WINE DISPENSING SYSTEM

• US 20140144935A1
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerald Wine Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Emerald Wine Systems, LLC
• Inventors: O'Keefe, Edward L. Jr., Kalik, Robert G., Fritze, Karl
• Granted Patent: US 9,102,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 222/23
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0004 the beverage being stored in a container, e.g. bottle, cartridge, bag-in-box, bowl
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 3/043 with a closing element having a linear movement, in a direction perpendicular to the seat

Abstract

A wine dispensing system comprises a cabinet with refrigerated compartments for maintaining bulk wine in boxes and dispenses any one of a number of wine varieties upon pressing an appropriate button. Check valves in the system prevent air from spoiling unused wine, and a computer measures each pour, updates inventory, and accepts demographic information to assist in marketing and sales promotion.

Claims

1. A wine dispensing cabinet comprising:

a cabinet comprising one or more compartments, an upper housing, one or more dispensing nozzles, one or more pumps, connecting hoses, one or more wine selection buttons, and a processor;

said one or more compartments further comprising one or more receptacles for receiving one or more liners to contain wine;

each said one or more liners of wine substantially isolating wine contained therein from oxygen by restricting the passage of oxygen through said liner;

said liner further comprising a connector having a check valve, said check valve forming a seal against the entry of oxygen into said liner and said check valve being opened by a vacuum created when said one or more pumps draw wine out of the box;

said upper housing further comprising a housing of sufficient height and depth to receive one or more containers for receiving wine between a base and housing with dispensing nozzles, said housing further comprising said one or more wine selection buttons;

said one or more dispensing nozzles being located in said housing and being situated to dispense wine into containers placed on said base;

said one or more pumps being one or more peristaltic pumps and being actuated by receiving a signal from said processor, the quantity of wine dispensed being determined by said one or more pumps in a measured amount of liquid per unit time of operation; and

said connecting hoses connecting one or more boxes of wine in said one or more refrigerated compartments to said one or more pumps and said one or more dispensing nozzles,

wherein when one of said one or more wine selection buttons is pressed, said processor sends an electric signal to one of said pumps, which creates a vacuum that causes wine to be dispensed from one of said wine boxes through one of said connecting hoses to said one of said pumps, and further through one of said connecting hoses to one of said dispensing nozzles and to be dispensed into a container beneath said dispensing nozzle.

2. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 1, each said refrigerated cabinet further comprising a plurality of receptacles, each receptacle receiving a liner containing a different variety of wine.

3. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 2 wherein the one or more compartments are refrigerated, and wherein the refrigeration temperature of each said refrigerated compartment can be set at a different temperature.

4. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 2 further comprising some of said one or more selection buttons selecting a different variety of wine.

5. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 4 further comprising some of said one or more selection buttons selecting a different quantity of a selected wine to be dispensed.

6. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 5 wherein said quantity of wine to be dispensed is determined by measuring the volume of liquid dispensed by said one or more pumps.

7. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 5 wherein one of said selection buttons will select a wine to be dispensed continuously while said selection button is pressed.

8. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 2, said upper housing further comprising a viewing area for displaying different varieties of wine available.

9. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 2, at least one of the one or more liners provided in a wine box, the wine box further comprising a connector forming a right angle where said connector is connected to one of said connecting hoses.

10. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 2, said cabinet further comprising a barcode scanner connected to said processor.

11. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 2, said cabinet further comprising one or more sensors in said receptacle connected to said processor whereby information identifying each liner in said receptacle is provided to said processor.

12. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 2 wherein said processor receives information regarding the quantity of wine being dispensed from each liner and stores said information in a database.

13. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 2 wherein information regarding at least the age and gender of individuals for whom wine is dispensed is entered into said processor and is maintained in a database.

14. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 13 wherein information regarding at least the age and gender of individuals for whom wine is dispensed is used to identify demographic and wine drinking preferences.

15. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 13 further comprising a display panel wherein information regarding at least the variety and quantities of wine remaining in said wine dispensing cabinet is displayed to an operator.

16. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 15, said display panel displaying additional information calculated or maintained by said processor.

17. The wine dispensing cabinet as claimed in claim 16 wherein said display panel is located at a location remote from said wine dispensing cabinet.

18. A wine dispensing cabinet comprising:

a countertop for receiving a container;

an upper housing extending above the countertop;

a plurality of compartments, at least one compartment refrigerated, each compartment including a receptacle for receiving at least one of a plurality of flexible liners for containing the wine, each liner substantially isolating the wine contained therein from oxygen by restricting the passage of oxygen through the liner, each liner including a connector having a first check valve, the first check valve forming a seal against the entry of oxygen into the liner;

a plurality of delivery hoses, each delivery hose connectable with the connector of one of the liners when received in one of the receptacles;

a plurality of dispensing nozzles provided in the upper housing, each dispensing nozzle connected with one of the delivery hoses through an internal hose system, the dispensing nozzle positioned in order to dispense wine from one of the connected liners into the container when received and positioned under the dispensing nozzle;

a second check valve provided between each delivery hose and the internal hose system in order to prevent the backflow of wine and in order to prevent oxygen from entering the internal hose system;

one or more peristaltic pumps associated with the internal hose system in order to transport wine from one of the wine boxes to the connected dispensing nozzle through the connected delivery hose without the wine contacting any portion of the pump; and

a processor electrically connected with the one or more positive displacement pumps and controlled by one or more wine selection buttons provided on the wine dispensing cabinet, the processor operable to send an electric signal to the one or more pumps in order to dispense wine contained in one of the boxes of wine into the wine glass when received and positioned under the dispensing nozzle.

19. A wine dispensing cabinet comprising:

a countertop for receiving a container;

an upper housing extending above the countertop;

a plurality of compartments, at least one compartment refrigerated, each compartment including a receptacle for receiving a flexible liner for containing the wine, the liner substantially isolating the wine contained therein from oxygen by restricting the passage of oxygen through the liner, the liner including a connector having a check valve, the check valve forming a seal against the entry of oxygen into the liner and said check valve opened by a vacuum produced by one or more peristaltic pumps drawing wine out of the liner, each receptacle including a sensor for identifying the liner of wine received in the receptacle;

one or more dispensing nozzles provided in the upper housing, each dispensing nozzle connected with the connector of at least one liner of wine through at least one connecting hose in order to dispense wine from the at least one line of wine into the container when the is received and positioned under the dispensing nozzle; and

a processor electrically connected with the one or more peristaltic pumps as well as the sensor in each receptacle, the processor controlled by one or more wine selection buttons provided on the wine dispensing cabinet, the processor operable to send an electric signal to the one or more peristaltic pumps in order to dispense a variable quantity of wine, as selected by the one or more wine selection buttons, contained in one of the boxes of wine into the wine glass when received and positioned under the dispensing nozzle, the processor further operable to calculate the quantity of wine pumped from each received box of wine, the processor further operable to identify the liner received in each receptacle and calculate the quantity of wine remaining in each received wine liner after the variable quantity of wine is dispensed.