GB2387835A

GB2387835A - Apparatus for controlling the orientation of a vessel while it is being filled

Info

Publication number: GB2387835A
Application number: GB0225490A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark Allen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2001-11-01
Filing date: 2002-11-01
Publication date: 2003-10-29
Also published as: GB0225490D0

Abstract

Apparatus 5 for dispensing beverages, such as beer, comprises means for dispensing the beverage into a vessel 35 and for controlling the orientation of the vessel 35 between first and second positions as the beverage is dispensed. There is preferably provided a retainer 40 for holding the vessel 35. The angle of the vessel may be controlled by a resiliently deformable material such as a spring 50, or by a resistant field or force. Alternatively, the angle may be controlled by an electrical actuator. Means may be provided for controlling the flow of beverage into the vessel, such as a valve or tap 15, the valve being operated by a signal from a sensor 70 when the vessel 35 adopts a vertical orientation. Means may also be provided to sense the amount of beverage in the vessel. A variety of pouring programs may be stored in a memory system, which may be operated e.g. by smart-card or key.

Description

i 2387835 Title: Beverage dispensers DESCRIPTION

This invention concerns beverage dispensers.

When certain beverages, typically beers, are decanted from a pump into a vessel, there is a technique that must often be employed to ensure that the drink is not flat, has the correct quantity of froth or 'head' and that the same measured amount is repeatedly dispensed.

The technique in question involves positioning the pump nozzle slightly above the inside surface of the glass and tilting the vessel at an angle in relation to the vertical. As the vessel fills, the angle subtended between the glass and the vertical is reduced to avoid excess gas evolution, resulting in too large a 'head' and premature flattening of the beverage..:.

When the glass is full, the pump must be switched off to avoid wastage..

caused by overflow.

À. The technique requires practice, and often results in variations in the 3.

c : G quality of the beverage in terms of head and volume dispensed, even when performed by the same person. Moreover, time spent dispensing drinks in this manner which, is often as much as a minute per drink, could be better spent, especially in retail establishments, pouring other drinks, cleaning the bar area or operating the cash machine.

The issue of consistency of service and product is paramount, especially where customers expect to be able to purchase drinks of the same

quality and specification in a number of establishments. Retail outlets

require a financially beneficial solution wherein beverages are less frequently returned due to sub-standard presentation or losses are incurred due to wasted time. Furthermore, beverage manufacturers would prefer to protect 'brand identity' by guaranteeing a specified drink 'standard' for all retail outlets purveying their product.

There are currently a number of automated beverage dispensers on the market that may be used to decant beverages into vessels. However, there may frequently be quality control and consistency issues associated with the presentation of beverages dispensed by such means.

An object of the present invention is to provide an automatic means by which a more consistent quantity and quality of carbonated drink or beer. if.

Àeee may be dispensed.

According to the present invention there is provided an apparatus for dispensing beverages comprising means for dispensing the beverage into a vessel and means for controlling the orientation of the vessel between first and second positions as the beverage is dispensed into the vessel.

Preferably, the first position has the vessel at a sloping angle, as is typically used when pouring a beverage by hand to prevent formation of excessive froth or head. The preferred second orientation, to which the vessel is oriented, is substantially vertical. A preferred embodiment of the invention incorporates a retainer to hold the vessel, which may be, but not

i exclusively, a cradle, shelf or clip. The vessel is preferably a glass or mug of any description.

Preferably, the angle of the vessel is controlled in relation to the amount of beverage contained therein. Any suitable method may be employed for this purpose, including amongst others, the action of the vessel or retainer against a deformable material, inflatable component or even a magnetic or an electrical field. The angle may also be controlled by

mechanical means including, but not limited to, weights or a counter balance. Alternatively, said angle may be controlled by an electrical or electronic device such as, but not limited to, a motor or linear actuator.

Preferably, the apparatus incorporates means for ascertaining the angle of the vessel by any suitable means such as, but not limited to the appropriate use of positional encoders or other electronic or optical devices. À À Positional information may be relayed to a circuit or mechanism that may À.

À - -.-

influence the angle by any means, especially those means described above.

Additionally or alternatively, the angle may be controlled as a function of time whereby the vessel moves from a first position to a second position during a pre-determined interval.

In a preferred embodiment however, the angle of the vessel may be controlled by the action of either the retainer or vessel against a resiliently deformable device, such as, but not exclusively, a spring. Compression or tension springs may be suitable for use in the invention. It is preferred that the spring arrangement is such that it counteracts the increasing weight of

the vessel as it is filled to control the change in angle of the vessel but that, when the vessel reaches the vertical, the spring acts to hold the retainer for the vessel in the vertical position. In other words, the spring mechanism preferably goes over centre when the vessel reaches the vertical, so that when the vessel is removed from the retainer, the retainer is not caused to recoil by the spring mechanism.

The dispensing means may be a tap or valve and may be either manually operated or automatically operated by some other means. Where the dispensing means is not operated manually, it is preferably controlled using a mechanical or electrical device such as, but not limited to, a solenoid.

The dispensing means may also limit the quantity of beverage dispensed, which may be brought about by any number of appropriate À A. À. means, including: Discharging a measured quantity of beverage from a second container into the vessel, having a calibrated valve with accurately calibrated flow rate characteristics and a timer whereby the flow is stopped after a computed interval. Additionally or alternatively, the amount of beverage dispensed may be ascertained by means such as; detecting the weight of the vessel, detecting the angle of the vessel or retainer, optical detection means, or by electrical or electronic means. Subsequently, the circuit or mechanism may relay information regarding the quantity of beverage dispensed, to the dispensing means, such that the flow may be stopped when the desired quantity has been delivered.

In a preferred embodiment however, stopping the flow of beverage i when the desired amount has been dispensed, is achieved by the attachment of a sensor in communication with the retainer such that when the vessel is in a substantially vertical orientation, a signal is transmitted to either the operator, or to a circuit or mechanism to turn off the valve or tap.

In certain circumstances, there may be a requirement to start and stop the dispensation of the beverage at desired intervals. For example, when pouring certain beers, it may be necessary to pour a part of the beverage, pause to allow the head to settle, before finishing off the pouring operation. Furthermore, certain beers and or soft drinks may need to be poured in bursts or pulses to increase their effervescence or to allow mixers to be À.

: added at different stages of dispensation. À..

À Accordingly, a preferred embodiment may be provided with means for À À -.

controlling dispensation of the beverage in a pre-determined fashion. Such! À.. means may comprise a control circuit, which controls the operation of '.

. solenoid valve or similar flow control device such that the flow can be started and stopped automatically.

Additionally or alternatively, a flow-metering device may be fitted that measures the amount of beverage dispensed. The flow-metering device may be used to prevent overflow of the vessel or may be used feed information back to the flow control circuit to tell it when say, half a pint has been poured. Preferably still, the flow-metering device may emit a signal after a

pre-determined volume of beverage has been dispensed and the signals are preferably counted by the control circuit. In this way, it is envisaged that desired volumes of beverage may be dispensed by integrating the operation of the flow control valve for starting and stopping beverage dispensation, with the flow-metering device. Thus, dispensation may be started by triggering the apparatus and automatically stopped after a certain number of signals have been recorded by the control circuit. Preferably still, the signal counting method may be used in conjunction with a timing circuit to accurately control the beverage flow rate or for calibrating the apparatus.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, it is envisaged that a variety of pouring programs are stored in a memory system. Thus, when using the beverage dispenser with say beverage X, one beverage-

specific program is used, whereas when it is used in conjunction with eeee beverage Y. a different program is used..

--a.. The memory system may comprise an on-board memory circuit or chip, or a remote memory storage device. Moreover, the memory device may..

comprise a smart card or electronic key system whereby the smart card or key is supplied by the manufacturer of the beverage. Thus, when the barrel of beverage is changed or when the manufacturer recommends a different pouring technique, the new card is inserted into the dispensing apparatus, which automatically begins using the new pouring technique.

! A manual override may also be fitted, which enables an operator to interrupt the automatic pouring of the beverage and either stop it, or take over manually.

A preferred embodiment may also incorporate a triggering device, which may initiate, where appropriate, the dispensation of beverage and or the pivoting of the vessel. Operation of the triggering device may also be counted and enable an estimate of the total amount of beverage either used or remaining, to be made.

A preferred embodiment may also comprise additional features such as a drip tray to catch excess beverage and or condensation, and or an adjustable nozzle to alter the flow characteristics of the beverage during À O dispensation. The nozzle itself may incorporate additional features, such as but not exclusively, a mesh to further influence the dispensing --..

characteristics of the beverage..

oeeee The invention will now be described by way of example only, with . reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:.

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a first beverage dispenser of the i invention with the vessel empty; Figure 2 shows a side elevation of the beverage dispenser of Figure 1 during use; Figure 3 shows a side elevation of the beverage dispenser of Figure 1 with the vessel filled;

Figure 4 shows a second beverage dispenser according to the invention with the vessel empty; Figure 5 shows the beverage dispenser of Figure 4 during use; and Figure 6 shows the beverage dispenser of Figure 4 with the vessel filled. Referring to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings a beverage dispensing apparatus 5 is mounted overhanging a substantially horizontal surface 10. There is attached to the apparatus 5 a valve 15, to which a supply of beverage 20 is connected by means of tubes or other suitable pipe work 25. Also attached to the valve 15 is a nozzle 30 through which the beverage is delivered to the vessel 35. The vessel 35 is positioned in a housing or cradle 40, being supported movably about a pivot 45. The cradle 'it 40 is angled away from a vertical orientation by means of an adjustable spring mechanism 50. There is also present a drip tray 75, a sensor 70 that.

I-.. detects when the cradle is in a substantially vertical orientation, a trigger or..

triggers 60 to initiate the operation of the apparatus and an external circuit Id, i.

65 that relays information from the sensor 70 to the valve 15.

Referring now to figure 2, when the apparatus is operated, the trigger 60 is depressed, sending a signal to the circuitry 65, thus causing the valve 15 to open, releasing in a controlled manner, the beverage into the vessel 35.

As the vessel 35 fills, its weight increases and imparts a greater force on the spring mechanism 50, which responds by deforming. As the spring 50 deforms, so the vessel adopts an attitude continually nearing a vertical

orientation. The spring mechanism 50 comprises a compression spring within a cylinder and pivotally connected by a rod to the cradle. The relative positions of the pivots are such that when the cradle reaches the vertical, the spring mechanism goes over centre, so that when the vessel is removed from the container, the cradle does not recoil under expansion of the spring but rather the spring acts to urge the cradle to remain in the vertical. In order to reset the cradle for filling of another vessel, it will be necessary to lift the cradle by hand sufficiently to overcome the action of the spring.

Figure 3 shows the vessel full, and eventually in a vertical orientation whereby the cradle 40 has contacted the sensor 70. On contacting the sensor 70, a pre-set timer is triggered in the circuitry 65 which will turn off the -I= valve 15 after a pre-determined interval. The Dllled vessel is then ready to be ''^9 À:. removed and to be replaced by an empty one.

The properties of the beverage in terms of its head and bubble content....

may be selectably adjusted or pre-set by altering the flow rate (a....

À a.. characteristic of the valve 15), the nozzle 30 profile, spring 50 tension and timer delay 65. Hence once ascertained, these parameters may be entered into the system, enabling a consistent beverage quality to be repeatedly obtained. Turning to Figures 4 to 6 of the accompanying drawings there is shown a beverage dispensing apparatus that is largely the same as shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the drawings except for the additions that will now be described in detail. For simplicity like reference numbers have been used in

both embodiments for the same components. In the embodiment of Figures 4 to 6, there is a smart card 77 attached to the barrel 20. When the barrel is attached to the pipe work, the smart card 77 is inserted in a slot 80 in the circuit 65, which reads the pouring parameters specific to the beverage in question. Also shown in Figure 1 is a keypad 85 for manually entering the beverage dispensation parameters.

I\vo triggers 60, 62 are provided in this embodiment for selecting different volumes of beverage to be dispensed. Thus, when the apparatus is operated, either of the triggers 60, 62 is depressed to send a signal to the circuitry 65.to cause the valve 15 to open, releasing in a controlled manner the beverage into the vessel 35.

The circuit 65, by way of prior manual programming 85 or data.-

uploaded via the smart-card 77, may pause the dispensation of beverage at a pre-determined interval to allow the head to settle, before finishing off the.....

pouring operation. The pause interval and number of pauses if any, required....

is specific to the beverage in question. c

Claims

i CLAIMS

1. Apparatus for dispensing beverages comprising means for dispensing the beverage into a vessel and means for controlling the orientation of the vessel between first and second positions as the beverage is dispensed into the vessel.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1 having a retainer to hold the vessel.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein the angle of the vessel is controlled by the interaction between the vessel or retainer and a resiliently deformable material or mechanism.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the mechanism is a spring . mechanism.:o' ..

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the spring mechanism, -.-.. includes a compression spring or a tension spring. A.:.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the spring mechanism...

. i, is arranged to counteract the increasing weight of the vessel as it is filled to 2 -.

control the change in angle of the vessel but that, when the vessel reaches the vertical, the spring acts to hold the retainer for the vessel in the vertical position.

7. Apparatus as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein the angle of the vessel is controlled by the interaction between the vessel or retainer and a resistant field or force.

\

8. Apparatus as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein the angle of the vessel! is controlled by the interaction between the vessel or retainer and an electrical actuator.

9. Apparatus as claimed in claims 1 to 8, wherein means is provided to control the flow of beverage into the vessel.

10. Apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the control means for beverage flow is a valve or tap.

11. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 10 comprising means for detecting the amount of beverage dispensed.

12. Apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein the controlling means comprises a control circuit, which controls the operation of a solenoid valve or e.' similar flow control device, such that the flow can be started and stopped! automatically.. .

13. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12 further comprising a 'in.:.

flow-metering device that measures the amount of beverage dispensed.....

14. Apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the flow-metering device is À.; arranged to emit a signal after a pre-determined volume of beverage has been dispensed.

15. Apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the signals are counted by the control circuit.

16. Apparatus as claimed in claim 15, wherein dispensation is started by triggering the apparatus and automatically stopped after a certain number of signals have been recorded by the control circuit.

l

17. Apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein signal counting is used in conjunction with a timing circuit to accurately control the beverage flow rate or for calibrating the apparatus.

18. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein a variety of pouring programs are stored in a memory system.

19. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the memory system comprises an on-board memory circuit or chip, or a remote memory storage device.

20. Apparatus as claimed in claim 18 or 19, wherein the memory system comprises a smart-card or electronic key system, whereby the smart-card or key is supplied by the manufacturer of the beverage.. D À

21. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 20 further comprising a.r manual override, which enables an operator to interrupt the automatic.

:e'.. pouring of the beverage and either stop it, or take over manually. I.:

22. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21 also incorporating a,..

I,. triggering device, which may initiate, where appropriate, the dispensation of ' À ' beverage and or the pivoting of the vessel...CLME:

23. Apparatus as claimed in claim 22, wherein operation of the triggering device is countable.

24. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 23 further comprising a drip tray to catch excess beverage and or condensation,

25. Apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 24 further comprising an adjustable nozzle to alter the flow characteristics of the beverage during dispensation.

26. Apparatus as claimed in claim 25, wherein the nozzle incorporates a mesh to further influence the dispensing characteristics of the beverage.

27. Apparatus for dispensing beverages substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 or Figures 4 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

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