Beverage dispensing assembly and beverage container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11591202-B2
Application number	US-201816614556-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 18, 2018
Priority date	May 19, 2017
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

Beverage dispensing assembly (1), comprising a dispenser (2) and a beverage container (3), wherein the beverage container (3) has a neck portion (7) and a shoulder portion (8) adjacent the neck portion (7), wherein the neck portion (7) is provided with at least an outflow opening and at least one gas inlet opening (9) and wherein the dispenser (2) comprises a housing (4), wherein the housing (4) is provided with a receptacle (5) for receiving at least part of the container (3), wherein the container (3) is positioned in the dispenser (2) with the neck (7) and shoulder portion (8) facing downward, such that the neck portion (7) and at least part of the shoulder portion (8) are received in the receptacle (5), wherein part of the shoulder portion (8) extends close to and/or is in contact with a wall of the receptacle (5), wherein preferably a lid (12) is provided over the container (3), enclosing a part of the container (3) extending outside the receptacle (5).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A beverage dispensing assembly, comprising a dispenser and a beverage container, wherein the beverage container has a neck portion and a shoulder portion adjacent the neck portion, wherein the neck portion of the container is provided with at least an outflow opening and at least one gas inlet opening and wherein the dispenser comprises a housing, wherein the housing is provided with a receptacle for receiving at least part of the container, wherein the container is positioned in the dispenser, such that at least a portion of the container is received in the receptacle, which portion has a part which extends close to and/or is in contact with a wall of the receptacle, wherein a lid is provided over the container, enclosing a part of the container extending outside the receptacle, wherein the lid is transparent at least to such extent that at least a significant part of the container extending outside the receptacle is visible through said lid,
wherein at least one light source is provided emitting light into and/or onto the container,
wherein the container is placed in the dispenser with a neck portion facing downward, such that at least a portion of the container comprising the neck portion and at least part of the shoulder portion is received in the receptacle, which shoulder portion has a part which extends close to and/or is in contact with a wall of the receptacle.

2. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , the container having at least an outer wall which is at least partly transparent for at least part of the light emitted from the at least one light source.

3. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the container has an inner container which is reflective for at least part of the light passing through the outer wall.

4. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the inner container is collapsible within the outer wall.

5. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the lid is supported by the housing, enclosing the container or a relevant part thereof, wherein the at least one light source is provided in the housing or in the lid.

6. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the lid is at least partly transparent, such that at least part of the container extending outside the receptacle can be seen through the lid, from at least two opposite sides.

7. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the lid is a double walled lid and/or is made of plastic and/or glass.

8. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the container is a plastic container.

9. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the container is provided with a dispensing unit, including at least a dispensing line, and the housing comprises a tap for connecting to and/or cooperating with the dispensing line.

10. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a cooling device for cooling at least a part of the wall of the receptacle, providing for contact cooling of a part of at least the shoulder portion of the container.

11. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is substantially bowl shaped, wherein the container is supported by at least a part of the wall of the receptacle.

12. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the container is provided with a closure ring closing off the neck of the container, and wherein the closure ring and/or the neck portion of the container is or are provided with the at least one gas inlet opening, for introducing a gas, under pressure into the container.

13. A beverage dispensing assembly, comprising a dispenser and a beverage container, wherein the beverage container has a neck portion and a shoulder portion adjacent the neck portion, wherein the neck portion of the container, is provided with at least an outflow opening and at least one gas inlet opening and wherein the dispenser comprises a housing, wherein the housing is provided with a receptacle for receiving at least part of the container, wherein the container is positioned in the dispenser, such that at least a portion of the container is received in the receptacle, which portion has a part which extends close to and/or is in contact with a wall of the receptacle, wherein a lid is provided over the container, enclosing a part of the container extending outside the receptacle, wherein the lid is transparent at least to such extent that at least a significant part of the container extending outside the receptacle is visible through said lid, wherein at least one light source is provided emitting light into and/or onto the container, wherein an adapter is provided at the neck portion of the container, wherein the adapter comprises at least part of a dispensing unit, including at least a dispensing line, wherein the dispensing line at a first end is provided with a connector or dispense adapter for connecting to the outflow opening or to a beverage dispensing valve provided in said outflow opening, and at an opposite end is provided with a beverage dispense opening.

14. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 12 , wherein an adapter is provided at the neck portion of the container, wherein the adapter is arranged for connecting a gas connector of the dispenser with the at least one gas inlet opening.

15. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the container is a BIC type container, comprising an outer container and an inner container, wherein at least one gas inlet opening is provided in the neck portion of the container, in a peripheral wall portion of the outer container, opening into a space between the inner container and the outer container, wherein the adapter covers at least said at least one gas inlet opening, and is provided with at least one adapter opening extending radially outward, in fluid communication with the said at least one gas inlet opening, and in fluid connection with a gas connector of the dispenser, wherein the housing is provided with a supply for gas under pressure, connected to the gas connector.

16. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 12 , wherein an adapter is provided at the neck portion of the container, wherein the receptacle is provided with an indentation at an end thereof for receiving the neck portion of the container with the adapter.

17. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the dispenser is provided with at least one gas connector, movable relative to the receptacle.

18. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the gas connector is movable mechanically.

19. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the dispenser is provided with at least one sensing element, movable relative to the container and/or receptacle, which sensing element engages the container and/or an adapter mounted on the container for sensing a correct position of the container and/or adapter in said receptacle, wherein the sensing element can be part of or form a locking element for locking the container inside the dispenser.

20. The beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 19 , wherein the dispenser is provided with at least one sensing element, movable relative to the container and/or receptacle, which sensing element engages the container and/or an adapter mounted on the container for sensing a correct position of the container and/or adapter in said r

Assignees

• Heineken Supply Chain Bv

Inventors

• Paauwe Arie Maarten
• Witte Pieter Gerard

Classifications

• B67D1/06

  Mountings or arrangements of dispensing apparatus in or on shop or bar counters (shop or bar counters per se A47F9/00) · CPC title

• B67D1/0857

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

• B67D1/0872

  Aesthetics, advertising · CPC title

• B67D1/0801

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

• B67D2001/0814

  for upside down use · CPC title