GB2175051A

GB2175051A - Beverage dispenser

Info

Publication number: GB2175051A
Application number: GB08610616A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles A Lane; Anthony James Lucking
Original assignee: Waddington and Duval Ltd
Current assignee: Waddington and Duval Ltd
Priority date: 1985-05-13
Filing date: 1986-05-06
Publication date: 1986-11-19
Also published as: GB8610616D0; GB2175051B

Abstract

A dispenser for beer or the like comprising a container filled with a beverage having carbon dioxide in solution to between about 5/8 to 3/4 of its volume, the head space above the beverage being filled with a gas under pressure.

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to a beer container This invention relates to the dispensing of carbonated beverages and in particular, beer.

It is desirable to provide a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus which may for example be kept in the home and used to dispense only a part of the volume of the container at any one time whilst retaining the remainder in good condition and under sufficient pressure to facilitate further dispensing.

If, as in a conventional soda syphon, a carbonated beverage occupies virtually all of the volume of the container and a significant amount of the beverage is dispensed, then the volume of the head space is increased, the gas pressure drops and dispensing ceases.

Further dispensing may be possible after a lapse of time as carbon-dioxide dissolved in the beverage comes out of solution due to the drop in pressure, restoring pressure in the head space. This however, means that the quality of the remaining beverage suffers and with the substantial amounts drawn off at any one time, for example in the case of beer or lager, the time delay could be unacceptable.

It is a general object of this invention to try to overcome this problem.

A beverage dispenser for use in the invention comprises a container which may for example be of plastic material which is a good gas barrier such as polyethylene terephthlate (PET) made for example by injection blow moulding in one piece or by injection moulding in two pieces which are subsequently attached together. The container which is provided with a dispensing valve or tap, is known per se.

Such a container in accordance with the invention is filled with a beverage with carbon dioxide in solution (for example beer) to between about 5/8 to 3/4, preferably 5/7, of its volume, the head space above the beverage being filled with gas under pressure.

It has been found that such a dispenser having a substantial head space significantly increases the ability to dispense relatively large volumes without requiring a restoration time. It also reduces the vulnerability to temperature change since if the temperature rises and gas comes out of solution from the beverage, the relative pressure increase is much less than would be the case if the container was full.

Furthermore with such an arrangement, as liquid is dispensed the loss of CO2 dissolved in the liquid is much less because the pressure in the head space remains relatively high as compared with the case of a conventional dispenser after a similar amount of beverage has been dispensed, and consequently less CO2 comes out of solution from the beverage.

If the temperature drops then further CO2 may be dissolved in the beverage but if the head space is filled with CO2 this presents no problems. If however the head space is filled with Nitrogen (N2), which is preferred, then a relatively small amount of N2 is dissolved as this gas is less soluble than CO2.

The use of N2 helps to maintain the pressure in the head space when heer or other carbonated beverage is dispensed as relatively little is dissolved in the beverage being dispensed. The Nitrogen "softens" the beer, but this can be compensated by increasing the amount of CO2. ("Softening" is a reduction in the CO2 tingle on the tongue).

As an example, of the invention, 5 1nitres of beer containing the maximum CO2 permitted, is introduced into a 7 litre container at atmospheric pressure. Nitrogen is then charged into the head space of about 2 litres, at 14 psi above atmosphere so that 4 litres of nitrogen occupy the 2 litres of head space. With such an arrangement it has been found that with normal temperatures and atmospheric pressure the beer is under pressure at all stages during dispensing so that air is not sucked into the container as beer is dispensed.

In theory when the head space has been increased to 4 litres in volume due to dispensing of three litres of beer, the pressure is atmosphere (4 litres of Nitrogen being originally charged into 2 litres of head space volume). However at this lower pressure some CO2 comes out of solution in the beer until an equilibrium is reached with a remaining sufficiently high CO2 content of the beer to be acceptable and with a head space pressure which is above atmospheric. When the dispenser is used to dispense lager it is believed to be desirable to have a pressure of 8 psi in the head space as the last pint is dispensed.

This may be achieved by having the original head space filled with gas under somewhat greater pressure.

At one end the container may have a screw neck and a matching cap with two apertures, each carrying an appropriate fitment. One aperture would be for the purpose of filling the container, and would advantageously be on the central axis of the container so that no orientation of the container was needed for filling. This could be sealed by a non-removable plug or cap, or by a screw cap or screw bung.

The second aperture may carry a dispensing tap capable of dealing with the pressures involved. It is anticipated that a cradle would be provided so that the container would be used in the conventional barrel position with its major axis horizontal. The tap position would therefore be as low down as possible on the end face to dispense the maximum amount of beverage before tipping becomes necessary.

1. A dispenser for beer or the like com

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to a beer container This invention relates to the dispensing of carbonated beverages and in particular, beer. It is desirable to provide a carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus which may for example be kept in the home and used to dispense only a part of the volume of the container at any one time whilst retaining the remainder in good condition and under sufficient pressure to facilitate further dispensing. If, as in a conventional soda syphon, a carbonated beverage occupies virtually all of the volume of the container and a significant amount of the beverage is dispensed, then the volume of the head space is increased, the gas pressure drops and dispensing ceases. Further dispensing may be possible after a lapse of time as carbon-dioxide dissolved in the beverage comes out of solution due to the drop in pressure, restoring pressure in the head space. This however, means that the quality of the remaining beverage suffers and with the substantial amounts drawn off at any one time, for example in the case of beer or lager, the time delay could be unacceptable. It is a general object of this invention to try to overcome this problem. A beverage dispenser for use in the invention comprises a container which may for example be of plastic material which is a good gas barrier such as polyethylene terephthlate (PET) made for example by injection blow moulding in one piece or by injection moulding in two pieces which are subsequently attached together. The container which is provided with a dispensing valve or tap, is known per se. Such a container in accordance with the invention is filled with a beverage with carbon dioxide in solution (for example beer) to between about 5/8 to 3/4, preferably 5/7, of its volume, the head space above the beverage being filled with gas under pressure. It has been found that such a dispenser having a substantial head space significantly increases the ability to dispense relatively large volumes without requiring a restoration time. It also reduces the vulnerability to temperature change since if the temperature rises and gas comes out of solution from the beverage, the relative pressure increase is much less than would be the case if the container was full. Furthermore with such an arrangement, as liquid is dispensed the loss of CO2 dissolved in the liquid is much less because the pressure in the head space remains relatively high as compared with the case of a conventional dispenser after a similar amount of beverage has been dispensed, and consequently less CO2 comes out of solution from the beverage. If the temperature drops then further CO2 may be dissolved in the beverage but if the head space is filled with CO2 this presents no problems. If however the head space is filled with Nitrogen (N2), which is preferred, then a relatively small amount of N2 is dissolved as this gas is less soluble than CO2. The use of N2 helps to maintain the pressure in the head space when heer or other carbonated beverage is dispensed as relatively little is dissolved in the beverage being dispensed. The Nitrogen "softens" the beer, but this can be compensated by increasing the amount of CO2. ("Softening" is a reduction in the CO2 tingle on the tongue). As an example, of the invention, 5 1nitres of beer containing the maximum CO2 permitted, is introduced into a 7 litre container at atmospheric pressure. Nitrogen is then charged into the head space of about 2 litres, at 14 psi above atmosphere so that 4 litres of nitrogen occupy the 2 litres of head space. With such an arrangement it has been found that with normal temperatures and atmospheric pressure the beer is under pressure at all stages during dispensing so that air is not sucked into the container as beer is dispensed. In theory when the head space has been increased to 4 litres in volume due to dispensing of three litres of beer, the pressure is atmosphere (4 litres of Nitrogen being originally charged into 2 litres of head space volume). However at this lower pressure some CO2 comes out of solution in the beer until an equilibrium is reached with a remaining sufficiently high CO2 content of the beer to be acceptable and with a head space pressure which is above atmospheric. When the dispenser is used to dispense lager it is believed to be desirable to have a pressure of 8 psi in the head space as the last pint is dispensed. This may be achieved by having the original head space filled with gas under somewhat greater pressure. At one end the container may have a screw neck and a matching cap with two apertures, each carrying an appropriate fitment. One aperture would be for the purpose of filling the container, and would advantageously be on the central axis of the container so that no orientation of the container was needed for filling. This could be sealed by a non-removable plug or cap, or by a screw cap or screw bung. The second aperture may carry a dispensing tap capable of dealing with the pressures involved. It is anticipated that a cradle would be provided so that the container would be used in the conventional barrel position with its major axis horizontal. The tap position would therefore be as low down as possible on the end face to dispense the maximum amount of beverage before tipping becomes necessary. CLAIMS

1. A dispenser for beer or the like com prising a container filled with a beverage having carbon dioxide in solution, to between about 5/8 to 3/4 of its volume, the head space above the beverage being filled with a gas under pressure.

2. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 1 in which the gas in the head space is CO2 or N2.

3. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 1 or 2 in which the container before dispensing is filled with a beverage to 5/7 of its volume.

4. A dispenser as claimed in Claim 3 in which nitrogen is present in the head space at 14 psi above atmospheric.

5. A dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the container is made of polyethylene terephthlate.

6. A dispenser as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the container has two apertures, one for filling the container which is on the central axis of the container and which is normally closed by a removable closure, the second aperture carrying a dispensing tap or the like which is positioned adjacent the periphery of the end face and which in use is located as low as possible.

7. A dispenser for beer or the like substantially as hereinbefore described.