US3675819A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Floating ingredient tank sold-out system for beverage dispensing machines
Assignee: Fawn Engineering Co
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Filing: 1970-08-18
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Granted: 1972-07-11
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Expires: 1990-08-18
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus for at least temporarily storing liquid material employs a container for such material that is ''''floated'''' in another body of liquid and shifts its position under the opposing influences of buoyancy and gravity in response to predetermined changes in the amount of material within the container, and sensing means for detecting such shifting of the position of the container to indicate the presence or absence in the container of a predetermined amount of the material. The apparatus further provides means for controlling the temperature of the body of liquid in which the container is immersed to in turn control the temperature of material within the container through heat exchange. Although the apparatus is adapted for a variety of applications, a preferred embodiment disclosed for illustrative purposes is especially suited for use in beverage vending or dispensing machines to handle beverage syrups or other liquid beverage forming ingredients and to indicate a ''''sold-out'''' condition thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 Theodore L Hanson
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-31 05:13
CPC Classifications
B; B67; B67D; B67D1/00; B67D1/08; B67D1/0857; B67D1/0858; B67D1/0861; B67D1/0864; B67D1/0042; B67D1/0078; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T137/00; Y10T137/7287; Y10T137/7339; Y10T137/7355
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
Apparatus for handling a liquid material comprising: tank means; a body of a liquid substance within said tank means; container means extending into said body and adapted to hold a variable amount of said liquid material therein, said container means being shiftable relative to said body and said tank means responsive to the opposing influences of gravity and buoyancy and dependent upon the amount of said liquid material held by said container means; means communicating with said container means for altering the amount of said liquid material therein; and means including structure on said tank means for sensing the position of said container means relative to said tank means as indicative of the amount of said liquid material in said container means. CM,2Invention of claim 1, wherein is provided means for maintaining the temperature of said body at a level other than ambient, whereby to control the temperature of said material within said container means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
28 words
The invention of claim 2, wherein said temperature maintaining means includes refrigerating means in heat exchanging relationship with said body for cooling the latter to refrigerate said material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said sensing means includes electrical control switching means mounted on the tank means and having associated structure disposed to be actuated whenever said container means rises relative thereto sufficiently to indicate the presence within said container means of less than a predetermined amount of said material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
87 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said altering means includes material outlet means communicating with said container means adjacent the lower part of the latter, a material delivery conduit coupled with said material outlet means and extending above the level of material within said container means, a fluid inlet cOmmunicating with said container means, and means coupled with said fluid inlet for introducing fluid under pressure into said container means to force material from the container means through said material outlet and into said material delivery conduit.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The invention of claim 5, wherein said fluid introduced into said container means through said fluid inlet includes an initially introduced first fluid and a subsequent introduced second and different fluid.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The invention of claim 6, wherein said first fluid is a liquid and said second fluid is a gas.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The invention of claim 7, wherein said first fluid is said material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
16 words
The invention of claim 8, wherein said material is of greater density than said liquid substance.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
The invention of claim 7, wherein said container means is provided with a venting port and means for closing said port.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
49 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said material is of greater density than said substance, and there is provided means for maintaining any portion of the interior of said container means not occupied by said material filled with a fluid of lesser density than said material and said substance.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
74 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said altering means includes means for permitting introduction of said material into said container means until the latter is filled with a predetermined quantity of said material, and means for delivering incremental quantities of said material from said container means; and said sensing means operates responsive to a predetermined rise in the position of said container means to indicate substantial exhaustion of said material from said container means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
184 words
The invention of claim 1, wherein said apparatus constitutes part of a liquid beverage dispensing or vending machine; said substance is water; refrigerating means are provided in heat exchanging relationship with said body of water to cool the same; said container means is in heat exchanging relationship with said body of water to maintain said material in said container means in cooled condition; said container means is provided with material outlet means communicating with said container means adjacent the lower part of the latter and a fluid inlet communicating with said container means adjacent the top of the latter; said material is an edible beverage component with a density greater than water; means adapted for coupling said fluid inlet with a carbon dioxide gas pressured source of said component material are provided for forcing quantities of saId beverage component material out of said container means and through said material outlet means; and said sensing means includes an electrical control switch operated by a predetermined rise in the position of said container means responsive to substantial exhaustion of said beverage component from said container means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2972972A
Cited
US2952209A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-07-11 | 1976-01-10 | 1976-07-11 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-07-11 | 1980-01-10 | 1980-07-11 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-07-11 | 1984-01-10 | 1984-07-11 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |