Automatic beverage tube cleaner

Claim 1

An automatic cleaning apparatus for beverage delivery systems of the type having at least one conduit for carrying the beverage in a delivery direction from a pressurized beverage source to an output, the apparatus comprising: a first valve disposed in said conduit and controllably closable to isolate the beverage source from a downstream part of the conduit in said delivery direction; a pump, and pump valve in series with the pump, an inlet to the pipe being connected to the downstream part of the conduit and an outlet of the pump being connected to a drain, the pump and pump valve controllably operable to provide a fluid connection between the conduit and the drain and operable to forceably discharge the conduit opposite said delivery direction to the drain; a second valve connecting the downstream part of the conduit and a pressurized clean water source, the second valve being controllably operable to carry clean water to conduit; a third valve and one-way valve connecting the downstream part of the conduit to an unpressurized cleaning solution reservoir, the one-way valve siphoning cleaning solution from the reservoir to the third valve, and thereby to the conduits; and, a controller connected to the pump and to the first, second and third valves, the controller sequencing operation of the pump and first, second and third valves in a conduit cleaning mode, the controller alternately isolating the beverage source, flushing and draining the conduit with cleaning solution and with clean water.