DE29622248U1 - Carbonizing device - Google Patents

Description

DS Products Dieter Schwarz GmbH, Stormarnring 14, 22145 Stapelfeld

Carbonation device

The invention relates to a device for carbonating liquid contained in a closed bottle with a sealing device for sealingly connecting it to the bottle, a gas injection device operatively connected to the sealing device for injecting gas into the liquid, a device for holding the bottle in a predetermined position in which a gas inlet opening of the bottle is located in the area of the sealing device and the gas injection device is functionally connected to the bottle, a housing at least partially surrounding the bottle for holding the bottle in said position, a movable element associated with the sealing device and a gas supply connection/3 located on the housing, as well as a coupling for establishing a connection between a gas supply and a gas bottle connection/3 in such devices, as well as a valve for connecting a gas supply line to a liquid container to be gassed.

In a known device of the type described (EP-Bl-0 172 815), the gas is fed into the liquid container via a valve device arranged on the (top) neck of the bottle from a gas bottle that is also stored in the device. The seals of the gas bottle and the liquid container are located in close proximity in the upper part of the device. To introduce the gas and to distribute it in the liquid after it has passed through the sealing valve arrangement, a gas injection device extending downwards from the sealing device is provided with a nozzle extending downwards from a float. Apart from a not insignificant

Due to the considerable technical effort that is required due to the direct connection of the sealing, feedthrough and valve arrangements next to one another in the head area of the bottles arranged at an acute angle to one another, the introduction of gas into a liquid container from above is always associated with difficulties in terms of complete mixing of the gas with the liquid. Since gas in liquid usually rises, it is either necessary to pull the gas introduction device through to the bottom of the bottle, which would result in considerable constructional difficulties, or the gas must be fed through the nozzles at considerable pressure without there being any guarantee that it will actually reach the bottom area. Since the slow gas flow required for intimate mixing of gas and liquid cannot be achieved in this way, a gas-filled liquid is obtained in the bottle, which has quality disadvantages such as insufficient mixing or durability of the gas in the liquid.

The object of the invention is, in contrast, to create a device which, while eliminating the disadvantages mentioned above, provides a sensible, easy-to-use and also simple and inexpensive way to manufacture for gassing essentially gas-free liquids by intimately mixing the gas with the liquid, as well as the components required for this purpose for a proper and functional realization of this task.

This object is achieved in a carbonation device of the type described at the outset in that the sealing device and a first part of the gas injection device are components of the bottom of the bottle and a second part of the gas injection device is arranged on the housing for actuating the sealing device in such a way that the first and second parts can be moved relative to one another by means of an operating element accessible from the outside to open the gas inlet,

whereby the first part and the second part are part of a valve that blocks the passage of liquid in any position of the two parts. The gas can thus be introduced into the liquid from the bottom of the bottle and thus follow its natural - ascending - direction of movement in the liquid without the need for any structural elements that extend a long way into the bottle and would be required for supply and/or mixing. The pressure of the gas also decreases as it flows/rises independently, which in particular results in better use of the gas that is to be supplied under pressure and allows overpressure measures to be designed in a structurally and functionally simplified manner. At the same time, the bottle is primarily sealed against liquid, which results in a considerably simpler design of the corresponding valve and sealing arrangements. In addition, an overall arrangement of the device can be realized in this way in which a significant part of the valve arrangement can be provided in a form that fits snugly at the bottom of the bottle in order to enable the bottle to be inserted in a way that is understandable and obvious even for a layperson in connection with an easily accessible operating element arranged in the upper part of the device, for example in the form of a handle (pressure head or similar). By arranging the liquid bottle upright, a reservoir for the gas supply, usually provided in the form of a gas bottle, can be arranged compactly next to the liquid container at an incline, which in turn ensures greater safety in the event of leaks in the outlet area of the gas bottle. The advantages in terms of design and operability can be sensibly realized, supplemented and continued by special embodiments, as set out in particular in subclaims 2 to 7. By directing the gas from the neck of the gas bottle in the upper part of the device to the bottom of the water bottle, a relatively long flow path is created,

which can have a dampening effect on the gas flow, so that, among other things, flow disturbances in the device can be avoided.

The invention also includes a coupling suitable for connecting a gas bottle to a gas supply line, which is particularly suitable for use with the device described above. In a further development of the invention, this coupling comprises a nozzle connection part, a plug-in part that can be snapped into this and a valve formed between the two parts that can be opened in the plug connection, the plug-in part being connected to the outlet of the gas bottle. Furthermore, a sleeve is placed over the connection part, which can be moved in a retractable manner in the plug-in direction of the plug-in part against the force of a spring arranged between the connection part and the sleeve. At least one locking element is arranged between the sleeve and the connection part, which can be displaced from a plug-in receiving space of the connection part when the sleeve is displaced against the force of the spring in order to release the plug-in receiving space of the connection part for the plug-in part to be inserted. The locking part comes into locking connection with a receptacle formed on the plug-in part and is locked in the locking position by the sleeve which is set back by the spring. Such a coupling, which can preferably be provided with a cap or sleeve made of plastic material which also protects the upper part of the bottle, i.e. the bottle neck, and which in turn serves as an assembly aid, enables a particularly quick and safe connection of the gas bottle to a device such as that according to the invention. This coupling is particularly suitable for the obvious connection to a movement device which creates the functional connection between the gas bottle and the liquid container or its bottom valve.

The invention also relates to a valve for introducing gas into liquid in a bottle, whereby in addition to the general use, a particularly advantageous application for the valve according to the invention

The design of this valve provides that at least part of the valve on the bottom of the bottle is designed as a dual-function valve, which results in multifunctional use. Further details of the valve design are given in subclaims 10 to 14.

Further advantages and embodiments or possibilities of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments shown in the schematic drawing. It shows

Fig. 1 is a partially sectioned view of the

inventive device in overall view, i.e. with inserted liquid

liquid bottle and gas bottle;

Fig. 2 a detail of the bottom formation of a

Liquid bottle in section; 20

Fig. 3 in exploded view two elements of the inventive
bottom valve arrangement;

Fig. 4 the elements shown in Fig. 3 in their functional rest position in connection with the valve arrangement as a whole;

Fig. 5 a detailed section of the gas cylinder head with gas extraction connection in the part

wise cut; and

Fig. 6 shows a partially exploded view of a gas connection coupling with actuating device.

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The device 1 shown in Fig. 1, which is used in particular for carbonating essentially gas-free liquids for the purpose of preparing and refining drinks (fizzy lemonade, etc.), comprises a housing 10 for accommodating a gas bottle 8 and a liquid container, also in the form of a bottle, here designated 4. The gas bottle 8 is arranged so that its main axis is at an acute angle to the essentially upright, i.e. vertically standing liquid bottle. The bearing for the lower area of the gas bottle is only indicated and no longer designated. The gas bottle is arranged in the rear part of the housing 10, while the liquid bottle 4 is located in a front part, which offers a wide opening or recess that ensures easy handling, i.e. above all, quick insertion. In other words, unlike known devices on the market, the housing does not need to be closed with a door, as the user does not need to have direct access to the gas bottle, but can easily insert the liquid bottle from the front once a gas bottle has been inserted and gas is available for a large number of filling processes. In addition, this arrangement of the two containers to one another provides the prerequisite for a particularly elegant, aesthetically pleasing overall shape in the manner of a partially conical kitchen or household appliance. When you look at Fig. 1, you can think of a helmet-like arrangement with an open visor.

In order to be able to mix the liquid in the bottle 4 with a gas under pressure, usually CO ₂ , the bottle 4 is provided in its lower area with a gas injection device 3, which simultaneously forms part of a sealing device 2. The latter in turn is constructed by combining a ball valve 31, 33 of conventional construction, whereby according to the invention the ball 31 is held in its

Seat on the opening of the gas passage 33 is pressed. This plate 22 is shown in detail in Fig. 3 and 4 and is part of a ring 220 to which it is attached, for example, by gluing, vulcanizing or other means. A one-piece design is also possible. The plate 22 is gas-permeable like a membrane, so that when it is in the curved position beyond that shown in Fig. 4, i.e. when the ball 31 is raised, gas can pass through it. This takes place in the direction of the arrows G in a fanned manner, which contributes significantly to a good distribution of the gas in the liquid. The sealing device 2 can be inserted as a whole into a screw thread of a nozzle 45 in the bottom of the bottle, whereby a closure cap 44, which carries the gas passage 33, holds the ball 31 in its position against the elastic plate 22. The nozzle 45 is located in a bottle holder/3 so that it is covered when the bottle 4 is standing and thus does not form an obstacle.

Details of the sealing and gas injection devices 2, 3 are described in more detail below, as is the movement device 6 used to hold the bottle 4, which is mounted in the housing 10 and is designed in connection with the latter in such a way that it supports the bottle 4 in a simple, centering manner.

Opposite this bearing arrangement for the bottle base 10 in the housing, a release device is provided in the event that an inserted bottle is to be gassed. This device comprises an operating element 7 and a spring-piston arrangement 72, 71 with a stamp 73, which is placed on a screw neck closure 41 of the bottle, which also comprises a pressure relief valve 42, under the required holding pressure. The arrangement is practically self-explanatory from the drawing. In other words, pressing the operating element 7 into place leads to a firm attachment of this device by means of a pressure stamp, so that the bottle 4 is pressed firmly against its support on the bottle base, whereby the

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The function triggered by this is explained in more detail below. The pressure relief valve 42 only needs to be a fine bore. In order to be able to use smaller bottles than the one shown, the plunger 73 can easily be modified using an adapter by replacing it with a higher element as a spacer for the piston 71.

At the top end of the gas bottle 8 there is a gas supply connection 5, which can be connected to the bottle neck using a quick coupling 9 by inserting the bottle neck 81 into the bottle 8 (Fig. 5). The gas supply connection 5 is fixed to the housing 10. From it, a line in the form of a gas hose 51 extends downwards into the area of the base storage for the bottle 4, where a fixed connection to a gas channel 52 is provided, which leads to the aforementioned gas injection device 3. This gas channel 52 ends in a second valve part 32, which is provided as a plug socket with a gas passage, as can be seen in Fig. 4. Radial outlet slots 320 are located on the front side of this second valve part 32. When the bottle 4 is pressed down and the lifting plate 61 is lowered against the force of springs 62, the ball 31 rests on the top of the bushing 32 and is pushed up. This opens the gas passage 33 and the gas flowing from the gas bottle 8 via the hose 51 and the gas channel 52 can pass through the radial slots 320 into the space below the membrane-like plate 22, which is now more tightly stretched than the position in Fig. 4. Due to the gas permeability and curvature mentioned above, the gas can pass through this in the fan-like shape shown in order to distribute itself in the liquid in the bottle 4. In order to allow the gas outlet bushing 32 to come into active connection with the ball 31 in the manner described, a corresponding passage 67 is of course provided in the lifting plate 61; This through-opening can simultaneously serve to guide the lifting plate on the outside of the bushing 32.

It should also be noted that/3 the bottle 4 is of course guided in a suitable manner in the bottom area of the device 1 or the housing 10, whereby only a receptacle 11 is indicated for this purpose. 5

To connect the gas hose 51 to the gas bottle inserted in accordance with Fig. 1 in its upper area, a connection head 500 fixed to the housing 10 is provided, as can be seen in Fig. 1 and in greater detail in Fig. 6. The connection head 500 has a hose connection piece 59 projecting diagonally to the side, to which the hose can be attached using a union nut (not specified in more detail). The diagonal arrangement of this piece shown has the advantage that in the event of a leak in the gas bottle neck area, gas can only escape sideways and cannot develop any particularly destructive energy.

The head 500 carries, suitably attached to it, a socket 54 which has a sealing ring 58 in its interior and balls 57 in the lower area which serve as locking elements and are seated in corresponding recesses, while a union sleeve 55 is provided on the outside of the socket 54, which can be moved against the force of a coil spring 56. A plug body 91 fits into the socket 54 and can be inserted into the socket when the union sleeve 55 is pushed up against the force of the spring 56. The balls can escape outwards due to the conicity of the lower part of the union sleeve 55. The plug body 91 is pushed in until an annular groove 93 provided on it has reached the area of the balls 57 and its upper edge has reached the lower edge of the head 500. The coupling sleeve 55 is then allowed to spring back under the force of the spring 56, whereby the balls 57 engage in the groove 93 and lock the plug body 91.

Before it is inserted into the nozzle 54, the plug-in body 91 is screwed onto the neck of the gas cylinder 8 by means of a

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screwed onto the internal thread 95 arranged in its lower area. Inside it is a valve 92 of the usual arrangement, as can be seen in Fig. 6, for a channel 94 through which gas is to be drawn from the bottle. In the upper area of the plug-in body 91 there is an insert 96 with a conical, unspecified gas opening, which in the rest position is closed by the valve ball under the force of the spring indicated.

In order to be able to open the valve 92 when the plug body 91 is inserted, a tappet 53 is located in the connection head 500, which is movable in the vertical direction and can act on the ball with its lower, tapered part through the aforementioned conical gas outlet in the insert 96.

The plunger 53 can be moved by means of a first lever arm 64 which is pivotably mounted on one side. A travel limit (not specified in more detail) between the bearing and the plunger ensures that the required travel distances for the plunger 53 can be precisely maintained.

As can be seen in Fig. 1, a pull rod 65 is hinged to the free end of the first lever arm 64. This is hinged at its lower end to a second lever arm 63, which in turn is attached to the movement device 6, namely to the lifting plate 61. If this lifting plate 61 is lowered by pressing down the bottle 4 using the operating element 7, the pull rod 65 is pulled downwards via the second lever arm 63 and the first lever arm 64 moves clockwise around its bearing point. This presses on the tappet 53, which in turn pushes the ball of the valve downwards, so that the gas can now flow out through the channel 94, the insert 96, a gas distribution chamber 501 formed in the lower area of the head 500 and the hose connection into the gas hose 51. Since the bottle is lowered at the same time, as can be seen from Fig. 4

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can determine that by lifting the ball 31 the entry of the gas through the channel of the bushing 32 into the vaulted space below the elastic plate 22 and consequently into the liquid in the bottle 4 is released or ensured. 5

In order to facilitate the insertion of the gas bottle 8 using the coupling 9, an assembly sleeve 82 made of suitable plastic material is placed on the upper end of the gas bottle. This also serves as a protective cap for the plug-in body 91 screwed onto the bottle neck, so that it cannot be damaged if it falls over, for example. It can be seen that when the upper part of the bottle is brought up using this centering assembly aid, its upper edge (see Fig. 5) presses against an annular projection or flange on the cap sleeve and thus takes over the function of pushing the sleeve up for the purpose of inserting the plug-in body 91 into the nozzle 54. Such an assembly aid is a part that can be manufactured inexpensively. EJs can be prefabricated with predetermined breaking points in order to be destroyed at the latest when the locking or arresting position of the plug-in body 91 relative to the nozzle 54 is reached.

It goes without saying that all parts are designed, structured and arranged in accordance with hygiene requirements, so that they also allow easy replacement if necessary, while any undercuts which normally act as dirt traps are to be avoided. Of course, sufficient access for cleaning purposes is also ensured, as can be seen, for example, in the easily removable arrangement of the plate 22 in Fig. 4. .

As can also be seen from the drawing, the housing can be made of transparent, durable plastic material in order to create, among other things, optically advantageous effects.

Claims (16)

- 12 -Claims: 1. Device (1) for carbonating liquid contained in a closed bottle (4), with a sealing device (2) for sealingly connecting to the bottle (4), a gas injection device (3) operatively connected to the sealing device (2) for injecting gas into the liquid, a device for holding the bottle in a predetermined position in which a gas inlet opening (33) of the bottle is located in the area of the sealing device (2) and the gas injection device (3) is functionally connected to the bottle (4), with a housing (10) at least partially surrounding the bottle (4) for receiving the bottle (4) in said position, with a movable element (21) associated with the sealing device (2) and with a gas supply connection (5) located on the housing (10), characterized in that the sealing device (2) and a first part (31) of the gas injection device (3) are components of the base (43) of the bottle (4) and a second part (32) of the gas injection device (3) is arranged on the housing (10) for actuating the sealing device (2) in such a way that the first and second parts (31, 32) are movable relative to one another by means of an externally accessible operating element (7) for opening the gas inlet, the first part (31) and the second part (32) being components of a base valve (30) which blocks the passage of liquid in any position of the two parts (31, 32). 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and the second part (31 and 32) are movable relative to each other by means of a movement device (6) arranged on the housing (10), which has a bearing surface (61) forming a seat for the bottle (4) and a second part (32) of the - 13 - Gas injection device (3) has a resiliently flexible bearing element (66), wherein the bearing surface (61) and the bearing element (66) are movable relative to one another by the resilient flexibility and when force is exerted by means of the operating element (7), the second part (32) of the gas injection device (3) engages in the associated gas inlet opening (33) of the valve (30) provided on the bottle bottom in such a way that during this engagement the opening (33) for the gas to pass through the bottom is released by displacing the first element (31) in the bottle bottom (43). 3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the second valve part (32) bearing element (66) is part of a housing-fixed base (60) and the bearing surface (61) is provided as a lifting plate engaging the bottle bottom (43) and mounted on the base (60) so as to be movable against the resilient flexibility, wherein the lifting plate is provided with a through-opening (67) for the passage of the second valve element (32). 4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the operating element (7) is arranged in the area above a receiving space of the device (1) for the bottle (4) on the housing (10) and is connected to a piston element (71) with which a spring-loaded bottle (4) inserted into the device (1) can be lowered against the spring force to open the gas inlet. 5. Device according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the movement device (6) which adjusts the first and the second valve part (31, 32) relative to one another is provided with a valve (50) arranged in the housing (10) which is designed for the Connection (5) of a gas line (51, 52) connected to the first valve part (31) of the bottom valve (30) is provided, is operatively connected to the bottom valve (30) for joint actuation, the operative connection being such that the gas connection valve (50) is open in the open position of the bottom valve (30), while it is closed in the gas closing position of the bottom valve (30). 6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that characterized in that/3 the gas supply connection (5) is provided in the upper region of the housing (10) and that/3 the gas connection valve (50) and the bottom valve (30) are operatively connected by means of an actuating rod (65) in such a way that/3 the lower part of the rod is articulated to the movement device (6), while its upper part acts on a closing part (53.) of the connection valve (50) via a lever (64). 7. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that characterized in that the gas supply device (5) comprises a quick coupling (9) for connecting a gas bottle (8) that can be inserted into the device (1) in an exchangeable manner. 8. Coupling for connecting a gas cylinder (8) to a gas supply line (51), in particular for use in a device (1) according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the coupling (9) has a nozzle connection part (54), a plug-in part (91) which can be snapped into this and a to, nd, parts formed, in the plug connection ¹ ^ open it valve (50; 53, 92), wherein the plug part (91) is connected to the outlet of the gas bottle (8), and that over the connecting part a sleeve (55) is placed, which in the plugging direction of the plug part (91) against the force of a between the connecting part (54) and the sleeve (55) - 15 - arranged spring (56), and that between the sleeve (55) and the connecting part (54) at least one locking element (57) is arranged, which can be displaced from a plug-in receiving space of the connecting part (54) when the sleeve (55) is displaced against the force of the spring (56) in order to release the plug-in receiving space of the connecting part (54) for inserting the plug part (91), wherein the locking part (57) comes into locking connection with a receptacle (93) formed on the plug part (91) and is locked in the locking position by the sleeve (55) reset by means of the spring (56). 9. Valve (30) for introducing gas into a bottle (4) in order to add the gas to liquid filled in the bottle (4), in particular for use in a device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least a part of the valve (30) on the bottom (43) of the bottle (4) is designed as a dual-function valve. 10. Valve according to claim 9, characterized in that, on the one hand, it always blocks the exit of liquid from the bottle (4) and, on the other hand, blocks the entry of gas only in a first position of a first valve part (21, 31) of a blocking sealing device (2) and, on the other hand, in a second position of the first valve part (21, 31), it allows the gas to enter the bottle (4), wherein the valve (3.0) formed on the bottle bottom (43) is assigned a second valve part (32), with which the first valve part (21, 31) can be displaced from the first position into the second position. 11. Valve according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the valve has a third valve part (22) arranged on the bottle bottom (43). which is formed by an elastic element that holds the first valve part (21, 31) in the first position against elastic restoring force, wherein the first valve part (21, 31) is held tensioned against the third valve part (22), while the third valve part (22) is designed as a membrane that is permeable to gas. 12. Valve according to claim 11, characterized in that it is arranged between a (43) screw socket (45) and a closure (44) fastened to it in a clamp or screw connection. 13. Valve according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the first valve part (21, 31) is a ball and the third valve part (22) is a spring-elastic membrane plate. 14. Valve according to one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that the bottle-side part (44, 21, 31, 22) of the valve essentially determines the sealing device (2) and is arranged concealed in a recess in the bottle bottom (43). 15. Coupling according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises an associated assembly aid (82) in the form of a sleeve which can be inserted over the bottle neck (81) and has predetermined breaking points (83) for its destruction when the locking position of the coupling is reached. 16. Coupling according to claim 15, characterized in that the assembly aid (82) has the upper edge of the gas cylinder side valve part (91). 35