Method for filling a vessel with a gas entrained beverage and a consumable consumer product including the beverage

• US 20090321443A1
• Filed: 09/10/2009
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: On Tap LLC
• Original Assignee: On Tap LLC
• Inventors: Tapper, Jay, Rabbitt, William E., Taggart, Jeffrey S.
• Application Number:
  US12/556,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20090321443A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 220/200
• CPC Class Codes: B67C 3/30 Filling of barrels or casks
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0082 entirely mechanical
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0802 Dip tubes
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0805 Openings for filling
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0089 operated by lever means
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0824 with dip tubes

Abstract

A method for filling a vessel with a gas entrained beverage includes providing a vessel and a cap assembly, wherein the cap assembly includes a closure including a beverage outlet opening, a hollow dip tube connected with the closure and in fluid communication with the beverage outlet opening via a beverage outlet path, and a valve connected to the closure and disposed along the beverage outlet path. The method further includes filling the vessel with a gas entrained beverage. The method further includes filling the dip tube at least up to the valve with (1) a flushing liquid, (2) the beverage, or (3) the flushing liquid and the beverage, wherein the flushing liquid has less entrained gas than the beverage. The method further includes connecting the cap assembly to the vessel to seal the vessel, wherein the dip tube extends into the gas entrained beverage within the vessel. A consumable consumer product that includes the beverage is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for filling a vessel with a gas entrained beverage comprising:

providing a vessel and a cap assembly, wherein the cap assembly includes a closure including a beverage outlet opening, a hollow dip tube connected with closure and in fluid communication with the beverage outlet opening via a beverage outlet path, and a valve connected to the closure and disposed along the beverage outlet path;

filling the vessel with a gas entrained beverage;

filling the dip tube at least up to the valve with (1) a flushing liquid, (2) the beverage or (3) the flushing liquid and the beverage, wherein the flushing liquid has less entrained gas than the beverage; and

connecting the cap assembly to the vessel to seal the vessel, wherein the dip tube extends into the gas entrained beverage within the vessel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

opening the valve; and

closing the valve.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein opening the valve and closing the valve are performed before connecting the cap assembly to the vessel.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein filling the dip tube further includes filling the dip tube through the beverage outlet opening.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein filling the dip tube further includes filling the dip tube from an inlet opening of the dip tube.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein filling the dip tube further includes filling the dip tube through an inlet opening at the distal end of the dip tube.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein filling the dip tube further includes filling the dip tube from the inlet opening of the dip tube up to the valve with the flushing liquid.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein opening the valve and closing the valve are performed after connecting the cap assembly to the vessel.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein filling the dip tube is performed with the valve in an open position.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein filling the dip tube includes filling the dip tube with the flushing liquid through the beverage outlet opening.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein opening the valve includes opening the valve until the beverage exits through the beverage outlet opening and closing the valve includes closing the valve after the beverage begins to exit the beverage outlet opening.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting the cap assembly to the vessel includes threading the cap assembly onto the vessel.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein connecting the cap assembly to the vessel includes crimping the cap assembly onto the vessel

14. A consumable consumer product comprising:

a vessel;

a gas entrained beverage inside the vessel;

a closure connected with the vessel to seal the beverage in the vessel, the closure including a beverage outlet opening;

a seal removably connected with the closure, the seal covering the beverage outlet opening when connected with the closure and the beverage outlet opening being open to ambient when the seal has been removed from the closure;

a hollow dip tube connected with the closure and extending into the vessel, the dip tube being in fluid communication with the beverage outlet opening via a beverage outlet path at least partially defined by the dip tube; and

a valve connected with the dip tube and in the beverage outlet path for selectively blocking the beverage from the beverage outlet opening, wherein when the vessel is in an upright position an uppermost level of the beverage inside the vessel but outside the dip tube is spaced below the beverage outlet opening, and when in the upright position a liquid is in contact with the valve prior to the seal being removed from the closure.

15. The product of claim 14, wherein the liquid that is in contact with the valve is the beverage.

16. The product of claim 14, further comprising a flushing liquid having less entrained gas than the beverage, wherein the flushing liquid is disposed in the dip tube.

17. The product of claim 14, wherein the beverage has a volume of at least x mL and the flushing liquid has a volume of less than about 0.001x mL.

18. The product of claim 16, wherein the dip tube is filled with the flushing liquid from adjacent a distal end of the dip tube to a valve of the dip tube.

19. The product of claim 16, wherein the liquid that is in contact with the valve is the flushing liquid.

20. The product of claim 16, wherein the gas entrained beverage is beer and the flushing liquid is water.