| CPC B67D 7/0244 (2013.01) [B67D 7/0294 (2013.01); B67D 7/36 (2013.01); B67D 7/58 (2013.01)] | 18 Claims |
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1. An apparatus for transferring a beverage from a sealed container into a storage vessel, the apparatus comprising:
a first needle for insertion through a stopper of the sealed container, the first needle having a conduit for the beverage to flow through the first needle;
a transfer pipe to fluidly connect the first needle to the storage vessel so that, when assembled, the sealed container, first needle, transfer pipe and storage vessel form part of a closed system allowing the beverage to be transferred from the sealed container into the storage vessel without air outside of the closed system mixing with the beverage;
a pressurisation mechanism configured to pressurize the sealed container to displace the beverage through the first needle and into the storage vessel, the pressurisation mechanism comprising a reservoir containing inert gas and a second needle for insertion through the stopper of the sealed container to introduce inert gas and purge the sealed container of residual air inside;
a bypass pipe to fluidly connect the transfer pipe to the reservoir; and
first and second three-way control valves, the first three-way control valve is connecting the first needle to the transfer pipe and the bypass pipe, and the second three-way control valve is connecting the second needle to the reservoir containing inert gas and the bypass pipe;
wherein the first and second three-way control valves are configurable in a first position to connect the reservoir containing inert gas to the transfer pipe via the bypass pipe to flush through the closed system with the inert gas; and
wherein the first and second three-way control valves are configurable in a second position to connect the second needle to the reservoir of inert gas and to connect the transfer pipe to the first needle to allow pressurisation of the sealed container and the displacement of beverage along the transfer pipe.
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