US 5,267,669 AGranted

Self serve beverage dispenser

OwnerRobert M. Dixon, James E. Richardsoninventors

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Abstract

A beverage dispenser is provided having a hollow shell member having an open end, a beverage receptacle enclosed within the shell member and engaged with the shell member and also having an open end, and a cover member which threadably engages the open end of the shell member and forms a liquid-tight seal with the open end of the beverage receptacle. A spigot for dispensing the beverage is provided and extends through the cover member, and a handle for manipulating the beverage dispenser is provided. For dispensing beer, the shell member is preferably shaped and colored as a beer keg, and the molded surface is formed to simulate a beer keg. Preferred aspects further include: making the beverage receptacle from a deformable plastic material with a beveled opening, and making the cover member with a tapered portion, such that when the cover member is threaded into the shell member the peripheral taper of the cover member forcibly contacts the deformable beveled opening of the beverage receptacle and provides a liquid tight seal between said cover member means and said beverage receptacle means; providing a window in the shell member to permit viewing of liquid level when the beverage dispenser is being filled; a hand grip in the bottom of the shell member to permit easy dunking of the beverage dispenser into water for cleaning; and an indentation on the shell member for receiving a logo of the beverage manufacturer.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A beverage dispenser for dispensing a beverage, comprising:

a) a hollow shell member means having an internally threaded circular opening, and a support means;
b) a beverage receptacle means substantially enclosed within said shell member and engaged with said support means of said shell member, said beverage receptacle means having a circular beveled opening of deformable plastic material positioned below said internally threaded circular opening of said hollow shell member when sad shell member and beverage receptacle means are in a generally upright vertical position with their respective openings on top, said bevel being at a first angle relative to a longitudinal axis of said beverage dispenser, and said beverage receptacle means having a peripheral ridge for engaging said support means of said hollow shell member means;
c) a cover member means having an externally threaded circular peripheral portion for engaging the threaded circular opening of said shell member means and for advancement of the cover member means toward the deformable circular beveled opening of said beverage receptacle means, said cover member means having a circular peripheral tapered portion positioned rearward of its threaded circular peripheral portion, said tapered portion tapering at a second angle relative to said longitudinal axis, to forcibly contact the deformable circular beveled opening of said beverage receptacle to thereby provide a liquid tight seal between said cover member means and said beverage receptacle means;
d) spigot means coupled to said cover member means close to said peripheral portion and offset relative to said longitudinal axis, said spigot means for dispensing said beverage by gravity feed when said shell member and beverage receptacle means are in a generally horizontal position;
and
e) handle means engaging an outer surface of said hollow shell member for manipulating said beverage dispenser.

3 more elements

A beverage dispenser for dispensing a beverage, comprising:

a) a hollow shell member means having a threaded circular opening, a support means, and an outer surface, said outer surface provided with a logo relating to the beverage to be dispensed in said beverage dispenser, and said outer surface being substantially barrel-shaped, colored, striated and grooved to simulate a wooden barrel, and said outer surface having a longitudinally extending slot;
b) a beverage receptacle means enclosed within said shell member and engaged with said support means of said shell member, said beverage receptacle means having a circular opening of deformable plastic material, and said beverage receptacle means is translucent along at least a portion of its surface, and arranged such that said longitudinally extending slot of said shell means exposes said translucent portion of said receptacle means;
c) a cover member means having a threaded circular peripheral portion for engaging the threaded circular opening of said shell member means and for advancement of the cover member means toward the deformable circular beveled opening of said beverage receptacle means, said cover member means having a portion for forcibly contacting the deformable circular opening of said beverage receptacle to thereby provide a liquid tight seal between said cover member means and said beverage receptacle means;
d) spigot means coupled to said cover member means close to said peripheral portion and offset relative to said longitudinal axis, said spigot means for dispensing said beverage by gravity feed when said shell member and beverage receptacle means are in a generally horizontal position;
and
e) handle means engaging an outer surface of said hollow shell member for manipulating said beverage dispenser.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.