OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a plug with a siphon valve, from among plugs used
to serve carbonated dinks stored in discardable pressurised contained.
[0002] It characterises the use of a valve consisting of an elastic part having a sealing
element on the end of a duct connecting the pressurised contained and a chamber previous
to the outlet.
[0003] It also characterises the use of an elastic membrane joined to a pusher, meant to
open the valve by pressing with the finger and the later recovery and therefore closure
of the valve.
[0004] Lastly, the plug has an oblique outlet duct that facilitates pouring the liquid,
such as into a glass, without it being spilled.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The use of carbonated water and other gaseous drinks requires containers that can
maintain the adequate pressure to keep the dissolved gas from evaporating, in which
case the drink would lose its desired properties.
[0006] The gas, in addition to contributing a tactile sensation in the palate and a characteristic
taste, has traditionally been used as a propellant means in siphons.
[0007] Siphons are pressurised containers provided with a liquid outlet valve and a lever
or the like to open when serving the desired amount.
[0008] This type of containers must be filled in the factory that provides the drink of
this type, previously recovering the container.
[0009] In addition to the valves that are opened with a lever, the applicant is aware of
patents that describe valves employing flexible membranes to obtain said opening.
[0010] U.S. Patent 5894962 describes a plug for gaseous drink bottles that has an outlet
valve with a flexible membrane in a hemispherical cap shape, centred under which is
the sealing element fixed by a wedged element.
[0011] The deformation of the membrane due to the pressure of a finger opens the sealing
element placed below, communicating the pressurised container with the outside.
[0012] A variation of this invention can be found in Patent application WO 9624553, where
the shape of the deformable element is changed.
[0013] Also known to the applicant is US Patent 5447257, in which the elastic element is
basically tubular and allows a rod to be lowered, which acts as a valve configured
at its bottom end.
[0014] In any of these arrangements, opening of the valve involves deformation of an element
that must be properly restored for a subsequent good seal of the valve.
[0015] As the displacement by deformation is not guided in any of these cases, in the first
because the displacement is due to the deformation of the membrane to which the valve
is attached and in the second because the guide is in fact the element that is deformed,
the seal will always depend on the proper state of said deformable element.
[0016] The present invention makes use of two mutually independent deformable elements,
one allowing opening by pressure and the other determining the valve itself, which
provides a longer lifetime of the device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The present invention consists of a plug with a siphon valve with a configuration
lacking the drawbacks cited in the background section, allowing its use in containers
that constitute a discardable assembly.
[0018] The plug is mainly comprised of three parts, an outer casing, the flexible body of
the valve and a pusher.
[0019] The outer casing is the main body, essentially cylindrical in shape, with two clearly
differentiated chambers (an upper chamber and a lower chamber) communicated to each
other by a tubular duct that is prolonged above and below.
[0020] The upper chamber allows receiving the liquid when it exits if the flow regime is
sufficiently turbulent, stabilising it before it reaches the outside.
[0021] The bottom chamber houses the flexible element of the valve and is in overpressure.
[0022] The tubular duct connecting the two chambers is closed on its lower end by a spherical
cap protrusion supported by flexible spokes that reach the cylindrical body of the
flexible element of the valve.
[0023] A third part comprises a curved, downwardly concave flexible membrane that establishes
the seal of the upper chamber. It also is provided with a pusher in the form of a
rod that is prolonged inside the tubular duct that communicates the chambers.
[0024] This pusher is guided by the tubular duct in its vertical displacement as it is pushed
downward by the pressure exerted on the upper membrane with the finger.
[0025] The push of the pressure and deformation of the membrane moves the pusher downwards
and the latter in turn moves a spherical cap protrusion of the flexible element of
the valve.
[0026] The displacement of the sealing protrusion is made possible by the deformation of
the spokes that support it, eliminating the seal and allowing passage of the liquid
to the upper chamber, and eventually to the exterior.
[0027] When the upper membrane is released the pusher ceases to open the valve, so that
the membrane and the flexible body of the valve recover their initial positions.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0028] The present description is accompanied by a set of drawings illustrating the preferred
embodiment that do not limit the invention in any way.
[0029] Figure 1 shows an elevation section of the three main parts of the plug with a valve,
also including a plan view of the flexible valve element.
[0030] Figure 2 shows the three parts operatively coupled with a representation of the neck
of the pressurised container and the feeding tube arriving from the bottom of the
container.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
[0031] Figure 1 shows the three main parts of the plug: the casing or the main body (2),
the lid (1) with a pusher and the flexible body (3) of the valve.
[0032] The main body (2) is essentially cylindrical and has two chambers differentiated
by a discoid plate (2.8), the upper chamber (2.2) being closed by the lid (1) and
the bottom chamber (2.9) prolonged in the container (4) to which it is coupled by
an internal threading (2.10).
[0033] The upper chamber (2.2) and the lower chamber (2.9) are communicated by means of
a central vertical tubular duct (2.3, 2.4) that is prolonged above (2.3) and below
(2.4) the discoid plate (2.8).
[0034] The upper chamber (2.2) has a lip (2.1) that defines a seat for the top lid (1 ).
[0035] The liquid reaches the outside from said upper chamber (2.2) through an oblique duct
(2.6).
[0036] The oblique duct (2.6) rises from the level determined by the discoid plate (2.8)
to prevent liquid being retained in the upper chamber.
[0037] Figure 2 shows the arrangement of the three parts when operationally coupled, showing
that the lid (1) consists of a peripheral flange with a seat (1.1) meant to enter
the lip (2.1) to establish a proper sealing of the upper chamber (2.2).
[0038] The central part of the lid (1) consists of a curved and downwardly concave flexible
membrane (1.2).
[0039] In its central and lower area it is provided with a bar (1.3) that acts as a pusher.
This bar or pusher (1.3) is housed in the tubular duct (2.3, 2.4) leaving an ample
clearance to allow passage of the liquid from the bottom chamber (2.9) to the upper
chamber (2.2).
[0040] Housed in the bottom chamber (2.9) is an elastic body (3) that, together with the
cavities it encloses and the lower tubular duct (2.4), configures the sealing valve
that prevents the exit of the pressurised liquid.
[0041] The elastic body (3) comprises a cylindrical tubular segment (3.2) in which enters
the feeding tube (5) that reaches the bottom of the container, facilitating that at
all times the pressure will propel the exit of the liquid that tends to remain on
the bottom, instead of the gas that remains on the top.
[0042] The cylindrical tubular segment (3.2) ends on the top at a flange (3.1) meant to
establish a seal with the bottom part of the discoid plate (2.8).
[0043] This seal is established on the peripheral area of the flange (3.1), as there is
a step under the discoid plate (2.8) that determines a lip area (2.5) on which the
support is established.
[0044] In the cylindrical tubular segment (3.2) of the same elastic element (3) are a number
of also elastic spokes (3.4) converging in the centre, where there is a protrusion
(3.5) in the form of a spherical cap.
[0045] Said spherical cap protrusion (3.5) closes the communication between the bottom chamber
(2.9) and the upper chamber (2.2) when it rests against the lower end of the bottom
segment of the tubular duct (2.4).
[0046] The bottom end of the pusher (1.3) is placed slightly above the lower end of the'
tubular duct (2.4), thereby preventing a poor closure of the spherical cap protrusion
(3.5) in its resting position.
[0047] The valve is opened by pressing on the lid (1), deforming the membrane (1.2) and
causing the guided, vertical displacement of the pusher (1.3).
[0048] The pusher (1.3) lowers the spherical cap protrusion (3.5) until it no longer rests
on the bottom end of the tubular duct (2.4); thus, liquid is allowed to pass from
inside the feeding tube (5) to the upper chamber (2.2) through the clearance between
the pusher (1.3) and the tubular duct (2.3, 2.4).
[0049] Figure 2 shows two enlarged insets of the contact area of the pusher (1.3) on the
spherical cap protrusion (3.5). The inset A in a closed position and the inset B with
the pusher (1.3) displacing the spherical cap protrusion (3.5) downwards, allowing
liquid to pass.
[0050] The flexible element (3) is also provided with external flaps (3.3) that rest on
the inside of the bottleneck, maintaining the correct position of the flexible element
(3) and preventing malfunctions of the valve seat.
[0051] It should be remarked that the protrusion (3.5) does not necessarily have a spherical
cap surface. The invention also considers the use of a protrusion (3.5) limited by
any surface of revolution that establishes a seat on the lower segment of the tubular
duct (2.4).
[0052] A simple grip of the plug can be provided by making all or part of the outer surface
(2.7) rough.
[0053] The essence of the invention is not affected by variations of the materials, shape,
size and arrangement of the component elements, described in a non-limiting manner
that should allow its reproduction by an expert.
1. Plug with siphon valve, from among plugs with a valve that use a flexible membrane
acting as a spring to restore the original position of the valve, characterised in that it essentially comprises three parts, a casing (2), a lid (1) with a pusher (1.3)
and an elastic valve element (3); wherein the casing (2) is an essentially cylindrical
body, having a discoid plate (2.8) separating two chambers, a bottom chamber (2.9)
and an upper chamber (2.2) that are communicated by a vertical central tubular duct
(2.3, 2.4); the upper chamber (2.2), connected to the exterior through an oblique
duct (2.6) that rises from the level of the discoid plate (2.8) so that liquid is
not retained, is closed by the lid (1) that is inserted by its peripheral seat (1.1)
in the top lip (2.1) of the casing (2); the lid (1) is provided with a flexible membrane
(1.2) under which is provided a pusher (1.3) that is housed with a clearance in the
tubular duct (2.3, 2.4) and extends almost as far as the bottom end of said duct (2.3),
where it closes a spherical cap protrusion (3.5) of the elastic element (3) of the
valve, the protrusion (3.5) being supported by also elastic radial segments (3.4)
that reach the tubular segment (3.4) of the elastic element (3) of the valve; all
of said elastic body (3) rests by the perimeter of a flange (3.1) on an annular notched
lip (2.5) of the casing (2) and on the inner wall of the neck of the container (4)
by means of the flaps (3.3).
2. Plug with siphon valve, according to claim 1, characterised in that the flexible membrane (1.2) of the lid (1) is deformed by pressure causing a downwards
displacement of the pusher (1.3), which in turn produces an opening between the bottom
end of the tubular duct (2.4) and the spherical cap protrusion (3.5) by the deformation
of the radial support flexible segments (3.4), establishing a communication between
the bottom chamber (2.9) and the upper chamber (2.2) that leads to the exterior.
3. Plug with siphon valve, according to claim 1, characterised in that the protrusion (3.5) is limited by any surface of revolution that establishes a seat
on the bottom segment of the tubular duct (2.4).
4. Plug with siphon valve, according to claim 1, characterised in that all or part of the outside of the casing has a rough surface (2.7) to facilitate
the grip.