GB2093359A - Carbonated drinks machine - Google Patents

Abstract

An appliance for making carbonated beverage of the type in which carbon dioxide is introduced into a bottle (27) of water under pressure, a safety valve (33) being provided to release the pressure when it reaches a predetermined value. A separate vent valve (38) is provided to release the pressure above the water in the bottle so that the bottle can readily be removed at the termination of carbonation, the vent valve being positioned very close to this space above the water so that a minimum of carbon dioxide is wasted. The vent valve also vents the space (26) above the stopper to release pressure which forces the stopper into close engagement with the mouth of the bottle. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Aerated drinks machine The present invention relates to an appliance for making an aerated beverage.

Conventionally, an appliance of this type can consist of a casing, in which is enclosed or mounted a container of pressurized liquid carbon dioxide. Connected to this container, by a manually operated valve, is an elongate nozzle which is either permanently angled downwardly and forwardly or is pivotable between such a position and a verticalposition. A bottle, which is partly filled with water, is moved upwardly relative to the nozzle, so that the nozzle is immersed in the water, with the nozzle in the inclined position. The bottle is held in place with its neck against a stopper at the top of the nozzle, usually after pivoting the nozzle to the vertical position. The appliance usually includes a shatterproof housing which surrounds the bottle, when it is in position around the nozzle.

A manually operated valve is actuated a few times and carbon dioxide gas is thus introduced into the water. The safety valve is provided which releases any excess pressure which may occur in the bottle which may thereafter be removed from the appliance and its contents are either used in this form, as soda water, or a concentrate flavouring syrup is added to obtain an aerated beverage, such as lemonade, tonic water, cola etc.

Before the bottle is removed it is necessary to reduce the pressure above the water in the bottle, or else the bottle will be "blown" away from the stopper which is clearly dangerous. This is normally achieved by an actuation of the overpressure valve by a suitable means. However, this can be rather wastefui in carbon dioxide.

It is now proposed, according to the present invention, to provide an appliance for making an aerated beverage, said appliance comprising a casing, means for mounting a container of pressurized liquid carbon dioxide within said casing, a support member mounted on said casing, a shatterproof housing for a bottle of water carried by said support member, a nozzle communicating with said connection and extending from said support member in said housing, a stopper for engaging in the neck of a bottle in said housing, means for supporting the bottle in the housing so that the stopper is engaged in its neck, a safety pressure valve connected to the interior of the bottle when the stopper is engaged in its neck and a separate vent valve connected directly to the space of the bottle.

Actuation of the vent valve with such a construction will release the pressure immediately and it is not necessary to operate the safety pressure valve for this purpose.

Preferably, the vent valve is mounted upon the support member directly above the stopper and is connected to the space above the water in the bottle only by a simple bore through said support member.

A further valve may be provided which forms part of the connection or is mountable on the connection, the valve being operable to allow carbon dioxide to flow to the nozzle. This further valve is preferably operable by a manually actuable member, such as a lever, actuation of which also allows the normally open vent valve to be closed.

In order that the present invention may more readily be understood, the following description is given, merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which the sole Figure is a cross-section through the upper part of one embodiment of appliance according tothe invention.

Referring now to the Figure, the appliance illustrated therein comprises a casing indicated by the general reference numeral 10, this being formed as a one-piece moulding of generally channel cross-section to provide a rear wall 11, two side walls 12, a bottom wall (not shown) and a top wall 14.

A pivot 1 5 is provided between the two side walls adjacent the front and near the top thereof.

This serves to mount pivotally a one-piece moulding support member 1 6 which supports a number of further components. Firstly, it supports a screw-threaded connection 1 7 for a container 1 8 of pressurized liquid carbon dioxide. In fact the screw-threaded connection 1 7 includes a threaded valve 1 9 having a knife 20 to pierce a diaphragm (not shown) which normally seals the upper end of the container 1 8.

At its forward end, support member 1 6 is provided with a downwardly extending coarse screw-threaded or bayonet fitting 21 into which can be threaded a transparent plastics material shatterproof housing 22, the upper end 23 of the housing being used to urge a diaphragm 24 against the lower surface of the support member, thus to hold the diaphragm in place. The diaphragm carries a stopper 25 and leaves a space 26 therabove, the upwardly projecting area of the diaphragm forming the wall of the space 26, being greater than the downwardly projected area of the stopper when the latter is engaged in the neck of a bottle, which is indicated in phantom at 27.

Passing through an opening 28 in the stopper, is an elongate nozzle 29 which is screw-threaded or moulded into the support member 1 6 to communicate with the passage 30 moulded into the support member 1 6 and communicating with a bore 31 above the screw-threaded valve 19.

The space 26 above the diaphragm also communicates with the passage 32 which is also moulded into the support member 1 6 and communicates with the safety pressure relief valve 33 which is again moulded into the support member 16.

Rockably mounted on the support 16, by a rocking pivot 34, is an actuating lever 35, which is urged resiliently upwardly by a spring 36.

Downward movement of the lever 35, against the action of the spring 36, that is in an anti-clockwise direction about the axis 34, causes the lever to press an actuating pin 37 which actuates the valve 19.

A vent valve 38 is provided in direct communication with the space 26 and within the spring 36. A spool 39 within this vent valve 38 is reciprocable within the valve when the lever 35 is depressed. In the position illustrated, the spool 39 is located above a vent port 40 so that the space 26 is vented to atmosphere.

In use, a bottle is filled about three quarters full with water, is inserted into the housing 22 and is engaged against the stopper 25. Operation of the lever 35 by downward pressure thereon, moves the spool 39 so that it is below the vent portion 40 thus blocking off communication with the exterior.

The depression of the lever 35 also pushes pin 37 downwardly thus releasing the valve 19 and allowing carbon dioxide to flow along passage 30 and down the nozzle 29 into the water in the bottle. Pressure of carbon dioxide above the water is communicated via opening 28 to the larger area of the diaphragm above the stopper, thus forcing the stopper into the neck of the bottle. When the pressure gets up to a preset value, which may be adjustable, the valve 33 operates so that no excess pressure can exist. However, in order to remove the bottle, one needs to release the pressure of gas above the bottle. This is achieved as soon as the lever 35 is released, because the spool 39 moves above the vent port 40, so that the space above the water is immediately connected to the atmosphere. There is very little wastage of carbon dioxide because of the shortness of the connection between the space above the bottle and atmosphere.

In the construction described above, the container 18 is indicated as being one which is disposable. One could, of course, instead employ a conventional reusable container which has its own built in valve and actuating pin in place of valve 19 and pin 37, and without the need for a knife 20.

Claims (3)

1. An appliance for making an aerated beverage, said appliance comprising a casing, means for mounting a container of pressurized liquid carbon dioxide within said casing, a support member mounted on said casing, a shatterproof housing for a bottle of water carried by said support member, a nozzle communicating with said connection and extending from said supporting member in said housing, a stopper for engaging in the neck of a bottle in said housing, means for supporting the bottle in the housing so that the stopper is engaged in its neck, a safety pressure valve connected to the interior of the bottle when the stopper is engaged in its neck and a separate vent valve connected directly to the space above the bottle.

2. An appliance according to claim 1, wherein the vent valve is mounted upon said support member directly above the stopper and is connected to the space above the water in the bottle only by a simple bore through said support member.

3. An appliance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a valve forms a part of said connection, or is mountable on said connection, said valve being operable to allow carbon dioxide to flow to said nozzle, and being operable by a manually actuable member, actuation of which also allows the normally open vent valve to be closed.

.4. An appliance for making an aerated beverage substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.