Improved Beverage Dispenser

Abstract

A portable foamed liquid dispenser has a container 10 for holding liquid and pressurised gas. A foam dispensing nozzle assembly 18 is attachable to the container 10. It contains one or more upstream g

Description

The present invention relates to a device suitable for dispensing beverages with a foamed 'head'. Our previous application WO 2019 / 057983 has described a portable and stand-alone device for dispensing foamed liquids which is easy to use in both the home and in communal settings such as bars and restaurants. It is characterised by comprising (1) a container for receiving the liquid to be dispensed; (2) a reservoir for containing a gas which is substantially insoluble in water and at a pressure above atmospheric; (3) a foam-dispensing nozzle assembly including a dispensing unit comprising a means for creating a laminar flow of the foamed mixture and / or one or more gas—liquid mixing element(s) located upstream thereof and (4) a trigger for causing discharge of the foam from the foam-dispensing nozzle assembly. In the embodiment described in this patent application the reservoir is typically comprised of one or more appropriate couplings to the body of the device and one or more cartridges of gas which can be purchased separately. In use, these cartridge(s) are attached to the coupling(s) where they are pierced by, for example, a needle-like arrangement thereby releasing pressurised gas into the body of the device. When the pressurised contents of the cartridge(s) are then exhausted, the cartridge(s) themselves can be detached and disposed of or recycled. This design suffers from the drawback that additional purchase of fresh cartridges from a supplier is necessary from time to time which not only represents an ongoing cost to the user but is also not environmentally desirable. We have now developed an improved version of this design which provides a technical solution to overcoming these drawbacks. The improved design allows the container to be repressurised as many times as the user requires without additional ancillary purchases. This improved version also has the further advantage of allowing the user to better control the degree to which the container is pressurised thereby making the device not only safer to use but also capable of delivering a more reproducible foamed product. Thus, according to the present invention, there is provided a device for dispensing a foamed liquid characterised by comprising: • a portable assembly including; o container for receiving the liquid to be dispensed and pressurised gas; o a foam-dispensing nozzle assembly attachable to the container including a dispensing unit comprising a means for creating a laminar flow of a foamed mixture and / or one or more gas—liquid mixing element(s) located upstream thereof; o a trigger for actuating discharge of the foamed mixture from the foam-dispensing nozzle assembly; o a first coupling means including a non-return valve for allowing ingress of a pressurised gas into the container and • a base assembly for delivering compressed gas to the portable assembly comprising; o a gas compressor, o a second coupling means adapted to cooperate with the first coupling means and allow opening of the non-return valve and o a manifold including a multi-port valve connected respectively to the compressor, the second coupling means and optionally an exhaust pathway to allow release of pressure from the base assembly. Suitably, the foamed liquid dispensed by the device is foamed cold-brew coffee, cold tea, foamed novelty cocktails and other cold beverages which would otherwise be served flat. It may also be used for foaming dairy products such as milk or cream or rejuvenating other gaseous drinks which have gone flat over time; for example, flat beer or lager. The device of the present invention is comprised of two components which are hereinafter referred to respectively as the portable assembly and the base assembly. It will be appreciated that these components may either be provided as a single kit of parts or as individual items (e.g.as replacement or additional parts). In particular, it is envisaged that the user may wish to have a single base assembly and multiple portable assemblies; for reasons of economy, hygiene or to dispense differing types of beverage such as dairy and non-dairy products. Turning first to the components of the portable assembly, in one embodiment, the container comprises an elongate flask with a threaded end which may be attached to a lid on which the dispensing unit and / or the trigger may be mounted. Optionally, as explained below, in some embodiments, an additional gas reservoir may also be mounted. Typically, the container will be made of metal, an engineering plastic or other robust material able to withstand the required internal overpressure. In another embodiment, the lid may further include a pressure-release valve to ensure the device is not over-pressurised. In yet another embodiment, the container may be wholly or partially transparent enabling the user to determine the level of liquid within. If desired, the container may be double-walled akin to a vacuum flask thereby enabling the liquid contents to be kept warmer or colder than ambient temperature. The foam-dispensing nozzle assembly is, in one embodiment, hollow and attached to the lid of the container by means of a screw-thread. Generally, it will comprise a housing tapered in the direction of its outlet and will comprise a means for creating a laminar flow of the foamed mixture and / or one or more gas-liquid mixing element(s) located upstream thereof. The means for creating this laminar flow will, in one embodiment, comprise a perforated element enabling multiple streams of the gas / liquid mixture to be dispensed as a foam under conditions of laminar flow. In another, it will also include a flow-directing insert. In one example, this perforated element will be located immediately upstream of the nozzle by means of a seating which enables it to be easily removed for cleaning. In another embodiment, this element may be a perforated disc of metal, plastic or ceramic with the associated perforations being large enough to facilitate laminar flow therethrough but small enough to prevent particulate matter of significant size to exit the device. Turing to the gas-liquid mixing element(s), in one embodiment these may comprise one or more Venturi mixers where acceleration of liquid flow through a hollow tubing (e.g., by means of a variable bore size) can be used to induce gas introduction and mixing by means of suction. In another, the elements may comprise of Coanda mixers. In yet another example, these elements may comprise one or more jet-mixing elements akin to an aerator of the type used in household taps to aerate or mix hot and cold-water streams. In one embodiment, such element(s) comprise hollow perforated plastic inserts which are arranged in series along the axis of liquid flow and located in the body of the assembly thereby making them easily removable for cleaning or replacement purposes. In another embodiment, the gas-liquid mixer(s) and means for creating the laminar flow are located in separate sub-components of the foam-dispensing nozzle assembly which are adapted to connect one another; e.g., by means of a screw thread or snap-fit. The trigger mechanism employed in the portable assembly is conveniently one which is hand-operated and operable to control ingress of the gas and / or liquid into the dispensing unit and / or egress of the gas-liquid mixture from the foam-dispensing assembly generally. The portable assembly further includes a first coupling means which is designed to cooperate with a corresponding second coupling means located on the base assembly. In one embodiment this first coupling means will be located in the base of the container so that the container itself can sit on a plinth forming part of the base assembly from which the second coupling means protrude. In one embodiment this pair of coupling means is provided with elements on each part which when the portable assembly is located on plinth can be caused to cooperate and form a pressure-tight seal. In one embodiment, these elements are designed to perform an additional locking or latching duty to prevent the two assemblies becoming accidentally detached during the pressurisation of the portable assembly. An example of such a locking mechanism would be camlike arrangement designed to lock by means of a quarter or half turn rotation of the base of the portable assembly relative to the base assembly and / or the plinth. The first coupling means also includes a non-return valve which ensures that when the portable and base assemblies are separated excess pressure and / or any liquid contents do not leak from the container. In one optional embodiment, the portable element may additionally include a separate gas reservoir which is either attached to or integral within the container. This gas reservoir may in one embodiment further include a valve enabling it gaseous contents to be isolated from the inside of the container. In another embodiment, the reservoir may be temporarily detachable from the container and include a sealing arrangement (for example multiple valves) to prevent pressurised gas escaping from wither the container or the reservoir during the process of detachment. In one embodiment this reservoir may be used to introduce at pressure a gas other than the air provided by the base assembly. Turning to the base assembly, in one embodiment, this suitably comprised a plastic or metal housing in which its various components are contained. As explained above, this housing in one embodiment includes a flat plinth designed to lie horizontal when the base assembly is located on a flat worktop. In this arrangement, the second coupling means then protrudes upwards from the base; for example, partially encased in a plastic or metal sheath. The compressor located in the housing is typically electrically operated and is attached to a manifold including multi-port valve, typically an electrically operated solenoid valve or the like. This valve may in one embodiment comprise two or preferably three-attachment ports. In these designs, the second port is attached to the second coupling means and the optional third port to an exhaust pathway able to let down pressure in the base assembly when pressurisation of the portable assembly is complete. The components of the base assembly are suitably connected by electric circuitry which in turn is powered, for example, by a domestic power supply or lithium-ion battery. In one embodiment, this circuitry may also optionally include a controller to actuate the compressor and multi-port valve. This controller may suitably include a microprocessor to control the pressurising process according to programmes having defined outcomes of final pressure. Such a controller may also be attached to pressure sensors included within the manifold to record the pressure of gas in the system and / or ensure that the compressor is caused to cut out when a desired pressure is reached. In one embodiment, the microprocessor employs software which is designed to detect if the coupling made between the first and second coupling means is faulty; for example by failing to cause the non-return valve to open during pressurisation. Additionally or alternatively, it may detect if the container itself, especially the non-return valve when closed, is leaky. If necessary, the base assembly may also include a cooling fan and / or cooling vents in the housing. In operation, once the portable and base assemblies are locked together to create an airtight seal and the compressor switched on, pressure in the manifold causes the non-return valve in the container to open allowing ingress of pressurised gas. Once pressurisation is complete and the portable and base assemblies disconnected, the internal pressure in the container ensures that the non-return valve remains shut. In an alternative arrangement, the non-return valve can be opened and closed by an electrically operated piston or plunger arrangement disposed within the base assembly. The invention is now illustrated with reference to the Figure in which a base assembly comprises hollow plastic housing 1 provided with side vents (not shown) and in which is located electrically powered air compressor 2, a unit containing a three-port solenoid valve 3 and control box 4 which is electrically connected to the other components and to a domestic source of AC electricity. 3 is connected to the outlet of 2 by means of pressure tubing 5 and by pressure tubing 6 to coupling 7. 7 extends upwards from plinth 8 and is designed to make a lockable, air tight seal with a corresponding coupling 9 located in the base of 10 which contains a one-way pressure-actuated valve. In use, coupling between 7 and 9 is achieved by locating 10 on 8 using annular guiding ring 11 integral with 8 and using a quarter-turn twisting of locking elements on 9 relative to corresponding elements on 7. The remainder of the base assembly comprises pressure sensor 12 connected electrically and by a data feed-back loop to 4 and to pressure gauge 13 located on the outside of 1. 4 is attached to on-off switch 14 also located on the outside of 1. The portable assembly in this example is similar in design to that illustrated in WO 2019 / 057983 with the omission of an external metal cartridge housing a pressurised gas reservoir. This can be achieved for example by replacing this component with a threaded blanking plug. In addition to 10, the portable assembly comprises cap 15 which can be connected to 10 by means of threaded connector 16. Attached to 15 is trigger 17, trigger nozzle assembly 18 and nozzle 19. 18 includes a dispensing unit of the type illustrated in the above-mentioned patent application to create foam. Finally, 10 comprises recess 20 in its base which houses 9 and is designed to encapsulate 7 when the portable assembly is being pressurised. To use the device, 10 is first located on 4 and an air-tight seal created by locking 7 and 9 together. Thereafter 2 is switched on and 3 actuated so that lines and 5 and 6 become pressurised. This in turn causes the one-way valve in 9 to open and the inside of 10 to become pressurised. When the desired pressure has been reached as shown by 13, 2 is switched off either manually or automatically by 4. At the same time 3 is actuated to release pressure from the base assembly via exhaust pipe 21. This, in turn, causes the one-way valve in 9 to close enabling the coupling previously formed by 7 and 9 to be unlocked. In doing so, 10 remains pressurised and can be removed from 4 for subsequent use.

Claims

1. A device for dispensing a foamed liquid characterised by comprising:• a portable assembly including;o container for receiving the liquid to be dispensed and pressurised gas;o a foam-dispensing nozzle assembly attachable to the container including a dispensing unit comprising a means for creating a laminar flow of a foamed mixture and / or one or more gas—liquid mixing element(s) located upstream thereof;o a trigger for actuating discharge of the foamed mixture from the foamdispensing nozzle assembly;o a first coupling means including a non-return valve for allowing ingress of a pressurised gas into the container and• a base assembly for delivering compressed gas to the portable assembly comprising;o a gas compressor,o a second coupling means adapted to cooperate with the first coupling means and allow opening of the non-return valve,o a manifold including a multi-port valve connected respectively to the compressor, the second coupling means,wherein the components of the base assembly are connected by electric circuitry, which circuitry includes a controller, and wherein the controller actuates the compressor and the multi-port valve and includes a microprocessor to control the pressurising process according to programmes having defined outcomes of final pressure.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the controller is attached to pressure sensors included within the manifold to record the pressure of gas in the system and / or to ensure that the compressor is caused to cut out when a desired pressure is reached.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the microprocessor employssoftware which is designed to detect if the coupling made between the first and second coupling means is faulty and / or if the container or the non-return valve is leaky.

4. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims characterised in that the multiport valve is a three-port solenoid valve.

5. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims characterised in that the multiport valve is also connected to an exhaust pathway to allow release of pressure from the base assembly.

6. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims characterised in that the nonreturn valve is pressure actuated when the first and second coupling means are connected and pressurised.

7. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims characterised that the first and second coupling means are adapted to interlock to create a pressure-tight seal.

8. A device as claimed in claim 6 characterised in that the first and second coupling means are interlocked by associated elements defining a quarter-turn locking cam.

9. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims characterised in that the portable assembly further includes a gas reservoir or gas reservoir zone integral with or attachable to the container for receiving pressurised gas from the base assembly.

10. A device as claimed in claim 9 characterised by including a valve for isolating the contents of the reservoir from the container.

11. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims characterised in that the foamdispensing nozzle assembly, trigger and optionally the reservoir are attached to a lid which is attachable to the container by means of a threaded connector.

12. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims characterised in that the gasliquid mixing element(s) comprise at least one of a Venturi mixer, a jet mixer or a Coanda mixer.

13. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims characterised in that the gasliquid mixing element(s) comprises one or more hollow perforated aerator inserts arranged along the axis of liquid flow.5 14. A device as claimed in any of the preceding claims characterised in that the gasliquid mixing element(s) and the means for creating a laminarfloware contained within the foam-dispensing nozzle assembly and removable therefrom.

15. A device as claimed in claim 14 characterised in that the gas-liquid mixing10 element(s) and the means for creating a laminar flow are arranged in separatesubcomponents of the foam dispensing nozzle assembly which are adapted to connect to one another.15

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