Patent Application
20080041892
The present invention relates to a disposable tap for drawing liquids from a pressurized liquid container, which tap, relative to prior art taps, is modified such that it is attachable preferably in the upper area of the sidewall of the liquid container. The invention further relates to a liquid container unit having an appropriate opening for and provided with said tap.
It has been known for some time to provide in particular small size liquid containers such as beer kegs having a volume of 3 liters, 5 liters, or greater with a disposable tap that can be disposed off together with the container after drawing the liquid contained in the container. Such a tap is mounted in an opening of the sidewall of the liquid container that is located relatively far down the sidewall in order to be able to draw as much liquid as possible. In DE 198 25 929 A1 such a tap comprised of an outer tube inserted seal-tightly into the container as well as an inner tube slidable seal-tightly therein is disclosed. The outer tube has an intake opening that is positioned relatively close to the container wall and can be brought into a congruent position with the intake opening of the inner tube when the latter is pulled outwardly by means of a grip. The inner tube has moreover a discharge opening so that, when the two intake openings are congruent, liquid can flow into the tap and can be drawn from the discharge opening. For closing this tap, the inner tube must be completely pushed into the outer tube again. A disadvantage of this configuration is that, for shutting, the inner tube must be pushed after tapping into the outer tube again and again. When the tube is displaced during pushing, this can lead to unwanted escape of liquid.
On the other hand, the tap disclosed in DE 198 35 569 A1 is very safe and also easy to use. This tap also comprises an outer tube and an inner tube that is slidably arranged within the outer tube. In contrast to the taps that have been known before, the liquid discharge opening is provided in an outer area of the wall of the inner tube that must be pulled out of the outer tube far enough at the beginning of the first tapping operation. A valve that is arranged in the interior of the tube, whose valve cone is forced by the pressure inside the container as well as by the pulling action of an elastic actuating device against its seat, prevents in its closed rest position the liquid from passing and thus prevent the liquid from escaping from the discharge opening. The actuating device for this valve is comprised of an elastic button with a grommet that engages the bead of an extension of a valve plunger that, in turn, ends in the cone of the valve. By pressing down the button, the valve opens and liquid flows through the inner tube to the discharge opening. When the button is released, the valve will close automatically by the restoring force that is caused by the grommet that elastically engages the bead and is assisted by the inner pressure of the container.
According to this proposal, the liquid passes into the tap through openings in the end face of the inner tube. In order to protect the tap from liquid penetrating into it before being first put into operation, this opening is closed off by means of a protective sleeve that is pushed in a seal-tight way across the inner part of the outer tube and is provided at its an end face with a tubular extension having a smaller diameter. The inner tube is provided at its end face with a pin that is sized such that, in the initial state in which the inner tube is inserted completely into the outer tube, it projects into the tubular extension of the protective sleeve and closes it off in a seal-tight way.
Moreover, in the area of the outer tube that is positioned near the container wall a bore is provided for emptying residual liquid, which bore when pulling out farther the inner tube having a corresponding bore, can be brought into a congruent position with the inner tube so that residual liquid can flow into the tap when tilting the container.
A disadvantage of the above described systems is that the tap must be arranged far down the sidewall of the liquid container in order for the container to be emptied to a sufficient degree. Because of the limited space below the tap for drawing liquid, the container must be placed onto a stand or the edge of a table in order to draw liquid into an appropriate vessel, for example, a beer glass. The container therefore can be easily tipped over or it requires a support device specifically designed for it. Moreover, drawing liquid is cumbersome because of the low position of the tap.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a tap that can be arranged at the upper area of a liquid container in order to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages. This tap should also be protected against penetration of liquid before it is put to operation for the first time.
In order to be able to draw liquid from an above-described container or a container unit when the liquid level therein is below the tap, it is necessary to provide or to connect the container a system with which it is ensured that there is always overpressure within the container unit. Such systems are disclosed, for example, in DE 298 22 430.5 or U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,333,763; 4,923,095; or 5,769,282. All of the aforementioned systems are provided with a tap arrangement that is located at the upper end face of the liquid container unit. However, the latter is relatively bulky and large because the tap must project laterally past the edge of the upper end face so that drawing liquid is possible into a vessel arranged underneath. Therefore, there is only the choice of either delivering it separately for assembly at a later point in time or of abandoning the possibility of stacking the container units for the purpose of storage or transport because stacking would not be possible at all or possible only by taking up additional space and static conditions that are not optimal.
There is therefore the need for a system that avoids the afore described disadvantages.
Such a system could be operated by using an inner pressure reservoir or in inner pressure gas cartridge. Such pressure sources are known in principle. For example, DE 298 22 430 discloses a beverage container, for example, a small beer keg, in which a high-pressure bottle is positioned. Of course, it would also be possible to provide a high-pressure source centrally, at the bottom or on the lid of the small keg. The tap proposed for such a system and optionally additional means should therefore not project too far into the center of the container unit in order to allow a variety as large as possible of attachment possibilities for the pressure source.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a tap having the aforementioned desirable characteristic specifications.
This object is solved by the present invention in that it provides a container/a container unit for receiving a liquid to be drawn therefrom that is equipped with a bottom side, a sidewall and a lid or end face as well as an opening for attaching a tap, and that is characterized in that said opening is located in the sidewall of the container/container unit, namely in an area that is closer to the lid or end face than to the bottom side of the sidewall. When the container unit is a conventional small beverage keg, for example, a small beer keg of aluminum, steel, another metal or plastic material, the opening is preferably arranged in the area above the circumferential projection that simulates the barrel hoop of former wooden kegs or, in the absence of such a projection, at a level that corresponds to the thus defined level in relation to the dimensions.
Moreover, the invention provides a tap that can be mounted in the aforementioned opening of the liquid container unit without requiring noticeable space and with which, at sufficient pressure within the container unit, liquid can be drawn even when the liquid level is located below that of the tap itself.
The tap according to the invention is one as disclosed in claim 1 or claim 2 or a combination of tap and riser duct according to claim 8. The dependent claims define preferred embodiments of said tap.
The tap according to the invention can be made in principle of any material; preferably, it is comprised however of plastic material and in a particular preferred embodiment of a combination of harder and more elastic plastic parts. It is manufactured as a complete unit and subsequently inserted seal-tightly into the opening provided for this purpose on the still empty liquid container, for example, a 5 liter mini keg for beer.
In order for the tap to be seal tightly and safely positioned horizontally, it preferably has on its outer sleeve a locking mechanism that can be configured as disclosed in the prior art. For example, the outer sleeve can have two circumferential flanges or annular locking wedge arrangements between which a sealing ring is arranged. When locking the outer sleeve in the opening of the container unit provided for this purpose, the edges of this opening will come to rest against the seal and are safely held by the flanges or the annular locking wedge arrangements.
The tube that is arranged in the inner channel of the outer sleeve in a seal-tight way is a sliding tube and has a grip on its end that is facing outwardly; in the mounted state, the grip is located outside of the liquid container unit. Moreover, near its axial outer end it has a discharge opening for the liquid to be drawn. The grip is designed such that, by pulling and optionally also by rotating, the sliding tube can be pulled comfortably from a position in which the discharge opening projects from the outer sleeve and a closed position in which the sliding tube is pushed into the sleeve to such an extent that the discharge opening is completely covered. This action is required for the tap according to the invention generally only once because preferably a valve device is provided that, without being actuated, prevents the free access of liquid to the discharge opening.
The closed position, in which the sliding tube has been pushed into the sleeve to such an extent that the sleeve completely covers the discharge opening, is generally identical to the position of complete insertion of the sliding tube into the outer sleeve. In order to prevent that the sliding tube cannot be pulled farther out past a desired adjustment in which the discharge opening projects from the outer sleeve, it is possible to realize in any desired way a locking means, for example, by providing a guide bore or opening in the outer sleeve that can interact with a slide block or the like arranged externally in the lower area of the slide tube. Such a configuration is disclosed, for example, in DE 198 35 569 A1 in which a slide block is used that is however tubular. Alternatively, for example, a groove-shaped recess can be provided that serves as a guide for a corresponding locking nose.
The already mentioned valve device, if provided, can also be realized in a suitable way as proposed in DE 198 35 569 A1. In this connection, the valve itself is located within the sliding tube at any position that is moved farther inwardly relative to the discharge opening. Preferably, it is arranged in the central area of the inner wall of the sliding tube and comprises, as disclosed e.g. in DE 198 35 569 A1, a valve seat that is formed as an annular collar on the inner side of the sliding tube and has a conical seat that can be sealed by means of a conical valve cone. The latter is connected to a valve plunger or formed as a monolithic part thereof wherein the valve plunger itself is provided at its outer end with annular beads or grooves that interact with corresponding structures of a grommet. The grommet is elastic and can be integrally formed with a bellows that can be pushed in from the exterior and is made from an elastic material such as rubber. When the rubber bellows is pressed down, the valve cone is moved away from the valve seat against the pressure of the liquid at the valve and against the restoring force originating from engagement of the elastic sleeve at the annual structures at the upper end of the valve plunger. Accordingly, liquid from the inner area of the sliding tube can reach the outer area and can be drawn from the discharge opening. When the rubber bellows is released, the valve returns into its closed initial position.
The sliding tube has at its inner end face openings or penetrations through which the liquid to be drawn can reach the interior of the tube. This should be possible however only once the liquid container unit is put in operation and tapping is to be started. It is therefore necessary to prevent the liquid from penetrating into the sliding tube before the first tapping action is carried out. This is realized in that the intake openings into the sliding tube that are provided at its end face are covered by a protective cover that at the same time optionally covers seal-tightly also the guide opening or an opening that is present for another reasons within the outer sleeve or within the inner sliding tube, or is realized in that the outer sleeve is laterally completely closed and is designed at its end face such that it effects in the same way a covering action of the intake openings at the end face of the sliding tube.
In the configurations with protective cover, the protective cover has a first tubular part that is pushed onto an inwardly positioned end portion of the outer sleeve, viewed in the axial direction, to such an extent that the aforementioned optionally present opening(s) or bore(s) in the lateral area of the outer sleeve are covered in a seal-tight way (the outer sleeve in this configurations is of a continuous tubular configuration and is open at its inner end). Moreover, the protective cover has, adjoining inwardly in the axial direction, a part with a tubular recess that can interact with a pin that is provided on the inner end face of the sliding tube and projects in the axial direction past the tube wall in such a way that in the completely inserted state of the sliding tube said pin seal-tightly closes off the aforementioned tubular recess. In regard to concrete configurations of this part of the inventive tap, reference is also being had to DE 198 35 569 A1.
Alternatively, the outer sleeve is formed such that it can take on the function of the protective sleeve. It should then have no lateral openings. Moreover, as mentioned above in connection with the protective sleeve, it also has, adjoining inwardly in the axial direction, a part with a tubular recess that can interact with a pin that is provided on the inner end face of the sliding tube and projects in the axial direction past the tube wall of the sliding tube in such a way that, in the completely inserted state of the sliding tube, said pin seal-tightly closes off the aforementioned tubular recess.
When the sliding tube is pushed by means of its grip into the position in which the discharge opening projects at the outer side of the liquid container unit from the outer sleeve, the pin moves also simultaneously out of the tubular recess of the protective cover or of the outer sleeve, and liquid can penetrate into the sliding tube, namely to the level of the sealing valve, if provided. The tapping action is then realized exclusively by actuation of this valve without the sliding tube having to be moved relative to the outer sleeve.
According to the present invention, the protective cover or the outer sleeve is closed in the axial direction of the tap at its end face, but has laterally an opening that is provided with a means for seal-tightly connecting thereto a pipe or hose serving as a riser duct and, in the outwardly pushed state of the tube, is in fluid communication with the interior of the sliding tube. This opening can be designed in different ways.
In a first preferred configuration of the invention, according to a first alternative a protective cover is provided that follows the contour of the outer sleeve and an outer annular area of the end face on the end face of the outer sleeve and then passes into a tube whose inner diameter forms the aforementioned tubular recess. In this tube with reduced diameter a lateral opening or cutout is provided that is surrounded by an annular bead or flange in such a way that a pipe or a hose can be coupled thereto that should extend to the bottom of the liquid container unit and serve as a riser duct. This pipe or this hose can be pulled either externally across the annular bead or flange or can be inserted therein. It is convenient to select the materials of both components or their diameter such that they are secured to one another by friction in a seal-tight way.
This configuration can be realized in a second alternative without protective cover when the outer sleeve is realized in the way described above. In this case, a lateral opening or cutout surrounded by an annular bead or flange is located in the above described part of the outer sleeve that inwardly adjoins in axial direction and is provided with the aforementioned tubular recess. For coupling a pipe or hose to the riser duct, the disclosure provided in the above paragraph applies as well.
In a second preferred embodiment of the invention, the tubular recess of the protective cover or of the correspondingly shaped outer sleeve opens in the axial direction in a passage that extends in a curve or elbow shape to a laterally provided opening in the protective cover or in the outer sleeve. In this configuration, both variants, i.e., the protective cover as well as the outer sleeve, can be formed as a one-part or optionally also as a two-part configuration, wherein in the latter case one of the parts of the protective cover comprises the first tubular part as well as the tubular recess and the second part that surrounds the curved passage can be configured as an adapter with a cutout which cutout can be pushed onto the outer wall of the aforementioned tubular recess or can be attached in other ways thereto.
In all of these cases, the outer sleeve is either laterally completely closed or it has exclusively the aforementioned guide opening or a similar opening provided in connection with the locking device of the sliding tube in the extended state which opening is then covered by the protective cover. An opening for emptying residual liquid is not required.
In an especially preferred embodiment of the invention, the retractable tap is comprised of seven or eight parts, i.e., an elastic cap that is configured as a monolithic part of the aforementioned grommet; a valve plunger with an extension that interacts in the described way with the grommet; a valve cone that is pushed onto the valve plunger and can be locked therein; a sliding tube with grip and optionally a bore for the locking mechanism, for example, the aforementioned guide bore; the outer sleeve; an insert that is insertable into the inner tubular opening of the sliding tube; and the pin; intake openings for the liquid at the end face; and optionally components for the locking mechanism such as a slide block; as well as a one-part or two-part protective cover.
From the above explanations it is apparent that a tap with the features according to the invention will fulfill the posed requirements. It is protected with regard to escape of liquid before first being put in operation. It has means for a seal-tight coupling of a pipe or hose through which, when overpressure is present in the container unit, liquid is forced into the tap even when the liquid level is below the tap. It requires no opening for emptying residual liquid. And based on the fact that the coupling means for the pipe or the hose is arranged laterally and can thus point downwardly in the mounted state, the tap can be used in combination with any suitable system for pressure loading, even when the systems e.g. extend centrally from to the cover or the inner topside of the container unit farther downwardly than the level where the tap is arranged.
The tap according to the invention is usable in combination with any container shape and container size. It is expedient for larger container units, for example, having a contents of 3 liters, 5 liters or more. In the past few years, cans of this size have also been in use. Thus, the tap can be used, for example, in combination with so-called mini kegs that can be of a two-part configuration (container body comprised of bottom wall and sidewall with lid) or of a three-part configuration (bottom, sidewall, and lid) wherein the lid and optionally also the bottom is/are connected by conventional double fold closure or are crimped in other ways to the container bottom or the sidewall. The shape of such a mini keg can be designed to imitate that of old kegs; often, they have a radial-symmetrical or approximately radial-symmetrical shape (for example, with a polygonal shape imitating the wooden structure of old kegs). Decorative projections reminiscent of the barrel hoops of old kegs can be provided circumferentially at the appropriate locations of the sidewall. The container unit can rest on their bottom or on a rim structure that is formed on the bottom area. The tap according to the invention can be arranged at the upper area of the sidewall so that the container unit or the mini keg when manufactured is provided with an opening in the sidewall at the location provided for this purpose.
In the following, the invention will be explained in an exemplary way with the aid of the drawings.
In
The protective cover 16 is pushed with its tubular part 19 onto the end portion 2′ of the outer sleeve that, viewed in the axial direction, is provided inwardly (for this purpose, it has a somewhat smaller outer diameter in comparison to the remaining part) until the end face 13 of the sliding tube 4 contacts the wall 24. In this connection, the tubular recess 20 of the protective cover engages seal-tightly the pin 15. The tap is delivered and mounted in this position.
On the protective cover, a lateral opening 21 is shown that in the mounted state faces downwardly; a hose or a hose coupling can be inserted into its sidewall 22. This hose serves as a riser duct, as shown in
When the tap is to be put in operation, first the sliding tube is pulled outwardly by means of the grip 5. When doing so, the pin 15 is pulled out of the recess 20. In this way, a liquid communication between the lateral opening 21 of the protective cover and the intake openings in the end face 13 is provided so that liquid can flow from the end of the riser duct into the interior of the tap. For drawing liquid, it is sufficient when a valve that is arranged in the interior of the sliding tube and illustrated in an exemplary fashion in
In
In
In
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04 014 958.5 | Jun 2004 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP05/06857 | 6/24/2005 | WO | 7/31/2007 |
