초록 ▼

A system and method for cleaning the beverage-carrying components of a beverage dispensing system in order to clean these components for future use is disclosed. The cleaning system includes a controller, a plurality of junctions, a plurality of couplers and a multiplier. The controller controls the

A system and method for cleaning the beverage-carrying components of a beverage dispensing system in order to clean these components for future use is disclosed. The cleaning system includes a controller, a plurality of junctions, a plurality of couplers and a multiplier. The controller controls the different phases of the cleaning process, which include a beverage conservation phase, a beverage lockout phase and a cleaning phase. Each of the plurality of junctions are fluidly connected to at least one coupler and each coupler is affixed to a beverage container, e.g., keg, for opening a beverage port thereto. The multiplier is communicatively coupled to each junction so as to provide electrical control signals thereto that dictate whether fluid is to communicated through a junction to the coupler(s) associated with that junction, and thereafter directed to dispensing unit(s) over beverage line(s).

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A chemical dispense system for cleaning a fluid dispensing system, wherein fluid containers store fluids for dispensing from the fluid dispensing system, each fluid container comprising a coupler for opening a fluid port through which fluid flows through the coupler to a disp

What is claimed is: 1. A chemical dispense system for cleaning a fluid dispensing system, wherein fluid containers store fluids for dispensing from the fluid dispensing system, each fluid container comprising a coupler for opening a fluid port through which fluid flows through the coupler to a dispensing unit via a fluid line, the system comprising: a plurality of junctions each operable to communicate water supplied by a water source to at least one coupler such that the couplers may each direct the water to an associated fluid line; a controller operable to control the supply of water from the water source to each of the plurality of junctions; and a multiplier operable to transmit a control signal to a specified one of the plurality of junctions thereby activating the specified junction to communicate water to an associated coupler when the supply of water to the plurality of junctions is enabled by the controller. 2. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller enables the flow of a predetermined volume of water during activation of the specified junction such that the predetermined volume of water is operable to force a pressure on any fluid remaining in a fluid line fluidly coupled to the associated coupler thereby conserving the remaining fluid for dispensing from a dispensing unit fluidly coupled to the fluid line. 3. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 1, wherein the controller is operable to control supply of a chemical solution to the plurality of junctions and wherein the specified junction communicates the chemical solution to the associated coupler when the supply of chemical solution to the plurality of junctions is enabled by the controller and the specified junction is activated by the multiplier. 4. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 3, wherein the controller enables the supply of water and the supply of chemical solution to the plurality of junctions in sequence during activation of the specified junction. 5. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 1, further comprising: a user input mechanism operable to receive user input identifying the specified junction and, based on the user input, instruct the multiplier which of the plurality of junctions is the specified junction. 6. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 5, wherein the user input mechanism comprises a switch. 7. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 5, wherein the user input mechanism comprises a graphical user interface. 8. A fluid dispense system comprising: a plurality of dispensing units; a plurality of fluid containers, wherein each fluid container is associated with and fluidly connected to at least one of the plurality of dispensing units via an associated fluid dispense line, each fluid container comprising a controllable fluid port through which fluid exits the fluid container for communication to the associated fluid dispense line; a plurality of couplers, wherein each coupler is associated with one of the plurality of fluid containers and fluidly couples the controllable fluid port of the associated fluid container to the associated fluid dispense line, the plurality of couplers being operable to open and close the controllable fluid ports thereby controlling communication of fluids from the fluid containers to the dispensing units via the associated fluid dispense lines, wherein the plurality of couplers are categorized into a plurality of zones, each of the plurality of zones comprising one or more couplers; a system controller operable to enable supply of a substance to the plurality of couplers; and a zone controller operable to select a specified one of the plurality of zones in order to communicate the substance to the one or more couplers categorized therein when supply of the substance to the plurality of zones is enabled by the system controller, wherein the one or more couplers categorized in the specified zone direct the substance to one or more associated fluid dispense lines for communication to one or more associated dispensing units. 9. A fluid dispense system as defined in claim 8, wherein each of the plurality of zones comprise a controllable junction operable to communicate the substance to the one or more couplers categorized therein when selected as the specified zone by the zone controller. 10. A fluid dispense system as defined in claim 9, wherein the controllable junctions are communicatively coupled to the zone controller via data lines and the zone controller selects the specified zone by issuing a control signal to the controllable junction associated with the specified zone. 11. A fluid dispense system as defined in claim 10, further comprising: a user input mechanism operable to receive user input identifying the specified zone and, based on the user input, instruct the zone controller which of the plurality of zones is the specified zone. 12. A fluid dispense system as defined in claim 8, wherein the substance comprises water. 13. A fluid dispense system as defined in claim 8, wherein the substance comprises a chemical solution. 14. A fluid dispense system as defined in claim 8, wherein the fluids contained in the plurality of storage containers and dispensed from the plurality of dispensing units via associated fluid dispense lines comprise a beverage. 15. A chemical dispense system for cleaning a fluid dispensing system having fluid containers storing fluids for dispensing to a point of use, wherein each fluid container comprises a coupler for enabling and disabling the flow of fluid from the fluid container to a dispensing unit located at the point of use, the system comprising: a system controller operable to enable supply of a substance to the couplers on the fluid containers, wherein the couplers are categorized into a plurality of zones, each of the plurality of zones comprising one or more couplers; and a zone controller operable to select a specified one of the plurality of zones in order to communicate the substance to the one or more couplers categorized therein when supply of the substance to the couplers is enabled by the system controller, wherein the one or more couplers categorized in the specified zone direct the substance to one or more associated dispensing units. 16. A chemical dispense system as defined in claim 15, further comprising: a user input mechanism operable to receive user input identifying the specified zone and, based on the user input, instruct the zone controller which of the plurality of zones is the specified zone. 17. A fluid dispense system as defined in claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of zones comprise a controllable junction operable to communicate the substance to the one or more couplers categorized therein when selected as the specified zone by the zone controller. 18. A fluid dispense system as defined in claim 15, wherein the substance comprises water. 19. A fluid dispense system as defined in claim 15, further comprising: a data communication link communicatively connecting the system controller to the zone controller such that the system controller is operable to monitor operation of the zone controller. 20. A fluid dispense system as defined in claim 19, wherein the substance comprises a chemical solution, the system controller being further operable to enable supply of water to the couplers on the fluid containers in sequence with the chemical solution based on data received over the data communication link.