Sanden Corporation

Kirin Brewery Company, Limited

Shunichi Nakayama

Yasushi Takayanagi

Yasuyuki Arai

Yutaka Takahashi

Hiroshi Hayakawa

Ryoichi Sekiguchi

Ikuo Harashima

Tomomitsu Abe

Masashi Kanai

A dispensing unit for mixing and dispensing a beverage which consists of several constituents, including syrup. The unit dispenses beverage from a bottle having a bottom outlet portion and through a syrup path controlled by a manually operable valve. A gas path in the dispensing unit supplies gas into the bottle for urging the syrup from the bottle and into the syrup path. An additional liquid is permitted to flow to a mixing chamber along with the syrup where they are mixed.

Beverage mixing and dispensing unit

A beverage dispensing unit for dispensing syrup from a syrup container and mixing the syrup with diluted water and carbonated water is disclosed. The unit includes a body having a syrup flow path, a gas supply path, and a receiving portion for the syrup container. The interior of the syrup container is linked to the gas supply path which supplies carbon dioxide into the interior of the syrup container so as to drive the syrup out of the syrup container and into the syrup flow path. The syrup container is disposed in the receiving portion which includes a first and second hole such that the first hole is linked to the gas supply path and the second hole is linked to the syrup path. A projecting portion is integrally formed with the receiving portion and includes a separating wall which separates the first and second holes so as to prevent the carbon dioxide from flowing directly from the first hole to the second hole. Therefore, a constant rate of syrup is dispensed from the syrup container, independently of the volume of syrup remaining within the syrup container.

Beverage mixing and dispensing apparatus

A post-mix beverage dispensing system including a cabinet having top, front, back side and bottom panels for housing various components. The components include a carbonator for producing carbonated water by mixing cooled potable water with CO.sub.2. Potable water is stored in a portable tank and is supplied to the carbonator through a first pipe. A cooling reservoir contains cooled water, and a serpentine section of the first pipe, along with the carbonator, are disposed in the cooling reservoir. A CO.sub.2 tank supplies CO.sub.2 to the carbonator and syrup packages. The flow rate of syrup from the syrup packages is kept constant by the pressure of CO.sub.2 from the CO.sub.2 tank. The front panel has a permanent magnet thereon, and the top panel has a reed switch thereon such that the permanent magnet is adjacent to the reed switch when the front panel is disposed on the cabinet. When an empty package is to be replaced with a new one and the front panel is opened, the reed switch is turned off, since the permanent magnet is spaced from the reed switch. An electromagnetic valve is thus cut off, and the supply of CO.sub.2 from the CO.sub.2 tank to the syrup packages is thereby stopped. The CO.sub.2 is thus automatically prevented from venting to the atmosphere when the front panel is opened.

Portable post-mix beverage dispenser unit

In an apparatus for providing a mixed beverage which is made of various beverages in a mixing space extending along a predetermined axis, the beverages are supplied to the mixing space so that a selected one of the beverages is discharged to a particular portion on the predetermined axis and that another one of the beverages is discharged to a specific portion around the predetermined axis. As a result, the selected beverage is substantially enveloped in the other beverage in the mixing space. Therefore, mixing is effectively carried out about the beverages. It is a matter of course that the beverages are discharged as the mixed beverage from the mixing space.

Mixing apparatus in which mixing is effectively carried out about

An apparatus and method for preventing the no-load operation of a pump for a liquid supply system which responds to a sensor signal indicating that insufficient liquid in the supply exists for properly supplying liquid from a supply tank to a reservoir tank is described. The device provides a user indication that the supply tank liquid needs replenishment. Further, the device also detects when the pump supplying liquid from the supply tank to the reservoir tank operates for a period of time longer than a predetermined period of time. The device also provides a user with an indication that such a condition exists.

Method and apparatus for preventing the no-load operation of a pump for

In a valve apparatus comprising a controlling arrangement which is for controlling a flow of a beverage in a beverage path, the controlling arrangement comprises a valve member which is movable between an open and a close position for opening and closing the beverage path and which is urged to the close position through a force transmission member by a compression spring. When the force transmission member is moved against the urging arrangement, the valve member becomes movable towards the open position. However, movement of the valve member is restricted at the open position by a stopper. Preferably, the stopper has a position which can be adjusted by operating of an operator or a user.

Valve apparatus for preventing leakage of a beverage

In a dispensing unit comprising a gas path which is for supplying gas into a bottle to thereby dispense a beverage contained in the bottle, the gas path extends along a substantial U-shape. The gas path is provided with a plurality of check valves therein in series. Each of the check valves is for preventing a counterflow of the beverage in the gas path.

Dispensing unit comprising a gas path in which a beverage is effectively

In a beverage dispensing unit which includes a storing unit (32), a conducting arrangement (43) for conducting a beverage from the storing unit, and a cabinet (38), the storing unit comprises a portable tank which is removable from the cabinet. The conducting arrangement includes an end portion (47) which is detachably connected to the tank. The end portion is held to the cabinet to be radially movable in relation to a connecting axis defined by the cabinet. Preferably, the cabinet comprises guiding arrangement (41, 42) for guiding the tank substantially along the connecting axis. The beverage dispensing unit further comprises a controlling unit (60) for controlling dispensation of the beverage. For adjusting a flow rate of the beverage in a beverage path (62, 63, 64) which is opened and closed by a valve (75), the controlling unit comprises an adjusting member (82) having an end (82b) covered with an operating member (90) which operates the valve. The operating member is movable to expose the end of the adjusting member, so that it is readily possible to adjust the flow rate of the beverage.

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Takasaki, Japan

Shunichi Nakayama