Tap unit for a beverage dispenser

• US 7,721,921 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2005
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Versuni Holding BV
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Ramusch, Adolf, Haefele, Peter, Igerc, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaver; Kevin P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nichols, II; Robert K
• Application Number:
  US11/579,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20080023501A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• Field of Search: 222/505, 222/212, 222/213, 222/400.7, 222/400.8, 222/137, 251/9, 251/10, 251/4
• US Class Current: 222/505
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/1422 comprising foam avoiding means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1095 Body region, i.e. base region, of DMOS transistors or IGBTs cell layout H01L29/0696
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/66333 Vertical insulated gate bipolar transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7395 Vertical transistors, e.g. vertical IGBT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cartridge unit for a beverage dispensing system with an inner channel for the dispensation of a beverage, characterized in that the cartridge unit comprises a first part, which is made of an inflexible material and a second part, which is made of a flexible material.

Claims

1. A beverage dispensing system, comprising:

a cartridge unit for the beverage dispensing system with an inner channel for the dispensation of a beverage, characterized in that the cartridge unit comprises a first part, which is made of an inflexible material, and a second part, which is made of a flexible material, wherein the beverage is dispensed from the second part; and

a dispensing portion which is connectable to a container in which the beverage is stored and is adapted to receive one end of the cartridge unit for the dispensation of beverage, whereby beverage can be dispensed from the container via the cartridge unit, wherein the dispensing portion includes,

a valve means, which is adapted to open and close the flow of beverage by interaction with the second flexible part of the cartridge unit upon shifting a valve control means from an “

open”

to a “

closed”

position, and

an installation means, which, when the valve control means is in the “

closed”

position, keeps the valve means in the open position, when the cartridge unit is not inserted in the container, but closes the valve means, when the cartridge unit is inserted into the container.

2. The beverage dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein the inflexible part of the cartridge unit comprises a conical part which is attached to or connected to the flexible part, the conical part comprises an inner channel which forms a cone in such a way that an inner diameter of the inner channel widens toward the flexible part of the cartridge unit and a taper angle or a cone angle is ≧

0° and

≦

15°

.

3. A beverage dispensing system for use with a cartridge unit having an inner channel for the dispensation of a beverage, the cartridge unit comprising a first part made of an inflexible material, and a second part made of a flexible material, wherein the beverage is dispensed from the second part, which beverage dispensing system, furthermore, is connectable to a container in which the beverage is stored, which is adapted to receive one end of the cartridge unit for the dispensation of beverage, whereby beverage can be dispensed from the container via the cartridge unit, and the system furthermore comprising:

a valve means, which is adapted to open and/or close the flow of beverage by interaction with the second flexible part of the cartridge unit upon shifting a valve control means from an “

open”

to a “

closed”

position, wherein the beverage dispensing system furthermore comprises an installation means, which, when the valve control means is in the “

closed”

position, keeps the valve means in the open position, when the cartridge unit is not inserted in the container, but closes the valve means, when the cartridge unit is inserted into the container.

4. A beverage dispensing system according to claim 3, wherein the closing of the valve, when the cartridge unit is inserted into the container, is achieved in that the first inflexible part of the cartridge unit interacts with a lever means which shifts the valve means from the open to the closed position.

5. A beverage dispensing system according to claim 3, wherein the installation means comprises a holding means, which keeps the valve means in the open position, when the cartridge unit is not inserted in the container.

6. A beverage dispensing system according to claim 3, wherein the valve control means is a handle.

7. A beverage dispensing system according to claim 3, wherein the valve control means is a removable handle.

8. A beverage dispensing system according to claim 3, wherein the installation means comprises a cushioning means, which prevents movement of the cartridge unit via the lever means in case the valve control means is shifted.

9. A beverage dispensing system according to claim 3, further containing a fixation means which keeps the valve control means in a fixed position in the case that the cartridge unit is not inserted.