Patent Application
20110132200
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Garnishes such as real fruit are commonly added to beverages to add flavor. Some beverages are artificially flavored to taste like a garnish or combination of garnishes. There are some liquid dispensers that provide the ability to add a garnish into the dispenser which will flavor the beverage being dispensed through a tap. The problem with existing types of liquid dispensers is the inability to serve the garnish. The only option would be to use a separate ladle to serve garnishes from the opening of an existing liquid dispenser. The Liquid Dispenser that Stores and Serves Garnishes creates the ability to naturally infuse any liquid with any garnish by being stored together in a bottle, while serving the naturally flavored liquor and the garnish separately in one device.
The Liquid Dispenser that Stores and Serves Garnishes represents a cylindrical liquid dispenser that can vary in the diameter and volume. The top of the cylinder is open and threaded to allow a screw on cap to secure the liquid in the dispenser similar to a bottle. The screw on cap has a plunger through the center of the cap extending downward into the dispenser. The plunger is designed with a handle at the top accessible on the exterior of the cap, and a permeable catch tray at the bottom of the plunger. The permeable catch tray will have a diameter that is ¼″ to ½″ less than the diameter of the cylindrical dispenser. The catch tray will store the garnish and by pulling up the handle of the plunger with the cap, the garnish will be accessible for serving. Since the catch tray is permeable, the liquid will remain in the dispenser when serving garnishes. A tap device will be connected to the dispenser that will enable the dispensing of the liquid.
For a complete understanding of this invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The Liquid Dispenser that Stores and Serves Garnishes is comprised of 3 main components, the dispenser, the cap with plunger, and the tap. When assembled, the invention will create a device that will infuse a liquid and garnish by storing both together, with the ability to dispense the liquid through the tap or serve the garnish using the cap with plunger and catch tray.
The main component of the Liquid Dispenser is the cylindrical bottle. This bottle is made of either glass or plastic. Dimensions of the bottle will vary based on desired volume capacity, determined by diameter of the base of the bottle and the height of the bottle. The bottom of the bottle may be rigid or include a rubber base cover to avoid sliding on a table top. The bottle will have an open and threaded top to be used in conjunction with a screw on cap to secure the liquid in the bottle. The bottle will have a hole allowing connection to the tap or base with tap. The exact location of this hole can vary, but the hole is located towards the base of the bottle.
The cap with plunger serves the purpose of securing the liquid within the bottle, storing and serving the garnish. The cap represents a threaded screw on cap with a small hole in the center of the cap to allow the plunger to pass through the cap. The plunger represents a rod that will travel from the cap down toward the base of the cylindrical bottle. The plunger will be threaded on both sides in order to screw into the catch tray and handle. The height of the plunger must be less than the height of the cylindrical bottle in order to store the garnish above the location of the tap. This will avoid any interference between the garnish and the tap. The top end of the plunger will be screwed into a handle device that will be located on the exterior of the cap. The bottom end of the plunger will be threaded and screwed into the permeable catch tray. When the plunger is screwed into the handle, the cap is secured to the plunger allowing the ability to access and serve the garnish in one motion.
The permeable catch tray will have a diameter that is between ¼ and ½ less than the diameter of the cylindrical bottle. The catch tray may or may not have a lip around the edge to reduce the ability for a garnish to pass below the catch tray. A catch tray must be permeable to allow the liquid to pass through while the garnishes are being served. This can be achieved by placing small holes through out the catch tray, or making a catch tray using mesh wiring. Multiple permeable catch trays can be used in order to accommodate storing all garnish types.
The tap represents a device comprising of a valve and spout that will regulate the dispensing of the liquid. The tap will be connected to the cylindrical bottle through a hole, with each bottle being designed to work with either a direct tap or separate base—not both. A tap can be connected directly to the bottle through a hole on the side of the bottle located towards the bottom half of the bottle. The force of gravity will create the flow of liquid through the tap when being served. A separate base with a built in tap can be used, and the bottle will have a hole located at the center of the base of the bottle in order to be connected to the separate base. The hole will be covered with a breakable plastic cover which is penetrated when the bottle is connected to the separate base. Once the plastic cover is penetrated the liquid will be accessible and delivered through the tap.
