US3765569A - Beverage dispenser - Google Patents

Beverage dispenser Download PDF

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Publication number
US3765569A
US3765569A US00242607A US3765569DA US3765569A US 3765569 A US3765569 A US 3765569A US 00242607 A US00242607 A US 00242607A US 3765569D A US3765569D A US 3765569DA US 3765569 A US3765569 A US 3765569A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
beverage
container
pump
duct
cock
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00242607A
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English (en)
Inventor
T Rimini
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.)
BRAS INTERNAZIONALE SpA A Co OF ITALIAN REPUBLIC
Original Assignee
BRAS SpA
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
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Publication of US3765569A publication Critical patent/US3765569A/en
Assigned to BRAS INTERNAZIONALE S.P.A., A COMPANY OF ITALIAN REPUBLIC reassignment BRAS INTERNAZIONALE S.P.A., A COMPANY OF ITALIAN REPUBLIC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: BRAS S.P.A.,
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F13/00—Coin-freed apparatus for controlling dispensing or fluids, semiliquids or granular material from reservoirs
    • G07F13/06—Coin-freed apparatus for controlling dispensing or fluids, semiliquids or granular material from reservoirs with selective dispensing of different fluids or materials or mixtures thereof
    • G07F13/065—Coin-freed apparatus for controlling dispensing or fluids, semiliquids or granular material from reservoirs with selective dispensing of different fluids or materials or mixtures thereof for drink preparation
    • 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
    • B67D3/00—Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
    • B67D3/0003—Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes provided with automatic fluid control 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
    • B67D3/00—Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
    • B67D3/0012—Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes provided with mixing devices

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A beverage dispensing machine is disclosed of the kind comprising a container, a faucet and a timer for the opening time of the faucet, in which the improvement consists of the provision of a standpipe or tube extending vertically in the container and connected to the faucet, the top end of the vertical tube being at a level above the maximum level in the container, said tube being connected, in turn, with the delivery duct of a pump whose suction duct communicates with the container, the rate of flow of the pump being greater than that of the faucet.
  • the advantage is a greater accuracy in the beverage volumes dispensed and the possibility of dispensing through metering vessels installed within the machine. It is sufficient to adjust the timer in order to regulate the individually dispensed volumes of the beverage concerned.
  • the container which is usually closed by a lid which is not sealtight, is connected (in different ways according to the several manufacturers, for example slipped over or superposed in a sealtight manner) to the evaporator of the refrigerating unit, so that the entire mass of the beverage can be refrigerated to any desired temperature.
  • thermostatic devices stop the operation of the refrigerating unit and subsequently provide cyclically to restart the unit in order to maintain such a temperature constant within a certain range to allow for the thermal dispersions in the atmosphere and possible beverage topping-ups.
  • the beverage is drawn through a specially provided port formed through the containers bottom, and which is normally closed and will be called a dispensing faucet.
  • the faucet is opened and held open manually during the drawing of the beverage and during theentire time which is required in order to transfer any desired amount of liquor from the container into a cup.
  • the hydraulic head which causes the beverage to pour out of the faucet is substantially the level attained by the beverage in the container at the instant of tapping.
  • the outflow speed of the beverage through the faucet will be consistently decreased (as is known, this is a function of the square root of the hydraulic head) and thus, for a certain flow passage area of the faucet, the rate of flow will also be decreased.
  • Manually controlled dispensers of the kind concisely described hereinabove are widely used on public bar counters and it is the attendant, who draws the beverage required by a customer.
  • Dispensers of this latter kind are not intended for use in public bars, but, rather, in communities, offices, schools and the like, that is, whereever a machine is required which is enabled to collect money and to dispense the beverage without the presence or the intervention of attending personnel.
  • these machines are modifications of the dispensers used in public bars, to which a coincollecting device is added (token box), along with a control device for the dispensing faucet, and a device for controlling the volume of the dispensed beverage.
  • automatic dispensers there can be comprised also those dispensers whose functional cycle of beverage dispensing is completely automatic and is actuated instead of by the introduction of a coin, by the depression of knob or pushbutton.
  • the coin- (or token) dispenser has, in the most general cases, a serious basic problem, that is, of constancy of the volume of the dispensed beverage as the beverage level in the container is varied.
  • a metering vessel In this type of machine there is installed, within the container and in communication with the faucet, a metering vessel whose capacity is equal to the portion of beverage to be dispensed.
  • Such a metering vessel is constantly kept full of beverage by a pump (generally, this is the same pump to which stirring of the beverage is entrusted.)
  • the defect of this approach which, from a speculative point of view, solves the problem, is the fixd capacity of the metering vessel.
  • the metering vessel should be replaced and this doubtless is a serious limitation to the system both from the point of view of the manufacturer, and from that of the attendant who are required to provide, and to keep in storage, respectively, a range of different metering vessels.
  • An object of the present invention is to solve this problem radically, by ensuring an absolute constancy of the beverage volume to be dispensed though the level within the container is varied, while concurrently permitting that such volume can be adjusted, in the sense of increasing or decreasing same, according to the dispensing requirement.
  • a beverage dispenser of the kind comprising: a beverage tank, a dispensing faucet on the bottom of said tank and a timing device which is adapted to regulate the faucet-opening time, characterized in that said faucet is connected with a tube which extends vertically within the tank and has its top end at a level above the maximum level admissible for the beverage in the tank, said tube being connected to the delivery duct of whose suction duct is in communication with said container the rate of flow of the pump exceeding that of the faucet aforesaid.
  • FIG- URE of the accompanying drawing is a diagrammatical showing of a preferred embodiment of a dispensing machine according to the invention in question.
  • the numeral 1 generally indicates the subject dispensing machine, which is structurally composed of a bottom compartment 2 which supports a container 3 having a lid 4.
  • a refrigerator 8 which, for example, consists of a stainless steel member having an inverted-U shaped cross-sectional outline and houses, soldered to its inside, a coil 9 forming the evaporator of a refrigerating unit of the sealed construction type, housed in the bottom compartment 2 and diagrammatically indicated at 10.
  • the numeral 11 indicates a conventional thermostatic device which controls the beverage temperature.
  • the rotor of a conventional magnetically driven pump which is intended to stir the beverage.
  • the rotor 12 is supported by a body 12a which is housed in a well, placed on the bottom wall of the tank 3 internally thereof, and is driven by permanent magnet 13 which is keyed to the output shaft 14a ofa motor 14.
  • the magnet 13 and the motor 14 are housed in the bottom compartment 2 outside the container 3.
  • the suction port 15a is immediately below the hydraulic head of the liquid contained in the tank 3, whereas a vertical delivery duct 15 is connected with the delivery opening 15b.
  • the delivery duct 15 has its free end 17 directed towards the tank lid and is equipped with two branched radial conduits l6 and 18 which are directed towards the refrigerator 8.
  • the delivery duct 15, moreover, is connected, via a duct 19, with a vertical tubing 20 having a height exceeding the maximum level 7 which the beverage can reach in the tank 3.
  • the tube 20 has its top end open in the tank 3 and its bottom end is connected in a sealtight manner, by a fitting 21, with a dispensing faucet 22.
  • the dispensing faucet 22 overlies a supporting plane 5 which is extended from the bottom compartment 2 and on which a cup 6 is intended to rest.
  • the fitting 21, furthermore, has a radial hole 23, whose function will be explained hereinafter.
  • a timer 27 governs the opening time of the faucet 22 through the opening or closure of the energization circuit of an actuating means 26, such as an electromagnet, for the faucet 22.
  • an actuating means 26 such as an electromagnet
  • the unbottled beverage as introduced in the tank 3, is initially cooled by the refrigerating unit 10 until the preselected temperature is attained the latter being preset by the thermostatic device 11.
  • the component part of the refrigerating unit 10 which exchanges heat with the beverage is the evaporator 9 immersed in the beverage concerned.
  • the thermostatic device 11 whose sensitive member is in contact with the evaporator 9 and thus is enabled to evaluate the temperature of the beverage, cuts off the refrigerating unit 10, when said temperature reaches the preselected value and reinstates the operation cyclically so as to maintain the temperature constant (within a certain range) to allow for heat dissipations towards the atmosphere and for possible beverage topping-ups.
  • the pump rotor 12 otates rotates submerged (below the beverage level line), due to the magnetic entrainment of the permanent magnet 13, draws the beverage through the suction port 15a and forwards it under pressure into the delivery duct 15. A portion of the beverage returns from the duct 15 directly into the tank 3 in quite conventional a manner, through the free end 17 and the radial ports 16 and 18 of the conduit in question.
  • the beverage stream emerging from the end 17 of the duct 15 impinges the inner wall of the lid 4 and is broken and fanned out so as to fall down like a shower along the tank walls, thus originating an optical effect which is adapted to catch a possible customers eye.
  • the beverage stream which flows out of the branch 16 originates a rotary stream about the refrigerator 8 so as to improve the heat exchange between the refrigerator and the beverage.
  • a characteristic feature is that another portion of the beverage returns from the delivery duct 15 indirectly into the tank 3 via the duct 19, the top free end of the tube 20 and the hole 23 of the fitting 21.
  • the size of the duct 20, of the duct 19 and the hole 23, and the rate of delivery of the pump are such that the outflow of the beverage through the top end of the tube 20 takes place in the form of a continuous overflow, the liquor falling on the free level surface of the beverage 7, in the container 3, which is always below the upper edge of the tube 20.
  • the faucet 22 is open, a portion of the beverage fed to the tube 20 flows through the faucet and fills a cup 6.
  • the faucet 13 will always be subjected to the same head which is constant and is represented by the height of the tube 11, irrespective of the beverage level in the tank 3.
  • the amount of dispensed beverage can be varied, according to the dispensing requirements, for example to accommodate cups of different capacities.
  • a beverage dispenser comprising a container for the beverage
  • timing device operatively connected to said cock to open said cock for a predetermined length of time
  • a standpipe extending vertically in said container above the maximum level of beverage adapted to be held in said container, and connected at its lower end to said cock to deliver beverage into and through said cock when said cock is opened,
  • a pump connected atits suction side with said container to draw beverage from said container
  • said pump being operative to pump beverage into said standpipe at a flow-rate greater than the flowrate of beverage through said cock when open,
  • a beverage dispenser as claimed in claim 1 wherein a tubular branch duct is connected to said second duct intermediate its ends and opens into said container.
  • a beverage dispenser as claimed in claim 2 having a refrigerating unit in said container to be immersed in the beverage therein, and wherein said second duct has a second branch duct opening adjacent said unit to create a rotary stream of beverage about said unit.
  • a beverage dispenser as claimed in claim 3 having a thermostat to control the temperature of the beverage in said container.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
US00242607A 1971-04-13 1972-04-10 Beverage dispenser Expired - Lifetime US3765569A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT2152171 1971-04-13

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3765569A true US3765569A (en) 1973-10-16

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ID=11183039

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00242607A Expired - Lifetime US3765569A (en) 1971-04-13 1972-04-10 Beverage dispenser

Country Status (6)

Country Link
US (1) US3765569A (enExample)
DE (1) DE2217380A1 (enExample)
FR (1) FR2132878B1 (enExample)
GB (1) GB1366825A (enExample)
NL (1) NL7204961A (enExample)
RO (1) RO62026A (enExample)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6058721A (en) * 1997-04-18 2000-05-09 Bunn-O-Matic Corporation Cold drink system
US6430952B1 (en) 1997-04-18 2002-08-13 Bun-O-Matic Corporation Cold drink system
US20040261433A1 (en) * 2003-06-30 2004-12-30 Gnadinger Errin W. Refrigerator and ice maker methods and apparatus
US20070089450A1 (en) * 2005-10-26 2007-04-26 General Electric Company Water dispenser assembly and method of assembling same
US20070093936A1 (en) * 2005-10-26 2007-04-26 General Electric Company Control systems and methods for a water dispenser assembly
US7306204B2 (en) * 2001-11-21 2007-12-11 Basf Aktiengesellschaft Column comprising dual flow plates

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3920163A (en) * 1973-07-11 1975-11-18 Jet Spray Cooler Inc Beverage dispenser with in-bowl whipper
FR2454145A1 (fr) * 1979-01-30 1980-11-07 Luna Max Distributeur cafe utilise pour toutes boissons chaudes
DE3528273C1 (de) * 1985-08-07 1987-04-02 Milchquelle-Zapftechnik Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH, 8160 Miesbach Milch-Selbstzapfanlage

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3119531A (en) * 1960-08-08 1964-01-28 Jet Spray Cooler Inc Circulating and dispensing apparatus for beverage coolers
US3379344A (en) * 1966-06-28 1968-04-23 Cornelius Co Apparatus for treating and handling a beverage

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3119531A (en) * 1960-08-08 1964-01-28 Jet Spray Cooler Inc Circulating and dispensing apparatus for beverage coolers
US3379344A (en) * 1966-06-28 1968-04-23 Cornelius Co Apparatus for treating and handling a beverage

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6058721A (en) * 1997-04-18 2000-05-09 Bunn-O-Matic Corporation Cold drink system
US6430952B1 (en) 1997-04-18 2002-08-13 Bun-O-Matic Corporation Cold drink system
US6619056B2 (en) 1997-04-18 2003-09-16 Bunn-O-Matic Corporation Cold drink system
US7306204B2 (en) * 2001-11-21 2007-12-11 Basf Aktiengesellschaft Column comprising dual flow plates
US20040261433A1 (en) * 2003-06-30 2004-12-30 Gnadinger Errin W. Refrigerator and ice maker methods and apparatus
US6912870B2 (en) * 2003-06-30 2005-07-05 General Electric Company Refrigerator and ice maker methods and apparatus
US20070089450A1 (en) * 2005-10-26 2007-04-26 General Electric Company Water dispenser assembly and method of assembling same
US20070093936A1 (en) * 2005-10-26 2007-04-26 General Electric Company Control systems and methods for a water dispenser assembly
US7475555B2 (en) 2005-10-26 2009-01-13 General Electric Company Water dispenser assembly and method of assembling same
US7869901B2 (en) 2005-10-26 2011-01-11 General Electric Company Control systems and methods for a water dispenser assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2217380A1 (de) 1972-10-19
FR2132878A1 (enExample) 1972-11-24
FR2132878B1 (enExample) 1975-06-20
GB1366825A (en) 1974-09-11
NL7204961A (enExample) 1972-10-17
RO62026A (enExample) 1977-07-15

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: BRAS INTERNAZIONALE S.P.A., ROZZANO (MILAN), ITALY

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:BRAS S.P.A.,;REEL/FRAME:003863/0212

Effective date: 19810603