US3255920A

US3255920A - Remote-carbonator dispensing system and method

Info

Publication number: US3255920A
Application number: US348003A
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard T Cornelius
Original assignee: Cornelius Co
Current assignee: Cornelius Co
Priority date: 1964-02-28
Filing date: 1964-02-28
Publication date: 1966-06-14
Anticipated expiration: 1983-06-14

Description

June 14, 1966 R. T- CORNELIUS 3,255,920

REMOTE-CARBONATOR DISPENSING SYSTEM AND METHOD Filed Feb. 28, 1964 INVENTOR.

APTORNEYS United States Patent f 3,255,920 REMOTE-CARBONATOR DISPENSING SYSTEM AND METHOD Richard T.. Cornelius, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to The Cornelius Company, Anoka, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Feb. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 348,003 6 Claims. (Cl. 222-1) This invention relates to a method and means of carbonating and dispensing a carbonated beverage, and more specifically to a method and system wherein the carbonation or carbonator is disposed on a floor which is lower than the dispensing means or dispensing faucet.

Combined carbonation-dispensing systems have been previously provided, usually being built into a single cabinet. For various reasons, it has become desirable to dispose the carbonator remotely from such cabinet, such as in a basement or other floor or story located beneath the floor or story at which dispensing takes place. The remote location of the carbonator minimizes the physical space required in the dispensing area, facilitates the employment of multiple dispensing stations operating from a single carbonator, and facilitates maintenance or repairs thereon. However, certain problems and disadvantages have arisen in connection with use of a remote carbonator.

The quality-minded operator of the beverage-serving establishment is keenly anxious to provide the proper degree of carbonation of the beverage, since the percentage of saturation of carbonation is a prime factor affecting the palatability of thebeverage. Both over-carbonation and under-carbonation, with respect to a predetermined degree of carbonation, are therefore highly undesirable from a commercial standpoint. While the consumer may not be able to detect the nature or source of his distaste, thee discriminating consumer can readily sense-dissatisfaction .with the taste where the level or degreee of carbonation is either too low or too high. The exact predetermined level of carbonation is in part a matter of taste, and such level will vary depending upon whether the carbonated beverage is merely carbonated water, a cola beverage, or an orange-base drink, by way of example. Y i

I have found that the attainment of the proper degree of carbonation is relatively easy so long as both the carbonator and the dispensing means are on the same floor, but special problems arise when the carbonator is disposed on a lower floor.

When the carbonator and the dispensingmeans are located on the same floor, a relatively low carbonatingv pressure may be employed to obtain the desired degree of carbonation. However, when such a carbonator is placed on a lower floor, the relatively low carbon dioxide gas-pressure employed in the carbonator is insuflicient to adequately overcome the pressure loss which is produced by having the dispensing faucet located a floor higher than the carbonator, such head loss being augmented by further frictional losses in the line since a correspondingly longer fluid line is needed to connect these remotely disposed components. Attempts have been made to overcome these pressure losses by increasing the gas-pressure in the carbonator. However, the gas-pressure present in the carbonator is one of the factors that determines the amount of carbon dioxide gas that can be dissolved in the previously uncarbonated beverage. Therefore, the raising of the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas in the carbonator has the unwanted side effect of increasing the number of volumes of carbon dioxide gas which can be dissolved in a volume of beverage before saturation is reached. Not only does this increase adversely affect flavor, but the ensuing head and frictional losses lessen 3,255,926 Patented June 14, 1966 the pressure to such an extent at the dispensing faucet break up into bubbles or foam when the beverage is with drawn therefrom.

I have found that with the dispensing faucet and the carbonator disposed on separate floors, one must expect either excessive carbonation, together with its accompanying disadvantages, or one must expect an inadequate dispensing pressure, together with its accompanying disadvantages.

In accordance with my invention, I have found a method and means by which neither the degree of car bonation nor the pressure at a faucet disposed at a higher floor needs to be compromised. The basic components employed are conventional, but they are rearranged in a novel system or method of operating the same to produce a novel arrangement of components, whereby a nocompromise result is obtained.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved carbonated beverage dispensing system employing remote carbonation, wherein the carbonation and the dispensing take place or the means for doing so are located on separate floors of a building.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a remote-carbonator dispensing system wherein substantially any predetermined level of carbonation may be provided at a dispensing faucet in a stable and efficient manner.

Many other advantages, features and additional objects of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying drawing in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

On the drawing:

The single figure is a schematic representation of an installation in a multi-story building of a carbonated beverage dispensing system provided in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

As shown on the drawing:

The principles of this invention are particularly useful when embodied in a carbonated beverage system such as illustrated in the drawing, generally indicated by the numeral 10. The system 10 is shown as installed in a building, a portion of the system being installed on one floor, here represented as the lower floor or basement 1'1, and a further portion of the system being installed on a higher floor, here represented as being an upper or street-level floor 12. The term on as used herein denotes a sense of occupancy in a particular building story, rather than literal engagement with the surface on which one might walk. The term higher floor as used herein denotes a higher building story or its equivalent, and not merely a different level within the same story as might be found in a piece of equipment, in terracing, on a dais, or'the like.

The system 10 includes a carbonator 13 disposed on the floor or in the basement 11 below the dispensing floor .or story 12. The system further includes a dispensing faucet 14 disposed on a higher floor or story 12. A fluid line 15 connects the carbonator 13 to the dispensing faucet The details of the carbonator 13 are not shown since carbonators of a known type may be employed. In the fluid line .15, there is provided a pump 20, preferably of the constant-delivery type. A return line 21 is connected to the fluid line 1 5 by a T-fittin-g 22 adjacent to the faucet 14, and at its other end by a T-fitting 23 disposed between the carbonator 13 and the pump 20. The return line 21 should be so connected as to avoid re-exposing the returned carbonated beverage to further carbon dioxide gas, thus avoiding altering the amount of carbon dioxide gas dissolved therein.

A suitable valve 24, preferably a relief valve of the inline type, is provided in the return line 21, and its cracking pressure is so set as to provide a substantial backpressure at the inlet to the faucet 14. The faucet 14 typically forms a part of a fixture or is secured to a counter, the fixture or counter being represented schematically at 25.

With due regard to the temperature of the previously I uncarbonated beverage which enters the inlet line 16, the carbonator 13 is caused to provide a predetermined degree of carbonation in such beverage by appropriate setting of the regulator valve 18, a predetermined constant pressure of carbon dioxide gas thus being delivered to the carbonator 13. Using an efiicient carbonator 13, a relatively low pressure setting may be employed, so that for the pressure and temperature present, saturation of carbonation is approximately obtained. Of course, lower predetermined degrees of carbonation may also be employed to advantage, but an approach to saturation is advantageous in that with a variation in usage, the effect of time is substantially eliminated. In each instance, the gas pressure in the carbonator 13 will likely be inadequate to overcome the head losses and the frictional losses in the fluid line 15 in that without the pump 20, the beverage will either not be forced up to the faucet 14, or will be present at the faucet 14 at too low a pressure (1) to enable facile dispensing, and (2) to enable the prevention of separation of carbon dioxide gas bubbles in the carbonated beverage. The head loss inherent in a system such as disclosed would ordinarily tend to promote such beverage breakup or gas separation. However, the pump 20 elevates the pressure applied to the carbonated beverage in the fluid line 15 after it has been removed from the presence of undissolved carbon dioxide gas in the carbonator 13. The increase in pressure ensures the retention of carbon dioxide gas in solution. The pump 20 also raises the pressure sufficiently so that the pressure at the faucet 14 is at least as large as the pressure in the carbonator 13, and to do this, the pump 20 raises the pressure in the line .15 by an amount at least as large as that needed to overcome the head loss and frictional losses in such fluid line 15. Moreover, a further increase in pressure may be provided by the pump 20 to increase the dispensing rate to the faucet 14. Such further increase in pressure does not increase the amount of carbon dioxide gas dissolved in the beverage since the pressure increase takes place at a point in the line 15 remote from undissolved carbon dioxide gas. How ever, such increase in pressure lowers the percentage of saturation of such beverage, thereby lessening the likelihood of its breaking up during subsequent flow thereof.

Where the pump 20 comprises a constant-delivery pump as shown, it is necessary that the return line 21 be provided so as to return such volume of carbonated beverage as is not being dispensed at any particular moment from the faucet 14. This return of carbonated beverage is so accomplished that the returning beverage is not mixed with or exposed to any undissolved carbon dioxide gas, such as in the carbonator 13, and hence the position of the T 23 at the inlet of the pump 20 obtains this result.

The gas pressure in the carbonator 13, minus the head pressure in the return line 21, is the minimum pressure to which the relief valve 24 should be set in the preferred operation of this system. This will ensure that the inlet pressure at the faucet 14 is no less than the carbonation pressure present in the carbonator 13.

The maximum volumetric rate of flow through the relief valve 24 occurs when the faucet 14 is closed. When the faucet 14 is opened, some of the carbonated beverage which would otherwse flow through the return line 21 is diverted to the faucet 14 so as to reduce the volumetric rate of flow through the return line 2 1. The capacity of the pump 20 preferably is sufiicient to maintain a slight flow in the return line 21 when the faucet 14 is open.

Although various minor modifications might be suggested by those versed in the art, it should be understood that I wish to embody within the scope of the patent warrented hereon all such embodiments as reasonably and properly come within the scope of my contribution to the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. beverage carbonation system, comprising:

(a) a carbonator operative to carbonate a previously uncarbonated beverage to a predetermined degree of saturation;

(b) a dispensing faucet disposed on a higher floor than said carbonator and connected by a fluid line to said carbonator to receive carbonated beverage there from; and

(c) a pump operative on beverage which has been discharged from said carbonator, and so connected in series in said line as to raise the pressure of carbonated beverage in said line by an amount that is at least as great as the combined head and frictional losses in said line between said pump and said faucet, whereby the line pressure at said faucet is at least as great as that produced by said carbonator on the inlet of said pump, so that carbonated beverage at said faucet may be withdrawn having a degree of saturation no greater than said predetermined degree.

2. A beverage carbonation system, comprising:

(a) a carbonator operative to carbonate a previously uncarbonated beverage under a relatively low pressure of carbon dioxide gas;

(b) a dispensing faucet disposed on a higher floor than said carbonator and connected by a fluid line to said carbonator to receive carbonated beverage therefrom; and

(c') a pump operative on beverage which has been discharged from said carbonator, and so connected in series in said line as to raise the pressure of the carbonated beverage in said line by an amount that is greater than the combined head and frictional losses in said line between said pump and said faucet, whereby the line pressure at said faucet is greater than that produced by said carbonator on the inlet of said pump to produce a lower predetermined nonsaturated degree of carbonation along the entire length of the line between said pump and said faucet.

3. A beverage carbonation system, comprising:

(b) a dispensing faucet disposed on a higher floor than said carbonator and connected by a fluid line to said carbonator to receive carbonated beverage therefrom;

(c) a constant-delivery pump connected in series in said line and operative to raise the pressure of carbonated beverage received from said carbonator;

(d) a beverage return line connecting said fluid line at said faucet with said fluid line between said carbonator and said pump; and

(e) a valve in said return line, disposed With said faucet on said higher floor and operative to restrict return flow therein to enable said pump to build up, in saidfluid line, a pressure increase which is greater than the combined head and frictional losses in said fluid line between said pump and said faucet.

4. A beverage carbonation system, comprising:

(a) a carbonator operative under a relatively low predetermined pressure of carbon dioxide gas to car bonate a previously uncarbonated beverage to a predetermined degree of saturation;

(b) a dispensing faucet disposed on a higher floor than said carbonator and connected by a fluid line to said carbonator to receive carbonated 'beverage therefrom;

(c) a constant-delivery pump connected in series in said fluid line, and operative to raise the pressure of carbonated beverage in said fluid line after such beverage has been discharged from said carbonator;

(e) a relief valve disposed with said faucet on said higher floor and connected in series in said return line, and operative to provide a back-pressure at the outlet of said pump by restricting return flow in said return line, said back-pressure being of a magnitude no less than the sum of said carbonator pressure and the head and friction losses in said fluid line, and to thereby produce a predetermined degree of saturation along the length of the fluid line between said pump and said faucet which is no greater than said first-mentioned predetermined degree of saturation.

5. A method for dispensing a carbonated beverage,

comprising:

(a) under a predetermined relatively low pressure of carbon dioxide gas, carbonating a previously uncarbonated beverage to a relatively high degree of saturation;

(b) conducting the carbonated beverage away from undissolved carbon dioxide gas, and under pressure, to a higher floor to a dispensing faucet; and

(c) during said conducting toward the faucet, and

remotely from undissolved carbon dioxide gas, increasing the pressure on the conducted carbonated beverage by an amount whereby the increase is greater than the combined head and frictional losses up to the faucet and which thereby also reduces the comprising:

(a) under a predetermined pressure of carbon dioxide gas in a chamber, carbonating a previously uncarbonated beverage to a predetermined degree of saturation;

(b) conducting the carbonated beverage away from the chamber and away from undissolved carbon dioxide gas, and under pressure and at a constant volumetric rate of flow, to a higher floor to a normally closed dispensing faucet;

(c) during said conducting toward the faucet, and remotely from the chamber containing undissolved carbon dioxide gas, increasing the pressure on the conducted carbonated beverage by an amount where by the increase is greater than the combined head and frictional losses up to the faucet; and

(d) recirculating carbonated beverage, under pressure, away from the faucet while maintaining an increased pressure at the faucet, and mixing it with said carbonated beverage which the pressure is to be increased, remotely from said chamber and hence remote from undissolved carbon dioxide gas.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,663,685 3/1928 Doughty 222318 X 2,149,633 3/ 1939 Schnoor 222399 X 2,337,783 12/1943 Thompson et al. 222318 X 3,011,681 12/1961 Kromer 2223 18 X 3,140,049 7/1964 Norstrud et a1. 222318 X 3,160,332 12/1964 Brunson 222-*318 FOREIGN PATENTS 101,159 10/1925 Austria. 107,623 1/ 1900 Germany.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

Claims

5. A METHOD FOR DISPENSING A CARBONATED BEVERAGE, COMPRISING: (A) UNDER A PREDETERMINED RELATIVELY LOW PRESSURE OF CARBON DIOXIDE GAS, CARBONATING A PREVIOUSLY UNCARBONATED BEVERAGE TO A RELATIVELY HIGH DEGREE OF SATURATION; (B) CONDUCTING THE CARBONATED BEVERAGE AWAY FROM UNDISSOLVED CARBON DIOXIDE GAS, AND UNDER PRESSURE, TO A HIGHER FLOOR TO A DISPENSING FAUCET; AND (C) DURING SAID CONDUCTING TOWARD THE FAUCET, AND REMOTELY FROM UNDISSOLVED CARBON DIOXIDE GAS, INCREASING THE PRESSURE ON THE CONDUCTED CARBONATED BEVERAGE BY AN AMOUNT WHEREBY THE INCREASE IS GREATER THAN THE COMBINED HEAD AND FRICTIONAL LOSSES UP TO THE FAUCET AND WHICH THEREBY ALSO REDUCES THE DEGREE OF SATURATION AT THE FAUCET TO LESS THAN SAID PREDETERMINED DEGREE.