeration compressor in a direction towards the component chassis first end, the method of manufacturing comprising the steps of:

forming the dispenser housing and securing the one or more valves thereto,
forming the component chassis and securing the compressor and evaporator thereto,
positioning a completed component chassis above the dispenser housing wherein the component chassis first end is above the dispenser housing front end and the component chassis second end is above the dispenser housing rear end, and
lowering the component chassis so that the refrigeration compressor is positioned within the component receiving area and so that the refrigeration evaporator is suspended in the water bath tank, and
securing the component chassis to the dispenser housing.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.