VALVE FOR A BEVERAGE CONTAINER

Abstract

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.

Claims

1. Valve for a beverage container comprising a mounting element for mounting the valve in a container opening of the beverage container, the mounting element radially extending from an inner side defining a fluid passage through the mounting element to an outer peripheral side for sealing against a container edge at the container opening, the mounting element coupled to a valve housing comprising a housing side wall extending axially from a housing top wall sealed against the mounting element to a housing bottom wall, the housing top wall having a beverage outlet opening aligned with the fluid passage and the housing side wall having a beverage inlet opening, wherein a valve body is axially moveable inside the valve housing from a first position closing off the beverage outlet opening to a second position opening a fluid connection through the beverage outlet opening, wherein the valve body comprises a closed upper end section fixedly received in the beverage outlet opening in the first position and operable to be moved away from the beverage outlet opening to the second position axially past at least a part of the beverage inlet opening in the side wall, and a lower end section extending axially from the closed upper end in the direction of the housing bottom wall, the lower end arranged to contact an inner surface of the housing at least in the second position.

2. Valve according to claim 1, wherein the closed upper end section of the valve body is shaped to clampingly fit in the beverage outlet opening in the first position.

3. Valve according to claim 1, wherein the upper end section of the valve body comprises an elastic material and a deformable radial outer surface at least partly compressed by the housing top wall in the first position.

4. Valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve body lower end section comprises a circumferential wall having an outer surface at least part of the outer surface arranged to radially abut against the inner surface of the valve housing.

5. Valve according to claim 4, wherein the circumferential wall abuts with the outer surface against the inner surface of the valve housing in the first position and is guided along the inner surface towards the housing bottom wall when the valve body is moved from the first position to the second position.

6. Valve according to claim 4, wherein the circumferential wall forms a hollow tube closed on one side by the upper end section and open on an opposite side facing the housing bottom wall.

7. Valve according to claim 1, wherein the upper end section of the valve body and lower end section of the valve body are made of one piece.

8. Valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve housing comprises a cavity defined by the housing top wall, housing bottom wall and housing side wall, in which cavity the valve body moves from the first position to the second position, the cavity near the housing bottom wall having a cross sectional diameter smaller than the cross sectional diameter of the cavity near the housing top wall.

9. Valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve housing is sealed against a lower side of the mounting element by means of a flexible sealing body that is at least partly interposed between the housing top wall and the mounting element.

10. Valve according to claim 9, wherein the sealing body comprises a sealing ring with a central hole axially aligned with the fluid passage of the mounting element and the beverage outlet opening.

11. Valve according to claim 10, wherein the sealing body comprises a radial sealing wall extending axially from the sealing ring through the beverage outlet opening in the direction of the housing bottom wall between the housing top wall and a radial outer surface of the valve body.

12. Valve according to claim 10, wherein the upper end section of the valve body comprises an engagement portion which extents in the central hole of the sealing ring in the first position of the valve body.

13. Valve according to claim 11, wherein the valve body in the first position is fixedly received between the radial sealing wall.

14. Valve according to claim 1, wherein the valve body and the sealing body are made of the same elastic material.

15. Beverage container comprising a valve according to claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0028] These and other aspects of the present disclosure are hereinafter further elucidated by the appended drawing and the corresponding embodiments, which are only given by way of example. The drawing is not in any way meant to reflect a limitation of the scope of the invention, unless this is clearly and explicitly indicated. These examples are given in order to better understand the invention and are not restrictive. In the drawing:

[0029] FIG. 1A,1B shows schematically in cross section part of an embodiment of a container having a body and a neck with a valve of the present disclosure in respectively a first, closed, position and a second, open, position;

[0030] FIG. 2 shows schematically in perspective view an embodiment of a valve according to the present invention;

[0031] FIG. 3A,3B,3C shows schematically in three perspective views an embodiment of a valve body as used in the embodiment of a valve according to the present invention shown in FIG. 2;

[0032] FIG. 4A,4B shows schematically in cross section part of an embodiment of a container having a body and a neck with a valve of the present disclosure in respectively a first, closed, position and a second, open, position;

[0033] FIG. 5 shows schematically in perspective view an embodiment of another valve according to the present invention;

[0034] FIG. 6A,6B,6C shows schematically in three perspective views an embodiment of a valve body as used in the embodiment of a valve according to the present invention shown in FIG. 5.

[0035] FIG. 7A,7B,7C shows schematically in cross section part of an embodiment of a container having a body and a neck with a valve of the present disclosure in respectively a first, closed, position, a second, open, position and a third, semi-closed, position.

[0036] FIG. 8 shows schematically in perspective view an embodiment of another valve according to the present invention; and

[0037] FIG. 9A,9B,9C,9D shows schematically in four perspective views an embodiment of a valve body as used in the embodiment of a valve according to the present invention shown in FIG. 8.

[0038] In this application similar or corresponding features are denoted by similar or corresponding reference signs. The description of the embodiments is not limited to the examples shown in the figures and the reference numbers used in the detailed description and the claims are not intended to limit the description of the embodiments, but are included to elucidate the embodiments by referring to the examples shown in the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0039] As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B a beverage container 100 upper part shown in cross section is provided with a wall 110 extending from the neck and forming a lid of the container defining a container opening that provides access to a space in the beverage container. The wall may be integral with the rest of the container 100, but as shown here is a separate body formed as a mounting ring 110 that is mounted to the neck of the container. In the container opening a valve 1 is mounted to the mounting ring 110. As further shown in FIG. 2 the valve 1 comprises a mounting element 10 with a base portion 11 that extends radially from an inner side defining a fluid passage 12 through the mounting element to an outer peripheral side for sealing against a container edge at the container opening. Part of the outer peripheral side of the base portion 11 extends over an edge of an upwards directed wall portion 111 of the mounting ring 110, which wall portion 111 radially extends around the container opening. The valve 1 comprises snap means 13 such as snap fingers or a snap ring or cylinder extending from the base portion 11 arranged to fit and fix the valve 1 in the container opening against the mounting ring 110. As shown in FIG. 1 a seal means 50 is provided around a portion of the valve 1, between the snap means 13 and the base portion 11, for liquid tight sealing of the interface between valve 1 and mounting ring 110. The seal means 50 can be a separate body, e.g. an O-ring or other suitable deformable body, e.g. made of rubber, or provided as an integrally formed seal, for example by 2K injection moulding.

[0040] Below the mounting element 10 a sealing body, e.g. a sealing ring or gasket 40, is positioned against a lower side of the base portion 11. On an opposite site the gasket 40 is supported on a valve housing 20 of the valve 1. The gasket 40 has a central hole axially coinciding with the fluid passage 12 above it and a beverage outlet opening 25 provided below it in the valve housing 20.

[0041] The valve housing 20 comprises a housing side wall 21 extending axially from a housing top wall 22 comprising the beverage outlet opening 25 to a housing bottom wall 23. The housing top wall 22 is sealed against the mounting element 10 via the gasket 40. The housing bottom wall 23 as illustrated is provided with known safety wings 24 that provide protection against or prevent the valve shooting out of the container opening when, for example, the pressure inside the beverage container would unexpectedly rise above a safety pressure. The housing top wall 22 has the beverage outlet opening 25 aligned with the gasket central hole and the fluid passage 12 so that a beverage exchange, e.g. flow of beverage, is possible between the beverage outlet opening and the fluid passage when the valve is open. The housing side wall 21 has at least one beverage inlet opening 26, preferably two or more, more preferably four, arranged to allow a beverage exchange, e.g. flow of beverage, between the container space and the valve housing.

[0042] The valve 1 has a valve body 30, further illustrated in FIGS. 3A,3B and 3C together with the gasket 40, that is axially moveable through a space inside the valve housing 20 from a first position closing off the beverage outlet opening as illustrated in FIG. 1A to a second position opening a fluid connection through the beverage outlet opening as illustrated in FIG. 1B. The valve body 30 comprises a closed upper end section 31 fixedly received in the beverage outlet opening in the first position. To this end the upper end section 31 is made of an elastic material and slightly over dimensioned relative to the size of the beverage outlet opening so that the upper end section of the valve body in the first position is slightly compressed by the housing top wall 22 and clampingly held in the beverage outlet opening. Thus the valve body closes off the beverage outlet opening in the first position thereof as shown in FIG. 1A.

[0043] The valve body 30 is manually operable by inserting a spout 60 of a dispenser system, shown in FIG. 1B, through the fluid passage 12 to engage a top surface of the upper end portion of the valve body and to push the valve body away from the beverage outlet opening to the second position axially past at least a part of the beverage inlet opening 26 in the side wall, as illustrated in FIG. 1B. Thus in the second position the valve is fully open to enable a beverage flow from the container space into the valve housing via the beverage inlet opening 26 and out of the valve housing via the beverage outlet opening 25 and the fluid passage 12.

[0044] The valve body comprises a cylindrical tube-like lower end section 32 extending axially from the closed upper end 31 in the direction of the housing bottom wall 23. The lower end section 32 contacts an inner surface of the housing in both the first position as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1n the second position as shown in FIG. 1B.

[0045] FIG. 4A,4B shows part of an embodiment of a container 1 similar to that as shown in FIG. 1A,1B, wherein however the valve 1 is provided with an alternative valve housing 20, and alternative valve body 30 and alternative sealing body 40 further illustrated in FIG. 5 and FIGS. 6A,6B and 6C. The valve 1 according to this embodiment has a valve body 30 that is smaller than the valve body of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. The sealing body 40 comprises a cylindrical upper part 42 and a radial sealing wall 41 extending axially from the upper part 42 through the beverage outlet opening in the direction of the housing bottom wall 23 between the housing top wall 22 and a radial outer surface of the valve body. The cylindrical upper part 42 is sealingly fixed with a portion thereof between a lower side of the base portion 11 of the mounting element 10 and an upper side of the housing top wall 22. The valve body 30 comprises a closed upper end section 31 fixedly received in the beverage outlet opening in the first position and comprising an engagement portion 33 which extents in the central hole of the sealing body 40 in the first position of the valve body. The valve body in the first position is fixedly received between the radial sealing wall 41 to prevent the valve body from moving out of its first position unintentionally. Thus the valve body 30 in sealing cooperation with the sealing body 40 closes off the beverage outlet opening in the first position thereof as shown in FIG. 4A.

[0046] The valve body 30 is manually operable by inserting a spout 60 of a dispenser system through the fluid passage 12 to engage the engagement portion 33 of the upper end portion of the valve body and to push the valve body out of the sealing body 40, which remains fixed in its position, and the beverage outlet opening 25 to the second position axially past the beverage inlet opening 26 in the side wall, as illustrated in FIG. 4B. Thus in the second position the valve is fully open to enable a beverage flow from the container space into the valve housing via the beverage inlet opening 26 and out of the valve housing via the beverage outlet opening 25 and the fluid passage 12.

[0047] The valve body 30 in this embodiment also comprises a cylindrical tube-like lower end section 32 extending axially from the closed upper end 31 in the direction of the housing bottom wall 23. The lower end section 32 in this embodiment has a shorter length compared to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. As the valve body 30 is securely clamped in the first position by the sealing body 40 there is no need for the valve body to contact an inner surface of the housing in the first position as shown in FIG. 4A. When moved in the second position as shown in FIG. 4B the lower end section 32 does about the inner surface of the valve housing to prevent the valve body from blocking the beverage inlet opening 26.

[0048] FIGS. 7A,7B,7C shows part of an embodiment of a container 1 similar to that as shown in FIG. 1A,1B and FIG. 4A,4B wherein however the valve 1 is provided with another alternative valve housing 20, valve body 30 and sealing body 40 further illustrated in FIG. 8 and FIGS. 9A,9B, 9C and 9D. The valve 1 according to this embodiment has a valve body 30 that is basically a combination of the valve body of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and the valve body of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. The valve body 30 has an elongated tubular lower end section 32, similar to the valve body lower end section shown in FIGS. 1,2 and 3, extending axially from a closed upper end section 31 of the valve body towards a bottom wall 23 of the valve housing 20. The tubular lower end section 32 abuts an inner surface of the housing in both the first, closed, position and in the second, open, position of the valve body as shown in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B respectively. The upper end section 31 is configured, similar to the valve body upper end section shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, to be fixedly received in the beverage outlet opening clamped by a radial sealing wall 41 of the sealing body 40, in the first position of the valve body. The upper end section 31 comprises an engagement portion 33 which in use is engaged by opening means, such as a spout 60 of a dispenser system, for pushing the valve body from its sealing first position into the second position to open the beverage outlet opening. The valve body in this embodiment is provided with positioning means 34 configured as a simple low force helical spring acting on the valve body. The spring 34 is attached to the valve housing bottom wall 23 and extents into the tubular lower end section 32 up to the upper end section 31 of the valve body 30. In the first position of the valve shown in FIG. 7A the spring is relaxed, with no biasing force being applied by the spring on the valve body. Upon insertion of the spout 60 the valve body 30 is moved in the axial direction, i.e. downwards, towards the housing bottom wall 23 to bring the valve in the open second position, thereby compressing the spring 34. Upon removal of the spout 60 the compressed spring 34 acts on the valve body 30 in a direction opposite to the axial direction, i.e. upwards, to assist and guide the valve body together with a temporary local under pressure above the valve body to a third position shown in FIG. 7C in which the valve body with the upper end section 31 is positioned against an underside of the sealing wall 41 of the sealing body 40. In this third position the valve body 30 is correctly positioned and aligned within the valve housing 20 against the sealing wall 41 to close off the beverage outlet opening 25. The valve in use in a pressurized beverage container will by means of the pressure below the valve body accordingly allow the valve body 30 to return into the first position of the valve. The valve thus enables a reliable liquid-tight re-sealing of the beverage outlet opening and a beverage container comprising such valve is re-broachable. The spring 34 may be made of any suitable material, but is preferably made of plastic that is compatible with the other parts of the valve for sake of recyclability.

[0049] In embodiments the valve 1 and the container 100 can be made of plastic materials. Preferably the plastic material or materials are chosen such that they can be easily recycled together. Preferably the valve and container is in embodiments made of a plastic material which can be welded together. For example the container and/or the valve may be made of PET or PEN or blends thereof. Preferably the container and valve are made of the same material or made of materials that can be recycled together.

[0050] Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Methods and materials are described herein for use in the present invention. The materials and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting, unless so indicated. For the purpose of clarity and a concise description, features are described herein as part of the same or separate aspects and preferred embodiments thereof. However, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention may include embodiments having combinations of all or some of the features described.

[0051] Furthermore, the invention may also be embodied with less components than provided in the embodiments described here, wherein one component carries out multiple functions. Just as well may the invention be embodied using more elements than depicted in the Figures, wherein functions carried out by one component in the embodiment provided are distributed over multiple components.

[0052] The word ‘comprising’ does not exclude the presence of other features or steps than those listed in a claim. It also does not exclude that nothing else is present, i.e. it may also encompass the meaning of ‘consisting of’. Furthermore, the words ‘a’ and ‘an’ shall not be construed as limited to ‘only one’, but instead are used to mean ‘at least one’, and do not exclude a plurality.