Polykeg S.r.l.

Pet Engineering & Services S.r.l.

Other

Pet Engineering U Services S.r.l.

Toyotomi Co., Ltd.

Marabini, Silvia Romana

Sergio Sonzogni

Philip Andrew Walton

Andrew Smith

Robert Tansley

Andrew Gibbs

A flow diverting device is provided at the lower end of the dip-tube (D) in a bag-in-keg container (C) which is filled top-side-down, e.g. with beer. The device directs the incoming flow to run smoothly back down the outside of the dip tube, gently into the already pooled beer thus minimising any fountain effect and associated turbulence. The device can also be used with single-wall metal or plastic kegs to reduce the dispensing of sediment and allow a greater volume of beer to be withdrawn without fobbing.

Flow terminal for a container dip tube

A valve closure for dispensing liquid by means of a pressurised gas has an inner sleeve () which includes a socket () and an annular inner valve seat (). The inner sleeve carries a ring seal () which is urged against an outer valve seat () by an outer spring (). A valve member () has an annular sealing face () co-operable with the inner valve seat () and a spring () urges the valve member () against the inner valve seat (). The valve member () incorporates a plurality of projections () spaced radially from the annular sealing face (). The valve closure can be used with a dispensing coupler having a tubular probe with a circumferential ring seal and a locking recess to engage the locking fingers of a detachable closing element.

Valve closure with concentric spring-loaded moving valve members, the internal valve member having axial protrusions

The valve closure (e.g. an A-type closure) has a closure body () for attachment to a container, a gas inlet port (), a liquid dispensing port (), and a valve member () to sealably close the gas inlet and liquid dispensing ports. An over-pressure relief valve () is configured to release gas from within the container in the event that an internal pressure limit is exceeded, and a user-operable depressurising lever () is arranged to permit the over-pressure relief valve to be manually opened. The over-pressure relief valve () comprises a plunger () which is urged against a seat () by a spring (), and the depressurising lever () incorporates an abutment () for the spring (). The plunger () includes an arrowhead formation () by which the depressurising lever () engages the plunger to hold the valve open during manual operation. The depressurising lever () incorporates an integral hinge () which also forms a frangible connection so that the lever becomes detached from the closure body and permanently opens the over-pressure release valve when manually operated.

Valve closure incorporating an over-pressure relief valve

A bag-in-keg container for a carbonated beverage has a container body C, a flexible bag B within the container body, and a valve closure V attached to the container body. The valve closure includes a gas inlet port (), a liquid dispensing port (), and spring-loaded valve member () to sealably close the gas inlet and liquid dispensing ports. An adapter () sealingly attached to the flexible bag B incorporates a bag PRV () to vent gas pressure from within the flexible bag. A container PRV () vents gas pressure from between the container body C and the flexible bag B. The bag PRV has a valve shuttle with one side exposed to gas pressure within the flexible bag B and an opposite side exposed to gas pressure within a sealed plenum chamber (). The bag PRV therefore operates at a fixed pressure independent of the differential pressure between the bag and the outer container. This solves the problem of venting excess pressure within the keg whilst still allowing the dispensing gas to achieve the equilibrium.

Bag-in-keg container with fixed pressure PRV

Container with a slim handle

Barrel

A fully recyclable valve housing for engagement with a neck of a container, such as a beer keg, has an inner port for liquid and a concentric outer port for pressurized gas, with openings for admitting pressurized gas into the container. A dip tube is connected to a bottom end fitting, communicating with a valve stem within the valve housing. A valve member controls flow through the concentric ports, and a spring element located about the valve stem urges the valve member upwards to close the ports. The spring element is molded from a resilient polymeric material and comprises a plurality of C-shaped sections angularly arranged in two interconnected stacks on opposite sides of the valve stem such that movement of the valve member causes concurrent resilient deformation of all the sections.

Recyclable valve closure for keg

A container such as a beer keg includes a container bodyand top and bottom chimes. The container body has a peripheral side wallprovided with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced projections which are formed with the container body by a simple pressing or molding operation. Each chime is formed with a peripheral skirtwhich fits over the peripheral side wall and a co-operating inner lip which snap-engages over the circumferentially-spaced projections. In a plastics container, the contents of the container tend to press against the projections and resist any tendency to distortion in normal use and therefore increase the strength of the attachment. In the case of the top chimethe skirtis joined to an inner hubwhich is additionally fixed to the container neckby means of a valve assemblywhich is screwed onto the neck. A capprevents unscrewing of the valve assemblyand provides immediate evidence of tampering.

Growing community of inventors

Grassobbio, Italy

Sergio Sonzogni