Beverage dispensing appliance for multiple containers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10266384-B2
Application number	US-201515504654-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 4, 2015
Priority date	Aug 19, 2014
Publication date	Apr 23, 2019
Grant date	Apr 23, 2019

Abstract

A beverage dispensing device includes a container for a liquid beverage to be dispensed, a beverage dispensing line, and a gas line. A keg connector connects the keg interior with the dispensing and gas lines by coupling the keg connector to a container closure. A storing compartment receives at least two containers. An elongated tapping column is fixed to the top plate and provided with a tapping valve element. The receiving device has at least two containers permits container storage in a dispensing position with its longitudinal axis forming a storing angle of ±30° with respect to the top plane. The keg connector has a height measured along the longitudinal axis between the container's bottom end, and the furthest point of the keg connector coupled to the closure of the connector is not more than 5% greater than the height of the container without keg connector.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A beverage dispensing device comprising:
(a) a container containing a liquid beverage to be dispensed, and extending over a height, Hl, along a longitudinal axis, X 1 , from:
(i) a closure sealing an opening of the container, adjacent to
(ii) a neck region broadening into
(iii) a shoulder region until reaching
(iv) a substantially cylindrical body portion adjacent to
(v) a bottom end;

(b) a beverage dispensing line comprising an inlet end located at an upstream portion of the dispensing line, and an outlet end located at a downstream portion of the dispensing line,
(c) a gas line comprising an inlet end and an outlet end said inlet end being connected to a source of pressurized gas;
(d) a keg connector suitable for bringing in fluid communication the interior of the container with the inlet end of the dispensing line and with the outlet end of the gas line by coupling said keg connector to the closure of the container;
(e) storing compartment comprising means for receiving at least two containers, and closed at a top by a top plate defining a top plane, Π, said top plate being provided with an outlet opening suitable for allowing the outlet end of the dispensing line to be out of the storing compartment, while the inlet end thereof is connected to said keg connector coupled to the closure of one container stored in said storing compartment; and
(f) an elongated tapping column, comprising an upstream portion fixed to said top plate and a downstream portion provided with a tapping valve element with an inner channel linking the upstream portion to the downstream portion of the column and in fluid communication with the outlet opening, said inner channel being suitable for receiving the dispensing line, and engaging the downstream portion of the dispensing line into the tapping valve element for controlling flow of liquid out of the outlet end,
wherein, the means for receiving at least two containers in the storing compartment are such that each container is stored in a dispensing position with a longitudinal axis, X 1 , forming a storing angle comprised of between −30° and +30° with respect to the top plane, Π, and in that, the keg connector is such that height, H 2 , measured along the longitudinal axis, X 1 , between a bottom end of a first container and the furthest point of the keg connector coupled to the closure of said connector is not more than 5% greater than height, H 1 , of the first container without keg connector, (H 2 −H 1 )/H 1 ≤5%, wherein the upstream portion of dispensing tube and the downstream portion of a gas tube are each independently coupled to the keg connector with an angle comprised between 45 and 135° or between 80 and 100°, with respect to the longitudinal axis, X 1 , when the keg connector is coupled to the first container, such that the height, H 2 , or includes at least 20 cm of both the upstream portion of the dispensing tube and the downstream portion of the gas tube, wherein the keg connector is re-usable several times with new containers, and can be reversibly coupled to the new containers, wherein the keg connector comprises a platform structure defined by a perimeter and comprising an upper surface and a lower surface and being provided with a clamping system for reversibly coupling the keg connector to the closure of a keg, said clamping system comprising:
(i) two clamping legs jutting out of the lower surface of said platform structure, each of said clamping legs having a hinge end linked to two opposite portions of the perimeter of said platform structure and a free end opposite the hinge end and comprising at least one protrusion extending towards the free end of the other clamping leg,
(ii) a lever system for reversibly driving the two free ends of the clamping legs away from one another.

2. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the storing angle is comprised between +10°, or between +5° with respect to the top plane, Π.

3. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the keg connector is made of at least 60 wt. % of a polymer, or at least 80 wt. %, more or at least 95 wt. % of polymer.

4. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 3 , wherein each of the at least two containers are coupled to a keg connector, each connector being coupled to the source of pressurized gas by means of the gas line provided with at least one valve.

5. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 4 , wherein at least two keg connectors are coupled to a single dispensing line which is provided with at least one valve, runs in the inner channel of the tapping column and engages in a single tapping valve.

6. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 5 , wherein the tapping column comprises more than one tapping valve, and wherein at least two keg connectors are coupled to a separate dispensing line, each running in the inner channel of the tapping column and engaging in a separate tapping valve.

7. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 6 , wherein the storing compartment can contain at least three containers in respective dispensing positions, or at least four containers.

8. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 7 , wherein the storing compartment comprises cooling means for cooling the containers stored in said compartment.

9. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 8 , wherein the containers are made of polymer, or PET.

10. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 9 , wherein the containers are pressure dispensing bag-in-containers.

11. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 10 , wherein the first container has a height ratio, Ht/H 1 , of not more than 85%, or not more than 80%, or not more than 75% or even not more than 70%, wherein Ht is the height of the container from a point of the bottom end most remote from the closure to a beginning of a shoulder region.

12. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 11 , wherein the container has a height ratio, Ht/H 1 , of at least 60%, or at least 65%, or at least 70%, wherein Ht is the height of the container from the point of the bottom end most remote from the closure to the beginning of the shoulder region.

Assignees

• Anheuser Busch Inbev Sa

Inventors

• Valles Vanessa
• Vandekerckhove Stijn
• Peirsman Daniel

Classifications

• B67D1/0431 Primary

  power-operated · CPC title

• B67D1/06 Primary

  Mountings or arrangements of dispensing apparatus in or on shop or bar counters (shop or bar counters per se A47F9/00) · CPC title

• B67D1/0848

  Locking means · CPC title

• B67D1/0842 Primary

  Multiple connectors, e.g. for simultaneously connecting several containers · CPC title

• B67D2210/00031

  Housing · CPC title