Pressurized beverage concentrates and appliances and methods for producing beverages therefrom

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11208314-B2
Application number	US-201815886600-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2018
Priority date	Jan 30, 2015
Publication date	Dec 28, 2021
Grant date	Dec 28, 2021

Abstract

The present invention describes methods and devices in which concentrated beverage products, each packaged in a pressurized container, can be combined with liquids and/or other ingredients to produce one or more servings of a beverage. These products provide users with a convenient way to prepare both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (including carbonated beverages) in various serving sizes and quantities by combining the pressurized beverage concentrate with (possibly carbonated) liquids and other ingredients.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An appliance, comprising:
a first receptacle for intake of a single container containing a concentrated beverage and a pressurized gas;
a first liquid intake for intake of a liquid;
a first mixing element for mixing the concentrated beverage and the pressurized gas with the liquid to produce a beverage;
a second liquid intake for intake of a carbonated liquid;
a second mixing element for mixing the beverage output from the first mixing element with the carbonated liquid; and
a beverage outlet to dispense the beverage.

2. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the first mixing element is a static mixer.

3. The appliance of claim 2 , wherein the static mixer is an in-line mixer.

4. The appliance of claim 3 , wherein the in-line mixer is a venturi.

5. The appliance of claim 2 , wherein the static mixer is a mixing chamber.

6. The appliance of claim 5 , wherein the mixing chamber is a disposable mixing chamber composed of a plastic material.

7. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the carbonated liquid is carbonated water.

8. The appliance of claim 7 , wherein the carbonated water is hypercarbonated water.

9. The appliance of claim 7 , wherein the second mixing element is a disposable mixing chamber composed of a plastic material.

10. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the second mixing element comprises one of a carbonation chamber and a static mixer.

11. The appliance of claim 1 , further comprising a second receptacle for intake of an ingredient.

12. The appliance of claim 11 , wherein the ingredient is a flavor ingredient selected from the group consisting of a spice flavor, a fruit flavor, an herb flavor, a hop flavor, a malt flavor, a nut flavor, a smoke flavor, a coffee flavor, a chocolate flavor, and mixtures thereof.

13. The appliance of claim 11 , wherein the ingredient is a solid or liquid concentrated ingredient selected from the group consisting of hop concentrates, fruit concentrates, sweeteners, bittering additives, concentrated spices, foaming promoters, concentrated malt-based liquids, concentrated fermented liquids, concentrated beer, alcohols, flavor additives, colorants and mixtures thereof.

14. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the pressurized gas is pressurized to approximately 9.4 bar above atmospheric.

15. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the pressurized gas is pressurized to approximately 20 bar above atmospheric.

16. The appliance of claim 1 , wherein the pressurized gas is pressurized to approximately 15 bar above atmospheric.

Assignees

• Anheuser Busch Inbev Sa

Inventors

• Peirsman Daniel
• Vandekerckhove Stijn
• Pellaud Jerome
• Davis Nathaniel

Classifications

• B01F23/2368

  Mixing receptacles, e.g. tanks, vessels or reactors, being completely closed, e.g. hermetically closed · CPC title

• B01F25/312

  with Venturi elements; Details thereof · CPC title

• B01F23/236

  specially adapted for aerating or carbonating beverages · CPC title

• B67D2001/0092

  Containers for gas, for, e.g. CO2, N2 · CPC title

• B67D1/0078 Primary

  Ingredient cartridges · CPC title