Dispensing – Processes of dispensing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-13
2001-08-07
Kaufman, Joseph A. (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
Processes of dispensing
C222S064000, C222S129100, C222S146600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269973
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to mixing and dispensing beverages and, more particularly, to a system for automatically shutting down the dispensing operation when an improper mixing is detected. The present invention has broad applications, but is particularly advantageous for systems that dispense frozen beverages. For purposes of this discussion, the term “frozen beverage” is used to refer to a beverage that is at least partially frozen.
Heretofore, when it was desired to provide a frozen beverage, the beverage was poured into a dispensing container and cooled using a refrigeration unit which maintains the frozen beverage in a desired consistency at a particular temperature. When it is necessary to refill the container, additional beverage is poured into the container and cooled for a period of time before dispensing can resume. Conventional systems for producing frozen beverages were labor-intensive and could not continuously provide frozen beverages. Thus, there is a need for a more efficient and inexpensive system for dispensing frozen beverages.
Moreover, a beverage is typically produced by mixing a beverage concentrate with water in a mixing device. The beverage concentrate generally comes in a bag or a container that requires periodic replacement. Proper mixing of the concentrate and water is necessary to produce a beverage of the correct consistency. Improper mixing not only results in an undesirable beverage consistency, but can also lead to equipment damage. One example is when the beverage concentrate runs out on a bag so that the mixed beverage contains more water than desired. If the water content in the beverage reaches an unacceptable level and the beverage is fed into a cooling unit for producing a frozen beverage, the beverage can freeze into a solid block due to the high water content and destroy the cooling unit. Therefore, there is a need for a system for monitoring the flow of the beverage concentrate into the mixing device to detect the need to replace the bag of concentrate and automatically regulating the flow of the mixed beverage in response to the monitored flow of the beverage concentrate.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an improved system for preparing a beverage from a beverage concentrate. The invention provides for monitoring the flow of the beverage concentrate into a mixing device to detect a low flow situation indicating the need to replace the concentrate supply bag, and automatically controlling the flow of mixed beverage out of the mixing device in response to the detected flow of beverage concentrate. In a specific embodiment, a pressure switch is provided to monitor the pressure of the flow of beverage concentrate. When the pressure sensed by the pressure switch falls below a preset minimum pressure, the pressure switch activates a flow regulating device coupled to the outlet of the mixing device to shut off the flow of beverage from the mixing device. After the beverage concentrate supply bag is replaced, the pressure in the flow of concentrate will build. When the pressure switch senses a pressure that rises to or above the preset minimum pressure, it automatically opens the flow regulating device to the flow of beverage out of the mixing device. In this way, the system prevents or minimizes dispensing beverages of improper mix ratios and the associated problems.
In one specific aspect of the invention, the beverage produced from the mixing device is fed into a cooling system for efficiently and economically delivering frozen beverages within a desired range of consistency in a continuous manner suitable for large-scale high-volume usage. The cooling system provides for automatically filling a container for providing frozen beverage to avoid the need to interrupt operation of the dispensing system for refilling and to eliminate down time. The level of the beverage in the container is monitored. A controller controls the flow of the beverage into the container in response to the monitored level of the beverage. To prevent flowing the beverage to the container at an unacceptably high rate that would ruin the consistency of the frozen beverage, the flow rate or fill rate is kept below a maximum allowable flow rate which is determined by the cooling or freezing capacity of the cooling unit used to freeze the beverage in the container as well as the ambient temperature. Empirical data are obtained to provide maximum allowable flow rates for different cooling capacity values and ambient temperatures. The cooling system can be tuned based on the empirical data. The cooling system, when properly tuned to match the freezing capacity with the fill rate, will maintain the desired consistency of frozen beverage, while automatically refilling the beverage container to within a desired range of levels.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a system for preparing a beverage from a beverage concentrate comprises a mixing device. The mixing device has a beverage concentrate inlet coupled with a beverage concentrate line for receiving a beverage concentrate, a water inlet coupled with a water line for receiving water, and an outlet. The mixing device mixes the beverage concentrate and the water to produce a beverage for dispensing through the outlet. A flow regulating device is coupled to the outlet of the mixing device to regulate the flow of the beverage from the mixing device. A pressure switch is coupled to the beverage concentrate line for sensing a pressure in the beverage concentrate line. The pressure switch is coupled with the flow regulating device for closing the flow regulating device to the flow of beverage from the mixing device when the sensed pressure in the beverage concentrate line falls below a preset minimum pressure.
Another embodiment of the invention is a system for mixing and dispensing a beverage which comprises a mixing device. The mixing device has a beverage concentrate inlet coupled with a beverage concentrate line for receiving a beverage concentrate, a fluid inlet coupled with a fluid line for receiving a diluting fluid, and an outlet. The mixing device mixes the beverage concentrate and the diluting fluid to produce a beverage for dispensing through the outlet. A cooling unit is coupled with the outlet of the mixing device for receiving the beverage and cooling the beverage to at least partially freeze the beverage received therein. The system further comprises means for sensing a pressure in the beverage concentrate line and shutting off the flow of the beverage from the outlet to the cooling unit when the pressure in the beverage concentrate line falls below a preset minimum pressure.
Yet another embodiment of the invention is a method of automatically controlling the flow of a beverage produced in a mixing device. The method comprises the step of directing a flow of a beverage concentrate and a flow of water to the mixing device to be mixed therein to produce a mixed beverage for dispensing therefrom. A pressure of the beverage concentrate in the flow of the beverage concentrate to the mixing device is monitored. The flow of the mixed beverage out from the mixing device is regulated in response to the monitored pressure of the beverage concentrate.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3730500 (1973-05-01), Richards
patent: 4795061 (1989-01-01), Peckjian
patent: 5033645 (1991-07-01), Shannon et al.
patent: 5588558 (1996-12-01), Cox et al.
patent: 5673820 (1997-10-01), Green et al.
patent: 6112946 (2000-09-01), Bennett et al.
patent: 2027426 (1992-04-01), None
Bennett Charles E.
Jepson Antonio J.
Automatic Bar Controls Inc.
Kaufman Joseph A.
Townsend and Townsend / and Crew LLP
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