Dispensing – Automatic control – Of dispensers with fluid pressure discharge assistance
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-19
2001-03-06
Kaufman, Joseph A. (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
Automatic control
Of dispensers with fluid pressure discharge assistance
C222S064000, C222S129100, C261SDIG007
Reexamination Certificate
active
06196418
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The field of the present invention relates to apparatus for boosting water pressure and/or for use in carbonated and/or non-carbonated beverage dispensers and beverage vending machines.
Carbonation devices, generally referred to as carbonators, used in conjunction with carbonated beverage dispensers and/or vending machines, for example, are well-known.
FIG. 1
shows a typical prior art carbonator
10
. It includes means for supplying both fresh non-carbonated water
16
and carbonating gas, such as CO
2
, at a regulated pressure to a carbonator tank
12
where the two are mixed to form carbonated water
30
. It also includes a conduit for transporting carbonated water
30
from the carbonator tank
12
to a post-mix dispensing nozzle
42
of a post-mix tower and dispenser assembly
40
, where the carbonated water
30
is mixed in suitable proportions with a quantity of flavor concentrate or syrup
34
from a supply source
32
to produce the composite carbonated drink.
The carbonator
10
also normally includes some type of water pump
18
to supply and replenish non-carbonated water
16
from a water supply
14
at an elevated pressure to the carbonator tank
12
which also receives CO
2
at elevated pressures from a source
24
. Both mechanical and electrical pump configurations have been utilized. The pump
18
(and a motor
20
, in case of electrical configurations) is generally controlled by means of a level control
28
which senses the amount of carbonated water in the carbonator tank
12
. Thus, when a volume of carbonated water
30
is dispensed from the carbonator tank
12
, it is replaced by a fresh volume of pressurized non-carbonated water
22
.
With the increased popularity of non-carbonated beverages such as tea, orange drink or lemon-lime, there is a greater need for post-mix tower and beverage dispenser assemblies that are equipped to provide both carbonated and non-carbonated beverages. Consequently, the prior art apparatus of
FIG. 1
includes a conduit for transporting non-carbonated water
16
(which is generally at a lower pressure) from a water supply
14
to a post-mix non-carbonated beverage dispensing nozzle
49
, where non-carbonated water
16
is mixed with a suitable quantity of flavor concentrate or syrup
46
from a source
44
to make the desired non-carbonated beverage. The water supply
14
for making the non-carbonated beverage may be the same supply as that utilized in the carbonator tank
12
for making carbonated water
30
.
The mixing of the beverage syrup or concentrate (
34
or
46
) and carbonated water
30
or non-carbonated water
16
needs to be properly proportioned or “ratioed.” Depending on the desired end beverage, a precise ratio of water and syrup is mixed in order that the ultimate taste of the end beverage not be compromised. For example, if too little water or too much syrup are mixed, the end beverage would be too sweet for consumption.
In the case of making a carbonated beverage, because the carbonator tank
12
holds the carbonated water at an elevated and uniform pressure that is nearly independent of any fluctuations in pressure of the water supply
14
, the proper ratios in mixing of the carbonated water
30
and the syrup
34
are not significantly compromised by any pressure fluctuations in the water supply
14
. However, if the non-carbonated water
16
is drawn from a typical water source
14
(e.g., tap water), the ratio of non-carbonated water
16
to syrup
46
will be affected by the variations or fluctuations that typically occur in the pressure of such a water supply
14
. These pressure fluctuations may have numerous causes, including the use of water in other parts of the premises from which water is drawn, such as water fountains, sinks, showers, and toilets.
As non-carbonated beverages have garnered a greater share of the beverage market, there have been efforts to find a solution to the detrimental effects of water pressure fluctuations on the proper ratio of non-carbonated water
16
and syrup or concentrate
46
. One such effort to minimize the effect of pressure fluctuations in the water supply
14
is depicted in FIG.
2
. There, the carbonation and post-mix beverage dispensing system of
FIG. 1
is modified to include a separate means for pressurizing non-carbonated water
16
drawn from the source
14
and storing it in a separate water booster tank
50
for making the non-carbonated drink. The tank
50
is usually made of cold-rolled steel and includes an internal plastic liner or special coating to prevent rusting and/or the emission of metallic or other undesirable tastes. The tank
50
incorporates a flexible membrane
51
such as a thick rubber diaphragm or bladder that is locked in place, dividing tank
50
into two sides. The membrane
51
is installed before the tank
50
is closed, after which the tank
50
is fully welded and sealed. Therefore, if the membrane
51
should fail, the tank
50
is usually completely discarded since there is no way to effect replacement of the membrane
51
, other than by cutting the tank
50
open and attempting to reweld and reseal it.
One side of the tank
50
is generally pre-charged with air to 30 psi at the tank manufacturer's location, however, additional pressure can be added by the customer up to as high as 100 psi. There is generally a tire valve stem
55
on one end of the tank
50
to introduce the air pressure, with the opposite end having an inlet for plain water
56
to be admitted and stored. To overcome the pressure on the opposite (air) side of the membrane
51
, a pump and motor must be utilized. Water
16
from the supply
14
may, for example, be pumped to the desired elevated pressure by a pump
52
and a motor
54
, and then supplied to the tank
50
. As water
56
enters the water side of the tank
50
, the membrane
51
expands into the air side of the tank
50
, raising the pressure therein. When the air pressure is increased to the desired amount, a pressure switch
60
will stop the motor
54
and the pump
52
. Non-carbonated water
58
at the desired elevated pressure can then be drawn from the tank
50
on demand for mixing with syrup
46
from the syrup supply
44
. A properly mixed non-carbonated beverage is then available at a designated post-mix dispensing nozzle or faucet
49
.
The apparatus of
FIG. 2
, however, suffers certain deficiencies. Even with the separate water booster tank
50
, dispensing non-carbonated drinks can be problematic because water boosters generally do not exceed 100 psi and normally operate between 60 and 80 psi, while soda water carbonators pressures normally run from 100 to 150 psi. Accordingly, the proportions or rates of syrup flow for carbonated versus non-carbonated drinks need to be set differently. Further, the float controls may need to be sized differently in the non-carbonated faucets than in the carbonated faucets, resulting in increased equipment costs and installation costs because of the extra parts, special spouts, diffusers and faucets. Moreover, the pressures of the carbonated versus non-carbonated water supplies are independent of each other, introducing further difficulties in trying to maintain the proper mixing ratios of water to syrup.
Further complicating matters, because the majority of drinks sold through most beverage dispensers are carbonated, dispenser faucets are usually equipped with diffusers that create a pressure drop to slow the soda water down as it pours into the cup, thereby preventing foaming. But, because the non-carbonated water pressure is generally already lower than that of the carbonated water, the further reduction in pressure created by these diffusers can cause the non-carbonated water to flow too slowly and/or in insufficient quantity.
A further problem posed by the independent water booster is that some customers like beverages dispensed with reduced carbonation. To achieve this, they may try to blend plain water in a 1:1 ratio with soda water in the faucet. The pressure differential between the carbonated and non-
McCann Gerald P.
Verley Donald
Kaufman Joseph A.
Lyon & Lyon LLP
McCann's Engineering & Mfg. Co.
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