WO2012174692A1

WO2012174692A1 - Closure assembly and beverage dispenser with it

Info

Publication number: WO2012174692A1
Application number: PCT/CN2011/001639
Authority: WO
Inventors: Quande Gui; Philip Ma; Colin Tan
Original assignee: The Coca-Cola Company
Priority date: 2011-06-23
Filing date: 2011-09-28
Publication date: 2012-12-27
Also published as: CN102838076A

Abstract

A beverage dispenser (1) with pressure balance system for mating with an inverted bottle (2) containing a liquid beverage (3) is provided. The dispenser (1) comprises: a closure assembly (9) having a closure (8) for engaging with the mouth of the bottle (2), a dispensing tube (6) for dispensing the liquid beverage (3) and a vent pipe (7) with a one-way valve (71); and a beverage valve (5) being provided at the outlet of the dispensing tube (6) and being operable by a user to selectively allow the liquid beverage (3) to be dispensed from the bottle (2). When the closure assembly (9) is engaged with the mouth of the bottle (2), the one-way valve (71) allows ambient air to enter into the bottle (2) and does not allow the liquid beverage (3) and/or gas contained in the bottle (2) to flow out through it.

Description

Closure Assembly and Beverage Dispenser with it

Technical Field

The disclosure generally relates to a beverage dispenser, in particular, to beverage dispenser with a pressure balance system. The disclosure also relates to closure assembly for mating with a bottle containing a liquid.

Background

Beverage delivery to individual customers has not been achieved in an efficient, cost-effective, easily re -producible manner.

Such beverage delivery is typically realized by complex electro-mechanical beverage dispensers. Such devices are often found in restaurants and are accessible to consumers. However, they are usually not practicable owing to their large size and cost, or lack of electrical supply in some regions. Additionally, they often work with large-sized canisters which are not commercially available, and thus are relatively expensive.

Some beverage dispensers dispense beverage, for example, carbonated soft drink (CSD), from a large-sized bottle (e.g. 2 liter) to small-sized containers, such as cups, bags or bowls, via a tube connected to the large-sized bottle. However, during dispensers' operation, because of the vacuum-creating in the large-sized bottle, it is almost impossible to pour out all the beverage from the bottle without pressing and deforming the bottle. Even in the case of CSD, which causes a higher pressure in the bottle, the dispenser can only pour out 1/3 of the content of the bottle at a low temperature (e.g. 4 °C), at a low and unstable flow rate.

US 6,892,903 Bl discloses a beverage dispenser. It works with a bottle having an air venting mechanism at the bottom of the bottle and the air venting mechanism can be opened and closed manually according to actual requirements.

EP 0 559 924 Al discloses a carbonated beverage dispenser with a canister and a dispensing tube, the dispensing tube comprising a puncturing end positioned in the bottom of the canister and a dispensing end, wherein the puncturing end is used for puncturing the cap of a beverage container loaded into the canister. However, the CSD l in the beverage container cannot flow out without shaking the canister.

US 6,073,811 A discloses another carbonated beverage dispenser. It works with a complex pressuring gas supply for fluid communication with the beverage container. However, such dispenser has large size and weight and is expensive and not portable.

Summary of the Disclosure

The disclosure provides an improved beverage dispenser with a pressure balance system to dispense beverage at a stable and high speed and keep the beverage (e.g. CSD) fresh and clean.

According to one aspect of the disclosure, the disclosure provides a beverage dispenser, for mating with an inverted bottle containing a liquid beverage, the beverage dispenser comprising:

a closure assembly comprising a closure having an engagement portion for engaging with the mouth of the bottle, a dispensing tube for dispensing the liquid beverage, and a vent pipe with a one-way valve, wherein the dispensing tube is connected to a through-hole provided on the wall of the closure except the engagement portion, and the vent pipe is connected to a through-hole provided on the wall of the closure except the engagement portion or connected to an anti-spill means provided between the side wall of the closure and the mouth of the bottle; and

a beverage valve being provided at the outlet of the dispensing tube and being operable by a user to selectively allow the liquid beverage to be dispensed from the bottle;

wherein when the closure assembly is engaged with the mouth of the bottle, the one-way valve allows ambient air to enter into the bottle and does not allow the liquid beverage and/or gas contained in the bottle to flow out through it.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, the disclosure provides a closure assembly for mating with a bottle containing a liquid, comprising:

a closure having an engagement portion for engaging with the mouth of the bottle,

a dispensing tube for dispensing the liquid, and

a vent pipe with a one-way valve, wherein the dispensing tube is connected to a through-hole provided on the wall of the closure except the engagement portion, and the vent pipe is connected to a through-hole provided on the wall of the closure except the engagement portion or connected to an anti-spill means provided between the side wall of the closure and the mouth of the bottle, and

when the closure is engaged with the mouth of the bottle, the one-way valve allows ambient air to enter into the bottle and does not allow the liquid and/or gas contained in the bottle to flow out through it.

The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig la shows a schematic side view of the beverage dispenser according to an embodiment of the disclosure, wherein the beverage valve is in the off-state so that beverage in the bottle cannot flow out;

Fig lb shows a schematic side view of the beverage dispenser according to an embodiment of the disclosure, wherein the beverage valve is in the on-state so that beverage in the bottle can flow out;

Fig 2a shows a schematic perspective view of the closure assembly having a closure, a dispensing tube and a vent pipe with a one-way valve according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

Fig 2b shows a schematic cross-section view of the closure assembly in Fig 2a; Fig 2c shows a schematic cross-section view of the closure assembly according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

Fig 3a shows a schematic perspective view of a duckbill-type one-way valve according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

Fig 3b shows a schematic principle diagram of the duckbill-type one-way valve in Fig 3a;

Fig 4a shows a schematic perspective view of a spring-type one-way valve according to another embodiment of the disclosure;

Fig 4b shows a schematic principle diagram of the spring-type one-way valve in Fig 4a;

Fig 5a shows a schematic principle diagram of a diaphragm-type one-way valve according to a further embodiment of the disclosure;

Fig 5b shows a schematic cross-section view of the upper portion of the diaphragm-type one-way valve in Fig 5a in a direction D; and

Fig 5c shows a schematic cross-section view of the lower portion of the diaphragm-type one-way valve in Fig 5a in a direction D.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components, unless the context dictates otherwise. The illustrative embodiments described in the detailed description, and drawings are not meant to be limiting. Other embodiments may be utilized, and other changes may be made, without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein. It will be readily understood that the aspects of the present disclosure, as generally described herein, and illustrated in the Figures, can be arranged, substituted, combined, separated, and designed in a wide variety of different configurations, all of which are explicitly contemplated herein.

Figures la and lb show a beverage dispenser 1 with a pressure balance system, for using with a beverage bottle 2. The beverage bottle 2 may be a large-sized soft drink bottle (including but not limited to a commercially available 1.5 liter or 2 liter bottle, or a 10 liter or larger bottle) with a mouth, which may be attached to the closure assembly 9 of the beverage dispenser 1 so that the bottle 2 is supported by the dispenser 1 in an inverted position for dispensing liquid beverage 3 contained therein. Obviously, the beverage dispenser according to the disclosure, with a simple structure, may work in an electrical free manner. In addition, it may work with most of the commercially available beverage bottles.

The bottle 2 has a mouth at its top portion. Once the sealing cap of the bottle has been removed, the beverage contained in the bottle 2 may be ordinarily dispensed through the mouth by tilting the bottle and angling the mouth downward. The mouth may be a standard mouth provided with external thread, which can be engaged with the sealing member 82 (not shown in figures la and lb) provided in the closure 8. In one embodiment according to the disclosure, the sealing member 82 is internal thread provided on the side-wall 83 of the closure 8. Additionally or alternatively, an additional sealing (for example, a deformable sealing structure) may be provided in the closure 8 to ensure liquid tightness. In some cases, the mouth of the bottle may have a diameter smaller than that of the closure 8, or it may have no external thread, or the mouth may have a specially designed cross sectional shape. Therefore, in such cases, an insert may be provided in the closure 8 to engage between the mouth of the bottle and the side-wall 83 of the closure 8 complementarily and form a leak-proof engagement.

The beverage dispenser 1 with a pressure balance system comprises a closure assembly 9 and a beverage valve 5. The closure assembly 9 comprises a closure 8, a dispensing tube 6 and a vent pipe 7 with a one-way valve 71. In a preferable embodiment, the dispensing tube 6 and the vent pipe 7 are connected to the through-holes in the bottom wall 81 of the closure 8 (as best shown in Figure 2b). According to the disclosure, the one-way valve 71 allows ambient air to enter into the bottle 2 and does not allow the liquid beverage and/or gas contained in the bottle 2 to flow out through it in order to compensate for the vacuum effect in the bottle 2 and thus to ensure a quick and stable beverage flow and to prevent undesirable flow out of the liquid and/or gas. Although it is shown in the figures that the one-way valve 71 with its lower end is connected to the end of the vent pipe 7 to be inserted into the bottle 2 (i.e. the top end of the vent pipe 7), it should be understood that the one-way valve 71 with its upper end may be connected to the lower end of the vent pipe, or the one-way valve 71 with its both ends may be assembled in the middle portion of the vent pipe. It should also be understood that the one-way valve 71 may be integrally formed with the vent pipe 7. In a preferable embodiment, a support 4 is provided for supporting the bottle in an inverted position stably. It should be understood that the support 4 is shown in Figures la- lb only in a schematic illustrative way. Those skilled in the art will understand that a variety of supports can be used here to support the bottle 2 in an inverted position and they can be provided in any suitable form at any suitable location in relation to the bottle 2. The beverage valve 5 is provided at the outlet of the dispensing tube 6 and is operable by a user to selectively allow the liquid beverage 3 to be dispensed from the bottle 2.

As shown in figure lb, when the beverage valve 5 is opened, the liquid beverage 3 in the bottle 2 will flow out through the dispensing tube 6 from the bottle 2 (indicated by arrow A) and the ambient air will automatically enter into the bottle through the vent pipe 7 to balance the pressure between outside and inside (indicated by arrow B). As shown in figure la, when the beverage valve 5 is closed, the liquid beverage 3 in the bottle 2 will no longer flow out, but the ambient air can still enter into the bottle 2 until the pressure inside is balanced (indicated by arrow B). Through the beverage dispenser with a pressure balance system according to the disclosure, almost all the beverage can be poured out from the bottle without electrical power aids.

Figure 2a shows a schematic perspective view of the closure assembly 9 having a closure 8, a dispensing tube 6 and a vent pipe 7 with a one-way valve 71 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, and Figure 2b shows a schematic cross-section view of the closure assembly 9. As shown in the figures, the cylindrical body of the closure 8 has a bottom wall 81 , a side wall 83 (i.e. the engagement portion of the closure for engaging with the mouth of the bottle 2) and a flange 84. It should be understood that the body of the closure 8 is not limited to the cylindrical shape and may have any other shapes in accordance with the shape of the bottle mouth; and the flange 84 is not necessarily required. A sealing member 82 is provided on the side wall 83 of the closure 8. In the embodiment, the dispensing tube 6 and the vent pipe 7 are connected to the through-holes in the bottom wall 81 of the closure 8. In some embodiments, the dispensing tube 6 and the vent pipe 7 may be separate component which are tightly attached to the through-holes in the bottom wall 81 of the closure 8. In other embodiments, the dispensing tube 6 and the vent pipe 7 may be integrally form with the closure 8 as a unitary part. As shown in Figure 2c, in another preferable embodiment, the closure 8' has prolonged side wall to define a chamber 81 Γ for containing beverage. Such embodiment is particularly advantageous for improving the cooling performance of the beverage dispenser. In the embodiment shown in Figure 2c, the closure 8' includes an engagement portion 83 Γ for engaging with the mouth of the bottle 2, and the vent pipe 7 and the dispensing tube 6 may be connected to the through-holes provided in the side wall portion 832' of the closure 8' which is not engaged with the mouth of the bottle 2. Those skilled in the art may easily understand that in some alternative embodiments, the vent pipe 7 may be connected to the through-hole in the bottom wall 81 ' of the closure 8', and the dispensing tube 6 may be connected to the through-hole provided in the side wall portion 832' of the closure 8' which is not engaged with the mouth of the bottle 2; or alternatively, the dispensing tube 6 may be connected to the through-hole in the bottom wall 81 ' of the closure 8', and the vent pipe 7 may be connected to the through-hole provided in the side wall portion 832' of the closure 8' which is not engaged with the mouth of the bottle 2; or alternatively, both of the dispensing tube 6 and the vent pipe 7 may be connected to the through-holes in the bottom wall 81 ' of the closure 8'. In some embodiments, the dispensing tube 6 and the vent pipe 7 may be provided on the same side; in other embodiments, the dispensing tube 6 and the vent pipe 7 may be provided on different sides. Although Figure 2c shows that the chamber 811 ' has an approximately cylindrical shape, those skilled in the art may easily understand that the chamber 811 ' may have any suitable 3D geometry shape (for example, sphere, or a special irregular shape), and the dispensing tube 6 and the vent pipe 7 may be connected to the through-holes provided on the wall of the closure except the engagement portion (e.g. the side wall portion 832', or the bottom wall 81/81 '). Alternatively, the vent pipe 7 may be connected to an anti-spill means (not shown in the figures), the anti-spill means may be optionally provided between the side wall of the closure and the mouth of the bottle. Said anti-spill means is known in the art and can be used to permit a suitable amount of air to enter between the side wall of the closure and the mouth of the bottle, and to prevent liquid spilling between the closure and the mouth, when liquid is dispensed from a bottle in an inverted position. Such anti-spill means, for example, may be found in the anti-spill structure of a nursing bottle. In the case of carbonated beverage, which causes a higher pressure in the bottle, however, such anti-spill means cannot prevent the beverage's spilling out owing to its higher pressure.

Figure 3a shows a schematic perspective view of a duckbill-type one-way valve 71 ' according to an embodiment of the disclosure, and Figure 3b shows a schematic principle diagram of the duckbill-type one-way valve 71 ' of Figure 3a. As shown in Figure 3b, the one-way valve 71 ' may comprise a lower end 72 for tightly connecting to the top end of the vent pipe 7 and an upper end 73 in a tapered tabular shape (i.e. duckbill shape). Although the lower end 72 is shown in a cylindrical shape, it should be understood that it may be any other suitable shape in accordance with the shape of the vent pipe 7. The upper end 73 may be split into two portions 73a and 73b in the center (e.g. along line C as shown in Figure 3a), and the two portions 73a and 73b may be connected with each other at two edge portions. The one-way valve 71 ' may be integrally formed as a unitary part and made of elastic material. In the normal condition, the two portions 73a and 73b contact with each other. When the pressure applied to the inner surface 78 of the two portions from the lower end 72 is large enough, it can internally deform the top end 73 and open the two portions 73a and 73b apart. When the one-way valve 71 ' is inserted within the bottle, its two portions 73a and 73b will be tightly pressed against each other under the pressure inside the bottle Pinside so that no liquid beverage will leak out through the one-way valve 71 '. During dispensing the liquid beverage from the bottle, the pressure inside the bottle Pinside is decreasing due to the vacuum effect. When the pressure inside the bottle Pinside is decreased by a certain amount, the pressure outside the bottle P_outside (i-e. ambient pressure) will open the two portions 73a and 73b apart against both the pressure inside of the bottle Pj_nside and the elastic force of the valve itself, and thus the ambient air may flow through the one-way valve and enter into the bottle to balance the pressure inside. When the pressure inside Pinside is increased, the two portions 73a and 73b will be tightly pressed against each other again. In a preferable embodiment, the open pressure of the one-way valve (corresponding to the pressure difference between the pressure outside the bottle P_outside and the pressure inside the bottle Pj_nside) is not higher than 2000 Pa, more preferably is not higher than 500 Pa, especially more preferably is not higher than 200 Pa. Those skilled in the art may understand that different material of the one-way valve and/or different dimension of the two portions may be selected to obtain different open pressures.

Figure 4a shows a schematic perspective view of a spring-type one-way valve 71" according to another embodiment of the disclosure, and Figure 4b shows a schematic principle diagram of the spring-type one-way valve 71 " of Figure 4a. As shown in Figure 4b, the one-way valve 71" may comprise a sealing membrane 75, a base member 74, and a spring 76. The spring 76 is fixedly connected to the sealing membrane 75 on the upper end and is fixedly connected to the protrusion of the base member 74 on the lower end. In the normal condition, the spring 76 is pre-tensioned so that the sealing membrane 75 is pressed against the sealing surface 77 of the base member 74. When the one-way valve 71" is inserted within the bottle, the sealing membrane 75 is tightly pressed against the sealing surface 77 under the pressure inside the bottle Pj_nside so that no liquid beverage will leak out through the one-way valve 71". When the liquid beverage is dispensed from the bottle resulting in the pressure inside the bottle P inside decreasing by a certain amount, the pressure outside the bottle P₀_tside (i-e- ambient pressure) will lift the sealing membrane 75 from the sealing surface 77 against both the pressure inside the bottle Pinside and the spring force, and thus the ambient air may flow through and enter into the bottle to balance the pressure inside. When the pressure inside the bottle Pjnside is increased, the sealing membrane 75 will be tightly pressed against the sealing surface again. Those skilled in the art may easily understand that in an alternative embodiment, a ball tightly pressed against the base member 74 may be substituted for the sealing membrane 75. In a preferable embodiment, the open pressure of the one-way valve is not higher than 2000 Pa, more preferably is not higher than 500 Pa, especially more preferably is not higher than 200 Pa. Those skilled in the art may understand that different spring constant may be selected to obtain different open pressures.

Figure 5 a shows a schematic principle diagram of a diaphragm-type one-way valve 7 " according to a further embodiment of the disclosure, Figure 5b shows a schematic cross-section view of the upper portion of the diaphragm-type one-way valve 71 "' in Figure 5a in a direction D, and Figure 5c shows a schematic cross-section view of the lower portion of the diaphragm-type one-way valve 71 "' in Fig 5a in a direction D. As shown in Figure 5a, the one-way valve 71 "' may comprise a diaphragm 79. In the normal condition, with the aid of its gravity, the diaphragm 79 is pressed against the upper surface of the lower portion of one-way valve 7 ". As shown in Figure 5b, the upper portion of the one-way valve 71 "' has a plurality of channels in fluid communication with the inside of the bottle. Alternatively or additionally, the upper portion of the one-way valve 71 "' may provided with a plurality of through-holes. As shown in Figure 5c, the lower portion of the one-way valve 7 " has a through-hole, which in the normal condition is sealed by the diaphragm 79 pressed against the one-way valve 71 "'. When the one-way valve 7Γ" is inserted within the bottle, the diaphragm 79 is tightly pressed against the upper surface of the lower portion of the one-way valve 7 " under the pressure inside the bottle Pjnside so that no liquid beverage will leak out through the one-way valve 7Γ". When the liquid beverage is dispensed from the bottle resulting in the pressure inside the bottle Pj_nside decreasing by a certain amount, the pressure outside the bottle P_outside (i.e. ambient pressure) will lift the diaphragm against both the pressure inside the bottle Pjnside and the gravity of the diaphragm, and thus the ambient air may flow through the one-way valve via the plurality of channels or through-holes in the upper portion and enter into the bottle to balance the pressure inside. When the pressure inside the bottle Pjnside is increased, the diaphragm 79 will be tightly pressed against the upper surface to form a seal again. In a preferable embodiment, the open pressure of the one-way valve is not higher than 2000 Pa, more preferably is not higher than 500 Pa, especially more preferably is not higher than 200 Pa. Those skilled in the art may understand that different weight of the diaphragm 79 may be selected to obtain different open pressures.

Although two preferred embodiments of the one-way valve 7 , 71 " and 7 " have been described above with reference to the figures (Figures 3a-3b, 4a-4b and 5a-5b), they are only examples for purpose of illustration. Said one-way valve may be one valve or a combination of several valves selected from the following group: duckbill-type one-way valve, or diaphragm-type one-way valve, or spring-type one-way valve, or gravity-type one-way valve, or swing one-way valve, or other one-way valve which allows fluid to flow only in one direction. Those skilled in the art will understand that any other one-way valve which allows gas (e.g. air, C0₂) to flow through it in one direction and does not allow liquid and/or gas to flow through it in the other direction (i.e. the opposite direction) can of course be used here and falls in the protection scope of the present disclosure.

It should be understood that, though the above description is illustrated in connection with beverage dispenser, the disclosure may also be applied to other liquid dispenser, such as soybean sauce dispenser, liquid sample dispenser.

Additionally, those skilled in the art will understand that the closure assembly 9 having a closure 8, a dispensing tube 6 and a vent pipe 7 with a one-way valve 71 according to the disclosure may be independently applied to a beverage bottle, in particular a bottle having an elongated bottleneck with a relative small diameter (e.g. a bottle of wine or a bottle with special design). According to our life experience, when the beverage is dispensed from such a bottle by tilting it, the beverage always flows out unstably and discontinuously, unless the bottle is handled with great care. Therefore, the closure assembly 9 according to the disclosure may be applied to such a bottle to ensure a quick and stable beverage flow and thus to facilitate dispensing the beverage contained in the bottle held by a user.

It can be understood that, the disclosure is not limited to the above system and method. The present disclosure may be modified and changed in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims of the disclosure.

Claims

1. A beverage dispenser, for mating with an inverted bottle containing a liquid beverage, the beverage dispenser comprising:

a closure assembly comprising

a dispensing tube for dispensing the liquid beverage, and

a vent pipe with a one-way valve,

wherein the dispensing tube is connected to a through-hole provided on the wall of the closure except the engagement portion, and

the vent pipe is connected to a through-hole provided on the wall of the closure except the engagement portion or connected to an anti-spill means provided between the side wall of the closure and the mouth of the bottle; and

2. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1, wherein internal thread is provided on the side-wall of the closure for engaging with the external thread of the mouth of the bottle; and/or

a sealing is provided in the closure to ensure liquid tightness.

3. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dispensing tube and the vent pipe are connected to the through-holes provided in the bottom wall of the closure.

4. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein an insert is provided in the closure to complementarily engage between the mouth of the bottle and the side-wall of the closure and form a leak-proof engagement.

5. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the closure is integrally formed with the vent pipe and the dispensing tube, or

the closure, the vent pipe and the dispensing tube are separate components.

6. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein a support is provided for supporting the bottle in an inverted position.

7. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the one-way valve has an open pressure no higher than 2000 Pa, preferably no higher than 500 Pa, more preferably no higher than 200 Pa.

8. The beverage dispenser according to claim 1 , wherein the one-way valve is one valve or a combination of several valves selected from the following group: duckbill-type one-way valve, diaphragm-type one-way valve, spring-type one-way valve, gravity-type one-way valve, and swing one-way valve.

9. A closure assembly for mating with a bottle containing a liquid, comprising: a closure having an engagement portion for engaging with the mouth of the bottle,

a dispensing tube for dispensing the liquid, and

a vent pipe with a one-way valve,

the vent pipe is connected to a through-hole provided on the wall of the closure except the engagement portion or connected to an anti-spill means provided between the side wall of the closure and the mouth of the bottle, and

10. The closure assembly according to claim 9, wherein an insert is provided in the closure to complementarily engage between the mouth of the bottle and the side-wall of the closure and form a leak-proof engagement.