Abstract:
An apparatus for cooling a liquid being dispensed through a dispensing tower includes a replaceable cooling shank that sealingly engages a delivery nipple with one or more internally mounted annular seals. The replaceable cooling shank facilitates quick and cost efficient maintenance of the dispensing tower when the annular seals become worn.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to beverage dispensing systems of the type having a dispensing faucet, a beverage container remote from the faucet and a feed line interconnecting the faucet with the beverage container to permit beverage to flow from the container to the faucet. In greater particularity the present invention provides a cooling head that cools the beverage to the proper temperature at dispensing and which is readily serviced and maintained after prolonged use. 
         [0002]    Dispensing heads for beverages such as beer and soft drinks have long been used to dispense such beverages at an appropriate chilled temperature, however, the technology to accomplish this feat when the storage container for the beverage was remotely located or not chilled has varied and evolved. Refrigerated lines from the container to the dispensing head have been employed at some expense and with some success. One prior art solution, proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,458 B1, for eliminating refrigerated lines provided a cooling component disposed in contact with both the product line carrying the beverage and with the shank to which the dispensing faucet is connected so that the beverage is continuously cooled at the time it exits the dispensing faucet. Although satisfactory for its intended result the proposed design was problematic from use and maintenance standpoint in as much as the connection required the use of O-ring seals which must be replaced after about three years of usage. The specific design taught by the prior art made it extraordinarily difficult to service the dispensing heads in the field and with thousands of such units in service, significant time and expense is used in having skilled service technicians working on the dispensers. Specifically, the prior design used a connector tube fixedly interconnected with a connector probe such as welding. The connector portion or collar of the connector probe is then press fit into a bore of a cooling component wherein the body portion of the connector probe extends into internally threaded bore  4  to form an annular shaped opening. The O-rings which were carried by the connector probe are thus permanently affixed within the bore of the cooling component. Consequently, the product is not entirely satisfactory in actual use because it is difficult to maintain and service. 
       SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION 
       [0003]    It is an object of the present invention to provide at the tap cooling of a beverage with a cooling design that may be readily serviced. 
         [0004]    It is a further object of the invention to reduce the down time of a beverage tap due to service and maintenance by making the tap easy to service. 
         [0005]    It is a further object of the invention to reduce the cost of maintenance of beverage taps by improving the configuration of the tap for easier and less expensive maintenance. 
         [0006]    The forgoing objects of the invention are accomplished in the below described embodiments by providing a structure which facilitates easy removal and maintenance of the sealing elements in the dispensing heads. 
         [0007]    These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    An apparatus for dispensing a beverage is depicted in the accompanying drawings which form a portion of this disclosure and wherein: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is an exploded view of the tower components; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a sectional view of the cold block supply pipe assembly; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a Sectional view of the Glycol Shank; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the welding nipple; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is an exploded view of the edge tap long spout; 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0014]    Referring to the  FIGS. 1-6  for a clearer understanding of the invention, it may be seen that the preferred embodiment of the invention contemplates use in a beverage dispensing tower in a commercial establishment, although the same structure may be used in a private bar as well. It is to be understood that in such systems the beverage is stored in a remote location and is delivered to the bar area via a suitable conduit as is well known in the art. 
         [0015]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , it may be seen that the dispensing tower  11  utilizes a cylindrical tower pipe assembly  12  to provide a housing within which the cooling medium and beverage are delivered. The tower pipe assembly  12  is conventionally mounted to the bar or counter top (not shown) using tower base washers  13  and a screw set. Extending within tower pipe assembly  12  is a refrigeration line  14  through which coolant is allowed to flow from a remote source, not shown, as is well known. Refrigeration line  14  terminates in a pair of barb nipples  15  for connection to a supply line from the remote coolant source, thus the coolant is always within a closed system recirculating to the remote source and through refrigeration line  14 . Also, extending into tower pipe assembly  12  is a beverage supply conduit  16  which connects with a fruit nipple  17  to a beverage source line from the remote beverage storage. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 5 , we utilize a cold block  18  having a forward tubular portion  20  defining a forwardly opening internal threaded bore  19 . A portion  21  of the exterior of cold block  18  surrounding the forward portion of the threaded bore  19  is reduced in diameter and terminates at a radiused portion  22  flaring outwardly to form a arcuate face on a base  23  of the cold block  18 . Base  23  circumscribes a smooth bore  24  opening rearwardly of base  23  and in communication with threaded bore  19  at a shoulder  25  internally of cold block  18 . Shoulder  25  extends radially and annularly of threaded bore  19  to define the larger diameter of smooth bore  24 . As may be seen in  FIG. 2  a cold block ring  26  slides onto reduced diameter portion  21  to abut radiused portion  22 . Cold block ring  26  has a rear face  27  which is radiused to form a complimentary arcuate face which cooperates with radiused portion  22  to form a circumferential groove  28  about cold block  18  into which refrigeration line  14  is routed to the fullest extent possible to provide maximum thermal contact between refrigeration line  14  and cold block  18  such that cold block  18  is maintained at a cooled temperature. It will be understood that the present invention can be used in a multi-tap configuration such that a single refrigeration line serves to chill several cold blocks. In such a situation, the circumferential groove allows the refrigeration line to extend linearly along the multi-tap configuration routed in the circumferential groove of each cold block to provide contact at two points, that is at the top and bottom of each cold block, at a portion thereof closes to the tap. Thus, the beverage being delivered undergoes the maximum chilling just before it is dispensed from the selected tap. 
         [0017]    Referring again to  FIG. 2  and to  FIG. 5 , we provide a welding nipple  31  that serves as the delivery terminus for beverage supply conduit  16 . Welding nipple  31  includes a rear annulus  32  surrounding a smooth rearwardly facing bore  33  into which beverage supply conduit  16  is received and joined to the welding nipple  31  by welding. Welding nipple  31  further includes a collar  34  extending radially outwardly of annulus  32 . Forwardly of collar  34  welding nipple  31  forms an integral connection nipple  36  having a smooth outer surface  37  and a reduced diameter bore  38 . Rearwardly facing bore  33  terminates at nipple shoulder  35  internally of welding nipple  31  near the rear side of collar  34  and communicates with reduced diameter forward bore  38 . Thus, beverage supply conduit  16  is in fluid communication with reduced diameter bore  38 . Collar  34  of welding nipple  31  fits snugly within smooth bore  24  of cold block  18  and abuts shoulder  25 , thus providing thermal communication between cold block  18  and welding nipple  31  such that welding nipple  31  is maintained at a cooled temperature. Referring again to  FIG. 2 , note that welding nipple  31  is held in place in smooth bore  24  by a cold block patti  39  which is a stamped metal plate formed to receive rear annulus  32  there through and provided with apertures  41  and  42  through which threaded fasteners  43  attach cold block patti  39  to the rear of cold block base  23 . A snap ring  45  seats within a locking groove  46  circumscribing rear annulus  32  to insure a secure connection of the welding nipple  31 , patti  39  and cold block  18 . 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , it will be understood that the foregoing assembled components will fit within tower pipe assembly  12  with the threaded bore  19  aligned with a port  40  formed in the tower pipe assembly. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , it can be seen that glycol shank  51  includes a threaded outer surface  52  that engages the threaded inner  19  of cold block  18  by passing through port  40 . Glycol shank  51  also includes a delivery bore  53  coaxial to threaded outer surface  52 . Delivery bore  53  also includes a plurality of annular recesses  54  sized to receive and retain a plurality of O-ring seals  55  which engage and seal against the smooth outer surface  37  of connection nipple  36  when the glycol shank  51  is fully threadedly engaged with the cold block  18 . Threaded outer surface  52  terminates near an annular collar  56  that includes an outwardly extending annular retaining flange  57  at its forward edge. The forward portion of glycol shank  51  beyond the flange  57  terminates in a splined rim  58  separated from the collar  56  by an annular recess  59 . Within the forward portion of glycol shank  51  a frusto-spherical bore  61  communicates with delivery bore  53 . 
         [0019]    As may be seen in  FIG. 1  conventional beverage dispensing spout  63  is provided to seat on the splined rim  58  and secured thereto by coupling nut  64  which includes an inner threaded bore for threaded engagement on the outer threaded surface of spout  63 . An inwardly extending rear flange  66  engages outwardly extending annular retaining flange of glycol shank  51  to connect the spout in a known manner. A tubular tower flange  68  cosmetically mates the tower assembly to coupling nut  64 . Referring to  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 3  it will be understood that faucet shaft assembly  71  is moved linearly by the action of tap lever  72  to seat in the frusto-spherical bore  61  in sealing relation or to an unseated position allowing beverage to flow through spout  63  as is well known. 
         [0020]    It will be appreciated that certain key relationships make this design far simpler to maintain and service that the prior art. Importantly, the O-rings  55  are carried within the removable glycol shank  51 . Thus, a technician servicing the dispensing tap can restore the unit to its original specifications by simply replacing the original glycol shank with a new shank having unworn O-ring seals. The original glycol shank can be readily refurbished at the technician&#39;s leisure by replacing the seals or the shank can be returned to a service center for refurbishing and reuse. Accordingly, the time the technician spends trying to remove and replace the sealing rings from a stationary dispensing tap is eliminated along with the protracted labor expense associated with the task. Likewise, the cold block is readily removed and replaced if necessary because welding nipple  31  is not permanently affixed thereto. Accordingly, cold block  18  may be detached from the welding nipple for any purpose which may arise including cleaning and the like by simply releasing the patti  39  and removing cold block ring  26  to disengage from the refrigeration line  14 . 
         [0021]    It is to be understood that the form of the invention shown is a preferred embodiment thereof and that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope as defined in the following claims.