Patent Application
20150129618
The present invention concerns compact beverage dispensing units for dispensing through a dispensing tap a beverage, typically a carbonated beverage like beer, by pressurizing the interior of a container containing said beverage.
Draught beer is often preferred by consumers to bottled or canned beer. Draught beer is generally served at the counter of a public house out of a refrigerated keg provided with a fluid connection to a source of pressurized gas for driving the dispensing of the beer through a dispensing line fluidly connecting the keg to a dispensing tap, comprising a valve for controlling the flow out of said tap. Full size dispensing units fixed to the counter of public houses are rather expensive and are generally financed by brewing companies. Furthermore, since they are encased in the counter, they cannot be moved. For example, in case of a temporary social event outside a public house, such as an outdoor event, wedding party, fair and the like, consumers would like to be offered draught beer for consumption. Besides the consumers' preference for draught beer, above a critical volume of consumption, serving bottled or canned beer would be too expensive and would generate too much waste. For these reasons, compact and mobile beverage dispensing units, offering the same quality of beer as a draught beer served at the counter of a public house, were developed and brought to the market. They are designed to accommodate a keg or container containing the beer, with a source of pressurized gas, such as a pressure gas bottle or a compressor. The containers used can be traditional metal kegs as used in public houses, possibly but not necessarily of smaller dimensions, or can include so called bag-in-containers as disclosed e.g., in EP2146832, EP2148770, EP2148771, EP21 52494 and the like.
For example, US2004/0226967 proposes a roving dispensing unit comprising a cooling chamber suitable for accommodating and cooling a beer keg, a hollow column supported on said cooling chamber and a dispensing head comprising a tap valve. A source of pressurized gas, such as a compressor or a CO2 cartridge is provided for ensuring the necessary pressure for driving the beer flow out of the keg. A dispensing tube fluidly connects the keg to the tap valve. For reasons of hygiene, the dispensing tube is disposable and must be changed with each new keg. In one embodiment, the dispensing line is even permanently coupled to the keg to ensure that it will not be used a second time. Upon use, a new keg can be installed into the cooling chamber, and fluidly connected to a source of pressurized gas, generally located in the same chamber. The dispensing line is either permanently coupled to the keg or must be coupled thereto, before it is run through a channel defined in the hollow column until the dispensing tube outlet reaches the dispensing head of the column and is engaged into the tap valve mechanism. This “bottom-up” insertion system, wherein the dispensing tube is installed starting from the keg (located at the bottom) all the way up to the dispensing head (located at the top) requires that the dispensing line be provided with a shut-off valve to prevent the flow of beer out of the keg before the dispensing line is in place in the tap valve. It is clear that providing a shut-off valve to a disposable tube increases substantially the cost of use of the system. Furthermore, it can be quite cumbersome to drive up a flexible dispensing line through the hollow column which outlet to the cooling chamber is positioned at the back thereof as can easily be appreciated when looking e.g., at
In order to facilitate the engagement of the dispensing tube into the tap valve, a rather critical operation which is difficult to control from the interior of the cooling chamber, WO2009/115928 suggests to allow the opening of the dispensing head so that the dispensing tube outlet emerging from the opening at the top of the column can be handled from outside the cooling chamber and engaged more comfortably into the tap valve mechanism.
EP1982952 extends the idea of allowing the opening of the column to the entire length thereof. This solution greatly simplifies the “bottom-up” installation of the dispensing tube since it needs only be passed from the interior to the exterior of the cooling chamber through a short channel crossing the top board of the cooling chamber before it can be handled from outside the cooling chamber, instead of having to drive it from the inside of the cooling chamber all the way up to the dispensing head.
Although the foregoing dispensing units are mobile, they still are rather cumbersome and quite expensive. The present invention proposes a compact, versatile, and economical dispensing unit that can fit almost anywhere and which is very simple to use and to connect to a dispensing keg.
The present invention is defined in the appended independent claims. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. In particular, the present invention concerns a beverage dispensing unit comprising:
In practice, the peripheral wall can have a height comprised between 50 and 300 mm, preferably between 70 and 200 mm, more preferably between 100 and 150 mm. Such compact dispensing unit is extremely versatile and can be positioned in almost any flat worktop and moved away to another place very easily/
The source of pressurized gas can be a gas compressor, such as an air compressor, a pressure cartridge filled with pressurized gas, a solid substrate with gas molecules adsorbed on the surface thereof, or any combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the source of pressurized gas is either a pressure cartridge filled with pressurized gas or a solid substrate with gas molecules adsorbed on the surface thereof. Said source of pressurized gas can be connected to a gas compressor located either within or out of the inner volume of the base portion and suitable for refilling the source of pressurized gas when the pressure of the compressed gas stored therein becomes insufficient. In a most preferred embodiment the source of pressurized gas is provided with a pressure gauge suitable for measuring the pressure of the gas stored therein and with a CPU for activating the gas compressor as soon as the pressure indicated by the pressure gauge falls below a given value. In case a feature of the dispensing unit must be powered, such as for example a compressor or a display screen, a source of power such as a battery or an AC/DC transformer with connecting means to an AC supply net can be lodged in the inner volume of the base portion.
In a preferred embodiment, the dispensing unit comprises a CPU programmed for calculating the volume of liquid dispensed in a given time by computing at least the pressure inside the container and the opening time of the valve, wherein the pressure source (7) is such that the pressure inside the container is substantially constant during the dispensing lifetime of the container.
The valve element is preferably a pinch-valve comprising first and second jaws suitable for receiving in pinching relationship a flexible portion of the outlet end of a dispensing line and for controlling the flow of liquid therethrough by varying the distance between the first and second jaws from a first, closed position, d0, wherein the flexible portion of the dispensing line is squeezed and no liquid can flow, to a second, open position, d1, wherein the dispensing line is not squeezed or not squeezed completely and liquid can flow through the line.
When using the dispensing unit for the first time, or when using a new keg, a new dispensing tube should be used and loaded in the unit to bring the liquid content of the new keg in fluid communication with the tapping valve head. It is preferred that the dispensing column is such that the dispensing tube can be introduced in a top-down sequence. In other words, it is preferred that the inlet end of a dispensing tube including the connecting means can be introduced from the tapping column top end, preferably through the tapping valve head held in open position, all the way down to the inner volume of the base portion whence it can be connected to a new keg stored outside the inner volume of the base portion. If a pinch valve is used the column may advantageously comprise means for opening a portion of the channel comprising the pinch valve such that the first and second jaws can be separated from one another by a distance substantially larger than the one corresponding to the open position, d1. The portion of the channel which can be opened preferably comprises at least 60% of the total length of the channel, preferably at least 80%, more preferably at least 90%. In yet a preferred embodiment, the tapping valve head comprises a hinge assembly allowing the first and second jaws to be separated by a distance larger than the one corresponding to the open position, d1, and can preferably be separated from the rest of the column.
The present invention also concerns a beverage dispensing assembly comprising:
For drinks having to be served cool, the beverage container is preferably placed in a cooled compartment comprising openings for the passage of the dispensing line and pressure line from the inside to the outside thereof, said cooling compartment being preferably located under or adjacent the counter or worktop supporting the dispensing unit.
If the the valve is a pinch valve, a portion of the outlet end of the dispensing line to be engaged in said pinch-valve should be flexible. In an alternative embodiment, the outlet end of the dispensing line comprises a valve co-element suitable, when engaged therein, for collaborating with the valve head to control the flow of liquid through the dispensing line.
The dispensing assembly of the present invention is particularly suitable for dispensing a beverage contained in said container, preferably beer and carbonated malt based beverages, such as non alcoholic beer, or cider.
For a fuller understanding of the nature of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
As illustrated in
When existing roving dispensing units as revised in the Background Art supra are generally provided complete with a cooling compartment or fridge topped by a dispensing column, and requiring wheels for displacing them; the present dispensing unit is much more compact and light and can be transported by hand and would fit in most car boots. Unlike the foregoing dispensing units, the unit of the present invention is not a stand-alone type of dispensing furniture, but should be laid on top of a worktop (20) like a counter, a table or the like, as illustrated in
As in traditional dispensing units, an elongated, hollow tapping column (1) extends substantially normal to the top surface (11a) of a base portion (11). An inlet end of the tapping column is fixed to said top surface (11a) and it comprises an elongated inner channel (2) bringing in fluid communication said inlet end of the column with a tapping valve head (3) located at the opposite top, outlet end of the elongated tapping column. The channel (2) and tapping valve head (3) are suitable for receiving and for controlling the flow of liquid through a dispensing line (4) connected to the interior of a beverage container (8) stored elsewhere. The tapping column comprises an elbow for directing the flow of beverage downwards and it should be sufficiently high to allow a standard glass of beer to fit between the tapping valve head (3) and the top surface of said base portion (11).
The base portion (11) to which the tapping column is fixed comprises a support plate comprising a top surface (11a) and a bottom surface (11b) and an opening connecting said top and bottom surfaces. The channel (2) of the tapping column must be in fluid communication with said opening of the support plate in order to allow passage of a dispensing tube from the valve head (3) to below the support plate (11), whence it can extend to the dispensing outlet of a pressure container (8), typically a keg. A peripheral wall (11c) juts out of the bottom surface (11b) of the support plate and extends along at least a portion of the perimeter of said support plate, preferably extending over at least 50% of the perimeter of the support plate, and thus defining with said bottom surface (11b) an inner volume of the base portion. The free edge of the peripheral wall (11c) should be suitable for stably supporting the support plate (11a) at a distance from a planar surface said peripheral wall rests upon. Strictly speaking, three feet distributed around the perimeter of the base plate would suffice to stably hold the support plate at a distance from the surface they rest upon. For aesthetic reasons, however, it is preferred that a peripheral wall hides the inner volume thus defined from outside observers, as a number of items can be lodged in said inner volume, including dispensing and pressure tubes. The distance between the support plate and worktop surface (20) the dispensing unit is laid upon corresponds to the height of the peripheral wall (11c) or, if it applies to the at least three feet described above. The height of the peripheral wall should be such that the beverage dispensing unit be suitable for dispensing beverages when standing on the top surface of a counter or a worktop (20) as found in traditional pubs and restaurants. Since such worktops and counters generally have a height comprised between 80 and 130 cm, the peripheral wall (11c) should have a height comprised between 50 and 300 mm, preferably between 70 and 200 mm, more preferably between 100 and 150 mm to afford comfort of use. A thin base portion is preferred for higher counters, and also for ease of transport and handling. On the other hand, a higher height allows the accommodation of more features within the inner volume of the base portion.
In particular, the dispensing unit also comprises a source of pressurized gas (7) lodged in the inner volume of the base portion. It also comprises connecting means (6) suitable for connecting said source of pressurized gas to the interior of a beverage container (8) located outside the inner volume of the base portion. The source of pressurized gas (7) can be a pressure cartridge filled with pressurized gas. Because of the reduced space available within the inner volume of the base portion, the dimensions of the cartridge are restricted to the detriment of the use range of such cartridge. A solution for storing more gas in a reduced volume at a reduced pressure is to adsorb gas onto a solid surface, such as a zeolite, carbon black, etc. But here too, a limited use time is afforded by such solution. A gas compressor, preferably an air compressor can be lodged in the inner volume of the base portion. It has the advantage of not having a limited service time, but it has the inconvenience of the noise produced when raising the pressure inside the container (8).
An alternative solution is to provide a pressure cartridge filled with pressurized gas or a solid substrate with gas molecules adsorbed on the surface thereof as source of pressurized gas (7), and to connect said source to a compressor (7a) suitable for refilling with gas the source of pressurized gas, when the pressure becomes insufficient. The source (7) therefore acts as a pressure buffer between the compressor (7a) and the container (8). As illustrated in
Although a dispensing unit according to the present invention may function without any external power, it may be advantageous to lodge in the inner volume of the base portion (11) a source of power (13), such as a battery, or an AC/DC transformer (13) with connecting means to the AC supply net. These can be used to run a compressor (7, 7a) if any is used or for illuminating decorative lights disposed on the tapping column or base portion, such as a display panel mounted on the tapping column and indicating the type of beer dispensed by such column, and the like.
It is highly advantageous for the user if the dispensing unit comprises means for determining the volume of liquid dispensed in a time range or still contained in the container. Since in pressure controlled dispensing units, the liquid does not flow through a pump, the number of pump strokes cannot be used as an indicator of the volume of liquid dispensed in a given time range. The volume of liquid dispensed is approximately proportional to the pressure (>Patm) inside the container and to the time the valve is maintained open. This approximation can be taken advantage of only if the pressure inside the container can be controlled with accuracy. Using a compressor (7a) coupled to a source (7) of pressurized gas (7) acting like a pressure buffer as discussed supra with reference to
It is a mandatory requirement, for hygienic reasons, that all the parts of the unit being in contact with the liquid to be dispensed be disposable and changed with each new container connected to the unit. This requirement applies in particular to the tapping valve. The use of a pinch valve (3a, 3b) positioned in the valve head (3) at the top end of the tapping column is particularly preferred because it is a cheap, hygienic and reliable valve system, requiring only that the outlet portion (4a) of the dispensing line be flexible to collaborate with the pinch valve. As illustrated in
In an alternative embodiment (not illustrated), the tapping valve is composed of a first valve element mounted in the valve head (3) at the top end of the tapping column and of a second, valve co-element mounted at the outlet portion (4a) of the dispensing line, and required to be coupled with the first valve element to bring the tapping valve in tapping configuration. This embodiment is more expensive than a pinch valve discussed above, since the dispensing line must be provided with a second valve co-element, but it may be advantageous, for example, in providing a fool proof safety feature, preventing any liquid from flowing out of the container until the dispensing line (4) is fully connected to a closed tapping valve. With a pinch valve, the user must first open the jaws of the pinch valve to insert the dispensing tube, and must necessarily close the valve (i.e., pinch the flexible portion of the dispensing line), before connecting the inlet end to the container. If the pinch valve is not closed upon connecting the line to the container, liquid may accidentally flow out. This problem could be avoided with a valve co-element mounted at the outlet portion of the dispensing line.
The first inlet end of the dispensing tube is provided with connecting means (5) suitable for connecting said inlet end to the container thus bringing the liquid contained in the container in fluid communication with the outlet end of the dispensing line. In a preferred embodiment, the connecting means (5) provide a releasable coupling to the container, such as by means of a bayonet, a threaded nut, a pin, preferably with a safety feature like a ring provided at one end thereof, and the like. In an alternative embodiment, the coupling obtained with the connecting means (5) to the container is permanent, such as with a resilient snap-fit. This solution offers the same advantage as the dispensing tube permanently connected to a container disclosed in US2004/0226967, in that when a keg is empty it cannot be removed without removing at the same time the dispensing line (4), so that a new dispensing line (4) must necessarily be mounted with the next keg, which ensures the hygienic conditions of the unit. By contrast with a dispensing tube permanently attached to the keg, the present invention using a snap-fit connecting means allows a “top-down” insertion of the dispensing tube.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a new dispensing tube (4) can be introduced from the top of the tapping column (1) through the inner channel (2) all the way down through the base portion (11) whence it can extend and be coupled to a keg by means of a connecting means (5). This “top-down” insertion mode of the dispensing tube is substantially more comfortable than the traditional “bottom-up” insertion mode used in all the roving dispensing units disclosed to date. In case the container (8) is stored in a cellar as illustrated in
In an alternative embodiment illustrated in
In yet a preferred embodiment, the tapping valve head (3) comprises a hinge assembly allowing the first and second jaws (3a, 3b) to be separated by a distance larger than the one corresponding to the open position, d1. Such hinged tapping valve head (3) could either be separable from the column (1) or, alternatively, it could remain attached to the body of the column, and the opening of a moving lid (1b) would trigger the opening of the valve head (3) about its hinges.
The use of a compact dispensing unit according to the present invention is very simple. As it comprises all the functions of traditional tapping columns, it can be used as a permanent tapping column, not meant to be moved, with the advantage of a much lower price than a permanent tapping column. Alternatively, it can be moved from one place to another depending on the needs thereof. The dispensing unit must be laid onto a worktop (20) such as a counter typical in public houses, or even on a table. A container (8) containing a beverage can be stored in an adequate place. Preferably, the container (8) is stored in a cooled compartment (12). The container (and cooled compartment) can conveniently be positioned under or adjacent the worktop (20) on which the unit is laid, as in
The compact dispensing unit of the present invention is the most versatile ever put on the market. As it is cheap, and its installation is so easy, it conveniently replaces tapping towers permanently fixed to a counter, and it also advantageously replaces the stand alone, roving dispensing units available to date, which are rather bulky and difficult to transport in view of the size of the cooling compartment integrated in the unit.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12166358.7 | May 2012 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2013/058696 | 4/26/2013 | WO | 00 |
