This invention relates to a beverage dispense system for dispensing chilled beverages. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively applicable to the dispense of alcoholic beverages, especially carbonated beverages such as beer, lager cider or the like.

Conventional dispensing systems for beer/lager/cider typically have a bulk beverage supply container located in a cold room (often called a cellar room) remote from the bar counter and the beverage is transferred in a supply line from the cellar room to the bar for dispense into a glass for consumption by the customer. Such containers are commonly called kegs and come in a variety of different sizes typically from 5 litres to 50 litres.

The cellar temperature may be controlled to chill the beverage to a desired temperature for dispense or, if a lower dispense temperature is required, the beverage may be further chilled in the cellar by passing the beverage supply line from the container through a cooler.

The conventional dispensing system requires a suitable remote location for the keg and cooler. Where there is no suitable location, the keg can be provided with a dispense unit including a tap for dispensing the beer/lager locally. This gives rise to problems, however, in cooling the beer/lager to the desired dispense temperature.

The present invention has been made from a consideration of the foregoing problem. According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a beverage dispense system comprising a beverage container having a beverage chamber provided with an outlet, a dispense unit including a tap connected to the outlet, a cooling jacket for cooling beverage within the container, the jacket comprising a plurality of thermally conductive members with inwardly facing surfaces thereof arranged to contact an opposed outwardly facing thermally conductive surface of the beverage chamber, the members being spaced apart circumferentially of the beverage chamber and having a channel therein to receive a cooling coil for cooling the members such that beverage within the beverage chamber is cooled by heat exchange with the members.

The members enhance the heat transfer for cooling the beverage within the beverage container by providing a large contact surface area with the opposed surface of the beverage chamber.

Preferably, the members are made of metal or alloy having a high thermal conductivity and low mass. For example, the members may be made of aluminium. In this way, heat transfer is optimised for cooling the beverage.

Preferably, the members are connected to a support element for securing the jacket around the container with the inwardly facing surfaces of the members in close contact with the outwardly facing surface of the beverage chamber.

Preferably, the inwardly facing surfaces of the members have an arcuate profile to improve contact with the outwardly facing surface of the beverage chamber. For example, the inwardly facing surfaces of the members may be concave.

Preferably, the cooling coil is of serpentine shape and each member has a pair of channels arranged to receive a generally U-shaped part of the serpentine cooling coil.

Preferably, the support element and cooling coil are at least partially flexible to assist fitting the jacket to and removing the jacket from the container. For example, the support element may comprise a spring plate and the cooling coil may comprise copper tube.

The jacket may extend around all or part of the outer surface of the beverage chamber. Preferably, the jacket extends a pproximately 180° around the outer surface and may be held in place by the resilience of the spring plate. In this way, fitment/removal of the jacket is facilitated. Alternatively or additionally, the jacket may be provided with a fastening strap or band that extends completely around the outer surface of the beverage chamber.

Preferably, the cooling coil is retained in place by the support element. For example, the channels may be formed in outwardly facing surfaces of the members to which the support element is attached to extend across the channels and retain the cooling coil therein.

Alternatively or additionally, the cooling coil may be an interference fit in the channels. In this way, the contact area between the coil and the members is increased and heat transfer between the coil and the members may be enhanced. In one arrangement, the coil and channels have matching cross-sections and the coil is a press fit in the channels and is retained therein by friction. In another arrangement, the coil and channels have different cross-sections and the coil is a push fit in the channels and is retained by locally deforming the tube to the shape of the channels .

Preferably, the inwardly facing surfaces of the members and the opposed surface of the container have co-operating formations to assist locating the jacket on the container. For example, the container may have an annular rib received in a mating groove in the inwardly facing surfaces of the members .

Preferably, a temperature sensor such as a thermostat is arranged to contact the outwardly facing thermally conductive surface of the beverage chamber for monitoring the temperature of the beverage in the chamber. The temperature sensor may be biased, for example spring loaded, to maintain contact with the thermally conductive surface of the beverage chamber.

Preferably, the cooling coil comprises an evaporator of a refrigeration unit responsive to the temperature sensor to maintain a desired beverage temperature for dispense. The temperature sensor may be adjustable to set the desired beverage temperature.

Preferably, the jacket is housed in a cabinet of a beverage dispenser having an insulated compartment arranged to receive the container such that the effect of ambient temperature on the temperature of the beverage in the container is reduced. Preferably, the cabinet also houses the other parts of the refrigeration unit. For example, the other parts of the refrigeration unit may be housed in a compartment separate from the insulated compartment.

According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a beverage dispense system comprising a beverage container having a beverage outlet, a dispense unit connected to the beverage outlet for dispensing beverage, and a cooling unit arranged to cool beverage in the container, the cooling unit including a source of cooling fluid, a line through which the cooling fluid is circulated, and at least one heat transfer member in thermal contact with an outer surface of the container and the cooling fluid.

The coolant line may be part of a refrigeration system and the cooling fluid is a refrigerant. Alternatively, the coolant line may be part of a coolant re-circulation system and the cooling fluid is chilled water or a chilled water/glycol mixture.

According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a beverage dispense system comprising a beverage container having a beverage outlet, a dispense unit connected to the beverage outlet for dispensing beverage, a cooling unit arranged to cool beverage in the container, and a cabinet arranged to receive the container and insulate the container from the environment in which the container is placed.

Insulating the container from the environment reduces the effect of ambient temperature on the beverage cooling. According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of cooling a beverage in a beverage container, comprising providing a beverage container with a beverage chamber, locating a plurality of heat transfer members in thermal contact with an external surface of the beverage chamber, arranging a cooling coil in thermal contact with the members, and circulating a cooling fluid through the coil for cooling beverage in the beverage chamber.

The heat transfer members increase the efficiency of heat transfer between the cooling fluid in the coil and the beverage in the container.

According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a beverage dispenser comprising a cabinet housing a beverage container and a cooling unit for cooling beverage in the beverage container to a desired temperature for dispense, the cooling unit including a plurality of thermally conductive members arranged in thermal contact with a thermally conductive surface of the beverage container, the members being spaced apart circumferentially of the beverage container, and means for circulating coolant to cool the members such that beverage within the beverage container is cooled by heat exchange with the members.

Features, benefits and advantages of the invention according to the various aspects will be more fully understood from the following description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 shows a beverage dispenser embodying the invention; Figure 2 shows the beverage dispenser of Figure 1 with parts of the cabinet removed to show the beverage container and cooling jacket;

Figure 3 shows the beverage dispenser of Figure 2 with the beverage container removed;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cooling jacket shown in Figures 2 and 3;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the cooling jacket shown in Figure 4; and

Figures 6a and 6b show details of a method of securing the cooling coil.

Referring first to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings, a beverage dispenser is shown comprising a cabinet 1 housing a beverage container 2 provided with a dispense unit 3 and a cooling jacket 4 for cooling beverage in the container 2.

The beverage container 2 is located in a front compartment Ia of the cabinet 1 and a refrigeration unit (not shown) for circulating cooling fluid through the jacket 4 is located in a rear compartment Ib.

The front compartment Ia is thermally insulated to reduce the effects of ambient temperature on the temperature of the beverage in the container 2 and has doors 5a, 5b that can be opened to fit/remove the beverage container 2 by means of a release button 6. The beverage container 2 comprises a keg 7 of generally cylindrical shape with ring-shaped members 8,9 at each end. The upper member 8 has elliptical apertures 8a (one only shown) that provide handgrips for lifting and manoeuvring the keg 7. The lower member 9 provides a base for standing the keg 7 on a flat surface in an upright position and co-operates with upstands 10 to guide and locate the keg 7 in the front compartment Ia.

The keg 7 is made of a food grade thermally conductive material such as stainless steel and forms a beverage chamber with an outlet (not shown) to which the dispense unit 3 is connected. The members 8,9 are made of steel, plastics or other material secured to the keg by any suitable means, for example welding or adhesive.

The dispense unit 3 has a main body 11 that is detachably mounted on the keg 7 and has a suitable connector (not shown) for connection to an outlet (not shown) from the beverage chamber. The main body 11 is provided with a spout 12 that projects through an opening in the doors 5a, 5b of the front compartment Ia.

The spout 12 has a dispense tap 13 with a manually operable handle 14 for opening and closing a valve (not shown) for dispense of beverage via a nozzle 15 into a receptacle such as a glass (not shown) positioned below the nozzle 15.

With reference now also to Figures 4 and 5 in conjunction with Figures 1 to 3, the cooling jacket 3 has a plurality of blocks 16 of thermally conductive material such as aluminium of generally rectangular shape secured to an outer support shell 17. The blocks 16 may be cut to length from an aluminium extrusion of the appropriate cross-section. The number, size, shape and material of the blocks 16 may be varied according to the cooling requirements.

The support shell 17 comprises a spring steel plate that extends for approximately 180° around the circumference of the keg 7 with the blocks 16 extending in spaced parallel relationship between the ends of the keg 7. The curvature of the support shell 17 and spacing of the blocks 16 is such that the jacket 3 can flex resiliently to fit around the keg 7.

In this way, the jacket 3 is held in place on the keg 7 by the resilience of the support shell 17 with inwardly facing surfaces 16a of the thermally conductive blocks 16 contacting the opposed outwardly facing surface of the thermally conductive keg 7. As shown, the inwardly facing surfaces 16a are concave to improve contact with the curved outer surface of the keg 7.

In a modification, not shown, the jacket 3 may be provided with a strap or band that extends around the keg 7 and can be fastened to secure the jacket 3 to the keg 7.

To assist when fitting the keg 7 in the jacket 3, slide bars 18,19 of plastics material are provided at each end of the jacket 3. The slide bars 18,19 have tapered guide faces 18a, 19a that contact the keg 7 to open the j acket 3 sufficiently to insert the keg 7. As shown, each block 16 is provided with a transverse groove 16b in the inwardly facing surface 16a. The grooves 16b are aligned in the circumferential direction and receive a circumferentially extending rib 7a on the outside of the keg 7 to locate the jacket 3 on the keg 7.

Each block 16 is provided with a pair of parallel grooves or channels 20 in the outwardly facing surface that extend lengthwise of the block 16 and are open at both ends of the block 16. The channels 20 receive an evaporator coil 21 of the refrigeration unit.

The evaporator coil 21 is of serpentine shape and the channels 20 of each block 16 receive a U-shaped section 21a of the evaporator coil 21. The evaporator coil 21 is made of copper tube and has a degree of flexibility to accommodate flexing of the jacket 3 when fitting/removing the keg 7.

The evaporator coil 21 is held in place when the blocks 16 are secured to the support shell 17 and contacting surfaces of the channels 20 and evaporator coil 21 are of similar shape to provide efficient heat transfer between the evaporator coil 21 and the blocks 16.

In a modification shown in Figures 6a and 6b, the channels 20 are provided with a mouth 20 a of reduced section through which the evaporator coil 21 can be inserted (Figure 6a) and then flattened to conform to the shape of the channel 20 (Figure 6b) .

In this way, the evaporator coil 21 is secured within the channels 20 and the surface area of the evaporator coil 21 in contact with the blocks 16 is optimised. As a result, heat transfer between the evaporator coil 21 and the blocks 16 may be enhanced. The ends of the evaporator coil 21 pass through a partition 22 between the front and rear compartments Ia, Ib for connection to other parts of the refrigeration unit housed in the rear compartment Ib. The other parts of the refrigeration unit are not shown or described as these are conventional and the details are known to those skilled in the art.

As will be appreciated, the surface area of the inner surface 16a of each block 16 in contact with the outer surface of the keg 7 is much larger than the surface area of the part 21a of the evaporator coil 21 mounted therein. As a result, heat transfer between the evaporator coil 21 and beverage in the beverage chamber is enhanced and cooling efficiency is improved.

For example, using a container of 10 litre capacity filled with water, we have found that the temperature of the water can be reduced from approximately 21°C to around 8°C in about 2 hours with the above described cooling jacket 3.

In contrast, under the same conditions, omitting the blocks 16 and arranging the evaporator coil 21 to contact the outer surface of the keg 7, the time taken to cool the water to the same temperature takes about 8 hours. This demonstrates the significant improvement in efficiency by the use of the cooling blocks 16.

If desired, grease or other material may be placed between the opposed surfaces of the blocks 16 and the keg 7 to improve further thermal contact for efficient heat transfer. A temperature sensor 23, for example a thermostat, is arranged in the front compartment Ia of the cabinet 1 to contact the outwardly facing surface of the keg 7 for monitoring the temperature of the beverage in the beverage chamber. The temperature sensor 23 is spring loaded to maintain contact with the outer surface of the keg 7.

In use, the refrigeration unit is operable to cool beverage in the beverage chamber in response to the temperature of the beverage detected by a temperature sensor 23 to provide and maintain a desired dispense temperature.

Lights 24a, 24b at the front of the cabinet 1 provide a visual indication of the condition of the system. For example, the lights may show when the system is operating and/or the beverage is cooled to the dispense temperature.

The beverage dispenser above-described may be employed as a counter top unit for applications where a conventional beverage dispense system is not available and/or is not suitable.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiment above-described. For example, the size and/or shape of the cooling jacket may be altered from that shown to provide the required cooling load. Any suitable temperature sensor may be employed for monitoring the temperature of the beverage. Other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and are deemed within the scope of the invention.