Abstract:
A frozen beverage freezer machine is provided with two side-by-side freezer cylinders containing different flowable frozen beverage products. Draw valves are provided to draw the beverages separately for dispensing separately from the two beverage freezer cylinders. An additional draw valve, generally centered relative to the freezer cylinders, is provided to draw beverages from the two cylinders simultaneously for dispensing a mix of the two beverages. Clog breaker blades are coupled to the center draw valve assembly to inhibit clogging of passageways from the frozen beverage cylinders to the center valve, to facilitate reliable flow and mixing of the two beverages when the center valve is opened to dispense the mix into a user&#39;s receiver cup.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     A common practice for restaurants and other food service establishments that serve slush, “smoothies”, or frozen cocktail drinks from a dispensing freezer, is to combine different flavors from several machines to create new drinks. This requires having more than one machine, or having machines with two or more dispensing heads, with the machine user (server) then alternately dispensing from the different heads to provide the desired combination of flavors. 
     An effort to address this problem is represented in U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,129 issued Jul. 11, 1967. This patent discloses dispensing a frozen confection into a user&#39;s cup, with flavor selection from one or the other of two side-by-side freezer cylinders. This patent discloses one valve for the left side cylinder, and another for the right side cylinder, and a third in the middle for simultaneously dispensing from both cylinders using a dual dispensing valve. While this approach might work well for soft serve product, there is a tendency for freezes or slushes or similar icy confections to clog in the longer delivery passageways between the two freezer cylinders and the dual dispensing middle valve. 
     Because of the practical requirement in some cases to provide some separation distance between the cylinders (in order to provide adequate room for refrigeration circuitry, sealing surfaces, etc.), the distance between each cylinder agitator and the common central port is such that there is a volume of frozen product that is beyond the reach of the cylinder agitator. The nature of many slush-based products is such that when they are allowed to sit without agitation, the liquid separates from the ice crystals, and the ice crystal portion can become densely packed and may form a clog, due to its weight and/or the mechanical packing action of a stirrer or agitator operating nearby in a frozen confection product supply freezer cylinder. We have found that this tendency must be successfully addressed in order for the central dual dispensing valve port to operate effectively. 
     So there is a need to address these problems, and the present invention does so for improving performance, versatility and reliability of simultaneous dispensing to a user&#39;s cup, of frozen beverages from two sources in a frozen-confection freezer system. To do so, one embodiment of the invention incorporates a mechanism in at least one delivery passageway to the dual dispensing valve, to inhibit clogging and break up clogs that might form and which might otherwise impair the flow of freezes, slushes, or similar icy confections. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a portion of a conventional type of frozen beverage freezer with a beverage selection and dispensing head assembly mounted to it and which incorporates a typical embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of the dispensing head assembly of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2  is a section through one of the dispensing valve assemblies taken at line  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1  and viewed in the direction of the arrows. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective of the front of the dispensing head assembly viewed looking upward. 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view from the back of the dispensing head assembly (outlined in dashed lines) and showing the dispenser valve pistons arranged in the formation that they are in cylinders (not shown) in the head, and with ice clog inhibitor breakers extending laterally and slightly upward from the piston of the center valve as they extend into lateral passageways (not shown in this view) which passageways extend to and open at the back face of the head for receiving frozen beverages from the two beverage freezer cylinders. 
         FIG. 4A  is a view similar to  FIG. 4  but viewed from the front. 
         FIG. 5  is an orthographic back view of the dispenser head assembly. 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the back of the dispenser head assembly. 
         FIG. 7  is a view from the rear of the center valve piston (shown fragmentarily), and showing the clog breakers extending outward from the piston as they do in their respective passageways from the piston cylinder bore toward the passageway ports in the back face of the head where the passageways receive soft-frozen beverages from the respective freezer cylinders. 
         FIG. 8  is a view like that of  FIG. 7  but showing the breakers separated from the piston as they would be before installation in the piston or after removal from the piston. 
         FIG. 9  is another view of the center valve piston rotated on its axis to show more detail of the mounting of the breaker in the piston. 
         FIG. 10  is a view like that of  FIG. 9  but showing the breaker separated from the piston. 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged view of the piston showing a breaker retainer pin in a groove in the piston. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the embodiment illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. 
     Referring now to the drawings in detail, a frozen beverage freezer machine  11 , which may be floor-mounted, table-mounted, or otherwise mounted, has two beverage freezer cylinders  12  and  29  which can be of conventional construction and mounted side-by-side to the freezer. Each of the cylinders, such as cylinder  12  for example in  FIG. 2 , has an open end at the face  16  of the freezer. Dispenser head  14  is secured to the front  16  of the freezer by fasteners (not shown) through holes  61  in the head and anchored in the freezer. Therefore, at each cylinder the open end is exposed to back face  33  ( FIG. 2 ) of a shallow, cylinder-receiver recess defined by flange  34 . A seal ring  31  is received in groove  32  to seal the head to the cylinder  12 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  5  and  6 , a passage  18  opens at face  33  and communicates directly with the bore  21  of valve  22  of the dispenser head. Thus, a supply a soft-frozen beverage from cylinder  12  is always available for dispensing from the valve  22  by pulling down the handle  23  which lifts the piston  24  to discharge the beverage from the valve assembly downward in the direction of arrow  26  to dispense the beverage into a user&#39;s cup or other container when the valve is opened by pulling down the handle. A valve closing return spring  27  maintains a downward force on the valve to close the valve when the user releases the handle  23 . 
     The same type of arrangement as described for the cylinder  12  and valve  22  is provided for cylinder  29  and valve assembly  28 . 
     A rectangular boss  36  projects to the rear from the face  33  and receives a post  37  which is a part of the cylinder and remains stationary as a stirrer (not shown) rotates in the cylinder. The stirrer is a conventional part of the freezer cylinder and it functions to scrape the wall as well as affecting ice crystal size. The stirrer rotates in the cylinder to keep the frozen beverage in the freezer cylinder in a state where it can readily flow. 
     As described above, the beverage in the cylinder  12  is exposed to the back face  33  of the dispensing head  14 . Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 6 , a passageway  18  is provided in the head and has an inlet port  18 E in face  33  and extends to an exit at the bore  21  of valve assembly  22 . The passageway entrance appears as a double opening. That is because there is a partition  19  which extends in the passageway  18  from the inlet port  18 E to the passageway exit opening at the bore  21 . It serves to prevent a person who might be servicing or cleaning the equipment from getting a finger into the path of the piston  24  in the bore at any time that the piston is being moved down in the bore  21  by the piston return spring  27 . The piston seal in the bore is by O-ring  38  above the exit port of passageway  18  into the bore  21 , and by O-ring  39 , below the exit port. The additional function of the partition  19  is to help maintain the O-ring seal  39  in its groove as the seal crosses the passageway  18  exit port during the opening and closing of the valve  22 . 
     With the apparatus as described to this point, dispensing a soft-frozen beverage from freezer cylinder  12  is accomplished by simply pulling down on knob  23  as discussed above. This raises the piston  24  enough to enable the beverage to flow through the inlet port  18 E, through the passageway into the bore  21 , and down in the direction of arrow  26  and out the beverage dispensing port  41 . Dispensing of the soft-frozen beverage from cylinder  29  is accomplished in the same way by pulling the knob  42  to open the valve assembly  28  to discharge soft-frozen beverage from cylinder  29  through valve  28  and out through dispensing port  43 . 
     To enable dispensing soft-frozen beverage from both cylinders simultaneously and, thereby providing a mix of the two beverages, the third valve assembly  46  is provided. This valve assembly is in communication with both cylinders at the same time by passageways opening in the back wall of the head at each of the cylinder receiver recesses, such as back face  33  for reception of cylinder  12 . For cylinder  12 , an opening  47 E into passageway  47  provides entry of beverage from cylinder  12  down and forward to a side of piston  44  in bore  49  in head  14 . The same arrangement in a mirror image is provided for freezer cylinder  29 . Therefore, the piston  44  is operable by handle  50  to open the valve  46  and dispense soft-frozen beverages simultaneously from both of the cylinders  12  and  29  through passageway  47  for cylinder  12  and passageway  51  for cylinder  29 . 
     Passageways  47  and  51  are long enough between the faces such as  33  and the passageway exits into the valve bore  49  that if the handle  50  of the central valve  46  is not operated often enough to maintain a significant flow from the two beverage freezer cylinders, there is a possibility of ice accumulation in the passageways causing clogs. To inhibit development of clogging, or break a clog which has formed in one or the other of such passageways, two breakers are provided and extend outward from the piston  44  of the center valve assembly  46  toward the passageway entrances at cylinder receivers such as at  33  for cylinder  12 . Referring to  FIGS. 4 ,  5  and  7 , for passageway  47 , for example, a breaker  53  extends from a mounting in the side of the piston to a distal (tip) end  53 E near the entrance  47 E of channel  47  at the face  33  of the head  14 . The proximal end  53 X of the breaker at the piston is secured to the piston by an O-ring of shape fitting a somewhat serpentine groove  64  in the piston and extending around an upstanding outer surface  53 S of a hub or key portion  53 K of breaker  53  and holding the proximal end portion of the breaker  53  in an outwardly opening, axially extending slot  44 S in the piston. Accordingly, the breaker  53  is confined in the slot so that whenever the piston  44  is raised or lowered, the breaker will be raised and lowered in the passageway  47  sufficiently high and low to enable the breaker to be moved up and down in the passageway, whereby any packed volume of ice crystals in the passageway  47  can be agitated such that displacement of the packed crystals occurs. When the valve is opened by pulling the handle, this will allow soft frozen beverage to flow from the freezer cylinder  12  down and out the valve dispensing outlet  60 . 
     The same arrangement is provided for the passageway  51  serving the freezer cylinder  29 , with a breaker  67  mounted in a slot in the piston  44  in the same way as breaker  53  is mounted in the piston. The breakers  53  and  67  are mirror images of one-another. Therefore, upon pulling handle  50 , the piston  44  moves up to open the valve and the breakers will be pulled up in their respective passageways to loosen and move any potential ice clogs, and soft frozen beverages from both cylinders flow through their respective passageways into the valve bore  49  and downward and out through the dispensing port  60  into a cup or receiver placed under the port by the user. It can be noted in  FIG. 5  that the passageways  47  and  51  slope downward and forward from their entrance face (such as  33  for passageway  47 ) to the bore for piston  44 . The currently preferred slope is eleven to approximately fifteen degrees from horizontal. 
     Referring to the breakers in more detail, breaker  53  is an example, and the description of it is useful for both  53  and  67 , as they are mirror images. As shown in  FIGS. 7 and 8  and some others, breaker  53  is elongate from a proximal end  53 X outward to a distal end  53 E. There is the upstanding hub key  53 K at the proximal end. An upstanding post  53 P is adjacent the distal end. A broad and up-curved surface is provided at  53 B. The breaker is disposed in its respective passageway at slopes as mentioned above. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9 and 10 ,  FIG. 10  shows a vertical slot  44 S opening outward in the piston  44 . This slot fittingly receives the key portion  53 K of the breaker  53  from the bottom  44 S of the slot to the top of the slot. Therefore when the piston is raised and lowered to respectively open and close the valve  46 , the breaker captured in the slot will be raised and lowered likewise. The knob  53 N projecting laterally from the key  53 K is received in the groove  44 G in the piston. As shown in  FIG. 10 , a groove  44 R is provided in the piston surface. The groove follows a rectangular path in the surface of the piston resulting in a sort of knob  44 K in the piston. As shown in  FIG. 9 , the rounded top of the key  53 K projects slightly into the groove  44 R under knob  44 K. An O-ring is received in the groove  44 R around the knob  44 K and slightly covers the rounded side portion of the key  53 K adjacent the top of the key, helping retain the breaker  53  in the slot  44 S and groove  44 G. As shown in  FIG. 10 , a recess  45  is provided at a portion of the bottom of groove  44 R and extends down to groove  44 G. It facilitates removal of an O-ring from grove  44 R when desired. 
     Referring to  FIG. 11 , it shows the breaker  67  and its related mounting, the mirror image as that for breaker  53 . A groove  71  in the piston surface follows a rectangular path surrounding the area occupied by the breaker key  67  receiver slot, mirror image to  FIG. 10 . The groove  71  receives an O-ring  72 . This O-ring engages the top portion of key  67 K of breaker  67  to retain it in the piston. 
     A groove  73  in the piston surface also follows a rectangular path surrounding the area of the breaker key receiver and retaining O-ring  72 . Groove  73  receives O-ring  74  which serves as a piston-to-bore seal around the passageway  51 . 
     A circumferential groove  75  in the piston receives O-ring  76  serving as a piston-to-bore seal around the entire circumference of the piston. 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 5 ,  10  and  11 , the post  53 P adjacent the distal end of the breaker  53  is useful to a person as a handle to grip when installing or removing the breaker  53  during servicing or cleaning the equipment. When the breaker  53  is in position in the passageway  47 , the post projects into the passageway as shown in  FIG. 5  and is accessible to a servicing person to pull the breaker out of the piston  44 . Then the piston can be removed from the bore  49  if desired for servicing or cleaning. The post  53 P is also useful to push the breaker  53  in passageway  47  toward the piston and install the breaker key  53 K into the slot  44 S in the piston. While post  53 P is useful for installation or removal of a breaker relative to the piston, a screw driver or similar tool can be used if desired to facilitate displacement of the O-ring from groove  44 R ( FIGS. 9 and 10 ) or O-ring  72  from groove  71  ( FIG. 11 ) which retains the proximal end of the breaker, to get the O-ring out of the way for insertion or removal of the breaker relative to the piston. 
     So it is seen that these breakers are shaped in such a way that they provide for all the required functions of the parts: 1) a broad surface, preferably being substantially longer than it is wide to displace an optimum amount of the packed product along the path, 2) means, post  53 P for example, for easy insertion into and from the dispensing head during assembly and disassembly, 3) fool-proof assembly of the correct breaker into the correct side, since the two breakers are not identical, but are mirror images of one another, 4) proper retention of the breaker during all modes of operation, and 5) minimal disruption of the product flow path when the center valve assembly  46  is open for dispensing the two icy beverages from the two freezer cylinders and which beverages may have different characteristics in the nature of color or flavor or whatever differences are peculiar to them. 
     A particular advantage of the illustrated embodiment of the current invention is a means to agitate this packed volume of ice crystals, such that displacement of the packed crystals occurs, allowing the mixed product from the main body of the freezing cylinder to flow through to the port of the dispensing valve. This enables the use of a relatively long flow channel to the center dispensing valve, allowing the centrally located beverage “twist” dispensing valve  46  and dispensing port  60  thereof to be located for maximum convenience for the user. A further advantage of this embodiment is the accomplishment of the agitation with a minimal number of parts and, therefore, optimum simplicity of the mechanism. 
     While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same is to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character. Modifications that come within the spirit of the invention are desired to be protected.