JP3440133B2 - Dispensing head with cooling function - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dispenser mounted on, for example, a beer barrel, and more particularly to a dispenser with a cooling function for a beverage container for directly pouring beer into a jug or the like using a small carbon dioxide gas cylinder. Regarding the head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, when beer is poured into a jug or the like to be sold in a store or at a store, barreled beer is usually used. Further, since beer is the most delicious when it is cooled, it is customary that the beer poured into the jug or the like is cooled.

Therefore, at a store or the like which provides beer, it is provided using a dispenser. The following are typical dispensers. That is,
As shown in FIG. 5A, the beer barrel 31 is placed in the refrigerator 30.
Is installed and a dispense head 33 to which a carbon dioxide gas cylinder 32 is connected is attached to its base, and a pipe 34 is introduced from the dispense head 33 into the refrigerator chamber 35, and the pipe 3
A beer cock 36 is connected to the end portion of No. 4 and the beer barrel 31 is cooled in the refrigerator 30.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), in the housing containing the refrigerator chamber 37 and the cooling water tank 38,
The ice 39 and the coil pipe 40 are stored in the cooling water tank 38,
There is a system that includes a cooling device 41 that instantaneously cools beer passing through the coil pipe 40.

Then, as shown in FIG.
There is a system having a cooling device 45 that cools the coil pipe 44 with a cold plate 43 on which is mounted and instantaneously cools the beer passing through the coil pipe 44.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5 (d), the beer is directly poured from a beer barrel 31 (3 to 5 ° C.) that is cold at the time of drinking. 46 is a small carbon dioxide gas cylinder (mini cylinder).

Thus, in order to directly pour the chilled beer from the beer barrel 31 into a jug or the like, a freezing for cooling the dispense head 33 attached to the base of the beer barrel 31 and the pipe 34 connected to the dispense head 33. Machine room 3
5 or cooling devices 41, 45 were required.

[0008]

However, the method shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b) is applied to the refrigerator 30 and the cooling device 4.
Since 1,45 are required, the portability is low, and it cannot be implemented in a place without a power source, chilled beer cannot be provided in a recreational place such as a mountain other than a store. Also,
The system of FIG. 5 (c) is attached with the cooling device 45 accommodating the ice 42 and the cold plate 43, so the ice 42 is indispensable and cannot be implemented in a place where a large amount of ice cannot be secured. On the other hand, the method of FIG. 5D is different from the main mode in which the method shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C is normally used in various stores. When the beer barrel 31 is loaded with the carbon dioxide mini cylinder 46 and the beer is poured out (served) by injecting the gas, the beer barrel 31 is pre-cooled, and although the consumption is relatively fast, the cooling capacity is relatively high. Therefore, some kind of cooling means is an essential condition for the beer barrel 31 prepared by pre-cooling to prevent the liquid temperature from rising. Moreover, since beer is poured from a beer barrel 31 to a jug or the like immediately, it tends to be beer with a lot of foam. The object of the present invention is to improve this point.

In addition, since the refrigerator 30 and the cooling devices 41 and 45 for accommodating the beer barrels 31 as they are are specially manufactured, they are expensive and the running cost thereof increases, so that a large quantity can be provided. Otherwise, profitability is lacking and economic efficiency is poor.

Thus, none of the above means can be carried out simply, quickly and easily, so that even in a store, group-by-group service and chilled beer at non-store recreational places such as Noyama, at home, etc. Currently, it is difficult to provide a large amount.

Therefore, the present invention provides a dispenser for beverage containers and the like, which has a simple cooling means and can be used simply, quickly and easily.

[0012]

A dispense head with a cooling function according to the present invention is directly attached to a mouthpiece of a beverage container and is dispensed through a pipe by a gas pressure injected into a beverage container from a small carbon dioxide gas cylinder. Dispensing head for directly pouring beverages from, and the cooling container containing the pipe can be attached to and detached from the top of the beverage container.
Placed in the piping of the cooling vessel spirally wound storage of
Is in contact with the refrigerant and is wound into the spiral shape.
The pipe is configured to receive a refrigerant .

The beverage container is a beer barrel, the beverage is beer, and the pipe in the cooling container is spirally wound and accommodated so that it can come into contact with the refrigerant.
Refrigerant ice water, together with a ice water or cold air, cold却容instrument Ri castings der comprising a high heat conductivity that cast the pipes inside the material, the cooling element is incorporated in the template creation
It has characterized the Rukoto.

[0014]

[Function] When the dispense head is attached to the base of a beer barrel or the like, and the refrigerant is stored in the cooling container, the pipe comes into contact with the refrigerant to be cooled, or when the cooling element cools the cooling container, the dispense cock is opened. Drinks such as chilled beer are poured into a mug.

Further, when the pipe is spirally or spirally wound and stored in a cooling container, the cooling path for a beverage such as beer becomes large, the cooling effect increases, and the cooling path becomes long, so that the beer is cooled. As a result, a pressure loss of the beverage occurs, so that the foaming is reduced even if the beverage is directly poured from the dispense cock to the jug or the like.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a first embodiment in which a dispense head 3 with a cooling function is mounted and placed on a beverage container (beer barrel) 1. This dispensing head 3 is a beverage container 1
A cooling container 11 having a substantially H-shaped cross section having a leg portion 12 and an opening portion 13 having an opening at an upper portion and a predetermined height, and a lid 15 and an upper peripheral wall of the cooling container 11. Part of the dispensing cock 17 fixed to the portion and the cooling cock 11 is connected to the dispensing cock 17 at one end,
A pipe 14 which is spirally wound and housed in a cooling container 11 and has the other end projecting downward from the bottom of the cooling container, and a head base end connected to the lower end of the pipe 14 through a coupler 10. 4, the head base end portion 4 is provided with a set bar 8 attached to the mouthpiece 2 of the beverage container 1 and a pressure reducing adjustment valve 6,
A handle for opening and closing a beer valve of a beer flow passage (not shown) and a gas valve of the gas flow passage in a cap which communicates with a mini cylinder mounting portion 5 for mounting a small carbon dioxide gas cylinder 7 (hereinafter referred to as a mini cylinder) and a beer pouring pipe 19a. 9 and.

The cooling container 11 is made of stainless steel, a double-structured stainless steel container having a heat retaining function (vacuum insulation, refrigerant insulation, Styrofoam, etc.), vinyl chloride, polyethylene, etc.
It is preferably made of polypropylene or the like so that the temperature of the refrigerant can be maintained for a long time, and the penetrating portion of the pipe 14 projecting from the bottom of the cooling container 11 is sealed with a packing / O-ring or the like interposed, though not shown. A well-known seal structure is used. In this embodiment, the cooling container 11 is formed to have the same diameter as the beverage container 1, and the lower end of the leg 12 extending below the cooling container 11 has a skirt that is an upper protector of the beverage container 1. The stepped portion 11a is formed by reducing the diameter so that it can be fitted into the portion 1a, and the stepped portion 11a is placed on the skirt portion 1a of the beverage container 1. Opening 1
3 has a large opening in the circumferential direction, or reverse U
It is also possible to provide approximately three character-shaped openings in the circumferential direction.

The pipe 14 is a pipe through which beer flows with one end communicating with the inside of the beverage container 1, and the down pipe 19 inside the beverage container 1 loaded in the mouthpiece 2 of the beverage container 1 and the head base end portion. 4 is connected to the beer pouring pipe 19a and the coupler portion 10 to form a beer flow passage, which is formed in a coil portion 14a having a substantially inverted conical shape that extends into the cooling container 11 and expands upward inside thereof. .

The coupler portion 10 is a coupler 1 provided at the upper end of the beer pouring pipe 19a protruding from the head base end portion 4.
0b and a coupler 10b coaxially above the head base end portion 4 and connected to the lower end portion of the pipe 14, and the other detachable coupler 10a. However, the coupler section 10 is not limited to this.

A gas flow passage from the mini-cylinder mounting portion 5 of the head base end portion 4 is provided in the base 2. The structures in the base 2 and the head base 4 are the same as those conventionally known. The dispense cock 17 has a lever and a valve (not shown) that opens and closes by the lever. Set bar 8
Is a lever used when the dispensing head 3 is attached to the base 2.

A cooling medium 16 such as ice is put into the cooling container 11, and after the cooling medium 16 is put in, a lid 15 is put on the cooling container 11.
Further, a drain pipe 18 for discharging the water accumulated in the cooling container 11 is provided. The refrigerant 16 may be water or ice water, and further includes cold air in the cooling container 11 cooled by ice. The refrigerant 16 is the pipe 1 of the coil portion 14a.
Contact 4 to cool it.

Therefore, in the first embodiment, the cooling cock 11 stores the crushed refrigerant 16 such as ice and the coil portion 14a is sufficiently cooled, and the dispense cock 17 is operated through the lever operation. When beer is poured into a jug or the like from the beer, the beer is cooled by the coil portion 14a and poured into the jug or the like. Here, the coil portion 14a is formed in a spiral shape that spreads upward so that, for example, when the refrigerant 16 is ice, the coil portion 14a receives the ice so that the ice can be efficiently used without waste. is there.

Next, the mounting of the dispensing head 3 on the beverage container 1 in this embodiment will be described. The mini cylinder 7 is attached to the mini cylinder mounting portion 5 of the head base end portion 4. At this time, the pressure reducing adjustment valve 6 is kept closed. At the same time, the handle 9 is also closed. Next, the coupler 10b on the beer pouring pipe 19a side of the head base end portion 4
And the coupler 10a on the side of the pipe 14 are connected, and the dispense head 3 is placed on the beverage container 1 in alignment with the base 2.
Putting a hand through the opening 13 of the leg 12, the set bar 8 is rotated in the circumferential direction to be connected. This connecting method is the same as a conventionally known method of mounting a dispensing head, and for example, the base 2
It is mounted by rotating in the circumferential direction with a combination of a claw provided on the head and a taper guide provided on the head base end portion 4.

Similarly, the handle 9 is turned through the opening 13 to push down the beer valve and the gas valve (not shown) in the base 2 having a conventionally well-known structure to open the beer and gas passages, and further open the pressure reducing control valve 6. , After adjusting the beer pouring pressure to inject the carbon dioxide gas of the mini cylinder 7 into the beverage container 1 to bring it into a pressurized state, by operating the dispense cock 17 with a lever, cooled beer can be poured out. .

In the above example, the pipe 14 and the beer spouting pipe 19a of the head base end 4 were connected by the one-touch mounting by the coupler unit 10. However, this coupling method can be a conventionally known one, and The pipe 14 and the beer pouring pipe 19a may be connected by, for example, a resin tube (hose) made of polyethylene or the like and tightened and fixed by a band or the like. It is more effective to fix the hose if a retaining mechanism having a serrated shape is provided. Further, an attachment method such as fixing a separate coupler 10a corresponding to the coupler 10b to the pipe 14 with screws may be adopted.

Further, in the dispensing head 3 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the spiral pipe 14 arranged in the cooling container 11a does not have a winding shape that is a substantially inverted conical shape that spreads upward.
When the ice is used as the refrigerant, even a lump of ice can be stored by making the inner center wide as a right cylinder type. The same components as those in the first embodiment will be described with the same reference numerals.

The dispensing head 3 is coaxially connected to the head base end portion 4 on which the set bar 8, the pressure reducing valve 6 and the small mini cylinder 7 are arranged, and the top surface of the beverage container 1 is connected. A bottomed cylindrical cooling container 11a having an upper opening in which a foot portion 20 fixed to the bottom is connected to the bottom, a lid 15a, and a pipe 14 housed in a spiral arrangement inside the cooling container 11a.
And a dispense cock 17 attached to the pipe 14. The pedestal portion 20 may be a Gotoku-shaped one composed of 3 to 5 metal rods. The cooling container 11 a is formed smaller than the diameter of the beverage container 1.

The pipe 14 is housed as a coil portion 14b which is spirally wound inside the cooling container 11a, and one end which is a pipe end projecting from the bottom of the cooling container 11a communicates with the beverage container 1 to beer. Is a pipe through which a beer flow passage is formed via the head base end portion 4 and the base 2.
Further, the gas in the mini-cylinder 7 attached to the head base end portion 4 is injected into the beverage container 1 through a pressure reducing valve 6 and a gas flow passage (not shown) communicating with the mouthpiece 2 and the beverage container 1. The set bar 8 is a lever used when the dispensing head 3 is attached to the base 2. The dispense cock 17 has a lever and a valve (not shown) that opens and closes by the lever. 18 is a drain pipe.

The cooling container 11a can contain a refrigerant 16 such as ice, and the cooling container 11a can be opened / closed.
a. The ice as the refrigerant 16 may be ice by an ice crusher / ice maker, ice of a home refrigerator, or ice lumps accommodated in the coil portion 14b. The area around the ice block becomes cold, and the coil portion 14b is also cooled. The refrigerant 16 contacts the coil portion 14b to cool it, and water, ice, ice water, or cold air can be the refrigerant.

Therefore, in the cooling container 11a, the refrigerant 16 such as crushed ice and ice blocks is stored and the coil portion 14b of the spirally wound pipe 14 is sufficiently cooled, and the dispense cock 17 is operated through the lever operation. The beer that has been cooled and has a low bubbling is poured into a jug or the like.

Next, in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 3, as in the first embodiment, the cooling container 11b is placed on the beverage container 1 through the stepped structure of the legs thereof. A cooling container 11b having a diameter substantially the same as that of the upper protector, having an opening at the top and a leg 12 and an opening 13 having a predetermined height at the bottom and having a substantially H-shaped cross section and having a lower end having a step structure. A coil portion 14c formed by winding the pipe 14 in a planar spiral shape is arranged at the bottom of the cooling container 11b, and one end of the pipe 14 is projected from the bottom of the cooling container 11b to form the coupler 10a.
And a coupler 10b provided on the beer pouring pipe 19a of the head base end portion 4 which is fitted and mounted on the mouthpiece 2 to form the coupler portion 10, the head base end portion 4, and the mouthpiece 2 of the beverage container 1 It is communicated with the down pipe 19 in the beverage container 1 via a beer flow passage having a well-known structure (not shown). The injection gas flow system from the mini-cylinder 7 in the head base end portion 4 is the same as that in the above embodiment. A coolant 16 such as ice can be stored in the cooling container 11b, and the cooling container 1
1b has a lid 15 that can be opened and closed. Head base end 4, dispense cock 17, other components and cooling container 11b
The method of placing the same on a beer barrel, the method of attaching the head base end portion 4, and the like are the same as those in the first embodiment. The refrigerant 16 is for cooling the coil portion 14c, and like the second embodiment,
It may be in ice, water, ice water or cold air.

Thus, by operating the lever of the dispensing cock 17, the beer in the beverage container 1 is served to the jug or the like in a state where foaming is suppressed at the time of drinking by passing through the cooled coil portion 14c.

In this embodiment, in which the pipe 14 is wound in a plane spiral shape, the cooling container 11b can be formed compactly.

The cooling container 11b has the same structure as in the second embodiment.
It goes without saying that a mode in which it is placed on the beverage container 1 via the foot portion may be adopted.

Further, in the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the cooling container 11c attached to the mouthpiece 2 of the beverage container 1 is made of stainless steel, and the pipe 14 having the coil portion 14d spirally wound has a metal having a good heat conductivity, For example, it is made of a cast product that is molded by being covered with aluminum, brass, stainless steel, or the like, and has a cooling element 21 (for example, a Peltier element or the like) incorporated in the peripheral side surface. Dispense cock 17 is provided at one end of pipe 14.
Are connected. On the other hand, the pipe 1 on the lower end side of the cooling container 11c
4 is connected to the beer pouring pipe 19a of the head base end 4 through a coupler 10 or a hose. A well-known method is used to connect the beer pouring pipe 19a and the pipe 14, but in the embodiment, the pipe 14 on the lower end side of the cooling container 11c is used.
Is projected from the lower end of the cooling container 11c and connected to the hose 25, and a pedestal 26 of an appropriate shape for supporting the cooling container 11c, for example, a pedestal in the shape of a vignette having three legs is interposed. The head base end portion 4 itself is the same as that of the first, second and third embodiments, and is provided with a mini cylinder mounting portion 5 to which a mini cylinder 7 is mounted, a set bar 8 for fixing operation to the base 2, and a handle 9. The structure is the same as that of a conventionally known mini-cylinder mounting type dispensing head.

A power source can be connected to the cooling element 21 via a wiring 22, and a fan 23 driven by the power source is provided outside the cooling element 21. Cooling element 21
During the cooling operation, heat is generated as a heat exchange action, so it is necessary to allow cooling, and a cooling radiator 24 having a comb-shaped surface on the fan side is integrated with the outside of the cooling element 21 embedded in the cooling container 11c. The air is sent from the fan 23 to effectively dissipate heat. Thus,
The cooling container 11c itself is cooled, the beer passing through the spiral pipe 14 is cooled by the beer pouring operation, and the ready-to-drink beer is poured from the dispense cock 17 to a jug or the like.

A plurality of cooling elements 21 may be arranged for effective cooling. Although there are restrictions due to the shape of the cooling container 11c, any method such as a method of burying two cooling elements 21 separately or a method of combining and connecting a plurality of cooling elements 21 may be used.

Alternatively, the cooling element 21 may not be embedded in the side wall of the cooling container 11c, but a cooling element assembly combined with a fixing band or the like may be attached to the cooling container 11c. The power supply may be designed so that not only alternating current but also direct current can be used.

In the above, the example in which the head base portion 4 is mounted inside the mouthpiece 2 of the beverage container 1 has been described, but it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to a type of beverage container that is mounted from the outside of the mouthpiece. Not limited to beverage containers other than liter capacity, even in containers of other capacity,
Furthermore, by using nitrogen gas, it can be applied to the case of providing other alcoholic beverages such as whiskey and wine and soft drinks.

[0040]

According to the present invention described above, a highly portable dispensing head in which a pipe through which beer or the like flows is arranged in a cooling container for storing a refrigerant, without having a large attached device, Since it can be easily attached to and detached from the beverage container, it has a simple structure, and when the refrigerant is stored in the cooling container, the piping will come into contact with the refrigerant to be cooled. Cold beer, etc. are poured out. Therefore, even if the beverage in the beverage container is insufficiently cooled, there is an advantage that the beverage is cooled just before drinking.

Then, the piping and the refrigerant are cooled compactly.
It can be stored in a container, and the contact area between the pipe and the refrigerant is extremely small.
It becomes possible to take a large amount, and the refrigerant can be efficiently used without waste.
Has an effect that can be used. In addition, even in stores, etc., it can be used arbitrarily on the table gathering in group units, and in places other than stores such as recreational areas such as Noyama or at home, if ice and power can be secured, cold beer etc. can be easily and quickly. Can be easily provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic sectional view showing a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

5A to 5D are explanatory views of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Beverage container 2 ... clasp 3 ... Dispensing head 4 head end 5 ... Cylinder mounting part 6 ... Pressure reducing regulator 7 ... Mini cylinder (small carbon dioxide cylinder) 8 ... Set bar 9 ... Handle 10 ... Coupler section 11, 11a, 11b, 11c ... Cooling container 12 ... legs 13 ... Opening 14 ... Piping 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d ... Coil part 15 ... Lid 16 ... Refrigerant 17 ... Dispensing Cock 18 ... Drain pipe 20 ... foot stand 21 ... Cooling element 22 ... Wiring 23 ... Fan 24 ... radiator 25 ... Hose 26 ... Pedestal

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A dispense head which is directly attached to a mouthpiece of a beverage container and directly dispenses the beverage from a dispense cock through a pipe by a gas pressure injected into the beverage container from a small-sized carbon dioxide gas cylinder. On the upper part of the beverage container, the cooling container containing the pipe is removably placed,
The pipe in the cooling container is spirally wound and housed to store the refrigerant.
Can be contacted with the spirally wound pipe
Dispensing head with cooling function characterized by receiving refrigerant . 2. The dispense head with cooling function according to claim 1, wherein the beverage container is a beer barrel and the beverage is beer. 3. A refrigerant ice water, ice or claim 1 or 2 with a cooling function dispense head according a cold. 4. The dispense head with a cooling function according to claim 1, wherein the cooling container is cast and molded from a material having a high heat conductivity in which the pipe is cast, and a cooling element is incorporated in the cooling container.