Fountain dispensing module

A postmix beverage dispensing module for attachment to a fountain beverage dispenser comprising:

• (a) a module housing;
• (b) a concentrate package chamber in said module housing;
• (c) said module housing including a door for providing access to said package chamber for inserting and removing a concentrate package;
• (d) a refrigeration system in said module housing for cooling said package chamber;
• (e) a motor in said module housing;
• (f) a pump drive in said package chamber, connected to and driven by said motor;
• (g) a water conduit in said module housing including an inlet port on said module housing and an outlet port in said package chamber;
• (h) an electrical on-off solenoid valve in said water conduit;
• (i) a beverage dispense button;
• and
• (j) a control system in said module housing for controlling said motor and said on-off valve when said button is activated.

A postmix beverage dispenser comprising:

• (a) a dispenser housing adapted to be located on a counter-top;
• (b) a water cooling system including water cooling coils and a cold-water conduit having an outlet port;
• and
• (c) a dispensing module connected to said housing, said module including:
• (1) a module housing;
• (2) a concentrate package chamber in said module housing;
• (3) said module housing including a door providing access to said package chamber for inserting and removing a concentrate package;
• (4) a refrigeration system in said module housing for cooling said package chamber;
• (5) a motor inside said module housing;
• (6) a pump drive in said package chamber, connected to and driven by said motor;
• (7) a water conduit in said module housing including an inlet port on said module housing and an outlet port in said package chamber, said inlet port being coupled to said outlet port of said cold-water conduit;
• (8) an electric on-off solenoid valve in said water conduit;
• (9) a beverage dispense button;
• (10) a control system in said module housing for controlling said motor and said on-off valve, when said button is activated.

A concentrate package for use in a postmix beverage dispenser comprising:

• (a) a concentrate container enclosing a concentrate chamber;
• (b) an integral pumping, mixing and dispensing unit connected to said container and including a pump, a mixer and an outlet nozzle;
• (1) said pump including a pump housing enclosing a pumping chamber and including a reciprocatable piston slidably mounted in said pumping chamber, said pump housing including an inlet port and an outlet port, a one-way inlet valve in said inlet port, a one-way outlet valve in said outlet port, said inlet port being in liquid communication with said concentrate chamber;
• (2) said mixer including a mixer housing enclosing a mixing chamber surrounding the outside surface of said pump housing, said mixer housing including a concentrate inlet port, a water inlet port, and an outlet port;
• said outlet port from said pump housing also being said concentrate inlet port into said mixing chamber;
• said mixing chamber having a thin, elongated, annular shape and said inlet port having a thin, annular shape for feeding a wide but narrow stream of concentrate into said mixing chamber for improved mixing with water introduced through said water inlet port;
• and
• (3) said nozzle having an inlet port and a beverage dispensing outlet port, said nozzle inlet port being said outlet port of said mixing chamber.

An integral pump and mixing chamber assembly comprising:

• (a) an assembly housing including a pumping housing enclosing a pumping chamber and a mixing housing enclosing a mixing chamber;
• (b) said pumping housing including an inlet port into said pumping chamber and an outlet port from said pumping chamber and a reciprocable piston mounted in said pumping chamber;
• (c) said mixing housing including a concentrate inlet port, a water inlet port, and a mixture outlet port;
• (d) a piston rod connected to said piston and extending exteriorly of said assembly;
• (e) said outlet port of said pumping chamber being said concentrate inlet port of said mixing chamber;
• (f) said mixing chamber having a hollow cylindrical shape, with a narrow width, with said concentrate inlet port being a narrow annular opening at said upper axial end with said water inlet port being a circular opening extending perpendicularly into said mixing chamber at one side of mixing chamber at said lower axial end, and said mixture outlet port located at said lower axial end and at the opposite side of said mixing chamber from said water inlet port;
• (g) a one-way inlet valve in said pumping chamber inlet port, and a one-way outlet valve in said pumping chamber outlet port;
• and
• (h) said pumping chamber outlet port being annular in shape and said one-way valve in said pumping chamber outlet port being frusto-conical in shape, tapering to a larger diameter in the outward flow direction.