JPH0471787B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to a closure for a beverage container, and specifically to a closure for a beverage container equipped with a pump for pressurizing the beverage container with atmospheric air. Concerning cap closures.

(Prior Art) Carbonated beverages are sold in glass containers or plastic containers, and these containers are pressurized and sealed at manufacturing plants. The closure serves to seal the container and maintain the contents under pressure until the container is opened for consumption. Beverage containers are often relatively small, in the 6 to 10 ounce range, and are sealed with disposable caps that are discarded after the beverage container is opened. Beverage containers become larger, e.g. 2 to 3
For smaller bottles, the closure is a reusable screw cap, which allows the container to be resealed after some of the beverage has been removed.

Carbonated drinks usually have carbon dioxide dissolved in them, and this carbon dioxide will leak into the atmosphere unless the container is pressurized and sealed. When the dissolved carbon dioxide is gone, the taste of carbonated drinks becomes bland. By keeping the beverage container sealed after use,
Carbonation loss can be somewhat reduced. However, if the volume of the beverage container becomes quite large, even if the container is sealed, carbonic acid will be released into the space inside the container, which will impair the taste of the remaining beverage. Therefore,
In the case of such large containers, the quality of the beverage gradually deteriorates and the beverage remaining in the container becomes unpalatable and ends up being discarded.

To reduce the amount of carbonation lost from a beverage, it is common practice to seal the volume within the beverage container. This involves inserting a closure with a resilient sealing member into the neck of the container to tightly seal the interior volume of the container. However, as the remaining amount of the beverage decreases, the space inside the container becomes larger, so that more dissolved carbon dioxide gas flows out from the beverage into the space.

It is also known that if the space within the beverage container is repressurized with atmospheric air, the amount of dissolved carbon dioxide leaving the beverage is substantially reduced. For this reason, it has been proposed to pressurize the space inside the container with atmospheric air using a pump device. It is known to insert a combination of a closed cap and a pressure pump into the neck of a beverage container. but,
With such conventional pressurizing and sealing devices, there have been cases in which the space in the beverage container is formed at a pressure greater than the pressure of the gas dissolved in the beverage, or in which the pressure cannot be maintained. Furthermore, such pump closures have been unable to maintain a sufficiently high pressure within the container space due to leakage through or around the sealing element of the pump. Also, although conventional pumping devices can initially create a suitable pressure level,
Some were unable to maintain internal pressure at a predetermined level due to leaks.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention and Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention combines a pump that can be operated by hand with a sealed cap to seal and pressurize the internal space of a carbonated beverage container. It is. The pump cylinder is integrally formed with the threaded closure cap and is insertable into the cavity of the beverage container, with the pump cylinder being inserted through the neck of the container. The piston is disposed through a guide ring, allowing it to move forward and backward within the pump cylinder. A space is provided between the piston and the inner diameter of the cylinder side wall to form an annular portion for supplying air. sealed. The inner diameter space of the cylinder formed on the opposite side of the seal constitutes a compression chamber.

An important feature of the present invention is to provide an improved check valve arrangement in the pump cylinder in which the discharge port is sealed by a resilient conformable member, the matching member being located within the side wall of the cylinder. The reason for this is that it is brought into contact with a tapered sealing surface formed on the surface. A discharge port is formed in this sealing surface. Since the seal member has a flexible structure that is resilient against the tapered seal surface, the force applied to the seal member during the upstroke process and during rest is uniformly across the surface of the seal member. Because it is distributed, wrinkles can be prevented and damage to the seal can be prevented. Furthermore,
During the downstroke, air is forced out of the compression chamber and into the cavity of the beverage container. The elastic member can be easily displaced from the tapered surface surrounding the ejection port to pressurize the space in the container.

Another feature of the invention is that an annular seal is fitted around the reduced diameter of the piston and is movable axially along the reduced diameter to a first position. In the first position, the vent groove formed in the piston is open and air can enter the compression chamber from the air supply annulus through the vent groove during the retraction of the upstroke of the piston. The annular seal is axially movable along the small diameter from a first position to a second position. During the downstroke of the piston and seal, the annular seal moves into the pump cylinder to a second position, and the seal contacts the piston to close the vent groove and seal the air supply annulus. In this way, high pressure conditions can be created.

The salient features and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

(Example) In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the same parts throughout this specification and the drawings.
The drawings are not necessarily to scale, and some parts may be shown in exaggerated proportions in order to more clearly explain the operation of the invention.

The improved sealing cap/pump device 10 is used to seal the container 12 and pressurize the volume of carbonated beverage 14 contained within the beverage container 12. The device 10 has a hermetic cap 16;
A pump 18 is attached to the cap.
The pump 18 has a check valve 20 (see FIG. 3) through which atmospheric air can be drawn into the interior space 22 of the beverage container 12 and is pressurized. This prevents gas from leaking in the opposite direction from the space 22 through the pump 18.

A thread 24 is provided on the inside diameter of the hermetic cap 16 for engagement with a thread (not shown) formed around the outer wall surface of the neck 26 of the container. The engagement of the screws in compression, in combination with the action of the check valve 20, effectively seals the interior space 22 of the container and prevents pressurized gas from escaping.

The hermetic cap 16 has a crown portion, that is, a top portion 2.
8 is integrally formed with a cylindrical side wall 30. The crown portion 28 is also integrally formed with a pump housing 32, which housing is located concentrically with respect to the side wall 30 of the cylindrical cap. The pump housing 32 is provided with a cylindrical hole 34 that passes through the top portion 28. The cylindrical bore 34 is sealed at the opposite end of the pump housing 32 by a check valve arrangement 20.

Atmospheric air is drawn into the interior space 22 through the holes 34 of the pump 18 . As best shown in FIG. 2, the sealing cap 16 is threaded onto the neck 26 of the container, and the pump housing 32 extends through the neck 26 and communicates with the space 22 within the container. When the sealing cap 16 is tightly secured to the neck 26 of the container, air directed through the check valve 20 pressurizes the space 22 inside the container 12.

1 and 3, the pump 18 includes a piston 36 that is concentrically housed within the cylindrical bore 34 and aligned with the axis 34 of the cylindrical bore 34.
It moves forward and backward along the axis, allowing for reciprocating motion in the axial direction. Piston 36 is centered within cylindrical bore 34 by an annular positioning ring 40 . The positioning ring 40 has a cylindrical hole 42 in which the piston 36 is slidably housed. The positioning ring 40 has a lock pawl 44
It is connected to the zenith portion 28 by a tapered shoulder portion 46 projecting in the radial direction. Tapered shoulder 46
is received in an annular groove 48 formed in a cylindrical hole 34 passing through the zenith portion 28 . The annular groove 48 is tapered to accommodate the tapered shoulder 46 of the lock pawl 44. Lock claw 4
4 is resilient so that it flexes radially inward when the positioning ring 40 is inserted into the inner diameter 34 of the piston. A tapered shoulder 46 is snap-fitted into a tapered groove 48.

The diameter of the pump piston 36 is large enough to allow the piston to slide freely within the inner diameter 42 of the locating ring 40. The diameter of the piston 36 is the same as that of the cylindrical hole 34.
A space is provided in the radial direction with respect to the air supply annular portion 50, thereby forming an air supply annular portion 50. A slight gap exists between the outer surface of the piston diameter 36 and the surface of the inner diameter 42 of the positioning ring, and this gap forms an annular fluid path through which atmospheric air A flows through the air supply annular portion. It will be understood that it is drawn within 50.

Pumping can be accomplished by manually reciprocating a piston within a cylindrical bore 34 in the pump housing. The piston 36 is provided with a handle 52, and by manually operating the handle, the piston can be inserted into and removed from the hole 34 of the pump housing. A cylindrical compression chamber 54 is formed in the hole 34 of the pump housing, through which air from the atmosphere enters the beverage container 1.
2 into the inner space 22. The compression chamber 54 is axially bounded by an annular seal 56 which is movably mounted on the piston 36 and moves therewith.

A small diameter portion 58 is formed at the lower end of the piston 36, and an annular seal 56 is disposed in the small diameter portion. The annular seal 56 has an inner diameter 60 that is a small diameter portion 58 of the piston.
is slidably fitted in the axial direction along the outer surface of the. Axial movement of the annular seal 56 with respect to the piston 36 is limited in one direction by a radially projecting shoulder 62 and in the opposite direction by a shoulder 64 formed in the flange 66. . Note that the flange 66 forms the opposite end of the piston 36.

The cooperation between the locating ring 40 and the annular seal 56 allows the piston 36 to move stably within the cylindrical bore 34 of the pump housing.

A shallow groove 68 is formed in the small diameter portion 58 and extends through the flange 66. Grooves 68 define fluid passageways. The air A trapped in the air supply annulus 50 is removed during the upstroke of the piston 36 as the piston exits the pump housing, as shown by arrow 70 in FIG.
It is introduced into the compression chamber 54 through the groove 68 .

The annular seal 56 floats relative to the small diameter portion 58 of the piston and is forced into contact with the radial shoulder 64 of the flange 66 as the piston 36 moves outwardly during the upstroke. . Therefore, the inlet port 68 is opened and the air A trapped in the air supply ring 50 can be sent into the lower compression chamber 54. The annular seal 56 defines a tapered shoulder 72 that resiliently abuts the cylindrical bore 34 of the pump housing 32. Tapered shoulder 72 has surface 74
is formed with a radially extending surface that supports shoulder 64 during the upstroke.

Referring now to FIG. 5, during the downstroke, the raised annular seal 56 is forced against the radial shoulder 62, thereby forcing the air supply annulus 50 into the vent passageway 68. sealed against. The annular surface 76 of the raised annular seal 56 is in surface contact with the surface of the radial shoulder 62 to support the shoulder 62. The connection between the shoulder 62 and the annular surface 76 and the resilient flange 72 of the seal sealingly contact the cylindrical bore 34 of the housing during the downstroke stroke, as shown by arrow 78 in FIG. , preventing the air A leaving the compression chamber 54 from returning into the air supply annular portion 50.

Furthermore, as the piston 36 and annular seal 56 move within the cylindrical bore 34 of the pump housing, a low pressure condition exists within the air supply annulus 50, thereby preventing the air supply from between the piston 36 and the locating ring 40. Air A from the atmosphere can be drawn into the annular portion. In this way, a new charge of atmospheric air A is pumped into the compression chamber 54 when the piston is withdrawn on the next upstroke.

Inner diameter 42 of piston 36 and positioning ring 40
The annular clearance between them is too small to be clearly illustrated. It is shown as line 80 in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the pump housing 32 is sealed by a check valve arrangement 20 formed at the lower end of the pump housing 32. The compression chamber 54 is closed by a web 82 formed integrally with the pump housing 32 . A valve pocket 84 extends axially within web 82 for receiving a resilient alignment membrane 86. In the preferred embodiment, alignment membrane 86 is constructed from a resilient polymeric resin that preferably recovers to a flat disc shape when the load is removed.

The ejection port has a small hole 88 formed by a web 82.
is formed, forming an air flow path from the compression chamber 44 to the space 22 inside the container.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, pocket 84 is enlarged by a tapered through hole 90 extending through web 82. The apex of the tapered through hole 90 is cut along a line intersecting the boundary of the compression chamber 54. The intersection of the tapered bore 90 and the compression chamber 54 forms an opening 92 in which a conical fixture 94 of the resilient membrane 86 is received.

Resilient membrane 86 is attached to a resilient conical fastener 94 that is inserted through aperture 92 . Conical retainer 94 is made from a resilient material and resumes its original fully expanded shape after being forced through opening 92. When the fixture 94 is forced through the aperture 92, the resilient membrane disk 86 flexes into engagement with the conical hole 90 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Since the membrane disk 86 is elastically bent against the tapered sealing surface 90, the fourth
During the illustrated upstroke and at rest, the forces applied to the resilient membrane are evenly distributed over the surface of the membrane, thus preventing the formation of wrinkles that could compromise the seal.

During the downstroke shown in FIG. 5, the action of the compressed air A causes the elastic membrane 86 to
Easily separated from the tapered surface 90 surrounding the exhaust port 88. As a result, the compressed air A in the compression chamber 54
can flow through the hole 88 and into the space 22 inside the container. Lip 86A responds to the applied force from compressed air A by deflecting radially inwardly away from web 82, thereby discharging the air in compression chamber 54 during the downstroke movement of piston 36.

Further, the annular seal 56 in the floating state is connected to the hole 34.
When pulled upwardly, a negative pressure is created in the compression chamber 54 which draws the lip of the elastic membrane towards the tapered hole 90, thereby tightly sealing the discharge port 88. I can do it.

After a portion of the carbonated beverage 14 has been removed from the container, the manufacturer-installed sealing cap is discarded and the container 12 is inserted using the sealing cap/pump combination device 10 to insert the pump 18 through the neck 26 of the container. The sealing cap 16 is turned to tightly seal the opening in the neck 26. Once a significant portion of the carbonated beverage has been removed, the space 22 inside the container must be pressurized to a sufficiently high pressure level to prevent the carbon dioxide gas dissolved in the carbonated beverage 14 from escaping. This is done by manually operating the pump 18 to cause the piston 36 to reciprocate, thereby forcing air A from the atmosphere into the internal space 22. On the upstroke of piston 36, air is directed from annulus 50 through vent passage 68 and into compression chamber 54. During the downstroke stroke, the raised annular seal 56 effectively seals the compression chamber 54 and the air previously drawn into the compression chamber is forced out the exhaust port 88 of the check valve 20.

The movement of the annular seal 56 around the small diameter portion 58 of the piston allows for efficient introduction of air into the compression chamber and effective sealing of the compression chamber during the downstroke.
A desired high pressure state can then be created in the space 22 inside the container 12. The resilient membrane disc 86 tightly seals the exhaust port 88 of the check valve 20 so that the pressurized gas exits the pressurized space 22 within the container after the desired pressure level is reached. can be prevented. The check valve can be operated independently of the piston and provides a tight seal to prevent backflow at all times. Therefore, there is no need to rotate or displace the piston 36 to secure the seal after pumping is complete.

Although the invention has been described in terms of specific preferred embodiments and specific carbonated beverage containers, the foregoing description is not to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications to the preferred embodiments and modifications to the application of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the foregoing description and illustrations. For example, the hermetic cap and pump combination of the present invention may be used in other pressurized devices where it is desired to maintain a predetermined pressure level. The invention defined in the claims includes all such modifications and embodiments.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sealed cap/pump combination device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway front view showing the sealed cap/pump combination device attached to the neck of a carbonated beverage container, and FIG. 3 4 is a partially cutaway exploded view of the sealed cap/pump combination device of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 4, and is a diagram illustrating the relationship of pump elements in the down stroke process. 10... Sealed cap/pump combination device, 1
2... Container, 16... Sealed cap, 18... Pump, 20... Check valve, 32... Pump housing, 36... Piston, 40... Annular positioning ring, 54... Compression chamber, 56... Annular Seal, 86...Elastic matching member.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An opening is provided in the middle of the sealed cap, the pump includes a housing and a piston, and the housing is attached to the sealed cap so that the axis of the cylindrical hole is aligned with the central opening of the sealed cap,
The piston is provided with a cylindrical hole in the housing for reciprocating movement, and an annular seal is fitted onto the piston to bring the seal into contact with the cylindrical hole, and a compression chamber is formed in the cylindrical hole by one side of the seal. delimiting an air supply annulus formed between the piston and the cylindrical bore of the pump by the other side of the seal, connecting valve means to the piston; The valve means enables communication or isolation between the air supply annular portion and the compression chamber in response to reciprocating motion of the piston, and the check valve is connected to the pump housing, and the check valve has a compression chamber connected thereto. 1. A pressurized closure device for use in a carbonated beverage container, characterized in that it has a discharge port that communicates with a container, and a movable valve element that shields and exposes the discharge port. 2. The housing of the pump has a pocket portion defining a discharge port and housing a movable valve element, the movable valve element having a flexible member connected to the housing, 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the sexual member is located above the evacuation port. 3. A device according to claim 2, wherein the pocket part is formed with a surface on which a conical valve rests, and the discharge part is provided with a web and a hole passing through said surface. 4. Device according to claim 1, in which the movable valve element comprises a disc made of elastic material. 5 The pump housing includes a web,
A discharge port is formed in the web and an angled side wall defines a pocket in which a movable valve element is received, the movable valve element of the check valve being a flexible valve connected to the web. 2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a flexible member resiliently abutting against the inclined side wall to shield the evacuation port. 6. The piston has a small diameter part, a ventilation groove is formed in the small diameter part, and the annular seal is fitted in the small diameter part of the piston,
the seal is axially movable along the small diameter from a first position to a second position, the seal delimiting a compression chamber in the cylindrical bore by one side and by the other side. The sides of the seal form the boundaries of an air supply annulus formed between the piston and the cylindrical bore, the seal having an elastic annular shoulder, the shoulder The seal contacts the cylindrical bore of the housing and the piston to close the ventilation groove and seal the air supply annulus when the seal is in the first position, and the seal has a second position along the small diameter of the piston. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the air supply groove is in communication with the air supply ring and the compression chamber.