Beverage dispenser equipped with a system for measuring the amount of beverage remaining in the container.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser (1) comprising a receiving chamber for receiving a small container forming a beverage refill and a dispensing device (14) for dispensing beverage contained in the small container. The beverage dispenser (1) is resting on legs (4, 6) and includes control circuitry comprising a system for measuring the amount of beverage remaining in the small container. The system for measuring the amount of beverage remaining includes at least one weight sensor disposed only in at least one leg (6) positioned opposite the dispensing device (14).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an autonomous beverage dispensing machine, which in particular includes components for receiving beverage containers such as buckets, components for dispensing beverage extracted from the containers, and components for measuring the amount of beverage remaining in the containers.

[0002] More specifically, the present invention relates to a beverage dispensing machine that measures the amount of beverage remaining in the container by measuring the weight of the machine on which the beverage container is placed. Background Technology

[0003] Technicians in the beverage dispensing machine industry have long sought to develop technological solutions that would allow them to know the amount of beverage remaining in containers, such as beer stored in kegs. This would allow them to predict container supply and replacement before beverage shortages occur.

[0004] For example, US Patent 698,334 describes a device for dispensing beverages in a bar, according to which a keg of beer is placed on a tray movably mounted on four springs, a cable is fastened to the underside of the tray and drives a pulley located at the top of the beer bar, the pulley being integral with an axle on which a pointer is connected, the pointer being positioned in front of a dial and indicating the amount of beer available in the bartender's keg.

[0005] Subsequently, various devices were developed for measuring the amount of beverage remaining in a container, including means for weighing the container to infer the amount of beverage remaining therein, such as those described in the following headings: CA 1159855; DE4224088; US 5,837,944; US 2005000737; US 7,255,003; CN 201990056; and CN 102700840.

[0006] Canadian Patent CA 1159855 describes a device for weighing beverage containers, such as beer kegs in a café or bar. The device includes a support with a platform for receiving the beverage container, the platform being positioned above a scale and pivotable between an inclined position and a horizontal position for dispensing the beverage. In the horizontal position, the platform rests on the scale and can move freely up and down to be accurately weighed along with the container.

[0007] German patent application DE 4224088 describes a device for monitoring and recording the amount of beverage dispensed from several small liquid jugs in a restaurant. The beverage, particularly beer, dispensing counter includes multiple jugs, each placed on a separate platform resting on a dedicated electronic scale. Each scale is connected to a microprocessor via cable 11. The assembly includes a human / machine interface for inputting data or instructions to the microprocessor, a display, and a printer.

[0008] US Patent 5,837,944 describes a device for measuring and displaying the temperature and quantity of beverage remaining in a keg. The device includes an electronic scale and a thermometer, with the beverage keg placed on the scale and the thermometer connected to the inside of a beverage dispensing hose. A digital display connected to both the scale and the thermometer simultaneously indicates the temperature of the beverage and the available dosage of beverage in the keg.

[0009] US Patent Application US 2005000737 describes a scale specifically designed for weighing beer kegs in bars or restaurants, the scale being able to withstand low temperatures so that a refrigeration unit can cool the beer in the keg placed on the weighing pan.

[0010] US Patent 7,255,003 describes a device for measuring and displaying the amount of beer in a keg. The device comprises a U-shaped scale positioned below a portion of the keg's rim and receiving said rim portion resting on the horizontal bottom of the U-shape. A display is mounted on the outer branch of the U-shape and indicates the amount of beer remaining in the keg.

[0011] Chinese utility model CN201990056 describes a base frame configured to receive and weigh beverage jugs and display the measured weight of the jugs. The base frame has four legs including casters, and a weight sensor is placed between each leg and the base frame. A display on the base frame indicates the weight of the beverage jugs.

[0012] Chinese patent application CN102700840 discloses a refrigerated draft beer bottling machine, which includes a weight sensor for weighing the total weight of the bottling machine. When the minimum weight is reached, the control unit notifies the user.

[0013] Apart from the dispensing machine described in Chinese patent application CN102700840, the aforementioned various devices for weighing one or more containers are not designed to be placed on an autonomous beverage dispensing machine, including its own components for receiving beverage containers and its own components for dispensing beverages extracted from the containers. The autonomous feature allows the machine to be independent and the entire assembly to be easily moved, for example, placed in various desired locations or stored in a suitable place when not in use.

[0014] This further allows for the design of small beverage dispensers for consumers' homes. In particular, over the past decade, many autonomous beer dispensers have been designed to allow every family to enjoy high-quality draft beer at home, preserving all the flavor and freshness of the beer; for example, the beer is packaged in mini kegs of five or six liters.

[0015] Some of these beer bottling machines use pressurized kegs autonomously and can measure the remaining beer level in the keg by weighing it. In these machines, the keg is positioned vertically or at a slight angle in a cooling chamber, and a strain gauge is located at the bottom of the cooling chamber and supported by the bottom of the keg. The deformation of the strain gauge allows the user to determine the mass of the keg and thus infer the amount of beer remaining in it.

[0016] Other beer bottling machines use unpressurized kegs autonomously, requiring a pump on the bottling machine to pressurize the kegs and ensure the beer is extracted. On these machines, the kegs are placed horizontally or slightly tilted in a cooling chamber, making it very difficult to install a strain gauge underneath the keg within this chamber. This is why this type of bottling machine cannot measure the amount of beer remaining in the keg. Summary of the Invention

[0017] The purpose of this invention is to design an autonomous beverage dispenser capable of measuring the amount of beverage remaining in a beverage container, regardless of the container's position on the dispenser. Another objective is to avoid any interference with the measurement of the remaining beverage amount during the use of the dispenser.

[0018] For this purpose, the present invention relates to a beverage dispensing machine comprising a receiving chamber for receiving a bucket forming a beverage refill and a dispensing device for dispensing the beverage contained in the bucket. "Bucket" can refer to a small bucket, or any other container capable of holding beverage and placed in the receiving chamber for holding beverage, such as a flexible bag. The beverage dispensing machine includes legs for supporting it. Furthermore, the beverage dispensing machine includes control circuitry comprising a system for measuring the amount of beverage remaining in the bucket. According to the invention, the system for measuring the amount of beverage remaining in the bucket includes at least one weight sensor disposed only in at least one or more legs positioned opposite the dispensing device. The placement of at least one weight sensor in at least one or more legs positioned opposite the dispensing device eliminates the need for the bucket to be placed in the receiving chamber, thus advantageously allowing the beverage dispensing machine according to the invention to be designed with a receiving chamber designed to hold the bucket vertically or slightly inclined to a vertical line, or horizontally or slightly inclined to a horizontal line. Furthermore, placing at least one weight sensor only in at least one or more feet arranged opposite the extraction device avoids any influence of the extraction device on weight measurement, which is particularly likely to occur during the start-up and shutdown of the extraction device operated by the consumer, thereby interfering with the measurement.

[0019] According to the present invention, the receiving chamber of the beverage dispenser will preferably be equipped with a keg cooling device, which enables the serving of cold beverages, especially when the beverage is beer. However, other cooling devices can be conceived on the dispenser, for example, by cooling the beverage circulating in the pipes during the process of drawing the beverage from the keg. Other variations of the beverage dispenser may be without a cooling device when the dispensed beverage does not require cooling, or may even include a heating device if warm or hot beverages are preferred.

[0020] According to the beverage dispensing machine of the present invention, the dispensing device includes a tap with a nozzle and tap opening and closing components. In the case of a beer bottling machine, the tap opening and closing components are typically a handle. However, a button or other variation may be provided. The beverage jug can be pressurized, in which case the beverage can be dispensed simply by opening the tap. On the other hand, the beverage jug can be unpressurized, in which case the dispensing device preferably includes a jug pressurization component to allow the beverage to be dispensed when the tap is open. Depending on the type of beverage and the arrangement of the beverage container in the receiving chamber, beverage dispensing can also be carried out simply by gravity.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the beverage dispenser of the present invention has a single leg arranged opposite to the dispensing device, and a system for measuring the remaining beverage quantity has a single weight sensor disposed in the single leg arranged opposite to the dispensing device. This reduces the design cost of the beverage dispenser. Other variations are conceivable within the framework of the present invention, particularly designs for beverage dispensers having two legs arranged opposite to the dispensing device, with only two weight sensors disposed in each of the two legs. The advantage of this variation is that it provides a more accurate measurement of the component mass to infer the amount of beverage remaining in the dispenser; however, from an economic perspective, this variation is less advantageous.

[0022] In one embodiment of the beverage dispenser according to the present invention, at least one weight sensor includes a strain gauge disposed on a metal body, which undergoes deformation under the weight of the beverage dispenser. Preferably, according to this embodiment, the system for measuring the amount of remaining beverage includes a stop for limiting the deformation of the metal body. Such a stop makes it possible to keep the deformation within the elastic range of the strain gauge without reaching the plastic range, which would otherwise introduce static errors in the performed measurement.

[0023] According to an embodiment of the beverage dispensing machine of the present invention, the system for measuring the amount of remaining beverage includes a memory storing a mapping of the correspondence between measured weight and the amount of remaining beverage. The extraction of beverage from the jug may cause a shift in the center of gravity during the extraction process, which can lead to errors in the weight reading because weight measurement is localized on the machine, as at least one weight sensor is positioned only on a foot arranged opposite the extraction device. The mapping, generated through testing on the machine, allows this reading error to be incorporated into the software of the memory, thereby improving reading accuracy. The mapping also allows the amount of liquid in the jug to be known at any time.

[0024] In an embodiment of the beverage dispenser according to the present invention, the system for measuring the amount of remaining beverage is configured to verify the weight measurement after a stable measurement cycle of more than 5 seconds. When using the extraction device, the stress on the weight sensor changes, which can distort the reading of the amount of remaining beverage in the jug. To account only for stress changes caused by the emptying of the jug and to obtain better accuracy, it is important that these changes are only considered if they have stabilized for a duration preferably selected as 5 seconds.

[0025] According to embodiments of the beverage dispenser of the present invention, a system for measuring the amount of remaining beverage includes a display device for the remaining beverage volume. For example, the display device can precisely indicate the numerical value of the remaining beverage volume in the jug, in units of liters or centiliters. Alternatively, the display device may include a scale bar representing the volume of remaining beverage in the jug. Information regarding the amount of remaining beverage in the jug can also be fed back to the user via a visual and / or tactile and / or auditory machine interface, or even transmitted via wireless communication means, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other radio frequency, to a connected object such as a smartphone or tablet.

[0026] According to one embodiment, the beverage dispenser of the present invention includes two legs disposed at the front of the dispenser, close to the dispensing device. This ensures good stability of the machine and greatly reduces the risk of interference with at least one weight sensor during operation of the dispensing device.

[0027] In one embodiment of the beverage dispensing machine according to the subject matter of the invention, the receiving chamber is adapted to receive a small bucket having a cylindrical shape and extending along a horizontal axis when installed in the receiving chamber, the small bucket comprising a first end disposed near the beverage dispensing device and a second end disposed near the at least one weight sensor. Other variations are conceivable within the framework of the invention, particularly by providing a receiving chamber adapted to receive a small bucket having a cylindrical shape and extending along a vertical axis when installed in the receiving chamber.

[0028] In one embodiment of the beverage dispensing machine according to the present invention, the receiving chamber is adapted to receive a small container comprising a rigid outer shell and a flexible inner shell for containing beverage. Furthermore, the beverage dispensing machine includes a container pressurization system comprising a pump for injecting air between the inner and outer shells of the container.

[0029] In one embodiment of the beverage dispenser according to the present invention, at least one leg, disposed opposite to the dispensing device and receiving at least one weight sensor, includes a contact post acting on said weight sensor and a cover including a through-hole that receives the contact post and prevents the post from moving within the plane of the hole. In other words, the through-hole is slightly larger than the cross-section of the contact post, which allows the contact post to move freely in its longitudinal axis direction, i.e., in the thickness direction of the through-hole, while the movement of the contact post is confined to a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said contact post, i.e., within the plane of the through-hole. This avoids interference with the operation of at least one weight sensor and prevents static measurement errors that could be caused by sliding movement of the beverage dispenser on its support. Attached Figure Description

[0030] The features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description based on the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0031] Figure 1 A side view of an embodiment of a beverage dispensing machine consisting of a beer bottling mechanism is shown;

[0032] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A cross-sectional side view of a beverage dispenser;

[0033] Figure 3 It shows Figure 1 A bottom view;

[0034] Figure 4 The base for receiving the weight sensor is shown;

[0035] Figure 5 The image shows a contact post placed inside the cover, with two elements on the support leg for receiving a weight sensor.

[0036] Figure 6 The reception is shown from a first-person perspective. Figure 5 The housing of the weight sensor and the contact post;

[0037] Figure 7 Shown from a second perspective Figure 6 The housing of the receiving weight sensor and the contact post;

[0038] Figure 8 It was shown from the side. Figure 6 and Figure 7 The housing of the receiving weight sensor and the contact post;

[0039] Figure 9 An embodiment of a weight sensor including a metal part and a strain gauge mounted on the metal part is shown;

[0040] Figure 10 A system for measuring the amount of beverage remaining in a container is schematically depicted on a beverage dispenser. Detailed Implementation

[0041] In the following description, unless otherwise stated, the term "machine" is used to refer to the beverage dispensing machine of the subject matter of this invention.

[0042] The terms “upper,” “lower,” “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “rear,” “side,” “vertical,” and “horizontal,” which may be used in this specification, refer to the normal position of the machine’s components in an operating configuration placed on a horizontal or supporting surface, with the machine’s extraction device facing the user.

[0043] Reference Figures 1 to 3 Machine 1 includes a frame 2, the frame 2 having a base plate 3, the base plate 3 including legs for placement on a horizontal plane, particularly a table or support plane. According to... Figures 1 to 3In this embodiment, the base plate 3 includes two front supports 4 and 5 arranged in the front portion 2a of the frame 2 and a rear support 6 arranged in the rear portion 2b of the frame 2. The front supports 4 and 5 are laterally offset, and the rear support 6 is centered relative to the middle plane of the frame 2, which ensures good distribution of support and thus ensures the stability of the machine 1. The machine 1 also includes a receiving chamber 7, in which small buckets (not shown) can be placed for refilling beverages. Figures 1 to 3 In this embodiment, the receiving chamber 7 has a cylindrical shape with a horizontally extending longitudinal axis X1, which allows for the reception of a cylindrical barrel in its extended position, i.e., when the barrel is housed in the receiving chamber 7, the barrel's axis of rotation is horizontally arranged and coaxial with the longitudinal axis X1. The barrel is introduced into the receiving chamber 7 via the front surface 1a of the machine 1. For this purpose, the machine 1 includes a sealing door 8 pivotally connected to the frame 2 via a hinge 9, the sealing door 8 being held closed by a locking member 10.

[0044] according to Figures 1 to 3 In this example, machine 1 is designed to receive a small bucket, which includes a rigid outer shell and a flexible inner shell for containing beverages. For this purpose, as... Figure 2 As shown, the bottom 11 of the receiving chamber 7 includes a first male connector 12, and the sealing door 8 includes a second male connector 13 on its inner side 8a. When the barrel is placed in the receiving chamber 7 and the sealing door 8 is closed, the first male connector 12 engages with a first female connector disposed on a rigid outer shell at the rear end of the barrel, and the second male connector 13 engages with a second female connector disposed on a flexible inner shell at the front end of the barrel, thus puncturing the barrel.

[0045] Reference Figures 1 to 3 The machine 1 includes a suction device 14 disposed on the front 1a of the machine 1. The suction device 14 includes a nozzle 15, which has a nozzle 16 and a handle 17 for opening and closing the nozzle 15. A second male connector 13 passes through a pipe 18 (in... Figure 2 Only the end is visible in the middle. It is connected to the tap 15, and the tap 15 is opened via the operating handle 17, allowing the beverage contained in the jug to be drawn. To allow the beverage to be drawn when the tap 15 is open, air must be injected into the rigid casing of the jug via a pump 19, which is housed within the frame 2 and connected to the first male connector 12 via a pipe 20. Figure 2 (Only the ends are visible).

[0046] Reference Figures 1 to 3The front support legs 4 and 5 are static, while the rear support leg 6 is dynamic because it is designed to deform according to the amount of beverage remaining in the jug, which decreases as the beverage is extracted. This reduces the overall weight of the machine 1, which incorporates the jug emptied with each extraction. During the opening and closing of the tap 15, the actuation of the handle 17 generates forces on the machine 1. Considering the positioning of the extraction device 14 in the front 1a of the machine 1, these forces are greater in the front 2a of the frame 2 than in its rear 2b. Therefore, during beverage extraction, the deformation of the rear support leg 6 is less affected by the actuation of the handle 17, allowing for accurate recording of changes in the amount of beverage remaining in the jug. This recording is obtained using a system for measuring the amount of beverage remaining in the jug, which includes a weight sensor 21 disposed in the rear support leg 6. Figure 9 This will be described in detail below.

[0047] Reference Figure 2 and Figures 4 to 9 The rear support leg 6 includes a base 22 below the base plate 3, which is fastened to the frame 2. Figure 4 The base 22 receives the housing 23 to which it is assembled. Figures 6 to 8 The housing 23 receives a weight sensor 21, which includes a metal part 24. A strain gauge 26 extending along the length of a central branch 25 is disposed on the metal part 24. The metal part 24 includes two external lateral branches 27 and 28 connected by a first bridge 29, which participates in securing the metal part 24 to the housing 23 and the base 22. The metal part 24 also has two internal lateral branches 30 and 31 connected by a second bridge 32 and arranged in the opposite direction to the two external lateral branches 27 and 28. The internal lateral branches 30 and 31 are respectively accommodated in recesses 33 and 34 formed between the external lateral branches 27 and 28 and the central branch 25, which connects the first bridge 29 to the second bridge 32.

[0048] Reference Figures 5 to 9 The rear support leg 6 includes a contact post 35, the lower surface 36 of which is supported on the bracket of the machine 1. The contact post 35 includes two lugs 37 and 38, which respectively engage with two internal lateral branches 30 and 31. The body 39 of the contact post 35 is located below the strain gauge 26. When the machine 1 is placed on its bracket, the contact post 35 applies force to the two internal lateral branches 30 and 31 in the direction of arrow 40, causing the metal part 24 to deform, thereby deforming the strain gauge 26 placed on the central branch 25.

[0049] To limit the deformation of the strain gauge 26 and thus keep it within the elastic range, i.e., to prevent the strain gauge 26 from permanently deforming (plastic range) to the point of causing permanent measurement errors, the downward travel of the second bridge 32 is limited by a stop 41 disposed on the upper edge 42 of the contour 43 of the housing 23. Conversely, the upward travel of the outer lateral branches 27, 28 is limited by two lateral stops 44, 45, which are formed by two square fingers 46, 47 arranged opposite each other on the contour 43 of the housing 23. Figures 6 to 8 As shown.

[0050] The rear support leg 6 also includes a cover 48 ( Figure 5 The cover 48 has a through hole 49, the diameter of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the body 39 of the contact post 35, through which the contact post 35 passes, allowing its lower surface 36 to be supported on the bracket of the machine 1. The slight difference in diameter between the body 39 and the through hole 49 makes it possible to restrict the movement of the contact post 35 within the plane defined by the lower surface 50 of the cover 48 with the through hole 49, particularly when the user moves the machine 1 by sliding it on its bracket. Due to the two lugs 51, 52 on the base 22 and the corresponding two lugs 53 on the cover 48… Figure 5 Only one can be seen in the middle), the cover 48 is assembled with the base 22 by a snap-fit.

[0051] Reference Figure 10 The diagram shows that the measurement system 54 includes an electronic control board 55, which includes a microprocessor 56. The microprocessor 56 retrieves data related to the deformation of the strain gauge 26 and infers from this data the total weight of the machine 1 combined with the bucket, for example, by performing a weight calculation as in a conventional weighing system using a similar strain gauge. The microprocessor 56 includes a memory storing a graph showing the correspondence between the measured weight and the amount of beverage remaining in the bucket. The use of this graph allows the amount of liquid in the bucket to be known at any time, taking into account the shift in the center of gravity caused by emptying the bucket and the resulting beverage extraction. This shift in the center of gravity significantly affects the weight distribution.

[0052] As the beverage is emptied, stress changes, which can distort the level reading of the remaining beverage in the jug. To account only for stress changes caused by emptying the jug, the microprocessor 56 is programmed to consider these changes only if they fall between a minimum value that allows exclusion of small changes due to environmental factors and a maximum value that allows exclusion of large changes due to the operating handle 17. This maximum value could, for example, correspond to a constant flow rate of the beverage, meaning that when these values ​​exceed this maximum, the changes are not due to the emptying of the jug. The microprocessor 56 is programmed to verify the weight measurement after a stable cycle, during which no significant changes are measured; this cycle is preferably chosen to be 5 seconds, ensuring optimal accuracy of the results.

[0053] The electronic control board 55 transmits the measured amount of beverage remaining in the jug to a digital display 57, which indicates the volume of beverage remaining in the jug, for example, in liters, deciliters, or centiliters. The digital display can also indicate bars representing the remaining beverage level in the jug, with the number of bars decreasing as the jug is emptied. The microprocessor 56 can also be programmed to cause the digital display 57 to flash if the weight measurement is unstable, thus preventing the display from indicating an incorrect amount.

[0054] support Figures 1 to 10 The foregoing description of machine 1 is not limiting, as other variations of machine 1 are conceivable without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, a variation of machine 1 may be provided having two rear legs similar to the rear support leg 6 described above, spaced apart from each other at the rear 2b of frame 2, with a spacing similar to that of the two front supports 4, 5, each of the two rear supports receiving a weight sensor 21 as described above. This would allow the microprocessor 56 to improve weight measurement, but would increase the manufacturing cost of machine 1. It is also conceivable that machine 1 has two front supports 4, 5 and two rear supports, wherein only one of the two rear supports corresponds to the rear support leg 6 described above and receives the weight sensor 21, and the other of the two rear supports is similar to the front supports 4, 5.

[0055] According to another variation, a machine 1 without the first male connector 12 and without the pump 19 can be designed, which allows for the extraction of beverage from a barrel already under pressure. In a variation of machine 1, a barrel consisting only of a flexible bag containing the beverage can also be conceived.

[0056] Preferably, machine 1 includes a cooling device 58 for cooling the receiving chamber 7. Figure 2 and Figure 3This is essential for beer bottling machines to supply beer at a suitable temperature of approximately 4 to 8 degrees Celsius (4°C to 8°C) depending on the type of beer being consumed. For this purpose, the cooling device on machine 1 may include a system for regulating the cooling temperature of the receiving chamber 7, which will include a keypad accessible on frame 2 and allow adjustment of the beer cooling temperature value. Other versions of machine 1 according to the invention may be without a cooling device when the beverage does not require cooling.

[0057] A variant of machine 1 may also include a cylindrical receiving chamber with a vertically positioned longitudinal axis, in which the small barrel is also vertically positioned.

[0058] The electronic control board 55 may include a transmission module that allows it to communicate with connected objects such as smartphones or tablets via wireless communication networks, such as radio frequency networks of the Bluetooth or Wi-Fi type.

[0059] Machine 1 is preferably designed to receive beverage kegs with a capacity of 5 or 6 liters for use as a home beer bottling machine.

Claims

1. A beverage dispensing machine (1) comprising a receiving chamber (7) for receiving a keg forming a beverage refill and an extraction device (14) for extracting a beverage contained in the keg, the extraction device (14) being operated by a consumer, the beverage dispensing machine (1) resting on feet (4, 5, 6) and comprising a control circuit comprising a system for measuring the amount of beverage remaining in the keg, characterized in that, The system for measuring the residual beverage quantity comprises at least one weight sensor (10) and a control circuit comprising a system for measuring the residual beverage quantity in the keg (6) and comprising a control circuit comprising a system for measuring the residual beverage quantity in the keg, the system for measuring the residual beverage quantity comprising at least one weight sensor (21) arranged in at least one or more feet placed opposite the extraction device (14), characterized in that the beverage dispensing machine comprises a single foot (6) placed opposite the extraction device (14), the system for measuring the residual beverage quantity comprising a single weight sensor (21) arranged in the single foot (6) placed opposite the extraction device (14).

2. Beverage dispensing machine (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that The at least one weight sensor (21) comprises a strain gauge (26) arranged on a metal body (25) which undergoes deformation under the action of the weight of the beverage dispensing machine (1).

3. The beverage dispensing machine (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that, The system for measuring the residual beverage quantity comprises a stop (41, 44, 45) for limiting the deformation of the metal body (25).

4. Beverage dispensing machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The system for measuring the residual beverage quantity comprises a memory in which a correspondence map between the measured weight and the residual beverage quantity is stored.

5. The beverage dispensing machine (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The system for measuring the residual beverage quantity verifies the weight measurement after a stable measurement period of more than 5 seconds.

6. The beverage dispensing machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The system for measuring the residual beverage quantity comprises a display device (57) for displaying the residual beverage quantity.

7. The beverage dispensing machine (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, It comprises two feet (4, 5) arranged at the front of the beverage dispensing machine (1), close to the extraction device (14).

8. The beverage dispensing machine (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The receiving chamber (7) is adapted to receive a keg of cylindrical shape extending along a horizontal axis (X1) when installed in the receiving chamber, the keg comprising a first end placed in the vicinity of the beverage extraction device and a second end placed in the vicinity of the at least one weight sensor (21).

9. The beverage dispensing machine (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The receiving chamber (7) is adapted to receive a keg comprising a rigid outer shell and a flexible inner shell containing the beverage, and the beverage dispensing machine (1) comprises a system for pressurizing the keg, comprising a pump (19) for injecting air between the inner shell and the outer shell of the keg.

10. The beverage dispensing machine (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The at least one foot in which the at least one weight sensor (21) is arranged opposite the extraction device (14) comprises a contact post (35) acting on the weight sensor (21) and a cover (48) comprising a through hole (49) receiving the contact post (35) and preventing the contact post from moving in the plane of the through hole (49).

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