Beverage dispensing assembly
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A beverage dispensing assembly comprising:
- a container including an internal compartment for containing a beverage;
a first passage extending from an exterior of the container into the internal compartment;
a first plug disposed in the first passage for blocking the passage of the beverage through the first passage;
a housing receiving the container;
a pressure regulator disposed in the housing and configured to receive pressurized gas from an associated gas source at a first pressure and to discharge gas at a second, lower, pressure;
a spout connected to the housing and in fluid communication with the first passage;
a first spike in fluid communication with the spout, the first spike configured to displace the first plug to provide fluid communication between the internal compartment of the bottle and the spout and the pressure regulator; and
a movable handle component operably connected to the container or to the first spike, where the handle component is operably connected to the container the handle component is movable to draw the container towards the first spike, where the handle component is connected to the first spike the handle component is movable to draw the first spike towards the container.
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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.
72 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A beverage dispensing assembly comprising:
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a container including an internal compartment for containing a beverage; a first passage extending from an exterior of the container into the internal compartment; a first plug disposed in the first passage for blocking the passage of the beverage through the first passage; a housing receiving the container; a pressure regulator disposed in the housing and configured to receive pressurized gas from an associated gas source at a first pressure and to discharge gas at a second, lower, pressure; a spout connected to the housing and in fluid communication with the first passage; a first spike in fluid communication with the spout, the first spike configured to displace the first plug to provide fluid communication between the internal compartment of the bottle and the spout and the pressure regulator; and a movable handle component operably connected to the container or to the first spike, where the handle component is operably connected to the container the handle component is movable to draw the container towards the first spike, where the handle component is connected to the first spike the handle component is movable to draw the first spike towards the container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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- 11. A beverage dispensing system comprising a sealed container holding a beverage charged with a gas and a dispenser that cooperates with the sealed container, the dispenser being configured to receive the container, to unseal the container in response to urging together the container and a component of the dispenser, to propel a beverage stored in the sealed container by introducing a pressurized gas into the container to displace the beverage stored in the container and to substantially maintain the charge of gas in the beverage by introducing pressurized gas into the beverage in the container.
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14. A beverage dispenser comprising:
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a housing including a compartment configured to receive an associated bottle containing a beverage in an internal space of the associated bottle; a cooling device in the housing configured to maintain the beverage at a desired temperature; a pressure regulator in the housing and configured to receive pressurized gas from an associated gas source at a first pressure and to discharge gas at a second, lower, pressure; a gas spike in fluid communication with the pressure regulator; a spout connected to the housing; a beverage spike in fluid communication with the spout; and a lid connected to the housing, movement of the lid toward resulting in the gas spike and the beverage spike being brought into fluid communication with the internal space of the associated bottle allowing pressurized gas from the pressure regulator to enter into the associated bottle and allowing the beverage to be dispensed from the associated bottle through the spout. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification