Portable carbonating dispensers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12076697-B2
Application number	US-202117377259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2021
Priority date	Jul 15, 2020
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

A portable carbonating dispenser utilizes an onboard supply of carbonation gas and a carbonation control module for permitting a user to carbonate base liquid stored in an onboard base liquid container. The carbonation control module may include a user actuated button for selectively activating the carbonation. The base liquid container may include an extended portion for increasing the exposure of base liquid to carbonation gas. A vertical viewing window enables a user to view carbonation and the level of base liquid in the container. An isolation component may be useful to isolate an additive cartridge from carbonation pressure during carbonation in applications where the dispenser utilizes additive cartridges. Safety venting and locking features may be provided on the mode selector to prevent a user from accidentally pressurizing the cartridge space. A refill station may be provided to refill the portable carbonating dispenser.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A portable carbonating dispenser comprising:
a base liquid container for containing a base liquid supply;
a container closure including a dispensing passage for dispensing base liquid from the base liquid container;
a carbonation gas container for containing a supply of carbonation gas;
a carbonation flow control assembly for conveying carbonation gas from the carbonation gas container to pressurize the base liquid supply, the carbonation flow control assembly including a user-actuated flow control component for controlling a flow of carbonation gas to the base liquid supply; and
an isolating component for permitting a user to selectively isolate the dispensing passage and thereby prevent pressurization of the dispensing passage when the base liquid supply is pressurized by the carbonation gas, wherein the container closure includes a cartridge receiving space, and wherein the isolating component is adapted to isolate the cartridge receiving space from the base liquid container.

2. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the isolating component includes a mode selector lever on the container closure.

3. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge receiving space is disposed in the dispensing passage.

4. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the carbonation flow control assembly includes a gas container refilling connection for conveying a refill supply of gas to the gas container from an external refill station.

5. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a carbonation level indicator for indicating a carbonation level of the base liquid supply.

6. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a vent for venting pressure from the base liquid container.

7. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a relief valve adapted to relieve carbonation pressure in the base liquid container when the carbonation pressure is above a predetermined threshold.

8. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 7 , wherein the relief valve is set to relieve carbonation pressure above 60 psi.

9. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the base liquid container includes an extended portion for containing the base liquid at a first depth, the carbonation flow control assembly including a nozzle arranged to supply carbonation gas to the base liquid in the extended portion of the base liquid container.

10. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the base liquid container includes a carbonation viewing window arranged to permit viewing of the base liquid supply by a user.

11. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the carbonation viewing window is arranged to permit viewing of carbonation gas bubbling from a carbonation gas nozzle during a carbonation operation.

12. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the isolating component includes a closure insert disposed in a journal formed in the container closure.

13. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 12 , wherein the closure insert is adapted to be actuated with a mode selector lever on the container closure to configure the portable carbonating dispenser to a carbonation mode or a dispensing mode.

14. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 10 , wherein the carbonation viewing window is elongated in a direction in which carbonation bubbles travel when the base liquid container is upright.

15. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the isolating component is arranged to be actuated by a mode selector lever which permits a user to switch the portable carbonating dispenser to a dispensing mode or a carbonation mode.

16. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 15 , wherein the mode selector lever is arranged to actuate a vent to release pressure in the base liquid container when the mode selector lever is switched to the dispensing mode.

17. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 15 , further comprising a carbonation level indicator arranged to prevent movement of the mode selector lever to the dispensing mode when the base liquid container is pressurized.

18. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 15 , further comprising an alignment projection on the container closure, the alignment projection being arranged to align with the mode selector lever when the mode selector lever is in a carbonation mode position.

19. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 12 , wherein the closure insert comprises at least one insert port and at least one blocking surface adapted to cooperate with at least one journal port to selectively isolate the dispensing passage from an interior of the base liquid container during a carbonation mode.

20. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a viewing window, wherein the viewing window is formed integrally on the base liquid container and is disposed in an aperture formed in the base liquid container.

21. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 20 , wherein the user-actuated flow control component comprises a carbonation button for actuating the carbonation flow control assembly, wherein the viewing window is aligned with the carbonation button.

22. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the isolating component is actuated by a mode selector lever that permits a user to switch the portable carbonating dispenser to a dispensing mode or a carbonation mode, wherein movement of the mode selector lever is prevented when the base liquid container is pressurized.

23. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a carbonation level indicator that is adapted to be actuated by pressure in the base liquid container, wherein the isolating component is actuated by a mode selector lever that permits a user to switch the portable carbonating dispenser to a dispensing mode or a carbonation mode, and wherein the mode selector lever comprises a stop that is arranged to engage the carbonation level indicator when the base liquid container is under pressure.

24. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a carbonation level indicator adapted to move to an indicating position when the base liquid container is pressurized.

25. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the base liquid container comprises a recess for accommodating at least part of the carbonation flow control assembly.

26. The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the carbonation flow control assembly includes a refill connection.

27. A portable carbonating dispenser comprising:
a base liquid container for containing a base liquid supply;
a container closure comprising a dispensing passage for dispensing base liquid from the base liquid container, the container closure further comprising a cartridge receiving space adapted to receive an additive cartridge;
a carbonation gas container for containing a supply of carbonation gas;
a carbonation flow control assembly for conveying carbonation gas from the carbonation gas container to pressurize the base liquid supply, the carbonation flow control assembly including a user-actuated flow control component for controlling a flow of carbonation gas to the base liquid supply; and
an isolating component for permitting a user to selectively isolate the dispensing passage and th

Assignees

• Cirkul Inc

Inventors

• Waggoner Garrett S
• Gay Andrew
• Urbanik Thomas A
• Jerolmon Corey
• Houston Cole

Classifications

• B01F23/23762

  Carbon dioxide · CPC title

• B01F23/237621

  in beverages · CPC title

• B01F33/50111

  Small portable bottles, flasks, vials, e.g. with means for mixing ingredients or for homogenizing their content, e.g. by hand shaking · CPC title

• A23L2/54

  Mixing with gases · CPC title

• A23V2002/00

  Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs · CPC title