Dispensing appliance provided with a disposable cooling cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10870567-B2
Application number	US-201716300496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2017
Priority date	May 13, 2016
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

A beverage dispensing apparatus having a container containing a beverage and a dispensing tube having three sections. The first section is a cartridge formed by a frame defining a perimeter of an inner area and supporting in the inner area a channel forming a serpentine. An upstream dispensing tube section fluidly connects the interior of the container to an inlet of the channel. A downstream dispensing tube section fluidly connects an outlet of the channel to a tapping valve. The appliance is provided with a cooling unit having a first and second cooling plates separated from one another by a distance defining an insertion slot. The distance separating the cooling plates can be varied, from a loading distance, d 0 , allowing the introduction of the cartridge into the slot, to a cooling distance, dc<d 0 , where the cooling plates contact the channel and apply pressure thereon deforming the channel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A kit of parts for a beverage dispensing apparatus, said kit of parts comprising the following components:
(A) a cartridge formed by a frame defining a perimeter of an inner area and supporting in said inner area a channel forming a serpentine extending in a non-rectilinear trajectory from a channel inlet to a channel outlet, both channel inlet and channel outlet being located outside of the inner area, wherein said channel is flexible at least in a radial direction, and
(B) an upstream dispensing tube section, comprising an upstream proximal end and an upstream distal end, wherein the upstream distal end is or can be sealingly coupled to the channel inlet, and the upstream proximal end can be brought in fluid communication with the interior of a container;
(C) a downstream dispensing tube section, comprising a downstream proximal end and a downstream distal end, wherein the downstream proximal end is or can be sealingly coupled to the channel outlet, such that,
(D) when the upstream distal end is sealingly coupled to the channel inlet and the downstream proximal end is sealingly coupled to the channel outlet, a continuous dispensing tube is formed by the upstream dispensing tube section, the channel, and the downstream dispensing tube section extending from the upstream proximal end to the downstream distal end, and
(E) a beverage dispensing appliance provided with a cooling unit comprising:
(c) a first cooling plate comprising a first surface and a second cooling plate comprising a second surface facing the first surface, both first and second cooling plates having a perimeter inscribed within the perimeter of the inner area, and
(d) a cold source suitable for cooling said first and second surfaces, wherein a distance separating the first surface and second surface of the first and second cooling plates can be varied,

from a loading distance, d 0 , greater than a thickness of the cartridge and forming an insertion slot allowing the introduction of the cartridge between the two cooling plates, and
to a cooling distance, dc<d 0 , wherein the first and second surfaces contact the channel and apply a pressure thereon deforming the channel in the hoop direction.

2. A kit of parts according to claim 1 , wherein the channel is formed by a pouch forming an inner space comprised between two polymeric or metallic thin film material defining a sealed perimeter formed by welding or gluing sheet material together, allowing the channel inlet and the channel outlet to bring said inner space in fluid communication with an outer atmosphere, and wherein the non-rectilinear trajectory of the channel is formed by locally gluing or welding sections of the two thin sheets together to define a channel forming serpentine portions and comprised within the sealed perimeter.

3. A kit of parts according to claim 2 , wherein the sheet layers are made of metal and the channel is formed by hydro-forming, or are made of a thermoplastic polymer.

4. A kit of parts according to claim 2 , wherein the sealed perimeter is defined by four edges, including a first pair of edges which are substantially parallel to one another and have a length, and a second pair of edges which are substantially parallel to one another and have a width, and wherein the serpentine portions are defined by lines comprising portions substantially parallel to the first pair of edges, each of said lines having a length shorter than the length of said first pair of edges, contacting one edge of the second pair of edges, and being arranged in a staggered pattern.

5. A kit of parts according to claim 1 , wherein the upstream dispensing tube section is permanently coupled to the channel inlet and the downstream dispensing tube section is permanently coupled to the channel outlet.

6. A kit of parts according to claim 1 , wherein both upstream and downstream dispensing tube sections are coupled to the cooling unit and wherein the channel inlet and channel outlet protrude out of the frame of the cartridge, such that when the cartridge is introduced into the insertion slot, the channel inlet is reversibly coupled to the distal end of the upstream dispensing tube section and, simultaneously, the channel outlet is reversibly coupled to the proximal end of the downstream dispensing tube section.

7. A kit of parts according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second cooling plates are each coupled to resilient means such as to apply a pressure thereon which tends to decrease the distance separating the first surface and second surface of the first and second cooling plates.

8. A kit of parts according to claim 1 , further comprising a tapping column unit, comprising a dispensing column which is hollow and provided with a tapping valve suitable for receiving the distal end of the downstream dispensing tube section which is inserted through the hollow column, wherein the cooling unit is located upstream from the hollow tapping column.

9. A kit of parts according to claim 1 , wherein the cartridge is composed of:
a first half frame defining the inner area,
a second half frame defining the inner area, and
a disposable pouch defining the channel, reversibly clamped in place between the first half frame and the second half frame.

10. A kit of parts according to claim 1 , further comprising a chamber for storing a container, wherein the cooling unit is fixed to said chamber, which comprises means for passing the downstream dispensing tube section from the inside to the outside of the chamber.

11. A beverage dispensing apparatus comprising the components (A) to (E) defined in claim 1 and a container, such that:
(a) A cartridge is inserted in the insertion slot of the cooling unit;
(b) The proximal end of the upstream dispensing tube section is in fluid communication with the interior of the container;
(c) The distal end of the upstream dispensing tube section is in fluid communication with the channel inlet;
(d) The proximal end of the downstream dispensing tube section is in fluid communication with the channel outlet; and
(e) The distal end of the downstream dispensing tube section is in inserted in a tapping valve.

Assignees

• Anheuser Busch Inbev Sa

Inventors

• Peirsman Daniel
• Vandekerckhove Stijn

Classifications

• F28F2255/10

  made by hydroforming · CPC title

• B67D1/0857 Primary

  Cooling arrangements (cooling systems per se F25B) · CPC title

• B67D1/0862 Primary

  in the form of a cold plate or a cooling block · CPC title

• F28F21/08

  of metal · CPC title

• B67D1/0406 Primary

  with means for carbonating the beverage, or for maintaining its carbonation (B67D1/0418 takes precedence) · CPC title