Cornelius, Inc.

Hansen Technologies Corporation

Other

Imi Cornelius, Inc.

Comehus, Inc.

Santhosh Kumar

Nikolay V Popov

Kyle B Elsom

David Brett Gist

Gregory M Billman

Bryant Crane

Orval Kuhn

Michael Fischer

Daniel C Leaver

Nicholas Michael Giardino

Nishant Kulkarni

Servesh Adderi Ranganath

Jayateertha Malagi

Ted M Jablonski

Ravi Malavat

Douglas J Anderson

Shaji Kulangara Veettil

Steve Every

Neravati Sudhir Kumar

John F Paulius, Iii

James E Gooding, Iii

Systems and methods described herein provide for pressure relief valve detection and monitoring. A valve assembly includes a valve body, having an inlet and an outlet, and a valve seat insert attached to the valve body between the inlet and the outlet. The valve body also includes an indicator assembly, a disk positioned within the valve seat insert; and a stem extending between the disk and the indicator assembly. The stem includes a magnet. A magnetic sensor is operable to identify proximity of the magnet. The valve seat insert is operable to release the disk when pressure at the inlet exceeds a threshold value. The disk, when released, moves the stem and magnet into a position that is detected by the magnetic sensor, and the indicator assembly indicates a valve opening event when the position is detected.

Pressure relief valve and method of relief valve opening detection

Systems and methods described herein provide for pressure relief valve detection and monitoring. A valve assembly includes a striker and an indicator assembly separated by a diaphragm. The diaphragm may be elastically or permanently deformable. The striker may be connected to a relieve valve disk that releases in response to high fluid pressure at the valve. Movement of the striker may be detected by contact with the diaphragm or by sensors near the diaphragm, which may trigger the indicator assembly to provide an external indication of a valve opening.

A beverage dispensing apparatus is characterized by a beverage dispenser and a refrigeration system for chilling beverage to be dispensed by the beverage dispenser. The refrigeration system has a compressor coupled to an evaporator for chilling the beverage, and a controller determines the amount of chilling that must be provided by the refrigeration system to chill the beverage and adjusts cut-in and cut-out beverage temperature set-points for the compressor accordingly. Advantageously, the cut-in and cut-out set-points are adjusted to beverage temperature values such that the chilling capacity of the refrigeration system is made to closely match to the amount of chilling required by the beverage, and also such that on/off cycles of the refrigeration system are decreased.

Variable differential and offset control for refrigeration systems

A controller for a drive motor for a scraper of a frozen product dispenser operates the drive motor to rotate the scraper at selected ones of a plurality of different speeds within a freeze barrel of the dispenser, in accordance with the values of sensed operating parameters of the dispenser. The arrangement provides for rotation of the scraper at speeds appropriate for, but no greater than required for, the then existent operating condition of the dispenser.

Adaptive beater and scraper speed control for frozen product dispenser

Adaptive beater and scraper speed control for frozen product dispensers

A machine for dispensing blended iced beverages is characterized by a cabinet for storing a plurality of supplies of beverage ingredients and a refrigeration system for chilling an interior of the cabinet to chill the beverage ingredient supplies. A duct extends between the cabinet interior and a remote point of delivery of the beverage ingredients and a tubing bundle extends from the supplies and through the duct to the delivery point to deliver beverage ingredients from the supplies to the delivery point. The interior of the duct is chilled to chill the tubing bundle and beverage ingredients in the tubing bundle, so that chilled beverage ingredients are always provided to the point of delivery, even when the machine is idle for an extended period of time. Various techniques are provided for chilling the interior of the duct.

Point of dispense chilling for blended iced beverage machines

An inline carbonation apparatus that includes a fluid tube having an inner diameter. At least one water orifice is linked to a water source and is attached to one end of the fluid tube. The water orifice includes a plurality of holes atomizing water that passes therethrough. A carbon dioxide orifice is linked to a carbon dioxide source and is attached to the fluid tube in a spaced relationship from the water orifice. The atomized water has a pressure less than the carbon dioxide such that carbon dioxide is absorbed into the water forming carbonated water having a specified volume of carbonation.

Carbonation apparatus and method for forming a carbonated beverage

An inline carbonation apparatus includes a fluid tube having an inner diameter. A water flow control module is connected to a water source. At least one water orifice is linked to the water flow control module and is attached at one end of the fluid tube. The water orifice includes a plurality of holes atomizing water passing therethrough. A carbon dioxide source is connected to a carbon dioxide valve. The carbon dioxide solenoid valve is connected to a carbon dioxide regulator that is coupled to a carbon dioxide orifice and attached to the fluid tube in a spaced relationship from the water orifice. The atomized water has a pressure less than the carbon dioxide such that carbon dioxide is absorbed into the water forming carbonated water having a specified volume of carbonation. The water control module regulates a water flow rate into the inline carbonation apparatus.

A frozen product dispenser is characterized by at least two product freeze barrels for receiving product therein and for freezing the product for dispensing, and a refrigeration system for chilling the at least two barrels. The refrigeration system has at least two evaporators for and heat transfer coupled to each barrel, separate and controllable expansion valves each having an outlet coupled to an inlet to an inlet to an associated one of the evaporators, at least two compressors having outlets coupled to inlets to the expansion valves and inlets coupled to outlets from the evaporators, and at least one condenser in fluid circuit between outlets from the compressors and inlets to the expansion valves. The refrigeration system is controllable to selectively operate one or more of the compressors and one or more of the expansion valves in accordance with the cooling requirements of the barrels to provide an improved turndown ratio for improvements in efficiency of operation of the refrigeration system in response to changing cooling load requirements of the product barrels.

Multiple barrel frozen product dispenser

An adaptive defrost control for a frozen product machine implements an algorithm that utilizes various operating parameters of the machine to adaptively adjust the time interval between successive defrost cycles in a manner such that defrost cycles occur only on an as-needed basis. The adaptive defrost control minimizes the time during which the machine is in a defrost cycle, thereby maximizing the uptime of the machine during which frozen product can be prepared.

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Naperville, IL, United States of America

Santhosh Kumar