Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
202~
95-930P
APPARATUS FOR THE Dl~ ;N~lNG OF
LIQUIDS IN MEASURED AMOUNTS
Backaround of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dosing device
for the measured dispensing of liquids from a storage
container, particularly for the measured dispensing of
5 beverage concentrates in an automatic beverage dispenser,
where drinks can be prepared by mixing a base liquid, e.g.
carbonated water, and at least one b~v~L~ concentrate
stored in a storage tank. The Dosing device is integrally
connected with the storage container and the container/doser
10 combination is .li ~:poq~hle.
Such a device will preferably be able to provide,
in automatic beverage (1 i qp~n~F~rs where carbonated water is
mixed with beverage concentrates to make a soft drink, the
beverage concentrates in controlled amounts from a storage
15 tank for the mixing process involved in the making of a post-
mix beverage. In this connection it is particularly
important, while utilizing the simplest possible means when
measuring out the carbonated water, to also precisely measure
out the dispensed beverage ~u.l~ellLl<ltes in order to achieve
20 with n~ cq~ry precision the desired mix proportions for the
post-mix drink being prepared. These mix proportions shall
achieve the same standard as the comparable ready-made (pre-
mix) drinks on the market in bottles or cans.
For pl A~ L into automatic beverage dispensers
25 to ~ p-~nqe beverage cul~c~ LL~tes~ dosage chamber devices
have been developed. These dosage chamber devices are
attached to a storage tank with the dispensing mouth at the
bottom. By means of a magnet system a control valve inside
this dosage chamber device is raised from a lower position,
30 where the outlet port of the chamber is closed, to a higher
position, where the inlet port of the chamber is closed, so
that the contents of the dosage chamber can flow out ~y force
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of gravity. ~owever, the dosage chamber space can become
filled with air. When the control valve resumes its lower
positLon, the beverage ..c,l~cenLLc~te stored in the storage tank
ends up in the dosage chamber by force of gravity, and any
5 air in the dosage chamber will flow into the storage tank.
The control force needed to activate the control valve is
corrF~spon~in~ly slight, since no actual propulsion force need
be produced. There are storage tanks with either rigid or
flexible walls. In both cases there is an exchange of volume
10 through extracting b~v~Lc~a UU~ Lc~te6 by the use of air.
The above-described dosage chamber devices are very
difficult to reduce in size due to te~hni~Al realities
relating to size and the volume they dispense. They are
above all suited for dispensing CO~C~ tes for l/lO drink
15 portion units. For smaller amountC greater problems with
functioning and dosage precision are presented. So these
known dosage chamber licp~nc~rs make it ~ fic~lt to dispense
individual drinks on demand.
It is also generally known how to extract and
20 ~licp~nce liquid out of a flexible storage tank with the aid
of a pump system. In such a system, a storage tank with
flexible walls (bag-in-box containers) can be emptied without
air having to flow into the storage tank for volume exchange.
However, for beverage co~ e-.~L~tes to achieve very precise
25 ii cp~nc~d amounts, these bag-in-box/pump systems have
functional limitations.
0~ the Tnvention
~ hi~i invention in one aspect thereo~ pert~ ins to an
apparatus for iicp~ncinq of liguids in measured amounts which
30 assures that the liquid stored in the liquid reservoir is
dispensed by a standardized controlled delivery system taking
into consideration the physical and chemical properties of
the liquids to be mixed (volume specif ic), and takinq into
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account the specific ~ rPn~;n~ volume. Besides that, the
device should meet all the requirements for simple and
functional handling.
An apparatus which meets these requirements is
characterized by the fact that a piston pump system is
mounted onto the liquid container as a pF~ n-ont fixture, and
that the piston pump system is equipped with mechanical
connections for a pPrr-n~nt installation of the piston pump
housing on the container and for coupling to an operational
drive lever of a ~-^hAn;cAl drive installation which is
permanently installed as part of the entire beverage
dispenser unit.
The feature whereby the piston pump is integrally
mounted onto the liquid storage container, and is designed
to handle different types of liquids ~lpr~n~l;n~ on their
physical and chemical properties as related to a certain
delivery volume per work stroke, is achieved so that the
stored storage container with its piston pump system
containing the liquid that is to be delivered can be
connected to a mechanical drive installation. This
standardized mechanical drive device assures that the correct
volume of a particular liquid is delivered per work stroke
(pump cycle), again taking into account the physical-rh~n;c
properties (liquid-specific, density) of the liquid.
This is particularly important when used in
beverage dispensers in which these beverage concentrates are
mixed with a diluent such as carbonated water for preparation
of a post-mix beverage in which the con~el.LL~ ion of the
beverage concentrate is in the proper proportion with the
added amount of carbonated water. In this case, it is
desirable that empty storage tanks are to be replaced with
new tanks of the same type of beverage ~ .cel.~L~te and to
install storage tanks with different types of beverage
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concell~La~es according to the requests of the user. Errors
related to service which may result in false mixing ratios
are not possible with this newly invented device. The fact
that the piston pump sy6tem has --~hAn;cAl connections to
5 a~ te a pPrr^n ~nt installation of the piston pump
housing on the container and is designed to couple with
operational elements of a p~ nc~ntly fixed drive
installation guarantees a reliable and proper operation, and
simple hAnal inq by service personnel. Inside the housing
10 (dispenser cabinet) of the apparatus the corresponding
mounted and coupling counterparts are arranged in a way that
the piston pump system with its storage tank rests on top of
it can be inserted at the front side.
According to a preferred design, the invented
15 device is characterized by the fact that the storage tank
contains a laminated, flexible bag which contains the stored
liquid in the correct specified volume. Particularly, with
respect to the transportation, stacking and hAn-ll; n~ the
laminated bag of the storage tank is enclosed by a square-
20 shaped cardboard container with rigid container walls to theoutside, so that the atmospheric balance to the inside is
accounted for. With respect to a piston pump system, it is
possible to use a laminated bag without air circulation in
the inside as the suction power transferred onto the liquid
25 of the storage tank by way of the piston pump system assures
a reliable dispensing volume, even if different counterforces
permeating the walls of the laminated sack would cause a
temporary collapse of the laminated sack.
When designed in another preferable way, the
30 invented device is characterized by a feature in which the
piston pump system is c~mn~ct~d to the storage tank by way
of a cone-shaped elastic intc a; ~te piece which holds the
piston pump system in its working operation and located to
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the outside of the rigid edges of the storage tank, and
when set up for transport and storage, the middle piece
holds the piston pump system within its rigid borders of
the liquid storage tank.
Another aspect of this invention is as follows:
An apparatus for dispensing metered quantities of
bevcLc~gc ~u~ LAte for mixing with a diluent to
produce a post-mix beverage comprising:
a storage tank for containing the beverage
~onc~=l.LL~Ite, said storage tank having a discharge
opening through which the UlI` ell~L~te may flow by
gravity;
positive displ ;-~ 1 pump means integrally
connected with the storage tank at the discharge opening
thereof for withdrawing cu~ lLL~lte through the
discharge opening from the storage tank by suction into
a housing of the pump means, and discharging metered
quantities of concentrate from said pump housing through
an outlet thereof for mixing with the diluent in
response to reciprocating ~. ~ of an actuator of
said pump means;
a cabinet for housing said storage tank for
operative association with a supply o~ diluent, said
cabinet including a coupling member therein for engaging
the pump housing and rLgidly supporting the storage
tank; and
drive means in said cabinet for engaging the
actuator of the pump means while the storage tank is
rigidly supported and imparting said reciprocating
vc L thereto to thereby ~11s~p~n~e _ol.~ clll L~.te from
the outlet of the pump housing, said drive means
including,
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a lever arm pivotally mounted in said cabinet and
having a first forked end engaging the actuator of the
pump means for imparting said reciprocating movement,
said lever arm having a second forked end,
a rotary cam engaged within the second forked end
for pivoting said lever arm as said cam rotates to
reciprocate said actuator, and
a motor for rotating said cam.
' Further scope of appl i cAhi 1 i ty of the present
invention will become apparent from the detailed
description given hereinafter. However, it should be
understood that the detailed description and specif ic
examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the
invention, are given by way of illustration only, since
various changes and modif ications within the spirit and
scope of the invention will become apparent to those
skilled in the art from this detailed description.
Brief De8cri~tion of the Drawinqs
The present invention will become more fully
understood from the detailed description given
hereinbelow and the A~ _ nying drawings which are
given by way of illustration only, and thus are not
limitative of the present invention, and wherein:
Figure 1 illustrates a storage tank for a beverage
concentrate with an integral device in accordance with
the present invention; and
Figure 2 illustrates the combined storage tank and
do6er of Figure 1 and connected with a mechanical drive
3 0 system in a beverage .1 i ~.pc.n~ ~ cabinet .
According to Figure 1, a ~3torage tank 1 is provided
to contain beverage col~c~l.LL~.te 2, consisting of an
inside-container (a bag) with flexible walls 3 and a
box-shaped container 4 with rigid outside walls, such as
-
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cardboard, which encloses the inside container 3. The
f lexible walls 3 of the inside container adapt to the
stored inlet volume of beveragQ concentrate 2
--illustrated by the broken lines--and to the stored
r- i n; nq volume of conc~ te 2
..,
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illustrated by the solid lines of the sketch. Thereby, it
is important that air can get through cracks, op_n;n~A or
through porous material of wall 4 and can enter between wall
4 and wall 3 so that wall 3 can adapt to the decreasing
5 volume of beverage concentrate 2. In the area of delivery
location 5, the dispensing device is tightly connected with
the wall 3 and wall 4 of the storage tank 1 by a cone 6 made
of elastic material. The connections of cone 6 to the wall
4 results in a useful and desirable hAnfll inj stability.
When getting ready to be transported or in storage
position, the cone 6 ' with the dispensing device 7 ' is
retracted into the inner part of the storage container 1 as
shown by the f igure of cone 6 ' indicated by interrupted
lines. In operation in which the storage tank 1 is put into
a beverage dispenser into which beverage c~ ce~ te is added
by dispensing device 7 and to be mixed with carbonated water
to make a complete refreshment beverage, cone 6 with the
dispensing device 7 is pulled to the outside as shown by the
illustration of a solid line.
The arr InAj~ L illustrated in Figure 2 is a
portion of a beverage dispenser for dispensing of beverage
concentrate 2 from a storage tank 1, whereby this beverage
c.~ ate is to be mixed with carbonated water to make a
post-mix beverage. Furthermore, in a cabinet 9 of the
beverage dispenser/device housing 8 one or more storage tanks
1 are arranged side-by-side for beverage concentrates 2. In
order to assure the desired mixing ratio with the second
A~t~ that is carbonated water, a piston pump system is
installed serving as a dosing device 7 by which the beverage
3 0 concentrate 2 is dispensed in measured amounts, stored and
delivered in the proper way.
The piston pump system consists of a housing 13
which is insertable into the cabinet 8 of the beverage
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dispenser and rests inside this housing facing the front.
Housing 13 of the piston pump system 7 includes a groove 14
into which a horse-shoe shaped protrusion of support 8
engages. Within this housing 13 of the piston pump system
5 7 there is a sliding accelerator piston 16 which is axially
mounted between impact points. The lifting speed is based
on these impact points which de~orminl~ the delivery volume
for the beverage concentrate 2 to be ~ p-~nc~d based on a
typical work cycle. A conduit opening 17 inside the housing
10 13 of the piston pump system 7 extends to a storage tank 1
and concentrically meets with a central conduit 18 in the
accelerator piston 16 so that a shaft of control piston 19
can be run inside it which can be axially shifted. The axial
~ between control piston 19 and accelerator piston 16
15 is limited by the contact surfaces 27. The control piston
19 is driven by a lever 20 with a forked end which locks into
a slot 22 of the control piston 19. The lever 20 is
pivotally mounted around an axis 13 located in the rigid
cabinet 9 and is driven by an eccentric 24 which is enclosed
20 in a forked end by a second lever arm 25 of the lever 20.
Eccentric 2~ is driven by a motor (not shown) which rotates
it in the direction of the arrow.
If the eccentric 24 illustrated in Figure 1 keeps
turning in a partial direction, the control piston 19 also
25 will be moved downward over the contact points 26 of
accelerator piston 16 so that the beverage concentrate 2 rrom
the storage tank 8 will be drawn into the piston pump system
through the inlet opening 17. further turning of the
eccentric 24 results in movement of the upper shaft of the
30 control piston 19 into the region of the inlet opening 17
which is closed off thereafter. When the control piston 19
moves further upward, the contact points 27 between control
piston 19 and accelerator piston 16 come together so that the
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accelerator piston 16 is moved upward along with the control
piston 19.
The beverage cullc~ ate volume which was
originally drawn into the piston pump system 7 by suction and
5 also into the control piston 19 thereafter is transported to
a central delivery channel 29 by way of side r~h~nn~l c 28.
From this central delivery channel 29 the beverage
~ .ct:l-L~te arrives at a location where it is mixed with
carbonated water. Various different work cycles can
10 accumulate and can be accounted for in numbers which enables
an exact dosage determination and set up of delivery amounts
of the individual work cycles as well as the amount of total
work cycles at a given time.
The fixed conn~tion of the dispensing device 7 to
15 a particular storage tank 1 and thus to the stored beverage
concentrate contained therein serves the purpose that the
beverage concentrate volume ~l;cpc.nc~cl for each work cycle or
work cycles by the dispensing device can immediately be
det~rm;n~cl based on a particular type of beverage concentrate
20 and thus the required mixing ratio for the makeup of a
refreshment beverage. The parts of the dispensing device 1
are preferably made of plastic.
The invention being thus described, it will be
obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such
25 variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the
spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications
as would be obvious to one sk; lled in the art are intended
to be included within the scope of the following claims.
