Device for manually pouring foaming and carbonated beverages

Abstract

The invention relates to the food industry, and specifically to commercial equipment, and can be used for dispensing beer and other foaming and carbonated beverages from an isobaric container. The device includes a drainage channel which is connected by means of a three-way flow switch to tubes for feeding gas and beverage, a unit for securing the neck of a plastic bottle to the open end of the drainage channel and a control valve which is connected to the drainage channel.

Claims

1. An apparatus for dispensing foaming and carbonated beverages comprising: (a) a drainage channel comprising a first open end and a second open end; (b) a flow switch comprising (i) a first port for receiving a gas feed; (ii) a second port for receiving a beverage feed; (iii) a first channel for channeling the gas feed received in the first port through a cavity in the first channel to and through the first open end of the drainage channel; (iv) a second channel for channeling the beverage feed received in the second port through a cavity in the second channel to and through the first open end of the drainage channel; (v) a first valve comprising a first stem, a first biasing element that biases the valve to an open position and a first blocking portion that blocks a flow of gas through the cavity in the first channel when the first valve is displaced from the open position to a closed position, the first blocking portion being disposed in the first cavity, the first biasing member and a top portion of the first stem being disposed outside of the first cavity; and (vi) a second valve comprising a second stem, a second biasing element biasing the second valve to an open position and a second blocking portion that blocks the feed of gas through the cavity in the second channel when the second valve is displaced from the open position to a closed position, the second blocking portion being disposed in the second cavity, the second biasing member and a top portion of the second stem being disposed outside of the second cavity; (c) a rotating element that is rotatable between a first position, a second position and a third position, the rotating element comprising a surface kinematically connected to the respective top portions of the first and second stems and being shaped such that (i) with the rotating element rotated to the first position, the shaped surface biases the first valve from its open position to its closed position to block the flow of gas through the first cavity to the drainage channel, (ii) with the rotating element rotated to the second position, the shaped surface biases the second valve from its open position to its closed position to block the flow of beverage through the first cavity to the drainage channel, and (iii) with the rotating element rotated to the third position, the shaped surface biases both the first valve and the second valve from their respective open positions to their respective closed positions to block the respective flows of beverage and gas to the drainage channel; (d) a control handle disposed outside of the first and second cavities and rigidly connected to the rotary element for rotating the rotary element between the first, second and third positions; (e) a housing comprising the flow switch; and (f) means for securing the housing to a neck of a plastic bottle with the second open end of the drainage channel disposed in the bottle such that, with the apparatus secured to the neck of the plastic bottle (i) gas channeled through the first channel to and through the first open end of the drainage channel can pass through the drainage channel and into the bottle through the second open end of the drainage channel and (ii) beverage channeled through the second channel to and through the first open end of the drainage channel can pass through the drainage channel and into the bottle through the second open end of the drainage channel.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a first tube for transporting gas from a gas feed to the first port and a second tube for transporting beverage from a beverage feed to the second port.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the respective stems of each of the first and second valves are disposed transverse to portions of the respective first and second channels that are disposed between the first cavity and the first open end of the drainage channel and the second cavity and the first open end of the drainage channel respectively.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the first and second cavities is axially symmetric.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the flow switch is removable from the housing.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotary element is made of a thermoplastic material with an allowable compressive stress of 55-100 MPa.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein respective surfaces of the first and second stems which come into contact with the shaped surface of the rotary element have a curvature that is shaped as a portion of a second order curve.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the curvature of the respective surfaces of the first and second stems is shaped as a portion of a sphere, ellipse or parabola.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the rotary element and the first and second stems comprises polyamide or polyacetal.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means disposed in the housing for allowing gas that has built up in the bottle to be released from the bottle so that pressure within the bottle can be controlled.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the means for allowing gas release from the bottle comprises a control valve and a gas-release channel having a first end opening into the bottle when the means for securing secures the housing to the neck of the bottle, and wherein the gas-release channel is disposed to channel gas from the bottle to ambient atmosphere via the control valve when the control valve is open.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drainage cavity comprises means for suppressing foam in a beverage that is channeled through the second channel and passes through the drainage channel and into the bottle through the second open end of the drainage channel.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the means for suppressing foam comprises a cylindrical nozzle having an axial channel with a spiral groove at the second open end of the drainage channel.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second biasing elements is a spring.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotary element comprises means for re-setting the rotary element by biasing the first and second valves to their closed positions.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the means for re-setting comprises a torsion spring having a first end fixed to the rotary element and a second end fixed to a pivot axle for the rotary element.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, comprising means for locking the rotary element in an initial position.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the means for locking comprises (i) a spring-loaded element disposed in the flow switch and (ii) three slots disposed in the pivot axle or shape surface, and wherein the spring-loaded element is positionable in any one of the three slots.

Description

(1) The invention is illustrated with the following graphic materials. FIG. 1 represents a scheme of device for manually dispensing of foaming and carbonated beverages into PET bottle. FIGS. 2 and 3 represent side and front views of the device respectively. FIG. 4 represents section of the device by A-A plane on FIG. 2. FIG. 5 represents section of the device by plane on FIG. 3. FIGS. 6 and 7 demonstrate correspondingly sections B-B and on FIG. 4. FIG. 8 represents appearance of the rotary element with a shaped surface. FIG. 9 represents appearance of the flow switch with rotary element reset mechanism made, for example, in the form of a torsion spring. FIG. 10 represents a rotary element lock located in the housing of the flow switch with slots on the rotary element shaped surface. FIG. 11 represents a rotary element lock located in the housing of the flow switch with slots on the rotary element pivot axle. FIG. 12 represents flow switch section view by plane of FIG. 6.

(2) Device for manually dispensing of foaming and carbonated beverages (FIGS. 1-5) comprises an aggregate housing 1 with a three-way flow switch 2, drainage channel 3 and a unit 4 for securing plastic bottle 5 neck to the open end 6 of the drainage channel 3, located around channel 3. Drainage channel 3 is connected to beverage supply fitting 9 and gas supply fitting 10 by means of intermediate channels 7 and 8 arranged in the flow switch 2. Control valve 11 is installed in the housing 1 and is connected by channel 12 to the container 5 cavity. Three-way flow switch 2 is located inside housing 1, with the possibility of its removal from the housing 1, and is fixed to the housing 1 with a screw connection.

(3) Intermediate channels 7 and 8 of the flow switch 2 comprise axially-symmetric cavities 13 and 14 with seats and valves 15 and 16 installed in the seats with the return springs 17 and 18. Stems 19 and 20 of the valves 15 and 16 are kinematically connected to the shaped surface 21 of the rotary element 22. The rotary element 22 is rigidly connected to a control handle 23 for alternative opening of said valves 15, 16 or for sustaining valves 15, 16 in the initial closed state. The axially-symmetric cavities 13, 14 with seats for accommodating blocking components of the valves 15, 16 are positioned in the intermediate channels 7, 8 of the flow switching mechanism 2, transversely relative to the channels 7, 8. Portions of the stems (19, 20) of the valves (15, 16) with springs (17, 18) and the rotary element (22) are positioned outside the cavities of the inner channels (7, 8) of the flow switch (2). Valves (15, 16) with stems (19, 20) and rotary element (22) in contact with them, all are manufactured of a thermoplastic material with allowable compressive stress [] of 55-100 MPa. Surface of stems 19, 20 of the valves 15, 16 contacting with the shaped surface of the rotary element 22 is extended in the form of a portion of a second-order curve (described by equation R={square root over (x.sup.2+y.sup.2+z.sup.2)}), for instance, in the form of a portion of spherical, elliptical or parabolic surface.

(4) Rotary element 22 and stems 19 and 20 of the valves 15 and 16 (or upper portion of said stems 19 and 20) can be manufactured of polyamide or polyacetal. Rotary element 22 with shaped surface 21 is arranged in the form of a ring located around upper cylindrical portion of the flow switch 2 body, and shaped surface 21 is located on the side of the rotary element 22, which is in contact with stems 19, 20 of the valves 15, 16. Flow switch 2 and rotary element 22 are closed by lid 24 from above.

(5) Unit 4 for securing plastic bottle 5 neck to the open end 6 of the drainage channel 3 comprises an annular elastic element 25 attached to the end of the drainage channel 3 coaxially to its outlet opening, a cup 26 with control handle 27, and a socket 28 matching the size of the plastic bottle 5 neck. Cylindrical portion of the cup 26 is located around the open end of the drainage channel 3 and kinematically connected with housing 1 wall by means of a bayonet joint. A foam suppression unit 29 comprises a tap 30 with a through axial passage 31. Tap 30 has an outer cylindrical portion with a spiral groove 32 on the lateral surface. A shank of the tap 30 forms an annual cavity 33 between outer surface of the shank and the surface of the expanded end portion of the drainage channel 3. Diameter of the cylindrical portion of the tap 30 corresponds to the diameter of the end portion of the drainage channel 3. Annular cavity 33 of the drainage channel 3 is connected to the spiral groove 32, and axial channel 31 of the nozzle 30 is connected to control valve 11 by means of channel 12. CO2 gas pressure relief is accomplished with a fitting 34 connected by channel 35 to channel 12 of the control valve 11.

(6) The beverage dispensing device includes unit 36 for connecting valve for dispensing beverage into small container (a glass or a mug). Rotary element 22 with shaped surface 21 comprises a mechanism for resetting rotary element 22 and bringing valves 15 and 16 into closed position. Rotary element 22 reset mechanism can be arranged, for example, in the form of a torsion spring 37. The ends of the torsion spring 37 are fixed respectively on the rotary element 22 and on the rotary element 22 pivot axle (at the upper cylindrical portion of the flow switch 2).

(7) Rotary element 22 is provided with a lock for fixing it in positions: in initial position; with opened gas supply valve 16; with opened beverage supply valve 15. This lock is arranged in the form of an element 39 (a ball, a cylinder, or a cone) spring-loaded by the spring 38. Element 39 of the lock is located in the body of the flow switch 2, with possibility of being positioned in one of the three slots 40, arranged on the pivot axle of the rotary element 22 or its shaped surface 21.

(8) Device for manually dispensing of foaming and carbonated beverages operates in the following way. The device for counterpressure filling plastic bottles 5 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) is supposed to be installed, for example, on the bar counter, and fittings 9 and 10 are to be connected to the beverage supply tube from isobaric container and gas supply tube from a gas bottle, correspondingly. The device for manually pouring foaming and carbonated beverages according to the present invention can be used for filling with a beverage a mug (or a glass) by means of a valve (not shown) connected to unit 36 (see FIG. 3). The device under consideration also allows for filling plastic bottles 5 (see FIGS. 1-5). To do it, plastic bottle 5 is to be inserted into socket 28 of cup 26 of the unit 4, and by turning the handle 27 to be tightly connected to the open end of the drainage channel 3 by virtue of the elastic annular element 25. At this time control valve 11 is closed. Valves 15 and 16 of the flow switch 2 are set in closed position (control handle 23 is located in its neutral position opposite to the control valve 11). Then control handle 23 together with rotary element 22 of the flow switch 2 is to be turned by 45 counterclockwise, see FIG. 4) to open valve 16 and communicate cavity 14 with gas CO.sub.2 by channel 8, drainage channel 3, annular cavity 33 of the drainage channel 3, and spiral groove 32 to the internal volume of the plastic bottle 5. Upon that the CO.sub.2 gas under pressure from isobaric container enters the plastic bottle 5, the pressure in which rises up to the isobaric container pressure level. After that the control handle 23 together with rotary element 22 is to be turned by 105 in the opposite direction (clockwise) to communicate beverage fitting 9 through the cavity 13, channel 7 and drainage channel 3, annular cavity 33 of the drainage channel 3, and spiral groove 32 to the internal volume of the plastic bottle 5. Since pressure in the consumer plastic container equals the pressure in the isobaric container, beverage does not enter the said container 5. At opening of the control valve 11 gas CO.sub.2 through axial channel 31 and aperture of the control valve 11 is displaced from the plastic container 5 to atmosphere. It creates a pressure drop in the isobaric container and plastic container 5, whereby the beverage fills container 5. Passing through the spiral groove 32 of the cylindrical portion of the nozzle 30, the beverage under action of centrifugal forces in the form of a taper-shaped film flows onto the walls of the neck of plastic container 5, and then smoothly flows down by the walls, owing to which foaming is prevented. Besides, foam suppression is achieved by creating gas pressure in the dispensing system and above the beverage level in the plastic container 5, which exceeds the saturation pressure of the gas dissolved in the beverage. After filling the plastic container 5 to stop beverage inflow it is necessary to turn handle 23 together with rotary element 22 by an angle of 60 degrees (counterclockwise) to its initial position. The remainder of the gas in the neck of the bottle is removed through the axial channel 31 of the nozzle 30 and the aperture of the control valve 11 to atmosphere. Pressure in the plastic container 5 filled with beverage levels up to atmospheric pressure. After that, the handle 27 is to be rotated in the opposite direction to disconnect the open end of the drainage channel 3 from the neck of the plastic container 5. Container 5 is taken out of the device, plugged-up and conveyed to the consumer.

(9) It follows from the description of the present application, that the claimed invention provides for the above-mentioned technical result, i.e. increases the durability, reliability and maintainability of the flow switch of the apparatus for manually dispensing of beverages.