| Automatic Bar Controls, Inc. Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
|---|
| 20120055954 | MANIFOLD SYSTEM FOR BEVERAGE DISPENSER - A manifold for a liquid dispensing system has at least two layers. The first layer has multiple through holes along its thickness direction, and one or more fluid channels perpendicular to the thickness direction. The second layer has one or more through holes along its thickness direction, each communicating with one of the through holes of the first layer. The second layer also has one or more fluid channels perpendicular to the thickness direction. The fluid channels each have an inlet at the edge of the respective layer and an outlet at one of the through holes. The second layer also has one or more holes defining valve bores. A valve in each of the valve bores controls flow of a liquid to a respective one of the fluid channels of the second layer. Also provided are a liquid dispensing system and a method of manufacturing a manifold. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20110315711 | Touch Screen Interface for a Beverage Dispensing Machine - A beverage dispensing system including a control unit and a touch screen. Inputs are made to the touch screen to dispense beverages and apply system adjustments. The control unit controls a plurality of beverage dispensing valves according to inputs made to the touch screen. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110286883 | ULTRAVIOLET DISINFECTING DEVICE FOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE DISPENSERS - Disinfecting devices and related methods are provided that apply germicidal ultraviolet light to disinfect dispensing components of food and beverage dispensers. A disinfecting holster for a bar gun includes a support surface configured to interface with a bar gun to support the bar gun when stowed in the holster, a housing coupled with the support surface and surrounding a dispensing nozzle of the bar gun when the bar gun is stowed in the holster, and an ultraviolet light source configured to emit germicidal ultraviolet light onto the nozzle. The housing substantially contains the ultraviolet light within the housing during the application of the ultraviolet light to the dispensing nozzle. The ultraviolet light can be periodically applied to maintain the nozzle in a disinfected state. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110073617 | LOCKING ACCESS PLUG FOR A BAR GUN - A locking access plug for a valve return spring for a beverage dispensing gun handle is disclosed. The locking access plug enables the compression and retention of the valve return spring and enables the retention of the locking access plug in the body of the handle until it is acted upon for the purpose of its removal; for example, for the servicing of the handle. A beverage dispensing gun having such a locking access plug can both keep a valve return spring in compression as well as interface with a sealing o-ring that seals between the locking access plug and the beverage dispensing gun handle. | 03-31-2011 |
| 20110057134 | ELASTOMERIC FLOW CONTROL DEVICE FOR A BAR GUN MANIFOLD - A flow control device for a bar gun manifold. The flow control device includes a sleeve and an actuating member. The sleeve is monolithically formed of an elastomeric material. The sleeve includes a cylindrical outer surface, a through hole oriented transverse to the sleeve axis of rotation, a first raised portion that encircles the sleeve and is shaped to provide a seal between the sleeve and the manifold body, and a first interface shaped to connect the sleeve to the actuating member. The actuating member includes a second interface shaped to interface with the first interface. The first and second interfaces are shaped to transfer rotation of the actuating member about the sleeve axis of rotation to the sleeve to reorient the through hole relative to a fluid passage of the manifold body. | 03-10-2011 |
| 20100320231 | ILLUMINATED BEVERAGE DISPENSING DEVICES - A bar gun having a configurable display is disclosed. The bar gun includes a housing portion having an internal cavity. A mixing mechanism is disposed in the internal cavity and is in fluid communication with a plurality of fluid lines. A spout having an opening is in fluid communication with the mixing mechanism to discharge fluid received from the mixing mechanism. The configurable display is coupled with the housing. The configurable display can include a display window and an illumination source configured to emit illumination to back light the display window. The configurable display can also include an electronic display. | 12-23-2010 |
| 20100314411 | ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY FLUID DISPENSING SYSTEM - Environmental friendly automotive fluid dispensing systems and are provided. One disclosed system provides for the controlled dispensing of an automotive fluid selected from multiple automotive fluids. A quantity of fluid to be dispensed can be designated and the system can dispense the designated quantity of the selected fluid. A pump assembly is used to transfer automotive fluid from a selected container to a dispensing gun in a controlled fashion. The product dispensing gun can include a check valve for preventing fluid from exiting the dispensing gun when no fluid is being transferred to the dispensing gun by the pump assembly. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100147886 | Beverage Dispensing Apparatus with Protective Cladding - A bar gun handle having a housing assembly including an inlet in fluid communication with a valve bore, an outlet in fluid communication with the valve bore and in further fluid communication with an output nozzle, a valve element operatively mounted in the valve bore to control the flow of fluid from the inlet to the output nozzle, with an actuator coupled to the valve element, and a cladding layer disposed on a side of the bar gun handle that substantially covers the side of the bar gun handle. The present invention also includes a kit used to provide a protective cladding to a bar gun handle. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100116842 | RECONFIGURABLE CONTROL PANEL FOR A BEVERAGE DISPENSER - Reconfigurable control systems for beverage dispensers, beverage dispensers with a reconfigurable control panel, beverage dispensers that sequence the dispensing of beverage fluids that make up a selected beverage, beverage dispensers that allow for the dispensing of user customized beverages, and related methods for dispensing a beverage fluid are provided. A reconfigurable control system includes a control panel having multiple sensing regions, user reconfigurable switches used to select a control panel configuration, and a control unit operatively coupled with the control panel and the user reconfigurable switches. Each of the sensing regions is assigned to a key of the selected control panel configuration or deactivated. The keys of the selected control panel configuration receive user input to select a beverage and/or a beverage additive. | 05-13-2010 |
| 20100097880 | Turntable for On-Demand Mixing and Distributing of a Food Product - An apparatus for mixing and distributing sauce is disclosed. The apparatus may include a mixing-pump device coupled a linear arm for distributing sauce over a rotating turntable. The turntable may include an improved gripping device for coupling to a pan. The apparatus may also include a self-expelling concentrated sauce vat which couples to the mixing-pump device. The apparatus may also include a self-expelling concentrated sauce cassette which couples to the mixing-pump device. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100095887 | Electronic Systems and Methods for Distributing a Food Product Over a Turntable - A method and system for distributing sauce is disclosed. The method and system may include retrieving runtime parameters from memory or from user input, for distributing sauce onto pizza dough from an arm positioned over a turntable. The method and system may include coordinating turntable speed, sauce dispensing speed, and arm movement speed. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100095884 | Cassette and Vat Supply Source for an On-Demand Mixing and Distributing of a Food Product - An apparatus for mixing and distributing sauce is disclosed. The apparatus may include a mixing-pump device coupled a linear arm for distributing sauce over a rotating turntable. The turntable may include an improved gripping device for coupling to a pan. The apparatus may also include a self-expelling concentrated sauce vat which couples to the mixing-pump device. The apparatus may also include a self-expelling concentrated sauce cassette which couples to the mixing-pump device. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20090283544 | Pot-Type Heated Fluid Dispenser - The embodiments of the present invention are directed to a dispensing apparatus for dispensing a flowable product at or above a preset elevated temperature through a dispensing outlet. Such an apparatus includes a pot in which to house the product. The dispensing apparatus also includes a pump coupled between the pot and the dispensing outlet to pump the flowable product from the pot to the dispensing outlet. A rope heater configured to heat the pot may also be included in the dispensing apparatus. The pot may have a movable lid, which may vacuum seal the product against the exterior environment. The lid is designed to scrape any food product residue off the vertical walls of the pot, while also maintaining the vacuum as it moves into the pot. The pot may have a check valve to prevent product spilling when the pot is lifted out of the housing. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090230148 | Beverage Dispensing Apparatus with Butterfly Plates and a Molded O-Ring Retainer - The present invention provides improved retention of O-rings and easier O-ring replacement by using an O-ring retainer in a bar gun. Furthermore, the assembly of the butterfly plates of the bar gun is improved by using molded ball bearing clusters that fit in recesses in the butterfly plates, thus eliminating the welding of the balls to the butterfly plates and the need to purchase such precise and intricately small balls. The O-ring retainer and molded ball bearing cluster are preferably made from bearing quality acetal plastic materials. | 09-17-2009 |
| 20090145927 | Beverage Dispensing Apparatus with Butterfly Plates and Molded Cluster Bearings - The present invention provides a butterfly plate assembly for a bar gun that includes a ball cluster bearing sized and dimensioned to operationally couple the butterfly plates with an interior surface of a handle upon which the ball cluster bearing rests. The welding of the steel balls to the butterfly plates and the need to purchase such precise and intricately small balls is eliminated by using the molded ball bearing clusters that are shaped and dimensioned to fit in the recesses in the sockets of the bar gun handle. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090090747 | Pump Dispenser with Bypass Back Flow - A dispensing apparatus is disclosed. The dispensing apparatus has a product container for holding the fluid; a chamber including a dispensing cylinder having an inlet and an outlet; an inlet check valve disposed at the inlet of the chamber, the inlet check valve being openable to permit flow substantially only in a direction through the inlet check valve into the chamber; an outlet check valve disposed at the outlet of the chamber, the outlet check valve being openable to permit flow substantially only in a direction from the chamber out through the outlet check valve; an outlet spout connected with the outlet of the outlet check valve for receiving the fluid from the outlet check valve; a spring-biased piston configured for sliding movement in the dispensing cylinder, the piston being smaller than the dispensing cylinder thus providing a clearance; and a bypass backflow opening disposed in the dispensing cylinder above the spring-biased piston. The clearance is provided between the piston and the dispenser cylinder wall to allow fluid flow to pass therebetween to a region above the piston when the piston is pushed downward and, subsequently, to allow fluid flow to exit the dispenser chamber from the region above the piston through the bypass back flow opening to the product container. | 04-09-2009 |
| 20090078722 | Sliding and Tilting Heated Fluid Dispenser Having an Insulated Product Package Roller and Holder - An apparatus for dispensing a flowable product from a product package through a dispensing outlet at or above a preset elevated temperature is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a container slide structure coupled with a first side of the container and having: a first slide member coupled with a first side of the container; a second slide member extendably coupled with the first slide member; a slide mounting bracket for connecting with a fixed surface coupled to the first slide member; a container tilt structure coupled with a first side of the container and having a: tilt member coupled with the first side of the container and the slide mounting bracket; a slot member having a slot coupled with the first side of said container; a slot engagement member slidably movable in the slot of the slot member coupled with the first side the container and the tilt member; and a pivot member coupled with the first side of the container at a lower back position of the container, enabling the tilting of the container about the pivot member from a horizontal position to a titled position, the titling being constrained by the movement of the slot engagement member in the slot of the slot member. Other embodiments disclose a roller and roller retainer mechanism; and a product package holder. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20080232090 | Illuminated Beverage Dispensing Devices - An illuminated bar gun, having a first housing portion; a second housing portion dimensioned to connect with the first housing portion and form a unitary body; a recess formed in one or both of the first and second housing portions; and an illumination source fitted within the recess. The present invention also provides an illuminated beverage dispensing handle, having a first portion and a second portion; cavities formed in the first portion and a recess formed in said second portion; and an illumination source fitted inside the cavity, the recess, or both. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080217357 | SANITARY COLLECTION DEVICE FOR USE WITH A BEVERAGE DISPENSER - A sanitary collection device for a beverage dispenser that provides an improved and larger collection area as compared to a cylindrical holster; and separation between the dispensing nozzle of the beverage dispenser and collection surfaces of the sanitary collection device such that the dispensing nozzle is prevented from contacting a possibly contaminated surface of the sanitary collection device. The present invention also provides for easy cleaning of the sanitary collection device and its drip cup, since the drip cup can be easily removed without the use of tools to facilitate cleaning and/or replacement. | 09-11-2008 |
