Beverage dispensing device, beverage dispensing method, and beverage dispensing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12522495-B2
Application number	US-202218289650-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2022
Priority date	May 11, 2021
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

Provided is a beer dispensing device not requiring cleaning by using a disposable flexible tube to form a beer passage, and also provided is a device capable of dispensing foam as well as beer, using a single flexible tube. A beverage dispensing device 1 using a combination of tubes 12 having an elastically portion that is elastically deformable as a passage of a beverage 20 comprises a mechanism 32 configured to set the bore of the flexible portion to a first state having a first cross-sectional area or a second state having a second cross-sectional area smaller than the first cross-sectional area, selectively, and when the bore of the flexible portion is set to the second state, foam is generated from the beverage flowing through the tube.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A beverage dispensing device that uses a combination of tubes each having a flexible portion that is elastically deformable as a passage of a beverage, the beverage dispensing device comprising a mechanism configured to set a bore of the flexible portion to a first state having a first cross-sectional area or a second state having a second cross-sectional area that is smaller than the first cross-sectional area, selectively, wherein:
when the bore of the flexible portion is in the second state, foam is generated from the beverage flowing through the tube, the mechanism comprises a pressing mechanism configured to press the flexible portion, the pressing mechanism comprises a pressing portion, the pressing portion comprising a pair of members facing each other with the flexible portion interposed therebetween, one of the pair of members of the pressing portion is a holder member configured to contact with the flexible portion and hold the flexible portion when the bore of the flexible portion is in the first state and the second state, the other of the pair of members is a pressing member configured to press the flexible portion when the bore of the flexible portion is switched from the first state to the second state, the other of the pair of members comprises
a pair of protruding portions protruding toward the one of the pair of members and facing each other with a central axis of the flexible portion that is disposed between the pair of members interposed therebetween; and
a groove provided between the pair of protruding portions, and
the groove has a depth such that the flexible portion in the second state is out of contact with a bottom surface of the groove.

2 . The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein chamfered portions are provided to ends of the pair of respective protruding portions, the ends facing the flexible portion.

3 . The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing member is disposed above the flexible portion and the holder member is disposed under the flexible portion.

4 . The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing mechanism presses only a part of a cross section of the flexible portion in the second state.

5 . The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible portion has a part in which the cross section of the bore has a substantially semicircular shape or a substantially crescent shape, in the second state.

6 . The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible portion has a part inner surfaces of which come into contact with each other, the part being a part pressed and caused to deform by the pair of members, in the second state.

7 . The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the one of the pair of members comprises a projection at a position coming into contact with a central portion of the flexible portion.

8 . The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing portion comprises a pair of side walls provided integrally with the one member of the pair of members or the other member of the pair of members, and facing each other with the flexible portion interposed therebetween in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the one member of the pair of members and the other member of the pair of members face each other.

9 . The beverage dispensing device according to claim 8 , wherein an interval between the pair of side walls has a size that the flexible portion does not come into contact with the pair of side walls when the flexible portion is in the first state and when the flexible portion is in the second state.

10 . The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing member is driven by an actuator.

11 . The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the beverage dispensing device and/or the tube comprises a passage opening/closing mechanism for opening/closing the passage of the beverage.

12 . The beverage dispensing device according to claim 11 , wherein an opening/closing portion of the passage, the opening/closing portion being opened and closed by the passage opening/closing mechanism, is located upstream of the flexible portion in a direction in which the beverage is transported.

13 . The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1 , further comprising an operation unit, wherein
the operation unit is capable of selecting any one of a state for dispensing no beverage, a state for dispensing a beverage, and a state for dispensing foam, when the state for dispensing no beverage is selected on the operation unit, the flexible portion is switched to the first state, and the passage opening/closing mechanism closes the passage so that no beverage is dispensed, when the state for dispensing the beverage is selected on the operation unit, the flexible portion is switched to the first state, and the passage opening/closing mechanism opens the passage so that the beverage is dispensed, and when the state in which for dispensing foam is selected on the operation unit, the flexible portion is switched to the second state, and the passage opening/closing mechanism opens the passage so that the foam is dispensed.

Assignees

• Asahi Group Holdings Ltd
• Asahi Breweries Ltd

Inventors

• Miyatani Tomohisa
• Wada Takashi
• Kusunoki Kenji
• Komura takuya

Classifications

• F16K7/045

  by electric or magnetic means · CPC title

• B67D2001/0093

  Valves · CPC title

• B67D2210/00049

  Pipes · CPC title

• B67D1/1277 Primary

  Flow control valves · CPC title

• B67D1/1275 Primary

  promoting froth · CPC title