Cooled Beverage Dispensing Systems with Extended Cooling Lines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional beverage dispensing systems fail to maintain beverages at optimal temperatures along the entire length of the dispensing line, particularly in beverage towers, leading to warming of beverages between the container and the dispensing point, and may not meet industry standards for temperature maintenance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of cooled beverage dispensing systems that extend cooling lines into the shank and faucet of the beverage tower, allowing for active temperature monitoring and adjustment of the cooling medium to maintain the beverage, shank, and faucet at desired temperatures, using coolant lines that cool the beverage fluid before dispensing and optionally form condensation or frost on the tower components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling medium is used to cool beverage within beverage line, then beverage temperature is maintained, but beverage warming still occurs between container and tower
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple zones: cooling lines within the beverage container, cooling lines along the beverage line, and cooling lines within the beverage tower. Each segment addresses temperature maintenance in its specific zone, ensuring comprehensive cooling coverage from container to dispensing point.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extends cooling from the traditional single point (beverage tower) to multiple dimensions by incorporating cooling lines throughout the beverage container and along the entire beverage line, creating a three-dimensional cooling network that addresses temperature maintenance comprehensively.
2Temperature
If cooling lines are extended into shank and faucet, then cooling capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling lines are merged with the existing beverage dispensing infrastructure, routing cooling lines through the shank and faucet structures that already exist in the system. This integration approach provides enhanced cooling capability while minimizing additional complexity by utilizing existing structural pathways.
3Measurement precision
If active temperature monitoring and adjustment is implemented, then temperature control precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Temperature sensors are positioned at critical points (beverage container, beverage line, and beverage tower) to provide real-time feedback on beverage temperature. This feedback enables active monitoring and adjustment of the cooling medium flow, ensuring precise temperature control while using a relatively simple control architecture.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution ensures that beverages are served at optimal temperatures, meeting industry standards such as maintaining milk at 41°F or below in an 80°F environment for extended periods, and provides greater cooling capability along the entire length of the beverage line.
Implementation Method 1
a cooling medium within the coolant lines cools a beverage fluid within the faucet
Implementation Method 2
the coolant lines are also configured to cool a beverage tower body, the shank, and/or the faucet to form condensation and/or frost on the tower body, the shank, and/or the faucet
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and devices for cooling and dispensing a beverage fluid are disclosed herein. One beverage dispensing system includes a beverage tower comprising a tower body, a shank, and a faucet. In some implementations, a coolant line is routed proximal to a beverage supply line through the tower body, through the shank, and into the faucet. In these and other implementations, the faucet includes a removable nozzle having a supplemental portion of the coolant line. In these and still other implementations, the faucet include a removable nozzle having a second coolant line. The coolant line and the second coolant line are configured to transport a coolant medium proximal to a beverage fluid in the beverage supply line to maintain or adjust the temperature of the beverage fluid. Many other features are described herein.