Patent Application
20250074688
The invention relates to a pressure container.
From the prior art, as described in EP 3 556 218 A2, a pressure container for holding physical propellants is known. At least one aromatized physical propellant, present in the form of a fluid and suitable for consumption, is arranged in the pressure container.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a pressure container which is improved compared to the prior art.
In an example of the invention, a pressure container has a container body. At an upper end of the container body, an end portion is formed integrally with the container body. This end portion formed integrally with the container body may also be referred to as an end piece. The end portion has a container opening. Further, the container body has a container bottom disposed at a lower end and integrally formed with the container body. The pressure container further comprises a valve disposed in and/or on the end portion. For example, the valve is screwed into the end portion. It is designed, for example, as a non-return valve.
The container opening of the end section can be closed in a media-tight manner by the valve. In particular, the valve has a valve body with a passage opening in which a valve tappet is arranged, which closes the passage opening in a media-tight manner in a closed valve position of the valve and opens the passage opening in an open valve position of the valve.
According to the invention, the pressure container can have a suction pipe which is arranged in the container interior of the pressure container and is connected to the valve in a fixed and fluid-tight manner. A pipe interior of the suction pipe is fluidically connected to the passage opening of the valve. The suction pipe can extend in the direction of the container bottom into a region of the container bottom and has a pipe opening in the region of the container bottom. The pipe opening is arranged in particular in a lower tenth of the container interior, in particular in a lower tenth of the height of the container interior.
The pressure container, in particular a compressed gas container, enables in particular a direct media-tight coupling of the pressure container with a further connection, for example a connection of an application. For actuation in the application, the valve tappet is moved into the open valve position by means of the application, for example by means of an actuation unit of the application. As a result, the medium flows out of the pressure container from the container interior via the passage opening and into the application.
The pressure container is particularly advantageous for a medium intended for introduction into a beverage, which medium comprises a propellant, in particular a propellant gas, and an aroma. The propellant is in particular carbon dioxide (CO2). The aroma in particular has at least one essential oil as a carrier. The medium is thus an aromatized propellant.
If the pressure container is filled with such a medium, it can be inserted into an application by means of which the medium, in particular the carbon dioxide and the aroma, can be introduced into the beverage, for example water. The application is thus a device for simultaneously bubbling and flavoring the beverage, for example water, and is therefore also referred to as a water bubbler or beverage bubbler. The pressure container is also referred to as a gas cartridge.
For filling the pressure container with such a medium, it can be provided, for example, that the components of the medium, i.e., the propellant, in particular carbon dioxide, and the aroma, are mixed, for example, already before filling the pressure container and are filled together into the pressure container, or they come together, for example, only in the pressure container. I.e., filling of the pressure container with these components of the medium one after the other can also be provided, for example, first filling with the aroma and then with the propellant, in particular carbon dioxide. The medium with which the pressure container is then filled and which is then intended for introduction into a beverage then has the carbon dioxide and the aroma.
A problem with the use of pressure containers known in the prior art, which do not have the suction pipe, is that after filling the pressure container, the propellant is in a gaseous state in about an upper third of the interior of the container and, for example, in a transition state between liquid and gaseous, and in a liquid supercritical state in about the lower two thirds of the interior of the container. In this case, the aroma is in the liquid state in the lower region of the container interior and is thus mixed in particular with the liquid part of the propellant. When the valve is opened, the propellant, which is already in a gaseous state, escapes from the upper region of the container interior, which is not optimally mixed with the aroma.
To achieve sufficient mixing of the entire propellant with the aroma, the pressure container would have to be heated above room temperature so that the aroma also evaporates and mixes with the propellant. However, this also increases the pressure inside the container, although this is only permissible up to a maximum pressure. In addition, the gaseous propellant and the flavoring also segregate again over time. For bubbling with an optimally mixed aromatized propellant, it would thus be necessary to reheat and mix the propellant with the aroma prior to each bubbling process. However, this is not practical. The consequence of this is inconsistent flavoring of beverages. Moreover, to ensure sufficient flavoring, a relatively large amount of aroma is required.
These problems are solved by the invention. The taste of beverages aromatized by means of the aromatized propellant is significantly improved and a need for expensive aromas is significantly reduced.
In the solution according to the invention, it is unproblematic for the aroma to collect at the container bottom after the pressure container has been filled with the propellant and the aroma, or for it to mix only with the liquid supercritical part of the propellant, because by means of the suction pipe, the pipe opening of which is arranged in the region of the container bottom, either the aroma or the aroma and the liquid supercritical propellant are drawn in from this region of the container bottom, become gaseous while rising in the suction pipe, and are discharged in the gaseous state through the valve from the container interior and introduced into the beverage.
In particular, the suction pipe is designed to draw in liquid propellant and aroma, and in particular to mix liquid propellant with aroma. As mentioned, this aromatized propellant passes from the liquid to the gaseous state during the rising process up to the valve and then exits through the open valve into the application, i.e. into the beverage bubbler. This results in optimum bubbling and flavoring of the beverage, for example water.
For this purpose, the suction pipe, as described, is firmly and tightly connected to the valve and designed in such a way that the liquid, in particular aromatized, propellant drawn in from the area of the container bottom changes to the gaseous state during the ascent. For this purpose, the suction pipe is designed in such a way that it always has the pipe opening in the region of the container bottom.
The suction pipe can be designed in such a way that it sucks in the propellant in the gaseous state from the upper region, in particular the upper third, of the interior of the container and, in particular by means of the Venturi effect, sucks in the aroma via the pipe opening in the region of the container bottom, as a result of which the optimum mixture of aroma and propellant and thus the optimally aromatized propellant is also achieved.
The pipe opening can be formed at one pipe end of the suction pipe, thus forming a pipe end opening. This is a particularly easy-to-manufacture example of the suction pipe. If the pipe end is formed straight in this case, i.e. if an opening cross section of the pipe opening is aligned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the suction pipe, the pipe end is arranged at a distance from the container bottom, but, as described, in the region of the container bottom. This ensures that the pipe opening is not closed by the container bottom.
The pipe end can be formed obliquely, i.e. the opening cross section of the pipe opening runs obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the suction pipe. This ensures that the pipe opening, which is also formed at the pipe end here and thus forms the pipe end opening, is not closed by the container bottom even if the suction pipe extends to the container bottom.
An end portion of the suction pipe can be funnel-shaped in the direction of the pipe end. The pipe opening located at the pipe end and thus forming the pipe end opening thus has a smaller cross section than the other areas of the suction pipe. This results in optimized suction of the aroma and/or the liquid propellant.
The suction pipe can be U-shaped, with the pipe end being arranged in an upper region of the container interior. The pipe opening, which is arranged in the region of the container bottom, is thus not formed at the pipe end in this case, i.e., this pipe opening is not identical to the pipe end opening, but the pipe opening is formed in the lower region of the U shape, in particular at the lowest point of the U shape. Of course, the pipe end also has the pipe end opening at the pipe end here, thus in addition to the pipe opening. As a result, when the valve is opened, the propellant in the gaseous state is sucked in from the upper region, in particular the upper third, of the interior of the container via the pipe end opening and, in particular due to the Venturi effect, the aroma is sucked in via the pipe opening in the region of the container bottom, whereby the optimum mixture of aroma and propellant and thus the optimally aromatized propellant is also achieved. For this purpose, the pipe end and thus the pipe end opening is arranged in particular in an upper third of the container interior, in particular in an upper third of the height of the container interior.
At least one wall opening can be formed in an upper region of the suction pipe in a pipe wall of the suction pipe, for example in the form of a slot or a bore. For example, several such wall openings are provided. In particular, the pipe opening is formed as a pipe end opening at the pipe end of the suction pipe. This way also, when the valve is opened, the propellant, which is in the gaseous state, is sucked in from the upper region, in particular the upper third, of the container interior via the at least one wall opening or the plurality of wall openings and, in particular by means of the Venturi effect, the aroma is sucked in via the pipe opening in the region of the container bottom, as a result of which the optimum mixture of aroma and propellant and, as a result, the optimally aromatized propellant is likewise achieved. For this purpose, the at least one wall opening is arranged in particular in an upper third of the container interior, in particular in an upper third of the height of the container interior.
The mentioned pipe end at which the pipe end opening is located is always the free pipe end of the suction pipe spaced from the valve.
A fastening structure for the valve can be provided and formed on the inside of a wall surrounding the container opening of the end section. In particular, it has an internal thread arranged on the inside of the wall. The valve, i.e. in particular the valve body, can have an external thread corresponding to the internal thread of the fastening structure. In the state screwed into the internal thread, in particular completely screwed in, i.e. up to a predetermined end position, the valve is arranged in the region of the container opening of the end portion and projects into the end portion starting from the container opening. In particular, it lies against the end portion in a media-tight manner.
The container body can have, for example, a connection geometry arranged on the outside of a wall surrounding the container opening of the end portion, for example an external thread, for example an ACME thread, or a latching arrangement or a quick-release fastener, the wall with the connection geometry forming a connection which is set up to be coupled in a media-tight manner to a corresponding further connection, in particular a connection of the application.
The pressure container can have an overpressure protection. For example, this overpressure protection can be arranged in the valve. Alternatively, this overpressure protection is arranged, for example, in the container bottom, in particular in an overpressure opening formed in the container bottom. With a corresponding design of the container bottom, for example with a corresponding recess, this enables an integrated arrangement of the overpressure protection without it projecting over an outer edge of the pressure container. This increases protection against mechanical damage to the overpressure protection. Furthermore, a required installation space for accommodating the pressure container in the application can be reduced and an assembly of the pressure container in the installation space is simplified.
For example, the overpressure protection can comprise a bursting disc. For example, an overpressure channel can be formed that extends through the valve tappet and is closed in a media-tight manner by the bursting disc. For example, the bursting disc is arranged on the valve tappet at an end of the overpressure channel facing the container interior and is held on the valve tappet by the housing, for example. Alternatively, the bursting disc can be secured, for example in the valve or in the container bottom, by a screw comprising a venting bolt. Such a design of the overpressure protection, in particular by means of a bursting disc, is particularly simple, cost-effective and reliable. For example, the overpressure protection can be designed for a release pressure of 250 bar. However, any other release pressure values are also possible.
For example, the bursting disc can be fluidically coupled to an interior of the pressure container, i.e. to the container interior. For example, it is held at the edge by the screw, inside which a venting bolt is formed or arranged, or held by the housing and the valve tappet with an overpressure channel formed therein. If the release pressure is exceeded, the bursting disc is mechanically destroyed and releases a fluidic connection between the venting bolt or the overpressure channel and the container interior, so that the medium, for example gas, located in the container interior can escape.
In particular, when the overpressure protection device is arranged in the container bottom, the overpressure opening comprises, for example, an internal thread corresponding to an external thread of the bolt, into which internal thread the bolt is screwed. This enables particularly simple and secure fastening of the overpressure protection device. For example, the internal thread is produced by machining. However, the internal thread can also be produced in a forming process, for example a roll forming process, during the forming of the container bottom. Alternatively, other processes for producing the internal thread are also possible.
In a process for manufacturing a pressure container described above, the container body and the end portion are, for example, manufactured together from a material blank in a roll forming process. In particular, the one-piece design of the entire container body, including the container bottom and end portion, achieves a particularly high level of pressure stability with little effort, in particular with a small amount of material, since joints, for example weld seams, which represent weak points, are avoided. Furthermore, the fastening structure for the valve and in particular also the connection geometry are created, for example, by means of machining and/or forming, in particular during the roll forming process, and/or application of material and/or other suitable processes in the area of the end portion. Subsequently, the valve with the suction pipe arranged thereon is fastened, in particular screwed, to the end portion in the area of the container opening. The pressure container can be produced particularly easily and with high quality by means of the roll forming process. The generation of the fastening structure and the fastening of the valve are also particularly simple, reliable and can be realized at low cost.
The overpressure opening can be created in the container bottom by means of machining and/or forming, in particular during the roll forming process, and/or application of material and/or other suitable processes, and the overpressure protection is then attached to the overpressure opening. The generation of the overpressure opening and the fastening of the overpressure protection device are particularly simple, reliable and can be realized at low cost.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes, combinations, and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:
In particular, the pressure container 1 is a pressurized gas container and is designed to contain a gas under high pressure. In particular, the pressure container 1 is a so-called gas cartridge, in particular for an application designed as a beverage bubbler.
The pressure container 1 has a container body 3 with a container bottom 4 arranged at a lower end and in particular formed integrally with the container body 3.
At an upper end and thus opposite the container bottom 4, the container body 3 has an end portion 2, which in particular is formed integrally with the container body 3. The end portion 2 has a container opening O.
The container bottom 4, the container body 3 and the end portion 2 are formed in particular as a homogeneous, one-piece component without joints and are produced together in a forming process, for example a roll forming process, from a material blank, for example an aluminum blank or another material.
For a media-tight coupling of the pressure container 1 with an application, in particular the beverage bubbler, the pressure container 1 has, for example, a connection geometry introduced externally on a wall 2.1 surrounding the container opening O of the end portion 2, which is formed, for example, as an external thread, for example as a so-called ACME thread. In this case, the wall 2.1, in particular having the connection geometry, forms a connection which is set up to be coupled in a media-tight manner with a corresponding further connection of the corresponding application. The connection geometry is produced, for example, during the forming of the end portion 2 in the forming process and/or by means of machining after forming and/or by applying material and/or other suitable processes.
The pressure container 1 also has the valve 6, which is designed in particular as a non-return valve. This valve 6 is arranged at least in sections inside the end area 2. For this purpose, the pressure container 1 has a fastening structure for the valve 6 formed on the inside of the wall 2.1 surrounding the container opening O of the end portion 2. In particular, the fastening structure has an internal thread arranged on the inside of the wall 2.1. The valve 6, in the illustrated example a valve body 6.7 of the valve 6, has an external thread corresponding to the internal thread of the fastening structure.
In the example shown, the valve 6 comprises the valve body 6.7. In the example shown, the valve body 6.7 comprises a lower part 5 and an upper part 7. The valve body 6.7, in particular its lower part 5, is arranged with a collar-shaped section at the container opening O of the end portion 2. Starting from the container opening O and from this collar-shaped section, the valve body 6.7, in particular its lower part 5, projects into the end portion 2.
The valve body 6.7, in particular its lower part 5, rests against the end portion 2 in a media-tight manner. For this purpose, a diameter of the collar-shaped section is larger than an opening diameter of the container opening O of the end portion 2, as a result of which a contact surface facing the end portion 2 is formed on the collar-shaped section and rests against an end face of the end portion 2.
The valve body 6.7 has a passage opening DO extending in the axial direction of the valve body 6.7 and penetrating therethrough, which is fluidly connected to a container interior 8 of the pressure container 1. In the example shown, this passage opening DO runs through the lower part 5 and the upper part 7. The valve 6 also has a valve tappet 6.3. The valve tappet 6.3 is arranged in the passage opening DO and closes it in a media-tight manner in a closed valve position. In an open valve position, the valve tappet 6.3 releases the passage opening DO.
For actuation in an application, the valve tappet 6.3 is moved downwards into the open valve position by means of the application, for example by means of an actuating unit of the application, as a result of which the passage opening DO is opened. As a result, the medium, in particular a gas, flows out of the container interior 8 via the passage opening DO from the pressure container 1 and into the application connected to the pressure container 1.
The pressure container 1 has a suction pipe 9, which is arranged in the container interior 8 and is connected firmly and fluid-tightly, in particular in a form-fitting manner, by material bonding and/or in a force-fitting manner, to the valve 6, in particular to the valve body 6.7, in the example shown to its lower part 5. In the examples shown, the suction pipe 9 is arranged in sections in the passage opening DO, for example screwed into it. A pipe interior of the suction pipe 9 is fluidically connected to the passage opening DO of the valve 6. The suction pipe 9 extends in the direction of the container bottom 4 into a region of the container bottom 4 and has a pipe opening 10 in the region of the container bottom 4.
The pressure container 1, in particular pressurized gas container, in particular enables a direct media-tight coupling of the pressure container 1 with a further connection, for example a connection of an application. For actuation in the application, the valve tappet 6.3 is moved into the open valve position by means of the application, for example by means of an actuation unit of the application. As a result, the medium flows out of the pressure container 1 via the passage opening DO from the container interior 8 and into the application.
The pressure container 1 is particularly advantageous for a medium intended for introduction into a beverage, which has a propellant T, in particular a propellant gas, and an aroma A. The propellant T is in particular carbon dioxide (CO2). The aroma A in particular has at least one essential oil as a carrier. The medium is thus an aromatized propellant T.
If the pressure container 1 is filled with such a medium, it can be used in an application by means of which the medium, in particular the carbon dioxide and the aroma A, can be introduced into the beverage, for example water. The application is thus a device for simultaneously bubbling and flavoring the beverage, for example water, and is therefore also referred to as a water bubbler or beverage bubbler. The pressure container 1 is thereby also referred to as a gas cartridge.
For filling the pressure container 1 with such a medium, it can be provided, for example, that the components of the medium, i.e. the propellant T, in particular carbon dioxide, and the aroma A, are mixed, for example, already before filling the pressure container 1 and are filled together into the pressure container 1, or they come together, for example, only in the pressure container 1. That is, filling of the pressure container 1 with these components of the medium one after the other can also be provided, for example, first filling with the aroma A and then with the propellant T, in particular carbon dioxide. The medium with which the pressure container 1 is then filled and which is then intended for introduction into a beverage then has the carbon dioxide and the aroma A.
After filling, the propellant T is present in a liquid supercritical state FZ in the lower two thirds of the container interior 8. Above this, it is initially present in a transition phase P between the liquid and gaseous states and above this in the gaseous state GZ. After filling the pressure container 1, the aroma A collects at the container bottom 4 or mixes only with the liquid supercritical portion of the propellant T. In the solution described here, however, this is not a problem, because by means of the suction pipe 9, whose pipe opening 10 is arranged in the region of the container bottom 4, either the aroma A or the aroma A and the liquid supercritical propellant T are sucked out of this region of the container bottom 4, become gaseous while rising in the suction pipe 9 and are discharged in the gaseous state through the valve 6 from the interior of the container 8 and introduced into the beverage. A flow of the propellant T and aroma A through the suction pipe 9 and the valve 6 is shown in
In particular, the suction pipe 9 is designed in such a way that it sucks in liquid propellant T and aroma A, in particular liquid propellant T which is mixed with aroma A. As mentioned, this aromatized propellant T passes from the liquid to the gaseous state during the rising process up to valve 6 and then exits through the open valve 6 into the application, i.e. into the beverage bubbler. Optimum bubbling and flavoring of the beverage, for example of the water, thus takes place.
For this purpose, the suction pipe 9, as described, may be firmly and tightly connected to the valve 6 and is designed in such a way that the liquid, in particular aromatized, propellant T drawn from the region of the container bottom 4 changes to the gaseous state during the rising process. For this purpose, the suction pipe 9 is designed in such a way that it always has the pipe opening 10 in the region of the container bottom 4.
The suction pipe 9 can be designed in such a way that it sucks in the propellant T in the gaseous state GZ from the upper region, in particular the upper third, of the container interior 8 and, in particular by means of the Venturi effect, sucks in the aroma A via the pipe opening 10 in the region of the container bottom 4, as a result of which the optimum mixture of aroma A and propellant T and thus the optimally aromatized propellant T is also achieved.
The pipe opening 10 can be formed at one pipe end of the suction pipe 9 and thus forms a pipe end opening 11, as shown in
The pipe end is formed obliquely, i.e. the opening cross-section of the pipe opening 10 may run obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the suction pipe 9. This ensures, even if the suction pipe 9 extends to the container bottom 4, that the pipe opening 10, which is also formed here at the pipe end and thus forms the pipe end opening 11, is not closed by the container bottom 4.
An end portion of the suction pipe 9 can be funnel-shaped in the direction of the pipe end, as shown in
At least one wall opening 12 can be formed in an upper region of the suction pipe 9 in a pipe wall of the suction pipe 9, for example in the form of a slot or a bore. For example, several such wall openings 12 are provided, as shown in
The suction pipe 9 can be U-shaped, with the pipe end being arranged in an upper region of the container interior 8, as shown in
The valve 6 further comprises a spring element 6.5, for example a helical spring, which presses the valve tappet 6.3 upwards in the axial direction, i.e. in the direction of the container opening O, and thus against the upper part 7 of the valve body 6.7, wherein the spring element 6.5 in the example shown is compressed when the valve tappet 6.3 moves from the closed valve position to the open valve position. For this purpose, the spring element 6.5 rests with one spring end on the lower part 5 of the valve body 6.7 in the example shown and with the other spring end on the valve tappet 6.3.
The valve body 6.7 and/or the valve tappet 6.3 can each be made of aluminum or brass or another material, for example.
The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.
