초록 ▼

A tap for liquids dispenses liquids including wines from plastic bags or bladders packaged in cardboard boxes, and has three modes of operation. Liquids may be dispensed from the box on a shelf by manually turning a rotatable cap to open a valve for liquid to flow by gravity; an adapter attached to

A tap for liquids dispenses liquids including wines from plastic bags or bladders packaged in cardboard boxes, and has three modes of operation. Liquids may be dispensed from the box on a shelf by manually turning a rotatable cap to open a valve for liquid to flow by gravity; an adapter attached to the tap automates the process and dispenses liquids through a pump; and the tap may be used to fill bags or bladders from an automated filling machine. In a first embodiment, the rotatable cap must be manually opened for both manual and automated operation. In a second embodiment, the rotatable cap may remain closed and the adapter can still dispense liquids through the tap using a pump.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A tap for liquids comprising: A tap body, a cap, a valve, a spring, and a dispensing adapter,said tap body further comprising an inlet having at least one sealing rib forming a liquid-tight seal with a bladder, a dispensing outlet having a receiving connector for receivably engaging a dispensing

1. A tap for liquids comprising: A tap body, a cap, a valve, a spring, and a dispensing adapter,said tap body further comprising an inlet having at least one sealing rib forming a liquid-tight seal with a bladder, a dispensing outlet having a receiving connector for receivably engaging a dispensing adapter, and a transition area for holding fluids between said inlet and said dispensing outlet, said dispensing outlet further comprising sealing means between said dispensing outlet and said dispensing adapter,said cap having an internal ridge running circumferentially around an internal cavity, said cap being rotatable to an open position when said cap is raised and being rotatable to a closed position when said cap is lowered,said valve further comprising a lower portion and an upper portion, said upper portion comprising a valve stem having two or more resilient fingers, each of said resilient fingers having an outwardly facing barb, each said barb being seatable upon an upper lip of said internal ridge and being able to be raised and lowered as said cap is raised and lowered,said lower portion comprising a cylindrical base, sealing means, and a hollow cylindrical extension, said hollow cylindrical extension having openings therethrough and extending below the lowest portion of said dispensing outlet, said sealing means contacting and closing a liquid passageway between said sealing means and an inner surface of said tap when said valve is lowered,a compression spring helically coiled around said valve stem and extending between said cylindrical base and the lower lip of said internal ridge,said dispensing adapter comprising a socket having an inner shoulder whereby, when said dispensing adapter is attached to said dispensing outlet, said inner shoulder forces the lower end of said valve upwardly to open said liquid passageway. 2. A tap for releasing a liquid held in a reservoir, the tap comprising: a tap body including an inner bore having opposed first and second ends, the first end defined below the second end such that a fluid in the inner bore would pass through the first end by gravitational force,an inlet projecting from between the first and second ends of the inner bore, the inlet fluid-tightly connectable with the reservoir, the inlet having a transition area thereby permitting fluid communication between the reservoir when connected and the inner bore through the inlet, anda dispensing outlet projecting from the first end of the inner bore; a valve cap having a bore portion and a knob, the bore portion receivable within the inner bore of the tap body proximate the second end of the tap body, the valve cap engagable with the inner bore into order to raise the bore portion of the valve cap between an open and closed position, the bore portion including an internal ridge; anda press valve insertable into the inner bore and including an upper portion having a barb with at least two resilient fingers engagable with the internal ridge of the bore portion of the valve cap in order to raise or lower the barb as the valve cap is raised or lowered, anda lower portion dimensioned such that at least part of the lower portion projects beyond the dispensing outlet when the press valve is inserted, the lower portion substantially hollow and including at least one opening positioned such that when the press valve is raised to the open position the at least one opening is placed in fluid communication with the inner bore and when the press valve is lowered to the closed position the at least one opening is blocked from fluid communication with the inner bore. 3. The tap of claim 2, further comprising a dispensing adapter fittable over the dispensing outlet, the adapter including a shoulder abutted against the lower portion of the press valve when the adapter is fitted over the dispensing outlet thereby raising the press valve to the open position when the adapted is fitted over the dispensing outlet. 4. The tap of claim 3, the press valve further including a cylindrical base provided between the upper and lower portions, anda compression spring provided around the upper portion and resting on the cylindrical base, whereby the compressing spring presses against the internal ridge of the bore portion when the press valve is inserted into the inner bore. 5. The tap of claim 4, the press valve further comprising a sealing means resting around the lower portion of the press valve against the cylindrical base. 6. The tap of claim 2, the tap body further including at least one sealing rib for forming a liquid-tight seal with the reservoir. 7. The tap of claim 2, the at least one opening of the press valve is a plurality of windows. 8. The tap of claim 2, wherein the inner bore and the bore portion of the valve cap are substantially coaxial when the bore portion is received. 9. The tap of claim 8, wherein the inlet projects substantially perpendicular to the inner bore. 10. The tap of claim 2, wherein the valve cap is threadably engaged with the inner bore, rotation of the knob in a first direction thereby raising the valve cap to the open position and rotation of the knob in a second direction thereby lowering the valve cap to the closed position. 11. The tap of claim 10, wherein an inner side of the knob is threadably engaged with the inner bore. 12. The tap of claim 3, wherein the reservoir is a compressible bladder. 13. The tap of claim 12, wherein the adapter is connectable to pump in order to fill the compressible bladder with a fluid when the adapter is fitted over the dispensing outlet. 14. The tap of claim 2, wherein the press valve is insertable into the inner bore through the first end of the inner bore.