Patent Grant
7631786
Post-mix fountains for dispensing carbonated beverages, such as sodas, have been used for years in various venues, such as convenience stores and restaurants. Post-mix fountains combine the ingredients of the carbonated beverage (e.g., syrup or concentrate and carbonated water) immediately prior to the beverage begin dispensed into a glass. Such fountains are convenient and economical because they allow the convenience store or restaurant owner to purchase large quantities of syrup or concentrate and carbon dioxide used to make the beverage at bulk prices. Furthermore, less waste is produced and less space is used up by packaging, since the ingredients of the fountain beverage come in large containers, rather than smaller containers sold to consumers, such as, for example, twelve ounce beverage cans or two liter bottles. In addition, the fountain is convenient for uses to operate, because there is no need to open bottles or cans to fill a glass with beverage. One of the benefits of post-mix fountains is their ability to dispense each poured serving of beverage at a uniform carbonation level, typically using the carbonation level of a bottled or canned beverage as a reference.
These fountains typically require a separate canister of gas, such as carbon dioxide gas, to carbonate water that is mixed with the syrup to form the beverage, and to propel or pump the syrup from its container. Although this arrangement is appropriate for large-scale users such as convenience stores and restaurants, it is less advantageous for smaller-scale users, such as home users. However, home users can still realize many of the benefits of fountains, particularly the lower cost, reduced waste, and ease of use that such fountains offer.
Seltzer bottle for dispensing seltzer water from a bottle are also known in the art. These seltzer bottles typically use the carbonation of the seltzer water itself to propel it from the bottle, and do not require an additional container of the seltzer water itself to propel it from the bottle, and do not require an additional container of carbon dioxide. However, there are several drawbacks associated with this type of seltzer dispenser. For instance, such seltzer bottles are difficult to control and often are discharged with substantial force, causing the seltzer water to spray out of control. When seltzer water is dispensed in this manner foaming may occur, which causes the dispensed seltzer water to lose some of its carbonation and become “flat”. Another drawback with this type of seltzer bottle is that the pressure in the seltzer bottle is often depleted before all the contents of the container have been dispensed. Thus, a residual amount of unused material remains in the bottle and cannot be dispensed because there is insufficient pressure remaining to propel the residual material from the container.
The present inventors found that the pressure within such conventional seltzer bottles fluctuates as the beverage is depleted. That is when the seltzer bottle is full, the pressure within the bottle is at a maximum. As the seltzer bottle becomes depleted, the pressure within the bottle becomes correspondingly depleted. Since the pressure within the seltzer bottle decreases during its use, it follows that the pressure available to propel the beverage out of the bottle decreases as well. Therefore, the beverage may be propelled out of the bottle too quickly when the bottle is full and/or too slowly when the bottle is less than full.
Conventional cans of carbonated beverages are relatively inexpensive, but have the disadvantage that once they are opened, they cannot be resealed. Once opened, the carbon dioxide or other gas dissolved in the beverage gradually comes out of solution or “leaks.” Thus, if not consumed shortly after being opened cans of carbonated beverage will become flat. Accordingly, cans are not suitable for storing multiple servings of carbonated beverages.
Bottles are superior to cans in that they are able to be resealed after being opened, but when opened, the carbonation still escapes from the bottle. Thus, after a bottle has been opened several times, the beverage will begin to become flat. For this reason, even bottles are not well suited for containing multiple servings of carbonated beverages.
There is, therefore, a need in the art for a beverage dispenser that is inexpensive, easy for a home user to use, and that eliminates the problems associated with the prior art dispensers, cans, and bottles. The present invention is directed to remedying these and other deficiencies of the prior art dispensing devices.
Accordingly, the present invention advantageously provides an easy-to-use dispenser assembly that realizes the benefits of both fountain- and seltzer bottle-type dispensers, including reduced waste and the beneficial economics of bulk purchasing, yet does not require an additional, cumbersome tank of carbon dioxide gas.
In addition, the present invention provides a dispenser assembly that is capable of restricting the rate at which a liquid is dispensed from a container and prevents foaming of the dispensed liquid, while also allowing substantially all of the liquid to be dispensed from the container. The dispenser assembly also maintains the dissolved carbon dioxide gas in the beverage longer than conventional dispensers, cans, and bottles, since the dispenser assembly is never open to the atmosphere.
Moreover, the present invention provides a dispenser assembly that is able to vary the resistance to flow of the liquid during dispensing. In particular, the dispenser assembly of the present invention is capable of dispensing the liquid contained in the container at a substantially constant rate, regardless of a change in the pressure inside the container.
In one aspect, a dispenser assembly according to the present invention comprises a dispenser body having a flow passage, and a porous flow control member positioned in the flow passage such that the liquid must pass through at least a portion of the porous flow control member before being dispensed. The porous flow control member is operable to vary a resistance to flow of the liquid through the dispenser assembly during dispensing. A valve is provided and is movable between an open position that allows the liquid to be dispensed and a closed position that prevents the liquid from being dispensed. A discharge spout directs the flow of liquid discharged from the container. A dip tube is attached to the dispenser body and extends inside the container to supply the liquid to be discharged to the dispenser body. An attachment portion is provided to attach the dispenser assembly to a container.
In another aspect of the present invention, the porous flow control member comprises a piece of rigid material and is movable relative to the flow passage to vary a length of the porous flow control member that the liquid must pass through before being dispensed, in order to vary the resistance to flow of the liquid.
In still another aspect of the present invention, the porous flow control member comprises a deformable material, wherein deformation of the porous flow control member varies the resistance of the porous flow control member to flow of the liquid.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, the beverage dispenser may comprise a plurality of porous flow control members, wherein the dispenser body further comprises a plurality of flow passages, and wherein each of the plurality of flow passages has one of the plurality of porous flow control members disposed therein.
Moreover, the present invention is directed to a method of controlling dispensing of a liquid from a container, comprising the steps of providing a dispenser assembly having a flow passage, positioning a porous flow control member in the flow passage such that the liquid must pass through the porous flow control member before being dispensed, and controlling the porous flow control member to vary the resistance to flow of the liquid.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the description of the preferred embodiments, with reference to the accompanying drawing figures.
The present invention provides an easy-to-use dispenser assembly that realizes the benefits of both fountain- and seltzer bottle-type dispensers, including reduced waste and the beneficial economics of bulk purchasing, but does not require an additional, cumbersome tank of carbon dioxide gas. Additionally, the dispenser assembly of the present invention restricts the rate of dispensing of a beverage and prevents foaming, while also allowing substantially all of the beverage to be dispensed from a container at a uniform carbonation level. In particular, the dispenser assembly is capable of dispensing the beverage contained in the container at a substantially constant rate, regardless of a change in the pressure inside the container during use.
To accomplish these and other features, the present invention comprises a dispenser assembly for dispensing a carbonated beverage from a container, using the pressure generated by carbonation in the carbonated beverage itself to propel the beverage out of the container. Thus, the dispenser assembly does not require any additional cumbersome tank of propellant and can be manufactured in a convenient size for home use. Alternatively, the dispenser assembly could be manufactured and sold as a separate kit for attachment to a conventional bottle, such as a two liter soda bottle. Moreover, the present inventors anticipate that the dispenser assembly of their invention may also be advantageously used in connection with non-carbonated liquids, using another method, such as a separate source of propellant or gravity to dispense the liquid from the container.
The dispenser assembly includes a dispenser body that defines a flow passage for flow of the beverage during dispensing. A porous flow control member (PFCM) is positioned in the flow passage, such that at least some of the beverage must pass through at least a portion of the PFCM before being dispensed. The PFCM provides resistance to the flow of the beverage during dispensing, allowing the beverage to be dispensed at a restricted rate of flow. By restricting the rate of dispensation of the beverage, the flow of the beverage remains steady and is easily controlled by a user. Because the gas in the head-space of the container is never allowed to vent to the atmosphere during dispensing (i.e., because the dip tube is always submerged in the beverage contents), the beverage in the container retains its carbonation longer. Also, by restricting the rate of dispensing, the amount of foaming of the dispensed beverage is reduced and the beverage advantageously retains more of its carbonation “in the glass.”
The PFCM is operable to vary the resistance to flow of the beverage during dispensing. As used herein, the term “operable” should be construed broadly to encompass the ability (either alone or in combination with one or more other elements) to translate or rotate relative to another element, to change in shape, size, density, porosity, and/or compaction, to change a portion or area through which liquid is allowed to flow, or to otherwise change one or more physical or chemical characteristics. Similar to a conventional seltzer bottle, the pressure within the container decreases as the beverage is depleted. Therefore, when the container is full and the pressure within the container is at a maximum, the PFCM is operable to provide significant resistance to the flow of the beverage. Thus, the beverage can be dispensed at a manageable rate of flow and foaming is minimized. As the container starts to become depleted and the pressure within the container correspondingly decreases, the PFCM is operable to reduce the amount of resistance to flow of the beverage, so that less pressure is required to dispense the beverage and substantially all of the beverage can be dispensed. Depending on the particular application, the PFCM can be made of ceramic, metal, glass, plastic, organic material, a polymer, or a composite thereof. Further, the PFCM could be a sintered material, a granular material, a fibrous material, or a foamed material.
The operation of the PFCM can cause either a gradual adjustment of the resistance to flow of the dispensed beverage, or a discrete, stepwise adjustment of the resistance to flow of the beverage during dispensing.
As discussed with respect to, for example, the first embodiment, the PFCM can be manually adjusted by a user to control the rate of flow of the beverage during dispensing. Alternatively, the PFCM can be adjusted automatically due to the change in pressure inside the container as the beverage is dispensed, as discussed for example with respect to the second embodiment. In the case of automatic adjustment, the level of resistance caused by the PFCM is automatically adjusted to be directly proportional to the level of pressure in the container, whereby the beverage can be dispensed at a substantially constant rate, regardless of a change in the pressure inside the container.
The dispenser assembly further comprises a valve, movable between an open, dispensing position that allows the beverage to be dispensed and a closed, non-dispensing position that prevents the beverage from being dispensed. When in the dispensing position, the valve allows the beverage to flow through the flow passage and the PFCM to be dispensed. When in the non-dispensing position, the valve provides a gas- and liquid-tight seal that effectively maintains the pressure within the container. The valve may be integral with the flow control member, or may be one or more separate elements. Further, the valve may be movable in association with the flow control member, such that both the valve and the PFCM are controlled by the same mechanism or actuator. Alternatively, the valve and the PFCM may be operated independently of one another by separate mechanisms or actuators.
Still further, the dispenser assembly comprises a discharge spout that directs the flow of discharged beverage, a dip tube attached to the dispenser body and extending inside the container to supply the liquid to be discharged to the dispenser body, and an attachment portion for attaching the dispenser assembly to the container. The attachment portion may be any suitable means of attachment such as, for example, screw threads, snap fit, adhesive, collet seal, thermo-sealing, friction welding, or the like. Accordingly, the dispenser body may be removably attached to, fixedly attached to, or formed integrally with the container by the attachment portion.
The dispenser may include additional flow regulating or restricting components. One such component is a conical-type valve assembly, in which one or more tapered or conical valve members are used to regulate a fluid flow rate by varying the size of a long restrictive flow path, as described in greater detail in U.S. patent application Publication No. 2005/0211736, filed Mar. 16, 2005, and entitled Dispenser Having a Conical Valve Assembly, which is incorporated herein by reference. Another flow regulating component is a long tube-type assembly, in which a long narrow tube is used to restrict and/or regulate the fluid flow rate using the head loss over the length of the tube, as described in greater detail in U.S. patent application Publication No. 2005/0252936, filed Mar. 16, 2005, and entitled Dispenser Mechanism Using Long Tubes to Vary Pressure Drop, which is also incorporated herein by reference. Each of the flow regulating and/or restricting features disclosed in either of the above-noted applications, can be used in combination with the embodiments disclosed herein. For example, it is envisioned that a dispenser might advantageously include any combination of one or more of a porous flow control member, a long tube, and a conical valve assembly. In one preferred combination, a dispenser might include a porous flow control member or long tube serving as a fixed (i.e., non-variable) flow restrictor with a conical valve assembly serving as an adjustable flow regulator.
In a first embodiment of the present invention, illustrated in
In this embodiment, the dispenser body 160 is formed integrally with the housing 106 of the dispenser assembly 102. A cap 132 is provided to enclose the working parts in the housing 106. The flow passage 103 is defined in the dispenser body 160 for flow of the beverage out of the container 101 during dispensing. A discharge spout 118 for directing the beverage once it has passed through the flow passage 103 is provided in the side of the housing 106. The dispenser body 160 is removably attached to the container 101 by an integral threaded attachment portion 108. The dip tube 130 is attached to the dispenser body 160 at the lower portion of the flow passage 103 to supply the beverage from the container 101 to the dispenser assembly 102 for dispensing.
The PFCM 104 in this embodiment is constructed as a rigid, elongated cylinder and is disposed in the flow passage 103. The flow passage 103 is sized to accommodate the PFCM 104 and substantially seals around the circumference thereof, such that the beverage cannot circumvent the PFCM 104 and must pass through at least a portion of the length of the PFCM 104 before being dispensed. The PFCM 104 is arranged such that it is longitudinally slidable within the flow passage 103 in response to adjustment of the actuator 122. The PFCM 104 is preferably made of ceramic, metal, glass, plastic, organic material, a polymer, or a composite thereof, and is preferably manufactured by a sintering process. However, the method of manufacturing the PFCM 104 is not limited to sintering, and the PFCM 104 could also be made by, for example, molding, extruding, casting, weaving, machining, polishing, other suitable manufacturing methods, or any combination thereof.
As shown in
As shown in
In operation, when a user desires to dispense beverage from the container 101, the user simply moves the actuator 122 in the counterclockwise direction, such as to the position shown in
The dispenser assembly 202 of the second embodiment of the invention functions on similar principles as the first embodiment, in that it uses the pressure contained in a beverage itself to propel the beverage from the container 201, and employs a PFCM 204 to vary the resistance to flow of a beverage during dispensing. However, in the second embodiment, the amount of resistance to flow of the beverage is adjusted automatically, rather than manually as in the first embodiment. That is, the user manually turns the dispenser assembly on and off, but does not have to control the rate at which the beverage is dispensed, this rate being adjusted automatically. As shown in
As in the first embodiment, the dispenser body 260 is formed integrally with the substantially cylindrical housing 206. The housing 206 has a separate cap 232 that includes cap seal 236, which prevents the beverage from escaping through the top of the housing 206. The cap 232 may be fixedly or removably attached to the housing by any suitable attachment method, such as, for example, screw threads, snap fit, adhesive, collet seal, thermo-sealing, friction welding, or the like. A PFCM seal 258 is disposed within the dispenser body to seal against the outer periphery of the PFCM 204, to prevent the beverage from circumventing the PFCM 204 during dispensing. The dip tube 230 is attached to the dispenser body 260 at an inlet 282, which is located at the lower end of the flow passage 203, to supply the contained beverage to the dispenser assembly 202 for dispensing. In this embodiment, the dispenser body 260 is removably attached to the container 201 by a separate threaded attachment portion 208.
The PFCM 204 in this embodiment is constructed as a rigid, elongated cylinder and is disposed in the flow passage 203. An upper portion of the flow passage 203 is sized to closely surround the PFCM 204 and is lined with the PFCM seal 258, such that the beverage cannot circumvent the PFCM 204 and must pass through at least a portion of the length of the PFCM 204 before being dispensed. A lower portion of the flow passage 203 is formed slightly larger than the PFCM 204 so that the beverage can flow around the circumference of the PFCM 204 in the lower portion of the flow passage 203. The PFCM 204 is arranged such that it is longitudinally slidable within the flow passage 203 in accordance with the pressure in the container. The PFCM 204 of this embodiment is preferably manufactured by one or more of the manufacturing methods disclosed above with respect to the first embodiment. A regulating spring 224 is provided in the housing 206 to bias the PFCM 204 downward against the pressure and flow of the beverage out of the bottle. A guide member 226 is secured to the top of the PFCM 204 to hold the regulating spring 224 in position and to align the PFCM 204 within the flow passage 203. The guide member 226 extends through an aperture in the cap 232, and a guide seal 252 is provided between the guide member 226 and the cap 232 to prevent the beverage from escaping through the aperture in the top of the cap 232 during dispensing.
In this embodiment, as schematically shown in
When the valve 210 is closed, the pressure on both sides of the PFCM 204 will be allowed to equalize and the regulating spring 224 will bias the PFCM downward to the position shown in dashed lines in
Thus, when a user wishes to dispense beverage from the container 201, the user simply opens valve 210 to the fully open position. As soon as the beverage begins to flow through the flow passage 203, the PFCM 204 will be automatically pushed up into the smaller, upper portion of the flow passage 203 to the appropriate level to regulate the resistance to flow and to maintain a substantially constant, steady rate of dispensation. This ensures that the flow rate of the beverage and the amount of carbonation in the dispensed beverage will be substantially constant, until the container is completely depleted.
The third embodiment, shown in
The dispenser assembly 302 of the third embodiment generally comprises a housing 306, a dispenser body 360 defining a flow passage 303, a PFCM 304 disposed in the flow passage 303, a dip tube 330, a valve 310, and an actuator 322. The dispenser assembly 302 of the third embodiment is operated by twisting the actuator 322, whereby a user can easily control the rate of dispensing the beverage by a single actuator.
In this embodiment, the dispenser body 360 can be formed separately from the dome-shaped housing 306. A flow passage 303 is defined in the dispenser body 360 for flow of the beverage out of the container 301 during dispensing. A discharge spout 318 for directing the beverage once it has passed through the flow passage 303 is provided in the side of the housing 306. The dispenser body 360 is secured to the container 301 by a collet seal attachment portion 308 of the housing, such that an outer peripheral portion 368 of the dispenser body 360 is sandwiched between the neck of the container 301 and a collet attachment portion 308 of the housing 306. The dip tube 330 is attached to the dispenser body 360 at the lower portion of the flow passage 303 to supply the beverage to the dispenser assembly 302 for dispensing.
The PFCM 304 in this embodiment is constructed as a rigid, elongated cylinder and is disposed in the flow passage 303. The flow passage 303 is sized to accommodate the PFCM 304 and substantially seals around the circumference thereof, such that the beverage cannot circumvent the PFCM 304 and must pass through at least a portion of the length of the PFCM 304 before being dispensed. The PFCM 304 is interconnected to the actuator 322 by a guide member 326, such that the PFCM 304 is longitudinally slidable within the flow passage 303 in response to adjustment of the actuator 322 by a user. The PFCM 304 of this embodiment is preferably manufactured by one or more of the manufacturing methods disclosed above with respect to the first embodiment.
The valve 310 of the third embodiment includes a valve body 312 and a valve seat 316, against which the valve body 312 abuts to seal the flow passage 303 when the actuator 322 is in the closed position. The valve body 312 is movably supported by the guide member 326, such that the guide member 326 moves the valve body 312 into abutment with the valve seat 316 when the actuator is adjusted to the closed position.
The actuator 322 in this embodiment takes the form of a knob, which can be turned to open and close the valve 310 and to adjust the resistance to flow of the beverage during dispensing. In particular, the actuator 322 has a center channel 346 which extends into the top of the housing 306 and is sealed to the housing 306 by an actuator seal 352. The inner surface of the center channel 346 of the actuator 322 is threaded for engagement with a threaded portion 344 of the guide member 326. Thus, when the actuator 322 is turned, the threads of the center channel 346 engage the threaded portion 344 of the guide member 326, thereby driving the guide member 326, and consequently the valve body 312 and the PFCM 304, in the axial direction.
Due to the fact that it does not include a return spring or other metal components, this embodiment may be recycled even more easily than the foregoing embodiments.
The fourth embodiment, shown in
As shown in
The PFCM 404 in this embodiment is constructed as a rigid, elongated cylinder and is disposed in the flow passage 403. The flow passage 403 is sized to accommodate the PFCM 404 and substantially seals around the circumference thereof, such that the beverage cannot circumvent the PFCM 404 and must pass through at least a portion of the length of the PFCM 4040 before being dispensed. The guide member 426 extends at least partially through the PFCM 404 and is slidable relative to the PFCM 404. The PFCM 404 of this embodiment is preferably manufactured by one or more of the manufacturing methods disclosed above with respect to the first embodiment. A one-way slide washer 462 is positioned at the top of the PFCM 404, such that the guide member 426 can freely slide relative to the one-way slide washer 462 in the upward direction, but not in the downward direction. Accordingly, if the guide member 426 is moved downward while pushing the PFCM 404 ahead of it. The one-way slide washer 462 has a plurality of fluid paths (not shown) that allow the beverage to flow past the one-way slide washer 462 without resistance.
The valve 410 in this embodiment, includes a seal member 412, as support plate 414 attached to the guide member 426, and a valve seat 416 against which the seal member 412 abuts. A return spring 420 biases the support plate 414, and hence the guide member 426 and seal member 412, upward toward the valve seat 416, so as to maintain the valve 410 in a closed, non-dispensing position. When the guide member 426 is forced downward by the non-dispensing position. When the guide member 426 is forced downward by the actuator 422, the return spring 420 is compressed by the support plate 414 and the seal member 412 is moved away from valve seat 416 to open valve 410 to dispense the beverage.
The actuator 422 in this embodiment is a lever with a cam surface 448 at the pivot end thereof. In operation, when a user desires to dispense the beverage, the user merely lifts the actuator 422. When the actuator is lifted slightly, it pivots about point P, rotating the lower cam surface 448 of the actuator 422 into engagement with the upper end of the guide member 426 and forcing the guide member 426 downward, thus opening valve 410 for dispensing of the beverage. As the guide member 426 is forced downward, the one-way slide washer 462 is also forced downward pushing the PFCM 404 ahead of it. After this first movement of the actuator, the PFCM 404 has only moved slightly downward, and the beverage must pass through substantially the entire length of the PFCM 404 before being dispensed. As the actuator is lifted to its completely raised position, the PFCM 404 is forced further down and the resistance to flow of the beverage is correspondingly reduced. If the user desires to further reduce the resistance to flow of the beverage, such as when the volume of beverage in the container 401 becomes low, the user simply lowers the actuator 422 and raises it again. When the actuator 422 is lowered, the return spring 420 biases the guide member 426 and the seal member 412 upward to close the valve 410; however, the one-way washer 462 is not allowed to move upward, so the one-way washer 462 and the PFCM 404 are maintained in the new lower position. When the actuator 422 is again lifted, the valve 410 will again be opened and the PFCM 404 will again be forced downward by the one-way washer 462. In this manner the resistance to flow of the beverage during dispensing can be incrementally reduced each time the actuator 422 is lifted.
The fifth embodiment, shown in
In the fifth embodiment, the dispenser body 560 can be formed separately from the housing 506. The housing 506 has an aperture in the top through which a guide member 526 extends for actuation of the valve 510 and adjustment of the PFCM 504, in accordance with movement of the actuator 522. The aperture in the housing is provided with an actuator seal 552 to provide a seal between the housing 506 and the guide member 526 to prevent the beverage from escaping through the aperture during dispensing. The flow passage 503 is defined in the dispenser body 560 for flow of the beverage out of the container 501 during dispensing. A discharge spout 518 for directing the beverage once it has passed through the flow passage 503 is provided in the side of the housing 506. A liner 554 is disposed inside the flow passage 503 of the dispenser body 560. Both the dispenser body 560 and the liner 554 are held in place by the housing 506. In particular, annular flange portions of the dispenser body 560 and the liner 554 are clamped in place as the housing 506 is secured to the neck of the container 501 by threaded attachment portion 508 of the housing 506. The dip tube 530 is attached to the dispenser body 560 at an inlet 582, which is located at the lower portion of the flow passage 503, to supply the beverage to the dispenser assembly 502 for dispensing.
The PFCM 504 in this embodiment is constructed as a rigid, elongated cylinder and is disposed in the flow passage 503. The PFCM 504 is attached to the lower end of the guide member 526. The PFCM 504 of this embodiment is preferably manufactured by one or more of the manufacturing methods disclosed above with respect to the first embodiment. A PFCM seal 558 is fitted inside the lower portion of the flow passage 503 and is sized to accommodate the PFCM 504 and substantially seal around the circumference thereof, such that the beverage cannot circumvent the PFCM 504 and must pass through at least a portion of the length of the PFCM 504 before being dispensed. The PFCM seal 558 should be made of a low friction material that provides a good seal with the PFCM 504, preferably either a foam or elastomer material. Other materials may also be used for the PFCM seal 558, so long as they adequately seal against the outer surface of the PFCM 504.
The valve 510 includes a seal member 512, a support plate 514, and a valve seat 516. The seal member 512, the support plate 514, and a return spring 520 are disposed sequentially above the PFCM 504 on the guide member 526.
In this embodiment, the actuator 522 is simply a handle attached to the end of the guide member 526. To begin dispensing the beverage, a user has only to pull up on the actuator 522, thereby compressing return spring 520 and separating the seal member 512 from the valve seat 516 and opening valve 510. As soon as the valve 510 is opened, the beverage begins to flow up through the flow passage 503. When the actuator is only pulled up a short distance, the PFCM 504 is still substantially enclosed by the PFCM seal 558 and the beverage must pass through substantially the entire length of the PFCM 504 before being dispensed, thus providing substantial resistance to flow of the beverage. As the actuator is pulled further from the housing 506, the PFCM 504 is moved up toward the position shown in dashed lines in
The sixth embodiment, shown in
In the sixth embodiment, the dispenser body 660 can be formed separately from the housing 606. The housing 606 has an aperture in the top, through which a guide member 626 extends, for adjustment of the PFCM 604 in accordance with movement of the actuator 622. The aperture in the housing is provided with an actuator seal 652 to seal between the housing 606 and the guide member 626 to prevent the beverage from escaping through the aperture during dispensing. A flow passage 603 is defined in the dispenser body 660 for flow of the beverage out of the container 601 during dispensing. A discharge spout 618 for directing the beverage once it has passed through the flow passage 603 is provided in the side of the housing 606. The dispenser body 660 is held in place by the housing 606. Specifically, an annular flange portion of the dispenser body 660 is clamped in place as the housing 606 is secured to the neck of the container 601 by threaded attachment portion 608 of the housing 606. The dip tube 630 is attached to the dispenser body 660 at an inlet 682, which is located at the lower portion of the flow passage 603, to supply the beverage to the dispenser assembly 602 for dispensing.
The PFCM 604 in this embodiment is constructed as a rigid, elongated cylinder and is disposed in the flow passage 603. The PFCM 604 of this embodiment is preferably manufactured by one or more of the manufacturing methods disclosed above with respect to the first embodiment. The rolling diaphragm seal 670 is disposed in the flow passage 603 such that it envelops the PFCM 604 and seals around the circumference thereof. The beverage cannot circumvent the PFCM 604 and must pass through at least a portion of the length of the PFCM 604 before being dispensed. Specifically, the diaphragm seal 670 is attached to the bottom portion of the PFCM 604 at a stop mount 650, and is attached to the dispenser body at a seal anchor 672. The PFCM 604 is attached to the lower end of the guide member 626 and is movable therewith. Bump-stops 656 are affixed to the bottom of the stop mount 650, and serve to center the lower end of the PFCM 604 above the inlet 682 of the dispenser body 660 and limit the axial movement of the PFCM 604 in the downward direction. A stabilizer 640 is attached to the guide member 626 just above the PFCM 604 and slides along the inner surface of the dispenser body to center the PFCM 604 in the flow passage 603. The stabilizer 640 has a central beveled portion 648 with a plurality of fluid transmission holes 642 that facilitate flow of the beverage during dispensing, and a lower fluid blocking surface 674 that functions as a valve and prevents flow of the beverage when in the closed, non-dispensing position. As shown in
In operation, to start dispensing the beverage from the container 601, a user has merely to pull up on the actuator 622. Initially, when the actuator is in the closed, non-discharge, position, as shown in solid lines in
The seventh embodiment, shown in
In the seventh embodiment, the dispenser body 760 can be formed separately from the housing 706. The dispenser body 760 is disposed within the neck of the bottle 701 and includes the revolving cylinder 776 enclosed by the dispenser body 760. The revolving cylinder 776 is able to rotate relative to the rest of the dispenser body 760 and is sealed to the dispenser body 760 at its upper and lower ends by cylinder seals 778. The housing 706 has an aperture in the top, through which a guide member 726 extends for adjustment of the PFCM 704, in accordance with movement of the actuator 722. The aperture in the housing 706 is provided with an actuator seal 752 to seal between the housing 706 and the guide member 726 to prevent the beverage from escaping through the aperture during dispensing. A receptacle 734 is provided in the center of the revolving cylinder 776 for attachment to the lower end of the guide member 726. The plurality of flow passages 703′-703′″ are defined in the revolving cylinder 776 of the dispenser body 760 for selective flow of the beverage out of the container 701 during dispensing. A selector seal 780 is provided to seal about the circumference of the selected one of the plurality of PFCMs 704′-704′″, such that when one PFCM is selected by the actuator 722, the beverage is allowed to flow only through that particular PFCM during dispensing. A discharge spout 718 for directing the beverage once it has passed through one of the flow passages 703′-703′″ is provided in the side of the housing 706. The dispenser body 760 is held in place by the housing 706, by an annular flange portion of the dispenser body 760 being clamped in place as the housing 706 is secured to the neck of the container 701 by threaded attachment portion 708 of the housing 706. The dip tube 730 is attached to the dispenser body 760 at an inlet 782, which is located at the lower end of the dispenser body 760.
Each of the PFCMs 704′-704′″ of this embodiment is constructed as a rigid, elongated cylinder and is disposed in a respective one of the flow passages 703′-703′″. The PFCMs 704′-704′″ of this embodiment are preferably manufactured by one or more of the manufacturing methods disclosed above with respect to the first embodiment. The flow passages 703′-703′″ are sized to accommodate the PFCMs 704′-704′″ and substantially seal around their circumferences, such that the beverage cannot circumvent the PFCMs 704′-704′″ and must pass through the entire length of one of the PFCMs 704′-704′″ before being dispensed. Preferably all of the PFCMs 704′-704′″ have the same cylindrical diameter, but different lengths. However, it is also possible that the PFCMs 704′-704′″ have different diameters, but the same length, or that each of the PFCMs 704′-704′″ could be the same size and shape, but made of different materials having different resistances to flow of the beverage therethrough. Any of these three arrangements will assure that each of the PFCMs 704′-704′″ causes a different resistance to flow of the beverage.
The actuator 722 in this embodiment is simply a knob that may be turned between multiple different flow resistance settings. As shown in
While the markings ø, I, II, and III are used in
While
In an alternative variation of the seventh embodiment, each of the PFCMs could be made the same length and the number of PFCMs through which fluid is allowed to flow could be made selectable to change the resistance to flow of the beverage during dispensing. That is, in a low flow setting, the beverage would be allowed to flow through only a single one of the PFCMs. In order to increase the flow rate of the beverage, the user would simply turn the actuator to a higher flow setting to allow the beverage to flow through two or more of the PFCMs in parallel, thereby reducing the resistance to flow of the beverage from the container (i.e., more PFCMs in parallel=less resistance). A similar result could also be achieved by arranging the PFCMs in series, except that in that case the resistance to flow would be directly proportional to the number of PFCMs arranged in series (i.e., more PFCMs in series=more resistance).
In an eighth embodiment, shown in
In one possible version of the eighth embodiment, both the dispenser body 860 and the PFCM 804 are partitioned into radial (i.e., partial pie-shaped) sections (not shown), such that the beverage is allowed to flow through only one section of the PFCM 804 at a time. In this arrangement, each section of the PFCM 804 will have a different thickness T, and consequently, a different resistance to flow of the beverage. The actuator 822 is shown in
Alternatively, in a second possible version of the eighth embodiment, the interior of the dispenser body 860, which is not shown in either
In order to completely stop dispensing of the beverage and to place the container in a non-dispensing state, the dispenser assembly of the eighth embodiment could include a separate valve 810 (not shown) or the circumferential portion 886 of the dispenser body 860 could serve as a sealing surface. That is, when the actuator 822 is moved to its limit in the direction opposite the arrow in
In
In operation, when the two sleeves 964 and 966 are assembled and positioned such that two reference marks M1 and M2 are aligned, the vertical slot 988 of the inner sleeve 964 will not overlap with the sloped slot 990 of the outer sleeve and the dispenser assembly will be in a closed, non-dispensing state. When the dispenser assembly is operated by a user, the sleeves 964 and 966 will turn relative to one another, in the respective directions shown in
In
The PFCM 1004 is shown in
A dispenser assembly using the flow control mechanism of the tenth embodiment could employ a separate external on/off valve to control dispensing of the beverage. Alternatively, the first, low porosity, end of the PFCM 1004 could be made completely non-porous, such that when the PFCM 4 is translated completely to the right in
In the eleventh embodiment, shown in
The iris 1192 in
A dispenser assembly 1202 according to a twelfth embodiment is shown in
In this embodiment, the PFCM 1204 is constructed as sack filled with granular particles, beads, or pellets. The sack can be constructed of any suitable material that is permeable by liquids, in particular beverage, and that will not deteriorate during use. Preferably the granular particles are small glass beads, however, the particles could also be grains of sand, polymeric beads or pellets, ceramic beads or pellets, metallic bead or pellets, or the like. The PFCM 1204 is suspended from the underside of the support plate 1214 so that it hangs loosely in the flow passage 3, as shown in
In
The flow adjustment mechanism of a dispenser assembly according to the thirteenth embodiment is shown in
The PFCM 1304, of this embodiment is made of deformable pressure-sensitive particles. By deformable pressure-sensitive particles, it is meant particles that are capable of changing size in accordance with a change in external pressure, such as hollow elastic spheres similar to balloons, foam spheres having an impermeable outer surface, or other appropriate particles. For example, when exposed to a high pressure, such as inside a pressurized beverage bottle, the deformable pressure-sensitive particles are compressed to a small particle size, as shown in
In the embodiment shown, a separate external on/off valve (not shown) can be used to open or close a dispenser assembly that incorporates the dispenser body 1360 of the thirteenth embodiment. When a user opens the external valve for the first time to begin dispensing beverage from a full bottle, the pressure sensitive particles of the PFCM 1304 will be substantially compressed, as shown in
In a variation of the thirteenth embodiment, the PFCM 1304 could contain a material that is soluble in the beverage, such as, for example, a block or blocks of sugar (not shown). In this variation, when the container is first opened and the pressure in the container is at its maximum, the PFCM 1304 would be packed tightly with large blocks of the soluble material, such that the flow of the beverage through the PFCM 1304 would be greatly restricted. As the beverage flows past the PFCM 1304 during dispensing, the soluble material of the PFCM 1304 will begin to dissolve, thus gradually reducing the resistance to flow of the beverage. The pressure within the container will, of course, gradually decrease as the carbonated beverage is depleted. Accordingly, the soluble material should be selected to have a solubility rate proportional to the rate of pressure decrease as the beverage is dispensed. This will allow the PFCM 1304 to automatically regulate the rate at which the beverage is dispensed to produce a constant, controlled flow, regardless of the change in pressure inside the container.
While the invention is described in terms of the presently preferred embodiments, it is understood that the features of these embodiments could be interchanged and/or combined to achieve other variations of the present invention, without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in some of the embodiments the valve is shown as being integral with the dispenser housing, while in other embodiments the valve is shown as being a separate element. It should be understood that any of the disclosed embodiments could be made with an integral or separate valve as appropriate in the given application. Further, while the PFCMs of the first through the seventh embodiments are shown as having a generally cylindrical shape, any appropriate elongated shape could be used. For example, the various PFCMs could be constructed as elongated members having square, triangular, elliptical, hexagonal, or other bounded cross-sectional shapes. Further, the PFCMs are shown as having a constant cross section over their length; however, it may be desirable for the cross section of the PFCMs to be variable over their lengths.
Various preferred materials and methods of manufacturing the PFCM are disclosed with respect to the various embodiments. The specific materials and methods used to make the PFCMs will, of course, depend on the desired characteristics of the PFCMs, such as porosity, density, solubility, hardness, elasticity, etc. The present inventors anticipate that the materials and methods disclosed herein may be used in different combinations with each other, and in combinations with other materials and/or methods to produce PFCMs having the characteristics desired for a given application.
While the dispenser assemblies of the present invention are disclosed for use on a pressurized beverage bottle, the present inventors anticipate various other uses for the various dispenser bodies, and valves, of the disclosed embodiments could be used without the additional structure required to adapt them for use with a pressurized beverage container. For example, the flow regulating portions of the present invention may also be adapted for use in connection with blood oxygenation equipment, automatic flow regulators, filtering equipment, or any other application where it is desirable to control the flow of a liquid containing dissolved gas(es) where there is a concern about keeping the gas(es) in solution. equipment, or any other application where it is desirable to control the flow of a liquid containing dissolved gas(es) where there is a concern about keeping the gas(es) in solution.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/553,550 filed Mar. 17, 2004, which application is incorporated ion its entirety into the present application by reference.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20050242123 A1 | Nov 2005 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60553550 | Mar 2004 | US |
