Beverage dispensing assembly and beverage container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020180933-A1
Application number	US-201816614542-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 18, 2018
Priority date	May 19, 2017
Publication date	Jun 11, 2020
Grant date	—

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 and shoulder portion (7, 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

1 . 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 container, preferably the neck portion, 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, preferably such that at least a portion of the container is received in the receptacle, which portion preferably 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.

2 . 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, preferably from at least two opposite sides, more preferably over an angle of at least about 270 degrees, more preferably over an angle of about 360 degrees around a longitudinal axis.

3 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the lid rests on the housing, sealing a space between the lid and an outer surface of the container, wherein the lid isolates the container from a surrounding space.

4 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the lid is a double walled lid.

5 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the lid is made of plastic and/or glass.

6 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the container is a plastic container, especially a BIC type container.

7 . 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, wherein the dispensing line is preferably a disposable line.

8 . 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, preferably for contact cooling of a part of at least the shoulder portion of the container.

9 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is substantially bowl shaped, preferably semi-spherical, wherein the container is supported by at least a part of the wall of the receptacle.

10 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is provided with an indentation at a lower end thereof for receiving the neck portion of the container.

11 . 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 preferably 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 fluidum, preferably gas, under pressure into the container, preferably between an inner and an outer container of the container, wherein preferably a beverage valve is provided in and/or on the dispense opening provided by the closure ring.

12 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein an adapter is provided at the neck portion of the container.

13 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the adapter is an adapter fitting over at least part of 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 a beverage dispensing valve provided in said outflow opening, and at an opposite end is provided with a beverage dispense opening, which beverage dispense opening is preferably provided by a dispense valve integral to or connected to the dispense line, more preferably disposable with the dispense line.

14 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the adapter is arranged for connecting a gas connector of the dispenser with the at least one gas inlet opening.

15 . 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 container, preferably in a peripheral wall portion of the neck portion of the outer container, opening into a space between the inner and 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, especially a gas compressor, connected to the gas connector.

16 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 12 , wherein the receptacle is provided with an indentation at an end thereof for receiving the neck portion of the container with the adapter, wherein the adapter and the indentation are preferably provided with orientation defining elements, such that the position of the adapter within said indentation is defined in a desired orientation relative to a gas connector of the dispenser.

17 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the dispenser is provided with at least one gas connector, movable relative to the container and/or the receptacle, preferably substantially radially relative to a longitudinal axis of the neck portion of the container.

18 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 17 , wherein the gas connector is movable mechanically, preferably electro mechanically.

19 . 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 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claims 18 , wherein the sensing element and the at least one gas connector are coupled such that the gas connector can only be brought into an extended state if:
the sensing element detects a correct position of the container and/or an adapter thereof; or the sensing element detects a correct position of the container or an adapter thereof or senses no container or adapter thereof.

21 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is provided with a channel extending from an indentation near a lower end thereof upward in a wall portion of the receptacle, wherein a dispensing line extends inside said channel.

22 . Beverage dispensing assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the container is a BIC type container, comprising an outer container and an inner container, wherein

Assignees

• Heineken Supply Chain Bv

Inventors

• Paauwe Arie Maarten
• Witte Pieter Gerard

Classifications

• B67D1/0878

  Safety, warning or controlling devices (B67D1/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B67D1/0858

  using compression systems · CPC title

• 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

• B67D1/0875

  Means for illuminating the beverage to be dispensed · CPC title

• B67D1/0462 Primary

  Squeezing collapsible or flexible beverage containers, e.g. bag-in-box containers · CPC title