EP1945557A2 - Gestion commandee de systeme de distribution de fluide par un controleur - Google Patents

Gestion commandee de systeme de distribution de fluide par un controleur

Info

Publication number
EP1945557A2
EP1945557A2 EP06827255A EP06827255A EP1945557A2 EP 1945557 A2 EP1945557 A2 EP 1945557A2 EP 06827255 A EP06827255 A EP 06827255A EP 06827255 A EP06827255 A EP 06827255A EP 1945557 A2 EP1945557 A2 EP 1945557A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
fluid
series
beverage
container
line
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP06827255A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Jorg Emmendorfer
Knut Richter
Rudolph Till
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Ecolab Inc
Original Assignee
Ecolab Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from US11/264,595 external-priority patent/US20060113322A1/en
Priority claimed from US11/264,615 external-priority patent/US20060175352A1/en
Priority claimed from US11/264,617 external-priority patent/US20060169715A1/en
Application filed by Ecolab Inc filed Critical Ecolab Inc
Publication of EP1945557A2 publication Critical patent/EP1945557A2/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
    • B67D1/07—Cleaning beverage-dispensing apparatus
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B08—CLEANING
    • B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
    • B08B9/00—Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto 
    • B08B9/02—Cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes
    • B08B9/027—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages
    • B08B9/032—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages by the mechanical action of a moving fluid, e.g. by flushing
    • B08B9/0321—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages by the mechanical action of a moving fluid, e.g. by flushing using pressurised, pulsating or purging fluid
    • B08B9/0325—Control mechanisms therefor
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
    • B67D1/04—Apparatus utilising compressed air or other gas acting directly or indirectly on beverages in storage containers
    • B67D1/0406—Apparatus utilising compressed air or other gas acting directly or indirectly on beverages in storage containers with means for carbonating the beverage, or for maintaining its carbonation
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
    • B67D1/08—Details
    • B67D1/0878—Safety, warning or controlling devices
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
    • B67D1/08—Details
    • B67D1/0888—Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
    • B67D1/08—Details
    • B67D1/12—Flow or pressure control devices or systems, e.g. valves, gas pressure control, level control in storage containers
    • B67D1/1245—Change-over devices, i.e. connecting a flow line from an empty container to a full one
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
    • B67D1/08—Details
    • B67D1/12—Flow or pressure control devices or systems, e.g. valves, gas pressure control, level control in storage containers
    • B67D1/1247—Means for detecting the presence or absence of liquid
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
    • B67D1/08—Details
    • B67D1/12—Flow or pressure control devices or systems, e.g. valves, gas pressure control, level control in storage containers
    • B67D1/127—Froth control
    • B67D1/1272—Froth control preventing froth
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
    • B67D1/04—Apparatus utilising compressed air or other gas acting directly or indirectly on beverages in storage containers
    • B67D2001/0475—Type of gas or gas mixture used, other than pure CO2
    • B67D2001/0487—Mixture of gases, e.g. N2 + CO2
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D2210/00—Indexing scheme relating to aspects and details of apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught or for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
    • B67D2210/00028—Constructional details
    • B67D2210/00047—Piping
    • B67D2210/0006—Manifolds
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
    • B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • B67D2210/00—Indexing scheme relating to aspects and details of apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught or for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
    • B67D2210/00028—Constructional details
    • B67D2210/00081—Constructional details related to bartenders
    • B67D2210/00089—Remote control means, e.g. by electromagnetic signals

Definitions

  • the present invention generally relates to fluid dispensing systems, and more particularly to managing operation of fluid dispensing systems.
  • Conventional beer dispensing systems include beer lines through which beer is supplied from kegs to taps, which are operable to dispense the beer to drinking containers such as steins, pilsner glasses and frosty mugs.
  • beer is dispensed from the system as a pressure is exerted into the associated keg thereby forcing beer out of the keg and into a beer line fluidly coupled to the keg by way of a keg coupler.
  • the pressure is typically supplied by a gas source such as, for example, a tank of carbon dioxide or nitrogen or a gas blender providing a mixture of gases.
  • the keg coupler interfaces the applied pressure to the keg, which is thus pressurized such that any beer contained therein is pushed up to the beer lines through the coupler.
  • the associated tap at the other end of the beer line from the keg may then be opened thereby allowing beer to be dispensed therefrom.
  • beer dispensing systems require periodic cleaning.
  • Conventional cleaning approaches involve the use of portable chemical dispense systems.
  • a cleaning technician will manually disconnect the beer lines from each individual keg coupler and then apply cleaning chemicals to the beer lines with the taps in the open position such that the chemicals will be distributed through the lines.
  • a technician is required to disconnect the beer line from each keg in a beer dispensing system being cleaned, which is a daunting task indeed.
  • beer dispensing systems are commonly cleaned on rather lengthy time intervals. Such lengthy cleaning intervals tend to facilitate the collection of bacteria and soil in the beverage lines thereby risking contamination with the beer and potentially making it somewhat unsafe for human consumption.
  • While only beer dispensing systems are described above, these drawbacks are commonly known to exist with respect to other types of fluid dispensing systems. As such, it is against this background that the present invention has been made relative to all types of fluid dispensing systems.
  • the present invention is generally directed to a computer-implemented approach to managing operation of a fluid dispensing system. Such management may be directed to fluid dispensing processes or cleaning processes thereby providing automated control over a wide range of system functionality.
  • the fluid dispensing system includes a controller operable to receive and track information regarding operation of the system relative to both processes.
  • the fluid dispensing system includes fluid containers that are connected in series with one another to provide a fluid to a single beverage line. Management over this fluid dispensing system is administered according to an embodiment by a method that involves receiving sensed information indicating an actual volume of fluid remaining in a first of the plurality of series-connected fluid containers.
  • this sensed information is analyzed against a predetermined threshold parameter to determine whether the actual volume of fluid contained in the first series-connected fluid container is less than the predetermined threshold parameter. If so, the method involves disabling flow of the fluid from the first series-connected fluid container to the fluid line and enabling flow of the fluid from a second of the plurality of series-connected fluid containers to the fluid line. Therefore, as one fluid container empties, another fluid container is employed to provide a substantially continuous supply of fluid to the fluid line. Consistent with above, the fluid may be a beverage such as, for example, beer.
  • management over fluid dispensing system having series-connected fluid container is administered by a system having, in addition to the controller, a flow sensor that communicates information regarding flow of fluid in the system to the controller for analysis thereby.
  • the system includes a first coupler attached to a first of the plurality of series-connected fluid containers as well as a second coupler attached to a second of the plurality of series-connected fluid containers.
  • the first coupler is controllable by the controller to enable and disable flow of the fluid from the first series-connected fluid container to the output fluid line.
  • the second coupler is controllable by the controller to enable and disable flow of the fluid from the second series-connected fluid container to the output fluid line.
  • the second coupler is fluidly connected to the first coupler by an intermediate fluid line such that fluid supplied to the first container is communicated to the output fluid line by way of the intermediate fluid line and the second coupler.
  • the flow sensor monitors flow of the fluid in the intermediate fluid line and transmits measured flow readings to the controller.
  • the controller determines whether any of the measured flow readings fail to satisfy a predetermined threshold value, and if so, instructs the first coupler to disable flow of the fluid from the first series-connected fluid container to the intermediate fluid line. Additionally, in this case, (i.e., a measured flow reading failing to satisfy the predetermined threshold value), the controller instructs the second coupler to enable flow of the fluid from the second series-connected fluid container to the output fluid line.
  • Application of a cleaning process to a fluid dispensing system configured in this manner is accomplished in an embodiment by disabling flow of the fluid to the fluid line from both the first series- connected container and the second series-connected fluid container. Then, the cleaning process may be initiated and, in another embodiment, is so initiated by controlling fluid ports on both the first and the second series-connected fluid containers such that communication of the fluid from either fluid port to the fluid line is precluded.
  • the fluid dispensing system includes a fluid container from which a fluid is supplied to a plurality of dispense units via a plurality of fluid lines.
  • fluid is output from the fluid container and provided to a splitter that supplies each of the plurality of fluid lines with the fluid.
  • Management over this fluid dispensing system involves positioning a first controllable valve in a first fluid line and a second controllable valve in a second fluid line. Initially, for fluid dispensing purposes, both the first controllable valve and the second controllable valve are enabled such that fluid is allowed to flow from the splitter to the first and second fluid lines.
  • the first controllable valve In response to receipt of an instruction to clean of the first fluid line, but not the second fluid line, the first controllable valve is disabled such that fluid is precluded from flowing between the splitter and the first fluid line. Accordingly, the first fluid line is prepared for cleaning. Meanwhile, the second controllable valve is maintained in the enabled mode such that fluid is continuously operable to flow between the splitter and the second fluid line during cleaning of the first fluid line.
  • FIG. 1 is a fluid dispensing system having an integrated controller-based chemical dispense system for cleaning components of the fluid dispensing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 depicts a gas-fluid junction and a coupler, and an exemplary connection therebetween for use in the fluid dispensing system shown in FTG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 illustrates in block diagram form a system for managing operation of a fluid dispensing system, such as the fluid dispensing system of FIG. 1, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates the fluid dispensing system of FIG. 1 as configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention to include a plurality of fluid containers that share a single fluid line.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates a device (i.e., "fob stop") for controlling operation of a fob installed in a fluid line of a fluid dispensing system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating operational characteristics for managing operation of the fluid dispensing system shown in FIG. 4 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating operational characteristics according to an embodiment of the present invention in which at least one fob is controlled using the fob stop shown in HG. 6.
  • FIG. 8 illustrates the fluid dispensing system of FIG. 1 as configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention to include a fluid container that is not operable for attachment to the coupler shown in FIG. 2.
  • FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating operational characteristics for managing operation of the fluid dispensing system shown in FIG. 8 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
  • FIG. 10 depicts a general-purpose computer that may be configured to implement logical operations of the present invention in accordance with an embodiment thereof. Detailed Description
  • the present invention is generally directed to managing operation of a fluid dispensing system, and in accordance with a specific embodiment, a beverage dispensing system (e.g., 100 shown in FIG. 1).
  • the beverage dispensing system 100 administers beverage-dispensing processes during which beverages are provided to dispense units 102, or "taps," for dispensing to cups, mugs, glasses or steins for consumption by a user.
  • Embodiments of the present invention relate to monitoring and controlling these dispensing processes in automated fashion as described in greater detail below with reference to the figures.
  • the present invention involves monitoring and controlling a chemical dispense system for use in cleaning the beverage dispensing system 100, as described in parent application Serial No. 10/985,302 and U.S. patent application Serial No. 11/142,995 (filed June 1, 2005), which is also entitled "CHEMICALDISPENSE SYSTEM FOR CLEANING COMPONENTS OF A FLUID DISPENSING SYSTEM” and, like parent application Serial No. 10/985,302, is hereby incorporated by reference herein by its entirety.
  • the chemical dispense system is integrated into the beverage dispensing system 100, and thus, referred to as an "in-line" cleaning system.
  • the in-line cleaning system administers a "cleaning process" to the beverage dispensing system 100 in which the various fluid- carrying lines and components are cleaned in accordance with embodiments described in the above- referenced patent applications.
  • the beverage dispensing system 100 is described generally below in accordance with embodiments of the present invention to include the in-line cleaning system and, thus, the present invention is applicable to monitor and control not only beverage dispensing processes, but cleaning processes as well.
  • Those of skill in the art will therefore recognize applicability of the various embodiments of the present invention to both a stand-alone beverage dispensing system 100 and also a beverage dispensing system 100 having an in-line cleaning system.
  • the beverage dispensing system 100 is described as being a beer dispensing system used to dispense beer to a bar area of a restaurant. Indeed, those of skill in the art will appreciate that the beverage dispensing system 100 is operable to dispense any other type of beverage, such as, for example, soda, juices, coffees and dairy products. Even further, the beverage dispensing system 100 may be utilized to dispense fluids other than beverages such as, for example, paint.
  • FIG. 1 shows a beverage dispensing system 100 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
  • the beverage dispensing system 100 dispenses different labels of beer through individual dispense units 102, as shown in FIG. 1 in the form of conventional beer taps.
  • the dispense units 102 include handles 103 that may be toggled between an "off position 103b and an "on" position 103a, the latter of which is shown using dashed lines. Alternatively, the position of the handles 103 may be controlled electronically or pneumatically. Regardless of the implementation, whilejhe handles 103 are in the "off position 103b, the dispense units 102 preclude the flow of beer therefrom.
  • the dispense units 102 enable the flow of beer therefrom and preferably to some form of drinking article, such as a stein or mug 112.
  • the dispense units 102 are shown in FIG. 1 with the handles 103 in the "on" position 103a.
  • beverage containers 104 Prior to being dispensed, the various labels of beer, which are hereinafter referred to generally as beverages, are contained in beverage containers 104.
  • the beverage containers 104 are illustrated in FIG. 1 as being conventional-sized kegs in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. However, any other type and size of container (e.g., tanks, bag-in-box-systems) from which a beverage may be supplied will suffice, as shown in FIG. 5 and described in connection therewith.
  • the dispense units 102 are preferably located in the bar area, the beverage containers 104 are stored in a cooling room, such as walk-in cooler 162, in order to direct and maintain the temperature of the beverages at a desired temperature.
  • Each dispense unit 102 is fluidly connected to a beverage container 104 by a beverage line 108.
  • each beverage line 108 includes a fob detector 180 (i.e., "fob") integrated therein.
  • a fob 180 is device that detects the absence of beverages in the beverage line 108 into which it is installed and precludes further flow through the line 108 until a beverage is subsequently detected.
  • Fobs 180 are therefore used to overcome problems realized when an associated beverage container 104 empties and any remaining beverage therein is forced out of the container 104 as a foamy substance.
  • a fob 180 is constructed of an enclosed chamber 186 having an internal float 185 (shown in position when the fob 180 is devoid of beverage).
  • the enclosed chamber 186 is fluidly coupled to the associated beverage line 108 by way of a beverage input port 182 and a beverage output port 184.
  • the internal float 185 floats within the chamber 186 based on conventional buoyancy principles.
  • gas applied to the container 104 begins to fill the beverage line 108 thereby terminating the buoyancy effect within the chamber 186, which causes the internal float 185 to drop within the chamber 186 and seal off the beverage output port 184, as shown in FIG. 1.
  • any foamy substance accompanying the gas is not allowed to pass to the associated dispense units 102.
  • beverage After the emptied beverage container 104 is replaced or, alternatively, replenished, beverage once again flows through the associated beverage line 108. Consequently, beverage begins to fill the chamber 186 thereby causing the internal float 185 to float therein and terminate the seal over the beverage output port 184. Beverage is then allowed to flow to and through the associated dispense unit 102 for dispensing to the mug 112. In some cases, the internal float 185 may be stuck in beverage output port 184 even with the chamber 186 filled with beverage and, as such, those of skill in the art should appreciate that the fob 180 includes functionality for manually removing the internal float 185 from the beverage output port 184.
  • Each beverage line 108 is connected to an associated beverage container 104 by a coupler 110.
  • the couplers 110 are affixed to beverage ports 114 on the associated beverage containers 104 through which the beverages are output for direction by the couplers 110 to the associated beverage lines 108.
  • Each coupler 110 provides functionality for opening the beverage port 114 to which the coupler 110 is affixed and introducing a pressure into the associated beverage container 104 to force the beverage contained therein through the beverage port 114 and to the associated beverage line 108.
  • the connection provided by the coupler 110 between the beverage port 114 and the beverage line 108 is preferably air tight, and thereby operable to force the beverage through the associated beverage line 108 and to the associated dispense unit 102.
  • the pressure used to force beverages from the beverage containers 104 to the dispense units 102 via the beverage lines 108 is supplied to the couplers 110 from one or more pressure sources, e.g., 116 and 118.
  • These pressure sources 116, 118 are shown in accordance with an embodiment as being compressed gas tanks having different reference numerals (i.e., 116 and 118) to differentiate between the different types of gas contained by each.
  • pressure source 116 includes carbon dioxide
  • pressure source 118 includes nitrogen in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
  • Each gas tank 116 and 118 includes a primary regulator 120.
  • the primary regulators 120 regulate the flow of gas from the gas tanks 116, 118 to a gas blender 124 via gas lines 122.
  • the gas blender 124 blends the gases from the gas tanks 116 and 118 and provides a mixed gas compound to secondary regulators 126.
  • Each of the secondary regulators 126 regulate the flow of the mixed gas compound from the gas blender 124 to individual couplers 110, thereby providing the requisite pressure to force the beverages from the beverage containers 104 to the dispense units 102.
  • a single secondary regulator 126 may regulate the flow of the mixed gas compound to more than one beverage container 104.
  • the beverage dispensing system 100 includes an in-line cleaning system that administers a cleaning process applied to the beverage dispensing system 100.
  • the in-line cleaning system encompasses various components of the beverage dispensing system 100 such as, without limitation, the couplers 110, as well as a control system 128, a zone controller 130 (optional), various data communications lines (e.g., 150 and 144), various substance communication lines (e.g., 146 and 148) and gas-fluid junctions 132, each of which are shown generally in block diagram form in FIG. 1.
  • the control system 128 is a controller-based system that manages the overall administration of cleaning processes applied to the beverage dispensing system 100.
  • the beverage dispensing system 100 includes a controller 152 (internal to the control box 128) that controls and monitors various tasks administered by the control system 128 in performance of beverage dispensing and system cleaning processes.
  • the controller 152 is a PLC (programmable logic controller) providing hardened FO (inputs/outputs) for the control system 128.
  • the control system 128 also includes one or more display devices or modules, such as, without limitation, a graphical user interface (GUI) 158.
  • GUI graphical user interface
  • the GUI 158 allows a user to monitor and control operation of the control system 128 through a touch screen interface.
  • the GUI 158 may present information to a user that represents the operational status of the beverage dispensing system 100 in performance of beverage dispensing processes or the in-line cleaning system in performance of cleaning processes.
  • Such information may be in the form of icons selectable to control either process.
  • the GUI 158 may include icons selected by a user to initiate or suspend either the dispensing process or the cleaning process.
  • GUI 158 may present to the user a selection screen that enables the user to control aspects of the cleaning process by defining or modifying the phases of the cleaning process or the amount of time that each phase is to be administered.
  • GUI 158 may function as a security mechanism for limiting access to the control system 128 to authorized users.
  • users may interact with the controller 152 by way of an external computer source, such as a handheld device, which may be wireless or wire- based.
  • the control system 128 includes an infrared port 129 for communicating data to and from these devices.
  • the dispensing control system also includes a switching mechanism (not shown) for use in activating cleaning processes in desired zones, as described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 8 of U.S. Patent Application Serial Nos. 10/985,302 and 11/142,995, which, again, are incorporated by reference above.
  • the zone controller 130 which is also referred to as a "multiplier," is a stand-alone component of the in-line cleaning system that works in combination with the GUI 158 or other data input means (e.g., external computer or switching mechanism) to activate the cleaning process in certain zones.
  • the zone controller 130 accepts user input from a source requesting the administration of one or more phases of the cleaning process to a zone and activates the phase(s) in that zone.
  • the zone controller 130 is either an integrated circuit (IC) operable to receive and transmit signals for purposes of selecting the gas-fluid junctions 132 for activation, as described below, or a controller (e.g., PLC) programmed to receive and transmit data for these same purposes.
  • the zone controller 130 may be a module integrated with the controller 152, and thus, contained within the housing of the control system 128.
  • the control system 128 is powered by a power source (not shown), which may be any conventional power source known to those skilled in the art.
  • the control system 128 includes a first fluid input port 133 and a second fluid input port 135 through which water and chemical solutions, respectively, are input to the system 128.
  • Water provided to the first fluid input port 133 is supplied by a potable water source 134 via a water input line 136.
  • a backflow prevention device 131 is positioned in the water input line 136 in order to preclude chemical solutions and contaminated water used during cleaning processes from backflowing into the potable water source 134.
  • Chemical solutions provided to the second fluid input port 134 are supplied from a solution container, such as a jug 138, via a solution input line 140.
  • the control system 128 also includes a fluid output port 137 through which the water and chemical solutions are dispensed out of the system 128 by way of a fluid manifold 142.
  • the control system 128 includes pumps, regulators or the like for enabling the flow of water and chemical solution into the system 128 via the water input line 136 and the solution input line 140 and subsequently out of the system 128 via the fluid manifold 142.
  • Water and one or more chemical solutions are provided by the control system 128 to the gas-fluid junctions 132 by way of the fluid manifold 142.
  • the gas-fluid junctions 132 when activated by the zone controller as described below, distribute water and chemical solutions from the fluid manifold 142 to couplers 110 for distribution through the beverage lines 108, the dispense units 102 and any other component through which beverages flow.
  • the gas-fluid junction 132 of zone 1 is shown as being connected to the beverage containers 104 by fluid lines 146 that carry the water and chemical solutions from this gas-fluid junction 132 to the couplers 110 when the gas-fluid junction 132 is activated.
  • the in-line cleaning system also includes gas lines 148 that carry a "control" gas from the gas-fluid junctions 132 to the associated couplers 110.
  • Supply of the control gas to a coupler 110 dictates whether the beverage port 114 on the associated beverage container 104 is “open” or “closed,” and thus whether pressure from the gas blender 124 is allowed to enter the container 104. Consequently, the control gas dictates whether that beverage is operable to flow from the associated container 104 to the one or more corresponding dispense units 102 depending on the position (i.e., 103a or 103b) of the dispense unit(s) 103.
  • each of the couplers 110 includes a piston (not shown) that is responsive to the control gas to open the associated beverage port 114.
  • the pressure from the gas blender 124 is constant and, as such, is substantially immediately introduced into the beverage container 104 in response to the piston opening the beverage port 114 under direction of the control gas.
  • terminating supply of gas between the output ports 160 and the gas input ports 178 causes the couplers 110 to bleed the gas in the attached containers 104 to atmospheric pressure thereby closing the associated beverage ports 114.
  • this gas is appropriately referred to throughout this description as "control gas.”
  • the operational state of the beverage dispensing system 100 involves the application of control gas to the couplers 110 and, during such application, beverages are operable to flow from the associated beverage containers 104 to the associated beverage lines 108 (depending, of course, on the positioning of the handles 103).
  • control gas to the couplers 110 in that zone is terminated and maintained terminated for the duration of the cleaning process.
  • the non-application of control gas to and bleeding by these couplers 110 is intended to disable the flow of beverage from the associated beverage containers 104 to the associated beverage lines 108, at which time, the cleaning process may commence.
  • Each of the couplers 110 includes a beverage output port 177 from which beverages are supplied to an associated beverage line 108 during the beverage dispensing process.
  • the beverage output ports 177 are fluidly coupled to the beverage lines 108 such that pressure supplied by the gas blender 124 is operable to force beverages from the beverage containers 104 to the beverage lines 108 with minimal loss.
  • Each of the gas-fluid junctions 132 include a fluid input port 164 and a gas input port 166.
  • the fluid input port 164 is fluidly coupled to the fluid manifold 142 and thus accepts fluids (e.g., water and chemical solution) therefrom.
  • the gas input port 166 is coupled to the gas blender 124 by way of a control gas line 171, which is provided to each of the gas-fluid junctions 132 as generally depicted in FIG. 1.
  • the gas input port 166 may be coupled directly to either gas tank 116 or 118 without going through the gas blender 124.
  • the gas-fluid junctions 132 also include a plurality of gas output ports 160 and a plurality of fluid output ports 162. Each of the plurality of gas output ports 160 are paired with one of the plurality of fluid output ports 162.
  • a control gas valve 172 is situated internal to each gas-fluid junction 132 and provides functionality for the gas-fluid junctions 132 to accept and reject gas from the gas blender 124.
  • the control gas valve 172 fluidly connects the gas input port 166 to the plurality of gas output ports 160 such that gas from the blender 124 is operable to flow therebetween.
  • Each of the gas output ports 160 is coupled to a gas input port 178 on a coupler 110 via a gas line 148 such that gas may flow therebetween.
  • the communication of gas between the output ports 160 on a gas-fluid junction 132 and the gas input ports 178 on the couplers 110 served by that gas-fluid junction 132 operates to maintain the "open" state of the beverage ports 114 on the associated beverage containers 104, as described above.
  • terminating supply of gas between the output ports 160 and the gas input ports 178 operates to bleed the gas in the attached containers 104 to atmospheric pressure and close the beverage ports 114 thereon, also as described above.
  • a fluid control valve 174 is situated internal to each gas-fluid junction 132 and provides functionality for the gas-fluid junctions 132 to accept and reject water and chemical solutions from the control system 128.
  • the fluid control valve 174 fluidly connects the fluid input port 164 to the plurality of fluid output ports 162 such that water and chemical solutions are operable to flow therebetween.
  • Each fluid output port 162 is coupled to a fluid input port 176 on a coupler 110 via a fluid line 146 such that the water and chemical solutions may flow therebetween.
  • the control gas valve 172 and the fluid control valve 174 are controlled by the zone controller 130 via a low voltage line 144 input to the gas-fluid junction 132 from the zone controller 130.
  • the zone controller 130 In normal state, i.e., when the beverage dispensing system 100 is in beverage dispensing mode, the zone controller 130 does not issue a current to any of the gas-fluid junctions 132.
  • the zone controller 130 In response to direction from the control system 128 to apply the cleaning process to a specific zone, the zone controller 130 issues a current to the gas-fluid junction 132 served by the specified zone thereby "activating" that gas-fluid junction 132.
  • Such activation causes the control gas valve 172 of that gas-fluid junction 132 to close, thereby rejecting gas from the gas blender 124. Consequently, the supply of control gas to the couplers 110 served by the activated gas-fluid junction 132 (i.e., the couplers 110 within the associated zone) is terminated thereby causing the pistons internal to the couplers 110 to disengage the beverage ports 114 on the associated beverage containers 104. Substantially concurrently, the issued current opens the fluid control valve 174 to enable the communication of water and chemical solutions to the associated couplers 110. However, these fluids are not provided to the activated gas-fluid junction 132 unless and until the controller 128 initiates a cleaning process within that zone.
  • each of the couplers 110 include a pressure input port 175 through which the gas pressure supplied from the gas blender 124 is introduced to the couplers 110.
  • gas is provided to the pressure input ports 175 in constant fashion and used to force beverages from the beverage containers 104 to the beverage lines 108 when the pistons internal to the couplers 110 are engaged (i.e., when the control gas is "on").
  • application of the control gas by itself may provide a sufficient amount of pressure to force beverages from the containers 104 to the beverage lines 108 without the added need for pressure from the gas blender 124.
  • the gas line 171 directly connects between the gas blender 124 and the pressure input port 175 as well as the secondary regulators 126 and the connections between these regulators 126 and the couplers 110 are not necessary.
  • the implementation is a manner of choice and, regardless of how such control is administered, termination of the control gas to a specific zone results in the same functionality, i.e., sealing the associated beverage ports 114, such that the couplers 110 in that zone exit the beverage dispensing mode and enter the cleaning mode (thus awaiting possible initiation of a cleaning process).
  • FIG. 3 depicts, in block diagram form, a system for monitoring and controlling (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "managing") operation of the beverage dispensing system 100 of FIG. 1 in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention.
  • the system 300 includes a plurality of sensors (e.g., flow sensors 302) and a plurality of electronically controllable components (e.g., valves 304 and fob stops 306), each of which are communicatively connected to the controller 152 by way of data communication connections 310.
  • sensors e.g., flow sensors 302
  • a plurality of electronically controllable components e.g., valves 304 and fob stops 306
  • the data communication connections 310 are wire-based communication media operable to carry a current indicative of sensed information from the sensors 302 and 304 to the controller 152 as well as a current indicative of instructions from the controller 152 to the controllable valves 306 and 308. These data communication connections 310 may additionally or alternatively embody wireless communication technology. It should be appreciated that the manner of implementation of the data communication connections 310 is a matter of choice and the present invention is not limited to one or the other, but rather, either wireless or wire-based technology may be employed alone or in combination with the other. [0052] The controller 152 receives information sensed by the flow sensors 302 and the pressure sensors 304 (and any other sensors) and stores this information to memory 153.
  • the memory 153 is shown as internal to the controller 152 and embodies any form of solid state, non- volatile memory known to those skilled in the art such as, for example, Random Access Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically-Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), Flash Memory and Programmable ROM, etc.
  • RAM Random Access Memory
  • ROM Read-Only Memory
  • EPROM Erasable Programmable ROM
  • EEPROM Electrically-Erasable Programmable ROM
  • Flash Memory Programmable ROM
  • the memory 153 may take the form of storage medium readable by an external peripheral device such as, for example, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD, a storage tape, etc.
  • the controller 152 is operable to access the data stored on the memory 153 and analyze the data to monitor operation of the beverage dispensing system 100 by rendering conclusions regarding operation of the system 100. Furthermore, the controller 152 is operable to utilize this data along with other forms of generated or collected information to provide control over operation of the system 100. Exemplary analyses are described in greater detail in connection with FIGS. 4-9 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
  • the monitoring system 300 is shown to include parts of the dispensing control system 128 in addition to the controller 152 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, the monitoring system 300 also includes the zone controller 130 (again, optional), the GUI 158 and the IR port 129.
  • the GUI 158 and the IR port 129 provide users with access to data captured by the sensors 302 as well as any analyses performed by the controller 158 thereon. As such, user interaction is provided by touch screen interface (on GUI 158) or by way of a mobile computer such as a laptop, PDA or other handheld computing device (via IR port 129). Using the GUI 158 and/or a mobile computer interacting through the IR port (129), a user is provided with functionality for monitoring operation of the beverage dispensing system 100 as well as to view reports prepared using the sensed information.
  • the monitoring system 300 In addition to the local user interaction provided by the GUI 158 and the IR port 129, the monitoring system 300 also provides users with the capability to monitor operation of the beverage dispensing system 100 from remote locations.
  • the monitoring system 300 includes a remote, or "server,” computer 310 communicatively connected to the controller 152 by way of a communications network 313.
  • the server computer 311 communicates with the controller 152 to retrieve data stored on the memory 153, which may include any information sensed from the flow sensors 302 and any other sensors and/or information embodying analyses (e.g., reports) of such data performed by the controller 152 including, for example, data related to control over both the beverage dispensing process and the cleaning process.
  • the server computer 311 functions as a user interaction mechanism much like the GUI 158 and the IR port 129, but from a remote location relative to the actual location of the system 100.
  • the controller 152 connects to the communications network 313 by way of a communication device 309.
  • the communication device 309 may be a modem, a network interface card (NIC) alone or in combination with a router, hub or Ethernet port, a wireless transmitter, etc.
  • the communication device 309 periodically accesses the server computer 311 to provide data, e.g., raw sensed data (e.g., temperature readings, pressure readings, gas level readings and/or flow readings) or reports characterizing monitoring operations, for storage in the database 312.
  • the communication device 309 may access real-time data received by the controller 152 and any historical data stored on the local memory 153 for transfer to the database 312.
  • the communication device 309 maintains communications with the server computer 311 over the communications network 313 continually; therefore, the local memory 153 is unnecessary for storing sensed data. Instead, the communication device 309 continually transmits real-time sensed data to the server computer 311.
  • the server computer 311 is also operable to perform analyses on information retrieved from the controller 152 and prepare reports characterizing these analyses in similar fashion to the functionality described for the controller 152 above. That is, the server computer 311 retrieves raw sensed data (e.g., flow readings) stored on the memory 153 and analyzes the retrieved information to render conclusions regarding operation of the beverage dispensing system 100 with respect to at least flow characteristics. These conclusions are preferably placed into report format and stored on the database 312 for future access by users.
  • raw sensed data e.g., flow readings
  • the controller 152 can also receive commands from the server computer 311 via the communications network 313 to provide a feedback loop to the control system 128. These commands may be used to control processes and operations of the beverage dispensing system 100. Such commands may include calibration commands, test commands, alarm commands, interactive communications between the system (100) operator or service technician and the server computer (311), and other remote control commands. This capability facilitates the management of multiple, geographically dispersed beverage dispense systems 100 by allowing an operator or the service technician to distribute control commands from a central location via the communications network 313.
  • the client computer 314 communicates with the server computer 311 to retrieve data from the database 312 for presentation to a user.
  • the client computer 314 receives reports stored in the database 312 and provides these reports to a user.
  • the client computer 314 may include an analysis application operable to receive raw sensed data (e.g., flow readings) stored in the database 312 and analyze this data to generate reports, as described above with reference to the controller 152 and the server computer 311.
  • a beverage dispensing system 400 having a plurality of beverage containers 104 sharing a single beverage line 108 is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
  • these beverage containers 104 are referred to herein as "series-connected containers.”
  • the beverage dispensing system 400 includes a plurality of flow sensors 302 and control gas valves 304, as shown in accordance with an exemplary layout in FIG. 4.
  • the flow sensors 302 and the control gas valves 304 are monitored and controlled (respectively) by the controller 152 to provide functionality for changing between the series-connected containers 104, as described in detail below in conjunction with FIG. 7.
  • each of the series-connected containers 104 within the beverage dispensing system 400 of FIG. 4 is identified in FIG. 4 using a separate reference numeral 401, 402 or 403.
  • the beverage output port 177 on the coupler 110 attached to the last beverage container 403 in the series is fluidly coupled to the dispense unit 102 by way of the beverage line 108, exactly as described above in conjunction with FIG. 1.
  • each of the beverage output ports 177 on the couplers 110 on all other beverage containers (i.e., 401 and 402) within the series is fluidly coupled to the fluid input port 175 on the coupler 110 attached to the adjacent beverage container 104 in the series by way of a fluid line 146. Therefore, the beverage output port 177 on the coupler 110 attached to the first beverage container 401 in the series is fluidly coupled to the fluid input port 175 on the coupler 110 attached to the second beverage container 402 in the series. Similarly, the beverage output port 177 on the coupler 110 attached to the second beverage container 402 in the series is fluidly coupled to the fluid input port 175 on the coupler 110 attached to the third and last beverage container 403 in the series by way of a fluid line 146.
  • the beverage line 108 and the fluid lines 146 between each of the series-connected beverage containers 104 include a fob 180 that functions as described above.
  • the fobs 180 between the series-connected beverage containers 104 shut off flow within the associated fluid lines 146 in response to detecting foam therein. Consequently, as the first container 401 and the second container 402 run out of beverage, the associated fobs 180 shut down the output fluid lines 146 such that foam from the depleted beverage containers 104 is substantially precluded from being introduced to the next container 104 in the series.
  • FIG. 6 illustrates a process for controlling the beverage dispensing process of the beverage dispensing system 400 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
  • the control process 600 embodies a sequence of computer-implemented operations performed by the controller 152, the server computer 311 and/or the client computer 314, or a combination of any of these three computing modules, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
  • the control process 800 is described herein as performed by the controller 152.
  • the control process 600 is performed using an operation flow that begins with a start operation 602 and concludes with a finish operation 616.
  • the operation flow of the control process 600 is initiated in response to initiation of a beverage dispensing process in a particular zone within the beverage dispensing system 400, at which time the start operation 602 passes the operation flow to an initiate operation 603.
  • the initiate operation 603 initiates the beverage dispensing process in the specified zone by supplying the control gas to each of the gas lines 148 coupled to the gas-fluid junction 132 corresponding to the specified zone, as described above in conjunction with FIGS. 1 and 2.
  • the control gas valves 304 are initially set in the "off position such that the control gas is initially only supplied to the coupler 110 on the first beverage container 401 in the series.
  • the beverage ports 114 on the second beverage container 402 and the third beverage container 403 are initially in the closed position such that beverages cannot be supplied to the dispense unit 102 therefrom, but rather only from the first beverage container 401.
  • the operation flow passes to a receive operation 604.
  • the receive operation 604 receives flow readings from flow sensors 302 in the beverage dispensing system 400.
  • the flow readings indicate measured volumetric rates of flow at which beverages are being supplied from beverage containers (e.g., 401, 402 and 403) in the series to the associated dispense unit 102 via either a fluid line 146 or a beverage line 108.
  • the receive operation 604 receives flow readings generated by the flow sensor 602 fluidly coupled to the beverage output port 177 on the coupler 110 attached to the first beverage container 402 in the series.
  • these flow readings will be received in sequence from the second beverage container 402 and then the third beverage container 403 as dictated by the third query operation 608, which is described in more detail below.
  • the controller 152 therefore maintains knowledge identifying the sensor 302 from which a flow reading is received.
  • knowledge is determined based on which iteration the control process 600 is currently in.
  • information may be determined based on identification information transmitted with the measured flow information.
  • identification information uniquely identifies the transmitting sensor 302 from the other sensors 302 within the beverage dispensing system 400.
  • the receive operation 604 passes the operation flow to a first query operation 605 in response to receipt of a flow reading.
  • the first query operation 605 passes the operation flow back to the receive operation 604 until a next flow reading is received. If, however, the first query 605 determines that the associated dispense unit is open, then the operation flow is passed to a second query operation 606. [0068]
  • the second query operation 606 analyzes the received flow reading to determine whether the measured volumetric rate of flow is less than a predetermined threshold value thereby indicating whether the associated beverage container (e.g., 401, 402 or 403) is almost or substantially empty of beverage.
  • the predetermined threshold value is a volumetric rate of flow associated with the foamy substance that causes the internal float 185 in the fob 180 to seal the beverage output port 184.
  • the operation flow passes to a third query operation 608. Otherwise, the second query operation 606 passes the operation flow back to the receive operation 604 until a next flow reading is received. It should be appreciated that the receive operation 604 may receive any number of flow readings from a single sensor 302 at any specified interval prior to detecting a measured reading less than the predetermined threshold value.
  • the control process 600 has detected that one of the beverage containers (e.g., 401, 402 or 403) in the series is almost or substantially empty and thus, should be disabled for the time being.
  • the third query operation 608 determines whether this emptying beverage container (e.g., 401, 402 or 403) is the last beverage container 104 in the series (i.e., in HG. 4, beverage container 403). That is, the third query operation 608 makes a determination as to whether the emptying beverage container (e.g., 401, 402 or 403) is directly coupled to the beverage line 108 and, thus, the "closest" beverage container 104 to the dispense unit 102.
  • Such a determination is made based on either the current iteration of the control process 600 or by way of identification information transmitted with the measured reading, as described above. If the emptying beverage container (e.g., 401, 402 or 403) is the last beverage container 104 in the series, the operation flow passes to a terminate operation 610, which terminates supply of the control gas to the specified zone thereby concluding the beverage dispensing process therein to allow for beverage replenishment. [0070] From the terminate operation 610, the operation flow passes to an optional notification operation 611, which issues a notification to appropriate personnel or an authorized user of the beverage dispensing system 400 that the beverage requires replenishment.
  • a terminate operation 610 which terminates supply of the control gas to the specified zone thereby concluding the beverage dispensing process therein to allow for beverage replenishment.
  • Such a notification may be presented to the user through the GUI 158 or by way of a network communication such as, for example, email, facsimile or telephone. From the notification operation 611 (if administered) or the terminate operation (if the notification operation 611 is not administered), the operation flow concludes at the finish operation 616.
  • the operation flow passes to a determine operation 612.
  • the determine operation 612 determines the control gas valve 304 associated with the sensor 302 from which the flow reading originated. Once this control gas valve 304 is determined, the operation flow passes to an open valve operation 614.
  • the open valve operation 614 opens the associated control gas valve 304 such that control gas is provided to the coupler 110 attached to the beverage container (e.g., 401, 402 or 403) next in the series. Consequently, this next beverage container (e.g., 401, 402 or 403) is operable to supply beverage to the associated dispense unit 102. From the open valve operation 614, the operation flow passes back to the receive operation 604 and proceeds as described above.
  • FIG. 6 describes control over the beverage dispensing system 400 of FIG. 4 relative to performance of a beverage dispensing process
  • the incorporation of flow sensors 302 and control gas valves 304 in the series-connected container 104 also facilitates application of the cleaning process.
  • an embodiment of the present invention involves providing a mechanism for automating control over the positioning of the internal float 185 within the chamber 186 to therefore preclude sealing of the beverage output port 184 by the internal float 185, as described in conjunction with FIG. 7.
  • FIG. 5 depicts a fob stop 306 that is controllable by the controller 152 (via data communication lines 310) to excite a magnetic field within the chamber 186.
  • the internal float 185 has metallic properties (i.e., made of metal or containing metal) and, as the magnetic field is concentrated on a wall of the chamber 186, the internal float 185 is drawn away from the beverage output port 184 and to the wall of the chamber 186.
  • the beverage output port 184 is therefore unsealed such that fluids may flow through the fob 180, thereby "opening" the associated fluid line 146 for fluid communication.
  • FIG. 7 a process 700 for controlling operation of the beverage dispensing system 400 to administer a cleaning process thereto is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
  • the control process 700 embodies a sequence of computer- implemented operations performed by the controller 152, the server computer 311 and/or the client computer 314, or a combination of any of these three computing modules, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
  • the control process 700 is also described herein as performed by the controller 152.
  • the control process 700 is performed using an operation flow that begins with a start operation 702 and concludes with a terminate operation 716.
  • the start operation 702 is initiated in response to receipt by the controller 152 of a request to initiate a cleaning process relative to any one zone in the beverage dispensing system 500.
  • a request may embody instructions received through the GUI 158, the IR Port 129, the communication device 309 (e.g., by way of server computer 311 or client computer 314) or by way of key switches, as described in greater detail in incorporated U.S. Patent Application Serial Nos. 10/985,302 and 11/142,995.
  • the operation flow passes from the start operation 702 to a terminate operation 704.
  • the terminate operation 704 terminates supply of the control gas to the specified zone thereby concluding the beverage dispensing process in preparation for starting the cleaning process in that zone.
  • the terminate operation 704 suspends operation of the control process 600 of FIG. 6 regardless of the current position of the operation flow.
  • the control process 600 is then resumed at this position in response to the control gas being re-supplied to the specified zone by an enable operation 714, which is further described below.
  • the terminate operation may conclude altogether the control process 600 of FIG. 6 such that in response to the enable operation 714, the operation flow of this process 600 is reinitiated at the start operation 602.
  • the implementation is a matter of choice, and regardless of the choice, the operation flow of the control process 700 is passed to a disable fob operation 704 upon completion of the terminate operation 704.
  • the disable fob operation 704 disables the fobs 180 within the specified zone by precluding the internal float 185 from sealing off the beverage output port 184.
  • an embodiment of the present invention involves the controller 152 issuing a command to each of the fob stops 306 within the specified zone thereby generating a magnetic field that is concentrated on a wall of the chamber 186. Consequently, the internal float 185, which as noted above, has metallic properties, is caused to move toward the applicable wall and away from the beverage output port 184.
  • such a command may be in the form of a current and the fob stop may be a solenoid valve that, in response to application of the current from the controller 152, generates the desired magnetic field.
  • solenoid valves are just one type of mechanism that could be used as fob stops 306, it should be appreciated that other equivalent magnetic field generating devices may be utilized.
  • the clean operation 708 initiates application of the cleaning process to the specified zone per the received request and subsequently passes the operation flow to a query operation 710.
  • the query operation 710 determines whether the cleaning process is complete and, if so, passes the operation flow to an enable operation 712.
  • the query operation 710 passes the operation flow in a loop during which the query operation 710 is repetitively performed until the cleaning process is complete.
  • the enable operation 712 enables the fobs 180 in the specified zone such that the fobs 180 are operable to perform intended functionality (i.e., detecting foam and disabling flow in beverage path, e.g., fluid lines 146 or beverage lines 108). From the enable operation 712, the operation flow passes to a supply operation 714.
  • the supply operation 714 re-initiates supply of the control as to each of the gas lines 148 coupled to the gas-fluid junction 132 corresponding to the specified zone, thereby preparing the beverage dispensing system 800 for the beverage dispensing process. After the control gas has been re-supplied to the specified zone, the operation flow passes to the terminate operation 716.
  • FIGS 3-7 are directed to embodiments of the present invention that involve increasing beverage capacity using series-connected beverages, e.g., 401, 402 and 403
  • FIG. 8 illustrates a system 800 having increased beverage capacity using an enlarged beverage container 802 referred to as a "tank valve.”
  • a tank valve is operable to store a considerable amount of beverage more than conventional kegs. With that said, however, the coupler 110 does not fit on tank valves 802 as it would on conventional kegs.
  • An embodiment of the present invention therefore involves configuring the beverage dispensing system 100 to accommodate for a tank valve 802 or any other beverage container on which the coupler 110 is not operable to attach, thereby resulting in the beverage dispensing system 800 shown in FIG. 8.
  • the beverage dispensing system 800 includes a splitter 804 and a plurality of gas powered valves 806.
  • the splitter 806 includes an input 808 and a plurality of outputs 810.
  • Each of the plurality of outputs 810 is fluidly coupled to a dispense unit 102 by way of a beverage line 108.
  • one of the plurality of gas-powered valves 806 is positioned within each of the beverage lines 108 preferably in close proximity to the beverage line splitter 804.
  • the gas powered valves 806 are communicatively coupled to the gas-fluid junctions 132 by way of fluid lines 146 and gas lines 148.
  • valves 806 function in similar fashion to the couplers 110 described above.
  • control gas is provided between one or more gas-fluid junctions 132 and the valves 806 within the zone administered by that gas-fluid junction 132 and beverages are operable to flow between the splitter 804 and the associated dispense units 102.
  • Activation of a gas- fluid junction 132 e.g., by multiplier 130 or controller 152 if multiplier 130 is not utilized terminates the application of control gas to all of the gas-powered valves 806 within the zone administered by the activated gas-fluid junction 132.
  • the gas powered valves 806 in that zone disable flow between the beverage line splitter 804 and those valves 806 and enable flow between the fluid lines 146 and the beverage line 108.
  • the valves 806 in that zone are positioned in cleaning mode such that, if cleaning is desired, the cleaning process may be applied to that zone.
  • the gas powered valves 806 therefore perform substantially similar functionality as the couplers 110 by disabling beverage communication between the splitter 804 and the beverage lines 108 in similar fashion to the couplers 110 disabling beverage communication between the beverage ports 114 and the beverage lines 108.
  • FIG. 9 a process 900 for controlling operation of the beverage dispensing system 800 to administer a cleaning process thereto is shown in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
  • the control process 900 embodies a sequence of computer-implemented operations performed by the controller 152, the server computer 311 and/or the client computer 314, or a combination of any of these three computing modules, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention.
  • the control process 900 is also described herein as performed by the controller 152.
  • the control process 900 is performed using an operation flow that begins with a start operation 902 and concludes with a terminate operation 912.
  • the start operation 902 is initiated in response to receipt by the controller 152 of a request to initiate a cleaning process relative to any one zone in the beverage dispensing system 800.
  • a request may embody instructions received through the GUI 158, the IR Port 129, the communication device 309 (e.g., by way of server computer 311 or client computer 314) or by way of key switches, as described in greater detail in incorporated U.S. Patent Application Serial Nos. 10/985,302 and 11/142,995.
  • the operation flow passes from the start operation 902 to a terminate operation 904.
  • the terminate operation 904 terminates supply of the control gas to the specified zone thereby concluding the beverage dispensing process in preparation for starting the cleaning process in that zone.
  • the terminate operation 904 involves activating the associated gas-fluid junction 132 such that the flow of control gas is disabled between that junction 132 and any associated valves 806. From the terminate operation 904, the operation flow of the control process 900 is passed to a clean operation 906.
  • the clean operation 906 initiates application of the cleaning process to the specified zone per the received request and subsequently passes the operation flow to a query operation 908.
  • the query operation 908 determines whether the cleaning process is complete and, if so, passes the operation flow to a supply operation 910. Otherwise, the query operation 908 passes the operation flow in a loop during which the query operation 908 is repetitively performed until the cleaning process is complete.
  • the supply operation 910 re-initiates supply of the control gas to each of the gas lines 148 coupled to the gas-fluid junction 132 corresponding to the specified zone, thereby preparing the beverage dispensing system 800 for the beverage dispensing process.
  • the operation flow passes to the terminate operation 912.
  • control over the beverage dispensing system 400 having series connected beverage containers 401, 402, 403 is shown in FIG. 6 in accordance with an embodiment to be administered by a control process 600 that involves switching between the containers 401, 402, 403 in response to detecting that the beverage has been depleted therefrom using flow-based measurements.
  • a control process 600 that involves switching between the containers 401, 402, 403 in response to detecting that the beverage has been depleted therefrom using flow-based measurements.
  • other forms of measurement may be used to indicate the volume of beverage remaining in the beverage containers 401, 402 and 403.
  • the flow sensors 302 may be replaced or supplemented with other types of sensors that measure either directly or indirectly the volume of the containers 401, 402 and 403.
  • the first query operation 605 may not be necessary and therefore removed from the control process such that the operation flow passes from the receive operation 604 directly to the second query operation 606.
  • the flow sensors 302 are replaced by volumetric measuring devices that directly measure the volume of fluid in the containers 401, 402, 403, then such direct measurements remove the motivation for checking as to whether the dispense units 102 are "opened" and, therefore, the first query operation 605 may be redacted from the operation flow.
  • a conventional type fob detector 180 having a chamber 186 and an internal float 185, as shown in HGS. 1, 4 and 5 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
  • the present invention as it relates to fob controlling is not limited to this specific type of fob that shown in the figures and described above, but rather, it should be appreciated that controller-based management over other types of fobs or means for shutting off beverage lines 108 (e.g., optical means, hall flow sensors, etc.) are well within the scope of the present invention.
  • technologies other than magnetic technologies may be used as the fob stop 306.
  • controller 152 is described herein as conventional electrical and electronic devices/components, such as, without limitation, programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and logic components, but may alternatively be a processor 1001 integrated into a computer readable medium environment as optionally shown in FIG. 10. As such, the logical operations of the present invention described in FIGS. 6-7 and 9 may be administered by the processor 1001 in this computer readable medium environment.
  • PLCs programmable logic controllers
  • FIGS. 6-7 and 9 may be administered by the processor 1001 in this computer readable medium environment.
  • FIG. 10 capable of executing a computer readable medium embodiment of the present invention.
  • data and program files may be input to the computing system 1000, which reads the files and executes the programs therein.
  • FIG. 10 Some of the elements of a computing system 1000 are shown in FIG. 10 wherein the processor
  • the 1001 includes an input/output (I/O) section 1002, a microprocessor, or Central Processing Unit (CPU) 1003, and a memory section 1004.
  • the present invention is optionally implemented in this embodiment in software or firmware modules loaded in memory 1004 and/or stored on a solid state, non- volatile memory device 1013, a configured CD-ROM 1008 or a disk storage unit 1009.
  • the computing system 1000 is used as a "special-purpose" machine for implementing the present invention.
  • the I/O section 1002 is connected to a user input module 1005, e.g., a keyboard, a display unit 1006, etc., and one or more program storage devices, such as, without limitation, the solid state, non- volatile memory device 1013, the disk storage unit 1009, and the disk drive unit 1007.
  • the solid state, non-volatile memory device 1013 is an embedded memory device for storing instructions and commands in a form readable by the CPU 1003.
  • the solid state, non- volatile memory device 1013 may be Read-Only Memory (ROM), an Erasable Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically-Erasable Programmable ROM (EEPROM), a Flash Memory or a Programmable ROM, or any other form of solid state, non- volatile memory.
  • the disk drive unit 1007 may be a CD-ROM driver unit capable of reading the CD- ROM medium 1008, which typically contains programs 1010 and data.
  • the disk drive unit 1007 may be replaced or supplemented by a floppy drive unit, a tape drive unit, or other storage medium drive unit.
  • Computer readable media containing mechanisms (e.g., instructions, modules) to effectuate the systems and methods in accordance with the present invention may reside in the memory section 1004, the solid state, non- volatile memory device 1013, the disk storage unit 1009 or the CD-ROM medium 1008. Further, the computer readable media may be embodied in electrical signals representing data bits causing a transformation or reduction of the electrical signal representation, and the maintenance of data bits at memory locations in the memory 1004, the solid state, non-volatile memory device 1013, the configured CD-ROM 1008 or the storage unit 1009 to thereby reconfigure or otherwise alter the operation of the computing system 1000, as well as other processing signals.
  • the memory locations where data bits are maintained are physical locations that have particular electrical, magnetic, or optical properties corresponding to the data bits.
  • the computing system 1000 further comprises an operating system and usually one or more application programs. Such an embodiment is familiar to those of ordinary skill in the art.
  • the operating system comprises a set of programs that control operations of the computing system 1000 and allocation of resources.
  • the set of programs inclusive of certain utility programs, also provide a graphical user interface to the user.
  • An application program is software that runs on top of the operating system software and uses computer resources made available through the operating system to perform application specific tasks desired by the user.
  • the operating system is operable to multitask, i.e., execute computing tasks in multiple threads, and thus may be any of the following: any of Microsoft Corporation's "WINDOWS" operating systems, IBM's OS/2 WARP, Apple's MACINTOSH OSX operating system, Linux, UNIX, etc.
  • the processor 1001 connects to the communications network 313 by way of a network interface, such as the network adapter 1011 shown in FIG. 10. Through this network connection, the processor 1001 is operable to transmit information to the remote computer 310, as described in connection with the controller 152 shown in FIG. 3. Various types of information may be transmitted from the processor 1001 to the remote computer 310 over the network connection.
  • the network adaptor 1011 enables users at the remote computer 310 or the client computer 314 the ability to issue commands to the processor 1001 if so desired, also as described above in connection with the controller 152 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.
  • valves 304 on the fluid lines 148 prior to the last beverage container 403 may include manual override switches such that the series-connected containers (401, 402 and 403) maintain functionality in case of a power outage.
  • the beverage dispensing system 800 is shown in and described in connection with FIG. 8 to illustrate an embodiment of the present invention in which split beverage lines 108 are utilized. While fobs 180 are not described as being part of this system 800, it should be appreciated that embodiments of the present invention involve fitting each of the split beverage lines 108 with a fob 108 and an associated fob stop 306, as described with reference to FIG. 5.
  • the control process 900 includes operations for disabling the fobs 180 prior to cleaning and enabling the fobs 180 after cleaning, as described with reference to the disable operation 706 and the enable operation 712 in FIG. 7.
  • each of the split beverage lines 108 are shown in FIG. 8 as serving separate zones for illustration purposes, it should be appreciated that any number of the split beverage lines 108 may serve a single zone and, in this case, a single valve 806 may include an output for each of these split lines 108.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention a pour objet un système de distribution de boissons équipé d'une fonctionnalité de commande utilisée pour gérer un processus de distribution de boissons ainsi qu'un processus de nettoyage du système de distribution de fluide. Le système de distribution de boissons possède au moins un récipient de boisson qui fournit au moins une boisson à au moins une ligne de boisson, qui, à son tour, fournit au moins une boisson à au moins une unité de distribution ou à au moins un robinet. Chaque récipient à boisson comporte une entrée de boisson par le biais de laquelle une boisson est produite en association à une ligne de boisson reliée à un robinet associé. Un coupleur est fixé au récipient et sert d'interface entre la ligne de boisson associée et l'entrée de boisson située sur le récipient. Le coupleur sert non seulement au processus de distribution de boissons mais facilite également le processus de nettoyage en fournissant une interface à l'eau et à des produits chimiques de nettoyage. L'invention prévoit également diverses configurations du système de distribution de boissons qui prévoient un robinet de réservoir et des récipients connectés en série. Le système de distribution de boissons permet également une gestion commandée desdits systèmes par un contrôleur.
EP06827255A 2005-10-31 2006-10-31 Gestion commandee de systeme de distribution de fluide par un controleur Withdrawn EP1945557A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US11/264,595 US20060113322A1 (en) 2004-11-09 2005-10-31 Monitoring operation of a fluid dispensing system
US11/264,615 US20060175352A1 (en) 2004-11-09 2005-10-31 Cleaning processes for a fluid dispensing system
US11/264,617 US20060169715A1 (en) 2004-11-09 2005-10-31 Controller-based management of a fluid dispensing system
PCT/US2006/042615 WO2007053665A2 (fr) 2005-10-31 2006-10-31 Gestion commandee de systeme de distribution de fluide par un controleur

Publications (1)

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EP1945557A2 true EP1945557A2 (fr) 2008-07-23

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP06827255A Withdrawn EP1945557A2 (fr) 2005-10-31 2006-10-31 Gestion commandee de systeme de distribution de fluide par un controleur

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EP (1) EP1945557A2 (fr)
WO (1) WO2007053665A2 (fr)

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NL1033913C2 (nl) * 2007-05-31 2008-12-02 Heineken Supply Chain Bv Besturingssysteem voor een drankafgifteinrichting.
GB0800792D0 (en) * 2008-01-16 2008-02-27 Lancer Gb Llp Liquid dispensing system
EP2163509A1 (fr) * 2008-09-11 2010-03-17 Carlsberg Breweries A/S Méthode pour le nettoyage et le rinçage d'un distributeur de boissons
ES2579105B1 (es) * 2015-02-04 2017-04-25 Carlos Santaolalla Milla Equipo automatizado para instalaciones de dispense de cerveza
WO2018183477A1 (fr) 2017-03-28 2018-10-04 Flow Control Llc. Système d'infusion de gaz/liquide avec gestion de niveau intelligent et sortie d'absorption réglable
EP3694807A1 (fr) * 2017-10-09 2020-08-19 Knappco, LLC Systèmes de commande pour véhicules de livraison de produit liquide
ES2907788T3 (es) 2017-10-27 2022-04-26 Carlsberg Breweries As Unidad de limpieza para suministrar un líquido de limpieza a un sistema de dispensación de bebida
EP3734525A4 (fr) * 2017-12-29 2021-07-21 Tubing Food S.L. Équipement électronique de commande multiple de distributeurs de bière, boissons gazeuses et produits similaires
WO2020030829A1 (fr) * 2018-08-06 2020-02-13 Tubing Food S.L Système de surveillance et de commande d'installations distributrices de boissons
ES1276174Y (es) * 2021-07-21 2021-11-02 Gonzalez Gerardo Masegosa Dispensador de agua

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NL9000486A (nl) * 1989-07-04 1991-02-01 Tapclean Bv Inrichting voor het reinigen van een of meer bierleidingen.
DE4329784A1 (de) * 1993-09-03 1995-03-09 Erhard Rohrmoser Getränkezapfanlage mit einer Getränke-Portioniervorrichtung und einer Reinigungsvorrichtung
AU8068294A (en) * 1993-11-04 1995-05-23 Geoffrey Miles Furness Gas pressurized liquid delivery system

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2007053665A2 (fr) 2007-05-10
WO2007053665A3 (fr) 2008-07-10

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