Needle with particle control for beverage dispensing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10934081-B2
Application number	US-201916689306-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2019
Priority date	Nov 21, 2018
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

A needle for accessing a container having a closure, such as a cork of a wine bottle. The needle includes one or more lumens which may have a screen to resist passage of materials over a threshold size from a distal end of the lumen to a proximal end. The screen may help allow a cork to reseal after the needle is withdrawn from the cork, help resist blockage of an opening to the lumen (whether with cork or other material) and/or help prevent foreign matter from interfering with operation of one or more portions of the dispenser (such as cork particles preventing valve from opening or closing).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A needle for dispensing a beverage, comprising:
a single tube having only a single lumen extending from a distal end to a proximal end opposite the distal end, the distal end and the tube being adapted to be inserted through a wine bottle cork such that the distal end is positioned on one side of the cork and the proximal end is positioned on an opposite side of the cork, the tube having a distal opening at the distal end that provides fluid communication between the lumen and an area external of the tube, and a screen positioned at the distal opening or in the lumen between the distal opening and the proximal end of the tube, the screen arranged to permit fluid passage from the distal opening to the proximal end of the lumen and resist passage of material over a threshold size.

2. The needle of claim 1 , wherein the screen is located at the distal opening.

3. The needle of claim 1 , wherein the screen is located in the lumen away from the distal opening.

4. The needle of claim 1 , wherein the threshold size is 100 microns.

5. The needle of claim 1 , wherein the screen is formed as a set of perforations in an outer wall of the tube.

6. The needle of claim 1 , wherein the screen is formed by a porous material inserted into the lumen of the tube.

7. The needle of claim 1 , wherein the screen is located in the lumen and arranged such that material over the threshold size collects in the lumen between the screen and the distal opening.

8. The needle of claim 7 , wherein the screen, distal opening and lumen are arranged such that flow of fluid from the proximal end of the lumen to the distal opening discharges material in the lumen between the screen and the distal opening from the distal opening.

9. The needle of claim 1 , wherein the needle is adapted to allow a wine bottle cork to reseal after the needle has been inserted through the cork and removed from the cork.

10. The needle of claim 1 , further comprising a hub attached at the proximal end of the single tube, the hub being arranged to engage the needle with a dispensing device and fluidly couple the lumen to both a gas source and dispensing outlet of the dispensing device.

11. A needle for dispensing a beverage, comprising:
a beverage tube having a beverage lumen extending from a distal end to a proximal end opposite the distal end, the beverage tube having a beverage opening at the distal end that provides fluid communication between the beverage lumen and an area external of the beverage tube and a beverage screen positioned at the beverage opening or in the beverage lumen between the beverage opening and the proximal end of the beverage tube, the beverage screen arranged to permit fluid passage from the beverage opening to the proximal end of the beverage lumen and resist passage of material over a threshold size; and
a gas tube having a gas lumen arranged to deliver a pressurized gas from a proximal end of the gas tube to a gas opening at a distal end of the gas tube, the beverage and gas tubes being adapted to be inserted through a wine bottle cork such that the distal ends of the beverage and gas tubes are positioned on one side of the cork and the proximal end is positioned on an opposite side of the cork;
wherein the gas lumen includes a gas screen to resist passage of material over the threshold size from the gas opening to the proximal end of the gas tube.

12. The needle of claim 11 , wherein the beverage lumen has a first cross sectional size and a first D-shaped cross section with a first flat surface;
the gas lumen has a second cross sectional size and a second D-shaped cross section with a second flat surface, the second cross sectional size being smaller than the first cross sectional size, the gas and beverage tubes being attached together with the first and second flat surfaces in contact with each other.

13. The needle of claim 11 , further comprising a pointed end at the distal ends of the beverage and gas tubes.

14. The needle of claim 13 , wherein the beverage and gas tubes are constructed and arranged to penetrate through a cork of a wine bottle by inserting the pointed end through the cork.

15. The needle of claim 12 , wherein the beverage and gas tubes define a cross sectional shape with a major axis that is perpendicular to the first and second flat surfaces and extends along a largest dimension of the cross sectional shape, where the cross sectional shape is as viewed in a plane perpendicular to a length of the beverage and gas tubes.

16. The needle of claim 11 , wherein the beverage opening and the gas opening are elongated and extend in a direction along a length of the beverage and gas tubes.

17. The needle of claim 11 , wherein the beverage screen and the gas screen are formed as a set of perforations in an outer wall of the beverage tube and the gas tube, respectively.

18. A needle for dispensing a beverage, comprising:
a beverage tube having a beverage lumen extending from a distal end to a proximal end opposite the distal end, the beverage tube having a beverage opening at the distal end that provides fluid communication between the beverage lumen and an area external of the beverage tube and a screen positioned at the beverage opening or in the beverage lumen between the beverage opening and the proximal end of the beverage tube, the screen arranged to permit fluid passage from the beverage opening to the proximal end of the beverage lumen and resist passage of material over a threshold size;
a gas tube having a gas lumen arranged to deliver a pressurized gas from a proximal end of the gas tube to a gas opening at a distal end of the gas tube, the beverage and gas tubes being adapted to be inserted through a wine bottle cork such that the distal ends of the beverage and gas tubes are positioned on one side of the cork and the proximal end is positioned on an opposite side of the cork; and
a hub attached at the proximal ends of the beverage and gas tubes, the hub being arranged to connect the beverage and gas lumens to a beverage dispenser and put at least one of the beverage and gas lumens in fluid communication with a portion of the beverage dispenser.

19. The needle of claim 18 , wherein the beverage lumen has a D-shaped cross section at a location where the screen is located.

20. The needle of claim 18 , wherein the hub has a body with forward and rear tabs that extend away from each other in a direction perpendicular to a length of the beverage and gas lumens.

21. The needle of claim 20 , wherein the forward tab is longer than the rear tab.

22. The needle of claim 20 , wherein the body has an opening at a proximal end of the body, the opening being in fluid communication with the gas lumen.

23. The needle of claim 18 , wherein the screen is formed as a set of perforations in an outer wall of the beverage tube.

Assignees

• Coravin Inc

Inventors

• Rider Michael
• Sweezey Andrew S

Classifications

• B67D2210/0001

  for liquid · CPC title

• B67D2001/0475

  Type of gas or gas mixture used, other than pure CO2 · CPC title

• B67D1/0885

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

• B67D1/0412 Primary

  the whole dispensing unit being fixed to the container · CPC title

• B67D1/0003 Primary

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