EP3995442A1 - Beverage server - Google Patents
Beverage server Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP3995442A1 EP3995442A1 EP20835083.5A EP20835083A EP3995442A1 EP 3995442 A1 EP3995442 A1 EP 3995442A1 EP 20835083 A EP20835083 A EP 20835083A EP 3995442 A1 EP3995442 A1 EP 3995442A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- bottle
- beverage
- channel
- beverage dispenser
- dispensing
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
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Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D3/00—Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
- B67D3/0029—Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes provided with holders for bottles or similar containers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D3/00—Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
- B67D3/0051—Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes dispensing by tilting
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D3/00—Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
- B67D3/0058—Details
- B67D3/008—Supports
- B67D3/0083—Supports for the liquid container
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B67—OPENING, CLOSING OR CLEANING BOTTLES, JARS OR SIMILAR CONTAINERS; LIQUID HANDLING
- B67D—DISPENSING, DELIVERING OR TRANSFERRING LIQUIDS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B67D3/00—Apparatus or devices for controlling flow of liquids under gravity from storage containers for dispensing purposes
- B67D3/04—Liquid-dispensing taps or cocks adapted to seal and open tapping holes of casks, e.g. for beer
- B67D3/047—Liquid-dispensing taps or cocks adapted to seal and open tapping holes of casks, e.g. for beer with a closing element having a rotational movement
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a beverage dispenser.
- a beverage dispenser for dispensing a beverage that is contained in a small bottle such as a beer bottle into a vessel
- a beverage dispenser that employs a method in which a dispensing nozzle is inserted into a bottle and a pressure is applied in the container of a beverage to push down the liquid level of the beverage to dispense the beverage through the dispensing nozzle.
- a beverage dispenser disclosed in PTL 1 includes a main body with an open upper end, an inner lid installed on an upper portion of the main body, and an outer lid which covers the inner lid and can be put on the upper end of the main body.
- the inner lid includes a plurality of liquid pumping pipes, each to be inserted into a corresponding one of a plurality of beverage cans, and a beverage discharge pipe connected to the plurality of liquid pumping pipes and configured to discharge the beverage to the outside of the main body.
- the outer lid includes a pump for sending air to the space inside the main body and an operating member for performing an operation to switch between a beverage discharging state and a beverage non-discharging state.
- a beverage dispenser requires a long dispensing nozzle, it is disadvantageous in terms of maintenance such as management of sanitation and the like.
- the beverage supplying device includes a bottle-dedicated dispensing valve which can be attached to a bottle.
- the bottle-dedicated dispensing valve is formed by an attachment base portion, which is to be put on a dispensing portion of a bottle, and a dispensing nozzle portion which is detachably connected to the attachment base portion.
- the bottle, the attachment base portion, and the dispensing nozzle portion are arranged coaxially on a vertical axis line of the bottle-dedicated dispensing valve.
- adjusting the tilt angle of the bottle to an appropriate angle will make the tilt angle of the dispensing nozzle portion inappropriate, and, on the other hand, adjusting the tilt angle of the dispensing nozzle portion to an appropriate angle will make the tilt angle of the bottle inappropriate.
- the beverage to be dispensed may splatter or foam up.
- such an arrangement can also increase the lateral dimension occupied by the beverage supplying apparatus and the bottle.
- An object of the present invention is to allow a beverage to be quietly dispensed into a vessel and/or to reduce an area occupied by a beverage dispenser and a bottle.
- An aspect of the present invention relates to a beverage dispenser that dispenses a beverage contained in a bottle into a vessel
- the beverage dispenser comprises a bottle holding portion configured to hold, in a tilted state, the bottle to which a valve assembly has been attached, and a nozzle holding portion configured to hold a dispensing nozzle
- the dispensing nozzle includes, on one end, a receiving port configured to receive an outlet of the valve assembly, includes, on the other end, a dispensing port, and dispenses, from the dispensing port to the vessel, the beverage that flows into the receiving port from the bottle via the valve assembly, and a tilt angle of an axis of the dispensing port is larger than a tilt angle of an axis of the bottle held by the bottle holding portion.
- a time required until the start of dispensing of a beverage can be shortened, a beverage can be quietly dispensed, and/or an area occupied by a beverage dispenser and a bottle can be reduced.
- Figs. 1 and 2 are side views each showing the arrangement of a beverage dispenser 1 according to an embodiment.
- Fig. 2 is a view in which a part of the beverage dispenser 1 has been cut out, and a portion shaded with diagonal lines shows the sectional arrangement.
- Figs. 3A, 3B , 4A, and 4B show the arrangement of a valve assembly 30 and a dispensing nozzle 50 of the beverage dispenser 1.
- Figs. 4A and 4B each show a view in which a part of the valve assembly 30 has been cut out, and a portion shaded with diagonal lines shows the sectional arrangement.
- Figs. 5 , 6A, and 6B show the arrangement of the dispensing nozzle 50.
- a beverage contained in a bottle 10 is dispensed into a vessel 20 by the beverage dispenser 1 by using gravity that acts on the beverage.
- the term "bottle” is to be broadly interpreted, and the material forming the bottle 10 is not limited to a specific material.
- the bottle 10 can be made of, for example, glass, plastic, a metal, wood, paper, or a mixed material obtained by combining two or more of these materials.
- the beverage can be a carbonated beverage such as beer or the like, but may also be a non-carbonated beverage.
- the beverage dispenser 1 can include the valve assembly 30 and the dispensing nozzle 50.
- the valve assembly 30 is attached to a mouth 11 of the bottle 10.
- the valve assembly 30 can include a valve 35 for controlling the dispensing of the beverage from the beverage dispenser 1.
- the valve assembly 30 can include an operating portion 37 for opening and closing the valve 35.
- a receiving port (inlet) 51 for receiving an outlet 31 of the valve assembly 30 is included on one end and a dispensing port (outlet) 52 can be included on the other end of the dispensing nozzle 50.
- the dispensing nozzle 50 can dispense the beverage, which flows from the bottle 10 into the receiving port 51 via the valve assembly 30, from the dispensing port 52 into the vessel 20.
- the beverage dispenser 1 can include a bottle holding portion 41 and a nozzle holding portion 42.
- the beverage dispenser 1 can include a main body structure 40.
- the bottle holding portion 41 and the nozzle holding portion 42 can form a part of the main body structure 40 or be supported by the main body structure 40.
- the bottle 10 with the valve assembly 30 attached to the mouth 11 can be held in a tilted state by the bottle holding portion 41.
- a tilted state refers to a state in which an axis LX1 (for example, a center axis) of the bottle 10 is tilted with respect to a horizontal plane.
- a tilt angle ⁇ of the axis LX1 of the bottle 10 is defined as an angle of the axis LX1 of the bottle 10 with respect to a horizontal plane.
- the nozzle holding portion 42 can hold the dispensing nozzle 50.
- a tilt angle ⁇ of an axis LX2 of the dispensing port 52 is defined as an angle of the axis LX2 of the dispensing port 52 with respect to a horizontal plane.
- the tilt angle ⁇ of the axis LX2 of the dispensing port 52 is greater than the tilt angle ⁇ of the axis LX1 of the bottle 10 held by the bottle holding portion 41.
- the tilt angle ⁇ of the axis LX1 of the bottle 10 and a tilt angle ⁇ of the axis LX2 of the dispensing port 52 are determined individually. This will allow the beverage contained in the bottle 10 to be dispensed quietly into the vessel 20 so that it will be advantageous in, for example, suppressing coarse bubbles from being formed in the dispensed beverage and preventing splattering during dispensing of the beverage.
- the tilt angle ⁇ of the axis LX2 of the dispensing port 52 is greater than the tilt angle ⁇ of the axis LX1 of the bottle 10 held by the bottle holding portion 41, it will be possible to reduce the lateral dimension (horizontal dimension) occupied by the bottle 10 and the beverage dispenser 1 while allowing the tilt angles ⁇ and ⁇ to be set to their respective appropriate tilt angles.
- the tilt angle ⁇ of the axis LX1 of the bottle 10 held by the bottle holding portion 41 can be 20° or more and 45° or less or, more preferably, 25° or more and 30° or less.
- Such tilt angle ⁇ will be advantageous in preventing the beverage from remaining in the bottle 10 and reducing a pressure change (for example, a change in a pressure that acts on the beverage in the valve assembly 30 or a change in a pressure that acts on the beverage in a curved portion 531 (to be described later)) due to a reduction in the liquid level of the beverage in the bottle 10 during dispensing. Reducing the pressure change will make it easier to design the dispensing nozzle 50 so as to prevent foaming and splattering of the beverage to be dispensed.
- the tilt angle ⁇ of the axis LX2 of the dispensing port 52 is preferably 70° or more and 110° or less, and is most preferably 90°. Such tilt angle ⁇ is advantageous in reducing the lateral dimension (horizontal dimension) occupied by the bottle 10 and the beverage dispenser 1. Also, such tilt angle ⁇ is advantageous in reducing an impact (this impact can cause coarse bubbles to be generated) applied to the beverage while it is exiting from the dispensing port 52.
- the dispensing nozzle 50 held by the nozzle holding portion 42 is shown cut out from the drawing of Fig. 1 for the sake of descriptive convenience. That is, in reality, the dispensing nozzle 50 is held by the nozzle holding portion 42 and incorporated in the beverage dispenser 1.
- the bottle 10 can be arranged in the bottle holding portion 41 so that the outlet 31 of the valve assembly 30 attached to its mouth 11 is inserted into the receiving port 51.
- the beverage dispenser 1 can include a valve driving mechanism (not shown) for driving the valve 35 of the valve assembly 30.
- the valve driving mechanism includes, as exemplified in Fig. 2 , an engaging portion 43 that engages with the operating portion 37 of the valve assembly 30, and the operating portion 37 can engage with the engaging portion 43 when the bottle 10 to which the valve assembly 30 is attached is arranged in the bottle holding portion 41 (the valve 35 is in a closed state at this time).
- the valve driving mechanism can start the dispensing of the beverage by rotating the operating portion 37 to change the state of the valve 35 from the closed state to an open state.
- the valve assembly 30 can include a fixing portion 32 to be fixed to the bottle 10, the outlet (connecting port) 31 to be connected to a tube 55, a channel forming member 34 which forms a channel 33 between the fixing portion 32 and the outlet (connecting port) 31, and the valve 35 arranged in the channel 33.
- the channel forming member 34 can include a vent hole 36 arranged between the valve 35 and the outlet (connecting port) 31.
- the beverage dispenser 1 can include a vessel holding portion 60 for holding the vessel 20 and a tilting mechanism 44 that drives the vessel holding portion 60 so as to change the tilt angle of the vessel 20 in accordance with the progress of the dispensing of the beverage contained in the bottle 10.
- the beverage dispenser 1 can also include an ultrasonic oscillator 70 that supplies ultrasonic waves to the beverage, which is to be dispensed from the bottle 10 to the vessel 20 via the valve assembly 30 and the dispensing nozzle 50, to generate fine bubbles in the beverage.
- the dispensing nozzle 50 is used for dispensing the beverage contained in the bottle 10 into the vessel 20.
- the dispensing nozzle 50 can be used by being connected to the bottle 10 via the valve assembly 30 in the beverage dispenser 1, but can also be used in a state in which a user holds the bottle 10 by hand.
- a connecting portion for directly connecting the dispensing nozzle 50 to the bottle 10 may be provided in the dispensing nozzle 50.
- a member such as another tube member or the like may be connected to the side of the dispensing port (outlet) 52 of the dispensing nozzle 50.
- the dispensing nozzle 50 can include the tube 55 which has the receiving port (inlet) 51 through which the beverage enters and the dispensing port (outlet) 52 from which the beverage exits.
- the dispensing nozzle 50 can also include an operating handle 511.
- the handle 511 can be connected to, for example, the tube 55.
- the tube 55 can include an upstream portion 510 on the side of the receiving port (inlet) 51, a downstream portion 520 on the side of the dispensing port (outlet) 52, and a middle portion 530 between the upstream portion 510 and the downstream portion 520.
- the middle portion 530 can include the curved portion 531 which forms a curve C in a channel 550 for the beverage in the tube 55.
- Fig. 6A is a sectional view of a portion on the side of the upstream portion 510 in the curved portion 531, more specifically, a sectional view taken along a line A - A' of Fig. 5 .
- Fig. 6B is a sectional view of a portion on the side of the downstream portion 520 of the curved portion 531, more specifically, a sectional view taken along a line B - B' of Fig. 5 .
- a channel sectional area A1 of the portion (section A - A') on the side of the upstream portion 510 in the curved portion 531 is smaller than a channel sectional area A2 of the portion (section B - B') on the side of the downstream portion 520 in the curved portion 531. It has been confirmed that this kind of an arrangement has an effect of reducing pulsation in which the dispensing flow rate of the beverage will change intermittently.
- the first portion PI which is closer to the inner side of the curve C of the inner surface of the curved portion 531 facing the channel 550, can have an arc shape
- the second portion P2 which is closer to the outer side of the curve C of the inner surface of the curved portion 531 facing the channel 550, can have a linear shape.
- the thickness of the first portion PI which is closer to the inner side of the curve C of the inner surface of the curved portion 531 facing the channel 550, is smaller than the thickness the second portion P2, which is closer to the outer side of the curve C of the inner surface of the curved portion 531 facing the channel 550.
- An angle ⁇ formed between the direction of travel of the beverage in the channel 550 in the upstream portion 510 and the direction of travel of the beverage in the channel 550 in the downstream portion 520 can be 110° or more and 125° or less, more preferably, 115° or more and 120° or less. Such angle ⁇ is advantageous in preventing the beverage from remaining in the bottle 10 and reducing the pressure change due to a reduction in the liquid level of the beverage in the bottle 10 during dispensing.
- valve assembly 30 has been described above as a component different from the dispensing nozzle 50, an aggregate of the tube 55 and the valve assembly 30 described above may also be understood to be the dispensing nozzle.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Devices For Dispensing Beverages (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser.
- As a beverage dispenser for dispensing a beverage that is contained in a small bottle such as a beer bottle into a vessel, there is a beverage dispenser that employs a method in which a dispensing nozzle is inserted into a bottle and a pressure is applied in the container of a beverage to push down the liquid level of the beverage to dispense the beverage through the dispensing nozzle.
- A beverage dispenser disclosed in
PTL 1 includes a main body with an open upper end, an inner lid installed on an upper portion of the main body, and an outer lid which covers the inner lid and can be put on the upper end of the main body. The inner lid includes a plurality of liquid pumping pipes, each to be inserted into a corresponding one of a plurality of beverage cans, and a beverage discharge pipe connected to the plurality of liquid pumping pipes and configured to discharge the beverage to the outside of the main body. The outer lid includes a pump for sending air to the space inside the main body and an operating member for performing an operation to switch between a beverage discharging state and a beverage non-discharging state. However, since such a beverage dispenser requires a long dispensing nozzle, it is disadvantageous in terms of maintenance such as management of sanitation and the like. - PTL 2 discloses a beverage supplying apparatus that allows a beverage to be dispensed by gravity. The beverage supplying device includes a bottle-dedicated dispensing valve which can be attached to a bottle. The bottle-dedicated dispensing valve is formed by an attachment base portion, which is to be put on a dispensing portion of a bottle, and a dispensing nozzle portion which is detachably connected to the attachment base portion. The bottle, the attachment base portion, and the dispensing nozzle portion are arranged coaxially on a vertical axis line of the bottle-dedicated dispensing valve. However, in such an arrangement, adjusting the tilt angle of the bottle to an appropriate angle will make the tilt angle of the dispensing nozzle portion inappropriate, and, on the other hand, adjusting the tilt angle of the dispensing nozzle portion to an appropriate angle will make the tilt angle of the bottle inappropriate. Thus, in either case, the beverage to be dispensed may splatter or foam up. In addition, such an arrangement can also increase the lateral dimension occupied by the beverage supplying apparatus and the bottle.
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- PTL 1:
Japanese Patent No. 6062590 - PTL 2:
Japanese Patent-Laid Open No. 2018-58632 - An object of the present invention is to allow a beverage to be quietly dispensed into a vessel and/or to reduce an area occupied by a beverage dispenser and a bottle.
- An aspect of the present invention relates to a beverage dispenser that dispenses a beverage contained in a bottle into a vessel, and the beverage dispenser comprises a bottle holding portion configured to hold, in a tilted state, the bottle to which a valve assembly has been attached, and a nozzle holding portion configured to hold a dispensing nozzle, wherein the dispensing nozzle includes, on one end, a receiving port configured to receive an outlet of the valve assembly, includes, on the other end, a dispensing port, and dispenses, from the dispensing port to the vessel, the beverage that flows into the receiving port from the bottle via the valve assembly, and a tilt angle of an axis of the dispensing port is larger than a tilt angle of an axis of the bottle held by the bottle holding portion.
- According to the present invention, a time required until the start of dispensing of a beverage can be shortened, a beverage can be quietly dispensed, and/or an area occupied by a beverage dispenser and a bottle can be reduced.
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Fig. 1 is a side view showing the arrangement of a beverage dispenser according to an embodiment; -
Fig. 2 is a side view (partly a sectional view) showing the arrangement of the beverage dispenser according to the embodiment; -
Fig. 3A is a view showing the arrangement of a valve assembly and a dispensing nozzle of the beverage dispenser according to the embodiment; -
Fig. 3B is a view showing the arrangement of the valve assembly and the dispensing nozzle of the beverage dispenser according to the embodiment; -
Fig. 4A is a view showing the arrangement of the valve assembly and the dispensing nozzle of the beverage dispenser according to the embodiment; -
Fig. 4B is a view showing the arrangement of the valve assembly and the dispensing nozzle of the beverage dispenser according to the embodiment; -
Fig. 5 is a view showing the arrangement of the dispensing nozzle according to the embodiment; -
Fig. 6A is a view showing the arrangement of the dispensing nozzle according to the embodiment; and -
Fig. 6B is a view showing the arrangement of the dispensing nozzle according to the embodiment. - Embodiments will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims, and not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the present invention. Two or more of a plurality of features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numerals denote the same or similar components, and a repetitive description thereof will be omitted.
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Figs. 1 and2 are side views each showing the arrangement of abeverage dispenser 1 according to an embodiment.Fig. 2 is a view in which a part of thebeverage dispenser 1 has been cut out, and a portion shaded with diagonal lines shows the sectional arrangement.Figs. 3A, 3B ,4A, and 4B show the arrangement of avalve assembly 30 and a dispensingnozzle 50 of thebeverage dispenser 1.Figs. 4A and 4B each show a view in which a part of thevalve assembly 30 has been cut out, and a portion shaded with diagonal lines shows the sectional arrangement.Figs. 5 ,6A, and 6B show the arrangement of the dispensingnozzle 50. - A beverage contained in a
bottle 10 is dispensed into avessel 20 by thebeverage dispenser 1 by using gravity that acts on the beverage. The term "bottle" is to be broadly interpreted, and the material forming thebottle 10 is not limited to a specific material. Thebottle 10 can be made of, for example, glass, plastic, a metal, wood, paper, or a mixed material obtained by combining two or more of these materials. The beverage can be a carbonated beverage such as beer or the like, but may also be a non-carbonated beverage. - The
beverage dispenser 1 can include thevalve assembly 30 and the dispensingnozzle 50. Thevalve assembly 30 is attached to amouth 11 of thebottle 10. As shown inFigs. 4A and 4B , thevalve assembly 30 can include avalve 35 for controlling the dispensing of the beverage from thebeverage dispenser 1. Also, as shown inFigs. 2 ,3A, and 3B , thevalve assembly 30 can include anoperating portion 37 for opening and closing thevalve 35. As shown inFig. 5 , a receiving port (inlet) 51 for receiving anoutlet 31 of thevalve assembly 30 is included on one end and a dispensing port (outlet) 52 can be included on the other end of the dispensingnozzle 50. The dispensingnozzle 50 can dispense the beverage, which flows from thebottle 10 into thereceiving port 51 via thevalve assembly 30, from the dispensingport 52 into thevessel 20. - The
beverage dispenser 1 can include abottle holding portion 41 and anozzle holding portion 42. Thebeverage dispenser 1 can include amain body structure 40. Thebottle holding portion 41 and thenozzle holding portion 42 can form a part of themain body structure 40 or be supported by themain body structure 40. Thebottle 10 with thevalve assembly 30 attached to themouth 11 can be held in a tilted state by thebottle holding portion 41. In this case, a tilted state refers to a state in which an axis LX1 (for example, a center axis) of thebottle 10 is tilted with respect to a horizontal plane. - As shown in
Fig. 3B , a tilt angle α of the axis LX1 of thebottle 10 is defined as an angle of the axis LX1 of thebottle 10 with respect to a horizontal plane. Thenozzle holding portion 42 can hold the dispensingnozzle 50. As shown inFig. 3B , a tilt angle β of an axis LX2 of the dispensingport 52 is defined as an angle of the axis LX2 of the dispensingport 52 with respect to a horizontal plane. The tilt angle β of the axis LX2 of the dispensingport 52 is greater than the tilt angle α of the axis LX1 of thebottle 10 held by thebottle holding portion 41. The tilt angle α of the axis LX1 of thebottle 10 and a tilt angle β of the axis LX2 of the dispensingport 52 are determined individually. This will allow the beverage contained in thebottle 10 to be dispensed quietly into thevessel 20 so that it will be advantageous in, for example, suppressing coarse bubbles from being formed in the dispensed beverage and preventing splattering during dispensing of the beverage. - In addition, if the tilt angle α of the axis LX1 of the
bottle 10 and the tilt angle β of the axis LX2 of the dispensingport 52 are set to be the same and the tilt angle α (= β) is set to an appropriate angle, the lateral dimension (horizontal dimension) occupied by thebottle 10 and thebeverage dispenser 1 will be large when thebottle 10 is installed in thebeverage dispenser 1. In contrast, if the tilt angle β of the axis LX2 of the dispensingport 52 is greater than the tilt angle α of the axis LX1 of thebottle 10 held by thebottle holding portion 41, it will be possible to reduce the lateral dimension (horizontal dimension) occupied by thebottle 10 and thebeverage dispenser 1 while allowing the tilt angles α and β to be set to their respective appropriate tilt angles. - The tilt angle α of the axis LX1 of the
bottle 10 held by thebottle holding portion 41 can be 20° or more and 45° or less or, more preferably, 25° or more and 30° or less. Such tilt angle α will be advantageous in preventing the beverage from remaining in thebottle 10 and reducing a pressure change (for example, a change in a pressure that acts on the beverage in thevalve assembly 30 or a change in a pressure that acts on the beverage in a curved portion 531 (to be described later)) due to a reduction in the liquid level of the beverage in thebottle 10 during dispensing. Reducing the pressure change will make it easier to design the dispensingnozzle 50 so as to prevent foaming and splattering of the beverage to be dispensed. - The tilt angle β of the axis LX2 of the dispensing
port 52 is preferably 70° or more and 110° or less, and is most preferably 90°. Such tilt angle β is advantageous in reducing the lateral dimension (horizontal dimension) occupied by thebottle 10 and thebeverage dispenser 1. Also, such tilt angle β is advantageous in reducing an impact (this impact can cause coarse bubbles to be generated) applied to the beverage while it is exiting from the dispensingport 52. - In
Figs. 3A and 3B , the dispensingnozzle 50 held by thenozzle holding portion 42 is shown cut out from the drawing ofFig. 1 for the sake of descriptive convenience. That is, in reality, the dispensingnozzle 50 is held by thenozzle holding portion 42 and incorporated in thebeverage dispenser 1. As shown inFigs. 3A and 3B , thebottle 10 can be arranged in thebottle holding portion 41 so that theoutlet 31 of thevalve assembly 30 attached to itsmouth 11 is inserted into the receivingport 51. - The
beverage dispenser 1 can include a valve driving mechanism (not shown) for driving thevalve 35 of thevalve assembly 30. The valve driving mechanism includes, as exemplified inFig. 2 , an engagingportion 43 that engages with the operatingportion 37 of thevalve assembly 30, and the operatingportion 37 can engage with the engagingportion 43 when thebottle 10 to which thevalve assembly 30 is attached is arranged in the bottle holding portion 41 (thevalve 35 is in a closed state at this time). The valve driving mechanism can start the dispensing of the beverage by rotating the operatingportion 37 to change the state of thevalve 35 from the closed state to an open state. - As shown in
Figs. 4A and 4B , thevalve assembly 30 can include a fixingportion 32 to be fixed to thebottle 10, the outlet (connecting port) 31 to be connected to atube 55, achannel forming member 34 which forms achannel 33 between the fixingportion 32 and the outlet (connecting port) 31, and thevalve 35 arranged in thechannel 33. Thechannel forming member 34 can include avent hole 36 arranged between thevalve 35 and the outlet (connecting port) 31. - As shown in
Figs. 1 and2 , thebeverage dispenser 1 can include avessel holding portion 60 for holding thevessel 20 and atilting mechanism 44 that drives thevessel holding portion 60 so as to change the tilt angle of thevessel 20 in accordance with the progress of the dispensing of the beverage contained in thebottle 10. Thebeverage dispenser 1 can also include anultrasonic oscillator 70 that supplies ultrasonic waves to the beverage, which is to be dispensed from thebottle 10 to thevessel 20 via thevalve assembly 30 and the dispensingnozzle 50, to generate fine bubbles in the beverage. - When a dispensing button (not shown) is pressed, the
beverage dispenser 1 can start dispensing the beverage by using thetilting mechanism 44 to tilt thevessel 20 from an erect state and using the valve driving mechanism to cause the operatingportion 37 to rotate to change the state of thevalve 35 from the closed state to the open state. After a set time has elapsed, thebeverage dispenser 1 will use thetilting mechanism 44 to make thevessel 20 return to the erect state (tilt angle = 90°) and dispense the beverage into thevessel 20 upon causing fine bubbles to generate in the beverage by operating theultrasonic oscillator 70. - The arrangement of the dispensing
nozzle 50 will be described with reference toFigs. 5 ,6A, and 6B hereinafter. The dispensingnozzle 50 is used for dispensing the beverage contained in thebottle 10 into thevessel 20. The dispensingnozzle 50 can be used by being connected to thebottle 10 via thevalve assembly 30 in thebeverage dispenser 1, but can also be used in a state in which a user holds thebottle 10 by hand. In addition, a connecting portion for directly connecting the dispensingnozzle 50 to thebottle 10 may be provided in the dispensingnozzle 50. Furthermore, a member such as another tube member or the like may be connected to the side of the dispensing port (outlet) 52 of the dispensingnozzle 50. - The dispensing
nozzle 50 can include thetube 55 which has the receiving port (inlet) 51 through which the beverage enters and the dispensing port (outlet) 52 from which the beverage exits. The dispensingnozzle 50 can also include anoperating handle 511. Thehandle 511 can be connected to, for example, thetube 55. Thetube 55 can include anupstream portion 510 on the side of the receiving port (inlet) 51, adownstream portion 520 on the side of the dispensing port (outlet) 52, and amiddle portion 530 between theupstream portion 510 and thedownstream portion 520. Themiddle portion 530 can include thecurved portion 531 which forms a curve C in achannel 550 for the beverage in thetube 55. -
Fig. 6A is a sectional view of a portion on the side of theupstream portion 510 in thecurved portion 531, more specifically, a sectional view taken along a line A - A' ofFig. 5 .Fig. 6B is a sectional view of a portion on the side of thedownstream portion 520 of thecurved portion 531, more specifically, a sectional view taken along a line B - B' ofFig. 5 . It is preferable for a channel sectional area A1 of the portion (section A - A') on the side of theupstream portion 510 in thecurved portion 531 to be smaller than a channel sectional area A2 of the portion (section B - B') on the side of thedownstream portion 520 in thecurved portion 531. It has been confirmed that this kind of an arrangement has an effect of reducing pulsation in which the dispensing flow rate of the beverage will change intermittently. - In a section taken by cutting a portion of the
curved portion 531 along a plane perpendicular to thechannel 550, more specifically, an inner surface of thecurved portion 531 facing thechannel 550 inFig. 6A (the section A - A' ofFig. 5 ), it is preferable to have an arrangement in which a radius of curvature of a first portion P1 which is closer to the inner side of the curve C is smaller than a radius of curvature of a second portion P2 which is closer to the outer side of the curve C. In other words, it is preferable for the inner surface of thecurved portion 531 facing thechannel 550 inFig. 6A (the section A-A' ofFig. 5 ) to have an arrangement in which the curvature of the first portion P1 which is closer to the inner side of the curve C is larger than the curvature of the second portion P2 which is closer to the outer side. It has been confirmed that this kind of arrangement is highly effective in reducing pulsation. In one example, inFig. 6A (the section A - A' ofFig. 5 ), the first portion PI, which is closer to the inner side of the curve C of the inner surface of thecurved portion 531 facing thechannel 550, can have an arc shape, and the second portion P2, which is closer to the outer side of the curve C of the inner surface of thecurved portion 531 facing thechannel 550, can have a linear shape. In addition, in one example, inFig. 6A (the section A - A' ofFig. 5 ), the thickness of the first portion PI, which is closer to the inner side of the curve C of the inner surface of thecurved portion 531 facing thechannel 550, is smaller than the thickness the second portion P2, which is closer to the outer side of the curve C of the inner surface of thecurved portion 531 facing thechannel 550. - An angle γ formed between the direction of travel of the beverage in the
channel 550 in theupstream portion 510 and the direction of travel of the beverage in thechannel 550 in thedownstream portion 520 can be 110° or more and 125° or less, more preferably, 115° or more and 120° or less. Such angle γ is advantageous in preventing the beverage from remaining in thebottle 10 and reducing the pressure change due to a reduction in the liquid level of the beverage in thebottle 10 during dispensing. - Although the
valve assembly 30 has been described above as a component different from the dispensingnozzle 50, an aggregate of thetube 55 and thevalve assembly 30 described above may also be understood to be the dispensing nozzle. - The invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiments, and various variations/changes are possible within the spirit of the invention.
- 1: beverage dispenser, 10: bottle, 11: mouth, 20: vessel, 30: valve assembly, 31: outlet, 32: fixing portion, 33: channel, 34: channel forming member, 35: valve, 36: vent hole, 40: main body structure, 41: bottle holding portion, 42: nozzle holding portion, 43: engaging portion, 44: tilting mechanism, 50: dispensing nozzle, 51: receiving port (inlet), 52: dispensing port (outlet), 70: ultrasonic oscillator, 510: upstream portion, 520: downstream portion, 530: middle portion, 531: curved portion, 550: channel, P1: first portion, P2: second portion, A1: channel sectional area of section taken along line A - A', A2: channel sectional area of section taken along line B - B', C: curve
Claims (12)
- A beverage dispenser that dispenses a beverage contained in a bottle into a vessel, characterized by comprising:a bottle holding portion configured to hold, in a tilted state, the bottle to which a valve assembly has been attached; anda nozzle holding portion configured to hold a dispensing nozzle,wherein the dispensing nozzle includes, on one end, a receiving port configured to receive an outlet of the valve assembly, includes, on the other end, a dispensing port, and dispenses, from the dispensing port to the vessel, the beverage that flows into the receiving port from the bottle via the valve assembly, anda tilt angle of an axis of the dispensing port is larger than a tilt angle of an axis of the bottle held by the bottle holding portion.
- The beverage dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the tilt angle of the axis of the bottle held by the bottle holding portion is not less than 20° and not more than 35°.
- The beverage dispenser according to claim 1, characterized in that the tilt angle of the axis of the bottle held by the bottle holding portion is not less than 25° and not more than 30°.
- The beverage dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the bottle is arranged in the bottle holding portion so that the outlet of the valve assembly attached to the bottle will be inserted in the receiving port.
- The beverage dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the valve assembly includes a fixing portion to be fixed to the bottle, a channel forming member forming a channel between the fixing portion and the outlet, and a valve arranged in the channel, and
the channel forming member includes a vent hole which is arranged between the valve and the outlet. - The beverage dispenser according to claim 5, characterized by further comprising:
a valve driving mechanism configured to drive the valve. - The beverage dispenser according to claim 6, characterized in that the valve assembly includes an operating portion configured to open and close the valve,the valve driving mechanism includes an engaging portion configured to engage with the operating portion, andthe operating portion engages with the engaging portion when the bottle to which the valve assembly has been attached is arranged in the bottle holding portion.
- The beverage dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by further comprising:a vessel holding portion configured to hold the vessel; anda tilting mechanism configured to drive the vessel holding portion so as to change a tilt angle of the vessel in accordance with the progress of dispensing of the beverage contained in the bottle.
- The beverage dispenser according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the dispensing nozzle includes a tube which includes an inlet configured to allow a beverage to flow in and an outlet configured to allow the beverage to flow out,the tube includes an upstream portion on a side of the receiving port, a downstream portion on a side of the dispensing port, and a middle portion between the upstream portion and the downstream portion, and the middle portion includes a curved portion configured to form a curve in a channel for the beverage in the tube, anda channel sectional area of a portion closer to a side of the upstream portion in the curved portion is smaller than a channel sectional area of a portion closer to a side of the downstream portion in the curved portion.
- The beverage dispenser according to claim 9, characterized in that in a section taken by cutting a portion of the curved portion along a plane perpendicular to the channel, an inner surface of the curved portion facing the channel includes a first portion which is closer to an inner side of the curve and has a radius of curvature smaller than a radius of curvature of a second portion closer to an outer side of the curve.
- The beverage dispenser according to claim 10, characterized in that in the section, the first portion, which is closer to the inner side of the curve of the inner surface of the curved portion facing the channel, has an arch shape, and the second portion, which is closer to the outer side of the curve of the inner surface of the curved portion facing the channel, has a linear shape.
- The beverage dispenser according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that in the section, the thickness of the first portion, which is closer to the inner side of the curve of the inner surface of the curved portion facing the channel, is smaller than the thickness of the second portion, which is closer to the outer side of the curve of the inner surface of the curved portion facing the channel.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2019125461A JP2021011277A (en) | 2019-07-04 | 2019-07-04 | Beverage server |
PCT/JP2020/026269 WO2021002467A1 (en) | 2019-07-04 | 2020-07-03 | Beverage server |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP3995442A1 true EP3995442A1 (en) | 2022-05-11 |
EP3995442A4 EP3995442A4 (en) | 2022-08-31 |
Family
ID=74100390
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP20835083.5A Pending EP3995442A4 (en) | 2019-07-04 | 2020-07-03 | Beverage server |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP3995442A4 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2021011277A (en) |
AU (1) | AU2020299016A1 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2021002467A1 (en) |
Family Cites Families (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3376582A (en) * | 1966-02-23 | 1968-04-09 | Trim Molded Products Co Inc | Dispensing nozzle for liquid dispenser |
US4664297A (en) * | 1984-10-18 | 1987-05-12 | Thomas Giovinazzi | Household refrigeration vented beverage dispenser |
US5024353A (en) * | 1989-12-11 | 1991-06-18 | Horne David M | Dispenser for refrigerated liquids |
JP2000281133A (en) * | 1999-03-31 | 2000-10-10 | Kirin Beverage Corp | Bag-in-box type liquid container |
US20140216595A1 (en) * | 2013-02-04 | 2014-08-07 | Ahmad M Raad | Double Stage Bottled Soda Dispenser |
JP6062590B1 (en) | 2016-05-30 | 2017-01-18 | 株式会社グリーンハウス | Beverage server |
JP6807697B2 (en) | 2016-10-07 | 2021-01-06 | サントリーホールディングス株式会社 | Effervescent beverage supply device and effervescent beverage supply method |
RU2020116159A (en) * | 2017-11-01 | 2021-12-01 | Пепсико, Инк. | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING A DISPENSER FOR BEVERAGES |
-
2019
- 2019-07-04 JP JP2019125461A patent/JP2021011277A/en active Pending
-
2020
- 2020-07-03 AU AU2020299016A patent/AU2020299016A1/en not_active Abandoned
- 2020-07-03 WO PCT/JP2020/026269 patent/WO2021002467A1/en unknown
- 2020-07-03 EP EP20835083.5A patent/EP3995442A4/en active Pending
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2021011277A (en) | 2021-02-04 |
WO2021002467A1 (en) | 2021-01-07 |
EP3995442A4 (en) | 2022-08-31 |
AU2020299016A1 (en) | 2022-02-03 |
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