초록 ▼

Beverage dispensing apparatus comprising a self-regulating flow rate control means (5). It comprises: A pressurized container (30, 31) containing a beverage to be dispensed; A dispensing duct (1) defined by at least one wall and bringing in fluid communication the liquid beverage contained in the co

Beverage dispensing apparatus comprising a self-regulating flow rate control means (5). It comprises: A pressurized container (30, 31) containing a beverage to be dispensed; A dispensing duct (1) defined by at least one wall and bringing in fluid communication the liquid beverage contained in the container through a first opening (1a) with the exterior via a valve (35) and out of a second opening (1b), for drawing beverage out of the container. At least a section (3) of the wall defining the dispensing duct is resiliently flexible and is such that its inner surface, facing the interior of the dispensing duct, is exposed to the pressure, P1, reigning in the duct at that level, and its outer surface, facing out of the duct is exposed to a pressure, P2, substantially equal to the pressure reigning in the container, the resiliently flexible section (3) being suitable for maintaining a substantially constant dispensing flow rate over a given range of operating pressure values, P2, in the container.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A beverage dispensing apparatus for dispensing a beverage comprising: a pressurized container containing a beverage to be dispensed;a dispensing duct defined by at least one wall and bringing in fluid communication the liquid beverage contained in the container through a first opening with the ex

1. A beverage dispensing apparatus for dispensing a beverage comprising: a pressurized container containing a beverage to be dispensed;a dispensing duct defined by at least one wall and bringing in fluid communication the liquid beverage contained in the container through a first opening with the exterior via a valve and out of a second opening, for drawing beverage out of the container; wherein: at least a section of the at least one wall defining the dispensing duct is resiliently flexible and is such that its inner surface, facing the interior of the dispensing duct, is exposed to the pressure, P1, reigning in the duct at that level, and its outer surface, facing out of the dispensing duct is exposed to a pressure substantially equal to the pressure, P2, reigning in the container, the resiliently flexible section being deformable such as to maintain a substantially constant dispensing flow rate over a given range of operating pressure values, P2, in the container by reducing the cross-section area of the dispensing duct with increasing pressure gradient, ΔP2-1, across the flexible wall section of the ducts, wherein the apparatus further comprises:a blind duct opening at the interior of the container and sharing at least a wall with the dispensing duct including the flexible section thereof; andwherein the flexible section is not located within the container. 2. The dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flexible section is in the form of any of: (a) a tubular sleeve joining two relatively rigid sections of the dispensing duct;(b) a flexible sheet closing an open window on the at least one wall defining the dispensing duct; and(c) two or more such windows closed by a flexible sheet distributed along the periphery of a given section of the dispensing duct;wherein the at least one wall defining the dispensing duct at and adjacent the flexible section comprises planar or curved sections. 3. The dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the blind duct surrounds the resiliently flexible section is a tubular sleeve. 4. The dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container comprises a closure, through which passes the dispensing duct, and the flexible section of the dispensing duct is located either within or downstream from said closure, and the opening to the container of the blind duct is substantially flush with the surface of the closure facing the interior of the container. 5. The dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container is pressurized by at least one of the following means; a pressurized gas cartridge;a gas adsorbed or absorbed on a carrier medium;in plant pre-pressurization of the container by injection of a pressurized gas; and/ora compressors;each of these means being applied such that the pressurized gas is present in, or can be injected upon activation directly into either (a) the container containing the liquid or (b) the inter-space separating an outer container from an inner, flexible bag containing the liquid to be dispensed. 6. The dispensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the flexible section of the wall of the dispensing duct is made of a natural or synthetic rubber, a silicone resin, a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), or is made of the same material as the at least one wall of duct but of substantially thinner section. 7. The dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the dispensing duct outside the flexible section thereof is not constant. 8. The dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, which is a disposable home beer dispenser. 9. A method for producing a flow control means for controlling the flowrate of a liquid flowing through a dispensing duct of a pressure driven beverage dispensing apparatus, said method comprising the following steps: injection moulding two half bodies of a housing, each half body comprising on their inner surface at least one open channel matching at least one open channel of the other half;providing an element comprising a resiliently flexible material, said element being selected from: a sheet or a tubular sleeve made of a resiliently flexible material; ora dispensing duct comprising a flexible section;bringing the two half bodies, with said elements in between, in abutting relationship with the at least one open channel of one half body vis-à-vis the at least one open channel of the other half body to thus form at least one through duct having a first and second openings and a second, blind duct having a single opening;joining the two half bodies and said elements therebetween to form a first through duct and a second, blind duct;wherein the first through duct and the second blind duct share a common wall, including a section thereof being resiliently flexible and formed by the resiliently flexible material of the element.