WO1993001123A1 - Device for mixing beverages based on two or more products - Google Patents

Abstract

A device for mixing two vacuum-packed liquids to produce a blend by adjusting the flow rate of one of said liquids. The device includes a system for shutting off the pump which draws in the mixture once one of the products to be mixed runs out. The device comprises two vessels (2 and 3) each having a liquid inlet (4 and 5) and an outlet (with a non-return valve (14)) leading to a duct (27) which communicates with a collecting opening (10) and is connected to the suction side of an electrical pump supplying a metering valve. A check screw (12) is placed in the duct (27) at the junction of the two outlets to allow the flow rate from the vessel (2) containing the concentrate to be adjusted, whereby a blended mixture may be obtained. Said device is particularly designed for dispensing beverages based on a mixture of two or more vacuum-packed alcoholic products.

Description

 DEVICE FOR MIXING BEVERAGES BASED ON TWO OR MORE LIQUIDS

The present invention relates to a device for mixing two packaged liquids, the flow rate of one of the two liquids being adjustable, which makes it possible to form a metered mixture.

The device is connected to an electric pump, which draws this mixture and distributes it to a counter tap for drawing drinks. This distribution is interrupted as soon as one of the two products used for mixing is absent.

The mixing of drinks based on two liquids vacuum-packed is carried out up to now at the level of a mixing tap with incorporated dosage, its feeding is carried out by two pumps. When one of the two products used for mixing is used up, operation continues with a single product at the outlet. This drawback is felt as a loss when the printing station is self-service, falsifies the management by computer recording the doses and prices. Each change of an exhausted product requires a purge at the mixer tap, moreover this tap requires fixing and support by current.

The device according to the invention overcomes these drawbacks, and operates with a single pump for the two products, uses a traditional tap for drawing drinks.

According to a first characteristic, it has a housing made up of two tanks, each tank is connected to a bag in box (vacuum packaging of the products in a bottle fitted with a pouring tap) containing the product used for mixing. After opening the bag in box, the tanks are filled for each product, and therefore for each tank, by applying pressure to the valve pin located on the cover above the tank to be filled. This operation allows the air to be evacuated by replacing it with the liquid. Two floats, contact, closing, one per tank, connected in parallel, detects the presence of liquids and allows the operation of the pump which sucks the contents of the two tanks by a condu it that re the two outlets .

A needle screw, allows the adjustment of the flow rate of the tank containing the CE shown, placed on the face of the device at the intersection of the conduit and at the limit of the evacuation of the tank containing the additive, which allows a dosage high precision.

When one of the two products used for mixing is exhausted the continuous suction, A call for air is made by the valve of the tank whose supply is interrupted, thus allowing the evacuation of the liquid remaining in the tank, the float moves to the rest position and cuts off the operation of the pump.

The cover of the device has two submerged bosses, one per tank, allowing synchronization between the contact of the floats and the complete evacuation of air when filling the tanks. The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 shows the bursting of the device according to the intention.

2 shows in section AA, the device of the tanks according to

 the invention.

Figure 3 shows in section CC, the valve allowing the evacuation and the admission of air.

Figure 4 shows a top view, the device of the housing.

Figure 5 shows the cover in left view.

Figure 6 shows in section B B; lid.

Figure 7 shows the device mounted according to the invention. Figure 8 shows the device in its operation. FIG. 9 represents a separate device for using metal drums whose thrust is effected by a gas.

Ligure 10 shows a variant of the execution of the device.

With reference to these drawings, the device comprises a box (1) consisting of two tanks (2) and (3), the tank (2) is designed for concentrates, the tank (3) for additives.

Each tank is provided with a liquid inlet orifice (4) and (5), these orifices each receive a straight connection (6) for the tank (2), and (7) for the tank (3), these connections allow the connection to the bag in box (33) and (34) using food-grade silicone hose.

The tanks are evacuated through the orifices (8) and (9) provided with non-return (14), eliminating the contacting of the floats (18, 19) with a single product.

These outlets (8) and (9) lead to a conduit (27) located below the tanks in alignment with the manifold (10) which receives a bent end piece (11) allowing connection (using silicone hose food grade), at the pump (31) which sucks the mixture.

A needle screw (12) allows the adjustment of the flow rate of the tank (2), screwing into the orifice (13) located on the face of the housing (1) at the intersection of the conduit (27), placed at the edge of the evacuation of the tank (3) on the tank side (2), which allows high precision dosing.

A block (17) consisting of two floats (18) and (19) (closing contact) one per tank (connected in parallel).

These floats fit into each other through the orifices (15) allowing the detection of the liquids of the two tanks and activates the pump (31) which is connected by the conduit (20). (The block (17) and the seal (21) are fixed by screws). The closing cover (22) has two submerged bosses (23), one per tank allowing synchronization between the contact of the floats and the complete evacuation of air when filling the tanks, this operation is carried out thanks to the two valves ( 24), one per tank, by exerting pressure on the pins (25) of the valves (24) which are screwed onto the upper part of the cover (22) by the orifices (26) opening onto the tanks.

The spring (30) of each valve is calibrated according to the suction of the pump, which avoids the admission of air during operation, as long as the bag in boxes are not exhausted, therefore the packaging and storage of alcoholic products.

(The cover (22) and the seal (16) are fixed by screws).

Figure (8) shows us the device according to the invention in fool. operation. The device is fixed on a support (32) near an electric pump (31), the electrical connection of the device to the pump (31) is made by the conduit (20) on one phase. The bag in box (33) and (34) come to rest on the upper part of the support (32).

The bag in box (33) containing the concentrate is connected to the fitting (6). The bag in box (34) containing the additive is connected to the fitting (7).

The elbow fitting (11) mixed outlet, is connected to the suction of the pump. (These connections are made with quality silicone hose

which does not require any hose clamp on the suction side).

The discharge of the pump (35) is connected to a counter tap, passing through a refrigerating system. (This connection is made with reinforced food-grade hose with hose clamps). After opening the bag in boxes (33) and (34) and turning on the pump (31), pressure is exerted on the pins (25) of the valves (24) until the pump starts up. , racking the mixture

 is done at the counter tap. Using a tool, the dosage of the concentrate, and therefore of the mixture, is adjusted by the hexagon socket screw (12). As soon as one of the two products used for mixing is exhausted, an air intake is effected by the corresponding valve putting the float in the rest position intended to cut the pump (31) sucking the mixture or closing the solenoid valve for gas thrust and dispensing stops.

This one replaced, a purge is carried out by exerting a pressure on the stud (25) of the valve (24) corresponding to the exchanged bag in box and the system starts again.

As soon as the system is put into service at no time, there can be no air in the duct (27) at the distribution station.

FIG. 10 illustrates the system operating with packaging of metal drums whose thrust is effected by a gas such as (002) in this case, the cord 20 is connected to the solenoid valve (37) ensuring the closure of the passage between the orifice 10 and the connector (11) as soon as one of the two products used for mixing is used up.

According to variants not illustrated, the device can consist of several tanks, depending on the number of products constituting the mixture to be obtained.

And a single tank consisting of a single float and a single valve having a liquid inlet and an outlet, this variant is intended to control a single product whose distribution is carried out and managed by computer, the device will cut the distribution on the computer as soon as the product distributed has run out.

The device according to the invention is particularly intended for the distribution of drinks based on a mixture of several alcoholic or non-alcoholic products such as kir, cocktail, variegated, diabolo, soda, syrup ... as well as any other liquid requiring a mixture dose.

Claims

1 / Device for mixing alcoholic beverages such as white wine and creme de cassis constituting the "KIR" of the constituting type of a box comprising at least two cellars, each being connected to the packaging containing one of the products used for mixing, each tank comprising a closing contact float and a pump  distribution, such a device intended to use vacuum packaging of each of the products used for mixing is characterized in that on the one hand the pump (31) draws directly into each of said tanks (2, 3) and on the other hand , each tank has at the upper part a valve (24) with return spring (30) calibrated according to the suction of the pump so as to avoid the admission of air during operation as long as the corresponding vacuum packaging n 'is not exhausted, and to allow a subsequent air intake until the corresponding float intended to control the pump (31) or the solenoid valve (37) ensures its cut-off. Each valve (24) also comprises a control stud (25) allowing to exert a pressure for the evacuation of the air intended to be replaced by the liquid after installation of a new packaging (33 or 34) each tank outlet (8 and 9) is fitted with an anti-return device (lî) preventing the two floats from coming into contact with a single product. 2 / Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the housing comprises a cover (22), provided with a boss (23) above each tank, immersed, allowing synchronization between the complete evacuation of air and the setting in contact with the float, thus preventing the system from operating with the presence of air, which makes it possible to respect the conservation of the products to be mixed during operation. 3 / Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the two floats (18) and (19), one per tank, are connected in parallel. 4 / Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the outlets (8 and 9) of the tanks (2) and (3) containing the liquids used for the mixture lead to the same conduit (27) which is connected to the suction of the pump collecting the mixture, in that it comprises a single needle screw (12) placed at the intersection of this conduit (27) allowing the adjustment of the flow rate of the tank containing the concentrate and of constituting a mixture dosed for two tanks.