WO2010079370A1

WO2010079370A1 - Universal adaptor for a beverage dispensing device

Info

Publication number: WO2010079370A1
Application number: PCT/HR2009/000009
Authority: WO
Inventors: Drazen Sitar
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-01-08
Filing date: 2009-03-17
Publication date: 2010-07-15
Anticipated expiration: 2011-07-08
Also published as: HRP20090006A2

Abstract

The invention refers to the improved adaptor for drink measures which consists of: a connecting part for the bottle which is fitted with a security closure against refilling of the liquid; and the connecting part for the acceptance of the beverage dispensing device itself. The connecting part for the bottle is fitted with the standard sealing system which can be adjusted to the shape of the bottleneck, and the connecting part of drink measure forms a secure adaptor-dispensing device joint. The mentioned adaptor differs from other similar technical solutions in that it additionally features an inter- chamber located between the connecting part for the bottle and the connecting part for the drink measure; where the said inter-chamber has a volume equal or larger than the volume of the drink measure used. Furthermore, the connecting part for the dispensing device can be fixed or variably tapered at an inclination angle α≥0° in relation to the longitudinal axis formed by the bottle-adaptor-drink measure. The existence of the mentioned inter-chamber and the inclination of the connecting part for the drink measure allows the adaptor to operate reliably with bottles that are fitted with the said security closures in such a way as to cause pressure fluctuations which overcome the surface tension forces. Most important aspect of Universal Contact Adaptor is that it is an independent unit (not built into any particular drink measure) and fits many different drink measure types.

Description

UNIVERSAL ADAPTOR FOR A BEVERAGE DISPENSING DEVICE

DESCRIPTION

Field of invention

The present invention refers to an adaptor for a beverage dispensing device for simple and safe connection of the dispensing device with beverage bottles, where these bottles are fitted with a security closure in the bottlenecks.

Technical problem

The technical problem solved by the present invention is reliable and safe pouring from the bottles for alcohol spirits by means of the beverage pouring device - dispensing device - when the respective bottles are protected against refilling, of "GUaIa", or similar types.

State of Art

At the beginning of the 1970s, bottle protections fitted in the bottlenecks (further in the text: security closures) started to be developed, with the function of preventing the refilling of bottles or diluting of the contents, and to prevent other similar actions with the final purpose to avoid fraud.

Their development has continued to the present, see e.g. PCT Patent Application WO99/21773 (Guala Closures S.P.A.), which causes great problems in the work with standard dispensing devices. When using the bottles with security closures barmen sometimes use a knife or some other adequate tool, to remove the security closure from the bottles so that these bottles could be used directly with standard drink measures.

As the nearest technical solution to the respective invention we can identify the patent from Great Britain, submitted in 1998 and published under the number GB2337250B (A. C. Espezel and D. Sitar) which describes the adaptor as a dispensing device. The drawback of the described device is that in practical use it has failed to function in some cases in a reliable manner, especially in case of bottles with closures that have the so-called "critical design" - which is to be discussed later in the text. The respective invention, unlike the one described in GB2337250B has a designed inter-chamber which fully solves the observed problems, as well as an optionally designed inclination (tapering) of the bottom part of the connector.

In the state of the art technology we also find an earlier patent application published under the number GB2306205A (A. C. Espezel and D. Sitar) from 1995, in which the subject of invention is the transparent adaptor of a dispensing device. This invention solves well the sealing problems towards the bottle itself (around the security closure) and the sealing towards the dispensing device. This invention also features a designed transparent bottom part which is fitted into drink measure. The respective invention has an upper connection part (connector into which the bottle is fitted) equally designed as the solution from GB2306205A, but this transparent bottom part is fitted into specific drink measure device so it functions only as combined adaptor and drink measure.

In the mentioned field of technology there is a whole series of technical solutions of the same or similar purpose, e.g. DE4333236 (P. Thomas) from 1995, FR2719301 (P. Moran) from 1994 which are not as similar to the present invention as the above discussed ones, but may serve to define the general state of the art technology for the present invention.

Summary of the invention

The present invention - an improved adaptor for non-refillable bottle, dispensing device - consists of three parts; the first part which is the connector into which the bottleneck is placed, the middle part - inter-chamber - which is new and inventive and allows the functioning of the present invention - and the connector into which the drink measure itself is fitted.

The connector for the drink measure can be designed, on demand, at a certain angle which may be fixed or variable.

Short description of the figures

Figures 1, 2 and 3 define the invention.

Figure 1 shows the entire adaptor itself in its longitudinal cross-section. Figure 2 shows the adaptor combined together with the standard dispensing device with the inclination of 0° and indication of inclination direction, whereas Figure 3 shows the design with an inclination of 5°.

Detailed description of the invention

As already mentioned in the introduction, the basic purpose of the adaptor is for dispensing drink from the bottles fitted with enclosures through the drink measure. The adaptor, subject of this invention, solves the technical problem of efficient connecting of bottles with security closure and the dispensing device itself - using an inter- chamber which capacity is equal or larger than drink measure and an optional inclination angle of the bottom connector

A detailed presentation of one of the possible constructions of the adaptor according to the invention will be followed according to positions in Figure 1.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 represent a design of the improved adaptor. The design presented in the figures features: a bottle connector, inter-chamber and a standardized connector for the drink measure which may be optionally inclined at a certain angle α. The presented design is rotationally symmetric but this does not limit the invention, but indeed allows even other designs and they are included in this invention, e.g. with inter-chamber or some other element designed in a form which is not rotationally symmetric.

The materials used to produce the present invention have to comply with strict regulations of non-toxic material. According to one aspect of the invention the adaptor consists of: upper circular flange 1.1, connector wall 2.1 with insert 3.1, inter-chamber wall 4.1 and walls that form the connector for the dispensing device defined by space 5.4.

In the device that is described, the circular flange 1.1 has an opening 1.2 which accommodates the neck of the bottle and the ring which fixes the upper part of the wall 2.1 and closes the insert 3.1 at position 3.2, pushing the insert 3.1 towards point 2.2 at the connector wall. Insert 3.1 is made of material which has to be: non-toxic, flexible, and which allows good contact and sealing; best made of rubber, silicone or similar material based on macro- molecules, so as to be fitted by slight pressure between the upper flange 1.1 and point 2.2 of the connector, at the same time being well sealed towards the bottle. The insert 3.1 can be additionally designed also with ribs 3.3 arranged on the inner side of the socket 3.5. The number of ribs 3.3 is arbitrary and improves sealing, and the insert end with a narrowing on the bottom 3.4 which prevents penetration of the inserted bottle into inter chamber 4.4 closed by the inter- chamber walls 4.1.

The inter-chamber wall 4.1 forms the inter-chamber as a new and inventive part of the invention; as at the opening it has a ring 4.2 which provides the connection of the inter-chamber wall 4.1 with the connector wall 2.1 in the inter-chamber wall 4.1 defines by its shape the volume 4.3 of the inter-chamber which needs to be, as will be shown, larger or equal to the volume of the unit dose of the drink measure.

The inter-chamber wall itself 4.1 narrows in its base and by bending forms the inner wall 5.2 as well as outer wall 5.1 of the adaptor part 5.4 into which the dispensing device is fitted through the opening 5.5 at the bottom of volume 5.4.

It should be noted that volume 5.4 is standardized by its shape according to the standard shape of the drink measure. Walls 5.1 and 5.2 can be designed so as to be transparent, so that the inter-space 5.3 remains filled with air - but this is not a condition of the invention functioning but rather contributes to design appearance. According to this invention, the bottom connector for the dispensing device can be designed also in such a way that it features a fixed inclination for a defined angle α in relation to the longitudinal adaptor axis. This angle is approximately between 0° and 10°.

The design is also possible in which the bottom connector for the dispensing device is designed so that it features the possibility of variable adjustment of angle cc in relation to the longitudinal axis as needed in a defined scope of angles.

The technical function of the mentioned inclination by angle oc is dual; on the one hand it allows in case of "critical design" of the security protection on the bottles easier provision of the necessary conditions for the creation of fluctuation on the surface so that the adaptor would be as efficient as possible, and on the other hand, in some non- standard bottles this design may enable their easier setting into the bottle supports.

Analysis of the device operation

Figure 2 presents the formed connection adaptor - drink measure

After the bottle has been "inserted" into the upper connecting part of the adaptor with the drink measure and fitted to support, the system is ready for use. By pushing a glass on drink measure arms the liquid from drink measure will enter into the glass. Arms are raised, this:

(i) after bottle is inserted into upper connecting part of the adaptor and adaptor and drink measure fitted into support/bracket, liquid from the bottle will fill adaptor and drink measure and will be ready for use; (ii) opens the valve towards the glass so that the entire content from the dispensing device is poured into the glass.

When the arms on the dispensing device is lowered, this: (i) closes the valve towards the glass, (ii) opens the valve towards the adaptor, (iii) the fluid contained in the adaptor flows into the drink measure chamber, and

(iv) the fluid from the bottle is poured into- the adaptor; where phases (iii) and (iv) take as long as it takes for the adaptor and the drink measure to get filled with the working fluid.

Many security closures of the bottle which prevent refilling of the contents in the bottle are of different design. Security of Guala consists of elements (washers and balls) and a number of very narrow channels. At the very top of the "Guala" type of security the working fluid, i.e. the beverage flows through the narrow openings. When the flow of fluid stops, a surface is formed which due to its defined tension can overcome a certain difference of the hydrostatic pressure with which the beverage acts on the "Guala" security.

If we imagine that we have a certain arbitrary surface of a fluid and if the forces from the bottom and upper part of the surface are completely balanced, it is obvious that the fluid surface itself has to be level. If, however, the forces from the both sides of the surface are not balanced, then the deformation of surfaces occurs and the forces on the surface tend to compensate such imbalance in order to bring the system into balance. If we consider the infinitesimal part of the fluid surface that is curved:

the theoretical mechanics teaches that the difference in pressure Δp between the upper and lower part is given by the Young-Laplace law:

where R_x and R_y are local surface curvature in two perpendicular directions, y coefficient of surface tension, F_Lr F_R, F_F and F_B the corresponding forces, and δθ_x and δθ_y mark the value of curve in adequate space dimension.

Since "Guala" and other security closures for bottles feature very long openings their curve radius in this extended direction is very big so that the expression 1/R which refers to this direction in the Young-Laplace law can be neglected.

In another direction the curvature radius is very small (substantially smaller than the width of the opening) so that this is precisely the factor that significantly affects the difference in pressures. In order to get a rough idea for the values of pressures, Table 1 provides the difference in pressures for fluid - water - depending on the value of the curve radius:

Table 1 - Δp for water

Radius lmm 0. lmm lμm IOnm

Δp (atm) 0.0014 0.0144 1.436 143.6

Let us also^' look at some reference values in Table 2 for surface tensions of the fluid (beverage) that are interesting in this theoretical consideration:

Table 2 - Surface tension y(T)

Fluid Temperature Surface tension y

Ethanol 2O⁰C 2.27

Ethanol (40%) + water 25⁰C 29.63

Ethanol (11%) + water 25°C 46.03

Water 0⁰C 75.64

Water 25°C 71.97

Water 5O⁰C 67.91

It should be noted that the temperature does not significantly modify the values of surface tensions for the water. Furthermore, the table shows that the surface tension of water is much higher than 40% of water-ethanol mixture, whereas pure ethanol has much lower surface tension.

If the observed difference is included in the Young-Laplace law, the surface tension of water will be able to withstand by far the greatest difference in pressures since Δp~γ.

The previous considerations show that on the security closures of "Guala" type (or similar ones) the division surface can still be created that due to surface tension can overcome a certain difference in pressure.

If the channels of the security closure are very narrow, and the surface tension coefficient of the working fluid (beverage in this case) is high, the difference in pressure can be created that is bigger than the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the bottle - and this fact prevents the mentioned fluid to flow through e.g. "Guala" security closure. Exactly {st ~ surface tension) :

/ 1 1 \

Δjλ 'St ^{= γ} IF ^~ TJ ^{y> &PMά}™^s- ^{= ρ ■ 9 ' h}

Therefore, when pure water is poured into a bottle fitted with "Guala" security closure which has been designed for the mixture of alcohol and water, close and turn the bottle - there will be no water flow. Obviously, neither will the bottle-adaptor- drink measure assembly work.

This has been also fully verified by experiment, after having emptied the dispensing device the refilling of adaptor and dispensing device from the bottle did not occur since the pressure due to surface tension was greater than the hydrostatic pressure formed in the bottle and the surface tension has fully stopped the flow of the fluid.

On the contrary - in case when the channels are wide, and the surface tension coefficient of the fluid is low - the difference in pressures on the fluid surface cannot retain the fluid. The calculation then yields: / 1 1 \

and it will not be possible to form the division surface and the fluid will flow from the bottle the entire time and will fill the adaptor and the drink measure. This case matches the experiment conditions when the bottle contains pure alcohol which has some thirty times lower coefficient y than water.

The experiment shows that after the drink measure is emptied, and the drink measure arms are lowered, the valve closes towards the drinking glass, and the valve towards the adaptor opens and alcohol contained in the adaptor flows into the drink measure, and alcohol from the bottle flows into the adaptor. The process continues until the adaptor and the drink measure are completely filled.

The problem occurs in the so-called "crossover" operation regime, which is the case when the openings on the security closure of "Guala" type are critically designed. In case of such a security design, the security channels themselves are as wide as that of the difference of pressure created due to surface tension and is approximately equal to the one formed due to the hydrostatic pressure; or mathematically:

/1 1 \

Such "critical design" can be achieved with approximately 40% by the mixture of ethanol and water which approximately corresponds to the share of alcohol in the composition of spirit drinks. In case of the "critical design", the functioning of the respective innovation goes beyond the expected operating regime and becomes non-trivial - new and inventive - and is described through the following steps:

(i) adaptor and dispensing device full - initial position;

(ii) the raising of the arms on the drink measure closes the valve towards the adaptor and opens the valve towards the drinking glass and the entire contents of the drink measure flows into the drinking glass which results in the adaptor being full and the drink measure empty;

(iii) by releasing the arms the valve between the adaptor and the drink measure opens, the fluid from the adaptor flows from the adaptor into the drink measure chamber; however, as the level of fluid in the adaptor flows a division surface gets formed on the security closure of "Guala" type (or similar) and due to the surface tension it realizes a pressure higher than the hydrostatic pressure in the bottle - and there is no flow of fluid from the bottle into the adaptor - which after a time results in an empty adaptor and a full drink measure.

(iv) second emptying of the dispensing device - the raising of the arms closes the valve towards the adaptor and opens the valve towards the drinking glass and the entire drink measure contents flow into the drinking glass, which results in an empty adaptor and an empty dispensing device; (v) when the flow into the glass is completed, the drink measure arms are lowered, the valve towards the glass is closed and the valve towards the adaptor opens, and - due to disturbance in pressure (fluctuation) which disturbs the balance of the division surface, the surface tension is not sufficient to stop the flow of fluid - the fluid starts to pour from the bottle which first fills the drink measure and then fills also the adaptor completely, which results in a full adaptor and a full drink measure.

The cycle is now repeated from point (i) . The necessary condition for this assembly to operate properly requires that the inter-chamber volume 4.3 (Figure 1) be greater or equal to the volume of the dispensing device in order to be able to fill the dispensing device with the fluid. The filling/emptying cycles are given in Table 3:

+ ... full

/ ... valve closed

- ... empty

It should be noted here that the adaptors from the state of the art technology cannot function precisely because of the fact that they cannot produce the pressure imbalance - which in the present invention is provided by the inter-chamber and, if necessary, by an additional fitted inclination.

It should be mentioned here that the above consideration and experimental observation was carried out with an adaptor with the inclination angle α=0°. For angles α>0° the pressure imbalance from step (v) is the most likely and the fastest because of the resulting forces that "deform" the division surface at the lowest point, i.e. the pressures at the division surface are not uniformly distributed.

The division surface, namely, is never ideally horizontal so as to prevent fluctuation on the surface itself, or, more exactly on a part of it, which can be additionally improved by cc>0°.

It may be finally concluded that the possible operating modes of the connection: bottle fitted with security closure of "Guala" type (or similar) - improved adaptor according to the invention - beverage drink measure, are as follows:

a.) the security closure channels are very narrow, and the surface tension coefficient is high - the pressure difference formed by surface tension is higher than the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the bottle and the assembly does not function regardless of the adaptor design,

b.) the security closure channels are very wide, and the surface tension coefficient is low - the pressure difference produced by the surface tension is lower than the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the bottle and the assembly functions regardless of the adaptor design, and

c.) the security closure channels have the "critical design", and the generated pressure difference due to the surface tension is equivalent to the one of the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid in the bottle - in that case the assembly will function only if there is an inter-chamber in the adaptor, equal or bigger in size to the volume of the drink measure used.

The above considerations clearly show that the inter-chamber represents a non-trivial element of the invention and allows its proper functioning in case of the "critical design" of the security closure.

The inclination of the bottom connecting part of the adaptor is not sufficient in itself for the proper functioning of the adaptor, but together with the fitted respective chamber, the inclination facilitates the operation of the adaptor.

Industrial applicability

The industrial applicability of the present invention is obvious. The invention is applicable, in particular in case of the "critical design" of the security closures fitted into bottles against refilling.

The invention features also a certain flexibility, allowing correction of the inclination of the bottle-adaptor-dispensing device setting at an angle cc which may be essential for the proper functioning of the joints (sealing) and additional improvement in producing fluctuation in case of the critical or super-critical design of the closure.

Claims

PATENT CLAIMS

1. The improved adaptor for use with various types of drink measures consists of: connection part for the bottle, fitted with a security closure and the connecting part for the fitting of the drink measure itself, characterized by, that the said adaptor:

(i) additionally comprises an inter-chamber located between the connecting part for the bottle and the connecting part for the drink measure, where the mentioned inter-chamber has the volume which is equal or larger than the volume of the used drink measure, and

(ii) where the connecting part for the drink measure can be tapered at an inclination angle α≥0° in relation to the longitudinal axis formed by the bottle- adaptor-drink measure.

2. The improved adaptor for the beverage dispensing device defined in claim 1, characterized by, that it comprises an inclination angle ot=O° .

3. The functioning method of the adaptor designed according to claims 1 or 2 for the case of "critical design" of the security closure for bottles, where the respective security serves against refilling or diluting of the liquid in the bottle; characterized by, that the adaptor and the dispensing device are filled and emptied in cycles (i)-(v) presented in the Table below; where the bottle is by definition always sufficiently full, and the glass always empty to receive the liquid, and sign + at the glass means that it was precisely this glass that was filled from the dispensing device;

and where the existence of the inter-chamber - optionally together with the bottle inclination angle - allows its refilling of the system, step (v) , in such a way that the existence of the inter-chamber and possibly α≥0° lead to instability of the division plane at the very security closure of the bottle after step (iv) when the contents of the adaptor and the dispensing device are completely emptied resulting in the refilling of the adaptor and the drink measure.

4. The improved adaptor for the drink measure according to claim 1 or 2, with the functioning method given in claim 3, characterized by, that it may be made of any adeguate nontoxic material which does not react with alcohol spirits, possibly in the form of a rotational symmetric body, where the said materials allow good sealing of the connecting parts, and where the connecting part towards the dispensing device retains the possibility of variable inclination for an angle α≥0°, or is designed with fixed inclination for a pre-defined angle oc.

5. The use of the improved adaptor for the beverage dispensing device according to claims 1, 2 and 4 and the functioning method according to claim 3, characterized by, that it is used for secure pouring of liquid from the bottles through the drink measure in cases of "critical" and "sub-critical" design of the bottle security closures that prevent the respective bottles being refilled or diluted.