Beverage dispenser with component wash system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9771253-B2
Application number	US-201514681141-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2015
Priority date	Apr 21, 2014
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

The present application provides a beverage dispensing system using a sweetener. The beverage dispensing system may include a sweetener source with the sweetener therein, one or more rotating or stationary components positioned about a flow of the sweetener, and a component wash system positioned about the one or more rotating or stationary components to wash off the sweetener thereon.

First claim

We claim:

1. A beverage dispensing system using a sweetener, comprising:
a sweetener source with the sweetener therein;
one or more rotating or stationary components positioned along a flow of the sweetener;
a component wash system positioned adjacent to the one or more rotating or stationary components to wash off the sweetener thereon; and
a source of waste heat in communication with the component wash system, wherein the source of waste heat comprises waste heat from a motor, an evaporator coil, or a combination thereof associated with the beverage dispensing system.

2. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising an ice bin with a volume of melt water.

3. The beverage dispensing system of claim 2 , wherein the component wash system comprises a wash reservoir in communication with the melt water from the ice bin.

4. The beverage dispensing system of claim 3 , wherein the wash reservoir comprises a wash reservoir drain tube.

5. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the component wash system comprises a wash reservoir in communication with a source of water.

6. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the component wash system comprises one or more spray nozzles.

7. The beverage dispensing system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more spray nozzles comprise a hand operated spray nozzle.

8. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the component wash system comprises one or more drip tubes.

9. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the motor comprises an electric motor.

10. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , further comprising a drip tray and wherein the component wash system is positioned adjacent to the drip tray.

11. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more rotating or stationary components comprise a set of gears.

12. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more rotating or stationary components comprise a rotating shaft and/or a bearing block.

13. The beverage dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more rotating or stationary components comprise a sensor.

14. A method of operating a beverage dispensing system with a flow of a sweetener therein, comprising:
positioning one or more rotating or stationary components along the flow of the sweetener;
positioning a component wash system adjacent to the one or more rotating or stationary components;
routing a flow of ice bin melt water to the component wash system;
heating the flow of ice bin melt with a source of waste heat in communication with the component wash system, wherein the source of waste heat comprises waste heat from a motor, an evaporator coil, or a combination thereof associated with the beverage dispensing system; and
providing the flow of the ice bin melt water to the one or more rotating or stationary components.

15. A beverage dispensing system using a sweetener therein, comprising:
a sweetener source with the sweetener therein;
one or more rotating or stationary components positioned along a flow of the sweetener, wherein the one or more rotating or stationary components comprise a bearing block supporting a rotating shaft;
an ice bin with a flow of melt water;
a component wash system positioned adjacent to the one or more rotating or stationary components to wash off the sweetener with the flow of melt water, wherein the component wash system comprises a wash reservoir in communication with the flow melt water from the ice bin, wherein the component wash system comprises one or more drip tubes in communication with the bearing block to provide a drip of the melt water to the rotating shaft; and
a source of waste heat in communication with the component wash system, wherein the source of waste heat comprises waste heat from a motor, an evaporator coil, or a combination thereof associated with the beverage dispensing system.

16. The beverage dispensing system of claim 15 , wherein the component wash system comprises one or more spray nozzles.

17. The beverage dispensing system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more rotating or stationary components comprise a set of gears, a rotating shaft, and/or a sensor.

Assignees

• Coca Cola Co

Inventors

• Rudick Arthur G
• Carpenter Gregg
• Newman David R
• Quartarone Daniel S

Classifications

• B67D1/07 Primary

  Cleaning beverage-dispensing apparatus {(B67D1/0834, B67D1/0837 take precedence)} · CPC title

• B67D1/0895

  Heating arrangements · CPC title

• B67D1/0054

  Recirculation means · CPC title

• B67D1/0021

  the components being mixed at the time of dispensing, i.e. post-mix dispensers · CPC title

• B67D1/0041

  Fully automated cocktail bars, i.e. apparatuses combining the use of packaged beverages, pre-mix and post-mix dispensers · CPC title