Patents by Inventor Brian E. Sonnichsen

Brian E. Sonnichsen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11345585
    Abstract: A system for dispensing a beverage from a pressurized beverage container, the system including an interface having a housing, a tap assembly, a dip tube, a carry handle, and a receiving section. The housing is configured to fasten to a neck portion of a beverage container. The tap assembly rigidly extends from the housing and has a tap handle and a passageway configured to allow a beverage to pass through the tap assembly and out a dispensing end of the tap assembly when the tap handle is activated. The dip tube extends from a first side of the housing and is coupled to the passageway of the tap assembly. The carry handle extends from the housing. The receiving section is configured to receive a pressure regulator and includes an opening extending from a second side of the housing through the first side of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: GrowlerWerks, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian E. Sonnichsen, Evan C. Rege, Shawn L. Huff
  • Publication number: 20220033240
    Abstract: A pressurized beverage dispensing device that includes a vessel, a gas reservoir, a pressure regulation device, a primary filter, and a tap assembly. The gas reservoir is configured to supply pressurized gas within the vessel. The pressure regulation device is configured to maintain a pressure within the vessel that is above ambient pressure. The primary filter is configured to fit inside the vessel and to be removable from the vessel. The tap assembly includes a tap valve, a restrictor, and a flow straightener. The tap valve is configured to control dispensing through an outlet path. The restrictor is within the outlet path of the tap assembly and is configured to accelerate a flow of beverage to a turbulent flow. The flow straightener is within the outlet path of the tap assembly, downstream of the restrictor, and is configured to recombine, slow, and straighten the flow of beverage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 14, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Evan C. Rege, Brian E. Sonnichsen, Shawn L. Huff
  • Patent number: 11166584
    Abstract: An integrated device including a vessel, a gas reservoir, a pressure regulation device, a primary filter, and a tap assembly. The vessel is configured to contain a beverage. The gas reservoir is configured to supply pressurized gas within the vessel. The pressure regulation device is configured to maintain an infusing pressure within the vessel and also a dispensing pressure within the vessel. The primary filter is configured to hold solid brewing media, to fit inside the vessel, and to be removable from the vessel. The tap assembly is configured to dispense the beverage from the vessel. Methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2021
    Assignee: GROWLERWERKS, INC.
    Inventors: Evan C. Rege, Brian E. Sonnichsen, Shawn L. Huff
  • Publication number: 20210147211
    Abstract: A system for dispensing a beverage from a pressurized beverage container, the system including an interface having a housing, a tap assembly, a dip tube, a carry handle, and a receiving section. The housing is configured to fasten to a neck portion of a beverage container. The tap assembly rigidly extends from the housing and has a tap handle and a passageway configured to allow a beverage to pass through the tap assembly and out a dispensing end of the tap assembly when the tap handle is activated. The dip tube extends from a first side of the housing and is coupled to the passageway of the tap assembly. The carry handle extends from the housing. The receiving section is configured to receive a pressure regulator and includes an opening extending from a second side of the housing through the first side of the housing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Publication date: May 20, 2021
    Inventors: Brian E. Sonnichsen, Evan C. Rege, Shawn L. Huff
  • Patent number: 10870568
    Abstract: A system for regulating pressure within a beverage container. A high-side cartridge assembly includes a cartridge shell enclosing a high-pressure cavity, a piercing tip to puncture a pressurized-gas container, a high-pressure passage extending through the piercing tip and to the high-pressure cavity, and a piston to intermittently open the high-pressure cavity to a low-pressure cavity external to the high-side cartridge assembly. The low-side cap assembly includes a cap body having a socket configured to receive the high-side cartridge assembly, and no part of the cap body forms a boundary of the high-pressure cavity. Also disclosed is an interface having a housing, a tap assembly, a dip tube, a carry handle, and a receiving section. The housing is configured to couple to a beverage container, and the receiving section is configured to receive a pressure regulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2020
    Assignee: GrowlerWerks, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian E. Sonnichsen, Evan C. Rege, Shawn L. Huff
  • Publication number: 20200305631
    Abstract: An integrated device including a vessel, a gas reservoir, a pressure regulation device, a primary filter, and a tap assembly. The vessel is configured to contain a beverage. The gas reservoir is configured to supply pressurized gas within the vessel. The pressure regulation device is configured to maintain an infusing pressure within the vessel and also a dispensing pressure within the vessel. The primary filter is configured to hold solid brewing media, to fit inside the vessel, and to be removable from the vessel. The tap assembly is configured to dispense the beverage from the vessel. Methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Evan C. Rege, Brian E. Sonnichsen, Shawn L. Huff
  • Publication number: 20190389714
    Abstract: A system for regulating pressure within a beverage container. A high-side cartridge assembly includes a cartridge shell enclosing a high-pressure cavity, a piercing tip to puncture a pressurized-gas container, a high-pressure passage extending through the piercing tip and to the high-pressure cavity, and a piston to intermittently open the high-pressure cavity to a low-pressure cavity external to the high-side cartridge assembly. The low-side cap assembly includes a cap body having a socket configured to receive the high-side cartridge assembly, and no part of the cap body forms a boundary of the high-pressure cavity. Also disclosed is an interface having a housing, a tap assembly, a dip tube, a carry handle, and a receiving section. The housing is configured to couple to a beverage container, and the receiving section is configured to receive a pressure regulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Publication date: December 26, 2019
    Inventors: Brian E. Sonnichsen, Evan C. Rege, Shawn L. Huff
  • Patent number: 7380920
    Abstract: A container including a first tank for receiving a liquid, a second tank that is selectively pressurizable, a check valve for permitting fluid flow from the first tank to the second tank, and a manifold structure having a first port fluidically coupled to the first tank and a second port fluidically coupled to the second tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2008
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Brian E. Sonnichsen, James D. Padgett, Sharon S. Berger, Ronald F. Burr, David W. Hanks
  • Patent number: 7300143
    Abstract: A fluid reservoir apparatus including a housing having input ports in a rear portion of the housing and output ports in a front portion of the housing, fluidic chambers and fluidic channels extending from the input ports to the output ports, a heater structure disposed in the housing, a plurality of datum standoffs having rounded datum ends disposed at the rear portion of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2007
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Steven R. Slotto, Brian E. Sonnichsen, Eric Segerstrom, David R. Koehler
  • Patent number: 7222937
    Abstract: A drop emitting device including a first linear array of columnar arrays of first nozzle pairs and a second linear array of columnar arrays of second nozzle pairs, wherein the first linear array and the second linear array extend along an X-axis, and wherein the second linear array is adjacent the first linear array such that each first nozzle pair has an associated second nozzle pair displaced therefrom along a Y-axis that is orthogonal to the X-axis. The columnar arrays of first nozzle pairs and the columnar arrays of second nozzle pairs extend obliquely to the X-axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: John M. Brookfield, Rodney B. Hill, James D. Padgett, John S. Moore, Eric Segerstrom, Brian E. Sonnichsen, Christine M. Greiser
  • Patent number: 7137692
    Abstract: A fluid reservoir apparatus including first and second opposing thermally conductive walls, an elastomeric heater compressed between the first and second opposing thermally conductive walls, wherein the elastomeric heater has an uncompressed thickness that is greater than a distance between the first and second opposing thermally conductive walls, and a reservoir adjacent the first opposing thermally conductive wall and thermally coupled to first thermally conductive wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Brian E. Sonnichsen, Daniel L. Stoneman
  • Patent number: 7063410
    Abstract: A drop emitting apparatus including an ink jet printhead; a plurality of on-board ink reservoirs for supplying ink to the ink jet printhead; a plurality of remote ink containers; a plurality of ink supply conduits fluidically connected between the remote ink containers and the on-board ink reservoirs; a common air vent, connected to each one of the plurality of remote ink containers, for venting said each one of the plurality of remote ink containers as ink is supplied to the on-board ink reservoirs from the remote ink containers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2006
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Steven R. Slotto, Brian E. Sonnichsen
  • Patent number: 6969146
    Abstract: A drop emitting device including a first linear array of columnar arrays of first nozzle pairs and a second linear array of columnar arrays of second nozzle pairs, wherein the first linear array and the second linear array extend along an X-axis, and wherein the second linear array is adjacent the first linear array such that each first nozzle pair has an associated second nozzle pair displaced therefrom along a Y-axis that is orthogonal to the X-axis. The columnar arrays of first nozzle pairs and the columnar arrays of second nozzle pairs extend obliquely to the X-axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: John M. Brookfield, Rodney B. Hill, James D. Padgett, John S. Moore, Eric Segerstrom, Brian E. Sonnichsen, Christine M. Greiser
  • Patent number: 6824241
    Abstract: A drop emitting apparatus that includes an ink jet printhead, a plurality of on-board ink reservoirs for supplying ink to the ink jet printhead, a plurality of remote ink containers, a plurality of ink supply conduits fluidically connected between the remote ink containers and the on-board ink reservoirs, and an air conduit for selectively providing compressed air to the on-board ink reservoirs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2004
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Brian E. Sonnichsen, Steven R. Slotto, Britton Pinson
  • Patent number: 6799830
    Abstract: A drop emitting device including a first linear array of columnar arrays of first nozzle pairs and a second linear array of columnar arrays of second nozzle pairs wherein the first linear array and the second linear array extend along an X-axis, and wherein the second linear array is adjacent the first linear array such that each first nozzle pair has an associated second nozzle pair displaced therefrom along a Y-axis that is orthogonal to the X-axis. The columnar arrays of first nozzle pairs and the columnar arrays of second nozzle pairs extend obliquely to the X-axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2004
    Assignee: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: John M. Brookfield, Rodney B. Hill, James D. Padgett, John S. Moore, Eric Segerstrom, Brian E. Sonnichsen, Christine M. Greiser
  • Publication number: 20040113991
    Abstract: A drop emitting apparatus including a drop generator having a piezoelectric transducer, and a temperature sensor formed of the same material as the piezoelectric transducer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Steven R. Slotto, Brian E. Sonnichsen, David L. Knierim
  • Publication number: 20040113968
    Abstract: A drop emitting apparatus that includes an ink jet printhead, a plurality of on-board ink reservoirs for supplying ink to the ink jet printhead, a plurality of remote ink containers, a plurality of ink supply conduits fluidically connected between the remote ink containers and the on-board ink reservoirs, and an air conduit for selectively providing compressed air to the on-board ink reservoirs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2002
    Publication date: June 17, 2004
    Applicant: Xerox Corporation
    Inventors: Brian E. Sonnichsen, Steven R. Slotto, Britton Pinson
  • Patent number: D857323
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: GrowlerWerks, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian E. Sonnichsen, Shawn L. Huff, Evan C. Rege, Kobi Daum
  • Patent number: D951711
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: GROWLERWERKS, INC.
    Inventors: Brian E. Sonnichsen, Evan C. Rege, Shawn L. Huff
  • Patent number: D1000198
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2023
    Assignee: GROWLERWERKS, INC.
    Inventors: Evan C. Rege, Brian E. Sonnichsen, Shawn L. Huff