JPH11268798A - Beverage spout, and container for beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To form fine bubbles when a beer is poured from a beverage container. SOLUTION: A beverage spout 5 which is fitted to a beverage container for use, is provided with a beverage inlet 510, a beverage flow passage 511 communicating with the beverage inlet, a spout body 51 having a main spout 513 communicating with the beverage inlet and a sub spout 514 smaller in opening diameter than the main spout, and valve elements 52, 53 capable of sealing the beverage flow passage 511, and the main spout 513 and the sub spout 514 are arranged in this order from the beverage container side in a fitted condition to the beverage container.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a beverage dispenser capable of dispensing beer, juice and other beverages in an arbitrary amount.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Pitchers made of glass, synthetic resin and the like have been conventionally known as beverages, for example, provided as beer containers in restaurants. The pitcher is 2
It has a capacity of about 3 liters and is mainly used when drinking beer in groups of several people. However, since it has a capacity of about 2 to 3 liters, it is a considerable burden to lift the beer when it is full and pour the beer into each person's glass and mug. Also,
Since the conventional pitcher does not have a cooling means, the beer warms up with the passage of time, and a decrease in taste cannot be avoided.

[0003] As a beverage container that solves such a problem, a barrel-shaped external container provided with a bottom wall at a lower portion and an opening at an upper portion, and a container accommodated in the barrel-shaped external container for storing a beverage such as beer. A main body, a lid that is detachably screwed into the opening of the container main body with a twist screw, a cock that is a beverage dispensing tool attached to the lid, and at least one of a bottom wall or a lid of the barrel-shaped main body. A container comprising a see-through window for seeing through is proposed in JP-A-8-230861.

According to the barrel-shaped beverage container described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-230861, after a beer is stored and transported to a drinking place, a predetermined amount of beer can be dispensed by simply twisting the cock. There is no burden like a conventional pitcher. Further, since the container has a double structure of a barrel-shaped external container and a container main body, it has an effect of being superior in cold insulation as compared with a conventional pitcher.

[0005]

As is well known, a factor that affects the taste of beer is the quality of foam formed on the upper part of beer poured into a cup or a mug. That is,
The finer the foam, the more the original taste of beer can be brought out. However, conventionally known barrel-shaped beverage containers, including Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-230861, only discharge beer by gravity from a single spout formed in a cock.
Fine foam could not be obtained. Further, in the conventional cock, when the cock is closed after beer is poured out, the inside of the spout becomes airtight, so that the beer remains. If any impact is applied to the remaining beer, there is a problem that a so-called dripping phenomenon occurs from a spout, and the table and clothes are stained.

[0006] In the barrel-shaped beverage container described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 8-230861, when the beer in the container is drunk up, the screwed lid is opened once to supply the beer, and then the lid is further added. Will be screwed. However, the screwing of the cover may be insufficient due to the considerable size of the cover and the fact that beer remains in the screw portion of the cover. The barrel-shaped beverage container,
Since the lid having the bottom wall and the cock is placed on the liquor stand in a vertical direction, the lid is always in contact with beer. Therefore, if the screwing of the lid is insufficient, beer may leak from the gap between the lid and the container body. In addition, although the cooling performance is improved as compared with the conventional pitcher, the cooling performance is further required to be improved.

[0007] In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage dispensing device capable of forming fine bubbles when beer is poured from a beverage container. A further object of the present invention is to provide a beverage dispensing device capable of preventing dripping. Another object of the present invention is to provide a beverage container which is capable of forming fine bubbles, preventing dripping, preventing leakage of beer, juice, and the like, and having excellent cooling properties. .

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a beverage dispensing device used by being attached to a beverage container, comprising a beverage inlet, a beverage flow path communicating with the beverage inlet, and a beverage flow path. A spouting tool body having a main spout and a sub spout having a smaller opening diameter than the main spout, and a valve body capable of sealing the beverage flow path, and for a beverage attached to a beverage container. By adopting the technical means of arranging the main spout and the sub-spout in order from the container side, it was possible to form fine bubbles.

According to the present invention, the main spout and the sub spout are arranged in order from the side of the beverage container to be attached, and the beer pouring flow from the sub spout reaches the beer in the mug. At the same time, the beer already poured into the mug is stimulated, and the carbon dioxide dissolved in the beer forms fine small bubbles by the stimulation.

In the present invention, if a slit is formed in the main outlet, the cock is not closed and the airtight state is not formed in the outlet after the beer is stopped, so that beer may remain in the main outlet. And therefore dripping can be prevented.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention for beer as a beverage will be described with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 are views showing a beverage dispensing tool according to the present embodiment, and FIGS. 4 to 6 are views showing a beverage container to which the beverage dispensing tool is attached. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, the beverage container according to the present embodiment includes a transparent container body 1 made of polycarbonate, an external container 2 made of polypropylene, a heat insulating member 3 made of styrene foam, and an opening of the container body 1. The lid 4 is attached to the container, a cock (beverage pouring tool) 5 attached to the container body, and a leg 6 for supporting the container at the bottom of the external container 2 as basic components.

The container body 1 includes a bottom wall 10, a side wall 11 erected from the bottom wall 10, a see-through window 12 forming a part of the side wall 11, a grip 13 formed on the upper side of the side wall 11, 11 and a locking projection 14 protruding toward the outer periphery of the lower part of the base 11, and is entirely transparent because it is made of polycarbonate as described above. In addition, as a material of the container body 1,
It may be made of a transparent material such as an acrylic resin, PET (polyethylene terephthalate), or a styrene resin, and a vitreous material may be used in some cases. The bottom wall 10 is connected to the cock 5 as shown in FIG.
It has a slope that descends toward the placement side. Therefore,
Even when the amount of beverage such as beer is reduced, the beverage effectively flows into the cock 5 and is prevented from remaining in the container body 1.

The side wall 11a and the bottom wall 1 on the non-mounting side of the cock 5
0 intersects at an obtuse angle together with the fact that the bottom wall 10 is inclined as described above (see FIG. 5). This structure prevents foaming when beer is poured into the container body 1. That is, when beer is poured along the side wall 11a using the container body 1 in which the side wall 11 and the bottom wall 10 intersect at a right angle, when the intersection is at a right angle, the foaming of the beer becomes intense. It has been found that foaming of beer is prevented when the intersection is at an obtuse angle as in the embodiment.
In particular, in the case of the present embodiment, since the radius is formed at the intersection, the foaming prevention effect is more remarkable.

At the upper end of the side wall 11, steps 14a, 14
The cover 4 is positioned at a predetermined position by the steps 14a and 14b. A cock mounting hole for mounting the cock 5 is formed below the see-through window 12 on the side wall 11. The see-through window 12 is for confirming the remaining amount of the beverage in the container main body 1, and this portion faces the outside of the beverage container when the container main body 1 is stored in the external container 2.

In the present embodiment, the see-through window 12 is provided continuously over substantially the entire area in the vertical direction of the side wall 11, but various forms such as being provided only at the lower portion of the container body 1 or being provided intermittently are conceivable. Can be Further, the width can be set arbitrarily. In the present embodiment, the width of the cock 5 is matched with the width of the cock 5 in order to obtain a design effect. However, the width can be narrower or wider. Further, the position of the see-through window 12 is desirably formed at the upper part of the cock 5, but may be at another place. The grip portion 13 is formed with four grip holes 13a at regular intervals, and can be transported using the grip holes 13a at appropriate locations.

The outer container 2 is made of polypropylene having a thin hollow cylindrical shape, and has a container main body storage portion 20 for covering almost the entire area of the outer container 2 and a transparent window 12 of the container main body 1.
Are arranged on the lower side of the outer container 2, and a design projection 23 formed at a predetermined interval on the outer peripheral portion of the outer container 2. . As can be understood from the figure, the overall appearance of the external container 2 is conscious of a metal container for accommodating draft beer in a restaurant, and although not shown in the figure, brands of beverages such as beer to be accommodated, A pattern can be applied. The outer container 2 may be made of a resin such as polyethylene or PET, or a material such as metal, wood, or cardboard.

The container main body storage section 20 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the container main body 1, and the heat insulating member 3
To form a gap sufficient to place the The see-through window disposing slit 21 has a length corresponding to the see-through window 12 of the container main body 1 from the upper end of the outer container 2, and the see-through window 12 has a lower end edge.
To support the lower end of the cover. The see-through window 12
As shown in FIG. 5, the container faces the outside of the beverage container in the see-through window arrangement slit 21, and the remaining amount of the beverage in the container body 1 can be confirmed from the outside. A locking projection 24 is formed on the outer periphery of the lower end of the outer container 2.
And the engagement relationship with the locking projection 14 of the container body 1,
By lifting the container body 1, the entire container including the external container 2 can be lifted integrally.

The heat insulating member 3 is made of polystyrene foam, and is arranged in a gap formed between the container body 1 and the external container 2. In the present embodiment, the heat insulating member is divided into three from the viewpoint of convenience of handling, but may be formed integrally. In the present embodiment, the see-through window 12 is used.
Although the heat insulating member is installed without a gap on the entire outer peripheral surface of the container body 1 except for the above-mentioned portion, it may be installed at appropriate intervals. However, it is needless to say that it is desirable to provide it on the entire outer peripheral surface in order to keep cool. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, styrene foam is used as the heat insulating member 3 from the viewpoints of cost, heat insulating effect, and light weight, but other materials having a heat insulating effect can be used. In addition, a pack-shaped refrigerating agent can be used.

The lid 4 is made of polycarbonate.
2, and a packing storage groove 44 for storing a ring-shaped packing 43 having a U-shaped cross section is formed on the outer periphery of the lower part. In the center of the top of the lid 4, a gas vent hole 45 is provided.
Are formed. The lid 4 having the above configuration is mounted at an appropriate position by the positioning protrusion 42 of the side wall 41 and the bottom edge of the side wall 41 abutting on the step portions 14a and 14b of the container body 1, respectively. Packing 43
Is made of silicone rubber, and is pressed against the container body 1 with such a force that the beverage does not leak even when the container body 1 is inclined and the liquid level of the beverage exceeds the bottom edge of the lid 4. Packing 43
Has a U-shaped cross section, and the contact with the container body 1 is performed at two points, so that the effect of preventing the beverage from leaking to the outside is high. The gas vent hole 45 is used when accommodating carbonated beverages such as beer.
This is for releasing gas sequentially emitted from the beverage to the outside of the container. Further, on an upper surface of the lid 4, a gripping means 46 for facilitating attachment and detachment to and from the container body 1 is formed.

The cover 4 is preferably made of polycarbonate, but may be made of another transparent material, for example, acrylic resin, PET, styrene resin or the like.
A non-transparent material made of wood, paper, plastic, or the like may be used.

The details of the cock 5 will be described with reference to FIG. 1 showing its longitudinal section and FIG. 2 showing its exploded perspective view. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cock 5 includes a cock body 51, a valve body 52, a packing 53, a lid 54, and a coil spring 5.
5, the lever 56 and the O-ring 57.

A cock main body 51 made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene or nylon has a beer inlet (beverage inlet) 510, a beer flow path (drink flow path) 511, a valve body storage 512, and a main pouring outlet 513. And a sub-pouring port 514 is formed, and the beer stored in the container body 1 passes through the cock body 51 in this order and is discharged. On the outer periphery of the beer inflow port 510, a screw 51 for screwing and fixing to a cock screw 58 fixed to a cock mounting hole of the container body 1.
5 is engraved, and a screw 516 for screwing with the lid 54 is engraved on the outer periphery of the upper end of the valve element storage portion 512.

The main outlet 513 extends vertically, and the secondary outlet 5
A flow path 14 is formed at a predetermined angle from the vertical direction. Therefore, the main outlet 513 and the sub outlet 51
The beer dispensed from 4 does not mix with each other. The main spout 513 and the sub spout 514 are arranged in this order from the container body 1 side.

The opening end of the main spout 513 is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction. This is because if the opening end is opened in the horizontal direction, the beer flow discharged from the opening end is easily disturbed, whereas if the opening end is inclined, the beer flow is hardly disturbed. The main outlet 513 has a slit 513a for preventing dripping.

At the upstream of the sub-outlet 514, the sub-outlet 5
A reservoir 514a having a diameter larger than the diameter of 14 is formed. Due to the presence of the storage section 514a, the secondary spout 514
Beer can be dispensed from the restaurant. If the momentum of the beer flowing out of the sub outlet 514 is weak, fine bubbles cannot be formed, as described later.

The valve body 52 made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene or nylon has a substantially columnar shape, and has a flange 521 for fixing the packing 53 at one end.
However, a locking groove 522 for rotatably locking the lever 56 is formed at the other end.

Packing 53 made of silicone rubber
Has a substantially top hat shape, and is integrated with the valve main body 52 by engagement with the flange 521 of the valve main body 52 to form a valve body. The thick portion 531 at the lower end of the packing 53 prevents beer from flowing into the main spout 513 and the sub-outlet 514, and the flange 532 at the upper end of the packing 53 prevents beer leakage from between the cock body 51 and the lid 54. I do.

Lid 54 made of polypropylene
Is a valve element through hole 54 through which the valve body 52 penetrates at the center thereof.
1 is drilled, and the screw 543 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 542 is screwed with the screw 516 on the outer periphery of the upper end of the valve body accommodating portion of the cock main body 51 so that the cock main body 51 is formed.
Integrate with

A coil spring 55 made of JIS SUS304 is located on the outer periphery of the valve body 52 and urges the valve body 52 and the packing 53 toward the main outlet 513 and the auxiliary outlet 514.

The lever 56 made of a synthetic resin such as polypropylene or nylon comprises a handling portion 561 and a base 562. The base 562 is formed with an engagement protrusion 562a that engages with the engagement groove 522 of the valve body 52. When the lever 56 is engaged with the valve body 52, the lever 56 pivots around the engagement protrusion 562a in the direction of the arrow. Can tilt. Since the lever 56 is attached to the valve body 52 by the engagement projections 562a and the engagement grooves 522, the attachment is easier and the cost is lower than when a fastening means such as a bolt is separately used. Can be reduced. The cock 5 having the above configuration is screwed into the cock mounting hole of the container body 1 via the O-ring 57 and the cock screw 58.
It is fixed.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which beer is poured from the cock 5.
Shown in In FIG. 3, the beverage container to which the cock 5 is attached is omitted. When pouring beer, the lever 56 of the cock 5 is tilted as shown in the figure after the mug J is positioned below the main outlet 513 and the sub outlet 514. Then, the valve body 52 and the packing 5 in the cock 5
3 rises and the sealed state is opened, and the beer in the container body is discharged from the main outlet 513 and the auxiliary outlet 514.
When the beer is directly poured out to the bottom of the mug J, the mug J is spouted and spoils the original taste of the beer. Therefore, the mug J is normally held at an angle as shown in FIG. The beer outlet stream A from the main outlet 513 flows into the mug J along the side wall of the mug J.

On the other hand, the beer pouring stream B from the sub-pouring port 514 directly reaches the beer stored in the mug J.
As described above, the beer discharge stream B directly reaches the beer stored in the mug J, so that fine bubbles can be formed in the beer. That is, when the beer discharge stream B reaches the beer in the mug J, the beer in the mug J is stimulated, and the carbon dioxide dissolved in the beer forms small fine bubbles due to the stimulation. I do.

The diameter of the main outlet is desirably determined in the range of 4.0 to 9.0 mm according to the size of the container, that is, the amount of the beer flowing out. If the caliber is too small, the dispensing speed will be slow, and it will be frustrating to fill a full mug, and if the caliber is too large, the dispensing time will be too fast and it will be difficult to control the dispensing. is there.
The diameter of the sub-outlet 514 is desirably determined from the range of 1.7 to 2.0 mm according to the size of the main outflow port. If the caliber is too small, the impact upon reaching the beer in the mug J becomes small and the effect of foam generation becomes insufficient, and the sub-dispensing port 514 is formed by the substance dissolved in the beer.
This is because it becomes easier. On the other hand, if the caliber is too large, the beer pouring flow B will have a slow pouring speed, and the impact of foaming on the beer surface will be small.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the inside of the lower end of the cock 5. Upstream of the main outlet 513, spacers 513b, 5
Since the space 13b is provided, a space, that is, a storage portion 514a is formed upstream of the sub-inlet 514. When beer flows into the main pouring port 513 and the sub pouring port 514, the storage section 514a is filled with a predetermined amount of beer.
That is, it is possible to secure a larger amount of beer flowing into the sub-outlet 514 and to apply pressure to the beer stream flowing out from the sub-outlet 514 to increase the flow rate of the beer stream.

When the arrangement of the main outlet 513 and the auxiliary outlet 514 is reversed, and the auxiliary outlet 514 and the main outlet 513 are arranged in this order from the side of the container main body, when the beer is discharged, the mug J is usually placed in FIG. As shown in the figure, the flow B from the sub-outlet 514 collides with the side wall of the mug J and cannot reach the beer directly, so that the function of generating fine bubbles cannot be exhibited. . Therefore, in the beverage container used in a fixed state as in the present embodiment, the main spout 513 and the sub spout 514 are provided.
The placement is important.

After the required amount of beer has been poured into the mug J, the lever 56 is returned from the tilted state to the original state.
When the lever 56 is tilted, the coil spring 55 disposed on the outer periphery of the valve main body 52 urges the valve main body 52 and the packing 53 downward in the drawing, that is, since the lever 56 is urged in the returning direction. If the tilting state is simply released, the lever 56 returns to the original state.

When the lever 56 returns to the original state, the valve main body 52 and the packing 53 are brought into the state shown in FIG. 1, and the dispensing of the beer is completed. Immediately after beer pouring out, main pouring outlet 513
A small amount of beer remains in the inside, but since the main outlet 513 is formed with the slit 513a, the remaining beer is immediately discharged from the main outlet 513. Therefore, there is no drip as in the prior art.

The beverage container in which the above-mentioned components are integrated is as follows:
It is placed on a leg 6 composed of a support ring 61 and a leg 62. The support ring 61 of the leg 6 does not contact the outer container 2 in the radial direction (FIG. 5). Therefore, when the beverage in the container body 1 decreases and the entire container becomes lighter, when the lever 56 of the cock 5 is operated in the direction of the arrow, the beverage container is rotated counterclockwise around the support ring 61 on the cock 5 installation side. Try to rotate. Then, the leg arrangement surface 22 of the external container 2 rises from the support ring 61 on the side where the cock 5 is not installed, and the container as a whole becomes unstable. In order to prevent this floating, the leg stopper projection 25 is provided at the lower end of the outer container 2 with an appropriate width.

In the beverage container described above, when refilling beer, a predetermined amount of beer is replenished after the lid 4 is opened, and the lid 4 is mounted again. In a state where the beverage container is left still, the liquid level of the beverage such as beer is located below the lid 4. On the other hand, beer is poured out by a cock attached to the lower part of the container body 1. Therefore, even if the lid 4 is not properly mounted, there is no fear that the beverage leaks from the lid.

Further, since the heat insulating member 3 is interposed between the container main body 1 and the external container 2, the coolness of the beverage contained in the container main body 1 is further improved.

[0041]

As described above, the beverage inlet, the beverage passage communicating with the beverage inlet, the main outlet communicating with the beverage passage, and the sub-outlet having a smaller opening diameter than the main outlet are formed. According to the beverage dispensing tool according to the present invention including the dispensing tool main body and the sealing means capable of sealing the beverage inflow passage, when beer is poured from the beverage container, fine foam is formed. be able to. Further, if a slit is formed in the main outlet, dripping can be prevented.

The beverage container to which the dispensing device of the present invention is attached includes a container body having a bottom wall and a side wall erected from the bottom wall and having an opening at the top, and an external container for accommodating the container body. By providing a heat insulating member disposed between the container body and the external container and a lid detachably attached to the opening of the container body, leakage of beverages such as beer can be prevented, and coolness can be maintained. improves.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a beverage dispensing tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing one embodiment of a beverage dispensing tool according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which beer is poured out according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing one embodiment of a beverage container according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of a beverage container according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing an embodiment of the beverage container according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the inside of the lower end of the beverage dispensing tool according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... container body 2 ... external container
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 ... Heat insulation member 4 ... Lid 5 ... Cock (pouring tool) 51 ... Cock body 513 ... Main outlet 51
4 ... Sub-outlet 52 ... Valve body 53 ... Packing

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A beverage dispensing device used by being attached to a beverage container, comprising: a beverage inlet, a beverage channel communicating with the beverage inlet, a main outlet and a main outlet communicating with the beverage channel. A spouting tool main body having a sub-spout port with a smaller opening diameter, and a valve body capable of sealing the beverage flow path, wherein the main spout port and the main spout are arranged in order from the beverage container side when attached to the beverage container. A beverage dispensing device, wherein a sub-dispensing outlet is arranged. 2. The beverage dispensing tool according to claim 1, wherein a slit is formed in the main outlet. 3. The beverage dispensing tool according to claim 1, wherein a beverage reservoir is formed upstream of the sub-pouring port. 4. A container body comprising a bottom wall and a side wall standing upright from the bottom wall, the container body having an opening at an upper portion, an external container storing the container body, and disposed between the container body and the external container. A heat insulating member, a lid detachably attached to the opening of the container main body, and a beverage pouring tool fixed to the container main body, wherein the beverage pouring tool communicates with the beverage inlet and the beverage inlet. A beverage flow path, a pouring tool main body having a main spout and a sub-pouring port communicating with the beverage flow path, and a valve body capable of sealing the beverage flow path; A beverage container in which a spout and a sub spout are arranged, and a slit is formed in the main spout.