Closure for dispensing pressurized or carbonated beverage from a container, container using said closure and a set comprising said container and closure

Abstract

Closure for a container for keeping pressurized or carbonated beverage, comprising means for dispensing the beverage from the container so that dispensation of gas not being dissolved in the beverage is prevented or reduced until all beverage has been dispensed, and being provided with means for permitting, preventing and optionally regulating dispensation of the beverage. Set comprising a container for keeping pressurized or carbonated beverage and a closure as disclosed above. Preferably the container is a standardized PET bottle. Preferably the beverage is a carbonated beverage, such as mineral water or soda or beer or sparkling wine or champagne.

1 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A closure for a container for keeping pressurized or carbonated beverage comprising:
 an outlet for dispensing therethrough beverage from the container;   at least one dispensation regulator providing at least in part that dispensation of gas not dissolved in the beverage is prevented or reduced such that at least about 20% of the gas pressure prevailing in the container prior to start of dispensation remains at least until about 50% of the beverage has been dispensed.   
     
     
         38 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the dispensation of gas not being dissolved in the beverage is prevented or reduced such that at least about 30% of the gas pressure prevailing in the container prior to start of dispensation remains at least until about 50% of the beverage has been dispensed. 
     
     
         39 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the dispensation of gas not being dissolved in the beverage is prevented or reduced such that at least about 40% of the gas pressure prevailing in the container prior to start of dispensation remains at least until about 50% of the beverage has been dispensed. 
     
     
         40 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the closure is for use with a metallic container, a non-metallic container, a glass container or a plastic container, wherein the plastic container is optionally a PET-bottle. 
     
     
         41 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the closure is for use with a container being so placed during dispensation of the beverage that the outlet is adjacent to that part of the container wherein there is beverage. 
     
     
         42 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the closure is for use with a container being so placed during dispensation of the beverage that the outlet is situated above that part of the container where there is beverage, and further comprising a siphon so placed that during dispensation of the beverage the entry to the siphon remains within the beverage, and so arranged that beverage to be dispensed is flowing only through the siphon to the outlet. 
     
     
         43 . The closure according to  claim 42 , wherein the siphon is a tube and includes a flexible tube, a flexible tube having a density being higher than the density of the beverage, a flexible tube being provided with a weight to keep the entry to the tube within the beverage, or a tube being flexible primarily in that part of its length which is most distal from the closure. 
     
     
         44 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the inside of the closure is provided with a first thread, which fits with a second thread on the outside of the part of the container onto which it is screwed, whereby beverage, non-dissolved gas, or both, is prevented from being dispensed when the threads are screwed tightly together, and whereby beverage, non-dissolved gas, or both, passes into a compartment thereby created within the closure for subsequent dispensation therefrom when the threads are not screwed tightly together, and wherein the dispensation capacity is regulated by adjusting the extent to which the first and second threads are screwed together. 
     
     
         45 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the outlet has the form of a radially extendable tube wherein the inlet of the tube is shut or blocked when the tube is in its innermost position, thereby preventing beverage from being dispensed. 
     
     
         46 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the outlet is hollow and has a sharp end and the sharp end is used for penetrating a seal on a beverage container, such as a screw cap threadably sealed on a bottle top, wherein after penetrating the seal the hollow outlet remains attached to the seal forming fluid and gas communication between the contents of the container and the exterior opening of the hollow outlet. 
     
     
         47 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the closure has at least first and second controls, the first control providing opening and closing of the flow of beverage or excess gas, the second control providing regulating of the flow of beverage or excess gas. 
     
     
         48 . The closure according to  claim 47 , wherein the first control comprises cooperating threads of the closure suitable to threadably engage with the threaded neck of a bottle, and the second control is a valve selected from the group consisting of a slide valve, a flip valve, a needle valve or a snap-in valve. 
     
     
         49 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the closure is for use with a bottle having a threaded bottle neck and the closure comprises increasingly resistant threads such that after the closure is substantially threadably engaged with a bottle having a threaded neck, the closure and bottle may only be unscrewed to a predetermined distance before the increasingly resistant threads prevent further unscrewing, or where the closure comprises threading designed such that after the closure is substantially threadably engaged with a bottle having a threaded neck, the closure and the bottle may only be unscrewed a predetermined distance before the threading of the closure prevents any further unscrewing of the closure from the bottle neck. 
     
     
         50 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the closure is for use with a bottle, and the closure is provided with a gasket tightening towards the top of the bottle neck when the closure is closed, and that upon turning the closure a predetermined angle relative to the bottle, beverage from the bottle enters the space between the gasket and the upper inside of the closure, whereby the upper inside is provided with a valve that is opened by pushing on the upper outside of the closure, and whereby the upper outside and the valve are both flexible in that the valve closes when pushing on the upper outside ceases. 
     
     
         51 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the closure is provided with a valve, and the valve is initially blocked from being used by a movable part thereof adhered to a non-movable part of the valve, where after the blocking is broken by moving the movable part, the valve will function in its normal way. 
     
     
         52 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the closure is provided with a cap, a shrink film or heat-sealing for rendering the closure tamperproof, less vulnerable for leakage, rupture, or other damage during transportation, or both. 
     
     
         53 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the closure has one of more of the following features: it is not provided with a lever arm arrangement for opening and closing any dispensation feature; it is for use without a closure routinely used with beverage containers with screw tops; it does not comprise a flexible tube on the outside the closure, wherein the outside is defined as the portion of the closure that does not face into or onto a container; it does not require squeezing of the container for being operated; it is not for use with a multi-compartment container. 
     
     
         54 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the closure has at least a first control for providing opening and closing of the flow of beverage or excess gas, comprising cooperating threads of the closure and of the neck of a bottle respectively, and at least a second control for regulating of the flow of beverage or excess gas comprising a valve selected from the group consisting of a slide valve, a flip valve, a needle valve or a snap-in valve. 
     
     
         55 . The closure according to  claim 37 , wherein the closure has at least first and second controls, the first control providing opening and closing of the flow of beverage or excess gas, the second control regulates the flow of beverage or excess gas, in that it is for use with a bottle, in that it is provided with a gasket tightening towards the top of the bottle neck when the closure is closed, and in that upon turning the closure a predefined angle relative to the bottle beverage from the bottle enters the space between the gasket and the upper inside of the closure, whereby the upper inside is provided with a valve that is opened by pushing on the upper outside of the closure, whereby this upper outside and the valve are both flexible in the sense that when you stop pushing on the upper outside the valve closes. 
     
     
         56 . A container for keeping pressurized or carbonated beverage, that is for use with a closure according to  claim 37 , and comprises a smaller percentage of beverage than a standard PET bottle, or has a higher gas pressure than a standard PET bottle, or both. 
     
     
         57 . A container according to  claim 56 , wherein the pressurized beverage in the container is kept under increased pressure, which is obtained by addition of liquid nitrogen or liquid carbonic acid to the beverage, preferably in an amount of more than about 4 g, preferably more than about 6 g, per litre beverage, just before applying the closure on the container, and/or by applying the closure on the container under an increased nitrogen and/or carbon dioxide pressure, preferably being more than about 5 bar. 
     
     
         58 . A kit comprising a container for keeping pressurized or carbonated beverage and a closure according to  claim 37 .