Portable refrigerated desktop dispenser for beverages
View Patent ↗A portable desktop refrigerated dispenser for beverages, preferably bottled, includes a base, a cup intended for housing beverages, a holder lid equipped with holder lid holes, bottle holders that can be coupled to the holder lid holes that retain the bottles inverted and inclined, a cool box that limits a cooling cavity around the cup and that is intended for housing a cooling element, a manifold connected to the cup that receives the beverage and at least one tap assembly connected to the manifold through which the beverage is dispensed. Alternatively, the cup can be filled from a dispensing column for draught beverages, dispensing with the bottle holders.
1 . A portable desktop refrigerated dispenser for beverages wherein the dispenser comprises:
a cup configured for housing a beverage, comprising an outlet mouth through which the beverage is ejected,
a holder lid configured to be linked to the cup at a height with respect to the outlet mouth and that comprises holder lid holes,
a bottle holder, configured for holding a plurality of bottles, wherein each of the bottles has a neck, configured to couple to the holder lid holes which in turn comprise bottle holder cavities configured for embracing the neck of the bottle and retain the bottle inverted,
a cool box, having a lower face, which is an outer casing configured to be linked to the cup and which surrounds the cup at a certain distance, delimiting a cooling cavity around the cup which is configured for housing a cooling element,
a tap connection part, having an upper face and a lower face and comprising a housing,
at least one tap assembly removably linked to the tap connection part, wherein the at least one tap assembly comprises a tube comprising in turn an inner end and an outer end through which the beverage is dispensed,
a separate base, having an upper face, configured for resting on a support surface,
a manifold housed in the housing and connected to the outlet mouth of the cup, which is configured for receiving the beverage and which comprises at least one outlet hole through which the beverage is ejected, wherein the at least one outlet hole is connected to the inner end of the tube of the at least one tap assembly,
and wherein
the bottle holder cavities are configured to retain the neck of the bottle inclined,
the cool box is linked to the cup by a watertight attachment,
the cool box comprises a central cavity coaxial to the outlet mouth of the cup, and
the tap connection part is attached to an upper area of the base.
2 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the at least one tap assembly comprises a tubular body that partially houses the tube and that comprises an access hole that partially houses a plunger and a handle linked to the plunger; in a vertical rest position the plunger presses the tube deforming the tube and preventing the beverage from coming out and in an activation position the movement of the handle moves the plunger away from the tube, enabling the beverage to pass therethrough.
3 . The dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the at least one tap assembly comprises a nozzle connected to the body by pressure.
4 . The dispenser of claim 2 , wherein the at least one tap assembly comprises a spring that embraces the plunger and forces the handle to return to the vertical rest position when the handle is in an intermediate activation position between a fixed horizontal activation position and the vertical rest position.
5 . The dispenser of claim 4 , wherein the manifold comprises two external connections that are tubular protrusions that respectively define the at least one outlet hole and the dispenser comprises two tap assemblies, wherein the tubes of the two tap assemblies embrace the external connections at the inner end thereof.
6 . The dispenser of claim 5 , wherein the outlet mouth of the cup is a tubular protrusion with a threaded outer surface and the manifold comprises a non-through cavity wherein the outlet mouth is connected.
7 . The dispenser of claim 6 , wherein the at least one tap assembly additionally comprises a stop extension starting from the handle in a front area and limits a range of movement of said handle from the vertical rest position to the fixed horizontal activation position.
8 . The dispenser of claim 1 , comprising a sealing gasket between the cup and the cool box around the central cavity intended for preventing leaks of the cooling element housed in the cooling cavity.
9 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the bottle holder comprises conical tubular bodies limited by an upper bottle holder edge and a lower bottle holder edge, wherein the upper bottle holder edge is inclined with respect to the lower bottle holder edge.
10 . The dispenser of claim 9 , wherein the bottle holder comprises a curved surface that extends from the upper bottle holder edge towards the cavity of the bottle holder.
11 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the holder lid holes describe a narrowing area and the bottle holders comprise an attachment tab that is clipped to the narrowing area.
12 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the holder lid comprises a circular base surface comprising the holder lid holes and which is limited by a lower holder lid edge configured to be linked to the cup from which a lateral surface extends.
13 . The dispenser of claim 12 , wherein the cup comprises an upper cup edge comprising in turn first attachment elements and the holder lid comprises second attachment elements on the lower holder lid edge configured to be linked to the first attachment elements.
14 . The dispenser of claim 1 , comprising an upper lid covering the holder lid.
15 . The dispenser of claim 1 , comprising a closure gasket between the manifold and the cup which prevents leaks.
16 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the tap connection part comprises support legs.
17 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the base comprises attachment ribs on the upper face thereof distributed around the perimeter and the tap connection part incorporates on the lower face thereof first perimeter anchoring rails, configured to be coupled to the attachment ribs of the base.
18 . The dispenser of claim 17 , wherein the base additionally comprises guide bushings on the upper face thereof, the tap connection part incorporates stop housings on the lower face thereof wherein there is a ledge, and the dispenser additionally incorporates a first interlocking element comprising a first piston ending in a first end intended for fixing the tap connection part with the base, which is inserted through one of the guide bushings of the base and penetrates in the stop housing, making lateral contact with the ledge preventing the rotation of the tap connection part which remains locked and fixed to the base.
19 . The dispenser of claim 18 , wherein the first interlocking element additionally comprises a first spring arranged around the first piston and internally in one of the guide bushings, embedding said first piston in one of the guide bushings and controlling a vertical movement thereof.
20 . The dispenser of claim 1 wherein the tap connection part comprises perimeter attachment projections on the upper face thereof, the cool box has second anchoring rails on the lower face thereof that can be coupled to the attachment projections.
21 . The dispenser of claim 20 , wherein the tap connection part incorporates hollow turrets, which internally incorporate guide housings, the cool box has stop elements on the lower face thereof, and the dispenser additionally incorporates a second interlocking element, housed in one of the guide housings, which comprises a second piston ending in a second end, vertically movable until the second piston makes lateral contact with one of the stop elements, thus preventing the rotation of the cool box which is locked and fixed to the tap connection part.
22 . The dispenser of claim 21 , wherein the second interlocking element additionally comprises a second spring arranged around the second piston and internally in the guide housing, embedding said second piston in the guide housing and controlling the vertical movement thereof.
23 . The dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the beverage is beer and the beverage bottles are beer bottles.