Premix dispensing system

Claim 1

A premix dispenser comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a refrigeration system mounted in said housing and including a plurality of beverage cooling coils; (c) a CO 2 cylinder; (d) a plurality of beverage dispensing valves and a plurality of buttons for actuating a respective one of said valves to dispense a beverage; (e) a plurality of adaptors for connecting to an opening in a respective one of a plurality of premix beverage containers, said containers being completely open to atmosphere through aid openings; (f) CO 2 conduit means connecting said CO 2 cylinder to each of said adapters; (g) a plurality of beverage conduits connected one each between a respective one of said adapters and a respective one of said cooling coils; (h) a plurality of beverage valve conduits connected one each between a respective one of said cooling coils and a respective one of said valves; (i) regulator means for controlling the pressure of CO 2 applied to said adaptors; (j) each of said adapters including: (i) a beverage passageway having an external fitting for connecting to one of said beverage container conduits and having a dip tube for extending down into average container; said beverage passageway including only a check valve therein for preventing beverage from flowing backwards through said passageway and dip tube; (ii) a CO 2 passageway including only a single valve means therein movable between a normally closed first position closing said CO 2 passageway, and a second, open position opening said CO 2 passageway; and (iii) connecting means for matingly connecting said adapter to a premix beverage container connecting means.

Claim 15

A method for dispensing any one of a plurality of cold beverages comprising the steps of: (a) pressurizing a plurality of premix containers with CO 2 gas at a pressure of about 55 psi to both dispense beverage therefrom and to maintain their carbonation; (b) feeding beverage from each of said containers through a respective adapter and a beverage conduit connected to said adapter to a beverage dispensing valve; (c) cooling the beverage in said conduits; and (d) said pressurizing step comprising connecting a CO 2 conduit to said adapter having a normally closed CO 2 valve, having coupling means for connecting said adapter to an opening of a beverage container through which opening said container is completely container through which opening said container is completely open to atmosphere, and having valve actuating means for automatically opening said CO 2 conduit when said adapter is connected to a container, and connecting said adapter to a container to pressure said container.

Claim 16

A method for dispensing any one of a plurality of cold beverages comprising the steps of: (a) pressurizing a plurality of premix containers with CO 2 gas at a pressure of about 55 psi to both dispense beverage therefrom and to maintain their carbonation; (b) feeding beverage from each of said containers through a respective adapter and a beverage conduit connected to said adapter to a beverage dispensing valve; (c) cooling the beverage in said conduits; and (d) said pressurizing step comprising connecting a CO 2 conduit to said adapter having a normally closed CO 2 valve, having coupling means for connecting said adapter to an opening of a beverage container through which opening said container is completely container through which opening said container is completely open to atmosphere, and having valve actuating means for automatically opening said CO 2 conduit when said adapter is connected to a container, and connecting said adapter to a container to pressure said container.