WO2021152058A1

WO2021152058A1 - Device for removing a liquid from a container, comprising an integrated propellant gas section

Info

Publication number: WO2021152058A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/052052
Authority: WO
Inventors: Oliver Dinter
Original assignee: SCHäFER WERKE GMBH
Priority date: 2020-01-29
Filing date: 2021-01-29
Publication date: 2021-08-05
Also published as: EP4097041A1; DE102020102112A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (20) for removing a liquid from a container (10), having a liquid section (11) for receiving a liquid, preferably a beverage, and a gas section (12) for receiving a propellant gas, preferably carbon dioxide, with a container-side gas valve section (14). The device (20) has: an installation section (24) which is designed to produce a mechanical and functional connection between the device (20) and the container (10) in the installed state; and a removal-side gas valve section (25) which is connected to the container-side gas valve section (14) in the installed state such that together the gas valve sections form a gas passage (30a) which allows the removal of the propellant gas out of the gas section (12). The invention is characterized in that the removal-side gas valve section (25) is designed to be movable, preferably pivotal, relative to the installation section (24).

Description

Device for removing a liquid from a container with an integrated propellant gas section

Technical area

The invention relates to a device for removing a liquid from a container, which has a liquid section for holding a liquid, preferably a drink, and a gas section for holding a propellant gas, preferably carbon dioxide, with a gas valve section on the container side. The invention also relates to a system comprising such a container and a mounted device for removing the liquid from the container.

Background of the invention

Various types of containers are used for the transport and storage of liquids, in particular beverages such as beer, soft drinks and the like, for example reusable kegs such as so-called "kegs". The mostly cylindrical barrels have a valve in the center on the upper side, which can be connected to a dispensing system for drawing off the liquid.

The dispensing system includes a dispensing head that feeds a propellant gas (mostly carbon dioxide) into the keg. The propellant gas creates an overpressure in the barrel, which means that when the tap is opened, the contents are pushed out through a tube inside the barrel and can thus be tapped or removed. Since part of the propellant gas always escapes when the liquid is drawn off, which in the If carbon dioxide-containing beverages and, for example, foam formation in beer are absolutely desirable, propellant gas must be added from an external container during the course of the liquid withdrawal. Barrels and dispensing systems of this type emerge, for example, from EP 3447024 A1 and DE 601 15023 T2.

The provision of the propellant gas requires that a separate gas container, such as a gas bottle, must be connected to the gas supply of the dispensing head via a pressure reducing valve. In order to avoid this additional work step, which also harbors the risk of a faulty connection, it was proposed to integrate the gas container in the barrel. This can be achieved by welding a pressure vessel for liquefied gas into the barrel, see DE 8907059 U1. Alternatively, an additional chamber for the propellant gas can be provided in the barrel by means of a partition, as can be seen from DE 201 15 158 U1.

One advantage of integrated propellant gas containers is that the dispensing head can be installed quickly and easily, since there is no need to connect a propellant gas container separately. However, it can happen that the gas connection is not reliably made or is not reliably maintained due to manufacturing tolerances, for example due to a slight change in the curvature of the top of the barrel in the course of the spigot, so that gas can inadvertently escape despite any sealing precautions or a defect in the gas connection is the result .

Presentation of the invention

Based on the known prior art, one object of the invention is to improve the applicability and reliability of a device for withdrawing a liquid from a container. The object is achieved with a device with the features of claim 1 and a system with the features of the quasi-independent claim 11. Advantageous developments follow from the subclaims, the following presentation of the invention and the description of preferred exemplary embodiments.

The device, also referred to herein as a “removal device”, is used to remove a liquid from a container which has a liquid section for receiving a liquid and a gas section for receiving a propellant gas. Particularly preferred liquids are beverages, such as, for example, water, beer, soft drinks, sparkling wine, wine, mixed drinks or the like. The propellant gas can be present as liquid gas in the gas section. The propellant gas, preferably carbon dioxide, serves for any enrichment of the liquid and to support the transport of the liquid out of the container by putting the liquid section under pressure. For this purpose, the container has a gas valve section on the container side, which is used to remove the propellant gas from the gas section.

The gas section and the liquid section are preferably provided as separate chambers in the container. The container itself is, for example, a barrel, preferably a reusable barrel.

The device according to the invention has an assembly section which is set up in order to realize a mechanical and functional connection of the device to the container in an assembled state. The assembly section can be shaped and set up in such a way that the removal device is mounted or mountable on the upper portion of the container, for example on the lid of a possible barrel. In this way, the removal device forms, so to speak, a modular floor, which makes the overall system of container and removal device particularly compact can be designed and the assembly of the removal device can be carried out easily.

The removal device therefore does not have to encompass the entire container or large parts of it. The assembly section can be part of a housing of the removal device or form such a housing. The assembly section is preferably set up in such a way that assembly is only possible in a well-defined position and orientation in order to ensure correct connection to a liquid / gas valve section of the container and to the gas valve section on the container side.

The device according to the invention furthermore has a gas valve section on the extraction side which, in the assembled state, is connected to the gas valve portion on the container side in such a way that they jointly form a gas passage which enables the propellant gas to be extracted from the gas section.

According to the invention, the gas valve section on the withdrawal side is designed to be movable, preferably pivotable. The mobility can be seen relative to stationary sections of the removal device or of the container in the assembled state, such as relative to the assembly section or housing of the removal device.

Since the gas valve section on the removal side is set up to be movable by a certain amount, manufacturing tolerances that occur when the container and / or the removal device are in the free position can be compensated for. This ensures a gas-tight and reliable connection. Furthermore, inaccuracies in the assembly of the extraction device as well as any changes in the shape and nature of the container wall in particular can be compensated for during the use of the extraction device, so that there is always a reliable coupling of the container-side gas valve section to the extraction-side gas valve section is present without a leak or a defect in the gas valve.

The gas valve section on the extraction side preferably comprises a connection section which is designed to enter into a mechanical connection with the gas valve section on the container side in the assembled state, and a housing section which is stationary relative to the mounting section and in which the connection section is accommodated with play so that the connection section is movable relative to the housing section , preferably pivotable. In this way, the above-mentioned compensation for deviations from different causes can be implemented in a simple and reliable manner in terms of mechanical engineering.

The connection section preferably comprises a connection-side flange and the housing section comprises a housing base with a recess through which the connection section passes in sections, the recess forming a housing-side flange which is in contact with the connection-side flange and cooperates to realize the mobility of the connection section. This ensures that, despite the play of the connection section in the housing section, the basic position and location of the connection section is maintained in order to ensure that the removal device can be easily and reliably installed.

The flange on the connection side and / or the flange on the housing side preferably has a non-planar, for example spherical shell-shaped, contact surface. The “contact surface” here means that surface of a flange that is in contact with the other flange. In this way, well-defined degrees of freedom of the permissible mobility, in particular pivotability, of the connection section can be implemented in a structurally simple and reliable manner. The gas valve section on the extraction side preferably has a spring, for example a spiral spring, which is set up to press the connection section against the housing base. The spring has a stabilizing effect here, so that the pivoting of the connection section takes place against a certain resistance. The spring also has a centering effect, so that the connection section is preloaded into a central, for example vertical, position, which simplifies the assembly of the removal device.

The connection section is preferably designed to be displaceable in the plane of the housing bottom. A possible compensating movement can thus be implemented by changing the position of the connecting section. This can be achieved by appropriately dimensioning the recess in the housing base and the flanges.

The connection section is preferably mounted in the housing section in such a way that it can be pivoted, at most by an angle α, the pivotability in this case particularly preferably comprising at least two degrees of freedom. In this way, the spatial alignment of the connection section can be regulated, which is particularly useful for compensating for the possible tolerances and deviations (manufacturing-related, assembly, changes in the course of use) addressed here. The pivotability here comprises at least one degree of freedom, ie it takes place about a pivot axis; however, it preferably comprises at least two degrees of freedom, so that the connection section can be tilted by a certain amount in all directions like a ball-bearing joystick. The pivotability or tiltability can be produced in a structurally simple manner in that the flanges, as mentioned above, do not lie flat on top of one another, but rather at least one of the flanges has a non-flat, for example spherical-shell-shaped, contact surface. The extraction device preferably also has a liquid / gas connection which, in the assembled state, is connected to a liquid / gas valve section of the container, ie the liquid / gas connection and the liquid / gas valve section are mechanically connected and in fluid communication in the assembled state, whereby a withdrawal of the liquid from the liquid section of the container is made possible directly via the withdrawal device. In other words, the extraction device synergistically takes on the function of a tap head; a separate tap head is not required.

The extraction device is preferably set up to connect the gas valve section on the container side via the gas valve section on the extraction side to a gas part of the liquid / gas valve section in the assembled state, whereby propellant gas can be supplied to the liquid portion of the container if necessary, preferably during each extraction process by actuating a tap actuation means of the extraction device . In this way, the liquid in the container is always kept under sufficient pressure to enable the liquid to be withdrawn or tapped.

The extraction device is preferably designed to connect a liquid part of the liquid / gas valve section to a dispensing valve of the extraction device in the assembled state, whereby liquid enriched with propellant gas can be withdrawn from a dispensing opening of the device as required. In this way, the dispensing device can be used like a conventional dispensing system, it being a modular and compact alternative.

The above-mentioned object is also achieved by a system which has: a container which has a liquid section for holding a liquid, preferably a drink, and a gas section for holding a propellant gas, preferably carbon dioxide, with a container-side Has gas valve portion; and a device for removing a liquid from the container according to one of the embodiments described above. The extraction device is mounted on the container in such a way that the extraction-side gas valve section is connected to the tank-side gas valve section in such a way that they jointly form a gas passage which enables the propellant gas to be extracted from the gas section.

The features, technical effects, advantages and exemplary embodiments that have been described in relation to the extraction device apply analogously to the system comprising extraction device and container

For the reasons mentioned above, the container preferably comprises a liquid / gas valve section, which is arranged, for example, centrally in a lid or an upper section of the container, as well as a tube which is in fluid connection with the liquid / gas valve section and into the interior of the liquid portion of the container protrudes.

The gas section of the container is preferably separated from the liquid section by a bell-shaped partition wall, whereby the container is separated into two chambers in a structurally stable manner, which are also easily accessible through the removal device.

The container is preferably a barrel, in particular a reusable barrel. The container can have the design of a so-called "keg", as a result of which it is compatible with existing systems and devices, for example for cleaning and filling the container.

In addition, further advantages and features of the invention can be seen from the following description of preferred exemplary embodiments. The features described therein can be used alone or in combination with an or several of the above features can be implemented, provided that the features do not contradict one another. The description of preferred exemplary embodiments takes place with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Brief description of the figures

Preferred further exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail by the following description of the figures. Show:

Figure 1 shows a system with a container and a mounted one

Removal device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2a shows a partial view of a gas valve with a container-side

Gas valve section and a discharge-side gas valve section in a first state; and

FIG. 2b shows a partial view of a gas valve with a container-side

Gas valve portion and an extraction-side gas valve portion in a second state.

Detailed description of preferred exemplary embodiments

Preferred exemplary embodiments are described below with reference to the figures. Identical, similar or identically acting elements are provided with identical reference symbols in the figures, and a repetitive description of these elements is in some cases dispensed with in order to avoid redundancy.

FIG. 1 shows a cross section through a system 1 with a container 10 and a device 20 mounted thereon for withdrawing a liquid from the Container 10. The device 20 is also referred to herein as a “removal device”.

The container 10 has a liquid section 11 for receiving a liquid to be stored and, if necessary, dispensed or tapped, as well as a gas section 12 that contains a propellant gas or compressed gas, which is preferably present in the gas section 12 as liquid gas.

Particularly preferred liquids are beverages, such as, for example, water, beer, soft drinks, sparkling wine, wine, mixed drinks or the like. The propellant gas, preferably carbon dioxide, is used for any enrichment of the liquid and to support the transport of the liquid out of the container 10, as will be explained in more detail below.

It should be noted that the container 10 is also suitable for holding other liquids, such as paint, and other propellant gases, such as nitrogen.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the container 10 has a cylindrical shape, the gas section 12 being separated from the liquid section 11 by a bell-shaped partition 13. In this way, the gas section 12 is integrated in the container 10, so that a separate propellant gas container, such as a gas cylinder or a disposable cartridge, can be dispensed with.

Of course, the gas section 12 can be designed differently, provided that it is ensured that it can be accessed from the outside, ie from outside the container 10, via a gas valve section 14 on the container side. To this end, the container-side gas valve section 14 penetrates the wall of the container 10 and thus allows access to the gas section 12. The container-side gas valve section 14 can be an independent valve for opening and closing the access to the gas section 12 or form such access together with components of the extraction device 20.

The container 10 also has a liquid / gas valve portion 15 which is preferably centrally located in the upper portion, i.e. in the lid of the container 10. The liquid / gas valve section 15 can be an independent valve for opening and closing the access to the liquid section 11 or can form such a valve together with components of the extraction device 20. The liquid / gas valve portion 15 is connected in fluid communication with a tube 16 that protrudes into the interior of the liquid portion 11 of the container 10.

The extraction device 20, which here also functions as a “dispensing head”, has a liquid / gas connection 26 which, in the assembled state, is connected to the liquid / gas valve section 15 in a fluid-communicating manner.

In the assembled state, the removal device 20 also connects the gas valve section 14 on the container side to a gas part of the liquid / gas valve section 15, whereby propellant gas can be supplied to the liquid section 11 if necessary, preferably during each removal process by actuating a dispensing actuator 21 of the removal device 20 In the present exemplary embodiment, it is a lever, but it can also be a switch, a button on a display, a rotary knob or the like. In the assembled state, the extraction device 20 also connects a liquid part of the liquid / gas valve section 15 to a nozzle 22 of the extraction device 20. The nozzle 22 is opened / closed when the nozzle actuation means 21 is actuated, whereby liquid is enriched with propellant gas from a tap or a tap opening 23 flows out if necessary and can thus be removed. The removal device 20 has a mounting section 24, via which the removal device 20 can be mechanically and functionally connected to the container 10. The mounting section 24 is preferably shaped and set up in such a way that the removal device 20 is mounted or can be mounted on the upper section of the container 10, as in the present exemplary embodiment. In this way, the removal device 20 forms, as it were, a modular cover or a modular hood, as a result of which the system 1 can be designed to be particularly compact and the assembly of the removal device 20 can be carried out easily. The removal device 20 therefore does not have to encompass the entire container 10 or large parts thereof. The mounting section 24 can be part of a housing of the removal device 20 or form such a housing. The assembly section 24 is preferably set up in such a way that assembly is only possible in a well-defined position and orientation in order to ensure a correct connection to the liquid / gas valve section 15 and the gas valve section 14 on the container side.

The extraction device 20 has an extraction-side gas valve section 25 which, in the assembled state, is in fluid connection with the container-side gas valve section 14 and together with it forms a gas passage 30a or a gas valve 30 with such a gas passage 30a. The gas valve 30 is shown enlarged in Figures 2a and 2b.

With reference to FIG. 2a, the extraction-side gas valve section 25 of the gas valve 30 comprises a connection section 31, a preferably cylindrical element, which is designed to establish a reliable mechanical and fluid-tight connection with the container-side gas valve section 14.

For this purpose, the connection section 31 preferably comprises a cylindrical receiving section 31 a, which is used for the fluid-tight receiving of a cylindrical counterpart of the container-side gas valve portion 14 is set up. The receiving section 31a can widen towards the container side in order to simplify the introduction of the container-side counterpart and to enable self-centering.

The extraction-side gas valve section 25 further comprises a gas channel 32, which connects the connection section 31 or an actuation section arranged therein

33 penetrates, preferably centrally and concentrically. Gas can flow through the gas channel 32, through which the propellant gas can be removed from the gas section 12 and fed to the liquid / gas valve section 15.

The connection section 31 further comprises the above-mentioned actuation section 33, which in the present exemplary embodiment penetrates into the container-side gas valve section 14 in order to actuate, in particular to open, a valve located therein (not visible in detail in the figures). The actuating section 33 can permanently open the valve in the assembled state of the removal device 20 by penetrating the gas valve section 14 on the container side, or the actuating section 33 can be switchable in order to open and close the gas valve 30 as required. In the present exemplary embodiment, the actuation section 33 is a cylindrical element which is introduced into the connection section 31 in a concentric manner and is penetrated by the gas duct 32.

The extraction-side gas valve section 25 also has a housing section

34, in which the connection section 31 is received. The housing section 34 serves to stabilize and fold the connection section 31 in the removal device 20, with some play being present so that a displacement and / or pivoting of the connection section 31 by a certain amount is possible, as will be described in detail below. The housing section 34 has a housing bottom 34a with a recess 34b through which the connection section 31 passes in sections. The recess 34b creates a housing-side flange 34c which interacts with a connection-side flange 31b.

According to the present exemplary embodiment, the extraction-side gas valve section 25 also has a spring 35 which is designed to pretension or press the connection section 31 against the housing bottom 34a. For this purpose, the spring 35 can be designed as a spiral spring, surround the connection section 31 in a spiral shape and support itself against the housing section 34 and the connection-side flange 31b in such a way that the connection-side flange 31b is pressed against the housing-side flange 34c.

The connection section 31 is mounted in the housing section 34 in such a way that it can be pivoted through an angle a, i.e. up to a maximum of angle a. The pivotability includes at least one degree of freedom, i.e. it takes place around a pivot axis; however, it preferably comprises at least two degrees of freedom, so that the connection section 31 can be tilted by a certain amount in all directions like a joystick. The pivotability or tiltability can be achieved in that the flanges 31b, 34c do not lie flat on top of one another, but rather at least one of the flanges 31b, 34c has a non-flat, for example spherical-shell-shaped, contact surface.

The pivotability of the connection section 31 can be seen most clearly from a comparison of FIGS. 2a and 2b.

The spring 35 has a stabilizing effect here, so that the pivoting of the connection section 31 takes place against a certain resistance. The spring 35 also has a centering effect, so that the connection section 31 is pretensioned in a central, for example vertical, position.

As an alternative or in addition to pivoting, the connection section 31 can be displaced, so that a displacement along the housing bottom 34a is possible as a compensating movement. This can be achieved by appropriately dimensioning the recess 34b and the flanges 31b, 34c.

In other words, the extraction-side gas valve section 25 is movable by a certain amount in the assembled state of the extraction device 20, whereby manufacturing tolerances that occur during the manufacture of the container 10 and / or the extraction device 20 can be compensated and thus a gas-tight and durable connection is guaranteed. Furthermore, inaccuracies in the assembly of the extraction device 20 and any changes in the shape and nature of the container wall in particular can be compensated for during the use of the extraction device 20, so that a reliable connection of the tank-side gas valve section 14 and the extraction-side gas valve section 25 is always ensured without it a leak or a defect in the gas valve 30 occurs.

As far as applicable, all of the individual features shown in the exemplary embodiments can be combined with one another and / or exchanged without departing from the scope of the invention.

List of reference symbols

I system (combination of container and mounted removal device)

10 containers

I I liquid section

12 gas section

13 partition

14 Tank-side gas valve section

15 Liquid / gas valve section

16 tube

20 removal device

21 Dispensing actuators

22 nozzle

23 tap opening

24 mounting section

25 Gas valve section on the extraction side

26 Liquid / gas connection

30 gas valve

30a gas passage

31 Connection section

31a receiving section

31b Connection-side flange

32 gas duct

33 operating section

34 Housing Section

34a case back

34b recess

34c Flange on the housing side

35 spring

Claims

1. Device (20) for removing a liquid from a container (10), which has a liquid section (11) for holding a liquid, preferably a drink, and a gas section (12) for holding a propellant gas, preferably carbon dioxide, with a gas valve section on the container side (14), wherein the device (20) has: a mounting section (24) which is set up to realize a mechanical and functional connection of the device (20) to the container (10) in an assembled state; and an extraction-side gas valve section (25) which, in the assembled state, is connected to the container-side gas valve section (14) in such a way that they together form a gas passage (30a) which enables the propellant gas to be extracted from the gas section (12); characterized in that the gas valve section (25) on the extraction side is designed to be movable, preferably pivotable, relative to the mounting section (24).

2. Device (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that the extraction-side gas valve section (25) has a connection section (31) which is set up to enter into a mechanical connection with the container-side gas valve section (14) in the assembled state, and one relative to the Mounting section has stationary housing section (34) in which the connection section (31) is received with play, so that the connection section (31) is movable, preferably pivotable, relative to the housing section (34).

3. Device (20) according to claim 2, characterized in that the connection section (31) has a connection-side flange (31b) and the housing section (34) has a housing base (34a) with a recess (34b) through which the connection section (31 ) occurs in sections, with a housing-side flange (34c) being formed through the recess (34b) which is in contact with the connection-side flange (31b) and cooperates to realize the mobility of the connection section (31).

4. Device (20) according to claim 3, characterized in that the connection-side flange (31b) and / or the housing-side flange (34c) has a non-flat, preferably spherical shell-shaped, contact surface.

5. Device (20) according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the extraction-side gas valve section (25) has a spring (35), preferably a spiral spring, which is designed to move the connection section (31) against the housing base (34a) to press.

6. Device (20) according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the connection section (31) is displaceable in the plane of the housing bottom (34a).

7. Device (20) according to one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the connection section (31) is mounted in the housing section (34) so that it is pivotable, at most by an angle α, the pivotability preferably at least two degrees of freedom includes.

8. Device (20) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises a liquid / gas connection 26 which is in the assembled state is connected to a liquid / gas valve portion (15) of the container.

9. The device (20) according to claim 8, characterized in that it is set up to connect the container-side gas valve section (14) via the extraction-side gas valve section (25) to a gas part of the liquid / gas valve section (15) in the assembled state, whereby propellant gas can be supplied to the liquid section (11) of the container (10) if required, preferably during each removal process by actuating a tap actuation means (21) of the removal device (20).

10. The device (20) according to claim 8 or 9, characterized in that it is set up to connect a liquid part of the liquid / gas valve section (15) to a nozzle (22) of the extraction device (20) in the assembled state, whereby liquid enriched with propellant gas from a tap opening (23) of the device (20) can be removed as required.

11. System (1) comprising: a container (10) which has a liquid section (11) for receiving a liquid, preferably a beverage, and a gas section (12) for receiving a propellant gas, preferably carbon dioxide, with a gas valve section ( 14); and a device (20) for withdrawing a liquid from the container (10) according to one of the preceding claims; wherein the device (20) is mounted on the container (10), so that the gas valve section (25) on the discharge side so with the container-side Gas valve portion (14) is connected so that they together form a gas passage (30a) which enables the propellant gas to be removed from the gas portion (12).

12. System (1) according to claim 11, characterized in that the container (10) has a liquid / gas valve section (15), which is preferably arranged centrally in a lid of the container (10), and a tube (16), which is in fluid communication with the liquid / gas valve portion (15) and protrudes into the interior of the liquid portion (11) of the container (10).

13. System (1) according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the gas section (12) of the container (10) is separated from the liquid section (11) by a bell-shaped partition (13).

14. System (1) according to one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the container (10) is a barrel, preferably a reusable barrel.