AU2011201753B2 - Upright for beverage dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

A beverage dispensing font including an upright through which beverage lines and coolant pass to a beverage outlet device, said device having at least one beverage dispensing tap, wherein at least part of the beverage dispensing font is transparent such that any object in the coolant is visible to an observer. - - 2 1 2 1-- 21 0, 21

Description

Regulation 3.2 -1 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT APPLICANT: Andale Repetition Engineering Pty. Limited NUMBER: FILING DATE: Invention Title: UPRIGHT FOR BEVERAGE DISPENSER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: 2 UPRIGHT FOR BEVERAGE DISPENSER Technical Area This invention relates to the area of equipment for dispensing beverages and in particular to apparatus for use in dispensing cool beverages such as beer and other such beverages which are dispensed through a tap device. Background to the Invention Beverage dispensers are used in many locations such as bars, cafeterias, restaurants, arenas and stadiums to provide drinks such as carbonated beverages and the like on an at demand type basis. Such beverages are required to be kept cool and although the invention described may apply to all manner of "on line" delivered beverages the discussion herein will, for convenience, be in terms of the delivery of beer. In the hospitality industry beer is customarily stored in barrels and delivered along lines of tubing to its outlet point, presumably at a bar. Clearly there must be some provision for cooling individual lines of beer however, in recent times, where many different types of beer may need to be provided on tap simultaneously, a requirement has arisen that such cooling should take place close to the outlet point to avoid duplication of cooling systems.

3 Cooling systems exist whereby a coolant such as ethylene glycol is in a heat exchange relationship with lines carrying beer. The temperature at which beer is delivered affects its taste, the public however tends to perceive that a desirable beer temperature is well chilled, perhaps close to freezing, at which temperature much of the flavour is lost. While it is desirable to dispense a beer product at its optimum temperature it is preferred from a marketing point of view that beer appear to be dispensed at a temperature close to freezing. This has been achieved by the provision of a dispenser having an outlet means which is chilled by a coolant such that condensation or ice can form on it while the beer, by being passed through an insulated tube internal to the outlet means, is maintained at its optimum temperature. Such a chilled outlet or font is of the type having an upright within which beer lines pass through coolant flowing through the upright. The dispensing taps in these units being located on a crosspiece adjacent the top of the upright concerned. These dispensers can be seen in restaurants, hotels and bars and generally include a standard dispensing crosspiece mounted on a stainless steel upright or the like. Consequently, while a frosted outlet may provide some visual interest, and imply some desirable characteristic of the beer dispensed, such dispensing units are by and large aesthetically uninteresting.

4 Outline of the Invention It is an object of this invention to provide a beer, or other such beverage, dispensing means which is somewhat more aesthetically interesting than previous such beverage dispensing means. The invention is a beverage dispensing font, including an upright through which beverage lines and coolant pass to a beverage outlet device, said device having at least one beverage dispensing tap, wherein at least part of the beverage dispensing font is transparent such that any object in the coolant is visible to an observer. It is preferred that the upright of the font be transparent. It is further preferred that the upright be manufactured from a plastic material. It is also preferred that the coolant movement be turbulent thereby causing any object in the coolant to move in a turbulent manner, While any type of object may be added to the coolant it is preferred that these objects be decorative and eye catching in nature. In a preferred embodiment of the invention such objects are air bubbles although it is envisaged that solid decorative items could also be used. It may also be preferred that other features such as illumination and the like may be associated with the upright. In particular it may be preferred that the exterior of the upright is chilled by the internal coolant such that condensation and/or ice forms on this exterior.

5 In order that the invention may be more readily understood a specific embodiment thereof will be described by way of non limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings. Outline of the Drawing Figures Fig. I Shows a perspective view of the font of the invention; Fig. 2 Shows a cross section through the Upright of the invention; Fig. 3 is a schematic view of the components of the font; Outline of an Embodiment of the Invention Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the invention being a beverage dispensing font 10. The font 10 including an upright 20 and a delivery unit 30 mounted on a base 40. The upright 20 has outer walls 25 of transparent plastic through which beer lines 21 pass around a support member 26, the upright being flooded with a coolant 22, in this case ethylene glycol, the coolant having decorative air bubbles 23 therein. The beer lines 21 pass to delivery taps 31 through cross member 35 with the coolant passing around the beer lines and acting to chill the exterior of the delivery unit 30 such that condensation and icing may occur upon it, thus giving the unit a frosty appearance, which gives the impression of ice cold beer, as well as being aesthetically appealing.

6 As the upright 20 too is flooded with the ethylene glycol coolant it also becomes very chilled and condensation or ice forms on the outside of this upright means. The beer however has little thermal contact with the glycol and hence maintains its desired temperature. In order to add visual interest to the upright, the wall 25 of the upright of the invention is manufactured from transparent polycarbonate although any transparent material such as glass could be used. We have however found that, although perspex could be used, it tends to craze and become somewhat opaque with use. The visual interest imparted to the upright is provided by the input to the coolant of air bubbles which move with the turbulent motion of the coolant thereby providing an interesting motion which an observer can watch. At the same time the bubbles may provide an impression that the beer being delivered through the upright and outlet is close to freezing temperature. Further visual interest is provided by the optional addition of colouring to the coolant, preferably a food grade dye, as well as illumination of the bubbles provided by light sources 45 interior to the base 40 through which the beer lines pass into the upright 20 and through which the coolant enters 27 and exits 28 the upright. The pressure of incoming coolant acts to create a circulation within the font such that the bubbles move in a turbulent fashion within the font. Excess coolant is forced out 28 of the font and the bubbles disperse in the coolant supply tank.

7 The air bubbles are input to the coolant below the font by means of a valved T junction connected to an air compressor. It is envisaged that other embodiments of the invention may incorporate objects, other than air bubbles, of a decorative nature in the coolant, Preferably these objects would have interesting shapes such as those of ice crystals or the like. Objects used for decoration in the coolant could however have any shape or colour desired. These objects could be manufactured from any desired material and be of any chosen shape or colour, their presence is to add interest to the dispensing apparatus. In a further embodiment of the invention, if it is envisaged that the beer or other beverage lines not be visible, it is envisaged that the upright could be surrounded by a transparent layer also containing moving coolant and objects. If this embodiment were used the central part of the upright containing the beverage lines could be of a smaller diameter than usual due to the heat transfer effect of the outer layer of coolant, In addition, while a transparent upright has been discussed here, it is envisaged that other parts of the dispensing font, such as the crosspiece, could also be transparent if desired. The components of the crosspiece as described in the preferred embodiment of this invention are manufactured from metal however any appropriate material could be used. It is envisaged that other embodiments of the invention will exhibit any number of and any combination of the features of the previously described and whilst we have 8 described herein two specific embodiments of the invention it is to be understood that variations and modifications in this can be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

Claims (8)

1. A beverage dispensih forit comprising: a base; a columnar upright mounted on the base; and a beverage outlet device mounted on an upper extremity.ol the colurnnar upright, the beverage outlet device having at least one beverage dispensing tap, wherein, the Colurnhar upright is configured to have a cereal support member for supporting the beverage outlet device contained within a transparent wal, one or more beverage lines are further contained within the transparent wall to deliver fluid to the One or more dispensing taps of the beverage outlet devie, the columnar upright is substantially filled with coolant such that he central support member and the One or more beverage lines are immersed in said coolant, the arrangement being such that, the one or more beverage lines are configured such that the coolant does not substantially affect the temperature of the fluid delivered to the at least one dispensing tap whilst the coolant functions to chill the colurhar Upright and outlet device thereby causing condensation to occur on an exterior surface of the font while decorative devices located in thc coolant are visible to en observer through the transparent wall of the upright..

2. A beverage dispensing foht as claimed in claim 1 wherein the decorative devk:es are air bubbles.

3. A beverage dispensing font as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein a turbLent motion is created within the coolant present within the columnar Upright such that any object present within the coolant is caused to move in a turbuent manner.

4. A beverage disp4ehsihg font as claimed in claims 3 wherein air bubbles are objects carried ih the coolant. 10

5. A beverage dispehsihg font as claimed in claim 1 wherein the colUmnar upright is mounted on the base and the base is configured to permit the ohe or more beverage lines to pass therethrough into the columnar upright, and for the coolant to pass into and out of the columnar upright,

6. A beverage dispbnsirig foni as claimed in claim 5 wherein the base is provided with illumination sources.

7, A beverage dispensing fort as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more beverage lines ore thermally insulated such that the coolant does not substantially affect the temperature of the fluid travelling therethrough.

8. A beverage dispensing font substantially as herein described wil reference* to the accompanying drawings.