Dispense head with pressure equalising valve

Abstract

The present invention relates to a dispense head configured to be coupled to a beverage container above a container valve arranged in the beverage container in a dispensing system, the dispense head comprising a housing having a first end and a second end, a hollow piston arranged displaceably in an axial direction within the housing, the piston being connected to a handle so that upon activation of the handle, the piston will be displaced axially towards and beyond a second end of the housing in order to open the container valve, and a gas inlet arranged in the housing, which via a fluid channel is fluidly connected with a space extending along the piston and between the housing and the piston, wherein the housing comprises an opening extending through the housing and being in fluid communication with the fluid channel, and wherein a valve is arranged in the fluid channel opposite the opening, the valve having a first position in which the gas inlet is fluidly connected with an inside of the beverage container when the piston has opened the container valve, and a second position in which the gas inlet is closed and the inside of the beverage container is fluidly connected with the opening so that a gas present in the beverage container may be pressure equalised with the environment before the dispense head is decoupled from the beverage container. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a dispensing system for dispensing beverage and to a method for dispensing beverage.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.