IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0588034
(2006-10-26)
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등록번호 |
US-7437879
(2008-10-21)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Wolski,Peter F.
- Jablonski,Thaddeus M.
- Elsom,Kyle B.
- Schertz,Eric
- Leaver,Daniel C.
- Brandt,Kevin
- Manisco,Todd
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Wolski,Peter F.
- Jablonski,Thaddeus M.
- Elsom,Kyle B.
- Schertz,Eric
- Leaver,Daniel C.
- Brandt,Kevin
- Manisco,Todd
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
0 인용 특허 :
11 |
초록
▼
A beverage dispensing system is characterized by an ice/beverage dispenser and a remote beverage tower. The dispenser has a cold plate, a carbonator pump and a carbonator tank and the tower has a carbonator tank. To chill the tower carbonator tank, a closed loop fluid circuit extends between and hea
A beverage dispensing system is characterized by an ice/beverage dispenser and a remote beverage tower. The dispenser has a cold plate, a carbonator pump and a carbonator tank and the tower has a carbonator tank. To chill the tower carbonator tank, a closed loop fluid circuit extends between and heat exchange couples the dispenser cold plate and the tower carbonator tank. The dispenser carbonator pump can be used to circulate water through the closed loop circuit or a carbonator pump for the tower can be used for the purpose. A valve arrangement is provided for and as part of the dispenser cold plate to conveniently enable the dispenser to be switched between stand-alone operation and operation as a base unit for the remote tower. Arrangement is also made to cause ice agitation at the dispenser in response to drinks dispense at the remote tower to maintain a supply on the cold plate.
대표청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. A beverage dispensing and chilling system, comprising: a beverage dispenser including a cold plate having a plurality of fluid chilling circuits; a closed-loop fluid conveying circuit including at least one fluid chilling circuit of said cold plate, said closed-loop circuit e
What is claimed is: 1. A beverage dispensing and chilling system, comprising: a beverage dispenser including a cold plate having a plurality of fluid chilling circuits; a closed-loop fluid conveying circuit including at least one fluid chilling circuit of said cold plate, said closed-loop circuit extending between said beverage dispenser and a location separate and remote from said dispenser; and means for circulating fluid through said closed-loop circuit to chill the fluid and to deliver the chilled fluid to the remote location for being heat exchange coupled through said closed-loop circuit to product at the remote location to chill the product said system further including a product container at the remote location, said closed-loop fluid conveying circuit being heat exchange coupled with at least one of an exterior of said product container and product in said container at the remote location. 2. A beverage dispensing and chilling system, comprising: a beverage dispenser including a cold plate having a plurality of fluid chilling circuits; a closed-loop fluid conveying circuit including at least one fluid chilling circuit of said cold plate, said closed-loop circuit extending between said beverage dispenser and a location separate and remote from said dispenser; and means for circulating fluid through said closed-loop circuit to chill the fluid and to deliver the chilled fluid to the remote location for being heat exchange coupled through said closed-loop circuit to product at the remote location to chill the product, wherein said cold plate fluid chilling circuits include a first fluid chilling circuit for chilling a beverage component for dispensing by said beverage dispenser and a second fluid chilling circuit, said at least one fluid chilling circuit of said closed-loop fluid conveying circuit comprising said second fluid chilling circuit, said beverage dispenser including valve means having a first state for coupling said cold plate second fluid chilling circuit in said closed-loop fluid conveying circuit and a second state for removing said second fluid chilling circuit from said closed-loop fluid convening circuit and for fluid coupling said second fluid chilling circuit in fluid circuit with said first fluid chilling circuit for chilling of the beverage component by both said first and second cold plate fluid chilling circuits. 3. A beverage dispensing and chilling system comprising: a beverage dispenser including a cold plate having a plurality of fluid chilling circuits; a closed-loop fluid conveying circuit including at least one fluid chilling circuit of said cold plate, said closed-loop circuit extending between said beverage dispenser and a location separate and remote from said dispenser; and means for circulating fluid through said closed-loop circuit to chill the fluid and to deliver the chilled fluid to the remote location for being heat exchange coupled through said closed-loop circuit to product at the remote location to chill the product, including beverage dispensing means at the remote location fluid coupled to said closed-loop circuit, means for delivering ice to said beverage dispenser cold plate, wherein the fluid circulated through said closed-loop circuit is beverage for being dispensed by said beverage dispensing means, and including means responsive to dispensing of beverage at said remote tower for operating said means for delivering to deliver ice to said dispenser cold plate. 4. A beverage dispensing system comprising: a beverage dispenser including a cold plate having a plurality of fluid chilling circuits; a closed-loop fluid conveying circuit including at least one fluid chilling circuit of said cold plate, said closed-loop circuit extending between said beverage dispenser and a location separate and remote from said dispenser; and means for circulating fluid through said closed-loop circuit to chill the fluid and to deliver the chilled fluid to the remote location for being heat exchange coupled through said closed-loop circuit to product at the remote location to chill the product, wherein said at least one cold plate fluid chilling circuit in said closed-loop circuit is an auxiliary fluid chilling circuit of said cold plate, and further including: a beverage dispenser carbonator tank and carbonator pump fluid coupled to an inlet to said carbonator tank through at least one cold plate fluid chilling circuit for delivering chilled water to said carbonator tank; and a remote tower having a carbonator tank; wherein the product at the remote location is carbonated water in said remote tower carbonator tank and said closed-loop fluid conveying circuit extends between said beverage dispenser and said remote tower carbonator tank and is heat exchange coupled to said remote tower carbonator tank to chill said carbonator tank and carbonated water in the tank. 5. A system as in claim 4, wherein the fluid in said closed-loop fluid conveying circuit is plain water and said closed-loop circuit is fluid coupled to an inlet to said remote tower carbonator tank to fill said tank, said means for circulating water through said closed-loop fluid conveying circuit includes said beverage dispenser carbonator pump and said carbonator pump delivers water through said closed-loop circuit to said inlet to said remote tower carbonator tank to fill said remote tower carbonator tank, and including control means for controlling filling of said beverage dispenser and said remote tower carbonator tanks, such that both tanks are not filled simultaneously by said beverage dispenser carbonator pump. 6. A system as in claim 4, said beverage dispenser further including valve means having a first state placing said at least one auxiliary fluid chilling circuit in said closed-loop circuit and a second state removing said at least one auxiliary fluid chilling circuit from said closed-loop fluid conveying circuit and placing said at least one auxiliary fluid chilling circuit in fluid circuit between said beverage dispenser carbonator pump and said inlet to said beverage dispenser carbonator tank. 7. A system as in claim 4, including valve means at said remote tower for dispensing carbonated water from said remote tower carbonator tank, means for delivering ice to said beverage dispenser cold plate, and means responsive to dispensing of carbonated water at said remote tower for operating said means for delivering to deliver ice to said cold plate. 8. A beverage dispensing system comprising: a beverage dispenser including a cold plate having a plurality of fluid chilling circuits; a closed-loop fluid conveying circuit including at least one fluid chilling circuit of said cold plate, said closed-loop circuit extending between said beverage dispenser and a location separate and remote from said dispenser; and means for circulating fluid through said closed-loop circuit to chill the fluid and to deliver the chilled fluid to the remote location for being heat exchange coupled through said closed-loop circuit to product at the remote location to chill the product, and wherein: said remote tower has a carbonator pump; and said closed-loop fluid conveying circuit includes said remote tower carbonator pump, said closed-loop circuit extending between said beverage dispenser and said remote tower and being heat exchange coupled to said remote tower carbonator tank, said remote tower carbonator pump circulating plain water through said closed loop circuit to deliver chilled water to and to chill said remote tower carbonator tank. 9. A beverage dispenser, comprising: a cold plate having a plurality of fluid chilling circuits including at least one auxiliary fluid chilling circuit; a carbonator pump; a carbonator tank having an inlet fluid coupled to and for being filled with fluid received from said carbonator pump through at least one cold plate fluid chilling circuit other than said auxiliary fluid chilling circuit; and valve means operable between a first state adapted to place said at least one auxiliary fluid chilling circuit into a closed-loop fluid circulation circuit adapted to extend to a location separate and remote from said beverage dispenser for delivering chilled fluid to the remote location, and a second state removing said at least one auxiliary fluid chilling circuit from the closed-loop circuit and placing said at least one auxiliary fluid chilling circuit in fluid circuit with said at least one fluid chilling circuit for chilling of the fluid delivered by said carbonator pump to said carbonator tank by both said at least one and said auxiliary fluid chilling circuits. 10. A beverage dispensing system, comprising: a beverage dispenser including at least one beverage dispensing valve, a cold plate having fluid chilling circuits including at least one auxiliary fluid chilling circuit, a carbonator tank, and a carbonator pump fluid coupled to an inlet to said carbonator tank through at least one cold plate fluid chilling circuit for delivering chilled fluid to said carbonator tank; a remote tower having a carbonator tank and at least one beverage dispensing valve; closed-loop fluid conveying circuit means extending between said beverage dispenser and said remote tower and being heat exchange coupled to said remote tower carbonator tank, said closed-loop circuit means including said at least one cold plate auxiliary fluid chilling circuit; and means for circulating fluid through said closed-loop circuit means, said beverage dispenser further including valve means operable between a first state placing said at least one cold plate auxiliary fluid chilling circuit in said closed-loop circuit means and a second state removing said at least one cold plate auxiliary fluid chilling circuit from said closed-loop fluid circuit means. 11. A system as in claim 10, wherein said valve means in fluid couples said at least one auxiliary fluid chilling circuit between said dispenser carbonator pump and said inlet to said dispenser carbonator tank. 12. A system as in claim 10, including means for delivering ice to said beverage dispenser cold plate, and means responsive to beverage dispensing at said remote tower to operate said means for delivering to deliver ice to said beverage dispenser cold plate. 13. A beverage dispensing system as in claim 10, wherein: said remote tower includes a carbonator tank; and said closed-loop circuit includes said remote tower carbonator pump, said remote tower carbonator pump circulating fluid through said closed-loop circuit. 14. A beverage dispensing system as in claim 13, wherein said valve means in said first state places said at least one cold plate auxiliary fluid chilling circuit in said closed-loop fluid conveying circuit and couples said dispenser carbonator pump to said inlet to said dispenser carbonator tank through said at least one cold plate fluid chilling circuit, and in said second state removes said at least one cold plate auxiliary fluid chilling circuit from said closed-loop circuit, fluid couples said at least one auxiliary fluid chilling circuit between said dispenser carbonator pump and said inlet to said dispenser carbonator tank, and fluid couples said dispenser carbonator pump to said inlet to said dispenser carbonator tank through said at least one cold plate fluid chilling circuit. 15. A system as in claim 13, including means for delivering ice to said beverage dispenser cold plate, and means responsive to beverage dispensing at said remote tower to operate said means for delivering to deliver ice to said beverage dispenser cold plate. 16. A method of dispensing beverages, said method comprising the steps of: fluid coupling a beverage through a first fluid chilling circuit of a cold plate of a beverage dispenser to a beverage dispensing valve of the dispenser; providing a remote tower having a carbonator tank; circulating fluid through a closed-loop fluid conveying circuit that extends between the cold plate and the remote tower and that includes a second fluid chilling circuit of the cold plate to chill the fluid; and heat exchange coupling the chilled fluid in the closed-loop circuit to the remote tower carbonator tank to chill carbonated water in the tank without contact of the chilled fluid with the tank. 17. A method as in claim 16, wherein the beverage dispenser has a carbonator tank and a carbonator pump, the fluid in said closed-loop circuit is beverage, said circulating step is performed using the beverage dispenser carbonator pump, and including the steps of selectively fluid coupling beverage in the closed-loop circuit to an inlet to the remote tower carbonator tank and, in response to performance of said selectively fluid coupling step, using the beverage dispenser carbonator pump to fill the remote tower carbonator tank with beverage from the closed-loop circuit. 18. A method as in claim 16, wherein the beverage dispenser includes a fluid switching mechanism, and including the steps of operating the fluid switching mechanism between a first state placing the cold plate second fluid chilling circuit in fluid circuit between the beverage dispenser carbonator pump and carbonator tank for filling of the beverage dispenser carbonator tank through both the first and second fluid chilling circuits of the cold plate, and a second state removing the cold plate second fluid chilling circuit from being in fluid circuit between the beverage dispenser carbonator pump and carbonator tank and placing the second fluid chilling circuit into fluid circuit with the closed-loop fluid conveying circuit for chilling beverage in the closed-loop circuit. 19. A method as in claim 16, including the steps of dispensing beverage at the remote tower; and, in response to said dispensing step, delivering ice to the beverage dispenser cold plate. 20. A method of operating a beverage dispenser, comprising the steps of: fluid coupling a beverage to a beverage valve of the beverage dispenser through a first fluid chilling circuit of a cold plate of the dispenser; extending a closed-loop fluid conveying circuit between the beverage dispenser and a location remote from the dispenser; providing a fluid switch for the dispenser, wherein the fluid switch is operable between a first state placing a second fluid chilling circuit of the cold plate in fluid circuit with the first fluid chilling circuit of the cold plate, so that said fluid coupling step couples beverage to the beverage valve through both the first and second fluid chilling circuits of the cold plate, and a second state removing the second fluid chilling circuit from being in fluid circuit with the first fluid chilling circuit and placing the second fluid chilling circuit in the closed-loop fluid conveying circuit for chilling in the closed-loop circuit; and circulating fluid through the closed-loop fluid conveying circuit when the fluid switching mechanism is in the second state to chill the fluid for delivery to the remote location. 21. A method of operating a beverage dispenser having a cold plate including at least first and second fluid chilling circuits, said method comprising the steps of: flowing a beverage component through the cold plate first fluid chilling circuit to chill the beverage component for dispensing by the beverage dispenser; and fluid coupling the cold plate second fluid chilling circuit to either be in or out of fluid circuit with a closed-loop heat exchanging fluid conveying circuit extending between the beverage dispenser and a location separate and remote from the dispenser, wherein said fluid coupling step, when the cold plate second fluid chilling circuit is out of fluid circuit with the heat exchanging fluid conveying circuit, places the second fluid chilling circuit in fluid circuit with the first fluid chilling circuit, so that said flowing step then flows the beverage component through both the first and second cold plate fluid chilling circuits. 22. A beverage dispensing and chilling system, comprising: a cold plate having chilling circuits; a remote tower having a beverage dispensing valve; a carbonator tank; a closed-loop carbonated water conveying circuit including at least one chilling circuit of said cold plate, said carbonated water circuit extending between said cold plate and said remote tower; means for circulating carbonated water through said carbonated water circuit to chill the carbonated water and to deliver the chilled carbonated water to the remote tower; means for fluid coupling said remote tower beverage dispensing valve to said closed-loop circuit for receiving and dispensing carbonated water from said circuit; and means for placing said carbonator tank in fluid communication with but out of said closed-loop circuit for replenishing in said closed-loop circuit of carbonated water dispensed by said beverage valve. 23. A system as in claim 22, wherein said cold plate is chilled by ice, and including means responsive to dispensing carbonated water by said remote tower beverage dispensing valve to deliver ice to said cold plate. 24. A method dispensing a chilled beverage, comprising the steps of: providing a cold plate having at least one fluid chilling circuit; placing a closed-loop plain water conveying circuit in-line with the at least one fluid chilling circuit of the cold plate; extending the closed-loop fluid water conveying circuit between the cold plate and a location remote from the cold plate; chilling the cold plate; circulating plain water through the closed-loop circuit to chill the water and to deliver the chilled water to the remote location; providing a beverage dispensing valve at the remote location; and fluid coupling water in the closed-loop circuit to the beverage dispensing valve at the remote location for dispensing of water by the valve. 25. A system as in claim 24, wherein said chilling is performed by placing the cold plate in an ice bin.
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