BEVERAGE DISPENSING SYSTEM INCLUDING SINGLE USE COLLAPSIBLE KEGS

Abstract

A beverage dispensing system (10) for dispensing a beverage stored in a single use collapsible beverage container (18) including a measuring device (50) for at least retrieving information about the beverage and/or the single use collapsible beverage container (50), and including an electronic sensor (48) device for reading said information from said measuring device (50), thereby establishing digital data representing said information about said beverage and/or said collapsible beverage container (18).

Claims

1. A beverage dispensing system comprising a collapsible beverage container for dispensing a beverage stored in said collapsible beverage container, said collapsible beverage container defining a beverage filled space, a gas-filled head space and a beverage outlet in communication with said beverage filled space for extracting said beverage from said beverage filled space, said beverage dispensing system comprising: a base part adapted to cooperate with a beverage container connector for connecting to said beverage outlet of said collapsible beverage container, a tapping device comprising one or more tapping heads for extracting said beverage from said beverage filled space, a tapping line extending from said beverage container connector to said tapping device, said tapping line comprising one or more beverage lines, and a lid connectable to said base part, said lid and said base part defining a sealed inner space for accommodating and encapsulating said collapsible beverage container, a pressure source in fluid communication with said inner space for pressurizing said inner space for applying a force onto said collapsible beverage container, collapsing said collapsible beverage container and forcing said beverage from said beverage filled space through the tapping line and out through the tapping device, wherein said collapsible beverage container includes a measuring device for at least retrieving information about said beverage and/or said collapsible beverage container, wherein said base part and/or said lid includes an electronic sensor device for reading said information from said measuring device, thereby establishing digital data representing said information about said beverage and/or said collapsible beverage container, wherein said measuring device is in the form of a digital sensor in the form of a wireless electronic device, preferably an NFC- or RFID-tag, said measuring device is in the form of a visible identifier such as a bar code, or combinations thereof.

2. The beverage dispensing system according to claim 1, wherein said collapsible beverage container is for single use.

3. The beverage dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein said electronic sensor device is: a digital sensor device for reading said information from said measuring device, is an NFC- or RFID-reader, a bar code reader, or combinations thereof.

4. The beverage dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein said collapsible beverage container includes a closure adapted to cooperate with said beverage container connector, wherein an identification tag is mounted on the rim of said closure, sealing of said closure or internally in said closure, and optionally wherein the identification tag reader is mounted on the base part adjacent to said closure.

5. The beverage dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein a cooling device is adapted downstream said beverage connector and upstream said tapping device for cooling said tapping line, and said cooling device further comprises a measuring device in the form of a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of a cooling line running adjacent said tapping line and which is mounted on said cooling device.

6. The beverage dispensing system according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein a cooling device is adapted downstream said beverage connector and upstream said tapping device for cooling said tapping line, wherein said tapping line includes a measuring device in the form of a temperature sensor and the measuring device is mounted in the tapping line in close proximity to said tapping device by being mounted within the last 30% of the length of the tapping line measured from the cooling device until the tapping head of the tapping device.

7. The beverage dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein the tapping line comprises a plurality of beverage lines, preferably two to five beverage lines, more preferably three beverage lines, each beverage line corresponding to a specific beverage type and adapted to cooperate with a tapping head of the tapping device, each tapping head corresponding to said beverage type, and in which said beverage line includes a measuring device in the form of a flow sensor, temperature sensor, or a combined flow and temperature sensor.

8. The beverage dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein said base part includes a weighing device, preferably a digital weighing device, for continuously weighing said beverage container during dispensing and establish digital data representing a weight of said beverage container and a flow of beverage through said tapping device deduced via said weight.

9. The beverage dispensing system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said beverage dispensing system comprises: a first pressure sensor for continuously measuring a first pressure within said inner space during dispensing, a second pressure sensor for continuously measuring a second pressure at said tapping device during dispensing, and a digital processing unit for establishing digital data representing a flow of beverage from said beverage filled space through said tapping line and tapping device, deduced via said first pressure and said second pressure.

10. The beverage dispensing system according to claim 9, further comprising a third pressure sensor for continuously measuring the pressure inside said beverage container.

11. The beverage dispensing system according to any preceding claim, wherein said tapping head includes a beverage dispensing control means and a spout for dispensing beverage into a beverage recipient, wherein said tapping head is part of a beverage font, said beverage font being mounted in a bar counter, said bar counter defining an operator side and a customer side opposite said operator side, said beverage dispensing system further including a measuring device in the form of a non-contact measuring device which is integrated in said beverage font and is adapted to detect a parameter or property, such as the temperature, of said beverage recipient.

12. The beverage dispensing system according to claim 11, wherein said non-contact measuring device is a digital sensor in the form of an infrared sensor.

13. The beverage dispensing system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said beverage dispensing system includes a data logging system for retrieving and storing said digital data.

14. A collapsible beverage container for use in the beverage dispensing system according to any of the preceding claims, the collapsible beverage container comprising a collapsible body and a closure with a beverage outlet configured for engagement with the beverage container connector of the beverage dispensing system, the collapsible beverage container further comprising at least one identification tag mounted on a rim of said closure, a sealing of said closure or internally in said closure, and/or on the body of said container, said identification tag readable by a corresponding reader in the beverage dispensing system.

15. The collapsible beverage container according to claim 14, wherein the identification tag is a radio frequency identification tag, such as RFID/NFC, a visible/optical tag, such as a barcode, or a combination thereof.

16. The collapsible beverage container according to any of claims 14-15, wherein the identification tag comprises identification information for uniquely identifying said container.

17. The collapsible beverage container according to any of claims 14-16, wherein the identification tag comprises information selected the group of: type of the beverage, producer of beverage, origin of beverage, production date of beverage, production place of beverage and shipping date of beverage.

18. The collapsible beverage container according to any of claims 14-17, wherein the identification tag comprises at least one of one or more predefined codes for approval by the beverage dispensing system.

19. A kit of parts of the beverage dispensing system according to any of claims 1-13 and the collapsible beverage container according to any of claims 14-18, wherein the beverage dispensing system is configured such that tapping of beverage from said collapsible beverage container is only possible if a predefined match between ID tag and ID reader is achieved.

20. A method of dispensing a beverage stored in a collapsible beverage container in a beverage dispensing system, said collapsible beverage container defining a beverage filled space, a gas-filled head space and a beverage outlet in communication with said beverage filled space for extracting said beverage from said beverage filled space, the method comprising: providing a base part including a beverage container connector for connecting to said beverage outlet of said collapsible beverage container, providing a tapping device comprising one or more tapping heads for extracting said beverage from said beverage filled space, providing a tapping line extending from said container connector to said tapping device, said tapping line comprising one or more beverage lines, and providing a lid connectable to said base part, said lid and said base part defining an inner space for accommodating said collapsible beverage container, and accommodating and encapsulating said collapsible beverage container, providing a pressure source in fluid communication with said inner space for pressurizing said inner space for applying a force onto said collapsible beverage container, collapsing said collapsible beverage container and forcing said beverage from said beverage filled space through the tapping line and out through the tapping device, the method further comprising: installing in said collapsible beverage container a measuring device for at least retrieving information about said beverage and/or said collapsible beverage container, wherein said measuring device is in the form of a digital sensor, and said digital sensor being a wireless electronic device, preferably an RFID-tag, said measuring device is in the form of a visible identifier such as a bar code, or combinations thereof, and installing in said base part and/or said lid, an electronic sensor device, preferably a digital sensor device, adapted to at least reading said information from said measuring device, thereby establishing digital data representing said information about said beverage and/or said collapsible beverage container.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0092] FIG. 1 is a beverage dispensing system as a modular system comprising collapsible beverage filled containers and RFID-system.

[0093] FIG. 2 is an expansion of the bottom portion of a collapsible beverage container of FIG. 1.

[0094] FIG. 3 is a beverage dispensing system having a flexible pressure chamber including a beverage filled keg and weight- and pressure sensors.

[0095] FIG. 4 is an expansion of a portion of the tapping line comprising a combined flow and temperature sensor.

[0096] FIG. 5 shows an illustration of temperature sensor units mounted on the cooling device.

[0097] FIG. 6 shows temperature sensor units mounted close to the tapping device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0098] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a beverage dispensing system 10 having a pressure chamber comprising lid 12 and a rigid base part 14 which are sealed together establishing an inner space or inner volume 16 including a filled single use collapsible beverage container 18. The beverage container 18, also known as keg, is of the collapsible type made of a collapsible polymeric material, thus the term collapsible beverage container. The collapsible beverage container 18 defines a beverage filled space containing the beverage 20, typically being a carbonated beverage such as beer. The beverage container 18 also defines a gas filled head space 22 at its top portion, above the level of the beverage inside the beverage container 18, as better illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0099] The lid 12 and the rigid base part 14 are separable but during operation, they are sealed together for defining the inner space 16 for accommodating the beverage container 18. The lid 12 may e.g. be made of rubber. The collapsible beverage container 18 includes a closure 24 adapted to cooperate with a beverage container connector 26 for connecting the beverage outlet (not shown) of the collapsible beverage container 18 with tapping line 28. The tapping line passes through a cooling device or unit 30 in order to provide the beverage with the appropriate serving temperature, e.g. 3-6 C. for beer. Downstream the cooling device 30, the tapping 28 containing one or more beverage lines 32 reaches tapping device 34. The tapping device 34 comprises one or more tapping heads 36, with each tapping head 36 including a tapping handle 38 to dispense beer into beverage recipient (glass) 40. Temperature sensor units (not shown) on the tapping line mounted close to the tapping device, just before reaching the bottom of font 42 or inside the font 42, may be provided to obtain a near serving temperature of the beer when poured in glass 40. The font 42 is mounted on bar counter 44 and the font has integrated an infrared sensor 46 to read a spot-surface temperature of the glass 40.

[0100] The closure 24 of the collapsible beverage container 18 includes a digital sensor in the form of an RFID-tag 50 for identification of different properties of the beverage 20 and/or the collapsible beverage container 18, such as the age of the collapsible beverage container and hence its quality, type of beer, volume of beverage remaining, etc. On the outside of the bottom of the pressure chamber, that is in the base part, a digital sensor in the form of an RFID-reader 48 is mounted. When pressure is applied and is above e.g. 2 bar, the RFID-reader 48 is activated and initiates the reading process of the RFID-tag 50. The ID of the collapsible beverage container and timestamp is recorded and communicated to a data logging system (not shown). When pressure decreases to below 2 bar, the reader is reactivated and a new timestamp is created for the collapsible beverage container.

[0101] FIG. 2 shows an expanded front view of the bottom portion of collapsible beverage container 18 including closure 24 with RFID-tag 50 incorporated therein. The RFID-tag 50 is mounted on the rim of the closure 24. The RFID-tag may also be mounted (installed) in the sealing of the closure 24. The RFID-tag 50 may also be mounted internally in the closure 24.

[0102] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of beverage dispensing system 10 comprising a single collapsible beverage container contained in the inner space 16 created by the sealing of lid 12 and base part 14, tapping line 28 and tapping device 34, as described in connection with FIG. 1.

[0103] The base part 14 is also connected to a pressure source, such as an air compressor 58. The compressor 58 enables pressurizing the sealed inner volume 16 between the beverage container 18 and the pressure chamber comprising lid 12 and base part 14. When the tapping device 28 is enabling beverage flow, the pressure applied onto the beverage container 18 will result in its gradual collapse, as beverage is forced out of the beverage container 18 and towards the tapping device 28.

[0104] The beverage dispensing system 10 includes a weight sensor 52 and optionally a pressure sensor 54. The weight sensor 52 may be used in order to establish the volume of remaining beverage in the beverage container 18 and the flow of beverage through the tapping device 28. The beverage container 18 includes a digital identifier, such as an RFID tag 50 which is readable by an RFID sensor (not shown) in the pressure chamber or any other suitable location in the beverage dispensing system 10.

[0105] The weight sensor 52 derives the volume of remaining beverage as well as the flow of beverage through the tapping device 28 by continuously weighting the beverage container 18 during dispensing. The initial weight, volume and density of the beverage in the beverage container 18 and the container itself may be entered manually or entered by automatic means as explained below. The remaining volume may simply be derived as the initial volume minus the loss of weight of the container 18 divided by the density of the beverage.

[0106] The pressure sensor 52 measures the pressure at the junction between the tapping line 28 and the tapping device by means of tapping handle 38. When the tapping handle 38 is in closed position (vertical position), the pressure at the junction between the tapping line 28 and the tapping handle 38 will be equal to the pressure inside the pressure chamber as the system is in steady state, i.e. no beverage is flowing. However, during dispensing, a pressure difference relative to the pressure inside the pressure chamber will be identified by the pressure sensor 54. The pressure difference constitutes the pressure drop along the tapping line 28. This gives a clear indication as to whether beverage is flowing through or not. A second pressure sensor 56 may be provided for continuously measuring the pressure within the inner space 16 during dispensing. A third pressure sensor (not shown) may also be provided for continuously measuring the pressure inside the beverage container. Temperature sensor(s) (not shown) may also be adapted for continuously measuring the temperature of the beverage.

[0107] The RFID tag 50 may thus include information about the volume of beverage e.g. in litres, the weight of the beverage container and/or the density of the beverage. The RFID tag 50 may also include information about the kind of beverage, e.g. beer, which kind of beer, e.g. ale, lager etc. and the specification of the beverage, e.g. alcoholic content. This will enable automatic processing of the information. The information may be stored locally or communicated to data logging system at a central data storage location e.g. at the brewery. The flow of beverage and the volume of remaining beverage may be stored as well together with the time and date to enable the generation of statistics for optimizing the supply of beverage from the brewery.

[0108] FIG. 4 is an expansion of a portion of the tapping line 28 coming out of the cooling device 30 and including a combined flow and temperature sensor 60, 60, 60 inserted in each beverage line 32, 32, 32. Each beverage line carries a given type of beverage. The combined flow and temperature sensor is an ultrasonic measuring device, thus avoiding direct contact with the beverage and provides i.a. time-stamped data login and communication with data logging system (not shown).

[0109] FIG. 5 shows an illustration of a particular embodiment of a portion of the beverage dispensing system in which temperature sensors 62 are mounted on (affixed) the cooling device 30 to obtain the temperature of cooling line 64 so that the temperature is measured at the cooling device 30. This enables proper serving temperature in instances where the cooling of the tapping line 28 takes place by a cooling line running adjacent such tapping line (so-called wet Python). The serving temperature of the beverage, when this is a beer, is suitably 3-6 C. This serving temperature (T.sub.serv) may be calculated as the average of the temperature of the cooling line at the point of leaving the cooling device 30 (T1 in C.) and its temperature at the point of entering the cooling device 30 when it is returned (T2 in C.), i.e. T.sub.serv=(T1+T2)/2. Temperature T1 is suitably 3 or 4 C. and since T2 is normally above T1, if T1 is above 6 C., this can immediately be detected as an error message, thus indicating the status of the cooling device, here in particular that the cooling device is not working properly. A measuring device, suitably also in the form of temperature a sensor 62 is also mounted on (affixed) the cooling device 30 on any of beverage lines 32 of the tapping line 28.

[0110] FIG. 6 shows temperature sensors 62 (62, 62, 62) mounted in the tapping line in close proximity to said tapping device 34. By close proximity, is meant the last 20%, preferably the last 10% of the length of the tapping line, measured from the cooling device until the tapping handle 38. Here, the cooling of the beverage lines 32, 32, 32 takes place without the use of a cooling line running adjacent the beverage line (so-called dry Python). A font 42 is provided and the temperature sensors 62 are positioned just before the tapping line 28 enters the font.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0111] 10. Beverage dispensing system [0112] 12. Flexible lid [0113] 14. Base part [0114] 16. Inner space [0115] 18. Collapsible beverage container [0116] 20. Beverage [0117] 22. Head space [0118] 24. Closure [0119] 26. Connector [0120] 28. Tapping line [0121] 30. Cooling device [0122] 32. Beverage line [0123] 34. Tapping device [0124] 36. Tapping head [0125] 38. Tapping handle [0126] 40. Beverage recipient (glass) [0127] 42. Font [0128] 44. Bar counter [0129] 46. IR-sensor [0130] 48. RFID-reader [0131] 50. RFID-tag [0132] 52. Weight sensor [0133] 54. Pressure sensor [0134] 56. Pressure sensor [0135] 58. Compressor [0136] 60. Combined flow and temperature sensor [0137] 62. Temperature sensors [0138] 64. Cooling line