Abstract:
An apparatus allowing the automatic drawing out of beverages from bottles (wherein the bottles are kept in their vertical position) comprising a drawing tap ( 12 ) which permits the entering of the gas in the bottle, the drawing of the liquid and the cleaning of the spout channel ( 19 ) and allows an easy and hygienic substitution of the empty bottles.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   The invention refers to an apparatus for the automatic drawing out of beverages from bottles wherein the bottles are kept in their normal vertical position. 
   STATE OF THE ART 
   Apparatuses for the automatic drawing out of beverages, in particular bottled beverages, are well known and widely employed. Some of them, wherein the bottles are upside down, allow the drawing by opening a suitable valve which allows the falling by gravity of the liquid, others allow the drawing from bottles kept in their normal vertical position by way of two pipes passing through the bottle cork, an inert gas is injected into the bottle through one the above said pipe, so maintaining the bottled liquid under pressure; when the corresponding drawing tap for drawing the liquid is open, the gas under pressure pushes the liquid through the second pipe. 
   The second method is particularly suitable for those beverages which would suffer from the upside down position of the bottles, for example wines. 
   However, the apparatuses known up to now present various drawbacks. In fact, they do not allow a complete drawing of the liquid since some drops always remain in the channels or in the drawing tap and, when dried, leave a deposit which goes bad under the action of the air and can pollute the subsequent draught; the liquid while stopping in the pipes can change its taste, moreover the substitution of the empty bottles is rather complicated and it is always possible that the pipes come into contact with the surface on which the bottles rest, collecting bacteria or other pollutants which can alter the taste of the liquid. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention refers to an apparatus for the automatic drawing out of liquids from bottles, wherein the bottles are kept in their normal vertical position, comprising a drawing tap, equipped with an electric valve. In the body of such drawing tap suitable channels are present which allow the entry of the inert pushing gas, the drawing of the liquid and the cleaning of the drawing tap after the drawing. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  schematically shows a section of an apparatus according to the invention; 
       FIG. 2  represent, in detail, a section of the drawing tap; 
       FIG. 3  shows a section of a particular embodiment of the drawing tap. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention overcomes the above said drawbacks by means of an apparatus wherein the bottle is placed vertically on a lifting means and which has a drawing tap permitting the entry of the inert gas, the exit of the liquid and the cleaning of the drawing tap. 
   As it is shown in  FIG. 1  the apparatus has a body  10 , on the interior surface of which is present a lifting means  11 . 
   In the upper part of the body  10 , above the lifting means  11 , is placed the drawing tap  12  which is connected to a suitable switch  12 ′ and to the gas and electric circuits (not shown in the figure). 
   As shown in  FIG. 2  the drawing tap  12  consists of a body  13 , an electric valve  14  (and the corresponding magnet  14 ′) and a tap  15  which can engage with the bottle neck through its conical mouth  15 ′. 
   The electric valve  14  is, preferably, a diaphragm electric valve. 
   Inside the body  13  of the drawing tap  12  are present:
         a channel  16  permitting the entry into the bottle of the inert gas (connected to the pipe of the gas circuit not shown in the figure);   a channel  17  into which flows the drawn liquid, connected on one side to the pipe  18  and to the opposite side to the spout  19 .       

   The channel  17  enters a chamber  20  closed by the piston of the electric valve  14  and a branch  21  which is also connected to the inert gas circuit (not shown in the figure). 
   The tap  15  can be solidly connected to the body  13  through a chamber  22  or, according to a preferred method of the invention, can be free to move up and down in such chamber  22 , in this case a spring  23  is present in the chamber  22  and pushes the tap  15  downwards. 
   On the external part of the tap  15  a gasket  24  (normally a rubber ring) is present. According to this second preferred method, the channel  16  at the end which enters into chamber  22  is closed by a needle valve  25 . In this case, as it can be seen from  FIG. 3 , the tap  15 , when moving upwards will act on such needle valve  25 , allowing the automatic entry of the gas from channel  16  into the bottle. 
   Through the mouth  15 ′ of the tap  15  passes the pipe  18  (preferably in flexible material) which is connected to the channel  17  and through which the liquid flows from the bottle to the spout  19 . 
   The lifting means  11  can be moved manually, mechanically, electrically or pneumatically (possibly connected to the inert gas circuit) and will lift the bottle until the bottle neck enters the conic mouth  15 ′ of the tap  15  and adheres to the gasket  24 . 
   The upper surface of the lifting means is preferably made of, or covered with, anti-slipping materials. 
   Suitable gaskets  26  (for example O-Rings) assure the seal of the electric valve and the tap  15  (when in the moving version). 
   The apparatus obviously comprises the necessary hydraulic and electric circuits, and the inert gas tank, used for the apparatuses already known in the art for the same purposes. The hydraulic circuit connects the gas tank to the drawing tap and possibly to the lifting mechanism of the lifting means  11 , and comprises the suitable means (valves, regulators etc.) for controlling and stabilising the gas pressure to the required predetermined values, while the electric circuit will activate the electric parts of the apparatus (switches, electric valve etc). 
   According to a particular embodiment of the invention the means regulating hydraulic and electric functions (pressure, switching on/off, drawing times, etc.) can be controlled by a suitable software, which can possibly be activated by the user through a personalised magnetic or chip card allowing also the automatic debiting of the draught. 
   According to a further particular embodiment of the invention, a liquid crystal- or a luminous led- display showing the amount due for each draught can be present on the body of the apparatus by each bottle. 
   The functioning of the apparatus according to the invention is extremely simple. 
   The pipe  18  is placed into the bottle and the bottle is placed on the lifting means  11 . 
   Acting on the lifting means  11  the bottle is lifted until the top of the neck adheres to the gasket  24 . 
   Acting on a suitable switch the gas is loaded into the bottle through the channel  16  bringing the liquid under the desired pressure. If the tap  15  is fitted with the needle valve (as illustrated in  FIG. 3 ) the loading of the gas will take place automatically when the bottle neck pushes on the tap  15 . 
   The apparatus is now ready for the drawing out of the liquid. 
   The user will switch on the apparatus, for example acting on a suitable switch or by introducing in the suitable inlet a magnetic or chip card (which can be personalised by a code number) and thereafter acting on the suitable switch  12 ′ will open the corresponding electric valve. The gas under pressure contained in the bottle will push the liquid through the pipe  18 , the channel  17  and the chamber  22 , up to the spout  19  where it will be collected by the user. 
   Once the predetermined quantity of liquid has been drawn the electric valve will close and, after a short interval of time necessary to permit the flowing of the liquid remaining in channel  17  under the branch  21 , a jet of gas is blown in through such branch  21 , cleaning perfectly the drops of liquid remaining in the channel  17  and the spout  19 . 
   The apparatus will be ready for a new draught. 
   Once the bottle is empty the lifting means  11  is lowered and the bottle is removed from the pipe  18  and a new bottle is installed. It is worth considering that during the substitution the pipe  18  hangs in the air and can not come into contact with possible sources of organic or inorganic pollutants. 
   Moreover it should also be noted that the whole operation can be performed by the operator with just one hand. 
   The apparatus according to the invention can obviously house more than one bottle each containing the same or different liquids (for example different vintages of the same wine), in this case the use of the software will make it easier for a quick debiting of the costs depending on the liquid drawn.