Method and apparatus for cleaning beverage dispensers

Abstract

A method and apparatus cleans plurality of beverage dispensers. Cleaning solution conduits are oriented to spray cleaning solution towards respective beverage dispensers. One or more fluid valves or pumps alternatively permit and block said cleaning solution to flow to said cleaning solution conduits, respectively. A power supply flow signals to the fluid valve or pump, respectively, wherein the valve or pump transitions between permitting and blocking flow responsive to transitioning of the flow signals, respectively. A transmitter signals the power supply to transition the flow signals to cause the fluid valve or pump to permit the cleaning solution to flow to the cleaning solution conduits.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for cleaning a beverage dispenser of a beverage dispenser unit, the apparatus comprising:
 a cleaning solution conduit which is oriented to spray cleaning solution towards the beverage dispenser;   at least one of a fluid valve and pump which alternatively permits and does not permit the cleaning solution to flow to the cleaning solution conduit;   a power supply which supplies one or more flow signal to the at least one of the fluid valve and the pump, wherein the valve transitions between permitting and not permitting cleaning solution flow responsive to transitioning of the flow signal; and   a transmitter which signals the power supply to transition the flow signal to cause the at least one of the fluid valve and the pump to permit the cleaning solution to flow from a source of the cleaning solution to the cleaning solution conduit.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a microprocessor based controller which signals via the transmitter to transition the one or more flow signals to cause the fluid valve to permit the cleaning solution to flow to the cleaning solution conduit, wherein signaling by the microprocessor based controller permits the cleaning solution to flow occurs for a predetermined duration. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the controller controls every one of the at least one of the fluid valve and the pump independently. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning solution is prevented from recirculating through the cleaning solution conduit after leaving the beverage dispenser. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a drain line that directs the cleaning solution leaving the beverage dispenser into a public drain. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning solution conduit is attached to the beverage dispenser unit. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the beverage dispenser has a dispenser nozzle with a downward facing opening, and the cleaning solution conduit is attached to the beverage dispenser unit and movable from a storage position to a cleaning position where the cleaning solution conduit is oriented to spray the cleaning solution upwards through the downward facing opening. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the fluid valve and the pump is a fluid valve, and further comprising a tank for storing the cleaning solution and a pump for pumping the cleaning solution from the tank to the fluid valve. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a supply tube for transporting the cleaning solution from a source to the at least one of the fluid valve and pump. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the beverage dispenser unit has a plurality of beverage dispensers, each beverage dispenser having a dispenser nozzle with a downward facing opening, and further comprising a splitter for splitting the supply tube into a plurality of sub-tubes, wherein each of the plurality of sub-tubes transports the cleaning solution to a respective fluid valve associated with each beverage dispenser, and the cleaning solution conduit directs the cleaning solution towards the center of each opening from a stationary location. 
     
     
         11 . A method of cleaning a beverage dispenser of a beverage dispenser unit, the method comprising:
 a) spraying cleaning solution from a cleaning solution conduit towards the beverage dispenser;   b) alternatively permitting and not permitting the cleaning solution to flow to the cleaning solution conduit from a common source and with pressure;   c) supplying flow signals to at least one of a fluid valve and the pump, wherein the at least one of the fluid valve and the pump transitions between permitting and not permitting flow responsive to transitioning of the flow signal;   d) signaling the power supply to transition the flow signal to cause the at least one of the fluid valve and the pump to permit the cleaning solution to flow from the common source of the cleaning solution to the cleaning solution conduit.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a microprocessor based controller signals to transition the flow signal to cause the fluid valve to permit the cleaning solution to flow to the cleaning solution conduit, wherein signaling by the microprocessor based controller that permits the cleaning solution to flow occurs at a predetermined time of day and for a predetermined duration. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the cleaning solution is prevented from recirculating through the cleaning solution conduit after leaving the beverage dispenser. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the controller controls each of the at least one of the fluid valve and the pump independently. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a tank stores the cleaning solution and the pump pumps the cleaning solution from the tank to the fluid valve. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the cleaning solution includes at least one of citric acid, lactic acid, and peracetic acid. 
     
     
         17 . An apparatus for cleaning a beverage dispenser of a beverage dispenser unit, the apparatus comprising:
 a cleaning solution conduit that attaches to the beverage dispenser unit and sprays cleaning solution towards the beverage dispenser, the cleaning solution conduit including a cleaning nozzle for spraying the cleaning solution, and an arm attached to the cleaning nozzle that moves the cleaning nozzle to a position pointing towards a nozzle of the beverage dispenser;   a supply tube for directing the cleaning solution to the cleaning nozzle; and   a fluid valve that controls flow of the cleaning solution to the cleaning nozzle.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the arm is a telescoping arm. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the arm includes a pivotal attachment to the beverage dispenser unit, a first arm section extending from the pivotal attachment and second arm section bent from the first arm section. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 a power supply which supplies one or more flow signal to the fluid valve, wherein the valve transitions between permitting and not permitting cleaning solution flow responsive to transitioning of the flow signal; and   a transmitter which signals the power supply to transition the flow signal to cause the fluid valve to permit the cleaning solution to flow from a source of the cleaning solution to the cleaning solution conduit.