BEVERAGE DISPENSING DEVICE WITH FRESHNESS INDICATOR

• US 20090258120A1
• Filed: 06/13/2007
• Published: 10/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Baeumer, Christian, Bertram, Matthias, Zeitler, Guenter
• Granted Patent: US 8,241,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/232
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0884 Means for controlling the parameters of the state of the liquid to be dispensed, e.g. temperature, pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0888 Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means)
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/115831 Condition or time responsive

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a freshness indicator (9) for a chilled beverage and in particular to a beverage dispensing device (1) with a freshness indicator (9) for a chilled beverage, wherein the beverage dispensing device (1) comprises an outer housing (7), a tapping device (2) for dispensing a beverage, a beverage container (4) being placeable in the outer housing (7) and connectable with the tapping device (2), and the outer housing (7) functioning as a chiller (8), characterized in that the beverage freshness indicator device (9) comprises: a display (10) for indicating the storage temperature, maximum storage period, actual freshness of the beverage, the time left until expiry of the freshness and/or the date of expiry of the freshness, a data input unit (11) for the input of data and/or means (12) for recording replacement of the beverage container (4), at least one temperature sensor (13) for measuring the storage temperature of the beverage, —a temperature controller (14) for adjusting the cooling temperature of the chiller (8), a data storage unit (15) for storing the freshness criteria, a signal processing unit (16), which temperature sensor (13) transmits a signal regarding the current beverage storage temperature to the signal processing unit (16) and the signal processing unit (16) calculates, depending on the recorded storage temperature period and based on stored freshness criteria, the actual freshness of the beverage, the time left until expiry of the freshness of the beverage and/or the date of expiry of the freshness of the beverage, and the signal processing unit (16) transmits the calculated data to the display (10).

Claims

1. A freshness indicator (9) for a chilled beverage, characterized in that the freshness indicator device (9) comprises:

a display (10) for indicating the storage temperature, maximum storage period, actual freshness of the beverage, the time left until expiry of the freshness and/or the date of expiry of the freshness,

a data input unit (11) for the input of data and/or means (12) for recording replacement of the beverage container (4),

at least one temperature sensor (13) for measuring the storage temperature of the beverage,

a temperature controller (14) for adjusting the cooling temperature of the chiller (8),

a data storage unit (15) for storing the freshness criteria,

a signal processing unit (16), wherein

the temperature sensor (13) transmits a signal regarding the current beverage storage temperature to the signal processing unit (16) and the signal processing unit (16) calculates, depending on the recorded storage temperature period and based on stored freshness criteria, the actual freshness of the beverage, the time left until expiry of the freshness of the beverage and/or the date of expiry of the freshness of the beverage, and the signal processing unit (16) then transmits the calculated data to the display (10).

2. The freshness indicator (9) according to claim 1, wherein the display indicates the status of freshness by an array of lighted spots in different colors and /or different icons.

3. The freshness indicator (9) according to claim 1 comprising a temperature controller (14) for manually regulating the cooling temperature of the chilled beverage.

4. A beverage dispensing device (1) with a freshness indicator (9) for a chilled beverage according t claim 1, wherein the beverage dispensing device (1) comprises an outer housing (7), a tapping device (2) for dispensing beverage, a beverage container (4) being placeable in the outer housing (7) and connectable with the tapping device (2), and the outer housing (7) functioning as a chiller (8).

5. A beverage dispensing device (1) with a freshness indicator (9) for a chilled beverage according to claim 4, wherein the beverage dispensing device (1) comprises an outer housing (7), a tapping device (2) with a pressure port (6), pressure means (3) for dispensing a beverage, a beverage container (4) being placeable in the outer housing (7) and connectable with the tapping device (2), and the outer housing (7) functioning as a chiller (8).

6. A beverage dispensing device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the base part of the outer housing comprises a chiller plate (8).

7. A beverage dispensing device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the beverage dispensing device (1) comprises a temperature controller (14) for manually regulating the cooling temperature of the chiller (8).

8. A beverage dispensing device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the beverage dispensing device (1) comprises a container that contains an inner bag (5) for holding a beverage, said inner bag (5) having a deformable wall part which is compressible for dispensing beverages from the container upon deformation of the flexible wall part caused by gas pressure produced by the pressure means (3) or gravitation.

9. A beverage dispensing device (1) according to claim 4, wherein

the display (10) and the data input unit (11) are arranged on the outer surface of the housing (7),

the temperature controller (14) is arranged on the outer surface of the housing (7), is integrated in the display (10) or is integrated in the housing (7) of the beverage dispensing device (1),

the temperature sensor (13) is arranged at an inner surface wall of the housing (7),

the data storage unit (15) is integrated in the signal processing unit (16) or in the housing (7) of the beverage dispensing device (1),

the signal processing unit (16) is integrated in the display (10) or in the housing (7) of the beverage dispensing device (1).

10. A beverage dispensing device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the beverage is a carbonated beverage, preferably beer.

11. Use of a freshness indicator (9) for a chilled beverage, characterized in that the freshness indicator device (9) comprises:

a display (10) for indicating the storage temperature, maximum storage period, actual freshness of the beverages the time left until expiry of the freshness and/or the date of expiry of the freshness,

a data input unit (11) for the input of data and/or means (12) for recording replacement of the beverage container (4),

at least one temperature sensor (13) for measuring the storage temperature of the beverage,

a temperature controller (14) for adjusting the cooling temperature of the chiller (8),

a data storage unit (15) for storing the freshness criteria,

a signal processing unit (16), wherein

the temperature sensor (13) transmits a signal regarding the current beverage storage temperature to the signal processing unit (16) and the signal processing unit (16) calculates, depending on the recorded storage temperature period and based on stored freshness criteria, the actual freshness of the beverage, the time left until expiry of the freshness of the beverage and/or the date of expiry of the freshness of the beverage, and the signal processing unit (16) then transmits the calculated data to the display (10) or of a beverage dispensing device (1) with a freshness indicator (9) for a chilled beverage according to claim 4 for

adjusting the cooling temperature of the beverage, preferably from −

3°

C. to 25°

C. and more preferably from 3°

C. to 18°

C.; and

/or

calculating the actual freshness of said beverage, and/or

calculating the time left until expiry of the freshness of said beverage; and

/or

calculating the date of expiry of the freshness of said beverage depending on the storage temperature of the beverage.

12. Method of determining the actual freshness of a chilled beverage and/or the actual date of expiry of the freshness of a chilled beverage according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

measuring the beverage temperature with a temperature sensor (13),

transmitting signals regarding the real beverage storage temperature to the signal processing unit (16),

calculating the actual freshness of the beverage, the time left until expiry of the freshness and/or the date of expiry of the freshness of said chilled beverage in the signal processing unit (16) based on the freshness criteria stored in the signal processing unit (16),

displaying the data regarding the actual freshness of the beverage, the time left until expiry of the freshness of the beverage and/or the date of expiry of the freshness of the beverage as received from the signal processing unit (16) on a display (10).

13. Method of determining the actual freshness of the beverage, the time left until expiry of the freshness and/or the date of expiry of the freshness of a chilled beverage according to claim 12, wherein the freshness criteria and/or cooling temperature of the beverage used for calculating the actual freshness of the beverage and/or the actual date of expiry of the freshness of the beverage is individually set by the user.

14. Method of regulating the chilling temperature and freshness time period of a beverage according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

setting an expiry date or selecting one of a variety of given expiry dates for the beverage on the data input unit (11),

calculating the cooling temperature based on the freshness criteria stored in the signal processing unit (16) depending on the selected expiry date,

regulating the cooling temperature of the chiller (8) accordingly,

displaying the actual freshness of the beverage, the time left until expiry of the freshness of the beverage and/or the date of expiry of the freshness of the beverage.