GB2194508A

GB2194508A - Cooling circuit for beverage dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2194508A
Application number: GB08719324A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Martin James Lamb
Original assignee: IMI Cornelius Inc
Current assignee: Cornelius Inc
Priority date: 1986-08-14
Filing date: 1987-08-14
Publication date: 1988-03-09
Anticipated expiration: 2007-08-14
Also published as: GB2194508B; GB8719324D0; GB8619812D0

Abstract

Carbonated beverage dispensing equipment in which carbonated water which has been cooled in a cooler (18) is supplied to dispense apparatus (20) together with a suitable concentrate. The carbonated water and the concentrate are mixed by the dispense apparatus (20) to provide the beverage. The equipment includes an auxiliary cooling module (50) for the carbonated water, the module (50) comprising a product coil (58) from which heat is extracted by cold water circulating to (56) and from (54) the cooler (20). The product coil (58) forms part of a closed circuit loop containing an auxiliary pump (60); carbonated water withdrawn from this loop at a dispense tap is made up with water from carbonator (36) via line (40). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus for dispensing carbonated beverages The invention relates to apparatus for dispensing carbonated beverages.

It is known to provide, as part of the apparatus for dispensing carbonated beverages, a cooler which is located at a point remote from the counter or bar where the beverages are dispensed. So that the beverages can be served in cold condition, it is known to convey the constituents of the beverages, that is to say the carbonated water and the concentrates of the various beverages which can be produced, from the cooler to the dispense point through pipes which are lagged together in a bundle at least through any relatively warm environment through which they extend.To hold down the temperature of the lagged bundle of pipes extending from the cooler to the dispense point it is known to incorporate in the bundle of pipes flow and return runs of a closed circuit pipe loop for drawing cold water from and returning it to the cooler, although it is often not practical to take this cold water coling right up to the head of each dispense tap.

Apparatus of the kind described above works reasonably well but it does have its limitations. That is to say, whereas an ideal serving temperature for most soft drinks is generally considered to be between 4 "C and 5 "C this is difficult and often impossible to achieve for various reasons. For example, since it is usually necessary to maintain the concrete temperature at 10 "C or above to minimise problems in metering associated with high viscosity, the carbonated water needs to be dispensed at 2.5 "C or below in order to achieve the correct temperature of the mixed beverage.Research has shown that even between the cooler and the dispense point has been lagged to a very high standard, the carbonated water being conveyed to the dispense point has been unable to be held down to the required temperature, particularly in periods of long standstill, ie 1 5 minutes or more.

Consequently, the serving temperature of the mixed beverage is often several degrees above the ideal temperature.

The invention has for its object to provide an apparatus for dispensing carbonated beverages which will at least alleviate the drawbacks referred to above in known apparatus.

According to the invention, there is provided apparatus for dispensing carbonated beverages, the apparatus including a cooler located at a point remote from a counter or bar where beverages are dispensed, at least the carbonated water for the beverages being conveyed from the cooler through a pipe which forms one of a bundle of pipes which are lagged together at least along a part of their route from the cooler to the dispense point, other pipes of the bundle including flow and return runs of a closed circuit pipe loop for drawing cold water from and returning it to the cooler, the apparatus in addition including an auxiliary cooling module to and from which cold water from the cooler is caused to flow, the cooling module containing a product coil from which heat is extracted by the cold water circulating to and from the cooler, the product coil forming part of a closed circuit loop of tubing containing an auxiliary motor driven pump, the arrangement being such that carbonated water can be drawn from said loop of tubing when a dispense tap is opened, the quantity of water drawn from the loop being made up by a flow of carbonated water into the loop from the pipe which extends from the cooler as one of the lagged bundle of pipes. At least a part of said loop of tubing may be located near to the dispense point eg adjacent to or immediately beneath a dispense bar or counter. Preferably, but not necessarily, concentrates of the beverages to be dispensed will also be conveyed through respective pipes within the bundle of lagged pipes.

In order that the invention may be fully understood and readily carried into effect, the same will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: FIGURE 1 is a schematic illustration of apparatus embodying the invention, and FIGURE 2 is a drawing similar to Figure 1 and illustrating a possible modification.

Referring now to Figure 1 of the drawings, the apparatus there illustrated for dispensing carbonated beverages includes respective tanks 10, 12, 14 and 16 containing concentrates of the beverages to be dispensed, a cooler generally indicated 18 and dispense apparatus generally indicated 20.- However, whereas the dispense apparatus 20 will be situated at a counter or bar, the concentrate tanks and cooler will generally be situated in a cellar or some other remote point.

The concentrate tanks are pressurised by a top pressure of gas from a pressure cylinder 22, and respective delivery lines which extend from the concentrate tanks to particular dispense taps of the dispense apparatus 20 have respective coiled lengths 24, 26, 2S and 30 located within the cooler and surrounding an "ice bank" formed by the circulation of a refrigerant through a coil (not shown) by pump (not shown).

Carbonated water is supplied to the dispense tap, to be mixed with the required concentrate, from a carbonator 36 which is itself located within the cooler so that it is maintained at a low temperature (the carbonator being of the kind into which carbon dioxide gas is fed from the pressure cylinder 22, the arrangement being such that as water is dis charged into the carbonator from a coil 32 through a nozzle 38 in the form of a spray, it is intimately mixed with the gas). A pump 34 is provided to feed water through the coil 32 and into the carbonator.

So that the respective delivery lines for the various concentrates of the beverages to be dispensed can be maintained at a relatively low temperature between the cooler 18 and the dispense apparatus, the delivery lines are shown to extend, together with other piping, as a lagged bundle of pipes from the cellar or other point in which the cooler is situated to the counter on the bar at which the dispense apparatus 20 is located. (In practice they will be lagged, at least through any relatively warm environment through which they extend by wrapping a lagging material around them or by drawing a sleeve of sponge rubber or the like over them or by the application of other heat insulating material such as cork or expanded polystyrene).

The -other piping referred to as forming part of the lagged bundle is constituted by a pipe 40 which is arranged to draw carbonated water from the carbonator and convey it to the dispense taps, and flow and return runs 42 and 44 of a closed circuit pipe loop for cold water drawn from and returning to the cold water tank of the cooler. A motor driven pump 46 for circulating the cold water around the closed circuit pipe loop is drivably connected to an agitator 48 which continuously agitates the water in the tank and around the "ice bank".The fact that the delivery lines for the various concentrates, and the pipe drawing carbonated water from the carbonator, are maintained in intimate thermal contact with the flow and return runs of the closed circuit pipe loop for cold water drawn from and returning to the cold water tank of the cooler, maintain the constituents of the various available beverages at a relatively low temperature so that the beverages can be served in cold condition.

However, an auxiliary cooling module, generally indicated 50, is in addition provided for maintaining the carbonated water at a low temperature.

The auxiliary cooling module 50 is constituted by a cylinder 52 to and from which cold water can flow through pipe connections 54 and 56 which break into and divide the flow run 42 of the closed circuit pipe loop for cold water drawn from the cold water tank of the cooler 18. Within the cylinder there is disposed a product coil 58 which forms part of a closed circuit loop of tubing which is located near to the dispense apparatus 20 and carbonated water in said pipe loop is continuously circulated by means of an auxiliary pump 60.

The auxiliary pump 60 is typically located on or adjacent to the auxiliary cooling module 50.

In fact, as shown in Figure 1, the closed loop extends in turn through the beverage dispense heads at the dispense point, the arrangement being such that when any one of the dispense taps is opened, a quantity of carbonated water is dispensed from the closed circuit through which carbonated water is continuously being circulated (together with an appropriate measure of the concentrate of the required beverage of course). The quantity of water drawn from the loop is made up by a flow of carbonated water into the loop from the pipe 40 which extends from the cooler as one of the lagged bundle of pipes.

With the arrangement shown in Figure 1 it is envisaged that the auxiliary cooling module is located very near to the dispense taps, for example immediately beneath the counter or bar. For this reason the return flow of carbonated water in the closed circuit pipe loop to the auxiliary cooling module is a direct return and is not made via the lagged bundle of pipes.

It has been found that by using an apparatus as just described, carbonated beverages can be served at the ideal temperature of between 4 "C and 5 "C. This is because the auxiliary cooling module can hold down the temperature of the carbonated water in the closed loop circuit from which it is dispensed to 2.5 "C or less.

Various modifications can, however, be made. For example, in Figure 2 there is illustrated apparatus basically the same as that illustrated in Figure 1 except that in this case all the connections to the auxiliary cooling module are made into the bundle of lagged pipes.

It is envisaged that in this case the auxiliary cooling module will be located some distance away from the dispense point and possibly in the cellar or other remote location in which the main cooler is disposed. However, there is still a continuous circulation of the carbonated water through the closed circuit loop passing through the beverage dispense heads at the dispense point.

Various other modifications may be made.

For example, if the metering of the concentrates of the beverages is likely to be a problem due to their high viscosity, it may be preferred to convey the concentrates directly to the dispense points instead of feeding them through the product coils in the cooler. The pipes through which they are fed may still form a part of the lagged bundle of pipes, however, so that they at least maintain the chiil of the cellar in which their containers are stored. Furthermore, it is not essential for the carbonator to be located within the cooler as in the illustrated example. The carbonated water could be produced in a carbonator located separately from the cooler, the carbonated water then being circulated through a product coil in the cooler to reduce its temperature.

Claims

1. Apparatus for dispensing carbonated be verages, the apparatus including a cooler located at a point remote from a counter or bar where beverages are dispensed, at least the carbonated water for the beverages being conveyed from the cooler through a pipe which forms one of a bundle of pipes which are lagged together at least along a part of their route from the cooler to the dispense point, other pipes of the bundle including flow and return runs of a closed circuit pipe loop for drawing cold water from and returning it to the cooler, the apparatus in addition including an auxiliary cooling module to and from which cold water from the cooler is caused to flow, the cooling module containing a product coil from which heat is extracted by the cold water circulating to and from the cooler, the product coil forming part of a closed circuit loop of tubing containing an auxiliary motor driven pump, the arrangement being such that carbonated water can be drawn from said loop of tubing when a dispense tap is opened, the quantity of water drawn from the loop being made up by a flow of carbonated water into the loop from the pipe which extends from the cooler as one of the lagged bundle of pipes.

2. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 in which at least a part of said loop of tubing is located near to the dispense point.

3. Apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 in which the auxiliary pump is located on or adjacent to the auxiliary cooling module.

4. Apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim in which the pipes through which concentrates of the beverage are to be passed are within the bundle of lagged pipes.

5. Apparatus for dispensing carbonated beverages substantially as hereinbefore described and as shown in the drawings of Figure 1 or Figure 2.