Abstract:
A tap for liquids dispenses liquids including wines from plastic bags or bladders packaged in cardboard boxes, and has three modes of operation. Liquids may be dispensed from the box on a shelf by manually turning a rotatable cap to open a valve for liquid to flow by gravity; an adapter attached to the tap automates the process and dispenses liquids through a pump; and the tap may be used to fill bags or bladders from an automated filling machine. In a first embodiment, the rotatable cap must be manually opened for both manual and automated operation. In a second embodiment, the rotatable cap may remain closed and the adapter can still dispense liquids through the tap using a pump.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/438,500, filed Feb. 1, 2011, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/438,503, filed Feb. 1, 2011, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    For centuries, wines and other beverages have been offered in glass jugs or bottles, which are filled at the point of manufacture and are transported to the locales where they will be opened and consumed. Because wines, in particular, are subject to deterioration and degradation once they have been exposed to oxygen, the standard method of delivery has been for the ultimate user to purchase wine by the bottle, and to open it only at the time when it will be consumed. Because wine, once opened, will not “keep” for more than a few days before its quality deteriorates, most wine is delivered in 750 ml bottles, and is intended to be consumed within a few hours of first being opened. 
         [0003]    Because glass is breakable, glass wine bottles tend to be thick and correspondingly heavy, making long distance transportation both cumbersome and expensive. Nevertheless, because there are truly only a few regions of the world in which high quality wines are made, long distance transportation of wines in glass bottles is a problem for which few alternative solutions have been discovered. One increasingly popular alternative to packaging wine in glass bottles is to package it in plastic bags (or bladders) or foil pouches, and in some instances to package the filled bladders in cardboard or corrugated boxes for shipping and dispensing. Since plastic bladders can be used that, when treated with an O 2  inhibitor, are essentially impermeable to oxygen, and because the bladder is flexible enough to reduce in size as wine is dispensed, the wine can be kept free from oxygen throughout the dispensing process, and can last for a period of months prior to being dispensed. As a result, wine-in-a-box or pouches has become popular with bars, taverns, and restaurants, who can now keep a variety of fine wines available for customers without having to waste wine in bottles that did not get used before quality deteriorates. In larger commercial establishments, wine “cabinets” or “bars” holding a number of different kinds of wine can be used with pumps and dispensing equipment to dispense wines as necessary, much in the same way that beer has been dispensed from casks or kegs for centuries. For smaller establishments and residential use, wine-in-a-box can be dispensed from a shelf using only gravity to cause the wine to flow. 
         [0004]    Other beverages may also enjoy similar benefits from being placed in plastic bags that can then be packaged for shipment and dispensing in cardboard or corrugated boxes. However, the extreme sensitivity of wine to oxygen and to heat, and the relatively high expense of wine as compared to other beverages has caused wine to be the product that has driven innovation in this field. 
         [0005]    One drawback to the mass production of wine packaged in boxes is that the various establishments and users have different taps or spigots (or none at all) for the dispensing of wine into glasses for consumption. What is needed is a tap that can be used for the filling and sealing of a plastic bladder, and that can also be used manually, to dispense wine from a shelf using gravity, or that can alternatively be attached to a pump and other auxiliary equipment for automated dispensing. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The invention refers to a tap for dispensing liquids from a container or injecting liquids into a container. In a first embodiment, the invention comprises a valve cap with fluted hand knob, a tap body and a sealing means. The tap body serves as the intermediary that allows liquids to transfer out of an attached container (e.g., bags or containers of the “bag-in-box” variety). In a second embodiment, the invention comprises a valve cap with fluted hand knob, a tap body, sealing means, and a biasing spring. Both embodiments include additional embodiments comprising an adapter for connection to a dispensing pump. 
         [0007]    The invention comprises a tap that provides two means for dispensing a liquid, and a third means which may be used for filling the container. The tap of this invention can dispense liquids when connected to a pumping system (e.g., in a wine-dispensing system), and it can dispense liquids using gravity flow “off the shelf” when the valve cap&#39;s fluted hand knob is manually turned in a counter-clockwise direction (e.g., on bag-in-box packaging used to contain wine). 
         [0008]    The invention also may be used in conjunction with a pumping system as a conduit for injecting liquids into a container in order to fill the container. This may be accomplished by connecting a quick-coupling adapter to the tap&#39;s dispensing outlet or by using a filling machine having an interface that receives a spout of the tap of the invention. Alternatively, tubing may be used to deliver wine via a pumping system, such as a peristaltic pump, from the box through the tap and into a drinking glass. 
         [0009]    The invention integrates a dual method of dispensing as well as combining a single tap for dispensing and filling. The invention is further distinguished from other liquid-dispensing taps because, in an embodiment, it can be constructed with an attached gland. In either embodiment—with or without an attached gland—the invention inhibits oxygen from coming into contact with the liquids within the container, When the invention does not include an attached gland, the invention is inserted into the gland portion of a bag, creating a dual-layer oxygen barrier composed of the gland and tap materials. When the invention is constructed with an attached gland, the gland portion of the tap can be positioned in a bag in such a manner that the ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) treated bag material overlaps the gland, which is heat sealed to the bag, providing a permanent bond. This bond creates an air-tight seal between the invention and the bag. 
         [0010]    The invention is composed of a minimum number of parts in order to reduce cost. In addition, the invention improves upon other liquid-dispensing taps, which only can be utilized in a pumping system with the addition of an adaptor part. The invention requires no separate adaptor to be integrated into a pumping system, but can attach to a pumping system using only the adaptor that is integral to the pumping system. 
         [0011]    The invention is relevant to the beverage and food service industries, and may also be used effectively in the medical and pharmaceutical industries, and other industries utilizing similar pump and fill packaging. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  is a side view of the invention showing the embodiment using manual flow control. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  is a side view of an alternative embodiment showing the tap configured to deliver liquids to a pumping system. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is a front sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a side sectional view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is an exploded view showing the components of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a perspective sectional view showing a manually operated embodiment having a biasing spring with the tap in an open position. 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing detail of the valve in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a quarter side view showing detail of the valve of  FIG. 10 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  is a left side sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 13  is a perspective sectional view showing an embodiment having a biasing spring with the tap in the closed position and ready to receive a dispensing adapter. 
           [0025]      FIG. 14  is a left side sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 11 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 15  is a perspective sectional view showing an embodiment having a biasing spring with the tap in the open position and the automatic dispensing adapter being attached. 
           [0027]      FIG. 16  is a left side sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 13 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0028]    As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , an external side view of an exemplar embodiment of the trifunction dispensing tap  100  comprises valve cap  200 , a tap body  300 , and a sealing means  400 . Tap body  300  serves to be the intermediary which allows fluids to transfer from a bag-in-box reservoir  101  to the dispensing container or dispensing conduit  102 . The tap body is preferably integrally molded from a thermoplastic resin such as polyethylene or polypropylene, but can be molded from numerous materials such as rigid polyurethane, acetal, polyphenylene oxide, polyester, polyamide, polyphenylene sulphide, polyethylene terephthalate, ABS, polycarbonate, and polysulphone. Numerous criteria are considered when choosing a polymer such as cost, ease of molding, oxygen permeability, flexibility, strength, chemical resistance, and operational temperature. Polyolefins such as polypropylene and polyethylene are commonly used for similar types of single-method dispensing taps. It is of particular interest that a resin be chosen for its structural behavior near or below freezing temperatures. Polypropylene becomes very brittle at these temperatures and can shatter like glass if stressed while at or below freezing temperatures, but has good strength and rigidity at above freezing temperatures, which is desirable. High density polyolefins can approach the stiffness of polypropylene but will not become brittle when subjected to freezing conditions, therefore HDPE is presently preferred. Valve cap  200  is preferably integrally molded from a thermoplastic resin similar to tap body  100 . However, it is desirable to choose a lower density polyethylene, such as LDPE so as to from a variety of low durometer elastomeric materials such as Butyl, Buna-N, EPDM, Nitrile, Silicone, Neoprene, or Viton. A primary consideration is given to the material&#39;s low-cost performance given the particular fluid&#39;s chemical characteristics. Given these considerations, 70-80 durometer EPDM is a practical choice for fluids such as wine. Tap body  300  comprises inlet end geometry  301  to sealingly adapt to gland fitment which is welded to and part of the bag-in-box reservoir. The gland is typically made from HPDE and has a hollow bore such that tap body lead-in feature  306  (shown in  FIGS. 6 and 8 ) can press into and deform the gland bore slightly as the tap body is inserted up to the depth of the limit flange  302 . As tap body  100  is inserted, the at least one sealing rib  304  makes a liquid-tight seal from the tap body  100  to the gland bore. Tap body  100  has a dispensing outlet  305  which serves to direct fluid exiting the tap and allows a connection means to a suitable receivably engaging adapter  500  (shown in  FIG. 4 ). Dispensing outlet  305  has a groove to accept sealing means  400 , which may be a rubber or plastic gasket or any other suitable O-ring known in the art, and provides for a retention feature  311  to secure the adapter  500 . 
         [0029]      FIG. 2  illustrates exemplar embodiment of tri-function dispensing tap  100  as seen from the front, its three components shown assembled. Sealing means  400  can be integrally molded into tap body  300  in the form of sealing ribs or even over-molded with an elastomeric material making the tap body  100  integral with its external sealing means  400 . 
         [0030]      FIG. 3  illustrates the tri-method dispensing tap  100  as seen from the top. The valve cap  200  is shown with a fluted hand knob whose large diameter and, in the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 3 , deep depressions  201  provide substantial hand gripping contact forces to twist the knob clockwise to close, and anti-clockwise to open. The direction of rotation of valve cap  200  to open the valve is a matter of design choice, and may be either direction. Directional indicator  202  is molded into the valve cap  200  knob such that the direction and flow amount are symbolized in an increasing width curved arrow. As the arrow is curving anti-clockwise and growing larger, the corresponding flow rate becomes greater. The view from section line B-B is shown in  FIG. 6 . 
         [0031]      FIG. 4  illustrates an embodiment of the tri-method dispensing tap  100  as seen from the side with receivably engaging adapter  500  attached. Adapter  500  depicts a generic variety of connector with a female socket  507  (shown in  FIG. 5 ) and a male hose barb  502 . Adapter body  501  provides features for lockingly engaging tap body dispensing outlet  305  by actuating quick-release button  504 . Sealing means  400  provides for a radial compression seal with adapter socket  507  as shown on  FIGS. 5 and 6 . Tap body  300  is provided with at least one rotational engaging means  310  such as a helical thread, bayonet tab, cam boss, or the like. Tap body window  311  is useful in injection molding to provide for a moldable feature such as the cam boss depicted for rotational engaging means  310 . The view from section line A-A is shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0032]      FIG. 5  illustrates the tri-function dispensing tap in cross-section A-A, taken from  FIG. 4 . Adapter  500  is shown as attached and locked in place with sealing means  400  shown as compressed in a radial fashion between adapter socket  507  and dispensing outlet  305 . Adapter  500  has exit port  503  for providing a leakproof outlet for fluid flow. Typically, adapter  500  is attached to a flexible tube via the male hose barb  502 . Additionally,  FIG. 5  shows the valve cap rotational engaging means  205  in communication with tap body rotational engaging means  310 . The at least one valve cap rotational engaging means  205  is depicted herein as a cam track which provides for a helical path imparting vertical or axial motion when valve cap  200  is undergoing rotation. When the valve cap rotational engaging means  205  are rotated anti-clockwise against the static cam boss  310 , the valve cap ascends outward and upward. Any features such as a helical thread, bayonet tab, cam track, boss, or the like are preferably limited to provide the necessary valve lift within 90 to 180 degrees of rotation and preferably no more than 90 degrees to allow quick, easy, and intuitive ¼ turn valve operation. Valve seat  204  rotates and descends into tap body seal  308 . Seal  308  is configured to provide for a deforming leak-tight fitment to valve seat  204 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 6  illustrates the tri-function dispensing tap  100  in a cross-section B-B from  FIG. 3 . This view shows the fluid path  101  as it comes from the bag-in-box reservoir into tap body inlet  306 . Fluid from tap body inlet  306  passes into transition region  307  where the fluid stops until valve seat means  204  lifts off of tap body seal means  308  thereby opening the tri-function dispensing tap valve. Fluid then flows through tap body outlet  309  and into a drinking vessel. 
         [0034]    Alternately, tap body outlet  309  allows fluid to flow into adapter  500  as shown, wherein the fluid is then transported via flexible conduit for remote dispensing. Adapter  500  incorporates a spring element  506  which allows for simple push-on engagement and leak-tight connection and which requires an overriding force in latch button  504  to release adapter  500  from tap body retention feature  311 . 
         [0035]      FIG. 7  illustrates the tri-method dispensing tap in an isometric view and depicts overall appearance and integration of the main components valve cap  200 , tap body  300 , and adapter  500 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 8  illustrates the tri-function dispensing tap  100  in an exploded isometric arrangement and shows greater detail of the internal tap body static cam boss  310  and valve cap rotational engaging means  205 . It can be seen that valve cap rotational engaging means  205  has a chamfered notch  206  to allow for initial assembly of the valve cap  200  into the tap body  300 . The chamfered notch  206  allows for the valve cap to deform and jump past the tap body cam boss  310  as it is inserted during assembly. Once Cam boss  310  has jumped past notch  206 , the cam boss  310  is seated securely and permanently into cam track  205 . Cam track  205  can have additional features such as a ramps or a detent to give a tactile feel and locking means to prevent valve cap  200  from gradually rotating open by itself and requires an extra bit of twisting force to initiate the opening of the valve during twisting. Valve cap  200  has integral sealing means  207  which seals the valve cap  200  into the tap body smaller inner bore  312 . Stiffing rib  313  adds considerable strength to tri-function dispensing tap  100  particularly when large side loads are placed onto the tap body  300  from undesirable tugging on the tube. 
         [0037]      FIG. 9  depicts another embodiment of the tap of this invention in which a compression spring  602  is used to press valve  600  (shown in detail in  FIG. 10 ) downward to shut off the flow of liquid when valve cap  200  is in the closed position. In this embodiment, valve  600  has an upper portion  606  that acts as a valve stem and that is raised (opened) or lowered (closed) as valve cap  200  is manually opened or closed, and a lower portion  604  that has passageways through which liquid may flow when the valve is open. 
         [0038]      FIGS. 10 and 11  provide detailed views of valve  600 . An upper portion, valve stem  606 , comprises two resilient fingers  610 , each of which terminates in an outwardly-facing barb  608 . The resilient fingers  610  and outwardly-facing barbs  608  permit easy assembly of the tap, in which valve  600  may be inserted from the bottom of the tap through exit port  309  simply by squeezing resilient fingers  610 , which will snap back after insertion to hold valve  600  within the tap. Barbs  608  fit through and spring back against internal ridge  208  (shown in  FIG. 12 ) which runs circumferentially around the interior cavity of valve cap  200 . Once installed, barbs  608  rest against the upper lip of internal ridge  208  such that, when valve cap  200  is raised to an open position, barbs  608  and resilient fingers  610  are raised to lift the lower portion of valve  604  into the open position. 
         [0039]    The lower portion of valve  600  is a hollow cylinder  604  that has four openings, or windows  612 , through which wine or other liquid will flow when the valve is in the raised, or open, position. Above windows  612  is a groove  614  to receive an elastomeric seal which may be in the form of an O-ring about valve  600 . When the valve is in the lowered, or closed, position, the elastomeric seal will contact the lower, funnel shaped portion of the tap, to create a seal that prevents fluid from flowing through the tap. Above groove  614  is a cylindrical base  616  which supports valve stem  606  and provides a platform to support the lower end of compression spring  602 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 12  is a right sectional view of the embodiment shown in  FIG. 9 , with the valve in an open position. Spring  602  winds helically about valve stem  606  between cylindrical base  616  and the lower surface of ridge  208 , previously described as an internal ridge running circumferentially about an interior cavity in valve cap  200 .  FIG. 12  also shows an elastomeric sealing means  618 , which may be an O-ring or any other suitable sealing means, seated within groove  614 . Wine or other liquid situated in transition region  307  can now flow through the tap following liquid path  702 . 
         [0041]      FIG. 13  is a sectional perspective view showing the tap of  FIG. 9  in a closed position and ready to receive automatic dispensing adapter  500 . Sealing means  618  is resting against the lower portion of the internal passage through the tap and prevents liquid from flowing through the tap. Valve cap  200  is in a lowered, closed, position, and spring  602  is pressing against internal ridge  208  and cylindrical base  616 , forcing valve  200  to a lowered position. 
         [0042]      FIG. 14  is a right sectional view of the configuration shown in  FIG. 13 , and shows tap  300  in a manually closed position and ready to receive automatic dispensing adapter  500 . Sealing means  400 , located at the outer surface of dispensing outlet  305  will be received in connecting socket  507  of automatic dispensing adapter  500 . Connecting socket  507  has a shoulder  508  adapted to receive the lower end of valve  604  such that, when automatic dispensing adapter  500  is snugly attached to dispensing outlet  305 , valve  604  will be pushed upward to the open position, and fluid passageway  702  will open, regardless of the position of valve cap  200 . This configuration is depicted in  FIG. 15 , in which the lower end of valve  604  is resting upon shoulder  508 , which has caused valve  604  to move upward, compressing compression spring  602 . 
         [0043]      FIG. 16  shows tap  300  connected to automatic dispensing adapter  500  to create fluid passageway  702 . The upward movement of valve  604  has also raised valve stem  606  and barbs  608  have moved to a position above internal ridge  208 . In this configuration, the flow of wine or other fluid will be controlled by an external pump or other mechanism attached to the distal end of a tube (not shown) whose proximal end will be attached to hose barb  502 . 
         [0044]    It will be appreciated that the embodiment of tap  300  depicted in  FIGS. 9-16  will always be forced open when automatic dispensing adapter  500  is attached, regardless of the manually selected position of valve cap  200 . When automatic dispensing adapter  500  is released through quick fitting mechanism  504 ,  506 , wine or other liquid may continue to flow unless valve cap  200  has been manually set to the closed position. 
         [0045]    The tap of this invention may be used with automatic filling machinery to fill bladders with liquid such that minimal or no leakage occurs, and the filled bladders may be packaged for transportation and shipment. The embodiment of  FIGS. 9-16  is particularly well suited for automated filling since the fluid path  702  is opened merely by pressing valve  604  into the tap, and fluid may then be injected into the bladder. Once filling is complete, the filling machinery may remove oxygen or ambient air, and may inject nitrogen or some other suitable gas into the bladder to equalize air pressure and prevent or reduce the introduction of oxygen into the bladder through permeation of the bladder surface. As no manual manipulation of valve cap  200  is required for such a filling procedure, the process may be automated, and the efficiency of the process will be enhanced. 
         [0046]    The tap of this invention permits wine or other liquid to be dispensed manually or through the use of an automated dispensing apparatus. Regardless of the method used, oxygen does not come into contact with liquid that remains in the bladder, which may be preserved indefinitely without deterioration. 
         [0047]    Persons of skill in the art will recognize that there are many implementation details and options left to the practitioner, but that would be within the scope of the current invention. It is intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that it is the following claims, including all equivalents, that are intended to define the spirit and scope of this invention.