EP2121505B1 - Beverage pouring device in the form of a disposable barrel - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a beverage pouring device in the form of a disposable barrel for the compressed-gas operated pouring of beverages such as beer, wine and soft drinks that are kept at drinking temperature, e.g. using compressed CO2. Said device consists of a multi-part container (100), a safety fitting (8) located on top of the container, a fitting pipe (10) that is immersed in the container interior and a detachable tap head that can be placed on the safety fitting or a connection piece that can be placed on said fitting during the filling process. When a lever is actuated, the head or piece displaces a seal that is situated in an external housing of the safety fitting, said housing connecting the safety fitting to the container body, downwards against an elastic force into a position that opens the liquid channel for the liquid beverage that rises via the fitting pipe. The device also optionally comprises a base and top ring. The aim of the invention is to achieve a simpler, less expensive construction using sheet steel, with an anti-corrosion protection which nevertheless complies with food safety and hygiene standards, whilst at the same time providing variable connection techniques during the filling and pouring process by means of the safety fitting (8). To achieve these aims, the safety fitting together with a liner (9; 9a) that is located in the interior of the container to protect the inner wall of the container (100), consist of a sterile material.

Description

The invention relates to a beverage dispensing device as a disposable container for pressurized gas serving of tempered at drink temperature drinks such as beer, wine and soft drinks, eg with CO ₂ -Druckgas consisting of a multi-part container, a top of the container safety fitting, a dipping into the container interior fitting pipe and a detachable faucet attachable to the safety fitting, and a fittable fitting upon actuation of a lever that has a seal disposed against the spring force in an outer housing over which the fiduciary is connected to the container body, the safety fitting moved in a the liquid path for the rising over the fitting tube beverage liquid releasing position, and optionally a foot and head ring exists.

One by the EP 1 293 476 B1 Become known beverage dispensing device with a commonly arranged in the safety fitting beverage and gas valve is also divided by a bell-shaped partition in a bottom side beverage part and a cover-side compressed gas part. The dispensing under gas pressure has the advantage of a much longer shelf life of the drinks in the container relative to the open non-pressurized spout from the container with oxygen ingress. In containers which are not formed with a compressed gas part, the gas supply is carried out by a high-pressure gas bottle arranged outside the beverage container, to which a pressure regulator is attached directly. This regulator is permanently set to the correct pressure of the bottled beverage, eg 0.8 bar for wine with nitrogen and 2.1 bar for wheat beer with CO ₂ .

This and from the EP-A-1 310 627 and GB-A-2 001 032 known containers are in two parts, consisting of upper and lower parts, for example, made of two half-shells, or in three parts, consisting of an upper and a lower part with a pipe arranged between these parts, these parts are joined together by welding. Because of the sometimes rough handling during arrival and removal these containers or barrels must be protected against deformation in case of impact and shock loads, including in particular zargenartige head and foot rings contribute, but at the same time also allow good stackability of the container. Finally, very high hygiene requirements must be met. Above all, therefore, and for corrosion protection containers with a body made of stainless steel or from a stainless steel bubble and a polyurethane (PU) coat have been used for decades, which, however, increases the cost of construction.

The invention is therefore based on the object, a generic beverage dispensing device, as for example of the US 3,672,390 is shown to provide, which more easily meets the high standards of corrosion protection, especially the hygiene and food requirements, while allowing a variable connection technology for filling and dispensing the beverage liquid through the safety fitting.

This object is achieved in that the safety fitting is formed with a for the protection of the inner wall of the container introduced into the container interior inline of a sterile material. The preferably tightly connected to the safety fitting, for example, welded or glued, inliner allows a thin-walled container bladder with a thickness of about only 0.3 to 0.5 mm, when the container parts are made of sheet steel. In any case, ie also in the manufacture of container parts made of low-cost, low-alloyed or unalloyed steel, the inliner ensures complete hygiene and corrosion protection. Because he clings to the inner wall of the container and makes additional painting or the like surface protection unnecessary. On cleaning the inside of the container can also be dispensed with.

The inliner can be biased by a proposal of the invention, following assembly by blowing with CO ₂ -pressure gas against the inner wall of the container. At the same time disadvantageous, present in the container interior oxygen is displaced and thus can not affect the beverage liquid harmful.

Alternatively, the inliner can be mounted in vacuum in the container. For this purpose, about 0.4 to 0.6 bar are sufficient, whereby the evacuation inside a hygienically perfect condition can be achieved. The bag-like inliner in the initial state then places itself on the inner wall of the container during the filling with the beverage liquid.

The inliner may advantageously be made of elastic material, e.g. made of uncoated or diffusion-proof coated plastic.

If the inliner is not made of elastic material, it is advisable to form it so that the envelope volume is slightly larger than the filling volume of the container. This prevents a possible risk of cracking.

For advantageous installation of the safety fitting, which can be pressed in the simplest case when installing in the container shell including liner with the container, the invention proposes that a safety fitting receiving container opening is formed to the outside with a flare and the safety fitting including fitting tube and liner of a flanging embracing connector is attached to the container. The connector can be formed as a metallic press ring and consequently to press with the components to be fastened; Alternatively, the connector may be a screw-on plastic ring.

For advantageous corrosion protection is proposed that the container parts connecting the weld is provided with a masking tape. This may be a plastic film, a shrink film or a pre-stretched film. Alternatively, the weld can be provided with a cover varnish.

The foot and / or head ring can be made of plastic according to proposals of the invention or consist of foam material and expediently positively and / or non-positively connected to the container or glued to it.

An advantageous embodiment provides that the foot and the head ring also consist of sheet steel, which are then welded to the container parts. Preferably, however, foot and / or head ring can be formed from a piece of pipe in one piece with the container top or bottom and thus continue seamlessly in one piece.

In foot and head rings made of sheet steel can be formed according to an advantageous proposal of the invention, each free, upper or lower end of the head and foot ring with a round bead, which is followed by a substantially vertical, flanged end collar. Both the round bead and the flange contribute to increasing the stability at the end edges of the container.

In such a head and foot ring design the stacking of containers is favored at the same time and further improved in that advantageously the end collar of the head ring in diameter is slightly larger than the end collar of the foot ring and the end collar in stacked containers double-layered, parallel next to each other , If preferred The end collar of the foot ring slightly inclined inwards, about 5 °, runs, can achieve a better centering when stacking the container. The multi-layered end collar in the stacking area additionally increases the stability.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention is for filling the container and later tap the beverage liquid provided by a consumer of the safety fitting with a fitting tube which is movably formed as an integral part of the seal and top closed with a plate-like, concentrically arranged in an annular opening of the outer housing Rohrendplatte is and is provided below the pipe end plate in the pipe jacket with outflow openings, wherein the pipe end plate provides an inner sealing seat for a fitting tube enclosing the sealing ring, which is associated with an outer sealing seat in the ring opening and relative to the force of a spring movable relative to the fitting tube adjustable and is positionally positioned.

The inclusion according to the invention of the fitting tube as a sealing component and its interaction with the sealing ring, which can be pressed down either alone or together with the fitting tube, makes it possible, when filling in the brewery by means of the connecting piece, to adjust or push down the sealing ring so far only. that the inflow cross section is released for the beverage liquid. This also applies to the outflow openings of the Fittingrohres, so that accompanied with the filling of the container interior displaced oxygen or gas, such as, for example, if previously an inliner has been inflated with CO ₂ -Druckgas can escape. The flow paths for the beverage liquid and the escaping oxygen and / or the gas are separated from each other by the portion of the connection piece which effects the depression of the sealing ring.

Upon completion of the filling process and uncoupling of the connector, the sealing ring then automatically returns under the force of the spring back to its original position, in which the safety fitting and thus the container is closed to the outside again, so that the container can be transported to the consumer.

For consumption or for tapping the beverage liquid according to the invention then the sealing ring on the fitting tube beyond the first position going into a second, the fitting tube moves into a locking position entnehmende position, namely when placing or docking and pressing the tap head. Due to the entrainment of the fitting tube, which connects seamlessly in the movement, as soon as the sealing ring has passed the outflow, consequently, the plate-like tube end plate also lowers down from its initial position in the ring opening in the outer housing of the safety fitting. The beverage liquid can ascend compressed gas-driven in the fitting tube and passes via the outflow openings and the space enclosed by the movable part of the dispensing head via the free ring opening to the tap.

On the one hand common adjustment of sealing ring and fitting tube and locking the fitting tube in the end position, the sealing ring according to the invention has a driving lug, which is assigned a stop edge on the fitting tube, wherein the fitting tube in the locking position with a projection under a stationary support member, which advantageously at the same time serves to support the spring acting on the sealing ring, inside the outer housing sets. Due to the detent position the fitting tube remains in this fixed position even when the container has been emptied and the tap head has been removed from the safety fitting. Under the force of the spring turns after the removal of the tap head, only the sealing ring to its seat on the plate-like Rohrendplatte back, so that the outflow openings are sealed in the pipe jacket of the fitting tube. In this position, the container can be disposed of without Residual liquid may leak, but any residual gas may escape unchanged.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Gesamtansicht einer als Einweggebinde ausgebildeten Getränke-Ausschankeinrichtung bzw. deren ohne Zapfkopf oder Befüllungs-Anschlußstück dargestellten Behälter;

Fig. 2

einen über den Sicherheitsfitting in das Innere eines Behälters eingebrachten Inliner, in durchgezogener Linie vor und in gestrichelter Linie mit Anlage an die Behälterinnenwandung, schematisch dargestellt;

Fig. 3

eine Stapellage von Behältern mit einem auf einen nur teilweise dargestellten unteren Behälter gestapelten oberen Behälter;

Fig. 4

die Einzelheit "X" der Fig. 3 in einer vergrößerten Darstellung;

Fig. 5

als Einzelheit einen Sicherheitsfitting im geschlossenen Zustand seiner Dichtung in einem Längsschnitt dargestellt;

Fig. 6

den Sicherheitsfitting der Fig. 5 mit geöffneter Dichtung in einer ersten Position zur Befüllung mit Getränkeflüssigkeit;

Fig. 7

den Sicherheitsfitting der Fig. 5 mit geöffneter Dichtung in einer zweiten Position zum Zapfen der Getränkeflüssigkeit; und

Fig. 8

den in einen Behälter eingebauten bzw. daran befestigten Sicherheitsfitting der Fig. 5 einschließlich eines damit eingebrachten Inliners in einem perspektivischen Längsschnitt mit Teilansicht des Behälters und Verschlussstellung der Dichtung zur Behälter-Entsorgung.

Further features and details of the invention will become apparent from the claims and the following description of illustrated in the drawings embodiments of the invention. Show it:

Fig. 1

an overall perspective view of a designed as a disposable container beverage dispensing device or its without tap head or filling connector shown container;

Fig. 2

an inliner introduced via the safety fitting into the interior of a container, in a solid line in front of and in a dashed line with contact with the container inner wall, shown schematically;

Fig. 3

a stack of containers having an upper container stacked on a lower container only partially shown;

Fig. 4

the detail "X" of Fig. 3 in an enlarged view;

Fig. 5

shown as a detail of a safety fitting in the closed state of its seal in a longitudinal section;

Fig. 6

the safety fitting of Figure 5 with opened seal in a first position for filling with beverage liquid.

Fig. 7

the safety fitting of Figure 5 with opened seal in a second position for tapping the beverage liquid. and

Fig. 8

5 incorporated into a container or attached safety fitting of FIG. 5 including an introduced inliner in a perspective longitudinal section with a partial view of the container and closed position of the seal for container disposal.

The in the Fig. 1 to 3 and in Fig. 8 As a partial view shown containers are uniformly numbered 100, but have different configurations or contours. All containers 100 is common, however, that they are multi-part and consist in the embodiments of a container top 5, a container base 6 and a head ring 1 and a base ring 4, the latter in the embodiments of the Fig. 3 and 8th made of metal and numbered 101 and 104 respectively. The metallic parts of the container 100 are joined together by welding, as in FIGS Fig. 1 to 3 drawn through the weld 11 of the container upper part and the container base 5, 6. All welds 11 can with a cover paint or a masking tape 3, as in the Fig. 1 and 2 indicated, or the like may be provided. If the head and / or the foot ring 1, 4 are made of plastic or made of foam material, these are connected to the container parts 5 and 6 positively and / or non-positively connected or glued, as in Fig. 2 For example, as a glue point 2 indicated.

At the top of the container 100 this is provided with a safety fitting 8 (in Fig. 3 not shown) to which a connection piece can be coupled for filling with a beverage liquid in a brewery or a tap head for tapping by the consumer. To Fig. 2 For attachment of the safety fitting 8, a container opening is formed to the outside with a flaring 12, which is encompassed by a connecting piece 7, for example a metallic press ring or a screw-on plastic ring. This is at the same time established with the installation of the safety fitting 8 in the container interior to protect the inner wall inserted inliner 9, whose after filling with beverage liquid or inflation with CO ₂ compressed gas biased, conforming to the container inner wall position of use in Fig. 2 dashed lines and is numbered 9a. In the embodiment according to Fig. 8 the inliner 9a is fixed immediately via the compression of the container upper part 5 with the safety fitting 8. In the safety fitting 8, a riser or fitting tube 10 is arranged, which dips into the container 100 almost to the bottom.

A preferred embodiment of the safety fitting 8 is shown in FIGS. 5 to 8 in different functional positions. The safety fitting 8 has an annular outer housing 13 which is for pressing with the wall of the container top 5 while simultaneously fixing an inliner 9; 9a (cf. Fig. 8 ) is provided on the outside with a circumferential groove 14, in which the flaring 12 of the container opening is rolled or - pressed after prior venting of the space between the container wall and inliner. The outer housing 13 extends downwardly through a double-walled, stationary support member 15, between the inner annular wall 15a and outer annular wall 15b flow channels are formed, wherein the inner annular wall 15a simultaneously provides a guide for the longitudinally adjustable fitting tube 10.

In addition, a compression spring 16 is supported in the double annular, stationary support member 15, which acts on a 2 K sealing ring 17 made of two materials. This is arranged concentrically in a head-side, an outer sealing seat 19 for the sealing ring 17 forming annular opening 18 of the outer housing 13. An inner sealing seat 20 is provided for the sealing ring 17 by a plate-like Rohrendplatte 21, which closes the head end of the fitting tube 10.

The fitting tube 10 is advantageously made of two parts, namely a built-in from the outset in the safety fitting 8 short, the occluding Rohrendplatte 21 having sleeve tube 10a and therein optionally subsequently, ie on site during assembly of the safety fitting 8, pluggable, long Tailpipe 10b. Below the pipe end plate 21 10 a discharge openings 22 are arranged in the shell of the fitting tube 10 and the sleeve tube. These are covered according to FIG. 5 by the sealing ring 17, which reproduces the position after the filling of a container and for its transport.

The transport position preceding the transport can be seen in FIG. 6. When placing a double-ring, here only schematically indicated filling connector 23 is pushed down by depressing the sealing ring 17 on the fitting tube 10 and the sleeve tube 10a in a first, the discharge openings 22 releasing filling position I down. The beverage liquid can flow in the sequence, as illustrated by the arrows 24. During this process, oxygen and / or pressurized gas present in the container, as contained due to an inflated inliner 9a, can be displaced from the inflowing beverage liquid via the fitting tube 10 as well as the outflow openings 22 and the annular opening 18, this flow path from the tube end plate 21 and the inner Ring of the filling connector 23 is limited, escape (see the flow arrows 25). The filling or filling is in this case by a trained at the lower end of the safety fitting 8, in the embodiment provided on the inner annular wall 15 a of the support member 15 deflection 30 a optimized. This directs the liquid flow 24 targeted in the direction of the container wall.

Once the container is filled, the connector 23 is disconnected and removed from the safety fitting 8, so that the sealing ring 17, acted upon by the compression spring 16, automatically returns to its closure and container transport position shown in Fig. 5.

Of the Fig. 7 whose sectional view is rotated by 180 ° with respect to FIGS. 5 and 6, the tapping position can be seen. When placing a merely indicated tap head 26 whose functional structure comparable to the previously described Filling connector 23 is in the brewery, the sealing ring 17 is again moved down, but then after passing through the discharge openings 22, the fitting tube 10 but entrains and adjusted to a detent position II, which consequently in the course of entrainment of the fitting tube 10 whose plate-like pipe end plate 21 has lowered correspondingly down from the annular opening 18 of the outer housing 13.

For entrainment and adjustment of the fitting tube 10, the sealing ring 17 has a driving lug 27 which is associated with a stop edge 28 (see also Fig. 5) on the fitting tube 10 or here its sleeve tube 10a. The detent position II assumes the sealing ring 17 and the fitting tube 10 as soon as a projection 29 is latched to a stop member 30 of the stationary support member 15. As long as the dispensing head 26 is attached or coupled and is tapped, the beverage liquid can pass through the fitting tube 10 and the outflow openings 22 to the dispensing point. The fitting tube 10 can no longer detach from this latching position and move upwards.

However, if the tap head 26 is removed, the compression spring 16 moves the sealing ring 7 up until it contacts the inner sealing seat 20 of the plate-like tube end plate 21. This partially closed after use disposal position of the seal of the safety fitting 8 is in Fig. 8 shown. The sealing ring 17 closes the discharge openings 22, so that residual liquid remaining in the container can not run out. For residual gas, however, the flow path remains open, so that it can escape even during disposal or during removal of the container, as indicated by the flow arrows 31 in Fig. 8 indicated.

For stacking the container 100, these, if they are equipped with metallic head and foot rings 101, 104, as in the Fig. 3 and 4 represented, at their respective free head or Fußringende with a reinforcing round bead 32 may be formed, which is followed by a substantially vertical, flanged end collar 32a and 32b. The end collar 32a of the head ring 101 is in this case slightly larger in diameter than the end collar 32b of the foot ring 104, so that the end collar 32a, 32b in Übiranderstapelung the container double-layered, parallel next to each other, which is accompanied by a further significant increase in stability. When the end collar 32b, as in Fig. 4 shown slightly inclined to the inside, resulting in a better centering for the stacked containers.

List of reference numerals:

1; 101

head ring

2

Glue point (adhesive ring, tape, hot melt adhesive, 2K glue or 1K glue)

3

Masking / livery

4; 104

anklet

5

Tank shell

6

Reservoir base

7

joint

8th

Fitting (with closable opening for gas and liquid); safety fitting

9

Inliner evacuated

9a

Inliner biased

10

Fitting + / riser

10a

sleeve pipe

10b

tailpipe

11

Weld

12

Beading (outer border of the container opening for the fitting 8)

13

outer casing

14

circumferential groove

15

supporting part

15a

inner ring wall

15b

outer ring wall

16

compression spring

17

seal

18

ring opening

19

outer sealing seat

20

inner sealing seat

21

plate-like tube end plate

22

outflow

23

Filling connector

24

Flow arrows (filling)

25

Flow arrow (displaced gas)

26

tapping head

27

driving dog

28

stop edge

29

head Start

30

stop part

30 a

deflecting

31

flow arrow

32

round bead

32a, 32b

end collar

I

filling position

II

detent position

100

container

Claims (7)

1. A beverage-dispensing device in the form of a disposable container for the compressed-gas dispensing of beverages, for example using compressed CO₂, such as beer, wine and soft drinks that are kept at serving temperature, said device consisting of a multi-part container (100), a safety fitting (8) arranged on top of the container, a fitting pipe (10) that can be dipped into the interior of the container and that furthermore is closed above with a plate-like pipe end plate (21) that is arranged in an annular opening (18) of the external housing (13) and is provided with outflow openings (22) in the pipe jacket below the pipe end plate, wherein the pipe end plate (21) furnishes an interior seal seat (20) for a sealing ring (17) that encloses the fitting pipe (10; 10a, 10b), which safety fitting is associated with an exterior seal seat (19) in the annular opening (18), and a detachable dispenser head (26) that can be placed on the safety fitting or alternatively a connection piece (23) that can be placed thereon during filling, upon actuation of a lever, said dispenser head or connection piece moving the seal (17), which is arranged in an external housing (13) by means of which the safety fitting is connected to container body, against a spring (16), which is moveable relative to the fitting tube (10; 10a, 10b), downward into a position releasing the liquid path for the beverage liquid rising by way of the fitting tube,
   characterised in that
   the fitting tube (10; 10a, 10b) is configured as a moveable component, which is adjustable in its longitudinal direction, of the seal and is furthermore capable of stepped positioning.
2. The beverage-dispensing device as specified in claim 1,
   characterised in that
   the sealing ring (17) is adjustable on the fitting tube (10; 10a, 10b) in a first position (I) releasing the outflow openings (22) as well as in a second position (II) that brings the fitting tube (10; 10a, 10b) into a locking position.
3. The beverage-dispensing device as specified in claim 2,
   characterised in that
   the sealing ring (17) has a catching lug (27) that on the fitting tube (10; 10a, 10b) is associated with a stop edge (28) for bringing said tube along into the locking position (II), wherein the fitting tube (10; 10a, 10b) is positioned in the locking position (II) with a projection (29) beneath a stationary supporting part (15) in the interior of the external housing (13).
4. The beverage-dispensing device as specified in claim 3,
   characterised in that
   the spring (16) that is impinges upon the sealing ring (17) is supported in the supporting part (15).
5. The beverage-dispensing device as specified in any one of claims 1 to 4,
   characterised in that
   a circumferential groove (14) is arranged in the external housing (13), into which groove a flare (12) of a container opening is rolled or pressed for fastening the external housing (13).
6. The beverage-dispensing device as specified in claim 5,
   characterised in that
   the rolling or pressing of the flare (12) precedes ventilating the chamber between the wall of the container (5) and an inliner (9).
7. The beverage-dispensing device as specified in any one of claims 1 to 6,
   characterised in that
   a deflection guide (30a), which directs a poured-in liquid stream (24) in the direction of the wall of the container (5), is configured on the lower end of the security fitting (8) distant from the annular opening (18).

Images