WO2020191221A1

WO2020191221A1 - Frozen beverage machine

Info

Publication number: WO2020191221A1
Application number: PCT/US2020/023687
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gianfranco SARTINI; Ken O'CONNELL
Original assignee: Taylor Commercial Foodservice, Llc
Priority date: 2019-03-21
Filing date: 2020-03-19
Publication date: 2020-09-24

Abstract

A frozen beverage machine is provided, which is configured to dispense a frozen beverage from a freezing cylinder, where the freezing cylinder is periodically automatically refilled from an external source. The disclosure includes designs where the machine is configured to received alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, or "hard" liquor based drinks. A controller is provided that allows flow through automatically operated isolation and into the freezing cylinder when replacement liquid is necessary.

Description

FROZEN BEVERAGE MACHINE

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority from United States Provisional Application No. 62/821 ,753, filed on March 21 , 2019, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

[0002] This disclosure relates to machines for dispensing frozen beverages, which are frozen within the machine from a liquid state.

BRIEF SUMMARY

[0003] A first representative embodiment of the disclosure is provided. The embodiment includes a machine for producing a frozen beverage. The machine includes a freezing cylinder with an agitation member disposed therein, wherein the agitation member is rotatably mounted within the freezing cylinder and in contact with an inner surface of the freezing cylinder. A dispensing mechanism is provided that includes a valve that is fluidly connected to the freezing cylinder and movable between a first position wherein an output of the freezing cylinder is isolated and a second position where a product within the freezing cylinder can flow therethrough.

A connection is provided to receive a flow of liquid from an external source and into the freezing cylinder. The machine includes a refrigeration system configured to cool a refrigerant that flows outside an inner surface of the freezing cylinder to lower a temperature of the inner surface of the freezing cylinder. A pressure system is provided that applies a pressure above atmospheric pressure to the external source. One or more valves that are operable to allow or prevent flow from the external source to the freezing cylinder. A control system is provided, which monitors the freezing cylinder and selectively operates the one or more valves to cause or prevent flow of liquid from the external source to the freezing cylinder.

[0004] Advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the disclosure that have been shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the disclosed subject matter is capable of other and different embodiments, and its details are capable of modification in various respects. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] FIG. 1 is a front view of a machine for producing a frozen beverage, schematically showing a keg of beer and a pressure source connected thereto.

[0006] FIG. 2 is a side view of the machine of FIG. 1 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS AND THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] Turning now to FIGs. 1 and 2, a frozen beverage machine 10 is provided. The machine 10 is configured to receive a liquid beverage, such as an alcoholic beverage, such as beer, wine, or a mixed drink, and freeze or partially freeze the beverage, wherein it may be selectively dispensed to a user via a draw valve 84.

The machine may be configured to receive a carbonated beverage, or a

noncarbonated beverage, or the machine 10 may be capable of receiving both of these types of beverages. While the machine 10 will be discussed below in detail regarding a configuration for freezing beer within a freezing cylinder 30 (discussed below) of a machine for the sake of brevity, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily understand that the machine 10 is capable of operation with other types of drinks and one of ordinary skill in the art with a thorough review and comprehension of this specification and figures would readily understand how to modify the machine 10 if needed for other beverages with only routine optimization.

[0008] The machine 10 includes a conventional refrigeration system 40 that is configured to produce a cold refrigerant that flows around a freezing cylinder 30 via a length of piping 49 that is wrapped around an inner surface 31 of the freezing cylinder 30 (portions of the piping 49 are shown in cross-section in FIG. 2). The refrigeration system 40 is conventional and may include a compressor 42 a condenser 43, an expansion valve 44, a condenser fan 47, and associated refrigerant piping to allow refrigerant (in liquid and gas phases based upon the refrigeration cycle) to flow through the system. The machine 10 may include a control system 1001 (schematic, FIG. 2) that may perform one or many functions associated with the machine, including regulating the operation of the refrigeration system 40 to establish sufficiently cold refrigeration initially flowing through the piping 49 that surrounds the inner surface 31 of the freezing cylinder 30 in order to cause the liquid that is positioned within the freezing cylinder 30, and specifically that contacts the inner wall 31 of the freezing cylinder 30 to freeze, as discussed below. The controller 1001 may be a microprocessor or the like.

[0009] The freezing cylinder 30 is provided within the housing and is configured to receive a flow of liquid, such as from an external container 200 (as discussed below). The freezing cylinder includes an internal surface 31 that is maintained at a cold temperature, below freezing temperature of water and may be controlled to maintain a temperature within a setpoint or range with a range of 10 degrees to 30 degrees, including setpoints or ranges within this range. In some embodiments, the freezing cylinder 30 is configured to maintain the temperature of the inner surface within a range of 15 to 20 degrees, or within 20 to 25 degrees, or at a specific setpoint, such as 15, 20, 25 degrees. As can be understood, the controller 1001 may use feedback control in conjunction with one or more sensors (not shown, but conventional) that provide a temperature at or representative of the temperature of the inner surface 31 , with the controller 1001 operating the refrigeration system 40 as needed to either increase or decrease the temperature of the refrigerant that flows through the piping 49 around the inner surface 31 of the freezing cylinder 30.

[0010] In some embodiments, the machine 10 may include a user input for the type of liquid to be received within the freezing cylinder, and the controller 1001 may reference predetermined recipes or setpoints for the desired temperature of the inner surface 31 based upon the user inputted information. In other embodiments, the machine may be configured to sense the type of liquid that flows into the freezing cylinder, for example by optically sensing, by sensing the specific gravity, or based upon sensing other features of the liquid, upon which is evaluated by the controller, with the controller then operating the refrigeration system to maintain a desired temperature for the type of liquid sensed, as discussed above. In other

embodiments, the machine 10 may allow the user to input the desired consistency of the frozen product that is provided through the spout 86 (discussed below), with the controller 1001 being programmed to alter the operation of the refrigeration system 40 based upon a programmed change in the temperature of the inner surface 31 of the freezing cylinder 30 (or changing temperature range) based upon the user’s input.

[0011] The freezing cylinder 30 further comprises a shaft 33 that runs

therethrough and rotates along its axis (discussed below). The shaft 33 supports a plurality of agitation members 34 that are arranged to contact the inner surface 31 of the freezing cylinder 30 and as the shaft 33 rotates, scrape the inner surface 31 of the freezing cylinder, and specifically scrape any frozen liquid that has formed off of the inner surface 31 . The scraping of the inner surface 31 and removal of the frozen liquid therefrom urges the frozen liquid away from the inner surface 31 , thereby causing the removed frozen liquid, now in granular or piece form (shown

schematically in FIG. 2 as element 7) to float within the central portion 30a of the freezing cylinder, and allows the inner surface to potentially be rewet by liquid within the freezing cylinder 30, which eventually will also freeze due to the exchange of heat ultimately with the refrigerant that flows through the piping 40 outboard from the inner surface 31 . The rotation of the shaft 33 and agitation members 34 also mixes the mixture of liquid and frozen particles within the central portion 30a to achieve a relatively uniform mix within the central portion 30a. The term“frozen liquid” is defined herein to be the mixture of liquid and frozen particles within the freezing cylinder that flows out of the freezing cylinder 30, and through the draw valve 84 and out of the spout 86 when the user opens the draw valve 84 with the handle 82 or by another means.

[0012] The agitation members 34 may extend radially from the shaft 33 or extend from the shaft in another direction or manner. In some embodiments, the shaft may support agitation members (at a specific location or portion of the shaft 33) that extend from the shaft 33 in opposite directions, to simultaneously contact opposite portions of the inner surface 31 , which may assist in mitigating or eliminating any forces upon the shaft that would tend to urge the shaft 33 (against its bearings or transmission) in a non-uniform direction - other than the frictional forces and blocking forces that are imparted upon the agitation members 34 as they scrape past either the inner surface 31 or when scraping against frozen liquid that has formed upon the inner surface 31 .

[0013] As shown schematically in FIG. 2, different agitation members 34 that are located at different longitudinal positions upon the shaft 33 may be oriented in different direction (such as upon a clock face for simplicity) such that different circumferential portions of the inner surface are always contacted by the agitation members 34. For example, in some embodiments, a first portion of the shaft 33 may include a first set of opposed agitation members 34a that are contacting 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock positions while, a second set of opposed agitation members 34b are contacting the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions. In some embodiments, a set of agitation members (i.e. agitation members that extend from the same or a

longitudinally similar position upon the shaft 33) may simultaneously contact complementary positions of the inner surface 31 , such as 12, 4, and 8 o’clock, which would under normal circumstances cancel out any force vectors that are

perpendicular to the rotational direction of the shaft (in the same manner that a set of agitation members that contact the inner surface 31 at 12 and 6 o’clock would do so).

[0014] In some embodiments, the machine 10 includes a removable cover 36 associated with each freezing cylinder 30 that allows access to the freezing cylinder 30 from the front of the machine (and when the draw valve 84 and associated components with drawing frozen liquid are removed) to allow for convenient removal and cleaning of the shaft 33 and agitation members 34, and cleaning of the inner surface 31 and inner volume 30a of the freezing cylinder 30.

[0015] In some embodiments, the shaft 33 may be rotated directly by a motor, while in other embodiments, as shown in FIG. 2, the shaft may be indirectly rotated by a motor through a transmission. The transmission may include a belt drive 45 that is connected to the motor shaft either directly, indirectly via a pulley associated with the motor shaft, or indirectly via one or more idlers, or intermediate pulleys. A gearbox 45 may be disposed to allow torque transfer from the drive belt 46 and onto the shaft 33. [0016] In some embodiments, machine 10 is configured such that the freezing cylinder 30 can receive a liquid from an external source 200 (FIG. 1 ). In some embodiments, the liquid may be beer (or similar fermented liquid) that is disposed within a keg or other conventional container. The machine 10 may include a connection 61 to a hose or tube 62 that is connected to the keg 200. In some embodiments, the hose 62 may also be connected to a pressure source, such as a regulated tank of gas 100 (C02, Nitrogen, or another gas suitable for pressurizing a liquid) such that liquid in the keg 200 is urged to flow in direction S to the machine 10, with the flow of pressurized gas shown schematically as P. In embodiments where the external source 200 is not normally pressurized, such as a container of wine or mixed drinks, the gas 100 applied to the container provides the driving force for flow of the liquid in the direction S, while in embodiments where the container 200 is pressurized (e.g. a beer keg) the pressurized gas 100 serves both to add to the pressure driving the flow, and to extend the life of the liquid within the container by preventing outside air from entering into the external source 200.

[0017] In some embodiments described herein, the machine 10 may accept flow from different sources 200, 200a that each flow to different connections (via respective paths S, S’) 61 in the housing 20 and ultimately flow into different freezing cylinders 30. In some embodiments, a single pressurizing gas source 100 may be connected with both source (such as with check valves 201 , 201 , respectively therebetween). In embodiments where the two different sources are maintained with different pressures (to drive different flow rates through paths S, S’, or due to the nature of the liquid needing different pressurization to drive flow or for other reasons) separate pressure regulators may be provided in the paths, normally upstream of the check valves 201 , 201 when provided.

[0018] The machine 10 includes a flow path (hard piped or with tubes or hoses) for the pressurized fluid to ultimately reach the freezing cylinder 30 as depicted with flow arrows X.

[0019] The flow path includes one or more flow isolation valves 70, when shut prevent flow of liquid ultimately from the keg (or other external source) and into the freezing cylinder 30 and when open allows the flow, due to the pressure applied to the liquid from the regulated tank 100. In some embodiments, the isolation valve(s) may be solenoid valves that are operated by the controller 1001 . In this

embodiment, the controller opens the isolation valve 70 when the controller 1001 determines that replacement liquid is needed in the freezing cylinder, and the controller closes the isolation valve 70 when the controller 1001 determines that the freezing cylinder does not need any replacement liquid.

[0020] For example, in some embodiments, the pressure within in the freezing cylinder 30 is monitored by the controller 1001 . The controller 1001 retains a calibration between the desired volume of frozen liquid within the freezing cylinder 30 either independently of inner surface 31 temperature, or in some embodiments in view of inner surface 31 temperature. For example, when the draw valve 84

(discussed below) is opened and frozen liquid flows out of the freezing cylinder the pressure within the freezing cylinder may decrease, which would be understood by the controller to then need to replace the frozen liquid that was withdrawn. The controller 1001 causes operation of the isolation valve 70 to allow replacement liquid to flow to the freezing cylinder 30.

[0021] In some embodiments, the controller 1001 monitors a pressure within the freezing cylinder 30 and causes the isolation valve 70 to open when the monitored pressure drops below a threshold value, and may cause the isolation valve to close when the monitored pressure exceeds a second threshold value above the threshold value.

[0022] In other embodiments, the machine 10 may be normally operated with the freezing cylinder 30 not totally full of frozen liquid, and one or more level sensors may be provided to monitor a level of frozen liquid within the freezing cylinder 30 with the controller selectively operating the isolation valves 70 to maintain the level within a desired band.

[0023] In some embodiments, the machine 10 may be configured with multiple freezing cylinders 30, such as 2, 3, 4, which each include dedicated draw valves 84, operators 82, and spouts 86 to allow for independent serving from each freezing cylinder. In these embodiments, the machine includes a dedicated isolation valve 70 for each freezing cylinder 30 that are independently operated by the controller 1001 . In some embodiments, the machine 10 may be configured such that all freezing cylinders draw from the same external source, or alternatively such some all of the freezing cylinders draw from different external sources. The machines 10 may be operable to control which external source feeds to which freezing cylinder, such as with a series of valves, or alternatively simply based upon the user connecting the conduits from specific external sources to the inlet connection 61 that is plumbed to the desired freezing cylinder.

[0024] The machine 10 includes a dispensing system 80 that may draw directly from the freezing cylinder 30 or indirectly from the freezing cylinder 30. The dispensing system 80 may include a draw valve 84 that is fluidly connected to the central portion 30a of the freezing cylinder 30 such that frozen liquid flows from the freezing cylinder 30 and through the draw valve 84 when the user pulls on the handle 82 or the draw valve 84 is opened in another way, such as automatically for a period of time either when the user pushes a button or another input on the machine 10, or automatically based upon a signal from the controller 1001. Draw valves 84 are known in the art.

[0025] In some embodiments, the spout 86 that is fluidly connected to the draw valve 84, through which frozen liquid flows when the draw valve is opened, may include a vertical portion that is elongate with a length between 3-6 inches below the draw valve. In these embodiments, the spout 86 is configured to extend within a volume of a beverage holder 4 that is positioned below the draw valve and extend to a position within the volume of the beverage holder 4 such that once some frozen liquid extends into the volume of the beverage holder the level of frozen liquid within the beverage holder rises above an opening at the bottom of the spout 86.

[0026] While the preferred embodiments of the disclosed have been described, it should be understood that the invention is not so limited and modifications may be made without departing from the disclosure. The scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims, and all devices that come within the meaning of the claims, either literally or by equivalence, are intended to be embraced therein.

Claims

1. A machine for producing a frozen beverage, comprising: a freezing cylinder with an agitation member disposed therein, wherein the agitation member is rotatably mounted within the freezing cylinder and in contact with an inner surface of the freezing cylinder; a dispensing mechanism, comprising a valve that is fluidly connected to the freezing cylinder and movable between a first position wherein an output of the freezing cylinder is isolated and a second position where a product within the freezing cylinder can flow therethrough; a connection to receive a flow of liquid from an external source and into the freezing cylinder; a refrigeration system configured to cool a refrigerant that flows outside an inner surface of the freezing cylinder to lower a temperature of the inner surface of the freezing cylinder; a pressure system that applies a pressure above atmospheric pressure to the external source; one or more valves that are operable to allow or prevent flow from the external source to the freezing cylinder; and a control system that monitors the freezing cylinder and selectively operates the one or more valves to cause or prevent flow of liquid from the external source to the freezing cylinder.

2. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the one or more valves are solenoid valves that are opened by the controller when the controller determines that replacement liquid is needed in the freezing cylinder and are closed by the controller when the controller determines that the freezing cylinder does not need any replacement liquid.

3. The machine of claim 2, wherein the controller monitors a pressure within the freezing cylinder and causes the one or more valves to open when the monitored pressure drops below a threshold value.

4. The machine of claim 3, wherein the controller causes the one or more valves that were open to close when the monitored pressure exceeds a second threshold value above the threshold value.

5. The machine of any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a second freezing cylinder and a second dispensing mechanism, comprising a second valve that is fluidly connected to the second freezing cylinder and movable between a first position wherein an output of the freezing cylinder is isolated and a second position where a product within the second freezing cylinder can flow therethrough, wherein the one or more valves comprises a first valve that is fluidly connected to the freezing cylinder and second valve that is fluidly connected to the second freezing cylinder, wherein the control system monitors the freezing cylinder and the second freezing cylinder and operates both of the first and second valves to cause the flow of liquid from the external source to the respective freezing cylinder and the second freezing cylinder.