Replaceable component for a beverage container, a combination of a replaceable component for a beverage container and a beverage container, and a method of using a replaceable component for a beverage container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12565357-B2
Application number	US-202117912914-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2021
Priority date	May 29, 2020
Publication date	Mar 3, 2026
Grant date	Mar 3, 2026

Abstract

A replaceable component for a beverage container to be attached to a beverage extraction pipe of the beverage container is provided. The replaceable component for a beverage container includes a tubular member slidable along a longitudinal direction of the beverage extraction pipe and capable of coming in annular contact with an outer circumferential surface of the beverage extraction pipe, and a bag, which is attached to the tubular member, for containing a beverage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A replaceable component for a beverage container to be attached to a beverage extraction pipe of a fitting, the fitting having the beverage extraction pipe, an attachment portion attached to a mouth portion of the beverage container, and an outer cylindrical portion arranged radially outside the beverage extraction pipe, the replaceable component comprising:
a tubular member that is slidable along a longitudinal direction of the beverage extraction pipe and capable of coming in annular contact with an outer circumferential surface of the beverage extraction pipe; a bag for containing a beverage, the bag being attached to the tubular member; and a non-bag-shaped protective sheet arranged above the bag, wherein the tubular member includes:
a tubular portion that functions as a guided portion guided by the beverage extraction pipe when the tubular member moves along the longitudinal direction of the beverage extraction pipe; and
a flange portion to which the bag is welded,
wherein the non-bag-shaped protective sheet has a through hole into which the beverage extraction pipe is to be inserted, and wherein the non-bag-shaped protective sheet is deformable upwardly such that, in a state in which the replaceable component is attached to the beverage extraction pipe of the fitting, the non-bag-shaped protective sheet is deformed so as to face an outer circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion.

2 . The replaceable component for a beverage container according to claim 1 ,
wherein the tubular member includes an annular seal portion configured to come in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the beverage extraction pipe.

3 . A combination comprising:
a replaceable component for a beverage container; and a beverage container, wherein the beverage container comprises:
a beverage container main body; and
a fitting attached to a mouth portion of the beverage container,
wherein the fitting includes:
a beverage extraction pipe inserted into the beverage container main body;
an attachment portion attached to the mouth portion; and
an outer cylindrical portion arranged radially outside the beverage extraction pipe,
wherein the replaceable component comprises:
a tubular member that is slidable along a longitudinal direction of the beverage extraction pipe and configured to come in annular contact with an outer circumferential surface of the beverage extraction pipe;
a bag for containing a beverage attached to the tubular member; and
a non-bag-shaped protective sheet arranged above the bag,
wherein the tubular member includes:
a tubular portion that functions as a guided portion guided by the beverage extraction pipe when the tubular member moves along the longitudinal direction of the beverage extraction pipe; and
a flange portion to which the bag is welded,
wherein the non-bag-shaped protective sheet has a through hole into which the beverage extraction pipe is to be inserted, wherein a plurality of through hole portions are formed in the outer cylindrical portion, and wherein the non-bag-shaped protective sheet is deformable upwardly such that, in a state in which the replaceable component is attached to the beverage extraction pipe of the fitting, the non-bag-shaped protective sheet is deformed so as to face an outer circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion.

4 . The combination according to claim 3 ,
wherein the fitting includes:
a beverage valve; and
a gas valve;
wherein the beverage extraction pipe is made of stainless steel, and wherein the fitting including the beverage extraction pipe made of the stainless steel is reusable after being cleaned.

5 . The combination according to claim 4 ,
wherein the fitting includes a removal-preventing member that prevents the fitting from being removed from the beverage container, and wherein the non-bag-shaped protective sheet prevents the bag from coming in direct contact with the removal-preventing member.

6 . The combination according to claim 3 ,
wherein the replaceable component includes a beverage intake part attached to a lower end portion of the beverage extraction pipe.

7 . The combination according to claim 3 ,
wherein the beverage extraction pipe constitutes a part of a well-type fitting or a part of a flat-type fitting.

8 . The combination according to claim 3 ,
wherein the beverage extraction pipe includes: a shoulder portion; a small-diameter pipe portion arranged below the shoulder portion; and a large-diameter pipe portion arranged above the shoulder portion, and wherein the tubular member is attached to the large-diameter pipe portion so as to come in annular contact with the large-diameter pipe portion.

9 . The combination according to claim 3 ,
wherein the beverage extraction pipe includes: a shoulder portion; a small-diameter pipe portion arranged below the shoulder portion; and a large-diameter pipe portion arranged above the shoulder portion, and wherein the tubular member is attached to the small-diameter pipe portion so as to come in annular contact with the small-diameter pipe portion.

10 . A method of using a replaceable component for a beverage container, the replaceable component comprising:
a tubular member having a flange portion; a bag welded to the flange portion of the tubular member; and a non-bag-shaped protective sheet arranged above the bag, wherein the non-bag-shaped protective sheet has a through hole into which a beverage extraction pipe is to be inserted, wherein the beverage container includes a fitting attached to a mouth portion of the beverage container, wherein the fitting includes:
the beverage extraction pipe;
an attachment portion attached to the mouth portion; and
an outer cylindrical portion arranged radially outside the beverage extraction pipe,
wherein a plurality of through hole portions are formed in the outer cylindrical portion, and wherein the non-bag-shaped protective sheet is deformable upwardly, the method comprising: inserting the beverage extraction pipe into the through hole of the non-bag-shaped protective sheet; inserting a lower end of the beverage extraction pipe into the tubular member; sliding the tubular member along a longitudinal direction of the beverage extraction pipe such that a part of the beverage extraction pipe protrudes from a lower end of the tubular member; attaching the replaceable component to the beverage extraction pipe such that the non-bag-shaped protective sheet is deformed upwardly so as to face an outer circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion, and such that a state in which the tubular member is in annular contact with an outer circumferential surface of the beverage extraction pipe is maintained; and inserting the beverage extraction pipe to which the replaceable component has been attached into the beverage container.

11 . The method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the attaching of the replaceable component includes attaching the replaceable component to the beverage extraction pipe by utilizing a frictional force acting between an inner circumferential surface of the tubular member and the outer circumferential surface of the beverage extraction pipe.

12 . The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
detaching the replaceable component from the beverage extraction pipe; and reattaching a new replaceable component to the beverage extraction pipe, wherein the beverage extraction pipe to which the new replaceable component is attached in the reattaching is a component that has been cleaned and reused.

Assignees

• Asahi Group Holdings Ltd
• Asahi Breweries Ltd

Inventors

• Miyatani Tomohisa
• Maeda Tsutomu
• Yamagishi Masanori
• Inagaki Motohiro

Classifications

• B67D2001/0828

  in pressurised housing · CPC title

• B67D7/0294

  Combined with valves · CPC title

• B67D7/0266

  by gas acting directly on the liquid · CPC title

• B67D1/0801

  of beverage containers, e.g. casks, kegs · CPC title

• B65D85/72

  for edible or potable liquids, semiliquids, or plastic or pasty materials · CPC title