CARBONATED BEVERAGE CONTAINER

Abstract: A drinks can contains a moulded plastics gas reservoir holding a pressurised gas, such as nitrogen, the reservoir having a normally closed valve means (8; 13, 14; 8a, 8b) controlling an orifice (10) which leads from the gas chamber (3) in the reservoir to the drinks chamber of the can, the valve means being opened by movement apart of opposed walls (5, 9) of the reservoir on release of pressure in the drinks chamber when the can is opened. One (9) of the reservoir walls may pop from a concave to a convex condition to open the orifice (10) (Figures 5, 6) or the orifice may be uncovered when a cap slides relative to a reservoir body (Figures 2 to 4).

Description: Carbonated Beverage Container This invention relates to a beverage package. The invention relates in particular to a beverage package comprising means for initiating the production of bubbles in a beverage. A beverage package has been proposed in Specification EP 0 227 213A2 which comprises a beverage container, such as a conventional aluminium can, in the lcwer part of which is located a plastics pod charged with nitrogen. The pod is provided with a small orifice, and when the can is opened thereby relieving the pressure in the main chamber of the can, nitrogen ejected through the orifice bubbles into the beverage to initiate the production of further bubbles frcm qas dissolved in the beverage. In the Description of Patent Application No. GB 8926374.3 filed 22nd November 1989 there is disclosed according to one aspect of the invention therein a beverage package cαnprising a sealed, openable container defining a beverage chamber containing a beverage in which gas is dissolved, the beverage being confined by the container at a super-atmospheric pressure, and a gas reservoir assembly housed in the beverage chamber, the gas reservoir assembly ccmprising a reservoir housing defining a gas chamber containing a gas at a super-atmospheric pressure, the reservoir housing being formed with orifice means, and closure means normally sealing the orifice means frcm the beverage but so arranged as to open when a predetermined pressure difference threshold between the pressure in the gas chamber and the beverage pressure is exceeded, to permit gas in the gas chamber to issue into the beverage through the orifice means. The disclosure of GB 8926374.3 should be referred to for more details, and is to be taken as incorporated herein. Thus, the gas in the gas reservoir of GB 8926374.3 is normally sealed frcm the beverage try the closure means, but when the beverage container is opened for pouring of the beverage, or to allow the beverage to be drunk directly from the container, the pressure acting on the beverage is reduced to atmospheric pressure, and the pressure difference threshold is exceeded by the difference in pressure between the reservoir gas and atmospheric pressure, such that the closure means is opened, and the reservoir gas will be expelled frcm the reservoir through the orifice means and into the beverage. The gas issuing frcm the orifice means into the beverage will initiate the production of bubbles in the beverage. The closure means is a cap which is sealably fitted on the reservoir housing to cover the orifice means and which is displaceabl by the gas pressure forces acting on the cap when the pressure difference threshold is exceeded. In the illustrated ertibodiment, the cap has an interference fit on the reservoir housing and is ejected frcm the reservoir housing when the container is opened. It is proposed, however, that the cap nay be held captive to the reservoir housing, for example by a hinged connection between the cap and the housing. The side of the cap facing the orifice may be arranged to be spaced frcm that wall of the reservoir which is provided with the orifice means so as to define a controlled pressure-effective area on the cap which is subjected to the gas pressure in the gas reservoir, to help control the value of said threshold pressure. According to a second aspect of the invention set forth in GB 8926374.3, a beverage package comprises a sealed, openable cont iner defining a beverage chamber containing a beverage in which a gas is dissolved, the beverage being confined by the container at a super-atmospheric pressure, and a gas reservoir assembly housed in the beverage chamber, the gas reservoir assembly comprising a reservoir housing defining a gas chamber containing a gas at a super-atmospheric pressure, the reservoir housing being formed with orifice means, and valve means normally sealing the gas chamber frcm the beverage, the valve means being so arranged as to open to permit gas in the gas chamber to pass through the orifice means into the beverage when a predetermined pressure difference threshold between the gas chamber and the beverage is exceeded. According to one aspect of the present invention we provide a beverage package in accordance with said second aspect of the invention set forth in GB 8926374.3, in which the valve means is arranged to be opened by relative movement apart of opposed walls of the reservoir housing. The valve means may be constituted by a projectict depending frcm a first of said opposed walls and extending inwardly of the gas chamber to cooperate with the second of said opposed vails. The orifice means may be in the projection or/and in that part of the second opposed wall with which the projection cooperates. One of said opposed walls may be arranged to flex outwardly. Alternatively, one of said opposed walls may be slidably and sealably movable relative to the remainder of the reservoir housing. When said one opposed wall is arranged to flex outwardly, the arrangement may be such that said one opposed wall "pops" from a concave outwards condition to a convex outwards condition, to help ensure that the orifice means is fully opened. When said one opposed wall is sealably slidable relative to the remainder of the reservoir housing, said are opposed wall may have a depending cylindrical flange which cooperates with a ccπplementary cylindrical flange on the remainder of the body, and the orifice means may then be provided in one of said cylindrical flanges, and such that the orifice means is opened by the relative movement of the cylindrical flanges, en movement apart of the opposed walls. A second aspect of the present invention is the gas reservoir assembly of the beverage package in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention. Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accαrpanying schematic drawings, which are all vertical sections through gas reservoirs, and in which :- Figure 1 shows a gas reservoir with a slidable cap formed with an orifice which is normally closed fcy a flat-topped projecticn carried by the base of the reservoir body; Figure 2 shows a modification of the reservoir of Figure 1 in which the projecticn is received within a counterbore to the orifice in the slidable cap; Figure 3 shows a gas reservoir with a slidable cap, the skirt of the cap normally covering an orifice in the side wall of the reservoir body; Figure 4 shows a modification of the reservoir of Figure 3 in which the orifice is in the cap skirt; Figure 5 shows a gas reservoir comprising a poppable cap, the cap being formed with an orifice; and Figure 6 shews a modification of the reservoir of Figure 5 in which both the cap and the base of the reservoir body are poppable, and both the base and the cap have depending projections formed with an orifice. Figure 1 shows a gas reservoir 1 comprising a moulded plastics reservoir body 2 defining a gas chamber 3 closed by a moulded plastics cap 4. Reservoir body 2 comprises a circular base 5, upstanding cylindrical side-wall 6, a basal flange 7 for frictionally retaining the reservoir in the bottom of a drinks container, such as a can, and a central projection 8 depending upwardly frcm the base 5. Cap 4 ccπprises a circular, planar top 9 formed centrally with an orifice 10 of relatively precise dimensions, a depending cyliTvrical flange 11 terminating- in a radially inwardly directed bead 12. The upper end of side-wall 6 is provided with a terminal radially-outwardly directed bead 13. The length of the projecticn 8, and the axial lengths of the side-wall 6 and flange 11 are chosen such that there is seme axial spacing between the beads 12 and 13 when the cap is held downwards against the projection 8, as shown, in which condition the upper end face of the projection 8 closes the lower end of orifice 10. The radial dimensions and shapes of the beads 12, 13 are chosen such that the cap 4 can be snap-fitted onto the body 2, and such that the beads seal the gas chanter 3 in the normal condition shown by cooperation respectively with the wall 6 and flange 11. The gas chamber 3 is charged with nitrogen, or other suitable gas, and is positioned in the bottom of a can of beverage, such as stout, the beverage containing carbon dioxide, or other suitable gas, dissolved under pressure in the beverage. When the top of the can is opened, such as by a ring-pull device, to define a pouring opening, the pressure of the gas in the chamber 3 will urge the cap 4 slidably away frcm base 5 such that the orifice 10 is no longer closed by the projection 8. The gas in chamber 3 will then bubble out into the beverage through orifice 10, to initiate the production of larger bubbles in the beverage. In Figure 2, parts ∞rrespending to those of the reservoir of Figure 1 have been given correspending reference numerals. The construction of Figure 2 differs frcm that of Figure 1 in the manner in which the projection 8 cooperates with the cap 4. The upper end 8' of the projecticn 8 is slidably and sealably received in a counterbore 10' to the orifice 10, the counterbore 10' being acccπmodated in a central boss 9' depending downwardly from the cap top 9. The axial spacing of the beads 12, 13 in the normal condition shown, prior to opening of the beverage container, in relation to the axial length of counterbore 10' is chosen such that en sliding displacement of the cap, the projection 8 withdraws completely from counterbore 10' prior to the beads 12,13 abutting with each other. This ensures that the orifice 10 is fully open in the fully out¬ ward ccndition of the cap 4 relative to body 2. The projecticn 8 in Figure 1 could be modified to have a denied or tapered upper end for cooperation with the cap 4. If desired, the arrangements of Figures 1 and 2 could be reversed, that is the projecticn 8 could depend frc the cap 4, the orifice 10 then being provided in the body base 5. In Figures 3 and 4 reference numerals corresponding to those of Figure 1 have again been used for corresponding parts. In both embodiments of Figures 3 and 4 the cap 4 is slidably mounted en the body 2, but in these embodiments the orifice means 10 is in the side-wall 6, Figure 3, " or in the cap flange 11, Figure 4. In the construction of Figure 3, the orifice means 10 is completely uncovered by the flange 11 when the cap moves upwards to bring the beads 12, 13 into mutual engagement. In the construction of Figure 4, the radially outer surface of bead 13 is provided with a series of axial grooves to permit corttπunication between a series of holes 10 and chamber 3, the upper end-face 15 of side-wall 6 normally sealing, as shewn, with the underside of cap top 9. In Figures 5 and 6 parts corresponding to those of Figure 1 have again been given cs_rresponding reference numerals. The main difference with the Figure 5 and 6 constructions is that the cap 4 is not slidable on the body 2 but instead the cap top 9 is arranged to be "poppable" from the normal, convex inward (to the chamber 3) condition, shewn in bold outline in Figures 5 and 6 to a popped, concave inward conditicn, shown in broken outline. In the normal condition of the gas reservoir of Figure 5, the orifice 10 is sealed by projection 8, as shown, but on release of pressure in the liquid space of the can, en opening of the can, the super- atmospheric pressure of the trapped gas in chamber 3 will act on cap top 9 to pop it outwards, thereby completely uncovering orifice 10. It will be appreciated that in the Figure 5 construction the projection 8 could be provided on the cap 4, the orifice 10 then being provided in the body base 5. Also, the cooperation between the free end of projection 8 could be as shown in Figure 2 or modified as previously described in relation to Figure 1. Figure 6 shows a modification of the gas reservoir of Figure 5 in which both the base 5 and the cap top 9 are arranged to be poppable, each carrying a respective projection 8b, 8a, the projections both being provided with an orifice 10. The cap flange 11 can be secured to the body sid -wall 6 by adhesive or by welding if desired. A modification of the construction of Figure 6 is envisaged in which the cap 4 and body 2 are identical mouldings. It should be appreciated that the shape and disposition of the flange 7 in any of the embodiments described could be altered to suit the particular beverage container, and depending upon what orientation of the gas reservoir is preferred. The beverage container is typically a deep drawn can of the kind shown in Figure 3 of specification no.EP 0 227 213A.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A beverage package comprising a sealed, openable container defining a beverage chamber containing a beverage in which a gas is dissolved, the beverage being confined by the container at a super- atmospheric pressure, and a gas reservoir assembly (1) housed in the beverage chamber, the gas reservoir assembly comprising a reservoir housing defining a gas chamber C3) containing a gas at a super- atmospheric pressure, the reservoir housing being formed with orifice means (10), and valve means (8; 13, 14; 8a, 8b) normally sealing the gas chamber from the beverage, the valve means being so arranged as to open to permit gas in the gas chamber to pass through the orifice means into the beverage when a predetermined pressure difference threshold between the gas chamber and the beverage is exceeded, characterised in that the valve means (8; 13, 14; 8a, 8b) is arranged to be opened by relative movement apart of opposed walls (4, 5) of the reservoir housing. 2. A beverage package as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the valve means is constituted by a projection (8) depending from a first (5) of said opposed walls and extending inwardly of the gas chamber to co-operate with the second (4) of said opposed walls. * 3. A beverage package as claimed in claim 2 characterised in that the orifice means is formed in that part of the second opposed wall with which the projection co-operates. 4. A beverage package as claimed in claim 2 characterised in that the orifice means is formed in the projection (8a). 5. A beverage package as claimed in claim 4 characterised in that both opposed walls ( 5, 9) are formed with respective projections (8a, 8b) which are each provided with a respective passage (10), the projections normally engaging with each other to seal both passages (10) from the gas chamber (3). 6. A beverage package as claimed in any one of the preceding claims characterised in that one (9) of said opposed walls is arranged to flex outwardly of the gas chamber. 7. A beverage package as claimed in claim 6 characterised in that said one opposed wall (9) is arranged to pop from a concave inwards condition to a convex outwards condition. 8. A beverage package as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 characterised in that one of said opposed walls is slidably and sealably movable relative to the remainder of the reservoir housing. 9. A beverage package as claimed in claim 8 characterised in that said one opposed wall supports a depending cylindrical flange which co-operates with a complementary cylindrical flange on the remainder of the body, and the orifice means is provided in one of said cylindrical flanges, and such that the orifice means is opened by the relative movement of the cylindrical flanges, on movement apart of the opposed walls. 10. A gas reservoir assembly suitable for use in the beverage package as claimed in any one of the preceding claims.

Inventors: CAMERON PRICE ERNEST JAMES, CAMERON PRICE, ERNEST, JAMES
Applicants: PRICE DEV LTD E J, E J PRICE (DEVELOPMENTS) LIMITED
Application year: 1991
Main classification: B65D79
IPC codes: B65D79, B65D85