JP2008201442A - Fitting for beverage container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide fitting for beverage container capable of completely preventing the entry of foreign matter, unclean water, etc., thereby reducing maintenance, and capable of preventing a gas valve from popping out even in the event that the pressure of the inside of the beverage container becomes abnormally high. <P>SOLUTION: The fitting includes a mouthpiece 93 for the beverage container, a valve seat 95 disposed on the internal circumferential side of the mouthpiece, a mounting part 94 disposed integrally with the mouthpiece, a tubular down-tube 5 the upper end of which is supported in the mounting part, the gas valve 3 fitted in the upper end of the down-tube and used for supplying pressure gas into the container, and a beverage valve 4 disposed in the upper end of the down-tube and used to discharge the beverage out of the container. The gas valve in an inclined position is capable of passing through the central hole of the valve seat. The gas valve in a horizontal position cannot pass through the central hole of the valve seat. The shape of the valve seat is a combination of parts of the internal surfaces of cones that have a common central line. The first apex angle of the internal face of the upper cone is greater than the second apex angle of the internal face of the lower cone. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fitting for a beverage container that is fixed as a base of a beverage container such as a beer barrel and is connected to a dispense head. More specifically, the gap between the base and an attachment member is eliminated, and foreign matter, rainwater, etc. It is related with the fitting for drink containers which can prevent intrusion of this completely and can reduce maintenance work.

  In a conventional beverage container such as a beer barrel, a base is fixed to the beverage container by welding or the like, and a fitting is screwed into the base. A dispensing head is connected to the fitting. A pressure gas such as carbon dioxide is supplied into the beverage container via the dispense head, and the beverage in the beverage container is poured out of the container. A conventional fitting and the attachment state of the base will be described with reference to FIGS. 21 and 22.

  FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view from the front showing a state where a conventional fitting is attached to a beverage container. FIG. 22 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a fitting and a base part. In FIG. 21, the beverage is a draft beer and the beverage container is a beer barrel. The fitting mounting member 2 is screwed and fixed inside the base 91 provided at the upper part of the beer barrel 9. A down tube 5 urged upward by a spring is attached to the attachment member 2.

  The gas valve 3 is fixed to the upper end portion of the down tube 5, and the beer valve 4 is urged upward inside the upper end of the down tube 5. The gas valve 3 and the beer valve 4 are closed by an urging force of a coil spring. A dispense head can be attached to the base 91 and the attachment member 2. The dispensing head and the attachment member 2 can be coupled with one touch by a connection mechanism such as a bayonet mechanism by the engagement protrusion 22.

  The dispense head operates the gas valve 3 and the beer valve 4, supplies a pressure gas such as carbon dioxide gas into the beer barrel 9, and increases the internal pressure of the beer barrel 9 so that draft beer is poured out of the container. It is. Draft beer is poured out of the container through the down tube 5 and the beer valve 4. In order to seal gas leakage from between the base 91 and the mounting member 2, a packing 92 is provided between the lower inner surface of the base 91 and the mounting member 2.

  The pop-out preventing member 8 prevents the mounting member 2 from popping out due to the gas pressure in the beer barrel 9 when the mounting member 2 is removed from the base 91. The stopper 81 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the base 91 to prevent popping out. When the gas valve 3 is pushed down by the removal tool, the pressure gas escapes from the inside of the beer barrel 9 and the stopper 81 retracts inside, so that the attachment member 2 can be removed from the base 91.

  In the fitting having such a configuration, although the attachment member 2 is screwed and fixed to the base 91, a minute gap exists between the base 91 and the attachment member 2. Rainwater and draft beer enter from the gap. The sewage that has entered from the gap is prevented from entering the beer barrel 9 by the packing 92, but stays between the base 91 and the mounting member 2 for a long time, which is not preferable in terms of hygiene. When the beer barrel is washed and sterilized at a high temperature, the sewage in the gap boils and ejects, so it can be confirmed that the sewage has accumulated in the gap. When the beer barrel is left in the sun, the sewage in the gap may thermally expand and ooze out of the gap, or may enter the base and contaminate draft beer.

  Therefore, the inventor of the present application has proposed a fitting described in Patent Document 1 below. In the fitting of Patent Document 1, in addition to the first sealing member that seals the gap between the lower inner surface of the base and the mounting member, a second sealing member is also provided at the uppermost part of the fitting. This makes it difficult for foreign matter, rainwater, etc. to enter the gap.

Further, the inventor of the present application has proposed a fitting in which an attachment portion and a valve seat portion are integrally formed on a base of a beverage container as in Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-239334. In this integrated fitting, the gas valve can pass through the central hole of the valve seat portion in the inclined state, but cannot pass through the central hole of the valve seat portion in the horizontal state. As a result, the gas valve can be exchanged from above the fitting through the central hole of the valve seat.
JP 2000-79991 A

  The conventional fittings as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 are not preferable in terms of hygiene because foreign matter, dirty water, and the like enter and accumulate between the base 91 and the mounting member 2. Furthermore, since the packing 92 is a flexible material such as rubber, deterioration due to wear or corrosion is unavoidable and needs to be replaced periodically. Thus, conventionally, as maintenance of fitting, it has been necessary to periodically perform sterilization / cleaning work and replacement work of the packing 92.

  In addition, it is difficult to completely prevent intrusion of foreign matter, sewage or the like even with the fitting as in Patent Document 1. In addition, since the first sealing member and the second sealing member are also made of a flexible material such as rubber, deterioration due to wear or corrosion is inevitable, and periodic replacement is necessary. Therefore, although the frequency of the maintenance work can be reduced also by the fitting of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to periodically perform the sterilization / cleaning work and the replacement work of the first sealing member and the second sealing member.

  Furthermore, in the fitting as in Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-239334, there is no problem in a normal use state, but the beverage container is heated to an abnormally high temperature state by, for example, a fire, and the internal pressure is abnormally high. In such a case, the gas valve may be inclined due to abnormally high pressure and jump out of the fitting opening.

  Therefore, the present invention eliminates the gap between the base and the mounting member, can completely prevent the intrusion of foreign matter, sewage and the like, and can reduce maintenance work, and even if the inside of the beverage container is in an abnormally high pressure state An object of the present invention is to provide a beverage container fitting capable of preventing a gas valve from popping out.

  In order to achieve the above object, the beverage container fitting of the present invention comprises a base of a beverage container, a valve seat provided on the inner peripheral side of the base, an attachment provided integrally with the base, A tubular down tube having an upper end supported by the mounting portion, a gas valve that is fitted to the upper end of the down tube and supplies pressurized gas to the inside of the container, and an upper end of the down tube And a beverage valve for pouring the beverage out of the container. The gas valve can pass through the central hole of the valve seat portion in the inclined state, but cannot pass through the central hole of the valve seat portion in the horizontal state. The valve seat portion has a shape in which a center line is combined with a part of a common conical inner surface so that the first apex angle of the upper conical inner surface is larger than the second apex angle of the lower conical inner surface. Is formed.

  In the beverage container fitting described above, it is preferable that the first apex angle is 80 to 110 degrees and the second apex angle is 30 to 50 degrees.

  In the beverage container fitting described above, the gas valve includes a metal cored bar and a flexible valve member formed integrally with the cored bar. A constant-diameter portion having a constant diameter and a small-diameter portion having a small diameter relative to the constant-diameter portion, and a planar outer peripheral shape composed of the constant-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion is a center of the core The figure may be a symmetric figure with respect to both the first straight line passing through the constant diameter portion and the second straight line orthogonal to the first straight line at the center.

  In the above beverage container fitting, the gas valve is integrally formed with a metal core, an elastic core made of metal and more easily elastically deformed than the core, and the core and the elastic core. It can consist of a molded flexible valve member. The gas valve is configured such that the elastic core bar is elastically deformed and can pass through a central hole of the valve seat portion.

  In the beverage container fitting described above, the elastic cored bar is preferably formed in a dish-like shape whose upper part is spread by a thin spring material plate.

  In the above beverage container fitting, it is preferable that the elastic metal core is formed with a plurality of communication holes that communicate the upper surface side and the lower surface side.

  Further, in the above beverage container fitting, the gas valve is made of a metal-made elastic core metal that is easily elastically deformed, a highly flexible valve member formed integrally with the elastic core metal, the valve member, It can consist of a reinforcing metal fitting integrally connected to the elastic cored bar. The gas valve is configured such that the elastic core bar is elastically deformed and can pass through a central hole of the valve seat portion.

  Further, in the above beverage container fitting, the elastic core metal is formed in a dish shape whose upper part is spread by a spring material thin plate, and an inner peripheral reinforcing portion for reinforcing the inner peripheral side is integrally fixed. Is preferred.

  In the above beverage container fitting, it is preferable that the elastic metal core is formed with a plurality of communication holes that communicate the upper surface side and the lower surface side.

  In the above beverage container fitting, it is preferable that the elastic cored bar has an outer peripheral portion formed in a corrugated shape.

  Since this invention is comprised as mentioned above, there exist the following effects.

  Since the attachment portion and the valve seat portion are integrally provided on the base of the beverage container, there is no gap between the top face of the base and the attachment member, and no foreign matter, sewage, or the like enters the gap. As a result, it is possible to reduce the sterilization process of the base part, the work of removing foreign matters, and the like. Further, since the packing replacement work is eliminated and the gas valve replacement work can be easily performed, the maintenance work can be greatly reduced. Furthermore, the number of fitting parts can be reduced and the manufacturing cost of the beverage container can be reduced. And even when a drink container becomes abnormally high pressure, the displacement of the gas valve can be kept small and the gas valve can be prevented from popping out.

  When the cored bar has a constant diameter part and a small diameter part, the pressure of the high pressure gas is released to the outside from the part near the small diameter part of the gas valve at abnormally high pressure, and the gas valve functions as a safety valve. The pressure can be reduced to prevent the gas valve from popping out and the beverage container from being destroyed.

  When the gas valve has an elastic metal core, it has a substantially rotationally symmetric structure, and there is no need to consider the direction of the gas valve when the gas valve is installed, and the installation is easy.

  In the case where the reinforcement fitting is integrally connected to the gas valve, the manufacturing of the gas valve is simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

  In the case where the inner peripheral reinforcing portion is integrally fixed to the elastic core metal, the connection strength between the reinforcing metal fitting and the elastic core metal is improved, the strength of the gas valve is increased, and the durability is improved.

  Since the plurality of communication holes for communicating the upper surface side and the lower surface side of the elastic metal core are formed, the valve member can be uniformly formed without any gap, and the strength and durability of the molded gas valve are improved.

  In the case where the outer peripheral portion of the elastic metal core is formed in a corrugated plate shape, the elastic metal core is easily elastically deformed, and the gas valve can smoothly pass through the central hole of the valve seat portion. And the attachment operation and removal operation | movement of a gas valve can be performed smoothly.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the fitting of the present invention. The beverage is a draft beer and the beverage container is a beer barrel. In the conventional fitting, as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, the fitting mounting member 2 is screwed and fixed to the inner periphery of the base 91, but in the fitting of the present invention, the base and the mounting member are integrated. Yes. A base 93 integrated with the mounting member is connected and fixed to the beer barrel 9 by welding to form a sealed container. A mounting portion 94 is integrally formed on the base 93, and a valve seat portion 95 is formed on the inner peripheral side of the base 93. The valve seat 95 is formed by a two-step inclined surface (conical inner surface) as shown in the figure, and this point will be described in detail later.

  A down tube 5 urged upward by a spring is supported on the mounting portion 94. The gas valve 3 is fixed to the upper end portion of the down tube 5, and the beer valve 4 is urged upward inside the upper end of the down tube 5. The gas valve 3 is biased upward by the coil spring 6 together with the down tube 5, and is pressed against the valve seat 95 on the inner peripheral side of the base 93. The beer valve 4 is pressed against the valve seat portion below the gas valve 3 by the urging force of the coil spring 7. The gas valve 3 and the beer valve 4 are normally closed.

  A dispense head can be attached to the base 93. An engagement protrusion 22 that protrudes inward is provided on the upper inner peripheral side of the base 93, and the dispense head and the base 93 can be coupled with each other by a connection mechanism such as a bayonet mechanism by the engagement protrusion 22. it can. The gas valve 3 and the beer valve 4 are operated by the dispense head, pressure gas such as carbon dioxide gas is supplied into the beer barrel 9, the internal pressure of the beer barrel 9 is increased, and draft beer is placed through the down tube 5 and the beer valve 4. It can be discharged outside.

  The gas valve 3 is formed in an annular shape as a whole, and is arranged so that the central axis is oriented in the vertical direction in use. The gas valve 3 is formed by integrally molding a valve member 32 made of a flexible member such as rubber and a cored bar 31 made of stainless steel or the like. In the conventional gas valve, the outer peripheral edge of the cored bar is circular. However, in the present invention, since the gas valve 3 needs to be exchanged through the central hole of the valve seat portion 95, the shape and structure of the cored bar 31 are changed. It is different from the conventional one.

  FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the valve seat portion 95 of the fitting. The valve seat portion of the conventional fitting is constituted by a part of the conical inner surface in which the valve seat surface 99 indicated by a dotted line has a single inclination angle. The apex angle of the conical surface of the valve seat surface 99 is 60 degrees. That is, the angle (1/2 of the apex angle) between the center line of the conical surface (here, the vertical direction) and the generatrix of the conical surface is 30 degrees. In the fitting of the present invention, the valve seat portion 95 is composed of an upper valve seat surface 951 and a lower restricting surface 952 as shown in the figure. Each surface of the valve seat surface 951 and the restriction surface 952 is a conical inner surface having a common center line, but the inclination angles thereof are different.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating angles of the respective surfaces of the valve seat portion 95 of the fitting. The apex angle P of the valve seat surface 951 is preferably in the range of 80 to 110 degrees, and is typically set to 90 degrees. That is, the angle (P / 2) formed by the center line of the conical surface and the generatrix is preferably in the range of 40 to 55 degrees, and is typically set to 45 degrees. The apex angle Q of the restriction surface 952 is preferably in the range of 30 to 50 degrees, and typically set to 40 degrees. That is, the angle (Q / 2) formed by the center line of the conical surface and the generatrix is preferably in the range of 15 to 25 degrees, and is typically set to 20 degrees.

  Thus, since the inclination direction of the restriction surface 952 is closer to the vertical direction than the conventional valve seat surface 99, the action of restricting the movement of the gas valve 3 in the horizontal plane works strongly. For this reason, even when the pressure inside the beverage container becomes an abnormally high pressure, the amount of displacement from the center position of the gas valve 3 can be kept small, and the gas valve 3 can be prevented from popping out.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view of the gas valve 3 as viewed from above. On the outer peripheral edge of the cored bar 31, flat portions parallel to each other are provided at two positions symmetrical to the center. For this reason, the diameter (short diameter = distance between the flat portions) of the cored bar 31 at the position where the flat portion is provided is smaller than the diameter (major diameter) in the direction orthogonal to this. The portion where the flat portion is provided has a dimension capable of passing through the central hole of the valve seat portion 95. That is, the short diameter dimension of the core metal 31 is smaller than the diameter of the central hole of the valve seat portion 95, and the long diameter dimension of the core metal 31 is larger than the diameter of the central hole of the valve seat portion 95.

  The shape of the cored bar 31 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the shape of the cored bar 31. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the cored bar 31. FIG. 6 is a view showing a cross section taken along the line XX in FIG. The cored bar 31 is formed in an annular shape having a central axis O in the vertical direction. In the conventional cored bar, the contour shape on the outer peripheral side viewed from above (hereinafter referred to as a planar outer peripheral shape) is completely circular. In FIG. 5, a conventional circular contour shape is indicated by a dotted line.

  In this metal core 31, the planar outer peripheral shape is a shape obtained by cutting a part of a circle, and has a long axis and a short axis. Here, the major axis direction of the planar outer periphery is defined as a straight line A, and the minor axis direction is defined as a straight line B. The straight line A and the straight line B intersect with the central axis O at one point and are orthogonal to each other. The planar outer peripheral shape of the cored bar 31 is formed by cutting a portion indicated by a dotted line from a circle to form a small diameter portion 312. The small-diameter portion 312 has a shape obtained by cutting a portion outside the two straight lines M and N parallel to the straight line A from the original contour shape (circular shape).

  The straight lines M and N are parallel to the straight line A, and both have a distance of d / 2 from the straight line A. Therefore, the distance (minor axis) between the small diameter portions 312 facing each other is equal to the distance d between the straight lines M and N. A portion other than the small-diameter portion 312 of the planar outer peripheral shape of the cored bar 31 is a constant-diameter portion 311 having a constant diameter. The diameter, that is, the major axis of the constant diameter portion 311 is the dimension D shown in the figure. The constant diameter portion 311 has an arc shape. As shown in FIG. 5, the planar outer peripheral shape of the core 31 is symmetrical with respect to the straight line A, and is also symmetrical with respect to the straight line B. As a typical dimension example of the cored bar 31, the major axis D is 34 mm and the minor axis d is 28 mm. Since the diameter of the central hole of the valve seat 95 is about 31.8 mm, the long diameter D is larger than the diameter of the central hole, and the short diameter d is smaller than the diameter of the central hole.

  On the upper surface of the cored bar 31, a marking 313 indicating the direction of the straight line A (long axis direction) is formed. The stamp 313 is formed as a shallow groove in the straight line A direction at the top of the upper surface of the cored bar 31. Even when the metal core 31 and the valve member 32 are integrally formed to complete the gas valve 3, the stamp 313 is located at a position exposed from the valve member 32. When the gas valve 3 is integrally formed, the rubber material or the like of the valve member 32 flows into the groove of the stamp 313, which becomes a mark with good visibility.

  As will be described in detail later, when the gas valve 3 is attached to the upper end portion of the down tube 5, it is necessary to incline the gas valve 3 in the direction of the straight line A and pass through the central hole of the valve seat portion 95. By providing the marking 313, the straight line A direction of the gas valve 3 (core 31) can be discriminated at a glance, and the workability of the mounting work is remarkably improved. When the stamp 313 is not provided, the straight line A direction of the cored bar 31 cannot be visually recognized from the outside of the gas valve 3, so that workability is deteriorated.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a configuration of a cored bar 31a according to another embodiment. The cored bar 31a is obtained by further improving the planar outer peripheral shape. The planar outer peripheral shape of the cored bar 31a is also a line-symmetric figure with respect to both the straight line A in the major axis direction and the straight line B in the minor axis direction. Further, the lengths of the major axis and the minor axis are the same as those in FIG. 5, the major axis D is 34 mm, and the minor axis d is 28 mm. The minor diameter d is the minimum diameter of the small diameter portion 312a, and is the distance between the intersections of the straight line B and the small diameter portions 312a and 312a.

  In the cored bar 31 shown in FIG. 5, the small-diameter portion 312 is configured with a line segment, but in the cored bar 31a in FIG. 7, the small-diametered portion 312a is configured with a smooth curve. Moreover, the curve which comprises the small diameter part 312a is smoothly connected with the constant diameter part 311 comprised by a circular arc. And the curve which comprises the small diameter part 312a is a curve which protrudes on the outer side rather than the 2 straight lines M and N which are parallel to the straight line A through a minor axis position. In FIG. 7, straight lines M and N are indicated by dotted lines. With respect to the amount of protrusion of the curve, the width e in the straight line B direction of the most protruding portion is 29 mm with respect to the short diameter d of 28 mm. That is, the curves constituting the small-diameter portion 312a protrude outside the straight lines M and N by a maximum of 0.5 mm.

  A marking 313 indicating the direction of the straight line A (long axis direction) is also formed on the upper surface of the cored bar 31a. The inscription 313 has the same configuration as that shown in FIG. 5 and is formed as a shallow groove in the straight line A direction on the top of the upper surface of the cored bar 31a. When the gas valve 3 is integrally formed, the rubber material or the like of the valve member 32 flows into the groove of the stamp 313, which becomes a mark with good visibility.

  The reason why the small diameter portion 312a of the cored bar 31a is configured by a curve is as follows. First, as a result of repeating the experiment of inclining the gas valve using the cored bar 31 as shown in FIG. 5 and passing through the central hole of the valve seat portion 95, the pushing force when the central portion of the small diameter portion 312 passes is maximized. It turns out that the pushing force becomes considerably small before and after that. This indicates that the cored bar 31 can be further projected outward except for the short diameter part (intersection part with the straight line B) of the small diameter part 312.

  The planar outer peripheral shape of the cored bar is ideally a conventional circular shape. In the present invention, the cored bar is provided with a small-diameter portion so as to be able to pass through the central hole of the valve seat portion 95. However, the smaller the cut-off area from the circle, the better the symmetry of the gas valve and the durability point. But it is advantageous. As shown in FIG. 7, by configuring the small diameter portion 312a of the cored bar 31a with a curve, the planar outer peripheral shape of the cored bar 31a becomes closer to a circle, and the symmetry and durability of the gas valve are improved. . In addition, when the gas valve using the cored bar 31a is tilted and passed through the central hole of the valve seat 95, the pushing force for passing is almost constant over the entire small-diameter portion 312a, and the gas valve is assembled and removed. Work can also be performed smoothly.

  In addition, as a result of conducting a durability test of the gas valve using the metal core shown in FIGS. 5 and 7, it was confirmed that the conventional durability standard was sufficiently satisfied. Specifically, the following durability tests 1 to 3 were performed on beer barrels incorporating the gas valve of the present invention.

1. Fluctuating and pressurizing the internal pressure of the beer barrel in the range of 0.1 to 3 MPa (1 to 30 atmospheres) was repeated 1000 times.
2. After the internal pressure of the beer keg was set to 450 kPa (4.5 atm), the beer keg was heated to 130 ° C and cooled to 20 ° C by heating and cooling 1000 times.
3. Fluctuating and pressurizing the internal pressure of the beer barrel in the range of 200 to 560 kPa (2 to 5.6 atm) was repeated 5000 times.

Even after any one of the above durability tests 1 to 3 was performed, no abnormality was observed in the appearance of the gas valve of the present invention, and no abnormality was observed in the bonding state between the metal core and the valve member. .

  The gas valve using the cored bar 31 or the cored bar 31a can also be used by attaching to a conventional fitting in which the valve seat surface 99 has a single inclination angle in FIG. When attached to a fitting having a valve seat surface with a single inclination angle, there is no problem in normal use, but the beverage container is heated to an abnormally high temperature due to, for example, a fire, and the internal pressure is abnormal. As a result of experiments, it has been found that there is a possibility that the gas valve may be displaced and inclined due to abnormally high pressure and jump out of the fitting opening when the pressure becomes high.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the displacement of the gas valve 3 is kept small even at an abnormally high pressure by combining the gas valve 3 with the valve seat portion 95 including the valve seat surface 951 and the regulating surface 952 having different inclination angles. It is designed to prevent popping out. Further, in the gas valve 3 having a small diameter portion formed on the cored bar, it was confirmed that the pressure of the high pressure gas was released to the outside from a portion near the small diameter portion at an abnormally high pressure. This fulfills the function of a safety valve, and the internal pressure can be reduced at an abnormally high pressure to prevent the gas valve 3 from popping out and the beverage container from being destroyed. Note that this pressure release phenomenon occurs only when the internal pressure of the beverage container becomes an abnormally high pressure, and no gas leakage occurs at the pressure level during normal use.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a work tool 10 for assembling the gas valve 3 to the fitting of the present invention. Below the work tool 10, there is provided a guide portion 11 that fits into the inner surface of the base 93 and fits into the base 93 and can be fixed to the base 93. The inner surface side of the guide portion 11 has a substantially conical curved surface with a lower inner diameter, and the conical inner surface smoothly guides the gas valve 3 to a predetermined position at the upper end of the down tube 5. .

  The inner surface shape of the guide portion 11 is a substantially conical rotation surface, but the cross-sectional shape thereof is preferably a curve (curved upward curve) rather than a straight line having a constant inclination angle. Although the inclination angle is almost constant at the upper part of the inner surface, there is no problem, but an upward convex curve is suitable so that the inclination angle becomes larger (nearly vertical) as it goes downward, and the inclination becomes vertical in the lowermost part. Such an inner surface shape allows the gas valve 3 to be assembled smoothly without causing damage to the valve member 32.

  Although not shown here, an engagement groove or an engagement hole that can be engaged with the engagement protrusion 22 on the inner surface of the base 93 is provided on the outer periphery of the guide portion 11. The guide portion 11 can be fixed to the base 93 by inserting the guide portion 11 into the base 93 and rotating the guide portion 11 around the vertical central axis by a predetermined angle. This is the same mechanism as fixing the dispensing head to the base 93.

  The guide portion 11 and the base body 13 are fixed to each other by the frame body 12. A moving member 14 is provided to be movable up and down with respect to the base 13. A handle 15 bent in an L shape is rotatably connected to the upper end of the moving member 14. An L-shaped corner of the handle 15 and the base 13 are connected by a connecting member 16. The connecting portion is pivotally supported so as to be relatively rotatable. The moving member 14, the handle 15, and the connecting member 16 constitute a link mechanism, and the moving member 14 can be moved in the vertical direction. The moving member 14 can be moved up and down by rotating the handle 15 left and right as indicated by the arrows.

  An attachment 17 for assembling the gas valve 3 is attached to the lower end of the moving member 14. The fixture 17 can be removed from the moving member 14 and can be exchanged with other tools. The work tool 10 can be used as a tool for removing the gas valve 3 by removing the attachment 17 and attaching the removal tool 18 for removing the gas valve 3 from the fitting.

  On the lower end side of the fixture 17, a pressing portion 171 for pushing down the beer valve 4 is provided. A support protrusion 172 and a support plate 173 are provided above the pressing portion 171. The pressing portion 171, the support protrusion 172, and the support plate 173 constitute a support portion that supports the gas valve 3 in an inclined state. The support plate 173 is made of a plate-shaped spring material and elastically supports the beer valve 4.

  Here, the drive mechanism for moving the moving member 14 of the work tool 10 up and down is described as a link mechanism, but other drive mechanisms may be used. It is also possible to use a rack and pinion mechanism, a hydraulic cylinder, or any other drive mechanism.

  Next, a procedure for assembling the gas valve 3 to the fitting will be described with reference to FIGS. First, as shown in FIG. 9, the guide portion 11 of the work tool 10 is fixed to the base 93 of the beer barrel. Fixing is a simple operation in which the guide portion 11 is inserted into the base 93 and rotated. Then, the handle 15 is rotated to the left horizontal position to move the moving member 14 and the fixture 17 to the upper stroke end, and the gas valve 3 is supported on the fixture 17 in an inclined state of about 45 degrees.

  As shown in the figure, the gas valve 3 is supported in an inclined state of about 45 degrees by the upper surface of the pressing portion 171, the tip of the support protrusion 172, and the support plate 173. At this time, the gas valve 3 is set so that the mark 313 of the gas valve 3 coincides with the direction of the support protrusion 172. As a result, the long axis direction of the core bar (straight line A direction, see FIGS. 5 and 7) is inclined by about 45 degrees from the horizontal plane, so that the gas valve 3 can pass through the central hole of the valve seat portion 95. become.

  The coil spring 6 and the down tube 5 are inserted into the attachment portion 94 formed integrally with the base 93 through the central hole of the valve seat portion 95 and arranged at a predetermined position as shown in the figure. A coil spring 7 and a beer valve 4 are disposed inside the upper end of the down tube 5.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the handle 15 is rotated clockwise. When the handle 15 is in the upward vertical state, the gas valve 3 supported by the fixture 17 is lowered to the illustrated position. At this time, the gas valve 3 is guided by the conical inner surface of the guide portion 11 and smoothly moves to the upper end position of the down tube 5. The pressing portion 171 at the lower end of the fixture 17 abuts on the beer valve 4 and pushes the beer valve 4 downward against the coil spring 7.

  Further, when the handle 15 is rotated clockwise to reach the right horizontal position, the state shown in FIG. 11 is obtained. The moving member 14 and the fixture 17 reach the lower stroke end. The gas valve 3 passes through the central hole of the valve seat portion 95 and enters the fitting. The gas valve 3 is in contact with the upper end of the down tube 5 and pushes the down tube 5 downward against the coil spring 6.

  Since the down tube 5 has already been pushed down to the lower limit position, the gas valve 3 is pushed back upward. The gas valve 3 is rotated by the force from the upper end of the down tube 5 and the support protrusion 172 so that the gas valve 3 is detached from the support plate 173 that is an elastic member and approaches a horizontal state. And the gas valve 3 will be in the state which can be inserted in the upper end part of the down tube 5. FIG.

  Next, the handle 15 is rotated so as to return in the counterclockwise direction. Since the gas valve 3 is approaching a horizontal state, the gas valve 3 comes into contact with the valve seat 95 when it is raised and becomes horizontal, and the lower small diameter portion of the gas valve 3 is fitted into the upper end of the down tube 5. This state is shown in FIG. The handle 15 is returned to the upper vertical state, and the gas valve 3 is in a state of being fitted in the normal position at the upper end of the down tube 5. The gas valve 3 in the horizontal state cannot pass through the central hole of the valve seat portion 95 and comes into contact with the valve seat portion 95 to achieve the same function as a conventional gas valve.

  As described above, the gas valve 3 can be easily assembled to the fitting using the work tool 10. Even if the base 93, the valve seat portion 95, and the mounting portion 94 are integrally formed, the gas valve 3 can be easily assembled by providing a small diameter portion on the core.

  When the gas valve 3 is used for a long time, the valve member 32 made of a flexible member such as rubber is deteriorated and the function as a valve is impaired. Therefore, it is desirable to remove the gas valve 3 every time it is used for 3 to 6 years and replace it with a new one. The operation of removing the gas valve 3 for replacement can also be easily performed using the work tool 10. Next, a procedure for removing the gas valve 3 from the fitting will be described with reference to FIGS.

  First, as shown in FIG. 13, the removal tool 18 is attached to the lower end of the moving member 14 of the work tool 10. At the lower end of the removal tool 18, a pressing part 181 for pushing down the beer valve 4 is provided. A claw portion 182 protruding in the lateral direction is provided on the upper portion of the pressing portion 181. The lower surface side of the nail | claw part 182 becomes an inclined surface like illustration.

  Next, the guide part 11 of the work tool 10 is fixed to the base 93 of the beer barrel. At this time, it is confirmed that the protruding direction of the claw portion 182 matches the direction of the marking 313 of the gas valve 3. Since the direction of the support protrusion 172 of the fixture 17 and the direction of the claw portion 182 of the detachment tool 18 are the same direction, the marking direction of the gas valve 3 assembled with the work tool 10 is usually the direction of the claw portion 182. Projection direction. However, since the engraving direction may not match as in the case where the gas valve 3 is assembled with another tool, it is desirable that the protruding direction of the claw portion 182 can be changed.

  Then, the handle 15 is rotated to the right horizontal position, and the moving member 14 and the removal tool 18 are lowered to the lower stroke end. During this downward movement, the claw portion 182 of the removal tool 18 comes into contact with the gas valve 3, but since the lower surface of the claw portion 182 is an inclined surface, a lateral force acts on the removal tool 18 to remove it. The outer tool 18 is elastically deformed in the lateral direction and can be lowered until the claw portion 182 reaches the lower surface of the gas valve 3.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 14, the handle 15 is rotated to the left horizontal position, and the moving member 14 and the removal tool 18 are raised to the upper stroke end. The claw portion 182 engages with the lower surface of the gas valve 3, removes the gas valve 3 from the upper end portion of the down tube 5, and further tilts the gas valve 3 upward. Since the claw portion 182 raises the long axis direction indicated by the stamp 313 to incline the long axis of the cored bar, the gas valve 3 can pass through the central hole of the valve seat portion 95. Then, the gas valve 3 can be completely removed from the fitting as shown.

  In order to assemble the new gas valve 3 to the fitting, as described above, the operation may be performed according to the procedure shown in FIGS. As described above, by using the work tool 10, the work of attaching, removing, and replacing the gas valve 3 can be easily performed. In the fitting of the present invention, only the gas valve 3 requires maintenance work such as replacement, and the replacement work of the gas valve 3 can be easily performed, so that the cost for maintenance work can be greatly reduced. Can do.

  Next, a gas valve according to another embodiment will be described. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a gas valve 3a according to another embodiment. This gas valve 3a is different from the gas valve 3 shown in FIG. The metal cores 31, 31 a (see FIGS. 5 to 7) of the gas valve 3 are formed by a single member, but in this gas valve 3 a, the elastic metal core 33 is integrated with the valve member 32 in addition to the metal core 34. It is molded into. The core bar 34 is formed in a cross-sectional shape as shown in the figure, and is formed in an annular shape that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the center line (here, the vertical direction). The cored bar 34 does not have a portion with a different diameter like the cored bars 31 and 31a.

  FIG. 16 is a plan view of the elastic core bar 33 as viewed from above. The elastic metal core 33 has a cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 15 and is formed in an annular shape that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the center line. However, as shown in FIG. 16, the elastic core bar 33 is formed with a plurality of communication holes 331 that allow communication between the upper surface side and the lower surface side. Here, eight communication holes 331 are equally formed on the same circumference. The elastic mandrel 33 is formed by forming a thin plate of hard stainless steel into a dish-like shape spreading upward and forming a communication hole 331. The thin plate is preferably one that can be used as a spring material.

  Examples of the dimensions of the elastic core bar 33 and the core bar 34 are as follows. The elastic core bar 33 is made of a hard stainless steel thin plate (thickness 0.2 mm), and has an outer diameter (diameter) of 34.5 mm and an inner diameter (diameter) of 16.4 mm. The core metal 34 is made of a stainless steel plate (thickness 1.2 mm), and has an outer diameter (diameter) of 27.5 mm and an inner diameter (diameter) of 14.0 mm. Eight communicating holes 331 having a diameter of 2.5 mm are equally formed on the same circumference.

  The elastic cored bar 33 and the cored bar 34 having the above-described shapes are arranged in combination as shown in FIG. 15, and are integrally formed by insert molding or the like with a valve member 32 made of a flexible member such as rubber. At this time, since the communication hole 331 is provided in the elastic cored bar 33, the valve member 32 flows through the communication hole 331, and the valve member has no gap even in the space between the elastic cored bar 33 and the cored bar 34. 32 is filled.

  The gas valve 3a having the above configuration can be assembled to the fitting in the same manner as the gas valve 3 shown in FIG. 4 using the work tool 10, and can be removed and replaced in the same manner. When the gas valve 3a is inclined and pushed into the central hole of the valve seat portion 95, the dish-shaped elastic core bar 33 is elastically deformed and can pass through the central hole. The gas valve 3a installed at the upper end of the down tube 5 and in a horizontal state cannot pass through the central hole of the valve seat portion 95, and functions as the gas valve 3a.

  The gas valve 3a has a substantially rotationally symmetric structure and has no directionality unlike the gas valve 3 shown in FIG. Therefore, the gas valve 3a does not need to be marked to indicate the major axis direction, and can be set without considering the direction even when the work tool 10 is set in an inclined state. For this reason, the mounting operation of the gas valve 3 a is easier than the gas valve 3. Further, the work of removing the gas valve 3a can be easily performed without considering the direction.

  FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a gas valve 3b according to still another embodiment. The gas valve 3b has a configuration similar to that of the gas valve 3a, but the manufacturing method is different from that of the gas valve 3a. In the gas valve 3b, first, the elastic core metal 35 and the valve member 32 are integrally formed. Then, a reinforcing metal fitting 36 is inserted from above into a central hole of a molded product in which the metal core 35 and the valve member 32 are integrally molded, and are integrally connected as illustrated.

  As shown in the drawing, the reinforcing metal fitting 36 has a shape that covers the inner peripheral side portion of the upper surface from the inner peripheral surface of the gas valve 3b. The lower end portion on the inner peripheral side of the reinforcing metal fitting 36 is formed in the vertical direction before connection, but the lower end portion on the inner peripheral side of the reinforcing metal fitting 36 is pushed outward as shown in the figure. In this way, by expanding the diameter of the lower end on the inner peripheral side of the reinforcing metal fitting 36, the reinforcing metal fitting 36 is integrally connected to the inner peripheral part of the elastic metal core 35, and the valve member 32, the elastic metal core 35, and the reinforcing metal fitting 36 are connected. Becomes an integrated gas valve 3b.

  FIG. 18 is a plan view of the elastic core bar 35 as viewed from above. The elastic core bar 35 has a cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 17 and is formed in a circular shape that is rotationally symmetric with respect to the center line. However, an inner peripheral reinforcing portion 351 is fixed to the elastic core bar 35 on the inner peripheral lower surface. As shown in FIG. 18, the elastic cored bar 35 is formed with a plurality of communication holes 352 that connect the upper surface side and the lower surface side. Here, eight communication holes 352 are equally formed on the same circumference. The elastic metal core 35 is formed by forming a thin plate of hard stainless steel into a dish shape that spreads upward. The thin plate is preferably one that can be used as a spring material.

  The elastic metal core 35 and the inner periphery reinforcing portion 351 are fixed to each other at the welded portion 353 by spot welding or the like. Here, four welded portions 353 are equally provided on the same circumference. Since the inner peripheral side of the elastic core bar 35 is reinforced by the inner peripheral reinforcing portion 351, the connection strength between the reinforcing metal fitting 36 and the elastic core bar 35 is improved, the strength of the gas valve 3b is increased, and the durability is improved. The communication hole 352 penetrates both the elastic core bar 35 and the inner periphery reinforcing portion 351 and communicates the upper surface side and the lower surface side. The elastic metal core 35 and the valve member 32 are integrally formed by insert molding or the like. At this time, since the communication hole 352 is provided in the elastic metal core 35, the upper and lower parts of the valve member 32 are connected through the communication hole 352, and the strength of the molded body is improved.

  Examples of the dimensions of the elastic metal core 35 and the reinforcing metal fitting 36 are as follows. The elastic core bar 35 is made of a hard stainless steel thin plate (thickness 0.2 mm), and has an outer diameter (diameter) of 34.5 mm and an inner diameter (diameter) of 16.4 mm. The inner periphery reinforcing portion 351 is made of a stainless steel plate (thickness 1.2 mm), and has an outer diameter (diameter): 28.0 mm and an inner diameter (diameter): 16.4 mm. The reinforcing metal fitting 36 is made of a stainless steel plate (thickness 1.2 mm), and has an outer diameter (diameter): 29.0 mm and an inner diameter (diameter): 14.0 mm. Eight communicating holes 352 having a diameter of 2.5 mm are equally formed on the same circumference.

  The gas valve 3b configured as described above can be assembled to the fitting in the same manner as the gas valve 3 shown in FIG. 4 using the work tool 10, and can be removed and replaced in the same manner. When the gas valve 3b is inclined and pushed into the central hole of the valve seat portion 95, the dish-shaped elastic core bar 35 is elastically deformed and can pass through the central hole. The gas valve 3b installed at the upper end of the down tube 5 and in a horizontal state cannot pass through the central hole of the valve seat portion 95 and functions as the gas valve 3b.

  Similarly to the gas valve 3a, the gas valve 3b has a substantially rotationally symmetric structure and has no directionality unlike the gas valve 3 shown in FIG. Therefore, the gas valve 3b does not need to be marked to indicate the major axis direction, and can be set without considering the direction even when the work tool 10 is set in an inclined state. For this reason, the mounting operation of the gas valve 3 b is easier than the gas valve 3. Further, the work for removing the gas valve 3b can be easily performed without considering the direction. The gas valve 3b has a simple manufacturing process and can be manufactured at low cost. Further, the gas valve 3b is equivalent to the gas valve 3a in terms of strength and durability of the gas valve.

  FIG. 19 is a plan view showing an elastic core bar 35 a as a modification of the elastic core bar 35. The elastic metal core 35a is different from the elastic metal core 35 in that the outer peripheral portion is formed in a corrugated plate shape, and the other points are the same as the elastic metal core 35. On the outer peripheral portion of the elastic core bar 35a, a wave-like convex portion 354 is formed uniformly over the entire circumference, and the outer peripheral portion of the elastic core bar 35a has a corrugated plate shape. In FIG. 19, only a part of the wavy convex portions 354 is shown, but actually, the wavy convex portions 354 are formed over the entire outer periphery of the elastic cored bar 35a.

  FIG. 20 is a view showing the shape of the wave-like convex portion 354 of the elastic core bar 35a, and is a view taken along the line YY in FIG. A chevron-shaped wave-shaped convex portion 354 as shown in the figure is formed on the entire outer periphery of the elastic core bar 35a. Thus, since the outer peripheral part of the elastic metal core 35a is formed in a corrugated plate shape, the elastic metal core 35a is easily elastically deformed, and the gas valve can smoothly pass through the central hole of the valve seat part 95. it can. And the attachment operation and removal operation | movement of a gas valve can be performed smoothly. Here, the elastic cored bar 35a having the outer peripheral part formed in a corrugated plate shape is shown as a modification of the elastic cored bar 35. Similarly, the outer peripheral part of the elastic cored bar 33 in FIG. You may do it.

  As described above, according to the present invention, since the attachment portion and the valve seat portion are integrally provided in the base of the beer barrel, there is no gap between the top surface of the base and the attachment member, and foreign matter, sewage, etc. in the gap No intrusion occurs. As a result, it is possible to reduce the sterilization process of the base part, the work of removing foreign matters, and the like. In addition, since the packing replacement work is eliminated and the gas valve replacement work can be easily performed, the maintenance work can be greatly reduced.

  And even if the inside of a beverage container becomes an abnormally high pressure state, it is possible to prevent the gas valve from popping out. Furthermore, the number of fitting parts can be reduced and the manufacturing cost of the beer barrel can be reduced. In addition, since compatibility with conventional fittings is maintained, conventional connection devices and beer filling machines can be used as they are.

  In the above embodiment, draft beer is used as a drink and a beer barrel is used as a drink container. However, the present invention can be applied to any other drink and drink container.

  According to the present invention, since there is no gap between the base and the attachment member, it is possible to provide a beverage container fitting that is hygienically excellent and that does not enter foreign matter or sewage at a low cost. Moreover, the maintenance work of the beverage container fitting can be greatly reduced.

It is sectional drawing of the fitting of this invention. It is an expanded sectional view of the valve seat part 95 of fitting. It is a figure which shows the angle of each surface of the valve seat part 95 of fitting. It is the top view which looked at the gas valve 3 from upper direction. 3 is a plan view showing the shape of a cored bar 31. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a core metal 31. FIG. It is a top view which shows the structure of the metal core 31a of other embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the working tool 10 for attaching the gas valve 3 to the fitting of this invention. It is a figure which shows the procedure of attaching the gas valve 3 to a fitting. It is a figure which shows the procedure of attaching the gas valve 3 to a fitting. It is a figure which shows the procedure of attaching the gas valve 3 to a fitting. It is a figure which shows the procedure of attaching the gas valve 3 to a fitting. It is a figure which shows the procedure which removes the gas valve 3 from a fitting. It is a figure which shows the procedure which removes the gas valve 3 from a fitting. It is a top view which shows the structure of the gas valve 3a of other embodiment. It is the top view which looked at the elastic metal core 33 from the upper part. It is a top view which shows the structure of the gas valve 3b of other embodiment. It is the top view which looked at the elastic metal core 35 from the upper part. It is a top view which shows the modification of an elastic metal core. It is a YY arrow line view which shows the shape of the wavelike convex part 354 of the elastic metal core 35a. It is sectional drawing from the front which shows the state which attached the conventional fitting to the beer barrel. It is an expanded sectional view which shows the conventional fitting.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Attachment member 3,3a, 3b Gas valve 4 Beer valve 5 Down tube 6,7 Coil spring 8 Jump-out prevention member 9 Beer barrel 10 Work tool 11 Guide part 12 Frame body 13 Base body 14 Moving member 15 Handle 16 Connection member 17 Attachment DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 18 Removal tool 21 Protection ring 21a Welding part 22 Engagement protrusion 31, 31a Core metal 32 Valve member 33, 35 Elastic core metal 34 Core metal 36 Reinforcement metal fitting 81 Stopper 91, 93 Base 92 Packing 94 Mounting part 95 Valve seat part 99 Conventional valve seat surface 171, 181 Press part 172 Support projection 173 Support plate 182 Claw part 311 Constant diameter part 312, 312 a Small diameter part 313 Marking 331 Communication hole 351 Inner peripheral reinforcement part 352 Communication hole 353 Welding part 951 Valve seat surface 952 Restriction surface

Claims (10)

The base (93) of the beverage container (9);
A valve seat (95) provided on the inner peripheral side of the base (93);
A mounting portion (94) provided integrally with the base (93);
A tubular down tube (5) having an upper end supported by the mounting portion (94);
A gas valve (3, 3a, 3b) fitted to the upper end of the down tube (5) for supplying pressurized gas into the container;
A beverage valve (4) provided inside the upper end of the down tube (5) for pouring the beverage out of the container;
The gas valve (3, 3a, 3b) can pass through the central hole of the valve seat (95) in the inclined state, but cannot pass through the central hole of the valve seat (95) in the horizontal state. ,
The said valve seat part (95) is a shape which combined the part of the cone inner surface with a common centerline, and the 1st vertex angle (P) of the upper cone inner surface is the 2nd vertex angle of the lower cone inner surface. (Q) The fitting for drink containers formed so that it may become larger than. The beverage container fitting according to claim 1,
The fitting for beverage containers, wherein the first apex angle (P) is 80 to 110 degrees and the second apex angle (Q) is 30 to 50 degrees. The beverage container fitting according to any one of claims 1 and 2,
The gas valve (3) comprises a metal cored bar (31, 31a) and a flexible valve member (32) formed integrally with the cored bar (31, 31a).
The planar outer peripheral shape of the cored bar (31, 31a) includes a constant diameter part (311) having a constant diameter and a small diameter part (312, 312a) having a smaller diameter than the constant diameter part (311). And
The planar outer peripheral shape composed of the constant diameter portion (311) and the small diameter portion (312, 312a) is a first straight line passing through the center (O) of the core metal (31, 31a) and the constant diameter portion (311). The fitting for drink containers which is a figure symmetrical with respect to both (A) and the 2nd straight line (B) orthogonal to the said 1st straight line (A) in the said center (O). The beverage container fitting according to any one of claims 1 and 2,
The gas valve (3a) includes a metal core (34), an elastic core (33) that is made of metal and is more elastically deformable than the core (34), the core (34), and the elastic core. It consists of a flexible valve member (32) molded integrally with gold (33),
The gas valve (3a) is a fitting for a beverage container in which the elastic core bar (33) is elastically deformed and can pass through a central hole of the valve seat part (95). The beverage container fitting according to claim 4,
The elastic metal core (33) is a fitting for a beverage container, which is formed in a dish shape whose upper part is spread by a thin spring material plate. The beverage container fitting according to claim 5,
The elastic metal core (33) is a fitting for a beverage container in which a plurality of communication holes (331) for communicating the upper surface side and the lower surface side are formed. The beverage container fitting according to any one of claims 1 and 2,
The gas valve (3b) includes a metal-made elastic core bar (35) that is easily elastically deformed, a flexible valve member (32) formed integrally with the elastic core bar (35), and the valve A reinforcing metal fitting (36) integrally connected to the member (32) and the elastic metal core (35),
The gas valve (3b) is a fitting for a beverage container in which the elastic core bar (35) is elastically deformed and can pass through a central hole of the valve seat (95). The beverage container fitting according to claim 7,
The elastic core bar (35) is a fitting for a beverage container, which is formed in a dish shape whose upper part is spread by a thin spring material plate, and an inner peripheral reinforcing part (351) for reinforcing the inner peripheral side is integrally fixed. A beverage container fitting according to claim 8,
The elastic cored bar (35) is a fitting for a beverage container in which a plurality of communication holes (352) that communicate the upper surface side and the lower surface side are formed. The beverage container fitting according to claim 9,
The elastic metal core (35a) is a fitting for a beverage container having an outer peripheral portion formed in a corrugated shape.

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