Abstract:
A device and method for dispensing carbonated beverages in accordance with the present invention collapses a flexible container containing the carbonated beverage as the beverage is dispensed, thereby preventing air from filling a volume of the flexible container no longer occupied by the carbonated beverage. The device and method can reduce the rate at which a diminishing volume of remaining beverage loses carbonation, and conveniently compacts the flexible container for ease of disposal or recycling.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY  
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/356,401, filed on Feb. 12, 2002, and which is incorporated herein by reference.  
       CROSS-REFERENCE CASES  
       [0002]    The following U.S. patent applications are cross-referenced and incorporated herein by reference:  
         [0003]    U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/308,628 entitled “DEVICE FOR DISPENSING CARBONATED BEVERAGES” by Lindsay Leveen, filed Dec. 3, 2002 (Attorney Docket No. ITZA-07859US1 SRM). 
     
    
     
       TECHNICAL FIELD  
         [0004]    The present invention relates to devices for dispensing beverages that are bottled in plastic or other flexible packaging material.  
         BACKGROUND  
         [0005]    All over the world carbonated beverages are sold in PET plastic bottles in sizes as large as two to three liters. These bottles are typically resealable and sold to households for multiple use, as smaller size aluminum, plastic or glass containers are sold for single use. Unfortunately, the carbonation escapes after repeated opening and pouring from the bottle. The carbon-dioxide diffuses into air occupying space once occupied by beverage. The larger the volume of air in the PET bottle, the faster carbonation is lost. This often leads to a portion of the beverage contained in the PET bottle being dumped down a drain or thrown away with the PET bottle. Further, once the PET bottles are emptied, the uncollapsed PET bottle takes up as much volume in a waste basket or recycling bin as a full PET bottle. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a partially cross-sectioned view of an embodiment of the invention containing a carbonated beverage bottle.  
         [0007]    FIGS.  2 - 3  depict the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the beverage bottle in successive stages of collapse.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 4 is a partially cross-sectioned view of an embodiment of the invention having a syphon system and containing a carbonated beverage bottle.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0009]    [0009]FIG. 1 is an illustration of a device  100  in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. The device  100  can be a solid cylinder, cube, sphere or other shaped container that is large enough to fully contain a PET carbonated beverage bottle  102  within the container.  
         [0010]    The lid  104  of the container can be screwed onto the neck of the full beverage bottle  102  from which the screwtop cap provided by the manufacturer has been removed. Within the lid  104 , on the opposite side to which the bottle  102  is screwed into, is a faucet or valve  106  that controls the flow of the beverage  122  from the bottle into a glass  108  or mug, or other container from which the beverage can be drunk. After the lid  104  is tightened onto the bottle  102 , the lid  104  can be screwed into the body  110  of the device. In other embodiments, the lid  104  can be latched onto the body  110  of the device.  
         [0011]    In still other embodiments, the neck of the bottle  102  is inserted through a port in the lid  104 , and the valve  106  is screwed directly onto the neck, thereby holding the bottle  102  in place as the lid  104  is screwed into the body  110 . One of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate the different means for attaching the bottle  102  to the lid  104  and the lid  104  to the body  110  of the device, such that an air-tight seal between the bottle  102  and the lid  104 , and the lid  104  and the body  110  can be obtained.  
         [0012]    The whole device  100  can then be inverted such that it stands on the legs  112  of the body  110  and the bottle is oriented upside down with the carbonated beverage  122  contained above the lid  104 .  
         [0013]    An air or fluid pump  114 , which is either attached or separate from the body  110  of the device, pumps air or other fluid through a one-way valve  116  into the annular space  118  between the bottle  102  and the inside surface of the body  110  of the device. The added air or fluid pumped into the annular space  118  exerts pressure on the plastic wall  120  of the bottle  102  and in turn on the carbonated beverage  122  within the bottle  100 . The beverage  122  can therefore be dispensed at will out of the faucet or valve  106  into the glass  108 .  
         [0014]    As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, as the beverage  122  is withdrawn from the bottle  102 , the wall  120  of the bottle  102  is deflected inward and the bottle&#39;s volume is reduced. This reduction in volume decreases the space in the bottle  102  that is not filled with beverage  122 , thereby minimizing the free volume within the bottle  102  into which carbon dioxide can escape allowing the carbonated beverage  122  to remain more fully carbonated than is normally experienced by simply pouring beverage  122  from a bottle  102  and repeatedly opening and closing the bottle  102  with the cap provided by the manufacturer of the beverage  122 .  
         [0015]    If the user so desires, ice, cold water or some other refrigerating material can be inserted into the container, or a bladder or other insert containing such refrigerating material can be inserted into the container prior to the lid  104  connected with the bottle  102  being fastened to the body  110  of the device. The body  110  can be manufactured of metal, plastic or other combination of solid material. Certain materials for the body  110  have insulation capability thereby allowing the beverage  122  to remain chilled for an extended period of time.  
         [0016]    After the beverage  122  is fully dispensed from the bottle  102 , a fraction of the air or fluid in the annular space  118  can be released to the outside by relieving any positive pressure through pressure relief valve  124 . In other embodiments, any other means for equalizing pressure between the container and ambient known by one or ordinary skill in the art can be used in lieu of the pressure relief valve  124 . The lid  104  can then be separated from the body  110  and the empty and compressed bottle  102  can be discarded or recycled. The process can be repeated and the device can be used over and over to dispense beverages.  
         [0017]    The device  100  can also be used to dispense any fluid such as wine, oil or other product which is contained in a flexible container and need not be restricted to carbonated fluids. Other products that spoil when opened to air such as wine, milk, fruit juice, oil etc. could be dispensed from the device  100  without the contents being exposed to air, thereby reducing spoilage. The device  100  can also be used to dispense a variety of other fluids which do not spoil or are carbonated but that a user simply wants to easily dispense a controlled amount of fluid. Another such application is the dispensing of glue, paint, etc.  
         [0018]    As shown in FIG. 4, in other embodiments the device  100  can incorporate a syphon system  428  that can be used when the bottle  102  is not inverted. In one embodiment, a tube  426  is connected to the lid  104  that is tightened onto the bottle  102 . In other embodiments, the tube  426  can be connected directly with the neck. In still other embodiments, the tube is connected with, or integral with the valve  106 . The tube  426  is long enough to approximately reach the bottom of the bottle  102  and is open at both the distal and proximal ends for communicating fluid through the tube. In other embodiments, the tube  426  can be beveled at the distal end to prevent the tube from sealing off when the bottle  102  collapses.  
         [0019]    As air or fluid is pumped through the one-way valve  116  into the annular space  118 , the pressure inside the bottle  102  increases due to the increased pressure of the air or fluid in the annular space  118 . When the internal pressure within the bottle  102  is sufficient to lift the carbonated beverage  122  through the tube  426 , the carbonated beverage  122  can flow out of the bottle through the valve  106  that is connected to the lid  104  into the glass  108  or mug. The one-way valve  116  can be positioned either in the lid  104  or on the body  110 .  
         [0020]    The foregoing description of preferred embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the relevant arts. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with various modifications that are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims and their equivalence.