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US 9,423,051 B2Granted
Dispensing carbonated beverages from a closed package
AssigneeThe Coca-Cola Company
InventorsHans Jaeger, Alain Saurer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A mechanism to dispense a carbonated beverage from a closed package may include reducing a pressure of a gas from a cartridge using one or more pressure regulators coupled to the cartridge. Further, the flow rate of the gas having the reduced pressure may be regulated using a flow regulator coupled to the one or more pressure regulators. The flow regulator may be coupled to a dispensing head comprising a sequential arrangement of a snifting valve and a dispensing valve. Using the sequential arrangement, the gas whose flow rate is regulated may be released into the closed package to dispense a carbonated beverage in the closed container at a controlled rate to minimize a foaming.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- reducing, by a first pressure regulator, a pressure of a gas from a first pressure to a second pressure;
- reducing, by a second pressure regulator coupled to the first pressure regulator, the pressure of the gas from the second pressure to a third pressure;
- regulating, by a flow regulator coupled to the second pressure regulator, a rate of flow of the gas having the third pressure and delivered into a container, adapted to be coupled to the flow regulator and adapted to hold a carbonated beverage, so as to dispense the carbonated beverage to another container such that a foaming generated by dispensing the carbonated beverage to the another container is controlled;
- and
- stopping the dispensing of the carbonated beverage by opening a snifting vent of a dispensing head coupled to the flow regulator and the container in order to release a dispensing pressure associated with dispensing the carbonated beverage from the container to the another container.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- releasing, by a snifting valve, a pressure from a container comprising a carbonated beverage to substantially equalize the pressure inside the container to an atmospheric pressure prior to dispensing the carbonated beverage;
- responsive to substantially equalizing the pressure, controlling, by the snifting valve, a position of a dispensing valve sequentially coupled to the snifting valve to create an opening for the carbonated beverage to be dispensed from the container;
- and
- building, based on a sequential combination of a first pressure regulator, a second pressure regulator and a flow regulator, a dispensing pressure inside the container to dispense the carbonated beverage to another container at a controlled flow rate.
1 more element
A method comprising:
- regulating, by a sequential combination of one or more pressure regulators and a flow control valve, a rate of flow of a gas and a pressure of the gas from a cartridge to a closed container to dispense a beverage from the closed container at a desired flow rate, wherein the closed container is adapted to be coupled to the sequential combination via a dispensing head and adapted to hold the beverage;
- stabilizing, by a snifting valve of the dispensing head, a pressure inside the closed container to an ambient atmospheric pressure associated with an external environment of the closed container prior to dispensing the beverage;
- and
- stopping, by the snifting valve, the dispensing of the carbonated beverage by opening a snifting vent of a dispensing head in order to release a dispensing pressure associated with dispensing the carbonated beverage from the closed container.
1 more element
An apparatus comprising:
- a first pressure regulator configured to reduce a pressure of a gas from a first pressure to a second pressure;
- a second pressure regulator coupled to the first pressure regulator configured to reduce the pressure of the gas from the second pressure to a third pressure;
- a flow regulator coupled to the second pressure regulator configured to regulate a flow of the gas having the third pressure released into a closed container that is to be coupled to the flow regulator and comprising a carbonated beverage, to dispense the carbonated beverage at a controlled flow rate;
- and
- a dispensing head coupled to the flow regulator configured to stabilize, by a snifting valve of the dispensing head, a pressure inside the closed container to an atmospheric pressure associated with an external environment of the closed container,
- wherein the snifting valve is operable to substantially equalize the pressure inside the closed container to the atmospheric pressure by a controlled releasing of the pressure inside the closed container prior to dispensing the carbonated beverage in the closed container,
- wherein the snifting valve is operable to create an opening for the controlled releasing of the pressure inside the closed container, and
- wherein the snifting valve is adapted to close the opening when the pressure inside the closed container is substantially equalized to the atmospheric pressure.
5 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a first pressure regulator configured to reduce a pressure of a gas from a first pressure to a second pressure;
- a second pressure regulator coupled to the first pressure regulator configured to reduce the pressure of the gas from the second pressure to a third pressure;
- a flow regulator coupled to the second pressure regulator configured to regulate a flow of the gas having the third pressure released into a closed container that is to be coupled to the flow regulator and comprising a carbonated beverage, to dispense the carbonated beverage at a controlled flow rate;
- and
- a dispensing head coupled to the flow regulator configured to stabilize, by a snifting valve of the dispensing head, a pressure inside the closed container to an atmospheric pressure associated with an external environment of the closed container,
- wherein the snifting valve is operable to stop the dispensing of the carbonated beverage by creating an opening to release a dispensing pressure that dispenses the carbonated beverage from the closed container to another container.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.