JP2001233397A - Beverage dispensing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a beverage dispensing device capable of dispensing a beverage while causing pressurized gas such as a pressurized carbon dioxide gas to act inside a beverage container, whose capacity is some 2-5 liters and which is low in resistance to pressure, from the external side of the beverage container, and also capable of being easily contained in a refrigerator or the like even in the case where the beverage remains in the beverage container. SOLUTION: The beverage dispensing device is constituted by adapting; a pressurizing unit 11 for causing pressurized gas to act inside a beverage container 1 containing a beverage for pressurizing the interior of the beverage container up to a level of a predetermined pressure; a beverage container containing portion 12 in which the beverage container is contained and which withstands the internal pressure of the beverage container in cooperating with the beverage container; and a pouring means 13 for pouring the beverage out of the beverage container.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a beverage dispensing apparatus suitable for carbonated beverages such as beer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a beverage dispensing device capable of supplying pressurized carbon dioxide gas or the like from the outside to a beverage container having low pressure resistance, increasing the internal pressure, and dispensing the beverage without reducing the taste of the beverage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, as in a beer dispenser described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-236099, pressurized carbon dioxide gas is applied to a beer barrel from a carbon dioxide gas cylinder, and beer is distributed to a mug via a discharge valve. A supply beer dispenser is provided. The beer dispenser as described above is for business use such as in a beer garden, and has a capacity of several tens of liters.

In recent years, beers in barrel-shaped containers of about 10 liters have been sold for holding parties at home or eating barbecue outdoors. This barrel-shaped container has pressure resistance, and is configured so that a dedicated server is connected to the mouth of the container and beer can be distributed while supplying carbon dioxide from a gas cylinder.

[0004]

The conventional barrel-shaped container is constructed so that the pressure from the gas cylinder can be directly applied, and has a high pressure resistance to ensure safety. For this reason, the manufacturing cost increases,
In many cases, a sales method in which barrel containers are rented is adopted.

When the above-mentioned barrel-shaped container is employed, a capacity of about 10 liters is required to absorb the manufacturing cost. Therefore, beer cannot be consumed at once unless a certain number of people gather. In addition, because the size and weight are larger than conventional canned beer,
It is difficult to cool in a refrigerator. For this reason, it is difficult to use at small parties or outdoors.

[0006] In order to solve the above inconvenience, beer in aluminum cans containing 2 to 4 liters and so-called beer in PET bottles are being sold. These beers are easy to carry and refrigerate, and can treat empty containers in the same manner as conventional beer cans. However, because of the large capacity, when it is not possible to pour at a time, there is a tendency for problems to occur, such as being careless and reducing the taste of beer.

[0007] On the other hand, these aluminum cans and PET bottles have low pressure resistance when carbon dioxide is applied from the outside.
For this reason, it is impossible to distribute beer while applying carbon dioxide gas from the outside of the container as in the conventional pressure-resistant barrel-shaped container. Although the entire container can be housed in a pressure-resistant container to apply the gas pressure, the apparatus becomes large-scale and the manufacturing cost is high.

The present invention has been conceived in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and solves the above-mentioned conventional problems. Beverage can be distributed while applying pressurized gas such as gas,
It is another object of the present invention to provide a beverage dispensing device that can easily store a beverage in a refrigerator or the like even when there is excess beverage.

[0009]

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above problems, the present invention takes the following technical means.

[0010] The invention described in claim 1 of the present application is a pressurizing device for applying a pressurized gas to the inside of a beverage container containing a beverage to pressurize the inside of the beverage container to a predetermined pressure. The present invention relates to a beverage dispensing device that includes a beverage container accommodating part that cooperates with the beverage container and opposes an internal pressure of the beverage container, and a dispensing unit that dispenses a beverage from the beverage container.

[0011] The shape and material of the beverage container are not particularly limited. It can be applied to cylindrical, barrel, and prismatic beverage containers. Further, as a material, the present invention can be applied to a metal container such as an aluminum container and a resin container.

The kind of beverage to which the present invention can be applied is not limited, and it can be used not only for carbonated beverages such as beer and cider, but also for distribution of ordinary beverages.

The pressurized gas may be any gas that can be applied to foods, and other than carbon dioxide gas, nitrogen gas or other harmless gas can be used. Further, the method of supplying the pressurized gas is not particularly limited. The apparatus can be easily configured by adopting a commercially available small gas cylinder. The pressure of the pressurized gas acts inside the container. There is no particular limitation on the part where the pressure is applied to the beverage container, and the pressure can be applied from the outlet of the beverage, or a communication hole for applying the pressurized gas to another part of the beverage container is provided. You may.

The beverage container housing cooperates with the beverage container to oppose the internal pressure of the container. Usually, the pressure resistance of containers such as non-carbonated beverages is low. Further, commercially available containers for carbon dioxide beverages such as beer are provided with pressure resistance corresponding to the pressure of carbon dioxide in the beverage, but are insufficient for applying pressure from the outside. In the invention of the present application, the beverage container accommodating section allows external pressure to be applied by imparting pressure resistance to the beverage container or increasing the pressure resistance.

The structure, material and the like of the beverage container housing section are not particularly limited, and can be set according to the form of the beverage container. The beverage container accommodating portion includes, for example, a reinforcing wall portion that abuts on a part or all of the outer peripheral surface of the beverage container and opposes the internal pressure of the beverage container as in the invention described in claim 2. Can be configured. By bringing the reinforcing wall portion into contact with the outer periphery of the beverage container, deformation of the beverage container due to an increase in internal pressure can be prevented, and pressure resistance can be increased.

[0016] The reinforcing wall may be configured to abut a part of the outer peripheral surface of the beverage container. This is because it is sufficient to reinforce only the portion of the beverage container having low pressure resistance.
For example, when the internal pressure of the beverage container is increased, the reinforcing wall portion can be formed so as to be in contact with the portion having the largest deformation. This allows the beverage container and the reinforcing wall to cooperate to counter the internal pressure, thereby improving pressure resistance.

The structure of the reinforcing wall is not particularly limited. What is necessary is just to comprise so that pressure may be made to contact at least the outer peripheral part of a beverage container. For example, it can be formed in a cylindrical shape or a barrel shape corresponding to the outer shape of the beverage container. In addition, a lattice-shaped or skein-shaped reinforcing wall having a large number of openings may be formed. Further, in the case of a cylindrical beverage container, a reinforcing wall portion that contacts only the center of the side wall portion having low pressure resistance can be formed.

Further, a reinforcing wall portion which allows deformation of the beverage container due to the internal pressure to some extent can be formed. For example, in a cylindrical container, when the internal pressure increases, the center of the side wall portion tends to expand outward, but a reinforcement wall portion may be formed in consideration of this deformation. Further, any material may be used as long as it increases the pressure resistance against the internal pressure in cooperation with the beverage container, and a mesh-like or bag-like deformable reinforcing wall portion made of a cloth or a resin sheet having a high tensile strength may be employed. .

In the invention described in claim 3 of the present application, the beverage container accommodating section is provided with a beverage container and a heat retaining device capable of maintaining the temperature of the beverage contained in the beverage container. The warming device includes a device that keeps the beverage at a low temperature and a device that keeps the beverage at a high temperature. In addition, the above-mentioned warming device also includes a device that actively cools or heats the beverage. For example, a cooling function or a heating function can be added using a Peltier element.

[0020] For example, as in the invention described in claim 4, the heat retaining device can be configured to include a cooling agent and / or a heat insulating material.

Also, as in the invention according to claim 5,
The warming device can be configured as a cooling device using the pressurized gas. For example, it is also possible to employ a configuration in which the cooling material is cooled by utilizing the expansion of the compressed gas or the liquefied gas.

According to the invention described in claim 6 of the present application, the pressurizing device includes a gas cylinder filled with pressurized gas, a conduit for guiding the pressurized gas into the beverage container, and a gas acting on the beverage container. And a pressure adjusting means for adjusting the pressure.

The form, capacity and the like of the gas cylinder are not particularly limited. The pressure adjusting means is provided for applying a constant gas pressure to the beverage container, and various known devices can be employed. The conduit is
It may be configured to be connected to the spout of the beverage container, or a connection hole or the like may be separately formed in the beverage container to connect the above conduit. The gas contained in the gas cylinder may be liquefied. Further, the user himself may compress the air and accumulate the air in the gas cylinder to act on the beverage container.

[0024] The invention described in claim 7 of the present application is characterized in that the pouring means includes a pouring pipe communicating with the inside of the beverage container, a discharging pipe for discharging the beverage container, the pouring pipe and the discharging pipe. And a discharge valve provided between them.

In the dispensing device according to the present invention, the beverage is dispensed and distributed using the gas pressure in the beverage container.
To dispense the beverage at the gas pressure, the dispense tube is inserted into the interior of the beverage container. In order to dispense all of the beverage in the beverage container, it is desirable to set the lower end of the dispense tube, that is, the inlet, near the bottom of the beverage container.

The structure of the discharge valve is not particularly limited, and various known valves can be used as long as they can withstand the pressure in the beverage container.

The invention described in claim 8 of the present application is provided with a beverage container detachment preventing means for preventing the beverage container pressurized by the pressurizing device from being detached from the beverage container storage section. .

In the present invention, since the beverage container accommodating portion and the beverage container cooperate with each other to oppose the internal gas pressure, the beverage container is kept in a state where the internal pressure is increased. It is not preferable to be separated from the storage section.

Various methods can be adopted as the above-mentioned separation prevention means. For example, locking means can be provided so that the beverage container does not come off the beverage container. Further, the side wall portion of the beverage container expands outward due to an increase in the internal pressure of the beverage container. The expansion may be used to prevent detachment from the beverage container holding portion.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the beverage container accommodating portion and the pressurizing device are provided in an integral housing.

By providing the beverage container housing and the pressurizing device in an integrated housing, the size of the beverage dispensing device can be reduced and the design can be improved. The material constituting the housing is not particularly limited, and a resin material such as a fiber-reinforced resin can be used as well as a metal such as aluminum.

The invention described in claim 10 of the present application employs carbon dioxide as the pressurized gas. Carbon dioxide is widely used in beverages such as beer. Note that the present invention is not limited to carbon dioxide gas, and various gases that are harmless to beverages and human bodies can be adopted.

[0033] The invention described in claim 11 of the present application is a beverage dispensing method in which gas pressure is applied to the inside of a beverage container filled with beverage, and the beverage is discharged from the beverage container by the pressure and distributed. In addition, while distributing the beverage, the pressure in the beverage container is held by the beverage container and the reinforcing wall disposed on the outer periphery of the beverage container.

[0034]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 to 4 show a first embodiment of the beverage dispensing apparatus according to the present invention. In the present embodiment, the present invention is applied to a large canned beer having a capacity of about 2 to 4 liters. 1 is a front view of the beverage dispensing apparatus, FIG. 2 is a plan view, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the beverage container 1 containing beer is entirely formed of thin aluminum, and has a cylindrical side wall 2, a spherical bottom wall 3, and a spout 7. The upper wall 5 is provided. The side wall portion 2 and the bottom wall portion 3 are integrally formed, and a peripheral edge of the upper wall portion 5 is joined to an upper edge of the side wall portion 2. When sold, the spout 9 is provided with a stopper 9 having an inner peripheral thread 8 formed therein.

As shown in FIG. 1, the beverage dispensing apparatus 10 according to the present invention includes a pressurizing device 11 for applying a pressurized carbon dioxide gas to the inside of the beverage container 1 to pressurize the inside of the beverage container to a predetermined pressure. A beverage container accommodating portion 12 in which the beverage container 1 is accommodated and which cooperates with the beverage container 1 to oppose the internal pressure of the beverage container; It is comprised including.

The beverage container accommodating portion 12 has a cylindrical base portion 14 having an inner surface corresponding to the outer surface shape of the bottom wall 3 and the side wall portion 2 of the beverage container 1 and an outer surface shape of the upper wall portion 5. And a lid 15. One side edge 16 of the lid 15 is attached to the upper edge of the cylindrical base 14 via a shaft 17 so as to be rotatable and openable. A hook 20 that can engage with a locking projection 19 provided on the outer edge of the cylindrical base 14 is rotatably attached to the other side edge 18. At the center of the lid 15, an opening 21 is provided for projecting the spout 7 of the beverage container 1 upward.

The beverage container 1 is housed in the cylindrical base 14, the lid 15 is closed, and the hook 20 is
9, the beverage container 1 is irremovably accommodated in the beverage container accommodating portion 12.

The pressurizing device 11 includes a gas cylinder 22 filled with carbon dioxide gas, a conduit 23 for guiding the carbon dioxide gas into the beverage container, and pressure adjusting means 24 for adjusting the gas pressure acting on the beverage container 1. It is comprised including. The gas cylinder 22 is accommodated in a gas cylinder accommodation section 25 provided on a side surface of the beverage container accommodation section 14. The pressure adjusting means 24 is attached to a discharge section of the gas cylinder 22. Further, a closing valve 26 which can prevent the gas from flowing out from the gas cylinder 22 is provided with the pressure adjusting means 24.
It is provided in. The gas cylinder 22 is accommodated in the gas cylinder accommodating portion 25 so that the gas cylinder 2
2 can be prevented from being affected by an impact or the like, and safety can be improved.

The conduit 23 extends upward from the pressure adjusting means 24 and is connected to an intermediate portion of the pouring means 13.

As shown in FIG. 4, the pouring means includes a connecting portion 28 having an inner peripheral thread 27 to be engaged with the outer peripheral thread 6 of the spout 7 of the beverage container 1, and a partition wall 29. And a discharge valve 30 formed at the upper side of the discharge halve, and an operation unit 31 for operating the discharge halve 30.

A rubber sealing material 32 is inserted into the upper part of the inside of the connection part 28 to prevent the beverage or gas from leaking from between the connection part 28 and the spout 7. The partition wall 29 and the sealing member 32 are formed with a communication hole 33 communicating from the outer peripheral portion of the partition wall 29 to the inside of the spout 7. The communication hole 33 is formed in the communication hole 33.
3 are connected. And it is comprised so that carbon dioxide gas can flow into the inside of beverage container 1 via the above-mentioned conduit 23 and the above-mentioned communication hole 33.

At the center of the partition wall 29, a pouring pipe 34 reaching the bottom of the beverage container is provided in a penetrating manner.
The beverage is guided to the discharge valve valve 30 via the discharge pipe 34.

The discharge valve 30 has a substantially conical valve body 36 that is vertically movably held in a valve space 35 formed above the partition wall 29.
And a shaft portion 37 extending upward from the shaft portion 37. The operating portion 31 is provided at the tip of the shaft portion 37. Shaft 37
Is held in an annular pipe 38 with a gap therebetween, and a seating surface 39 with which the valve body 36 is in contact is formed at the lower end of the pipe 38. When the valve body 36 is brought into contact with the seat surface 39, the flow path of the beverage is closed, and the discharge of the beverage is prevented.

The operating portion 31 is formed above the pipe 38, and is connected to a partition wall portion 40 which holds the shaft portion 37 so as to be slidable in the axial direction, and a tip of the shaft portion 37. And the partition wall portion 40 via the coil spring 41.
And an operating body 42 that is elastically urged in a direction away from the operating body 42. The shaft portion 37 and the valve body 36 are elastically urged upward by the coil spring 41, and the valve body 36 is held in a state of being in contact with the seat surface 39.
By depressing the operation body 42, the valve body 36 is separated from the seat surface 39, and the beverage passes through the inside of the discharge valve. A discharge pipe 43 is connected to an intermediate portion of the pipe 38 in the up-down direction.
The beverage is discharged from 4.

In the present embodiment, the pressure of carbon dioxide is applied in a state where the beverage container 1 is stored in the beverage storing section 12. For this reason, even if the beverage container 1 attempts to be deformed by the increased pressure, it is prevented by the reaction from the inner surface of the beverage container 12. For this reason, the pressure resistance of the beverage container 1 formed of thin aluminum can be remarkably improved.

FIGS. 6 to 8 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the dispensing device according to the present invention is applied to a beverage contained in a so-called PET bottle 51 formed of a polyester resin, a polyethylene resin, or the like. In addition, the beverage dispensing device 13 is the first
The description is omitted because it is the same as that of the embodiment.

Beverage distribution device 52 according to the second embodiment
The beverage container accommodating portion 53 has a base portion 56 having a side wall portion 54 and a bottom wall portion 55 corresponding to the outer surface configuration of the side and bottom portions of the plastic bottle 51, and a lid portion having an inner surface corresponding to the upper surface configuration of the plastic bottle 51. 57. The base portion 56 and the lid portion 57 are configured so as to be connectable with screws in a state where the plastic bottle 51 is housed.

A plurality of openings 58 are formed in the side wall 54 so as to face the side of the plastic bottle 51 inside. Therefore, the remaining amount of the beverage can be determined at a glance. It is also excellent in design.

In the present embodiment, the beverage container housing 5
3 constitutes a reinforcing wall portion which comes into contact with a part of the outer peripheral surface of the plastic bottle 51 and opposes the internal pressure of the plastic bottle. Further, an annular reinforcing member 59 is provided on the outer periphery of the middle portion in the vertical direction of the plastic bottle 51, which is most easily deformed, so as to surround the side wall portion 54. The annular reinforcing body 59 is provided in the gas cylinder housing portion 6 for housing the gas cylinder 22.
Also, it has a function of a connecting band for attaching 0 to the beverage container accommodating section 53.

On the inner surface of the side wall 54 at the center in the vertical direction, an annular ridge 62 is formed which engages with the annular recess 61 formed in the center of the plastic bottle 51 in the vertical direction. The annular recess 61 is a reinforcing structure peculiar to a plastic bottle, and is provided to prevent the central portion of the plastic bottle 51 from expanding.

In the present embodiment, the plastic bottle 51 is used.
When the pressure of carbon dioxide gas acts on the sides of the plastic bottle,
3 is brought into close contact with the inner surface of the side wall portion 54. For this reason, the PET bottle 51 cannot be removed from the beverage container housing section 53 in a state where pressure is applied.
For this reason, it is possible to prevent the PET bottle 51 from being accidentally removed in a state where the pressure is applied, and to improve safety.

FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a plurality of concave portions 65 are provided in the inner peripheral portion of the beverage container accommodating portion 64, and a cooling agent 66 is installed in the concave portions 65. The concave portion 65 can be formed in a portion other than the portion to be brought into contact by utilizing the fact that the pressure resistance can be ensured without the entire inner surface of the beverage container housing portion 64 coming into contact with the outer surface of the beverage container 67. This makes it possible to significantly increase the cooling effect of the beverage container 67. Further, in the embodiment, the cooling agent 65 is installed using the outer shape of the dome shape of the bottom 68 of the beverage container 67.

FIG. 10 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is provided with a lattice-shaped beverage container housing section 70. On the side of the beverage container accommodating portion 70, a first reinforcing portion 71 arranged in a circumferential direction on an outer peripheral surface of the beverage container 51, and a second reinforcing portion arranged in a generatrix direction of the outer peripheral surface of the beverage container 51. 72 are arranged in a grid. These reinforcing portions are made of, for example, a resin having a high tensile strength such as a reinforced polyester resin, and
1 can be prevented, and the pressure resistance of the beverage container 51 can be greatly increased. In the present embodiment, a pressurizing device 73 and a pouring means 74 are provided above the beverage container 51. Further, a pressurizing device is disposed 73 in a space around the spout 7 of the beverage container 51.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the embodiment, the beverage container accommodating portion is configured to be vertically divided to accommodate the beverage container, but may be configured to be divided left and right with respect to the axis of the beverage container.

In the embodiment, the beverage container accommodating portion is formed of an aluminum alloy or a resin, but may be formed of another material such as a fiber reinforced resin or a woven fabric.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a cross section of a main part of a beverage dispensing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the dispensing device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a dispensing section of the dispensing device in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing the appearance of a large beer can.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a partial cross section of a beverage dispensing apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the dispensing device shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a main part showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an external perspective view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Beverage container 11 Pressurizing device, 12 Beverage container accommodation part 13 Discharge means

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A pressurizing device for applying a pressurized gas to the inside of a beverage container containing a beverage to pressurize the inside of the beverage container to a predetermined pressure, wherein the beverage container is contained and the beverage container is A beverage dispensing device, comprising: a beverage container storage unit that cooperates with the internal pressure of a beverage container to dispense a beverage from the beverage container. 2. The beverage container accommodating portion according to claim 1, wherein the beverage container accommodating portion is provided with a reinforcing wall portion which abuts a part or all of an outer peripheral surface of the beverage container to oppose an internal pressure of the beverage container. A beverage dispensing device as described. 3. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the beverage container storage section is provided with a heat retaining means capable of maintaining a temperature of the beverage container and the beverage contained in the beverage container. 4. The beverage dispensing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the heat retaining means is configured to include a cooling agent and / or a heat insulating material. 5. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 3, wherein the heat retaining means cools the beverage container using the pressurized gas. 6. The pressurizing device includes a gas cylinder filled with pressurized gas, a conduit for guiding the pressurized gas into the beverage container, and pressure adjusting means for adjusting a gas pressure applied to the beverage container. A beverage dispensing device according to any of the preceding claims, comprising: 7. The dispensing means includes a dispensing pipe communicating with the inside of the beverage container, a discharge pipe for discharging the beverage container, and a discharge valve provided between the dispensing pipe and the discharge pipe. The beverage dispensing device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, comprising: 8. A beverage container detachment preventing means for preventing said beverage container pressurized by said pressurizing device from being detached from said beverage container storage portion.
A beverage dispensing device according to any one of the above. 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the beverage container housing and the pressurizing device are provided in an integral housing.
A beverage dispensing device according to any one of the above. 10. The beverage dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the pressurized gas is carbon dioxide. 11. A beverage dispensing method in which a gas pressure is applied inside a beverage container filled with a beverage, and the beverage is discharged and distributed from the beverage container by the gas pressure, wherein the pressure in the beverage container is: A beverage dispensing method, wherein a beverage is distributed while being held by the beverage container and a reinforcing wall disposed on an outer peripheral portion of the beverage container.