BEVERAGE DISPENSING ASSEMBLY
First Claim
1. A beverage dispensing assembly capable of dispensing a beverage charged with a gas and fitting onto a shelf in a conventional household refrigerator, the assembly comprising a sealed disposable container assembly that contains the beverage and a dispensing assembly that cooperates with the container assembly to unseal the container assembly and dispense the beverage from the container assembly, the container assembly connects to the dispensing assembly in a manner to allow for disconnection of the container assembly from the dispensing assembly when the beverage has been dispensed and replacement of an empty or nearly empty container assembly with a new sealed container assembly.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A beverage dispensing assembly that is capable of dispensing controlled or metered portions of a beverage charged with a gas fits onto a shelf in a conventional household refrigerator. The beverage dispensing assembly includes a sealed disposable container assembly that contains the beverage and a dispensing assembly that cooperates with the container assembly to selectively unseal the container assembly and dispense controlled portions of the beverage from the container assembly.
88 Citations
77 Claims
- 1. A beverage dispensing assembly capable of dispensing a beverage charged with a gas and fitting onto a shelf in a conventional household refrigerator, the assembly comprising a sealed disposable container assembly that contains the beverage and a dispensing assembly that cooperates with the container assembly to unseal the container assembly and dispense the beverage from the container assembly, the container assembly connects to the dispensing assembly in a manner to allow for disconnection of the container assembly from the dispensing assembly when the beverage has been dispensed and replacement of an empty or nearly empty container assembly with a new sealed container assembly.
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6. A system for dispensing servings of a beverage charged with a gas, the system comprising:
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a bottle assembly including a bottle and a cap assembly, the bottle including a neck defining an outlet and containing multiple servings of a beverage, the cap assembly including a cap configured to attach onto the neck of the bottle to close the bottle, a sealed pressurized gas cartridge received in the cap, a beverage valve in the cap for allowing beverage to leave the bottle and a gas valve for allowing pressurized gas to enter the bottle; and a dispensing assembly that cooperates with the bottle assembly to dispense the beverage from the bottle, the dispensing assembly including a housing that receives the bottle, a piercing pin arranged in the housing to pierce the pressurized gas cartridge upon insertion of the bottle assembly into the housing, a spout in fluid communication with the beverage valve for dispensing fluid from the bottle, and a pressure regulator in fluid communication with the pressurized gas cartridge and the gas valve, the pressure regulator receiving pressurized gas from the pressurized gas cartridge and delivering pressurized gas to the bottle through the gas valve, - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A dispensing assembly for delivering a metered amount of beverage from an associated container that holds multiple servings of the beverage, the assembly comprising:
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a housing configured to receive and at least partially support an associated sealed container storing a beverage, the housing being dimensioned so that the housing and the associated container that the housing is configured to receive fit into an associated conventional household refrigerator and onto a conventional refrigerator shelf; a spout connected to the housing, the spout having an inlet for receiving beverage from the associated container and an outlet for dispensing beverage; a pressure regulator connected to the housing, the pressure regulator being configured to communicate with an associated pressure source and the associated container to receive pressurized gas from the associated pressure source at a first pressure and to deliver pressurized gas to the associated container at a second pressure that is lower than the first pressure. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A disposable container assembly for dispensing a portioned amount of fluid beverage, the assembly comprising:
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a container for storing multiple servings of a beverage; and a cap connected to the container for sealing the beverage in the container, the cap including a cartridge receptacle for receiving a pressurized gas cartridge and being disposed in the container when the cap is connected to the container; wherein at least one of the container and the cap includes at least one catch configured to cooperate with a dispensing assembly to connect the container assembly to the dispensing assembly. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A disposable container assembly for use with a dispensing assembly that dispenses beverage under pressure, the assembly comprising:
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a sealed disposable bottle including a gas inlet and a beverage outlet; a sealed pressurized gas cartridge received in the bottle and arranged to be pierced by an associated dispensing assembly when the bottle is loaded into the associated dispensing assembly; a first plug blocking a passage in communication with the beverage outlet, the first plug precluding the egress of beverage from the bottle when in a closed position and allowing the egress of beverage from the bottle when in an open position; and a second plug blocking a passage in communication with the beverage outlet, the second plug precluding the egress of beverage from the bottle when in a closed position and allowing the ingress of gas into the bottle when in the open position. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. A disposable draft beverage refill bottle assembly for use with a dispenser, the assembly comprising:
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a bottle containing multiple servings of a draft beverage under pressure; a cap connected to the bottle and containing the beverage in the bottle, the cap including first and second passages in communication with inside the bottle, wherein at least one of the cap and bottle being configured to connect to an associated dispenser; a first member for blocking the first passage and having a first operating position that precludes the draft beverage from leaving the bottle and a second operating position that allows the draft beverage to the leave the bottle; and a second member for blocking the second passage and having a first operating position that precludes the draft beverage from leaving the bottle and a second operating position that allows pressurized gas to enter the bottle. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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- 53. A cap for a bottle containing a draft beverage, the cap comprising a side wall having an inner surface that is generally axially symmetric with respect to a symmetrical axis, an end wall disposed at or adjacent an end of the side wall, a passage formed through the end wall generally aligned with the symmetrical axis and a cartridge receptacle at least partially surrounded by the side wall.
- 64. A container assembly for holding a pressurized beverage to be dispensed using an associated dispenser, the assembly comprising a sealed container storing the beverage under pressure, a sealed gas cartridge disposed in the container and a sealed passage, wherein the sealed gas cartridge is arranged to be unsealed when the container is loaded into the associated dispenser and the sealed passage is arranged to be unsealed when the associated dispenser is in a dispense operating position.
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67. A cap assembly for a bottle containing a beverage under pressure, the assembly comprising:
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a cap including a first passage and a second passage; a gas cartridge received in the cap; a first normally closed valve disposed in the first passage; and a second normally closed valve disposed in the second passage. - View Dependent Claims (68, 69, 70)
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71. A system for dispensing servings of a beverage charged with a gas, the system comprising:
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a sealed bottle containing a beverage charged with gas and including a first sealed passage and a second sealed passage each in communication with inside of the bottle; a dispenser that cooperates with the bottle to dispense the beverage from the bottle, the dispenser including a housing, a spout, a pressure regulator, a first spike and a second spike, the housing receiving the bottle, the spout being in fluid communication with the first passage for dispensing the beverage from the bottle, the pressure regulator being in fluid communication with the second passage for delivering pressurized gas to inside the bottle, the first spike unsealing the first passage and the second spike unsealing the second passage. - View Dependent Claims (72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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Specification