WO2005085122A1

WO2005085122A1 - Extractor tube

Info

Publication number: WO2005085122A1
Application number: PCT/NL2005/000152
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andreas Hubertus Hullegien
Original assignee: Dispense Systems International B.V.
Priority date: 2004-03-03
Filing date: 2005-03-01
Publication date: 2005-09-15
Also published as: NL1025630C2

Abstract

The invention relates to an extractor tube intended for use in a container that contains a pressurised beverage, which extractor tube is provided with a housing to be fitted in the container, which housing is provided near one end thereof with a val ve seat that is to mate with a ring-shaped sealing element present on one end of a tube supported by the housing, which is movable against spring pressure in a direction away from the valve seat. Positioned within said tube is a valve disc supported by the tube is positioned, which valve disc is movable against spring pressure in a direction away from the valve seat and which can mate with a sealing edge formed on the ring-shaped sealing element. The sealing element comprises a ring-shaped electromeric body that is covered, at least near its upper side facing towards the valve seat, by a metal ring that is provided with a flanged portion at its outer circumference for being supported on the valve seat. A jacket-like body is fixed to the metal ring, which body is at least substantially entirely embedded in the elastomeric body over its height.

Description

Extractor tube

DESCRIPTION The invention relates to an extractor tube intended for use in a container that contains a pressurised beverage, which extractor tube is provided with a housing to be fitted in the container, which housing is provided near one end thereof with a valve seat that is to mate with a ring-shaped sealing element present on one end of a tube supported by the housing, which is movable against spring pressure in a direction away from the valve seat, in which tube a valve disc supported by the tube is positioned, which valve disc is movable against spring pressure in a direction away from the valve seat and which can mate with a sealing edge formed on the ring-shaped sealing element, which sealing element comprises a ring-shaped elastomeric body that is covered, at least near its upper side facing towards the valve seat, by a metal ring that is provided with a flanged portion at its outer circumference for being supported on the valve seat, whilst a part of the elastomeric body that is located near the bottom edge of the flanged portion has a larger external diameter in unloaded condition than the largest external diameter of the flanged portion of the metal ring. Such an extractor tube is known from Dutch patent No. 1002143. When the ring-shaped sealing element abuts against the valve seat in this known construction, the flanged edge of the metal ring takes up most of the forces that are being exerted on the sealing element, whilst the part of the elastomeric body that is located near the bottom edge of the flanged portion of the metal ring is pressed against the valve seat so as to effect a seal . In this known extractor tube, the elastomeric body is retained between an upper end of the tube, the metal ring and a jacket that joins the inner circumference of the metal ring. Generally, this known extractor tube has been satisfactory, but in some applications it has become apparent that the elastomeric body is not sufficiently stable to meet the requirements that are made thereof, in particular after prolonged use. According to the invention, a jacket-like body is fixed to the metal ring, which body is at least substantially entirely embedded in the elastomeric body over its height. By using the construction according to the invention a stiffer embodiment can be obtained of that part of the elastomeric body which is not directly required to perform a sealing function but which in fact only functions to connect the elastomeric body to the upper end of the tube. Furthermore, an effective connection between the elastomeric body and the metal ring can be obtained by means of the jacket-like body. Preferably, the sealing edge that mates with the valve disc is positioned within the part of the sealing element that comprises the jacket-like body, being spaced from the bottom end of the sealing element by some distance. This enables an effective support of the sealing edge that mates with the valve disc whilst effecting a construction of limited height. The invention will now be described in more detail by means of a number of possible embodiments of the construction according to the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the upper part of an extractor tube according to a first embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of an embodiment of a metal ring with a jacket attached thereto. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the metal ring with the metal element connected thereto, along the line III-III. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of Fig. 2 along the line IV-IV in Fig. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of an elastomeric body which is covered by the metal ring at its upper side and in which the jacket-like body attached to the metal ring is embedded. Fig. 6 is a view of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a bottom view of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 shows a second embodiment of an extractor tube according to the invention, partially in elevation and partially in section. Fig. 9 is a larger-scale view of the encircled part A in Fig. 8. It is noted that terms such as "upper", "lower" and the like as used in the present description relate to the vertical position of the extractor tube is that a shown in the figures. It will be conceivable, however, to use the extractor tubes in a different position. Fig. 1 is a sectional view of housing 1 of the extractor tube, which can be fitted in a container (not shown) intended for containing a pressurised beverage, such as beer or the like, in a usual manner, which will not be described in more detail herein, therefore. An elongated tube 2 is supported in the housing 1, which tube comprises a part 3, which extends into the container during use of the extractor tube, and a part 4 having a slightly larger diameter, which is surrounded by the housing 1. At the upper side said part 4 is provided with a part 5 having a diameter slightly larger than that of the part 4. It is noted that in the left-hand half of Fig. 1 the tube 2 is shown in a position different from the position that is shown in the right-hand half of Fig. 1, as will be explained in more detail yet. The part 4 of the tube is surrounded by a spiral compression spring 6, which is supported on a supporting ring 7 fitted in the housing 1 with its bottom end and which abuts against the transition between the part 4 and the part of 5 of the tube 2 with its upper end. A ring-shaped sealing element 8 is fitted in the upper apart 5 of the tube. As is also shown in more detail in Fig. 2-7, said sealing element 8 comprises a metal ring 9, whose outer edge 10 is flanged in downward direction, in such a manner that said part 10 forms part of the surface of a cone. A jacket-like or tubular body 11 joins the bottom surface of the metal ring 9, being welded thereto, in which body a gap 12 extending along the height of the jacket-like body 11 is present. As is furthermore apparent from Figs. 2-4, the jacket-like body is circumferentially provided with regularly spaced holes 13, said holes being spaced from the metal ring 9 by some distance. Furthermore, elongated holes 14 are provided at the location where the jacket-like body 11 joins the ring 9. The ring 9 and the jacket-like body 11 attached thereto are connected to an elastomeric body 15 made of a rubber or a plastic material, for example, which forms a further part of the sealing element

8, in such a manner that the ring 9 and the edge 10 cover the elastomeric body 15 at the upper side thereof and the jacket-like body 11 is embedded in the elastomeric body 15. The elastomeric body 15 will also extend through the aforesaid holes 13 and the slotted holes 14, so that a solid connection between the jacket-like body and the elastomeric body 15 will be effected. The parts of the elastomeric body 15 that are located on either side of the jacket-like body 11 are furthermore interconnected by regularly spaced-apart connecting elements 16 extending below the bottom edge of the jacket-like body 11, seen in Fig. 5. Near the bottom end of the flanged edge 10, the elastomeric body 15 is furthermore provided with a circumferential nose that projects beyond said edge 10 in the unloaded condition of the elastomeric body. A ring-shaped part 18 of the elastomeric body 15, which abuts against the bottom side of the ring 9, is provided with a downwardly projecting nose 19 at its inner circumference. Said nose 19 is to mate with a dish-shaped valve disc 20, which is supported, in a manner that is known per se, by a compression spring 21 that is accommodated in the part 4 of the tube 2. In mounted condition, the sealing element 8 will abut against a valve seat 22 formed on the inner circumference of the housing 1 if no further forces are exerted on the various parts described above, with the flanged edge 10 of the metal ring 9 abutting against said seat 22 and taking up most of the forces exerted by the spring 6. In this position, the nose 17 that projects beyond the flanged edge 10 is slightly deformed as a result of being pressed against the valve seat 22 so as to effect an adequate seal. The spring 21 sealingly presses the valve disc 20 against the nose 19. When the container is to be filled, the sealing element can be pressed downwards against the action of the spring 6, as shown in the right-hand part of Fig. 1, so that a passage is formed between the sealing element 8 and the valve seat 22 for supplying a liquid or the 1 i ke. To draw off the liquid from the container, the valve disc 20 can be pressed downwards with respect to the projecting nose 19 by means of a tap or the like. When using the construction according to the invention, the jacketlike body 11 provides an effective support of the elastomeric body 15, without the intended effective sealing action of the parts 17 and 19 of the elastomeric body 15 being adversely affected. Since the projecting nose 19 is furthermore positioned just below the ring 9, an effective support of said nose 19 for taking up the forces exerted by the spring 21 that mates with the valve disc 20 is obtained while maintaining an adequate sealing action of said nose 19 together with the valve disc 20. Since the sealing nose 19 is positioned relatively high within the jacket-like body 11, it is furthermore possible to realise a limited overall height of the sealing element. The embodiment of an extractor tube according to the invention that is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 corresponds in large measure to the extractor tube according to the above-described embodiment, and consequently like parts are indicated by the same numerals in the two figures. In this embodiment, however, use is made of a more less dome-shaped valve disc 23. Furthermore, a downwardly flanged edge 24 is likewise provided on the inner circumference of the ring 9 in this embodiment. In addition, the inner circumferential wall of the elastomeric body has a curved configuration, with the elastomeric body being provided with a projecting nose 25 near the part thereof that is positioned under the flanged edge 24, which nose functions to mate sealingly with the valve disc 23. Also in this embodiment the sealing nose that mates with the valve disc 23 is disposed within the jacket-like body, near the upper end thereof, being effectively supported by the flanged edge 24 of the ring 9.

Claims

1. An extractor tube intended for use in a container that contains a pressurised beverage, which extractor tube is provided with a housing to be fitted in the container, which housing is provided near one end thereof with a valve seat that is to mate with a ring-shaped sealing element present on one end of a tube supported by the housing, which is movable against spring pressure in a direction away from the valve seat, in which tube a valve disc supported by the tube is positioned, which valve disc is movable against spring pressure in a direction away from the valve seat and which can mate with a sealing edge formed on the ring- shaped sealing element, which sealing element comprises a ring-shaped elastomeric body that is covered, at least near its upper side facing towards the valve seat, by a metal ring that is provided with a flanged portion at its outer circumference for being supported on the valve seat, whilst a part of the elastomeric body that is located near the bottom edge of the flanged portion has a larger external diameter in unloaded condition than the largest external diameter of the flanged portion of the metal ring, characterized in that a jacket-like body is fixed to the metal ring, which body is at least substantially entirely embedded in the elastomeric body over its height.

2. An extractor tube according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing edge that mates with the valve disc is positioned within the part of the sealing element that comprises the jacket-like body, being spaced from the bottom end of the sealing element by some distance.

3. An extractor tube according to claim 2, characterized in that the sealing edge that mates with the valve disc is formed by a projecting nose of a part of the elastomeric body that abuts against the ring of the sealing element.

4. An extractor tube according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that openings are provided in the jacket-like body, in such a manner that parts of the elastomeric body that are located on either side of the jacket-like body are interconnected by parts of the jacket-like body that are located in said openings.

5. An extractor tube according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a gap extending along the height of the jacket-like body is formed in said jacket-like body.