GB2369587A

GB2369587A - Pressurised dispenser from bottles of carbonated drinks

Info

Publication number: GB2369587A
Application number: GB0029007A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard Bailey
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-11-29
Filing date: 2000-11-29
Publication date: 2002-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 2020-11-29
Also published as: GB2369587B; GB0029007D0

Abstract

A liquids or drinks dispenser includes provision for recharging a gas reservoir so as to keep the drink fizzy regardless of the liquid level of the drinks container. The dispenser includes a cap 4 to be screwed onto a bottle or container 2, a tube 8 containing pipes (9, Fig 4) dipping into the liquid preferably to the bottom of the bottle, a manually operated valve 14, 15 and a gas reservoir 17 rechargeable with eg carbon dioxide at any time through a nozzle 20. The reservoir 17 is connected by a tube 18 to the interior of the bottle 2. The arrangement ensures that there is gas in the volume above the liquid, thereby preventing the carbonating gas in the liquid from degassing, and enabling the pressurised liquid to be dispensed through a spout 11 when the valve button 15 is depressed. Pipes (9, Fig 4) have small bores and an undulating or twisted shape which also helps prevent degassing.

Description

Liquids Dispenser Field of the Invention The present invention concerns devices for delivering liquids, and particularly for delivering and/or dispensing carbonated and non-carbonated drinks.

Background to the Invention Bottled drinks have become increasingly popular over recent years, ranging from flavoured"pop"to water. More usually, such drinks are made"fizzy"by carbonation (impregnation with typically carbon dioxide under pressure). It is quite common for these drinks to be sold in large volume bottles, two-litre bottles being the norm rather than the exception. The bottles themselves are normally made of polyethylene terephtalate ("PET"). Not only have bottles increased in size, but the sales volumes of bottled drinks have increased substantially.

The problem with carbonated drinks, especially those sold in large PET bottles, is that they are difficult to handle, especially when full and/or wet. Once the cap is removed, PET bottles tend to lose their rigidity. In addition, the liquid contents tend to go "flat", ie lose their carbonation, over a comparatively short period of time. This is because it takes longer to consume the contents of large bottles and because the gradual consumption of the contents allows large volumes of space to be created above the surface of the contents as they are consumed, thereby leading to increased loss into that space of the carbonising gas. The gas also becomes diluted by the air in the space, thereby exacerbating the loss of carbonation.

In order to combat such problems, a system was devised enabling fizzy drinks to be made at home in small bottles. The system involved the steps of forcing carbon dioxide into a bottle of water then adding a concentrate in any of several flavours. For various reasons the system did not become universally accepted.

There is thus a need to preserve the life of bottled fizzy drinks and to re-gassify fizzy drinks that have gone flat.

Summary of the Invention In its most general sense the invention comprises a conduit adapted to form part of a device for delivering pressurised liquid saturated with pressurising gas, the conduit

comprising a tube containing a plurality of smaller diameter pipes, whereby degassing of the pressurised liquid is inhibited.

In another aspect, the invention comprises a device adapted to be attached to a container for pressurised liquid and comprising means enabling liquid in the container to be maintained under pressure regardless of the liquid level in the container.

More specifically, the invention comprises a dispenser adapted to be attached to a container for carbonated liquid and comprising a cap for attachment to the neck of a said container, liquid delivery means, and a reservoir in fluid communication with the interior of the container and having an inlet nozzle by which the reservoir may be filled with pressurised gas.

The device preferably includes a tube in fluid communication with the fluid delivery means and adapted to extend into the container. The tube preferably comprises an outer tubular body containing a plurality of smaller diameter pipes. The pipes may undulate along their length. In particular, they may be spirally twisted along their length.

They may extend into a support plate at one or both ends, each plate having as many through holes as there are pipes.

The cap preferably comprises a manually operable valve adapted to be opened so as to allow fluid within the container to pass along the tube to the fluid delivery means. The fluid delivery means may consist of a spout or pourer. The valve is preferably fitted with spring means to restore it to a closed position after release. A button or the like is preferably provided to operate the valve. The button is conveniently lo- cated in the top of the cap.

Fluid communication between the gas reservoir and the interior of the container is preferably provided by a small bore tube extending from the reservoir and passing along at least part of the outer surface of the said tubular body.

The cap may be provided with a screw-threaded collar by which the device can be attached to the neck of a bottle.

Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows an exterior view of the device in partial section; Figure 2 shows a cross section through the device;

Figure 3 shows an exploded view of the device ; and Figure 4 shows the construction of a liquid delivery conduit.

Detailed Description of the Illustrated Embodiments In Figure 1 the device 1 according to the invention is shown attached to a bottle 2, only the upper part of which is illustrated. The device consists of an outer cap or shell 3 over an inner shell 4 whose upper portion is provided with an internally threaded collar 5 adapted to be screwed onto a corresponding threaded collar on the neck of the bottle.

The upper, open end of the collar 5 is fixed to, or integrally moulded with, a chamber 6 having a further collar 7 formed at its lower end to which a tube 8 is attached. The tube 8 contains a plurality of undulating or spiral pipes such as pipe 9, as will be described later with reference to Figure 4. The chamber 6 carries an upper, domed spout housing 10. This housing 10 is apertured at one side to receive a spout 11 or other convenient fluid delivery means and is formed with a collar 12 acting as a bearing sleeve for a valve stem 13 of a valve 14. The valve 14 is adapted for sliding downward movement when a button 15 is depressed and is restored to its upper position by means of a return spring 16. The valve body opens and closes an aperture in the top of the chamber 6, thereby controlling fluid communication between the tube 8 and the spout 11, as will be explained later.

A gas reservoir 17 is located around part of the circumference of the chamber 6 and spout housing 10. A narrow tube 18 passes into a hole 19 in the gas reservoir and down the outer surface of the tube 8 so as to be in fluid communication with the interior volume of the bottle 2. A filling tube 20 extends through the wall of the outer shell 3 and into the gas reservoir. The outer end of the filling tube is provided with a nozzle terminating in a valve enabling the gas reservoir to be filled or refilled with gas from a gas cylinder.

Referring to Figure 4, the tube 8 is provided with a plurality of pipes 9 as previously mentioned. It has been discovered that a plurality of small bore pipes, especially if they undulate along their lengths or are twisted spirally along their lengths, help prevent degassing of carbonated fluids. In particular, they constrict the liquid flow rate so as to prevent a sudden pressure drop and the associated loss of carbonising gas, as the liquid

is dispensed. As shown, the pipes 9 are held in place within the tube 8 by means of end plates 21 having patterns of holes 22 corresponding in number and position with the pipes 9. The pipes 9 pass into respective holes 22 in the plates 21.

The dispenser operates as follows. The consumer would purchase a dispenser preferably from the same location as the drinks themselves, eg on supermarket shelves.

After removing the cap of the bottle, he would screw the dispenser to the bottle. By so doing, the tube 8 and the pipes 9 would extend substantially to the bottom of the bottle. It is conceivable, therefore, that the dispenser would be offered with different length tubes 8 or it could be made with replaceable tubes of different lengths to suit different capacity bottles.

The dispenser would either be sold with a full charge of gas in the gas reservoir, in which case the connecting tube 18 between the gas reservoir and the bottle will need to be removably closed off, or the consumer would purchase a gas cylinder so that he could charge the gas reservoir when convenient. In either case, the gas in the dispenser would cause the void above the liquid level within the bottle to be pressurised. This would have the effect of preventing degassing of the carbon dioxide in the liquid as well as assisting in dispensing the liquid contents.

Alternatively, gas flow from the reservoir 17 may be controlled by operation of the button 15 so that release of gas into the container 2 occurs each time the button 15 is depressed. In a further variation, first operation of the button 15 could be arranged to rupture a seal or open a once-only valve to open the pathway between the reservoir and the container.

Upon depressing the button 15, the valve 14 will open the passageway between the tube 8 and the spout 11. The pressure within the bottle will therefore force the liquid up the pipes 9 in the tube 8 and deliver it through the spout 11 to a suitable drinking vessel. As the liquid level falls, more gas will be discharged from the gas reservoir 17 through the tube 1 8 and into the bottle so as to keep the bottle pressurised and the drink fizzy. With the passage of time, it may be that the volume of gas in the gas reservoir is insufficient to replenish all of the carbon dioxide lost into the space above the liquid level. If this happens, the consumer can recharge the gas reservoir at any time through the refill nozzle 20.

As few as four or as many as 12 pipes 9, depending on their size and the area of the end plates 21, may be provided. The dispenser components are preferably made of ABS or polycarbonate. The components may be manufactured by known injection moulding techniques.

Although the dispenser has been described solely in the context of dispensing drinks, the invention is equally applicable to dispensers for other liquids.

Claims

Claims 1. A liquid dispenser adapted to be attached to a container for pressurised liquid and comprising means enabling liquid in the container to be maintained under pressure regardless of the liquid level in the container.
2. A liquid dispenser adapted to be attached to a container for carbonated liquid and comprising a cap for attachment to the neck of a said container, liquid delivery means extending from the cap, and a reservoir within the cap in fluid communication with the interior of the container, said reservoir having an inlet nozzle by which it may be filled with pressurised gas.
3. A liquid dispenser as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, further comprising a tube in liquid communication with the liquid delivery means and adapted to extend into the container.
4. A liquid dispenser as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the said tube comprises an outer tubular body containing a plurality of smaller diameter pipes.
5. A liquid dispenser as claimed in Claim 4, wherein the pipes undulate or are spirally twisted along their length.
6. A liquid dispenser as claimed in Claim 4 or 5, wherein the said pipes extend into a support plate at one or both ends, each plate having as many through holes as there are pipes.
7. A liquid dispenser as claimed in any of Claims 3 to 6, wherein the cap comprises a manually operable valve adapted to be opened so as to allow liquid within the container to pass along the tube to the liquid delivery means.
8. A liquid dispenser as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the valve is fitted with return spring means to restore it to a closed position after release.
9. A liquid dispenser as claimed in Claim 7 or 8, wherein a button or the like is provided in the top of the cap to operate the valve.
10. A liquid dispenser as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 9, wherein a or the liquid delivery means comprises a spout or pourer.
11. A liquid dispenser as claimed in any of Claims 3 to 10, wherein fluid communication between the gas reservoir and the interior of the container is provided

by a small bore tube extending from the reservoir and passing along at least part of the outer surface of the said tube.
12. A liquid dispenser as claimed in any of Claims 2 to 11, wherein the cap is provided with a screw-threaded collar by which the dispenser can be attached to the neck of a bottle.
13. A liquid dispenser substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
14. A conduit adapted to form part of a device for delivering a pressurised liquid saturated with pressurising gas, the conduit comprising a tube containing a plurality of smaller diameter pipes, whereby degassing of the pressurised liquid is inhibited.
15. A conduit substantially as described with reference to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.