초록 ▼

A method of and apparatus for making, cooling and dispensing carbonated water or beverage wherein the method has the steps of providing a single supply of condensed refrigerant, discretely routing a first portion of the refrigerant to a precooler and precooling the water only to an intermediate mode

A method of and apparatus for making, cooling and dispensing carbonated water or beverage wherein the method has the steps of providing a single supply of condensed refrigerant, discretely routing a first portion of the refrigerant to a precooler and precooling the water only to an intermediate moderate temperature of about 40 degrees F. (5 degrees C.) with the first refrigerant portion, carbonating the water before or after precooling, transferring the precooled and carbonated water to a final cooler of the ice bank type and final cooling the carbonated water and syrup to as close to 32 degrees F. (0 degrees C.) as is possible, and discretely routing a second portion of refrigerant to the ice bank. The discrete flow of refrigerant to the precooler and the discrete flow of refrigerant to the ice bank final cooler are each discretely controlled and portioned and routed, with this method and apparatus having extremely high efficiency and making very cold carbonated water reliably and without freeze ups. The apparatus has a refrigeration high side with a compressor, a water conduit to a plurality of dispensing valves, a precooler, a first refrigerant branch to the precooler and with a discrete refrigerant supply and portioning valve structure, a final cooler of the ice bank type, a second refrigerant branch to the final cooler and with a discrete refrigerant supply and portioning valve structure, a compressor control structure that runs the compressor when either the precooler or the final cooler requests for refrigerant, a priority device which gives the precooler exclusive priority to all of the refrigerant supply, and a syrup conduit through the final cooler.

대표청구항 ▼

A high efficiency method of making and dispensing cold carbonated water, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a supply of potable water to be cooled, carbonated and dispensed; (b) providing a single and common supply of condensed refrigerant gas; (c) discretely precooling a flow of the water from

A high efficiency method of making and dispensing cold carbonated water, comprising the steps of: (a) providing a supply of potable water to be cooled, carbonated and dispensed; (b) providing a single and common supply of condensed refrigerant gas; (c) discretely precooling a flow of the water from a supply temperature down only to an intermediate reduced moderate temperature which is safely above freezing and above a desired serving temperature in a high thermal efficiency first and discrete precool heat exchanger, said intermediate temperature being always above 35 degrees F. (2 degrees C.); (d) discretely routing a discrete first refrigerant portion from the single refrigerant supply over a metal heat transfer member which is in direct and intimate physical contact with both the first refrigerant portion and the water to be in precooled in said precool heat exchanger, during the step of precooling; (e) transferring the precooled moderate temperature water from the precool heat exchanger to a discrete second and final heat exchanger of the ice bank type; (f) completely carbonating the water prior to transferring it into the ice bank heat exchanger; (g) discretely final cooling the precooled and previously completely carbonated water to a desired serving temperature just above and approaching as close as is possible to freezing by melting ice from the ice bank in the final heat exchanger; (h) discretely routing a discrete second refrigerant portion from the single refrigerant supply through the final heat exchanger to build a reservoir of ice in the ice bank; (i) dispensing the cold carbonated water from the final heat exchanger and after the final cooling step; (j) discretely initiating and controlling said discrete individual said first and second portions of condensed refrigerant from the single supply to the precool and final heat exchangers respectively; (k) condensing refrigerant gas for the single supply in response to need for refrigerant by either heat exchanger; and (l) in which the carbonation pressure exceeds the carbonation saturation pressure of the carbonated water after the step of final cooling, the full carbonation pressure being utilized as a propellant pressure for moving precooled water through said final cooling step and for dispensing cold carbonated water from the final cooler.