JP3942064B2 - Barrel pressure regulating valve for beer dispenser - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a pressure regulating valve for appropriately maintaining a barrel internal pressure in accordance with a beer temperature in a beer barrel that varies depending on an outside air temperature in a beer dispenser.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a beer dispenser has the connection mode shown in FIG. That is, in general, a gas cylinder B such as carbon dioxide for supplying discharge pressure is connected to the primary side of the beer barrel T, and the beer discharged from the beer barrel is poured into the glass via the cooling circuit or the like on the secondary side. The beer server S is connected. In the figure, R is a relief valve.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in general, beer barrels are usually installed in a state exposed to the outside air without being covered with a heat insulating material, but in addition to being molded by stainless steel with high thermal conductivity, beer barrels are placed in places where temperature changes are severe. In some cases, the beer temperature in the beer barrel changes greatly according to changes in the outside air temperature. If the beer temperature changes due to a change in the outside air temperature, the saturation temperature also changes. For example, if the beer temperature decreases, the carbon dioxide remaining in the barrel is easily dissolved. Such a phenomenon is generally an impediment to providing a good beer. This is because highly carbonated beer loses its mellowness.
[0004]
For example, when a beer barrel is installed in a restaurant kitchen, the room temperature (outside temperature) varies by 10 ° C. or more depending on the degree of use of heating appliances and air conditioners, and beer in the barrel is accordingly changed. Temperature also changes greatly. Such a temperature change greatly changes depending on a cold region, a warm region, a season, or the like, but in the restaurant described above, the temperature difference between daytime (business hours) and nighttime (closed time) is significant. In particular, the temperature difference in winter is even more pronounced. And assuming that the pressure of carbon dioxide in the barrel was 0.25 MPa after the end of business, and the beer temperature that was around 20 ° C dropped to 5 ° C as the night cooled, the barrel internal pressure was maintained at a relatively high pressure. In spite of this, the beer temperature is lowered by around 15 ° C., and the inside of the barrel is in a low temperature and high pressure state, so that carbon dioxide dissolves into the beer.
[0005]
In the graph shown in FIG. 3, the solid line shows the relationship between the beer temperature and the barrel pressure necessary to maintain an appropriate carbonic acid level. As is clear from this, when the beer temperature is around 20 ° C., the barrel pressure is preferably about 0.25 MPa, and conversely, when the beer temperature is lowered to around 5 ° C., the barrel pressure needs to be lowered to about 0.12 MPa.
[0006]
However, the conventional constant pressure relief valve cannot maintain the carbonation degree of beer as a result. Because, in the case of a conventional relief valve, as indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 3, the barrel pressure is fixed at 0.1 MPa, which is the operating pressure, and therefore it is impossible to adjust the pressure according to the beer temperature. It is.
[0007]
As is apparent from the above-described problems, the present invention discloses a pressure regulating valve capable of adjusting the internal pressure of the barrel according to the temperature of the beer that changes depending on the outside air temperature, and provides a delicious beer maintained at an appropriate carbonic acid level. It is intended to do.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention employs a structure capable of appropriately adjusting the operating pressure. That is, in claim 1, a barrel internal pressure regulating valve installed between a beer barrel and a gas cylinder, a pressure chamber is formed inside the regulating valve, and a gas that communicates the internal pressure chamber and the barrel internal pressure. A conduction hole, a valve body that opens and closes the gas conduction hole, a pressure setting spring that normally biases the valve body in the sealing direction of the gas conduction hole, and a pressure that adjusts the compression ratio of the pressure setting spring An adjustment knob, a gas vent hole that allows communication between the internal pressure chamber and the outside air, a button protruding from the gas vent hole, and a button return spring that normally urges the button in the sealing direction of the gas vent hole Further, the knob can adjust the compression rate of the pressure setting spring by a rotating operation.
[0009]
According to this means, the operating pressure of the valve body is adjusted by adjusting the compression rate of the pressure setting spring. The said operating pressure is performed by rotating the knob which adjusts the compression rate of the said spring, and is set according to the beer temperature etc. in a barrel. In addition, when the button is pushed in, the excess pressure retained in the internal pressure chamber of the valve is released to the outside air, and the pressure chamber, and thus the internal pressure of the barrel is reduced to the above-described operating pressure.
[0010]
Further, in the second aspect, the knob is provided with a scale allowing the set pressure to be visually observed, and the operating pressure of the valve body can be easily set according to the beer temperature and the like at that time.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view of a barrel internal pressure regulating valve according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a hollow cylindrical body cover, 2 is a joint connected to the body cover, and 3 is a body cover 1. A pressure adjusting knob 4 is rotatably attached to 4 and 4 is a gas venting button. This regulating valve is attached at the same position as that shown in FIG. That is, the gas cylinder B and the beer barrel T are connected to the primary side and the secondary side of the joint 2 of the main body cover 1, respectively, and the pressure therebetween, that is, the internal pressures of the gas cylinder B and the beer barrel T are equal. The internal pressure of the barrel T is monitored and adjusted.
[0012]
The joint 2 is formed by forming a gas conduction hole 2b at the center upper portion of the straight pipe portion 2a that communicates the primary side and the secondary side, and a cylindrical connection portion 2c that communicates with the conduction hole 2b. And the external thread 2d is provided in the outer side of the cylindrical connection part 2c, and both are united by screwing the main body cover 1 here. An internal thread 2e is formed inside the cylindrical connecting portion 2c of the joint 2. In the drawing, 2f is a gas flow path.
[0013]
The pressure adjusting knob 3 is formed by integrally molding an upper knob portion 3a, a middle step portion 3b, and a lower step portion 3c. Here, a knurled 3d is engraved on the outer periphery of the upper knob portion 3a, and a set pressure scale 3e is printed. By adjusting the scale 3e to the reference point 1a printed on the main body cover 1, it is possible to arbitrarily set the operating pressure of the adjustment valve described later. The middle step 3 b is in close contact with the inner wall of the main body cover 1 and is water-tightly sealed by the O-ring 5. The lower step portion 3c is formed by engraving a male screw 3f that engages with a female screw 2e formed on the cylindrical connecting portion 2c of the joint 2 on the outer periphery thereof. Therefore, with this structure, the pressure adjusting knob 3 moves up and down by the action of the screws 2e and 3f by rotating the upper knob portion 3a with fingers. In the figure, 3g is a gas flow path.
[0014]
The degassing button 4 is urged upward by a button return spring 7 having one end fixed to a locking step 3h formed inside the middle step 3b of the pressure adjusting knob 3. The button protrudes from a through hole 3i formed in the upper knob portion 3a of the knob 3. At this time, the gap between the button and the through hole 3i is used as a gas vent hole 8.
The button 4 is formed with a flange 4a as a whole to prevent it from coming off. Normally, the button 4 is urged upward by a button return spring 7, so that the flange 4a is brought into close contact with the O-ring 9. The gas vent hole 8 is sealed.
[0015]
Next, in FIG. 1, 10 is a valve body that seals the gas conduction hole 2b of the joint 2, and is molded into a substantially T-shaped cross section. The valve body 10 is urged downward by a pressure setting spring 11 interposed between the top plate 10a and the knob 3, and the top plate 10a is brought into close contact with the O-ring 12 provided in the gas conduction hole 2b in a normal state. Thus, the gas conduction hole 2b is sealed.
[0016]
In the barrel internal pressure regulating valve having the above structure, several cavities are formed inside. In this embodiment, these cavities are communicated with each other via the gas flow paths 2f and 3g, whereby the gas conduction of the regulating joint 2 is achieved. A space between the hole 2 b and the gas vent hole 8 of the knob 3 is defined as a pressure chamber 13.
[0017]
According to the above structure, the barrel internal pressure is set as follows. That is, the compression pressure of the pressure setting spring 11 is adjusted by first rotating the knob 3 to determine the operating pressure of the valve body 10. That is, if the knob 3 is rotated in the lowering direction, the compression rate of the pressure setting spring 11 increases, and the operating pressure of the valve element 10 increases accordingly. On the other hand, when it is desired to lower the operating pressure of the valve body, the knob 3 may be turned reversely.
[0018]
After determining the operating pressure of the valve body 10 in this way, when the pressure in the joint, that is, the barrel pressure in communication with the joint 2 is maintained below the operating pressure, the valve body 10 does not operate. The gas conduction hole 2b maintains a sealed state.
[0019]
On the other hand, if the barrel internal pressure rises above the operating pressure, the pressure acts on the valve body 10 and pushes up the valve body 10 against the urging force of the pressure setting spring 11 to open the gas conduction hole 2b. . And as long as the barrel internal pressure is maintained more than an operating pressure, the valve-opening state of the valve body 10 is maintained, and the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 13 and the barrel internal pressure are maintained in the equal balance state.
[0020]
Therefore, if the degassing button 4 is pushed in, the close contact between the flange 4a and the O-ring 9 is released, and the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 13 is released to the outside by opening the degassing hole 8. As a result, when the internal pressure of the pressure chamber 13 is reduced to the operating pressure of the valve body 10, the gas conduction hole 2 b is sealed again by the valve body 10, and the pressure chamber 13, and thus the internal pressure of the barrel is set to the initial setting value. Can be maintained.
[0021]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the operating pressure of the valve body can be arbitrarily set by adjusting the compression rate of the pressure setting spring by turning the knob. It can be appropriately changed to an appropriate value according to. For this reason, excessive vaporization and gas penetration of the beer in the barrel are avoided, and a beer having a carbonation degree at the time of shipment can be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a partial cross-sectional view in which a right half of a barrel internal pressure regulating valve according to an embodiment of the present invention is cut away. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a beer dispenser showing an installation position of a barrel internal pressure regulating valve. Correlation graph showing the relationship between temperature and the appropriate pressure inside the barrel.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Main body cover 2 Joint 2b Gas conduction hole 3 Pressure adjustment knob 4 Gas release button 7 Button return spring 8 Gas release hole 10 Valve element 11 Pressure setting spring

Claims (2)

A barrel internal pressure regulating valve installed between a beer barrel and a gas cylinder, wherein a pressure chamber is formed inside the regulating valve, a gas conduction hole for communicating the internal pressure chamber and the barrel internal pressure, and the gas conduction A valve body that opens and closes the hole, a pressure setting spring that normally biases the valve body in the sealing direction of the gas conduction hole, a pressure adjustment knob that adjusts the compression rate of the pressure setting spring, and an internal pressure A degassing hole that communicates between the chamber and the outside air, a button that projects from the degassing hole, and a button return spring that normally urges the button in the sealing direction of the degassing hole. Is a barrel internal pressure adjusting valve for a beer dispenser characterized in that the compression rate of the pressure setting spring can be adjusted by a rotating operation. 2. The barrel internal pressure regulating valve for a beer dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the knob is provided with a scale capable of visually checking the set pressure.

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