GB2299953A - Soft drink dispensing machine with concentrate supplied by venturi fed with water - Google Patents

Abstract

A soft drink dispensing machine has concentrate 14 supplied by a venturi 6 fed with water 7. The supply is controlled by level sensors 8,9 in the drink container 1. Shortage of concentrate is detected by sensor 12. The concentrate is held within a non-rigid container.

Description

APPARATUS ~ ~~~ DESCRIPTION The object of the invention is an apparatus to dose concentrates in aqueous media with automatic level regulation, for mixture supply vats, specifically designed for the soft drink dispensing machines installed in hotels, restaurants and other uses, to offer the consumer a liquid made up of water plus the addition of a concentrate that restores to it the water needed for its end use as a refreshment drink or as a liquid foodstuff, as would be the case with concentrated milk restored to its original volume through the addition of water.

There currently are in the market some juice dispensers of differing nature that are made up of a base supporting a transparent vat with a cover, inside which is the water and concentrate mixture, so as to properly dilute the refreshment sought.

The vat consists of a cylindrical tank that houses inside it a rotating stirrer that maintains a homogeneous suspension, the cover is removable and the already mixed product is added through the opening of the vat. The capacity of the recipient varies, according to its manufacturer, between five and fifty liters, which makes it advisable, due to weight reasons, to refill it continuously.

It is evident that for the consumer it is discouraging and eliminates any idea of a natural product rich in vitamins and mineral salts to watch how another person loads up the vat from another recipient where, previously and preferably in another place, the mixture has been effected using more or less precise doses. It is also not very attractive for the possible consumer to observe, in the all too frequent case of watching a row of vats, how one of them is nearly empty, whereas another one or others are nearly full; the first thought that comes to the mind of the consumer is that the content of the other vats is not as good and that the residue left does not offer an appropriate level of quality, which causes an undesirable situation of rejection.

Inside the base holding the vat are housed the stirrer actuating means and a conventional type cooler that supplies through its thermostat the amount of cold required to keep the liquid appetizingly cold.

The set is completed by an outlet conduit fitted on the base and conventionally fitted with means allowing it to be actuated by the serving glass itself, enabling the consumer to receive the desired amount of drinking mixture.

Up to now the offer now existing in the market with slight non consequential variations as a function of their origin, model or capacity, but in any case presenting the same technical and logistic problems.

The purpose of this invention is to solve the fore mentioned problems by fitting to any of the drinking mixture dispensing machines now existing in the market, whichever may their origin or model be, of means that guarantee the exactness of the mixture used to produced the drinking product, so that it does always present the same aroma, flavor and, above all, viscosity.

It is also a purpose of the invention to supply the dispenser with water with homogeneous properties so that, wherever a machine may be fitted, whenever a dispenser of drinking products made from concentrates displays a brand claiming that it incorporates the object of the invention, the consumer will then now that the characteristics of the product do not vary and are to be trusted fully.

Another purpose of the invention is to prevent manual vat refilling, eliminating all human intervention and maintaining the level of the product between automatically regulating levels enabling it to remain full at all times, thus presenting the potential consumer with a clear image of a just made product.

To this end the invention starts off a conventional dispensing machine made up of a vat resting upon a base housing the cold generation means that are normally characterized by a cooling expander that penetrates the vat and, as is by now normal, a rotating stirrer arm.

We shall not deal, due to the fact that it is not a purpose of the invention, with the description of the cold producing source, nor with the temperature regulating means controlling it, nor with the constitution of the dispensing element given that, as will later be made clear, they do not affect the additional incorporation of the invention to a dispenser since the special characteristics of the apparatus thus adapted are not altered, but on the contrary, the constant maintenance of the level of the liquid allows operating in conditions of optimization in respect to the cold production unit.Another important factor to point out is that by fitting on the cover an air inlet with a filter it is then not necessary to open up the cover of the recipient for any purpose other than periodic cleaning operations, thus preventing any contaminations that may take place during the periodic refilling phases.

In accordance with all the fore said, the invention is then applied to any dispenser now existing in the mrL+ Fundamentally the invention consists of fitting a tenturt between a water proof container holding the ConCentrate and a water supply source incoming from the water mains network or from a water tank so that the water may then act as a cncentrxtF dragging means through a prior graduation of the strtut device with a constant flow of the two fluids, carrying the so mixed product to the vat that acts as the deposit of the dispenser and in which are to be fitted two adjustable level detectors that establish a maximum and minimum threshold that send a signal to a processor that acts by closing or opening controlled water opening or closing means that, due to tie tCuvit effect, shall effect a mixture with the concentrate that in the supply conduit leading to the soft incorporates concentrate detection means, sending a signal to the processor that stops the water command action and acts advantageously upon concentrate product shortage indication means.

The water may come from a treated liquid container deposit, in which case the flow is obtained by the action of gravity or aided by a pump. Water network mains supply is also appropriate, through the placement of a continuous water treatment unit using osmotic filters, active coals or any other type of filtering device, together with the inclusion of ion interchanging resins to finally obtain a flavorless, odorless and soft water with proper pH levels.

The processing circuit is conventional and may be easily selected from among those currently existing in the marketplace, the same is true in respect of the remaining components that, organized according to the invention, produce a new and advantageous effect.

With the purpose of facilitating the comprehension of everything set out in this patent specification, a drawing sheet is attacher herein on which only shown figure may be observed an elevation view in which are set out the fundamental parts of the invention as supplied by a conventional supplier.

In accordance with the fore going description, the invention starts off a conventional dispenser made up of a vat 1 resting upon a base 2 from which, besides the cold generating means 3, penetrating into the vat 1, also project out rotating stirrer 4. Furthermore the base is also fitted with liquid dispensing means such as an outlet pipe 20 under which is placed the drinking glass that does also actuate the tap opening means.

As may be observed on the drawing, the example is fitted upon a counter 5, a fact that does not limit the scope of the invention, given that it may be equally set out, organized and positioned under a rolling table.

Fundamentally the invention consists of fitting a 4çyvC < L between a water proof container 14 holding the concentrate and a water supply source 7 incoming from the water mains network or from a water tank so that the water may then act as a concentrate dragging means through a prior graduation of the Venture device 6 with a constant flow of the two fluids, carrying the so mixed product to the vat 1 that acts as the deposit of the dispenser and in which are to be fitted two adjustable level detectors 8-9 that establish a maximum and minimum threshold 12 that send a signal to a processor 10 that acts by closing or opening controlled water 7 opening or closing means 11 that, due to a Venturi effect, shall effect a mixture with the concentrate that in the supply conduit leading to the Venturi device 6 incorporates concentrate detection means 12, sending a signal to the processor 10 that stops the water command action and acts advantageously upon concentrate product shortage indication means, not shown.

The water, as set out in the example, is supplied from the network, through the placement of a continuous treatment unit 13 using osmotic filters, active coals or any other type of filtering device, together with the inclusion of ion interchanging resins to finally obtain a flavorless, odorless liquid, softening its lime content with the proper pH levels, arriving to the Venturi through a flow regulator 15 that ensures dose exactness.

The concentrate comes from a conventional container 14, of the non-rigid wall type, vacuume filled with the product and fitted with a membrane ready to receive a nozzle that interconnects the container 14 to the previously described circuit in order to, through the conduit 21, pour the dosed mixture into the vat 1, fitted with the cover 16 that isolates the liquid 17 from the outside.

In the processor circuit is fitted, as required, a transformer rectifier 18 used to convert AC power supply to DC, which is connected to the power means represented in the drawing by the arrow 19.

Claims (2)

1.- Apparatus to dose concentrates in aqueous media with automatic level regulation, for mixture supply vats, being applicable to dispensers made up of a vat - resting upon a base in which, besides the cold generating means , coming inside the vat is also to be fitted a rotating arm stirrer incorporating into the base liquid dispensing means such as an outlet pipe under which is placed the glass that actuates the opening means, characterized because it consists of arranging a veXtv < dtvice between a water proof container holding the concentrate and a water supply source incoming from the water mains network or from a water tank so that the water may then act as a concentrate dragging means through a prior graduation of the Ventur device with a constant flow of the two fluids, carrying the so mixed product to the vat that acts as the deposit of the dispenser and in which are to be fitted two adjustable level detectors that establish a maximum and minimum threshold and send a signal to a processor that acts by closing or opening controlled water opening or closing means that, due to a Venture effect, shall effect a mixture with the concentrate that in the supply conduit leading to the Venture incorporates concentrate detection means sending a signal to the processor that stops the water command action and acts advantageously upon concentrate product shortage indication means.

2.- Apparatus to dose concentrates in aqueous media with automatic level regulation, for mixture supply vats, as per prior claim characterized because the water is supplied from the water mains network, with the placement of a conventional means continuous treatment unit and arrives to the ventur device through a flow regulator that ensures dosing exactness, being the concentrate supplied by a conventional container , of the non-rigid wall type.