AU703613B2 - A fluid dispensing system - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION NAME OF APPLICANT(S): Lion Nathan Limited ADDRESS FOR SERVICE: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE Patent Attorneys 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

INVENTION TITLE: A fluid dispensing system The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us'la BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a fluid dispensing system.

While the present invention has been developed particularly for its use in respect of a beverage such as beer so as to increase its attractiveness as it is poured, the present invention has application in respect of any pourable transparent or translucent fluid.

In an outlet such as an hotel the customer may first see a beverage such as beer only after it has been poured so that in making the beverage attractive, the retail outlet is relying on the presentation of the beverage in the glass or other holder.

The present invention is directed towards making the beverage more attractive to the customer while it is in the process of being poured and so that the characteristics of the beverage can be better presented.

To this end, the present invention has provided a fluid S"dispensing system in which the fluid being dispensed can be illuminated. be illuminated.

oe P 1If i Awa f 12 1A I i It is known that light has the property of internally reflecting when directed through a transparent smooth-walled medium of greater refractive index than the surrounding medium.

This property is utilised in fibre optic technology for example.

A stream of beer, pouring from a bar tap into a glass, comprises a medium which will also carry light. However, because the stream of beer is not perfectly smooth walled, and the liquid is carrying inclusions i.e. bubbles, any internally carried light can escape to he visible to an onlooker. The effect on an onlooker is to see a stream of beer "glowing" as it pours from the tap and then sparkle within the container for the duration of the pouring operation. Such sparkling effect on any beverage will improve the attractiveness of the beverage to any onlooker and actual or potential customer.

It is known to provide illuminated transparent fountain heads which rely on light reflecting off fluid droplets, such as in United States patent 4,936,506, and underwater 15 floodlighting. However, the present invention is directed towards the illumination internally of a fluid so that it appears to be self-illuminated.

It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a fluid dispensing system which enables the introduction of light within a fluid as it is poured so as to improve the S 20 attractiveness of the beverage or at least to provide the public with a useful choice.

iwlooo I 1 It I i-%At.'IIM~ I >.h -3- Further objects of this invention will become apparent from the following description.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a dispensing system for a transparent or translucent fluid containing inclusions, said system including a dispensing means having fluid outlet means and fluid inlet means and illumination means including an optical cable light supply means provided at or adjacent to said outlet means so as to direct light into a fluid as it is dispensed, along or towards its direction of flow, so that an illumination of the fluid flow can be seen.

According to a further aspect of the present invention a fluid dispensing system as above defined comprises a tap means provided with said fluid inlet means and said fluid outlet means and wherein said illumination means comprises at least one optical cable connected 15 with said tap means at or adjacent said fluid outlet means directing light into said fluid so as to be substantially parallel (as herein defined) with the fluid flow.

According to a further aspect of the present invention a fluid dispensing system is provided *0 4 substantially as herein described and/or as described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

Further aspects of this invention which should be considered in all its novel aspects will become apparent from the following description given by way of example of possible embodiments thereof and in which reference is made to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING Firure 1i: Shows very diagrammatically a side perspective view of a fluid dispensing tap according to one possible embodiment of the invention.

20 o *o* DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As described above, the present invention seeks to illuminate a stream of a transparent or translucent fluid in order to improve its attractiveness to a potential consumer.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the engineering arts however that th; illumination of a fluid flow could have other uses cr benefits. For example, an illuminated fluid ftow could facilitate the detection or measurement of the direction or rate of the flow. However, the present invention will, for simplicity, be described in respect of its use for beverages in improving their attractiveness as they are dispensed.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, a fluid dispensing means is shown by way of example in the form of a beer tap or the like and referenced generally by 10 arrow 1.

i0 The tap 1 has an upper portion 2 which will typically accommodate a handle or the like (not shown) which on being activated by the operator will control 15 the flow of beer in a direction indicated by arrow A through the beer inlet 3 and out through the beer outlet The beer or other transparent or translucent fluid exiting from the outlet 5 is illustrated very diagrammatically by a flow 9 with points of light 20 illustrated very diagrammatically by reference 20 providing a sparkling effect as the fluid pour 9 continues.

0 o In achieving this, the present invention provides too: 25 one or more optical cables 7 (only one being shown) connected by a ferrule or the like 6 to an elongate aperture 4 extending to the rear portion of the outlet The angle of inclination of the aperture 4 relative 6 to the longitudinal axis of the outlet 5 is shown as being at an angle The intention is to provide the angle of inclination of the aperture 4 such that it is substantially parallel with the fluid flow 9 so that the angle X 0 should be as low as possible and tending towards However, in practice the angle X° may be in excess of 30° but the term "substantially parallel" is used in the present specification so as to include any angle which will still enable the illumination to be directed substantially along the path of the fluid flow 9.

A window or the like 8 is illustrated diagrammatically in outline as closing off the end of the elongate aperture 4. The window 8 may suitably be of glass or other transparent or translucent material which may be fixed into position along the inner surface 20 of the outlet 5 so as to be as flush as possible with the internal surface and so as to therefore avoid any irregularity in the surface which could present a problem with hygiene in trapping fluid or in inhibiting proper cleaning of the internal surfaces. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the relevant arts that 9*25 in the case of a carbonated fluid any conventional light source would introduce a heating effect and any heating of the tap 1 could then destablise the dissolved carbon -7dioxide in the fluid 9 which could cause, in the case of beer, uncontrolled foaming and wastage.

Also, the provision of any conventional light source for the tap 2 would be likely to be bulky and unattractive particularly if any switch was included with the light source in order to minimise heating.

However, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, by providing for a remote light source feeding light to the tap 1 by an optical cable arrangement, any heating effect is totally avoided.

it is also appreciated that the centralised light source could feed light through optical cables 7 to any required number of taps or the like 1. Also, rather 49 than the cable 7 feeding into the aperture 4, any 20 alternative termination could be provided, such as a 20 short length of cable attached to the tap outlet 5 to which the cable 7 can be connected.

:0 It is envisaged that light of any suitable colour 9999*.

25 or colours may be supplied to the tap 1 by any number of Gael#: 25 optical cables 7 and of any suitable size. It is anticipated however that the amount of light which is admitted at the window or the like 8 would be not less 8 than approximately 7Mlux. The affixing of the one or more optical cables 7 at their ends 6 with the tap 1 may be by a push fit, a bayonet or threaded coupling, or any other suitable means.

The taps 1 or other fluid dispensing means may be of any suitable material or materials and made by any suitable technique. However, casting or moulding in metal and/or plastics may be particularly suitable especially as such techniques and materials facilitate the presentation of smooth internal surfaces in the resultant products.

Where in the foregoing description, reference has been made to specific components or integers of the invention having known equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually 0 set forth.

Although this invention has been described by way of example and with reference to possible embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that modifications or 25 improvements may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended :claims.

*o o•

Claims (9)

1. A dispensing system for a transparent or translucent fluid containing inclusions, said system including a dispensing means having fluid outlet means and fluid inlet means and illumination means including an optical cable light supply means provided at or adjacent to said outlet means so as to direct light into a fluid as it is dispensed, along or towards its direction of flow, so that an illumination of the fluid flow can be seen.

2. A fluid dispensing system as claimed in claim 1 comprising a tap means provided with said fluid inlet means and said fluid outlet means and wherein said illumination means comprises at least one optical cable connected with said tap means after or adjacent said fluid outlet means directing light into said fluid so as to be substantially parallel (as herein defined) with the fluid flow. 15

3. A fluid dispensing system as claimed in claim 2 wherein said light is directed into said u fluid, in use, at an angle between 0° and approximately o *o S S ft 10

4. A fluid dispensing system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said outlet means includes an area of a transparent or translucent material through which said light is directed.

A fluid dispensing system as claimed in claim 4 wherein said area comprises a window provided for said fluid outlet means.

6. A fluid dispensing system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein said illumination means inu-udes an elongate aperture connecting said 15 optical cable light supply means with said outlet means.

7. A fluid dispensing system as claimed in any one of o• the preceding claims wherein said light is of one 20 or more colours.

8. A fluid dispensing system as claimed in any one of gee2 the preceding claims wherein said light is provided at a level of substantially 7Mlux.

9. A fluid dispensing system substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing. ABSTRACT A FLUID DISPENSING SYSTEM A fluid dispensing system has an upper portion which will typically accommodate a handle or the likr (not shown) which will cor. ol the flow of a fluid such as beer in the direction indicated by arrow A through the inlet and out through the outlet An optical cable provides a light source to the outlet so that the exiting fluid is highlighted with points of light CSPEC83503 I