IL289089A

IL289089A - System for pouring a beverage

Info

Publication number: IL289089A
Application number: IL289089A
Authority: IL
Inventors: Vishengrad Shoval; Vishengrad Avishai
Original assignee: Vishengrad Shoval; Vishengrad Avishai
Priority date: 2021-12-16
Filing date: 2021-12-16
Publication date: 2023-07-01
Also published as: WO2023112026A1

Description

SYSTEM FOR POURING A BEVERAGE TECHNOLOGICAL FIELDThe presently disclosed subject matter relates to beverage stations and in some embodiments to a system for self-pouring of a beverage from a beverage station. BACKGROUNDCurrently, beverage stations, e.g. beer stations, are managed and operated exclusively by professionals, e.g. a bartender, supplier and/or brewer. Some beer stations serve draft beer. Draft beer is beer served from a barrel or keg rather than from a bottle or can. A beer tap is a valve, specifically a tap, for controlling the release of draft beer. Consumers may place importance on beer heads. The beer head is the frothy foam that rests on top of beer and is produced by bubbles of gas, typically carbon dioxide or nitrogen that was dissolved into the beer during the brewing process, rising to the surface. The desired amount of head can act as an insulating layer to keep the temperature of the beer more stable and can further serve to retain the carbonation of the beer. The aroma released by gas escaping from the head can enhance the flavor experienced by the consumer. However, too much head is undesirable as it detracts from the liquid volume of the drink. In some beverages it is desirable to pour the beverage so as to avoid the formation of a head altogether. Accordingly, controlling the balance between liquid beer and head that is transferred from a beer barrel to a consumer receptacle can be in some cases an important aspect of draft beer pouring. The amount of the beer head produced during pouring is variable and is affected, inter alia, by flow rate of the beer through the tap and pour angle (e.g. amount of agitation/turbulence in the consumer receptacle). Conventionally, pouring the beer to achieve the desired head is performed by an experienced professional. In some cases pouring the beverage without any head is desirable. GENERAL DESCRIPTION In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, there is provided a system for self-pouring of a beverage from a beverage station. The beverage station may include one or more beverage barrels containing a beverage therein. The beverage flows via fluid conduits from the barrel to a beverage tower. The beverage tower includes a tap having a spout and a handle and being configured for pouring the beverage via the spout into a beverage receptacle of a consumer. In accordance with some embodiments, the system includes any one or more of a control unit comprising at least a control valve operative to control the flow of the beverage from the barrel to the spout, a flow meter operative to measure an amount of beverage exiting the spout and to generate a signal indicative at least of the exited amount, and a controller operative at least to actuate the control valve and to receive the signal from the flow meter. In some embodiments, the system and/or the control unit includes the control valve with or without the flow meter and with or without the controller. In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, the control unit further comprises sensors and detectors operative to identify the barrel and/or the beverage contained therein and/or related data, such as any inventory related information (in a non-limiting example, the age of beverage, location of the barrel, consumed amount of the beverage, and the like). The beverage or barrel related data may be transmitted to a beverage station manager or supplier or any other relevant human or automated system, to alert in case the barrel will soon empty or expire. In some embodiments, the control unit (more specifically, the controller) is operative to collect consumer information, e.g. the age of the consumer (e.g. such as to comply with regulatory age limitations) ID data and/or data about users/customers, payment details and consumer beverage consumption related data, e.g. history of the consumer passed pouring data, beverage preferences, and the like). In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, there is provided an auxiliary system operative for retrofitting a preexisting beverage station for enabling self-pouring of a beverage by a consumer from the preexisting beverage station, comprising the control unit to allow the consumer to self-pour the beverage. `In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, there is provided in addition to the control unit or separate therefrom, an angular positioning apparatus or member comprising a stopper and being engageable with the spout, so as to form a gap therewith configured to receive therein the lateral wall of the receptacle at a predetermined angle. The angular positioning member acts as an assistant tool for self- pouring of the beverage and provides the lay consumer with the experience of mastering the art of professional beverage pouring. In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, there is provided a cooling system for maintaining a cooled environment of a beverage exiting from at least one beverage barrel comprising at least one chiller tube operative for flow of a cooling fluid therethrough and a conduit assembly configured to extend within the beverage tower at least along a predetermined length of the beverage tower and arranged with an annulus arrangement, in which at least at the predetermined length, the at least one beverage tube is positioned within the at least one chiller tube. In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, there is provided a system for pouring at least a first and a second type of beverage from a common, single spout of a beverage station, including at least a first and second control valve. The first and second control valves are operative to control the flow of the respective first and second beverage from the respective first and second barrel to the single spout. The first control valve and the second control valve are positioned along respective first fluid conduit and second fluid conduit within the single beverage tower at a predetermined distance from the single tap. In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, there is provided a system for self-pouring of a beverage from a beverage station including at least one beverage barrel containing a beverage, the beverage barrel being in gaseous communication with a gas tank operative for carbonating the beverage and for propelling flow of the beverage within fluid conduits extending from the barrel to a beverage tower, the beverage tower including a tap having a spout and a handle and being configured for pouring the beverage via the spout into a beverage receptacle of a consumer in response to manual control of the handle by the consumer, the receptacle including a lateral wall extending from a base, the system including: a control unit configured to be positioned along the fluid conduits, including: a control valve operative to control the flow of the beverage from the barrel to the spout, and a flow meter operative to measure an amount of beverage exiting the spout and to generate a signal indicative at least of the exited amount, a controller in communication at least with the flow meter and operative to receive the signal which is convertible to data utilized for collection of consumer information associated at least with the pouring of the beverage by the consumer, and an angular positioning member including a stopper and being engageable with the spout so as to form a gap therebetween the stopper and the spout, the gap being configured to receive therein the lateral wall of the receptacle at a predetermined angle. In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, the controller is operative to actuate the control valve in response to a consumer activity. In some embodiments, the spout has a longitudinal axis thereof and the stopper includes an extension positioned at an incline with respect to the longitudinal axis of the spout. In some embodiments, the incline has a predetermined angle configured for directing the flow of the beverage exiting the spout to impinge on the lateral wall or the base of the receptacle at an impingement angle distal to the spout longitudinal axis. In an embodiment, the extension includes an arched arm. In an embodiment, the extension includes a rigid material. In an embodiment, the extension includes a flexible material forming a flexible extension. In an embodiment, the flexible extension is configured to be pushed towards the spout by application of a manual force thereon and to resume its position at the predetermined angle, following termination of the applied manual force. In an embodiment, the control unit further includes a sensor configured to detect depletion of the beverage in the barrel. In an embodiment, the control unit further includes at least one RFID tag, NFC tag or QR code or any element associated with the barrel and indicative of data related to any one of the beverage and the barrel. In an embodiment, the data includes at least one of the expiry date of the beverage, supplier of the barrel and passage of time from implementation of the barrel in the beverage station. In an embodiment, the beverage includes a draft beer. In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, there is provided an auxiliary system operative for retrofitting a preexisting beverage station for enabling self-pouring of a beverage by a consumer from the preexisting beverage station. The preexisting beverage station includes at least one beverage barrel containing a beverage, the beverage barrel is in gaseous communication with a gas tank operative for carbonating the beverage and for propelling flow of the beverage within fluid conduits extending from the barrel to a beverage tower, the beverage tower including a tap having a spout and a handle and being configured for pouring the beverage via the spout into a beverage receptacle of a consumer in response to manual control of the handle by the consumer, the receptacle including a lateral wall extending from a base, the system including: a control unit configured to be positioned along the fluid conduits, including: a control valve operative to control the flow of the beverage from the barrel to the spout, and a flow meter operative to measure an amount of beverage exiting the spout and to generate a signal indicative at least of the exited amount, a controller in communication at least with the flow meter and operative to receive the signal which is convertible to data utilized for collection of consumer information associated at least with the dispending of the beverage by the consumer, and an angular positioning apparatus including a stopper and being engageable with the spout so as to form a gap therewith configured to receive therein the lateral wall of the receptacle at a predetermined angle. In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, there is provided a cooling system for maintaining a cooled environment of a beverage exiting from at least one beverage barrel and flowing within at least one beverage tube through a beverage chiller via a beverage tower to a spout defined on the beverage tower, the cooling system including: at least one chiller tube operative for flow of a cooling fluid therethrough, and a conduit assembly configured to extend within the beverage tower at least along a predetermined length of the beverage tower and arranged with an annulus arrangement, in which at least at the predetermined length, the at least one beverage tube is positioned within the at least one chiller tube. In some embodiments, the annulus arrangement defines an annulus space formed intermediate the at least one chiller tube and the at least one beverage tube and the cooling liquid is operative to flow in the annulus space for convectively cooling the at least one beverage tube. In some embodiments, the conduit assembly includes at least one of a chiller tube inlet and outlet. In some embodiments, the conduit assembly includes a plurality of annulus arrangements. In some embodiments, the inlet includes a common inlet and the outlet includes a common outlet used for the plurality of annulus arrangements. In some embodiments, the plurality of annulus arrangements includes at least a first and second annulus arrangement, the first annulus arrangement including a first beverage tube connected to a first beverage barrel and the second annulus arrangement including a second beverage tube connected to a second beverage barrel. In some embodiments, the first beverage barrel is configured to contain a first beverage and the second beverage barrel is configured to contain a second beverage and the first and second beverage are a different type of beverage. In some embodiments, the first beverage tube is controlled by a first flow control valve operative to control the flow of the first beverage from the first barrel to the beverage tower and the second beverage tube is controlled by a second flow control valve operative to control the flow of the second beverage from the second barrel to the beverage tower. In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, there is provided a system for pouring beverages from a beverage station including at least a first beverage barrel containing a first beverage and a second beverage barrel containing a second beverage, a first fluid conduit extending from the first barrel for flow of the first beverage therethrough and a second fluid conduit extending from the second barrel for flow of the second beverage therethrough, the system including: a single beverage tower including a single tap having a single spout, at least a first control valve operative to control the flow of the first beverage from the first barrel to the single spout, at least a second control valve operative to control the flow of the second beverage from the second barrel to the single spout, the first control valve being positioned along the first fluid conduit within the single beverage tower at a predetermined distance from the at least single tap, the second control valve being positioned along the second fluid conduit within the single beverage tower at the predetermined distance from the at least single tap, and a controller operative to actuate: the first control valve for allowing the first beverage to flow from the first barrel to the single spout, and the second control valve for allowing the second beverage to flow from the second barrel to the single spout. In some embodiments, the at least two or more beverage barrels are configured to contain a different type of beverage and the system is utilized for pouring the different types of beverages from the single spout. In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, there is provided an angular positioning member used for self-pouring of a beverage from a beverage station including at least one beverage barrel containing a beverage, the beverage barrel being in gaseous communication with a gas tank operative for carbonating the beverage and for propelling flow of the beverage within fluid conduits extending from the barrel to a beverage tower, the beverage tower including a tap having a spout and a handle and being configured for pouring the beverage via the spout into a beverage receptacle of a consumer in response to manual control of the handle by the consumer, the receptacle including a lateral wall extending from a base, the angular positioning member including: a stopper for forming a gap intermediate the stopper and the spout, the gap being configured to receive therein the lateral wall of the receptacle at a predetermined angle, and a mounting portion formed with an aperture configured for slidably mounting the angular positioning member on the spout. In accordance with an embodiment of the present application, there is provided a system for controlled self-service of an authorized consumer to allow the consumer to manually pour (namely dispense) a selected beverage in such a controlled manner that guarantees quality of service which comprises at least one of: remote communication between a customer and a suitable beverage station for providing direct access of the customer to the dispensing tap of a selected beverage, ensuring that the beverage is fresh and cooled, preventing spillage of the ordered beverage, and remotely performing accompanying operations before and after dispensing of the beverage. It is therefore an additional object of the present application to effectively perform remote operations which are required for granting access to a specific customer, to a specific selected beverage from a specific selected beverage station and/or to bill some actions involved in the process of the beverage purchase. According to further aspects of the present application, there is also provided a technique for controlling the above-described beverage station (BS), for directly dispensing a selected beverage to an authorized customer (i.e a user) at a selected beverage station. In some embodiments, the technique comprises a control system and a corresponding computer-implemented method of controlling the proposed beverage station (BS). In a specific case, the method may be formulated as a computer-implemented method for assisting a customer to directly dispense a beverage from the beverage station. In some embodiments, there is provided a control system for assisting a customer to directly dispense a beverage (such as beer or the like) from a controllable beverage station (BS) offering one or more beverages, wherein the user is a specific user among a plurality of users capable of selecting any beverage station out of one or more such controlled beverage stations and any beverage out of the one or more beverages. The control system comprises a Processor and Memory Circuitry (PMC) configured for establishing control and data communication between the user at one side, and the beverage station (BS) at the other side. In some embodiments, the PMC comprises the above-mentioned controller.

In some embodiments, the PMC is configured for performing at least one of the steps of : - collecting o ID (identification) data for identifying the user, o control data for specifying the beverage station (BS) selected by the user, o control data for specifying the beverage selected by the user, o operative data from the specified beverage station (BS), - processing the collected ID data, control data and operative data, - depending on the processing result, authorizing the user for the self-service (e.g. self pouring of the beverage) and controlling the specified beverage station (BS) accordingly, so as to enable manual dispensing of the selected beverage by the authorized user and measuring an amount of the dispensed beverage. It is noted that any specific customer (user) can be understood as a layman wishing to directly/manually dispense a beverage from a tap of the beverage station without a bartender or any other skilled person such as a professional. In some embodiments, the user may be understood as a recognizable user, i.e. a customer being capable of providing ID data recognizable and identifiable by the PMC (a credit card, a card of membership in a club, an access code, etc.) In some embodiments, the beverage station may be a beer station, and the beverages may be various types of beer. In some embodiments, the PMC may further be configured for enabling the authorized user to dispense any desired volume of the selected beverage, and for registering the dispensed volume. In some embodiments, the PMC may be configured for limiting the amount of dispensable beverage according to a predetermined maximal volume of a receptacle (glass or the like). In some embodiments, the beverage station (BS) may be configured in the form of a conventional beverage station, which may be provided with a kit and/or an add-on controlled via the PMC so as to mechanically and/or hydraulically, in a non-limiting example, ensure the dispensing of the selected beverages. In some embodiments, the beverage station (BS) comprises a beverage station interface (BSI) for ensuring communication between the beverage station (BS) devices and the PMC. Beverage station interface (BSI) is operable for producing operative data from the beverage station (BS) to the PMC, and for allowing dispensing of drinks to customers (e.g. for receiving control instructions from the PMC and translating them into control commands for operating specific devices such as one or more valves, e.g. control valves, and flow meters in the beverage station (BS) . In some embodiments, the beverage station interface BSI comprises the above- mentioned control unit. In some embodiments, the operative data collected by the PMC from the beverage station interface (BSI) includes at least data corresponding to the measured amount of the dispensed beverage. In some embodiments, the control system may be further configured to enable billing for the beverage dispensed by the authorized user. The billing may be arranged between various entities: the user and/or the user's club or organization, a bank, various service providers, manufacturers of the beverages, etc. In some embodiments, the PMC may be in the form of a controller, computer, server, DOK, microprocessor, etc. In some embodiments, the PMC may be implemented at least in one or more of the following possible modifications: it may be embedded in a controllable beverage station (BS), it may form part of the kit as described in the summary above, it may be part of an add-on to a controllable beverage station (BS) (i.e. an auxiliary system operative for retrofitting a preexisting beverage station), it may constitute a remote server S, it may be a PMC, distributed between the beverage station (or kit/add-on thereof) and a remote server S. In some embodiments, the BSI (beverage station interface) may be part of the PMC. In some embodiments, the PMC may be implemented as a central remote server S adapted to serve a plurality of the beverage stations (BS), the server S being configured to establish control and data communication with a number of users (customers) at one side, and with a number (same or different) of respective beverage stations (BS) at another side. In another specific embodiment, the PMC may be designed to form at least a part of an interactive device (kit, add-on) installable at the controllable beverage station (BS) (as a stand-alone device or as an integrated device). Such a PMC may comprise a beverage station interface (BSI) and, inter alia, a display and means for recognizing the customer. The customer may identify himself/herself by using any ID means. The ID means may be implemented by the customer just by directly introducing the required ID data via a touchscreen or keyboard at the beverage station. However, the customer may use an ID item for identification. In any implementation of the control system, ID means may be an ID item selected from a non-exhaustive list comprising: an abonnement, a membership card, a credit card, an ID card, a driver's license etc. In some embodiments, the interactive device may comprise one or more valves controllable by the PMC. Such a control valve, when opened due to a command received from the PMC, allows further control of a suitable tap/spout manually by the authorized user. The one or more controllable valves and taps may be connectable by flow to the beverage station (BS). However, the interactive device may be part of an auxiliary system which may upgrade a preexisting beverage station. The auxiliary system may accommodate at least one beverage barrel associated with its conduit, control valve, flow meter and/or spout. The PMC may be in the form of a DOK (disc on key), a microprocessor, a computer etc. installed in the interactive device. The above-described interactive device may serve alone and perform all the functions for a specific beverage station (BS). However, similar interactive devices serving different beverage stations (BSs) may be interconnected into a common network, they may exchange control and operative data with a central server S and thus form a centralized control system. In the described control system, the PMC may be operative for establishing control and data communication with the user and the beverage station (BS) by using at least one of the following non-limiting examples: - a computer application (e.g. a web application) accessible via a mobile device e.g. of the consumer ( optionally: a mobile application (MA) installed in a mobile device of the user), capable of providing the ID data and the control data from the user and receiving notifications from the PMC, - a BSI (Beverage Station Interface) which may also be termed a local controller, provided at the beverage station (BS), configured to provide the operative data regarding the beverage station and to receive control instructions from the PMC, wherein the PMC is configured to collect the control and the ID data from the mobile application (MA), to collect the operative data from the beverage station interface (BSI) of the beverage station specified by the user, to process all the collected data and to issue both control instructions to the beverage station (BSI) specified by the user, and notifications to the user. The mobile application (MA) may be configured to provide the control data concerning the specified beverage station (BS) by using an RFID/NFC circuit formed between the mobile device of the user and the beverage station (BS) to which the user has approached, and wherein the RFID/NFC circuit comprises at least one RFID tag or QR code and at least one corresponding reader. In some embodiments, in the described control system: - the ID data may comprise at least one attribute for identifying the user pre-registered in the PMC as having payment details and being older than a predetermined age, - the control data may comprise at least specification of the beverage station and selection of the beverage at the specified station, - the operative data may comprise at least information on availability of specific beverages and data on the dispensed amount of beverage, - the control instructions may comprise at least authorization of the user sent to the local controller (beverage station interface (BSI)) and/or a suitable command allowing manual dispensing of the selected beverage by the authorized user. In some embodiments, in the control system, the PMC may be configured to establish data communication with one or more Billing authorities (BA) for charging the authorized user for the dispensed beverage and performing associated payments to one or more service providers. The PMC may be further configured to collect from the beverage station (BS) the operative data concerning expiry date of beverages presently offered by the beverage station (BS), technical condition of the beverage station (BS) and to establish data and control communication with service authorities (SA) for solving tasks and/or problems reported by the beverage station (BS).

Claims

1.CLAIMS 1. A system for self-pouring of a beverage from a beverage station including at least one beverage barrel containing a beverage, the beverage barrel being in gaseous communication with a gas tank operative for carbonating the beverage and for propelling flow of the beverage within fluid conduits extending from the barrel to a beverage tower, the beverage tower including a tap having a spout and a handle and being configured for pouring the beverage via the spout into a beverage receptacle of a consumer in response to manual control of the handle by the consumer, the receptacle comprising a lateral wall extending from a base, the system comprising: a control unit configured to be positioned along the fluid conduits, including: a control valve operative to control the flow of the beverage from the barrel to the spout; and a flow meter operative to measure an amount of beverage exiting the spout and to generate a signal indicative at least of the exited amount; a controller in communication at least with the flow meter and operative to receive the signal which is convertible to data utilized for collection of consumer information associated at least with the pouring of the beverage by the consumer; and an angular positioning member comprising a stopper and being engageable with the spout so as to form a gap therebetween the stopper and the spout, the gap being configured to receive therein the lateral wall of the receptacle at a predetermined angle.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller is operative to actuate the control valve in response to a consumer activity.

3. The system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the spout has a longitudinal axis thereof and the stopper comprises an extension positioned at an incline with respect to the longitudinal axis of the spout.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the incline has a predetermined angle configured for directing the flow of the beverage exiting the spout to impinge on the lateral wall or the base of the receptacle at an impingement angle distal to the spout longitudinal axis.

5. The system according to claim 3 or claim 4, wherein the extension comprises an arched arm.

6. The system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the extension comprises a rigid material.

7. The system according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the extension comprises a flexible material forming a flexible extension.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the flexible extension is configured to be pushed towards the spout by application of a manual force thereon and to resume its position at the predetermined angle, following termination of the applied manual force.

9. The system according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the control unit further comprises a sensor configured to detect depletion of the beverage in the barrel.

10. The system according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the control unit further comprises at least one RFID tag, NFC tag or QR code or any element associated with the barrel and indicative of data related to any one of the beverage and the barrel.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the data includes at least one of the: expiry date of the beverage, supplier of the barrel and passage of time from implementation of the barrel in the beverage station.

12. The system according to any one of the previous claims, wherein the beverage includes a draft beer.

13. An auxiliary system operative for retrofitting a preexisting beverage station for enabling self-pouring of a beverage by a consumer from the preexisting beverage station, the preexisting beverage station including at least one beverage barrel containing a beverage, the beverage barrel being in gaseous communication with a gas tank operative for carbonating the beverage and for propelling flow of the beverage within fluid conduits extending from the barrel to a beverage tower, the beverage tower including a tap having a spout and a handle and being configured for pouring the beverage via the spout into a beverage receptacle of a consumer in response to manual control of the handle by the consumer, the receptacle comprising a lateral wall extending from a base, the system comprising: a control unit configured to be positioned along the fluid conduits, including: a control valve operative to control the flow of the beverage from the barrel to the spout; and a flow meter operative to measure an amount of beverage exiting the spout and to generate a signal indicative at least of the exited amount; a controller in communication at least with the flow meter and operative to receive the signal which is convertible to data utilized for collection of consumer information associated at least with the dispending of the beverage by the consumer; and an angular positioning apparatus comprising a stopper and being engageable with the spout so as to form a gap therewith configured to receive therein the lateral wall of the receptacle at a predetermined angle.

14. A cooling system for maintaining a cooled environment of a beverage exiting from at least one beverage barrel and flowing within at least one beverage tube through a beverage chiller via a beverage tower to a spout defined on the beverage tower, the cooling system comprising: at least one chiller tube operative for flow of a cooling fluid therethrough; and a conduit assembly configured to extend within the beverage tower at least along a predetermined length of the beverage tower and arranged with an annulus arrangement, in which at least at the predetermined length, the at least one beverage tube is positioned within the at least one chiller tube.

15. The cooling system according to claim 14, wherein the annulus arrangement defines an annulus space formed intermediate the at least one chiller tube and the at least one beverage tube and the cooling fluid is operative to flow in the annulus space for convectively cooling the at least one beverage tube.

16. The cooling system according to claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the conduit assembly comprises at least one of a chiller tube inlet and a chiller tube outlet.

17. The cooling system according to claim 16, wherein the conduit assembly comprises a plurality of annulus arrangements.

18. The cooling system according to claim 17, wherein the inlet comprises a common inlet and the outlet comprises a common outlet used for the plurality of annulus arrangements.

19. The cooling system according to any one of claims 17 and 18, wherein the plurality of annulus arrangements comprises at least a first and second annulus arrangement, the first annulus arrangement including a first beverage tube connected to a first beverage barrel and the second annulus arrangement including a second beverage tube connected to a second beverage barrel.

20. The cooling system according to claim 19, wherein the first beverage barrel is configured to contain a first beverage and the second beverage barrel is configured to contain a second beverage and the first beverage is a different type of beverage than the second beverage.

21. The cooling system according to claim 20, wherein the first beverage tube is controlled by a first flow control valve operative to control the flow of the first beverage from the first barrel to the beverage tower and the second beverage tube is controlled by a second flow control valve operative to control the flow of the second beverage from the second barrel to the beverage tower.

22. A system for pouring beverages from a beverage station including at least a first beverage barrel containing a first beverage and a second beverage barrel containing a second beverage, a first fluid conduit extending from the first barrel for flow of the first beverage therethrough and a second fluid conduit extending from the second barrel for flow of the second beverage therethrough, the system comprising: a single beverage tower including a single tap having a single spout; at least a first control valve operative to control the flow of the first beverage from the first barrel to the single spout; at least a second control valve operative to control the flow of the second beverage from the second barrel to the single spout, the first control valve being positioned along the first fluid conduit within the single beverage tower at a predetermined distance from the at least single tap; the second control valve being positioned along the second fluid conduit within the single beverage tower at the predetermined distance from the at least single tap; and a controller operative to actuate: the first control valve for allowing the first beverage to flow from the first barrel to the single spout; and the second control valve for allowing the second beverage to flow from the second barrel to the single spout.

23. The system according to claim 22, wherein at least the first beverage barrel and the second beverage barrel are configured to each contain a different type of beverage and the system is utilized for pouring the different types of beverages from the single spout.

24. An angular positioning member used for self-pouring of a beverage from a beverage station including at least one beverage barrel containing a beverage, the beverage barrel being in gaseous communication with a gas tank operative for carbonating the beverage and for propelling flow of the beverage within fluid conduits extending from the barrel to a beverage tower, the beverage tower including a tap having a spout and a handle and being configured for pouring the beverage via the spout into a beverage receptacle of a consumer in response to manual control of the handle by the consumer, the receptacle comprising a lateral wall extending from a base, the angular positioning member comprising: a stopper for forming a gap intermediate the stopper and the spout, the gap being configured to receive therein the lateral wall of the receptacle at a predetermined angle; and a mounting portion formed with an aperture configured for slidably mounting the angular positioning member on the spout.

25. A control system for controlling self-pouring of a beverage to a consumer from a beverage station BS offering one or more beverages, wherein the consumer is any specific consumer among a plurality of consumers, capable of selecting any beverage station out of one or more said beverage stations and any beverage out of said one or more beverages; the control system comprises a Processor and Memory Circuitry PMC configured for establishing control and data communication between any consumer at one side, and any beverage station BS at the other side, wherein the users' interface UI being configured for performing at least steps of: - collecting o ID data for identifying the consumer, o control data for specifying the beverage station BS selected by the consumer, o control data for specifying the beverage selected by the consumer, o operative data from the specified beverage station BS, - processing the collected ID data, control data and operative data, - depending on the processing result, authorizing the consumer for the self-pouring and controlling the specified beverage station BS accordingly, so as to enable manual pouring of the selected beverage by the authorized consumer and measuring the amount of poured beverage.

26. The control system according to claim 25, wherein the PMC is further configured for enabling the authorized consumer to manually pour any desired volume of the selected beverage, and for registering the dispensed volume.

27. The control system according to claim 26, wherein the beverage station BS comprises the system according to claim 1 or is provided with the auxiliary system according to claim 13, and wherein the operative data collected by the PMC includes data corresponding to the poured amount of beverage, produced by said controller.

28. The control system according to claim 27, wherein said operative data collected by the PMC further includes data on availability of the beverage selected by the consumer.

29. The control system according to any one of claims 25 to 28, wherein said PMC is further configured to enable charging for the beverage self-poured by the authorized consumer.

30. The control system according to any one of claims 25 to 29, wherein said PMC is in the form of any one of the following: computer, server, DOK and microprocessor.

31. The control system according to any one of claims 25 to 30, wherein said PMC is implemented in one of at least the following forms: is embedded in said beverage station BS, and forms part of the system according to claim 1; forms part of the auxiliary system to said BS, according to claim 13; constitutes a remote server S; and is distributed between said beverage station BS or system or auxiliary system thereof and a remote server S.

32. The control system according to any one of claims 25 to 31, wherein said PMC forms part of an interactive device installable at said BS and comprising a display and means for recognizing an ID item of the consumer.

33. The control system according to any one of claims 25 to 32, wherein said PMC is implemented as a central remote server S adapted to serve a plurality of said beverage stations BS, said server S being configured to establish control and data communication with a number of consumers at one side, and with a number of respective beverage stations BS at another side.

34. The control system according to any one of claims 27 to 33, wherein said PMC is capable of establishing control and data communication with the consumer and the beverage station by using: - a computer application capable of providing the ID data and the control data from the consumer, - a beverage station interface (BSI) provided at said beverage station BS, configured to provide the operative data on said beverage station and to receive control instructions, wherein said PMC being configured to collect the control and the ID data from the computer application, to collect the operative data from said beverage station interface (BSI) of the beverage station specified by the consumer, to process all the collected data and to issue control instructions to the beverage station interface (BSI) specified by the consumer.

35. The control system according to claim 34, wherein said computer application being configured to provide the control data concerning the specified BS by: - using an RFID/NFC circuit formed between a mobile device of the consumer and the BS to which the consumer has approached, and wherein said RFID/NFC circuit comprises at least one RFID tag or QR code and at least one corresponding reader; - using a temporary code received from a PMC.

36. The control system according to any one of claims 34 and 35, wherein said ID data comprises at least one attribute for identifying the consumer pre-registered in said PMC as having payment details and being older than a predetermined age; said control data comprises at least specification of the beverage station and selection of the beverage at the specified station; said operative data comprises at least information on availability of specific beverages and data on type and poured amount of the selected beverage, said control instructions comprising at least authorization of the user and a command allowing manual pouring of the selected beverage by the authorized consumer.

37. The control system according to any one of claims 25 to 36, wherein the PMC is configured to establish data communication with one or more Billing authorities BA for charging the authorized consumer for the poured beverage and performing associated payments to one or more service providers.

38. The control system according to any one of claims 25 to 37, wherein the PMC is further configured to collect from the BS the operative data concerning one or more events from a non-exhaustive list comprising: expiry date of beverages presently offered by the BS, current volume and/or temperature of beverages in respective barrels, technical condition of the BS and said barrels, and to establish data and control communication with service authorities (SA) for solving tasks and/or problems reported by said BS.

39. The control system according to any one of claims 25 to 38, wherein said PMC is configured to store information at least on the consumers pre-registered for the self-pouring on said beverage stations, on the collected and/or the processed data for further purposes.

40. A computer-implemented method for assisting a customer to directly pour a beverage from a beverage station BS offering one or more beverages, the method being performed by establishing control and data communication between the customer and the BS via a Processor and Memory Circuitry PMC, by performing the following steps: - collecting: o ID data for identifying the customer, o control data for specifying the beverage station BS selected by the customer, o control data for specifying the beverage selected by the customer, o operative data from the specified beverage station BS, - processing the collected ID data, control data and operative data, - depending on the processing result, authorizing the customer and controlling the specified beverage station BS so as to enable manual pouring of the selected beverage by the authorized customer.

41. A software product comprising computer-implementable instructions and data stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and designed to cause a Processor and Memory Circuitry PMC to take steps of the method according to claim 40.

42. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, accommodating the software product according to claim 41 stored thereon.