GB2049454A - Appliance for making an aerated beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

The appliance comprises a casing (10) in which is mounted a pressurized container (12) of carbon dioxide which is controlled by a manually operable valve, the operation of which is by a finger actuable lever (26,27). A nozzle (18) is connected to the valve to receive carbon dioxide therefrom and inject it into water in a bottle when the bottle is mounted with the nozzle immersed in the water. A stopper (22) which closes the neck of the bottle when so mounted carries an annular flexible membrane (23) which abuts the upper end of the stem of the nozzle. An overpressure safety valve (42,44,46) is provided in communication (48) which the space (20) above the membrane (23), the latter serving to prevent water reaching the valve and assisting in forcing the bottle away from the stopper after aeration is complete. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Appliance for making an aerated beverage The present invention relates to an appliance for making an aerated beverage.

Conventional appliances of this type consist of a casing, in which is enclosed a container of pressurized liquid carbon dioxide and, connected thereto by a manually operable valve, an elongate nozzle which is either permanently angled downwardly and forwardly or is pivotable between such a position and a vertical position. 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 position with its neck against a stopper at the top of the nozzle usually after pivoting the nozzle to a vertical position. The equipment also usually includes a shatterproof housing which surrounds the bottle when it is in position around the nozzle.

The manually operated valve is actuated a few times and carbon dioxide gas is thus introduced into the water. A safety valve is provided which releases any excess pressure which may occur in the bottle.

The bottle is then removed from the equipment 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.

It is important that the safety valve should operate absolutely reliably. In one known form of equipment of this type, the safety valve is placed near the base of the casing, and it is opened and shut every time that the bottle is raised and lowered relative to the nozzle by an auxiliary cam mounted on the shaft of a hand operated cam which is used to raise and lower the bottle.

It has also been proposed to have the safety valve moved between an open and shut position by the member which is operated to actuate the manually operated valve, which causes the gas to be introduced into the bottle. Such an arrangement is far simpler than that previously used and does not require a long tube to connect it to the aerating system.

Clearly the safety valve should be placed in the aerating system on the side of the manually operable valve remote from the carbon dioxide container. In one construction according to this proposal it is provided in the same assembly as the manually operable valve mechanism and the valve housing is in the form of a moulding or casting which provides a pivot for an actuating lever which is used to actuate the manually operable valve. If the safety valve is mounted on the opposite side of the pivot point from the manually operable valve, then it is simple for the former to remain open most of the time, and for it only to be closed when the lever is actuated.

In this construction, the excess carbon dioxide preferably vents to the normally open valve through an annular bore within the stopper and surrounding the stem of nozzle.

It is riow proposed, according to the present invention, to provide an appliance for making an aerated beverage comprising a casing, means for mounting a container of pressurized carbon dioxide in said casing, a manually operable valve to control the outflow of carbon dioxide from said container, a nozzle connected to said manually operable valve to receive carbon dioxide from said valve, means for mounting a bottle containing water, so that the nozzle is immersed in the water in said bottle, a stopper positioned to close the neck of the bottle, when so mounted, an annular flexible membrane on said stopper which abuts the stem of the nozzle and an overpressure safety valve communicating with the space above the membrane. The advantage of this construction is two-fold. Firstly the membrane limits significantly the ingress of water into the annular space.Occasionally a person operating the appliance can misuse it, by introducing the flavour ing syrup or concentrate into the bottle before, rather than after, the water has been aerated. If this is done, the water is caused to froth up in the bottle, and this can be so great that the frothy, sticky water can travel as far as the safety valve, which could impair its subsequent operation. The membrane prevents this from happening.

The second advantage is that if the membrane is made a reasonably tight fit on the stem of the nozzle, it will retain a small amount of pressure within the bottle. This pressure assists in forcing the bottle away from the stopper when it is desired to remove the bottle. Of course the membrane must be able to flex slightly, so that during aeration it allows any excess pressure within the bottle to be released to the safety valve. The pressure which the membrane can stand is preferably of the order of 5% to 20% of the design pressure of the safety valve.

In order that the invention will be more fully understood, the following description is given merely by way of example, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which the sole Figure is a sectional side elevation of one embodiment of apparatus incorporating the various aspects of the invention.

The equipment illustrated comprises a main casing 10 in which is positioned a carbon dioxide container 12, this being threaded with a fitting 14 forming part of an upper casing member 16. Secured to a portion 54 adjacent the front (i.e. the right as seen in the figure) of member 16 is a downwardly depending hollow nozzle 18, the upper part of which passes with clearance through the bore 21 in an annular boss 20, integrally formed with the portion 54 of member 16, and surrounded by a resilient stopper 22. The nozzle has a lower discharge head 17 for projecting gas into the water and an upper head 19 spaced below a thin, flexible, annular membrane 23 which is secured to the lower face of the stopper and rests lightly against the stem of the nozzle 18, partly to close offthe bore 21.

A pivot 24 carried by the member 16 carries a manually operable actuating lever 26, having a portion 27 extending through an aperture in a top cover 29, which covers all of the components above member 16. The lever has a first projection 30 on the forward side of the pivot 24, this engaging a vertically reciprocable rod 32, which in turn engages a release pin (not shown) in the top of fitting 13 of container 12.

Actuation of lever 26 presses rod 32 down, which releases carbon dioxide into a chamber 34 in member 16, this gas being fed along a flexible pipe 36, to the interior of nozzle 18.

Rearwardly of pivot 24 is a second projection 38 which engages a further vertically reciprocable rod 40, which bears on a valve ball 42, normally to hold it away from a 45" frusto-conical valve seat 44 formed integrally on member 16. When the lever is depressed, spring 46 urges the valve ball against the valve seat. Afurtherflexible tube connects the interior of boss 20 to the connection point 50 above valve seat 44.

A shatterproof, translucent polycarbonate housing 52 is connected to member 16 and surrounds the nozzle 18. The portion 54 of the member 16 is connected to the remainder by a hinge (not shown), enabling housing 52, nozzle 18 and the associated parts 20, 22, 36,48 to pivot forwardly to the position 53 indicated in phantom.

Mounted below the open bottom of the housing 54, when in its full-line, upright position, is a horizontal casing portion 56 arranged above an undercut front portion 58, which has an inclined lead in surface 60 therebelow. Vertically reciprocable behind front portion 58 is a stem 62, having a flat table 64 at its top and a plug 66 at its bottom. The plug forms a follower for a cam 68 mounted on a shaft 70 which carries a lifting lever 72.

An aperture 74 is provided at the top and rear side of housing 52 and a line of weakness 76 (not clearly visible in the figure) is formed down the rear of housing 52.

In use, the housing is pivoted out to the phantom position 53 and a partly filled bottle 80 is inserted, with the pivoted nozzle 18 inside the bottle, this being facilitated by the undercut 58 and lead in surface 60. The housing, together with the nozzle and bottle, is pivoted back and the lever 72 is pulled down to the position shown in phantom. This has the effect of pivoting the cam 68 clockwise by approximately 900 which raises shaft 62, table 64 and forces the neck of bottle 80 against stopper 22.

When lever 27 is pressed, rod 32 is moved down, releasing carbon dioxide into chamber 34 and thence, via pipe 36 and nozzle 18 into the bottle.

When the pressure rises to a preset value in the bottle, this pressure flexes back the membrane 23, is passed through the bore 21 in the boss 20, into the pipe 48 and connection 50 to above ball 42, to lift the ball off its seat 44 against the action of the spring 46.

This ensures that the pressure in the bottle 80 does not become too high and also produces a whistling sound to indicate that the bottle can be removed.

It will be appreciated that the lever extension 38 normally holds the valve 42 open so that there will be no tendency for this valve to stick.

When the bottle is fully charged the lever 72 is pivoted back to its near vertical position, which allows the table to drop to the position shown, together with the bottle 80, and this, together with the nozzle and housing is pivoted out to the phantom position 53 once again, and the bottle is removed.

With lever 27 released, the pressure above the membrane is atmospheric and the flexibility of the membrane is such as to return a few pounds per square inch pressure in the bottle. When the table is lowered this pressure forces the bottle down to remove it from the stopper. The membrane also prevents the ingress of any water into the bore 21.

When the bottle has been removed it can then have added to it, if desired, a particular concentrate syrup to give the aerated beverage the flavour required.

Should the bottle by chance explode due to a fault in the glass, the shatterproof casing prevents the glass damaging the user. Should the pressure within the casing become too high, then this will split along the line 76 and/or gas will be allowed to escape through the opening 74 thereby releasing the press ure without projecting liquid or glass towards the user.

By having a translucent housing, one can see exactly what is going on inside the bottle and this is a rather more pleasing arrangement than that used hitherto in which the casing was of metal.

Claims (6)

1. An appliance for making an aerated beverage comprising a casing, means for mounting a contain er of pressurized carbon dioxide in said casing, a manually operable valve to control the outflow of carbon dioxide from said container, a nozzle con nected to said manually operable valve to receive carbon dioxide from said valve, means for mounting a bottle containing water, so that the nozzle is immersed in the water in said bottle, a stopper positioned to close the neck of the bottle, when so mounted, an annular flexible membrane on said stopper which abuts the stem of the nozzle and an overpressure safety valve communicating with the space above the membrane.

2. An appliance according to claim 1, wherein said mounting means includes a shatterproof hous ing pivotally mounted on said casing.

3. An appliance according to claim 2, wherein said shatterproof housing is formed in a translucent plastics material.

4. An appliance according to any preceding claim, wherein said manually operable valve is actuable by a lever pivotally mounted on said casing, said safety valve is normally in the open position and is closed when the lever is actuated to open the manually operable valve.

5. An appliance according to any preceding claim, wherein the pressure which the membrane can stand before flexing is 5% to 20% of the design pressure ofthe safety valve.

6. An appliance for making an aerated beverage, such appliance being constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with refer ence to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.