Beverage dispenser systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10865091-B2
Application number	US-201916282119-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 21, 2019
Priority date	Feb 22, 2018
Publication date	Dec 15, 2020
Grant date	Dec 15, 2020

Abstract

A beverage dispensing system is provided, including a main body that includes an interior cavity adapted to receive a beverage container, an adaptor module, and a controlled gas system. The adaptor module is configured to provide fluidic coupling from the beverage container to the controlled gas system, such that a beverage may be dispensed through from a tap connected to the adaptor with the aid of positive gas pressure disposed on a beverage surface within the beverage container. The controlled gas system exerts a positive pressure on a surface of the beverage in the beverage container such that when a tap is opened to dispense the beverage, the relative pressure difference between the positive pressure on the surface of the beverage and the ambient pressure causes the beverage to be dispensed from the tap.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A beverage dispensing system, comprising:
a main body, comprising:
an interior cavity adapted to receive a beverage container therein;
a tap configured to dispense a beverage;
a manifold fixed to a surface of the main body disposed inside the interior cavity;
a controlled gas system fluidly connected to the manifold; and
an adaptor module releasably connected to the manifold and releasably coupled to the controlled gas system and the tap through the manifold, wherein the adaptor module is configured to be attached to the beverage container
wherein the manifold includes a first surface configured to slidably receive a corresponding second surface on the adaptor module such that the first surface and the second surface are in contact when the adaptor module is fluidly coupled to the controlled gas system and the tap, and
wherein the adaptor module is configured to be attached to the beverage container before being coupled to the controlled gas system and the tap and is configured to provide fluidic coupling from the beverage container to the controlled gas system, such that a beverage may be dispensed from the tap with the aid of positive gas pressure disposed on a beverage surface within the beverage container.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the adaptor module further comprises:
an adaptor configured to be coupled to an opening of a beverage container; and
a beverage tube coupled to the adaptor and configured to receive beverage from the beverage container.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lid configured to close the interior cavity; and wherein the controlled gas system further comprises:
a one-way gas valve including a switch configured such that the controlled gas system is prevented from flowing gas to the beverage container when the lid is removed from the main body.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controlled gas system further comprises:
a gas canister containing one of CO2 or compressed air;
a gas line connecting the gas canister to a one-way gas valve;
a second gas line connecting the one-way gas valve to the manifold, wherein the manifold connects to the adaptor and allows fluidic communication between the gas canister and the beverage container.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controlled gas system further comprises:
a gas canister; and
wherein the adaptor module further comprises:
an adaptor configured to be coupled to the beverage container and configured to provide a gas flow path between the gas canister and the beverage container.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controlled gas system exerts a positive pressure on a surface of the beverage in the beverage container such that when the tap is opened to dispense the beverage, the relative pressure difference between the positive pressure on the surface of the beverage and the ambient pressure causes the beverage to be dispensed from the tap.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the beverage container is a bottle.

8. The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the manifold is configured to establish a gas flow path between a gas canister and an inside of a beverage container, and configured to establish a beverage flow path between the beverage container and a tap to dispense the beverage.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a locking member connected to the manifold and configured to retain the adaptor such that the adaptor is coupled to the manifold.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the manifold further comprises:
a gas outlet configured to be coupled to a gas inlet of the adaptor; and
a beverage inlet, configured to be coupled to a beverage outlet of the adaptor.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controlled gas system exerts a positive pressure on a surface of the beverage inside the beverage container of between about 10 pounds per square inch (“psi”) and about 15 psi.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second adaptor module, wherein the second adaptor module is configured to provide fluidic coupling from a second beverage container to the controlled gas system, such that a second beverage may be dispensed through from a second tap connected to the second adaptor with the aid of positive gas pressure disposed on a beverage surface within the second beverage container.

13. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a product restriction element comprising a base profile disposed on an interior surface of the main body, wherein the base profile is contoured to match a profile of a specific brand's beverage container and to prevent the use of a beverage container with a different base profile in the beverage dispensing system.

14. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a locking member configured to retain the beverage container within the main body of the system, wherein the locking member is positioned such that it restricts the height of the beverage container to match a height of a specific brand's beverage container.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the beverage container is a bottle.

16. The system of claim 13 , further comprising:
a gas canister; and
an adaptor configured to be coupled to the beverage container and configured to provide a gas flow path between the gas canister and the beverage container.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the gas flow path exerts a positive pressure on a surface of the beverage inside the beverage container of between about 10 pounds per square inch (“psi”) and about 15 psi.

Assignees

• Pepsico Inc

Inventors

• Bhutani Gurmeet Singh
• Deshpande Prashant

Classifications

• B67D2210/0006

  Manifolds · CPC title

• B67D2001/0824

  with dip tubes · CPC title

• B67D2001/082

  arranged in parallel · CPC title

• B67D1/1252

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

• B67D1/0418

  comprising a CO2 cartridge for dispensing and carbonating the beverage · CPC title