GB2355975A - Beverage dispenser with cooler and heater - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus to dispense a beverage comprises a source of beverage 16 and a dispense tap 10, 12, means for moving the beverage to the dispense tap 36, a cooler for the beverage 34 positioned between the source 16 and the dispense tap 10, 12 and a heater 54, positioned to heat the beverage as it passes from the flow line 42 to the dispense tap 10, 12. When two or more taps 10, 12 are arranged to dispense beverage, one of them may be supplied with the heater 54 and one without, which allows the beverage to be dispensed at two temperatures depending on the preference of the consumer. The flow line 42 may be in a conventional 'python'44, and each dispense tap 10, 12 may be connected to the flow line 42 using a T-connecter 46. The heater 54 may be positioned between one of the dispense taps 10, 12 and its T-connecter 46, and it may heat a reservoir of beverage. Alternatively, the heater 54 may comprise heating wires encased in the wall of a delivery tube 50 which carries beverage from the flow line 42 to the dispense tap 10, 12, effectively heating the beverage as it flows past. A control means may monitor and control temperature.

Description

2355975 BEVERAGE DISPENSER This invention relates to the dispensing of

beverages. It is particularly concerned with the dispensing of beer and will be more particularly described below with reference to beer although it will be appreciated that the invention has wider applicability and hence is not intended to be limited thereto.

In the dispensing of a beverage such as beer, it is conventional practice to propel the beer from a reservoir, e.g. a keg, at a remote location to a dispense tap in, say, a bar. The beer may be cooled by passage through a cooler and then maintained in a cooled condition between the cooler and the dispense tap by means of a so-called "python". Essentially a python is a multiplicity of flexible parallel tubes within an outer sheath, one or more of the tubes carrying a beverage and one or more of the tubes carrying a cooling fluid, usually water, to maintain the beverage(s) at a desired temperature. The cooling fluid is recirculated to and from the cooler to maintain it at the required temperature.

It will be appreciated that this arrangement has limitations in that the beverage or beverages can only be served at one predetermined temperature or, more accurately, can only be served within a narrow temperature range around the predetermined temperature. For example, it is conventional practice to serve certain types of beer at about YC I 0C.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a means of serving a beverage at a choice of temperatures.

2 Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention provides an apparatus to dispense a beverage, the apparatus comprising a source of the beverage, a dispense tap remote from the source, means to propel the beverage along a flow line from the source to a position adjacent to the dispense tap, a cooler for the beverage between the source and the tap and a heater positioned to heat the beverage as it passes ftom the flow line to the dispense tap.

The flow line may supply two or more dispense taps, one at least of which has an associated heater.

In another aspect the invention provides an apparatus to heat a beverage prior to its being dispensed, the apparatus comprising a delivery tube between a flow line for the beverage and a dispense tap and a heater positioned to heat the beverage flowing through the delivery tube.

The flow line may be a conventional python.

The flow line may be in the form of a recirculation loop wherein the beverage may be continuously recirculated through the cooler. By this means the beverage is not left standing in the flow line during periods between beverage dispenses.

The means to propel the beverage may also be conventional means, e.g. a pump or a source of gas pressure.

Each dispense tap may conveniently be connected to the flow line, for example, by a T-connector and the heater may be positioned between one of the dispense taps and its respective T-connector.

The heater may take any convenient form. It may heat a reservoir of the beverage between the flow line and the dispense tap or it may be designed to heat the beverage as it flows to the tap without such a 3 reservoir. In this latter embodiment, the heater may comprise heating wires encased in the wall of a delivery tube carrying a beverage from the flow line to the tap. Alternatively the heater may be helically wrapped or braided onto the exterior of the delivery tube.

In these embodiments where the delivery tube comprises its own integral heater, the tubing can be cut in situ to meet the individual requirements, i.e. varying lengths, of the specific dispense location. One end of the tube heater wires can in a preferred embodiment, be connected to a control module and the other end terminated to complete the necessary circuit.

Preferably, the heater operates on a 24 volt DC circuit and so the apparatus may additionally include a mains transformer to provide the required DC mode.

By way of example only, the heater may be chosen to be of adequate power to heat a dispensed beverage of, say, V2 litre or one pint from its cooled flow line temperature of about YC to about VC during the dispense period, which might be, for example, about 20 seconds.

The skilled man of the art will readily be able to choose a heater arrangement suitable for any particular dispense temperature and time requirements.

Thus the invention provides a convenient means by which a beverage may be dispensed at a choice of two, or more, temperatures.

Clearly, if more temperature choices are required, then additional dispense taps, each of which may have its own specific heater, are required. Whe;7e only two temperatures are required, i.e. the temperature provided by the cooler temperature and one higher temperature, the single heater required may be associated with a single 4 dispense tap so that the cooler and the warmer beverages are dispensed through the same tap. Alternatively, the cooler and warmer beverages may have their own dedicated dispense taps with a heater associated only with the "warmer" tap. The heater arrangements of the invention may also be used on a conventional "T" bar type of dispense font housing a plurality of dispense taps, which may be of varying shapes and styles.

As indicated above, a control module is preferably used to control the dispense operation. This can conveniently be a programmed microprocessor which is connected to a flow sensor for the dispense tap, i.e. a means to sense when the tap is opened to allow flow and when it is closed to present flow. Conventional sensors may be used. The control module can also monitor the temperature of the beverage. This may be done, for example, both at the entry point of the beverage from the flow line to the delivery tube and at the entry point to the dispense tap.

Alternatively measurement may solely be made at one of these positions and the heater operated by the control module according to its pre ordained programme to ensure that the temperature at the dispense tap is maintained at the desired level.

Again, the temperature measurement may be made by any convenient conventional means, e.g. a thermistor.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure I is a diagrammatic representation of one form of apparatus of the invention; Figure 2 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged view of region A of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of another forrn of apparatus of the invention; Figure 5 is an enlarged view of region B of Figure 4; Figure 6 is an enlarged view of region C of Figure 4; Figure 7 is an enlarged view of region D of Figure 4; and Figure 8 is a block diagram showing a typical control sequence.

In Figures 1 and 2 is shown a beer dispense apparatus having two dispense taps through which the beer may be dispensed at different temperatures.

Dispense taps 10 and 12 are mounted on a bar 14 and are remote from a source of beer in a keg 16 in a cellar 18. In the cellar, beer keg 16 is maintained under gas pressure from gas (C02) cylinder 20 via a regulator 22 and gas flow line 24. A connector 26 on top of keg 16 connects the beer in the keg via flow line 28 and a Cellarbuoy (registered trademark) 30 via an inlet 32 to a cooler 34. Cellarbuoy 30 acts, as is well known, to cut off flow when the keg is nearly empty and prevents air flowing into the dispensing apparatus. A pump 36 on the cooler drives a paddle 38 to maintain a uniform temperature of the water in the cooler. An outlet 40 from the cooler leads the beer in a flow line 42 to a python 44. The flow line 42 delivers the beer to dispense taps 10 and 12 via a T-connector at 46 and a junction 48 respectively and through delivery lines 50 and 52 respectively. Delivery line 50 to dispense tap 10 is fitted with a heater 54, indicated purely diagrammatically. When either of the dispense taps is opened beer from the kee, is propelled through that tap.

Z 6 Cold water is pumped around python 44 from cooler 34 via an outlet 56, through flow line 58, returning to the cooler via inlet 56A, thereby maintaining the beer in flow line 42 at the desired lower beer dispense temperature.

As shown in Figure 2, a control module 60 is connected to the heater on delivery tube 50, e.g. by connection to the helical heater wiring 62 on tube 50 (Figure 3). The module is also connected to a flow indicator 64 and a temperature sensor 66. The wiring 62 in Figure 3 is shown terminated at 68 to complete its electrical circuit. (The python flow line has been omitted from Figure 2 for clarity.).

Thus, for example, beer may be cooled in the cellar and circulated through the apparatus at about YC. It will be dispensed, when required, through tap 12 to reach the glass at about 2'C. If a warmer drink is required, tap 10 is opened. This triggers the control unit to operate the heater to heat the beer passing through delivery tube 50 whereby that beer reaches a temperature of about 6'C. By the time of delivery into the glass the dispensed beer may be at about 5'C. When the tap 10 is closed,, the control unit switches off the heater.

It will be appreciated that beer in the delivery tube downstream of the heater will cool between dispenses and hence the first small quantity of beer to be dispensed from tap 10 will usually be below the desired temperature. However, the volume of beer remaining downstream of the heater can be very small relative to the total quantity dispensed, e. g.

to 20 ml per V2 litre, and has little effect on the overall final temperature of the dispensed beverage.

7 An alternative apparatus containing a beer recirculation line is shown in Figures 4 to 7. In Figures 4 to 7 similar part of those of Figures I and 2 are given the same number with a 100 prefix.

In Figure 4 a beer dispense apparatus again has two dispense taps 110 and 112 mounted on a bar 114. The taps are remote from a source of beer in a keg 116 in a cellar 118. In the cellar beer keg 116 is maintained under gas pressure from gas (C02) in a cylinder 120 via primary and secondary regulators 122 and 122A respectively and gas flow line 124. A connector 126 on top of keg 116 connects the beer in the keg via a flow line 128, to a pump 129, and a Cellarbuoy (registered trademark) 130 and an inlet 132 to a cooler 134. A pump 136 on the cooler drives a paddle 138 to maintain a uniform temperature of the water in the cooler. An outlet 140 from the cooler leads the beer to an initial flow line tube 142 and from there via a T-junction 143 into a recirculation double tube arrangement 144. The double tube comprises an outer tube 156 and an inner tube 158, to be described in more detail below. The T-junction 143 and double tube 144 will also be described below in more detail with respect to Figures 5 and 7 respectively.

From within double tube 144 the beer can be delivered to dispense taps I 10 and 112 via connectors 146 and 148 respectively and delivery lines 150 and 152 respectively. These connectors are described in more detail below with reference to Figures 6 and 7 respectively.

Delivery line 150 to dispense tap 110 is fitted with a heater 154 and,, as with the Figure 1 arrangement, when either of the dispense taps is opened, beer from the keg is propelled through that tap.

8 The beer can recirculate continuously around the double tube 144 to return via T-junction 143 and return pipe 145 to the cooler 134 and out again via outlet 140 and flow line 142 to double tube 144 and so on.

T-junction 143 is shown in greater detail in Figure 5. It comprises a hollow T-piece, one arm 160 of which is of bore to sealingly receive the downstream end of initial flow line tube 142. A second arm 162 is of bore to sealingly receive the upstream end of outer tube 156 of double tube 144. The third arm 164, which is co-axial with arm 162 is of bore to sealingly receive the inner tube 158 of the double tube. As shown, inner tube 158 extends completely through arms 164 and 162 and extends inside outer tube 156 from T-junction 143 as far as the connector 148 (see Figure 4).

Beer can, therefore, flow from tube 142 in the direction of arrows A to surround the inner tube 158 and proceed in the annular flow passage 157 so provided to junctions 146 and 148. Return flow of the beer through inner tube 158 is indicated by arrow B. Junction 146 is shown in greater detail in Figure 6. It also comprises a hollow T-piece, one arm 170 of which is of bore to sealingly receive the downstream end of delivery line 150 to dispense tap 110. Outer tube 156 has been cut into two portions and the downstream end of portion 156A is sealingly fitted into the bore of second arm 172 of the T-piece while the upstream end of the other portion 156B is sealingly fitted into the bore of the third arm 174. Arms 172 and 174 are co-axial and inner tube 158 passes through both as shown. Thus the annular flow passage 157 between tubes 156 and 158 continues through junction 146 whereby beer can continue to flow beyond junction 146 in the direction of arrow A towards junction 148.

9 Within junction 146 beer may also flow in the direction of arrows C, i.e.

through an-n 170 into delivery tube 150 and thence to dispense tap I 10.

Return flow of recirculating beer from junction 148 in inner tube 15 8 is again indicated by arrow B. Junction 148 is shown in greater detail in Figure 7. It also comprises a hollow T-piece, one arm 180 of which is of bore to sealingly receive the downstream end of delivery line 152 to dispense tap 112. The upstream end of portion 156B of outer tube 156 is sealingly fitted into the bore of second arm 182 of the T-piece and the third arm 184 is sealingly blocked by an insert plug 186. As before arms 182 and 184 are coaxial.

Plug 186 carries on its face 188 fitted inside the T-piece a hollow cylindrical extension 190, the free end of which has an annular step 192 to receive the upstream end of inner tube 158. The hollow extension 190 thereby effectively forms a short axial extension at the end of inner tube 158. Extension 190 has a number of holes 194 in its cylindrical wall whereby beer flowing in annular gap 157 may on reaching junction 148 pass through those holes as indicated by the arrows B' to flow along tube 15 8 as indicated by arrow B via junctions 146 and 143 to return to the cooler.

Within junction 148 beer may also flow in the direction of arrows D, i.e. through arm 180 into delivery tube 152 and thence to dispense tap 112.

The block diagram of Figure 8 shows a typical sequence of operation.

Claims (14)

1. An apparatus to dispense a beverage, the apparatus comprising a source of the beverage, a dispense tap remote from the source, means to propel the beverage along a flow line from the source to a position adjacent to the dispense tap, a cooler for the beverage between the source and the tap and a heater positioned to heat the beverage as it passes from the flow line to the dispense tap.

2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, in which the flow line 10 supplies two or more dispense taps, at least one of which has an associated heater.

3. An apparatus according to Claim I or 2, in which the flow line is a conventional python.

4. An apparatus according to Claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the flow line 15 is a recirculation loop, wherein the beverage can be recirculated through the cooler.

5. An apparatus according to Claim 2, 3 or 4, in which each dispense tap is connected to the flow line by a T-connector and the heater is positioned between one of the dispense taps and its respective Tconnector.

6. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the heater heats a reservoir of the beverage, the reservoir being positioned between the flow line and the dispense tap.

7. An apparatus according to any one of Claims I to 5, in which the 25 heater comprises heating wires encased in the wall of a delivery tube carrying beverage from the flow line to the dispense tap.

11

8. An apparatus according to any one of Claims I to 5, in which the heater comprises heating wires helically wrapped or braided onto the exterior of a delivery tube carrying beverage ftom the flow line to the dispense tap.

9. An apparatus according to Claim 7 or 8, in which the heater wires are connected at one end to a control unit and are terminated at their other end to complete the circuit.

10. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, in which the heater is of power to heat ftom 1/2 to 1 litre of beverage by 3' C over a period of up to twenty seconds.

11. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, which incorporates as a control unit a programmed microprocessor connected to a sensor which detects flow through the dispense tap.

12. An apparatus according to Claim 11, in which the control unit 15 also monitors beverage temperature by means of a temperature sensor at the entry point to the dispense tap.

13. An apparatus to heat a beverage prior to its being dispensed, the apparatus comprising a flow line for the beverage to a dispense tap, a delivery tube between the flow line and the dispense tap and a heater positioned to heat the beverage flowing through the delivery tube.

14. An apparatus according to Claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.