In particular the present invention relates to a method of and apparatus for cleaning beer lines.

It is industry standard that in premises serving beer, lines carrying beer from cellar (or other storage area) to bar dispense (or dispensing) pumps must be cleaned regularly, such as every seven days, to avoid build-up of yeast and bacteria in the lines. Failure to clean lines regularly results in beer having poor taste, appearance and odour. Traditional manual cleaning requires the lines to be filled with a detergent solution, allowed to soak for half an hour, and then vigorously rinsed. The process normally takes about three hours for an average size British licensed premises.

It is an object of the present invention to provide, at least in preferred embodiments, apparatus or equipment by means of which cleaning of beer lines can be automated and carried out in a much reduced time. To this end it is necessary to use a much stronger cleaning/detergent solution and, to avoid line damage, strictly control the strength of the solution and the length of time it is allowed to remain in the lines.

The invention is defined in the appended claims.

The invention is further described below by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of apparatus according to the present invention as installed in a licensed premises; and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a manifold of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Except as described below the apparatus shown in the drawings is installed in a cellar oC the licensed premises.

Referring to Figure 1 of the drawings, the apparatus shown therein comprises a manifold.

As shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the manifold consists of a solid block having a main, large diameter central channel or conduit 1 and three small diameter channels or orifices F01, F02 and F03 opening into the central channel.

Referring back to Figure 1 of the drawings, the apparatus shown therein comprises a water reservoir 2 connected through a line to one end of the central channel 1 of the manifold. A shut-off valve V5 is provided in the line.

The other end of the central channel 1 is connected to a pump P, which in turn is connected through a one-way valve V6 to one end of a ring main.

The channels F01 and F02 of the manifold are connected to respective lines provided with respective valves FV2 and FV3, these lines being connected to a common line provided with a valve FV1 and connected to a detergent bottle.

At the inlet of the common line from the interior of the detergent bottle a filter F is provided. The channel F03 is connected to a pressure switch PS4.

The water reservoir is connected through a valve 3 to water mains.

Beer dispense lines run from the cellar lo main and subsidiary bars of the licensed premises.

The ring main is connectable, intermediate its ends, to ends of beer dispense (or dispensing) lines. For this purpose the ring main is provided with connectors or sockets engagable with connectors or sockets at the ends of the dispense lines in the cellar. Each dispense line is provided with a respective valve, such as valve V7, and, at its end in one of the bars, is provided with a dispense pump or tap.

The ring main is also connected, at its end remote from the pump P, to two parallel lines 18 and 19. The line 18 is provided with a manually operable valve 18. The line 19 is provided with a purge unit 20 consisting of a solenoid valve FV4.

Sensors and switches are associated with the reservoir and the detergent bottle, and with an operator interface in the cellar and in the main and subsidiary bars. All the sensors, switches and valves (except the valve in the line 18) of the apparatus are interfaced with a sequential program of a programmable logic controller (PLC), provided on a control panel in the cellar, by means of discrete input (DIN) and discrete output (DOT) channels. The control panel is provided with a keypad and a display both connected to the PLC.

The operator interface consists of command units (CU) provided in the cellar and in bars. Switches operated by the command unit in the cellar are shown towards the left of Figure 1. Switches operated by the command units in the bars are shown towards the top right corner of Figure 1.

A cleaning programme or other programme can be selected on the control panel, whereby the PLC causes the same programme to be run on initiation of successive programmes until a different programme is selected.

The desired cleaning programme is selected having regard to build up for different products, delays in cleaning and other factors.

The respective taps of barrels, casks or kegs (hereinafter referred to as "barrels") of various beers (products) in the cellar are connected to the dispense pumps in the bars via a respective connector or socket on each barrel and a corresponding connector or socket on each of the beer dispense lines.

When a barrel has emptied, a drainage connection, in the form of a hose or waste pipe, in one of the bars, is attached to the dispense pump of the dispense line from the barrel. The hose or waste pipe is connected to a bar drain. In the bar the dispense pump of the dispense line is opened, and in the cellar the barrel is disconnected from its dispense line and the beer dispense line of the empty barrel is engaged with the corresponding connector on the ring main thereby to connect the ring main to the dispense line.

A button is then pushed on any one ol the command units to initiate a cleaning cycle in accordance with a selected cleaning programme to clean the beer dispense line of the emptied barrel.

Cleaning programmes which may be selected include a standard cleaning cycle, an increased detergent cleaning cycle and an extended cleaning cycle (with or without increased detergent). Such programmes may include provision for selection of a single beer line to be cleaned or for cleaning of multiple beer lines.

The apparatus operales as described below, under the control of the PLC to effect the standard cleaning cycle or the increased detergent cleaning cycle, each of which takes about five minutes.

Pressure in the main channel 1 of the manifold is monitored through the channel F03 by the pressure switch PS4.

Water reservoir filling The water reservoir is filled with water from the water mains.

First dispense line rinse The shut off valve V5 and the valve, such as valve V7, in the dispense line to be cleaned, are opened (the valves in the other dispense lines remaining closed throughout the cleaning cycle) and the ring main and the dispense lines are rinsed by pumping water, by means of the pump P, from the water reservoir through the shut-off valve V5, the manifold, and the dispense line to the bar drain, whereby the connected dispense line is rinsed, the line being cleared of any debris, and yeast deposits in the line loosened.

Detergent bottle back flush With the valves, such as valve V7, in the dispense lines and the valve FV4 closed, the valves FV1 and FV3 open momentarily, with the pump P operating, whereby the lines from the detergent bottle to the manifold are pressurized. The pressure drives water briefly back through the filter F to dislodge any crystals of detergent that would otherwise cause the filter to become clogged and reduce flow of detergent solution in subsequent steps of the cleaning cycle.

Detergent injection The valve FV1 and the valve, such as the valve V7, in the dispense line to be cleaned are opened and in the increased strength detergent cleaning cycle, but not in the standard cleaning cycle, the valve FV2 is also opened, whereby liquid detergent is drawn from the detergent bottle through the orifice F01 and, if the valve FV2 is opened, through the orifice F02 into the manifold where it mixes with water being drawn through the central channel of the manifold by the pump from the water reservoir to the ring main and thence to the beer dispense line. When the valve FV1 is opened the detergent mixed with the water in the central channel forms a detergent solution of normal strength, whereas when the valve FV2 is additionally opened the detergent mixed with the water in the central channel forms a relatively concentrated (e. g. double or triple strength as compared with when only the valve F01 is opened) detergent solution. The detergent solution is pumped by the pump P through the one-way valve V6 and the ring main into the dispense line to be cleaned. It will be appreciated that the pressure drops resulting from the difference between the suction at the inlet to the pump and the static heads in the reservoir and the detergent bottle, together with the diameters of the main and small channels in the manifold determine the respective flow rates of the water, through the valve V5 and the detergent through the valves FV1 and FV2 (if opened) to the manifold.

The PLC determines, in accordance with the cleaning programme selected whether or not both valves FV1 and FV2 are opened to enhance cleaning.

The diameters of the small diameter channels F01 and F02 in the manifold are determined such that, with the pressure drops pertaining, the relative flows of water and detergent into the manifold will yield detergent solution of the desired concentration (within a specified tolerance).

Manifold back flush With the pump P switched on and valves FV1 and FV4 closed and valves V5 and V7 open, the valves FV2 and FV3 open for a short period. The pump thereby draws water from the reservoir to flush out the central channel and the small diameter channels F01 and F02 of the manifold.

Soalc period The pump P is switched off. The one-way valve V6 prevents reverse llow of detergent solution from the beer dispense lines and the ring main towards the pump and the ring main and the beer dispense line are left to soak in still (non- flowing) detergent solution for a specified period, such as three minutes.

Second dispense line rinse The same operations as in the first dispense line rinse are effected again to clear the dispense line being cleaned of detergent solution.

Ring main rinse With the pump P remaining switched on, the valve FV4 is opened and the dispense lines are isolated by closure of the valves, such as valve V7. The pump P pumps water from the reservoir 2 and thereby flushes residual traces of detergent solution from the ring main. Rinse water is pumped, by the pump from the reservoir through the ring main and the valve FV4 to the cellar drain to clear any residual detergent solution from the ring main.

Completion of the cleaning cycle is then signalled in the bars and in the cellar.

In the increased detergent cleaning cycle, each of the first dispense line rinse, the second dispense line rinse and/or the ring main rinse may be for a longer period of time than in the standard cleaning cycle.

The cellar connector of the cleaned dispense line is then manually removed from the ring main and connected to a new barrel.

The remaining rinse water in the dispense line is emptied through the waste pipe until beer is seen in a site glass on the tap connection. The waste pipe is then removed and beer can then be served.

The water reservoir ensures that once a cleaning cycle has begun it cannot be interrupted due to any interruption in the mains water supply.

The short duration of the cleaning cycle makes it practicable for beer dispense lines to be cleaned as respective barrels become empty. By cleaning each beer dispense line only when the respective barrel has emptied the normal beer loss or wastage of beer remaining in the beer dispense lines is avoided.

The extended cleaning cycle takes about ten minutes.

The extended cleaning cycle comprises like steps to the standard cleaning cycle and/or increased detergent cleaning cycle. It includes the steps described above up to and including the Soak period, followed by a shorter rinse (in the manner described above) of the dispense line, and then repetition of the Detergent Injection Step, the Manifold Back Flush Step, the Soak period, and then finally a rinse (in the manner described above) of the dispense line for an extended period of time.

More than one of the beer dispense lines from the same barrel may be cleaned simultaneously as described above, if desired, by selection of the appropriate multiple line programme on the keypad.

The valve in the line 18 is normally kept closed but opens at the end of each cleaning cycle to drain the ring main.

Greatly shortened cleaning time results from the high turbulence during rinsing and greatly increased detergent strength usable by means of the present invention.

Manual cleaning uses only normal water pressure and requires a hall-hour soak: it uses only a 1% cleaning solution due to danger of line damage resulting from excess solution strength and/or timing errors. (The detergent is a mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite capable of corroding most metals and plastics).

The PLC is programmable for lines needing more intense cleaning and rinsing between barrels to avoid fobbing, and cleaning lines when barrels are not empty. When a line requires cleaning but the barrel is not empty, beer can be dispensed until the line is empty without further beer being supplied from the barrel. The barrel is then disconnected from the dispense line and a cleaning cycle as described above is initiated.

The push butlon unit in the cellar enables staff not normally involved in operating the apparatus to stop the apparatus in an emergency or to start the cleaning cycle in accordance with the selected cleaning programme.

The display unit will indicate the stage a programme being carried out has reached and indicates audibly and visibly warnings of malfunctions. The PLC will cause an alarm to be sounded if a malfunction occurs and may stop the programme continuing.