Lancer Partnership, Ltd

The Coca-cola Company

Lancer Corporation

John Thomas Hawkins, Jr

Ernest Matthew Chavana, Jr

Darren W Simmons

Michael J Riley

Darwin L Strohmeyer

Vernon L Mauldin

Samuel Durham

Paul Haskayne

Thomas L Guy

W David Vinson

Nicholas C Mohat

Stephen K Versteeg

Stephen K Verteeg

Jennifer E Nagele

An ice chest () with beverage lines () in a cold plate () is provided in which the inlets and outlets of the cold plate beverage lines are coupled to fittings () that accommodate coupling to a wide range of beverage tubing sizes. Also provided are the cold plate () and fittings ().

Ice chest

A beverage dispensing system includes a cooling chamber filled with a bath of cooling fluid for cooling beverage fluids. A cooling unit, including an evaporator coil extending from the cooling unit into the cooling chamber, freezes the cooling fluid into a frozen cooling bank about the evaporator coil. Sensor units positioned at desired locations about the evaporator coil provide output corresponding to the size and shape of the frozen cooling bank. Also, a control unit reads the output from the sensor units and operates the cooling unit to regulate the growth of the frozen cooling bank. In addition, the control unit may read output from temperature sensors attached to dispensing valves or monitoring ambient temperature conditions.

Cooling bank control assembly for a beverage dispensing system

A dispenser system includes a product source, a cooling unit, an agitator, a dispensing station coupled with the product source, a sensor, and a controller. The cooling unit cools product delivered to the dispensing station from the product source. The agitator is disposed in the cooling unit and circulates cooling fluid contained in the cooling unit. The sensor measures an operating parameter of the dispenser system and outputs a signal representative thereof. The controller, responsive to the signal output by the sensor, operates the agitator at a lower speed when the signal output by the sensor indicates the dispenser system is operating in a desired stable state. Alternatively, the controller, responsive to the signal output by the sensor, operates the agitator at a higher speed when the signal output by the sensor indicates the dispenser system is not operating in the desired stable state.

Beverage dispenser

A beverage dispenser with an improved component configuration for enhancing serviceability as well as increasing both the beverage dispensing capacity and the quantity of beverage dispensed at a cooler temperature while maintaining a compact size. The beverage dispenser includes a housing defining a cooling chamber having a cooling fluid contained therein, a water line, a product line, a rechill line substantially submerged within the cooling fluid, a carbonator within the cooling chamber coupled with the water line and a carbon dioxide gas source, dispensing valves mounted on the housing and coupled to the product lines and to at least one of the rechill line and the water line to deliver a beverage, and a refrigeration unit for cooling the cooling fluid. The refrigeration unit includes an evaporator coil substantially submerged within the cooling fluid. The evaporator coil, a one piece unit, includes a substantially concentric coil defined by an outer coil section and an inner coil section that is disposed within and substantially offset from the outer coil section for forming a uniformly distributed slab of frozen cooling fluid. The beverage dispenser includes a component configuration for enhancing serviceability including a mounting bracket for facilitating removal and attachment of component parts to the beverage dispenser without requiring an accompanying mounting screw to be separated from the beverage dispenser.

Beverage dispenser with an improved cooling chamber configuration

A refrigeration sealing system for a refrigeration unit includes a trap-process tube coupled with and in communication with a compressor of the refrigeration unit for receiving refrigerant from a refrigerant source. The trap-process tube defines a passageway through which refrigerant flows from the refrigerant source to the compressor. The refrigeration sealing system for a refrigeration unit further includes an annular plug disposed within the passageway. The annular plug defines a bore for facilitating the flow of refrigerant through the passageway. The annular plug is further deformable to seal the passageway of the trap process tube.

Refrigeration sealing system for a refrigeration unit

A component configuration for enhancing the serviceability of a dispenser includes a platform positionable on the housing of the dispenser. A refrigeration unit mounts at a center and rear portions of the platform. An electronic control is disposed within a housing that is mounted at a center portion of the platform adjacent to the refrigeration unit. The electronic control housing permits access to the electronic control from the front of the dispenser. An evaporator coil of the refrigeration unit includes concentric coil sections defined by an inner coil section, an intermediate coil section, and an outer coil section.

Evaporator coil

A coupler for a dispensing apparatus and method of use thereof includes a first member having a first, a second, and a third aperture. A second member is mountable on and rotatable about the first member to selectively communicate the first and second apertures with the third aperture.

Coupler switchable among multiple apertures

A dispenser housing includes an enclosure that receives a dispenser therein. The enclosure includes an opening that permits access to the dispenser. The dispenser housing further includes a first access member, a second access member, and a valve casing. The first access member is secured to the enclosure and is pivotally movable between a first position and a second position that provides access to the dispenser. The valve casing is secured to the enclosure and is pivotally movable between a first position and a second position that provides access to the dispenser. The second access member is positioned proximate to the first access member and is pivotally movable between a first position and a second position that provides access to the dispenser. The second access member includes a light source that illuminates the dispenser when the second access member resides in its second position.

Dispenser housing

A carbonator and plain water booster includes a tank and a bladder mounted within the tank that separates the tank into a carbonated water chamber and a plain water chamber. The carbonated water chamber connects to a water source and a CO.sub.2 source to facilitate the forming of carbonated water, while the plain water chamber connects only to the water source. The pressure of the carbonated water and CO.sub.2 gas within the carbonated water chamber expands the bladder into the plain water chamber, resulting in the pressurizing of the water within the plain water chamber. That pressurization allows the dispensing of plain water with a beverage syrup at a pressure sufficient to maintain a proper mix ratio between the plain water and the beverage syrup.

Growing community of inventors

Adkins, TX, United States of America

John Thomas Hawkins, Jr