The Coca-cola Company

Bosch-siemens Hausgerate Gmbh

Raimond Gatter

Robert Notar

Udo Schwander

Helmut Konopa

Klaus Erdmann

Werner Weyh

Bernhard Bucher

Gerd Hegel

Apparatus for mixing fresh water with CO.sub.2 gas to produce carbonated water in a cooled storage tank, includes a space located along the wall of the storage tank adjacent the cooling coils of a cooling system where water flow is partially or fully impeded so that ice can crystallize during the formation of an ice bank in the storage tank. In one configuration, the space is provided by a small section of open pipe mounted on the storage tank wall in the area of the cooling coils. Another configuration includes an apertured structure of rectangular cross section located on the tank wall. Still another configuration consists of an outward projection of a section of the wall of the storage tank which extends between two cooling coils, with an apertured plate covering this projection. Such a space can also be realized by a roughened wall section surface in the immediate vicinity of the cooling coils.

Apparatus including means for controlling the formation of an ice bank

Carbonator apparatus used in connection with a postmix beverage dispenser system includes a water delivery branching circuit for the water fed under pressure from a fresh water source and which is used to fill a storage tank for carbonated water produced therein and to supply fresh water to a recirculating type of fresh water cooling structure which includes a water circulating coil located in the bottom of the storage tank and/or a water channel guide located on the outside of the storage tank. The branching system selectively enables fresh water to be fed into a carbonator storage tank where the water is blended with CO.sub.2 gas or is guided around it while being cooled without being carbonated so that either cooled carbonated water or non-carbonated water is delivered to a mixing station along with a drink concentrate.

Apparatus for preparing and dispensing post-mix beverages

Apparatus which accelerates the cooling of the stored water cooled in the storage tank after a refilling operation so that it corresponds to the temperature that is normally reached after a relatively long water storage period. The apparatus includes a carbonator tank having at least one spray opening in the water feed line leading into the head-space region of the carbonator storage tank and where the spay opening is directed to the side walls of the tank in the vicinity of an ice bank formed on an upper inner wall surface thereof. An additional spray opening is oriented so that it points directly at the water surface and by a relatively simple valving arrangement both downward and/or lateral sprays can be implemented. The present invention also includes an arrangement where an adjustable spray guide element is located inside the storage tank in the immediate vicinity of a water feed opening so that a guiding of the sprayed water can be provided either toward the ice bank or directly toward the water surface inside the tank.

Apparatus for producing carbonated water

A post-mix beverage preparation and dispensing unit includes a carbonator tank coupled to a feed water branching circuit. The branching circuit selectively feeds fresh water from a pressurized fresh water source to the storage tank where the water is mixed with CO.sub.2 gas and is fed to a concentrate mixing station or it feeds fresh water through a heat exchanger which is coupled to the cooled carbonated water of the carbonator tank to cool a supply of fresh water which is then delivered to the same mixing station along with the proper concentrate of the proper amount. A selected beverage is delivered to a dispensing station and can either be a carbonated beverage or a non-carbonated beverage depending on the desire of the consumer.

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Bretten, Germany

Raimond Gatter