WO2000053346A1 - An apparatus for sanitizing drink dispensers - Google Patents
An apparatus for sanitizing drink dispensers Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2000053346A1 WO2000053346A1 PCT/EP1999/006427 EP9906427W WO0053346A1 WO 2000053346 A1 WO2000053346 A1 WO 2000053346A1 EP 9906427 W EP9906427 W EP 9906427W WO 0053346 A1 WO0053346 A1 WO 0053346A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- sanitizing
- sanitizing apparatus
- outlet
- fitting
- fittings
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D1/00—Apparatus or devices for dispensing beverages on draught
- B67D1/07—Cleaning beverage-dispensing apparatus
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B08—CLEANING
- B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B08B9/00—Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto
- B08B9/02—Cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes
- B08B9/027—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages
- B08B9/032—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages by the mechanical action of a moving fluid, e.g. by flushing
- B08B9/0321—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages by the mechanical action of a moving fluid, e.g. by flushing using pressurised, pulsating or purging fluid
- B08B9/0323—Arrangements specially designed for simultaneous and parallel cleaning of a plurality of conduits
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B08—CLEANING
- B08B—CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- B08B9/00—Cleaning hollow articles by methods or apparatus specially adapted thereto
- B08B9/02—Cleaning pipes or tubes or systems of pipes or tubes
- B08B9/027—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages
- B08B9/032—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages by the mechanical action of a moving fluid, e.g. by flushing
- B08B9/0321—Cleaning the internal surfaces; Removal of blockages by the mechanical action of a moving fluid, e.g. by flushing using pressurised, pulsating or purging fluid
- B08B9/0325—Control mechanisms therefor
Definitions
- the present invention relates to an apparatus for sanitizing machines and systems for dispensing drinks and beverages, and more particularly for washing the piping, the cooling coils and the inner devices of such machines and systems.
- Drink dispensers and drink dispensing systems can store and dispense large amounts of drinks, such as carbonated anaboic drinks, beer, wine, etc., at a controlled temperature, and the distance between the beverage containers or cans and the dispensing device can be large.
- the drinks can be of the type known as "pre-mix", i.e. a drink that is dispensed by the machine as it has been filled in the cans or drums by the producer, without any addition of water or other ingredients, or of the so-called “post-mix” type when a concentrated syrup is mixed with water, either carbonated or natural to obtain the drink.
- Fig. 7 schematically shows a system for dispensing pre-mix drinks.
- the system comprises some cans 50-53 containing the drinks, a C02 cylinder or bottle 54 connected to the cans via tubes or pipes 60a, b, c, d, a cooling machine 55 incorporating a separate vessel for each drink, each vessel being connected to the corresponding drink can via tubes or pipes 61a, b, c, d, and a dispensing device 58.
- the conduits 56 connecting the cooling machine 55 to the dispensing device are properly lagged.
- a sanitizing operation or sanitation substantially comprises a (multiple cycles) wash of the conduits and the devices forming the drink dispenser or drink dispensing system, with suitable chemicals that removes from the conduits the deposits left by the drinks, while carrying out a disinfecting action to prevent bacterial growths.
- the invention achieves the above objects through an apparatus for sanitizing drink dispensers and drink dispensing systems as claimed in claim 1. Additional advantageous features are the objects of the depending claims .
- a person with only a minimal knowledge of the systems such as for example the machine operator or the warehauser, is enabled to carry out the sanitizing of a dispenser or a dispensing system without difficulties and without risks. This way the intervention of skilled personnel from outside is avoided, and the treatment is rendered more rapid and efficient.
- the apparatus is further adapted to be programmed to comply with the requirements and the constructions of machines and systems of different types.
- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the front part of an apparatus according to the invention
- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear part of an apparatus according to the invention.
- Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention
- Figures 4 and 5 are block diagrams of a second and a third embodiment of the invention, respectively
- Fig. 6 is a time chart illustrating a washing cycle of the apparatus of Fig. 3
- Fig. 8 schematically illustrates the connection between the system of Fig. 7 and an apparatus according to the invention.
- an apparatus according to the invention is received in a metal case or housing 1 provided with outlet fittings or ports 11, 12, 13 and 14 (preferably equipped with valve means) .
- Each fitting can be connected to at least one line of the drink dispensing system, and to this aim each fitting is equipped with a rapid connection device or head.
- a block bar 3 that will be disclosed in detail later, and a control and display panel 4.
- a water inlet fitting 6 and an inlet fitting 7 for a gas for example C02 or N2 or a mixture thereof, to be connected to one or more gas sources (such as bottles, cylinders or reservoirs not shown in the drawings) .
- gases are usually available in any dispensing system.
- a power supply switch 8 and a power supply plug for the electrical feeding typically from a 220 V A.C.
- the apparatus comprises a tank or reservoir of a concentrated detergent that can be connected via a pump 20 to a mixer 19, and is provided with a level sensor 37.
- the mixer 19 is in turn connected to four tubes or conduits.
- the other end of each tube is connected to one of the outlet fittings 11-14, with a control device such as a solenoid valve 21, 22, 23 and 24 inserted in each tube.
- Each valve 21-24 is independently controlled by programmable control means, schematically represented by an electronic control unit 40, e.g. programmable by inserting proper electronic cards into slots of unit 40.
- the control and display panel 4 is connected to the unit 40, and an external programmer 41 can be connected to such unit.
- the fitting 6 for the inlet of water and the fitting 7 for the inlet of a gas are connected to the inlet of mixer 19 through respective solenoid valves 16 and 17 controlled by the unit 40. Moreover, along the tube connecting the water fitting 6 and the mixer 19 there are inserted, respectively upwardly and downwardly of the solenoid valve 16, a mechanical filter 15 and a. The signal output of the flowmeter 18 is connected to the unit 40 for supplying information about the flow rate of the water being fed to the mixer.
- the mixer 19 needs not to be formed as a discrete component, since a mixing of the water and the gas can be accomplished in different ways, such as in tube sections having properly enlarged and/or restricted cross-sections. For this reason the mixer 19 is shown in dashed lines in Fig. 3.
- the unit 40 operates in accordance with one or more programs included in such unit, typically programs written in a memory Ml by an external programming device 41 adapted to insert and/or modify the washing data/parameters and the instructions.
- Unit 40 contains an additional memory M2 for recording the events, that can be read out through the same device 41, in order to verify the proper operation of the apparatus and/or the washing cycle, and in case to trace possible malfunctions.
- a blocking arrangement is provided for the fittings 11-14 and comprises a bar 3 actuated by an electromagnet 25 under commands from unit 40 to allow the fitting disengagement only at the end of the cycle, thus preventing the fortuitous or wrong interruption of the cycle by an accidental disengagement of the fittings.
- a similar block is caused also by a mains breakdown and in this latter situation, since the current phase of the cycle is stored (in 40) , the cycle is correctly resumed when the feeding is restored.
- the apparatus according to the invention is connected to a dispensing system such as the one illustrated in Fig. 7.
- the fitting 7 for gas inlet is connected to the C02 cylinder 54, while the fitting 6 for water inlet is connected to a (not shown) water intake or tap of the water system.
- the four outlet fittings 11-14 are connected to the tubes 60a, b, c, d after these latter have been disconnected from the respective cans and a device 57 for draining the liquids is properly connected to the dispensing device 58.
- the operation of the apparatus according to the invention will now be disclosed. After the dispensing machine has been switched off and the system has been disconnected from the drinks cans, and the fittings 6 and 7 have been connected to suitable supplies of water and gas, and the fittings 11-14 have been connected to the dispenser to be sanitized, for example as shown in Fig. 8, in order to start the washing cycle, the following requirements are to be met : 1. the detergent is present in the tank as detected by the sensor 37;
- block bar 3 is in a lowered (safety) position
- the sanitizing cycle starts with a C02 prewashing by activating (energizing) the main solenoid valve 16 and the solenoid valve 21 connected to the outlet fitting 11.
- the flowing water actuates the flowmeter 18 that in turn forwards to the unit 40 a signal representative of the flow rate.
- the control unit 40 drives the pump 20 to draw an amount of detergent proportional to the water flow and in accordance with the programmed characteristics of the cycle.
- the detergent injected by the pump into the circuit forms with the water a cleansing and sanitizing solution that is properly blended in mixer 19 and reaches the flowmeter 21 of the first outlet 11.
- the flowmeter 21 transfers to the unit 40 information about the flow rate effectively coming out from the outlet 11. If a gas is provided for in the solution, also the solenoid valve 17 will be actuated. Only after a predetermined amount of solution has been delivered the apparatus switches to the next cycle phase or the next cycle. At the end of the cycle the fitting block bar is disengaged.
- the apparatus can perform a programmable cycle, for example the one listed hereinbelow and illustrated in Fig. 6. Prewashing with C02 Prewashing Pause duration 1 Washing with C02 Washing Pause duration 2 Rinse Emptying with C02 where all the phases are programmable in respect of the flow or the duration, with different values for each outlet .
- the cycle is advantageously made up of different phases.
- the first phase provides for a prewashing with C02 in order to remove the bulk of the residues by exploiting the chemical action of the cleansing solution together with the mechanical action exerted by the gas injected.
- the gas is injected for times and at pressures in accordance with the specific system to be sanitized, through the pressure reducer already present in the system.
- the subsequent prewashing without C02 aims to prepare the system to the first pause.
- This phase allows to remove from the pipes gas bubbles that could form in the pipes and could hinder the action of the cleansing and sanitizing solution occurring during the first pause.
- the cycle proceeds with the rinsing phase with flowing water to remove the sanitizing solution from the system.
- the subsequent emptying of the tubes with C02 removes from the pipes any remaining water.
- the system of the dispensing machine is now ready " to be reconnected to the beverage cans and then the dispenser is started.
- the phases of the cycle are carried out in sequence on a single outlet (11-14) one at a time.
- the embodiment of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 4 is adapted to sequentially carry out the phases of a cycle on two outlets (11-14) at a time.
- the outlet fittings 11-14 are connected together in couples, upwardly of the respective solenoid valves 21-24 and of the C02 inlet fitting 7, and downwardly of the associated solenoid valve 17.
- a flowmeter 35 is inserted between the mixer 19 and the common connection point of outlets 11 and 12, and a flowmeter 36 is inserted between the mixer 19 and the common connection point of outlets 13 and 14, such flowmeters inputting the respective flow information to the unit 40.
- the phases of the cycle are carried out simultaneously at all the four outlets (11-14) .
- the C02 inlet fitting 7 is directly connected to each one of the outlet fittings 11-14, upwardly of the respective solenoid valves 21-24.
- flowmeters 31-34 each connected between the mixer 19 and one solenoid valve 21-24 of the outlet fittings 11-14, these flowmeters being connected to the programmable control means 40 for independently adjusting the flow rate of the mixture delivered from each outlet fitting 11-14.
- the basic structure of the apparatus according to the invention allows for easily obtaining several arrangements differing from one another by the outlet numbers, the number of flowmeters in the outlet tubes, etc. Thus it is possible to obtain a large flexibility with a cost and a performance of the apparatus that precisely comply with the system or machine to be sanitized.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
AU57438/99A AU5743899A (en) | 1999-03-11 | 1999-09-01 | An apparatus for sanitizing drink dispensers |
EP99944577A EP1161310A1 (en) | 1999-03-11 | 1999-09-01 | An apparatus for sanitizing drink dispensers |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
ITMI990490 IT1308653B1 (en) | 1999-03-11 | 1999-03-11 | EQUIPMENT FOR THE SANITIZATION OF BEVERAGE DISPENSING MACHINES |
ITMI99A00490 | 1999-03-11 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2000053346A1 true WO2000053346A1 (en) | 2000-09-14 |
Family
ID=11382230
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP1999/006427 WO2000053346A1 (en) | 1999-03-11 | 1999-09-01 | An apparatus for sanitizing drink dispensers |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1161310A1 (en) |
AU (1) | AU5743899A (en) |
IT (1) | IT1308653B1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2000053346A1 (en) |
Cited By (7)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6763860B2 (en) | 2001-07-10 | 2004-07-20 | Ecolab, Inc. | Flow-based chemical dispense system |
WO2005084832A1 (en) * | 2004-02-27 | 2005-09-15 | Cleverclear Limited | Cleaning a plurality of supply lines |
WO2005087397A1 (en) * | 2004-03-12 | 2005-09-22 | Gregory Moore | An apparatus and method for cleaning beverage lines |
CN103934244A (en) * | 2014-05-12 | 2014-07-23 | 中盐皓龙盐化有限责任公司 | Handling method for tube plugging of salt foot salt blocks in salt manufacturing industry |
WO2016051204A3 (en) * | 2014-10-04 | 2016-05-26 | Phoenix Abc Ltd | Beverage line cleaning system and method |
WO2018136715A1 (en) | 2017-01-19 | 2018-07-26 | The Coca-Cola Company | Automated cleaning system for beverage dispensing machine |
US10464799B2 (en) | 2012-12-19 | 2019-11-05 | Beersmart, Llc | System and method for beverage line cleaning |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4572230A (en) * | 1983-06-22 | 1986-02-25 | Mirabile Paul J | Beverage tube cleaner |
DE4025624A1 (en) * | 1989-08-11 | 1991-02-14 | Frank Maldonado | Cleaning system for pressure fed beer dispenser - has programmable control unit, 3 way valve and cleaning fluid container for efficient hygiene routine |
EP0487214A1 (en) * | 1990-11-19 | 1992-05-27 | The Commonwealth Industrial Gases Limited | Beverage dispensing system cleaning apparatus |
US5762096A (en) * | 1997-02-12 | 1998-06-09 | Pnm, Inc. | Computer controlled portable gravity flow conduit cleaner |
-
1999
- 1999-03-11 IT ITMI990490 patent/IT1308653B1/en active
- 1999-09-01 AU AU57438/99A patent/AU5743899A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1999-09-01 WO PCT/EP1999/006427 patent/WO2000053346A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 1999-09-01 EP EP99944577A patent/EP1161310A1/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4572230A (en) * | 1983-06-22 | 1986-02-25 | Mirabile Paul J | Beverage tube cleaner |
DE4025624A1 (en) * | 1989-08-11 | 1991-02-14 | Frank Maldonado | Cleaning system for pressure fed beer dispenser - has programmable control unit, 3 way valve and cleaning fluid container for efficient hygiene routine |
EP0487214A1 (en) * | 1990-11-19 | 1992-05-27 | The Commonwealth Industrial Gases Limited | Beverage dispensing system cleaning apparatus |
US5762096A (en) * | 1997-02-12 | 1998-06-09 | Pnm, Inc. | Computer controlled portable gravity flow conduit cleaner |
Cited By (13)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6763860B2 (en) | 2001-07-10 | 2004-07-20 | Ecolab, Inc. | Flow-based chemical dispense system |
WO2005084832A1 (en) * | 2004-02-27 | 2005-09-15 | Cleverclear Limited | Cleaning a plurality of supply lines |
WO2005087397A1 (en) * | 2004-03-12 | 2005-09-22 | Gregory Moore | An apparatus and method for cleaning beverage lines |
US8069866B2 (en) | 2004-03-12 | 2011-12-06 | Gregory Moore | Apparatus and method for cleaning beverage lines |
US10981770B2 (en) | 2012-12-19 | 2021-04-20 | Breakwall Analytics, Llc | System and method for beverage line cleaning |
US10464799B2 (en) | 2012-12-19 | 2019-11-05 | Beersmart, Llc | System and method for beverage line cleaning |
US11878902B2 (en) | 2012-12-19 | 2024-01-23 | Drink Modern Technologies, LLC | System and method for beverage line cleaning |
US11591204B2 (en) | 2012-12-19 | 2023-02-28 | Breakwall Analytics, Llc | System and method for beverage line cleaning |
CN103934244A (en) * | 2014-05-12 | 2014-07-23 | 中盐皓龙盐化有限责任公司 | Handling method for tube plugging of salt foot salt blocks in salt manufacturing industry |
WO2016051204A3 (en) * | 2014-10-04 | 2016-05-26 | Phoenix Abc Ltd | Beverage line cleaning system and method |
WO2018136715A1 (en) | 2017-01-19 | 2018-07-26 | The Coca-Cola Company | Automated cleaning system for beverage dispensing machine |
US10822219B2 (en) | 2017-01-19 | 2020-11-03 | The Coca Cola Company | Automated cleaning system for beverage dispensing machine |
EP3571155A4 (en) * | 2017-01-19 | 2020-09-09 | The Coca-Cola Company | Automated cleaning system for beverage dispensing machine |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
AU5743899A (en) | 2000-09-28 |
ITMI990490A1 (en) | 2000-09-11 |
IT1308653B1 (en) | 2002-01-09 |
EP1161310A1 (en) | 2001-12-12 |
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