WO2014092658A1

WO2014092658A1 - Dispensing device for drinks especially those having froth, such as beer

Info

Publication number: WO2014092658A1
Application number: PCT/SI2013/000079
Authority: WO
Inventors: Anže STRNIŠA; Borut SLABANJA
Original assignee: Anže STRNIŠA
Priority date: 2012-12-13
Filing date: 2013-12-10
Publication date: 2014-06-19
Also published as: SI24249A

Abstract

A dispensing device for drinks, especially those having froth, such as beer, comprises a base (1), a longitudinal actuator (2), a dispensing tap (4) consisting of an external pipe (6) and an internal pipe (7) that are coaxially arranged with respect to each other, whereas the external pipe (6) is closed and provided with connections (9, 10) for a cooling agent, for instance water, whereas the internal pipe (7) is provided with a connection (11) for a pipeline (12) for the drink to be dispensed from a storage (13) of a drink and with a valve (14) for regulating the amount of the filled drink and froth thickness.

Description

Dispensing device for drinks especially those having froth, such as beer

Object of the Invention

[001] The object of the invention is a dispensing device for drinks especially those having froth, such as beer, which, when poured into any container, e. g. a glass, need to be left standing for a while for froth to form in a desired thickness of about 1 cm.

Technical Problem

[002] The technical problem solved by the present invention is how to design such a dispensing device for drinks especially those having froth, such as beer, that will provide for a formation of a desired froth thickness for instance 1 cm immediately after completion of pouring into any container, wherein the drink cooled to proper temperature should be immediately ready for serving and drinking.

Prior Art

[003] Beer dispensers are known, in which formation of froth on beer level in a container is reduced by undercooling the beer in a beer tap. A disadvantage of these solutions resides in an undesired beer temperature that is too low and in turbid beer as the froth substance does not get released from beer.

[004] A further solution of this type is known from patent application

WO/2009143164 (Grinon Industries). This invention is characterized by a fluid container, e. g. a glass, having a valve in a bottom, through which the container is filled with beer via a special dispensing device arranged each time under a glass ready to receive the fluid. Immediately after being filled into the container the beer is covered with froth and ready to drink. A drawback of this solution is nonstandard containers (glasses) equipped with said valve. Non-standard containers increase the price of the service especially in pubs. A need to use non-standard containers equipped with a valve present an obstacle in meeting guest's needs and logistics of entire business operations is more demanding.

[005] So there is a need for such a dispensing device that will make it possible to dispense a drink cooled to a desired temperature and having froth of a pre-determined thickness and will moreover be suited for serving and drinking immediately after being poured without a waiting time for the desired froth to form.

Solution to the Technical Problem

[006] The described technical problem is solved by the present invention which is characterized by a cooled liquid dispensing pipe with a valve that extends almost to a bottom of a container when liquid is filled into a container, e. g. glass or mug, then a drink, e. g. beer, is filled and closely before filling is completed the dispensing pipe is lifted almost to a level of the filled drink when the valve in the dispensing pipe is slowly closed and during closing a desired froth thickness is formed. All described steps and a quantity of dispensed drink is adjustable and computer controlled for a huge number of equal containers or also manually controlled for special containers and drink quantities. Suitable actuators and sensors are used for automatic operation.

[007] The invention will be explained in more detail in the continuation by way of an embodiment and the enclosed drawing, in which

Fig. 1 shows an axial cross-section of a device of the invention.

[008] A dispensing device for drinks especially those having froth, e. g. beer, comprises a base 1, on which a longitudinal actuator 2 is arranged, preferably a pneumatic one, on a side movable bracket 3 of which a dispensing tap 4 is arranged in a way that its longitudinal axis runs in parallel with the movable axis of the actuator 2. Underneath the dispensing tap 4 the base 1 is provided with a space for a container 5 to be filled with a drink. The dispensing tap 4 consists of an external pipe 6 and an internal pipe 7 that are coaxially arranged with respect to each other. Both pipes 6, 7 are rigidly connected with the bracket 3 of the actuator 2 through a tubular element 8. The external pipe 6 is closed and equipped with connections 9, 10 for a cooling agent, for instance water. The cooling agent is not the object of the present invention. The internal pipe 7 is connected with the tubular element 8 provided with a connection 11 for a pipeline 12 for the drink to be dispensed from a storage 13 of a pressurized drink.

[009] In the internal pipe 7 a valve 14 is arranged coaxially, said valve regulating with its disc 15 a flow of a drink into the container 5. A stem 16 of said valve 14 extends over the entire internal pipe 7 and continues above it into an actuator 17 of said valve 14. The actuator 17 is preferably a one-sided pneumatic valve with a return spring and provided with a connection 23' for pressurized air. The stem 16 of the valve 14 is guided in an upper guide 18 that seals the internal pipe 7 against the actuator 17 of the valve 14, whereas said stem 16 is guided at its bottom part with a bottom guide 19 provided with central bores 20 for its guiding and additionally with annular ly arranged bores 21 for a drink flow.

[0010] Drink flow is controlled by an electromagnetic valve 22 on the connection 11. The actuator 17 of the valve 14 as a single acting pneumatic valve with a return spring is controlled by an electromagnetic valve 23. The longitudinal actuator 2 is controlled by a control unit 24. The tubular element 8 is provided with a drink flow meter 25. The base 1 is provided with a sensor 26 detecting presence of the container 5 closely underneath the dispensing tap 4. A user controls the device of the invention by a central computer control unit 27, through which individual parameters are set, such as a liquid quantity anticipated to be dispensed into a container, froth quantity or height on the liquid, a stroke of the dispensing tap into the container etc. Several sets of settings can be stored, let's say for glasses having various volumes. Manual control is also possible, for instance for an unusual container. Computer software in the control unit is not the object of the invention.

[0011] The longitudinal actuator 2 is controlled through a controller 29 and the control unit 24.

[0012] The described assemblies of the dispensing device of the invention are covered by a cover 28 of any shape and formed in a way to allow economically suited handling of the container.

[0013] The longitudinal actuator 2 can also be arranged on the base 1 from below and connected with the bracket 3 adapted to it.

[0014] The dispensing device of the invention operates as follows: the container 5, such as a glass beer mug, is placed on the base 1 where it is detected by the sensor 26. The quantity of a dispensed liquid charge and the quantity or thickness of the froth is set on the central control unit 27. The quantity/thickness of the froth depends on the type of a liquid, so it needs to be determined experientially. A manual command to the central control unit 27 initiates in a first step a shift of the dispensing tap 4 from its initial position into the container 5, so that the bottom outlet section of said pipe which contains the disc 15 of the valve 14 is not more than about a centimetre above the bottom of the container 5. The software in the control unit 27 then opens the valve 22 and opens the valve 14 so that the disc 15 extends only some millimetres or a centimetre above the bottom of the container 5. The container 5 starts getting filled with the liquid from the storage 13 in a predetermined quantity. Closely before the full quantity of the liquid is filled, the central control unit 27 lifts the dispensing tap 4 so much that its bottom outflow section lies closely under the level of the drink. This step is followed by time controlled closing of the valve 14 and the filling of the glass is brought to completion. The froth appears on the beverage level in the anticipated thickness. The valve 14 is then closed and the dispensing tap 4 is lifted to its initial position. The container 5 filled with the drink is immediately ready to be served and consumed and the device is ready to dispense the drink into a next container.

[0015] It goes without saying that a person skilled in the art can derive other variants based on being acquainted with the above invention as described above, especially in terms of industrial design, without circumventing the characteristics of this invention defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A dispensing device for drinks, especially those having froth, such as beer, that comprises a base (1), a longitudinal actuator (2), a dispensing tap (4), wherein underneath the dispensing tap (4) on the base (1) a space is foreseen for a container (5), into which a drink is dispensed, and is connected through a pipeline (12) to a drink storage (13), with connections (9, 10) for a cooling means and with connection (23') to a pressurized air source characterized in that on the base (1) there is arranged the longitudinal actuator (2), on the movable bracket (3) of which is arranged the dispensing tap (4) comprised of an external pipe (6) and an internal pipe (7) that are coaxially arranged with respect to each other, that the external pipe (6) is closed and equipped with the connections (9, 10) for a cooling agent, for instance water, whereas the internal pipe (7) is provided with a connection (11) for a pipeline (12) for the drink to be dispensed from a storage (13) of a drink, and that in said internal pipe (7) a valve (14) is arranged coaxially, said valve regulating a flow of a drink into the container (5) and the thickness of the froth on the level of the drink, wherein the valve (14) is controlled by an actuator (17) arranged on the dispensing tap (4).

2. Dispensing device according to claim 1 characterized in that a stem (16) of said valve (14) extends over the entire internal pipe (7) and continues above it into the actuator (17) of said valve (14), wherein the stem (16) of the valve (14) is guided in an upper guide (18) that seals the internal pipe (7) against the actuator (17) of the valve (14), whereas said stem (16) is guided at its bottom part with a bottom guide (19) provided with central bores (20) for its guiding and additionally with annularly arranged bores (21) for a drink flow.

3. Dispensing device according to claims 1 to 2 characterized in that the actuator (17) is preferably a one-sided pneumatic valve with a return spring.

4. Dispensing device according to claims 1 to 3 characterized in that drink flow is controlled by an electromagnetic valve (22) on the connection (11), whereas the actuator (17) of the valve (14) is controlled by an electromagnetic valve (23), the longitudinal actuator (2) is controlled by a control unit (24) through a controller (29), whereas the tubular element (8) is provided with a drink flow meter (25); the base (1) is further provided with a sensor (26) detecting presence of the container (5) closely underneath the dispensing tap (4), that all said control means are controlled by a computer central control unit (27) foreseen for manual settings of the operation of the device.

5. Dispensing device according to claims 1 to 4 characterized in that the longitudinal actuator (2) is arranged on the base (1) from below and connected through levers with the bracket (3) and through said bracket (3) with the tap (4).