Patent Publication Number: US-2019193098-A1

Title: Pressurizable beverage bottle

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/593,262, filed Dec. 1, 2017. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Technical Field 
     The present invention relates generally to beverage containers and more specifically to a pressurizable beverage bottle having a beverage dispensing system. 
     Background Art 
     Water bottles are known in which the bottle has spaced apart double walls with a vacuum in the space between the walls to provide enhanced thermal insulation qualities. To transfer some or all of the contents of the water bottle to a separate drinking cup, the top of the bottle typically must be removed and the bottle tipped to pour fluid from the bottle into the cup. Opening the top compromises the thermal insulating integrity of the bottle. In addition, especially in the case of large bottles or bottles that are full, tipping the bottle to dispense the right amount of liquid without spillage can be problematic. 
     Urns and water jugs are known in which a large container has a built-in stopcock at the bottom of the vessel. A beverage is dispensed through the stopcock under force of gravity. Such vessels are not very portable and may not have good insulating qualities. In addition, because the stopcock must be at the very bottom of the vessel to permit the entire contents of the vessel to be dispensed, the vessel must be placed on an elevated platform with the spout hanging over the edge of the platform to allow a cup to be placed beneath the stopcock. 
     Beer kegs are known in which a large metal container includes a bicycle-type pump attached to the outside top of the keg. Actuating the pump pressurizes the contents of the keg, thereby permitting beer to be dispensed through a hose without opening or tipping the keg. The pump is a manually operated, direct action pump with a reciprocating piston and is coupled to the upper end of the keg. Such a pump adds bulk to the upper end of the keg. 
     Stainless steel growlers are known that include a bottle with a lid clamped to its upper end. A port for a CO 2  cartridge is sometimes provided on the lid and is in communication with the interior of the bottle. The user can couple a CO 2  cartridge to the cartridge port and inject food-grade CO 2  into the bottle to pressurize the interior of the bottle. A tube in fluid communication with the interior of the bottle has a tap on its end by which the user can dispense a beverage under pressure. A disadvantage of these designs is that operation is completely dependent upon a charged CO 2  cartridge, which must be purchased at extra cost. If no charged CO 2  cartridge is available, there is no way to pressurize the bottle. 
     Containers of a type often used as garden sprayers are known that include an integral pump. A hose is mounted to the container in fluid communication with the interior of the container and has a nozzle at its free end. A fluid such as a pesticide or weed treatment is placed within the container, and the user operates the pump to increase pressure inside the container. The pump is a manually operated, direct action pump with a piston that reciprocates within a cylinder. The user operates the nozzle at the end of the hose to dispense fluid from the container under pressure. A disadvantage of this design is that the cylinder extends downward, well into the container, and occupies space within the container that would otherwise be available to hold fluid. In addition, the travel of the piston is lengthy, making the pump inconvenient to operate. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a beverage bottle having a lid at its upper end. The beverage bottle may be of the type known as a “growler,” which is a bottle having a capacity greater than a typical water bottle. A pressurization system and a dispensing system are operatively associated with the lid. With a beverage in the bottle, a user can utilize the pressurization system to increase the pressure in the space within the bottle not occupied by the beverage to a pressure above that of the ambient. When the user activates the dispensing system, the pressure within the bottle attempts to equalize with the ambient pressure. This pressure differential forces the beverage through the dispensing system and out of the bottle. Thus the beverage can be dispensed without the user having to tilt or manipulate the bottle. 
     In a disclosed embodiment the pressurization system includes a piston reciprocally mounted within a cylinder in the lid. The piston is spring biased to a raised position. The user presses down on the piston to pump air into the bottle, increasing the pressure within the bottle. When the user releases downward pressure on the piston, the spring returns the piston to its raised position, ready to be pressed again. 
     In one embodiment the dispensing system includes a flexible hose having one end connected to the lid in fluid communication with the interior of the bottle. A stopcock is mounted on the free end of the hose. With the contents of the bottle under pressure, opening the stopcock at the end of the hose dispenses a quantity of the beverage through the hose without the user having to contact the bottle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a first embodiment of a vessel with integral pressurization and dispensing systems. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the vessel of  FIG. 1  partially cut away to reveal interior detail. 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded side view of the vessel of  FIG. 1 , showing a lid assembly and a bottle. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of the lid of the vessel of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a side cutaway view of the lid assembly of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of a piston of the bottle of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 7  is an isometric view of the piston of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a vertical cross section of the piston of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 9  is an exploded side view of components of the lid assembly of the pressurizable vessel of  FIG. 1 , showing the lid of  FIG. 4 , the piston of  FIG. 6 , and a compression spring. 
         FIG. 10  is an assembled side cutaway view of the components of  FIG. 9 , with the piston in a raised position. 
         FIG. 11  is an assembled side view of the components of  FIG. 9 , illustrating the piston in a depressed position. 
         FIGS. 12 and 13  are side cutaway views of the pressurizable bottle of  FIG. 1 , showing actuation of the piston to pressurize the bottle. 
         FIG. 14  is a side cutaway view of the pressurizable bottle of  FIGS. 12 and 13 , showing liquid being dispensed from the bottle through a hose under pressure. 
         FIG. 15  is a side cutaway view of the pressurizable bottle of  FIG. 14 , showing the hose removed and replaced by a beverage adapter with a stopcock to dispense liquid under pressure directly from the upper end of the bottle. 
         FIGS. 16 and 17  are side cutaway views of an alternate arrangement for coupling a dispensing hose to the lid. 
         FIG. 18  is a side view of another embodiment of a pressurizable bottle wherein the bottle employs an offset pump button. 
         FIGS. 19 and 20  are partially cutaway schematic views of the lid assembly of the pressurizable vessel of  FIG. 18 , showing depressing and releasing the offset button to move the piston within its bore. 
         FIG. 21  is a side view of a further embodiment of a vessel with pressurizable dispensing system. 
         FIG. 22  is a top view of the lid of the vessel of  FIG. 21 . 
         FIG. 23  is an exploded view of a clamp assembly of the vessel of  FIG. 21  for clamping a lid to the upper end of the vessel. 
         FIG. 24  is an assembled view of the clamp assembly of  FIG. 22 . 
         FIGS. 25-27  are schematic side views of a portion of the clamp and lid of the vessel of  FIG. 21 , wherein  FIG. 25  shows the clamp in a disengaged position,  FIG. 26  shows the clamp engaging the lid but unlocked, and  FIG. 27  shows the clamp in a locked position. 
         FIG. 28  is an isometric view of a further embodiment of a lid for a pressurizable beverage system with a schematic representation of a valve for coupling a CO 2  cartridge to the lid. 
         FIG. 29  is a side view of still another embodiment of a lid for a pressurizable beverage system with a schematic representation of a valve for coupling a CO 2  cartridge to the cap of a pouring spout on the lid. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views,  FIGS. 1-3  show a beverage container  10  with integral pressurization and dispensing systems. The beverage container  10  comprises a bottle  12  and a lid  14 . The bottle  12  is of stainless steel construction. As seen in  FIG. 2 , the bottle  12  has outer and inner walls  16 ,  18  in spaced apart relation. The space  20  between the outer and inner walls  16 ,  18  is partially evacuated of air to create a vacuum that enhances the thermal insulating qualities of the bottle  12 . 
     As seen in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the bottle  12  has a hollow cylindrical main body portion  22  defining a chamber  24 . A cylindrical neck  28  extends upward from the upper end of the bottle  12 . The neck  28  defines a hollow bore  30  in fluid communication with the chamber  24  of the bottle  12 . Threads  32  are formed on the exterior surface of the neck  28 . 
     The lid  14  includes a pouring spout  34  having a removable cap  36  that snaps or screws onto the end of the spout. The cap  36  is attached to the pouring spout  34  by a tether  38 . 
     A flexible hose  40  has a first end attached to the lid  14 . A stopcock  42  is attached to the opposite end of the hose  40 . A hose retaining bracket  44  is attached to the lid  14  and includes a circular opening  46  into which an upper portion of the hose  40  can be received to hold the hose by an interference fit until needed. 
     A generally U-shaped handle  48  is pivotably mounted to the lid  14  and is movable between an upwardly extending position, as shown in  FIG. 1 , and a lowered, stowed position, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     An elongated tube  49  extends downward from the lid  14 . The tube is of a length such that, when the lid  14  is screwed onto the bottle  12 , the lower end of the tube  49  terminates at a point spaced only slightly above the base of the chamber  24  of the bottle. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the lid  14  defines a vertical bore  50  therewithin. The bore  50  has a bore wall  51 . An annular ledge  52  is formed in a lower portion of the bore  50 . A wall  54  beneath the annular ledge  52  defines the lower end of the bore  50 . A check valve  56  is located in the wall  54  and allows air to pass from the bore  50  into the chamber  24  of the bottle  12  but not to allow air to pass back into the bore. 
       FIG. 5  shows one of two opposed L-shaped channels  58  formed in the wall  51  of the bore  50 . The channel  58  has a vertical portion  60  and a horizontal portion  62 . 
     Referring further to  FIG. 5 , an annular skirt  66  surrounds the main portion of the lid  14 . Threads  68  on the inner surface of the skirt  66  are configured to engage the threads  32  on the exterior surface of the neck  28  of the bottle  12 . 
     At the lower end of the lid  14  near its periphery is a barb-type tube connector  70  for coupling the tube  49  to the lid  14 . A passage  74  is axially formed through the tube connector  70  and has a vertical portion  75  extending upward through the lid  14  toward the upper end of the lid. Just short of the upper end of the lid  14 , the passage  74  extends outward and downward to form a port  76 . Threads  78  are formed on the cylindrical wall defining the port  76 . 
     A hose fitting  80  has a threaded end  82  and a barb end  84 . The male threaded end  82  of the hose fitting  80  screws into the threads  78  in the port  76 . One end of the hose  40  fits onto the barb end  84  of the fitting  80 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 6-8 , a piston  90  includes a generally cylindrical piston body  92 . As seen in  FIG. 8 , the piston  90  of the disclosed embodiment is hollow to conserve material and to minimize weight. The piston has a lower end  93  and defines a button  94  at its upper end. The button  94  has a central recess  96  and includes a diametric finger grip  98  that a user can grasp to aid in rotating the piston  90 . 
     On each side of the piston  90  the piston body  92  is vertically slotted in the shape of an inverted “U” to form a pair of vertically elongated arms  100  joined to the rest of the piston body  92  at their lower ends to form live springs. A tab  102  is formed at the upper end of each spring arm  100 . Each tab  102  has a downwardly sloped upper surface and vertical side walls. 
     A piston ring  106  is mounted within a corresponding race on the lower outside wall of the piston body  92 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 9-11 , a coil spring  110  is positioned within the base of the bore  50  of the lid  14 . The lower end of the coil spring  110  rests on the annular ledge  56  at the base of the bore  50 . Advantageously the coil spring  110  can be configured such that each coil is smaller than the coil below it. Thus, as the spring  110  is compressed, the coils nest within one another, rather than stacking on top of one another, to occupy minimal vertical space within the bore  50 . 
     The piston  90  is reciprocally mounted within the bore  50  for vertical movement. The lower end  93  of the piston  90  rests atop the coil spring  110 . The coil spring  110  normally biases the piston  90  upward to a raised position, as shown in  FIG. 10 . The piston  90  can be forced downward to a depressed position, as shown by the arrow  112  in  FIG. 11 , compressing the coil spring  110 . When the force is removed, the spring  110  returns the piston  90  to its uppermost position shown in  FIG. 10 . 
     The tabs  102  of the piston  90  ride within the vertical channels  60  in the wall  51  of the bore  50 . The piston  90  can be stowed in its depressed position by displacing the piston downward until the tabs  102  reach the bottom of the vertical channels  60 . The user then rotates the piston  90  clockwise, as seen from above, causing the tabs  102  of the piston to move within the horizontal channels  62 . The tabs  102  are thus out of alignment with the vertical channels  60  in the bore wall, preventing the piston  90  from moving upward. To return the piston  90  to its freely vertical moving state, the user rotates the piston counterclockwise until the tabs  102  are realigned with the vertical channels  60  in the wall of the bore  50 . The piston  90  is thus once again freed for vertical reciprocal movement within the bore. 
     When the piston  90  is locked in its lowermost position, as shown in  FIG. 11 , the button  92  and upper end of the piston are nearly flush with the upper surface of the lid  14 . When the piston  90  is unlocked and biased by the coil spring to its uppermost position shown in  FIG. 10 , the button  92  extends above the upper surface of the lid  14 . 
     Operation of the apparatus  10  to dispense a beverage will now be explained. The user removes the lid  14  and pours a cold or hot beverage of choice—for example, water, soft drink, beer, or hot coffee—into the bottle  12 . The lid  14  is then replaced. The double-walled, thermally insulated, stainless steel bottle  12  keeps the beverage at or near the desired temperature for an extended period of time. 
     As shown in  FIG. 12 , the user rotates the button  92  on the top of the piston  90  in a counterclockwise position, as shown by the arrow  120 . This rotation brings the tabs  102  on the sides of the piston  90  into alignment with the vertical channel  60  formed in the wall  51  of the bore  50 , as previously explained with regard to  FIGS. 9-11 , freeing the piston for vertical reciprocal movement. 
     The user then presses downward repeatedly on the button  92  and then releases it, as shown by the arrow  122  in  FIG. 13 . The downward movement of the piston  90  forces air into the bottle  12 , as shown by the arrow  123 . The check valve  56  in the base of the bore  50  (see  FIG. 5 ) allows air to pass into the bottle  12  but not to flow back out of the bottle. Thus each successive depression of the piston  90  increases the pressure in the portion of the bottle  12  not occupied by the beverage. At the end of each downward movement, the user releases pressure on the button  92 , and the coil spring  110  automatically returns the piston to its uppermost position, ready for the next downward pressure. 
     This press-downward-and-release action is repeated until the user feels resistance to further pumping, which indicates that the bottle  12  is pressurized. The user then stows the button  92  by pressing the button all the way down and rotating the button clockwise. 
     Pressurizing the bottle  12  forces fluid into the lower end of the tube  49 , up through the tube to the passage  74  formed within the lid  14 , into the discharge port  76 , and thence into the hose  40 . 
     A feature of the piston  90  of the disclosed embodiment  10  is that the diameter of the piston is large in comparison to the piston&#39;s vertical travel. The amount of air moved by a single stroke of the piston is equal to the area of the piston multiplied by the length of travel of the piston. Thus increasing the diameter of the piston allows the length of travel of the piston to be minimized while still moving the same amount of air per stroke. And minimizing the vertical travel of the piston permits the vertical profile of the lid to be minimized. 
     Once the bottle  12  is pressurized, the user can dispense a serving of the beverage as shown in  FIG. 14 , either immediately or at some later time. The user uncouples the hose  40  from the hose retainer clip  44  and aims the stopcock  42  at the end of the hose into a suitable container  124 , such as a drinking glass, cup, or tumbler. Depressing the lever on the stopcock  42  allows the beverage to flow into the container  124  under pressure. When the desired amount of beverage has been dispensed, the user releases the lever, shutting off flow through the hose. 
     When the dispensing procedure is completed, the hose  40  can be stowed by pressing a section of the hose adjacent the stopcock  42  into the hose clip  44 . 
     If the user simply wishes to pour a single serving of a beverage from the bottle  12  into a drinking cup, the cap  36  can be removed from the pouring spout  34  on the lid  14 . The user then tilts the bottle  12  in the conventional fashion to pour the beverage from the spout  34  into the drinking cup under force of gravity. However, in most cases, particularly in the case of a larger capacity bottle  12 , for example, 64 or 128 fl. oz., or a bottle that is full, the drink vessel  10  may be too heavy or cumbersome to maneuver to pour a desired volume of drink into a cup without spilling or overflowing. In this instance, the user can take advantage of the pressurizable feature of the drink vessel  10 . 
     If desired, a beverage can be dispensed through the hose  40  without removing the end of the hose from the hose clip  44 . The user simply places the container  124  beneath the stopcock  42  and operates the stopcock to dispense the beverage, as shown in  FIG. 14 . 
     In a variation on the design, shown in  FIG. 15 , the hose  40  can be disconnected from the outlet port of the lid  14 , and a stopcock  125  plugged directly into the outlet port to dispense the beverage under pressure directly from the lid  14 . 
       FIGS. 16 and 17  illustrate an alternate arrangement for coupling the hose  40  to the lid  14 , in lieu of the hose fitting shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 . An annular flange  126  extends inward around the opening of the outlet port  76 . A corresponding annular recess  127  is formed in the hose  40  adjacent its end. Preferably the leading edge  128  of the hose  40  is beveled to facilitate introducing the end of the hose into the outlet port  76 . When the end of the hose  40  is inserted into the outlet port  76 , the annular flange  126  snaps into the recess  127  in the hose, coupling the hose to the lid  14 . 
       FIGS. 18-20  illustrate a further embodiment of a pressurizable drink vessel. Instead of the user pressing directly on the upper end of the piston, as shown in previous embodiments, a cam-shaped button  150  is mounted to the lid  14 . The button  150  pivots about a pin  152  adjacent the outer edge of the lid. A cam lobe  154  rests against the upper end  156  of the piston  158 . When the user presses the button  150 , the button pivots around the pin  152  in the direction indicated by the arrow  160 , and the cam lobe  154  pushes the piston  158  downward. When the user releases pressure on the button  150 , a coil spring  162  biases the piston  158  back to its uppermost position, returning the button to its raised position. By repeatedly pressing and releasing the button  150 , the user can pressurize the bottle. 
     Optionally the exposed portion of the button  150  and adjacent portions of the lid  14  can be encapsulated in a flexible material to overlie the space between the button and the slot in the lid to protect the user against possible (but unlikely) pinching as the button is operated. 
     In lieu of a button  150  having a cam lobe  154 , the button can exert a force on the upper end  156  of the piston  158  by way of a separate, intervening mechanical member, such as a push rod. 
     All of the embodiments disclosed above have an externally threaded bottle neck and a mating internally threaded lid. However, it will be understood that the lid with pressurization system can be used with an internally threaded bottle neck and an externally threaded lid. 
     Further, in place of threads on the bottle neck and lid, a clamp assembly operatively associated with the bottle and lid can be employed to clamp the lid securely to the upper end of the bottle. An alternate embodiment  210  of a pressurizable drink vessel is illustrated in  FIGS. 21-27 . The embodiment  210  uses a clamp assembly  280  at the upper end of the bottle  212  to secure the lid  214  to the upper end of the bottle, in lieu of cooperating threads of other disclosed embodiments. Clamp assemblies and variations thereof for clamping a lid onto a bottle are known in the art, and so the clamp assembly  280  will be described only briefly. 
     The bottle  212  is similar to the bottle  12  described above, with the exception that neither the neck nor the lid of the bottle is threaded. In addition, the handle is not shown in  FIGS. 21-27  for purposes of clarity. As shown in  FIG. 22 , the lid  214  has a pair of parallel channels  284  formed in or on the lid&#39;s upper surface. Otherwise the features of the lid  214  are largely the same as those of the lid  14  previously described. 
     The channels  284  can be oriented parallel to a diameter extending between the pouring spout  34  and the hose clip  44 , as illustrated in  FIG. 22 , or the channels  284  can be oriented perpendicular or at another suitable angle to the diameter extending between the pouring spout  34  and the hose clip  44 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 23 and 24 , the clamp arrangement  280  includes a pair of levers  292  and a pair of links  294  formed from rigid wire or other suitable material. The levers  292  have pivot pins  296  at each end. Adjacent each pivot pin  296 , a loop  298  is formed. The free ends of the loops are joined by a connecting member  300 . Optionally, a finger-receiving pad  302  is mounted to each connecting member  300 . 
     Each link  294  of the clamp arrangement  280  has coupling pins  304  at each end. Connectors  306  extend upward from each coupling pin  304 , and a lid-engaging member  308  joins the upper ends of the connectors. 
     A circumferential band  310  is mounted to the main body portion  222  of the bottle  212  ( FIG. 21 ). Advantageously, the band  310  fits into a circumferential channel formed in the outer surface of the bottle  212 . The levers  292  are pivotably mounted to the bottle  12  by the pivot pins  296  engaging corresponding brackets  312  on the circumferential band  310 . In turn, each lever  292  is mounted to a corresponding link  294  by the coupling pins  304  of the links engaging the loops  298  of the levers  292 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 25 , the lever  292  is illustrated rotated to an upper position. In this upper position the lower ends of the links  294  are sufficiently raised that the lid-engaging member  308  of each link can swing up and over the lid  214 . 
     In  FIG. 26  the user has pivoted the lever  292  downward about its pivot pins  296 , such as by pressing the finger-receiving pad  302  on the lever downward, as indicated by the arrow  325 . Because the loops  298  of the levers  292  are offset with respect to the pivot pins  296 , downward rotation of the levers displaces the loops downward, exerting tension on the links  294 . This tension draws the lid-engaging member  308  of each link  294  downward and into the corresponding channel  284  in the upper surface of the lid  214 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 27 , additional downward pressure on the pad  302 , illustrated by the arrow  330 , rotates the link  294  further downward. This additional rotation displaces the loop  298  further downward, exerting additional tension on the links  294  that pulls the lid-engaging member  308  of each link downward. This additional downward tension on the links  294  pulls the lid  214  tightly against the upper end of the bottle, clamping the lid securely in place. 
     To remove the lid  214  from the bottle, such as to refill the bottle, the reverse sequence is followed. The user lifts the pads  302  of the levers  292 , rotating the levers and displacing the loops  298  upward. This upward movement of the loops  298  releases the tension on the links  294  and permits the lid-engaging member  308  of each link to lift out of its associated channel  282  in the upper surface of the lid  214 . The links  294  are then pivoted out of the way, as shown in  FIG. 25 , providing unobstructed access to remove the lid. 
     The pressurizable drink vessel  210  can have a carrying handle mounted to the lid, as with the pressurizable drink vessel  10 , or it can have a carrying handle mounted to the circumferential band  310  affixed to the bottle  214 . 
       FIG. 28  illustrates still another embodiment of a lid for a pressurizable beverage container. A lid  314  is in most respects similar to the lid  14  described previously. In addition to the features of the lid  14 , however, the lid  314  includes a port  316  in communication with the chamber  24  of the bottle  12  that will couple to food-grade CO 2  cartridges. The port  316  affords a second way to pressurize the bottle  12 . If a CO 2  cartridge is available, the cartridge can be coupled to the port to pressurize the air within the bottle. If a CO 2  cartridge is not available, or the user simply wishes to avoid the expense of a cartridge, the user can pressurize the bottle by pressing the button  92  on top of the piston, in the manner described above. 
       FIG. 29  illustrates still another embodiment of a lid  414  for a pressurizable beverage container. The lid  414  is in most respects similar to the lid  314  described above. However, instead of the CO 2  port being mounted to the housing of the lid  314 , a port  416  for coupling food-grade CO 2  cartridges is mounted to the cap  436  of the pouring spout. Thus a beverage container  10  can be converted to CO 2  capability simply by replacing the original cap  36  with a cap  436  with integral CO 2  port. 
     Because all of the elements of the pressurization and dispensing systems of the foregoing disclosed embodiments are built into the lid, a conventional growler can be converted to one with a pressurization and dispensing system simply by replacing the lid. 
     As used herein, words such as top, bottom, left, right, horizontal, vertical, and the like are used with reference to the drawings for convenience of description. Unless stated otherwise, use of such words is not intended to limit the invention to any particular orientation. 
     Finally, it will be understood that the foregoing embodiments have been disclosed by way of example, and that other modifications may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.