Patent Publication Number: US-8534498-B2

Title: Flush unit for a fountain dispenser

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/348,199 filed on May 25, 2010, which is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to devices, systems, and methods for cleaning commercial soda fountains and other dispensing machines. Over time, drain hoses of fountain dispenser become clogged leading to an undesired overfill of the drain reservoir and spillage of fluid. Conventional cleaning devices consist of a hose connected to a tank of carbon dioxide (Co2). Although providing adequate cleaning with high pressure, such conventional devices are heavy and require transportation of the tank to and from the location of the fountain dispenser. Transporting and handling of heavy tanks presents significant safety concerns especially with Co2 inside service vehicles. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In one embodiment, the present invention is a flush unit that can quickly and safely connect to a conventional soda fountain dispenser for cleaning the drain system of the dispenser. The flush unit comprises a one-piece unitary flush block or housing, a flexible hose, and a nozzle. The flush block comprises a fluid conduit having a water inlet port and a water outlet port. The flush block further comprises a plug port for plugging the syrup outlet port of a conventional back block. The water inlet and plug ports are spaced to engage with the water and syrup outlet ports, respectively, of the back block. The flush block further comprises a fastener adapted to engage with a fastener of the back block. The flexible hose has a first end connected by a fastener to the water outlet port of the flush block and a second end connected to the nozzle. The present invention allows a person to quickly connect the flush unit to a conventional dispenser and flush the drain system of the dispenser using its own hydrostatic water source. The present invention eliminates the need for carrying independent pressurized Co2/air flushing tanks. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The following description of the invention will be more fully understood with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded view of a first embodiment of a flush unit according to the present invention for use with a first type of conventional fountain dispenser (not shown); 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the flush block; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-section view of the flush block; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the flush block partially engaged with a back block of the first conventional fountain dispenser; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the flush block fully engaged with the back block of the first conventional fountain dispenser; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded view of a second embodiment of a flush unit according to the present invention for use with a second type of conventional fountain dispenser (not shown); 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the flush block; 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-section view of the flush block; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the flush block fully engaged with a back block of the second conventional fountain dispenser; 
         FIG. 10  is an exploded view of a third embodiment of a flush unit according to the present invention for use with a third type of conventional fountain dispenser (not shown); 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the flush block; 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-section view of the flush block; and 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the flush block fully engaged with a back block of the third conventional fountain dispenser. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-5 , the present invention is a flush unit  100  that can be quickly connected to a back block  20  of a first type of commercial soda fountain dispenser (not shown) for cleaning the drain system of the dispenser. 
     Back block  20  has a housing  22  and water and syrup outlet portions  24  and  26  that provide pressured carbonated water and syrup, respectively, from the dispenser (not shown). Back block  20  has a fastener  28  that removably engages and/or receives a fastener  120  (to be described) of flush unit  100 . Fastener  28  has lower and upper flanges  30  and  38  connected by posts  46  and  48 . Posts  46  and  48  slide upward and downward within a pair of spaced bores (not shown) of housing  20 . Lower flange  30  has male fingers  32  and  34 , and a female notch  36 . Upper flange  38  has male fingers  40  and  42 , and a female notch  44 . 
     Flush unit  100  generally comprises a one-piece unitary flush block or housing  102 , a flexible hose  140 , and a nozzle  146 . Flush block  102  comprises a front face  104 , a rear face  106 , a top face  108 , and a bottom face  110 . Front face  104  is substantially perpendicular to bottom face  110 . Flush block  102  further comprises a fluid conduit  112  extending substantially from front face  104  to bottom face  110 . Flush block  102  further comprises a water inlet port  114  in communication with fluid conduit  112  and a plug port  118  extending inward from front face  104 . Flush block  102  further comprises a threaded water outlet port  116  extending inward from bottom face  110 . Flush block  102  further comprises a barbed fitting  119  connected by threads to water outlet port  116 . Water inlet port  114  and plug port  118  are spaced to engage with water and syrup outlet ports  24  and  26 , respectively, of back block  20 . Plug port  118  operates to seal or otherwise shut-off or plug syrup outlet port  26  of back block  20  during use of flush unit  100 . 
     Flush block  102  further comprises a fastener  120  adapted to engage with fastener  28  of back block  20 . Fastener  120  comprises a lower flange  122 , an upper flange  130 , and an elongated recess  138 . Lower flange  122  has female notches  124  and  16 , and a male finger  128  disposed between female notches  124  and  126 . Similarly, upper flange  130  has female notches  132  and  134 , and a male finger  136  disposed between females notches  124  and  126 . Flush block  102  may be engaged with back block  20  by mating water inlet port  144  of flush block  102  with water outlet port  24  of back block  20 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , complete mating of water inlet port  144  with water outlet port  24  causes male fingers  32  and  34  and female notch  36  of fastener  28  to slide into elongated recess  138 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , to lock flush block  102  to back block  20 , lower and upper flanges  122  and  130  are moved upward about posts  46  and  48  to a position where: (1) female notches  124  and  126  of lower flange  122  are engaged with male fingers  32  and  34 , respectively, of lower flange  30  of back block  20 , and male finger  128  of lower flange  122  is engaged with female notch  36  of back block  20 , and (2) female notches  132  and  136  of upper flange  130  are engaged with male fingers  40  and  42 , respectively, of upper flange  38  of back block  20 , and male finger  136  of upper flange  130  is engaged with female notch  44  of upper flange  38  of back block  20 . To disengage flush block  102  from back block  20 , lower and upper flanges  122  and  130  are moved downward to a position where lower and upper flanges  122  and  130  are clear of lower and upper flanges  30  and  38 , respectively, of back block  20 . Thereafter, flush block  102  may be removed from back block  20 . Flush block  202  may be made from conventional materials such as plastic and fabricated by conventional molding and/or machining processes. 
     Flexible hose  140  has first and second ends  142  and  144 . First end  142  is engaged with water outlet port  116  of flush block  102 . Second end  144  is connected with an inlet port  148  (to be described) of nozzle  146 . Flexible hose  140  is well known and widely available. 
     Nozzle  146  has an inlet port  148 , a handle,  150 , a lever  152 , and an outlet port  154 . Inlet port  148  is connected to second end  144  of flexible hose  140 . Depression of lever  152  causes carbonated water supplied by back block  20  to be dispensed from outlet port  154 . Nozzle  146  is well known and widely available. 
     In operation, a person would disconnect the existing dispenser (not shown) from back block  20  at the fountain (not shown) located, for example, in a restaurant. Then, the person may connect flush block  102  to back block  20  and operate nozzle  146  to flush the drain system of the fountain using its own pressurized carbonated water source. The present invention eliminates the need for carrying independent Co2/air tanks which can cause injury especially when transported in a service vehicle. 
     The present invention is also a method of flushing or cleaning a drain system (not shown) of a soda fountain (not shown) having at least one dispenser (not shown) engaged with back block  20 . In one embodiment, the method comprises a step of removing the dispenser (not shown) from back block  20 . The method comprises a further step of providing a flush unit  100  having a flush block  102  connected with a nozzle  146 . The method comprises a further step of connecting flush block  102  to back block  20 . The method comprises a further step of locking flush block  102  to back block  20 . The method comprises a further step of directing and/or inserting nozzle  146  at and/or into the drain system (not shown) of the soda fountain (not shown). The method comprises a further step of activating nozzle  146  thereby forcing carbonated water supplied by back block  20  thru the drain system of the soda fountain. The method comprises a further step of unlocking flush block  102  from back block  20 . The method comprises a further step of removing flush block  102  from back block  20 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 6-9 , where a second embodiment of a flush unit  200  according to the present invention is shown for use with a back block  50  of a second type of soda fountain dispenser (not shown). 
     Similar to back block  20 , back block  50  has a housing  52  and water and syrup outlet ports  54  and  56 . Back block  50  has a fastener  58  that removably engages and/or receives a fastener  220  (to be described) of a flush block  202  (to be described). In the embodiment shown, fastener  58  comprises left and right flanges or bosses  64  and  66  positioned adjacent water outlet port  54  and syrup outlet port  56 , respectively. Fastener  58  further comprises holes  56  and  58  passing thru left and right flanges  60  and  64 , respectively. 
     Flush unit  200  generally comprises a one-piece unitary flush block or housing  202 , a flexible hose  140  (previously described), and a nozzle  146  (previously described). Flush block  202  comprises a front face  204 , a rear face  206 , a top face  208 , and a bottom face  210 . Front face  204  is substantially perpendicular to bottom face  210 . Flush unit  200  further comprises a fluid conduit  212  formed within flush block  202  extending from front face  204  to bottom face  210 . Flush block  202  further comprises a water inlet port  214  and a plug port  218  extending inward from front face  204 . Flush block  202  further comprises a threaded water outlet port  216  and a barbed fitting  219  threaded therewith and extending outward from bottom face  110 . Water inlet port  114  and plug port  118  are spaced to engage with water and syrup outlet ports  54  and  56 , respectively, of back block  50 . Plug port  218  operates to plug syrup outlet port  56  of back block  50  during use of flush unit  200 . 
     Flush block  202  further comprises a fastener  220  adapted to engage with fastener  54  of back block  48 . Fastener  220  comprises a pair of lower holes  222  and  224  positioned at opposite sides of flush block  202 . Fastener  220  further comprises a pair of lower holes  222  and  224  positioned at opposite sides of flush block  202 . Fastener  220  further comprises left and right recesses  222  and  224  positioned at opposite sides of flush block  202  and above holes  222  and  224 . Fastener  220  further comprises a pair of upper holes  226  and  228  positioned at opposite sides of flush block  202  and above left and right recesses  222  and  224 . Upper holes  226  and  228  are aligned with lower holes  222  and  224 , respectively. Fastener  220  further comprises a locking pin  234  having a handle  236  and first and second elongated legs  238  and  240 . As shown in  FIGS. 6 and 9 , flush block  202  may be engaged with back block  50  by mating water inlet port  214  of flush block  202  with water outlet port  50  of back block  50  causing left and right flanges  60  and  62  of back block  50  to engage with left and right recesses  230  and  232 , respectively, of flush block  202 . Legs  238  and  240  of locking pin  234  may be inserted into upper holes  226  and  228 , respectively, of flush block  202 ; holes  62  and  66  of back block  50 ; and lower holes  222  and  224 , respectively, of flush block  202 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 10-13 , where a third embodiment of a flush unit  300  according to the present invention is shown for use with a back block  68  of a third type of conventional fountain dispenser (not shown). Similar to back blocks  20  and  50 , back block  68  comprises a housing  70  having water and syrup outlet ports  72  and  74 . Back block  68  further comprises a fastener  76  that removably engages and/or receives a fastener  320  (to be described) of flush block  300 . In the embodiment shown, fastener  76  comprises left and right flanges or bosses  78  and  82  positioned above water outlet port  72  and syrup outlet port  74 , respectively. Fastener  76  further comprises holes  80  and  84  passing thru left and right flanges  78  and  82 , respectively. Fastener  76  further comprises lower and upper guides  86  and  88 . Fastener  76  further comprises a lower flange  90  having a hole  92 . 
     Flush unit  200  generally comprises a one-piece unitary flush block or housing  302 , a flexible hose  140  (previously described), and a nozzle  146  (previously described). Flush block  302  comprises a front face  304 , a rear face  306 , a top face  308 , and a bottom face  310 . Front face  304  is substantially perpendicular to bottom face  310 . Flush block  302  further comprises a fluid conduit  312  formed within flush block  302  extending from front face  304  to bottom face  310 . Flush block  302  further comprises a water inlet port  314  and a plug port  318  extending outward from front face  304 . Flush block  302  further comprises a threaded water outlet port  316  and a barbed fitting  319  threaded thereto and extending outward from bottom face  310 . Water inlet port  314  and plug port  318  are spaced to engage with water and syrup outlet ports  72  and  74 , respectively, of back block  68 . Plug port  318  operates to plug syrup outlet port  74  of back block  68  during use of flush unit  300 . 
     Flush block  302  further comprises a fastener  320  adapted to engage with fastener  76  of back block  68 . Fastener  320  comprises first, second, and third holes  322 ,  324 , and  326  extending inward from top face  308  of flush block  302 . Flush block  302  may be engaged with back block  68  by mating water inlet port  314  of flush block  302  with water outlet port  72  of back block  68  causing left and right flanges  78  and  82  and upper guide  88  of back block  68  to be adjacent to and aligned with holes  322 ,  324 , and  326 , respectively, of flush block  302 . As shown in  FIG. 13 , a person may insert legs  332 ,  334 , and  336  of locking pin  328  into holes  322 ,  324 , and  326 , respectively, of flush block  302 . 
     Flush units  100 ,  200  and  300  have been described with reference to back blocks of conventional beverage fountain dispensers. However, the present invention may be used with any type of fountain and/or liquid dispenser having its own water source. 
     The embodiments and illustrative details set forth should merely be regarded as descriptive disclosure. Various other changes and additions obvious to those skilled in the art are within the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.