JP7721482B2 - Gasket for beverage servers - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a gasket used in a beverage server.

In beverage servers that introduce gas into a beverage container via an adapter attached to the mouth of the beverage container and use the gas pressure to dispense a beverage such as beer from the container through the adapter, it is necessary to seal the connection between the adapter and the mouth of the beverage container and prevent gas from leaking from the gas inlet path to the outside of the beverage container. The former sealing is achieved, for example, by inserting a sealing part such as an O-ring between the adapter and the mouth of the beverage container. The latter gas leakage prevention is achieved, for example, by incorporating a check valve into the connection of the gas tube that directs gas from the gas supply source to the adapter (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Special Publication No. 2021-528322

In the conventional configuration described above, the seal component that seals the gap between the mouth of the beverage container and the adapter and the check valve must each be prepared as separate components, and a process is required to assemble these components individually. This increases the number of parts and assembly steps.

The present invention therefore aims to provide a gasket for beverage servers that can reduce the number of parts and assembly steps.

One aspect of the present invention provides a beverage server gasket that is fitted to the mouth of a beverage container and incorporated into a beverage server including an adapter having a gas inlet passage for introducing gas into the beverage container and a beverage outlet passage for directing the beverage in the beverage container to a beverage outlet exposed outside the beverage container. The gasket is fitted between the adapter and the mouth of the beverage container. The gasket is made of an elastic material and comes into close contact with the outer edge of the mouth of the beverage container and the adapter around the entire circumference, thereby sealing the space between the beverage container and the adapter except for the beverage outlet passage. The gasket also includes a check valve that is integrally molded with the seal and communicates with the gas inlet passage. The check valve elastically deforms to open the gas inlet passage and the beverage container when the pressure in the gas inlet passage is relatively higher than the pressure inside the beverage container, and elastically deforms to close the space between the gas inlet passage and the beverage container when the pressure in the gas inlet passage is relatively lower than the pressure inside the beverage container.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a beverage server according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the beverage server when held in a beverage dispensing position. FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing the exterior of a main part of the beverage server. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the main part of the beverage server. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the adapter as viewed from the front side. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the adapter as viewed from the rear side. Side view of the adapter. Rear view of the adapter. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the adapter taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8 . FIG. Rear view of the packing. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the packing taken along line XII-XII in FIG. 11. Close-up of the dispensing mechanism. 14 is a cross-sectional view of the beverage server taken along line XIV-XIV in FIG. 4.

Figure 1 shows the overall configuration of a beverage server according to one embodiment of the present invention. The beverage server 10 is combined with a bottle 1, which is an example of a beverage container, to dispense a beverage from the bottle 1. The bottle 1 is made of, for example, PET (short for polyethylene terephthalate) resin, and its capacity is set to a maximum of several liters, making it suitable for home or personal consumption, or consumption in small drinking establishments. However, the beverage server 10 may be configured to fit beverage containers with larger capacities. Any appropriate beverage may be contained in the bottle 1. In the illustrated example, a sparkling beverage such as beer is assumed.

The bottle 1 is held in a fixed position by being attached to an appropriate holding means such as a case or holder. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the bottle 1 is held in an oblique position with its mouth 2 facing up. If the angle at which the axis Xa of the mouth 2 of the bottle 1 is tilted relative to the horizontal plane H during dispensing is defined as the bottle installation angle θa, then the bottle installation angle θa is set to 15°, as an example. However, the bottle installation angle θa may be changed as appropriate. Below, the axis Xa may be referred to as the axis of the bottle 1, and the direction of the axis Xa may be referred to as the axial direction of the bottle 1. The direction of the axis Xa corresponds to the opening direction of the bottle 1.

The beverage server 10 comprises an adapter 11 attached to the mouth 2 of the bottle 1, a head 12 connected to the adapter 11, and a roughly cylindrical cover 13 that covers the connection between the adapter 11 and the bottle 1. To orient the spout 12a of the head 12 in the appropriate direction even when the bottle installation angle θa changes, the head 12 is connected to the adapter 11 so that it can rotate relatively around a rotation axis RX. The rotation axis RX is set so that it faces roughly horizontally when the bottle 1 with the adapter 11 attached is held in the orientation required for dispensing beverage. Because the head 12 is rotatably connected to the adapter 11, when the bottle 1 with the adapter 11 attached is held in the beverage dispensing position, if a vertical plane (corresponding to the plane of the paper in Figure 2) is imagined that includes the axis Xa of the bottle 1 and the axis Xb of the spout 12a of the head 12, and the angle θb formed by the axes Xa and Xb on that vertical plane is defined as the head tilt angle θb, then the head tilt angle θb can be changed within the movable range (rotatable range) of the head 12. The direction of the axis Xb of the spout 12a is the direction in which beverage flows out of the spout 12a, and corresponds to the pouring direction of the spout 12a.

In Figure 2, the horizontal direction when dispensing the beverage is shown aligned with the left-to-right direction of the page, but in other figures, the left-to-right direction of the page may not necessarily be aligned with the horizontal direction. Also, in Figure 2, the dispensing direction of the spout 12a is set to the vertical direction (up and down on the page), but the dispensing direction does not necessarily have to be set to the vertical direction. The head tilt angle θb shown is an example, and the head tilt angle θb may be changed as appropriate depending on the bottle installation angle θa and the desired dispensing direction of the beverage.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged view of the adapter 11 and head 12 after the cover 13 has been removed, and Figure 4 shows a cross section of the enlarged portion. The adapter 11 closes the mouth 2 of the bottle 1 and serves as a component supporting the head 12. The adapter 11 is, for example, a molded resin component. However, the adapter 11 may include a metal component in part. Alternatively, the entire adapter 11 may be formed from a metal such as stainless steel.

As shown in more detail in Figures 5 to 9, the adapter 11 comprises a base portion 20 and a pair of support portions 21 protruding from the base portion 20. The base portion 20 functions as a lid that closes the mouth portion 2 of the bottle 1. A female thread portion 22 is formed on the back side of the base portion 20 (the right side in Figure 6). The adapter 11 is attached to the mouth portion 2 of the bottle 1 by screwing the male thread portion 3 of the mouth portion 2 of the bottle 1 into the female thread portion 22 of the base portion 20. The back side of the base portion 20 has multiple screw holes 23 for attaching the cover 13.

As clearly shown in FIG. 9, the base portion 20 is provided with a gas inlet passage 24 for introducing a gas for dispensing a beverage, such as carbon dioxide gas, into the bottle 1, and a beverage outlet passage 25 for directing the beverage in the bottle 1 out of the bottle 1. The beverage outlet passage 25 extends linearly along the center line of the base portion 20. When the adapter 11 is attached to the bottle 1, the center line of the base portion 20 coincides with the axis Xa of the bottle 1. A tubular portion 26 is formed on the center line of the base portion 20 so as to protrude toward the bottle 1 side and the opposite side, and the beverage outlet passage 25 is formed to penetrate the tubular portion 26. Both ends of the tubular portion 26 function as connection portions 26a, 26b for the beverage outlet passage 25. As shown in FIG. 4, a down tube 27 for sucking up the beverage in the bottle 1 is connected to the connection portion 26a on the bottle 1 side. A beverage outlet tube 28 for directing the beverage toward the head 12 is connected to the connection protruding outside the bottle 1. Therefore, the connection portion 26b functions as a beverage outlet exposed to the outside of the bottle 1.

The gas inlet passage 24 is located eccentrically from the beverage outlet passage 25. One end of the gas inlet passage 24 opens onto the back surface of the base portion 20, inside the female thread portion 22. The other end of the gas inlet passage 24 opens into a gas port 29 that protrudes from the base portion 20. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, a gas tube 40 connected to a gas supply source (not shown) is connected to the gas port 29 via a tube fitting 41. Therefore, the gas port 29 functions as an example of a gas connection portion. Because the gas port 29 is located in the adapter 11, there is no need to provide a gas flow path spanning between the head 12 and adapter 11, which rotate relative to each other, allowing for a simple gas flow path configuration.

The tube fitting 41 may be constructed to allow gas to pass in both directions. Neither the tube fitting 41 nor the gas port 29 need to have a check valve function to prevent gas from flowing back to the gas supply source. Meanwhile, a gasket 42 is provided between the base 20 and the mouth 2 of the bottle 1 to prevent leakage of beverage and gas outside the bottle 1. The gasket 42 is a one-piece molded part entirely made from an elastic material (or elastomer) such as silicone rubber. The gasket 42 may be made from any elastic material commonly used for sealing components such as O-rings and seal rings, i.e., any elastic material commonly used as a sealing material.

As shown in Figures 10 to 12, the packing 42 comprises a generally disk-shaped seal portion 43, a pair of guide portions 44 protruding from one surface of the seal portion 43, and a check valve portion 45 located eccentrically from the center line of the seal portion 43. A through-hole 43a is formed on the center line of the seal portion 43, and a flange 43b is formed on the outer periphery of the seal portion 43. Furthermore, a cylindrical fitting portion 43c with a diameter slightly smaller than that of the flange 43b is provided on one surface of the flange 43b.

The through-hole 43a has an inner diameter sufficient to accommodate the tubular portion 26 provided on the base portion 20 of the adapter 11. The flange 43b is insertable into the female threaded portion 22 of the adapter 11 and has an outer diameter approximately equal to the outer diameter of the mouth portion 2 of the bottle 1. The fitting portion 43c is formed to fit onto the inner periphery of the mouth portion 2 of the bottle 1 while undergoing moderate elastic deformation. Therefore, when the packing 42 is installed inside the female threaded portion 22 of the adapter 11 and the female threaded portion 22 is tightened onto the male threaded portion 3 of the bottle 1, the flange 43b is sandwiched between the outer edge of the mouth portion 2 of the bottle 1 and the base portion 20 of the adapter 11 so as to be in intimate contact with the entire periphery, and the fitting portion 43c is in intimate contact with the inner periphery of the mouth portion 2 along the entire periphery. This seals the mouth portion 2 and the adapter 11 (see Figure 2), preventing leakage of beverages and gas from the joint between the bottle 1 and the adapter 11. When the adapter 11 is attached to the bottle 1, the guide portion 44 is inserted into the mouth portion 2 to prevent the packing 42 from shifting radially.

The check valve portion 45 includes a connecting portion 46 that protrudes from the seal portion 43 toward the adapter 11, and a tapered portion 47 that is connected to the connecting portion 46 and protrudes further toward the bottle 1 than the seal portion 43. Both the connecting portion 46 and the tapered portion 47 are integrally molded with the seal portion 43 as part of the packing 42. Therefore, the entire check valve portion 45 is also made of an elastic material. As is clear from Figure 4, the connecting portion 46 is fitted tightly into one end of the gas introduction path 24 of the adapter 11. Therefore, the interior of the connecting portion 46 is connected to the gas introduction path 24.

As shown in Figures 10 to 12, the tapered portion 47 has a pair of flat wall portions 47a that are inclined so that they gradually approach each other as they approach the bottle 1. Therefore, the shape of the tapered portion 47 changes so that it gradually flattens as it approaches the bottle 1. At the tip of the tapered portion 47 on the bottle 1 side, a narrow, linear slit 47b is provided between the wall portions 47a so as to open into the bottle 1. In short, the tapered portion 47 has a so-called reed valve-like structure in which a pair of flat elastic bodies are combined so that they open when pressure is applied from one direction and close when pressure is applied from the other. When the adapter 11 with the gasket 42 attached is attached to the bottle 1, the slit 47b is located in the inner region of the female thread portion 22 (see Figure 4).

Slit 47b opens and closes depending on the difference between the pressure in the gas introduction passage 24 and the pressure inside the bottle 1. That is, when the pressure in the gas introduction passage 24 is relatively higher than the pressure inside the bottle 1, slit 47b opens and wall portion 47a elastically deforms to communicate between the gas introduction passage 24 and the bottle 1. On the other hand, when the pressure in the gas introduction passage 24 is relatively lower than the pressure inside the bottle 1, slit 47b closes and wall portion 47a elastically deforms to communicate between the gas introduction passage 24 and the bottle 1. Note that when the natural state is defined as a state in which there is no difference in pressure inside and outside the check valve portion 45, the tapered portion 47 may be formed so that the elastic repulsive force of wall portion 47a closes slit 47b in the natural state, or the tapered portion 47 may be formed so that slit 47b is slightly open in the natural state. Even in the latter case, if gas is introduced into the bottle 1 and its internal pressure rises above atmospheric pressure, and the pressure in the gas inlet path 24 drops to below atmospheric pressure, the pressure inside the bottle 1 will push into the wall portion 47a, causing the check valve portion 45 to elastically deform so that the slit 47b closes.

With the above-described packing 42, when gas is introduced into the gas inlet passage 24 from the gas port 29, the pressure elastically deforms the wall portion 47a, opening the slit 47b, allowing the gas to be introduced into the bottle 1. On the other hand, if the gas pressure in the gas inlet passage 24 decreases, for example, if the gas tube 40 is removed from the gas port 29, or if the pressure in the gas supply source decreases, or if the gas supply source itself is replaced, the wall portion 47a elastically deforms, closing the slit 47b, thereby sealing off the gap between the gas inlet passage 24 and the interior of the bottle 1. Therefore, even if the pressure in the gas inlet passage 24 is lost due to reasons such as the removal of the gas tube 40 from the gas port 29, there is no risk of gas backflow from the bottle 1 to the gas inlet passage 24 and leakage from the gas port 29. Furthermore, the bottle 1 can be maintained in a pressurized state. Furthermore, there is no risk of beverage leaking into the gas inlet passage 24 from a pressurized bottle 1. In particular, because the check valve 45 is located closer to the bottle 1 than the gas inlet path 24, and the slit 47b is located at the tip on the bottle 1 side, when the slit 47b is closed, the beverage cannot enter the gas inlet path 24 or the inside of the check valve 45. This completely eliminates the risk of the beverage remaining in the gas inlet path 24 or the check valve 45.

In this way, the packing 42 not only functions as a sealing component to prevent beverage and gas leakage from the joint between the mouth 2 of the bottle 1 and the adapter 11, but also, by integrally molding the check valve 45, functions to prevent gas from flowing back into the gas introduction path 24 and beverage from entering. Therefore, there is no need to add a check valve function to the gas port 29 or tube fitting 41. This reduces the number of parts and assembly labor, thereby enabling costs to be reduced.

Returning to Figures 5 to 7, the support portion 21 of the adapter 11 is provided to protrude from the front side of the base portion 20 (left side in Figure 4). The pair of support portions 21 are arranged parallel to each other with a certain gap G in the direction of the rotation axis RX. The support portions 21 are provided so as to be positioned below the axis Xa of the bottle 1 when the bottle 1 to which the adapter 11 is attached is positioned for dispensing beverage. A bearing hole 30 is provided in the support portion 21 so as to be positioned coaxially with the rotation axis RX. In other words, the rotation axis RX is defined by the axial direction of the bearing hole 30. As shown in Figures 5 and 7, one support portion 21 (the right support portion 21 in Figure 5) has a bolt hole 32 eccentrically disposed from the bearing hole 30, and the other support portion 21 has a threaded hole 33. The bolt hole 32 and the threaded hole 33 are coaxial with each other, and their axes are parallel to the rotation axis RX. Because the rotation axis RX is set below the adapter 11, when the bottle 1 is held tilted with the mouth 2 facing upward, the head 12 can be rotated back and forth across the adapter 11 with its spout 12a facing vertically downward. This allows the rotation range of the spout 12a to be appropriately set.

The outer periphery of the support part 21 is rounded to form an arc concentric with the bearing hole 30 in the area below the bearing hole 30 and on the base part 20 side. Meanwhile, the side surface 21a of the support part 21 facing the head 12 extends flatly in a generally vertical direction when in the position during beverage dispensing. By forming the side surface 21a in this shape, the amount of protrusion of the support part 21 toward the head 12 can be reduced, narrowing the area of interference between the adapter 11 and head 12.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the head 12 includes a rotating portion 50, a main body portion 51 connected to the rotating portion 50, and a cover 52 covering the main body portion 51. The rotating portion 50, main body portion 51, and cover 52 are, for example, molded resin products, but may include metal components in part or may be entirely made of a metal such as stainless steel. As is clear from Figure 4, a tube 28 connected to the connecting portion 26b of the adapter 11 is inserted into the rotating portion 50 and main body portion 51 of the head 12. The tube 28 passes through the head 12 and extends to the spout 12a. As a result, the tube 28 is held within the head 12 with an appropriate curve up to the spout 12a. The beverage dispensing path 53 in the head 12 is formed by the internal flow path of the tube 28 along its entire length, and the tip of the tube 28 functions as the spout 12a. However, part of the beverage dispensing path 53 may be formed by the internal flow path of the tube 28, with the remainder of the beverage dispensing path 53 up to the spout 12a formed in the main body 51. In either case, it is sufficient that at least a portion of the beverage dispensing path 53 is formed to include the internal flow path of the tube 28. On the other hand, if the entire length of the beverage dispensing path 53 from the connecting portion 26b of the adapter 11 to the spout 12a of the head 12 is formed by the internal flow path of the tube 28, no steps or seams that could disrupt the flow of beverage within the beverage dispensing path 53 will be created within the beverage dispensing path 53. This increases the stability of beverage dispensing.

The rotating part 50 of the head 12 has a flange 54 and a connecting part 55 that is integrated with the flange 54. The flange 54 is inserted into the gap G between the support parts 21 of the adapter 11. The connecting part 55 has a male threaded part 55a. Meanwhile, a nut 56 is attached to the main body part 51 so that it can rotate relative to the main body part 51. The rotating part 50 and the main body part 51 are connected by screwing the nut 56 onto the male threaded part 55a.

The flange 54 is formed with a bearing hole 57 that can be positioned coaxially with the bearing hole 30 of the support portion 21. With the flange 54 inserted into the gap G, a support shaft 58 is attached to pass through the bearing holes 30 and 57, connecting the rotating portion 50 and the support portion 21 for relative rotation around the rotation axis RX. Therefore, the combination of the support portion 21, rotating portion 50, and support shaft 58 constitutes a coupling mechanism 60, an example of a coupling means for connecting the adapter 11 and the head 12 for relative rotation. A beverage flow path is formed between the adapter 11 and the head 12 by the tube 28. Even when the head 12 is rotated relative to the adapter 11, the tube 28 elastically bends and deforms in accordance with the head tilt angle θb, preventing the tube 28 from interfering with the rotation of the head 12. In the coupling mechanism 60, the rotating portion 50 is positioned between a pair of support portions 21, and the support shaft 58 is provided to pass through them, so that both ends of the support shaft 58 are supported by the support portions 21. This increases the support rigidity and stability of the connecting portion of the head 12.

A groove 61 is formed in the flange 54, extending in a generally quarter-circular arc shape centered on the rotation axis RX. The groove 61 penetrates the flange 54 in the direction of the rotation axis RX. The radius of curvature of the groove 61, centered on the rotation axis RX, is equal to the distance between the axial centers of the bearing hole 30 and the bolt hole 32 in the adapter 11. Therefore, when the adapter 11 and head 12 are connected via the connecting mechanism 60, the groove 61 is positioned on the axis of the bolt hole 32 and the threaded hole 33 in the adapter 11. In this state, a fixing bolt 62 is threaded from the bolt hole 32 through the groove 61 and into the threaded hole 33. The bolt hole 32 has an inner diameter that allows the head of the fixing bolt 62 to pass through, and the head of the fixing bolt 62 can contact the flange 54 directly or via an intervening part such as a washer. When the fixing bolt 62 is loosened, the fixing bolt 62 moves relatively within the groove 61, causing the head 12 to rotate relative to the adapter 11, thereby changing the head tilt angle θb (see Figure 2). In this case, the rotation range is limited to the range of the groove 61. On the other hand, when the fixing bolt 62 is tightened, the flange 54 is clamped between the fixing bolt 62 and one of the support parts 21, preventing free rotation of the head 12 relative to the adapter 11. This allows the head 12 to be restrained in a fixed position within the rotation range relative to the adapter 11. Therefore, the fixing bolt 62 functions as an example of a restraining means.

The main body 51 of the head 12 is provided with a dispensing mechanism 70 for switching the beverage dispensing state, such as dispensing, foaming, and stopping the dispensing of the beverage. The dispensing mechanism 70 includes a rod-shaped handle 71 as an example of an operating member operated by the user, and a pushing mechanism 72 that changes the amount of pushing of the tube 28 in response to operation of the handle 71. As shown enlarged in Figure 13, the handle 71 is rotatable around the support shaft 73, with its base shaft 71a attached to the main body 51 via a support shaft 73. The pushing mechanism 72 comprises a drive pin 75 attached to the base shaft 71a of the handle 71, a follower 77 rotatably attached to the main body 51 around a support shaft 76, a slider 78 slidably provided within the groove wall 71b of the base shaft 71a, and a coil spring 79 positioned between the main body 51 and the follower 77 in a compressed state to generate an elastic repulsive force that presses the follower 77 against the drive pin 75.

Figure 13 shows the drive pin 75, follower 77, and slider 78 when the handle 71 is in the position shown in Figures 2 and 3. In this state, the drive pin 75 prevents counterclockwise rotation of the follower 77 around the support shaft 76, and the slider 78 is restrained by the follower 77 and positioned at the lower end of its sliding range. At this time, the tube 28 is crushed by the slider 78 so that its internal flow path is completely closed. Therefore, no beverage is dispensed. In other words, Figures 2, 3, and 13 show a state in which beverage dispensing has stopped. The cross-sectional shape of the tube 28 in its natural state (unloaded state) is shown by a solid line, but in reality, it is deformed so as to be crushed by the slider 78, as shown by an imaginary line in Figure 13.

On the other hand, when the handle 71 is tilted forward (to the left in Figure 13), the drive pin 75 displaces counterclockwise around the support shaft 73, which causes the drive pin 75 to move away from the follower 77, releasing the follower 77 from its restraint. In this case, the slider 78 receives the repulsive force of the tube 28 and moves upward, pushing the follower 77 away. The amount of pressure on the tube 28 decreases, opening its internal flow path. As a result, beverage is dispensed from the spout 12a. Furthermore, when the handle 71 is tilted backward from the position shown in Figure 13, the drive pin 75 displaces clockwise around the support shaft 73. Because the center distance between the support shaft 73 and the drive pin 75 is smaller than the distance from the support shaft 76 to the contact point between the drive pin 75 and the follower 77, when the drive pin 75 rotates clockwise, the follower 77 displaces somewhat counterclockwise around the support shaft 76. This causes the slider 78 to move upward by a smaller range than when dispensing, slightly opening the internal flow path of the tube 28. As a result, beverage foam is generated and dispensed from the dispensing outlet 12a. The dispensing mechanism 70 is mounted on the head 12 side. Therefore, when the head 12 is rotated, the entire dispensing mechanism 70, including the handle 71, rotates integrally with the head 12, and when the orientation of the dispensing outlet 12a of the head 12 is adjusted, the orientation of the handle 71 also changes accordingly. Therefore, the orientation of the handle 71 can be appropriately set to match the orientation of the dispensing outlet 12a.

Returning to Figures 3 and 4, the cover 52 of the head 12 is attached to the main body 51 so as to cover almost the entire main body 51 while leaving the spout 12a, nut 56, and handle 71 exposed. Meanwhile, the adapter 11 is covered by the cover 13 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, which is provided to cover mainly the base 20 of the adapter 11. The tip side of the base 20, the support portion 21, and the gas port 29 are exposed outside the cover 13. To cover these exposed portions, an additional cover 92 is attached to the adapter 11.

As shown in FIG. 14 , the cover 92 includes a pair of cover parts 93 that are assembled to cover different areas of the adapter 11, for example, one side and the other side in the direction of the rotation axis RX. The cover parts 93 are provided with tube retaining portions 93a that cover the outside of the connection portion 26b that protrudes from the base portion 20 of the adapter 11. When the cover parts 93 are assembled, the tube retaining portions 93a press the tube 28 against the outer periphery of the connection portion 26b. This acts to restrain the tube 28 against the connection portion 26b, preventing it from coming loose. Means for fixing the cover 92 to the adapter 11 may include, for example, a structure that uses a fixing member such as a set screw, or a snap-fit structure that partially elastically deforms the cover parts 93 together or the adapter 11 and the cover part 93 to connect them. As shown in Figure 3, the cover 92 has a rim portion 92a that extends in an annular shape and faces the end face of the nut 56 with a small gap between them. The rim portion 92a interferes with the nut 56, thereby limiting the rotation of the head 12 relative to the adapter 11. Therefore, even if the fixing bolt 62 that fixes the head 12 in a fixed position within its rotation range becomes loose, there is no risk of the head 12 rotating freely relative to the adapter 11.

The spindle 58 for connecting the adapter 11 and the head 12 may be integrated with the cover part 93. For example, all or part of the spindle 58 may be integrally formed with one cover part 93, and a portion that receives the tip end of the spindle 58 or carries the remainder of the spindle 58 may be integrally formed with the other cover part 93, so that the spindle 58 is attached by passing through the support part 21 and the rotating part 50 when the cover 92 is attached. The cover 92 is not limited to being divided into a pair of cover parts 93, and may be configured as three or more divided cover parts.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration and may be implemented in various modified or altered forms. For example, the configuration and shape of the adapter can be modified as appropriate, as long as it can be attached to the beverage container so as to cover the mouth of the beverage container and has a gas inlet passage and a beverage outlet passage. The packing does not necessarily have to include both the flange 43b, which functions as an axial seal, and the fitting portion 43c, which functions as a radial seal. For example, the fitting portion 43c may be omitted. The configuration of the check valve is also not limited to the example in which a pair of inclined wall portions 47a are arranged facing each other as shown. One of the wall portions 47a may be formed parallel to the axis Xa, and the other wall portion 47a may be inclined, so that the two wall portions 47a gradually approach each other toward the bottle 1. The check valve may be configured such that a valve seat and a valve body that is elastically deformable so as to open toward the beverage container relative to the valve seat are integrally molded at the tip of the check valve on the beverage container side, the valve body elastically deforming so as to move away from the valve seat when gas is introduced, and the valve body elastically deforming so as to come into close contact with the valve seat when the internal pressure of the beverage container becomes relatively higher than the pressure in the gas introduction passage, thereby closing off the communication between the gas introduction passage and the beverage container. Alternatively, the check valve may be configured in any other way, as long as it elastically deforms so as to open the communication between the gas introduction passage and the beverage container when the pressure in the gas introduction passage is relatively higher than the pressure in the beverage container, and closes off the communication between the gas introduction passage and the beverage container when the pressure in the gas introduction passage is relatively lower than the pressure in the beverage container.

A beverage server incorporating the gasket of the present invention is not limited to an example in which the head is rotatably connected to the adapter, but may also have a configuration in which the adapter and head are integrated. Alternatively, the gasket of the present invention can be applied to beverage servers in which the adapter and head are installed separately without being connected, and beverage is guided from the adapter to the head side via piping components such as tubes. Furthermore, the beverage server is not limited to the PET bottles shown in the illustration, and may be applied to various beverage containers used to serve beverages. The connection structure between the beverage container and adapter is not limited to the example of a threaded connection, but may also employ a fitting structure or various other connection structures.

Various aspects of the present invention derived from the above-described embodiments and variations are described below. In the following description, corresponding components shown in the accompanying drawings are noted in parentheses to facilitate understanding of each aspect of the present invention, but this does not mean that the present invention is limited to the illustrated forms.

The gasket for a beverage server according to one aspect of the present invention is a gasket (42) for a beverage server that is attached to the mouth (2) of a beverage container (1) and incorporated into a beverage server (10) that includes an adapter (11) provided with a gas inlet (24) for introducing gas into the beverage container and a beverage outlet (25) for leading the beverage in the beverage container to a beverage outlet (26b) exposed to the outside of the beverage container, and is attached between the adapter and the mouth of the beverage container. The gasket is molded from an elastic material and is fitted to the outer edge of the mouth of the beverage container and each of the adapter. The adapter includes a seal portion (43) that seals the beverage container and the adapter except for the beverage outlet passage by tightly contacting the seal portion around the entire circumference, and a check valve portion (45) that is molded integrally with the seal portion and connected to the gas introduction passage, and that elastically deforms to open the gas introduction passage and the beverage container when the pressure in the gas introduction passage is relatively higher than the pressure inside the beverage container, and that elastically deforms to close the gas introduction passage and the beverage container when the pressure in the gas introduction passage is relatively lower than the pressure inside the beverage container.

With the packing of the above aspect, the connection between the mouth of the beverage container and the adapter can be sealed with the seal portion. In addition, a check valve portion is provided integrally with the seal portion. When gas is introduced into the gas introduction passage, the check valve portion elastically deforms to open the gap between the gas introduction passage and the beverage container, and when the pressure in the gas introduction passage becomes relatively lower than the pressure inside the beverage container, in other words, when the pressure inside the beverage container becomes relatively higher than the pressure in the gas introduction passage, the check valve portion elastically deforms to close the gap between the gas introduction passage and the beverage container. Therefore, the check valve portion can prevent gas from flowing back into the gas introduction passage from the beverage container and beverage from entering the gas introduction passage. The seal portion and check valve portion are molded as a single component and can be assembled at one time. This reduces the number of parts and assembly steps, thereby reducing costs.

The check valve section has a tapered section (47) that protrudes from the seal section into the beverage container and gradually flattens toward the beverage container. The tip of the tapered section facing the beverage container may have a slit (47b) that opens into the beverage container. In this case, the pressure inside the beverage container acts to elastically deform the tapered section in a direction that closes the slit. When gas is introduced into the gas inlet passage and the internal pressure increases, the tapered section elastically deforms so that the slit opens, overcoming the force of the beverage container pressure pressing against the tapered section. When the pressure in the gas inlet passage decreases, the tapered section can be elastically deformed so that the pressure inside the beverage container closes the slit. Because the tapered section protrudes into the beverage container beyond the seal section and the slit is located at its tip, closing the slit prevents beverage from entering either the gas inlet passage or the check valve section, completely eliminating the risk of beverage remaining inside the gas inlet passage or the check valve section.

The tapered portion may be provided with a pair of flat wall portions (47a) that gradually approach each other toward the interior of the beverage container, and the slit may be provided between the wall portions. In this way, the pressure inside the beverage container acts to elastically deform the pair of wall portions in a direction that brings them closer together. If the walls elastically deform in a direction that brings them closer together, the slit between the wall portions closes. On the other hand, the pressure in the gas introduction path acts to elastically deform the pair of wall portions in a direction that moves them away from each other. Therefore, if the pressure in the gas introduction path increases, the walls move apart and the slit opens.

The beverage outlet path of the adapter is arranged to pass through a tubular portion (26) protruding toward the beverage container, and the sealing portion may include a through-hole (43a) for passing the tubular portion through, and a flange (43b) that is tightly fitted around the entire circumference between the adapter and the outer edge of the mouth. In this way, the flange is axially sandwiched between the adapter and the mouth of the beverage container, forming an axial seal between them. This ensures a reliable seal between the adapter and the mouth of the beverage container.

The sealing portion may further include a fitting portion (47c) that fits tightly around the entire inner periphery of the mouth. In this way, the fitting portion of the sealing portion fits tightly against the inner periphery of the mouth, forming a radial seal between the two. This allows for a more reliable sealing of the connection between the adapter and the mouth of the beverage container.

1 bottle (drinking container)
2 Mouth portion 10 Beverage server 11 Adapter 12 Head 12a Spout 21 Support portion 24 Gas introduction path 25 Beverage outlet path 26b Connection portion (take-out portion)
28 Beverage dispensing tube 29 Gas port (gas connection part)
42 Packing 43 Sealing portion 43a Through hole 43b Flange 43c Fitting portion 45 Check valve portion 47 Tapered portion 47a Wall portion 47b Slit 50 Rotating portion 53 Beverage extraction path 58 Support shaft 60 Connecting mechanism (connecting means)
61 Groove 62 Fixing bolt (restraint means)
70 Spout mechanism 71 Handle (operating member)
92 Cover 93 Cover part 93a Tube pressing part

Claims (5)

A gasket for a beverage server is incorporated into a beverage server including an adapter that is attached to a mouth of a beverage container and has a gas introduction path for introducing gas into the beverage container and a beverage outlet path for guiding the beverage in the beverage container to a beverage outlet portion exposed to the outside of the beverage container, and is attached between the adapter and the mouth of the beverage container,
a seal portion formed from an elastic material and closely contacting the outer edge of the mouth of the beverage container and the adapter over the entire circumference, thereby sealing the gap between the beverage container and the adapter except for the beverage outlet path;
A gasket for a beverage server comprising: a check valve portion that is integrally molded with the sealing portion so as to be connected to the gas introduction passage, and that elastically deforms to open the gap between the gas introduction passage and the beverage container when the pressure in the gas introduction passage is relatively higher than the pressure inside the beverage container, and that elastically deforms to close the gap between the gas introduction passage and the beverage container when the pressure in the gas introduction passage is relatively lower than the pressure inside the beverage container. The gasket for a beverage server described in claim 1, wherein the check valve portion has a tapered portion that protrudes from the seal portion toward the beverage container and gradually changes shape to become flatter toward the beverage container, and the tip of the tapered portion facing the beverage container has a slit that opens into the beverage container. The gasket for a beverage server described in claim 2, wherein the tapered portion has a pair of flat walls that gradually approach each other toward the inside of the beverage container, and the slit is provided between the walls. The beverage outlet path of the adapter is provided to pass through a tubular portion protruding toward the beverage container,
A gasket for a beverage server described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sealing portion includes a through hole for passing the tubular portion through and a flange that is sandwiched between the adapter and the end face of the outer edge of the mouth portion so as to fit tightly around the entire circumference. A gasket for a beverage server as described in claim 4, wherein the sealing portion further includes a fitting portion that fits tightly around the entire inner periphery of the mouth portion.