System comprising a source of beverage supply and a multiplicity of beverage-dispensing stations each having a discharge passage and a separable dispensing valve connected thereto in communication with the source of beverage supply, the valves each having an outlet, and an auxiliary control valve disposed upstream of each valve outlet for shutting off beverage flow through its respective discharge passage upon removal of a dispensing valve without deactivating the system.

Current U.S. Class:	222/132 ; 137/329.1; 222/567
Current International Class:	B67D 1/08 (20060101); B67D 1/14 (20060101); B67D 1/00 (20060101); B65d 005/72 ()
Field of Search:	222/132,566,(146C),143X,567

Prutzman, Hayes, Kalb & Chilton

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Claims

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1. A multiple station drink-dispensing system comprising a common source of beverage supply, a plurality of beverage-dispensing stations each having means providing a beverage exit opening connected to said common source of beverage supply, each said dispensing station including a separable beverage-dispensing valve having an outlet in communication with said beverage exit opening of each said dispensing station and a plug-in ported connector removably seated within said beverage exit opening, and an auxiliary control poppet valve positioned in a flow path in each said beverage exit opening, the poppet valve including a valve member operable between open and normally closed flow positions and a valve extension disposed downstream of said valve member between the valve member and the plug-in connector, the valve extension engaging the plug-in connector upon its being seated within said beverage exit opening, said valve member being automatically movable into said normally closed position responsive to removal of its respective beverage-dispensing valve, whereby the remaining beverage-dispensing valves are maintained in operable condition.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said means providing said beverage exit opening comprises a coupling member in communication with said common

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each said valve member of said auxiliary control poppet valve is precluded from moving from said open flow position to said normally closed flow position by said beverage-dispensing valve

4. The system of claim 2 wherein each said beverage-dispensing station further includes heat exchanging means located adjacent said coupling member and in remote relation to said common source of beverage supply.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein each said dispensing station includes a cast metal block, and wherein said coupling member of each said dispensing

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said plug-in connector removably seated within said beverage exit opening of said coupling member is in intimate

7. A multiple station drink-dispensing system comprising a common source of beverage supply, a plurality of beverage-dispensing stations each having means providing a beverage exit opening connected to said common source of beverage supply, each said dispensing station including heat exchanging means located adjacent said beverage exit opening, each said dispensing station further including a separable beverage-dispensing valve having an outlet in communication with said beverage exit opening of each said dispensing station and a plug-in ported connector removably seated within said beverage exit opening in intimate heat transfer relation to said heat exchanging means, and an auxiliary control valve operable in each said beverage exit opening between open and closed flow positions and disposed upstream of said beverage dispensing valve outlet such that upon moving one of said auxiliary control valves into closed flow position and removing its respective beverage dispensing valve, the remaining

8. A beverage-dispensing apparatus comprising a coupling member providing a beverage exit opening, said coupling member having a reduced intermediate portion providing a valve seat, a separable beverage-dispensing valve connected to said coupling member, said beverage-dispensing valve having an outlet and a passageway communicating said outlet with said beverage exit opening and jointly defining therewith a beverage discharge passage, said beverage-dispensing valve having a projecting plug-in connector removably seated within said coupling member, and an auxiliary control valve having a valve member received within said coupling member upstream of said plug-in connector for movement toward and away from said valve seat and being continuously urged into engagement therewith for closing said beverage exit opening, said auxiliary control valve including an elongated fluted axial extension between said valve member and said plug-in connector for engagement therewith, and said reduced intermediate portion of said coupling member additionally providing a guide and bearing

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said valve extension is of sufficient length to contact said plug-in connector before it is fully seated within said coupling member to unseat said valve member, but of insufficient length to maintain contact with said connector during its removal to ensure seating of said valve member in said closed position before said plug-in connector is completely removed.

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Description

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This invention generally relates to a drink-dispensing system and particularly concerns beverage-dispensing systems of a type having multiple-dispensing stations.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an improved multiple station beverage-dispensing system wherein each station can be quickly and easily removed or replaced without interrupting operation of the remaining beverage dispensing stations.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved multiple station beverage-dispensing system having high production capabilities in a sanitary operation having minimal service requirements.

A further object of this invention is to provide a system of the above-described type wherein each dispensing station is of a compact high quality construction ensuring ease of cleaning, replacement and disassembly by unskilled personnel without requiring any special tools.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical view schematically showing a drink-dispensing system incorporating this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side view, partly broken away and partly in section, showing details of a dispensing station of this invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, a preferred embodiment of a drink-dispensing system is shown constructed in accordance with this invention. For purposes of illustration, a plurality of beverage-dispensing stations 10 are individually connected to a common source of beverage supply or central water bath 12. The water bath 12 is constructed in a well known manner for cooling coils of beverage tubing 14 schematically represented in FIG. 1 as leading, e.g., from pressurized syrup and charged water tanks 16 and 18 to each beverage-dispensing station 10.

In the specific illustrated embodiment, plural heat exchangers or cold plates such as at 20 are shown with four beverage-dispensing valves 22 mounted thereon for operation. The cold plate 20 preferably comprises a one piece cast metal block of high heat conductivity, such as aluminum alloy, wherein coils of beverage tubing, preferably formed of stainless steel, may be embedded. Each cold plate 20 may be an ice cooled component or, if desired, each cold plate 20 may be cooled in a dry mechanically refrigerated system by providing suitable apparatus 24 for heat absorption and circulation of a refrigerant solution in conduits 25 through each cold plate 20 for chilling the beverage in the tubing 14 in a well known manner.

A charge water-cooling tube 14a is shown in FIG. 2 wherein water is forced into the cooling tube 14a from the water supply tank 18 to a beverage exit opening defined by a sleeve 26 shown in a front wall of the cold plate 20. A syrup tube 14b and sleeve, not shown, are preferably connected to the syrup tank 16 as described in connection with the charged water-cooling tube 14a, or, if desired, may be suitably connected to a syrup container received within a receptacle defined by the cold plate 20 or cooling chest as fully described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,830,737 issued Apr. 15, 1958, in the name of Clyde A. Brown.

For ease of assembly and replacement without requiring the use of any specialized tools, each beverage-dispensing valve 22 is provided with a pair of projecting, ported plug-in connectors (only one shown at 28 in FIG. 2) removably seated within the sleeves 26 of the cold plate 20, and an outlet or spout 30 is disposed externally of the cold plate 20 for dispensing a mixture of syrup and water in a blended beverage upon operating the dispensing valve 22 as fully described in the aforementioned patent. A mounting flange 32 is preferably fixed on each dispensing valve 22 and secured to the front of the cold plate 20 by suitable machine screws 34 whereby it will be seen that the sleeve 26 and the communicating ported connector 28 jointly define a discharge passage leading to the spout 30 of the valve 22.

To ensure maximum heat transfer between each dispensing valve 22 and its cold plate 20, each valve 22 may be formed of stainless steel to cooperate with the high quality aluminum alloy and stainless steel used in the manufacture of the cold plate 20. Thus, an operator will be assured of dispensing ice cold drinks even on a casual demand basis.

The charged water-cooling tube 14a of FIG. 2 is shown communicating with a radial end face 36 of the sleeve 26. The sleeve 26 has an intermediate radial shoulder 38 interconnecting a reduced inner end portion and an enlarged outer end portion of the sleeve 26, the reduced end portion defining an inlet chamber 40 in the sleeve 26. Seated on the shoulder 38 is a thrust washer 42 serving as a bearing surface for an annular seal 44 surrounding a reduced end portion of a cylindrical insert 46 fitted within the enlarged outer end portion of the sleeve 26. The insert 46 is suitably retained in position, e.g., by a snap ring 48 secured in a groove adjacent the outer end of the sleeve 26. Any possibility of fluid leakage between the connector 28 and its surrounding insert 46 is eliminated by the provision of an O-ring seal 50 positioned within a circumferentially extending groove adjacent the projecting end of each connector 28.

To eliminate any need whatsoever for deactivating the entire system by a central shut off control, not shown, as normally required in conventional multistation-dispensing systems when it is necessary to repair or desired to replace a specific valve, an auxiliary control valve or poppet valve 52 is disposed in each sleeve 26 upstream of its beverage-dispensing valve 22 for shutting off beverage flow when it is desired to remove the valve 22. Such construction ensures that the predominant operating cost factor, service labor, is significantly reduced while yet ensuring that the remaining dispensing valves 22 of the system are maintained in operable condition.

More specifically, the poppet valve 52 has an outer axial extension 54 of predetermined length slidably recieved within a necked down end portion of the insert 46 which provides a guide and bearing surface 56 for the extension 54. The latter is suitably fluted to provide plural fluid passages 58 permitting fluid flow between the insert 46 and the extension 54. Adjacent the inner end of the poppet valve 52 is a radial flange 60 suitably apertured by openings such as at 62 permitting fluid flow, and a circumferential groove 64 is formed about the extension 54 immediately adjacent a downstream side of the radial flange 60. An O-ring seal 66 of a suitable tough and resilient elastomeric material fits within the groove 64 and serves as a valve member for sealing off the inlet chamber 40 when the poppet valve 52 moves to the right (as viewed in FIG. 2) into engagement with a chamfered annular shoulder or valve seat 68 formed in continuation with the guide surface 56 of the insert 46.

The poppet valve 52 is continuously urged toward a normally closed position in engagement with the valve seat 68 under a biasing force of a coil compression spring 70 received within the inlet chamber 40 and having opposite ends seated against the radial end face 36 of the sleeve 26 and the radial flange 60 of the poppet valve 52.

To effectively preclude any possibility of a valve member 66 closing off its respective beverage exit opening except upon removing the beverage-dispensing valve 22, the poppet extension 54 is of sufficient length to ensure contact with the inner end of the plug-in connector 28 when it is fully seated within the insert 46 of the cold plate 20, thereby unseating the valve member 66 to permit beverage flow upon operating the beverage-dispensing valve 22, but is of insufficient length to provide continued contact with the connector 28 during its removal. The valve member 66 will be firmly seated under the biasing force of the coil spring 70 before the plug-in connector 28 is completely removed from the cold plate 20 to assure that the inlet chamber 40 in the discharge passage is completely closed off before the insert 46 is exposed.

Such automatic shut off action ensures against inadvertent loss of beverage fluids and the undesirable messy conditions which so frequently occur in a conventional multiple station drink-dispensing system when any one of a multiplicity of valves is removed without deactivating the entire system.

By virtue of the above-described structure, a multiple station drink-dispensing system is provided which is particularly suited for facile replacement of any valve, without deactivating the entire system, and thereby minimize equipment shutdown time and loss of revenue in periods of peak demand while significantly reducing the service labor requirements of the system. In addition, the various dispensing station components have been specifically designed to provide easy cleaning and maximum sanitation, and no manual manipulation of the auxiliary control valve is required in view of its automatic shut off action. Upon installing a replacement valve, a faulty dispensing valve need only be returned to a service center without requiring any costly service calls.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above-described will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims.

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