EP3221227B1 - Beverage container with sprayer for aerosol - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a beverage container with a device for a promotion effect, in particular a beverage container with aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung.

It is essential for companies to market their products and products for sale and sales. For this purpose, it is customary, especially in the field of the beverage industry, to customize the presentation of the containers of the drinks offered for the purpose of advertising and promotion. This can be done for example by a fancy or aesthetically pleasing shape or color of the beverage container, or by imprints or an effective placement of the brand name on the beverage container.

Also, beverage containers are equipped with facilities for promotional effects that can serve as a promotional tool or as a trademark of the manufacturer. This promotional effect can be a visual effect, such as the provision or visualization of a prize or gift, or even an acoustic effect. Beverage containers with various promotional effects are known in the art.

The EP 0 839 112 refers to a price can or profit contained beverage can. Therein, a beverage can is disclosed, in the interior of both the drink, and the price and the necessary equipment for holding and removing the price are arranged.

In the US 5,056,659 discloses a beverage can, which has a vertically arranged price or gift holder inside the can, which is positioned just below the drinking opening. By pressing the pull tab the drinking opening is opened and the gift holder from the Interior of the can for visualization of the price or gift partially pushed through the drinking opening.

Also known from the prior art are so-called "floating widgets" for canned beers, which should ensure foaming as with freshly drawn beers. The "widget" inside the can is a plastic ball filled with nitrogen under high pressure. When the can is opened, the plastic ball breaks, and the gas flowing out of it makes for a creamier foam as a promotional effect.

It must therefore be used both for the standing in contact with the beverage facilities or prices materials that are compatible with the drink to be consumed, so do not change the taste and / or color of the drink or even make inedible. Also, the device used or the price must have the appropriate tightness.

Furthermore, the manufacturing process of the above-mentioned beverage cans is more complex, since the partially extensive means for promotion effect during manufacture must be mounted or brought into the interior of the container. Also, this arrangement makes replacement or replacement of this device more difficult or disadvantageous, since the box has to be opened. This is a problem especially with beverage cans with disposable closure.

In addition, some kinds of drinks are filled under a protective atmosphere such as nitrogen to prevent deterioration of the contents. An exchange of the internal device by opening the beverage container without loss of the protective atmosphere can not be done in a simple manner.

Further devices for visual promotional effects may be, for example, sparklers, which are attached as a sales promotion measure to beverage cans or other food packaging become. Here it must be ensured that the promotion effect is not triggered during the consumption of the drink or the food.

As a known example of a device for an acoustic promotion effect of the swing-top closure is to mention beer bottles. When opening this closure, the characteristic "popping noise" is perceptible to the consumer. The disadvantage here is that at a single exchange of the strap closure, for example, in case of a defect, the beer bottle is opened at the same time.

The DE 10 2011 106132 A1 discloses an event device for promotional promotion of selected brand products, wherein for at least one brand product is provided a package in which the event device is housed separately from the brand product, wherein the package has on its upper side an openable closure, which safely separated to release the event of the branded product, when opening the closure outside the package is designed to be imperceptible and imperceptible for a short time.

The invention has for its object to provide a beverage container with a device for a promotion effect, which avoids the disadvantages mentioned above.

The invention is further based on the object to provide a beverage container with a device for a promotional effect, which ensures the taste, color and palatability of the drink.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a beverage container with a promotional effect device which prevents premature and unintentional triggering of the promotional effect, particularly during the consumption of the beverage.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a beverage container with a promotional effect device, which device is suitable for acoustic, olfactory and / or visual promotional effects, and is easily and quickly exchangeable.

The invention is based on the finding that all the above-mentioned objects can be achieved by means of an aerosol flow device and a triggering device mounted on an outside of the beverage container.

The invention relates to a beverage container with aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung comprising an opening arranged on an outside of the beverage container opening means for opening a drinking opening cover, and mounted on an outside of the beverage container aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung containing a pressure vessel for receiving and storing a pressurized propellant gas and a substance to be flowed, a nozzle connected to the pressure vessel for discharging an aerosol formed from the propellant gas and the substance to be flowed, and a triggering device for opening the nozzle, which releases the aerosol when actuated, wherein the nozzle at its opposite the pressure vessel End is connected to a cap breakable and the cap gas-tightly closes the nozzle and the cap is firmly connected to the triggering device.

The beverage container according to the invention has numerous advantages. Since the aerosol-outflow device is mounted on the outside of the beverage container, eliminates during the manufacture of the same time consuming step of introducing and mounting the device in the interior of the container. The installation of the device can advantageously be done only after completion and filling of the beverage container. The installation of the device can be advantageously carried out in a pre-assembled lid or in a pre-assembled bottom of the beverage container.

The arrangement of the aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung on the outside also has the advantage that the device can not come into contact with the beverage in the container. Dying, a change in taste or any other contamination of the beverage by the aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung itself or the substances or propellants contained therein can be excluded.

The arrangement of the aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung on the outside has the further advantage that the device can be easily and quickly changed or replaced. This is the case, for example, if the device is defective. A separate recycling of the aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung and the rest of the beverage container is not required.

In addition, advantageously remains in an exchange or change of the aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung the protective atmosphere inside the beverage container, if any, unaffected.

Another advantage of the invention is that the beverage container according to the invention in addition to the opening means for opening the drinking opening cover additionally has a triggering device which releases the aerosol when actuated, i. E. the promotion effect triggers. With this additional triggering device of the promotion effect can be triggered without the drinking opening of the beverage container is opened.

It is also an advantage of the invention that the aerosol dispenser is suitable for acoustic, olfactory and / or visual promotional effects. Depending on the requirements, the substance to be flowed, which together with the propellant gas forms the aerosol, can be selected so that the aerosol flowing out of the nozzle is odor-like and / or visually perceptible. The aerosol can also be acoustically perceived by appropriate design of the nozzle, for example as whistling or hissing noise.

Preferably, the opening device and / or the aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung are arranged at the top of the beverage container or at the bottom of the beverage container. However, the opening device and / or the aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung can also be arranged on a side wall of the beverage container or in an inwardly curved bottom of the beverage container. The opening device may be, for example, a tab, a lever or a screw cap. The drinking opening cover may for example be a lid, for example made of plastic or sheet metal, or a cling film. For example, a combination of opening means and drink-opening cover may be a stay-on-tab closure, a simply-pull closure, or a ring-pull closure, all of which are well known in the art.

A particularly good stackability of the beverage container according to the invention results from the fact that the aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung is preferably arranged in a recess of the top of the beverage container or in a recess at the bottom of the beverage container. In this case, the depression is preferably designed such that it can completely absorb the aerosol flow-through device and thus the aerosol flow-through device does not protrude from the depression.

However, the recess can also be configured such that only a part of the aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung is taken up by the depression, and protrudes the remaining part of the recess. In this case, for example, the pressure vessel can be completely absorbed in the depression, and only the nozzle and the triggering device protrude from the depression.

The recess may be located centrally or centrally on the top or bottom of the beverage container, or may be located on the top or bottom of the beverage container in the marginal area.

The triggering device for opening the nozzle may be, for example, a stopper, a screw cap, a lever, a tab or a bracket.

The nozzle is usually a tube, for example a round or square tube. In the simplest case, however, the nozzle can also be an opening in the pressure vessel.

According to the invention, the nozzle is connected at its opposite end to the pressure vessel with a cap, and the cap closes the nozzle gas-tight. This premature and unintentional leakage of the propellant gas and the substance to be flowed is prevented and at the same time maintained the pressure of the propellant gas in the pressure vessel. By breakably connected is meant that the cap can be broken off by mechanical force of the consumer from the end of the nozzle, for example by turning, bending, tilting, Pulling off, tearing off, shearing or lifting the cap. But connected with breakable is also meant that the cap can be canceled by the triggering of a corresponding mechanical device from the end of the nozzle. For example, the cap can be knocked off or broken off by a prestressed spring arranged on the beverage container. In this embodiment, preferably, the cap is firmly connected to the triggering device. The firm connection between the cap and the triggering device can be done for example by soldering or gluing. In one embodiment, the cap is integrally formed with the triggering device. Preferably, the breakable connection between the nozzle and the cap at least one predetermined breaking point, which breaks by actuation of the triggering device. Such a predetermined breaking point is for example a scoring or notch. The introduction of a predetermined breaking point facilitates the breaking of the breakable connection between the nozzle and the cap when the triggering device is actuated.

The aerosol flowing out of the nozzle should be olfactorily, acoustically and / or visually perceptible by the consumers. The aerosol is formed by swirling and mixing the propellant gas and the substance to be flowed in the pressure vessel and / or the nozzle. Both the pressure vessel and the flow-connected nozzle act here as a vortex chamber or vortex space. The formation of the aerosol thus takes place by dispersion of the substance (s) to be flowed in the propellant gas or propellant gas mixture.

Non-toxic, odorless and / or low-odor gases are preferably used as the propellant gas. It is further preferred that the propellant gas is inert and does not react chemically with the substance to be flowed. Preferably, the propellant gas is air, N ₂ , N ₂ O, CO ₂ , O ₂ or mixtures thereof.

The aerosol can be perceived acoustically by the consumer. Preferably, the nozzle is shaped such that the aerosol flowing out of the nozzle is acoustically perceptible. For example, the Have an edge on its inner side, whereby the aerosol causes a whistling noise when flowing out of the nozzle.

The substance to be flowed is preferably non-toxic and inert. Further, the substance to be flowed may be a liquid, a solid, such as particles having an average diameter of 10 ^-7 to 10 ^-3 cm, or mixtures thereof. The substance to be flowed must be able to be dispersed in the propellant, so that an aerosol can be formed.

Preferably, the substance to be flowed contains perfumes, fragrances, dyes, water or mixtures thereof. Fragrances are naturally occurring fragrances, especially herbal fragrances such as fragrances of plants such as roses, lavender, vanilla, citrus, eucalyptus and the like. Fragrances are synthetic fragrances such as menthol, vanillin, cinnamaldehyde or the like. When fragrances and / or fragrances are used, the aerosol flowing out of the nozzle is perceived by the odor of the consumer, for example as a "cloud of scent".

As dyes, preference is given to using foodstuffs such as, for example, curcumin (E100), yellow-orange S (E110), carotene (E160a), carmine (E120), indigotine (E132), green S (E142), brilliant black BN (E151), titanium dioxide (E171 ) or mixtures thereof. Preference is given to food colorants which are easily removable from clothing, textiles and surfaces, in particular those which sublime or evaporate without residue. Accordingly, when using dyes, the aerosol is visually perceived by the consumer, for example, as a "color cloud".

Preferably, the propellant gas in the pressure vessel is under a pressure of 1.25 to 18 bar, more preferably under a pressure of 1.5 to 15 bar, more preferably under a pressure of 1.75 to 12 bar, more preferably below a pressure of 2 to 9 bar, more preferably under a pressure of 2.5 to 6 bar and most preferably under a pressure of 3 to 4 bar.

The pressure vessel preferably has a volume of from 0.5 to 10 cm ³ , more preferably a volume of from 0.75 to 8 cm ³ , more preferably a volume of from 1 to 6 cm ³ , and most preferably a volume of from 2 to 4 cm ³ .

Preferably, the amount of propellant introduced into the pressure vessel is such that the aerosol formed is for a period of 0.5 to 10 seconds, more preferably 1 to 8 seconds, more preferably 1.5 to 6 seconds, and most preferably 2 to 4 s, flows out of the nozzle.

In order to prevent premature opening of the drinking opening cover before the aerosol is released, the opening device is preferably unlocked by actuation of the triggering device. By unlocking is meant that the operation of the opening means the consumer is made possible only after the actuation of the triggering device. For example, the triggering device may be arranged on the beverage container in such a way that, viewed spatially, it is located directly above the opening device or extends over the opening device. The consumer can therefore neither reach the opening device nor operate it. Only after actuation of the triggering device, such as by rotating or lifting the same, is the underlying or underlying opening device accessible to the consumer or "released". Following this, the consumer can then operate the opening device.

With such a mechanical lock it is ensured that first the triggering device has to be actuated in order to release the aerosol, and only then the opening device can be actuated to open the drinking-opening cover, and the user can consume the drink.

For this purpose, it is therefore preferred that the aerosol flow device is located directly next to or near the opening device.

Preferably, the pressure vessel made of plastic, metal or a combination thereof. Preferably, the pressure vessel is made of metal, since this has a higher mechanical stability, and thus the propellant can be recorded and stored at a higher pressure compared to plastic containers. The metal may be, for example, steel or aluminum. The pressure vessel may in principle assume any shape, and be designed, for example, spherical, ellipsoidal, kidney-shaped, cubic or cuboidal.

The beverage container is preferably made of metal, cardboard, glass, tetra pack, plastic or combinations thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the beverage container is made of metal. The metal may be tinplate or aluminum, for example. The beverage container may take a cylindrical shape, such as a can, a cubic or cuboid shape, with the cylindrical shape being preferred.

Further details, features and advantages of the subject of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the accompanying figures in which exemplary preferred embodiments of the invention are shown.

• Figur 1 eine Perspektivansicht einer Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Getränkebehälters mit Aerosol-Verströmungseinrichtung,
• Figur 2 eine Perspektivansicht eines Deckels des erfindungsgemäßen Getränkebehälters mit Vertiefung und abmontiertem Druckbehälter,
• Figur 3 ein Grundriss des Deckels des erfindungsgemäßen Getränkebehälters aus Figur 2 mit Vertiefung und abmontiertem Druckbehälter,
• Figur 4 eine Seitenansicht einer Aerosol-Verströmungseinrichtung des erfindungsgemäßen Getränkebehälters, und
• Figur 5 eine Perspektivansicht einer weiteren Ausführungsform des erfindungsgemäßen Getränkebehälters mit einer in dem nach innen gewölbten Dosenboden des Getränkebehälters angeordneten Aerosol-Verströmungseinrichtung.

Show in it

• FIG. 1 a perspective view of an embodiment of the beverage container according to the invention with aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung,
• FIG. 2 a perspective view of a lid of the beverage container according to the invention with recess and dismounted pressure vessel,
• FIG. 3 a plan view of the lid of the beverage container according to the invention FIG. 2 with recess and dismantled pressure vessel,
• FIG. 4 a side view of an aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung the beverage container according to the invention, and
• FIG. 5 a perspective view of another embodiment of the beverage container according to the invention with an arranged in the inwardly curved can bottom of the beverage container aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a beverage container (1) according to the invention in the form of a cylindrical beverage can made of tinplate. The beverage container has, as well as off FIGS. 2 and 3 can be seen on its upper side (2) has a centrally and centrally arranged opening device (3). The opening device (3) is formed in this embodiment as a pull tab, which is fixed by means of a rivet (12) rotatably on the upper side (2) of the beverage container (1).

The pull tab has an extension (11), which pushes the scored Trinköffnungsabdeckung (4) by leveraging in the interior of the beverage container (1) when lifting the pull tab and so creates a drinking and pouring. This type of opening device (3) and the drinking port cover (4) is also well known as a "stay-on-tab" of the prior art.

How out FIGS. 1 to 3 can be seen, the upper side (2) has an elongated, kidney-shaped recess (5) between the opening means (3) and the edge (13) of the beverage container (1). The recess (5) and the pressure vessel (7) are designed to be compatible in shape and size. The pressure vessel (7) can therefore be completely accommodated in the depression (5) so that the top of the pressure vessel (7) can be flush with the top (2) of the beverage container (1).

In this example, the pressure vessel (7) is made of aluminum. Its volume is 2 cm ³ and is filled with compressed air under a pressure of 2 bar. Furthermore, liquid water is to be flowed substance in the pressure vessel (7). As well as out FIG. 4 can be seen, on the upper side of the pressure vessel (7) a tubular nozzle (8) is arranged, which is fluidly connected to the pressure vessel (7). The nozzle (8) is frictionally connected to the cap (10). This compound has a predetermined breaking point in the form of an all-round notch.

The triggering device (9) is designed here as a lever with tab, which is connected with its opposite end of the tab fixed to the cap (10). How out FIG. 1 the triggering device (9) is hereby positioned in such a way that the lug of the triggering device (9) is arranged spatially exactly above the pull tab of the opening device (3) and thus blocks the opening device (3). How out FIG. 1 can be seen, the pull tab can not be raised or operated until the lever of the trigger device (9) is actuated. The consumer must therefore first actuate the triggering device (9), in this case turn the lever clockwise or counterclockwise or lift the lever. By this actuation of the triggering device (9) breaks the connection between the cap (10) and nozzle (8), the triggering device (9) dissolves together with the cap (10) from the nozzle (8) and opens it.

By opening the nozzle (8), the compressed air in the pressure vessel (7) flows from the pressure vessel (7) through the opened nozzle (8). It comes to swirling and mixing the compressed air with the liquid water both in the pressure vessel (7) and in the nozzle (8). Both the pressure vessel (7) and the nozzle (8) act as a vortex chamber or swirling space. Individual water droplets are entrained by and dispersed in the flowing compressed air, and an aerosol is formed. The aerosol flows out of the nozzle (8) and is visible to the consumer as a mist fountain.

After actuation of the triggering device (9) and after release of the aerosol as a mist fountain, the consumer can then actuate the accessible pull tab of the opening device (3) to the Open the drinking opening cover (4) and create a drinking or pouring opening.

FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment of the beverage container (1) according to the invention. In this embodiment, the aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung (6) on the inwardly curved bottom (15) of the beverage container (1) is arranged. The pressure vessel (7) of the aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung (6) is shaped so that it can be completely sunk into the bottom (15) of the beverage container (1) or absorbed by this. Also in this example, a tubular nozzle (8) is arranged on the pressure vessel (7), which is flow-connected to the pressure vessel (7). The triggering device (9) is also designed here as a lever with tab.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

beverage containers

2

Top of the beverage container (1)

3

opening device

4

Drinking spout cover

5

deepening

6

Aerosol Verströmungseinrichtung

7

pressure vessel

8th

jet

9

triggering device

10

cap

11

extension

12

rivet

13

Edge of the beverage container (1)

14

Sidewall of the beverage container (1)

15

Bottom of the beverage container (1)

Claims (10)

1. A beverage container including an aerosol dispersing device, comprising an opening device (3), which is disposed on an outside of the beverage container (1) for opening a drinking opening cover (4), and an aerosol dispersing device (6), which is provided on an outside of the beverage container (1) and comprises a pressure vessel (7) for receiving and storing a pressurized propellant gas and a substance to be dispersed, a nozzle (8) that is in fluid connection with the pressure vessel (7) for dispersing an aerosol formed of the propellant gas and the substance to be dispersed, and a trigger device (9) for opening the nozzle (8), which upon actuation releases the aerosol, characterized in that the nozzle (8), at the end thereof located opposite the pressure vessel (7), is breakably connected to a cap (10), the cap (10) seals the nozzle (8) in a gas-tight manner, and the cap (10) is fixedly connected to the trigger device (9).
2. The beverage container according to claim 10, characterized in that the opening device (3) and/or the aerosol dispersing device (6) are disposed on the upper face (2) of the beverage container (1) or on the bottom (15) of the beverage container (1).
3. The beverage container according to claim 2, characterized in that the aerosol dispersing device (6) is disposed in a recess (5) of the upper face (2) of the beverage container (1) or in a recess on the bottom (15) of the beverage container (1).
4. The beverage container according to claim 1, characterized in that the breakable connection between the nozzle (8) and the cap (10) includes at least one predetermined breaking point, which breaks as a result of the actuation of the trigger device (9).
5. The beverage container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the propellant gas is air, N₂, N₂O, CO₂, O₂ or mixtures thereof
6. The beverage container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the substance to be dispersed comprises aromatic substances, dyes, water or mixtures thereof
7. The beverage container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the amount of propellant gas introduced into the pressure vessel (7) is selected in such a way that the formed aerosol is dispersed from the nozzle (8) for a time period of 0.5 to 10 s.
8. The beverage container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the opening device (3) is unlocked by the actuation of the trigger device (9).
9. The beverage container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the propellant gas in the pressure vessel (7) is under a pressure of 1.25 to 18 bar.
10. The beverage container according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pressure vessel (7) has a volume of 0.25 to 10 cm³.

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