JP3260940B2 - Beverage package - Google Patents

Abstract

A beverage package has a sealed can 1 having a chamber 5 containing beer 20 having gas in solution and forming a headspace 21 containing gas at pressure greater than atmospheric. A hollow insert 6 in the chamber 5 forms a secondary chamber 10 containing gas at pressure greater than atmospheric. The insert 6 is responsive to a pressure differential developed when the top 4 of the can 1 is opened to inject gas under pressure into the beer 20 through an aperture 11 at the top of an extension 9 of the insert. Said injection of gas liberates gas from solution in the beer 20 and the aperture 11 is located near to the surface of the beer 20 so that, preferably, less than 30% of the volume of the beer 20 is subjected to said gas liberation and adequate gas is maintained in solution in the beer 20 to provide "sparkle" from natural liberation of gas when the beer is poured into a drinking vessel. <IMAGE>

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a beverage package and a method for producing the same. In particular, when a beverage containing a gas such as carbon dioxide and / or nitrogen gas is stored in a dissolved state and opened for drinking, foam is formed on the beverage or promotes foam formation. To generate or liberate gas from the beverage for sealing. The beverages handled by the present invention may be either alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages, and the present invention was initially developed for fermented beverages and ciders such as ale, lager, stout and other beers, but soft drinks And alcoholic beverages such as spirits, liqueurs, and wine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A beverage package stores a beverage containing dissolved gas and a first chamber for forming a main headspace formed of gas at a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure, and stores a gas at a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure. And a second chamber in the main headspace with a narrow hole communicating with the beverage in the first chamber. When the package is opened for drinking, the main headspace is in communication with the atmosphere, thereby creating a pressure differential within the container that causes gas in the second chamber to squirt through the narrow hole toward the beverage in the first chamber. Occurs. The ejection of gas from the first chamber through the narrow hole generates dissolved gas in the beverage to form a foam. An example of a beverage package with this feature is described in GB 1,266,351, where gas is blown from a second chamber through a check valve to develop foam. ing.

In the known beverage packages described above,
The narrow hole is located on or directed toward the bottom wall of the beverage in the first chamber. When the package is opened and the gas gushes through the narrow hole, dissolved gas is initially generated in the area of the beverage near the narrow hole, and the generation of this gas rapidly develops or grows and the gas in the first chamber Rising through the entirety of the beverage and developing foam, which is retained when the beverage is served from the container. Especially for beverages containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas (which may or may not contain nitrogen gas), immediately after the package is opened and the gas gushes from the second chamber, if not all of the dissolved gas, Most come from beverages. As a result, when a beverage is poured from a container into a glass for drinking, the lack of or less dissolved gas in the beverage may result in such beverages having poor foam quality. Nevertheless) undesirable properties can be imparted to the beverage. When poured into a glass to be served, a reasonable amount of gas, usually carbon dioxide, is kept dissolved in the beverage, and the gas rises as a bubble in the beverage, which is visually apparent. This is necessary for light beer or lager, etc., which preferably retains the lather that provides the beauty of the beer, gives the consumer pleasure, and makes the beverage more palatable.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above disadvantages due to excessive liberation of dissolved gas and to reduce the formation of foam on the beverage when the beverage is served. It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage package that can maintain the desired foaming without reducing the desired properties required for foam development.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a first chamber for storing a beverage containing dissolved gas and forming a headspace for storing gas at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, A sealed container having a second chamber for storing gas at a high pressure and communicating or capable of communicating with the beverage in the first chamber through a hole provided in a position submerged in the beverage; A beverage package, wherein the holes are located at a position in the beverage closer to the surface of the beverage than the bottom wall of the beverage in the first chamber, wherein the package is the first chamber.
Opening the chamber to communicate with the atmosphere, wherein the opening introduces pressurized gas in the second chamber from the second chamber through the hole to the beverage in the first chamber; The gas dissolved in the beverage is released by the introduction of the gas, and bubbles are formed in the main head space, and the release of the gas is limited to a portion of the beverage in the first chamber at a position shallow from the surface. This is achieved by providing a beverage package characterized in that:

[0006]

According to the present invention, a first chamber for storing a beverage containing a dissolved gas and forming a head space for storing a gas having a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure is provided, and a gas having a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure is formed. A beverage package comprising a sealed container having a second chamber for storing and communicating with the beverage in the first chamber through a hole provided in a position submerged in the beverage. Wherein the hole is located at a location in the beverage closer to the surface of the beverage than the bottom wall of the beverage in the first chamber, such that the package communicates the first chamber with the atmosphere. Openable, wherein the opening introduces pressurized gas in the second chamber from the second chamber through the hole into the beverage in the first chamber; Upon entry, gas dissolved in the beverage is liberated to form a bubble in the main headspace, and the liberation of the gas is limited to a portion of the beverage in the first chamber at a position shallow from the surface. A beverage package is provided. Beverage packaging is known and, for example, as disclosed in the specification of GB 1,266,351 by the inventor of the present application,
In response to the pressure differential that develops when the package is opened, the pressurized gas in the second chamber gushes toward the beverage in the first chamber, releasing gas dissolved in the beverage in the first chamber. Let it. This gas is ejected from the second chamber through a narrow hole, and in the device described above, such a narrow hole is located at or near the bottom wall of the beverage in the first chamber. As a result, the high energy of the ejected gas liberates the gas that was initially dissolved in the beverage near the narrow hole, and this released gas further liberates the gas from the beverage and the gas bubbles rapidly develop. And grows vigorously throughout the beverage in the first chamber. According to the invention, the narrow hole is located closer to the surface of the beverage than the bottom wall of the beverage in the first chamber, so that it is released from the beverage by the bubbling of gas bubbles rising from the narrow hole. The resulting gas will be limited to a portion of the beverage in the container. Some of the beverages that release gas typically have a volume of less than 30% of the beverage in the container. By limiting the release of the gas in this way, the main part of the beverage in the container will be kept in a dissolved state, in particular a gas which is carbon dioxide. Thus, when a beverage is poured from a container into a glass to be served,
Gas bubbles continue to be generated from within the beverage, maintaining "foaming"
And retains other properties that are favorable for beverages.

The second chamber is formed integrally with the container,
More preferably, it is formed as a hollow insert member disposed in the first chamber. The insert member is typically located at or near the bottom wall of the first chamber, where the insert member has an opening when immersed in the beverage closer to the surface of the beverage than the bottom wall of the beverage in the first chamber. An upwardly extending extension within the beverage for placement is provided. The insert member is typically made of plastic with a wall having a tubular extension projecting upwardly in the beverage, the wall and the tubular extension forming a second chamber;
A narrow hole is located at or near the upper wall of the tubular extension. When forming the beverage package, the wall of the insert member is placed through the open top wall of the container, and the extension is attached to the wall and sealed in the first chamber. The narrow hole in the insert member is small enough to stop the flow of beverage from the first chamber to the second chamber when the contents of the sealed package have reached equilibrium. However, in a preferred construction of the insert member, the narrow hole has a check valve which restricts the flow of beverage into the second chamber and (when the beverage package is opened and the main headspace is reduced). In response to a pressure difference (which develops when communicating with the atmosphere), pressurized gas is expelled from the second chamber to a portion above the first chamber to develop bubbles.
The latter form of the insert member allows the opening of the upper wall with the narrow hole closed during formation of the beverage package so that the second chamber is sealed and contains gas at a pressure above atmospheric pressure. Inserted into the container. After filling the container with the beverage and sealing the container, a check valve is formed between the beverage in the second chamber and the beverage in the first chamber when the sealed container is opened and a pressure difference occurs. Next, the sealed container is processed (e.g., the insert is deformed due to thermal deformation of the plastic material forming the insert as a result of heating the package to pasteurize the beverage).

[0008]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of a beverage package constructed in accordance with the present invention is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show a cross section of the package.

The illustrated beverage package comprises a concave circular bottom wall 2 on which the package is substantially upright, a cylindrical side wall 3, and a circular top wall 4 sewn to the side wall 3 to seal the container. A conventional type of container 1 such as a light metal can provided with To serve the beverage in the container for drinking, the upper wall 4 can be opened by a pull ring, a displaceable tab or other conventional means.

In this embodiment, the beverage contained in the package is light beer or lager containing a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas in a dissolved state, and the content of carbon dioxide is 1.25 per liter. ~ 6.0 g,
The content of nitrogen gas is 3 to 5% by volume. The volume% is a known unit, but the British Patent No. 1,
588,624. The container 1 forms a first chamber, the insert member 6 is inserted into the first chamber through the open upper wall of the container before the upper wall 4 is attached and sealed upright, and It is arranged on the bottom wall 2 of the chamber 5.

The insert member 6 is assembled by the forming member and has a substantially cylindrical drum portion 7 having opposed flanges 8 extending radially, and a tubular portion projecting from the drum portion 7 toward the open upper wall of the container. And an extension portion 9. The insert member 6 is mounted in the container and the flange 8 frictionally engages the cylindrical side wall 3 and is retained on the bottom wall of the first chamber. However, the insert member can also be held on the bottom wall of the container by other means, for example by suction means or magnetic means. The hollow drum portion 7 and the extension 9 of the insert member 6 form a second chamber 10 communicating with the first chamber 5 by a hole or port 11 at the upper end of the extension 9.

The second chamber 10 stores gas at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, which is usually nitrogen gas. Pressurization of the second chamber 10 is performed by one of the two methods described below.

After the insert member 6 has been inserted into the open-walled container, the first chamber 5 contains dissolved gas such that the first chamber of the container has a pressure above atmospheric pressure. The beverage 20 is filled. Headspace 2
The pressurization of 1, for example, is performed by a conventional method of adding liquid nitrogen to the first chamber just before attaching the top wall 4 and sealing the container. As shown in FIG. 1, in the sealed package, the holes 11 are submerged in the beverage 5 and are located closer to the surface 22 of the beverage than to the bottom wall of the first chamber 5. In fact, the holes 11 are for the beverage 20 in the first chamber
Are located at a depth such that about 10% to 20% of the

When the hermetically sealed package is opened, for example by a pull ring (not shown) on the top wall 4 to serve the beer 20 for drinking, the main headspace 21 communicates with the atmosphere and is rapidly depressurized. You. as a result,
A pressure difference occurs, and the gas pressure in the second chamber 10 becomes higher than the pressure in the head space 21. Due to this pressure difference, the gas in the second chamber passes through the hole 11 and the beer 20
Spouts in. The ejection of the gas liberates the dissolved gas in the beverage 20 and, as is well known to those skilled in the art, develops and rises vigorously throughout the beverage 20 over the holes 11 to increase headspace. 21 provides a bubble bubbling of gas that develops bubbles. Hole 11 for beverage 20
At a relatively shallow position beneath the surface 22 of the beer, dissolved gas, in particular carbon dioxide, is released from the portion of beer that is less than 20% of the total volume of the beer 20 in the container and Forms a foam. Thus, when the beer 20 is poured from the container into the glass immediately after the container is opened, the bubbles developed by the gas liberated from a portion of the beverage form the desired foam over the beer in the glass. However, an appropriate amount of gas is dissolved and retained in the beer poured into the glass, and such gas gradually and spontaneously develops, providing a slight lathering effect or "lathering" to the entire beer. This is considered favorable for the aesthetics of lager or light beer and makes the beer taste and mouthfeel.

By inserting and holding the insert member 6 in a vessel with an open top in an atmosphere of gas above atmospheric pressure, the second chamber is in continuous communication with the first chamber through the hole 11 and is pressurized. The pressurized gas is provided in the second chamber 10 and the atmosphere of the pressurized gas is maintained while filling the first chamber with the beverage and sealing the open top wall of the container. With such a technique, the narrow hole 11 (during filling the container with the beverage, until the contents of the sealed package reach equilibrium, and during the general transport and storage of the sealed package). , Almost no beer flows from the first chamber into the second chamber 10 through the narrow hole 11. To facilitate mechanical processing by pressurizing the second chamber 10 in the open-walled container before filling the container with beer 20, the insert member is first inserted into the open-walled container. With the wall 7 attached, the extension 9 is then attached and sealed to the wall 7 in the container, and the insert member 6 is assembled. Second of insert member 6
After filling the chamber 10 with a gas having a pressure higher than the atmospheric pressure, in particular, a nitrogen gas, the insert member 6 is moved to the first chamber 5
It is also possible to insert in. In this latter method, the port 11 is initially closed, but the first chamber 5 is filled with beer 20 and then the headspace 21 is pressurized and the container is sealed with the upper wall 4 before the sealed container Is adjusted to open the port 11 by appropriately treating For example, the sealed package is heated during pasteurization of the beverage 20, which changes the properties of the plastic material of the extension 9 and automatically opens the port 11. In this latter method, where the pressurized gas is filled in the second chamber 10 of the insert member 6 when inserted into an open-walled container, the port 11 projects from the wall of the wall of the drum part 7. And it can be closed at the upper end of the projection 30 which extends upward in the extension 9. The protrusion 30 closes the port 11 and seals the second chamber 10 while the beverage is filled and sealed in the container. But,
For example, as described above, during subsequent processing of the sealed package, such as heating the package, the properties of the insert member 6 change, the insert member 6 expands, and the free end of the protrusion 30 connects with the port 11. In cooperation, the inverse responsive to the development of a pressure difference between the pressure of the gas in the second chamber and the pressure of the gas in the headspace 21 (when the upper wall 4 is opened and the headspace communicates with the atmosphere). A stop valve is formed.
The check valve formed by the protrusion 30 and the port 11
Usually, the flow of beer into the second chamber 10 through the port 11 is restricted. When the container is opened, the plastic material of the extension 9 (or the entire insert) bends in response to the developed pressure difference with the projection 30,
Pressurized gas is blown from the second chamber 10 through the port 11 to the upper portion of the beverage 20 in the first chamber 5 to develop foam.

In FIG. 1, the holes 11 correspond to the surface 22 of the beer 20.
, The holes may also be arranged to spout gas in any direction in the beer as desired, determined by the depth to which the port 11 is submerged in the beer, For example, the hole 11 is the surface 22 of the beer 20.
Is positioned just below the port 11 so that the gas is blown toward the cylindrical side wall of the container to prevent the gas from being blown into the headspace 21 and wasting energy. It can be placed or it can be placed down into the beverage.

[0017]

According to the present invention, the disadvantages caused by the excessive release of dissolved gas are eliminated, and when the beverage is served for drinking, it is necessary for the development of foam when foam is formed on the beverage. The desired foaming can be maintained without diminishing the desired properties.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a beverage package according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Container 2 Bottom wall 3 Side wall 4 Top wall 5 First chamber 6 Insert member 7 Drum part (wall body) 8 Flange 9 Extension part 10 Second chamber 11 Port 20 Beverage 21 Main head space 22 Beverage surface 30 Projection

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing from the front page (72) Robert Padham, Inventor West Hendon Nd. JP-A-6-211244 (JP, A) JP-A-63-120829 (JP, U) International Publication No. 91/7326 (WO, A1) UK Patent Application Publication 1266351 (GB, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int .Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65D 25/02 B65D 79/00

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A first chamber for storing a beverage containing a dissolved gas and forming a headspace for storing a gas at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, a gas at a pressure higher than atmospheric pressure, and A second chamber in communication with or in communication with the beverage in the first chamber through a hole provided in a position submerged in the beverage;
The insert member disposed in the first chamber
A beverage package comprising a sealed container having the second chamber formed therefrom , wherein the insert member is at the bottom of the first chamber or
A base located near the bottom, and
A cylindrical extension that is retained and extends upward in the beverage
And the base and the cylindrical extension are the second
Forming a chamber, wherein the apertures are higher than the bottom wall of the beverage in the first chamber.
At a position in the beverage close to the surface of the beverage, the cylinder
Being disposed in a shape extension, wherein the package is openable to allow the first chamber to communicate with the atmosphere, and the unsealing allows pressurized gas in the second chamber to be removed from the second chamber. Introducing the gas into the beverage in the first chamber through a hole, wherein the introduction of the gas liberates the gas dissolved in the beverage to form a bubble in the main headspace; A beverage package, wherein the beverage is limited to a portion at a position shallow from the surface of the beverage. 2. The beverage package according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the beverage is less than 30% of the volume of the beverage in the first chamber. 3. The aperture restricts the beverage flowing into the second chamber through the aperture and displaces pressurized gas from the second chamber in response to the pressure differential. The beverage package according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising a check valve for ejecting the beverage into the beverage.