Modular Beverage Dispenser

The present invention relates generally to post-mix beverage dispensing apparatus, and, in particular, to such apparatus having a beverage dispensing tower.

Beverage dispensers are known that incorporate a tower structure which extends upwardly above a counter top surface and is connected to a plurality of beverage lines emanating from a beverage line cooling source, such as a cold plate. A tower is typically made of a stainless steel wrap and includes a plurality of beverage valves connected to a front face surface thereof.

Such beverage dispensers can be manufactured with any of a plurality of valves, typically between four and eight such valves. Heretofore, each tower type beverage dispenser is manufactured to the particular number of valves required. Unfortunately, such beverage dispensing units have very little in the way of interchangeable parts, save for the beverage dispensing valves themselves. Thus, a five valve unit is uniquely manufactured and shares very few parts in common with the six-valve unit. In particular, the specific and significant parts such as the cold plate and the tower have to be uniquely and individually designed for that particular number of desired valves. In addition, there exists a substantial problem with heat loss and leakage associated with the portion of the beverage lines that extend within the tower, especially where those line are plastic tubing. Moreover, current beverage towers involve a substantial amount of labor in their manufacture.

Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to have a beverage dispensing device wherein, greater part interchangeability is provided for, and wherein the performance thereof and ease of manufacture are enhanced.

The present invention is a beverage dispenser, of the type using a tower and a cooling means, such as an ice cooled cold plate, wherein modular units are used to provide for a greatly enhanced flexibility in the manufacturing thereof, along with improved performance and greater ease of manufacture.

A cooling means, such as a cold plate, is retained below a counter top surface and includes an ice retaining bin on the top thereof. The cold plate includes a plurality of beverage lines extending in a serpentine fashion therethrough and exiting the cold plate and extending upwardly to a receiving block. The receiving block includes a plurality of female plug receptacle pairs secured therein. The receiving block is in turn secured to the top of the counter surface and each receptacle is fluidly connected to a carbonated water line and a syrup line.

The present invention further includes a plurality of beverage modules consisting of a molded foam insulation formed around a pair of beverage line segments. The beverage lines extend through the insulation from a first beverage valve connecting end to a second end having a male plug secured thereto. A module is provided for each of the plurality of receptacles and can be releasably connected thereto by insertion of the male plug ends into the receptacles. A sheet metal outer housing forming the tower is then secured around the plurality of modules. The beverage valves are then secured to the beverage valve ends of the module tubes as they extend outwardly of a faceplate of the tower housing.

If for example, the number of receptacles in the mounting block is equal to six then up to six beverage valves can be suspended from the tower and supplied with beverage constituents. However, if a five-valve unit is desired, it will be appreciated by those of skill that a pair of receptacles of a receptacle block can be obstructed by insertion therein of solid plugs. Then five modules can be designed to be inserted into the remaining five receptacles wherein the valve attaching ends thereof are distributed evenly along the tower. In particular, a central module can be made as wide as a previous singular module used in a six-valve unit and the beverage tubes in the five modules can be routed through the insulation thereof in such a manner that, then positioned within the tower the valve connecting ends of the modules exit the face of the tower such that when the valves are connected thereto they are distributed evenly along the length of the tower. The double wide module can sit over the unused receptacle block and provide for retaining the blocking plugs therein.

Thus, it can be appreciated, that such a unit will have the flexibility of being manufactured into a four, five or six valve unit without having to change many parts. In particular, the cooling means, such as the cold plate can stay the same, as can the mounting block and the tower sheet metal. All that changes essentially, is the number and structure of the modules, the tower valve face plate, so as to accommodate the various hole patterns, and, of course, the number of dispensing valves. Additionally, such a tower beverage dispenser is easy to manufacture, as the modules provide for a plug-in assembly. Such assembly process is in contrast to the use of plastic tubing within the tower that must be connected by clamps to hose fittings on both ends thereof. Also, the foam insulation provides for better cool drink performance, and the plug-in connections of the stainless steel tubing module segments are less prone to develop leaks over time as has been experienced with plastic tubing.

A more thorough understanding of the structure operation and advantages of the present invention can be had by referring to the following detailed description, which refers to the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a side plan view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a front plan view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a detailed front plan view of the modules and mounting block of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a side plan view of a module and mounting block of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a detailed partial cross-sectional view of a receptacle of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows a view along lines 6--6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows a detailed side cross-sectional view of a receptacle of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows an alternate embodiment of the modules of the present invention.

The dispenser of the present invention is seen in the various figures and generally referred to by the numeral 10. Dispenser 10 includes a cooling means, such as a cold plate 12 retained below a counter top surface 14. Various other cooling means, such as a refrigerated water bath, could also be used to provide for the cooling of the beverage constituents. Plate 12 includes an ice retaining bin liner 16 secured thereto for creating an ice retaining space 18 for retaining ice therein. As is known in the art, plate 12 includes a plurality of beverage lines 20 extending therethrough in a serpentine fashion and exiting a plate end 22.

Stainless steel lines 20 extend upwardly towards counter top surface 14 and are secured to a mounting block 24. As seen in better detail by referring to FIGS. 3-7, mounting block 24 includes a metal housing 26 for retaining a plurality of receptacle blocks 28. Receptacle blocks 28 each include a pair of bores 30a and 30b and include tube receiving recesses 32a and 32b. Receptacles 28 are retained within mounting block 24 and the remainder of the interior space thereof is filled with insulation material 34 such as for example a urethane foam. In the present invention six receptacle blocks 28 are shown, however it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any number of blocks could be used. Recesses 32a and 32b provide for securing of beverage lines 20a and 20b thereto. It will also be appreciated by those of skill that for typical post-mix beverage dispensing valves, each of the lines 20a will carry a beverage constituent such as a syrup, whereas the remaining beverage lines 20b will carry a diluent beverage constituent, typically, carbonated water.

As seen in FIG. 3 the present invention includes a plurality of insulated beverage line modules 36. Each module 36 is comprised of a formed foam insulation block 38 containing a pair of stainless steel beverage lines 40a and 40b. Lines 40a and 40b each include beverage valve connecting ends 42a and 42b respectively and mounting block connecting end plugs 44a and 44b respectively. In particular, plugs 44a and 44b are connected to lines 40a and 40b and include two recesses containing O-rings 48. Plugs 44a and 44b are sized to provide for sealing releasable insertion within bores 30a and 30b respectively, of receptacles 28. Thus, plugs 44a and 44b provide for fluid continuity from lines 20a and 20b through lines 40a and 40b and in turn to a plurality of beverage dispensing valves 50.

A tower 52 having an outer sheet metal housing 54 is secured to counter 14. Tower 52 further includes a faceplate 56 releasably secured to the remainder of housing 54 and includes a plurality of holes, not shown, through which holes tube ends 42a and 42b extend for connecting to the respective beverage dispensing valve 50. Tower 52 also includes a drip tray 56 which is secured thereto.

The assembly of the present invention can be understood wherein individual modules 36 are inserted into the respective receptacle blocks 28 after which sheet metal housing 54 of tower 52 is secured therearound. Faceplate 56 is then secured to sheet metal housing 54. It can be appreciated by those of skill, that sheet metal faceplate 56 secured to housing 54 combined with the security of housing 54 to counter 14 provides for downward pressure on modules 36 for retaining plugs 44a and 44b thereof in receptacles 28.

As seen by referring to FIG. 8, the flexibility of manufacture of the present invention can be appreciated. In particular, the embodiment therein shows a plurality of modified modules 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d, and 60e. Modules 60a and 60e are of the same construction as previously described modules 36. Modules 60b and 60d are the same as modules 36 but for the altered bending or routing of tubes 62a and 62b therein. Module 60c is twice the width of module 60a and a single pair of lines 64a and 64b extend there through so that lines 64a and 64b terminate essentially centrally thereof. It will be appreciated that modules 60a will provide for a version of the present invention having five valves 50. Thus, the extra receptacle marked 68 herein, includes a pair of plugs 70 for insertion therein for blocking the female receptacles thereof. Plugs 70 include o-rings 72 and a cap head 74. Thus, it can be appreciated that the various lines 40a and 40b, 62a and 62b, and 64a and 64b can be routed within the interior of the various modules 60a through 60e so that they terminate in a manner wherein five valves 50 are distributed evenly across the front of the tower 52. In this manner, a standard cold plate size and coil pack can be used for any of a variety of beverage dispensers. Also, It can be appreciated that the only variation in the manufacture of a particular number valve unit to another concerns the structure of the modules and faceplate of the tower. In addition any number of mounting block sizes could be used. For example, eight receptacle blocks could be provided for thereby allowing the manufacture of a tower having up to eight valves, along with the flexibility to manufacture dispensing units having typically 5 or more valves. Moreover, lines 40a and 40b and the like, could be wrapped with an insulation rather than contained within a foam bloc, or need not necessarily be insulated.