JP2019026343A - Widget for foaming - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a widget for foaming which enables a beverage to be efficiently foamed when a beverage container is opened.SOLUTION: A widget 100 for foaming according to the invention includes: a chamber 1 forming a gas storage space S1; an intake hole 16a formed at the chamber 1; an intake valve 2 which allows introduction of a gas from the outside through the intake hole 16a and prevents the gas from flowing therefrom; and a jet hole 24a which is formed below the intake hole 16a in the chamber 1 and has a flow passage area smaller than that of the intake hole 16a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a foaming widget that is mainly enclosed with a beverage in a beverage container to efficiently foam the beverage.

  Conventionally, as a foaming widget for enclosing mainly in a beverage container together with the beverage and foaming the beverage when the container is opened, a chamber for holding gas is defined as described in Patent Document 1, for example. An upper molded body 2 and a lower molded body 3 formed, a first one-way duckbill valve 4 that allows gas to enter the chamber, and a second gas that ejects gas from the chamber into the beverage when the container is opened. The duckbill valve 5 is provided, the first duckbill valve 4 is provided integrally with the upper molded body 2 at the bottom of the down pipe 6, and the second duckbill valve 5 is provided integrally with the lower molded body 3. Are known.

  According to such a foaming widget, when the beverage container is opened, the gas in the chamber can be ejected to foam the beverage.

Japanese translation of PCT publication No. 2002-544082

  However, in the conventional foaming widget as described in Patent Document 1, when the beverage container is opened, the gas in the chamber is released from the second duckbill valve on the lower side at once, and the foam The generation efficiency was poor and good foam quality could not be obtained.

  The present invention has been developed in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a foaming widget capable of efficiently foaming a beverage when the beverage container is opened.

The foaming widget of the present invention is
A chamber forming a gas containing space;
An air intake hole formed in the chamber;
An intake valve that allows the introduction of gas from the outside through the intake hole and prevents the discharge of gas;
An ejection hole formed below the intake hole in the chamber and having a flow area smaller than the intake hole;
It is characterized by providing.

  In the foaming widget of the present invention, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the chamber includes an upper chamber having the intake hole and a lower chamber having the ejection hole.

  In the above-described configuration, the foaming widget according to the present invention preferably includes the valve body and a valve seat formed in the upper chamber and seated on the valve body.

  In the foaming widget of the present invention, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the valve body is integrally formed with the lower chamber and elastically supported with respect to the lower chamber.

  In the foam widget according to the present invention, in the above configuration, the lower chamber preferably has a columnar portion protruding upward, and the valve body is preferably formed at an upper end portion of the columnar portion.

  In the above configuration, the foaming widget of the present invention is preferably a three-point valve in which the valve body is formed in a flat plate shape and elastically supported at three locations in the circumferential direction with respect to the lower chamber.

  In the foaming widget of the present invention, in the above configuration, the valve body is preferably an elastically deformable thin plate having a central portion supported by the columnar portion.

  In the foaming widget of the present invention, in the above configuration, the valve body is preferably a spherical valve body.

  In the foaming widget of the present invention, in the above configuration, the upper chamber preferably has a central cylindrical portion that surrounds the radially outer side of the intake hole and extends downward.

  In the foaming widget of the present invention, in the above configuration, it is preferable that the upper chamber has a reinforcing rib extending from the central cylindrical portion to the outer portion.

  In the foaming widget of the present invention, in the above configuration, the upper chamber preferably has a reinforcing rib extending downward from the outer portion.

  The foaming widget according to the present invention has the above-described configuration, wherein the lower chamber has a fitting cylinder portion that is fitted to the central cylinder portion and extends vertically, and the ejection hole is formed at the bottom of the fitting cylinder portion. Preferably it is formed.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a foaming widget that can efficiently foam a beverage when the beverage container is opened.

It is the (a) front half sectional view of the widget for foaming concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention, and (b) the expanded sectional view of the intake valve part. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure which foams the drink in the container for drinks with the widget for foaming which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the (a) front fragmentary sectional view of the foaming widget which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention, (b) The expanded sectional view of the intake valve part. It is a front expanded sectional view of the foaming widget which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a front expanded sectional view of the foaming widget which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 1 (a), (b), and FIG. 2, the foaming widget 100 which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention is illustrated and demonstrated in detail.

  In the present specification, the vertical direction refers to the vertical direction in FIGS. 1A and 1B, and the side on which the intake hole 16a is disposed along the axis O of the container is disposed upward, and the ejection hole 24a is disposed. The side to be used is the lower side.

  As shown in FIG. 1A, a foaming widget 100 according to this embodiment includes an upper chamber 10 having an intake hole 16a, a lower chamber 20 having an ejection hole 24a for ejecting gas, and an intake valve 2. And a spherical valve body 30 (valve body) to be formed. The upper chamber 10 and the lower chamber 20 constitute a chamber 1 that forms an accommodation space S1 that accommodates a gas.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, the upper chamber 10 has a thin outer shell portion 12 having a hollow, substantially hemispherical shape, and a cylindrical central tube that hangs downward at the upper end portion thereof. The part 14 is connected. A valve seat 16 that is inclined upward inward in the radial direction is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the central cylindrical portion 14 slightly below the central portion in the vertical direction. That is, the valve seat 16 has a truncated conical side surface shape whose diameter decreases upward. Moreover, the upper end part of the valve seat 16 comprises the intake hole 16a which can supply gas in the accommodation space S1 from the outside (beverage container). The valve seat 16 plays a role of preventing leakage of gas from the accommodation space S1 to the outside when the spherical valve body 30 is seated from below. That is, the spherical valve body 30 and the valve seat 16 constitute an intake valve 2 that is a one-way valve. The intake valve 2 allows gas to be supplied from the outside into the accommodation space S1 through the intake hole 16a and prevents leakage of gas from the inside of the accommodation space S1 through the intake hole 16a to the outside. In the initial state in which no pressure is generated inside or outside, the intake valve 2 is opened when the spherical valve body 30 is separated from the valve seat 16 by its own weight and abuts against the upper end portion of the fitting cylinder portion 24.

  A fitting portion 13 is formed at the lower end portion of the upper chamber 10 along the outer shell portion 12. As shown in FIG.1 (b), the fitting part 13 is formed thicker than the outer shell part 12, and has the cylindrical inner peripheral surface 13a and the planar lower surface 13b. The inner peripheral surface 13a is fitted to the outer peripheral surface 26a of the fitting step portion 26 of the lower chamber 20, and the lower surface 13b is brought into contact with the upper surface 26b of the fitting step portion 26, whereby the upper chamber 10 is moved to the lower side. It is fixed to the chamber 20. In the present embodiment, the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 13 a of the fitting portion 13 is formed to be slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface 26 a of the fitting step portion 26. Thus, the fitting between the inner peripheral surface 13 a of the fitting portion 13 and the outer peripheral surface 26 a of the fitting step portion 26 constitutes a so-called interference fit, and the upper chamber 10 is firmly fixed to the lower chamber 20. be able to.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), the lower chamber 20 has an outer portion 22 having a conical side surface shape that is inclined slightly upward toward the outside. A cylindrical fitting tube portion 24 extending upward and downward is connected. At the bottom of the fitting cylinder portion 24, there is provided an ejection hole 24a in which a channel smaller than the intake hole 16a is formed. The upper end portion of the fitting cylinder portion 24 forms a fitting portion for the upper chamber 10. That is, the lower chamber 20 is connected to the upper chamber 10 by fitting the outer peripheral surface at the upper end portion of the fitting cylinder portion 24 to the inner peripheral surface at the lower end portion of the central cylinder portion 14. By connecting the fitting cylinder portion 24 and the central cylinder portion 14, the intake hole 16 a communicates with the ejection hole 24 a via the intake valve 2. At the upper end portion of the fitting cylinder portion 24, communication grooves 24c are formed at three locations in the circumferential direction. The gas introduced from the intake hole 16a and having passed through the intake valve 2 is filled into the accommodation space S1 through the communication groove 24c.

  As shown in FIG. 1B, a peripheral wall 23 that extends upward is connected to the outer peripheral end of the outer shell portion 22. Moreover, the fitting step part 26 is formed in the upper end part of the surrounding wall 23 as mentioned above. As shown in FIG. 1B, the fitting step portion 26 has an outer peripheral surface 26a that is a cylindrical surface, and an upper surface 26b that is orthogonal to the outer peripheral surface 26a and further extends radially outward. The outer peripheral surface 26 a is fitted to the inner peripheral surface 13 a of the upper chamber 10, and the upper surface 26 b is in contact with the lower surface 13 b of the upper chamber 10, so that the fitting step portion 26 is firmly against the fitting portion 13. It is fixed.

  In the present embodiment, the outer peripheral surface 26a and the inner peripheral surface 13a are configured to be fixed by an interference fit, but the present invention is not limited to this mode. The upper chamber 10 and the lower chamber 20 may be configured to be engaged and fixed by, for example, undercut engagement between the engaging portions. Further, the upper chamber 10 and the lower chamber 20 may be configured to be joined to each other by welding using a hot plate or ultrasonic welding. Furthermore, the chamber 1 may be integrally formed from the beginning.

  In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1B, each part of the lower chamber 20 is formed thicker than the upper chamber 10, and the mass of the lower chamber 20 is the mass of the upper chamber 10. Greater than. By configuring the lower chamber 20 so that the mass of the lower chamber 20 is larger than the mass of the upper chamber 10, the center of gravity of the foaming widget 100 is shifted toward the lower chamber 20. Thus, when the foaming widget 100 is floated in the beverage, the lower chamber 20 is positioned below and the ejection hole 24a is positioned below the beverage level. Therefore, as described later, when the beverage container is opened, the gas in the storage space S1 is always injected into the beverage through the ejection holes 24a. Accordingly, the beverage can be reliably foamed.

  In the present embodiment, the beverage filled in the beverage container is preferably a foamed beverage such as beer or carbonated beverage, but is not limited to this and is filled with various other liquid beverages. can do.

  In the present embodiment, the outer portion 22 of the lower chamber 20 is configured to be flatter than the outer portion 12 of the upper chamber 10. Thereby, the floating posture of the foaming widget 100 can be further stabilized. In addition, as compared with the case where the outer shell portions 12 and 22 are both formed in a hemispherical shape, the floating height of the foaming widget 100 when securing the same accommodation space S1 can be reduced. Accordingly, the height of the head space when the foaming widget 100 is stored in the beverage container can be reduced.

  In addition, as a material of the upper chamber 10 and the lower chamber 20, for example, synthetic resins such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE), nylon, and the like can be used, but the material is limited to these materials. Is not to be done.

  Next, a procedure for foaming a beverage in a beverage container using the foaming widget 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, when filling a beverage in a beverage container (not shown), the foaming widget 100 of this embodiment is put into the beverage container together with the beverage (step S101 in FIG. 2). The foaming widget 100 is reduced in weight by being formed of a thin synthetic resin material as shown in FIGS. 1 (a) and 1 (b), and in the storage space S1 immediately after being put into the beverage container. Filled with air. Therefore, the foaming widget 100 obtains sufficient buoyancy and floats on the surface of the beverage. Since the lower chamber 20 has a mass larger than that of the upper chamber 10, the foaming widget 100 can maintain a posture in which the lower chamber 20 is positioned below on the surface of the beverage. Here, when the beverage is a carbonated beverage, carbon dioxide gas, or carbon dioxide gas and liquid nitrogen are added together with the beverage. When the beverage is not a carbonated beverage, for example, liquid nitrogen is added. When the beverage, the foaming widget 100, and the gas are charged into the beverage container, the lid is attached (step S102).

  When the beverage container is sealed with the lid, the pressure in the container is increased by the gas in the beverage container (step S103). Due to the increase in the pressure in the beverage container, the pressure in the outside (in the beverage container) becomes higher than the pressure in the accommodation space S1 of the foaming widget 100, so that the gas in the beverage container is sucked into the intake holes 16a. Then, it enters the fitting cylinder portion 24 via the intake valve 2 opened from the inside, and is further introduced into the accommodation space S1 through the communication groove 24c (step S104). At this time, there is a path for the beverage, which is a liquid, to enter the accommodation space S1 through the ejection hole 24a, but in the present embodiment, the flow path area of the ejection hole 24a is configured to be smaller than the flow path area of the intake hole 16a. Has been. Moreover, the flow resistance at the time of the drink which is a liquid passing through a flow path is larger than the gas in the container for drinks which is gas. Accordingly, very little beverage enters the storage space S1 from the ejection holes 24a, and most of the storage space S1 is filled with the gas in the beverage container. In the process of filling the storage space S1 with gas, the pressure in the storage space S1 of the foaming widget 100 does not exceed the pressure in the beverage container. Then, the pressure in the storage space S1 and the pressure in the beverage container converge to an equilibrium state (step S105).

  In addition, the channel area here refers to the smallest area of the cross-sectional area of the channel. For example, the flow path area of the ejection hole 24a refers to the cross-sectional area of the cross section of the flow path in the portion where the throttle is formed at the lower end of the ejection hole 24a in FIG.

  Next, the beverage container is opened by the consumer (step S106). As a result, the pressure in the beverage container is released to atmospheric pressure at once. At this time, the pressure in the storage space S1 becomes higher than the pressure in the beverage container at once. The spherical valve body 30 reaches the valve seat 16 vigorously by such a sudden pressure increase in the accommodation space S1, and the intake valve 2 is closed (step S107), and the gas in the accommodation space S1 is discharged from the ejection hole 24a. To the beverage at a predetermined flow rate (step S108). In addition, the predetermined flow rate here does not necessarily mean a constant flow rate, but is a flow rate that is determined by the flow passage area of the ejection hole 24a and that is suitable for foam formation.

  When the gas is ejected into the beverage, the beverage is agitated and the gas dissolved in the beverage is also vaporized to form a large number of fine bubbles (step S109). These bubbles rise toward the head space of the beverage container and form a foam layer on top of the beverage (step S110).

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the chamber 1 that forms the gas accommodation space S1, the intake hole 16a formed in the chamber 1, and the introduction of gas from the outside through the intake hole 16a are allowed and the gas The intake valve 2 that prevents the exhaust gas from being discharged, and the ejection hole 24a that is formed below the intake hole 16a in the chamber 1 and has a smaller flow area than the intake hole 16a. Thereby, bubbles can be generated in the beverage simply by opening the beverage container without pouring the beverage into a glass or the like. Moreover, when a drink is poured into a glass or the like, bubbles having the same appearance as that poured out from a barrel can be formed. In particular, in the present embodiment, no valve is provided on the side of the ejection hole 24a, and the flow area of the ejection hole 24a is configured to be smaller than the flow area of the intake hole 16a. Therefore, unlike the case where a valve is provided on the side of the ejection hole 24a, the gas in the storage space S1 is not ejected all at once by opening the valve when the beverage container is opened. Therefore, gas can be ejected at a flow rate corresponding to the flow passage area of the ejection hole 24a and suitable for generating bubbles.

  In the present embodiment, the chamber 1 is configured to include the upper chamber 10 having the intake holes 16a and the lower chamber 20 having the ejection holes 24a. Accordingly, the degree of freedom in designing the chamber 1 is increased, and the position of the center of gravity of the chamber 1 and the shape and arrangement of the intake holes 16a and the ejection holes 24a can be arbitrarily set.

  In the present embodiment, the intake valve 2 is configured to have the spherical valve body 30 and the valve seat 16 formed in the upper chamber 10 on which the spherical valve body 30 is seated. Thus, by providing the valve seat 16 of the intake valve 2 in the upper chamber 10, the number of parts can be reduced, and the foaming widget 100 can be manufactured at low cost.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the upper chamber 10 is configured to have the central cylindrical portion 14 that surrounds the radially outer side of the intake hole 16a and extends downward. Thereby, even if a beverage enters the accommodating space S1 from the ejection hole 24a, it is possible to make it difficult for the beverage to be filled above the height of the intake valve 2.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the lower chamber 20 has a fitting cylinder part 24 that is fitted into the central cylinder part 14 and extends vertically, and the ejection hole 24 a is formed at the bottom of the fitting cylinder part 24. Configured. As a result, the center cylinder part 14 of the upper chamber 10 and the fitting cylinder part 24 of the lower chamber 20 can ensure the strength in the vertical direction of the chamber 1. 100 can be reduced in weight.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 3 (a), (b), the foaming widget 200 which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention is illustrated and demonstrated in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the foaming widget 200 according to this embodiment includes an upper chamber 40 having an intake hole 46a, a lower chamber 50 having an ejection hole 54a for ejecting gas, and an intake valve 32. And a valve body 60 to be formed. The upper chamber 40 and the lower chamber 50 constitute a chamber 31 that forms a storage space S2 for storing a gas.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the upper chamber 40 has a thin outer shell portion 42 having a hollow, substantially hemispherical shape, and a cylindrical central tube that hangs downward at the upper end portion thereof. The part 44 is connected. A ring-shaped valve seat 46 that protrudes downward is provided on the radially inner side of the upper end portion of the central tube portion 44. In addition, an intake hole 46a is formed above the valve seat 46 so that gas can be supplied from the outside (the inner space of the beverage container) into the accommodation space S2. The valve seat 46 plays a role of preventing leakage of gas from the accommodation space S2 to the outside when the valve body 60 is seated from below. That is, the valve body 60 and the valve seat 46 constitute an intake valve 32 that is a one-way valve. The intake valve 32 allows gas to be supplied from the outside into the accommodation space S2 through the intake hole 46a and prevents leakage of gas from the inside of the accommodation space S2 through the intake hole 46a to the outside. In the initial state in which no pressure is generated inside or outside, the intake valve 32 is opened by the valve body 60 being separated from the valve seat 46 by its own weight and elastically supported by the arm portion 68.

  The upper chamber 40 has a reinforcing rib 48 that extends radially outward from the central tube portion 44 to the outer portion 42. The reinforcing ribs 48 are preferably provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the axis O, but are not limited to this aspect. In the present embodiment, the reinforcing ribs 48 are provided at four locations at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The reinforcing ribs 48 can maintain a substantially hemispherical shape even though the outer shell portion 42 is formed thin. Thereby, the upper chamber 40 can be reduced in weight.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the valve body 60 includes a hemispherical head portion 63 that is convex upward, and a body portion 64 that is continuous with the head portion 63 and expands in diameter downward. As shown in FIG. 3B, the valve body 60 is elastically supported on the upper portion of the lower chamber 50 by an arm portion 68 that has a shape that is alternately folded left and right and can be elastically deformed up and down. The intake valve 32 is closed when the upper surface of the head portion 63 of the valve body 60 contacts the valve seat 46.

  A fitting portion 43 is formed at the lower end portion of the upper chamber 40 along the outer portion 42. As shown in FIG. 3B, the fitting portion 43 is formed to be slightly thicker than the outer portion 42, and has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface 43a. And while the inner peripheral surface 43a fits to the outer peripheral surface 56a in the fitting part 56 of the lower chamber 50, the lower surface 48a of the reinforcing rib 48 contacts the upper surface 56b of the fitting part 56, so that the upper chamber 40 is It is fixed to the lower chamber 50. In the present embodiment, the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 43 a of the fitting portion 43 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface 56 a of the fitting portion 56. Thus, the fitting between the inner peripheral surface 43a of the fitting portion 43 and the outer peripheral surface 56a of the fitting portion 56 constitutes a so-called interference fit, and the upper chamber 40 is firmly fixed to the lower chamber 50. Can do.

  Note that a flange 43 b is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 43 so as to protrude radially outward. By increasing the rigidity of the fitting portion 43 by the flange 43b, the fitting between the upper chamber 40 and the lower chamber 50 is further strengthened.

  As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the lower chamber 50 has a hemispherical base 52 that protrudes downward, and the lower end of the arm portion 68 is on the upper surface in the radial direction. It is connected. In the present embodiment, the base 52, the arm portion 68, and the valve body 60 of the lower chamber 50 are integrally formed. However, they may be configured to be combined after being formed separately. On the radially outer side of the arm portion 68 in the lower chamber 50, an ejection hole 54a in which a channel smaller than the intake hole 46a is formed is provided. The ejection hole 54a is formed in the upper part of the lower chamber 50 as a constriction part of the through-hole 54 which penetrates the lower chamber 50 up and down, as shown in FIG.3 (b). As a result, the gas introduced from the intake hole 46a and having passed through the intake valve 32 is filled into the accommodation space S2, and then ejected downward from the ejection hole 54a.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3B, the upper chamber 40 has a configuration in which the thin outer shell portion 42 is reinforced by the reinforcing rib 48, whereas the lower chamber 50 is solid. And the mass of the lower chamber 50 is larger than the mass of the upper chamber 40. By configuring the lower chamber 50 so that the mass of the lower chamber 50 is larger than the mass of the upper chamber 40 in this way, the position of the center of gravity of the foaming widget 200 is shifted to the lower chamber 50 side. Thus, when the foaming widget 200 is floated in the beverage, the lower chamber 50 is positioned below, and the lower end portion of the through hole 54 connected to the ejection hole 54a is positioned below the liquid level of the beverage. Therefore, when the beverage container is opened, the gas in the accommodation space S2 is always injected into the beverage through the ejection hole 54a. Accordingly, the beverage can be reliably foamed.

  Note that the procedure for foaming the beverage in the beverage container by the foaming widget 200 according to the present embodiment is similar to steps S101 to S110 in FIG. 2, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the valve body 60 is formed integrally with the lower chamber 50 and is elastically supported with respect to the lower chamber 50. Thereby, the number of parts can be reduced and the cost of the foaming widget 200 can be reduced. Further, by elastically supporting the valve body 60 with respect to the lower chamber 50, the posture of the valve body 60 can be stabilized, and the intake valve 32 can be reliably closed when the pressure in the accommodation space S2 increases.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the upper chamber 40 is configured to have the reinforcing rib 48 that extends radially outward from the central tube portion 44 to the outer portion 42. As a result, the upper chamber 40 can be reduced in weight by the thin outer wall portion 42 and the reinforcing ribs 48. Therefore, the position of the center of gravity of the foaming widget 200 can be easily shifted to the lower chamber 50 side, so that the foaming widget 200 Can be stabilized. Therefore, since the gas can always be ejected from the ejection holes 54a toward the beverage, the foaming widget 200 can stably form bubbles.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the foaming widget 300 which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention is illustrated and demonstrated in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the foaming widget 300 according to the present embodiment includes an upper chamber 70 having an intake hole 76a, a lower chamber 80 having an ejection hole 84a for ejecting gas, and a valve forming an intake valve 62. And a body 90. The upper chamber 70 and the lower chamber 80 constitute a chamber 61 that forms a storage space S3 for storing a gas.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the upper chamber 70 has a thin outer wall portion 72 having a hollow, substantially hemispherical shape, and the upper end portion thereof is provided in the housing space S3 from the outside (the inner space of the beverage container). An intake hole 76a through which gas can be supplied is formed. Further, a ring-shaped valve seat 76 that protrudes downward is provided on the radially outer side of the intake hole 76a. The valve seat 76 plays a role of preventing leakage of gas from the accommodation space S3 to the outside when the valve body 90 is seated from below. That is, the valve body 90 and the valve seat 76 constitute an intake valve 62 that is a one-way valve. The intake valve 62 allows gas to be supplied from the outside into the accommodation space S3 through the intake hole 76a and prevents leakage of gas from the inside of the accommodation space S3 through the intake hole 76a to the outside. In the present embodiment, the intake valve 62 is opened when the valve body 90 is slightly separated from the valve seat 76 by its own weight in an initial state in which no pressure is generated inside or outside. However, the valve body 90 does not necessarily have to be separated from the valve seat 76 in the initial state, and is initially in contact with the valve seat 76, but when a negative pressure exceeding a predetermined value is generated in the accommodation space S3 (accommodation space). The valve body 90 may be separated from the valve seat 76 and the intake valve 62 may be opened when the external pressure is higher than a predetermined value than in S3).

  The upper chamber 70 has a reinforcing rib 78 that extends downward from a substantially central position in the height direction of the outer shell 72. The reinforcing ribs 78 are preferably provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the axis O, but are not limited to this mode. In the present embodiment, the reinforcing ribs 78 are provided at four locations at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The reinforcing rib 78 can maintain a substantially hemispherical shape even though the outer portion 72 is formed thin. Thereby, the upper chamber 70 can be reduced in weight.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the valve body 90 has a flat plate portion 93 having a substantially disc shape. The flat plate portion 93 is elastically supported by a cylindrical columnar portion 88 protruding upward from the lower chamber 80 by elastically deformable arm portions 94 formed at three locations in the circumferential direction. The intake valve 62 is closed when the flat plate portion 93 of the valve body 90 contacts the valve seat 76. The radially inner side of the columnar part 88 is reinforced by a reinforcing part 88a.

  A fitting portion 73 is formed at the lower end of the upper chamber 70 along the outer portion 72. As shown in FIG. 4, the fitting portion 73 is formed slightly thicker than the outer portion 72 and has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface 73 a. The inner peripheral surface 73a is fitted to the outer peripheral surface 86a of the fitting portion 86 of the lower chamber 80, and the lower surface 78a of the reinforcing rib 78 is brought into contact with the upper surface 86b of the fitting portion 86. Fixed to the lower chamber 80. In the present embodiment, the inner diameter of the inner peripheral surface 73 a of the fitting portion 73 is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the outer peripheral surface 86 a of the fitting portion 86. Thus, the fitting between the inner peripheral surface 73a of the fitting portion 73 and the outer peripheral surface 86a of the fitting portion 86 constitutes a so-called interference fit, and the upper chamber 70 is firmly fixed to the lower chamber 80. Can do.

  A flange 73b is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 73 so as to protrude radially outward. By increasing the rigidity of the fitting portion 73 by the flange 73b, the fitting between the upper chamber 70 and the lower chamber 80 is further strengthened.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the lower chamber 80 has a hemispherical base 82 that protrudes downward, and a columnar portion 88 is connected to the central upper surface in the radial direction. In this embodiment, the base 82, the columnar portion 88, the arm portion 94, and the flat plate portion 93 of the lower chamber 80 are integrally formed. However, they are configured so as to be joined after they are formed separately. Also good. On the radially outer side of the columnar portion 88 in the lower chamber 80, an ejection hole 84a in which a channel smaller than the intake hole 76a is formed is provided. The ejection hole 84a is formed in the upper part of the lower chamber 80 as a constriction part of the through-hole 84 which penetrates the lower chamber 80 up and down as shown in FIG. As a result, the gas introduced from the intake hole 76a and having passed through the intake valve 62 is filled into the accommodation space S3 and then ejected downward from the ejection hole 84a.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the upper chamber 70 has a configuration in which a thin outer wall 72 is reinforced with a reinforcing rib 78, whereas the lower chamber 80 has a solid hemispherical shape. The mass of the lower chamber 80 is larger than the mass of the upper chamber 70. By configuring the lower chamber 80 so that the mass of the lower chamber 80 is larger than the mass of the upper chamber 70 in this way, the position of the center of gravity of the foaming widget 300 is shifted to the lower chamber 80 side. Accordingly, when the foaming widget 300 is floated in the beverage, the lower chamber 80 is positioned below, and the lower end portion of the through hole 84 connected to the ejection hole 84a is positioned below the liquid level of the beverage. Therefore, when the beverage container is opened, the gas in the accommodation space S3 is always injected into the beverage through the ejection hole 84a. Accordingly, the beverage can be reliably foamed.

  Note that the procedure for foaming the beverage in the beverage container by the foaming widget 300 according to the present embodiment is similar to steps S101 to S110 in FIG. 2, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the lower chamber 80 has the columnar portion 88 that protrudes upward, and the valve body 90 is formed integrally with the upper end portion of the columnar portion 88. . Thereby, the number of parts can be reduced and the cost of the foaming widget 300 can be reduced. Further, the posture of the valve body 90 is stabilized by elastically supporting the valve body 90 with respect to the lower chamber 80, and the intake valve 62 can be reliably closed when the pressure in the accommodation space S3 increases.

  In the present embodiment, the valve body 90 is formed as a flat plate portion 93 having a flat plate shape, and is configured as a three-point valve elastically supported at three locations in the circumferential direction with respect to the lower chamber 80. As a result, the posture of the valve body 90 can be further stabilized, and the intake valve 62 can be closed more reliably when the pressure in the accommodation space S3 increases.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the upper chamber 70 is configured to have the reinforcing rib 78 extending downward from the outer portion 72. As a result, the upper chamber 70 can be reduced in weight by the thin outer wall portion 72 and the reinforcing rib 78, so that the center of gravity position of the foaming widget 300 can be easily shifted to the lower chamber 80 side, and the foaming widget 300 Can be stabilized. Therefore, since the gas can always be ejected from the ejection hole 84a toward the beverage, the foaming widget 300 can stably form the foam.

  Next, a foaming widget 400 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the foaming widget 400 according to the present embodiment includes an upper chamber 110 having an intake hole 116a, a lower chamber 120 having an ejection hole 124a for ejecting gas, and a valve forming the intake valve 102. And a body 130. The upper chamber 110 and the lower chamber 120 constitute a chamber 101 that forms a storage space S4 that stores a gas.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the upper chamber 110 has a thin outer wall portion 112 having a hollow, substantially hemispherical shape, and the upper end portion thereof is provided in the housing space S4 from the outside (the inner space of the beverage container). An intake hole 116a through which gas can be supplied is formed. Further, a ring-shaped valve seat 116 that protrudes downward is provided on the radially outer side of the intake hole 116a. The valve seat 116 plays a role of preventing leakage of gas from the accommodation space S4 to the outside when the valve body 130 is seated from below. That is, the valve body 130 and the valve seat 116 constitute an intake valve 102 that is a one-way valve. The intake valve 102 allows gas to be supplied from the outside into the accommodation space S4 through the intake hole 116a and prevents leakage of gas from the inside of the accommodation space S4 through the intake hole 116a to the outside. In the present embodiment, the intake valve 102 is opened when the valve body 130 is slightly separated from the valve seat 116 in an initial state where no pressure is generated inside or outside. However, the valve body 130 does not necessarily have to be separated from the valve seat 116 in the initial state and is initially in contact with the valve seat 116, but when a negative pressure exceeding a predetermined level is generated in the accommodation space S4 (accommodation space). The valve body 130 may be separated from the valve seat 116 and the intake valve 102 may be opened when the external pressure is higher than a predetermined value than in S4.

  The upper chamber 110 has a reinforcing rib 118 extending downward from a substantially central position in the height direction of the outer shell 112. The reinforcing ribs 118 are preferably provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the axis O, but are not limited to this aspect. In the present embodiment, the reinforcing ribs 118 are provided at four locations at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. The reinforcing rib 118 can maintain a substantially hemispherical shape even though the outer shell 112 is formed thin. Thereby, the upper chamber 110 can be reduced in weight.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the valve body 130 has a disk portion 133 having a thin disk shape. The disc part 133 is supported at the center by a columnar part 128 protruding upward from the lower chamber 120. The intake valve 102 is closed when the disc portion 133 of the valve body 130 contacts the valve seat 116.

  A fitting portion 113 is formed at the lower end portion of the upper chamber 110 along the outer portion 112. As shown in FIG. 5, the fitting portion 113 is formed to be slightly thicker than the outer shell portion 112, and has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface 113a. Then, the inner peripheral surface 113a is fitted to the outer peripheral surface 126a of the fitting portion 126 of the lower chamber 120, and the lower surface 118a of the reinforcing rib 118 is in contact with the upper surface 126b of the fitting portion 126, whereby the upper chamber 110 is The lower chamber 120 is firmly fixed.

  Note that a flange 113b is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the fitting portion 113 so as to protrude radially outward. By increasing the rigidity of the fitting portion 113 by the flange 113b, the fitting between the upper chamber 110 and the lower chamber 120 is further strengthened.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the lower chamber 120 has a hemispherical base 122 that protrudes downward, and a cylindrical columnar portion 128 is connected to the upper surface in the radial direction. In the present embodiment, the base 122, the columnar portion 128, and the disc portion 133 of the lower chamber 120 are integrally formed. However, they may be configured to be formed after they are formed separately. On the radially outer side of the columnar portion 128 in the lower chamber 120, there is provided an ejection hole 124a in which a flow path smaller than the intake hole 116a is formed. As shown in FIG. 5, the ejection hole 124 a is formed in the upper part of the lower chamber 120 as a throttle portion of the through hole 124 that penetrates the lower chamber 120 up and down. As a result, the gas introduced from the intake hole 116a and passing through the intake valve 102 is filled into the accommodation space S4 and then ejected downward from the ejection hole 124a.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the upper chamber 110 has a configuration in which the thin outer shell 112 is reinforced by the reinforcing rib 118, whereas the lower chamber 120 has a solid hemispherical shape. The mass of the lower chamber 120 is larger than the mass of the upper chamber 110. By configuring the lower chamber 120 so that the mass of the lower chamber 120 is larger than the mass of the upper chamber 110 in this way, the position of the center of gravity of the foaming widget 400 is shifted to the lower chamber 120 side. Accordingly, when the foaming widget 400 is floated in the beverage, the lower chamber 120 is positioned below, and the lower end portion of the through hole 124 connected to the ejection hole 124a is positioned below the liquid level of the beverage. Therefore, when the beverage container is opened, the gas in the accommodation space S4 is always injected into the beverage through the ejection holes 124a. Accordingly, the beverage can be reliably foamed.

  Note that the procedure for foaming the beverage in the beverage container by the foaming widget 400 according to the present embodiment is also similar to steps S101 to S110 in FIG. 2, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the valve body 130 is configured integrally with the lower chamber 120 as an elastically deformable thin plate (disk portion 133) supported at the center by the columnar portion 128. Thereby, the number of parts can be reduced and the cost of the foaming widget 400 can be reduced. Further, when the posture of the valve body 130 is further stabilized and the pressure in the accommodation space S4 increases, the intake valve 102 can be closed more reliably.

  Although the present invention has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art can easily make various modifications and corrections based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these variations and modifications are included in the scope of the present invention. For example, functions included in each component can be rearranged so as not to be logically contradictory, and a plurality of components can be combined into one or divided. It should be understood that these are included within the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Chamber 2 Intake valve 10 Upper chamber 12 Outer part 13 Fitting part 13a Inner peripheral surface 13b Lower surface 14 Central cylinder part 16 Valve seat 16a Intake hole 20 Lower chamber 22 Outer part 23 Peripheral wall 24 Fitting cylinder part 24a Ejection hole 24b Contact portion 24c Communication groove 26 Fitting step portion 26a Outer peripheral surface 26b Upper surface 30 Spherical valve body (valve body)
31 chamber 32 intake valve 40 upper chamber 42 outer portion 43 fitting portion 43a inner peripheral surface 43b flange 44 central tube portion 46 valve seat 46a intake hole 48 reinforcing rib 48a lower surface 50 lower chamber 52 base 54 through hole 54a ejection hole 56 fitting Joint portion 56a Outer peripheral surface 56b Upper surface 60 Valve body 61 Chamber 62 Intake valve 63 Head portion 64 Body portion 68 Arm portion 70 Upper chamber 72 Outer portion 73 Fitting 73a Inner peripheral surface 73b Flange 76 Valve seat 76a Intake hole 78 Reinforcement rib 78a Lower surface 80 lower chamber 82 base 84 through hole 84a ejection hole 86 fitting portion 86a outer peripheral surface 86b upper surface 88 columnar portion 88a reinforcing portion 90 valve body 93 flat plate portion 94 arm portion 100 foaming widget 101 chamber 102 intake valve 110 upper chamber 112 outer shell Part 11 Fitting portion 113a Inner peripheral surface 113b Flange 116 Valve seat 116a Intake hole 118 Reinforcement rib 118a Lower surface 120 Lower chamber 122 Base 124 Through hole 124a Ejection hole 126 Fitting portion 126a Outer peripheral surface 126b Upper surface 128 Columnar portion 130 Valve body 133 Disc Part 200, 300, 400 Foaming widget O Axis S1, S2, S3, S4 Storage space

Claims (12)

A chamber forming a gas containing space;
An air intake hole formed in the chamber;
An intake valve that allows the introduction of gas from the outside through the intake hole and prevents the discharge of gas;
An ejection hole formed below the intake hole in the chamber and having a flow area smaller than the intake hole;
A foaming widget comprising:   The foaming widget according to claim 1, wherein the chamber includes an upper chamber having the intake hole and a lower chamber having the ejection hole.   The widget for foaming according to claim 2, wherein the intake valve includes a valve body and a valve seat formed in the upper chamber and on which the valve body is seated.   The foaming widget according to claim 3, wherein the valve body is integrally formed with the lower chamber and elastically supported with respect to the lower chamber.   The foaming widget according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the lower chamber has a columnar portion protruding upward, and the valve body is formed at an upper end portion of the columnar portion.   The foaming widget according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the valve body is a three-point valve formed in a flat plate shape and elastically supported at three locations in the circumferential direction with respect to the lower chamber.   The foaming widget according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the valve body is an elastically deformable thin plate having a central portion supported by the columnar portion.   The foaming widget according to claim 3, wherein the valve body is a spherical valve body.   The foaming widget according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the upper chamber includes a central cylindrical portion that surrounds a radially outer side of the intake hole and extends downward.   The said upper chamber is a widget for foaming of Claim 9 which has a reinforcement rib extended from the said center cylinder part to an outer shell part.   The foaming widget according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the upper chamber has a reinforcing rib extending downward from the outer shell.   The said lower chamber has a fitting cylinder part fitted in the said center cylinder part, and extended up and down, and the said ejection hole is formed in the bottom part of this fitting cylinder part. Widget for foaming.

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