BEVERAGE SERVER, BEVERAGE SERVER SYSTEM, AND BEVERAGE PROVIDING METHOD

Abstract

A beverage server (10) comprising: a container (11) having a main body (12) for containing a beverage; and a lid (13) airtightly attached to the main body (12), the container (11) being formed so that a space (11a) for gas filling is generated even when the main body (12) is filled with a maximum amount of beverage; a beverage discharge line (14) one end of which is located within the main body of the container; an on-off valve (15) for opening and closing the beverage discharge line (14); and a gas inlet (16) of the container which allows only gas to flow in; the beverage server (10) comprising: a main body (12) for containing a beverage; a lid (13) airtightly attached to the main body (12); a beverage discharge line (14) one end of which is located within the main body of the container;

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a tabletop beverage server for dispensing beverages such as beer into glasses or mugs. [Background technology]

[0002] One method for serving beverages such as beer to customers at restaurants and the like is to fill a container called a pitcher with beer for several people, provide the pitcher to the customer, and the customer pours the beer from the pitcher into a glass or the like as needed. A pitcher is a beverage pot with a handle, generally has a capacity of, for example, about 1.8 liters, has a spout, and also comes with a lid to cover the top opening. Patent Document 1 describes such a pitcher. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-136272 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Since pitchers are not airtight, the problem of gas leakage cannot be ignored for beer left in the pitcher for a long time. Also, the capacity of pitchers used in restaurants is usually about 1.8 liters, so customers are required to have a certain amount of strength to tilt such a pitcher containing a drink and pour the drink into a glass without making a mistake.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a beverage server that can suppress gas leakage from sparkling beverages, is easy to operate, and can serve as a substitute for a pitcher. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beverage server comprising a container having a main body for containing a beverage and a lid airtightly attached to the main body, the container being configured so that a space for gas filling is generated even when the main body is filled with a maximum amount of beverage, a beverage discharge pipeline one end of which is disposed within the main body of the container, an on-off valve for opening and closing the beverage discharge pipeline, and a gas inlet of the container which allows only the inflow of gas, wherein the beverage contained in the main body is discharged outside the container through the beverage discharge pipeline when the on-off valve is opened based on the pressure of gas that had been previously introduced into the space for gas filling via the gas inlet prior to discharge.

[0007] Furthermore, according to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beverage server system comprising a beverage server according to the first aspect, a gas cylinder, and a fluid connector connected to the gas cylinder, the fluid connector being connectable to a gas inlet of a container of the beverage server.

[0008] Furthermore, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for providing a beverage, comprising the steps of: preparing a beverage server comprising a container having a main body for containing a beverage and a lid attached to the main body, a gas inlet of the container, and a beverage discharge pipeline; pouring a beverage into the main body of the container; airtightly attaching the lid to the main body and placing one end of the beverage discharge pipeline in the beverage in the main body; introducing gas from the gas cylinder into a gas filling space in the container by connecting a fluid connector connected to the gas cylinder to the gas inlet of the container; disconnecting the fluid connector from the gas inlet while maintaining the gas introduced in the container; discharging the beverage in the container to the outside by opening an opening / closing valve provided in the beverage discharge pipeline; and stopping the discharge of the beverage by closing the opening / closing valve. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, gas is introduced and maintained in a hermetically sealed container that contains a beverage, thereby eliminating the problem of gas escaping from beverages such as beer, which occurs when using conventional pitchers. Furthermore, according to the present invention, the driving force for discharging the beverage is the pressure of the gas introduced and maintained in the container, so there is no need to tilt a heavy container to discharge the beverage as in the case of conventional pitchers, and only a simple operation of an opening and closing valve is required.

[0010] In addition, there is no need to supply gas from outside into the container while the beverage is being dispensed, and therefore the container can be separated from a gas supply source such as a gas cylinder. As a result, the beverage server can ensure the same mobility as a conventional pitcher, while allowing the use of a large-capacity gas cylinder with a low cost per gram as the gas supply source. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a beverage server system according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a beverage server of a beverage server system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a beverage server of a beverage server system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] A beverage server system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The beverage server system 100 includes a beverage server 10 and a gas cylinder 20 for supplying gas thereto. The beverage server system 100 can supply sparkling beverages such as beer, low-malt beer, beer-flavored sparkling alcoholic beverages (third beers) made from ingredients other than malt and mixed with other alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beer, chuhai, highballs, and non-alcoholic carbonated beverages. In this embodiment, the gas filled in the gas cylinder 20 is carbon dioxide gas.

[0013] Beverage server 10 comprises container 11 for containing a beverage such as beer, beverage discharge pipe 14 having one end 14a disposed within the beverage in container 11, on-off valve 15 for opening and closing beverage discharge pipe 14, and gas inlet 16 for container 11 which allows only gas to flow in. Container 11 comprises main body 12 for containing the beverage, and lid 13 airtightly attached to main body 12.

[0014] The main body 12 of the container 11 is formed in a bottomed cylindrical shape with an open top having a space for storing a beverage inside. A male thread (not shown) that enables screwing with the lid 13 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the upper end of the main body 12. In this embodiment, the lid 13 is formed in a cylindrical shape with a lid, and a female thread (not shown) that can screw with the male thread of the main body 12 is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the lower end. A seal member (not shown) is disposed between the main body 12 and the lid 13 so that the container 11 is airtightly sealed when the lid 13 is screwed into the main body 12. In addition, the container 11 is formed so that a gas-filling space 11a is generated above the beverage, as shown in FIG. 1, even when the beverage is stored to the maximum extent in the main body 12 and the lid 13 is attached.

[0015] A gas introduction pipe 17 is connected to the upper surface of the lid 13 in order to introduce gas into the gas filling space 11a. One end of the gas introduction pipe 17 outside the container 11 constitutes the gas inlet 16 described above. The other end of the gas introduction pipe 17 opens in the gas filling space 11a inside the container 11. The gas inlet 16 is formed as a fluid connector 16 to which a fluid connector 24 on the gas cylinder 20 side is detachably connected. In this embodiment, a check valve 18 is provided in the gas introduction pipe 17 to prevent the gas in the container 11 from flowing out to the outside. However, a check valve may be built into the fluid connector constituting the gas inlet 16. Alternatively, an embodiment in which a manual opening and closing valve is provided in the gas introduction pipe 17 instead of the check valve 18 is also possible. In this way, the gas inlet 16 can be configured to allow the inflow of gas but not allow the outflow of gas.

[0016] Furthermore, an embodiment may be possible that does not include the gas introduction pipe 17. In this case, the gas inlet 16, which is a fluid connector incorporating a check valve, is provided in the lid 13 of the container 11.

[0017] The beverage discharge pipe 14 has one end 14a that opens near the bottom inside the body 12 of the container 11 and the other end 14b outside the container 11. The beverage discharge pipe 14 extends upward from the one end 14a inside the container 11, penetrates the upper surface of the lid 13, and extends outside the container 11. The outlet of an opening / closing valve 15 that opens and closes the beverage discharge pipe 14 constitutes the other end 14b of the beverage discharge pipe 14. In this embodiment, the opening / closing valve 15 is formed as a cock valve 15 having a manual operating lever (not shown). Also, an embodiment is possible in which the beverage discharge pipe 14 does not have a portion that extends outside the container 11, and therefore the cock valve 15 is directly attached to the lid 13.

[0018] The beverage server 10 further includes a relief valve 19. The relief valve 19 is disposed in the lid 13 so as to operate when the pressure of the gas-filling space 11a in the container 11 exceeds a predetermined value. When gas is filled into the container 11 from the gas cylinder 20, the relief valve 19 is operated, so that the concentration of air remaining in the container 11 can be gradually reduced according to the operation time. To achieve this, the operating pressure of the relief valve 19 is set lower than the set pressure of the regulator 22 of the gas cylinder 20. By reducing the concentration of air in the container 11, oxidation of the beverage, such as beer, in the container 11 can be suppressed.

[0019] However, an embodiment is also possible in which the air in the container 11 is not expelled when the carbon dioxide gas is introduced into the container 11. In that case, the beverage server 10 does not have a relief valve 19, or the relief valve 19 is provided but its operating pressure is set higher than the set pressure of the regulator 22 of the gas cylinder 20. It is obvious that the relief valve 19 also functions as a safety valve against an abnormal rise in pressure inside the container 11.

[0020] The gas cylinder 20 is a normal type having a cylinder opening / closing valve 21 and a regulator 22, and in this embodiment, one filled with a relatively large amount of carbon dioxide, 10 kg, is used. One end of a gas supply pipe 23 is connected to the regulator 22 of the gas cylinder 20. The other end of the gas supply pipe 23 is formed as a fluid connector 24 that can be connected to the fluid connector of the gas inlet 16 of the beverage server 10. Figure 1 shows the fluid connectors in a disconnected state.

[0021] The fluid connector 24 of the gas supply line 23 is a so-called quick coupler that can be attached to and detached from the mating connector by hand. In this embodiment, the fluid connector 24 of the gas supply line 23 is a type that allows gas flow when connected to the mating connector, but blocks the gas flow when disconnected from the mating connector 16.

[0022] As the fluid connector 24, various types other than those described above can be used, for example, a type that allows fluid to flow while it is pressed against the mating connector 16 by a human hand, and cuts off the flow of gas when the pressing force is removed and it is separated from the mating connector 16.

[0023] Next, a description will be given below of an example of a method for serving beverages using the above-mentioned beverage server system 100. In the following description, it is assumed that the beverage is beer, and that the beverage server system 100 is installed in a restaurant.

[0024] First, a staff member of the restaurant pours beer into the main body 12 of the container 11 of the beverage server 10 through the opening at the top. The beer is poured into the main body 12 of the container 11 of the beverage server 10 from, for example, a fixed conventional beer server (not shown) or a large-capacity beer bottle (not shown). The staff member may pour beer up to the limit at which the beer overflows from the main body 12 of the container 11. Even in this case, when the lid 13 is attached to the main body 12 of the container 11, a gas-filling space 11a is formed inside.

[0025] Next, the store staff attaches the lid 13 by screwing it onto the body 12 of the container 11. Because the beverage discharge pipe 14 is fixed to the lid 13, the attachment of the lid 13 positions one end 14a of the beverage discharge pipe 14 near the bottom of the beverage. The store staff also checks that the opening / closing valve 15 of the beverage discharge pipe 14 is closed.

[0026] Next, the store staff connects the fluid connector 24 at the end of the gas supply line 23 extending from the gas cylinder 20 to the fluid connector of the gas inlet 16 for the container 11. Then, carbon dioxide gas flows from the high-pressure gas cylinder 20 into the container 11, and the gas filling space 11a in the container 11 is filled with a mixture of carbon dioxide gas and air at a pressure approximately equal to the pressure set by the regulator 22 of the gas cylinder 20. In order to reduce the ratio of air in the mixture, the relief valve 19 may be operated while the carbon dioxide gas is being introduced into the container 11.

[0027] Next, the store staff disconnects the fluid connector 24 at the end of the gas supply pipe 23 from the gas inlet 16 of the container 11. At this time, because the check valve 18 is disposed in the gas introduction pipe 17, the gas in the container 11 does not flow out from the gas inlet 16. On the other hand, the gas in the gas cylinder 20 does not flow out from the fluid connector 24 of the gas supply pipe 23. This is because the fluid connector 24 of the gas supply pipe 23 is of a type that cuts off the flow of gas when the connection with the mating connector is cut off.

[0028] Next, the store staff carries the beverage server 10 to a table or the like where the customer is waiting.

[0029] Next, the customer prepares a glass or the like under the cock valve 15 of the beverage discharge pipe 14, and then opens the cock valve 15. Then, based on the gas pressure in the gas filling space 11a in the container 11, the beer in the container 11 is discharged through the beverage discharge pipe 14. When the desired amount of beer has been discharged, the customer closes the cock valve 15.

[0030] According to the beverage serving method described above, carbon dioxide gas is introduced and maintained in the airtight container 11 of beverage server 10 that contains beer, preventing the beer from escaping from the pitcher, which occurs when a conventional pitcher is used. Therefore, the carbonation is maintained even if the beer is left in container 11 of beverage server 10 for a long time. In addition, if the air in container 11 is expelled using relief valve 19 or the like when introducing carbon dioxide gas, oxidation of the beer is also prevented.

[0031] Since the beverage server 10 is separated from the gas cylinder 20 after the carbon dioxide gas is introduced into the container 11, the store staff can carry the beverage server 10 to the customer's table in the same way as a conventional pitcher and leave the beer dispense to the customer. Also, since the beverage server 10 is transported in this way, whereas the gas cylinder 20 is used while remaining fixed, it is possible to use a gas cylinder with a large capacity.

[0032] The driving force for discharging beer is the pressure of gas maintained in the container 11 of the beverage server 10. Therefore, when pouring beer into a glass, the customer does not need to tilt the container as in the case of a conventional pitcher, but simply operates the operating lever of the cock valve 15 of the beverage server 10.

[0033] Next, a beverage server system 200 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 illustrates only the beverage server 210 of the beverage server system 200 according to the second embodiment, and the gas cylinder 20 and other components are omitted.

[0034] The beverage server system 200 according to the second embodiment includes a beverage server 210 and a gas cylinder 20 (not shown) similar to that in the first embodiment. The beverage server 210 in the second embodiment includes a container 11 consisting of a body 12 and a lid 13, a beverage discharge pipe 14, an on-off valve 15, a gas inlet 16, a check valve 18, a gas introduction pipe 17, and a relief valve 19 similar to those in the first embodiment. The beverage server 210 in the second embodiment further includes a beverage bottle 205 manufactured at a beverage manufacturer's factory. The beverage bottle 205 is placed in the body 12 of the container 11 with a sealing plug such as a cap or crown cap attached at the factory during manufacturing removed. One end 14a of the beverage discharge pipe 14 is disposed in the beverage bottle 205.

[0035] The method of serving beverages using the beverage server system 200 of the second embodiment differs from that described above in that instead of pouring the beverage into the main body 12 of the container 11, a bottle 205 containing the beverage is placed in the main body 12, but is otherwise similar.

[0036] According to the beverage server system 200 of the second embodiment, the beverage does not directly touch the inner wall of the main body 12 of the container 11, so heat exchange with the outside air is suppressed, and therefore, when the beverage is beer or the like, the coldness of the beverage is maintained for a longer period of time. In addition, the standard for cleaning the main body 12 of the container 11 after use, which the beverage does not directly touch, can be made looser than in the first embodiment.

[0037] Next, a beverage server system 300 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 illustrates only the beverage server 310 of the beverage server system 300 according to the third embodiment, and the gas cylinder 20 and other components are omitted.

[0038] The beverage server system 300 according to the third embodiment includes a beverage server 310 and a gas cylinder 20 similar to that in the first embodiment. The beverage server 310 in the third embodiment includes a container 11 consisting of a main body 12 and a lid 13, a beverage discharge pipe 14, an on-off valve 15, a gas inlet 16, a check valve 18, a gas introduction pipe 17, and a relief valve 19, as in the first embodiment. However, the third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the main body 12 of the container 11 is made of a beverage bottle manufactured at a beverage manufacturer's factory. The main body 12, i.e., the beverage bottle 12, is prepared in a state in which a sealing plug such as a cap attached at the factory during manufacturing has been removed, and one end 14a of the beverage discharge pipe 14 is disposed near the bottom of the beverage bottle 12.

[0039] The removed cap (not shown) of the beverage bottle 12 is in the third embodiment a screw-on type, and therefore the lid 13 of the container 11 is formed so that it can be screwed onto the bottle in the same way as the cap, and a seal (not shown) for sealing between the bottle 12 and the lid 13 is also provided.

[0040] According to the beverage server system 300 of the third embodiment, a beverage-containing bottle 12 is used as the main body 12 of the container 11, so the configuration and operation method are simplified compared to the first and second embodiments.

[0041] Other embodiments As a modification of the first embodiment, a beverage server system may be embodied in which the main body of the beverage server container has a vacuum double-wall structure in order to improve the thermal insulation of the main body.

[0042] Although the above describes an example in which the beverage is beer, embodiments are also possible in which the beverage is applied to alcoholic beverages such as highballs, wine, and sake, carbonated beverages such as cola and cider, and non-carbonated beverages such as juice.

[0043] In the above, an example was described in which the gas filled inside was carbon dioxide gas, but it is also possible to fill it with other types of gas, such as nitrogen gas. In particular, when filling it with nitrogen gas, it is expected to have the effect of suppressing oxidative deterioration of alcoholic beverages such as wine.

Claims

1. A container comprising a main body for containing a beverage and a lid that is airtightly attached to the main body, the container being formed so that even when the beverage is contained in the main body to the maximum extent, a space for gas filling is generated outside the main body and inside the lid, covering an opening at the top of the main body; a beverage delivery conduit having one end disposed within the body of the container; an on-off valve for opening and closing the beverage discharge pipeline; a gas inlet of the container formed on the outside of the container and configured to be connectable to a fluid connector connected to a gas cylinder, the gas inlet allowing only the inflow of gas; and a gas introduction pipe for introducing the gas from the gas inlet, the end of the gas introduction pipe opposite to the gas inlet being open within the space for gas filling; A beverage server comprising: When the on-off valve is opened, the beverage contained in the main body is discharged out of the container through the beverage discharge pipe based on the pressure of the gas that has been pre-filled in the gas filling space through the gas inlet before the beverage is discharged, The beverage is produced by a beverage manufacturer, and is contained in the main body after removing a sealing plug attached to a bottle containing the beverage at the time of production, A beverage server, characterized in that the beverage can be dispensed outside the container while maintaining the gas introduced into the container and disconnecting the gas inlet from the fluid connector.

2. The main body of the container is a beverage bottle manufactured by a beverage manufacturer, and is composed of the beverage bottle from which the sealing plug attached at the time of manufacture has been removed, The beverage server according to claim 1 , wherein the lid is airtightly attached to the beverage bottle.

3. 3. The beverage server according to claim 1, further comprising a check valve for preventing a backflow of gas from the gas inlet to the outside of the container.

4. 3. The beverage server according to claim 1, wherein the gas inlet is provided at a tip of the gas introduction pipe extending from the lid of the container.

5. 3. The beverage server of claim 1, further comprising a relief valve that operates when the gas pressure in the container exceeds a predetermined value.

6. A beverage server according to claim 1 or 2, The gas cylinder; The fluid connector; A beverage server system comprising:

7. A step of preparing a container having a body for containing a beverage and a lid attached to the body, a beverage server having a gas inlet of the container and a beverage discharge line, and a gas cylinder, wherein the beverage is produced by a beverage manufacturer, and a sealing plug attached to the bottle containing the beverage at the time of production is removed; pouring the beverage into the body portion of the container; a step of sealingly attaching the lid to the body and disposing one end of the beverage delivery pipe within the body and the beverage; introducing gas from the gas cylinder into a gas filling space in the container by connecting a fluid connector connected to the gas cylinder to the gas inlet of the container; disconnecting the fluid connector from the gas inlet while maintaining gas in the vessel; discharging the beverage in the container to the outside by opening an on-off valve provided in the beverage discharge line while the fluid connector is disconnected from the gas inlet; and c) closing the on-off valve to stop the discharge of the beverage.

8. The method for providing a beverage according to claim 7, wherein the main body of the container is a beverage-containing bottle manufactured by a beverage manufacturer, the beverage-containing bottle having the sealing plug attached during manufacture removed.

9. A step of preparing a beverage server including a container having a main body for containing a beverage and a lid attached to the main body, a gas inlet of the container, and a beverage discharge line, a beverage bottle manufactured by a beverage manufacturer, the beverage bottle having a sealing plug attached during manufacturing removed, and a gas cylinder; placing the beverage bottle in the body of the container; a step of airtightly attaching the lid to the body and disposing one end of the beverage discharge pipe in the beverage in the beverage bottle; introducing gas from the gas cylinder into a gas filling space in the container by connecting a fluid connector connected to the gas cylinder to the gas inlet of the container; disconnecting the fluid connector from the gas inlet while maintaining gas in the vessel; discharging the beverage in the container to the outside by opening an on-off valve provided in the beverage dispensing pipe; and c) closing the on-off valve to stop the discharge of the beverage.

10. 10. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of moving the beverage server immediately after the step of disconnecting the fluid connector.

11. The beverage providing method of claim 10, wherein the person who performs the steps from preparing the beverage server and the gas cylinder to moving the beverage server is different from the person who performs the steps from dispensing the beverage to the outside to stopping the dispensing of the beverage.

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