WO2010055057A1

WO2010055057A1 - Device for dispensing beverages from vessels, such as bottles and the like

Info

Publication number: WO2010055057A1
Application number: PCT/EP2009/064990
Authority: WO
Inventors: Massimiliano Rubino
Original assignee: Enomatic S.R.L.
Priority date: 2008-11-11
Filing date: 2009-11-11
Publication date: 2010-05-20
Also published as: ITFI20080219A1

Abstract

A device for dispensing beverages from containers, such as bottles and the like, comprising a tap block (10), adapted to engage the opening of a bottle or similar vessel for beverages and to adjust the pouring of the beverage contained therein, a balloon (22) associated with said tap block (10) and adapted to be introduced into said vessel and to be inflated so as to promote the dispensing of the beverage contained in said vessel, means for generating a pressurized gas connected to said tap block (10) and adapted to inflate said balloon (22) so as to increase the volume thereof, thus promoting the pouring of the beverage from said vessel.

Description

DEVICE FOR DISPENSING BEVERAGES FROM VESSELS, SUCH AS

BOTTLES AND THE LIKE

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to the field of automatic beverage dispensing devices and apparatuses. In particular, it relates to the field of devices for dispensing beverages from bottles and similar vessels. State of the art

Devices and apparatuses adapted to automatically dispense beverages from containers, such as bottles and the like, are known in the art. In some of these devices and apparatuses, the bottles or similar vessels are kept upside-down and a valve is appropriately opened for dispensing the beverages contained therein allowing the beverage to fall by gravity into a container appropriately placed at the mouth of the vessel itself. Others provide for keeping the bottles or similar vessels in normal position resting on their bottom, and the beverage is dispensed by means of two tubes introduced into the bottle through the cap of the bottle itself. An inert gas is blown into the bottle through one of the aforesaid tubes, thus keeping the beverage pressurized. When the dispensing tap associated with a tube is opened, the pressurized gas allows to dispense the beverage through the other tube. Devices and apparatuses of the latter type are particularly suitable for all cases in which the organoleptic quality of the beverage, such as wine, contained in the bottle would be decreased by turning the bottle upside-down.

In all cases, the devices and apparatuses of the prior art have some drawbacks and limitations which prevent diffusion and wider use thereof. Indeed, said devices and apparatuses do not allow to completely empty the bottle because residues of the beverage always remain in the dispensing tube, come in contact with air and then with the beverage itself, contaminating it and irreparably ruining the quality thereof when it is dispensed again. Furthermore, replacing empty bottles with full bottles is always difficult even because of the risk of contamination of the tubes when they are extracted from the empty bottle. Another even greater problem is further represented by the presence of the inert gas which needs to be particularly pure (any presence of air may be detrimental to the quality of the beverage to be dispensed), and implies unquestionable management problems concerning the presence of cylinders which need to be periodically replaced, are often prone to leakages (due to the imperfect insertions of full bottles in the dispensing apparatus) which must be promptly identified and controlled, are cumbersome, costly, not easy to be procured and sometimes also perceived as dangerous by inadequately informed users.

It is thus apparent the need to introduce an automatic beverage dispensing device which overcomes the drawbacks listed above, thus avoiding beverage contamination risks without needing to use inert gases, which are difficult to be managed and maintained.

Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 a and 1 b show a first section view of a particular embodiment of the device according to the present invention associated with a bottle.

Fig. 2 shows a second section view of a particular embodiment of the device according to the present invention associated with a bottle.

Fig. 3 shows a third section view of a particular embodiment of the device according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 shows a section view of a detail of a particular embodiment of the device according to the present invention. Summary of the invention

The present invention relates to a device for dispensing beverages from vessels, such as bottles and the like, comprising means for generating a pressurized gas associated with an inflatable balloon inserted into the bottle containing the beverage to be dispensed. The inflation of said balloon, associated with the appropriate actuation of a solenoid valve, allows to push the beverage out of the bottle through a specific channel without the beverage contained in the bottle coming in contact with said pressurized gas so as to prevent its organoleptic qualities from being altered in any manner. Detailed description of the invention With reference to the accompanying drawings, the device according to the present invention comprises a tap block 10, adapted to be engaged with the opening of a bottle or similar vessel for beverages and to adjust the pouring of the beverage contained therein, an inflatable balloon 22 associated with said tap block 10 and adapted to be introduced into said vessel and to be inflated so as to promote the dispensing of the beverage contained in said vessel, means for generating a pressurized gas connected to said tap block 10 and adapted to inflate said balloon 22 so as to increase the volume thereof, thus promoting the pouring of the beverage from said vessel.

Said tap block 10 adapted to be engaged with the opening of a bottle or similar vessel for beverages and to adjust the pouring of the beverage therefrom, comprises in turn: - a first fastening block to bottle 1 1 adapted to: hermetically engage the opening of the bottle or similar vessels (hereinafter, simply named "bottles" for brevity), accommodate a first tube 12 for dispensing the beverage and a second tube 13 for blowing gas which communicates with the interior of the bottle itself, said block 1 1 being possibly provided with appropriate hermetic sealing means, such as for example a seal 14 arranged on the lower edge intended to be introduced into the opening of the bottle;

- a second control block 15 adapted to reversibly engage said fastening block

11 and comprising in turn: a first solenoid valve 16 associated with said first tube 12 through a first channel 17 and adapted to adjust the dispensing of the beverage; a second channel 21 adapted to connect said second tube

13 to the exterior of said tap block and adapted to introduce the blowing gas; a second solenoid valve 18 associated with said first solenoid valve 16 and with said second tube 13 and adapted to manage the blowing of a channel cleaning gas once the beverage has been dispensed and a dispensing tube 19, associated with said first solenoid valve and connected to said first dispensing tube 12 through the channel 20; said first and second solenoid valves 16, 18 will be further connected to an appropriate pilot and control system adapted to suitably control opening and closing thereof. Said inflatable balloon 22, associated with said tap block 10 and adapted to be introduced into said bottle and to be inflated in order to promote the dispensing of the beverage contained in said bottle, is preferably formed by an extensible membrane made of food-grade plastic materials, silicone materials such as for example NBR and EPDM, food-grade silicone or organic polymers or elastomers. Furthermore, said balloon 22 is such to contain said first dispensing tube 12 therein which has one open end connected to said fastening block 1 1 and the other closed end fixed to said first dispensing tube

12, close to its end introduced into the bottle. Said balloon will be such to nearly completely enclose said first dispensing tube 12, except for the end thereof which is free to draw the liquid from the bottle and may possibly be provided with a filter. Said means for generating pressurized gas (not shown in the accompanying drawings) are connected to said tap block 10, and in particular to said second channel 21 , and adapted to inflate said balloon 22 so as to increase its volume thus promoting the pouring of the beverage from said bottle, and they preferably comprise an air compressor, e.g. of the type fed at a low voltage and possibly provided with an independent battery powering system. A compressor having a nominal pressure of 200 mbars powered at 12V or 24V DC may be used, for example.

The operation of the device according to the invention is clear: when the beverage present inside the bottle is intended to be dispensed, air or a similar gas is blown into said balloon 22 through said second channel 21 and said second tube 13 by means of said means for generating a pressurized gas. Said balloon 22 is then inflated thus occupying an increasing volume inside the bottle and pressurizing the liquid contained therein which is poured from said dispensing tube 19 through said first dispensing tube 12 and said channel 20 by appropriately piloting said first solenoid valve 16.

In order to terminate the dispensing, said first solenoid valve 16 is appropriately piloted so as to prevent the beverage from flowing towards said dispensing tube 19.

In order to clean the channels concerned by the beverage passing, said second solenoid valve 18 is appropriately piloted so as to communicate said dispensing tube 19 with said means for generating a pressurized gas so as to promote the ejection of possible beverage residues which could be a contamination element for the beverage dispensed during the subsequent dispensing operations.

Claims

1. A device for dispensing beverages from containers such as bottles and the like comprising a tap block (10), adapted to engage the opening of a bottle or similar vessel for beverages and to adjust the pouring of the beverage contained therein, an inflatable balloon (22) associated with said tap block

(10) and adapted to be introduced into said vessel and to be inflated so as to promote the dispensing of the beverage contained in said vessel, means for generating a pressurized gas connected to said tap block (10) and adapted to inflate said balloon (22) so as to increase the volume thereof, thus promoting the pouring of the beverage from said vessel.

2. A device according to claim 1 , characterized in that said tap block (10) comprises: a first fastening block (1 1 ) to said vessel, associated with said balloon (22), adapted to hermetically engage the opening of said vessel and comprising, in turn, a first tube (12) for dispensing the beverage and a second gas blowing tube (13) communicating with the interior of said balloon (22), and a second control block (15) adapted to reversibly engage said fastening block (1 1 ) and comprising in turn means for adjusting the beverage flow from said vessel and means for adjusting the flow of said pressurized gas.

3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that said balloon (22) is such to contain said first dispensing tube (12) therein, comprise one open end connected to said fastening block (1 1 ) and the other closed end fixed to said first dispensing tube (12) close to its end introduced into said bottle, so as to nearly completely enclose said first dispensing tube (12), except for the end thereof which will be free to draw the liquid from said bottle.

4. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that said end of said first tube (12) introduced into said bottle comprises a filter.

5. A device according to claims 2-4, characterized in that said second control block (15) comprises a first solenoid valve (16) associated with said first tube (12) through a first channel (17) and adapted to adjust the dispensing of said beverage; a second channel (21 ) adapted to connect said second tube (13) to the exterior of said tap block and adapted to introduce the blowing gas; a second solenoid valve (18) associated with said first solenoid valve (16) and second tube (13) and adapted to manage the cleaning gas blow once the beverage has been dispensed, and a dispensing tube (19) associated with said first solenoid valve (16) and connected to said first dispensing tube (12) through a third channel (20).

6. A device according to claims 1 -5, characterized in that said means for generating a pressurized gas and connected to said tap block (10) comprise an air compressor.

7. A device according to claim 6, characterized in that said air compressor is of the type with a nominal pressure of 200 mbars powered at 12V or 24V

DC.

8. A device according to claims 1 -7, characterized in that said inflatable balloon (22) is made of materials chosen from the group comprising food- grade plastic materials, silicone materials such as NBR or EPDM, food- grade silicone, and organic polymers and elastomers.

9. A method for dispensing beverages from containers such as bottles and the like, comprising the following steps:

- introducing an inflatable balloon into said container, and a tube immersed in the beverage and communicating with the exterior; - inflating said inflatable balloon within said container and then dispensing said beverage by means of said tube by virtue of the pressure increase obtained inside said container by the inflation of said balloon;

- adjusting the flow of the beverage dispensed from said container by means of appropriate control means associated with said tube.