Patent Publication Number: US-11040864-B2

Title: Apparatus for drawing beverages

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from Italian Patent Application No. 102019000006742 filed on May 10, 2019, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally regards a compact apparatus for drawing a beverage contained in a barrel of reduced capacity, particularly beer, and comprising a compartment for housing the barrel. 
     STATE OF THE PRIOR ART 
     Patent application EP3303210A1 discloses a compact apparatus thus made for drawing a beverage comprising a casing in which a refrigeration unit for cooling the barrel of the beverage to be drawn is housed. Such apparatus is further provided with a receptacle suitable to contain such barrel. 
     With an apparatus of this type there is the problem of cleaning the beverage dispensing circuit which, as is also known for conventional drawing apparatuses, i.e. designed to operate with standard capacity barrels arranged outside the drawing device, must be cleaned periodically for example by means of a suitable device containing a cleaning liquid to be connected to the beverage dispensing circuit. 
     Such dispensing circuit comprises, in a known manner, a duct for supplying compressed air from a compressor to the barrel, a pipe for supplying the beverage under pressure to a drawing tap and a connector of the duct and of the pipe provided with a quick coupling which can be coupled with the barrel. 
     The cleaning of such circuit, in particular of the beverage pipe, is essential to ensure that no residues of the beverage which can affect the quality of the beverage from the health point of view are formed in the dispensing circuit. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The object of the present invention is to overcome the aforementioned problem. With the aim of achieving such object, the invention regards an apparatus for drawing beverages of the type defined in the preamble of claim  1 , whose primary characteristic lies in the fact that it comprises a device for washing the beverage dispensing circuit comprising a duct which can be connected at one end to a water mains and connected at the other end to a washing head arranged on the casing and which can be coupled to the connector of the dispensing circuit. 
     In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the compressor for supplying compressed air to the barrel is integrated in the apparatus. 
     In an embodiment, the dispensing apparatus is provided with a receptacle for glasses arranged above and behind the compartment and refrigerated by the refrigeration unit. 
     According to a further aspect of the invention, the washing device comprises a tap which can be actuated selectively to open and close the flow of the washing water from the head. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic front perspective view of an embodiment of the apparatus for drawing beverages according to the invention, 
         FIG. 2  is a dorsal perspective view of  FIG. 1 , 
         FIGS. 3 and 4  are perspective views in partial transparency of  FIG. 1  showing two different operating conditions of the apparatus. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Initially with reference to  FIG. 1 , an apparatus for drawing beverages comprising a casing  2  having dimensions such to be suitable to be positioned on the counter of business premises or even easily used at home, is illustrated generally indicated with  1 . The front part of the casing  2  has a drawing tap  4  projecting above a grid  5  for positioning a glass B designed to house the beverage, typically beer. 
     The casing  2  is provided with lateral air intakes  3  and it is provided with a front lid  6  and with a rear lid  7 . 
     The apparatus for drawing beverages  1  is of the generally conventional type and therefore only the essential components thereof and the components expressly referred to in the invention will be described. 
     The rear lid  7  has a receptacle  8  provided with an openable cover  9 , for example transparent, and it is suitable to contain one or more glasses B. 
     The front lid  6  is designed to cover a front portion of the casing  2 , visible in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , and is shaped like a compartment  12  for housing a barrel or keg F of reduced capacity, typically of the order of 12 litres, containing the beverage to be drawn. The barrel F is provided—at the top—in a known manner, with a dispensing mouth E. 
     Now, with reference to  FIG. 2 , the rear part of the casing  2  houses a refrigeration unit comprising, in a conventional manner, a compressor  10 , a condenser  11  and a double evaporator. A first evaporator, not shown in the figures due to the fact that it is generally known, is applied in proximity of the receptacle  8  to cool the glasses B contained therein. A second evaporator, indicated with  13 , is arranged in proximity of the compartment  12  to cool the barrel F. 
     Inside the casing  2  and in proximity of the compressor  10  there is also provided an air compressor  18 , which will be addressed hereinafter. 
     Once again with reference to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the beverage dispensing circuit is indicated in its entirety with number  14 . Such circuit  14  comprises a duct  15  which connects the air compressor  18  to the barrel F, a pipe  16  for supplying the beverage contained in the barrel F to the drawing tap  4 , and a connector  17  to which the duct  15  and the pipe  16  are connected. Such connector  17  is provided with a quick coupling which can be coupled to the dispensing mouth E of the barrel F. 
     On the rear part of the casing  2 , under the second lid  7 , there is arranged—according to the invention—a washing device  19 ,  20  of the beverage dispensing circuit  14  which will be described in detail hereinafter. 
     Such washing device comprises a so-called washing head  19  arranged for coupling with the quick coupling of the connector  17  of the dispensing circuit  14 . The washing head  19  substantially consists of a coupling shaped in a manner similar to the dispensing mouth E of the barrel F. 
     The washing head  19  is configured to be connected to an external water main by means of a duct  20  which protrudes from the lower part of the casing  2 . 
     Further provided in a portion of the casing  2  in proximity of the compartment  12  is a tap  22  that can be selectively actuated to close and open the flow of water from the external mains to the washing head  19 . 
     The apparatus for drawing beverages  1  according to the invention is further provided, in a per se know manner too, with a programmable electronic control unit, not shown in the figures, for adjusting the cooling temperature of the compartment  12  and of the receptacle  8  to pre-set values. This control unit acts by regulating the operation of the refrigeration unit and it can be connected to the mains by means of an electrical cable  21 . 
     The operation of the apparatus for drawing beverages  1  according to the invention will now be described in the operative condition for dispensing the beverage, schematically represented in  FIG. 3 , and in the condition for washing the dispensing circuit  14  represented in  FIG. 4 . 
     Once connected to the water mains and to the power mains, the drawing apparatus  1  is ready to operate when the temperature of the barrel F reaches the pre-set value thanks to the refrigeration unit  10 ,  11 ,  13 . In order to draw the beverage, it is necessary to insert the quick coupling of the connector  17  of the dispensing circuit  14  into the dispensing mouth E of a full barrel F housed in the compartment  12  and close the lid  6 . By acting on the drawing tap  4 , the compressor  18 , which supplies compressed air by means of the duct  15  in the barrel F, is actuated increasing the pressure of the drink contained therein. Such pressure increase allows the beverage to flow through the pipe  16  up to the tap  4  where it will be drawn into a glass B placed on the grid  5 . 
     Whenever there arises the need to wash the dispensing circuit  14 , for example when replacing an empty barrel with a full barrel, it is sufficient to remove the two lids  6  and  7 , disconnect the connector  17  of the dispensing circuit  14  from the barrel F and insert it into the washing head  19  as shown in  FIG. 4 . Subsequently, by opening the washing tap  22 , the water from the water mains is introduced into the connector  17  and into the pipe  16  cleaning them from any residues of the previously dispensed beverage, before flowing out from the drawing tap  4 . 
     Once the washing of the dispensing circuit  14  has been carried out, it is possible to restore the drawing operation of the apparatus  1  by closing the washing tap  22 , disconnecting the connector  17  of the dispensing circuit  14  from the washing head  19 , replacing the barrel F if necessary, by re-inserting the connector  17  into the barrel F and closing the casing  2  with the respective lids  6  and  7 . 
     Obviously, the construction details and the embodiments may widely vary with respect to what has been described and illustrated, without departing from the scope of protection of the present invention as defined in the claims that follow. Thus, for example, the general conformation of the casing  2  and the arrangement of the washing device  19 ,  20  and/or of the refrigerating unit  10 ,  11 ,  13  could be different from those shown in the drawings.