Beverage dispenser water supply connector

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure include a connector that connects a beverage dispenser to an external water supply system. The connector includes a backflow preventer that only allows water to flow from the external water supply system to the beverage dispenser. Some aspects of the connector also include a pressure regulator configured to reduce the inlet water pressure to a desired pressure. The connector is configured to be mounted to a suitable surface, such as the rear of the beverage dispenser.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to beverage dispensers. In particular, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for connecting a beverage dispenser to an external water supply. Background Art

[0002] Beverage dispensers are used to provide beverages to users as needed. They usually need to be connected to an external drinking water source. The beverage dispenser mixes the water with various concentrates, additives and carbonation gases to produce the desired beverage. Using two main elements, it is beneficial to connect an appliance such as a beverage dispenser to an external water source. First, a backflow prevention device is usually required according to regulations. The backflow prevention device is used to prevent the fluid from the inside of the beverage dispenser from flowing back into the external water supply system. This prevents the external water supply system from being contaminated. Second, a pressure regulator is usually included in the connector between the appliance and the external water supply system to ensure that the water supplied to the beverage dispenser is maintained at the desired pressure. Although the external water supply system can and is often adjusted to the desired pressure, a separate pressure regulator can be used to ensure that the components in the dispenser are not subjected to excessive water pressure when the external water pressure regulation fails or is inconsistent. Therefore, a backflow prevention device and a water pressure regulator are required in the pipe connection between the beverage dispenser and the external water supply system.

[0003] In some aspects, the beverage dispensers disclosed herein are intended for light commercial (i.e., office) or home use. In these cases, it is desirable that the beverage dispenser be installable by the end user without the need for a skilled plumber. This improves the end user's experience by minimizing installation cost and time. Therefore, it is also desirable to combine the backflow prevention device and the water pressure regulator into a single device that can be easily connected to the beverage dispenser and the existing water supply system. Summary of the invention

[0004] One aspect of a water supply connector for a beverage dispenser according to the present disclosure includes a cylindrical shell, a first end shell disposed at one end of the cylindrical shell, a second end shell disposed at a second end of the cylindrical shell, a first fluid connector and a second fluid connector configured to connect the interior of the cylindrical shell with an external pipe fluid, each of the first fluid connector and the second fluid connector being respectively disposed at a distal end of one of the first end shell and the second end shell; and a backflow preventer, the backflow preventer including a check valve disposed in the first end shell and the cylindrical shell, the backflow preventer being configured to only allow water to flow from the first end shell to the second end shell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a part of the specification, illustrate the present disclosure and, together with the description, further serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure and enable those skilled in the relevant art to make and use the present disclosure.

[0006] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a beverage dispenser according to one aspect.

[0007] Figure 2 is a front view of a beverage dispenser according to one aspect.

[0008] Figure 3 is a side view of a beverage dispenser according to one aspect.

[0009] Figure 3A Based on one aspect Figure 3 , showing replaceable consumables.

[0010] Figure 4 is a rear view of a beverage dispenser according to one aspect.

[0011] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a beverage dispenser connector according to one aspect.

[0012] Figure 6 is a top view of a beverage dispenser connector according to one aspect.

[0013] Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a beverage dispenser connector according to one aspect.

[0014] Figure 8 is a detailed view of a check valve assembly according to one aspect.

[0015] Fig. 9 is a side view of a beverage dispenser connector according to one aspect. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] Reference will now be made in detail to the representative aspects illustrated in the accompanying drawings. References to "one aspect," "aspect," "exemplary aspect," etc. indicate that the described aspects may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but each aspect may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Furthermore, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same aspect. In addition, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in conjunction with an aspect, whether or not explicitly described, it is considered to be within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to affect such feature, structure, or characteristic in conjunction with other aspects.

[0017] Simplification of the external pipe connection of the beverage dispenser is achieved through a single integrated valve connector. The connector includes a backflow prevention device that ensures that fluid cannot flow from the beverage dispenser to the external pipe. Some aspects of the connector also include a pressure regulator to ensure that the water supply pressure is within a desired range. The connector has an externally accessible connector that allows a quick connection between the external pipe connection and the beverage dispenser. The connector also includes a mounting feature that allows the connector to be mounted on the outer surface of the beverage dispenser, and the size of the connector is set to ensure that the connector does not extend too far from the beverage dispenser. Therefore, the disclosed connector provides the following benefits: including a simple, easy to install pipe connector that reduces the installation time of the beverage dispenser.

[0018] refer to Figures 1 to 4 , one aspect of the beverage dispenser 1 includes a housing 100. As shown, the housing 100 (also referred to as the envelope 100) can be formed as a rectangular prism, with a front wall 101, a rear wall 102, a right wall 103, a left wall 104, a top wall 105 and a bottom wall 106 (collectively referred to as "housing walls"). The housing 100 can also be formed in a non-rectangular shape (such as a cylindrical, spherical, or other prism shapes with more than six sides). The housing wall can be formed by a continuous element, or can be formed by a plurality of elements joined together (e.g., a metal sheet or a plastic partition). In addition, the housing wall may include an opening for accessing the interior of the housing 100, and may also include attachment points for elements mounted on the outer or inner surfaces of the wall. The housing wall can be formed by any suitable material (including, for example, aluminum, steel, and plastic materials). The housing wall can be joined together using any suitable method (such as an adhesive, welding, or mechanical fastening or connector).

[0019] For the purpose of this disclosure and for ease of reference only, Figures 2 to 3 The directions shown are defined as follows: the height direction is a direction extending perpendicularly to the top wall 105 and the bottom wall 106 , the width direction is a direction extending perpendicularly to the right wall 103 and the left wall 104 , and the depth direction is a direction extending perpendicularly to the front wall 101 and the rear wall 102 .

[0020] In some aspects, the size of the housing 100 can be set to be suitable for being placed in an atypical dispenser position, such as, for example, being placed on a countertop in an office pantry, a lounge, or a home kitchen. The counter has a standard depth of 60 cm (23.6 inches). Most kitchen counters have a closet built at a certain height above the counter, and in some cases, the height is as low as 16 inches. In addition, the space on the counter is limited and a dispenser greater than 18 inches will be too wide for most home kitchens. For these reasons, in some aspects, the housing 100 may not exceed 16 inches in height, may not exceed 18 inches in width, and may not exceed 23 inches in depth. In addition, in these aspects, in the absence of any onboard removable consumables, the weight of the beverage dispenser 1 may be less than 45 pounds. These aspects have advantages or are easily positioned in an atypical position (such as the above-mentioned countertop). As will be discussed in detail below, these compact aspects of the beverage dispenser 1 include all components required for dispensing beverages in the housing 100. In particular, none of the consumables (e.g., beverage concentrate, CO2 gas cartridge, alkaline chamber, and water filter) or dispensing elements (e.g., pumps, valves) are located outside of the housing 100. These aspects of the beverage dispenser 1 still require external connections to power and water sources to function.

[0021] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As best shown in FIG. 1 , the beverage dispenser 1 includes a dispensing area 120 configured to receive a container 2. A nozzle 124 is disposed on the front wall 101 in the dispensing area 120. A drip tray 122 is also disposed on the front wall 101 in the dispensing area 120. The drip tray 122 includes a surface 123 configured to support the container 2 under the nozzle 124 when the container is filled. The surface 123 includes openings to form a grid that allows any water drips or spills to drain through the surface 123 into the body of the drip tray 122. A display 800 is also disposed on the front wall 101 above the nozzle 124. The display 800 can be used to control operational aspects of the beverage dispenser 1 and display information about the operation of the beverage dispenser 1.

[0022] like Figure 3 and Figure 3AAs shown, in some aspects, the housing 100 includes one or more removable panels or doors that allow access to the interior of the housing 100 from the outside. For example, in some aspects, the housing 100 includes access doors 107 and 108 (on the right wall 103). Access doors 107 and 108 (collectively referred to as "access doors") cover openings in their corresponding walls that enable users to access the interior of the housing 100 to access replaceable consumables of the beverage dispenser 1. The access door can be made of any suitable material and is removably fastened to its corresponding wall using hinges, mechanical fasteners, or any other suitable method for removably attaching the access door. The door can be locked in a closed position by a key or held in a closed position by a magnet or other latch mechanism. Figure 3A yes Figure 3 107 and 108 are removed to illustrate an exemplary arrangement of removable consumables accessible through the access doors. Figure 3A As shown, six concentrate containers 401 are shown within the access door 107, and a CO2 cylinder 301, an alkaline chamber 601, and a water filter 501 are shown within the access door 108. Each of these consumables can be easily accessed and quickly replaced by any unskilled user when empty or exhausted, as will be described in detail below. The number and type of consumables present in the housing 100 can vary depending on the features and capabilities present in a particular aspect of the beverage dispenser 1.

[0023] like Figure 4 As shown, in some aspects, the rear wall 102 can include various external connections. Figure 4 Visible in the illustrated aspect is a power cord 130 configured to be plugged into a suitable outlet to provide power to the beverage dispenser 1. A power switch 131 and a hot water switch 132 control the flow of power to the elements of the beverage dispenser 1. A water inlet 134 is provided on the rear wall 102 to receive ambient water from a water source. A CO2 inlet 135 is also provided on the rear wall 102 to receive an external CO2 source for carbonation purposes (if the internal CO2 cylinder 301 is deemed insufficient for a large group of people in a large office space). A cold water drain 136 and a hot water drain 137 are also located on the rear wall 102 to drain the internal cooler water bath and the hot water from the hot water tank, respectively, whenever the dispenser must be moved, relocated, or repackaged and shipped. Finally, a drip tray drain 138 is also provided on the rear wall 102. Figure 3 and Figure 4 In some aspects of the beverage dispenser 1, some of these connections may be optional. In addition, an access door 109 (on the rear wall 102) is used to provide maintenance access to service the internal components of the housing 100, such as the main PCB board and IoT communication board for cellular, wireless and Bluetooth connections.

[0024] The connector 200 for the beverage dispenser 1 is Figures 5 to 7 and Fig. 9 As shown in Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the connector 200 is formed by a centrally disposed housing 202, which is formed into a stepped cylindrical shape. A first end housing 204 and a second end housing 206 are attached to each end of the housing 202 and are also formed into an approximately cylindrical shape. The first end housing 204 and the second end housing 206 can be separated from the housing 202. They are attached to the housing 202 via a pair of nuts 208, each of which has a nut. After the first end housing 204 and the second end housing 206 are positioned to contact the housing 202, the nut 208 slides on the distal ends of the first end housing 204 and the second end housing 206 and is screwed onto the corresponding threads on the exterior of the housing 202. By removing the nut 208 and separating the first end housing 204 and the second end housing 206, the nut 208 allows the connector 200 to be separated into its component parts using basic hand tools to access the internal components of the connector 200 for cleaning and maintenance. This improves the end user experience because it improves the ease of maintenance of the connector 200.

[0025] The fluid connector 201 is disposed at the distal end of each of the first end housing 204 and the second end housing 206. The fluid connector 201 is configured to be fluidly connected to a water source (for the fluid connector 201 disposed on the first end housing 204) and fluidly connected to the beverage dispenser 1 (for the fluid connector 201 disposed on the second end housing 206). The fluid connector 201 may include suitable pipe connection elements to facilitate fluid connection, such as threaded elements or quick-connect fittings.

[0026] Mounting member 209 is disposed on housing 202 and is configured to allow connector 200 to be attached to a suitable support surface. Figure 5 As shown, there may be four mounting members 209, each formed as a protrusion extending from the housing 202. Each mounting member 209 may have an opening to receive a fastener (e.g., a screw) therethrough and may be used to secure the mounting member 209 (and thus the connector 200) to a suitable support surface. For example, the connector 200 may be secured to the rear of the beverage dispenser 1 in this manner. In some aspects, the overall height of the connector 200 measured from the bottom of the mounting member 209 to the uppermost portion of the connector 200 may not exceed 50 millimeters. This ensures that the connector 200 does not extend too far when mounted on the beverage dispenser 1.

[0027] Aspects of connector 200 include a backflow preventer 210 that is configured to prevent fluid from entering an external water supply through connector 200. For appliances that are permanently connected to a public water supply, a backflow preventer is typically required by regulation.

[0028] like Figure 7 As shown, the backflow preventer 210 includes two main elements: a filter 216 and at least one check valve 212. The filter 216 is positioned upstream of the check valve 212 (i.e., closer to the distal end of the first end housing 204) and is used to filter contaminants from the incoming water. The filter 216 can be made of any suitable material, such as a metal mesh or a plastic mesh, and its size can be set to filter out contaminants larger than a desired size (e.g., 10 microns, 20 microns, 30 microns, 40 microns, or 50 microns). In this case, the filter 216 reduces the possibility that contaminants can bypass the check valve 212 or will eventually enter the beverage dispenser 1. The filter 216 is positioned so that it can be easily accessed once the first end housing 204 is removed, thereby improving the cleaning and maintenance of the filter 216.

[0029] The check valve 212 is used to allow fluid to flow in only a single desired direction (ie, from the first end housing 204 toward the housing 202). Figure 7 In the aspect shown, there are two check valves 212 placed in series with respect to the water flow. However, other aspects of the backflow preventer 210 may have a single check valve 212 or more than two check valves 212. Figure 8 A detailed view of an exemplary check valve 212 is shown in FIG. Piston 213 is biased against piston seat 215 by spring 214. Figure 8 Water usually enters from the left side and pushes piston 213 open against the force of spring 214, which allows water to flow through check valve 212. In the case of backflow, water from Figure 8 214, the backflow preventer 210 may be configured to withstand a desired backflow pressure. This means that the backflow preventer 210 will successfully block backflow up to a certain pressure. For example, the backflow preventer 210 may be configured to function at backflow pressures up to 200 PSI.

[0030] exist Figure 7Also shown is a pressure reducing valve 220. The pressure reducing valve 220 is used to adjust the inlet water pressure to the pressure required for operation in the beverage dispenser 1. For example, the pressure reducing valve 220 can be configured to adjust the pressure to approximately 55 PSI, plus or minus 10%. In one aspect, the pressure reducing valve 220 has a valve 222 that is biased closed by a spring 224. The spring force of the spring 224 is calibrated so that the valve 222 only allows water to flow until the desired pressure (e.g., 55 PSI). In some aspects, the spring force of the spring 224 can be adjusted by, for example, a threaded element on which the spring rests, which can adjust the length of the spring 224 (and therefore, the spring force).

[0031] Figures 5 to 7 2. A water hammer portion 300 is also shown. The water hammer portion 300 is inserted between and fluidly connected to the backflow preventer 210 and the pressure reducing valve 220, and is formed as a cylindrical passage having a water hammer outlet 302 branching from a passage approximately in the middle between the backflow preventer 210 and the pressure reducing valve 220. The water hammer portion 300 (and the water hammer outlet 302) are configured to solve potential water hammer problems by allowing various elements to be attached to the connector 200 (via the water hammer outlet 302), such as additional pipe connections, water hammer preventers, or other elements.

[0032] In addition to the aspects of the connector 200 discussed above, two other aspects are also available. In the second aspect, the connector 200 does not include a pressure reducing valve 220. The space originally occupied by the pressure reducing valve 220 remains open in the housing 202 and the second end housing 206. This aspect of the connector 200 is suitable for situations where water pressure fluctuations are unlikely. Removing the pressure reducing valve 220 from the connector 200 reduces manufacturing costs and complexity while retaining the necessary backflow prevention function. Removing the pressure reducing valve 220 can also increase the flow rate through the connector 200.

[0033] Fig. 9 Another aspect of the connector 200 shown in does not include the water hammer portion 300. In this aspect, the pressure relief valve 220 and the backflow preventer 210 are positioned adjacent to each other. This means that the connector 200 can be made shorter relative to the axial direction of the housing 202.

[0034] The components of the connector 200 may be formed of any suitable material. For example, the cylindrical housing 202, the first end housing 204, and the second end housing 206 may be constructed of metal materials or plastic materials. Internal components, such as the check valve 212 or the pressure regulating valve 220 may also be constructed of metal materials or plastic materials.

[0035] The method of connecting the connector 200 discussed above begins by fluidly connecting the connector 200 to the external water supply and the beverage dispenser 1 via the fluid connection 201. This can be accomplished by using a suitable plumbing connection (e.g., a push-on quick connect or a threaded element). Next, the connector 200 is physically secured to the beverage dispenser 1 using the mounting 209 and suitable fasteners.

[0036] It should be understood that it is the detailed description section, rather than the summary section and the abstract section, that is intended to be used to interpret the claims. The summary section and the abstract section may set forth one or more but not all exemplary aspects of the invention contemplated by the inventors and are therefore not intended to limit the invention and the appended claims in any way.

[0037] The above description of specific aspects will fully reveal the general nature of the present invention, so that others can easily modify or adjust such specific aspects for various applications without departing from the overall concept of the present invention by applying the knowledge of the technical field without excessive experimentation. Therefore, based on the teachings and guidance given herein, such adjustments and modifications are intended to be within the meaning and scope of the equivalent forms of the disclosed aspects. It should be understood that the wording or terminology herein is for the purpose of description rather than limitation, so that the terms or wording of this specification should be interpreted by those skilled in the art in accordance with the teachings and guidance herein.

[0038] The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary aspects, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A water supply connector for a beverage dispenser, the water supply connector comprising: Cylindrical shell; a first end housing disposed at a first end of the cylindrical housing; a second end shell disposed at a second end of the cylindrical shell; a first fluid connector and a second fluid connector, the first fluid connector and the second fluid connector being configured to fluidically connect the interior of the cylindrical housing with an external pipeline, the first fluid connector being disposed at a distal end of the first end housing, and the second fluid connector being disposed at a distal end of the second end housing; and A backflow preventer includes a check valve disposed in the first end housing and the cylindrical housing, the backflow preventer being configured to allow water to flow only from the first end housing to the second end housing.

2. The water supply connector according to claim 1, further comprising: A pressure regulating valve is disposed in the cylindrical housing and the second end housing, the pressure regulating valve being configured to regulate a pressure of water supplied to the connector to a desired pressure.

3. The water supply connector of claim 1, further comprising a filter disposed in the first end housing upstream of the check valve, the filter configured to remove contaminants from the water flow.

4. The water supply connector according to claim 1, further comprising a first nut and a second nut, each of the first nut and the second nut being respectively disposed above one of the first end housing and the second end housing and engaging with a thread disposed on the cylindrical housing to fix the first end housing and the second end housing to the cylindrical housing, The first end housing and the second end housing can be separated from the cylindrical housing by removing the first nut and the second nut respectively.

5. The water supply connector of claim 1, further comprising a mounting member connected to the cylindrical housing, the mounting member being configured to receive a fastener for securing the water supply connector to a supporting surface.

6. A water supply connector according to claim 5, wherein the overall height of the water supply connector measured from the bottom of the mounting to the top of the connector is less than 50 mm.

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