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EP-4304427-B1 - BEVERAGE DISPENSE HEAD ASSEMBLY

EP4304427B1EP 4304427 B1EP4304427 B1EP 4304427B1EP-4304427-B1

Inventors

  • AUGSBURGER, Josh

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220314

Claims (11)

  1. A beverage dispense head assembly (100) comprising: a liquor port assembly (300); a mixer port assembly (200) fixed to the liquor port assembly (300), the mixer port assembly (200) comprising a mixer port head (202) having at least one first mixer port (216) and a plurality of second mixer ports, wherein at least one of the plurality of second mixer ports has a larger cross-sectional area than other of the plurality of second mixer ports; a mixing bowl (500) having a first opening at a first end thereof leading to a cavity (550) therein, and a second opening at a second end thereof providing an exit to the mixing bowl (500), the second opening being smaller than the first opening, wherein the mixing bowl (500), adjacent the first end thereof, is removable fixed to the liquor port assembly (300) adjacent a second side of the liquor port assembly (300), and wherein the at least one first mixer port (216) and the plurality of second mixer ports all operably dispense liquid into the mixing bowl (500); and, a diffuser (400) located within the cavity (550) of the mixing bowl (500) and adjacent the mixer port assembly (200) to receive liquid passing through at least one of the first mixer port s, the diffuser (400) having a first end and a second end, the first end having an annular opening providing access to an annular diffuser cavity (410), the annular diffuser cavity having a bottom wall with a plurality of apertures, a shoulder extending from the diffuser (400) between the bottom wall of the annular diffuser cavity and the second end of the diffuser (400), and a flange extending from the diffuser (400) adjacent the second end, the flange having a plurality of ports to allow fluid to escape from the diffuser (400) and into the cavity (550) of the mixing bowl (500).
  2. The beverage dispense head assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein the liquor port assembly (300) comprises a liquor port head housing (306) having a plurality of liquor ports (318) positioned tangentially with respect to a horizontal plane of the liquor port head housing (306) to dispense liquid through the liquor ports (318) at an inward angle.
  3. The beverage dispense head assembly (100) of claim 2, wherein the liquor port head housing (306) is in the shape of a ring.
  4. The beverage dispense head assembly (100) of claim 2, wherein the liquor port assembly (300) comprises a liquor port head (302), wherein the liquor port head (302) has a receiver for receiving a mating member of the mixing bowl (500) to releaseably secure the mixing bowl (500) to the liquor port head (302).
  5. The beverage dispense head assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein the mixer port head (202) has a downwardly extending mixer post (230), and wherein some of the second mixer ports extend through the mixer post (230).
  6. The beverage dispense head assembly (100) of claim 5, wherein the diffuser (400) is cylindrically shaped and is positioned around the mixer post (230) of the mixer port head (202).
  7. The beverage dispense head assembly (100) of claim 1, wherein the shoulder of the diffuser (400) has an angled top surface.
  8. The beverage dispense head assembly (100) of claim 1, further comprising a first seal between the diffuser (400) and the mixer port head (202), and a second seal between the diffuser (400) and the mixing bowl (500).
  9. The beverage dispense head assembly (100) of claim 8, further comprising a third seal between the diffuser (400) and the mixer port head (202).
  10. The beverage dispense head assembly (100) of claim 1, further comprising a shoulder on an inner surface of the mixing bowl (500) that engages the flange of the diffuser (400) to assist in seating the diffuser (400) adjacent the mixer port head (202) in the beverage dispense head assembly (100).
  11. The beverage dispense head assembly (100) of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of ribs on an inner surface of the mixing bowl (500) adjacent the second opening of the mixing bowl (500).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to a beverage dispense head assembly, and more specifically to a beverage dispense head assembly for dispensing mixed beverages. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Beverage dispense heads are well known in the art. While such dispense heads according to the prior art provide a number of advantages, they nevertheless have certain limitations. The present disclosure seeks to overcome certain of these limitations and other drawbacks of the prior art, particularly those found in US Pub. No. 2019/0039873 A1, and US Pat. No. 5,269,442 A, and to provide new features not heretofore available. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present disclosure is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. SUMMARY According to certain aspects of the present disclosure, the disclosed subject technology relates to a beverage dispenser head assembly. In an embodiment not claimed, the disclosed technology can further relate to a beverage dispense head assembly comprising: a liquor port assembly comprising a liquor port head housing having a plurality of liquor ports positioned tangentially with respect to a horizontal plane of the liquor port head housing to dispense liquid through the liquor ports at an inward angle; a mixer port assembly fixed to the liquor port assembly, the mixer port assembly comprising a mixer port head and a downwardly extending mixer post extending through the liquor port assembly, the mixing post extending through the liquor port assembly, the mixer port assembly having at least one first mixer port extending through the mixer port head and a plurality of second mixer ports extending through the mixer post; a mixing bowl having a first opening at a first end thereof leading to a cavity therein, and a second opening at a second end thereof providing an exit to the mixing bowl, the second opening being smaller than the first opening, wherein the mixing bowl, adjacent the first end thereof, is removable fixed to the liquor port assembly adjacent a second side of the liquor port head housing; and, a diffuser located within the cavity of the mixing bowl and around the mixer post of the mixer port assembly to receive liquid passing through the at least one first mixer port, the diffuser being cylindrically shaped, the diffuser having a first end and a second end, a cylindrical inner wall that defines a central bore through which the mixer post extends, a cylindrical outer wall spaced from the cylindrical inner wall to create a diffuser cavity therebetween, the first end having an opening providing access to the diffuser cavity, the diffuser cavity having a bottom wall with a plurality of apertures, a radially extending annular shoulder extending from the diffuser between the bottom wall of the diffuser cavity and the second end of the diffuser, the annular shoulder having an angled top surface, and a flange extending from the diffuser adjacent the second end, the flange having a plurality of ports to allow fluid to escape from the diffuser and into the cavity of the mixing bowl. The disclosed technology further relates to a beverage dispense head assembly comprising: a liquor port assembly; a mixer port assembly fixed to the liquor port assembly, the mixer port assembly comprising a mixer port head having at least one first mixer port and a plurality of second mixer ports, wherein at least one of the plurality of second mixer ports has a larger cross-sectional area than other of the plurality of second mixer ports; a mixing bowl having a first opening at a first end thereof leading to a cavity therein, and a second opening at a second end thereof providing an exit to the mixing bowl, the second opening being smaller than the first opening, wherein the mixing bowl, adjacent the first end thereof, is removable fixed to the liquor port assembly adjacent a second side of the liquor port assembly, and wherein the at least one first mixer port and the plurality of second mixer ports all operably dispense liquid into the mixing bowl; and, a diffuser located within the cavity of the mixing bowl and adjacent the mixer port assembly to receive liquid passing through at least one of the first mixer ports, the diffuser having a first end and a second end, the first end having an annular opening providing access to an annular diffuser cavity, the annular diffuser cavity having a bottom wall with a plurality of apertures, a shoulder extending from the diffuser between the bottom wall of the annular diffuser cavity and the second end of the diffuser, and a flange extending from the diffuser adjacent the second end, the flange having a plurality of ports to allow fluid to escape from the diffuser and into the cavity of the mixing bowl. In an embodiment not claimed, the disclosed technology can further relate to a beverage dispense head assembly comprising: a liquor port assembly comprising a liquor