Portable beverage dispenser

Abstract: A portable beverage dispenser (10) to be supported on the back of a vendor eg. at a football match, comprises an insulated tank (12) having an internal compartment (22) to receive the beverage. A dispensing hose assembly (18) extends from a side wall (142) of the tank (12) in fluid communication with the bottom of the compartment (22), and a hand operated pump (14) is arranged to introduce air into the top of the compartment (22) to pressurize the beverage. The handle (84) of the pump (14) is located adjacent the outlet end (118) of a cup dispenser (16) on a side wall (98,100) of the tank (12) so that the vendor can hold the dispensing hose (118) in one hand, and use the other hand to dispense cups (132) and to pressurize the compartment (22), as required.

Description: This invention relates to portable beverage dispensers, and more specifically to portable beverage dispensers which easily can be carried by a vendor for dispensing hot or cold beverages, e.g at an athletic event or football match. It is known for vendors to carry containers of soda, beer, coffee, hot chocolate and the like for sale to the fans. This has proven to be a cumbersome and relatively expensive means of distributing beverages. It is known from Australian patent application AU-A-212578 to provide a portable beverage dispenser to be supported on the back of a user comprising a thermally insulated tank having an internal compartment to receive the beverage, an inlet for introducing beverage into the compartment, hand operated pump means for introducing a pressurising gas into the compartment, a discharge passage extending from the compartment at a lower end thereof through a side wall of the tank and connected to a dispensing hose assembly for delivering the beverage under pressure, and a stack of cups in a dispenser therefor mounted at one side of the tank. The known apparatus includes a pump handle on the top wall of the tank, well away from the cup dispenser, where it is awkward and inconvenient to use. It is one object of the invention to provide a beverage dispenser which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. Accordingly in on aspect a dispenser as defined above is characterised in that the cup dispensing means and the pump means are located on one side wall and the discharge pipe extends from the opposite side wall of the tank. Preferably a handle for the pump means is spaced from the outlet of the cup dispenser by a distance selected such that both may be operated using the same hand with minimal movement being necessary to pass between them. In this way, the user can hold the dispensing hose in one hand, while the other hand is free to withdraw the cups and pressurize the beverage, as required. The pump means is preferably connected to the internal compartment via a pipe in communication with the internal compartment adjacent the top thereof. Preferably each of the opposing side walls of the tank includes a forward and rearward wall portion, the opposing forward wall portions diverging from the margins of the front wall, the opposing rearward wall portions diverging from the margins of the rear wall, the pump means being connected to the forward portion of a side wall and the cup dispenser being connected to a rearward portion of that side wall. In a preferred embodiment the tank has an elongate dimension between upper and lower walls thereof, and the pump means, which preferably is a hand actuated pump, includes a gas accumulating chamber and a hand actuatable plunger for directing air into the chamber and then dispensing the air into the pressurising passage of the insulated tank. Most preferably the hand pump is oriented so that reciprocating movement of the plunger, both into and out of the gas accumulating chamber, is in a direction substantially parallel to the elongate dimension of the tank. Most preferably each side wall has a forward side wall portion which slopes rearwardly from a front wall of the tank and a rearward side wall portion which slopes forwardly from a rear wall of the tank, wherein the cup dispenser is attached to a rear side wall portion of the tank and the pump means is attached to a front side wall portion of the tank. This arrangement provides convenient access to both the cups and pump means for permitting effective use of the dispenser. In order that the invention may be better understood, it will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an isometric view of the portable beverage dispenser of this invention; Figure 2 is a side elevational view taken from the left side of Figure 1 with parts broken away to show certain details of construction; Figure 3 is a plan view of the portable beverage dispenser of this invention with parts broken away to show certain details of construction; Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 of Figure 1; Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 3; Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 1; Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 7-7 of Figure 2; and Figure 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Figure 2. A portable beverage dispenser according to the present invention is generally shown at 10 in Figures 1 and 2. The dispenser 10 comprises a beverage-containing, insulated tank 12, a hand actuated pump 14 for pressurizing the interior of the tank from the top thereof, a cup dispenser 16 for retaining a stack of paper or plastic cups to be dispensed one at a time, and a dispensing hose and nozzle assembly 18 for dispensing a beverage from the bottom of the tank 12. In addition a strap assembly 20 is provided for supporting the dispenser 10 on the back of a vendor. Referring specifically to Figures 4, 5 and 6, the insulated tank 12 includes an internal compartment 22 for retaining a beverage to be dispensed. The tank 12 includes a 4-ply, peripheral wall construction 24 including an outer plastic wall 26, a foam insulating central core 28, an inner stainless steel wall 30 and a neoprene rubber jacker 29 surrounding all surfaces of the stainless steel wall. It should be understood that stainless steel is employed in the inner wall construction for sanitation purposes. As can be seen best in Figs. 1 and 4, the tank 12 includes a recessed upper wall 32, and this upper wall is provided with a pressure relief valve 34 and a quick disconnect, one-way check valve 36, both of which communicate with the internal compartment 22. The quick disconnect valve 36 is employed to fill the compartment 22 with a desired beverage, and the pressure relief valve 34 is provided to prevent excessive pressure build-up within the tank. This arrangement for filling the tank automatically achieves a desired initial pressurization of the internal compartment 22 to assist in the dispensing of a beverage from said compartment when the tank is full. It should be understood that the quick disconnect valve 36 is of a conventional construction and includes a normally closed valve which is automatically opened when it is connected to a mating valve section associated with the source of the beverage employed to fill the dispenser 10. As can be seen best in Figs. 1, 3 and 5, a cap member 40 is provided to form a gas-tight seal for an access aperture 41 in the upper wall 32 of the tank. This access aperture preferably is employed to introduce a cleaning solution into the tank for the purpose of cleaning the tank at reasonable intervals, or when a change in the beverage to be dispensed (e.g., beer to coffee) is desired. Also, when a portion of the beverage is left in the tank at the end of a day, or the beverage either becomes too warm or too cold to be marketable, it easily can be disposed of through the enlarged access aperture 41. During normal operation, when a beverage is being introduced through the one-way check valve 36, the cap 40 is retained in a gas-tight sealing arrangement about the access aperture 41. As a result of this arrangement the introduction of the beverage into the tank will automatically pressurize the interior compartment 22 thereof. Still referring to Figs. 1, 3 and 5, the cap 40 includes an upper wall 42 with a pressure relief valve 44 therein. This pressure relief valve is a safety feature, and includes a finger-engageable loop 45 which is manually pulled in an upward direction to relieve the internal pressure within the tank before the gas-tight seal about the access aperture 41 is broken. The upper wall 42 of the cap terminates in a peripheral, annular sidewall 46 which extends into the tank 12, and an annular peripheral flange 48 at the bottom of the peripheral sidewall 46 overlies the peripheral inner tank wall 30 for cooperating with a sealing gasket 50 to provide the requisite fluid-tight seal. Still referring to Figs. 1, 3 and 5, the upward force applied to the cap 40 for establishing the fluid-tight seal is created through a locking bale 52. This bale includes a handle section 54 which is adapted to be gripped by the user for both opening and closing the cap. This handle section is a generally U-shaped member terminating in transversely directed members 56. These latter members extend through openings provided in brackets 58 that, in turn, are attached to the upper wall 42 of the cap. The transverse members 56 extend beyond the perimeter of the cap 50 and terminate in laterally directed legs 60. The free ends of these latter legs are provided with protective caps 62 for engaging the upper wall 32 of the tank 12 when the bale is in its locking position, as illustrated in Figs. 1-3. Specifically, in this locking position the legs 60 of the bale 52 are pressed against the upper wall 32 of the tank to force the cap 40 in an upward direction, through the interaction of the transverse members 56 of the bale with the brackets 58. To release the seal and open the cap the valve 44 is first actuated to relieve the internal pressure within the tank compartment 22. Thereafter the bale is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 5, through an angle of 90°. This causes the lower ends of the legs 60 to be rotated out of pressure engagement with the upper wall 32 of the tank, thereby releasing the compressive engagement of the flange 48 of the cap with the sealing gasket 50. However, since the legs 60 do extend beyond the perimeter of the cap 40 (and the periphery of the access aperture 41) they also function to prevent the cap 40 from falling into the interior compartment 22 of the tank when the seal between the cap and tank is released. Referring specifically to Figs. 1 and 4, a hard plastic cover 70 is attached to the upper end of the tank 12 through a hinged connection 72, to thereby permit the cover to be moved into a position overlying the recessed upper wall 32 of said tank. This cover functions to protect the various valves and fittings in the upper wall of the tank, and also provides a desirable aesthetic appearance far the overall beverage dispenser. Referring to Fig. 2, the hand actuated pump 14 includes a gas (e.g., air) accumulation chamber or housing 82 in which a piston or plunger 84 is mounted for linear movement. As viewed in Fig. 2, downward movement of the plunger 84 directs air into the accumulation chamber or housing 82, and upward movement of the plunger forces the air out of the accumulating chamber 82 into a pump outlet conduit 86 connected to said chamber through a conventional coupling 88. As can be seen best in Figs. 2, 4 and 8, a tank inlet conduit 90 is connected at one end thereof to the pump outlet conduit 86 through a conventional one-way check valve 92, and at its opposite end with an entrance opening or passageway 94 which communicates with the interior tank compartment 22 adjacent the upper region thereof. Most preferably the beverage initially is filled to a level below the passageway 94, as indicated in phantom representation at 95 in Fig. 41, so that the pressurizing air introduced into the tank fills the upper region of the tank to create a pressurized region that acts downwardly on the beverage. The one-way check valve 92 opens when the piston 84 is moved upwardly into the housing 82, as viewed in Fig. 2, to permit the air accumulated in said housing to be forced into the interior compartment 22 of the tank, but seals shut during the outward stroke of the plunger 84 to prevent the withdrawal of pressurizing air from the tank. It should be understood that the hand pump 14 preferably is of a conventional design, and is provided with an opening (not shown) in the housing 82 to permit air to be sucked therein when the piston 84 is moved in a downward direction, as viewed in Fig. 2. As can be seen best in Figs. 2 and 3, a pump housing 96 is molded as a unitary part of the outer plastic wall 26 of the tank 12, and overlies the check valve 92, the tank inlet conduit 90 and a part of the pump outlet conduit 86 to protect these parts against damage from improper handling and/or from inclement weather conditions. As can be seen best in Fig. 2, the pump 14 is attached to a forward sidewall section 98 of the tank through a pair of mounting brackets 99. The forward sidewall section 98 is inclined in a rearward direction from a front wall 101 of the tank, and terminates in a rear sidewall section 100, which, in turn, inclines forwardly from a rear wall 103 of the tank. (Fig. 3). As can be seen best in Fig. 2, the pump 14 is oriented in a generally vertical direction substantially parallel to the elongate dimension of the tank. In this orientation the pump 14 easily can be operated by reciprocating the plunger 84 in a linear direction substantiall parallel to the orientation of a vendor carrying the beverage dispenser 10. Thus, even when a vendor is in crowded quarters he or she can easily manipulate the plunder 84 of the pump without hitting, and possibly injuring people in the crowd. Referring specifically to Figs. 1-3 and 7, the cup dispenser 16 is mounted on the rear sidewall section 100 adjacent the forward sidewall section 98 on which the hand pump 14 is mounted. The cup dispenser includes an outer housing 102 which is generally U-shaped in transverse cross section, as can be seen best in Fig. 7. Specifically, the housing includes a pair of legs which terminate in transversely directed flanges 104. These flanges are secured to the rear sidewall section 100 by any suitable means, such as by welds, bolts or screws (not shown). Referring specifically to Fig. 7, a retaining bracket 106 includes a rear wall 108 connected through a plurality of spaced-apart rivets (only one of which is shown at 110) to the rear sidewall section 100 of the tank 12. The bracket 106 further includes sidewalls 112 which converge toward each other in a direction from the rear wall 108 of said retaining bracket to marginal edges of said sidewalls. In addition, the sidewalls 112 converge slightly toward each other in a direction from an upper end of the bracket 106 to a lower end thereof. The rear wall 108 and sidewalls 112 define a channel 114 for receiving a cooperating mounting bracket associated with a cartridge which contains a stack of cups to be dispensed, as will now be described in greater detail. Referring specifically to Figs. 2 and 7, a cylindrical cartridge 116 is provided for receiving a nested stack of cups 118 therein. These cups are dispensed one at a time through an open bottom of the cartridge. The cartridge 116 is formed by attaching together overlapping longitudinal margins with longitudinally spaced apart rivets 120 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 7). These rivets 120 also secure the cartridge 116 to a rear wall 122 of a U-shaped mounting bracket 124. The mounting bracket 124 includes opposed sidewalls 126 which diverge or flare outwardly from each other in a direction from the the rear wall 122 to the marginal edges of said sidewalls. In addition, the sidewalls 126 slightly converge in a direction from the upper end of the bracket 124 to a lower end thereof, to thereby provide a complimentary wedge-fit in the channel 114 defined by the sidewalls 112 and rear wall 110 of the retaining bracket 106. This wedge-fit is responsible for retaining the cylindrical cartridge 116, with the stack of cups therein, in proper position relative to the beverage dispensing tank 12, and also permits easy removal of the cartridge 116 from the tank (such as when filling the cartridge with cups is necessary), by merely applying a slight upward force to the cartridge, as viewed in Fig. 2. This upward force releases the wedge-fit, i.e., frictional engagement, between the sidewalls 126 of the mounting bracket 124 and the sidewalls 112 of the retaining bracket 126. Referring specifically to Figs. 1-3 it can be seen that the upper end of the outer housing 102 of the cup dispenser is provided with a pivotally attached cover member 108. This cover member closes the top of the housing, and thereby prevents foreign debris from entering the housing to contaminate cups retained therein. Referring specifically to Fig. 2, the cylindrical cartridge 116 is of a conventional design, including inwardly directed retaining ribs 130 adjacent the lower end thereof for engaging the transversely extending lip 132 of the lowermost cup 118 in the stack, to thereby retain the entire stack of nested cups within the cartridge 116, in proper position for dispensing one-at-a-time. It should be noted that the stack of cups 118 is oriented in a generally vertical direction, substantially parallel to the orientation of the hand pump 14 and the elongate dimension of the beverage-containing insulated tank 12. This provides an extremely compact and functional arrangement of elements which easily can be manipulated by a vendor to permit the quick and effective vending of beverages from the tank 12 into cups. Referring specifically to Figs. 1, 3 and 6, the dispensing hose and nozzle assembly 18 includes a pivotal, quick disconnect fitting 140 of a conventional design secured into the lower end of the tank 12. The quick disconnect fitting 140 is connected to the lower end of the tank 12 in a rear sidewall section 142, opposite the rear sidewall section 100 on which the cup dispenser 16 is secured. A hose 144 of the assembly 18 includes a quick disconnect fitting 146 at a rear end thereof which is adapted to be connected to the fitting 140 secured within the sidewall of the tank 12. It should be understood that the quick disconnect fitting 140 includes a normally closed valve therein, which automatically is opened when it is connected to the mating fitting 146 at the rear end of the hose 144. The hose 144 is surrounded by a thermal insulating member 148, which perferably includes an internal inner neoprene rubber sleeve 149, a central foam layer 150 and an outer insulating fabric 152 (Fig. 6). Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a conventional dispensing nozzle 154 is secured to the end of the hose 144 opposite the quick disconnect fitting 146, and includes a valve which normally is spring-biased into a closed position. A trigger 156 is provided, which, when manually actuated, forces the valve (not shown) of the nozzle 154 into an opened position, thereby resulting in the dispensing of a beverage from the tank 12, through the hose and nozzle assembly 18, and into a cup. Referring specifically to Figs. 1-3, the strap assembly 20 includes a pair of shoulder straps 160, each of which is provided by upper and lower strap sections 162, 164, respectively, adjustably interconnected through a buckle 166. Specifically, the buckle 166 of each of the shoulder straps 160 is fixedly secured to the upper strap section 162, such as by sewing. The lower strap section 164 is adjustably secured to the buckle 166 to permit the proper adjustment of the shoulder straps 160 about the shoulders and upper chest region of the vendor. Still referring to Figs. 1-3, an adjustable chest strap 168 is secured to the pair of shoulder straps 160 for aiding in the support of the dispenser 10 by a vendor, and for maintaining the shoulder straps 160 in proper position around the shoulders of the vendor. This chest strap includes opposed sections 170, 172, each of which is attached to an adjacent one of said pair of shoulder straps 160. A buckle section 174 is retained within a securing loop 176 of the section 170 for attachment to a cooperating buckle section 178 adjustably receiving the free end of the strap section 172. Most desirably the buckle sections 174 and 178 are of a conventional bayonnet-type construction, providing for the quick connect and disconnect thereof. Still referring to Figs. 1-3, the strap assembly 20 is completed by a waist strap 180 formed by a pair of waist strap sections 182, 184, each of which is adjustably connected to buckle sections 186 and 188. These latter buckle sections preferably are of the same bayonnet-type construction as the buckle sections 174 and 178 attached to the chest strap 168. Most preferably the inner surface of each of the waist sections 182 and 184 includes foam padding 190 to provide a more comfortable arrangement for the wearer, than if the padding were omitted. From the above discussion it should be apparent that the portable beverage dispenser 10 of this invention provides an extremely convenient and compact arrangement, including all of the elements necessary for its effective use. In particular an air pump is provided, which is periodically used to pressurize the internal compartment 122 adjacent the upper end thereof, to be certain that a desired pressure level is maintained within the tank to assist in the proper dispensing of a beverage through the dispensing hose and nozzle assembly 18. Moreover, due to the location of the dispensing hose 18 adjacent the lower end of the compartment 22 of the tank 12, the dispensing of the beverage also is assisted by gravity. Thus, applicant has effectively combined gravity and pressure dispensing of a beverage in a portable beverage dispenser to provide an extremely reliable and efficient system. Moreover, applicant has positioned the air pump 14 in a location and orientation to permit its easy use without injuring other individuals, even when the pump is being actuated by the vendor when he or she is in a crowd. In addition, a lower cup of a stack of cups easily can be dispensed by the vendor reaching slightly behind him (or her), and pulling the lower cup downwardly from the stack. Moreover, by retaining the stack of cups within a protective housing the cups are less likely to be damaged, than if they were carried loose or transported in some other fashion. The dispenser of this invention also provides a desirable arrangement of quick disconnect fittings and pressure valves to permit the insulated tank 12 to be easily filled with a desired beverage, while preventing an undesired pressure buildup within the tank. Moreover, the provision of a larger access aperture 41 in the tank 12 provides easy access into the internal compartment 22 to thereby permit the interior of the tank to be easily cleaned. Also, this access aperture 41 permits the rapid disposal of a beverage within the tank, when desired. For example, at the end of a day there may be a portion of a beverage still within the tank which cannot be saved and reused. This portion easily can be dispensed through the access aperture 41. In addition, when beverage sales are moving slowly, a change of temperature of the beverage within the tank may occur, even though the tank is insulated, thereby making the beverage undesirable for human consumption. Under these circumstances it may be desired to dispose of the remaining contents of the beverage, and refill the tank with a fresh supply. In such circumstances the undesired beverage easily can be disposed of by pouring it out of the access aperture 41. The strap assembly 20 employed in this invention provides an extremely comfortable arrangement for a vendor, thereby permitting the vendor to wear the dispenser for the long periods of time often required at athletic, and other events at which beverages are dispensed.

Claims: A portable beverage dispenser including an insulated tank (12) having an internal compartment (22) for receiving a beverage to be dispensed, the tank having a front wall (101) adapted to be supported adjacent a user's back, a rear wall (103) spaced from the front wall and opposing side walls (98,100,142,198) extending between the front and rear walls, a discharge pipe (18) extending from a side wall (142) of the insulated tank in fluid communication with the internal compartment (22) toward the lower end thereof, a nozzle (154) being present at a free end of the pipe (18) remote from the tank (12), a fill port (36) communicating with the internal compartment (22) for filling the compartment with beverage, pump means (14) operative for pumping a gas into the internal compartment for pressurising the contents thereof, and cup dispensing means (16) characterised in that the cup dispensing means (16) and the pump means (14) are located on one side wall (98,100) and the discharge pipe (18) extends from the opposite side wall (142). A portable beverage dispenser according to Claim 1, characterised in that opposing side walls (98,100,142,198) includes a forward (98,198) and rearward (142,100) wall portion, the opposing forward wall portions (98,198) diverging from the margins of the front wall (101), the opposing rearward wall portions (100,142) diverging from the margins of the rear wall, the pump means (14) being connected to the forward portion (98) of the side wall and the cup dispenser (16) being connected to a rearward portion (100) of the same side wall. A portable beverage dispenser according to Claim 1, or 2, characterised in that the pump means (14) is hand operated. A portable beverage dispenser according to Claim 3, characterised in that a handle (84) for the pump means (14) is mounted adjacent the outlet end (118) of the cup dispensing means (16). A dispenser according to Claim 4, characterised in that the handle (84) is spaced from the outlet (118) of the cup dispensing means (16) by a distance selected such that both may be operated using the same hand with minimal movement being necessary to pass between them. A dispenser according to Claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the handle (84) comprises a plunger which reciprocates in a housing (82), the longitudinal axis of which is generally parallel to that of the cup dispensing means (16). A dispenser according to any preceding Claim characterised in that the pump means (14) is connected to the internal compartment (22) via a pipe (86) in communication with the internal compartment (22) adjacent the top thereof. A dispenser according to any preceding Claim characterised in that the tank (12) has a longitudinal axis between upper (32) and lower (200) walls thereof, the pump means (14) including a gas accumulating chamber (82) and a hand actuatable plunger (84) therein, the plunger (84) being reciprocally movable in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tank (12) for directing a gas into the accumulating chamber (82) and for forcing the gas from the accumulating chamber (82) into the internal compartment (22) of the tank (12). A dispenser according to Claim 8 characterised in that the cup dispenser (16) is arranged so that the stack of cups (118) is retained generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tank (12). A portable beverage dispenser according to any preceding Claim, characterised by a cap (40) releasably sealed within an aperture (41) extending through a wall (32) of the tank (12) into the internal compartment, a first pressure relief valve (34) extending through a wall (32) of the tank in communication with the internal compartment (22), and a second pressure relief valve (44) in the cap (40) in communication with the internal compartment (22).

Inventors: BILLET ROBERT L, BILLET, ROBERT L.
Applicants: BILLET ROBERT PROMOTIONS INC, ROBERT BILLET PROMOTIONS, INC.
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B67D1
IPC codes: B67D1