Beverage extractor for sparkling beverages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875757-B2
Application number	US-201916531480-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2019
Priority date	Nov 17, 2015
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A system and method for dispensing sparkling and other pressurized beverages from a container. Sparkling wine and other beverages may be dispensed without removing a cork or other closure. One or more needles may be inserted through the closure and sparkling beverage dispensed through the one or more needles. The one or more needles may be inserted at an angle to the vertical or axis of the bottle opening in which the closure is positioned, e.g., to avoid contact with a metal retainer on the closure. Dispensed beverage may be directed to a pressurized reservoir to help maintain or recover carbonation prior to dispensing.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A sparkling beverage dispensing system for use with a container having beverage and gas in an interior, an opening to the interior with a closure positioned in the opening and a cap and wire retainer securing the closure to the container, the system comprising:
at least one needle arranged to penetrate through the closure such that a distal end of the needle is positioned inside of the container, the needle being arranged to receive beverage from the container for dispensing;
a needle guide arranged to engage the container and guide the at least one needle in penetrating through the closure, the needle guide arranged to guide the at least one needle to enter the closure at an angle of 5 degrees to 70 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the container; and
at least one valve fluidly coupled to the at least one needle to control beverage flow out of the container via the at least one needle to a dispensing outlet,
wherein the at least one needle and the needle guide are arranged to position the distal end of the at least one needle inside the container upon full insertion of the at least one needle through the closure such that with the longitudinal axis of the container in a vertical orientation the distal end is in contact with the gas in the container and is out of contact with the beverage in the container.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one needle is arranged to penetrate a cork closure of a sparkling wine bottle and be withdrawn from the cork closure such that the cork closure reseals.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a reservoir arranged to fluidly couple with the dispensing outlet and receive beverage dispensed from the dispensing outlet, the reservoir arranged to hold dispensed beverage under pressure.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the reservoir is fluidly coupled to the dispensing outlet so that a pressure in the reservoir equalizes with a pressure in the container.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the reservoir is arranged to vent to ambient pressure before or at a time of dispensing the beverage from the reservoir to a user's cup.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the reservoir includes a dispensing valve arranged to open to vent the reservoir and dispense the beverage in the reservoir.

7. The system of claim 3 , wherein the reservoir is arranged to vent pressure in the reservoir at a rate of no more than 5 psi/sec when in a closed state.

8. The system of claim 3 , wherein the reservoir includes a lid that is removable to allow beverage in the reservoir to be poured from the reservoir.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the lid includes a coupling arranged to engage with the dispensing outlet and receive beverage into the reservoir.

10. The system of claim 3 , wherein beverage enters the reservoir at a bottom of the reservoir.

11. The system of claim 3 , wherein the reservoir is arranged to dispense beverage from an outlet at a bottom of the reservoir.

12. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a source of pressurized gas, and the at least one valve includes a gas control valve to allow a flow of pressurized gas from the source of pressurized gas into the container via the at least one needle.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the at least one valve includes a beverage dispensing valve to control flow of beverage from the at least one needle to the dispensing outlet, and wherein the gas control valve permits flow of pressurized gas only when the beverage dispensing valve is closed.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one valve includes a normally closed beverage dispensing valve that prevents flow of beverage from the at least one needle to the dispensing outlet absent user action to open the normally closed valve.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one needle and the needle guide are arranged such that the needle follows a linear path through the closure along a direction that is 5 to 45 degrees from the longitudinal axis.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one needle is curved, and the needle guide is arranged to guide the at least one needle to follow a curved path through the closure.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one needle has a constant curvature.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one needle and the needle guide are arranged such that the at least one needle avoids contact with the container when penetrating the closure.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one needle includes a first needle arranged to deliver pressurized gas to the container and a second needle arranged to deliver beverage from the container.

20. A method for dispensing beverage from a container having beverage and gas in an interior, an opening to the interior with a closure positioned in the opening and a cap and retainer securing the closure to the container, the method comprising:
penetrating through the closure with at least one needle at an angle of 5 degrees to 70 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the container such that a distal end of the needle is positioned inside of the container, the distal end of the needle being positioned such that with the longitudinal axis of the container in a vertical orientation the distal end is in contact with the gas in the container and is out of contact with the beverage in the container;
tilting the container so that the beverage in the container contacts the distal end of the needle; and
operating at least one valve that is fluidly coupled to the at least one needle to control beverage flow out of the container via the at least one needle to a dispensing outlet.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the at least one needle penetrates a cork closure of a sparkling wine bottle.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising withdrawing the at least one needle from the cork closure such that the cork closure reseals upon withdrawal of the at least one needle.

23. The method of claim 20 , further comprising delivering beverage from the dispensing outlet to a reservoir fluidly coupled with the dispensing outlet, the reservoir arranged to hold dispensed beverage under pressure.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the reservoir is fluidly coupled to the dispensing outlet so that a pressure in the reservoir equalizes with a pressure in the container.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the reservoir is arranged to vent to ambient pressure before or at a time of dispensing the beverage from the reservoir to a user's cup.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the reservoir includes a dispensing valve arranged to open to vent the reservoir and dispense the beverage in the reservoir.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the reservoir is arranged to vent pressure in the reservoir at a rate of no more than 5 psi/sec when in a closed state.

28. The method of claim 23 , wherein the reservoir includes a lid that is removable to allow beverage in the reservoir to be poured from the reservoir.

29. The method of claim 28 , wherein the lid includes a coupling arranged to engage with the dispensing outlet and receive beverage into the reservoir.

30. The method of claim 23 , wherein beverage enters the reservoir at a bottom of the reservoir.

31. The method of claim 23 , wherein the reservoir is arranged to dispense beve

Assignees

• Coravin Inc

Inventors

• Lambrecht Gregory
• Moore Robert Kevin

Classifications

• B67D1/0801

  of beverage containers, e.g. casks, kegs · CPC title

• B67D1/0456

  Siphons, i.e. beverage containers under gas pressure without supply of further pressurised gas during dispensing · CPC title

• B67D1/0418

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

• B67D1/0003

  the beverage being a single liquid (B67D1/02, B67D1/04 take precedence; drinking fountains E03B9/20) · CPC title

• B67D1/0885

  Means for dispensing under specific atmospheric conditions, e.g. under inert gas · CPC title