Compact beverage dispensing unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10280059-B2
Application number	US-201314398428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 26, 2013
Priority date	May 2, 2012
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A beverage dispensing device including a base having a support plate is disclosed. The device has a peripheral wall jutting out of the bottom of the support plate and extending along the perimeter of the support plate defining with the bottom surface an inner volume of the base. A source of pressurized gas is lodged in the inner volume of the base, with a device for connecting the source of pressurized gas to the interior of a beverage container outside the inner volume of the base. An elongated tapping column extends normal to the top surface of the base, having an elongated inner channel bringing in fluid communication the inner volume with a tapping valve head located at the opposite top, outlet end of the tapping column. The height of the peripheral wall allows the beverage dispensing device to dispense beverages when standing on the top surface of a counter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A beverage dispensing unit comprising:
(A) A base portion, comprising:
(i) a support plate comprising a top surface and a bottom surface and an opening connecting said top and bottom surfaces,
(ii) a peripheral wall jutting out of the bottom surface of the support plate and extending along at least a portion of the perimeter of said support plate, and stably supporting the support plate at a distance from a planar surface said peripheral wall rests upon, said distance corresponding to the height of the peripheral wall, wherein the peripheral wall, bottom surface and planar surface define an inner volume of the base portion;
(iii) a source of pressurized gas lodged in the inner volume of the base portion, and a connecting device fluidly connecting said source of pressurized gas to the interior of a beverage container located outside the inner volume of the base portion; and

(B) an elongated tapping column extending substantially normal to the top surface of the base portion, an inlet end thereof being fixed to said top surface and comprising an elongated inner channel bringing in fluid communication via said opening, the inner volume of the base portion with a tapping valve head located at the opposite top, outlet end of the elongated tapping column, said channel and tapping valve head being dimensioned for receiving a dispensing line inserted into said tapping valve head and into the interior of said beverage container through said channel and for controlling the flow of liquid through said dispensing line,
wherein the peripheral wall has a height comprised between 70 and 200 mm, wherein the source of pressurized gas is a pressure cartridge filled with pressurized gas or a solid substrate with gas molecules adsorbed on the surface thereof, and wherein said source of pressurized gas is connected to a gas compressor located either within or outside of the inner volume of the base portion for refilling the source of pressurized gas when the pressure of the compressed gas stored therein becomes insufficient and, to this effect, said source of pressurized gas is provided with a pressure gauge for measuring the pressure of the gas stored therein and with a CPU for activating the gas compressor as soon as the pressure indicated by the pressure gauge falls below a given threshold value;
a CPU programmed for calculating the volume of liquid dispensed in a given time by computing at least the pressure inside the container and the opening time of the valve, wherein the pressure inside the container is substantially constant during the dispensing lifetime of the container;
lodged in the inner volume of the base portion, a source of power or an AC/DC transformer with a connecting device to the AC supply net, wherein the tapping valve head is openable from a closed configuration to an open configuration, and the tapping column is dimensioned to allow the inlet end of a dispensing tube including the connecting device to be introduced from the tapping column top end and through the tapping valve head held in open position, all the way down to the inner volume of the base portion, wherein the valve element is a pinch-valve comprising first and second jaws for receiving in pinching relationship a flexible portion of the outlet end of a dispensing line and for controlling the flow of liquid therethrough by varying the distance between the first and second jaws from a first, closed position, d 0 , wherein the flexible portion of the dispensing line is squeezed and no liquid can flow, to a second, open position, d 1 , wherein the dispensing line is not squeezed or not squeezed completely and liquid can flow through the line, wherein the column comprises an openable portion of channel provided with a device for opening said openable portion of channel including the pinch valve from a closed configuration to an open configuration wherein the first and second jaws are separated from one another by a distance substantially larger than the one corresponding to the open position, d 1 , wherein the openable portion of the channel comprises at least 60% of the total length of the channel, wherein the tapping valve head comprises a hinge assembly allowing the first and second jaws to be separated by a distance larger than the one corresponding to the open position.

2. The beverage dispensing unit according to claim 1 , wherein the source of pressurized gas is a gas compressor, a pressure cartridge filled with pressurized gas, a solid substrate with gas molecules adsorbed on the surface thereof, or any combination thereof.

3. The beverage dispensing unit according to claim 2 , wherein the source of pressurized gas is a pressure cartridge filled with pressurized gas or a solid substrate with gas molecules adsorbed on the surface thereof, and wherein said source of pressurized gas is connected to a gas compressor located either within or outside of the inner volume of the base portion for refilling the source of pressurized gas when the pressure of the compressed gas stored therein becomes insufficient and said source of pressurized gas is provided with a pressure gauge for measuring the pressure of the gas stored therein and with a CPU for activating the gas compressor as soon as the pressure indicated by the pressure gauge falls below a given threshold value.

4. The beverage dispensing unit according to claim 2 , comprising a CPU programmed for calculating the volume of liquid dispensed in a given time by computing at least the pressure inside the container and the opening time of the valve, wherein the pressure inside the container is substantially constant during the dispensing lifetime of the container.

5. The beverage dispensing unit according to claim 1 , further comprising lodged in the inner volume of the base portion a source of power or an AC/DC transformer with a connecting device to the AC supply net.

6. A beverage dispensing assembly comprising:
(A) a beverage dispensing unit, comprising a base portion, the base portion comprising:
(i) a support plate comprising a top surface and a bottom surface and an opening connecting said top and bottom surfaces,
(ii) a peripheral wall jutting out of the bottom surface of the support plate and extending along at least a portion of the perimeter of said support plate, and stably supporting the support plate at a distance from a planar surface said peripheral wall rests upon, said distance corresponding to the height of the peripheral wall, wherein the peripheral wall, bottom surface, and planar surface define an inner volume of the base portion;
(iii) a source of pressurized gas lodged in the inner volume of the base portion, and a connecting device fluidly connecting said source of pressurized gas to the interior of a beverage container located outside the inner volume of the base portion; and

an elongated tapping column extending substantially normal to the top surface of the base portion, an inlet end thereof being fixed to said top surface and comprising an elongated inner channel bringing in fluid communication via said opening, the inner volume of the base portion with a tapping valve head located at the opposite top, outlet end of the elongated tapping column, said channel and tapping valve head being dimensioned for receiving a dispensing line inserted into said tapping valve head and into the interior of said beverage container through said channel and for controlling the flow of liquid through said dispensing line, wherein the peripheral wall has a height comprised between 70 and 200 mm,
standing on the top surface of a counter or worktop of the type found in traditional pubs and restaurants;
(B) a beverage container containing a beverage to be dispensed, and being separate from the beverage dispensing unit,
(C) a first dispensing line extend

Assignees

• Anheuser Busch Inbev Sa

Inventors

• Peirsman Daniel
• Van Hove Sarah
• Van Rompaey Johan

Classifications

• B67D1/0006 Primary

  based on the timed opening of a valve · CPC title

• B67D1/06

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

• B67D1/0888

  Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means) · CPC title

• B67D2001/0092

  Containers for gas, for, e.g. CO2, N2 · CPC title

• B67D1/1252

  Gas pressure control means, e.g. for maintaining proper carbonation (for beer engines B67D1/025) · CPC title