Method and apparatus for injecting a gas into a beverage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11147294-B2
Application number	US-201715423430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 2, 2017
Priority date	Feb 2, 2017
Publication date	Oct 19, 2021
Grant date	Oct 19, 2021

Abstract

Disclosed herein are techniques and methods for dispersing a volume of gas in a beverage contained in an unpressurized container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of injecting a gas into a coffee, tea or juice beverage, the method comprising:
submerging at least a portion of a delivery device within the coffee, tea or juice beverage contained within an unpressurized container;
initiating a flow of gas through the delivery device into the coffee, tea or juice beverage while the container remains unpressurized and delivering the gas through a plurality of outlet pores in the delivery device having diameters of 0.01 μm to about 150 μm to form bubbles in the coffee, tea or juice beverage that travel upwards through the coffee, tea or juice beverage to form a head of foam on the surface interface of the coffee, tea or juice beverage, wherein the gas comprises at least 90% nitrogen.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the flow of the gas through the delivery device occurs before submerging the delivery device into the coffee, tea or juice beverage.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unpressurized container is open to the atmosphere.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising serving the coffee, tea or juice beverage to a customer from the unpressurized container after forming a head of foam on the surface interface of the coffee, tea or juice beverage.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising after forming a head of foam on the surface interface of the coffee, tea or juice beverage delivering the coffee, tea or juice beverage to a customer within 3 minutes of stopping the flow of gas through the delivery device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the unpressurized container holds between 6 and 50 ounces of fluid.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the coffee, tea or juice beverage is between 6 and 50 ounces of fluid.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the delivery device comprises an inlet.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow of gas is maintained for 2 seconds to 3 minutes.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising halting the flow of gas for 2 seconds to 30 seconds.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising initiating at least a second flow of gas through the delivery device into the coffee, tea or juice beverage.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second flow of gas is maintained for 2 seconds to 3 minutes.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow of gas enters the delivery device through an inlet, and exits the delivery device through the plurality of outlet pores.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein submerging at least a portion of the delivery device within the coffee, tea or juice beverage comprises pouring the coffee, tea or juice beverage over at least a portion of the delivery device and into the container.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein submerging at least a portion of the delivery device within the coffee, tea or juice beverage comprises inserting the portion of the delivery device into the coffee, tea or juice beverage contained within the unpressurized container.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving the delivery device within the coffee, tea or juice beverage while the flow of gas is being delivered through the plurality of outlet ports.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising rotating, swirling, stirring and/or moving up and down the delivery device within the coffee, tea or juice beverage while the flow of gas is being delivered through the plurality of outlet ports.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising varying the flow of gas delivered through the plurality of outlet ports until the desired amount of head is formed in the coffee, tea or juice beverage.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gas is a compressed gas.

Assignees

• Starbucks Corp

Inventors

• Schacht Alexander
• Cummer Michael

Classifications

• B01F35/718051

  being adjustable · CPC title

• B01F23/231265

  being tubes, tubular elements, cylindrical elements or set of tubes · CPC title

• B01F23/2361 Primary

  within small containers, e.g. within bottles · CPC title

• B01F23/231

  by bubbling (mixers with gas or liquid agitation, e.g. with air supply tubes B01F33/40) · CPC title

• B01F23/23765

  Nitrogen · CPC title