EP1885626B1 - Beverage foaming devices - Google Patents

Beverage foaming devices Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1885626B1
EP1885626B1 EP05752322.7A EP05752322A EP1885626B1 EP 1885626 B1 EP1885626 B1 EP 1885626B1 EP 05752322 A EP05752322 A EP 05752322A EP 1885626 B1 EP1885626 B1 EP 1885626B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
closure
diaphragm
movable portion
gas
reservoir
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Not-in-force
Application number
EP05752322.7A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1885626A1 (en
Inventor
Matthew Eric Smith
Karl Mondszein
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Carbonite Corp
Original Assignee
Carbonite Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Carbonite Corp filed Critical Carbonite Corp
Publication of EP1885626A1 publication Critical patent/EP1885626A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1885626B1 publication Critical patent/EP1885626B1/en
Not-in-force legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
    • B65D85/00—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials
    • B65D85/70—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for
    • B65D85/72—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for for edible or potable liquids, semiliquids, or plastic or pasty materials
    • B65D85/73—Containers, packaging elements or packages, specially adapted for particular articles or materials for materials not otherwise provided for for edible or potable liquids, semiliquids, or plastic or pasty materials with means specially adapted for effervescing the liquids, e.g. for forming bubbles or beer head

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a closure for a beverage container according to the preamble of claim 1 (see e.g. US-A-5 203 140 ).
  • containers e.g. bottles or cans, containing beer with a foaming device or widget which acts to inject a fine high pressure jet of gas, typically nitrogen, into the beer at the instant that the container is opened.
  • This jet of gas imparts a high degree of turbulence to the beer in the vicinity of the widget and this turbulence results in the generation of a substantially increased number of CO 2 bubbles in the beer and thus in the rapid generation of a head on the beer so that when it is poured from the container a few seconds later it has the appearance that consumers expect.
  • the first is of pre-pressurised type and consists of a small gas reservoir provided in the beverage container, typically at the bottom.
  • the reservoir has a small gas discharge orifice in its wall.
  • a liquid nitrogen charge is introduced into the reservoir immediately before the widget is inserted into the container and the container is then sealed immediately before all the nitrogen can escape.
  • the pressurised gas is discharged in a fine powerful jet through the orifice into the beer and creates the desired aesthetic appearance.
  • scavenging widgets are not provided with a pressurised charge of gas prior to their insertion into the container but instead become filled with gas once they are in the container.
  • One known type of scavenging widget comprises a reservoir which is weighted or constructed to float on the surface of the beer with a predetermined orientation and is provided with a one-way gas entry valve above the liquid surface and a gas discharge orifice below the liquid surface. After the container has been filled with beer, the widget is placed into the container and floats on its surface in the predetermined orientation and a small volume of liquid nitrogen is also inserted into the container, e.g. on the surface of the beer.
  • the nitrogen immediately begins to vaporise and thus displaces all the atmospheric oxygen in the headspace of the container.
  • the container is closed and sealed and the remaining nitrogen thus pressurises the headspace. This increased pressure is transmitted to the interior of the reservoir which thus becomes filled with pressurised nitrogen through the gas entry valve.
  • the pressurised nitrogen is expelled in a fine rapid jet into the beer through the gas discharge orifice and thus produces the desired effect on the appearance of the beer by the time it is poured from the container.
  • the object of the present invention to provide a beverage foaming device which is cheaper and simpler than known devices and which further reduces the number of steps required in the manufacturing process.
  • a closure for a beverage container includes a closure plate and a diaphragm, which together define a fluid or gas reservoir, the diaphragm including a relatively movable portion in which a gas charge/discharge orifice is formed, the relatively movable portion being connected to the remainder of the diaphragm by at least two spaced annular fold lines of opposite sense, whereby the application of a greater pressure to the interior of the reservoir than to its exterior results in rotational movement about the fold lines and thus in movement of the relatively movable portion away from the remainder of the diaphragm.
  • the present invention provides a composite container closure and fluid injection device or widget and the closure itself constitutes part of the injection device.
  • the reservoir is of scavenging type and defined by a portion of the closure, namely a closure plate, and by a diaphragm.
  • a portion of the diaphragm is moveable with respect to the remainder of the diaphragm by virtue of the provision of at least one pair of annular fold lines of opposite sense.
  • annular webs forming part of the diaphragm are connected together by annular fold lines and are situated relatively close to one another.
  • the moveable portion is so constructed and the fold lines are of a sufficient number that the gas charge/discharge orifice is moved from a position in which it is above the surface of the beverage stored within the container, to which the closure is applied, to a position in which it is situated below the surface of the liquid.
  • the pressurised gas within the reservoir e.g. nitrogen, is injected, once the seal of the container is broken, into the beverage, typically beer, to achieve the effect described above.
  • the fluid injected into the beverage will usually be only pressurised gas. However, there could also be an amount of liquid within the reservoir, e.g. beverage which entered the reservoir through the charge/discharge orifice. Any such liquid will be situated immediately above the opening, in the normal orientation of the container and will therefore be expelled first by the pressure of the gas above it followed by the gas itself.
  • the beverage foaming device which is constituted by the closure plate and diaphragm, is of scavenging type.
  • the container is filled with a liquid, typically beer, and a small amount of liquid gas, typically nitrogen, is introduced into the head space of the container.
  • a small amount of liquid gas typically nitrogen
  • the closure is then rapidly applied to the container after the atmospheric oxygen in the head space has been purged by the vaporising nitrogen but before all the nitrogen has vaporised and dissipated.
  • the remaining liquid nitrogen then pressurises the head space of the container.
  • the diaphragm is constructed and the bottle is filled to a level such that the gas charge/discharge orifice is situated above the liquid level. The increased pressure of the head space is thus communicated to the gas reservoir, which becomes filled with pressurised nitrogen.
  • the injection device or widget is an integral part of the container closure, it is necessarily applied to the container simultaneously with the closure and the number of steps required in the manufacturing process is therefore reduced. No one-way valve is required because the single orifice formed in the gas reservoir is positioned in the head space when the container is sealed but is situated within the liquid as soon as the seal is broken.
  • the movable portion of the diaphragm may be made of a variety of materials but it is preferably made of plastic material, such as polypropylene. It is preferred that the movable portion of the remainder of the diaphragm constitutes a one-piece injection moulding.
  • the gas charge/discharge orifice must be large enough to ensure that the gas jet flowing through it into the beverage is sufficient to cause significant turbulence but small enough to ensure that the pressurised gas takes some seconds to escape through it. In practice, it is preferred that it has a diameter of between 0.1 and 0.5 mm, e.g. about 0.3 mm.
  • the volume of the gas reservoir must of course be sufficient to store sufficient pressurised gas to perform the desired function adequately and it is found that a volume between 1.5 and 40 cm 3 is sufficient for this purpose and readily achievable.
  • the movable portion of the diaphragm may constitute a depending tube connected to the remainder of the diaphragm by two fold lines of opposite sense separated by an annular web.
  • the top of the tube will be open and thus communicates with the reservoir while the bottom of the tube is substantially closed and has the charge/discharge orifice formed in it.
  • this construction may well not be able to produce sufficient vertical movement of the charge/discharge orifice.
  • the relatively movable portion again constitutes a tube but in this case the wall of the tube has a plurality of pairs of fold lines of opposite sense formed in it and is thus of concertina construction.
  • the moveable portion constitutes a pocket or depression extending away from the closure plate with respect to the remainder of the diaphragm.
  • the invention also embraces a beverage container containing a carbonated beverage and sealed by a closure of the type referred to above, the gas reservoir containing pressurised gas and the gas charge/discharge orifice being situated above the liquid level and the movable portion being so constructed and arranged that the application of a greater pressure to the interior of the reservoir than its exterior results in the movable portion moving away from the closure plate such that the gas charge/discharge orifice is situated below the liquid level.
  • the container closure may take a wide variety of forms and thus may be, e.g., of conventional screwcap form applied to a beverage bottle. In this event, it will comprise a closure plate, which extends over the mouth of the bottle and connected to whose periphery there is an integral depending flange. Alternatively, the closure might simply constitute the lid of a can, which is manually removable by means of a ring pull or the like. In this event, the closure will be of substantially planar construction constituting a single thin metal plate, connected to whose underside of course is the diaphragm, with which the plate defines the gas reservoir.
  • the bottle is closed by a closure which includes a closure plate 10, which is of concave shape and thus extends a certain distance into the neck of the bottle.
  • the outer edge of the closure plate 10 is integral with an annular web 12, which extends over the rim of the bottle.
  • Integral with the outer edge of the web 12 is a depending skirt 14 which extends down around the upper portion of the neck.
  • Integral with the inner surface of the depending skirt 14 and connected to it by means of an integral hinge 16 is a sealing flange 18.
  • the sealing flange 18 is elongate and extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal central axis of the bottle and has an end surface which extends substantially perpendicular to the axis of the bottle.
  • This free end of the sealing flange 18 engages the underside of the shoulder 8 and retains the lid in position on the bottle.
  • the closure is applied to the bottle such that the depending skirt 14 is in tension, whereby the sealing flange 18 is drawn upwardly into contact with the shoulder 8 and thus forms a seal with it.
  • the tension also draws the annular web 12 downwardly into contact with the rim of the bottle and a further seal is thus formed.
  • the integral hinge 16 is resilient and urges the sealing flange 18 inwards into contact with the external surface of the neck of the bottle and yet a further seal is thus formed.
  • the closure as thus far described constitutes a one-piece injection moulding of plastic material, such as polypropylene.
  • the closure also includes a further one-piece moulding of polypropylene or the like comprising a diaphragm 20 of circular concave shape, the outer edge of which is connected to the underside of the annular web 12 and is situated between the web 12 and the rim of the bottle.
  • the connection of the diaphragm to the web may be effected by welding or adhesive or by snap-fitting the edge of the diaphragm into a groove or the like in the web 12 or plate 10.
  • the web 12 or plate 10 may carry an annular ridge or bead into which the edge of the diaphragm may be push-fitted and the diaphragm is then retained in position by virtue of a small degree of deformation against its resilience.
  • the outer edge of the diaphragm 20 is thus sealed to the underside of the web 12 and the lower surface of the outer edge of the diaphragm 20 is urged by the web 12 into sealing engagement with the rim of the bottle.
  • the concavity of the diaphragm 20 is greater than that of the closure plate 10, whereby these two components define between them a space which constitutes a gas reservoir 22.
  • Integral with the centre of the diaphragm 20 is a moveable portion constituted in this case by a depending tube 24, the upper end of which is open, whereby the interior of the tube communicates with the gas reservoir 22.
  • the lower end of the tube 24 is substantially closed by a plate or web 26, formed in which, e.g. in the centre of which, is a gas charge/discharge orifice 28.
  • At least a portion of the length of the tube 24 and in this case the entire length of the tube 24 is of concertina construction, whereby a plurality of pairs of concentric circumferential folds of opposite sense are formed along its length, each fold being in the opposite sense to each adjacent fold.
  • the construction of the tube is thus very similar to the articulated portion which is now commonly provided in many drinking straws.
  • the sealing flange 18 When the closure is to be fitted to the mouth of a bottle, the sealing flange 18 is initially in a configuration in which it extends downwardly and inwardly towards the central axis of the lid. The closure is lowered onto the neck of the bottle and the sealing flange 18 engages the outer surface of the neck and is caused progressively to rotate upwardly about the resilient integral hinge 16. The underside of the outer edge of the diaphragm 20 is moved into engagement with the upper surface of the rim of the bottle but the downward pressure on the closure cap is increased, thereby slightly compressing the edge of the diaphragm and the annular web 12.
  • the free end of the sealing flange 18 now passes the downwardly directed shoulder 8 on the neck of the bottle and the resilience of the integral hinge 16 then rapidly rotates the flange 18 inwardly to a position in which it is located beneath the shoulder 16.
  • the downward pressure applied to the closure cap is then removed and the resilience of the compressed portion of the diaphragm 20 and web 12 draws the sealing flange 18 upwardly so that its free end surface is urged into sealing engagement with the underside of the shoulder 8 whilst the seal between the upper edge of the rim of the bottle and the underside of the diaphragm 20 is maintained and a residual tensional stress in the depending skirt 14 remains.
  • the closure cap now forms a reliable gas-tight seal of the bottle.
  • the bottle Prior to application of the closure cap, the bottle is filled with a beverage, such as beer, to a level 4 shortly below the diaphragm.
  • a beverage such as beer
  • the height of the level 4 is matched to the length of the tube 24 such that the closure plate 26 and thus the gas charge/discharge orifice 28 are situated above the liquid level 4.
  • a small volume of liquid nitrogen is introduced onto the liquid surface. This immediately begins to vaporise, thereby displacing all atmospheric oxygen from the headspace of the bottle.
  • the application of the closure cap to the bottle as described above is then performed immediately, that is to say before vaporisation of the nitrogen has finished.
  • the closure cap Once the closure cap has been applied, the remaining liquid nitrogen continues to vaporise, thereby building up a substantial nitrogen gas pressure in the headspace.
  • This pressure which is typically of 2 to 3 bar or more, is communicated to the gas reservoir 22 via the gas charge/discharge orifice 28 and the reservoir 22 thus becomes filled with nitrogen under pressure.
  • the lid When it is desired to open the bottle, the lid is removed, e.g. with a conventional bottle opener of the type used to remove conventional bottle tops of so-called crown type or by pulling on a rip tab, which is not shown, forming an integral part of the closure cap and thereby partially destroying it so that it can be readily removed by hand.
  • the gas seal of the bottle is broken and the headspace is vented to atmosphere, whereby its pressure rapidly reduces to atmospheric.
  • the very small diameter of the gas discharge orifice 28 of e.g. 0.3 mm means that the gas reservoir 22 cannot be vented down to atmospheric pressure that rapidly and there is therefore now a pressure differential across the diaphragm 20 due to the fact that the pressure within the reservoir 22 is higher than that in the headspace.
  • This increased pressure acts on the closure plate 26 at the bottom of the tube 24 and causes the tube 24 to extend rapidly, that is to say to increase its length by virtue of rotation of adjacent wall portions of the tube 24 about the fold line between them.
  • the tube 24 is constructed and dimensioned such that this virtually instantaneous increase in length results in its lower end and thus the gas charge/discharge orifice 28 moving to a position below the level 4 of the liquid in the bottle, as shown in Figure 2 .
  • the high pressure nitrogen within the reservoir 22 is now injected in a fine rapid stream through the orifice 28 into the liquid, which is typically beer, to produce the effects referred to above.
  • FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the second embodiment and the same reference numerals are used to designate similar components.
  • This embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in that the movable portion of the diaphragm 22 is not constituted by a depending tube but by a pocket or pouch 30 which extends downwardly from the diaphragm in its centre.
  • the pouch 30 comprises a short depending tube 32, whose upper edge is integral with the remainder of the diaphragm and whose lower edge is connected by two pairs of concentric fold lines 34 of opposite sense, extending between which are annular webs 36.
  • the fold lines are again of circular shape, when viewed from above and are centred on the charge/discharge orifice 28.
  • the innermost web is integral with the upper end of a further depending tube, whose upper end is open and whose lower end is closed by a plate or web 26, formed in the centre of which is a gas charge/discharge orifice 28.
  • this embodiment is precisely the same as that of the first embodiment.
  • the lid When the lid is removed and the headspace of the bottle vented to atmosphere, there is a pressure differential across the diaphragm which results in the rotation of adjacent webs 36 in opposite senses about the intervening fold line 34.
  • the pocket 30 thus moves downwardly to the position shown in figure 4 , in which the orifice 28 is situated below the surface of the beer and the pressurised gas in the reservoir 22 is thus injected into the beer.
  • the diaphragm may be connected to the closure by any appropriate means including a snap connection.
  • the diaphragm may be significantly smaller than the closure plate and in this event would not be sandwiched between the closure plate and the rim of the container.
  • the movable portion of the diaphragm extends down below the remainder of the diaphragm even before it has been moved downwardly by the pressure differential, this is not essential and the movable portion could lie in substantially the same plane as the surrounding portion of the remainder of the diaphragm.
EP05752322.7A 2005-05-04 2005-06-15 Beverage foaming devices Not-in-force EP1885626B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB2005001694 2005-05-04
PCT/GB2005/002346 WO2006117500A1 (en) 2005-05-04 2005-06-15 Beverage foaming devices

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1885626A1 EP1885626A1 (en) 2008-02-13
EP1885626B1 true EP1885626B1 (en) 2014-07-30

Family

ID=34967181

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP05752322.7A Not-in-force EP1885626B1 (en) 2005-05-04 2005-06-15 Beverage foaming devices

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US20080187632A1 (ru)
EP (1) EP1885626B1 (ru)
JP (1) JP2008540261A (ru)
CN (1) CN101171188B (ru)
BR (1) BRPI0520338A2 (ru)
RU (1) RU2364560C1 (ru)
TW (1) TWI309218B (ru)
WO (1) WO2006117500A1 (ru)

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US7780025B2 (en) * 2005-11-14 2010-08-24 Graham Packaging Company, L.P. Plastic container base structure and method for hot filling a plastic container
EP2192079B1 (en) * 2007-09-18 2013-05-22 Lead Co., Ltd. Beer bubbling device
ES2396946T3 (es) 2008-03-20 2013-03-01 Virun, Inc. Emulsiones que comprenden un derivado de PEG de tocoferol
US8365946B2 (en) * 2008-11-20 2013-02-05 Inoflate, Llc Device with expandable chamber for pressurizing containers
WO2011162802A1 (en) 2010-06-21 2011-12-29 Virun, Inc. Compositions containing non-polar compounds
CA2863544C (en) * 2012-02-10 2019-03-26 Virun, Inc. Beverage compositions containing non-polar compounds
MX2015004815A (es) * 2012-10-18 2015-12-16 Cornelius Inc Aparato para carbonatar bebidas.
KR20150143551A (ko) * 2013-04-04 2015-12-23 코넬리어스 아이엔씨. 밀봉 및 소포 장치
JP6534315B2 (ja) * 2015-08-24 2019-06-26 三菱重工機械システム株式会社 ガス置換システムおよびガス置換方法
JP7179421B2 (ja) * 2019-01-30 2022-11-29 株式会社吉野工業所 発泡用ウィジェット付きキャップ、及び容器
CN110422469B (zh) * 2019-08-09 2021-01-05 安徽欣奥食品包装科技有限公司 一种pe塑料桶

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US2747380A (en) * 1950-08-02 1956-05-29 Robert H Ridnour Ice cube package or mold
GB1266351A (ru) * 1969-01-27 1972-03-08
GB8915532D0 (en) * 1989-07-06 1989-08-23 Whitbread & Co Plc Beverage container and method of filling it
GB9202600D0 (en) * 1992-02-07 1992-03-25 Whitbread & Co Ltd Carbonated beverage container
US5863577A (en) * 1992-11-10 1999-01-26 Guinness Brewing Worldwide Limited Pressurized beverage package with an interior compartment for the production of foam on opening of the package, and a method of forming such a package
GB2293166A (en) * 1994-09-15 1996-03-20 Guinness Brewing Worldwide Beverage bottle with froth forming insert
GB2299575A (en) * 1995-04-06 1996-10-09 Courtaulds Packaging Ltd A lid for a container

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN101171188B (zh) 2010-07-28
RU2007144299A (ru) 2009-06-10
BRPI0520338A2 (pt) 2009-05-05
TWI309218B (en) 2009-05-01
EP1885626A1 (en) 2008-02-13
RU2364560C1 (ru) 2009-08-20
JP2008540261A (ja) 2008-11-20
TW200642922A (en) 2006-12-16
CN101171188A (zh) 2008-04-30
WO2006117500A1 (en) 2006-11-09
US20080187632A1 (en) 2008-08-07

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