EP1484280B1

EP1484280B1 - Plug with siphon valve

Info

Publication number: EP1484280B1
Application number: EP03380131A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Manuel Onieva Jimenez
Original assignee: BEGUDES TOSCA SA
Current assignee: BEGUDES TOSCA SA
Priority date: 2003-06-03
Filing date: 2003-06-03
Publication date: 2007-04-11
Anticipated expiration: 2023-06-03
Also published as: ATE359229T1; EP1484280A1; ES2285075T3; DE60313146D1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a plug with a siphon valve, of the type of the plugs used to serve carbonated drinks stored in discardable pressurised containers. It is characterised by a valve consisting of the use of an elastic part (3) with a sealing element (3.5) on the end of a communication duct (2.4) between the pressurised container (4) and a chamber (2.2) previous to the outlet (2.6) of the liquid. It also uses an elastic membrane (1.2) joined to a pusher (1.3) meant to open the valve by applying pressure with a finger and the subsequent recovery and closure of the valve. Lastly, the plug is provided with an oblique outlet duct (2.6) that facilitates pouring the liquid, propelled into a glass for example, without it spilling. <IMAGE>

Description

FIELD THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a plug with a siphon valve of the type of the plugs used to serve carbonated drinks stored in discardable pressurised containers, such a plug is known from US 5 918 779, according to the preamble of claim 1.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of carbonated water and other gaseous drinks requires containers that can maintain the adequate pressure to keep the dissolved gas from evaporating, in which case the drink would lose its desired properties.
The gas, in addition to contributing a tactile sensation in the palate and a characteristic taste, has traditionally been used as a propellant means in siphons.
Siphons are pressurised containers provided with a liquid outlet valve and a lever or the like to open when serving the desired amount.
This type of containers must be filled in the factory that provides the drink of this type, previously recovering the container.
In addition to the valves that are opened with a lever, the applicant is aware of patents that describe valves employing flexible membranes to obtain said opening.
U.S. Patent 5894962 describes a plug for gaseous drink bottles that has an outlet valve with a flexible membrane in a hemispherical cap shape, centred under which is the sealing element fixed by a wedged element.
The deformation of the membrane due to the pressure of a finger opens the sealing element placed below, communicating the pressurised container with the outside.
A variation of this invention can be found in Patent application WO 9624553, where the shape of the deformable element is changed.
Also known to the applicant is US Patent 5447257, in which the elastic element is basically tubular and allows a rod to be lowered, which acts as a valve configured at its bottom end.
In any of these arrangements, opening of the valve involves deformation of an element that must be properly restored for a subsequent good seal of the valve.
As the displacement by deformation is not guided in any of these cases, in the first because the displacement is due to the deformation of the membrane to which the valve is attached and in the second because the guide is in fact the element that is deformed, the seal will always depend on the proper state of said deformable element.
The present invention makes use of two mutually independent deformable elements, one allowing opening by pressure and the other determining the valve itself, which provides a longer lifetime of the device.
It is known from the State of the Art the valve assembly for supplying pressurized liquid from a contained disclosed in US 5918779 wherein is needed and additional element as the one referenced as a tube retaining socket (10) which is comprised by a conical disc portion 22, a tube portion 23 and a gripping means 24. This additional piece is used for retaining the dipping tube in the desired position. Among the aims of our invention is to avoid the use of that referred additional piece, being provided a valve element which also includes a tubular segment in which enters a feeding dip tube. So thanks to the design of the valve element two functions are fulfilled one being used as a valve and retaining the dip tube in a desired position, being used for that a tubular element comprised in the valve element.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention consists of a plug, as defined by claim 1, with a siphon valve with a configuration lacking the drawbacks cited in the background section, allowing its use in containers that constitute a discardable assembly.
The plug is mainly comprised of three parts, an outer casing, the flexible body of the valve and a pusher.
The outer casing is the main body, essentially cylindrical in shape, with two clearly differentiated chambers (an upper chamber and a lower chamber) communicated to each other by a tubular duct that is prolonged above and below.
The upper chamber allows receiving the liquid when it exits if the flow regime is sufficiently turbulent, stabilising it before it reaches the outside.
The bottom chamber houses the flexible element of the valve and is in overpressure.
The tubular duct connecting the two chambers is closed on its lower end by a spherical cap protrusion supported by flexible spokes that reach the cylindrical body of the flexible element of the valve.
A third part comprises a curved, downwardly concave flexible membrane that establishes the seal of the upper chamber. It also is provided with a pusher in the form of a rod that is prolonged inside the tubular duct that communicates the chambers.
This pusher is guided by the tubular duct in its vertical displacement as it is pushed downward by the pressure exerted on the upper membrane with the finger.
The push of the pressure and deformation of the membrane moves the pusher downwards and the latter in turn moves a spherical cap protrusion of the flexible element of the valve.
The displacement of the sealing protrusion is made possible by the deformation of the spokes that support it, eliminating the seal and allowing passage of the liquid to the upper chamber, and eventually to the exterior.
When the upper membrane is released the pusher ceases to open the valve, so that the membrane and the flexible body of the valve recover their initial positions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present description is accompanied by a set of drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment that do not limit the invention in any way.
Figure 1 shows an elevation section of the three main parts of the plug with a valve, also including a plan view of the flexible valve element.
Figure 2 shows the three parts operatively coupled with a representation of the neck of the pressurised container and the feeding tube arriving from the bottom of the container.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Figure 1 shows the three main parts of the plug: the casing or the main body (2), the lid (1) with a pusher and the flexible body (3) of the valve.
The main body (2) is essentially cylindrical and has two chambers differentiated by a discoid plate (2.8), the upper chamber (2.2) being closed by the lid (1) and the bottom chamber (2.9) prolonged in the container (4) to which it is coupled by an internal threading (2.10).
The upper chamber (2.2) and the lower chamber (2.9) are communicated by means of a central vertical tubular duct (2.3, 2.4) that is prolonged above (2.3) and below (2.4) the discoid plate (2.8).
The upper chamber (2.2) has a lip (2.1) that defines a seat for the top lid (1).
The liquid reaches the outside from said upper chamber (2.2) through an oblique duct (2.6).
The oblique duct (2.6) rises from the level determined by the discoid plate (2.8) to prevent liquid being retained in the upper chamber.
Figure 2 shows the arrangement of the three parts when operationally coupled, showing that the lid (1) consists of a peripheral flange with a seat (1.1) meant to enter the lip (2.1) to establish a proper sealing of the upper chamber (2.2).
The central part of the lid (1) consists of a curved and downwardly concave flexible membrane (1.2).
In its central and lower area it is provided with a bar (1.3) that acts as a pusher. This bar or pusher (1.3) is housed in the tubular duct (2.3, 2.4) leaving an ample clearance to allow passage of the liquid from the bottom chamber (2.9) to the upper chamber (2.2).
Housed in the bottom chamber (2.9) is an elastic body (3) that, together with the cavities it encloses and the lower tubular duct (2.4), configures the sealing valve that prevents the exit of the pressurised liquid.
The elastic body (3) comprises a cylindrical tubular segment (3.2) in which enters the feeding tube (5) that reaches the bottom of the container, facilitating that at all times the pressure will propel the exit of the liquid that tends to remain on the bottom, instead of the gas that remains on the top.
The cylindrical tubular segment (3.2) ends on the top at a flange (3.1) meant to establish a seal with the bottom part of the discoid plate (2.8).
This seal is established on the peripheral area of the flange (3.1), as there is a step under the discoid plate (2.8) that determines a lip area (2.5) on which the support is established.
In the cylindrical tubular segment (3.2) of the same elastic element (3) are a number of also elastic spokes (3.4) converging in the centre, where there is a protrusion (3.5) in the form of a spherical cap.
Said spherical cap protrusion (3.5) closes the communication between the bottom chamber (2.9) and the upper chamber (2.2) when it rests against the lower end of the bottom segment of the tubular duct (2.4).
The bottom end of the pusher (1.3) is placed slightly above the lower end of the tubular duct (2.4), thereby preventing a poor closure of the spherical cap protrusion (3.5) in its resting position.
The valve is opened by pressing on the lid (1), deforming the membrane (1.2) and causing the guided, vertical displacement of the pusher (1.3).
The pusher (1.3) lowers the spherical cap protrusion (3.5) until it no longer rests on the bottom end of the tubular duct (2.4); thus, liquid is allowed to pass from inside the feeding tube (5) to the upper chamber (2.2) through the clearance between the pusher (1.3) and the tubular duct (2.3, 2.4).
Figure 2 shows two enlarged insets of the contact area of the pusher (1.3) on the spherical cap protrusion (3.5). The inset A in a closed position and the inset B with the pusher (1.3) displacing the spherical cap protrusion (3.5) downwards, allowing liquid to pass.
The flexible element (3) is also provided with external flaps that rest on the inside of the bottleneck, maintaining the correct position of the flexible element (3) and preventing malfunctions of the valve seat.
It should be remarked that the protrusion (3.5) does not necessarily have a spherical cap surface. The invention also considers the use of a protrusion (3.5) limited by any surface of revolution that establishes a seat on the lower segment of the tubular duct (2.4).
A simple grip of the plug can be provided by making all or part of the outer surface (2.7) rough.

Claims

Plug with siphon valve of the type of the plugs with a valve that use a flexible membrane acting as a spring to restore the original position of the valve comprising three parts:
- a casing (2) which is an essentially cylindrical body, having a discoid plate (2.8) separating two chambers, a bottom chamber (2.9) and an upper chamber (2.2) that are communicated by a vertical central tubular duct (2.3) (2.4), wherein the upper chamber is connected to the exterior through an oblique duct (2.6) that rises from the level of the discoid plate (2.8) so that the liquid is not retained;

- a lid (1) which is provided with a flexible membrane (1.2) under which is provided with a pusher (1.3); the upper chamber (2.2) of the casing (2) being closed by the lid (1) that is inserted by its peripheral seat (1.1) in the top lip (2.1) of the casing (2); and

- an elastic valve element (3) having a protrusion (3.5) being supported by also elastic radial segments (3.4);
characterized in that:
- the pusher (1.3) is housed with a clearance in the tubular duct (2.3, 2.4) and extends almost as far as the bottom end of said duct (2.3);

- the elastic valve element (3) rests by the perimeter of a flange (3.1) on an annular notched lip (2.5) of the casing (2) and on the inner wall of the container (4) by means of some flaps (3.3);

- the cap protrusion (3.5) is spherical; and

- the elastic element (3) of the valve comprises a tubular element (3.2) in which enters a feeding dip tube (5).
Plug with siphon valve, according to claim 1, characterised in that the flexible membrane (1.2) of the lid (1) is deformed by pressure causing a downwards displacement of the pusher (1.3), which in turn produces an opening between the bottom end of the tubular duct (2.4) and the spherical cap protrusion (3.5) by the deformation of the radial support flexible segments (3.4), establishing a communication between the bottom chamber (2.9) and the upper chamber (2.2) that leads to the exterior.
Plug with siphon valve, according to claim 1, characterised in that the protrusion (3.5) is limited by any surface of revolution that establishes a seat on the bottom segment of the tubular duct (2.4).
Plug with siphon valve, according to claim 1, characterised in that all or part of the outside of the casing has a rough surface (2.7) to facilitate the grip.