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US 12,098,010 B2Granted
Container for storing, transporting and dispensing a beverage
AssigneeSquare Keg, LLC
InventorTim Loucks
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A container for storing, shipping and dispensing a beverage comprises a generally rectilinear body defining an interior volume and having, a generally planar front side, a generally planar rear side, a generally planar first lateral side, and a generally planar second lateral side, and plural curvilinear corner portions, and a top, and a bottom, and a tap coupler anchor defining a spear hole that communicates with the interior volume, and the tap coupler anchor releasably engages with a dispensing coupler which fluidically communicates with the spear hole to dispense the beverage from within the interior volume of the generally rectilinear body.
Claims20
A container for storing, shipping and dispensing a beverage comprising:
- a generally rectilinear body formed of stainless steel and defining an interior volume, the generally rectilinear stainless steel body having,
- a generally planar front side, a generally planar rear side, a generally planar first lateral side, and a generally planar second lateral side, and
- plural curvilinear corner portions, each curvilinear corner portion structurally interconnecting adjacent side edges of the generally planar front side, the generally planar rear side, the generally planar first lateral side and the generally planar second lateral side, and
- a top structurally interconnected to top edges of the generally planar front side, the generally planar rear side, the generally planar first lateral side and the generally planar second lateral side, and the top is generally horizontal relative to vertical, and
- a bottom structurally interconnected to bottom edges of the generally planar front side, the generally planar rear side, the generally planar first lateral side and the generally planar second lateral side, and the bottom is generally horizontal relative to vertical;
- and wherein
- a single spear hole is defined in the generally rectilinear body at a location that is not the top of the generally rectilinear body, and the single spear hole communicates with the interior volume of the generally rectilinear body;
- and
- a tap coupler anchor is structurally carried by the generally rectilinear body about the single spear hole, and the tap coupler anchor is accessible for interconnection to a dispensing means when plural of the containers for storing, shipping and dispensing a beverage are stacked one on top of another, top to bottom.
6 more elements
A container for storing, shipping and dispensing a bulk quantity of beverage comprising:
- a generally rectilinear stainless steel body defining an interior volume, the generally rectilinear body having,
- a front side, a rear side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side, each of the front side, the rear side, the first lateral side and the second lateral side having spaced apart opposing side edges, spaced apart opposing top and bottom edges, an interior facing surface and an exterior facing surface, and
- plural curvilinear corner portions, and each of the plural curvilinear corner portions define a radius and structurally interconnects adjacent side edges of the front side, the rear side, the first lateral side and the second lateral side, and
- a top that is generally horizontal relative to vertical and having plural opposing and spaced apart edge portions and an inwardly/downwardly protruding center portion, and the plural opposing and spaced apart edge portions of the top are structurally interconnected to the top edge of the front side, the rear side, the first lateral side and the second lateral side, and
- a bottom that is generally horizontal relative to vertical and having plural opposing and spaced apart edge portions and an outwardly/downwardly protruding center portion, and the plural opposing and spaced apart edge portions of the bottom are structurally interconnected to the bottom edge of the front side, the rear side, the first lateral side and the second lateral side, and
- plural concave and inwardly protruding annular depressions defined in, and spacedly arrayed about the generally rectilinear body, each of the plural concave and inwardly protruding annular depressions extending circumferentially about the generally rectilinear body spacedly between the top and bottom of the generally rectilinear body,
- a top handle structurally interconnected to the generally rectilinear body at the top of the generally rectilinear body, the top handle having,
- a tubular handle rail with plural spaced apart side portions, each tubular handle rail side portion having two opposing ends, and
- plural handle rail corner portions structurally interconnecting adjacent ends of the plural tubular handle rail side portions of the tubular handle rail, and
- plural top handle supports, each top handle support having a top edge, a bottom edge and two opposing end portions, and each top handle support structurally interconnects, at the top edge thereof, with one of the plural handle rail corner portions of the top handle, and the bottom edge is structurally interconnected with the generally rectilinear body proximate the top of the generally rectilinear body, each of the plural top handle supports defining a cutout, and the plural top handle supports position the top handle spacedly above the top of the generally rectilinear body;
- a bottom flange structurally interconnected to the generally rectilinear body proximate the bottom of the generally rectilinear body, the bottom flange having,
- plural spaced apart side portions, each side portion having a top edge and a bottom edge and two opposing and spaced apart end portions, and
- plural corner portions, each of the plural corner portions structurally interconnecting adjacent end portions of the plural side portions of the bottom flange, and the top edge of each of the plural bottom flange side portions is structurally interconnected to the bottom of the generally rectilinear body, and
- a tubular bottom rail structurally interconnected to the bottom edge of each of the plural bottom edge flange side portions and to the bottom edge of each of the plural bottom flange corner portions;
- and
- a distance dimension between exterior facing surfaces of diametrically opposing side portions of the bottom flange is less than a distance dimension between interior facing surfaces of diametrically opposing side portions of the top handle so that the bottom flange of the generally rectilinear body axially fits within the top handle of a second generally rectilinear body to facilitate vertical stacking of plural generally rectilinear bodies;
- and
- a single spear hole is defined in the generally rectilinear body at a location that is not the top of the generally rectilinear body, and the single spear hole communicates with the interior volume of the generally rectilinear body;
- and
- a tap coupler anchor is structurally carried by the generally rectilinear body about the single spear hole, and the tap coupler anchor is accessible for interconnection to a dispensing means when plural of the containers for storing, shipping and dispensing a beverage are stacked one on top of another top to bottom.
17 more elements
A container for storing, shipping and dispensing a bulk quantity of beverage comprising:
- a generally rectilinear stainless steel body defining an interior volume, the generally rectilinear stainless steel body having,
- a planar front side, a planar rear side, a planar first lateral side and a planar second lateral side, each of the planar front side, the planar rear side, the planar first lateral side and the planar second lateral side having spaced apart opposing side edges, spaced apart opposing top and bottom edges, an interior facing surface and an exterior facing surface, and
- plural curvilinear corner portions, and each of the plural curvilinear corner portions define a radius and structurally interconnects adjacent side edges of the planar front side, the planar rear side, the planar first lateral side and the planar second lateral side, and
- a planar top having plural opposing and spaced apart edge portions, and the plural opposing and spaced apart edge portions of the planar top are structurally interconnected to the top edge of the planar front side, the planar rear side, the planar first lateral side and the planar second lateral side, and
- a planar bottom having plural opposing and spaced apart edge portions, and the plural opposing and spaced apart edge portions of the planar bottom are structurally interconnected to the bottom edge of the planar front side, the planar rear side, the planar first lateral side and the planar second lateral side;
- and wherein
- the planar front side is parallel to the planar rear side, and the planar first lateral side is parallel to the planar second lateral side, and the planar top is parallel to the planar bottom, and
- a single spear hole is defined in the generally rectilinear stainless steel body at a location that is not the top of the generally rectilinear stainless steel body, and the single spear hole communicates with the interior volume of the generally rectilinear stainless steel body;
- and
- a tap coupler anchor is structurally carried by the generally rectilinear stainless steel body about the single spear hole, and the tap coupler anchor is accessible for interconnection to a dispensing means when plural of the containers for storing, shipping and dispensing a beverage are stacked one on top of another top to bottom.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.