US3085714A

US3085714A - Container for liquids and process of dispensing therefrom

Info

Publication number: US3085714A
Application number: US772257A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lighter Stephen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-11-06
Filing date: 1958-11-06
Publication date: 1963-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 1980-04-16

Description

S. LIGHTER April 16, 1963 CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS AND PROCESS OF DISPENSING THEREFROM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 6, 1958 INVENTOR.

STEPHEN LIGHTER BY Alfarney April 16, 1963 s. LIGHTER 3,085,714

CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS AND PROCESS OF DISPENSING THEREFRCM Filed Nov. 6, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. STEPHEN LIGHTER A Horney United States Patent 3,085,714 CONTAINER FOR LIQUIDS AND PROUESS 0F DISPENSING THEREFROM Stephen Lighter, 3522 Lake Mendota Drive,

Madison, Wis. Filed Nov. 6, 1958, Ser. No. 772,257 11 Claims. (Cl. 222-1) This invention is concerned with containers which are used for dispensing liquids containing a gas dissolved under pressure. In particular it relates to those cylindrical cans with flat top and bottom and rolled seams which are widely used for dispensing beverages such as beer and carbonated soft drinks.

These cans possess several advantages over the older glass containers. They are stronger, allow more compact packing and storage, and may be easily and safely disposed of. However, they have one serious defect. When opened, they often emit foam from the container in quantities varying from a gentle bubbling to a stream of fluid which travels for many feet. The resulting personal inconvenience and property damage are responsible for many dissatisfied users. An object of the invention is to correct this defect.

The foaming occurs when the gas which has been dissolved under pressure in the fluid reacts to the sudden drop in pressure caused by opening the container, resulting in the formation of bubbles which are expelled under pressure and carry with them some of the liquid. Glass bottles tend to prevent this by reason of their design, which includes a long glass neck. This serves two purposes: it provides space for the liquid to expand and, more important, provides surface area for the bubbles to adhere to, thus retarding their flow from the container. Modern cylindrical fiat-topped metal containers lack this surface area.

An object of this invention is to provide a container which, when filled to capacity with a liquid in which a gas has been dissolved under pressure, will confine the contained fluid even during periods when there is a great tendency for the fluid to be expelled from the container; for example, when it has been opened.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a container in a manner which will allow the continued use of present methods of manufacturing the container and packing the liquids, thus making its immediate use economically feasible.

Still another object is to do this in such a manner as to allow continued use of present methods of opening containers, thus causing the retailer and consumer of the liquids no inconvenience.

Other objects will become apparent from the drawings and from the following detailed description in which it is intended to illustrate the applicability of the invention without thereby limiting it to a scope less than that of all equivalents which will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

The invention consists of providing further surface area to be enclosed within the container in the form of a member which serves to collect and retard the bubbles and at the same time limit the volume directly under the opening.

This member may conceivably have many configurations, a few of which are illustrated in the appended drawings.

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional perspective of a typical can, showing the member inserted in the form of a cone, apex upward.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional plan View of the can of FIGURE 1, taken on lines 2-2.

FIGURES 3 and 4, respectively similar to FIGURES 3,085,714 Patented Apr. 16, 1963 1 and 2, illustrate another embodiment utilizing the same member, but differing in the point of attachment to the container.

FIGURES 5, 6, and 7 are cross-sectional elevations of other embodiments.

When the can is opened most of the released gas will take the form of bubbles which will adhere to the lower surface '2 of the inserted member (FIGURES 1, 3 5, 6, and 7) and collect in its upper portion 3. The remaining bubbles formed by the released gas will collect along the upper surface of the container 4, and will not be sufiicient to cause significant foaming.

In addition to providing additional surface area for the collection of bubbles and retardationof outward flow, the member tends to isolate the portion of the liquid closest to the opening, thus limiting the immediate elfect of the expanding gas.

There are many conceivable shapes and methods of attachment of the member. A preferred embodiment takes the form of a conical member (FIGURES 1 and 2) disposed at the top of the container with its apex up and attached to the container by a pressure fit between lugs 1 on the periphery of the cone and the walls 6 of the container. Free flow to any portion of the top is provided by spacing the lower peripheral edge of the cone from the container walls at intervals 5.

Another embodiment (FIGURES 3 and 4) has a conical member disposed as in the first instance, but the point of attachment (as by welding) is at the apex of the cone and the center of the flat top of the container 3, and flow is provided for by spacing apart at a continuous interval the lower peripheral edge of the cone and the walls of the container entirely around the periphery.

The member to be inserted may be in the form of a truncated cone with its axis at an angle to the axis of the container (FIGURE 5), secured to. the container by welding along an element 6". The truncation 3" allows free access of the fluid to the top of the container. Surfaces 2" and 4" collect the bubbles and prevent foaming as heretofore described.

Another embodiment (FIGURE 6) may have the members in the form of an inverted cone, with its apex downward. The member is attached to the walls of the can by lugs 1", either by welding or by a pressure fit. Access is provided by openings 5", and the bubbles form on surfaces 2" and 4" and collect at 3".

Still another possible embodiment (FIGURE 7) utilized a hemispherical member with its pole 3" oriented upwards. The member may be attached at its lower peripheral edge by welding or pressure, as before, or at said pole. Access is provided near the pole 3", and bubbles form on surfaces 2"" and 4"".

The member is preferably but not necessarily rigidly fastened to the container.

While certain modifications and embodiments of the invention here have been described, it is of course to be understood that there are a great number of variations which will suggest themselves to anyone familiar with the subject matter thereof and it is distinctly understood that this invention should not be limited except by such limitations as are clearly imposed in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A sealed closed container adapted to confine liquids which contain a gas dissolved under pressure, and to dispense such liquids with a minimum of foaming, said container comprising a cylindrical housing, a substantially flat top and bottom attached to said housing with rolled seams and each substantially perpendicular to the axis of said cylindrical housing, and a non-confining nonsiphoning member fixedly disposed within said container providing intra-phase communication and having a surface area extending at an angle to said axis and having a portion thereof adapted to provide for the flow of liquid from all parts of the container to an opening in any portion of said flat top.

2. The container of claim 1 adapted to confine said liquids by having disposed within said container a conical member having spaced apart lugs extending from its lower edge, oriented with its apex at the top of the container and attached to the sides of the container by a pressure fit between said sides and said lugs, and having spaces provided at intervals between said lugs and the side walls of said container.

3. The container of claim 2 having said member attached by welding of said lugs to said sides of said container.

4. A sealed closed container adapted to confine liquids which contain a gas dissolved under pressure, and to dispense said liquids with a minimum of foaming, said container comprising a cylindrical housing with a substantially fiat top and bottom attached to said housing by rolled seams, and a member disposed within said container, said member having the shape of an inverted cone, oriented with its apex downwards and attached to said container at the top of said container by attachment of the upper peripheral edge of said conical member to the top of said container, said upper peripheral edge being spaced at intervals from the top of said container.

5. A sealed closed container adapted to confine liquids which contain a gas dissolved under pressure, and to dispense said liquids with a minimum of foaming, said container comprising a cylindrical housing with at least a substantially fiat top and bottom attached to said housing with rolled seams, and each disposed substantially perpendicular to the axis of said housing, and a member disposed within said container, said member being a cone having its apex oriented upwards and attached to the top of said container, and having its lower peripheral edge spaced apart from the side walls of said cylindrical sealed container.

6. The container of claim 5 adapted to confine said liquids by having disposed within said container a conical member whose axis is at an angle to the axis of said container, and attached to said container along an element of said conical member, and truncated at some distance from its apex.

7. A sealed closed container adapted to confine liquids which contain a gas dissolved under pressure, and to dispense such liquids with a minimum of foaming, said container comprising a cylindrical housing, a substantially fiat top and bottom attached to said housing and each substantially perpendicular to the axis of said cylindrical housing, and a non-confining non-siphoning member fixedly disposed within said container providing intra-phase communication and having a surface area extending at an angle to said axis and having a portion thereof adapted to provide for the flow of liquid from all parts of the container to an opening in any portion of said flat top.

8. The container of claim 7 adapted to confine said liquids by having disposed within said container a conical member having spaced apart lugs extending from its lower edge, oriented with its apex at the top of the container and attached to the sides of the container by a pressure fit between said sides and said lugs, and having spaces provided at intervals between said lugs and the side Walls of said container.

9. The container of claim 7 adapted to confine said liquids by having disposed within said container a conical member whose axis is at an angle to the axis of said container, and attached to said container along an element of said conical member, and truncated at some distance from its apex.

10. The container of claim 7 adapted to confine said liquids by having disposed within said container 21 hemispherical member, oriented with its pole upwards and attached to the top of the said container at said pole, and having its bottom peripheral edge spaced from the wall of said container at a continuous interval.

11. The process of dispensing a solution of gas and liquid from a sealed container at greater than atmospheric pressure comprising the steps of providing an opening in said container, subjecting the contents of said container to atmospheric pressure, flowing said contents within said container over non-confining surfaces angularly disposed to a direction of fiow, and pouring said contents from said container in a stream in said direction, adsorption of said gas on said surfaces causing foaming of said contents to be suppressed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 324,173 Seips Aug. 11, 1885 820,784 Harcourt May 15, 1906 1,558,396 Roehrs Oct. 20, 1925 2,693,391 Manseau Nov. 2, 1954 2,765,965 Reswick Oct. 9, 1956 2,930,513 Zaleski Mar. 29, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 121,740 Germany July 4, 1901 708,368 Germany July 19, 1941

Claims

11. THE PROCESS OF DISPENSING A SOLUTION OF GAS AND LIQUID FROM A SEALED CONTAINER AT GREATER THAN ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING AN OPENING IN SAID CONTAINER, SUBJECTING THE CONTENTS OF SAID CONTAINER TO ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, FLOWING SAID CONTENTS WITHIN SAID CONTAINER OVER NON-CONFINING SURFACES ANGULARLY DISPOSED TO A DIRECTION OF FLOW, AND POURING SAID CONTENTS FROM SAID CONTAINER IN A STREAM IN SAID DIRECTION, ADSORPTION OF SAID GAS ON SAID SURFACES CAUSING FOAMING OF SAID CONTENTS TO BE SUPPRESSED.