A VALVE ASSEMBLY FOR A PRESSURE CONTAINER

Abstract: The invention relates to a valve for a pressure container (1), such as a keg for a soft drink, beer and the like, comprising a keg neck (2) to be fixed to the pressure container (1) and an inside member (4) including a shut-off element (7), which fits in an opening of the keg neck. The keg neck and the inside member comprise means, with which the inside member can be screwed down in the keg neck. The keg neck and the inside member each comprise an edge (16, 17) and/or a surface (18, 20), which edges and/or surfaces abut once the inside member is screwed down in the keg neck.

Description: VALVE FOR A PRESSURE CONTAINER The invention relates to a valve for a pressure container, such as a keg for a soft drink, beer and the like, comprising a keg neck to be fixed to the pressure container and an inside member including a shut-off element, which fits in an opening of the keg neck. Such a valve is known, for example from Dutch patent application no. 1008828 and from Dutch patent application no. 1012660 (not pre-published) . With these specific valves, the inside member can only be removed from the keg neck by unlocking a locking device, usually a locking ring, which is present between the inside member and the keg neck and which can be accessed and unlocked through at least one opening in the wall of the keg neck. It is an object of the present invention to provide a valve of the type referred to in the introduction, which can be constructed at lower cost . In order to accomplish that objective, the valve according to the invention is characterized in that the keg neck and the inside member comprise means, such as preferably a screw thread, with which the inside member can be screwed down in the keg neck, and in that the keg neck and the inside member each comprise an edge and/or a surface, which edges and/or surfaces abut once the inside member is screwed in the keg neck. It is preferable for the edges and/or the surfaces to extend along the entire circumference of respectively the keg neck and the inside member, in order to increase the frictional force between the keg neck and the inside member screwed therein. Thus the inside member can be readily screwed into the keg neck and be tightened (with a selected moment) . This manner of mounting, which is similar to the screwing of a bolt into a threaded hole, makes it possible to design and manufacture (a number of parts of) the valve in a relatively simple manner. It is customary to provide valves for pressure containers with a seal or tamper evident device, which shows upon inspection, generally by the manufacturer of the beverage, whether the inside member, at least the part that is generally called the "spear", was removed from the container, or that it was attempted to do so, during the time the container was not present on the manufacturer's premises. Such a seal can be necessary, or at least desirable, for a number of reasons. For example, many kegs are under an internal pressure, so that inexpert removal and fitting of the spear may lead to a highly dangerous situation. Furthermore, the keg must be prevented from being filled with substances other than those for which it is intended, in particular because in such a case it is often difficult or even impossible to clean the keg in an automatic cleaning procedure. Annular seals are frequently in the form of a closed ring of a plastic material, which includes one or more weakened spots or breaking spots, so that visible and permanent damage to the annular seal readily ensues upon unauthorized removal. The annular seal can be fitted, for example, by deforming the seal elastically. An additional advantage of the valve according to the invention is that said valve can readily be safeguarded with such a seal . To that end, the valve according to the invention includes an annular seal, which is mounted over the, preferably projecting, edges of the keg neck and the inside member in such a manner that removal of the inside member from the keg neck will result in the annular seal being damaged. The invention furthermore relates to a pressure container, in particular a keg for a soft drink, beer or the like, comprising a valve as described above. The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, which show an embodiment of the valve according to the invention. Figure 1 shows a vertical section of a valve according to the invention, which comprises an annular seal. Figure 2 shows a detail of the vertical section of Figure 1. Figures 3 - 5 afford a side view, a bottom plan view and a perspective view, respectively, of a preferred embodiment of an annular seal according to the invention. It is noted that in the following description the terms up and down are used in relation to a valve in upright position. In the case of a valve in horizontal position, said terms will change accordingly. Figure 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the valve according to the invention in mounted position in a pressure container, such as a keg for beer, soft drinks or the like, in particular carbonated beverages. The upper part of said pressure container is indicated by numeral 1. A metal, cylindrical outside member or keg neck 2 is (detachably or undetachably) mounted on the pressure container 1. Keg neck 2 is provided with internal screw thread 3. A metal, cylindrical inside member 4 is screwed down in keg neck 2, to which end the inside member 4 is provided with external screw thread 5. The space enclosed by inside member 4 is in communication with the interior of pressure container 1. Inside member 4 furthermore comprises a riser pipe 6 and a shut-off element 7 for shutting off the aforesaid enclosed space and the riser pipe 6. Shut-off element 7 is pushed upwards by a compression spring 8. In order to prevent easy detachment of the inside CQ g f H- 0 tJ Ω TJ C ΪU 3 f-. Φ H- 3 tr Hj O Hi 3 φ i J ≤ O M 0 Φ l- 0J H- LJ- TJ UJ. 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H- H- • £ CD tr ι- i CQ J 3 rt " 0 rr H- Φ H- 0 ) Ω ua r O l-h I- 1 3 ^ 3 TJ H- rt Φ -J Φ T3 D- H- ■ -o D-. 3 J rr - tr Hi 0 øJ tr Φ Φ O 3 Ω 0 <; Φ ■ ≤ 0 tα cn H- o 3 Φ X * £ n Φ Ό 0 3 TJ 0 Φ 3 Φ >«; l-h ■ β rt 3 Hi CD ι-i φ rt H( tr 0 0 CD Ω Φ O φ rt l_J. Φ tr 3 cn Φ I— * Q. Φ tr n 0 10 to CQ cn Φ rt ≤ Φ . Φ H- CD DJ ► 5 3 Hi 0 i-Q Hi edge 16 of keg neck 2 once inside member 4 is screwed down in keg neck 2. The aforesaid surfaces 18, 20 are preferably substantially flat and so wide that sufficient friction is set up between said surfaces 18, 20. As a result, the moment with which the inside member 4 can be tightened will be high enough to make it very difficult to unscrew said part (without tools) . It is preferable to select the spacing between the lower surface 18 of flange 17 on the one hand and the two seats 12, 13 on the other hand so that the rubber ring 14 is compressed to a predetermined degree once the inside member 4 is mounted in keg neck 2. This makes it possible to prevent the rubber ring 14 being damaged when the inside member 4 is being screwed down. Figure 2 shows how an annular seal 20 is fitted round the projecting edges 16, 17, in such a manner that removal of the inside member 4 from keg neck 2 will result in (permanent) damage to said annular seal 20. Annular seal 20, which is shown in more detail in Figures 3 - 5, comprises a closure 21 for single use. Annular seal 20 furthermore comprises a number of weakened spots or breaking spots 22, for example notches or relatively thin parts, which are designed to cause seal 20 to break upon being subjected to a preset load. Annular seal 20 comprises a division 23, which on one side thereof includes a projection comprising an arrow point 24. Said arrow point 24 comprises two resilient teeth 25 and a neck 26, for example. Said neck 26 is attached to the remaining part of seal 20 by means of a comparatively thin portion. Also said thin portion forms a breaking spot. The other side of said division 21 is provided with a cavity 27, which comprises an opening whose width is scarcely any larger than the joint thickness of the two resilient teeth 25 and the neck 26 at the location of said teeth 25. A counter tooth (not shown) is present on either side of the opening on the inside of cavity 27. Thus, a highly effective locking engagement is obtained, and it has become impossible to remove arrow point 24 from cavity 27 without breaking the neck 26 or causing irreparable damage to the opening of cavity 27. The annular seal 20 may be of U-shaped section over (substantially) its entire circumference, with the legs of said U engaging round said edges 16, 17. Preferably, however, as is shown in Figures 3 - 5, the annular seal 20 engages round edges 16, 17 by means of projecting segments 28, 29, that is, parts that only extend over part of said circumference. Thus, a bending moment can be set up in seal 20 when it is attempted to move inside member 4 up, causing said seal 20 to break sooner. The force or the bending moment at which seal 20 will break can be influenced by providing the mentioned breaking spots 22 between segments 28, 29 and/or by positioning the segments 28, 29 alternately on the upper side (28) and on the lower side (29) of seal 20. The annular seal 20 is preferably made of a plastic which is resistant to, among other things, acids, bases, elevated temperatures and chemicals that are used for cleaning the kegs. Furthermore, the brand name and/or the logo of the manufacturer of the contents (beer, soft drink and the like) of the keg can be placed on the ring. The valve according to the invention can be constructed of a relatively small number of parts. A number of important parts, such as the inside member and the keg neck, can be of simple and at the same time robust construction. In addition, said parts can be formed by means of a casting process, with hardly any finishing operations being required, if at all. Furthermore it is possible to fit the valve according to the invention with an annular seal in a simple and effective manner. The invention is not restricted to the embodiment as described above and shown in the drawings, which can be varied in several ways without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Thus, the means by which the inside member can be screwed in the keg neck also comprise embodiments wherein the keg neck or the inside member is provided with a groove which only extends over part (for example 180 or 270 degrees) of the circumference of the keg neck or the inside member. The term "closure for single use" implies that the closure, once a seal has been placed on the object to be sealed, cannot be detached without causing visible damage .

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A valve for a pressure container, such as a keg for a soft drink, beer and the like, comprising a keg neck to be fixed to the pressure container and an inside member including a shut-off element, which fits in an opening of the keg neck, characterized in that the keg neck and the inside member comprise means, with which the inside member can be screwed in the keg neck, and in that the keg neck and the inside member each comprise an edge and/or a surface, which edges and/or surfaces abut once the inside member is screwed in the keg neck. 2. A valve according to claim 1, wherein said edges and/or surfaces extend along the entire circumference of said keg neck and said inside member. 3. A valve according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein said keg neck and said inside member are both provided with a screw thread, in such a manner that the inside member can be screwed in the keg neck. 4. A valve according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a seal, such as an elastically deformable sealing ring, for sealing the clearance between the keg neck and the inside member. 5. A valve according to claim 4, wherein said seal is clamped between an upper seat, which forms part of said inside member, and a lower seat, which forms part of the keg neck, and wherein the spacing between the underside of the edge around the inside member on the one hand and the two seats on the other hand is selected so that the seal is compressed to a predetermined degree once the inside member is mounted in keg neck. 6. A valve according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising an annular seal, which is mounted over the edges round the keg neck and the inside member in such a manner that removal of the inside member from the keg neck will result in the annular seal being damaged. 7. A valve according to claim 6, wherein said annular seal engages round said edges by means of projecting segments. 8. A valve according to claim 7, wherein a breaking spot is present between two or more of said segments. 9. A valve according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said segments are positioned alternately on the upper side and on the lower side of said ring. 10. A valve according to any one of the claims 6 - 9, wherein said annular seal is divided at at least one location, comprising a closure for single use, such as a snap connection, at the location of the division. 11. A valve according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising locking means for locking said inside member in position in said keg neck. 12. A pressure container, in particular for a keg for a soft drink, beer and the like, comprising a valve according to any one of the preceding claims.

Inventors: EBBELAAR ROBERTUS ARNOLDUS, TERPSTRA WILLEM, EBBELAAR, ROBERTUS, ARNOLDUS, TERPSTRA, WILLEM
Applicants: DISPENSE SYSTEMS INTERNAT B V, EBBELAAR ROBERTUS ARNOLDUS, TERPSTRA WILLEM, DISPENSE SYSTEMS INTERNATIONAL B.V., EBBELAAR, ROBERTUS, ARNOLDUS, TERPSTRA, WILLEM
Application year: 2001
Main classification: B67D1
IPC codes: B67D1