Carbonation apparatus

• US 4,982,876 A
• Filed: 08/08/1988
• Issued: 01/08/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Isoworth (Bahamas) Limited
• Original Assignee: Isoworth (Bahamas) Limited
• Inventors: Scott, Alistair
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory L.
• Application Number:
  US07/229,643
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 222/129.1-129.4, 222/400.7, 222/394, 222/399, 222/397, 222/400.8, 222/153, 222/325, 222/152, 239/346, 239/369, 261/DIG. 7, 137/205, 141/59, 215/307, 215/274, 215/309, 215/280
• US Class Current: 222/153.06
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0079 having their own dispensing means
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/04 Apparatus utilising compressed air or other gas acting directly or indirectly on beverages in storage containers
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0829 Keg connection means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 261/07 Carbonators

Abstract

A connector for a bottle of concentrate for a carbonating apparatus has a cylindrical body the upper end of which carries a structure defining a number of radially extending baffle and a central opening through which a dip tube may be inserted into the bottle. A latching ring for connecting the connector to the carbonation apparatus is carried by the body at a position outwardly thereof and lower than the baffle structure. The latching ring is constructed to snap on to a corresponding boss on the carbonation apparatus. The bottle is detached from the carbonation apparatus, after exhaustion of the contents, by removal of a tear-off strip which connects the latching ring to the body of the connector. To facilitate connection of a fresh bottle of concentrate to the apparatus, the apparatus includes a housing which is detachable from the remainder of the apparatus and which carries the dip tube and other elements co-operable with the connector for attaching the bottle.

Claims

1. A bottle having upper and lower portions, the bottle containing concentrate for flavouring a carbonated drink in said lower portion and having a gas space in said upper portion, the bottle comprising:

structure defining a concentrate outlet, a concentrate and gas return inlet and a gas outlet remote from said concentrate and gas return inlet; and

securement means for attaching the bottle to carbonating apparatus of the type having a concentrate inlet and a gas and concentrate return so that the concentrate inlet of the carbonating apparatus is connected to said lower portion through said concentrate outlet, the gas and concentrate return of the carbonating apparatus is connected to said gas space through said concentrate and gas return inlet and said gas space is vented to the atmosphere through said gas outlet, said securement means comprising inwardly directed latch means disposed outwardly of said structure and at a position below an upper extremity thereof.

2. A bottle containing concentrate for flavoring a carbonated drink, the bottle having a concentrate outlet, a concentrate and gas return inlet and a gas outlet and means for separating concentrate from a mixture of gas and concentrate entering said bottle via said concentrate and gas return inlet, passing concentrate separated from said mixture into the concentrate contained in the bottle and discharging gas separated from said mixture through said gas outlet.

23. A bottle according to claim 2, wherein said structure is such that gas may pass therethrough by movement axially thereof without deflection whilst within said structure.

28. A bottle, as claimed in claim 23, further comprising a connector for connecting the bottle to an associated carbonating apparatus for supplying the concentrate thereto, the connector comprising;

a generally cylindrical body attached to said upper portion;

a plurality of radially extending members attached to said generally cylindrical body and extending inwardly thereof such that a substantially central aperture is defined adjacent the inner ends of said radially extending members and a plurality of further apertures are defined between said radially extending members, said central aperture constituting said concentrate outlet, said plurality of further apertures constituting said concentrate and gas return inlet and said gas outlet; and

a latching arrangement for attaching the connector to the carbonating apparatus, said securement means including said latching arrangement.

29. A bottle according to claim 28, including a ring element secured to said radially extending members at the inner ends thereof to define said substantially central aperture.

30. A bottle according to claim 29 wherein said ring element is positioned at a level lower than the upper extremity of said cylindrical body.

3. A connector for connecting a bottle of concentrate to a concentrate dispenser of a carbonation apparatus, comprising:

a body portion connected or adapted to be connected to the upper end of a bottle;

latch means for engaging the carbonation apparatus carried by said body and disposed below said upper end thereof and spaced outwardly of said body, structure carried by said body adjacent the upper end thereof and defining a central opening through which a dip tube may be inserted into said bottle, said structure including an inner ring defining said opening for said dip tube, an outer ring connected to said body and baffle plate means interconnecting said inner and outer rings and defining passageways through which gas may pass into and out of the bottle,

said baffle plate means comprising baffle plates in axially extending radial planes.

4. A connector according to claim 3, wherein said structure is such that gas may pass therethrough by movement axially thereof without deflection whilst within said structure.

5. A connector for connecting a bottle of concentrate to a concentrate dispenser of a carbonation apparatus comprising:

(a) a body portion having an upper and a lower end;

(b) means for connecting said body portion to a bottle of concentrate so that said body portion cannot be readily removed from the body portion;

(c) means defining a frangible element; and

(d) latch means for engaging the carbonation apparatus while said frangible element is unbroken, said latch means being substantially resistant to disengagement from the concentrate dispenser except upon rupture of said frangible element, said latch means and said frangible element being constructed and arranged so that said latch means are permanently disable upon rupture of said frangible element, whereby the bottle can be attached to the carbonation apparatus without breaking said frangible element but cannot be removed from the carbonation apparatus except by breaking said frangible element and permanently disabling the connector.

6. A connector as claimed in claim 5 wherein said latch means includes a flexible element and a projection on said flexible element for engaging the carbonation apparatus, said flexible element being connected to said body portion through said frangible element so that upon breakage of said frangible element said flexible element is released from said body portion, whereby said flexible element may be more readily flexed after breakage of said frangible element.

7. A connector as claimed in claim 5 wherein said flexible element is a ring, said at least one projection including a plurality of projections spaced around the circumference of said ring.

8. A connector for connecting a bottle of concentrate to a concentrate dispenser of a carbonation apparatus comprising:

(a) a body portion having upper and lower ends;

(b) means for connecting said body portion to a bottle of concentrate;

(c) a latch support member connected to said body below said upper end thereof and extending upwardly from such connection towards the upper end of said body, at least an upper portion of said latch support member above said connection being spaced outwardly of said body so that there is a gap between said upper portion of said latch support member and said body; and

(d) at least one projection extending inwardly from said upper portion of said latch support member into said gap, each said projection being adapted to engage a mating feature of the concentrate dispenser so as to secure the connector to the concentrate dispenser.

9. A connector as claimed in claim 8 wherein said latch support member is arcuate and extends at least partially around said body portion.

10. A connector as claimed in claim 8 wherein said latch support member includes a frangible portion disposed below said at least one projection but above the connection between said latch support member and said body portion, whereby said at least one projection can be separated form said body portion by breaking said frangible portion of said latch support member.

11. A connector as claimed in claim 8 wherein said latch support member is tubular and surrounds said body portion.

12. A connector as claimed in claim 11 wherein said at least one projection includes a plurality of projections spaced apart from one another around the circumference of said tubular latch support member.

13. A connector as claimed in claim 12 wherein said tubular latch support member includes at least one frangible portion extending around it circumference below said projections but above the connection between the latch support member and the body portion whereby said projections may be separated from said body portion by breaking said frangible portion.

14. A connector as claimed in claim 13 wherein said latch support member includes two said frangible portions extending circumferentially around the tubular latch support member, said two frangible portions being spaced apart from one another and defining a tear strip therebetween below said projections.

15. A bottle having upper and lower portions, the bottle containing concentrate for flavoring a carbonated drink in said lower portion and having a gas space in said upper portion, the bottle comprising:

structure defining a concentrate outlet, a concentrate and gas return inlet an da gas outlet remote from said concentrate and gas return inlet; and

securement means for attaching the bottle to carbonating apparatus of the type having a concentrate inlet and a gas and concentrate return so that the concentrate inlet of the carbonating apparatus is connected to said lower portion through said concentrate outlet, the gas and concentrate return of the carbonating apparatus is connected to said gas space through said concentrate and gas return inlet and said gas space is vented to the atmosphere through said gas outlet.

16. A bottle as claimed in claim 15 further further comprising a connector having:

a body portion connected to said upper portion; and

latching means for engaging the carbonation apparatus carried by said body and disposed below said upper and thereof and spaced outwardly of said body, said securement means including said latch means.

17. A bottle according to claim 16, wherein said latching means is provided with inwardly directed projections.

18. A bottle according to claim 17, wherein said latching means comprises a latching ring on which said projections are formed.

19. A bottle according to claim 18, wherein said latching ring is connected to said body through a tear-off strip.

20. A bottle according to claim 16, including structure carried by said body adjacent the upper end thereof and defining a central opening through which a dip tube may be inserted into said bottle, said central opening constituting said concentrate outlet.

21. A bottle according to claim 20, wherein said structure comprises an inner ring defining said opening for said dip tube, an outer ring connected to said body and baffle plate means interconnecting said inner and outer rings and defining passageways through which gas may pass into and out of the bottle, said passageways constituting said concentrate and gas return inlet and said gas outlet,

22. A bottle according to claim 21, wherein said baffle plate means comprises baffle plates in axially extending radial plane.

24. A bottle as claimed in claim 15 wherein said upper portion includes a neck, and wherein said concentrate outlet is disposed substantially centrally relative to said neck.

25. A bottle according to claim 15 wherein said securement means comprises a latching device extending upwardly beyond said structure.

26. A bottle as claimed in claim 15 wherein said concentrate outlet is disposed in said upper portion, said securement means being operative to attach the bottle to the carbonating apparatus so that a dip tube on the carbonating apparatus is received in the concentrate outlet of the bottle.

27. A bottle according to claim 26 wherein said concentrate and gas return inlet and said gas outlet are disposed in said upper portion of said bottle on opposite sides of said concentrate outlet.