Modulated pressure control of beverage fill flow
OwnerJared Jones, William Jones +1inventors
InventorsJared Jones, William Jones, Matthew Wetterlin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus of filing beverage combines pressurized beverage delivery (rather than gravity feed) with variable pressure control of the gas flow from the can during snift. By modulating beverage flow and especially pressure, it is possible to saturate a beverage, or optionally fill a can's widget with gas with a shorter set of fill steps. In addition, the speed of beverage filling can be dramatically increased compared to small scale systems normally used. Unlike known large scale pressure systems, the beverage bowl may be located beneath the rest of the apparatus and modulated pressure may be used, making for a smaller and more portable unit.
Claims8
A beverage filling machine for use with a beverage can having an open top, the beverage filling machine comprising:
- a first fill station, the first fill station dimensioned and configured to hold such beverage can in place for filling;
- a fill head dimensioned and configured to be lowered to sit atop such beverage can, the fill head in liquid and gas communication with such beverage can;
- a beverage supply bowl;
- a pressurized gas source;
- a first snift line connecting the fill head to a purge;
- a first variable progressive valve on the snift line.
A method of filling a beverage can having an open top and a widget, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a beverage filling machine comprising:
- a first fill station, the first fill station dimensioned and configured to hold such beverage can in place for filling;
- a fill head dimensioned and configured to sit atop such beverage can, the fill head in liquid and gas communication with such beverage can;
- a beverage supply bowl;
- a pressurized gas source;
- a snift line connecting the fill head to a purge;
- a first variable progressive valve on the snift line;
- positioning such can in the first fill station;
- sealing the fill head to the top of such beverage can;
- in a first pressurization and first purge step, flowing gas from the pressurized gas source to the fill head and then into such can while allowing air within such can to leave the can via the snift line, thereby pressurizing the can with gas;
- in a second pressurization and purge step, pressurizing such can from the beverage supply bowl rather than the gas source and allowing pressure in such can to equalize to pressure in the beverage supply bowl and thereby creating counterpressure for later steps of the filing;
- maintaining the counter pressure while supplying liquid from the beverage supply bowl to such can;
- allowing the liquid to settle in such can whereby gas remaining in such can gathers at the top of such can;
- snifting the can by partially opening the first variable progressive valve on the snift line, the partial opening sufficient to allow such can to depressurize down to an ambient air pressure by purging via the snift line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.