Tapping rod

• US 7,832,596 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2001
• Issued: 11/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Heineken Technical Services B.V.
• Original Assignee: Heineken Technical Services B.V.
• Inventors: Bax, Bart Jan, Paauwe, Arie-Maarten, van Duuren, Marius Corstiaan, van der Klaauw, Guido Petrus Johannes
• Primary Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US10/432,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20040045988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,282 Days
• Field of Search: 222/400.7, 222/394, 222/398, 222/399, 222/400.8, 137/212, 137317-325, 13761403-61406, 141/44, 141/59, 141/346, 141/348, 141/349, 251/321
• US Class Current: 222/400.8
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0832 with two valves disposed concentrically
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0848 Locking means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/314 Unitary mounting for gas pressure inlet and liquid outlet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6137 Longitudinal movement of valve

Abstract

A tapping rod (2) with a beverage valve (16), a gas valve (14) cooperating therewith, and a collar (24), while in or on the collar a connecting device (26) is fitted, which connecting device comprises a pressure body (30) for opening the beverage valve (16) and the gas valve (14), wherein: the pressure body (30) comprise or defines at least one first beverage channel (50) for bringing, with the beverage valve in open position, the inner space of a keg, in particular a riser of the taping rod, into fluid communication with a beverage dispensing line; the pressure body comprises or defines at least one gas channel (48) for bringing, with the gas valve in open position, the inner space of the keg into fluid communication with a gas supply line.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising:

a tapping rod including a chamber that can be placed in fluid communication with a beverage in a container having a neck;

a riser having one end of which is located in the chamber of the tapping rod and the other end of which can be placed in fluid communication with the beverage in the container;

a gas valve located in the tapping rod for allowing gas to flow into the chamber of the tapping rod and out of the chamber into the beverage in the container when the gas valve is open and for closing off the flow of gas to the chamber of the tapping rod when the gas valve is closed;

a beverage valve located at or within the end of the riser that is located in the chamber of the tapping rod for allowing the beverage to flow into and through the riser when the beverage valve is open and for closing off the flow of the beverage through the riser when the beverage valve is closed; and

a connecting device connected to the tapping rod or the neck and a pressure body provided between the connecting device and the beverage valve and gas valve for opening and closing the gas valve and the beverage valve, the pressure body having at least one beverage channel for placing the beverage in the container in fluid communication, through the riser, with a beverage dispensing line when the beverage valve is open and at least one gas channel effective to place the beverage in the container, when the gas valve is open, in fluid communication, through the chamber of the tapping rod and through the open gas valve, with a gas supply line, wherein said beverage valve is sealingly pressable against said gas valve, the pressure body being movable axially with respect to the neck of the container, at least part of the gas channel being located inside the pressure body.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the tapping rod includes a collar portion located above the chamber in the tapping rod and the connecting device is located in the collar portion of the tapping rod.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one beverage channel and the at least one gas channel are separated from each other, both in the open and in the closed position of the beverage valve and the gas valve.

4. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the pressure body is surrounded by a fixing element which is lockable within or on the collar portion such that the fixing element is substantially fixed in position in an axial sense.

5. The assembly of claim 4 wherein the fixing element includes a beverage channel which, when the beverage valve is open, links up with the at least one beverage channel in the pressure body.

6. The assembly of claim 5 wherein a beverage dispensing line is fixedly connected with the beverage channel in the fixing element.

7. The assembly of claim 1 wherein a beverage dispensing line is connected directly with the beverage channel in the connecting device.

8. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the beverage valve seals against the gas valve, while the gas valve seals against the collar;

wherein upon moving the gas valve away from the collar, the gas valve is opened, and upon moving the beverage valve relative to the gas valve, the beverage valve is opened, the gas valve comprising a gas valve body which comprises an opening through which the pressure body is movable against a beverage valve body of the beverage valve for opening the beverage valve, and the pressure body comprising a pressure edge movable against the gas valve body for opening the gas valve.

9. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the pressure edge is movable against a longitudinal edge of said opening, for opening the gas valve, the pressure edge sealing substantially fluid-tightly against said longitudinal edge.

10. The assembly of claim 8 wherein the distance between the end of the pressure body located, during opening of the beverage valve, against the beverage valve body and the pressure edge is chosen such as to be greater than the relevant distance between the beverage valve body against which the pressure body abuts and the part of the gas valve against which the pressure body abuts during opening of the gas valve, the arrangement being such that upon movement of the pressure body for opening the valves, first the beverage valve and then the gas valve is opened.

11. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one gas channel has a first end terminating in or near an upper surface of the pressure body, while the beverage dispensing line is connectible or connected to the pressure body at a radial distance from the longitudinal axis of the pressure body greater than the radial distance from said longitudinal axis to the termination of the at least one gas channel in or near said upper surface.

12. The assembly of claim 1 wherein a first and second beverage channel, respectively, to which the beverage dispensing line is connected includes an angle, at least near said connection, with the longitudinal axis of the pressure body, the arrangement being such that the beverage dispensing line is connectible or connected to the respective beverage channel with a feed-through direction adjacent said connection which has at least a radial component.

13. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the pressure body comprises a flange which extends in a direction approximately at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the tapping rod and seals at least gas-tightly against a collar or at least against a fixing body mounted therein, while the at least one gas channel has a second end terminating between said flange or at least seal, and the gas valve or at least a gas valve body.

14. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the at least one beverage channel comprises a portion located centrally in the pressure body, with a first end in or near a lower surface of the pressure body, surrounded by square tooth-shaped elements which during use keep said first end spaced from a beverage valve body or the beverage valve.

15. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the passage of the at least one gas channel is smaller than that of the at least one beverage channel.

16. The assembly of claim 2 wherein the pressure body and/or the collar portion is/are provided with cooperating sealing means, such that through rupture or loosening of the cooperating sealing means, it becomes visible that the pressure body has been moved at least once in a direction of a position needed for opening the beverage valve and/or the gas valve.

17. The assembly of claim 1 wherein means are provided for preventing ingress of beverage into the at least one gas channel in the connecting device.

18. The assembly of claim 17 wherein the at least one gas channel is provided with a non-return valve.

19. The assembly of claim 17 wherein a flexible element extends around at least a portion of the connecting device, such that an outflow opening of the at least one gas channel is closed off thereby when no gas is being supplied, while the flexible element can be pushed away slightly when gas under pressure is being supplied through the at least one gas channel, for allowing said pressure gas to pass.

20. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the container comprises a keg and the assembly is connected to the keg.

21. The assembly of claim 20 including a tapping head, wherein the tapping head comprises a coupling part for coupling same with a collar of the tapping rod or a neck at least partly surrounding the collar, while an operating rod is provided for pressing the pressure body down for opening the gas valve and the beverage valve, while in or along the operating rod, gas passage openings are provided for passing a gas under pressure through the at least one gas channel into the keg, at least when the gas valve is open.

22. The assembly of claim 12, wherein said angle is between about 30 and about 90°

.

23. The assembly of claim 1 wherein means are provided for preventing ingress of beverage into the at least one gas channel in the connecting device during use of the beverage valve and/or gas valve.

24. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the pressure body extends into or through an opening in the gas valve.

25. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the pressure body extends through the gas valve to engage the beverage valve.

26. The assembly of claim 1, wherein, during operation, the pressure body first opens the beverage valve and then, subsequently, opens the gas valve.