Beverage Dispenser Base With External Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beverage dispensers are limited in accommodating beverage containers of various sizes, shapes, and materials due to the requirement for an air-tight or liquid-tight seal, making them unsuitable for a wide range of manufactured containers, especially those containing alcoholic beverages.
Innovation Solution
A beverage dispenser design featuring a base with a vertically-inclined bore and a valve bore that allows for external venting, enabling the use of containers without a need for an air- or liquid-tight seal, and accommodating different sizes and materials through a threaded configuration and optional annular sleeve for secure positioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an air-tight or liquid-tight seal is formed between the bottle and the dispenser, then the reliability of the sealing is improved, but the adaptability to various beverage containers is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the sealing requirement entirely by extracting the seal formation function from the bottle-dispenser interface. Instead of requiring a seal between the bottle neck and dispenser, the system uses an external vent tube that opens to the atmosphere, eliminating the need for an air-tight seal while maintaining proper liquid flow control through the dispensing mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an external vent tube as an intermediary element that provides atmospheric communication without requiring direct contact or sealing between the bottle and dispenser. This mediator allows pressure equalization and liquid flow while accommodating various bottle sizes, shapes, and materials without compromising sealing reliability.
2Reliability
If a vent tube extending upward into the base of the bottle is used, then the fluid communication is maintained, but the adaptability to containers of differing sizes is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of extending the vent tube upward into the bottle base as in prior art, the patent inverts the approach by providing an external vent tube that extends downward or horizontally from the dispenser base to communicate with the bottle exterior or liquid space without requiring internal bottle modification. This allows adaptation to various bottle sizes and shapes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves the venting function from the vertical dimension (extending upward into the bottle) to an external dimension, where the vent tube can be positioned and oriented to accommodate various bottle configurations. This dimensional change allows the same venting function to serve containers of differing sizes and shapes.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If an air-tight seal is required, then the prevention of bacteria build up is improved, but the ease of operation with various containers is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the sealing function from the system, replacing it with an external venting mechanism that maintains liquid flow control without requiring an air-tight seal between the bottle and dispenser, thereby simplifying container compatibility while managing contamination risks through the dispensing design.
Solution Approach 2:
The dispensing system is designed to self-manage contamination prevention through its internal liquid flow control and dispensing mechanism, eliminating the need for complex sealing arrangements that would complicate container compatibility. The system handles hygiene through its operational design rather than through sealing requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design allows for the dispensing of beverages from containers of various sizes and materials, ensuring a non-sealing interface that maintains fluid communication and prevents vacuum formation, enhancing versatility and usability with alcoholic beverages.
Implementation Method 1
a vent formed in the base to maintain fluid communication between the vertically-inclined bore and the atmosphere external to the base
Implementation Method 2
The vertically-inclined bore extends a first pre-defined distance into the base from the upper outside surface
Data Source
AI summary
A beverage dispenser for use with a beverage container containing an alcoholic beverage includes a base with an upper outside surface, a vertically-inclined bore within the base, a valve bore in fluid communication with and transverse to the vertically-inclined bore, and a vent formed in the base to maintain fluid communication between the vertically-inclined bore and the atmosphere external to the base where the vertically-inclined bore extends a first pre-defined distance into the base from the upper outside surface and defines an upper opening in the base for receiving a neck portion of an inverted beverage container and where the valve bore extends a second pre-defined distance into the base and fluidly communicates with a lower portion of the vertically-inclined bore.