초록 ▼

A self-contained unitary attachment engageable atop the supply tank of a beverage dispensing machine in place of the standard cover therefore. The attachment includes a liquid concentrate reservoir that depends into the beverage in the tank and up into a housing portion of the attachment. The housin

A self-contained unitary attachment engageable atop the supply tank of a beverage dispensing machine in place of the standard cover therefore. The attachment includes a liquid concentrate reservoir that depends into the beverage in the tank and up into a housing portion of the attachment. The housing portion of the attachment accommodates a proportional mixing device with inlets connected with the reservoir and a pressure water supply and an outlet communicating with the tank, a valve to start and stop the flow of water, a pressure regulator related to the water supply, liquid level sensors responsive to high and low liquid levels in the tank, a signalling device to signal when the reservoir is substantially empty of concentrate and a control circuit connected with the valve and liquid level sensors whereby the valve is opened and closed to maintain the liquid level in the tank between high and low levels. The attachment can be engaged with and removed from a related dispensing machine without modification or alteration of the machine. The attachment only has a single water supply line and a single electric supply cord extending from it to releasably connect with a pressurized water supply and a power supply. The housing portion has a normally closed opening above the reservoir to effect intermittent filling of the reservoir with concentrate.

대표청구항 ▼

1. In combination, a beverage dispensing machine comprising a base engageable on a supporting structure, an upwardly opening beverage supply tank engaged atop and carried by the base and having a lower substantially horizontally base wall and vertical side walls with upper edges defining a cover eng

1. In combination, a beverage dispensing machine comprising a base engageable on a supporting structure, an upwardly opening beverage supply tank engaged atop and carried by the base and having a lower substantially horizontally base wall and vertical side walls with upper edges defining a cover engaging rim, a discharge opening at the lower end of the tank and a beverage dispensing valve connected with the discharge opening and accessible at the exterior of the machine; an automating unit to automatically mix predetermined volumes of water and beverage flavored syrup to make beverage and deliver that beverage into the tank and cyclically operable to maintain the fluid level in the tank between predetermined high and low levels, said automating unit comprises a housing with vertically spaced top and bottom walls and side walls, said bottom wall is removably positioned above the tank and has means engageable with said rim to maintain the housing positioned atop the tank, an elongate vertical upwardly opening syrup reservoir extending through said bottom wall and having a lower portion depending from that wall into the beverage in the tank and an upper portion extending up into the interior of the housing, a vertical access opening in the top wall communicates with the open top of the reservoir and a manually movable lid normally positioned at said access opening and normally overlying the reservoir, a proportional mixing device mounted within the housing to receive and mix water and syrup and to deliver it into the tank and including an aspirator unit with an elongate mixing chamber, a water nozzle passage directing water through the mixing chamber from one end thereof, a beverage outlet communicating with the other end of the mixing chamber and opening to the interior of the tank at an opening in said bottom wall and a syrup inlet communicating with the mixing chamber between the ends thereof and connected with the upper outlet end of an elongate suction tube extending into and having a lower inlet end opening at the lower portion of the reservoir, a normally closed electrically operated on and off valve with an outlet communicating with the water nozzle passage and an inlet connected with the outlet end of an elongate water supply line extending through and out of the housing, said water supply has an inlet end connected with a pressurized water supply, liquid level sensing means carried by the bottom wall and depending into the tank and including switching means actuated when the level of the beverage in the tank reaches said predetermined high and low levels and electric circuit means mounted within the housing and connected with and between the liquid level sensing means and the electrically operated valve and a power service cord connected with the electric circuit means and extending from the housing to a remote power service, said circuit operates to cause the valve to open when the switching means is actuated in response to the level of the beverage in the tank moving to said lower liquid level and to cause said valve to close when the switching means is actuated in response to the level of the beverage in the tank rising to said upper liquid level. 2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein the mixing device includes means upstream of the nozzle passage controlling the pressure and flow rates of water into the mixing chamber and the corresponding proportional flow of water and syrup into, through and from the device. 3. The combination set forth in claim 2 wherein said means controlling the flow of water is a manually adjustable pressure regulator. 4. The combination set forth in claim 1 which further includes signal means which emits a signal when the level of the supply of syrup in the reservoir lowers to a predetermined low level and which includes an elongate dielectric section in the suction tube, conductor parts at the opposite ends of said dielectric section and in contact with syrup in the dielectric section which syrup normally closes a circuit between the conductor parts, an electric powered signal emitter and operating circuit means are connected with and between the conductor parts; said conductor parts and operating circuit means operate to energize the emitter when insufficient syrup is in the dielectric sectin of the tube to close the circuit between the conductor parts. 5. The combination set forth in claim 1, which further includes a check-valve to stop the flow of syrup from the suction tube back into the reservoir. 6. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein the machine includes refrigeration means to cool and maintain the beverage in the tank at a substantially consistent desired low temperature, said lower portion of the reservoir in the beverage in the tank is a heat exchange structure between the cool beverage in the tank and the syrup in the reservoir whereby syrup is maintained at a substantially constant temperature and corresponding viscosity. 7. The combination set forth in claim 1, wherein said beverage dispensing valve is a portion control valve which, upon being opened, remains open a predetermined period of time and closes automatically so as to dispense a predetermined volume of beverage. 8. The combination set forth in claim 1, which include means to open a portion of the electric circuit means supplying current to the electrically operated valve when the supply of syrup in the reservoir is exhausted and which includes spaced apart conductor parts in contact with syrup in the suction tube whereby syrup in the tube normally closes the circuit between the conductor parts, a relay switch with an operating coil series-connected with said conducting parts, said relay switch is connected in series with the electrically operated valve and operates to open when the circuit between the conducting parts opens.