Tapping Head Cooling Chamber for Hygienic Beverage Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tapping devices for beverages, especially those containing natural ingredients like yeast and hops, face challenges in effectively cooling the beverage and limiting bacterial growth, as they are often large, costly, and energetically disadvantageous.
Innovation Solution
A tapping head with a connecting head and a cooling chamber that is thermally connected to a housing, allowing coolant to flow through a portion of the tapping head to cool the beverage and the device, while also enabling the use of existing cooling systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a cask is set up in a refrigerator or a beverage line is cooled, then the beverage is cooled and quality is preserved, but the device becomes large, costly, and energetically disadvantageous
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling chamber is integrated directly into the tapping head structure, merging the cooling function with the existing beverage dispensing component. This eliminates the need for separate refrigeration equipment or extensive cooling lines, thereby reducing device size and cost while maintaining effective beverage cooling
Solution Approach 2:
Cooling is applied locally at the tapping head where the beverage is dispensed, rather than cooling the entire beverage line or storing the cask in a refrigerator. This localized approach reduces energy consumption and device complexity while achieving the desired cooling effect at the point of use
2Temperature
If a cask is set up in a refrigerator, then beverage cooling is achieved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling chamber pre-cools the beverage as it passes through the tapping head, preparing the beverage for dispensing without requiring continuous refrigeration of the entire cask or beverage line. This preliminary cooling action reduces the overall energy required compared to maintaining a refrigerator
3Object-affected harmful factors
If cooling is applied to limit bacterial growth, then beverage hygiene is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling function is merged with the tapping head structure, creating a compact integrated system that limits bacterial growth through localized cooling without requiring complex separate refrigeration equipment or extensive cooling infrastructure
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
This solution provides efficient cooling of the beverage and the tapping device, preserving the quality and hygiene of the beverage, while reducing the size, cost, and energy consumption of the tapping system.
Implementation Method 1
at least one cooling chamber (34) having an entrance (35) and an exit (36), separate from the beverage channel (24) and/or the gas channel (25), which cooling chamber (34) is in thermal contact with the housing (20)
Data Source
AI summary
A tapping head, provided with a connecting head near an end of a housing, wherein the tapping head is provided with at least one of a beverage channel which extends from a beverage line connection into the connecting head and a gas channel which extends from a gas line connection, wherein the tapping head is provided with at least one cooling chamber with an entrance and an exit, separate from the beverage channel and/or the gas channel, which cooling chamber is in thermal contact with the housing.