JP2010173710A - Fitting for beverage container - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fitting for a beverage container, configured such that the fitting is not easily disassembled by a third person, the beverage container is prevented from being used improperly and contaminated, and the life of a seal ring is extended to significantly reduce the amount of maintenance. <P>SOLUTION: A fitting for a beverage container, provided with: a mounting member 20 having on the outer peripheral side thereof a male screw thread engaging with the mouth fitting 9 of the beverage container 8; a valve seat section provided on the inner peripheral side of the mounting member; a down tube 5 having an upper end section supported by the mounting member; a gas valve 3 suitable for the upper end section of the down tube and adapted to supply a pressurized gas to the inside of the container; a beverage valve 4 disposed within the upper end section of the down tube and used to pour a beverage out of the container; and a sealing member 28 for sealing between the lower inner surface of the mouth fitting and the mounting member. The mounting member has formed thereon a flange section 23 projecting outward from the top of the mounting member. The mounting member is fixed in position after being screwed into the mouth fitting up to a predetermined position defined by the flange section, and the flange section and the mouth fitting are secured together to prevent the mounting member from rotating. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fitting for a beverage container that is fixed to a base of a beverage container such as a beer barrel and is connected to a dispense head, and more particularly, an easy disassembly of a fitting by a third party and a beverage container The present invention relates to a beverage container fitting that can prevent unauthorized use and contamination and can significantly 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 FIG.

  FIG. 11 is a front sectional view showing a state where a conventional fitting is attached to the beverage container 8. In FIG. 11, the beverage is a draft beer and the beverage container is a beer barrel. A fitting mounting member 2 is screwed and fixed inside a base 9 provided at the upper part of the beverage container 8. A down tube 5 urged upward by a coil spring 61 is attached to the attachment member 2.

  A lower side of the mounting member 2 is a skirt-like frame portion 25. A central hole is provided in the bottom surface of the frame portion 25, and components such as the down tube 5 and the coil spring 61 are inserted into the frame portion 25 from below through the central hole. After the coil spring 61 is inserted into the frame portion 25, a detachable stopper 253 is attached to the bottom surface of the frame portion 25 to support the lower end of the coil spring 61, and each component is held in the frame portion 25. That is, after all the components such as the down tube 5 and the gas valve 3 are assembled in the mounting member 2, the mounting member 2 is screwed into the base 9 and fixed.

  The gas valve 3 is fixed to the upper end of the down tube 5, and the beer valve 4 is urged upward by a coil spring 62 inside the upper end of the down tube 5. The gas valve 3 and the beer valve 4 are closed by the urging force of the coil springs 61 and 62. A dispense head can be attached to the base 9 and the attachment member 2. The dispense head and the attachment member 2 can be easily coupled by a connection mechanism using 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 beverage container 8, and increases the internal pressure of the beverage container 8 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 9 and the mounting member 2, a seal ring 27 is provided between the lower inner surface of the base 9 and the mounting member 2.

  The pop-out preventing member 7 prevents the mounting member 2 from popping out due to the gas pressure in the beverage container 8 when the mounting member 2 is removed from the base 9. The stopper 71 is brought into contact with the lower surface of the base 9 to prevent popping out. When the gas valve 3 is pushed down by the removal tool, the pressure gas escapes from the beverage container 8 and the stopper 71 retracts inside, so that the attachment member 2 can be removed from the base 9.

  In the fitting having such a configuration, although the mounting member 2 is screwed and fixed to the base 9, a minute gap exists between the base 9 and the mounting member 2. Rainwater and draft beer enter from the gap. The sewage that has entered from the gap is prevented from entering the beverage container 8 by the seal ring 27, but stays long between the base 9 and the attachment member 2, and is not preferable for 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 under the sun, the sewage in the gap may thermally expand and ooze out of the gap, and may enter the base and contaminate draft beer.

  In the conventional fitting as shown in FIG. 11, foreign matter, sewage, or the like enters and accumulates between the base 9 and the mounting member 2, which is undesirable in terms of hygiene. Furthermore, since the seal ring 27 is made of a flexible material such as rubber, it is unavoidable to be deteriorated due to wear or corrosion, 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 seal ring 27.

  Therefore, the inventor of the present invention 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 or sewage to enter the gap.

JP 2000-79991 A

  As described above, the conventional fitting shown in FIG. 11 has a problem that sewage or the like tends to accumulate in the gap between the base 9 and the mounting member 2. Furthermore, in the conventional fitting, since the attachment member 2 can be removed from the base 9 relatively easily, there is a case where a third party removes the fitting of the beverage container 8 together with the attachment member 2 and diverts it for private use. Not a little. In addition, there is a case where the fitting is attached again to the beverage container 8 whose inside is contaminated by such diversion and returned to the regular distribution path of the beverage container 8.

  The labor and cost for selecting and removing such illegally used beverage containers from normal beverage containers becomes enormous. Therefore, in order to prevent unauthorized use of the beverage container, it has been desired to realize a fitting that cannot be removed from the base 9 or is very difficult to remove.

  Further, in the conventional fitting, a seal ring 27 is disposed between the base 9 and the mounting member 2, and seals between the base 9 and the mounting member 2. The seal ring 27 is directly subjected to a screwing force when the mounting member 2 is screwed and fixed to the base 9. Further, the beverage container 8 is used repeatedly such as beverage filling, transport and return. In order to compensate for the lack of sealing performance due to aging of the seal ring 27, the attachment member 2 is also tightened during beverage filling.

  The seal ring 27 deteriorates due to a large amount of screwing force of the mounting member 2 acting on the seal ring 27 over a long period of time or mechanical wear due to tightening of the mounting member 2. The lifetime of is relatively short. The seal ring 27 had to be replaced almost every 3 to 5 years.

  Further, in the fitting of Patent Document 1, by providing a second sealing member in addition to the first sealing member, foreign matter, sewage or the like is less likely to enter the gap between the base and the mounting member. However, it is difficult to completely prevent intrusion of foreign matter, dirty water, etc. 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. In addition, the 1st sealing member in the fitting of patent document 1 is a function substantially the same as the seal ring of the conventional fitting, and its lifetime is also comparable.

  Furthermore, the fitting of Patent Document 1 also has the same problems as the conventional fitting because the attachment member can be removed from the base relatively easily. That is, unauthorized use of the beverage container could not be prevented.

  Accordingly, the present invention can prevent easy disassembly of fitting by a third party and unauthorized use or contamination of a beverage container, and can prolong the life of a seal ring and greatly reduce maintenance work. An object is to provide a beverage container fitting.

  In order to achieve the above object, the beverage container fitting according to the present invention is a fitting that is screwed into and attached to a female screw formed on the inner peripheral side of the mouthpiece of the beverage container, and is screwed with the female screw of the mouthpiece. A mounting member provided on the outer peripheral side, a valve seat provided on the inner peripheral side of the mounting member, a tubular down tube whose upper end is supported by the mounting member, and an upper end of the down tube A gas valve for fitting pressurized gas into the container, a beverage valve for pouring the beverage out of the container, and a lower part of the base A sealing member that seals between an inner surface and the mounting member, and the mounting member is formed with a collar portion protruding outward from a top portion, and the collar portion is formed of the base. The mounting member is in contact with the upper end A position for screwing into the base, the mounting member is screwed into the base, and is screwed and fixed to a predetermined position defined by the collar, and further, the collar and the base Is fixed to prevent the mounting member from rotating.

  In the above beverage container fitting, it is preferable that the collar portion and the base are fixed by welding at one point or a plurality of points.

  Further, in the above beverage container fitting, the attachment member is integrally formed as a skirt-like frame portion on the lower side, and the attachment member is an outer periphery in the vicinity of the upper end of the frame portion. It is preferable that a sealing groove for holding the sealing member is formed on the surface.

  In the above beverage container fitting, the seal groove is formed at a position where the pressure applied to the sealing member becomes an appropriate value in a state where the mounting member is fixed to the base. Preferably there is.

  In the above beverage container fitting, the sealing groove has an inclined pressure surface for pressurizing the sealing member, and a force is applied to the sealing member to expand outwardly when pressurized. It is preferable that

  In the beverage container fitting described above, it is preferable that the attachment member has the frame portion made of austenitic stainless steel and the other portion made of duplex stainless steel.

  In the beverage container fitting described above, the valve seat portion preferably includes two conical surfaces having different inclination angles.

  In the above beverage container fitting, it is preferable that the sealing member is an arcuate curve in which the contour line on the outer peripheral side of the cross-sectional shape swells outward.

  In the beverage container fitting described above, the attachment member may be formed by integrally fixing the collar portion to an attachment member without the collar portion.

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

  By fixing the collar portion of the mounting member and the base, it is difficult to loosen and remove the screw fixing of the mounting member, and it is possible to prevent easy disassembly of the fitting by a third party. And the unauthorized use and contamination of the beverage container by a third party can be prevented. Further, the structure that receives the screwing force of the mounting member by the collar portion does not cause excessive stress or distortion in the sealing member, and the life of the sealing member can be greatly prolonged. As a result, there is almost no need to replace the sealing member, and maintenance costs can be reduced.

  Since the seal groove is formed at a position where the pressure applied to the sealing member is an appropriate value, an appropriate pressure can be reliably applied to the sealing member, and the sealing performance of the sealing member can be improved. While being able to fully exhibit, without enlarging stress and distortion to a sealing member, the lifetime of a sealing member can be prolonged significantly. As a result, there is almost no need to replace the sealing member, and maintenance costs can be reduced.

  Since the pressure surface of the seal groove that pressurizes the sealing member is inclined, a force that pushes the sealing member outward and expands when the sealing member is pressurized, and the sealing member is inside the base. It is strongly pressed against the peripheral surface, improving the sealing performance.

  Since the valve seat portion has two conical surfaces with different inclination angles, the movement of the gas valve in the horizontal plane can be restricted by a restriction surface closer to the vertical direction than the valve seat surface. The amount of displacement from the center position can be kept small.

  When manufacturing a mounting member in which the flange portion is integrally fixed to the mounting member without the flange portion, the mounting member of the fitting that has been widely used and has been widely used in the past has been modified. In addition, since most of the other fitting parts can be used, the fitting of the present invention can be provided at a very low cost.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a beverage container fitting according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the base 9 of the beverage container 8. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the mounting member 20. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the mounting member 20 as viewed from above. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional shape of the seal groove 26 of the mounting member 20. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional shape of the seal ring. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the attachment member 20 is incorporated in the base 9. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the mounting member 20 incorporated in the base 9 as viewed from above. FIG. 9 is a plan view of the gas valve 3 as viewed from above. FIG. 10: is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the fitting for drink containers of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. FIG. 11 is a front sectional view showing a state where a conventional fitting is attached to the beverage container 8.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The beverage is a draft beer and the beverage container is a beer barrel. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a beverage container fitting according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view seen from the front showing a state in which the beverage container fitting of the present invention is incorporated in the base 9 of the beverage container 8. Before explaining the configuration of the beverage container fitting in FIG. 1, the procedure for incorporating the beverage container fitting into the base 9 of the beverage container 8 will be described first with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the base 9 of the beverage container 8. A base 9 as shown is connected and fixed to the top of the beverage container 8 by welding or the like. The connecting portion between the beverage container 8 and the base 9 is liquid-tight and air-tight so that there is no leakage of liquid or gas. The base 9 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape and is hollow inside. A female thread 91 is formed at the upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the base 9. Further, a step portion 92 is formed at the lowermost portion on the inner peripheral side of the base 9. The step portion 92 has a structure for receiving a seal ring 28 to be described later and sealing with the seal ring 28.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the mounting member 20 for mounting on the inner peripheral side of the base 9. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the mounting member 20 as viewed from above. The attachment member 20 is a member that constitutes a fitting main body by supporting each component of the fitting, and its basic shape is substantially cylindrical. A flange 23 that extends radially outward is integrally provided at the uppermost portion of the mounting member 20. A male screw 21 is formed on the outer periphery of the mounting member 20. The male screw 21 is formed over a predetermined length from a position near the lower portion of the flange portion 23. The male screw 21 is screwed into the female screw 91 of the base 9.

  An engagement protrusion 22 that protrudes inward is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the mounting member 20. The engagement protrusion 22 is a structure for fixing the dispense head to the upper surface of the base 9. As shown in FIG. 4, two engagement protrusions 22 are formed at positions facing the diameter direction of the inner peripheral surface of the attachment member 20. The dispense head and the attachment member 20 can be easily coupled by a connection mechanism using the engagement protrusion 22.

  A valve seat portion 24 is formed in the middle step of the inner peripheral surface of the mounting member 20. In the conventional fitting shown in FIG. 11, the valve seat portion 24 is constituted by a part of a conical inner surface having a single inclination angle, and the apex angle of the conical surface 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 24 is composed of an upper valve seat surface 241 and a lower restricting surface 242 as shown in the figure. Each surface of the valve seat surface 241 and the regulating surface 242 is a conical inner surface having a common center line, but the inclination angles thereof are different. The apex angle of the valve seat surface 241 is preferably in the range of 80 to 110 degrees, and is typically set to 90 degrees. That is, the angle formed by the center line of the conical surface and the generatrix is preferably in the range of 40 to 55 degrees, and typically set to 45 degrees.

  The apex angle of the regulating surface 242 is preferably in the range of 30 to 50 degrees, and typically set to 40 degrees. That is, the angle 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 242 is closer to the vertical direction than the conventional valve seat surface, the action of restricting the movement of the gas valve 3 in the horizontal plane works strongly. For this reason, the amount of displacement from the center position of the gas valve 3 can be kept small.

  A lower side of the mounting member 20 is a skirt-like frame portion 25. The frame portion 25 supports the coil spring 61 and the down tube 5 (see FIG. 1). A plurality of window portions 251 are formed on the cylindrical side surface of the frame portion 25. The window part 251 is an opening for allowing carbon dioxide gas or the like to pass therethrough. A central hole 252 for allowing the down tube 5 to pass therethrough is formed on the bottom surface of the frame portion 25.

  The central hole 252 has a size that allows the upper large-diameter portion of the down tube 5 to pass through, and supports the coil spring 61 by the peripheral edge of the central hole 252 (see FIG. 1). The attachment member 20 is formed by integrally joining a main body portion (including the flange portion 23) other than the frame portion 25 and the frame portion 25 by welding. The main body portion (including the flange portion 23) is integrally formed of duplex stainless steel, and the frame portion 25 is made of austenitic stainless steel.

  The duplex stainless steel is a stainless steel having a high strength, high hardness, and excellent corrosion resistance composed of two phases of austenite and ferrite. In general, the duplex stainless steel exhibits higher strength and higher hardness than ordinary austenitic stainless steel. As the duplex stainless steel, for example, one having a two-phase structure of about 50% ferrite phase and about 50% austenite phase can be used.

  A seal groove 26 for holding the seal ring 28 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the mounting member 20 so as to surround the entire outer periphery of the mounting member 20. The main body portion and the frame portion 25 of the mounting member 20 are integrally joined at a position near the seal groove 26.

  FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional shape of the seal groove 26 of the mounting member 20. FIG. 5 (a) shows an example of the cross-sectional shape of the seal groove 26, and FIG. 5 (b) shows another example of the cross-sectional shape. In these seal grooves 26, the pressurizing surfaces 261 and 262 are surfaces that pressurize the seal ring 28 downward. When the mounting member 20 is screwed and fixed to the base 9, the seal ring 28 is pressurized between the pressure surfaces 261 and 262 and the step portion 92 of the base 9. This pressure exerts the sealing performance of the seal ring 28.

  In the seal groove 26 of FIG. 5A, the pressure surface 261 is formed to be a horizontal plane (a plane orthogonal to the central axis of the mounting member 20). The depth of the seal groove 26 is larger than that of the conventional fitting. Therefore, the area of the pressure surface 261 is increased as compared with the conventional case. As a result, the pressure applied to the seal ring 28 is distributed over a wide area, and the life of the seal ring 28 can be greatly prolonged compared to the conventional case.

  The seal groove 26 in FIG. 5B is also formed so that the depth of the seal groove 26 is larger than that of the conventional fitting. In addition, in the seal groove 26 of FIG. 5B, the pressurizing surface 262 is formed to be an inclined surface (conical surface) whose outer peripheral side is inclined upward. Since the pressurizing surface 262 is inclined as shown in the figure, when the seal ring 28 is pressed downward by the pressurizing surface 262, a force is applied to the seal ring 28 so as to push it outward and expand it. For this reason, the seal ring 28 is pressed more strongly against the inner peripheral surface of the base 9 and the sealing performance is improved.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional shape of the seal ring 28 attached to the seal groove 26. The seal ring 28 in the fitting of the present invention has a larger cross-sectional area than the seal ring 27 in the fitting conventionally used, and the pressing force for sealing is widely dispersed. For this reason, the life of the seal ring 28 can be significantly prolonged as compared with the prior art.

  Further, as will be described later, since the seal ring 28 in the fitting of the present invention can apply only the pressure necessary for sealing the gas / liquid, excessive stress and distortion are generated in the seal ring 28. This also makes it possible to prolong the life of the seal ring 28 significantly. Also, the material of the seal ring 28 does not need to be considered for resistance to excessive screwing force and wear resistance unlike the conventional seal ring, and the optimum material should be selected considering only the sealing performance and the life. Can do.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the sectional area of the sectional shape of the seal ring 28 is larger than that of the conventional seal ring 27. Here, the width in the cross-sectional shape of the seal ring is W, and the height is H. The conventional seal ring 27 has a rectangular cross section with a width W of 2.2 mm and a height H of 3.0 mm. On the other hand, in the seal ring 28 in the fitting of the present invention, the width W is 3.0 mm and the height H is 3.0 mm.

  The cross-sectional shape of the seal ring 28 may be a perfect square, but as shown in FIG. 6, it is preferable that the contour line of the outer peripheral surface is an arcuate curve. As shown in the figure, the inner peripheral side, upper side, and lower side contour lines of the cross-sectional shape of the seal ring 28 are straight lines, but the outer peripheral side contour line is an arc-shaped curve whose central portion swells outward. . Note that the outline of the cross-sectional shape of the seal ring 28 may be all straight and the cross-sectional shape may be square (or rectangular).

  In order to incorporate the beverage container fitting of the present invention into the base 9 of the beverage container 8, first, a seal ring 28 is attached to the seal groove 26 of the attachment member 20, and the attachment member 20 is screwed into the base 9 and fixed. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the attachment member 20 is incorporated in the base 9. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the mounting member 20 incorporated in the base 9 as viewed from above.

  When the mounting member 20 is screwed into the base 9, the lower surface of the collar portion 23 of the mounting member 20 hits the upper surface of the base 9, and the position of the mounting member 20 is fixed there. At this time, the seal ring 28 is sandwiched between the pressure surface 261 and the stepped portion 92 and is pressurized with an appropriate pressure. That is, the distance T between the lower surface of the collar 23 and the pressure surface 261 is set so that the pressure applied to the seal ring 28 becomes an appropriate value when the mounting member 20 is fixed.

  Since the vertical distance K between the upper surface of the base 9 and the stepped portion 92 is fixed to 28.5 mm according to the standard, the distance T between the lower surface of the collar portion 23 and the pressing surface 261 is T = K−H + α. Decided. Here, K is 28.5 mm, H is the height of the cross-sectional shape of the seal ring 28, and α is the compression amount in the vertical direction of the seal ring 28 for applying an appropriate pressure to the seal ring 28. .

  When the flange portion 23 of the mounting member 20 abuts against the upper surface of the base 9 and is fixed, the screwing force of the mounting member 20 is applied between the flange portion 23 and the upper surface of the base 9 and this screwing force is directly applied. There is no addition to the seal ring 28. Since the tightening force for fixing the mounting member 20 is not applied to the seal ring 28, excessive stress and distortion are not generated in the seal ring 28, and the life of the seal ring 28 can be greatly prolonged. .

  After the attachment member 20 is fixed with an appropriate tightening force, the collar portion 23 and the base 9 are fixed together by welding or the like to prevent the attachment member 20 from rotating. As the fixing method, welding such as spot welding or arc welding is preferable, but other fixing methods such as adhesion can also be used. FIG. 8 shows a state in which the attachment member 20 is fixed to the base 9. A fixing point 231 indicated by “X” indicates a case where the fixing is performed by spot welding. Although two fixing points 231 are shown in FIG. 8, the fixing points 231 are not limited thereto, and may be one or any number of three or more. However, multiple locations are desirable to prevent the fitting from being disassembled.

  A fixing point 232 indicates a case where the fixing is performed by arc welding (dot welding). In the case of arc welding, as shown in the figure, the outer peripheral edge of the flange portion 23 and the upper surface of the base 9 are fixed by arc welding. Although two fixing points 232 are shown in FIG. 8, the number of fixing points 232 is not limited thereto, and may be an arbitrary number of three or more. In addition, it is not necessary to perform both the spot welding and the arc welding, and either one is sufficient.

  By fixing the collar portion 23 and the base 9, it becomes difficult to loosen and remove the screw fixing of the mounting member 20, and it is possible to prevent easy disassembly of the fitting by a third party. And the unauthorized use and contamination of the beverage container by a third party can be prevented. Even if the collar portion 23 and the base 9 are fixed in this manner, the life of the seal ring 28 can be extended to 30 years or more, so that it is almost unnecessary to remove the mounting member 20 from the base 9. Does not occur.

  However, when it is necessary to remove the attachment member 20 from the base 9 such as when the seal ring 28 is deteriorated or damaged, the attachment member 20 can be removed using a removal-only tool. In that case, first, the fixing part by welding or the like is peeled and separated by a dedicated tool, and the detent by fixing is released. Thereafter, the screw fixing of the attachment member 20 is loosened with a dedicated tool, and the attachment member 20 is removed from the base 9.

  Further, when the seal ring 28 is deteriorated and damaged and the sealing performance is impaired, the pressurized gas in the beverage container leaks from the seal ring 28 and further, a minute amount between the collar portion 23 and the base 9 is small. Since it leaks from the gap, the state can be easily confirmed with the naked eye. Thus, when the seal ring 28 deteriorates, it is also an advantage of the present invention that it can be confirmed immediately.

  It should be noted that the gap between the collar 23 and the base 9 is very small, and the gap opens laterally near the periphery of the base 9, so that foreign matter, sewage, etc. may enter through this gap. Is very small. If foreign matter or sewage enters the gap, even if the sewage oozes out from the gap, the gap is opened sideways near the periphery of the base 9. There is no intrusion.

  After attaching to the base 9 of the attachment member 20 and fixing the collar portion 23 to prevent the attachment member 20 from rotating as shown in FIG. 8, the fitting components are assembled into the frame portion 25 of the attachment member 20. Thus, the state shown in FIG. The procedure for assembling the components is as follows. First, the beer valve 4 and the coil spring 62 are inserted into the upper end of the down tube 5, the coil spring 61 is disposed outside the upper end of the down tube 5, and they are attached to the frame of the mounting member 20. Insert into the part 25 from above. Finally, the gas valve 3 is attached to the upper end of the down tube 5 and fixed.

  As the gas valve 3, a gas valve that can be passed through the central hole in the inner periphery of the valve seat portion 24 is used. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the gas valve 3, and is a plan view of the gas valve 3 as viewed from above. The gas valve 3 is formed by integrally forming a valve member 32 made of a flexible member such as rubber and a cored bar 31 made of stainless steel or the like. 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 provided with the flat portion is dimensioned to pass through the central hole of the valve seat portion 24. 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 24, and the long diameter dimension of the core metal 31 is larger than the diameter of the central hole of the valve seat portion 24. The gas valve 3 is engraved with a mark indicating the major axis direction. Such a gas valve 3 can be assembled to the upper end of the down tube 5 by inclining in the major axis direction and passing through the valve seat portion 24 from above.

  The fitting with all parts assembled is shown in FIG. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view seen from the front showing a state in which the beverage container fitting of the present invention is incorporated in the base 9 of the beverage container 8.

  The gas valve 3 is fixed to the upper end portion of the down tube 5, and the beer valve 4 is disposed inside the upper end of the down tube 5 by being biased upward by a coil spring 62. The gas valve 3 and the beer valve 4 are closed by the urging force of the coil springs 61 and 62. A dispense head can be attached to the base 9 and the attachment member 20. The dispense head and the attachment member 20 can be easily coupled by a connection mechanism using the engagement protrusion 22.

  When the dispense head is fixed to the attachment member 20, the gas head 3 and the beer valve 4 are opened by operating the dispense head, pressure gas such as carbon dioxide gas is supplied into the beverage container 8, and the internal pressure of the beverage container 8 is adjusted. Draft beer can flow out of the container. Draft beer flows out of the container through the down tube 5 and the beer valve 4.

  In order to use the fitting of the present invention as described above, it is possible to remove the conventional fitting from the beverage container 8 as shown in FIG. 11 which has been widely used and replace it with the fitting of the present invention. it can. Since the conventional beverage container 8 and the base 9 can be used as they are, the fitting of the present invention can be used at low cost.

  Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in which a conventional fitting is modified to be a fitting of the present invention. FIG. 10: is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the fitting for drink containers of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. In FIG. 10, the same reference numerals are given to members common to the conventional fitting of FIG. 11 or the fitting of the present invention of FIG. Moreover, description of a common member is abbreviate | omitted.

  A fitting attachment member 2a is screwed and fixed inside the base 9 provided at the upper part of the beverage container 8. This attachment member 2a is obtained by fixing a collar portion 23 to the upper end of a conventional fitting attachment member 2 by welding or the like. In this way, by fixing the collar portion 23, the conventional fitting member 2 can be modified to a fitting member 2a having the same function as the fitting member 20 of the first embodiment.

  The method of assembling each part of the fitting to the mounting member 2a is the same as the conventional fitting. Each component such as the down tube 5 and the coil spring 61 is inserted into the frame portion 25 from below through the center hole on the bottom surface of the frame portion 25, and then a detachable stopper 253 is attached to the bottom surface of the frame portion 25. Support the lower end of the. Thereby, each component is held in the frame portion 25. After incorporating all the parts such as the down tube 5 and the gas valve 3 into the mounting member 2a, the mounting member 2a is screwed into the base 9 and fixed.

  When the mounting member 2a is fixed with an appropriate tightening force, the collar 23 and the base 9 are fixed together by welding or the like to prevent the mounting member 2a from rotating as in the first embodiment. As the fixing method, welding such as spot welding or arc welding is preferable, but other fixing methods such as adhesion can also be used. The fixed state is the same as that shown in FIG.

  In the fitting of the second embodiment, the fitting member 2 of the fitting that has been used widely and has been widely used in the past can be modified to be the mounting member 2a of the present invention. Can be diverted almost, so the fitting of the present invention can be provided at a very low cost. Other advantages are the same as the fitting of the first embodiment.

  As described above, according to the beverage container fitting of the present invention, by fixing the collar portion 23 and the base 9, it becomes difficult to loosen and remove the screw fixing of the mounting member 20, and the fitting by a third party. Can be prevented from being easily decomposed. And the unauthorized use and contamination of the beverage container by a third party can be prevented.

  In addition, since the flange portion 23 receives the screwing force of the mounting member 20, the seal ring 28 is not subjected to excessive stress or distortion, and the life of the seal ring 28 can be greatly prolonged. As a result, there is almost no need to replace the seal ring 28, and maintenance costs can be reduced.

  Furthermore, the possibility that foreign matter or sewage enters from the gap between the collar 23 and the base 9 is very small. A very small and sanitary fitting that penetrates into the water can be provided.

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

  According to the present invention, there is provided a fitting for a beverage container that can prevent easy disassembly of a fitting by a third party, prevent unauthorized use or contamination of the beverage container, and can prolong the life of the seal ring and greatly reduce maintenance work. can do.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 2 Mounting member 3 Gas valve 4 Beer valve 5 Down tube 7 Pop-out prevention member 8 Beverage container 9 Cap 20 Mounting member 2a Mounting member 21 Male screw 22 Engagement protrusion 23 Collar part 24 Valve seat part 25 Frame part 26 Seal groove 27, 28 Seal Ring 31 Core 32 Valve member 61, 62 Coil spring 71 Stopper 91 Female thread 92 Step part 231, 232 Adhering point 241 Valve seat surface 242 Restricting surface 251 Window part 252 Central hole 253 Stopper 261, 262 Pressurizing surface

Claims (9)

A fitting that is screwed onto a female screw (91) formed on the inner peripheral side of the base (9) of the beverage container (8),
A mounting member (20) provided on the outer peripheral side with a male screw (21) screwed with the female screw (91) of the base (9);
A valve seat (24) provided on the inner peripheral side of the mounting member (20);
A tubular down tube (5) having an upper end supported by the mounting member (20);
A gas valve (3) 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;
A sealing member (28) for sealing between a lower inner surface of the base (91) and the mounting member (20);
The attachment member (20) is formed with a flange portion (23) projecting outward from the top portion,
The collar portion (23) is in contact with the upper end of the base (9) and defines the screwing position of the mounting member (20) into the base (9).
The mounting member (20) is screwed into the base (9), and is screwed and fixed to a predetermined position defined by the collar part (23). Furthermore, the collar part (23) and the base (9) are fixed. ) To fix the attachment member (20) to prevent the fitting for a beverage container. The beverage container fitting according to claim 1,
The fitting for beverage containers, wherein the collar portion (23) and the base (9) are fixed by welding at one point or a plurality of points. The beverage container fitting according to claim 2,
The attachment member (20) is integrally formed as a skirt-like frame portion (25) on the lower side thereof,
Further, the attachment member (20) is for a beverage container in which a seal groove (26) for holding the sealing member (28) is formed on the outer peripheral surface in the vicinity of the upper end of the frame portion (25). fitting. A beverage container fitting according to claim 3,
The seal groove (26) is formed at a position where the pressure applied to the sealing member (28) becomes an appropriate value in a state where the mounting member (20) is fixed to the base (9). Beverage container fittings. The beverage container fitting according to any one of claims 3 and 4,
The sealing groove (26) has a pressure surface (262) that pressurizes the sealing member (28) is inclined, and is a force that expands outward with respect to the sealing member (28) during pressurization. Beverage container fittings that act. A beverage container fitting according to any one of claims 3 to 5,
The fitting member (20) is a fitting for a beverage container in which the frame (25) is made of austenitic stainless steel and the other parts are made of duplex stainless steel. It is a fitting for drink containers given in any 1 paragraph of Claims 1-6,
The said valve seat part (24) is a fitting for drink containers provided with two conical surfaces from which an inclination angle differs mutually. It is a fitting for drink containers given in any 1 paragraph of Claims 1-7,
The said sealing member (28) is a fitting for drink containers in which the outline of the outer peripheral side of a cross-sectional shape becomes an arc-shaped curve which bulges outward. It is a fitting for drink containers given in any 1 paragraph of Claims 1-8,
The fitting for a beverage container, wherein the attachment member (2a) is obtained by integrally fixing the collar portion (23) to an attachment member (2) without the collar portion (23).

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