Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DEVICE FOR DOSED DISPENSING OF A LIQUID FROM A COMPOSITE
CONTAINER AND METHOD FOR FILLING SUCH A CONTAINER WITH
LIQUID
The invention relates to a device for dosed
dispensing of a liquid from a composite container. It is
possible here to envisage the liquid as a drink, in
particular a carbonated drink, such as for instance beer.
Various devices are already known with which
carbonated drinks such as beer can be dosed. As an
alternative to visiting catering establishments, where beer
is tapped using professional installations, the use of home
tap installations has increased greatly in recent years.
Most known home tap installations are relatively complicated
and thus expensive, in particular because they are provided
with their own cooling.
In addition, simple tap mechanisms are known which
can be connected to small kegs for home use. However, these
kegs have to be kept in a refrigerator, usually in a lying
position. Then the keg has to be taken out of the
refrigerator for every use, because the conventional tap
mechanism cannot empty a lying keg.
And finally, most prior art home tap systems
suffer from problems with respect to "dripping". After
tapping a glass of beer some liquid will remain in the
outflow channel and these remains will gradually be
released, causing dripping. Since home tap systems are
usually kept on a kitchen working top or in a refrigerator,
such dripping leads to stains and is a nuisance. Moreover,
liquid remaining in the outflow channel may eventually
decay, giving rise to mould or bacteria.
The invention has for its object to provide an
improved and simplified device for dosed dispensing of
CONFIRMATION COPY
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liquids, in particular carbonated drinks. This object is
achieved with a device as described in claim 1. Preferred
embodiments of the device form the subject-matter of
dependent claims 2-16.
In addition, the invention relates to a method for
filling with a liquid a composite container which can be
used in a device of the above described type. The filling of
conventional kegs with a liquid, in particular a carbonated
liquid, often entails problems. The invention therefore has
the further object of providing an improved method for
filling containers with liquid. According to the invention
this object is achieved with a method as described in claim
17. Preferably applied variants of the method according to
the invention are described in dependent claims 18 and 19.
The invention is elucidated on the basis of some
embodiments, wherein reference is made to the accompanying
drawing, in which corresponding parts are identified by
reference numerals that are increased by "100", and in
which:
Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of the device
according to a first embodiment of the invention in
assembled situation,
Fig. 2 shows schematically how a container with
tap unit is mounted on a pressure unit,
Fig. 3 shows a partly cut-away perspective view of
the pressure unit of fig. 2,
Fig. 4 shows a cross-sectional perspective view of
the upper part of the container and the tap unit mounted
thereon,
Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal cross-section of the
upper part of the container and the tap unit mounted thereon
in the rest position,
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Fig. 6 is a view corresponding with fig. 5 during
tapping,
Fig. 7 is a cross-section along line VII-VII in
fig. 6 of an alternative embodiment of the tap unit,
Fig. 8-10 show different steps of the pre-forming
of a composite container for use in the device,
Fig. 11 shows the composite container after it is
been inflated to its final form,
Fig. 12 shows the connection of a source of
displacing medium to the admitting opening of the container,
Fig. 13-19 show different steps of the filling of
the container,
Fig. 20 show the container in the filled
situation, ready for use,
Fig. 21A is a longitudinal cross-section through
the upper part of a container and a tap unit according to an
alternative embodiment of the invention in its ready-to-use
position,
Fig. 21B is an enlarged scale cross-sectional
detailed view of part of the outflow channel and the outflow
valve in the position of Fig. 21A,
Fig. 22A and 22B are views corresponding to fig.
21A and 21B of the container and tap unit at the start of
tapping, just before the outflow valve is opened,
Fig. 23A and 23B are views corresponding to fig.
21A and 21B of the container and tap unit during tapping,
when the outflow valve is opened but the aerating valve is
closed, and
Fig. 24A and 24B are views corresponding to fig.
21A and 21B of the container and tap unit during blowing out
of the outflow channel after tapping, when the outflow valve
is closed and the aerating valve is opened.
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A device 1 for dosed dispensing of a liquid
comprises a composite container 2 and a tap unit 3 connected
thereto. Arranged on the top side of container 2 is a ring 4
which defines two handles 5 and in which tap unit 3 is
received. Likewise arranged on the underside of container 2
is a ring 6, which functions as base during storage and
transport of container 2. Container 2 is further provided on
its underside with means by means of which it can be
releasably connected to a pressure unit 7, for instance in
the form of protrusions 8 which form a bayonet connection
with recesses 9 in the top side of pressure unit 7.
Pressure unit 7 comprises a pump 10 which is
driven by an electric motor 11. This motor 11 is powered by
a number of batteries 12, in the shown example four AA
batteries, each of 1.5 V. Pressure unit 7 is further
provided with control means which are connected to electric
motor 11 of pump 10 and which are connected for signal
receiving to means for detecting the pressure in container
2. In the shown example the control means and the pressure
detecting means are formed together by a so-called
pressostat 13. This pressostat is set to a value such that
the pressure in container 2 is always higher than the
saturation pressure of a gas dissolved in the liquid, for
instance carbon dioxide. The gas hereby remains in solution
and the liquid retains its taste and character. Pump 10 is
connected via a conduit (not shown here) to an air inlet 14,
which is in turn connected to a connecting opening 15 in the
centre of pressure unit 7. This connecting opening 15, which
is enclosed by a gasket 16, can be connected to an admitting
opening 17 of container 2 to be described hereinbelow.
Tap unit 3 comprises a stopper body 18 which can
be placed sealingly in a dispensing opening 28 of container
2 using an annular gasket 27. Defined in this stopper body
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18 is a vertically running central opening 19 in which a
valve 20 can be moved up and downward. Central opening 19
has two cylindrical parts 19A and 19B which are connected by
a conically tapering part 19C. Valve 20 has a similar form
5 and is provided with three gasket rings 21A-21C. Formed in
valve 20 is a vertical bore 22, to which is connected a
rigid and straight dip tube 23. Lying transversely of this
vertical bore is a second bore 24 which defines the outflow
part of valve 20.
Likewise formed in stopper body 18 is a horizontal
opening 25 in which an outflow channel 26 is received. This
horizontal opening 25 is placed into connection with second
bore 24 of valve 20 when valve 20 is moved to its open
position (fig. 6). Further formed in stopper body 18 is a
second vertical opening 29 which debouches into the upper
side thereof and which forms an aerating opening. Aerating
of outflow channel 26 prevents liquid remaining therein due
to an underpressure after closing valve 20 at the end of
tapping, which could result in decay. Received in this
aerating opening 29 is a valve 30 which must be operated in
a determined sequence with valve 20. For this purpose the
two valves 20, 30 are mutually connected to form a unit,
which is pivotally connected via a shaft 31 to a shared
operating member 32, which is in turn pivotally connected to
ring 4 via a shaft 33. Finally, recesses 34, 35 are also
formed both in operating member 32 and in stopper body 18,
between which recesses a resetting spring (not shown) can be
tensioned.
In an alternative embodiment (fig. 7) the second
bore 24 is otherwise oriented in opposite direction to
outflow channel 26, and bore 24 is connected to this channel
26 by an annular conduit 36 around valve 20. In this way the
outflow of liquid from container 2 is guided better and
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excessive foam formation is prevented when the liquid in
container 2 is under pressure and comprises carbon dioxide
or another gas dissolved therein.
Container 2 is a composite container which
consists of a flexible inner container 37 and a form-
retaining outer container 38. The term `form-retaining' is
intended to denote that the outer container 38 is stable and
does not deform to any considerable degree under the loads
encountered during normal use. Inner container 37 can for
instance be made of a relatively soft plastic such as PP,
while a harder plastic, such as for instance PET, can be
chosen for outer container 38. The difference in stiffness
between inner container 37 and outer container 38 can also
be achieved using different material thicknesses when the
materials are per se the same or at least related. Inner
container 37 and outer container 38 can be pre-formed by
means of injection-moulding and then be inflated to their
final form. Inner container 37 and outer container 38 can be
connected to each other in different ways.
In the shown example inner container 37 is
connected at the position of its dispensing opening 28 to a
neck 39 of the outer container, while in addition at least
one other connection is formed between the two containers
37, 38 at a location remote from dispensing opening 28. In
the shown example this is a mechanical connection. Inner
container 37 and outer container 38 are here injection-
moulded separately and the one is then inserted into the
other (fig. 8). A tip-shaped connecting member 41 of inner
container 37 herein protrudes through admitting opening 17
of outer container 38 while leaving free a narrow annular
gap 46.
A cap 40 is then placed over this tip-shaped
connecting member 41 (fig. 9) and attached thereto by means
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of spin welding (fig. 10). Cap 40 forms part of a valve 42
for displacing medium, which is described in more detail in
the non pre-published Netherlands patent application 1034419
of applicant, the content of which should be deemed as
included herein. When inner container 37 and outer container
38 are thus connected to each other, they can be inflated to
their final form, in which the remainder of valve 42 and
ring 6 are also mounted.
The connection by means of the tip-shaped
connecting member 41 and the spin welded cap 40 is strong
enough to withstand the loads to which the inner and outer
containers 37, 38 are subjected by the introduction of a
pressurized displacing medium.
In an alternative embodiment of the tap unit 103
(fig. 21) the outflow channel 126 has a dispensing part 147,
which in the illustrated embodiment is connected by a ball
joint 148 to a horizontal part 149, which in turn is clamped
into a widened part 150 of a bend 151. This bend 151 forms
part of a knob 152 that is snapped onto a stepped
cylindrical aerating valve 130.
The vertical part of the bend 151 extends into an
inner wall 153 of the aerating valve 130, in which also the
outflow valve 120 is fixed. The outflow valve 120 is also
formed as a stepped cylinder, and has a T-shaped channel 154
of which one leg runs axially through the narrow part of the
valve 120, while the other leg runs transversely through the
wider part of the valve 120 and debouches in the periphery
thereof at both sides.
The outflow valve 120 and the aerating valve 130
are jointly slidable in a two-part housing 155, of which an
inner and lower part 156 is suspended in the container neck
139, while an outer and upper part 157 is fixed to the neck
139 by connecting means 158. The aerating valve 130 has two
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gasket rings 159A, 159B that cooperate with an inner wall
160 of the upper house part 157 and an outer wall 161 of the
lower house part 156, respectively. The outflow valve 120
has three gasket rings 121A-1210 that cooperate with the
various parts of a stepped inner wall 162 of the inner house
part 156.
The inner house part 156 is arranged in a tray 163
which is also suspended in the container neck 139. This tray
163 has an opening 164 in its bottom, which is connected to
the interior of the container 102. At the bottom of the tray
126 a dip tube 123 is fixed for transporting liquid from the
bottom of the container 102 to the tap unit 103.
The tap unit 103may be operated by means of a
handle 132 that is pivotable about a horizontal shaft 133 at
the top of the upper house part 157. This handle 132 has an
engaging part 165 that pushes the knob 152 when the handle
132 pivots around its shaft 133. The handle 134 further
comprises two arms 166 which engage an edge of the knob 152
from below when the handle 132 is in its position of rest.
In this way movement of the knob 152 is blocked.
The aerating valve 130 is arranged to connect the
outflow channel 126with the displacing medium that is
present in the space R between the inner and outer
containers 137, 138 after the outflow valve 120 has been
closed. To this end the tap unit 103 includes an
intermediate chamber 167 that is bordered by the aerating
valve 130 and the inner house part 156. This intermediate
chamber 167 is connected to the space R when the outflow
valve 120 is opened (fig. 23), and is connected to the
outflow channel 126 when the outflow valve 120 is closed
(fig. 24). In this way a limited amount of the displacing
medium is led to the outflow channel 126.
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The connection between the space R and the
intermediate chamber 167 is formed by a channel 168 that is
defined in the neck 139 of the outer container 138, a space
between the neck 139 of the outer container 138 and a neck
169 of the inner container 137, a plurality of openings 170
in the inner container neck 169, a corresponding plurality
of openings 171 in the lower house part 156, and a gap
between the lower and upper house parts 156, 157. The
connection is opened as soon as the lowermost gasket ring
159B of the aerating valve 130 is released from a thickened
part 172 of the outer wall 161 of the inner house part 156,
after which the intermediate chamber 167 is filled with
displacing medium.
The connection between the intermediate chamber
167 and the outflow channel 126 is formed by a plurality of
openings 173 in the inner wall 162 of the inner house part
156, which debouches in a somewhat widened part of that
wall, and by the T-shaped channel 154. This connection is
opened as soon as the central gasket ring 121B of the
outflow valve 120 reaches this widened part of the inner
wall 162, after which the displacing medium can flow from
the intermediate chamber 167 through the outflow channel 126
to the surrounding area. Any liquid remaining in the outflow
channel 126 is thus blown out. Since aerating of the outflow
channel 126 takes place immediately after tapping, a glass
will still be under the outflow channel 126, so that the
remaining liquid being blown out is caught in the glass.
In order to fill container 2 a source of
displacing medium under pressure, for instance compressed
air, is first connected to valve 42 by means of a nipple 43
(fig. 12). The air is then pressed through annular gap 46
into space R between inner container 37 and outer container
38, whereby inner container 37 is almost completely
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compressed (fig. 13). Only the somewhat thickened bottom of
inner container 37 around pin 41 retains its form. A filling
conduit 44 with a nozzle 45 is then placed in dispensing
opening 28 (fig. 14) and liquid is injected into inner
5 container 37 via this conduit 44 (fig. 15, 16). The air is
here pressed out of space R and leaves container 2 via
admitting opening 17. By holding the pressure of the air in
space R above the saturation pressure of the gas dissolved
in the liquid it is possible to prevent the formation of
10 foam during filling.
When inner container 37 is completely filled (fig.
17) the filling conduit 44 is detached (fig. 18) and inner
container 37 is sealed by fastening stopper body 18 of tap
unit 3 into dispensing opening 28 (fig. 19). The remaining
components of tap unit 3 and ring 4 can then be mounted on
container 2, after which it is ready for use.
Container 2 with tap unit 3 can otherwise be used
not only for carbonated drinks, but also for other drinks
where it is important that the content is not exposed to the
environment, such as for instance wine or fruit juices. It
is of course possible here to dispense with the use of
pressure unit 7, and ambient air can easily be admitted into
space R between inner container 37 and outer container 38
when the liquid is poured out.
The invention thus provides a structurally simple
device for dosed dispensing of liquids, in particular
carbonated liquids and/or liquids under pressure, the
container of which is easy to replace. Ageing of the liquid
can moreover be prevented due to the construction of the
composite container, while it can also be kept under
pressure in simple manner, among other reasons in order to
prevent escape of gas dissolved therein. The connection
between the inner and outer containers at a second location,
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in addition to their connection at the container neck,
prevents the inner container from being crumpled up near the
dispensing opening and trapping part of the liquid. In
combination with the displacing medium, which keeps the
liquid in the inner container under uniform pressure from
all sides, this allows the inner container to be emptied
completely. Aeration of the outflow channel, either by
ambient air or using part of the displacing medium, keeps
the outflow channel clean and prevents dripping. And
finally, the container is easy to fill.
Although the invention is elucidated above with
reference to an embodiment, it will be apparent that it is
not limited thereto. The scope of the invention is defined
by the following claims.