WO2002012085A9

WO2002012085A9 - Container for food beverage, in particular beer

Info

Publication number: WO2002012085A9
Application number: PCT/FR2001/002495
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Pierre Chevalier
Original assignee: Chevalier Jean Pierre
Priority date: 2000-08-07
Filing date: 2001-07-31
Publication date: 2002-04-18
Also published as: AU2001282246A1; EP1313650A1; DE60106278D1; FR2812622B1; FR2812622A1; ATE278618T1; DK1313650T3; DE60106278T2; EP1313650B1; WO2002012085A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a container for a food beverage, for example beer, whereof the closure (3) is designed to guarantee hygienic contact between a consumer's lips and the surfaces (8) provided therefor.

Description

Container to hold a liquid food, especially beer. DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a container for containing a liquid food, particularly beer, capable of being diffused, already full, in individual volumes, in the field of food distribution, for a use which can be unique and possibly recyclable. Currently, the containers most used for this purpose are cylindrical metal cans known as cans, these however have significant drawbacks. In particular, the surfaces intended to receive the lips of the drinker are not protected from soiling, especially when the container is transported in isolation, without its collective packaging. On the other hand, the trivialization of its format limits the identification of its content to the drawings affixed on its peripheral wall. Another disadvantage is the impossibility of being able to close the container if one has only partially drunk its contents, which, in addition to the risks of spilling the remaining liquid, can lead to a loss of the taste quality of this same liquid in especially if it is carbonated like a soda or a beer. An additional drawback is the narrowness of the opening provided by its lid, not very suitable for frothy drinks.

Research has been carried out in order to overcome certain drawbacks of cans. Thus, to guarantee good hygiene, document EP0870685 discloses a disposable spout adaptable to cans. document O94 / 12402 discloses a container incorporating a straw for sucking the liquid it contains, a device unsuitable for beers; the document FR2696720, for its part, proposes to wrap the container in an enclosure rigid and tearable. As for the possibility of recapping the can, the state of the art provides additional devices independent of the container, such as those disclosed by documents WO94 / 13545 and WO94 / 07755. To guarantee sufficient opening of the can, document WO99 / 03742 describes, itself, a large lid.

However, none of the means described by these documents is capable of solving all of the above problems on its own, it is generally not supplied with the container and none of them calls into question the standard of the container.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a container integrating in itself means for solving the problems already mentioned, while retaining, if necessary, the lightness and ease of storage of the cans.

The container for containing a liquid food comprises a tank, surfaces for the contact with the lips of a drinker located in the immediate vicinity of a mouth of the tank, and means for closing the container.

According to the invention, the plugging means are further arranged to wrap the contact surfaces with the lips of the drinker.

The container can also be arranged to contain a liquid under gas pressure, for example beer or soda; It may also include means for verifying that the closure means have been removed for the first time since the manufacture of the container and its filling. the top of the tank may advantageously include a first thread and the plugging means a second thread cooperating to plug the tank. the closure means may further comprise a seal arranged to cooperate with an edge of the reservoir in order to provide a seal against gases and liquids, in particular the gases and liquids contained in the reservoir, between a first zone inside the closure means and a second zone outside the plugging means and inside the tank.

One of the top of the tank and the plugging means may further comprise a bead and another a groove cooperating with said bead to form a gas and liquid seal between the first zone inside the plugging means and the ambient medium. .

The plugging means may also include a valve to allow filling under pressure of the container without removing said plugging means, said valve being kept closed and liquid and gas tight after filling the container.

To facilitate the screwing or unscrewing of the plugging means, reliefs can be distributed around the periphery of the plugging means.

The bottom of the tank may further include a third thread arranged to cooperate with the second thread of the plugging means to maintain the plugging means in a low position.

The plugging means may further comprise means for stopping flows of the liquid initially contained in the container or of the foam formed by the liquid, when said plugging means are in the low position. The closure means can also be repositionable;

The reservoir may further include at least one handle. This handle may be hollow, and its internal volume may be able to communicate with the main volume of the tank. The space between the handle and the main volume of the tank can be at least partially formed in a concave zone of the main volume of the tank. The handle or other accessories of the container can be designed to allow the storage of at least two containers in a parallelepiped substantially circumscribed to the main volumes of the tanks of said containers.

To improve the grip of the reservoir and prevent it from sliding from the hands of the drinker, the reservoir may include projections intended to bear on at least one finger of the drinker, said projections being distributed over all or part of the outer wall of the reservoir.

At least one of the plugging means and the reservoir _. may further be composed of a blow moldable material.

One can also provide a container according to the invention in which the handle is provided with a hooking means on a belt, a pocket or an opening of a garment.

Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description below, relating to nonlimiting examples. In the accompanying drawings: - Figure 1 is a schematic representation, in a possible configuration of a container, here a mug of beer, open and whose stopper partially exploded view is shown in the low position;

- Figure 2 is a representation of the upper part of the container of Figure 1, closed, the view of the cap is partially exploded;

- Figure 3 is a simplified section of the tank of a mug, along a vertical plane;

- Figure 4a is a simplified representation of the tank of a mug; - Figure 4b is the section of the reservoir of Figure 4a, along a horizontal plane passing through the handle;

- Figure 5 is a simplified section of the upper part of a container according to the invention, the cap of which includes a container filling valve schematically shown in the open position;

- Figure 6 is a schematic representation of the valve of Figure 5 in the closed position; Figure 7a is a schematic representation of a possible configuration of containers according to the invention allowing optimized storage; Figure 7b is the projection on a horizontal plane of the containers of Figure 7a;

- Figure 8 is a simplified section of a variant of a stopper for a container according to the invention; and

- Figure 9 is a simplified view of a container according to the invention comprising means for improving the grip of the cap and the reservoir.

In a first exemplary embodiment, the container according to the invention here takes the form of a mug of beer 1 comprising two main parts, the reservoir 2 and the cap 3. The upper part of the reservoir comprises a first thread 4 capable of collaborating with a second thread 6 of the cap when the latter closes the tank. The lower part of the reservoir includes a third thread 7 capable of collaborating with the second thread 6 in order to maintain the plug in the low position.

In addition to the second thread, the plug 3 includes several arrangements making it possible to guarantee that the beer or the outer edge 8 of the reservoir, intended to receive the lips of a drinker, will not be unintentionally soiled. The cap largely envelops the outer edge of the tank, it comprises a seal 9 cooperating with the edge 11 of the tank to produce a gas and liquid tightness, in particular those of beer, between a first zone 12 inside the cap and a second zone 13 outside the cap and inside the tank. The cap also includes a peripheral groove 14, which cooperates, thanks to the elasticity of the cap, with a peripheral bead 16 part of the outer flank of the upper part of the reservoir. The groove and the bead provide a gas and liquid seal between the first zone 12 inside the plug and the ambient environment. The engagement of the groove on the bead also makes it possible to guarantee the compression of the seal 9 by the edge 11 of the container, and the maintenance of the stopper in this position.

In the example of FIG. 2, a strip of paper 17 seals the cap on the tank and guarantees, when it is still present, that the cap will be handled for the first time since its first installation by the brewer, for example .

When the plug is in the low position, as shown in FIG. 1, some of its arrangements bring new advantages. The stopper includes a lip 18 making it possible to collect the foam 19 or the drops of beer flowing along the tank. A rim 21 of the stopper makes it possible to increase the stability of the mug.

To hold the mug, the reservoir 2 includes a handle 22. In order to guarantee good grip, the handle is provided with sufficient thickness. In FIG. 3, the reservoir shown has been arranged in order to put the interior volume 23 of the handle in communication with the interior of the main volume 24 of the reservoir, through the communication orifices 26a, 26b, thus allowing optimal filling. of the mug. To provide a space 27 between the handle and the main volume of the reservoir which is sufficiently comfortable for the hand, without prohibitively increasing the overall dimensions of the mug, part 28 of the space 27 corresponds to a concave zone of the main volume 24 of the tank. It is this arrangement which is shown in Figure 4a in elevation and in Figure 4b in section along A. The tank 2 of the mug has in this example been blow molded. The inscription 25 was made in relief during this same molding.

In the example in FIGS. 5 and 6, in order to better preserve the outer edge 8 of the tank 2 from the risks of soiling, the cap is placed on the upper part of the tank as soon as possible during manufacture. Thus, the valve 31, shown in Figure 5 open during filling, and closed in Figure 6, allows filling even when the cap is already in place on the tank. A liquid is brought along B, under pressure, through a hole 32 formed in the plug. The filling pressure pushes a closure part 33 of the valve and the liquid enters the interior of the reservoir through at least one orifice 34, here 34a and 34b, formed in the valve body 35.

At the end of filling, the spring 36 presses the closing piece 33 on a sealing piece 37 against which the closing piece is held by the residual pressure inside the tank, thus protecting the inside of the tank from damage. of the environment.

The conditions of transport and storage of beer mugs means that a large number of them should be stored in the smallest possible volume. The handles and the other accessories, such as the caps, of the containers schematically represented in FIGS. 7a and 7b are designed to allow the storage of at least two containers 1a, 1b in a parallelepiped 38 whose projection on a horizontal plane is a rectangle 41 circumscribed to the projections 42a, 42b of the main volumes 24a, 24b.

In Figure 8 is shown a seal 43, variant of the seal 9, and which instead of collaborating with the upper edge 11 of the reservoir, collaborates with the inner edge 44 of the reservoir.

Reliefs 44 have been produced on the periphery 46 of the variant of the plug 3 presented in FIG. 9. These reliefs are intended to facilitate the screwing and unscrewing of the plug. To maintain the reservoir 2 during the same operations, that is to say so that the plug does not cause the reservoir to rotate, projections 47 have been arranged in a corolla on the outer wall 48 of the reservoir, in order to bear on fingers of the hand holding the container. The container of Figure 9 is a glass. The projections therefore also have the function of preventing the container, for example by the combined effect of gravity and sweat, from slipping between the drinker's fingers. Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples described and shown. Among the beverages produced industrially and likely to be sold in individual volumes, beer represents a significant share of the market. In addition, cultural fashions and strong traditions are associated with beer in general, and with each type of beer in particular. Thus, like certain other drinks, beers, when sold in bulk, are served in glasses or mugs easily identifiable by amateurs, and whose certain shapes and characteristics favor the diffusion of perfumes, color, or even foaming. Blow molding the container can give it many other aspects. So instead of having the shape of a mug it can take the form of a glass specific to a brand, a quality of beer or any other drink it is intended to contain. It may also have a more generally cylindrical shape approaching that of the cans and not include a handle. All or part of the container can be, for example, plastic, glass, metal, cardboard or any other material. The reservoir can thus be made of a transparent material, possibly colored, and / or protecting its content from degrading agents. Furthermore, the rim of the stopper can also fulfill the role of the lip of the stopper, or else, if the stopper is wider than the base of the mug, the width of the stopper may be sufficient to stabilize the mug without the stopper comprising a flange. As for the valve, being for single use, it can be simplified so as not to generate prohibitive additional costs. Thus, the residual pressure may be sufficient to close the valve without using a spring; The constitutions of the closure part and of the plug may be sufficient to guarantee the seal, without having recourse to a specific seal part; The closure part can be linked or glued to the stopper by a flexible connection making the valve body unnecessary, this connection being able to have a return effect replacing that of the spring; The valve may include means for evacuating before filling the tank or for evacuating during filling the gas already present in the tank; The means for sealing the cap, for example a strip of adhesive paper, can also be used to seal the valve after filling; The valve can still be sealed with edible wax.

The sealing means, instead of being a strip of paper, can: be part of the stopper and definitively dissociate from it during the first opening.

Claims

claims

1 - Container (1) for containing a food liquid, comprising: a reservoir (2), surfaces (8) for contact with the lips of a drinker located near a mouth of said reservoir, means (3) closure arranged to wrap the contact surfaces with the lips of a drinker, characterized in that the closure means comprise a valve (31) to allow filling under pressure of the container without removing said closure means, said valve being maintained closed and liquid and gas tight, after filling the container.

2 - Container according to claim 1, characterized in that it is arranged to contain a liquid under gas pressure.

3 - Container according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises means (17) for sealing the closure means.

4 - Container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the top of the tank comprises a first thread (4), characterized in that the plugging means comprise a second thread (6) arranged to cooperate with the first thread so to plug the tank.

5 - A container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sealing means comprise a seal (9) arranged to cooperate with an edge of the tank in order to achieve a seal against gases and liquids, in particular gases and liquids contained in the tank, between a first zone (12) inside the plugging means and a second zone (13) outside the plugging means and inside the tank.

6 - A container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, one of the top of the tank and the sealing means comprises a bead and another a groove cooperating with said bead to achieve a gas and liquid seal between the first area inside the closure means and the surrounding environment.

7 - A container according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized and in that the reliefs are distributed over the outer periphery of the plugging means.

8 - A container according to any one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that it comprises at the bottom of the tank a third thread (7) arranged to cooperate with the second thread of the plugging means to maintain said plugging means in a low position.

9 - container according to any one of claims l to 8, characterized in that the sealing means comprise means (18) for stopping flows, of the liquid initially contained in the container or of the foam formed by said liquid, when said plugging means are in the low position.

10 - container according to any one of claims

1 to 9, characterized in that the closure means are arranged to increase the stability of the container when said plugging means are in the low position.

1 - Container according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the closure means are repositionable.

12 - Container according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the reservoir comprises at least one handle (22).

13 - A container according to claim 12, characterized in that said handle is hollow.

14 - A container according to claim 13, characterized in that the interior volume (23) of the handle communicates with the interior of a main volume (24) of the tank.

15 - Container according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that the space (27) between the handle and the main volume of the tank is at least partially provided in a concave zone of said main volume.

16 - A container according to any one of claims 1 to 15, characterized in that the reservoir comprises projections intended to bear on at least one finger of the drinker, said projections being distributed over all or part of the outer wall of the reservoir.

17 - A container according to any one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the handle or other accessories of said container are designed to allow the storage of at least two containers in a parallelepiped substantially circumscribed to the main volumes of said containers.

- Container according to any one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that at least one of the plugging means and the tank is further composed of a blow moldable material.

- Container according to any one of claims 12 to 18, characterized in that the handle (22) is provided with a hooking means on a belt, pocket or opening.

- Beer mug according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

AMENDED CLAIMS

[received by the International Bureau on 30 November 2001 (30.11.01); claims 1-7 as amended; other claims unchanged (2 pages)]

- - Container (1) for containing a food liquid, comprising: a reservoir (2), surfaces (8) for contact with the lips of a drinker located near a mouth of said reservoir, means (3) closure arranged to wrap the contact surfaces with the lips of a drinker, characterized in that it comprises a valve (31) to allow filling under pressure of the container without removing said closure means, said valve being kept closed and liquid and gas tight, after filling the container. Tj - Container according to claim 1, characterized and in that the plugging means comprise the valve (31). || - Container according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it is arranged to contain a liquid under gas pressure. "Container according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises means (17) for verifying that the plugging means are removed for the first time since the manufacture of the container and its filling. ~ _ - Container according to one of claims 1 to 4, the top of the tank of which comprises a first thread (4), characterized in that the plugging means comprise a second thread (6) arranged to cooperate with the first thread in order to plug the tank . / 1 ^" - Container according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the plugging means comprise a seal (9) arranged to cooperate with an edge of the tank in order to achieve gas and liquid tightness, in particular to gases and liquids contained in the tank, between a first zone (12) inside the plugging means and a second zone (13) outside the plugging means and inside the tank. Seen - Container according to one of claims 1 to 6, one of the top of the tank and the plugging means comprises a bead and another a groove cooperating with said bead to achieve a gas and liquid seal between the first inner zone with capping means and the surrounding environment. - Container according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized and in that reliefs are distributed over the outer periphery of the sealing means. _ j - container according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises at the bottom of the tank a third thread (7) arranged to cooperate with the second thread of the plugging means to maintain said plugging means in a low position. X - Container according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the sealing means comprise means (18) for stopping flows, of the liquid initially contained in the container or of the foam formed by said liquid, when said plugging means are in the low position.

XJ_ - Container according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the plugging means are arranged to increase the stability of the container when said plugging means are in the low position. V (l - Container according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the closure means are repositionable.

X.JF - Container according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the reservoir comprises at least one handle (22).

^~ _____ ^ ~ - Container according to claim 13, characterized in that said handle is hollow.

- Container according to claim 14, characterized in that the interior volume (23) of the handle communicates with the interior of a main volume (24) of the reservoir. C I- - Container: according to one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the space (27) between the handle and the main volume of the tank is at least partially provided in a concave zone of said main volume. VVII - Container according to one of claims 1 to 16, characterized in that the reservoir comprises projections intended to take support on at least one finger: of the drinker, said projections being distributed over all or part of the external wall of the reservoir. χ \ J \\\ - Container according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the handle or other accessories of said container are designed to allow the storage of at least two containers in a parallelepiped substantially circumscribed by volumes main of said containers. ( _^ (y_- Container according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that at least one of the plugging means and the reservoir is further composed of a blow moldable material. ^'" - Mug beer according to any one of claims 1 to 19.