GB2483241A

GB2483241A - Beverage filter

Info

Publication number: GB2483241A
Application number: GB1014450.9A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mark David Christopher Arnell
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2010-09-01
Filing date: 2010-09-01
Publication date: 2012-03-07
Also published as: GB201014450D0

Abstract

The present invention relates to a filter device for use in a container for food and drink and to a container including the device. More particularly, the invention relates to a device that can be attached to and optionally removed from a container of a beverage. A device 7 for separating solid from liquid in a beverage stream, the device comprises an inlet 8, a porous barrier 10, and an outlet 11, and securing means to attach to an opening of a beverage container/or lid. The device may include a hinge 9. The device functions to separate some or all of the solid matter from the liquid as it is poured from said container. There are a number of beverages sold for human consumption that contain some kind of solid particulate. These particulates occur to a greater or lesser degree and are enjoyed by some users and unwanted by others. However, in all cases there is no provision for those that want to drink the liquid but without some or all of the solids. The present invention aims to provide a means to separate some or all of the solids, whilst providing the liquid for consumption.

Description

Beverage Filter The present invention generally relates to a device for use in a container for food and drink and to a container including the device. More particularly, the invention relates to a device that can be attached to and optionally removed from a container of a beverage. The device functions to separate some or all of the solid matter from the liquid as it is poured from said container.

There are a number of beverages sold for human consumption that contain some kind of solid particulate. These particulates occur to a greater or lesser degree and are enjoyed by some users and unwanted by others. However, in all cases there is no provision for those that want to drink the liquid but without some or all of the solids. The present invention aims to provide a means to separate some or all of the solid, whilst providing the liquid for consumption.

Basic separation of solids from liquids is widely known in a number of fields and can be achieved by means such as sieve. Numerous methods to remove solids from a liquid by the action of a sieve for industrial applications are known in the art. For example, DE 102007030188 Al (Ruediger et al.) describes a means to separate solids from two liquids simultaneously but separately, by passing the liquid streams through two sieves. This method of separation is inappropriate for the field of the present invention; due to the fact two liquid inlets are used. The apparatus has two sieve covers and a screen cloth to effect the separation of bulk liquids and solids.

DE 102007007030 (Franz et al.) describes the separation of water from solid waste on an industrial scale by the action of a screw conveyor, pressing the liquid from the waste solid.

The invention relies on the screw mechanism to squeeze the water from the solid waste and remove any debris from the sieve surface. Such devices are typically employed to separate solid waste from liquid slurry in applications such as agriculture. Of course the use of a mechanically operated separation device would be impractical within the field of this invention.

A sieve to separate the solids from a liquid such as rainwater flowing from a roof is disclosed in DE 10045348 Al (Norbert et al.). The disclosure relates to an approximately vertical sieve attached to the full length of a feed plate and a collection trough. The feed plate delivers the liquid to the approximately vertical sieve, at an angle nearly parallel to the sieve, which the liquid passes through and the solid matter does not, falling away from the sieve by the action of gravity. The flow of the potable liquid will ordinarily, but not exclusively, be perpendicular to the sieve in order to effectively separate the rainwater.

DE4214930 Cl (ter Meer et al.) describes a collection hopper which is split into an upper and lower compartment by a sieve. The upper compartment collects the solid material and a suction pipe in the lower compartment, upon closure of the hopper, removes the liquid from the solid material and the lower chamber. The use of suction to facilitate the separation is both undesirable and impractical in the field of the present invention.

A device to separate the liquid from the solid contents such as foodstuffs in a can is described in BE 896659 A2. Many foodstuffs, particularly vegetables and the like are packaged in water, brine or syrup to keep them moist and to preserve them. However, the user does not require or wish to consume this liquid. The invention comprises two semicircular sieves pivoted to one another and affixed to a can by a spring-loaded locking lever. This enables the liquid in a can to be poured off through one sieve and the food solid to be dispensed by opening the other pivoted half. This allows the food that is desired to be recovered from the can without the liquid for later consumption. This differs from the present invention in that it is the solid and not the liquid that is collected and retained for consumption.

The present invention solves the problem of separating some or all of a solid (which is generally unwanted), from a potable liquid as it is poured from a container, by incorporating a porous barrier in the fluid path. The device may be integral with or releasably attached to a bevarage container in such a manner to allow the liquid and solid matter to be taken from the container separately.

Liquids that contain solids, which this invention is aimed towards are, for example, but not limited to; fruit drinks including pulp such as orange juice, pineapple juice, combination fruit juices, other fruit juices and cold teas.

According to the present invention, there is provided a device for separating solid from liquid in a beverage stream containing both solids and liquids, wherein the device comprises an inlet portion, a porous barrier and an outlet portion, in which device the inlet portion is adapted to receive the beverage stream and direct it to a porous barrier, the porous barrier being operative to allow preferential passage of the liquid in the beverage to the outlet portion, wherein the device optionally includes securing means adapted to releasably or permanently engage with the opening of a beverage container; and optionally wherein, the device includes a means to releasably engage with a lid.

As used herein, the term porous barrier means a web, mesh or perforated sheet, of a suitable material, that spans the internal circumference of the device and allows a liquid to pass through but obstructs some or all of the solids present in the liquid. A suitable material may be chosen from one of polymer, metal, fabric, paper or ceramic.

The porous barrier is thus permeable to the flow of fluid but retains most or all of the solid material originally present in the beverage.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a beverage container including a device as described above. Thus in this aspect, the beverage container includes a device for separating solid from liquid in a beverage stream containing both solids and liquids, wherein the device comprises an inlet portion, a porous barrier and an outlet portion, in which device the inlet portion is adapted to receive the beverage stream and direct it to a porous barrier, the porous barrier being operative to allow preferential passage of the liquid in the beverage to the outlet portion, wherein the device includes securing means adapted to releasably or permanently engage with the opening of a beverage container; and optionally wherein, the device includes a means to releasably engage with a lid.

The device may be of any cross sectional shape such as circular, oval, rectangular, square, hexagonal or triangular.

In an embodiment, the cross sectional shape of the device is circular. This offers a greater range of compatabilities for the device with beverage containers.

In another embodiment, the device is releasably attachable to the beverage container.

The securing means is operative to retain the device in the mouth or outlet of the beverage container. The securing means allows permanent or temporary location of the device.

In one embodiment, the securing means is a screw thread. The screw thread is located on the exterior of the inlet and/or outlet portion of the device.

In a related embodiment, the securing means is a screw thread located on the interior of the inlet and/or outlet portion of the device.

In an alternative embodiment, the securing means comprises one or more protrusions on the exterior of the inlet and/or outlet of the device.

In a related embodiment, the securing means comprises one or more protrusions on the interior of the inlet and/or outlet of the device.

In another embodiment, the connection means is a gripping flange operated by a pivoted locking lever, the gripping flange being located at the inlet or outlet of the device.

The lid may be the lid of the beverage container or it may be a lid associated with the device itself. In the case in which the lid is associated with the device, it may form part of the device and be permanently attached thereto (for example by means of a hinge or tab) or may be removable. A removable lid may be attached for example, by a screw thread or may be a push fit fastening.

In an embodiment, the means to engage a lid is a screw thread. The screw thread is located on the exterior of the inlet and/or outlet of the device.

In a related embodiment, the means to engage a lid is a screw thread, located on the interior of the inlet and/or outlet of the device.

The device is manufactured from a suitable plastics material chosen from the group of polyethylene, polypropylene, PET and PVC, most preferably it is PET.

The porous barrier is in the form of a sheet or web of material which spans the internal cross sectional area of the device so as to provide a permeable barrier to the flow of the liquid beverage stream. The barrier may be made from one material out of polymers such as plastics, metal, fabric, paper or ceramic or a combination of two or more of these materials. The barrier this presents is in the form of a web, mesh or perforated sheet.

Preferably the barrier is a mesh. In a preferred embodiment the porous barrier is made from plastics material.

The pore size of the mesh will be in the range of 0.01 to 2.0mm, preferably in the range 0.1 tol.Omm.

In one embodiment the porous barrier is permanently fixed to the device.

In another embodiment the porous barrier is releasably attached to the device. The means for releasably attaching the porous barrier to the device being chosen from one of the mechanical mechanisms; a screwing mechanism, a clipping mechanism, a constricting mechanism or a magnetic mechanism. The porous barrier may alternatively be a push-fit or be wedged into position between the inlet and the outlet portion of the device.

In one embodiment, the device includes a hinge, which allows the device to be hinged to the opening of a beverage container. In this case the device includes a hinge portion, which may be releasably or permanentaly attached to a corresponding portion at or near the opening of the beverage container. Upon opening, the device is removed from the proximity of the opening of the container so that the beverage stream can be removed from the container without passage though the porous barrier.

In one embodiment, the device is releasably attachable to the opening of a beverage container, wherein the device is releasably attached via the connection means at the inlet and/or outlet portion(s).

The present invention shall now be described by reference to the following drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates one embodiment of the present invention (1) as a part cross section.

Figure 2 illustrates another embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the present invention (1), comprising, an inlet portion (2), a porous barrier (3) and an outlet portion (4). The inlet portion (2) has been adapted into a screw thread to releasably engage with the opening of a beverage container (5).

Furthermore, the device outlet portion (4) has been adapted to releasably engage with a lid (6) via a screw thread, optionally sealing the container.

Figure 2 shows another embodiment of the present invention (7), comprising an inlet portion (8), a hinge (9), a porous barrier (1 0), an outlet portion (II) and a clip (14). Upon attachment of the inlet portion (8) to the mouth of a beverage container (12), via the screw thread, hinge (9) allows the porous barrier (10) and outlet portion (11) to be hinged to the mouth of the beverage container (12). Clip (14) reversibly locks the hinge in a closed position. Bringing the porous barrier (10) and outlet portion (11) into contact with the inlet portion (9) so that the beverage stream passes through the porous barrier as the fluid is removed from the container. Upon opening of clip (14) the porous barrier (1 0) and outlet portion (11) are removed from the proximity of the opening of the container (12) so that the beverage stream can be removed from the container without passage though the porous barrier. The outlet portion (11) has been adapted to releasably engage with a lid (13), optionally sealing the container.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A device for separating solid from liquid in a beverage stream containing both solids and liquids, wherein the device comprises an inlet portion, a porous barrier and an outlet portion, in which device the inlet portion is adapted to receive the beverage stream and direct it to a porous barrier, the porous barrier being operative to allow preferential passage of the liquid in the beverage to the outlet portion, wherein the device includes securing means adapted to releasably or permanently engage with the opening of a beverage container; and optionally wherein, the device includes a means to releasably engage with a lid.
2. A beverage container including a device for separating solid from liquid in a beverage stream containing both solids and liquids, wherein the device comprises an in let portion, a porous barrier and an outlet portion, in which device the inlet portion is adapted to receive the beverage stream and direct it to a porous barrier, the porous barrier being operative to allow preferential passage of the liquid in the beverage to the outlet portion, wherein the device includes securing means adapted to releasably or permanently engage with the opening of a beverage container; and optionally wherein, the device includes a means to releasably engage with a lid.
3. A device of claim I or 2, wherein the cross sectional shape is one of circular, oval, rectangular, square, hexagonal or triangular, preferably circular.
4. A device of any preceding claim, wherein the device is releasably attachable to the opening of the beverage container.
5. A device of any preceding claim, wherein the securing means comprise a screw thread.
6. A device of any preceding claim, wherein the means to engage a lid comprises a screw thread.
7. A device of any preceding claim, wherein the device is manufactured from a plastics material, preferably polyethylene, polypropylene, PET or PVC.
8. A device of any preceding claim, wherein the device includes a hinge.
9. A device of any preceding claim, wherein the porous barrier is permanently fixed into the device.
10. A device of any preceding claim, wherein the porous barrier is a sheet or web of a material chosen from polymers, such as plastics, metal, fabric, paper or ceramic or a combination of two or more of these materials.
11. The porous barrier of claim 10, wherein the barrier is a mesh, with a pore size in the range of 0.01 to 0.2 mm, preferably in the range of 0.1 tol.0 mm.