Refrigeration – Automatic control – Of external fluid or means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-24
2001-08-21
Wayner, William (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Automatic control
Of external fluid or means
C062S098000, C062S197000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06276150
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the automated dispensing of a carbonated beverage into open containers.
The present invention arose during ongoing efforts by the inventor to improve carbonated beverage dispensing systems. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,363 entitled “Apparatus For Dispensing A Carbonated Beverage With Minimal Foaming”, issuing on Feb. 18, 1997, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,732 issuing on Oct. 22, 1996, both incorporated herein by reference, the inventor discloses systems for dispensing carbonated beverage, such as beer or soda, into an open container. The system disclosed in U.S. Pat. 5,603,363 discloses the bottom filling of carbonated beverage into an open container. U.S. Pat No. 5,566,732 discloses the use of a bar code reader to read indicia on the open container when placed beneath the nozzle that indicates the volume of the open container in order to automate the dispensing procedure, and preferably various aspects of on site accounting and inventory procedures. In these systems, the carbonated beverage is dispensed from a nozzle that has an outlet port placed near the bottom of the open container, i.e. the open container is bottom filled. In addition to bottom filling, these systems control the dispensing pressure of the carbonated beverage as well as its temperature in order to minimize foaming. In the above incorporated U.S. patents, the carbonated beverage is held in a vented chamber prior to dispensing in order to maintain the pressured atmospheric pressure. The carbonated beverage is cooled by circulating chilled air around the chamber.
In many circumstances, it is desirable to control the temperature of the carbonated beverage being dispensed more precisely. For example, beer manufacturers normally have selected optimum serving temperatures for the products.
As another example, consider carbonated soft drinks that are normally served on ice in open containers. Excessive foaming of soft drinks poured on ice is a recurring inefficiency throughout the food and beverage industry.
Carbonated soft drinks foam (sometimes excessively) while being dispensed onto ice in the serving container. As a consequence, personnel operating the dispenser must fill the serving container until the level of foam reaches the brim and then wait for the foam to settle before adding additional carbonated beverage. In some instances, several iterations of this process must occur before the container is filled with liquid to the proper serving level. “Topping Off” necessitated by the foaming of the beverage prolongs the dispensing operation and impedes the ability to fully automate the dispensing of carbonated beverages. Nevertheless, many establishments have push button activated taps which automatically dispense measured quantities of carbonated beverage into different sized containers, such as glasses, mugs and pitchers. However, this automated equipment only partially fills the serving container and the user must still manually “top off” the container after the foam from the automated step settles in order to dispense the proper serving quantity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a chilling technique for an automated carbonated beverage dispensing system. In accordance with the invention, the system uses a zero&Dgr;T chiller to chill the carbonated beverage as it flows from the source of the pressurized carbonated beverage to the nozzle. The zero&Dgr;T chiller includes a heat exchanger that is sized such that the output temperature of carbonated beverage from the heat exchanger exactly matches the temperature of a freon bath within the heat exchanger under normal operating conditions. Preferably, the temperature of freon in the heat exchanger is adjustable. This is accomplished by providing a pressure sensor to measure the pressure of the freon in the heat exchanger and by providing a valve that can adjust the pressure of the freon. In the preferred systems, an electronic controller receives data input representing the preferred temperature for the carbonated beverage as it exits the chiller heat exchanger, and controls the position of the freon valve depending on the pressure of the freon in order to adjust the temperature of the freon. The heat exchanger is preferably a flooded freon-bath heat exchanger, although other types of heat exchangers such as tube-in-tube heat exchangers are suitable.
In another aspect, the invention involves the step of adding ice to the open container after the open container is placed underneath the nozzle such that the outlet port of the nozzle is proximate the bottom of the open container when the ice is being added to the container. Preferably, the ice is supplied to the open container through a funnel having a outlet through which the downwardly extending carbonated beverage nozzle extends. The ice is supplied circumferentially around the nozzle and into the open container. In order to avoid foaming, the carbonated beverage should be chilled prior to dispensing to a temperature that approximately matches the surface temperature of the ice.
The presentation, and more particularly the amount of foaming, of the dispensed beverage can uniquely controlled, as described above, by controlling the temperature of the carbonated beverage, the dispensing pressure, the flow characteristics of the carbonated beverage exiting the nozzle, and the relative position of the open container relative to the nozzle outlet port when filling the open container. In accordance with the preferred embodiments of the invention, it is possible to automate each of these functions. Other features and advantages of the invention should be apparent to those skilled in the art upon inspecting the drawings and reviewing the following description thereof.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3196625 (1965-07-01), Nicolaus
patent: 3788090 (1974-01-01), Richards
patent: 6116041 (2000-09-01), Cassell
Dispensing Systems, Inc.
Haas George E.
Quarles & Brady LLP
Wayner William
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