Fluent material handling – with receiver or receiver coacting mea – With means to move supply means and/or receiver to – from or... – Relatively receding filling tube and receiver engaging means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-24
2001-05-15
Douglas, Steven O. (Department: 3751)
Fluent material handling, with receiver or receiver coacting mea
With means to move supply means and/or receiver to, from or...
Relatively receding filling tube and receiver engaging means
C141S356000, C141S301000, C222S146600
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230767
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to the automated dispensing of a carbonated beverage into open containers.
The present invention arose during ongoing efforts by the inventor to improve carbonated beverage dispensing systems. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,363 entitled “Apparatus For Dispensing A Carbonated Beverage With Minimal Foaming”, issuing on Feb. 18, 1997, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,732 issuing on Oct. 22, 1996, both incorporated herein by reference, the inventor discloses systems for dispensing carbonated beverage, such as beer or soda, into an open container. The system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,603,363 discloses the bottom filling of carbonated beverage into an open container which minimizes foaming. U.S. Pat. No. 5,566,732 discloses the use of a bar code reader to read indicia on the open container when placed beneath the nozzle that indicates volume of the open container in order to automate the dispensing procedure, and preferably various aspects of on site accounting and inventory procedures. In these systems, the carbonated beverage is dispensed from a nozzle that has an outlet port placed near the bottom of the open container, i.e. the open container is bottom filled. In addition to bottom filling, these systems control the dispensing pressure of the carbonated beverage as well as its temperature in order to minimize foaming. In the above incorporated U.S. patents, the dispensing pressure was controlled by maintaining the pressure of the carbonated beverage to be dispensed at atmospheric pressure. In particular, the carbonated beverage is held in a vented chamber prior to dispensing in order to maintain the pressure at atmospheric pressure.
Sometimes it is desirable to control the amount of foaming, rather than simply minimize the amount of foaming. For example, when serving malt beverages such as beer, the presentation of the beer including the size of the head and the temperature of the beer are important factors relating to the drinkability of the beer. Experienced bartenders take great pride in serving beer having the proper presentation. The skill of pouring and creating timely foaming or turbulence in the beverage is quite an art which few have perfected.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is an automated carbonated beverage dispensing system, and in particular a bottom-filling system containing features designed to improve the flow characteristics of the beverage dispensing from the nozzle into the open container.
In one aspect, the invention relates to the configuration of the valve head for the dispensing nozzle. Preferably, the valve head has a distribution surface in which the portion of the distribution surface near a proximal end of the valve head slopes more steeply downward than the portion of the distribution surface that is located towards the distal end of the valve head. With this configuration, the valve head gently redirects the flow trajectory of the carbonated beverage exiting the nozzle from a substantially downward trajectory to a more horizontal umbrella like trajectory. It has been found that such a trajectory produces favorable results. The valve head preferably includes a base surface along the distal end of the valve head, and preferably a circumferential groove located between the base surface and the distribution surface. An O-ring is located in the circumferential groove and seats against the nozzle when the valve is closed to ensure that the pressure of pressurized carbonated beverage within the nozzle is maintained. In some systems, it may desirable to place a sealed optical sensor on the base surface of the valve head. The sensor is activated when the user presses the bottom of the open container against the sealed activation switch on the base surface of the valve head, thereby ensuring that the outlet port is in the vicinity of the bottom of the open container when the valve opens.
It may be desirable to electronically control the valve actuator, while the carbonated beverage is dispensing, and in turn control the positioning of the valve head relative to the outlet port on the nozzle while the carbonated beverage is dispensing in order to modify the flow characteristics of the dispensing carbonated beverage. For example, it may be desirable to flutter the positioning of the valve head in order to create timely turbulence and achieve a desired presentation of the carbonated beverage in the open container.
In another aspect, the invention relates to the alignment of the valve stem within the nozzle and consequently the symmetrical positioning of the valve head with respect to the outlet port of the nozzle. It has been found that precise alignment, such as provided by a star-shaped hub in the nozzle for supporting the valve stem, is important for providing a proper dispensing umbrella in the pressurized system described in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention. In such a pressurized system, the carbonated beverage remains pressurized until immediately before the valve is opened. In such systems, it is important to reduce the pressure before opening the dispensing valve. In addition to reducing pressure, it has been found that precise alignment of the valve head is also important in such a system for optimum pouring characteristics.
Other features and advantages of the invention should be apparent to those skilled in the art upon inspecting the drawings and reviewing the following description thereof.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3881636 (1975-05-01), D'Aubreby
patent: 5474113 (1995-12-01), Rademacher et al.
patent: 5566732 (1996-10-01), Nelson
Dispensing Systems, Inc.
Douglas Steven O.
Haas George E.
Quarles & Brady LLP
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