Dispensing – With lock or fastening seal – Plural
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-28
2003-11-18
Kaufman, Joseph A. (Department: 3754)
Dispensing
With lock or fastening seal
Plural
C222S153030, C222S153130, C222S400700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06648178
ABSTRACT:
This invention relates generally to fluid dispensers and more particularly to an apparatus and methods for deterring any use of one or more taps or faucets.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has its genesis in the beer and tavern industry. While the invention will be particularly discussed with respect to embodiments in the beer and tavern industry arena, one should understood that this industry is but one application of the invention, and the invention has much broader scope.
Fluids are dispensed from reservoirs through a variety of apparatus and systems. For example, soda water and flavoring syrups can be dispensed from reservoirs through a “soda gun.” Gasoline can be dispensed through a gasoline hose and a gasoline nozzle. Outdoor water at one's home is typically dispensed from a water hose faucet. Beer can be dispensed from a keg through a tap with a nozzle. These and other dispensing devices, such as spigots, valves, and cocks, are well known devices for dispensing fluid from a reservoir by controlling a flow path of the fluid. These devices are referred to as “taps” hereinafter.
While some taps are more detailed, in its simplest form a tap includes a hollow shank with a handle aperture, a nozzle aperture, a nozzle with a nozzle exterior surface and a nozzle interior surface the defining an internal flow path through which a fluid may flow to a nozzle outlet. The tap also includes a valve, and a pivotal tap handle with an exterior surface. The internal flow path is hydraulically connected to a keg or fluid reservoir. A valve seat is formed circumferentially within the flow path. The valve with a valve stem is configured and positioned within the internal flow path such that the valve can be seated within the valve seat. When the valve is seated, the tap is closed thereby preventing any flow of fluid through the internal flow path. The pivotal tap handle has an exterior portion and an interior portion and is configured and positioned to extend through the handle aperture in the hollow shank such that the interior portion of the pivotal tap handle is in mechanical communication with the valve stem. The exterior portion of the pivotal tap handle can include a removable custom-made tap handle
The pivotal tap handle, the valve, and the shank are constructed and configured such that any movement of the pivotal tap handle will control any movement of the valve relative to the valve seat. The tap is configured and constructed such that when the pivotal tap handle is moved toward an open position, the interior portion of the pivotal tap handle moves within the flow path, thus further moving the valve away from the valve seat. The movement of the valve results in the valve being “unseated” from the valve seat. Once the valve is unseated, fluid is dispensed from the reservoir or hydraulic supply through the internal flow path of the hollow shank, between the valve seat and the valve, through the internal flow path along the valve stem, though the nozzle aperture, through the nozzle, and out the nozzle outlet.
Packing is located within the hollow shank about the interior portion of the pivotal tap handle and the handle aperture whereby fluid is prevented from prevented from escaping from the interior flow path of the hollow shank through the handle aperture about the interior portion of the pivotal tap handle. A packing nut is attached to the exterior of the hollow shank about the handle aperture to retain the packing and the interior portion of pivotal tap handle located within the internal flow path.
Examples of taps include a keg tap, soda fountain dispensers, and tap towers. These and related apparatus are used to dispense beer in bars, water from a faucet at one's home, or gasoline from a tank. Taps are convenient because a user can quickly and easily provide flow of fluid from the tap with a minimal amount of effort. On the other hand, the convenience of the tap has a drawback in that unauthorized users can also quickly draw fluid from an unattended tap.
Most bars and taverns utilize standardized tap systems. In its simplest form, a commercial tap system includes a pressurized C
0
2 tank, a tank line, a regulator, a regulator line, a keg, a keg line, and a “tap tower.” The tap tower includes a tap, as previously described, for dispensing beer. The tap system is configured such that pressurized C
0
2 tank, the tank line, and the regulator are used to pressurize the keg. Thus, the pressurized keg results in beer flowing from the keg, through the keg line, to the tap, and out of the nozzle outlet if the valve is unseated from the valve seat. The pressurized system keeps the keg “pressurized” thus maintaining the freshness of the beer.
A commercial tap system may have a tap tower that contains numerous taps for dispensing several different types of beer from numerous kegs. For example, a commercial tap system may have four taps to dispense four different beers from four different kegs. Each type of beer is dispensed from the respective kegs through one of four different keg lines to the tap tower and out the corresponding tap nozzle. Commercial tap systems allow a person to easily and quickly operate one or more of the taps of the tap tower at any time. As such, a need exists to prevent theft of beer from tap towers by unauthorized persons.
Additionally, industry standard custom-made tap handles are used that can be retrofit to a commercial tap system. The custom-made tap handles typically screw onto a threaded stud or stem that is part of the exterior portion of the tap handle. The custom-made tap handles come in various shapes and sizes and are used to identify the specific type of beer that can be dispensed from each tap of the tap tower. One example of the custom-made tap handles is the tap handle for Goose Island Brewing Co., which is in the shape of a neck and a head of a white goose
1
. Other custom-made tap handles are like a classic tap handle shape and include a logo emblem, such as George Killian's Irish Red Brand beer tap handle
2
. Still, other custom-made tap handles resemble a tab shape or a flattened rectangular box shape that includes a logo, such as a Coors Light beer tap handle
3
.
One problem with the custom made tap handles is that some people consider possessing tap handles a novelty, or a person may simply want the unique handles for use at their home bar. As such, custom-made tap handles are often taken from un-attended tap towers because of the ease in which the handles can be removed. As such, a need exists to prevent theft of custom-made tap handles from tap towers.
An additional problem with the custom-made tap handles is one of the purposes for providing such handles to bars and taverns is to advertise that the supplier's beer is for sale. As such, it becomes important to beer suppliers not only to have the beer for sale, but to also have one's beer dispensed from a noticeable tap, such as a tap on an end of the tap tower. Currently, tavern owners can choose to configure their tap systems to dispense beer from any tap on a tap tower as each desires. A need exists for the encouragement of bar and tavern owners to maintain the dispensing of a beer supplier's product from the most noticeable tap of a tap tower.
Many devices have been developed in an attempt to solve these problems. Some of the devices are designed to allow a user to secure a tap so that an unauthorized user cannot operate the tap. These devices can be grouped into three different categories. The first category includes devices that secure the handle of a tap is some manner. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat.No. 784,994 by Durafort. The Durafort patent discloses an apparatus for dispensing
1
Goose Island is a register trademark of Goose Island Brewing co. of Chicago, Ill.
2
George Killian's Irish Red Brand is a registered trademark of Brasseries Pelforth Corp of France.
3
Coors Light is a registered trademark of Coors Brewing company of Golden, Col. beer or other liquids that includes a stirrup and padlock to lock the handle in p
Baniak Pine & Gannon
Kaufman Joseph A.
LandOfFree
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