Assembly for storing and dispensing beer and other...

Details Assembly for storing and dispensing beer and other... Assembly for storing and dispensing beer and other...

2000-05-08

2002-04-23

Yuen, Henry C. (Department: 3754)

Dispensing

With discharge assistant

Fluid pressure

C222S095000, C222S105000, C222S389000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06375048

ABSTRACT:

The invention relates to an assembly according to the preamble of claim
1
. Such assembly is known from European patent application 0 377 195.
This known assembly comprises a pressure vessel and a container which can be accommodated therein and which can be compressed by feeding, under pressure, a pressure medium such as air or water into the pressure vessel. By means of a closing screw thread connection, the container is connected to a dispensing line accommodated in a cover part of the pressure vessel. The pressure vessel consists of a box-shaped bottom part and the above-mentioned cover part, which is removable from the bottom part. When this assembly is used, the container is screwed into the removed cover part and subsequently slid into the bottom part, after which the cover part is fixed onto the bottom part. As a result, a closed pressure chamber is created around the entire container. Provided in the dispensing line is a tap by means of which the dispensing line can be opened and closed. When the tap is opened, the beverage can be forced out of the container through the dispensing channel and to the environment, by compressing the container. This known assembly readily enables beverage to be discharged from a compressible container.
A drawback of this known assembly is that pressure can be built up in the pressure vessel while no container has been placed in the pressure vessel. Energetically and in terms of safety, this is undesirable. Moreover, before being placed in the pressure vessel, the container should first be screwed into the loose cover part, while moreover, the container should first be opened. Only then can the container be inserted into the pressure vessel and can the pressure chamber be closed. This means that during placement of the container in the pressure vessel, beverage could already flow away to the environment. Moreover, the cover part should be separated completely from the bottom part. This means that particular constructional measures must be taken to be able to withstand the pressure required for compressing the container. A further drawback of this known assembly is that the container in the pressure vessel is retained adjacent the neck only, which results in a relatively unstable positioning of the bottle.
It is an object of the invention to provide an assembly in which the drawbacks mentioned are avoided while the advantages thereof are maintained. To that end, an assembly according to the invention is characterized by the features set forth herein.
Because the pressure space, during use, is at least partly determined and closed from the environment by a closing part which is to be placed together with the container, the advantage is obtained that pressure can be built up in the pressure vessel only when the container has been positioned in the proper manner. After all, pressure medium fed into the dispensing device could otherwise directly flow away again therefrom. This means that if the device is switched on unintentionally, the absence of a container will quickly be observed, while, moreover, the risk of opening a pressurized device without container, which might cause danger to a user, is eliminated. And precisely when a container is absent, a user will be inclined to handle the assembly less carefully. As a result, an assembly according to the invention is considerably safer than the known assembly. Because the closing part is arranged at a distance from the dispensing opening of the container, the closing pressure is provided over a relatively large surface area, so that a proper sealing can be obtained, while the sealing can take up relatively large tolerances. Since the dispensing opening is located outside the pressure vessel, the pressure medium in the pressure chamber is readily prevented from contacting the beverage to be dispensed. Thus, the quality of the beverage is maintained throughout the duration of its use. A further advantage of an assembly according to the invention is that the container can first be placed in the bottom part, after which the cover part can be closed over the container while the container, at least the dispensing opening, need only be opened, if desired, after its placement in the device. Indeed, the dispensing opening of the container is still accessible after placement of the container in the pressure vessel and formation of the pressure chamber. This means that the container, during placement thereof in the pressure vessel, can remain closed, if this is desired. This readily prevents the beverage from flowing away unintentionally.
In an advantageous embodiment a collar-shaped closing part extending around the container at a distance from the filling and/or dispensing opening, offers the advantage that the positioning of the container in the pressure vessel is simplified even further. After all, the part of the container which, during use, extends inside the pressure chamber can easily pass an insertion opening, while the collar-shaped part can strike, in at least one direction, closing means cooperating therewith, while the container may have a substantially cylindrical outer wall, which is advantageous from a productional and aesthetic viewpoint. Accordingly, a proper sealing can be realized in a simple manner, in cooperation with at least a portion of the longitudinal edge mentioned. Moreover, a correct positioning of the container in the pressure vessel is directly obtained thereby.
In a further advantageous embodiment, an assembly according to the invention is further characterized by the features of claim
6
.
In a further advantageous embodiment, a substantially undeformable container, in which a storage compartment for the beverage is included, can be used. A deformable part separates the storage compartment from the pressure chamber. Particularly outside the tapping device, such container offers the advantage that the storage compartment is well-protected, while during use, it can nevertheless be emptied in a simple manner by means of the pressure medium. Such container is particularly suitable as beverage container for repeated use.
In a further preferred embodiment, the container is compressible by means of the pressure medium which is fed, under pressure, into the pressure chamber. The fit-on part, which, under the influence of the pressure of the pressure medium, is at least sufficiently undeformable, provides a permanent closure of the pressure chamber. This means that the container can readily be compressed, preferably completely. Such container is eminently suitable as disposable container. In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the container can be completely compressed in the fit-on part. In that case, the container is preferably manufactured from plastic, in particular a polymer, preferably a thermoplastic polymer, so as to be thin-walled and self-supporting. In particular PET or, in a preferred embodiment, PEN are plastics suitable for use for a beverage container according to the invention, particularly since these plastics are properly processable, for instance by injection-molding and blowing. In different applications, in particular when low oxygen- and CO
2
-permeability is desired, a PET/PEN laminate or blend is particularly suitable. Such plastic container can be deformed relatively easily and offers adequate protection to the beverage prior to and during use. In this regard, in particular a relatively large container manufactured from PEN provides a suitable barrier to the passage of oxygen, which is for particular importance especially when a container is used for storing beer.
In a further preferred embodiment, a tubular dispensing means which is relatively fixedly connected to the container, offers the advantage that during use, the beverage to be dispensed from the container does not contact fixed parts of the tapping device. The tubular dispensing means is supplied as well as removed again together with the container. This renders a hygienic usage of such assembly particularly simple. Moreover, this considerably decreases the possibility of contact between the

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