Patent Document

[0001]     This is a U.S. Non-Provisional application based on and claiming the filing date and priority of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/796,728 filed on May 2, 2006, and relates to an apparatus and method for constructing, use and refurbishment of a beverage/ice dispenser. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Beverage and/or ice dispensing machines (hereinafter jointly referred to as beverage/ice machines) are commonly used in the broad array of establishments providing beverages and food. The beverage/ice dispensing machines are designed to maintain the desired temperature of the dispensed beverage through the use of refrigeration and/or ice and insulation on their components. Foams, such as polyurethane, are often used as insulating products in these machines since they are a relatively inexpensive, can be molded or sprayed and are an effective insulating product. The major components such as ice bins, lines, pipes, hoses etc. are coated with insulating foam to maintain the desired temperature as the beverage and/or ice is routed through the machine to the dispensing point, such as a valve or spigot.  
         [0003]     The beverage/ice dispensing machines are typically used by large numbers of customers and or service personal. The heavy usage of these machines results in various beverages and materials being spilled onto the components. The spilled liquids can not be easily removed or extracted from the foam creating an environment for the growth of mold and bacteria. Cleaning is difficult because the foam insulation is easily damaged, scratched and deteriorates when attempted to clean it, such as by rubbing the insulation with wet cloths. The beverage/ice dispensing machines must on occasion then be removed from the establishments, cleaned and refurbished, or rebuilt to extend their operating lives. This process usually involves removing and replacing the old insulation and cleaning and disinfecting the components. This is a costly and inconvenient process due to the current means for insulating components.  
         [0004]     Various inventions have been proposed to solve the above problem. One machine integrates many of the major components into one unit which can be removed from the main unit allowing easier cleaning and eliminating the necessity of removing the entire machine from the premises. However, foam insulation will still deteriorate over time from the extensive cleaning and or scouring required to prevent the growth of mold and bacteria.  
         [0005]     It would therefore be highly desirable to have an insulated beverage/ice dispenser that provides for maintaining the beverage or ice constituents at the required temperature without more expensive hardware and yet preserve the insulating foam.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0006]     The present invention provides a foam such as polyurethane with a hard coating, such as a urethane, encasing the foam and the beverage/ice dispensing machine components. The inner polyurethane coating provides the inexpensive insulation. The outer urethane coating provides a hard easy to clean surface that resists the growth of mold and bacteria and provides a nonporous rigid structure so that the two coatings can make up a structural unit of the beverage/ice dispensing machine. The dual coated component units eliminate the need for costly and inconvenient replacement of polyurethane foam insulation that is damaged by use and/or harsh cleaning. While urethane foam and hard coat are preferred, other suitable materials to be used are foams, and epoxies, or plastic hard coat.  
       OBJECT OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     One object of the invention is to provide beverage/ice dispensing machine components with a foam coating such as polyurethane which forms an inner insulation and an outer hard coating thereon such as provided by a urethane, such as Chemthane 7000, to allow the outer surfaces to be easily cleaned, thus resisting the growth of mold and bacteria.  
         [0008]     Another object of the invention is to provide for dual coated components to serve as at least a portion of the structural unit of the ice and/or beverage dispensing machine.  
         [0009]     Another object of the invention is to reduce the need for or frequency of removal of the ice and/or beverage dispensing machine from its commercial location for cleaning and replacing soiled and damaged foam providing cost savings in the form of reduced machine operation costs and maintenance.  
         [0010]     Yet another object of the present invention is to make it less expensive to refurbish or rebuild such beverage/ice machines by making the foamed/hard coated components more reusable and giving them a longer useful life.  
         [0011]     Still another object of the present invention is to eliminate one or more pieces used in making a sandwiched construction; foam and hard coating is now used, instead.  
         [0012]     Still another object of the present invention is to eliminate one or more of the pieces required in making a sandwiched construction.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an ice cooled, beverage/ice dispensing machine.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective interior view of an ice cooled beverage/ice dispensing structure or tower, showing an ice bin and a plurality of drink dispensing valves.  
         [0015]      FIG. 3  is a cut away view of a sandwiched construction of the prior art for an ice bin.  
         [0016]      FIGS. 3A  is a cut away view of a side of the ice container bin of a sandwiched construction of the present invention of an ice cooled beverage/ice dispensing tower.  
         [0017]      FIG. 3B  is a cut away view of an alternative construction for the ice container bin of an ice cooled beverage/ice dispenser tower.  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is a front elevational view of an ice cooled beverage/ice dispensing tower showing the beverage dispensing hoses entering the tower and to be connected to the dispensing valves (not shown).  
         [0019]      FIG. 5A  is an enlarged elevational view of beverage delivery hoses for the dispenser shown in  FIGS. 1 and 4 .  
         [0020]      FIG. 5B  is an enlarged elevational view of beverage delivery hoses enclosed in foam insulation with a hard coating on its outer surface.  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along the line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5B  of foam insulation shown in  FIG. 5B  with a hard coating thereon. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0022]     In  FIGS. 1 and 2  there is shown a beverage/ice dispensing machine  1  having a top  3 A with an ice bin  5  ( FIG. 2 ) there beneath and two of the four exterior sides  3  and a tower portion  4  having a panel wall  2 . Mounted on the tower portion  4  are a plurality of beverage dispensing valves  15  which extend over a drip tray  4 A.  
         [0023]     In  FIG. 2  there is shown the interior structure of machine or unit  1  including two of the four interior sides  7  and the bottom  9  of the beverage dispensing tower&#39;s ice container bin  5 . The beverages from a location (not shown) outside the beverage dispensing tower  4  are routed though the refrigeration/ice cooled block or cold plate  11 , usually located in the bottom of the ice bin  5 , by means of beverage delivery hoses or lines  13  (see  FIGS. 4, 5A  and B and  6 ) through the tower  4  to the dispensing point valves or spigots  15 . Ice of course is normally loaded on the top of the cold plate  11  and used to cool the beverages, the ice being provided by an ice maker contained in the unit (not shown) or manually loaded into the bin.  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  shows the prior art construction typically for an interior of the ice bin and/or bottom, wherein the foam was usually formed between inner and outer parts  14 A and  14 B made of stainless steel or plastic, such as by injection molding, with the foam insulation  19 A being injected there between. While this construction protected the foam, it was expensive and required two other parts, the inner and outer parts  14 A and  14 B, which in the case of ice bins were bulky and relatively expensive, and if made of plastic, subject to damage before being assembled. Alternatively in the prior art, the foam was sprayed onto the inner panel, usually stainless steel, and then left exposed and unprotected on its exterior.  
         [0025]     In  FIG. 3A  there is shown a typical side  7  of the present invention comprising an inner panel  21 , such as stainless steel coated with a foam  19 , such as polyurethane, which is then subsequently spray coated with an outer hard coating  17 , such as urethane, as for example sold under the brand Chemthane 7000. The foam could be of from 1.00 to 5.00 inches thick, with a thickness of about 1.50 to 3.00 inches preferred, and in this instance is 2.00 avg. inches thick. The hard coat could be from 0.005 to 0.125 inches thick, with a thickness of about 0.015 to 0.060 inches preferred, and in this instance about 0.015 inches. Of course thickness of the foam and hard coating could vary depending upon the function to be preferred and for different components/locations in the machine and/or temperature gradient trying to be maintained by the foam insulation. The foam and outer hard coating may be similar composition to the insulation, with just the aeration or foaming compound not included in the hard coat formulation. Examples of other suitable foams are: flexible polyurethane foams, and rigid sheet foams. Examples of other suitable hard coats are: epoxies, plastics, rubbers, and other polyurethane/polyurea products.  
         [0026]     In  FIG. 3B  there is shown alternatively formed molded or panel of the present invention including polyurethane  19 ′ foam on a stainless steel part  21 ′ of the ice bin  5  with a hard coating  17 ′ on the outside surface of the foam  19 ′ forming a typical side  7 ′ of the ice bin  5 . It should be understood in this construction the outer shell of hard coat  17 ′ could be first formed as by spraying the hard coating in a liquid stage into a mold and then the inner stainless steel part  21 ′ placed therein, but spaced apart, and then the foam  19 ′ injected there between. The use of a second and/or an outer stainless steel such as  14 B or other material, as shown in the prior art, has been eliminated. The hard coating  17  or  17 ′ replaces such outer coating ( 14 B) at considerably lower cost and ease of manufacture.  
         [0027]     In  FIG. 4  there is shown the uninsulated beverage dispensing hoses or lines  13  that at their bottoms would be connected at  13 A to the cold plate  11 . The lines  13  have bottom connectors  13 A from which the lines  13  enter the beverage dispensing tower  2  and angularly disperse through the back panel  23  to connect to the plurality of spaced spigot/valve  15 .  
         [0028]     In  FIG. 5A  there is shown on a somewhat enlarged scale the beverage dispensing hard lines or hoses  13  of  FIG. 4  angled at the back panel to connect with the spigots/valves  15  shown in  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 5A  no foam insulation has yet been applied to the component  13 .  
         [0029]     In  FIG. 5B  there is shown enlarged beverage component or dispensing hoses  13  again angled at the back panel to connect to the spaced spigots/valve  15 , but now coated with a block of foam such as polyurethane  19 , and then the foam  19  further coated with a hard coating such as urethane  17 . As noted, if sprayed the foam would be applied first then the hard coat sprayed on. If molded, the order is reversed. A mold is first sprayed with hard coat; then the lines  13  would be located therein and then the foam injected into the mold to cover the component or lines  13  and to lie within the hard outer coating.  FIG. 6  shows how the foam  19  insulates the lines or components  13 , while the hard coat  17  protects the foam  19 .  
         [0030]     While the present invention is shown with a beverage ice containing tower, it can be used with other beverage and/or ice dispensing devices. The provision of the hard coating on the insulation of such beverage/ice dispensing machines reduces the cost of manufacture, reduces maintenance costs, presents a better image to the user or store operator, is easier to clean and maintain, and is less costly to refurbish or rebuild. As noted, costly and expensive to form or fabricate sandwich construction (metal (stainless steel) or plastic (injected) foam, (metal (stainless steel)) heretofore used, can be replaced by the less expensive metal (stainless steel), foam, hard coat sandwich construction of the present invention with the foregoing advantages. As noted the present invention metal (stainless steel) foam, hard coat construction can be either spray formed on the metal part or molded in and removed from a mold.  
         [0031]     While the described embodiments disclosure certain steps and elements, it should be understood that the present invention could be used for any dispenser for ice alone, beverages alone, be they hot, cold or both, and like herein a dispenser of both ice and beverages. Further, it should be understood the equivalent steps and elements will fall within the scope of the following claims.

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