Insert for a pressurized container of liquid

• US 8,007,880 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Issued: 08/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ball Packaging Europe GmbH
• Original Assignee: Ball Packaging Europe GmbH
• Inventors: Ullmann, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): Dye; Rena L
• Assistant Examiner(s): YAGER, JAMES C
• Application Number:
  US10/538,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20060153956A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,825 Days
• Field of Search: 428/34.1, 426/106, 426/397, 534/32, 220/501, 220/553
• US Class Current: 428/34.1
• 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-pressurized 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. An insert adapted for addition to a gas-pressurized liquid in a liquid container, the liquid container also having a headspace adjacent to the gas-pressurized liquid, comprising:

a body that is activated by pressure, having a perimeter and at least one first cavity, said body having an opening that allows said at least one first cavity to communicate with said headspace; and

a positioning device interconnected to at least a portion of said perimeter of said body and arranged outside said perimeter of said body, said positioning device having at least one second cavity, said positioning device further comprising;

an opening arranged in a lower surface of said positioning device, which is in communication with said at least one second cavity, said opening being submerged in the gas-pressurized liquid when said insert is floating on the gas-pressurized liquid,

a ventilation opening arranged in an upper surface of said positioning device, which is in communication with said at least one second cavity, that directly communicates with the headspace,

said lower surface of said positioning device being coplanar with a lower surface of said body,

wherein said at least one second cavity ensures that said insert will sink into the gas-pressurized liquid when said at least one second cavity is filled with the gas-pressurized liquid, and

wherein said at least one first cavity is maintained in an upright position for communicating with a headspace in an un-submerged state and for releasing contents when said insert is submerged in the gas-pressurized liquid.

2. The insert of claim 1, wherein a bottom surface of said body and said lower surface of said positioning device form an integral unit.

3. The insert of claim 1, wherein said at least one first cavity of said body is comprised of a primary cavity having an opening for communication with the headspace an auxiliary cavity that is adapted to accommodate a solid or liquid substance, said primary cavity and said auxiliary cavity being separated by a partition.

4. The insert of claim 3, wherein said partition between said primary cavity and said auxiliary cavity is a circumferential wall, which completely surrounds the said auxiliary cavity.

5. The insert of claim 4, wherein the said auxiliary cavity has the shape of a cylinder that is symmetrical in relation to an axis (x), and said primary cavity has the shape of a cylindrical sleeve.

6. The insert of claim 1, wherein said body is arranged centrically in said positioning device.

7. The insert of claim 6, wherein said body and the said positioning device are designed as symmetrical bodies in relation to an axis (x).

8. The insert of claim 1, further comprising a weight positioned within said at least one first cavity of said body.

9. The insert of claim 8, wherein said weight is an integral part of the said body.

10. The insert of claim 1, wherein said insert is comprised of a bottom part, a cover part and a weight.

11. The insert of claim 10, wherein the said bottom part and the said cover part are connected via a snap connection or a frictionally engaged connection.

12. The insert of claim 10, wherein said bottom part and a cover part are connected with one another via side walls thereof.

13. The insert of claim 10, wherein said cover part includes a side wall that snappingly engages said bottom part.

14. The insert of claim 1, further comprising a liquid filled container, wherein the insert is introduced into the container before or after the open container is filled with the gas-pressurized liquid, and the gas-pressurized liquid container is sealed, such that an overpressure develops compared to the ambient pressure within the gas-pressurized liquid container after the sealing.

15. The insert of claim 14, wherein said overpressure is admitted into said headspace of the liquid container.

16. The insert of claim 14, wherein the liquid is a foaming beverage.

17. The insert of claim 3, wherein said auxiliary cavity 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.

18. The insert of claim 17, wherein said overpressure is admitted into the headspace.

19. The insert of claim 17, wherein the liquid is beer and said solid or liquid substance is an aroma compound.

20. The insert of claim 17, wherein the liquid is an alcohol-free, carbonated beverage or a non-carbonated beverage, which was filled with the addition of liquid nitrogen, and said solid or liquid is an aroma compound.