Lancer Corporation

The Coca-cola Company

Lancer Partnership, Ltd

John T Hawkins

Ernest M Chavana

Darwin L Strohmeyer

Weldon E Griffin

A beverage dispenser includes a housing that defines a cooling chamber and has dispensing nozzles mounted thereon, a water line positioned in the bottom of the cooling chamber for communicating water to the dispensing nozzles, product lines mounted in the front of the cooling chamber for communicating product to the dispensing valves, a refrigeration unit mounted over the cooling chamber that includes an evaporator coil extending into the cooling chamber, and an agitator motor mounted over the cooling chamber for driving an impeller located within the cooling chamber. The cooling chamber contains a cooling fluid, a portion of which freezes about the evaporator coil during the operation of the refrigeration unit to form a frozen cooling fluid slab. A frozen cooling fluid bank controller controls the size of the frozen cooling fluid slab, while the mounting of the controller's probe to the side of the evaporator coil facing the front of the housing prevents the frozen cooling fluid slab from freezing to envelop the product lines. The agitator motor drives the impeller to force the unfrozen cooling fluid circuitously about the frozen cooling fluid slab. Additionally, a serpentine configuration of the water line produces channels which direct the flow of unfrozen cooling fluid towards the front and rear walls of the housing, thereby enhancing the circulation of the unfrozen cooling fluid.

Low profile drink dispenser

A carbonated beverage dispenser includes a chiller connected at an inlet to a water source and at an outlet to a cool water inlet of a mixing valve. The water source further supplies ambient temperature water to a warm water inlet of the mixing valve. The mixing valve receives the two water streams and mixes them to produce a constant temperature output water stream at an outlet. A carbonator receives the constant temperature output water stream to carbonate it. A dispensing unit including a cooling unit connects to a beverage syrup product source and the carbonator to cool the carbonated water and beverage syrup and dispense them into a suitable container, thereby forming a carbonated beverage drink. Additionally, an ice maker connects to the output of the mixing valve to receive the constant temperature output water stream to make the ice dispensed with the carbonated beverage drink.

Carbonated beverage dispenser with constant temperature mixing valve

An apparatus for dispensing both ice and chilled beverages, and more particularly an improved chilled beverage dispenser which has larger ice storage capacity and which incorporates an improved system of dispensing ice. The improved ice storage and dispensing system utilizes a circular rotating tray and a paddle wheel positioned in an intermediate cone chute to dispense ice efficiently and in a regulated flow in combination with chilled beverages.

Growing community of inventors

San Antonio, TX, United States of America

John T Hawkins