FR3045172A1 - DEVICE FOR DETECTING THE REDUCTION OF A LIQUID IN A BARRIER OR SIMILAR CONTAINER - Google Patents

Abstract

Detecting device for the reduction of liquid in a barrel or similar container, which is connected to a plug (2) of the type used for the hermetic closure of this type of container, a liquid level detector remaining inside the barrel , consisting of a float (1) which moves along a rod (7); while outside, above the plug (2), is arranged a control and activation circuit (8) of a series of witnesses (9, 10) which signal when the liquid level has dropped below the set value, without the need to open the container and maintaining the hermetic closure necessary for the good maturation of the liquid in its interior.

Description

SENSOR DEVICE FOR REDUCING LIQUID IN A BARRIER OR SIMILAR CONTAINER

Object of the invention The invention refers to a device capable of detecting whether the level of a liquid, usually wine or other alcoholic beverage, contained in a barrel, a barrel or other similar container, falls below a given level.

This device is connected to a silicone plug or equivalent of the type used for the hermetic closure of this type of container, so that the detecting part of the liquid level is located on the lower part of the plug, that is to say inside the container, while the part indicating the low level condition is located on the top of the cap and therefore outside the container. The purpose of this device is to know when the liquid level has dropped below the desired value, without the need to open the container and maintaining the hermetic closure necessary for the proper maturation of the liQuide inside. .

Any reference to a liquid or drink appearing in this description, should be understood by extension as an alcoholic beverage or spirit, and in particular wine. Furthermore any reference to a tank, a container and / or a barrel appearing in this description, should be understood by extension as a container, a tank, a gourd, a jar, a barrel, a cylinder, etc., or a tank made of a metal or synthetic material, or wood, and which is designed to contain liquids such as alcoholic beverages.

Background of the invention

Wine, rum and other alcoholic beverages and spirits can be the subject of a breeding process that is usually carried out in barrels of different sizes. These barrels are formed by a series of wooden blades that form the body of the barrel and by metal straps that provide structural strength to the whole.

The wood that forms the blades is porous in nature, so that the liquid contained inside the barrel penetrates slowly into it, exchanging aromatic substances. Part of the liquid entering the interior of the wood or through the joints may eventually reach the outer surface of the barrel and evaporate. These phenomena make that with time the level of the liquid contained in the barrel gradually decreases.

This decrease gives rise to an empty space on the upper part of the container, which is normally formed by a rarefied atmosphere if the closure of the cap is sufficiently sealed.

The rate at which the reduction occurs in the contents depends on many factors, such as the type and thickness of the wood, the temperature and humidity of the barrel room, whether the barrel is new or whether it has contained previous rearing of the drink, etc. It usually varies between 2% and 10% per year.

The diversity of factors involved makes it difficult to calculate the time that will elapse before a barrel has a certain volume free of liquid; when it is common practice to fill up with more liquid by the operators of the cellar.

At the present time it is common to periodically uncork or open the containers to check with the naked eye or touch the level of the liquid; but this process causes the rarefied atmosphere present in the container to be replaced by air present in the cellar. This air has a certain oxygen content which is housed on the free part of the container. The quality of the drinks deposited in the containers is modified by the presence of oxygen in contact with the liquid; hence the interest to maintain the hermetic character and to achieve the minimum possible openings until the moment of filling.

Among the existing antecedents it should be noted that no device with this functionality has been located, documents relating to the proposed objective have been found, but none with the same purpose as that of the present invention.

WO2007124919 discloses a device for maintaining the maximum level of filling of a barrel through a tank outside the barrel. Nevertheless, once the reserve liquid has been used up, there is no proof of the evolution of the liquid level in the barrel

The document US2004149345 describes an apparatus for controlling the filling level of the barrels, the latter being interrupted when the level of the drink reaches the nozzle of the apparatus. Nevertheless, once the barrel is filled, the filling level is not checked again.

The document FR2808518 refers to a device used for filling the barrels which warns by means of light and sound indicators of the level reached so that the operator knows when he has to manually close the filling valve. Again, level control is only performed at the time of filling.

In the document AU2010366389 describes an inflatable bladder system introduced inside the barrel which gradually increases its volume to compensate for the decrease in the liquid so that the free space inside the barrel is eliminated. Although this system bypasses the need to make fills, it is technically much more complex and therefore more expensive to implement in the cellars.

Description of the invention The object of this invention is to eliminate the openings that do not lead to filling due to the fact that the reduction of the beverage inside the barrel is insufficient, thereby reducing the contact of the drink with atmospheric oxygen and thus avoiding subsequent oxidation of the beverage which may involve the loss of organoleptic characteristics.

In addition it reduces the time and the dedicated work to determine the ideal time to perform the filling operation, which can be high in the cellars with a large number of barrels breeding.

To do this, the subject of the present invention is a device which makes it possible to determine whether the level of the liquid in a barrel falls below a determined level and to warn by a method when this occurs.

To implement its mission, this device comprises a series of parts, among which are a float, a plug and a housing or receptacle for housing the electrical or electronic part.

The float, made of stainless steel or other metallic or synthetic material that can come into contact with the beverage without altering its characteristics, acts in the manner of a liquid level sensor according to the floating or resting position. Said float is positioned so that its lowest level corresponds to the liquid level for which it is desired to assign the filling requirement condition, due to the fact that the pre-established level of liquid in the barrel has been reduced.

The plug, of tronco-conical shape and made of silicone, cork or other similar material of the type that is used to seal the barrels, is located on the float and through it pass, either the cables that are connected to the float, or a part of the own float, to send the signal of the liquid level to its upper part. The receptacle made of plastic, metal or the like is located on this upper part and contains the electrical or electronic circuits that activate the warning of low level of liquid. Said warning may be, but is not limited to, optical, acoustic, sending a cable signal to another device or sending a wireless signal to another device or other means of communication. similar warning.

The housing or receptacle where the electrical and / or electronic part is housed, can receive the operating power supply either by means of a cable from the outside, or by means of an internal replaceable or non-replaceable battery, or any other means capable of keeping it running. In addition it may or may not include a button, switch or other similar device to activate the alert manually to an operator to check if the device is working properly.

Brief description of the drawings

The features and advantages of the invention will become more clearly apparent from the detailed description.

The details, both in the description and in the preferred embodiment are given by way of illustration, with reference to a possible case of practical realization, but it is not limited to the details which are set forth here, and therefore this description must be considered from an illustrative and limitless point of view of any kind. In said sections, the numeral that is mentioned refers to the figures that are accompanied in this document, in which:

Figures 1 and 2 show the device of the invention located in a barrel in which the liquid level is, respectively, above and below the desired minimum level, and therefore the device is at rest or activated by emitting an alert signal to indicate such a condition.

Figure 3 further schematically shows the device of the invention, detailing the elements included in the electronic circuit associated therewith, disposed above the barrel (6) and / or the plug (4). Preferred embodiment of the invention

In the figures # it can be observed one of the possible embodiments of the device of the invention capable of detecting the reduction of the liquid level in a barrel below a given level. On the lower part of the device is preferably a float (1), preferably of stainless steel, which can move freely between two stops of a rod (7) of the same material, depending on the level of the liquid (5) in which he is lodged. Said float (1) functions as a switch in which permanent magnets on the float close the switch when in a given position along the rod. In this case in particular they close the switch when the float (1) rests on the lower stop of the rod due to the fact that there is not enough liquid for it to float. The upper part of the stem (7) of the float (1) passes through the silicone plug (2) through the center through an orifice in the latter which has the appropriate diameter so that, once the rod housed in inside, the air can not penetrate through it. This ensures the hermetic closure of the cap when it is placed in the orifice of the barrel.

A part is on the stem (7) of the float which through a thread (6) and a rubber seal provides a seal through the wall of the housing that contains the device electronics . Inside the housing (4) observed on said nut (6) is a battery which supplies the rest of the electronic circuit (8) from the moment when the float switch is closed. This makes it possible to have no power consumption until the moment when it is necessary to signal the alert condition, thus providing the greatest possible autonomy to the device.

The warning circuit (8) may contain one or more of the following components: - LEDs (10) or other devices for generating a visual signal and which can light continuously or intermittently. - A biper (9) or other similar device for producing a sound wave that can be listened to in the space at a distance from the location of the barrel and can produce continuous or intermittent sound, with one or different tones . - Wireless communication device (11) for sending the alert condition to another receiving device through radio frequency waves or other similar means. The alert may or may not be sent periodically. - Communication device for sending the alert condition to another device connected to the device of the invention by means of a cable or the like. The alert may or may not be sent periodically.

The device may or may not include, outside the housing that contains the electronic part, a button or switch (12) for manually verifying that the battery of the device is still loaded so that the alert is sent correctly.

Claims (6)

1. Device for detecting the reduction of liquid in a barrel or similar container, characterized in that it comprises: - a float (1), which can move freely between two stops of a rod (7) depending on the level liquid (5) to which it is housed, said float being configured as a switch which closes its contacts when in a low position due to the fact that there is not enough liquid for it to float, keeping them open as long as the liquid level in the barrel is above a defined level; - a closure (2) for closing the barrel or container, which is crossed either by conductive cables which are connected to the float, or by the rod (7) of the float, to send the signal of the liquid level to a electronic circuit (8) located on the upper side; - An electronic circuit (8) integrated in a housing (4), located on the closure cap (2), which feeds through the switch float (1) means for activating a warning, if the liquid drop below an established level, without the need to unclog the container. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the electronic circuit (8) on the closure cap (2) comprises warning light means (10) and / or acoustic (9), fixed or intermittent, provided that the minimum level established for the beverage (5) inside the barrel (3) has been reached. 3. Device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the electronic circuit (8) on the closure cap (2) comprises means of communication, wirelessly through a radio frequency signal, or through a cable of data, adapted that a sensor device generates a warning of the condition that the minimum level established for the drink (5) inside the barrel (3) has been reached. 4. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the electronic circuit (8) on the closure cap (2) is fed through a battery or fixed or exchangeable battery, mounted in series. with the switch actuated by the float (1) when it is located in the lowest position of the rod (7) due to the fact that the minimum level established for the drink (5) inside the barrel (3) has dropped. 5. Device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receptacle (4) of the electronic circuit (8) has a button or switch (12) adapted to, by means of its manual actuation, to verify the operation of the battery and the electronic circuit (8). 6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the rod (7), in which the float (1) moves, through the cap (2) remaining trapped by it when there closure of the barrel takes place and the housing (4) which comprises the electronic components of the device is fixed thereto, by means of a set of rubber seal and nuts (6) which ensure the hermetic character, while securing the three components basic device: float (1), cap (2) and housing (4) in a single object.