Roving beverage dispensing unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11753290-B2
Application number	US-202117186545-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2021
Priority date	Aug 23, 2011
Publication date	Sep 12, 2023
Grant date	Sep 12, 2023

Abstract

A roving beverage dispensing device has a beverage container in a cooled compartment and a flexible beverage dispensing line with connecting means coupling its inlet end to the container. A pressure line is releasably connected to the container and to a source of pressurized gas. An elongated tapping column fixed to the top of the compartment comprises elongated inner channel bringing in communication the interior of the compartment with tapping valve element suitable for receiving a portion of the outlet end of the dispensing line and for controlling the flow of liquid therethrough. The largest diameters of the dispensing line and the connecting means are sufficiently small so that the dispensing line can be introduced from the top end of the tapping column through the elongated channel into the compartment and connected to the container.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A roving beverage dispensing device, comprising:
(a) a beverage container containing a liquid beverage to be dispensed;
(b) an at least partially flexible beverage dispensing line comprising an inlet end and an outlet end, the inlet end being provided with a dispensing line connector configured to connect said inlet end to said container to provide fluid communication between the container and the outlet end of the dispensing line;
(c) a pressure line, the pressure line comprising an outlet releasably connectable to the container and providing fluid communication between an interior of the container and a source of pressurized gas;
(d) a compartment for containing said container and comprising a refrigeration device;
(e) an elongated tapping column comprising a fixed end fixed to the top surface of the compartment and comprising an elongated inner channel, said elongated inner channel having a smallest diameter (D 1 ), and providing fluid communication between the interior of the compartment and a tapping valve element located at or adjacent to the top end of the elongated tapping column,
said tapping valve element configured to receive a portion of the outlet end of the dispensing line and controls the flow of liquid therethrough,
wherein the largest diameters of the dispensing line and the dispensing line connector are both smaller than a smallest diameter (D 1 ) of the elongated inner channel and the tapping valve element such that the dispensing line and dispensing line connector can be introduced from the top end of the elongated tapping column, through the tapping valve element held in an open position, down through the channel and into the compartment where it can be connected to the container.

2. The dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the dispensing line connector is selected from a bayonet, a threaded nut, a pin, and a resilient snap-fit.

3. The dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the valve element is a pinch valve and a portion of the outlet end of the dispensing line to be engaged in said pinch valve is flexible.

4. The dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the valve is made of two elements:
a first valve element mounted on the column; and
a second, co-element mounted at the outlet portion of the dispensing line and suitable, when engaged therein, for collaborating with the first valve element to control the flow of liquid through the dispensing line.

5. The dispensing device according to the claim 1 , wherein the beverage to be dispensed and contained in the container is beer, carbonated malt beverages or cider.

6. The dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the source of pressurized gas is a pressurized gas bottle located within the compartment.

7. A method for loading a new beverage container into a roving dispensing device as defined in claim 1 , comprising the following steps:
(a) providing a new container;
(b) engaging a portion of the outlet end into the valve element and introducing the inlet of the dispensing line, including the dispensing line connector, into the channel of the elongated tower and driving down into the compartment and:
(c) connecting the dispensing line connector to the container; and
(d) connecting a source of pressurized gas with the interior of a new container via a pressure line with a pressure line connector.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the inlet end of the dispensing line, including the dispensing line connector is introduced from the outlet of the channel of the tapping tower, engaged into the valve element, and driven all the way down into the compartment where it is then connected to the container.

9. The method according to the claim 7 , wherein the channel comprises an opening located upstream from the valve element, whence the inlet end of the dispensing line, including the dispensing line connector is driven through the channel down into the compartment, and the outlet end of the dispensing line is introduced into the pinch-valve from upstream.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the valve element is either:
(a) a pinch valve and a portion of the outlet end of the dispensing line to be engaged in said pinch valve is flexible; or
(b) a first element of a valve made of two elements said first element being mounted on the column and suitable for collaborating with a second, co-element mounted at the outlet portion of the dispensing line and, when the latter is engaged in the first element to control the flow of liquid through the dispensing line.

11. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the valve element shall be closed prior to connecting the dispensing line to the container.

12. The dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein both the connectors of the dispensing line and the pressure line are connectable to the container through a receiving portion of a connecting device, fixed to the mouth of the container and suitable for bringing in fluid communication corresponding portions of the interior of the container with the dispensing line and pressure line, respectively.

Assignees

• Anheuser Busch Inbev Sa

Inventors

• Peirsman Daniel
• Van Rompaey Johan

Classifications

• B67D1/0406 Primary

  with means for carbonating the beverage, or for maintaining its carbonation (B67D1/0418 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B67D1/04 Primary

  Apparatus utilising compressed air or other gas acting directly or indirectly on beverages in storage containers · CPC title

• B67D1/0412 Primary

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

• B67D1/0867

  the cooling fluid being a liquid · CPC title

• B67D1/0868

  the cooling fluid being a gas · CPC title