Patent classifications
B67D1/0845
Dispensing head and beverage server
A dispensing head includes a fastening portion fastened to a mouth of a beverage container, a connecting portion to which a gas coupling connected to a gas cylinder via a gas tube is connected, a gas channel configured to cause the connecting portion and the beverage container to communicate with each other, a dispensing portion configured to dispense a beverage injected from the beverage container by a pressure of a gas supplied to the beverage container via the gas channel, and an operation inhibition mechanism configured to inhibit an operation for connecting the gas coupling to the connecting portion in a state in which the fastening portion is not fastened to the mouth.
KEG CLOSURE WITH INTEGRATED VENTING SYSTEM HAVING A RUPTURE DISK
A closure (12) for a beverage keg (10) for the pressurised delivery of a beverage, the closure comprising: a valve housing (38) comprising a valve housing wall (32) and an inlet and configured to house a valve (26) for controlling a flow of pressurised gas through the inlet into a headspace of the beverage keg (10); a venting aperture (27) in the valve housing wall, separate from the inlet and arranged to vent the headspace of the beverage keg; and a barrier (29), integrally formed with the valve housing wall and arranged to seal the venting aperture (27) such that the closure (12) is able to retain the pressurised gas within the keg when the closure is arranged in an unvented configuration, the barrier (29) being configured to rupture due to internal pressure from within the keg in order to switch the closure into a vented configuration in which the venting aperture (27) is no longer sealed by the barrier, wherein the barrier is formed as a geometrical shape having a barrier diameter or a barrier width in the range of 7 mm to 12 mm and wherein, in at least a part of the barrier, a barrier thickness is lower than a thickness of the valve housing in the immediate surroundings of the venting aperture and in the range of 0.02 mm to 0.5 mm.
Keg closure housing with integrally formed features
A closure for a beverage keg is provided, comprising an outer housing wall defining at least a portion of a valve housing and an inner duct that is located within the outer housing wall. The inner duct extends through at least a portion of the valve housing to define a flow path through the closure. The outer housing wall and the inner duct are integrally formed together as part of a single housing component.
VALVE FOR A BEVERAGE CONTAINER
Valve for a beverage container. A valve (1) for a beverage container (100) comprises a mounting element (10) for mounting the valve (1) in a container opening. The mounting element (10) extends radially from an inner side defining a fluid passage (12) through the mounting element (10) to an outer peripheral side for sealing against a container edge at the container opening. The mounting element (10) is coupled to a valve housing (20) comprising a housing side wall (21) extending axially from a housing top wall (22) to a housing bottom wall (23). The housing top wall (22) is sealed against the mounting element (10) and has a beverage outlet opening (25) aligned with the fluid passage (12). The housing side wall (21) has a beverage inlet opening. A valve body (30) is axially moveable inside the valve housing (20) from a first position closing off the beverage outlet opening (25) to a second position opening fluid connection through the beverage outlet opening (25). The valve body (30) comprises a closed upper end section (31) fixedly received in the beverage outlet opening (25) in the first position and operable to be moved away from the beverage outlet opening (25) to the second position axially past at least a part of the beverage inlet opening in the side wall. The valve body (30) further comprises a lower end section (32) extending axially from the closed upper end (31) in the direction of the housing bottom wall (23), the lower end arranged to contact an inner surface of the housing (20) at least in the second position.
Pressurised Liquid Dispenser with Three Way Valve for Venting a Container
A device for dispensing liquid from a container includes a dispensing tube to dispense the liquid through a dispensing valve. A gas tube feeds pressurized gas into the container. The upstream end of the gas tube connects to a source of pressurized gas. A three way valve is coupled to the downstream end of the gas tube. The three way valve includes a keg duct in communication with the interior of the container, a gas duct connected to the downstream end of the gas tube, and a vent duct. The three way valve can switch from a dispensing position in which the keg duct is in communication with the gas duct, and out of communication with the vent duct, to a venting position in which the keg duct is in fluid communication with the vent duct and out of fluid communication with the gas duct.
BAG-IN-KEG CONTAINER WITH FIXED PRESSURE PRV
A bag-in-keg container for a carbonated beverage has a container body C, a flexible bag B within the container body, and a valve closure V attached to the container body. The valve closure includes a gas inlet port (11), a liquid dispensing port (12), and spring-loaded valve member (6) to sealably close the gas inlet and liquid dispensing ports. An adapter (20) sealingly attached to the flexible bag B incorporates a bag PRV (26) to vent gas pressure from within the flexible bag. A container PRV (40) vents gas pressure from between the container body C and the flexible bag B. The bag PRV has a valve shuttle with one side exposed to gas pressure within the flexible bag B and an opposite side exposed to gas pressure within a sealed plenum chamber (37). The bag PRV therefore operates at a fixed pressure independent of the differential pressure between the bag and the outer container. This solves the problem of venting excess pressure within the keg whilst still allowing the dispensing gas to achieve the equilibrium
Tap head having a 3/2-way valve
The disclosure relates to a tap head for connecting to a keg for a bar system, the tap head having a tap head body, and a pressurization-gas supply line and a beverage removal line being formed in the tap head body, such that a 3/2-way valve is formed directly on or in the tap head body in the pressurization-gas supply line, which 3/2-way valve connects either the pressurization-gas supply line from a gas source to the interior of the keg or connects, in a gas-conducting manner, the interior of the keg to the environment.
Valve closure incorporating an over-pressure relief valve
The valve closure (e.g. an A-type closure) has a closure body (1) for attachment to a container, a gas inlet port (14), a liquid dispensing port (25), and a valve member (6) to sealably close the gas inlet and liquid dispensing ports. An over-pressure relief valve (40) is configured to release gas from within the container in the event that an internal pressure limit is exceeded, and a user-operable depressurising lever (50) is arranged to permit the over-pressure relief valve to be manually opened. The over-pressure relief valve (40) comprises a plunger (53) which is urged against a seat (52) by a spring (57), and the depressurising lever (50) incorporates an abutment (58) for the spring (57). The plunger (53) includes an arrowhead formation (59) by which the depressurising lever (50) engages the plunger to hold the valve open during manual operation. The depressurising lever (50) incorporates an integral hinge (62) which also forms a frangible connection so that the lever becomes detached from the closure body and permanently opens the over-pressure release valve when manually operated.
CONTAINER AND CLOSURE WITH ANTI-MISSILING CHANNELS
A container for pressurised liquid has a closure (V) engaged on the neck (N), both formed of yieldable polymer. The closure (V) has an end wall (21) and a skirt (20) provided with internal screw threads (24) which co-operate with external screw threads (23) on the neck to hold the closure in place. A pressure seal (25) is formed between the mouth (22) of the neck and the end wall (21) of the closure when the closure is screwed onto the neck whereby the pressurised liquid is retained within the container. To prevent missiling when the closure (V) is unscrewed the proximal face (28) of the external screw threads (23) is formed with transverse venting channels (36) extending from the base (26) of the respective screw threads to their outer extremity (27). The distal face (29) of the external screw threads (23) opposite each of the venting channels (36) is substantially continuous. This avoids weakening the neck of the container and reduces the risk of long-term creep.
SELF VENTING VALVE CLOSURE
A valve closure for a keg, e.g. incorporating an A-type valve arrangement, has a gas inlet port 11, a liquid dispensing port 12 and a valve member 6 to sealably close the gas inlet and liquid dispensing ports. A venting mechanism includes a detent 23 which can be activated by rotating the valve member 6 after the keg has been filled. This mechanism, when activated, primes a resiliently deflectable circumferential arm 22 to move the detent between the sealing face of the valve member 6 and its valve seat when the valve is next connected for dispensing. When the mechanism is not activated it does not interfere with the normal opening and closing of the valve, e.g. during filling