Refrigerated post-mix dispenser

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10488097-B2
Application number	US-201816056641-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2018
Priority date	Apr 21, 2016
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A post-mix beverage dispenser having all components within an insulated housing is provided. The beverage dispenser can include an insulated housing with interior compartments that contain all componentry for dispensing a beverage, a carbonated beverage, and ice. The interior compartments can contain a concentrate source, a concentrate pump, an ice bin, an ice dispensing mechanism, a refrigeration system, a diluent pump, and a carbonation system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for dispensing a beverage from a post-mix beverage dispensing system comprising:
providing an insulated housing including:
a first interior compartment having a water bath, an ice bath, a coil pack, and a first portion of a refrigeration system,
a second interior compartment having a concentrate within a concentrate container, ice within an ice bin, and a second portion of a refrigeration system, and
a third interior compartment having a third portion of a refrigeration system;

fluidly connecting the concentrate container to a dispensing nozzle positioned on the insulating housing;
fluidly connecting a diluent source to a diluent conduit in the insulated housing, a portion of the diluent conduit passes through the first interior compartment in the coil pack;
fluidly connecting the diluent conduit to the dispensing nozzle; and
mixing the beverage concentrate and a diluent from the diluent source at the dispensing nozzle to dispense a beverage.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising dispensing ice from the ice bin.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing a carbonator pump and a carbonator tank within the third interior compartment;
providing a pre-carbonated diluent conduit fluidly connected to the diluent conduit and the carbonator tank;
adding carbon dioxide to a diluent in the carbonator tank to produced carbonated diluent;
providing a post-carbonated diluent conduit fluidly connected to the carbonator tank and the dispensing nozzle; and
mixing the beverage concentrate and the carbonated diluent at the dispensing nozzle to dispense a carbonated beverage.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising chilling the diluent prior to adding carbon dioxide to produced chilled carbonated diluent.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
circulating water from the water bath to the second portion of the refrigeration system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the refrigeration system includes a first evaporator coil and the second portion of the refrigeration system includes a second evaporator coil.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
circulating water from the water bath to the second evaporator coil.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the refrigeration system, the second portion of the refrigeration system, and the third portion of the refrigeration system are integrated into a refrigeration system deck.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising removing the refrigeration system deck from the post-mix beverage dispensing system.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising installing a second refrigeration system deck into the post-mix beverage dispensing system.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
freezing water in the ice bath to form an ice bank.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
circulating water in the water bath to transfer heat from the water bath to the ice bank.

Assignees

• Pepsico Inc

Inventors

• Nachawati Maher
• Segiet William
• Stein Aaron
• Ubidia Fernando

Classifications

• F25D19/00

  Arrangement or mounting of refrigeration units with respect to devices {or objects to be refrigerated, e.g. infrared detectors} · CPC title

• F25B5/04

  arranged in series · CPC title

• F25D31/003

  with immersed cooling element · CPC title

• B67D1/004

  the diluent being supplied from water mains · CPC title

• B67D1/0864

  in the form of a cooling bath · CPC title