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
  • 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
  • B67D1/0829—Keg connection means
  • B67D1/0831—Keg connection means combined with valves
  • B67D1/0832—Keg connection means combined with valves with two valves disposed concentrically
  • B67D1/0834—Keg connection means combined with valves with two valves disposed concentrically and having means for admitting a cleaning fluid
• • 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
• • 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
  • B67D1/1252—Gas pressure control means, e.g. for maintaining proper carbonation

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a plant for tapping beverages, provided with means for managing a semi ⁇ automatic washing of the pipes which contain beverages to be dispensed on tap, typically represented by beer, as well as a process for automatic treatment of the tapping pipes that utilises the plant.
• the operator when the empty status of the container in use is signalled, the operator can intervene and carry out the washing operations, on termination of which the empty container is replaced with a new and loaded one.
• the pulse signalling the empty status of the container in use is sent to a control unit which automatically starts the washing operations, on termination of which the empty container is replaced with a new and loaded one.
• the present invention is advantageously applied in the sector of food distribution, especially in the sector of production of beverages served in businesses, such as bars, restaurants, pizzerias, or other businesses in which drinks are sold, in particular pressurised drinks, such as beer or the like.
• beer passing through the tapping plant pipes that are not subject at each change of keg to correct treatment will, due to this bacteria, take on an unpleasant taste and a smell that are immediately noted by even an inexpert consumer; furthermore the micro- fermentation makes the beer cloudy.
• beer kegs are connected to a distribution plant associated to CO2 gas cylinders loaded to about 50 bar via static pressure reducers and a water circuit for manual washing of the supply pipes which terminate with the classic bar-mounted dispensing taps.
• beer kegs are generally stored in store rooms where, very often, the plants are kept together with coolers for the purposes of refrigeration.
• the environmental conditions of the rooms in which the beer kegs are positioned can change both over the short term and the long term and in the majority of cases it has been found that these rooms are not treated in respect of the variability of environmental conditions; this leads to faults which compromise the functioning of the dispensers.
• the technology used at present comprises circuits and devices that require the direct intervention of the manager to replace the keg, the washing of the pipes and the resetting of the dispenser circuit.
• This system further required a nozzle plug on the keg that was designed and realised specifically, which had a further effect on costs of a product already excessively expensive.
• No. WO2015/015275A1 describes a control system of the dispensing flow based on a compensator located between the cooler and the tap, with the main objective of controlling the dispensing pressure on tap based on the environmental parameters, thus excluding any automatic mechanism enabling the keg change combined with a washing of the plant.
• the present invention discloses a plant for tapping beverages such as beer or the like that is able to obviate or at least drastically reduce the above- described drawbacks.
• the invention in particular provides a plant for tapping beverages such as beer or the like, provided with semi-automatic washing means, during the keg-changing steps, able to increase the efficiency of the system, guaranteeing a higher quality of the product on tap and, consequently, an increase in the performance of the business which acquires value in terms of reliability and quality .
• the plant according to the invention is able to guarantee a time saving for the manager and a significant increase in the hygiene conditions of the plant itself.
• the plant can significantly reduce maintenance operations and may even not necessarily require the replacement of the keg fittings, as the ones already present can be used.
• the plant of the invention also guarantees a very much reduced energy consumption, around 3 Wh for an annual cost of about € 5.00.
• this plant as well as the traditional hydraulic components, comprises four normally-closed solenoid valves which manage the flows of liquids and gas.
• the flows are conveyed by pressure difference between two points involved in the switching.
• the valves are activated/deactivated by a programmed logic control system.
• the system is equipped with a keypad membrane associated to an alphanumeric display for example of the four row/twenty column type, more than sufficient to give indications on the status of the plant.
• a graphic display is positioned on the tapping column to enable the manager to monitor the situation .
• FIG. 1 illustrates the electrical-hydraulic diagram of a management plant according to the invention in the most complete use version, i.e. automatically managed;
• figure 2 illustrates an electrical-hydraulic diagram of the plant in the manually-managed version
• FIGS. 3 and 4 are schematic views of a nozzle plug of the beverage keg used in the system according to the invention, respectively in a tapping operation and in a washing operation.
• 10 generally indicates the electrical-hydraulic diagram of the plant according to the invention, which comprises some major components which in part are already used for tapping the beer.
• Reference numerals 11 and 12 denote two kegs containing the beverage, normally beer, the first of which is connected to the plant and therefore in use and thus designed to be emptied, the second is new, completely loaded and ready to replace the keg 11 at the moment in which it is empty.
• a nozzle plug 13 is inserted in the keg 11, in which a first inlet pipe 14 is inserted for injection of CO2 coming from a cylinder 15, a second pipe 16 which dispenses the beverage towards a tap 17, and a third pipe 18 which is connected to a washing tap 19 of washing water which at the appropriate time determines injection of washing water into the plant through a pipe 20.
• the hydraulic plant further comprises a pressure sensor 21 located on the line 22 of the CO2 cylinder 15 to which a pressure reducer 23 located on the same line 22 is also associated, a relief valve 24 positioned on the line 14 of the CO2 which is injected into the keg 11, as well as possibly a litre counter 25 positioned on the pipe 16 which enables dispensing the beverage from the tap 17.
• the plant comprises four normally-closed solenoid valves 26, 27, 28 and 29 which manage the flows of liquids and gas, the first three of which are located along the pipes 14 and 22 of the CO2, dispensed by the cylinder 15, while the fourth valve 29 is positioned along the pipe 18 and 20 from which washing water coming from the tap 19 is injected into the plant.
• valve 26 is dedicated to the charging gas CO2
• valve 27 is dedicated to the discharging of the gas when the keg is empty
• valve 28 is an overpressure discharge valve of the keg 11
• the valve 29 is for starting the washing operation.
• valve 28 is apt for blocking the outlet of the beer from the keg 11 towards the valves 26 and 27, which in a traditional plant is obtained via a check valve located on the gas inlet positioned on the nozzle plug 13.
• the traditional check valve has been replaced by the valve 28, which enables discharging the pressure internally of the keg once all the beer has been dispensed and before activating the washing mechanism.
• the valve 28 therefore has two purposes:
• control unit 30 which in the case of automatic management of the plant comprises a control logic represented by a PLC or another like management unit, including of a digital type with one or more processors.
• control logic 30 is connected to the valve 26 via the connection 40, to the valve 27 via the connection 41, to the valve 28 via the connection 42 and to the valve 29 via the connection 43.
• One of the electrical connections is further dedicated to the control of a liquid sensor 31, normally a colour sensor, i.e. a switch usable in a case of manual control, located along the conveying line 16 of the beverage towards the tap 17.
• a colour sensor i.e. a switch usable in a case of manual control
• connection 45 is dedicated to the sensor 25 which is not a button but only a litre counter and not part of the washing plant but only to give the manager the possibility of seeing the residual quantity of beer inside the keg 11, while the connection 46 is dedicated to the pressure sensor 21.
• a check valve 35 located on the water pipe 20 is provided, which prevents the flow of the beverage towards the municipal water supply in a case of overpressure .
• the plant 10 comprises further accessories which also enable controlling parameters external of the plant, i.e. at least an ambient temperature sensor 32, at least a cooler temperature sensor 33 and at least a cooler actuator relay 34.
• reference numeral 13 denotes in its entirety the nozzle plug applicable on the beer keg 11.
• the nozzle comprises 3 sleeves; the first, indicated by reference numeral 50, represents the inlet of the CO2 flow coming from the cylinder 15 via the pipes 22 and 14, the second 51 is connected to the water connection 19 via the pipe 18 and the third sleeve denoted by reference numeral 52 is connected to the tap 17 via the pipe 16.
• the flow exiting from the sleeve 52, in the normal dispensing operation is beer or another beverage as since the water pipe 18 is closed by the valve 29 the pressure in the sleeve 51 is zero .
• the pipe 14 Upon reaching the empty status of the keg 11 the pipe 14 is opened by means of the valves 28 and 27 which zero the pressure in the sleeve 52. At this moment the valve 29 is opened for injection of water into the plant.
• the sleeve 52 is at zero pressure while the sleeve 51 is at a higher pressure, being equal to the municipal water system pressure.
• This pressure difference enables the water to enter automatically into the sleeve 51, to exit from the sleeve 52, to transit in the pipe 16 and to exit through the tap 17, thus carrying out the washing of the plant.
• the system is equipped with a keypad membrane associated to an alphanumeric display for example of the four row/twenty column type, and is sufficient to enter work parameters and control the information on the status of the plant.
• the plant can comprise a graphic display positioned on the tapping column to enable the manager to monitor .
• the pressure sensor 21 is located downstream of the valve 26 and monitors the pressure in the keg.
• the control logic or control unit 30 of the circuit regulates the pressure on the basis of characteristics of the plant defined during the installation step.
• the work cycle is started which leads to the opening of the valve 26, which enables dispensing the CO2 from the cylinder 15 up to reaching the defined pressure value, controlled by the pressure sensor 21.
• the system activates the washing status, in which the valve 27 closes at a pressure of around 0.5 bar and the gas injection valve 28 also closes, while the water pipe valve 29 is opened to enable water to flow into the plant and perform the washing cycle.
• the condition illustrated in figure 4 takes place, in which it can be observed that the water enters from the sleeve 51 connected to the water connection through the pipe 18 and exits from the adjacent sleeve 52 connected to the tap 17 through the pipe 16, so that the water exits from the tap and cleans the pipes.
• the barman is advised that the keg is empty and by opening the tap 17 he or she can still obtain about 1.5 litres of beer on the basis of the length of the plant, before the water begins to flow out.
• valve 28 has the aim of preventing overpressure in a case of a connection with an already pressurised keg.
• the invention has a characteristic that makes it unique in its type: the sensor 31 is not in direct contact with the liquid as it is made up of a housing, specifically designed, in which the transparent pipe 16 transits.
• the sensor 31 is arranged in the environs of the pipe 16 so as to sense the colour of the liquid and emit an RGB encoding processed by a specific algorithm being run, so as to recognise the type of liquid which is crossing the pipe, the beer or the foam, or the water or, indeed, if there is an absence of liquid.
• a self-detecting procedure is also included of the use parameters enabling calibration in the specific ambient conditions if the programmed procedures did not perform the right measurements.
• the plant according to the invention advantageously enables the user a short-term return of the investment for installation of the plant, which can be done over a short time, from savings in the amount of product, the reduction of the reset time for the plant and from a probable and hoped-for increase in sales due to the improved quality of the product.
• the described system further comprises optimal plant hygiene conditions as pipes can be washed with water when the plant is not in use which prevents the formation of bacteria in the pipes when the plant is at standstill.
• system can also be used in a plant with two or more branches in which the following components are used once only: check valve 35, pressure reducer 23, gas cylinder 15, temperature sensors 32 and 33, cooler actuator 34, pipes 20 and 26.
• the management system i.e. the control logic of the plant, can be set to verify and authorise the use of the product applied, in respect of any commercial agreements, and can also be set for remote control via special applications .
• the possible application for the system management can further be used for remote updates of the management circuit software, and access can be afforded for data on the status of the plant and operating logs.
• the possible application for system management might instantaneously advise on malfunctioning issues, or control consumptions, and it would even be possible for it to be connected to an energy system backup in a case in which an electrical fault on the supply network were to occur.
• FIG. 2 illustrates a plant according to the invention realised for a manual use of the system.
• the control panel of the preceding version is replaced by a power socket 60 and the electrical connections that lead to the valves 26, 27, 28 and 29 are respectively denoted by reference numerals 61, 62, 63 and 64.
• the washing could be carried out by replacing the valves and the controls thereof with manual taps, which, to carry out the wash, must be open or closed, acting on the same logic for the automatic plant on the switches 61, 62, 63 and 64 connected to the respective valves 26, 27, 28 and 29.
• the invention has been described in the foregoing with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof. However it is clear that the invention is susceptible to numerous variants which fall within the scope thereof, and which are technically equivalent.

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• Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)

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Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=61005950

Family Applications (1)

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Citations (6)

• 2017
  • 2017-07-31 IT IT102017000087819A patent/IT201700087819A1/it unknown
• 2018
  • 2018-07-27 ES ES18746193T patent/ES2828093T3/es active Active
  • 2018-07-27 EP EP18746193.4A patent/EP3661870B1/en active Active
  • 2018-07-27 WO PCT/EP2018/070431 patent/WO2019025309A1/en unknown

Patent Citations (6)

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