GB2590216A

GB2590216A - Beverage dispenser with beer engine having an integrated valve

Info

Publication number: GB2590216A
Application number: GB2100292.8A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Hill Nicholas; Hill James
Original assignee: Harry Mason Ltd
Current assignee: Harry Mason Ltd
Priority date: 2018-06-11
Filing date: 2019-05-02
Publication date: 2021-06-23
Also published as: WO2019238309A1; GB2574601A; GB202100292D0; GB201809529D0

Abstract

A beverage dispenser (10) is arranged to dispense a beverage from a bulk supply container (2). The dispenser comprises: a pivotable handle (12); a cylinder arrangement (14) in fluid communication with the container, the cylinder arrangement (14) comprising a cylinder chamber (16) and a piston (18) within the cylinder chamber; a valve (20) operable between open and closed positions respectively to permit and prevent flow of the beverage, wherein pivoting operation of the handle (12) is arranged to cause movement between the piston (18) and the cylinder chamber (16) and thereby to cause the valve to open and beverage to be drawn into the cylinder chamber, and wherein the valve is otherwise closed. The valve (20) is integrated with the cylinder chamber (16).

Claims

1. A beverage dispenser arranged to dispense a beverage from a bulk supply container, the dispenser comprising: a pivotable handle; a cylinder arrangement in fluid communication with the container, the cylinder arrangement comprising a cylinder chamber and a piston within the cylinder chamber; a valve operable between open and closed positions respectively to permit and prevent flow of the beverage, wherein pivoting operation of the handle is arranged to cause movement between the piston and the cylinder chamber and thereby to cause the valve to open and beverage to be drawn into the cylinder chamber, and wherein the valve is otherwise closed; and wherein the valve is integrated with the cylinder chamber.

2. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 wherein the cylinder chamber and the valve are co-housed.

3. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the valve is located within the cylinder chamber.

4. The beverage dispenser of any preceding claim wherein the cylinder chamber comprises an inlet through which the beverage from the container enters the chamber and an outlet through which the beverage exits the chamber.

5. The beverage dispenser of claim 4 wherein the inlet is located on a side wall of the cylinder chamber.

6. The beverage dispenser of claim 4 or claim 5 wherein the valve is located at, or within, the inlet.

7. The beverage dispenser of any preceding claim comprising spring means arranged to urge the valve into its closed position.

8. The beverage dispenser of any preceding claim wherein, in use, when beverage is delivered from the container to the cylinder arrangement under pressure, the valve is urged towards its closed position under the pressure of the beverage.

9. The beverage dispenser of any preceding claim wherein the valve is arranged to move from the closed to the open position when a threshold force is applied thereto, and, in use, wherein the threshold force is small enough such that the valve is caused to open by the operation of the handle.

10. The beverage dispenser of any of claims 4 to 9 comprising a flow guide between the inlet and the cylinder chamber, the flow guide being arranged to mitigate agitation of the beverage flowing therethrough.

1 1 . The beverage dispenser of claim 10 wherein the flow guide comprises one or more flow channels through which, in use, the beverage flows along one or more desired paths.

12. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 1 wherein the flow guide comprises a generally cylindrical body in which the one or more flow channels are located.

13. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 1 or claim 12 wherein any one or more of the flow channels is defined by at least one curved wall; or any one or more of the flow channels do not have any sharp bends; or both.

14. The beverage dispenser of any of claims 1 1 to 1 3 wherein the inlet is connected directly to the or each flow channel.

15. The beverage dispenser of any of claims 1 1 to 14 wherein the one or more flow channels open directly into the cylinder chamber.

16. The beverage dispenser of any preceding claim further comprising a valve operation means arranged to cause the valve to move to its open position such that beverage is able to flow through the valve in response to movement between the piston and the cylinder chamber, and optionally wherein the valve operation means comprises a movable or flexible valve diaphragm in communication with the valve, the diaphragm being arranged to move or flex in response to movement between the piston and the cylinder chamber such that the valve moves to its open position and beverage is able to flow through the valve.

17. The beverage dispenser of claim 1 6 wherein the diaphragm is located within the flow guide, the diaphragm having one or more apertures therethrough wherein the one or more apertures are arranged, in use, to correspond, to the one or more flow channels such that beverage flowing through the one or more flow channels is arranged to flow through the one or more apertures.

18. The beverage dispenser of claim 16 or claim 17 wherein the diaphragm is orientated perpendicularly to a beverage flow direction.

19. The beverage dispenser of claim 17 or claim 18 wherein the apertures are not located at the centre of the diaphragm; and optionally are located radially around the diaphragm in a substantially regular manner.

20. The beverage dispenser of any preceding claim wherein the valve comprises a valve plug and a valve seat.

21. The beverage dispenser of claim 20, when dependent on any of claims 16 to 19, wherein the moving or flexing of the diaphragm in response to movement between the piston and the cylinder causes the valve plug to move away from the valve seat.

22. The beverage dispenser of claim 20 or claim 21 wherein the valve comprises a valve wall surrounding the valve plug, the valve wall being sized to fit within the inlet and further to constrain slidable movement of the valve plug when moving between its open and closed positions.

23. The beverage dispenser of claim 22 wherein the valve wall has one or more valve wall apertures formed therein, and optionally the one or more valve wall apertures occupy most of the valve wall.

24. The beverage dispenser of any of claims 20 to 23 wherein the valve plug comprises an oversized head.

25. The beverage dispenser of any of claims 16 to 24 wherein the flow guide comprises an inlet chamber and an outlet chamber separated by the diaphragm, and optionally wherein the flow guide comprises a first portion and a second portion attachable to each other and wherein the diaphragm is arranged to be located therebetween and optionally wherein the first portion and the second portion are both generally cylindrical and each have a part or parts of the or each flow path therewithin.

26. The beverage dispenser of claim 25 comprising alignment means arranged to facilitate correct alignment between the first portion and the second portion of the flow guide when they are attached to facilitate correctly forming the or each flow path, and optionally wherein the alignment means comprises one or more of: alignment markings on each of the first and second portions, the alignment markings arranged to be aligned with each other upon correct attachment of the first and second portions; and an attachment alignment mechanism, such as an alignment pin or stub on one of the first and second portions and a corresponding alignment pin or stub receiving hole on the other of the first and second portions, arranged to allow attachment of the first portion to the second portion in only the correct configuration.

27. The beverage dispenser of claim 25 or claim 26 wherein at least part of the second portion of the flow guide is formed integrally with the cylinder chamber.

28. The beverage dispenser of any of claims 25 to 27 wherein one or more of: the first portion of the flow guide comprises a first body portion and a first insert arranged to be received in the first body portion to form one or more flow channels; and the second portion of the flow guide comprises a second body portion and a second insert arranged to be received in the second body portion to form one or more flow channels.

29. The beverage dispenser of claim 28 wherein one or both of: the first insert comprises first insert locating means arranged to allow location of the first insert in the first body portion only in the correct configuration; and the second insert comprises second insert locating means arranged to allow location of the second insert in the second body portion only in the correct configuration.

30. The beverage dispenser of any preceding claim wherein the cylinder arrangement comprises an end cap and a main body, wherein the end cap is attachable to the main body to form the cylinder chamber, and optionally wherein the valve is located at or within the end cap; and further optionally wherein the flow guide is located within the end cap or wherein the first portion of the flow guide is located within the end cap.

31. The beverage dispenser of any preceding claim comprising an override mechanism arranged to force the valve into its open position independently of operation of the handle.

32. An end cap for forming the beverage dispenser of any preceding claim wherein the end cap is attachable to the main body to form the cylinder chamber, wherein the valve is located at or within the end cap; and optionally wherein the flow guide is located within the end cap or wherein a first portion of the flow guide is located within the end cap.

33. A beverage dispensing system comprising the beverage dispenser of any of claims 1 to 32 and a first pipe arranged to provide the fluid communication between the container and the cylinder arrangement, wherein there is no valve in the first pipe.