Carbonated beverage dispenser, system and method

• US 5,118,009 A
• Filed: 12/05/1990
• Issued: 06/02/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Charles Novitsky
• Original Assignee: Charles Novitsky
• Inventors: Novitsky, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Huppert, Michael S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Derakshani, Philippe
• Application Number:
  US07/622,611
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 222/81, 222/82, 222/835, 222/87-89, 222/131, 222/183, 222/185, 222/182, 222/278, 222/288, 222/394, 222/512, 222/514, 222/562, 222/146.6, 222/1, 222/325, 222/518, 220/DIG. 9, 220/903
• US Class Current: 222/1
• CPC Class Codes: B67B 7/28 and associated with receptacle hodlers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0456 Siphons, i.e. beverage containers under gas pressure without supply of further pressurised gas during dispensing
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/06 Mountings or arrangements of dispensing apparatus in or on shop or bar counters shop or bar counters per se A47F9/00

Abstract

The invention is directed to a carbonated beverage dispenser and to a method of dispensing carbonated beverage. The dispenser comprises a canister having a side wall, a bottom wall and an open end with a removable lid for closing the open end during operation. A dispensing tube having a puncturing end is provided in the bottom of the canister for puncturing a beverage container loaded into the canister. The dispensing tube is connected to a flow control valve for controlling dispensing of beverage from the container. Low pressure beverage containers such as plastic or glass bottles and aluminum cans can be used in the dispenser by shaking the canister and container of beverage therein to agitate the carbonated beverage and release dissolved carbon dioxide gas prior to dispensing a serving in order to eventually dispense the entire contents of the beverage container. The dispenser effects a seal with the punctured opening to prevent the carbonated beverage from going flat in the time between the dispensing of different servings.

Claims

1. A carbonated beverage dispenser, comprising:

a canister defined by a side wall and a plastic bottom wall, said canister having an open upper end for receiving a carbonated beverage container;

a lid removeably connected to the open end of said canister for closing said open end during operation;

a dispensing tube molded into the plastic bottom wall of said canister to form a durable and substantially rigid connection, said dispensing tube having a puncturing end extending inwardly of said canister from approximately the center of the bottom wall, said dispensing tube being of a sufficient length to puncture through the cap of a carbonated beverage container inserted within said canister and to form a seal with said cap around the perimeter of said dispensing tube;

a flow control valve connected to said dispensing tube for controlling the dispensing of the carbonated beverage from the dispenser; and

a sealing gasket positioned on the bottom wall of said canister and forming a seal around the perimeter of said dispensing tube as well as against the cap of the beverage container.

2. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein a thermal insulation liner is positioned within said canister.

3. A dispenser according to claim 2, wherein said bottom wall of said container is made of a material and of a sufficient thickness to provide insulating and act as a thermal barrier.

4. A dispenser according to claim 2, wherein a length of plastic tubing inside said canister connects said dispensing tube to said flow control valve.

5. A dispenser according to claim 4, wherein a section of said plastic tubing extends from said dispensing tube through an interior space within said insulating lining leading to said flow control valve.

6. A dispenser according to claim 5, wherein said flow control valve is a spigot connected through said side wall of said canister.

7. A dispenser according to claim 6, wherein said spigot includes a downwardly extending elbow disposed within said insulated lining and connected to a section of the plastic tubing passing through said insulated lining.

8. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said dispensing tube is U-shaped and is connected by a length of plastic tubing to said flow control valve.

9. A dispenser according to claim 8, wherein a section of said plastic tubing extends from said dispensing tube through an interior space within said insulated lining leading to said flow control valve.

10. A dispenser according to claim 9, wherein said flow control valve is a spigot connected through said side wall of said canister.

11. A dispenser according to claim 10, wherein said spigot includes a downwardly extending elbow disposed within said insulated lining and connected to a section of the plastic tubing passing through said insulated lining.

12. A dispenser according to claim 1, including means for pressing a beverage container inserted within said canister downwardly so that said puncturing end of said dispensing tube penetrates through the beverage container while the lid is being closed on said canister.

13. A dispenser according to claim 12, wherein said upper open end of said canister is internally threaded and said lid includes an externally threaded downwardly depending skirt, which together provide said means for pressing a beverage container inserted with said canister downwardly so that said puncturing end of said dispensing tube penetrates through the cap of the beverage container while the lid is being closed on said canister.

14. A dispenser according to claim 1, including a compressible pressure pad provided on the inside of said lid for maintaining pressure on a bottom portion of a beverage container inserted within said canister, for maintaining a tight seal between a cap of the beverage container and said sealing gasket.

15. A dispenser according to claim 1, including at least one adapter for accommodating various sized and shaped beverage containers within said canister, said adapter being accommodated within said canister during use.

16. A dispenser according to claim 15, wherein the adapter includes a cylindrical support member having a dispensing tube extension adapted to connect at one end with the dispensing tube provided in the bottom of the canister and to connect at its other end with a container placed in the canister, said adapter having means on one end for sealing engagement with the sealing gasket on the bottom wall of the canister, and a sealing gasket on its other end for sealing engagement with the container placed in the canister, whereby containers of substantially shorter length than those normally accommodated in the canister may be operatively placed therein.

17. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said puncturing end is a separate component and removeably secured to said dispensing tube.

18. A dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said lid includes a depending cylindrical inner wall which is telescopically received within said canister, and said flow control valve includes a dispensing actuator which contacts with a bottom of said inner wall during dispensing, whereby said lid can be forced downwardly to actuate said flow control valve during a dispensing operation.

19. A method of dispensing a carbonated beverage, comprising the steps of:

providing a canister having a side wall, a bottom wall and an open end with a removable lid, said lid having a compressible pressure pad provided on the inside of said lid;

loading a carbonated beverage container into the canister through the open end, said beverage container holding a quantity of beverage stored under a volume of carbon dioxide of relatively low pressure insufficient to power the discharge of the entire contents of said beverage container;

placing the lid on the canister to exert pressure from said compressible pressure pad against a bottom portion of the container and urge it against a puncturing end of a dispensing tube provided inside of said canister, to puncture said container and simultaneously seal said container punctured end relative to said canister;

shaking the canister and the beverage container positioned therein to release a quantity of dissolved carbon dioxide gas from the beverage in the container to pressurize the beverage;

controlling dispensing of carbonated beverage from said container by operating a flow control valve connected to said dispensing tube;

dispensing a quantity of beverage from said dispenser by opening said flow control valve; and

repeating the step of agitating the beverage container positioned in the dispenser to release dissolved carbon dioxide and pressurize the beverage until the beverage is fully dispensed.

20. A method according to claim 19, including the step of reloading another container of beverage in the canister after consumption of the contents of the previous beverage container.

21. A carbonated beverage dispenser, comprising:

a canister defined by a side wall and bottom wall, said canister having an open upper end for receiving a carbonated beverage container and a thermal insulation liner positioned within said canister;

a lid removeably connected to the open end of said canister for closing said open end during operation;

a dispensing tube provided at the bottom wall of said canister, said dispensing tube having a puncturing end extending inwardly of said canister from approximately the center of the bottom wall, said dispensing tube being of a sufficient length to puncture through the cap of a carbonated beverage container inserted within said canister and to form a seal with said cap around the perimeter of said dispensing tube;

a flow control valve connected to said dispensing tube for controlling the dispensing of the carbonated beverage from the dispenser, wherein a length of plastic tubing extends from said dispensing tube through an interior space within said thermal insulation liner leading to said flow control valve and said flow control valve includes a downwardly extending elbow disposed within said thermal insulation liner and connected to a section of the plastic tubing passing through said thermal insulation liner; and

a sealing gasket positioned on the bottom wall of said canister and forming a seal around the perimeter of said dispensing tube as well as against the cap of the beverage container.

22. A carbonated beverage dispenser, comprising:

a canister defined by a side wall and bottom wall, said canister having an open upper end for receiving a carbonated beverage container;

a lid removeably connected to the open end of said canister for closing said open end during operation;

a dispensing tube provided at the bottom wall of said canister, said dispensing tube having a puncturing end extending inwardly of said canister from approximately the center of the bottom wall, said dispensing tube being of a sufficient length to puncture through the cap of a carbonated beverage container inserted within said canister and to form a seal with said cap around the perimeter of said dispensing tube;

a flow control valve connected to said dispensing tube for controlling the dispensing of the carbonated beverage from the dispenser; and

a sealing gasket positioned on the bottom wall of said canister and forming a seal around the perimeter of said dispensing tube as well as against the cap of the beverage container;

wherein said dispenser includes at least one adapted for accommodating various sized and shaped beverage containers within said canister, said adapter being accommodated within said canister during use and wherein the adapter includes a cylindrical support member having a dispensing tube extension adapted to connect at one end with the dispensing tube provided in the bottom of the canister and to connect at its other end with a container placed in the canister, said adapter having means on one end for sealing engagement with the sealing gasket on the bottom wall of the canister, and a sealing gasket on its other end for sealing engagement with the container placed in the canister, whereby containers of substantially shorter length than those normally accommodated in the canister may be operatively placed therein.

23. A carbonated beverage dispenser, comprising:

a canister defined by a side wall and bottom wall, said canister having an open upper end for receiving a carbonated beverage container;

a lid removeably connected to the open end of said canister for closing said open end during operation;

a dispensing tube provided at the bottom wall of said canister, said dispensing tube having a puncturing end extending inwardly of said canister from approximately the center of the bottom wall, said dispensing tube being of a sufficient length to puncture through the cap of a carbonated beverage container inserted within said canister and to form a seal with said cap around the perimeter of said dispensing tube;

a flow control valve connected to said dispensing tube for controlling the dispensing of the carbonated beverage from the dispenser; and

a sealing gasket positioned on the bottom wall of said canister and forming a seal around the perimeter of said dispensing tube as well as against the cap of the beverage container;

wherein said lid includes a depending cylindrical inner wall which is telescopically received within said canister, and said flow control valve includes a dispenser actuator which contacts with a bottom of said inner wall during dispensing, whereby said lid can be forced downwardly to actuate said flow control valve during a dispensing operation.