JP2005271962A - Beverage container, dispenser, and dispensing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device of a beverage dispensing system, in particular, a miniaturized device for domestic use. <P>SOLUTION: There is provided a beverage container comprising a container shell, a beverage port disposed on the container shell, a flexible bag disposed in the container shell so as to be connected to the beverage port and store beverage, and a gas port which is defined on the top of the container shell and through which gas is allowed to flow into a gas space between the internal face of the container shell and the external face of the flexible bag. In addition, an insertion tube connected to a beverage port may be disposed in the flexible bag. Further, the dispensing system that includes the beverage container and the dispenser can also be provided. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a container, a dispensing device, and a dispensing system for dispensing beverages such as beer and soft drinks, and particularly to those used at home.

Dispensing systems for dispensing beverages, in particular beer dispensing, are widely used in various places. There are generally two types of dispensing systems for dispensing beer. One system is a system that uses gravity and the other is a system that uses a CO ₂ tank or a CO ₂ cartridge to pump CO ₂ gas into the beer container.

In particular, a system for beer using a CO ₂ tank is common, and is mainly used for business in restaurants, pubs and the like. This system has a large beer container (for example, a container with a capacity of up to 70 liters) and a large capacity that must have sufficient capacity to feed CO ₂ gas into such a large beer container. Has a CO ₂ tank of size. Usually, the pressure of the CO ₂ gas filled in the CO ₂ tank is a high pressure of about 60 bar to 70 bar, and the pressure of this CO ₂ gas is about 1.5 by a pressure regulating valve before being fed into the beer container. The pressure is reduced from 2 bar to 2 bar. In preparation for dispensing beer, in order to push CO ₂ gas into the beer container in order to push out the beer in the beer container, the beer container and a CO ₂ tank with a pressure regulating valve are connected by a gas tube. Therefore, in this system, CO ₂ gas comes into direct contact with the beer in the beer container.

  In recent years, the demand for dispensing beer at home has increased, and several home beer dispensing systems have been proposed. For example, it is proposed in Japanese published patent application, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-055296 (Patent Document 1), Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-46799 (Patent Document 2), and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-284291 (Patent Document 3).

However, the purpose of the dispensing system described in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2 is mainly to provide a cooling system in the dispensing system, and still has a CO ₂ tank and cartridge as in the past. The beer is dispensed from the beer container using the. Therefore, such a system still has the following problems.

One problem is that if the cooling system even were well miniaturized, the CO ₂ gas only dispense all the beer beer container, CO ₂ tank or cartridge sufficient capacity to deliver the beer container must Therefore, the overall system cannot be sufficiently miniaturized for home use. Another problem is the dispensing system is that the user must connect the CO ₂ tank or cartridge to the beer container. This means that the user encounters the danger of being exposed to high pressures from 70 bar to 80 bar. In addition, since the CO ₂ gas is in direct contact with the beer, excess CO ₂ gas and impurities in the CO ₂ gas may enter the beer, which causes the dispensed beer to foam abnormally or taste. Can adversely affect the quality of beer containing.

On the other hand, Patent Document 3 describes a dispensing system in which air is sent to a beer container using an air pump instead of using CO ₂ gas. According to this system, there is no need for a CO ₂ tank or cartridge that requires a large space, so that it may be possible to reduce the size sufficiently for home use. However, in order to push out the beer in the beer container, air is fed into the beer container and this air is in direct contact with the beer. Thus, it is clear that direct contact between air and beer has a significant adverse effect on beer quality. Therefore, this system is not suitable for dispensing beverages, especially for beverages that require a considerable level of quality, such as beer.

  Furthermore, in traditional methods of dispensing beer using gravity, the beer is still in direct contact with air and the beer quality is immediately adversely affected. Thus, the user will be forced to empty the container during the day.

In order to solve the above problems, the first embodiment of the beverage container of the present invention comprises a container shell,
A beverage port provided on the container shell;
A flexible bag that is provided in the container shell and connected to the beverage port and capable of containing a beverage;
A gas port provided on the container shell, through which gas can flow into a gas space between an inner surface of the container shell and an outer surface of the flexible bag;
It is a drink container containing.

Another embodiment of the beverage container of the present invention is a beverage container in which a plug tube connected to the beverage port is provided in the flexible bag.
Another embodiment of the beverage container of the present invention is a beverage container further comprising a safety valve capable of allowing the gas to escape from the beverage container when the internal pressure of the beverage container exceeds a predetermined value.

  Another embodiment of the beverage container of the present invention is a beverage container in which the flexible bag is made of a flexible synthetic resin.

  Another embodiment of the beverage container of the present invention is a beverage container in which the gas is compressed air.

  Another embodiment of the beverage container of the present invention is a beverage container in which the beverage port and the gas port are combined to form one container port.

  Another embodiment of the beverage container of the present invention is a beverage container in which the container port has a seal valve capable of opening and closing both the beverage port and the gas port.

  Another embodiment of the beverage container of the present invention is a beverage container in which the seal valve is a self-sealing type valve.

A first embodiment of the dispensing device of the present invention is a dispensing device for dispensing a beverage stored in a beverage container,
A gas feed mechanism for feeding the gas into the gas space;
A beverage handling mechanism including a beverage channel;
Is a dispensing device.

  Another embodiment of the dispensing apparatus of the present invention is a dispensing apparatus that further includes a switch device that operates the seal valve.

  Another embodiment of the dispensing apparatus of the present invention is a dispensing apparatus in which the beverage handling mechanism has a dispensing tap that can open and close the beverage channel.

  Another embodiment of the dispensing apparatus of the present invention is a dispensing apparatus in which the gas feeding mechanism includes an air compressor provided with a pressure regulating valve.

The first embodiment of the beverage dispensing system of the present invention comprises:
(1) a container shell;
A beverage port provided on the container shell;
A flexible bag that is provided in the container shell and connected to the beverage port and capable of containing a beverage;
A gas port provided on the container shell, through which gas can flow into a gas space between an inner surface of the container shell and an outer surface of the flexible bag;
A beverage container comprising:
(2) a gas feeding mechanism for feeding the gas into the gas space;
(3) a beverage handling mechanism including a beverage flow path;
A beverage dispensing system comprising:

Another embodiment of the beverage dispensing system of the present invention is a dispensing system in which the beverage is a carbonated beverage, and the gas is fed into the gas space at a pressure corresponding to the amount of CO ₂ contained in the beverage.

  A first embodiment of the beverage dispensing method of the present invention is a method of dispensing a beverage stored in a flexible bag provided in a beverage container, the inner surface of the beverage container and the flexibility This is a method of dispensing by sending gas into a gas space between the outer surface of the bag having a gap.

  A first embodiment of the beverage injection method of the present invention is a method for injecting a beverage into a flexible bag provided in a beverage container, the inner surface of the beverage container and the flexible container. It is a method of injecting the beverage into the flexible bag pressurized from the outside by the gas sent into the gas space between the outer surface of the bag.

  The beverage container, the dispensing device, and the dispensing system of the present invention will be described in detail by the preferred embodiments shown below.

  The beverage container (beverage container) of the present invention includes (a) a container shell, (b) a beverage port provided on the container shell, and (c) provided in the container shell and connected to the beverage port. A flexible bag capable of storing a beverage; and (d) provided on the container shell, through which gas can flow into a gas space between the inner surface of the container shell and the outer surface of the flexible bag. A gas port. When gas is pumped through the gas port and into the gas space, the flexible bag is pushed from the outside by the gas fed into the gas space, and the beverage in the flexible bag And flows out of the beverage container.

  As a drink, all kinds of drinks such as beer, wine, soft drinks and the like can be used including carbonated drinks and non-charcoal drinks. In this beverage container, compared with the conventional beverage container, since the beverage is pushed from the outside of the flexible bag, there is an advantage that this beverage does not come into contact with the gas fed into the beverage container. The beverage container of the present invention can minimize the effects on beverage quality, such as taste and bacterial impurities. Thus, even after dispensing some of the beverage, the user can store the remaining beverage in the container for a considerable period of time in the refrigerator.

  According to this beverage container, the beverage can be dispensed in the vertical direction by feeding gas into the gas space. In particular, almost all beverages can be withdrawn from the beverage container if the plug tube connected to the beverage port is provided in a flexible bag. Therefore, by using this insertion tube, almost all beverages can be drawn in all directions.

  The beverage port and the gas port can be provided separately on the beverage container, or a single container port can be provided on the beverage container by combining the beverage port and the gas port. Whether separate or combined, this port can be provided with a seal valve that opens and closes the beverage and gas ports. In addition, the beverage container can be provided with a safety valve that removes the gas inside the container if the internal pressure of the beverage container exceeds a predetermined value.

  As a flexible bag material, any material such as a flexible synthetic resin or a metal foil can be used as long as it is easily deformed by the pressure of the gas sent into the gas space. In addition, as a material of the beverage container shell, if it has sufficient strength against the pressure of the gas fed into the gas space and has sufficient strength in transporting and handling the container, for example, aluminum or steel All kinds of materials such as metals, plastics etc. can be applied.

  Furthermore, the dispensing apparatus which dispenses the drink accommodated in the above-mentioned drink container is contained in this invention. The dispensing apparatus includes a gas feeding mechanism that feeds gas into a gas space, and a beverage handling mechanism that includes a beverage channel. The dispensing apparatus also has a switch device that operates the seal valve. Furthermore, a dispensing system in which a beverage container and a dispensing device are assembled is also included in the present invention.

For gases that are fed into the gas space to compress the beverage, the gas does not contact the beverage, so various types of gases can be applied. In particular, for carbonated beverages, in the conventional dispensing system, since the gas and beverage are in direct contact, it was necessary to use a CO ₂ gas, in this dispensing system, using CO ₂ gas other than the gas (e.g., air) be able to. In the dispensing system of the present invention, various methods such as using a gas tank, a gas cartridge, a compressor, and a fan can be selected as a method for feeding gas.

In conventional dispensing systems, when using CO ₂ gas to dispense beer, the user must connect the CO ₂ tank / cartridge and the beverage container. Thus, the user encounters the danger of being exposed to very high pressures such as 70 to 80 bar. On the other hand, in the dispensing system of the present invention, when air is used, compressed air can be fed into the gas space using an air compressor instead of such a high-pressure tank or cartridge.

When the beverage is a carbonated beverage such as beer, the pressure of the gas fed into the gas space is determined according to the amount of CO ₂ contained in the beverage. If the beverage is beer, a pressure of 1.5 bar to 2 bar is suitable as the pressure of the gas fed into the gas space. If the beer is injected into the flexible bag while the compressed air is sent to the gas space at this pressure, there is no fear that CO ₂ contained in the beer is lost during the injection. Furthermore, this appropriate CO ₂ content can be kept in the beverage container for a long time by means of a sealing valve. Therefore, when the user dispenses beer from the beverage container, the user can be provided with the best foaming and taste.

Furthermore, since the dispensing apparatus and the dispensing system of the present invention do not require a CO ₂ tank or cartridge that requires a large space, it is possible to realize a sufficient size reduction for home use, which was difficult with a conventional dispensing system. it can. Furthermore, since no CO ₂ tank / cartridge is required, the cost of the user to dispense beer can be reduced.

(Example of dispensing system)
The following examples will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, beer is used as the beverage, and compressed air is used as the gas blown into the gas space.

(System overview)
1 to 3 show an outline of an embodiment of the beverage dispensing system of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an assembled state of the system, FIG. 2 is a side view showing the assembled state of the system, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an exploded state of the system.

  As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the dispensing system 1 is stored in a container 2 (beverage container) having a flexible bag (not shown) inside which beer can be stored and a container 2. A dispensing device 16 capable of dispensing fresh beer. The user can purchase the container 2 filled with beer at the store and can dispose of the beer after dispensing it. Of course, this container 2 can also be recycled.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the container 2 has a container port 15 on its upper surface, and the container port 15 is provided with a self-sealing type seal valve 4. The seal valve 4 can seal or open the inside of the container 2 including a flexible bag. The dispensing device 16 can be disassembled into a main body 16A and a dispensing portion 16B by pressing the button 12. Accordingly, the dispense portion 16B that comes into contact with the beer can be easily washed. The main body 16A includes a base plate 16A1 and an arm 16A2.

  In starting the dispensing of beer, the user sets the container 2 at the dispensing position of the base plate 16A1. By moving the container 2 until the container 2 hits the guide 17, the user can easily set the container 2 to the dispensing position. Next, the user turns the operation handle 8A to push down the seal valve 4 to send compressed air from an air compressor (not shown) installed in the main body 16A into the container 2 and to store the beer. Open the sex bag. When the user turns the dispense tap handle 10A to open the liquid flow path of the dispense portion 16B, beer flows out of the dispense nozzle 10C due to the pressure of the compressed air.

  4 to 7 are cross-sectional views showing the container 2, the dispensing device 16, and the dispensing system 1. FIG. 4 shows the container 2 and FIG. 5 shows the dispensing device 16. FIG. 6 shows the dispensing system 1 in which the container 2 and the dispensing device 16 are assembled, and shows the case where the container 2 is in a sealed state. FIG. 7 shows the dispensing system 1 in which the container 2 and the dispensing device 16 are assembled, and shows the case where the container 2 is in an open state.

(Container 2)
As shown in FIG. 4, the container 2 has a container port 15 at an upper portion thereof, and has a flexible bag connected to the container port 15 in an airtight seal state. The plug-in tube 3 is connected to the container port 15 and inserted into the flexible bag 5 up to the region near the bottom. Portions that come into contact with beer such as the flexible bag 5, the plug tube 3, the container port 15, and the seal valve 4 are fully sterilized.

  A seal valve 4 that can block or open the flow of air and beer is provided at the container port 15. When the seal valve 4 is opened, air can flow into or out of the gas space between the inner surface of the container 2 and the outer surface of the flexible bag 5 through the container port 15. . At the same time, beer can flow into or out of the flexible bag 5 through the container port 15. However, although the details will be described later, the flow of air and the flow of beer are separated by the structure of the container port 15, the seal valve 4, and the switch device of the dispensing device 16. The port for air and the port for beer combine to form a container port 15, and the seal valve 4 can open and close both the port for air and the port for beer.

  The seal valve 4 includes a valve piece 4A and a compression spring 4B. Usually, the seal piece 4A is pushed upward by the compression spring 4B (see FIG. 4). The flow of beer and the flow of air are sealed by a seal ring 4C attached to the groove of the valve piece 4A and the container port 15. Therefore, the seal valve 4 is a self-sealing type, that is, when the force to push down the valve piece 4A is not applied, the container 2 and the flexible bag 5 are normally sealed by this spring force.

  The container 2 is provided with a safety valve 6 that allows gas to escape when the internal pressure exceeds a predetermined value, for example 3 bar. The safety valve 6 includes a through hole 6A and a flexible ball 6B provided in the through hole 6A and sealing the through hole 6A. When the internal pressure becomes higher than a predetermined value, the flexible ball 6B moves upward by the pressure of the gas, so that the gas can flow through the through hole 6A. This safety valve 6 is very important when the container 2 is stored at a high temperature.

For example, in a beer factory, when filling beer with a flexible bag 5 in a container 2, the seal valve 4 is opened and balanced to a pressure of about 1.5 bar, ie the CO ₂ gas pressure contained in the beer. Pressure compressed air is sent into the gas space to apply the appropriate back pressure, and beer is poured into the flexible bag 5. Therefore, the amount of CO ₂ in the beer can be appropriately maintained in the container 2 by this back pressure. Further, the CO ₂ content can be maintained for a long time by the seal valve 4.

  When dispensing beer from the container 2, the seal valve 4 is opened and compressed air is fed into the gas space. By this compressed air, the flexible bag 5 is compressed from the outside, and the insertion tube 3 is inserted to the bottom region of the flexible bag 5, so that almost all of the flexible bag 5 is inserted. Beer can flow out of the container 2.

  Regarding the material of the container 2, in this embodiment, the flexible bag 5 is made of a soft synthetic resin, and the shell of the container 2 is made of aluminum.

(Dispensing device)
The structure of the dispensing device 16 will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the dispensing device 16. The dispensing device 16 includes a gas feed mechanism for blowing compressed air into the container 2 and a beverage handling mechanism for dispensing beer from the container 2. The dispensing device 16 can be disassembled into a main body 16A and a dispensing portion 16B. Connection and separation between the main body 16A and the dispensing portion 16B can be easily performed by the connecting portion 12B. All beverage handling mechanisms are located in the dispensing portion 16B, so that the portion that is in direct contact with the beer can be easily washed, for example with water.

  The main body 16A includes a base plate 16A1 and an arm 16A2, and a guide 17 for setting the container 2 at a dispensing position is provided on the base plate 16A1. Here, the dispensing position is a position where the probe 7 of the dispensing device 16 can push down the seal valve 4 of the container 2.

  The gas feeding mechanism includes an air compressor 9, a pressure regulating valve (not shown), a battery 13 for the air compressor 9, a micro switch (not shown) for the air compressor 9, and an air tube 12A, a connecting portion. 12B, the air tube 12C, and the air flow path which has the gas hole 7B of the probe 7 are included. The air from the air compressor 9 flows through the air tube 12A, the connection portion 12B, and the air tube 12C, and flows into the container 2 through the gas hole 7B of the probe 7.

  The beverage handling mechanism includes a beverage flow path having a beverage hole 7A of the probe 7, a beverage tube 11, and a dispense nozzle 10C. The beverage handling mechanism also has a dispense tap 10 that can open and close this beverage flow path.

  The dispense tap 10 includes a dispense tap handle 10A, a block piece 10B, and a dispense nozzle 10C. FIG. 5 shows the dispense tap 10 closed. If the dispense handle 10A is turned in the direction of arrow A, the block piece 10B linked to the dispense tap handle 10A moves in the direction of arrow B, thereby opening the dispense nozzle 10C and allowing the beer to flow out.

  The switch device includes a probe 7 and an actuating device 8 having an actuating handle 8A, an arm 8B, and an arm 8C. As described above, the probe 7 has both the beverage hole 7A and the gas hole 7B, that is, the switch device is also part of the gas feed mechanism and part of the beverage handling mechanism. After the container 2 is set at the dispensing position, when the operating handle 8A is turned in the direction of the arrow C, the air compressor 9 is switched on by the micro switch linked to the operating handle 8A and starts to feed compressed air. At the same time, the probe 7 linked to the arm 8B and the arm 8C moves in the direction of the arrow D, and pushes down the seal valve 4 of the container 2.

(Dispensing system)
The dispensing system 1 in which the container 2 and the dispensing device 16 are assembled will be described below with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 shows a state in which the seal valve 4 of the container 2 is closed, and the dispensing tap 10 is also in the closed position.

  When the operating handle 8A is rotated in the direction of arrow C, the probe 7 moves in the direction of arrow D, pushes down the seal piece 4A of the container 2 and opens the seal valve 4.

  FIG. 7 shows the seal valve 4 open, but the dispensing tap 10 is still in the closed position. The compressed air from the air compressor 9 passes through the air tube 12A, the connecting portion 12B, and the air tube 12C, and finally passes through the gas hole 7B of the probe 7 and the container port 15 as shown by the arrow E, It flows into the gas space between the inner surface and the outer surface of the flexible bag 5.

  The flexible bag 5 containing beer is compressed from the outside by compressed air at a pressure of about 1.5 bar and begins to shrink. Therefore, when the dispensing tap 10 is opened by turning the dispensing tap handle 10A in the direction of the arrow, the beer in the flexible bag 5 flows into the insertion tube 3 as shown by the arrow F. As indicated by the arrow G, beer flows out of the beverage hole 7A of the probe 7. Thereafter, the beer flows through the beverage tube 11 and the dispensing nozzle 10C, and finally flows out from the dispensing nozzle 10C in order to dispense the beer as indicated by an arrow H.

  The flexible bag 5 is contracted by the compressed air sent by the air compressor 9 until it is almost flat. Therefore, in the dispensing system of the present invention, almost all beer in the flexible bag 5 can be dispensed.

  When the operating handle 8A is further rotated in the direction of arrow I, the air compressor 9 is switched off, and the probe 7 is raised, and the seal piece 4A is also raised by the force of the compression spring 4B (in the direction of arrow J). ) Reach the seal position. The beer in the flexible bag 5 is placed in a sealed state without touching the air. Then, the user can store the container 2 containing the remaining beer in the refrigerator for a considerable period, for example, 2 weeks to 4 weeks. This is not possible with conventional dispensing systems.

  As noted above, a small dispensing system suitable for home use is provided by the present invention, but the system is also capable of various other types of adaptation including business use. In the above-described embodiment, beer is used as a beverage. However, this system can be applied to all other types of beverages.

  Finally, the beverage container, the dispensing apparatus, and the dispensing system of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments and examples, and the present invention includes all other embodiments and examples.

It is a perspective view which shows the outline | summary of the assembly state of the dispensing system of this invention. It is a side view which shows the outline | summary of the assembly state of the dispensing system of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the outline | summary of the decomposition | disassembly state of the dispensing system of this invention. 4 is a side view showing the internal structure of the container 2. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the internal structure of the dispensing device 16. FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view showing an internal structure of the dispensing system 1 in which the dispensing device 16 and the container 2 are assembled and the container 2 is in a sealed state. FIG. 2 is a side view showing an internal structure of the dispensing system 1 in which the dispensing device 16 and the container 2 are assembled and the container 2 is in an open state.

Claims (16)

A container shell;
A beverage port provided on the container shell;
A flexible bag that is provided in the container shell and connected to the beverage port and capable of containing a beverage;
A gas port provided on the container shell, through which gas can flow into a gas space between an inner surface of the container shell and an outer surface of the flexible bag;
A beverage container comprising:   The beverage container according to claim 1, wherein an insertion tube connected to the beverage port is provided in the flexible bag.   The beverage container according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a safety valve capable of allowing the gas to escape from the beverage container when an internal pressure of the beverage container exceeds a predetermined value.   The beverage container according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the flexible bag is made of a flexible synthetic resin.   The beverage container according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the gas is compressed air.   The beverage container according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the beverage port and the gas port are combined to form one container port.   The beverage container according to claim 6, wherein the container port has a seal valve capable of opening and closing both the beverage port and the gas port.   The beverage container according to claim 7, wherein the seal valve is a self-sealing type valve. A dispensing device for dispensing a beverage stored in the beverage container according to claim 7 or 8,
A gas feed mechanism for feeding the gas into the gas space;
A beverage handling mechanism including a beverage channel;
A dispensing device comprising:   The dispensing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a switch device that operates the seal valve.   The dispensing apparatus according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the beverage handling mechanism includes a dispense tap capable of opening and closing the beverage flow path.   The dispensing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the gas feeding mechanism includes an air compressor including a pressure regulating valve. (1) a container shell;
A beverage port provided on the container shell;
A flexible bag that is provided in the container shell and connected to the beverage port and capable of containing a beverage;
A gas port provided on the container shell, through which gas can flow into a gas space between an inner surface of the container shell and an outer surface of the flexible bag;
A beverage container comprising:
(2) a gas feeding mechanism for feeding the gas into the gas space;
(3) a beverage handling mechanism including a beverage flow path;
A beverage dispensing system comprising: The dispensing system according to claim 13, wherein the beverage is a carbonated beverage, and the gas is fed into the gas space at a pressure corresponding to the amount of CO ₂ contained in the beverage.   A method for dispensing a beverage stored in a flexible bag provided in a beverage container, wherein gas is fed into a gas space between an inner surface of the beverage container and an outer surface of the flexible bag Dispensing by:   A method of injecting a beverage into a flexible bag provided in a beverage container, wherein the gas is fed into a gas space between the inner surface of the beverage container and the outer surface of the flexible bag Injecting the beverage into the flexible bag pressured from the outside by.

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