EP2138448A1

EP2138448A1 - A keg for containing a carbonated beverage having an extended outflow tube

Info

Publication number: EP2138448A1
Application number: EP08158932A
Authority: EP
Inventors: designation of the inventor has not yet been filed The
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 2008-06-25
Filing date: 2008-06-25
Publication date: 2009-12-30
Also published as: WO2009156914A1

Abstract

A keg for containing a carbonated beverage having an opening at its upper side (2) for filling the keg (1) and for dispensing the beverage out of the keg (1). The opening is provided with outlet means for allowing the outflow of the beverage. Inside the keg (1) a tube (5) is present for guiding the beverage to be dispensed from the lower part of the keg (1) to said outlet means. The length of the tube (5) is at least two times the height of the keg (1).

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is related to a keg for containing a carbonated beverage having an opening at its upper side for filling the keg and for dispensing the beverage out of the keg, which opening is provided with outlet means for allowing the outflow of the beverage, whereby inside the keg a tube is present for guiding the beverage to be dispensed from the lower part of the keg to said outlet means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Such a keg is disclosed in WO-A-2004/050539 . This publication describes a keg for containing beer to be used in a domestic beer dispensing device, or for use without such a domestic beer dispensing device. Inside the keg the beer is stored in a flexible plastic bag, and the beer is driven out of the keg by pumping air in the space between the outside of the flexible bag and the inner wall of the keg. At the upper side, the keg is provided with a valve assembly for allowing the outflow of the beer from the keg to a dispensing adapter. The dispensing adapter comprises a dispensing tube connected with the valve assembly of the keg, and a tap for opening and closing the dispensing tube. In case the keg is used in a domestic beer dispensing device, the device is provided with cooling means for cooling the beer and with pumping means for pumping pressurized air into the keg in order to drive the beer out of the keg. In case the keg is used without a domestic beer dispensing device, the dispensing adapter is provided with pumping means that can be operated by hand in order to pump air into the keg.
The keg may have any appropriate shape, but in general the keg is a substantial rotationally symmetric vessel around a vertical axis, whereby the lower side and the upper side of the vessel are substantially flat. The material of the keg can be metal or plastic, or a combination of these two materials. The keg can be used in a domestic beverage dispensing device or can be used for dispensing beverage in a professional device in a pub or so, or can be used for any other private or public purpose. In a preferred embodiment, the carbonated beverage is beer. Furthermore, the beverage can be stored in the keg in a flexible bag or can be stored in the keg without such bag.
When the beverage is dispensed, the dispensing flow is controlled by a tap outside the keg, which tap can be part of the beverage dispensing device comprising the keg. When passing the tap, a relative large pressure drop in the beverage occurs. Such sudden pressure drop in the beverage has a negative influence on the dispensing characteristics of the beverage. It affects the controllability of the flow rate of the beverage in a negative way and it causes the creation of froth in an uncontrolled way. An experienced operator may reduce such negative dispensing characteristics by controlling the tap in an appropriate way, but a less experienced operator will often have real problems.
In order to solve that problem, the keg can be provided with an outflow restriction for restricting the beverage flow out of the keg. However, also the pressure drop over the such outflow restriction has negative effects on the beverage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is a keg for containing a carbonated beverage, in particular beer, having an opening at its upper side comprising outlet means for allowing the outflow of the beverage, whereby inside the keg a tube is present for guiding the beverage to be dispensed from the lower part of the keg to said outlet means, whereby the dispensing characteristics of the beverage are improved.
In order to accomplish with that object, the length of the tube inside the keg is at least two times the height of the keg. As a result, there is a substantial pressure drop of the beverage, which pressure drop is evenly distributed over the length of the tube. As a result of that, the pressure drop over the dispensing tap can be minimized, so that negative dispensing characteristics can be avoided. Thereby, a very simple dispensing tap can be used, which tap, and the dispensing tube for guiding the beverage from the keg to the tap, can be made as a disposable part that can be delivered with the keg, so that it can be renewed when starting the use of the keg. Thereby, a cleaning operation of parts that has been contacted the beverage of a previous keg can be avoided.
In a preferred embodiment, the length of the tube is at least three times the height of the keg, so that a very gradual pressure drop of the beverage flowing through the tube is ensured.
Preferably, a flexible bag for containing the beverage is present inside the keg as is described in WO-A-2004/050539 , whereby the extended tube is located inside the flexible bag. The presence of a flexible bag may be preferred in order to avoid contact between the beverage and the gas for driving the beverage out of the keg.
In a preferred embodiment, the inner diameter of the tube is substantial equal over its length, being beneficial for a gradual decrease of the pressure of the beverage flowing through the tube.
Preferably, the tube is a flexible tube. The flexible tube can be made of flexible plastic, for example PE, and can readily be inserted into the keg through the opening at the upper side of the keg, whereby it can be connected with the outlet means of the keg. Thereby, the flexible tube will automatically arrive at an appropriate position, with its end near the bottom of the keg.
In a preferred embodiment, the tube is helically curved, whereby the tube can be located along the inner wall of the keg from the upper part of the keg to the lower part of the keg. In particular, such tube having the shape of a coil can be used in a keg that will be collapsed by moving the upper wall towards the lower wall in order to drive out the beverage.
The invention is also related to a method of dispensing a beverage out of a keg having an opening at its upper side for filling the keg and for dispensing the beverage out of the keg, which opening is provided with outlet means for allowing the outflow of the beverage, whereby the beverage to be dispensed is guided from the lower part of the keg to said outlet means through a tube located inside the keg, which tube has a length of at least two times the height of the keg.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be further elucidated by means of a description of an embodiment of a keg for containing beer, having inside an extended tube for guiding the beer out of the keg, whereby reference is made to the drawing, whereby:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical perspective view of the keg; and
Fig. 2 shows dimensions of the extended tube.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Figure 1 shows schematically a metal keg 1 containing beer. The keg 1 has a substantial cylindrical shape and has a substantial flat upper wall 2 and lower wall 3. The upper wall 2 is provided with a opening covered by a removable cover 4. The keg 1 is represented with a transparent wall in order to show the flexible tube 5 inside the keg 1. The lower end 6 of the flexible tube 5 is located near the lower wall 3 and the upper end 7 is connected to a valve (not shown) in the opening of the keg 1, being located under the cover 4.
The tube is helically curved in a coil along the substantial cylindrical wall 8 of the keg 1, so that its length can be made much larger than the height of the keg 1. In the shown embodiment, the height of the keg 1 is 0.3 meter, and the length of the tube 5 is 1.5 meter. The inner diameter of the flexible tube 5 is 2.5 mm.
The keg 1 can be placed in a domestic beer dispensing device comprising means for connecting the valve of the keg 1 to a beer dispensing tube of the dispensing device. Furthermore, the beer dispensing device comprises means for inserting pressurized gas, for example carbon dioxide, into the keg through the opening in the upper wall 2, whereby the beer is pressed through the tube 5 from the lower end 6 to the upper end 7, in order to drive the beer out of the keg 1 into said dispensing tube of the dispensing device.
The dimensions of the flexible tube 5 can be chosen in such manner that a convenient outflow of the beer is obtained when the dispensing tap is completely opened, i.e. whereby only minimal restrictions for the liquid flow are present outside the keg 1. The dimensions (length and inner diameter) of the flexible tube 5 for different outflow rates (liters per minute) are shown in figure 2, supposing that the pressure inside the keg 1 is 1.35 bar. The length of the tube 5 is represented in meters along the horizontal axis, and the inner diameter of the tube 5 is represented in mm along the vertical axis of the graph. The relation between the length of the tube 5 and its inner diameter is represented for three different outflow rates (0.5, 1 and 2 liters per minute).
The described embodiment of the keg is only an example, many other embodiments of the keg according to the invention are possible.

Claims

A keg for containing a carbonated beverage having an opening at its upper side (2) for filling the keg (1) and for dispensing the beverage out of the keg (1), which opening is provided with outlet means for allowing the outflow of the beverage, whereby inside the keg (1) a tube (5) is present for guiding the beverage to be dispensed from the lower part of the keg (1) to said outlet means, characterized in that the length of the tube (5) is at least two times the height of the keg (1).
A keg as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the length of the tube (5) is at least three times the height of the keg (1).
A keg as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a flexible bag for containing the beverage is present inside the keg (1), whereby the tube (5) is located inside the flexible bag.
A keg as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner diameter of the tube (5) is substantial equal over its length.
A keg as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tube (5) is a flexible tube.
A keg as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the tube (5) is helically curved.
A method of dispensing a beverage out of a keg having an opening at its upper side (2) for filling the keg (1) and for dispensing the beverage out of the keg (1), which opening is provided with outlet means for allowing the outflow of the beverage, whereby the beverage to be dispensed is guided from the lower part of the keg (1) to said outlet means through a tube (5) located inside the keg (1), characterized in that the beverage is guided through a tube (5) having a length of at least two times the height of the keg (1).