Beverage dispenser with ice water precooler

A beverage dispenser is disclosed which utilizes an ice water precooler. The beverage dispenser utilizes a rectangular ice bin having an aluminum cold plate in the bottom. The cold plate includes at least one vertical aperture to permit waste liquid from melting ice to run into a waste liquid tank below the ice bin. A helical concentric tube having an inner conduit substantially concentric with an outer conduit is placed in the waste liquid tank and preferably submerged in ice water. A source of beverage is coupled to the inner most conduit of the concentric tube and thereafter to a serpentine passage through the cold plate. A pump is utilized to force ice water from the waste liquid tank through a second serpentine passage in the cold plate, through the outer conduit of the concentric tube and back to the waste liquid tank. An overflow drain is utilized to limit the level of fluid within the waste liquid tank.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
This United States patent application Ser. No. 07/162,093, filed Feb. 29, 
1988 is being filed simultaneously with an Application entitled "ICE 
MAKING APATUS", inventor Ted M. Stanfill, which contains some common 
subject matter. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention: 
This invention relates in general to beverage dispensers and in particular 
to beverage dispensers which utilize ice to cool the beverage. 
2. Description of the Prior Art: 
Cold beverage dispensers are well known in the prior art. Such dispensers 
typically utilize either refrigeration systems or bulk refrigerants such 
as ice to cool the beverage prior to dispensing. While refrigeration 
systems are well known and highly efficient, their size, bulk and weight 
make them unsuitable for small portable dispensers or dispensers which are 
utilized at temporary locations such as at a sports stadium, or other 
outdoor activities. 
Cold beverage dispensers for utilization at such outdoor sites are 
typically systems which utilize ice to cool the beverage. Generally a 
large ice bin is provided with a so-called "cold plate" in the bottom. The 
cold plate is generally an aluminum plate which includes a serpentine 
fluid passage through which the beverage must pass prior to dispensing. 
The presence of ice atop the cold plate is utilized to cool the beverage. 
Such systems are useful; however, they have several shortfalls. 
For example, it is not generally possible for cubes or chunks of ice to 
fully mate with the surface of the cold plate. The resultant air pockets 
slow the transfer of heat from the beverage into the ice. Additionally, 
the large metal mass of the cold plate is slow to cool and it may take 
some time to achieve operating temperatures. In order to solve these 
problems, certain known systems have attempted to precool the beverage by 
passing a coil containing the beverage through a cooling medium prior to 
its entering the cold plate. While these systems enhance the operation of 
a cold beverage dispenser, they do not solve the heat transfer problem 
enumerated above nor do they provide a method of rapidly cooling the cold 
plate to operating temperatures. 
Therefore, it should be obvious that a need exists for an improved cold 
beverage dispenser that will solve these problems. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide an improved 
cold beverage dispenser. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved cold 
beverage dispenser which utilizes ice as a cooling medium. 
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved 
cold beverage dispenser which precools the beverage prior to its entering 
the cold plate. 
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved 
cold beverage dispenser which includes means for additional cooling of the 
cold plate. 
The foregoing objects are achieved as is now described. The beverage 
dispenser of the present invention utilizes an ice water precooler to aid 
in cooling the beverage. A rectangular ice bin is provided which includes 
a cold plate in the bottom thereof. Apertures in the cold plate permit 
waste liquid from the melting ice to flow into a waste liquid tank below 
the ice bin. A helical concentric tube, having an inner and outer conduit, 
is positioned within the waste liquid tank and submerged in ice water. A 
beverage source is then coupled to the inner conduit and is further 
coupled to a serpentine fluid path in the cold plate to a dispensing 
valve. A pump is utilized to pump ice water from the waste tank through a 
second fluid path in the cold plate and through the outer conduit. In this 
manner, both the beverage and cold plate are precooled by ice water which 
would otherwise be drained and wasted. 
The above as well as additional objects, features, and advantages of the 
invention will become apparent in the following detailed description.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
With reference now to the figures and in particular with reference to FIG. 
1, there is depicted a partially sectional and partially schematic view of 
beverage dispenser 10 of the present invention. As can be seen, beverage 
dispenser 10 includes an ice bin 12 which is preferably constructed of 
stainless steel, aluminum or other metallic material. Ice bin 12 is 
utilized to contain a large quantity of ice 14 which rests on cold plate 
16 in the bottom of ice bin 12. Cold plate 16 preferably includes a 
plurality of fluid passages which are utilized in a manner which will be 
explained in greater detail herein. 
Cold plate 16 also includes an aperture 18 Which is utilized to permit 
waste liquid 22 from melting ice 14 to collect in waste liquid bin 20 
which is provided below ice bin 12. In a preferred embodiment of the 
present invention the upper surface of cold plate 16 is preferably shaped 
to enhance the flow of waste liquid into aperture 18. 
Disposed within waste liquid bin 20 and preferably submerged beneath waste 
liquid 22 is helical concentric tube 24 which is utilized to convey 
beverage and waste liquid in a manner described herein. As depicted in 
FIG. 3, helical concentric tube 24 preferably includes an inner conduit 46 
which is substantially concentric with an outer conduit 48. 
Helical concentric tube 24 is utilized in conjunction with the novel 
beverage dispenser of the present invention to precool the beverage 
contained within pressurized beverage container 26. The beverage contained 
therein is coupled, via conduit 28, to inner conduit 46 of helical 
concentric tube 24. After passing through inner conduit 46, the beverage 
is then coupled, via conduit 36, to a serpentine fluid passage disposed 
within cold plate 16 to be cooled by contact of ice 14 with cold plate 16 
in a manner similar to techniques known in the prior art. Thereafter, the 
beverage is coupled from the serpentine fluid passage disposed within cold 
plate 16 via conduit 40 to beverage dispenser valve 42. 
Still referring to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the cooling of the beverage 
contained within pressurized beverage container 26 is further enhanced in 
the following manner. Pump 30 is utilized to draw waste liquid 22, via 
conduits 32 and 34, to a second serpentine fluid passage disposed within 
cold plate 16. Pump 30 is preferably a small electrical centrifugal pump 
of a type and nature well known in the prior art. In this manner, the icy 
nature of waste liquid 22 may be utilized to aid in the cooling of cold 
plate 16, allowing fairly rapid cooling of the large mass of cold plate 
16, which is preferably constructed of aluminum or other metallic 
material. After passing through cold plate 16, waste liquid 22 is coupled, 
via conduit 38 to outer conduit 48 of helical concentric tube 24. Thus, 
the reservoir of icy waste liquid within waste liquid bin 20 is utilized 
to precool both the beverage and cold plate 16. As can be seen, drain pipe 
44 is provided and is utilized to prevent the level of waste liquid 22 
from exceeding a desired level within waste bin 20. 
With reference now to FIG. 2, there is depicted a top view of cold plate 16 
which includes a shadow depiction of a single serpentine fluid passage 50 
By utilizing such serpentine fluid passages it is possible to cool a 
beverage passing through cold plate 16 and further to precool cold plate 
16 by passing waste liquid 22 through a similar fluid passage within cold 
plate 16. 
Thus, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art, that by utilizing 
the novel beverage dispenser of the present invention it is possible to 
provide a beverage dispenser which utilizes ice water which would 
otherwise be wasted to enhance the efficiency of the dispenser by 
precooling both the beverage and the cold plate with the ice water. 
Although the invention has been described with reference to a specific 
embodiment, this description is not meant to be construed in a limiting 
sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiment as well as 
alternative embodiments of the invention will become apparent to persons 
skilled in the art upon reference to the description of the invention. It 
is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such 
modifications or embodiments that fall within the true scope of the 
invention.