Insert for a poressurized container of liquid

• US 20060153956A1
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ball Packaging Europe GmbH
• Original Assignee: Ball Packaging Europe GmbH
• Inventors: Ullmann, Bernd
• Granted Patent: US 8,007,880 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/397
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 81/3222 with additional means facilitating admixture
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/73 with means specially adapted for effervescing the liquids, e.g. for forming bubbles or beer head
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/13 Hollow or container type article [e.g., tube, vase, etc.]

Abstract

The invention relates to an insert that is to be added to a gas-pressurised liquid in a container. Said insert comprises a pressure-activated body with at least one cavity, said body being connected to a positioning device. According to the invention, (a) the pressure-activated body (4) comprises at least one opening (10) with a reduced diameter, which connects the cavity to the environment of the insert and is situated in a location that lies above the level of liquid when the insert is floating on said liquid and (b) the positioning device comprises a floating body (1, 2; 1, 2, 6) with a small opening (3), which is submerged in the liquid when the insert is placed on the latter, a ventilation opening (5), which communicates directly with the external environment (14) of the insert and a minimum volume (11), which when filled with liquid enables the insert to sink into the liquid. The inventive insert can be added to liquids that are sealed under pressure. It floats to the surface of said liquid, but sinks after a period of time. Its pressure-activated body is charged with the internal pressure of the sealed container and when the container of liquid is opened, said pressure is used in a known manner to achieve effects such as an improved foaming of beer or to mix a substance, which up to the point of opening has been stored separately in the container, with the liquid.

Claims

1. Insert for being added to a gas-pressurized liquid in a liquid container, wherein the insert has a said body that can be activated by pressure and has at least one cavity in conjunction with a positioning device, characterized in that

(a) the said body (4) that can be activated by pressure has at least one said opening (10) with a reduced diameter, which connects this cavity with the environment of the insert and is located in a location that is above the level of liquid when the insert is floating on the liquid, and

(b) the said positioning device comprises a said floating body (1, 2;

1, 2, 6) with

(i) a said small opening (3) that is submerged in the liquid when the insert is placed on a liquid,

(ii) a said ventilation opening (5), which directly communicates with the said external environment (14) of the insert, and

(iii) a said minimum volume (11), which ensures that the insert will sink into the liquid when it is filled with liquid.

3. Insert in accordance with claim 1 wherein said floating body has the shape of a said, upwardly open (1, 2) or of a said, upwardly at least partially covered boat (1, 2, 6), and the said body (4) that can be activated by pressure is arranged within the said boat.

4. Insert in accordance with claim 3 wherein said boat comprises at least one said bottom (1) and a said circumferential side wall (2) and the said body (4) that can be activated by pressure is arranged on the bottom of the said boat.

5. Insert in accordance with claim 1 wherein the bottom of the body that can be activated by pressure and the bottom of the floating body form an integral unit.

6. Insert in accordance claim 1 wherein the said body that can be activated by pressure has only one cavity, and this cavity has only one said opening (10) with a reduced diameter in its upper area.

7. Insert in accordance with claim 1 wherein the said body that can be activated by pressure has a said first cavity (9) with a said opening with a reduced diameter arranged in its upper area and with a said second cavity (8), which is intended to accommodate a solid or liquid substance and is separated from the said first cavity by a wall that can be opened by relatively weak forces in a gas- and liquid-tight manner.

8. Insert in accordance with claim 7 wherein, the partition between the two said cavities is a circumferential wall, which completely surrounds the said second cavity on the side.

9. Insert in accordance with claim 8 wherein, the said second cavity (8) has the shape of a cylinder or another shape that is rotationally symmetrical in relation to a said axis (x), and the said first cavity (9) has the shape of a cylindrical sleeve or a shape derived therefrom.

10. Insert in accordance with claim 1 wherein the body that can be activated by pressure is arranged centrically in the said floating body.

11. Insert in accordance with claim 10 wherein, the said body that can be activated by pressure and the said floating body are designed as rotationally symmetrical bodies in relation to a said axis (x).

12. Insert in accordance with claim 1 wherein characterized in that the said body that can be activated by pressure additionally has a weight (7).

13. Insert in accordance with claim 12 wherein, the weight is an integral part of the said body that can be activated by pressure.

14. Insert in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that it is composed exclusively of said bottom part (13) and a said cover part (12) as well as a said weight (7).

15. Insert in accordance with claim 14 wherein, the said bottom part and the said cover part are connected with one another via snap connections, frictionally engaged connections or weak bonded connections.

16. Insert in accordance with claim 14 wherein said two parts (12, 13) are connected with one another via their side walls.

17. Insert in accordance with claim 14 wherein at least one of said cover part and said bottom part has all the said side walls of the insert and these snappingly engage the bottom or the cover of the other part or extend around structures arranged there during connection.

18. Insert in accordance with claim 1 wherein the body that can be activated by pressure and the floating body are made of plastic and/or the weight is made of a material with a specific gravity of >

1, for example, a metal or ceramic.

19. Use of an insert in accordance with claim 1 so as to improve the formation of gas bubbles in a liquid, which is sealed in a container under gas pressure, during the opening of the said container, characterized in that the insert is introduced into the container before or after the open container is filled with the liquid, and the liquid container is sealed, such that an overpressure develops compared to the ambient pressure within the liquid container after the sealing.

20. Use in accordance with claim 19, wherein pressure, which causes said overpressure to develop within the liquid container after sealing, is admitted into the gas space above the liquid in the liquid container.

21. Use in accordance with claim 18 wherein the liquid is a foaming beverage and especially beer.

22. Use of an insert in accordance with claim 7 wherein said cavity (8) of an insert according to claim 7 or a claim that depends on that claim, which said cavity is intended for this purpose, is filled with the solid or liquid substance, the open container is filled with liquid, the insert is introduced into the container before or after the liquid is filled into the container, and the liquid container is sealed, such that an overpressure develops compared to the ambient pressure after the liquid container is sealed.

23. Use in accordance with claim 22, wherein pressure, which causes said overpressure to develop within the liquid container after sealing, is admitted into the gas space above the liquid in the liquid container.

24. Use in accordance with claim 22 wherein the liquid is beer and the substance stored separately is an aroma compound.

25. Use in accordance with claim 22 wherein the liquid is an alcohol-free, carbonated beverage or a non-carbonated beverage, which was filled with the addition of liquid nitrogen, and the substance stored separately is a minor nutrient and/or an aroma compound.

2. Insert in accordance with claim 2 wherein said floating body is arranged outside the said body that can be activated by pressure.