Today in 2013, US Patent 20130133340 A1 was issued, an invention of Mark Sillince and David Cull, assigned to the Joseph Company International, Inc., for their “Keg Apparatus for Self Cooling and Self Dispensing Liquids.” Here’s the Abstract:

A self-cooling and self dispensing beverage container in the form of a keg which includes a heat exchange unit having a plurality of segments of compressed carbon disposed therein. A valve is secured to a tube attached to the REU housing for carbon dioxide to adsorbed and then desorbed by the carbon for cooling the beverage. A dispense gas canister is disposed within the container to automatically release carbon dioxide to maintain a pressure head within the container sufficient to assure dispensing of the beverage.