GB2093358A

GB2093358A - Carbonated drinks machine

Info

Publication number: GB2093358A
Application number: GB8105755A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Thorn Cascade Co Ltd
Current assignee: Thorn Cascade Co Ltd
Priority date: 1981-02-24
Filing date: 1981-02-24
Publication date: 1982-09-02

Abstract

An appliance for making a carbonated beverage in which the safety pressure release valve (33) is mounted in a support member (16) and immediately adjacent the stopper (25) which, in use, seals a bottle (27) containing liquid to be carbonated, so that the passage (28, 32) from the space above the liquid in the bottle to the safety pressure release valve is as short as possible, so that a minimum of carbon dioxide is wasted each time the appliance is used. <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 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 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 also 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 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 or cola etc.

Such a construction is relatively satisfactory, but there is a certain wastage of the carbon dioxide each time it is used.

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 into said housing, a stopper 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 and a safety pressure valve mounted on said support member adjacent the stopper and connected to the space above the water in the bottle only by a simple bore through said support member.

With such a construction the amount of gas used during each aerating step can be significantly reduced because there is no need to waste, at each step, the amount of carbon dioxide contained within a normally relative long passage to the safety pressure valve. By mounting the safety pressure valve on the support member adjacent the stopper and connecting it to the space above the water in the bottle only by a simple bore in the support member, the amount of carbon dioxide wasted is negligible.

Because of the positioning of the valve directly above the stopper, the valve can be positioned at the front of the machine and can be made adjustable as to pressure at which it is released by the user.

Preferably, the shatterproof housing is pivotally mounted relative to the casing, and a releasable latch is provided to lock the shatterproof housing during feeding of carbon dioxide through the nozzle, and actuation of the latch to its release position is arranged to cause unseating of the safety pressure valve, thus to release pressure in the space above the water in the bottle before thepivotal movement to allow the bottle to be removed from the housing can take place.

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 schematic cross-section through the upper part of one embodiment of appliance according to the 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 general channel cross-section to provide a rear wall 11, two side walls, one of which is illustrated at 12, a bottom wall (not shown) and a top wall 14.

A pivot 15 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 16 which supports a number of further components. Firstly, it supports a screw-threaded connection 17 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 edge 20 to pierce a diaphragm (not shown) which normally seals the upper end of the container 1 8.

At its forward end, the support member 16 is provided with a downwardly extending coarse screw-thread 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 thereabove, the upwardly projected area of the diaphragm forming a 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 16 to communicate with the passage 30 moulded into the support member 1 6 and communicating with a bore 31 above the screw-threaded valve 1 9.

Moulded into the front of the support member 1 6 is a safety pressure release valve 33 which communicates with the space 26 above the diaphragm via a short passage 32. The valve 33 is adjustable by means of adjustment knob 34 at the front of the appliance.

Rockably mounted on the support member 1 6 by a rocking pivot 35, is an actuating lever 36 which is urged resiliently upwardly by a spring 37.

Downward movement of the lever 36 against the action of the spring 37, that is in an anti-clockwise direction about the axis 34, causes the lever to depress an actuating pin 38 which actuates the valve 19.

At its forward end and at a location slightly forwardly and below the forward end of the lever 36, the support member 1 6 is formed with a cover part 39 which is disposed such that when the support member 16 is pivoted in the clockwise direction about the axis 1 5, the cover part 39 moves under the free end of the lever 36 and prevents the latter from being depressed.

Pivoting of the assembly mounted on the support member 16 can be prevented by a latch 40 which thus holds the support member and its associated parts in the position illustrated. The latch 40 has associated therewith a cam 41 so that when the latch 40 is depressed, to release the housing, the cam moves a lever 42 to unseat the ball 43 of the safety pressure valve, each time the latch is operated, thus ensuring that the ball does not become stuck.

The proximity of the safety pressure valve 33 to the space 26 above the stopper is such as to ensure that the passage 32 is as short as possible, so that the amount of gas which is lost in each stage is reduced to a minimum.

In the construction described above, the container 1 8 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 1 9 and pin 37, and without the need for a knife 20.

Claims

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 support member into said housing, a stopper 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 and a safety pressure valve mounted on said support member adjacent the stopper and connected to the space above the water in the bottle only by a simple bore through said support member.

2. An appliance according to claim 1 , wherein the safety pressure valve is adjustable as to the pressure at which it is released.

3. An appliance according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shatterproof housing is pivotally mounted relative to said casing, wherein a releasable latch is provided to lock the shatterproof housing during feeding of carbon dioxide through said nozzle, and wherein actuation of said latch to its release position is arranged to cause unseating of the safety pressure valve, thus to release pressure in the space above the water in the bottle before the pivotal movement to allow the bottle to be removed from the housing can take place

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