EP2893835A1 - System for dispensing a beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a dispensing system for a beverage comprising a pocket (1) having two flexible flaps (11, 12) delimiting between them a mouth (13) equipped with a rod (15) on which at least one flap ( 11) is intended to be folded down, said system comprising a member (18) provided with a conduit (19) having a slot (23) which opens on either side in an opening respectively front (22) and rear (24). ), the front opening (22) being arranged to slidably receive the ring (15) on which the flap (11) is folded down with the slot (23) which exerts a clamping force on said flap to ensure a closure sealing said mouth, said rod being equipped with at least one end piece (25) which has a groove (26) delimited between two bearing surfaces (27, 28) arranged to allow the locking of the member (18) at the end of sliding by snap-fitting of the rear opening (24), said groove being arranged so that said rear opening once snapped into a non-deformed state allowing a uniform clamping force of the flap (11) along the slot (23).

Description

The invention relates to a dispensing system for a beverage comprising a bag in which a storage tank of said beverage is formed.

In particular, the invention relates to a dispensing system whose pocket can be integrated into a carrying device such as a backpack. Such a dispensing system is particularly suitable for use in outdoor activities such as hiking, running or cycling to carry water or an energy drink.

The pocket is generally formed of two flexible walls which are associated at their periphery to define a reservoir of variable volume by collapsing said walls. The bag is equipped with a feed pipe that connects a reservoir port to a dispensing tip allowing the user to hydrate without having to stop its activity to remove said bag from the backpack.

The bag further comprises a filling opening of the reservoir which is equipped with reversible closure means to allow the use of said pocket. We know, for example, of the document U.S. 5,085,349 a beverage dispensing system whose pocket walls are welded over their entire periphery, one of said walls having a filling opening which is equipped with a closure cap.

However, such openings are relatively narrow, making it difficult to fill, empty or even dry the tank. In particular, to clean the inner walls of the pocket, the user must insert a brush through the narrow opening, which does not allow a satisfactory cleaning, especially at the corners of the tank that remain difficult to access. Thus, these dispensing systems are complicated to maintain and must therefore be replaced regularly for reasons of hygiene.

To resolve this problem, the document US-7,648,276 plans to form a filling mouth between the upper edges dissociated walls of a pocket, said mouth having an enlarged dimension to facilitate access to the tank, especially for filling, emptying or maintenance.

To close the mouth when using the dispensing system, this document provides for covering said mouth with an upper flap extending a wall of the pocket. The sealing of the closure is provided by sliding assembly of a member on a ring fixed along the mouth and on which the flap is folded, said assembly being arranged to exert a tight clamping force on said flap.

However, to allow its sliding mounting, the clamping force exerted by the member can not be sufficient to ensure the locking of said member on the pocket, especially during the movements of the user and / or transport of the distribution system by grasping the organ.

Thus, to lock the organ on the pocket, the document US-7,648,276 plans to equip the rod with two lateral lugs which are arranged respectively to form a stop sliding end of said member and to be deformed during the passage of said member around said lug.

This solution does not give complete satisfaction in that the need to deform the lug to ensure the locking and unlocking of the organ complicates the manipulation of said body during the closing and opening of the filling mouth.

The invention aims to improve the prior art by proposing in particular a distribution system whose reservoir has a filling mouth equipped with a sliding closure member, the manipulation of said member being facilitated relative to its locking and to its unlocking on the poached.

For this purpose, the invention proposes a dispensing system for a beverage comprising a bag in which a storage tank of said beverage is formed, said pocket having two flexible flaps delimiting between them a filling mouth of said reservoir, said mouth being equipped with a ring having a central portion on which at least one flap is intended to be folded into a covering position of said mouth , said system comprising a member provided with a duct having a longitudinal slot which opens on either side in an opening respectively front and rear of said duct, the front opening of the duct being arranged to slidably receive the rod on which the flap is folded with the slot which exerts a clamping force on said flap to ensure a sealed closure of said mouth, the central portion of said rod being extended by at least one end which has a groove delimited between two respectively internal and external surfaces which are arranged to allow the locking of the member at the end of sliding by snap-fastening of the rear opening in said groove, said groove being arranged so that said rear opening once snapped is in a non-deformed state allowing a uniform clamping force of the flap along the slot when the member is locked.

• la figure 1 est une représentation en perspective éclatée d'un système de distribution selon un mode de réalisation de l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue de face du jonc du système de distribution selon la figure 1 ;
• les figures 3 sont des représentations de l'organe du système de distribution de la figure 1, montrant respectivement ledit organe en perspective depuis l'avant (figure 3a) et depuis l'arrière (figure 3b), ainsi que de dessous (figure 3c) et en coupe longitudinale (figure 3d) ;
• les figures 4 sont des représentations schématiques partielles, montrant l'engagement de l'organe sur le jonc du système de distribution de la figure 1, respectivement avant (figure 4a) et après (figure 4b) encliquetage.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear in the description which follows, made with reference to the appended figures, in which:

• the figure 1 is an exploded perspective representation of a distribution system according to an embodiment of the invention;
• the figure 2 is a front view of the ring of the distribution system according to the figure 1 ;
• the figures 3 are representations of the organ of the distribution system of the figure 1 , respectively showing said organ in perspective from the front ( figure 3a ) and from behind ( figure 3b ), as well as from below ( figure 3c ) and in longitudinal section ( figure 3d );
• the figures 4 are partial schematic representations, showing the engagement of the organ on the rush of the distribution system of the figure 1 , respectively before ( figure 4a ) and after ( figure 4b ) latching.

In connection with these figures, there is described below a system for dispensing a beverage, such as water or an energy drink, which is intended especially to be used during outdoor activities such as hiking, running or cycling.

The system comprises a pocket 1 in which a storage tank of the beverage is formed, said pocket can be integrated into a carrying device, especially for sports use, for example a backpack. In particular, the pocket 1 has dimensions allowing its storage in the compartment of a small volume backpack to minimize the stress induced by the weight and bulk of said bag during physical activity, the capacity of the tank which may for example be between 1 and 3 liters depending on the duration of the activity and / or the intensity of the effort.

Advantageously, the bag 1 is made of a strong and light flexible polymer material, such as a material based on ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane or polyethylene. The material is arranged to meet standards for plastic materials and articles that are intended to come into contact with foodstuffs. The material may further have undergone antibacterial treatment to optimize its food hygiene properties.

The pocket 1 can comprise several layers having different properties, for example thermal insulation or abrasion resistance, in order to improve the functions of said pocket and / or to preserve the properties of the drink contained in the reservoir for example in the case of a hot drink.

The dispensing system comprises a feed pipe 2 which is mounted on a port 3 of the tank formed in the pocket 1, said port allowing the outlet of the beverage contained in said reservoir to said feed pipe. The supply pipe 2 may be made from a thermoplastic material, for example from PVC and be reversibly associated with the port 3 for example to promote the cleaning of said pipe or allow its replacement.

The supply pipe 2 connects the port 3 to a dispensing nozzle 4 which is mounted on the end of said pipe and allows the user to suck the drink contained in the tank. Advantageously, the supply pipe 2 has a flexibility and a length which are sufficient to position the nozzle 4 near the mouth of the user, thus allowing, when the bag 1 is arranged in a backpack , said user to hydrate without having to stop his activity and / or remove said pocket of said backpack.

In relation to the figure 1 , the dispensing nozzle 4 comprises a nipple 5 which can be made of a resilient elastomeric material for example based on silicone or rubber. The teat 5 has a compression head 6 in which a feed chamber is formed and whose front end is provided with a deformable slot 7 between a sealed closed position and an open position for the outlet of the beverage from the pipe. supply 2 by said chamber.

In particular, the slot 7 is deformed in the open position by pressure on the head 6 exerted by the lips and / or the teeth of the user and resiliently returns to the closed position by releasing said head. To optimize the output flow of beverage at each compression, the length of the head 6 may be equal to the height of the front end of said head in the direction of the slot 7.

The nipple 5 may further be equipped with a cap which is mounted on said nipple so as to reversibly cover said nipple out of use to protect it including soil.

The tip 4 comprises a shutter 8 which is arranged for the reversible closure of the drink supply of the nipple chamber 5 in order to minimize the risk of unwanted flow of beverage through the slot 7. endpiece 4 is equipped with a connector 9 connecting the supply pipe 4 to the nipple 5 and to the shutter 8. The connector 9 and the shutter 8 may each be made of a plastic material for example based on polyethylene or of polypropylene, these two parts may also have means for example latching and / or screwing for mounting the nozzle 4.

According to the embodiment shown, the teat 5 comprises a neck 10 which extends under the compression head 6 and is arranged to be engaged around an upper part of the shutter 8, for example by clamping. The shutter 8 has a lower portion intended to be mounted in translation around the connector 9 between a high position for opening the supply of the chamber of the nipple 5 and a low position for closing said supply.

However, the invention is not limited to a specific type of dispensing nozzle 4 or to a particular assembly of the parts of said nozzle. In particular, the dispensing nozzle 4 may be devoid of shutter and / or connector.

To allow the filling of the reservoir, the pocket 1 has two flexible flaps 11, 12 delimiting between them a mouth 13 in which extends said reservoir. In particular, the pocket 1 has two flexible walls 1a, 1b which are associated at their periphery for example by gluing or welding, to form the reservoir, the upper edges of each of said walls being at least partially dissociated to form the flaps 11, 12 delimiting the mouth 13 of filling.

Advantageously, the walls 1a, 1b are associated on three of their sides, their upper edges being integrally dissociated to form a mouth 13 extending over the entire width of the pocket 1 to facilitate access to said reservoir whatsoever for filling or maintenance. In particular, such a mouth 13 facilitates access to the corners of the tank for cleaning, emptying or drying, in particular to limit the risk of contaminations and mold.

In relation to the figure 1 a first wall 1a comprises a flap 11 provided with an upper extension 14 which extends above the filling mouth 13 and can be folded onto the flap 12 of the second wall 1b in covering said mouth. In particular, the mouth 13 is equipped with a rod 15 which has a central portion 16 which extends longitudinally and on which at least the upper extension 14 of the flap 11 can be folded into a covering position of said mouth.

The ring 15 may be made in one piece by molding a polymer material for example based on EVA and / or polyethylene. The ring 15 is fixed on the second flap 12 at a distance more or less close to the upper edge of said flap, the upper extension 14 extending above said ring to be folded over it by covering the mouth 13.

For example, the rod 15 may be attached near or along the upper edge of the second flap 12 to limit the folding to that of the upper extension 14 against said rod. Alternatively, the ring 15 may be fixed at a lower portion of the second flap 12 to allow the folding of the two flaps 11, 12 on said rod.

In relation to figures 1 and 2 , the central portion 16 of the ring 15 has a length substantially equal to the width of the flaps 11, 12. The ring 15 is equipped with a lower paddle 17 extending under the central portion 16, said pad being intended to be fixed by example by welding against the outer face of the second flap 12 so that said central portion extends transversely from one side to the other of the pocket 1.

In another embodiment, the rod 15 may be devoid of pallet 17, the central portion 16 being fixed in a hem which is formed by folding the upper edge of the second wall 1b around said central portion and then welding said edge upper against said wall.

To maintain the extension 14 in the covering position of the mouth 13, the dispensing system comprises an independent member 18 to be mounted reversibly around the rod 15 after folding of said extension.

In particular, the member 18 is intended to be slidably mounted on the pocket 1.

Advantageously, the member 18 may be in the form of a handle being surmounted by gripping means arranged to facilitate in particular the manual actuation of the sliding of said member. In connection with the figures, the gripping means comprise a central handle 20 and two lateral rings 21a, 21b which facilitate in particular the carrying and the suspension of the bag 1 as well as its insertion in a backpack and its withdrawal from said bag .

The member 18 has a duct 19 which comprises a front opening 22 arranged to receive the rod 15 and the extension 14 folded, said duct being provided with a lower slot 23 which opens into said front opening with a nominal width allowing engagement of said slot slidably under said ring. In particular, the duct 19 has a length greater than or equal to the central portion 16 of the rod 15 for maintaining the covering of the mouth 13 over its entire length.

The duct 19 has a constant internal dimension, in particular being sufficient to slidably accommodate the rod 15 on which the extension 14 is folded. The internal dimension of the duct 19 may also be substantially greater than the outer dimension of the ring assembly 15 / extension 14 folded to accommodate said assembly even when the extension 14 is not perfectly pressed against the rod 15 to limit the risks of blocking the sliding of the member 18 and damage to the pocket 1.

To ensure the tight closure of the mouth 13, the longitudinal slot 23 is arranged to exert a clamping force on the upper extension 14. In particular, it is expected that the nominal width of the slot 23 is arranged to exert a clamping force guaranteeing the tightness of the closure of the mouth 13 when the member 18 is mounted around the rod 15.

According to the embodiment shown, the nominal width of the slot 23 is thus sufficient to allow the reception of the flaps 11, 12 and the extension 14 folded to allow the sliding of the member 18, while being sufficiently narrow to ensure a tight nip of said flaps and said extension under the ring 15.

In relation to the figure 3c , the slot 23 has a nominal width which is constant to ensure a uniform clamping force of the flaps 11, 12, 14 over the entire length of the mouth 13. Advantageously, the nominal width of the slot 23 is less than that of the ring 15 to prevent inadvertent disengagement of the member 1 upwards.

In particular, it is expected that the slot 23 opens on both sides of the duct 19, in the front opening 22 and in a rear opening 24 of said duct, in order to exert an identical tightening and adjusted over the entire length of the duct 19. extension 14. In addition, the formation of a through slot 23 avoids a differential shrinkage during the production of the member 18 by molding, particularly during the cooling step of the molded part, such a differential shrinkage inducing a larger slot width of one side of the conduit 19 and thus a loss of clamping with the risk of leakage.

It is also planned to equip the rod 15 with at least one end piece 25 which laterally extends the central portion 16 of said rod and is arranged to form a latching means of the rear opening 24 of the conduit 19 so that the member 18 is locked on the pocket 1, especially during the movements of the user or the gripping of said body for the transport of the dispensing system. In addition, the latching of the rear opening 24 and the accompanying noise represent for the user indicators of correct positioning of the member 18 on the pocket 1.

The tip 25 has a groove 26 which is delimited between two respectively internal 27 and outer 28 bearing surfaces which are arranged to allow the latching of the rear opening 24 in said groove, said latching allowing the locking of the member 18 at the end of sliding.

The outer span 28 has an outer dimension that is greater than the inner dimension of the rear opening 24, said rear opening being deformable by reversible widening of the slot 23 to allow the passage of said rear opening around said outer reach when the snap. To allow the elastic deformation of the slot 23, the member 18 may be made in one piece from a plastic material, for example based on polycarbonate or polyamide, having resilience properties.

In relation to figures 3 the rear opening 24 is provided with a flange 29 extending internally so as to have an internal dimension which is smaller than that of the front opening 22 and the duct 19. The front opening 22 may be provided with a chamfer 30 whose inner dimension is greater than the inner dimension of the duct 19, said chamfer facilitating the engagement of said front opening around the endpiece 25 at the beginning of sliding. The inner dimension of the chamfer 30 may for this purpose be greater than the outer dimension of the nozzle 25, allowing sliding passage of said front opening around said nozzle without deformation.

Advantageously, the central portion 16 is extended on either side by a lateral endpiece 25 and this, for reasons both aesthetic and functional, said end pieces may be identical to allow the sliding assembly of the conduit 19 d one side or the other of the ring 15 indifferently, the front opening 22 can be engaged on a nozzle 25, the rear opening 24 is snapped onto the opposite endpiece.

Each endpiece 25 comprises a ring 31 for connection to the central portion 16 of the ring 15 whose outer dimension is greater than that of said central portion in order to delimit between them a crimping zone of the extension 14 against said central portion. The materialization of such a drawdown zone allows to promote the adjustment of the positioning of the extension 14 against the rod 15 before mounting the member 18 to facilitate the sliding of said member and to avoid any risk of degradation of the bag 1 by friction between said pocket and the leads 19.

In addition, the connecting ring 31 has the internal bearing surface 27 which forms a sliding end stop of the member 18, said ring having an external dimension which is greater than the internal dimension of the rear opening 24.

In relation to figures 4 , the outer bearing 28 has a conical lug 32 on which the rear opening 24 is progressively deformed during snapping, avoiding the user to have to exert a force of brutal traction on the member 18 so that the collar 29 passes around said outer scope. After passing around the lug 32, the rear opening 24 is disposed around the groove 26 which is arranged so that said rear opening once snapped is in a non-deformed state. Thus, the tightness of the closure is optimized by providing a uniform clamping force of the extension 14 along the slot 23, in particular by avoiding any risk of leakage at the rear opening 24.

In particular, the groove 26 has an external dimension which is smaller than the internal dimension of the rear opening 24 to allow the slot 23 to return to its constant nominal width when said rear opening is snapped in order to ensure the clamping of the extension 14 at said rear opening and thus prevent any loss of tightness.

The outer span 28 further has a shoulder 33 extending between the conical pin 32 and the groove 26, said shoulder allowing the progressive deformation of the rear opening 24 during its disengagement for the removal of the member 18 in view the mouthpiece 25 thus constitutes a locking means in translation of the member 18 which makes it possible to avoid uncontrolled disengagement of the opening of the mouth 13, the withdrawal of said member requiring a voluntary traction force of the user.

Claims (15)

A dispensing system for a beverage comprising a bag (1) in which a storage tank of said beverage is formed, said bag having two flexible flaps (11, 12) delimiting between them a mouth (13) for filling said tank, said mouth being equipped with a rod (15) having a central portion (16) on which at least one flap (11) is intended to be folded in a covering position of said mouth, said system comprising a member (18) provided with a duct (19) having a longitudinal slot (23) which opens on either side in an opening respectively front (22) and rear (24) of said duct, the front opening (22) of said duct being arranged to receive sliding the ring (15) on which the flap (14) is folded down with the slot (23) which exerts a clamping force on said flap to ensure a tight closure of said mouth, said dispensing system being characterized in that that by central portion (16) of the ring (15) is extended by at least one end piece (25) which has a groove (26) delimited between two respectively internal (27) and outer (28) bearing surfaces which are arranged to allow the locking of the member (18) at the end of sliding by snapping of the rear opening (24) in said groove, said groove being arranged so that said rear opening once snapped is in an undistorted state allowing a uniform clamping force of the flap ( 11) along the slot (23) when the member (18) is locked. Dispensing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the outer span (28) has an outer dimension which is greater than the inner dimension of the rear opening (24), said rear opening being deformed by reversible widening of the slot ( 23) to allow the passage of said rear opening around the outer span (28) during snapping. Dispensing system according to claim 2, characterized in that the groove (26) has an outer dimension which is smaller than the inner dimension of the rear opening (24) to allow the slot (23) to regain its nominal width when said rear opening is snapped. Dispensing system according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the outer bearing (28) has a conical lug (32) on which the rear opening (24) is progressively deformed during snapping. Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the duct (19) has an internal dimension which is sufficient to slidably accommodate the rod (15) on which the flap (11) is folded, the flaps (11, 12) being gripped in the longitudinal slot (23) under said ring to ensure the tight closure of the mouth (13). Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the longitudinal slot (23) has a constant nominal width which is arranged to exert a sufficient clamping force to ensure the sealing of the closure of the mouth (13). Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the front opening (22) of the conduit (19) is arranged to be able to engage around the tip (25) at the beginning of sliding of the organ (18). Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the tip (25) has a ring (31) for connection to the central portion (16) of the ring (15), said ring having the scope internal member (27) which forms an abutment of end of sliding of the member (18). Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the ring (15) comprises two side caps (25) disposed on either side of the central portion (16). Dispensing system according to claims 8 and 9, characterized in that each connecting ring (31) has an external dimension which is greater than that of the central portion (16) in order to delimit between them a folding area of the flap (11) around said central portion. Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the pocket (1) has two flexible walls (1a, 1b) associated at their periphery to form the reservoir, the upper edges of each of said walls being at less partially dissociated to form the flaps (11, 12) delimiting the mouth (13). Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the rod (15) is fixed on a flap (12), the central portion (16) of said rod extending on said flap with the endpiece (25) positioned laterally beyond the mouth (13). Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that one flap (11) has an upper extension (14) which extends above the rod (15) fixed on the other flap ( 12) so as to fold said extension on said rod covering the mouth (13). Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the member (18) comprises gripping means which are arranged to facilitate the manual actuation of its sliding. Dispensing system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it comprises a supply pipe (2) connecting a port (3) of the reservoir to a dispensing nozzle (4).

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