Abstract: An improved valve assembly is provided for use in dispensing liquids, particularly such as flavored syrup and the like in a soft drink dispenser station. The valve assembly comprises a compact unit adapted to mount directly into the neck of a bottle containing a flavor syrup, wherein the bottle is designed for inverted installation into the dispenser station with the neck seated within a mating support socket. The valve assembly includes parallel dispense and vent ports, together with a dispense valve for regulating syrup outflow and a check valve for permitting air inflow. The dispense valve comprises the armature of a solenoid actuator, the coil of which is integrated with the support socket and adapted for connection to an electrical current for displacing the dispense valve to an open position and thereby permit gravity syrup flow from the bottle.

Abstract: An improved water carbonator system is provided for thoroughly mixing a carbonating gas with a water supply flowing through a refrigerated reservoir of the type used in soft drink dispenser stations and the like. The carbonator system includes water and gas injector nozzles disposed generally at an upper end of the reservoir, together with a dispense valve for drawing carbonated chilled water from a lower end of the reservoir. A vertically elongated and rotatably driven impeller shaft carries a spaced plurality of vaneless impeller disks for causing the water flowing downwardly through the reservoir to undergo a plurality of directional changes in a radially outward direction. Such directional changes in flow result in improved intermixing with the carbonating gas and improved chilling of the water prior to dispensing. In one form, the impeller shaft is rotatably driven by a motor mounted outside the reservoir.

Abstract: An improved water carbonator system is provided for thoroughly mixing a carbonating gas with a water supply flowing through a refrigerated reservoir of the type used in soft drink dispenser stations and the like. The carbonator system includes water and gas injector nozzles disposed generally at an upper end of the reservoir, together with a dispense valve for drawing carbonated chilled water from a lower end of the reservoir. A vertically elongated and rotatably driven impeller shaft carries a spaced plurality of vaneless impeller disks for causing the water flowing downwardly through the reservoir to undergo a plurality of directional changes in a radially outward direction. Such directional changes in flow result in improved intermixing with the carbonating gas and improved chilling of the water prior to dispensing. A drive motor has a drive shaft connected in common to a pump for delivering water into the reservoir, and to the impeller shaft.

Abstract: A chilling system is provided for chilling or cooling a supply of water or the like to a selected low temperature suitable for drinking and other uses. The chilling system includes a thermoelectric heat transfer module having a cold side for extracting heat energy from water contained in a reservoir, and a hot side for transferring the extracted heat energy to a circulating heat transfer fluid. In particular, the hot side of the module is in thermal communication with a manifold block through which a heat transfer fluid such as water is circulated by a pump. The pump circulates the heat transfer fluid through a heat exchanger for dissipating the extracted heat energy. In addition, the same pump drives an impeller within the reservoir to maintain the reservoir contents at a substantially uniform temperature level, and further may drive a cooling fan for providing a convective air flow across the heat exchanger.

Abstract: An improved water carbonator system is provided for thoroughly mixing a carbonating gas with a water supply flowing through a refrigerated reservoir of the type used in soft drink dispenser stations and the like. The carbonator system includes water and gas injector nozzles disposed generally at an upper end of the reservoir, together with a dispense valve for drawing carbonated chilled water from a lower end of the reservoir. A vertically elongated and rotatably driven impeller shaft carries a spaced plurality of vaneless impeller disks for causing the water flowing downwardly through the reservoir to undergo a plurality of directional changes in a radially outward direction. Such directional changes in flow result in improved intermixing with the carbonating gas and improved chilling of the water prior to dispensing.