Method and apparatus for cooling and dispensing beverage
US4979647A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 22, 1988 |
| Grant date | Dec 25, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 22, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB67D2210/00154
- WIPO fieldHandling
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A beverage cooling, carbonating and dispensing apparatus has a refrigerator cabinet having a cold air cooling chamber, a cold beverage reservoir and carbonator in the cooling chamber, an outlet from the reservoir to a dispensing valve, and a spring-like helically coiled thermally conductive precooler secured to a beverage inlet of the reservoir, the precooler is suspended in the cold air chamber and has a substantial restriction to flow of beverage therethrough so that the refilling flow into the reservoir is very slow and is cooled to about 40 degrees F. (4.4 degrees C.) before admittance into the reservoir, so the entire contents of the reservoir can be dispensed without warmup or loss of carbonation. A method of cooling, carbonating and dispensing beverage has the steps of storing a supply of previously precooled beverage in a reservoir, dispensing servings of beverage from the reservoir, replenishing the reservoir with new beverage at an incoming flow rate substantially less than the dispensing flow rate by restricting the incoming flow to a trickle and precooling the trickling flow while cooling the reservoir, and carbonating the cold trickling flow upon admittance to the rese…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.