US 12,187,354 B2
Coaxial beverage keg connector comprising a ball joint
Joshua Smith, West Drayton (GB); and Glen Ansell, Edgware (GB)
Assigned to JOHN GUEST INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, Middlesex (GB)
Appl. No. 17/288,049
Filed by JOHN GUEST INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, West Drayton (GB)
PCT Filed Oct. 10, 2019, PCT No. PCT/GB2019/052878
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 23, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/084276, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1817289 (GB), filed on Oct. 24, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0387684 A1, Dec. 16, 2021
Prior Publication US 2024/0149956 A9, May 9, 2024
Int. Cl. B67D 1/08 (2006.01); B62D 35/00 (2006.01); H01Q 1/32 (2006.01); H01Q 1/42 (2006.01); H01Q 5/307 (2015.01); H01Q 9/04 (2006.01); H01Q 21/08 (2006.01); H04B 1/3822 (2015.01)
CPC B62D 35/007 (2013.01) [B67D 1/0829 (2013.01); H01Q 1/3275 (2013.01); H01Q 1/42 (2013.01); H01Q 5/307 (2015.01); H01Q 9/0407 (2013.01); H01Q 21/08 (2013.01); H04B 1/3822 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A coaxial keg connector comprising a main body made of plastic, wherein the main body includes an internal bearing surface, the main body having a first inlet port and a second inlet port receiving a stem, and the main body having a coaxial outlet comprising an outer outlet port in fluid communication with the first inlet port to create an outer flow path for coolant water and the coaxial outlet comprising an inner outlet port in fluid communication with the second inlet port, wherein a flow passage is moulded into the main body and is in flow communication with the stem at the second inlet port;
the stem comprising a tubular body having an internal passage in fluid communication with the flow passage of the main body, the internal passage being a through bore extending along a main axis with an inlet and a keg connector for attachment to the keg at a first end, a second end of the stem opposite to the first end having an outlet in fluid communication with the inner outlet port, and the stem further comprising a ball joint rotatably mounted in the main body of the coaxial keg connector and sealed with respect to the main body of the coaxial keg connector so as to be rotatable about the main axis of the tubular body and rotatable to a limited extent about axes perpendicular to the main axis;
wherein the ball joint includes a frustoconical outer surface extending from a non-frustoconical outer surface, wherein the frustoconical outer surface abuts the internal bearing surface of the main body of the coaxial keg connector simultaneously as a side wall of the tubular body of the stem contacts a frusto-conical face within the main body of the coaxial keg connector to limit rotation about the axes perpendicular to the main axis; and
wherein the coaxial keg connector includes a plurality of seals including an upper sealing ring and a lower sealing ring, wherein the upper and lower sealing rings seal the ball joint with respect to the main body and provide a gap between the ball joint and an inner surface of the main body, each one of the upper and lower sealing rings contact both the outer surface of the ball joint and the inner surface of the main body of the coaxial keg connector.