EP1572553B1 - Insert for a pressurised container of liquid - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an insert that is to be added to a gas-pressurized liquid in a container. Said insert comprises a pressure-activated body with at least one cavity, said body being connected to a positioning device. According to the invention, (a) the pressure-activated body (4) comprises at least one opening (10) with a reduced diameter, which connects the cavity to the environment of the insert and is situated in a location that lies above the level of liquid when the insert is floating on said liquid and (b) the positioning device comprises a floating body (1, 2; 1, 2, 6) with a small opening (3), which is submerged in the liquid when the insert is placed on the latter, a ventilation opening (5), which communicates directly with the external environment (14) of the insert and a minimum volume (11), which when filled with liquid enables the insert to sink into the liquid. The inventive insert can be added to liquids that are sealed under pressure. It floats to the surface of said liquid, but sinks after a period of time. Its pressure-activated body is charged with the internal pressure of the sealed container and when the container of liquid is opened, said pressure is used in a known manner to achieve effects such as an improved foaming of beer or to mix a substance, which up to the point of opening has been stored separately in the container, with the liquid.

Description

The present invention is directed to an inner container which may be added to a pressurized can under gas pressure or to a pressure vessel sealed in another manner ("Titanic" widget or wedge). This inner container is an insert which, when the pressure container is opened, can change the properties of the surrounding liquid, e.g. promotes the formation of gas bubbles and thus possibly the formation of foam and / or releases a separately stored at the time of opening the pressure vessel additive, so that this additive can mix with the liquid before pouring from the open container. The use according to the invention is independent of the nature of the surrounding liquid and of its intended use; However, it is particularly well suited for drinks that are bottled for example in beverage cans.

In the beverage industry, various uses are known which change the properties of a beverage at the moment the consumer opens the package. Thus, it has been known for a long time to use cans for storing carbonated drinks in particular, and beer in particular, which can be filled with gaseous or liquid nitrogen or another gas before closing the can. These inner containers should e.g. ensure that effervescent beverages such as beer develop a beautiful, stable head of foam upon opening the can, or they may be designed to mix an ingredient stored in the can separate from the beverage at the time the can is opened with the beverage. The first example is known to the skilled person by the term "widget", the second by the term "wedge" or the brand "FreshCan".

As a principal feature, these active inserts are generally common in that they are "loaded" with the pressure that builds up after sealing the package in the headspace of the package. They are then activated by the sudden pressure drop when opening the beverage container and the resulting pressure difference between a gas space in its interior and its surroundings. In order to achieve this, their interior is usually connected with the surrounding liquid in such a way that in the state of the filled, closed box, the gas present in the inner container can not escape into the surrounding liquid. For this purpose, there are a large number of proposals in the prior art. For example, the inner container can at least one and In particular, have two openings with only a small diameter, which is dimensioned so that in the state of the filled and closed container, the surface tension of the liquid prevents gas bubbles can escape. This effect is known as the so-called "bubble point effect." Gas containers with only such an opening are for example in the EP 448 200 A1 and in the EP 520 646 A1 described, and those with two of these openings in the WO 95/08493 , Openings of such sized diameters are also referred to below as reduced diameter openings.

It has been proposed both to provide the inserts floating on and in the liquid, as well as to lock them in the container. According to a proposal of the WO 95/08493 For example, a widget provided with two apertures of reduced diameter may be secured to the bottom of a beverage can. The WO 91/07326 Proposes, inter alia, that the gas container should have flexible arms with flanges, which fix the gas container at a predetermined position in an upper or middle region of the container via a press fit. In the WO 95/05325 is suggested to provide a gas container which floats on the liquid.

In order for all such inserts to perform their function optimally, they must meet several conditions: At the time of closing the outer container and also for some time thereafter, the gas space of the insert should communicate at least via an opening with the gas space in connection when closing the outer Container is formed over the liquid level ("headspace"). In this way, a pressure equalization between the two gaseous compartments - and thus a pressure loading of the insert - causes without due to the contraction of the gas in use a part of its volume with liquid vollläuft and thus the desired effect is reduced in its quantity , This is often done by providing the or a reduced diameter opening relatively far down the insert and fixing it to the bottom of the liquid container. After filling and closing, the container is then turned upside down until the mentioned pressure equalization has taken place. However, since there is often a risk that still penetrates a certain amount of liquid, either the geometry of the insert must prevent that when re-installing the container in its original and intended for opening position, this liquid runs in an area which covers the opening and thus represents a barrier to the later gas leakage, as for example in the EP 520 646 it is proposed or else a second opening, also reduced in external dimensions, is provided in the upper area of the widget. What is disconcerting about such inserts is not only the additional step of placing them upside down after closing, but also the fact that the insert must be fastened to its inner bottom before filling the can. This is not only technically, but also logistically very expensive. If it is attached with an adhesive, care must also be taken to ensure that it is toxicologically harmless, tasteless and long-term stable to the surrounding fluid.

Floating inserts must be designed so that when opening the beverage container, the gas must not escape through that opening in the insert, which connects the gas space above the beverage level with the gas space in use, as in such a case, the effect would "fizzle". Therefore, at least this opening must be designed as a valve that allows only the entry, but not the escape of gas. Furthermore, such widgets must have a lower, immersed in the liquid opening through which the gas can escape again when opening the beverage container. Such widgets are for example in the WO 95/05326 and in the EP 1 055 614 A1 described. However, this principle only works if it is reliably prevented that even small amounts of liquid penetrate into the gas container. In addition, the effect achieved is only moderate, because the gas must escape at the moment of pressure drop when opening the outer liquid container down. This also entails the risk that the widget rotates in the liquid when opening the can until the gas outlet is no longer immersed in the liquid.

An alternative sees the WO 97/00214 whose floating widget requires an orientation device which inevitably gives it a given orientation, and in which several passageways ensure that gas from the gas space above the liquid level in the liquid container enters the widget and upon opening of the liquid container and the concomitant pressure drop down, into the liquid, can escape again. Despite this guidance, this widget may spin unintentionally, and moreover its construction is overly cumbersome.

In addition to fixed widgets installed in the liquid container and those floating on top of the liquid, it has also been suggested to use widgets that float on the liquid first, spin and sink after some time should be able to. So revealed the WO 95/04688 a capsule according to the preamble of claim 1, having two chambers, which has a first, immersed in the liquid opening, which communicates via a pipe or the like. With the upper chamber in the capsule and can penetrate through the liquid. Upon entry of this liquid is displaced from the upper chamber (ballast chamber) gas that passes through a second opening, which must be protected against a full run with this liquid, in the lower chamber (pressure chamber). This communicates via a further, also passing through the intermediate wall between the two openings reaching pipe with an outlet opening on the top of the capsule, which is in contact with the gas space of the liquid container. A similar complicated proposal can be found in the WO 95/03982 , Since in these widgets the pressure chamber and the ballast chamber communicate with each other via a pressure equalization tube, the ballast chamber may have on its outer side no direct opening to the outside, otherwise liquid could enter the pressure chamber.

From the abundance of the state of the art on this subject, it can be seen that a large number of proposals have been made for the solution of the above problem, but all of them are imperfect or involve much too much technical effort.

The so-called wedges use the same principle as the widgets, but this is used additionally or alternatively to be able to store an ingredient separately during storage of the liquid in the liquid container, such that it automatically when opening the container and the case resulting pressure drop mixed with the liquid surrounding the inner container. So revealed the WO 99/54229 an inner container having two chambers, one chamber of which has a reduced diameter opening which holds the interior of that chamber in communication with the external environment so that it can be pressurized with the gas pressure prevailing in a beverage container as described above for the widgets. This chamber is separated by a gas and liquid-impermeable inner wall of a second chamber, which is provided for storing a substance. The latter, for example a liquid or solid flavor carrier or a dietary supplement, is intended to mix with the surrounding beverage when the beverage can is opened. The container having the two chambers is composed of an upper part and a lower part such that when opening the beverage can and the resulting pressure loss, the pressure difference occurring develops forces that are greater than the connection between the two parts, wherein the additive harboring chamber is "blown" so that its ingredient pours into the surrounding beverage liquid.

The use of wedges has similar difficulties to those described above for the widgets. Sticking to the floor before filling the beverage liquid requires considerable effort and requires toxicologically harmless, odorless and tasteless and storage and beverage stable adhesives. If they are designed as floating wedges, the above problems also persist.

The object of the present invention is to provide an insert for containers with therein, under gas pressure liquids, in particular drinks, which regardless of its intended use and consequently, regardless of how it is designed in its interior, has a gas compartment, when closing the liquid container communicates reliably with the gas space of the liquid container formed after closing, while the said opening is to be surrounded by liquid at the later time of opening of the liquid container, such that the pressure difference which suddenly occurs when opening the container desired effect can unfold. This insert can be provided for improving the gas bubble formation and / or for storing a second ingredient, but also for other purposes.

This object is achieved by an insert having a pressure-activatable, at least one cavity-containing body in conjunction with a positioning device, wherein (a) the pressure-activatable body has at least one opening of reduced diameter, which connects the cavity with the environment of the insert and which is located at a position which lies on a liquid above the liquid level when the insert is floating, and (b) the positioning device comprises a floating body which has a small-sized opening, at least one vent, which dips into a liquid when the insert is placed on a liquid communicates directly with the outside environment of the insert, and has a minimum volume that ensures the sinking of the insert into the liquid at full load.

• Figur 1 einen Einsatz mit einem Schwimmkörper in Form eines Bootes,
• Figur 2 einen Einsatz mit einem Schwimmkörper in Form eines abgedeckten Bootes ("U-Boot"),
• Figur 3 einen Einsatz, dessen druckaktivierbarer Körper ein einkammriges widget ist, in das ein zusätzliches Gewicht eingebracht wurde,
• Figur 4 einen Einsatz, dessen druckaktivierbarer Körper ein zweikammriges wedge ist, in das ein zusätzliches Gewicht eingebracht wurde, und
• Figur 5 eine spezifische Möglichkeit, wie ein Einsatz gemäß Figur 4 aus zwei Bauteilen zusammengesetzt sein kann, die sich infolge des Druckabfalls beim Öffnen des Getränkebehälters trennen und dabei den Inhalt der Produktkammer freisetzen.

The attached figures show specific embodiments of the insert according to the invention, namely:

• FIG. 1 an insert with a float in the form of a boat,
• FIG. 2 an insert with a floating body in the form of a covered boat ("submarine"),
• FIG. 3 an insert whose pressure-activatable body is a single-chamber widget into which an additional weight has been inserted,
• FIG. 4 an insert whose pressure-activatable body is a two-chambered wedge into which an additional weight has been introduced, and
• FIG. 5 a specific way, like an assignment according to FIG. 4 can be composed of two components that separate due to the pressure drop when opening the beverage container, thereby releasing the contents of the product chamber.

The term "small-sized opening" is not to be understood as meaning the term "reduced-diameter opening". Rather, the small-sized opening is one that allows fluid to pass through it, but the passage through the choice of small dimensions should be so slow that the fluid floods the float within minutes or even more. The dimensions of this opening can easily be determined by a person skilled in the art on the basis of his knowledge and simple experiments; The example also gives him suitable parameters for doing so. Thus, the dimensions for aqueous liquids and hydrophobic materials of the floating body such as polypropylene are preferably in the range of about 0.5 to 2 mm, preferably 1-1.5 mm.

In addition to the aforementioned openings, the insert according to the invention has (at least) one vent opening. The term "vent opening" implies that this opening of the float body allows the escape of gas. When placing the insert according to the invention, therefore, it preferably lies above the liquid level and in any case above the small-dimensioned opening, and it ensures in a simple manner that the gas contained therein can escape when the float floats. This vent can be completely free be designed. It can be formed, for example, by virtue of the fact that the floating body has no cover or wall on its upper side. Instead, however, the floating body can also have one or more openings in one or more areas at a suitable height, but otherwise be closed. The size of this opening (s) is by nature completely uncritical. It can be the same as that of the above-mentioned small-sized opening, but also above or below.

The term "pressure-activatable body having at least one cavity" is intended to encompass all those bodies which, in the manner of a widget or wedges, have at least one cavity which communicates with the environment via (at least) a reduced-diameter opening as described above. It should be particularly noted that as bodies which can be activated by pressure, it is possible to use all bodies which possess the required properties, irrespective of the intended use and also irrespective of whether the liquid to be sealed in the outer liquid container is edible or serves other purposes. Above all, however, the invention is suitable for beverage packaging such as cans and here for the design of one or two openings having reduced diameter widgets with at least one hollow interior and for wedges having at least two chambers, one of which is hollow and one or more The reduced diameter orifices provide pressure equalization and the second is for receiving an additional substance such as a dietary supplement or flavor.

The insert of the invention is inserted before or after filling a liquid container in this and takes due to the buoyancy inherent buoyancy forces immediately a floating position. After filling, the liquid container is closed, if necessary under pressure. The building pressure in the gas space above the liquid level is over the opening with a reduced diameter in compensation with the cavity in the pressure-activated body. The known in the prior art openings with reduced diameter allow the pressure loading of suitable cavities within a period of usually about 10 to 300 seconds, and this period will of course be required for the same construction of the inserts of the invention. About the small-sized opening of the insert according to the invention, which is below the liquid level, at the same time liquid penetrates into the float. This opening will be like this dimensioned so that the float only completely vollläuft after the expiration of the period that is required for the pressure load, and thus brings the use to sink. If the liquid container is then later opened, the insert is located on the bottom of the liquid container, so that the reduced diameter opening is immersed in the liquid and can exert its full effect.

The float is preferably arranged outside the pressure-activatable body.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the floating body has the shape of a boat that carries the pressure-activatable, at least one cavity having body. Of course, in this embodiment, the insert is introduced into the liquid container only after the liquid has been introduced, e.g. thrown in. The boat has a bottom and a circumferential side wall, which is designed so that the capacity of the boat has located therein pressure-activatable body has the minimum volume required according to the invention. The pressure-activatable body can be fully formed inserted into the float. Alternatively, parts of the pressure-activatable body may simultaneously be parts of the boat. For example, the bottom of the pressure-activatable body may be a part of the bottom of the boat that extends farther outward and is surrounded all around by said side wall. Instead or in addition, the pressure-activatable body may also share some of the sidewall with that of the boat. In this embodiment, which may not be rotationally symmetric, of course, care must be taken to ensure that the weight distribution does not lead to an imbalance of the insert when it is placed on the liquid. Finally, it would be e.g. also possible that the pressure-activated body rotates annularly on the side wall of the boat, so that its outer side wall also represents the boat wall.

In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the floating body has the shape of a closed cavity. For example, the boat as described above may be provided with a cover. This embodiment has the advantage that the insert can be introduced at any time into the liquid container and that it can be thrown at the subsequent introduction to the liquid, without having to worry that in case of accidental tipping the float is flooded ahead of time , In this embodiment also has the cover one or a plurality of openings, which may be small, for example, to allow the escape of gas from the filling float when sinking.

The one or more small-sized openings may be located in all embodiments on the floor and / or in the side wall of the float. Only one of them must be arranged so that it is located on the liquid below the mirror when the insert is swimming. With an additional opening (s) located higher up, the sinking of the insert can be accelerated if the float is already partially flooded.

$${\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Archimedes}\mathrm{,}1}\mathrm{=}{\mathrm{V}}_{\mathrm{Schwimmkörper}}\mathrm{*}{\mathrm{\rho }}_{\mathrm{Flüssigkeit}}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{g}$$

$${\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Archimedes}\mathrm{,}2}\mathrm{=}{\mathrm{V}}_{\mathrm{Körper}}\mathrm{*}\left({\mathrm{\rho }}_{\mathrm{Flüssigkeit}}-{\mathrm{\rho }}_{\mathrm{Körper}}\right)\mathrm{*}\mathrm{g}$$

The materials used for the druckaktivierbaren body, the float and possibly as an additive for mixing with the liquid on the one hand and the existing cavities on the other hand are selected in a suitable manner so that the use when applied to the liquid reliably floats, during or after the running of the Floating body, however, reliably drops. To compensate for possible buoyancy forces, a weight with the weight G can be provided. These buoyancy forces F are for example: $${\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{density}}\mathrm{=}{\mathrm{V}}_{\mathrm{material}}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{(}{\mathrm{\rho }}_{\mathrm{liquid}}\mathrm{-}{\mathrm{\rho }}_{\mathrm{material}}\mathrm{)}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{G}$$

$${\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Archimedes}\mathrm{.}1}\mathrm{=}{\mathrm{V}}_{\mathrm{float}}\mathrm{*}{\mathrm{\rho }}_{\mathrm{liquid}}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{G}$$

$${\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Archimedes}\mathrm{.}2}\mathrm{=}{\mathrm{V}}_{\mathrm{body}}\mathrm{*}\left({\mathrm{\rho }}_{\mathrm{liquid}}-{\mathrm{\rho }}_{\mathrm{body}}\right)\mathrm{*}\mathrm{G}$$

$$\mathrm{G}<{\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Dichte}}\mathrm{+}{\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Archimedes}\mathrm{,}1}+{\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Archimedes}\mathrm{,}2}$$

The weight G must be such that $$\mathrm{G}\mathrm{>}{\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{density}}\mathrm{+}{\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Archimedes}\mathrm{.}\mathrm{2}}$$

$$\mathrm{G}<{\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{density}}\mathrm{+}{\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Archimedes}\mathrm{.}1}+{\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Archimedes}\mathrm{.}2}$$

This means that the stake, ie the entire object, floats if the float is not flooded, but sinks when it is flooded. In consideration of the physical conditions in particular the density ρ _body and the volume V _{body of} the pressure-activated body is important, which should therefore be taken into account primarily. For example, this average density can be greatly influenced by the density of the additional substance with which a second chamber of a wedges can be filled, and by the size of the cavity (s) in the pressure-activatable body.

Applying the above inequalities to the widgets or wedges known in the art, it follows that they can not satisfy the above conditions. Because for them V _{floating body} = 0. They do not meet the constraints for swimming and sinking according to equations 1 and 2, so they can not be positioned pressure and time-determined.

1. (a) Befüllen des offenen Behälters mit der Flüssigkeit,
2. (b) Eingeben eines erfindungsgemäßen Einsatzes in den Behälter vor oder nach dem Einfüllen der Flüssigkeit,
3. (c) Verschließen des Flüssigkeitsbehälters, ggf. unter Beaufschlagen des Gasraums oberhalb der Flüssigkeit im Flüssigkeitsbehälter mit Druck, derart, dass nach dem Verschließen innerhalb des Flüssigkeitsbehälters ein Überdruck im Vergleich zum Umgebungsdruck entsteht,
4. (d) Ermöglichen eines langsamen Druckausgleichs zwischen dem Inneren des zumindest einen Hohlraums im Einsatz und dem Gasraum oberhalb des Flüssigkeitsspiegels in dem Flüssigkeitsbehälter,
5. (e) Absinkenlassen des Einsatzes auf den Boden des Flüssigkeitsbehälters,
6. (f) Öffnen einer dafür vorgesehenen Öffnung im Flüssigkeitsbehälter, wodurch ein plötzlicher Druckabfall im Flüssigkeitsbehälter auf Umgebungsdruck stattfindet, und
7. (g) Austretenlassen von Gasblasen aus dem Hohlraum des druckaktivierbaren Körpers durch die Öffnung mit reduziertem Durchmesser.

As mentioned above, with the present invention, gas bubble formation in a liquid sealed under gas pressure in a container can be improved upon opening of this container. This is done using the following steps:

1. (a) filling the open container with the liquid,
2. (b) introducing an insert according to the invention into the container before or after the filling of the liquid,
3. (c) closing the liquid container, if necessary by pressurizing the gas space above the liquid in the liquid container, in such a way that after closing inside the liquid container an overpressure arises compared to the ambient pressure,
4. (d) allowing a slow pressure equalization between the interior of the at least one cavity in the insert and the gas space above the liquid level in the liquid container,
5. (e) allowing the insert to sink to the bottom of the liquid container,
6. (F) opening a designated opening in the liquid container, whereby a sudden pressure drop in the liquid container takes place to ambient pressure, and
7. (g) allowing gas bubbles to escape from the cavity of the pressure-activatable body through the reduced diameter orifice.

1. (a) Befüllen des dafür vorgesehenen, zusätzlichen Hohlraums (8) eines erfindungsgemäßen Einsatzes mit dem festen oder flüssigen Stoff,
2. (b) Befüllen des offenen Behälters mit Flüssigkeit,
3. (c) Eingeben des Einsatzes in den Behälter vor oder nach dem Einfüllen der Flüssigkeit,
4. (d) Verschließen des Flüssigkeitsbehälters, ggf. unter Beaufschlagen des Gasraums oberhalb der Flüssigkeit im Flüssigkeitsbehälter mit Druck, derart, dass nach dem Verschließen innerhalb des Flüssigkeitsbehälters ein Überdruck im Vergleich zum Umgebungsdruck entsteht,
5. (e) Ermöglichen eines langsamen Druckausgleichs zwischen dem Inneren des zumindest einen Hohlraums im Einsatz und dem Gasraum oberhalb des Flüssigkeitsspiegels in dem Flüssigkeitsbehälter,
6. (f) Absinkenlassen des Einsatzes auf den Boden des Flüssigkeitsbehälters,
7. (g) Öffnen einer dafür vorgesehenen Öffnung im Flüssigkeitsbehälter, wodurch ein plötzlicher Druckabfall im Flüssigkeitsbehälter auf Umgebungsdruck stattfindet, und
8. (h) Aufgehenlassen der Wand zwischen den Hohlräumen (8) und (9) des Einsatzes durch den im Hohlraum (9) beim Öffnen des Flüssigkeitsbehälters entstandenen Überdruck und Freigeben des darin befindlichen festen oder flüssigen Stoffs in die umgebende Flüssigkeit.

In addition, the invention can be used to mix a stored separately in a container substance with a liquid in the container when opening the container to mix. This is done through the following steps:

1. (a) filling the designated additional cavity (8) of an insert according to the invention with the solid or liquid substance,
2. (b) filling the open container with liquid,
3. (c) placing the insert in the container before or after filling the liquid,
4. (d) closing the liquid container, if necessary by pressurizing the gas space above the liquid in the liquid container, in such a way that after closing inside the liquid container an overpressure arises compared to the ambient pressure,
5. (e) allowing a slow pressure equalization between the interior of the at least one cavity in the insert and the gas space above the liquid level in the liquid container,
6. (f) allowing the insert to sink to the bottom of the liquid container,
7. (g) opening a designated opening in the liquid container, whereby a sudden pressure drop in the liquid container takes place to ambient pressure, and
8. (h) allowing the wall between the cavities (8) and (9) of the insert to rise through the overpressure created in the cavity (9) upon opening of the liquid container and releasing the solid or liquid material therein into the surrounding liquid.

The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to figures and embodiments.

example 1

An insert has a pressure-activatable body 4 in the form of a widget, such as in Fig. 3 shown in a boat-shaped float as in Fig. 1 or in a submarine-shaped float like in Fig. 2 is arranged illustrated. The float has a bottom 1, which is integrally connected to the bottom of the pressure-activatable body, and a wall 2 and is possibly a float 11 with a cover 6. The figures are to be read in this example so that the components rotationally symmetrical with respect vertical axis x are. It should be noted, however, that the geometry of the insert according to the invention may of course also be different, for example with a square, rectangular or polygonal plan, or also asymmetrically with respect to the axis x.

The pressure-activatable body has a cavity with an internal volume of about 10 ml. It has been produced from polypropylene having a density of about 850 kg / m ³ . The reduced diameter of the opening 10 is about 0.25 mm, which causes the widget, when used in a beverage can, eg a beer can, to be fully loaded with the prevailing pressure after about 30 seconds.

The float has a bottom diameter of about 40-50 mm and a height of about 10-20 mm. Less ded widgets therein he has thus a net volume of about 22 ml. Its openings 3 and possibly 5 are small-sized openings in the context of the invention: they have a diameter of about 1.5 mm. When applying the insert to water, the float is flooded in about one minute.

$${\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Archimedes}\mathrm{,}1}\mathrm{=}\mathrm{22}\mathrm{*}{\mathrm{10}}^{\mathrm{-}\mathrm{6}}{\mathrm{m}}^{\mathrm{3}}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{1000}\mathrm{kg}\mathrm{/}{\mathrm{m}}^{\mathrm{3}}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{9}\mathrm{,}\mathrm{81}\mathrm{m}\mathrm{/}{\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{2}}$$

$${\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Archimedes}\mathrm{,}\mathrm{2}}\mathrm{=}\mathrm{10}\mathrm{*}{\mathrm{10}}^{\mathrm{-}\mathrm{6}}{\mathrm{m}}^{\mathrm{3}}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{(}\mathrm{1000}\mathrm{-}\mathrm{0}\mathrm{)}\mathrm{kg}\mathrm{/}{\mathrm{m}}^{\mathrm{3}}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{9}\mathrm{,}\mathrm{81}\mathrm{m}\mathrm{/}{\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{2}}$$

So that the use sinks, a weight 7 of approx. 17 g with a weight of 170 mN is arranged in the widget. For water with a density of about 1000 kg / m ³ and air as surrounding gas with a density of about 0, the above equations become: $${\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{density}}\mathrm{=}\mathrm{4}\mathrm{*}{\mathrm{10}}^{\mathrm{-}\mathrm{6}}{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="3"\; label="m"\; filenames="imgf0001.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">m</figure-callout>}}^{\mathrm{3}}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{(}\mathrm{1000}\mathrm{-}\mathrm{850}\mathrm{)}\mathrm{kg}\mathrm{/}{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="3"\; label="m"\; filenames="imgf0001.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">m</figure-callout>}}^{\mathrm{3}}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{9}\mathrm{.}\mathrm{81}\mathrm{m}\mathrm{/}{\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{2}}$$

$${\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Archimedes}\mathrm{.}1}\mathrm{=}\mathrm{22}\mathrm{*}{\mathrm{10}}^{\mathrm{-}\mathrm{6}}{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="3"\; label="m"\; filenames="imgf0001.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">m</figure-callout>}}^{\mathrm{3}}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{1000}\mathrm{kg}\mathrm{/}{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="3"\; label="m"\; filenames="imgf0001.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">m</figure-callout>}}^{\mathrm{3}}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{9}\mathrm{.}\mathrm{81}\mathrm{m}\mathrm{/}{\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{2}}$$

$${\mathrm{F}}_{\mathrm{Archimedes}\mathrm{.}\mathrm{2}}\mathrm{=}\mathrm{10}\mathrm{*}{\mathrm{10}}^{\mathrm{-}\mathrm{6}}{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="3"\; label="m"\; filenames="imgf0001.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">m</figure-callout>}}^{\mathrm{3}}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{(}\mathrm{1000}\mathrm{-}\mathrm{0}\mathrm{)}\mathrm{kg}\mathrm{/}{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="3"\; label="m"\; filenames="imgf0001.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">m</figure-callout>}}^{\mathrm{3}}\mathrm{*}\mathrm{9}\mathrm{.}\mathrm{81}\mathrm{m}\mathrm{/}{\mathrm{s}}^{\mathrm{2}}$$

• F_Dichte = 10 mN
• F_Archimedes,1 = 215 mN und
• F_Archimedes,2 = 100 mN.

The relevant buoyancy forces thus result in:

• F _density = 10 mN
• F _{Archimedes, 1} = 215 mN and
• F _{Archimedes, 2} = 100 mN.

$$170\mathrm{mN}<10\mathrm{mN}+100\mathrm{mN}+215\mathrm{mN}$$

Thus, the constraints of equations 1 and 2 are: $$170\mathrm{mN}>10\mathrm{mN}+100\mathrm{mN}$$

$$170\mathrm{mN}<10\mathrm{mN}+100\mathrm{mN}+215\mathrm{mN}$$

An insert with the dimensions and properties of this example thus fulfills the required conditions and can be used according to the invention as an insert with time-determined positioning. The weight is chosen so that the inequalities are generously fulfilled. Smaller side effects such as the surface tension of the water can therefore have no effect on the sinking behavior.

Example 2

In Fig. 4 an insert is shown, the pressure-activatable body of which is a wedge with a gas chamber 9 which communicates with the environment via a reduced diameter opening and a product chamber 8. To increase the weight, a weight 7 is introduced into the product chamber. The wedge is surrounded by a covered float ("submarine" body) 11 which has in its bottom a first small-sized opening and, for the purpose of pressure equalization, a second such opening in its cover. Fig. 5 shows an example of how such an insert from only two components (regardless of the weight) can be made. In this case, the bottom of the pressure-activated body and the bottom of the surrounding floating body are integrally formed in one piece, and the lower part of all side walls, the partition between the gas chamber 9 and product chamber 8 in the wedge, the outer wall of the wedges and the outer wall of the float is in one piece formed this floor, while the upper parts of all these side walls are formed integrally with the top of the wedges and the cover of the floating body. The connection of the side walls in the assembled insert may be, for example, a snap connection, a frictional connection or a compound of a not very strong adhesive, which is blown up by the sudden pressure difference between the gas space 9 and the environment and the product container when opening the liquid container. Details can be found in the description of the WO 99/54229 in which two-chambered wedges of the type used here are basically described.

The embodiments of this example can, but need not be rotationally symmetric.

Claims (25)

1. An insert to be added to a gas-pressurised liquid in a container, wherein the insert comprises a pressure-activated body with at least one cavity, said body being connected to a positioning device, wherein

   (a) the pressure-activated body (4) comprises at least one opening (10) with a reduced diameter, which connects the cavity to the environment of the insert and is situated in a location that lies above the level of liquid when the insert is floating on said liquid and

   (b) the positioning device comprises a floating body (1, 2; 1, 2, 6) with

   (i) a small opening (3), which is submerged in the liquid when the insert is placed on the latter,

   (ii) a ventilation opening (5),

   (iii) a minimum volume (11), which when filled with liquid enables the insert to sink into the liquid,

   characterised in that the ventilation opening communicates directly with the external environment (14) of the insert.
2. The insert according to claim 2, characterised in that the floating body is arranged outside of the pressure-activated body.
3. The insert according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the floating body has the shape of a boat (1, 2, 6) that is open (1, 2) at the top or covered at least partly at the top and the pressure-activated body (4) is arranged inside the boat.
4. The insert according to claim 3, characterised in that the boat comprises at least one base (1) and a peripheral side wall (2), and the pressure-activated body (4) is attached to the base of the boat.
5. The insert according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the base of the pressure-activated body and the base of the floating body form an integral unit.
6. The insert according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pressure-activated body only has a one cavity and the latter has only one opening with a reduced diameter (10) in its upper section.
7. The insert according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the pressure-activated body comprises a first cavity (9) with an opening with a reduced diameter arranged in its upper section and a second cavity (8) provided for holding a solid or liquid substance, which is separated from the first cavity by a gas and liquid-tight wall, which can be opened by relatively low forces.
8. The insert according to claim 7, characterised in that the separating wall between the two cavities is a peripheral wall which completely surrounds the second cavity laterally.
9. The insert according to claim 8, characterised in that the second cavity (8) has the form of a cylinder or a different shape which is rotationally symmetrical in relation to an axis (x), and the first cavity (9) has the shape of a cylindrical casing or a shape derived from the latter.
10. The insert according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pressure-activated body is arranged centrally in the floating body.
11. The insert according to claim 10, characterised in that both the pressure-activated body and the floating body are designed to be rotationally symmetrical in relation to an axis (x).
12. The insert according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pressure-activated body also has a weight (7).
13. The insert according to claim 12, characterised in that the weight is an integral component of the pressure-activated body.
14. The insert according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that it is composed solely of a base part (13) and a cover part (12) and if necessary a weight (7).
15. The insert according to claim 14, characterised in that the base part and the cover part are connected together by snap connections, frictional connections or weak adhesive connections.
16. The insert according to one of claims 14 or 15, characterised in that the two parts (12, 13) are connected together by their side walls.
17. The insert according to claim 14 or 15, characterised in that either the cover part or the base part has all of the lateral walls of the insert and the latter when making a connection snap into the base or the cover of the other part or engage with structures attached thereto.
18. The insert according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pressure-activated body and the floating body are made of plastic and/or the weight is made from a material with a specific weight of >1, for example metal or ceramic.
19. Use of an insert according to one of the preceding claims for improving the formation of gas bubbles in a liquid, which is sealed under gas pressure in a container, when said container is opened, characterised in that the insert is placed into the open container before or after filling the latter with liquid and the liquid container is sealed, such that after sealing inside the liquid container an overpressure is created in comparison to the environmental pressure.
20. The use according to claim 19, wherein the gas chamber above the liquid in the liquid container is pressurised which causes the said overpressure to form after sealing inside the liquid container.
21. The use according to claim 18 or claim 19, characterised in that the liquid is a foaming drink, in particular beer.
22. The use of an insert according to claim 7 or a claim dependent thereon for mixing a substance stored separately in a container with a liquid located in the container on opening said container, characterised in that the cavity (8) provided for this for an insert according to claim 7 or a claim dependent on the latter is filled with the solid or liquid substance, the open container is filled with liquid, the insert is inserted into the container before or after filling the latter with liquid and the liquid container is sealed so that after sealing the liquid container overpressure is created in comparison to the environmental pressure.
23. The use according to claim 22, wherein the gas chamber is pressurised above the liquid in the liquid container, which causes the said overpressure to be created after sealing in the liquid container.
24. The use according to claim 22 or 23, characterised in that the liquid is beer and the separately stored substance is an aroma carrier.
25. The use according to claim 22 or 23, characterised in that the liquid is a non-alcoholic, carbonated drink or a still drink, which has been filled by adding liquid nitrogen, and the separately stored substance is a food supplement and/or an aroma carrier.

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