Portable carbonating dispensers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022016581-A1
Application number	US-202117377259-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 15, 2021
Priority date	Jul 15, 2020
Publication date	Jan 20, 2022
Grant date	—

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 the 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.

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 in the container closure includes a cartridge receiving space, and wherein the isolation component is adapted to isolate the cartridge receiving space from the base liquid container.

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 or less.

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

12 . The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 11 , wherein the mode selector lever is arranged to actuate vent to release pressure in the base liquid container when the mode selector lever is switched to a dispensing mode.

13 . The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 11 , 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.

14 . The portable carbonating dispenser of claim 11 , 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.

15 . A method of preparing a carbonated beverage in a portable carbonation system comprising an onboard base liquid container; a container closure including a dispensing passage; a gas container for containing a supply of carbonation gas; a carbonation flow control assembly, the carbonation flow control assembly including a user-actuated flow control component for controlling the 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, the method comprising:
filling the onboard base liquid container on the portable carbonation system with a base liquid supply; operating the isolation component to isolate the dispensing passage from the base liquid container; and carbonating the base liquid supply with gas from an onboard gas container.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising securing a cartridge to the container closure and isolating the cartridge from the base liquid container during the step of carbonating the base liquid supply.

17 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising operating the isolating component to configure the portable carbonating dispenser to a dispensing mode after carbonating the base liquid supply.

18 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising operating a vent on the container closure to vent pressure from the base liquid supply after carbonating the base liquid supply.

19 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising operating a mode selector lever on the container closure to operate the isolation component.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising operating a vent by moving the mode selector lever.

21 . A container closure comprising:
a closure base having a journal, the journal including at least one journal port defined therein; a closure insert disposed in closure base journal and having a closure insert wall defining a cartridge receiving space, the closure insert wall having least one insert port and at least one blocking surface defined thereon, the closure insert being adapted to rotate within the journal to a carbonation position in which the at least one blocking surface blocks the at least one journal port to isolate the cartridge receiving space; the closure insert being adapted to rotate to a dispensing position in which the at least one insert is aligned with the at least one journal port to permit flow into the cartridge receiving space.

Assignees

• Cirkul Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• B01F23/23762

  Carbon dioxide · CPC title

• A23L2/54

  Mixing with gases · CPC title

• B01F23/23611 Primary

  Portable appliances comprising a gas cartridge · 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

• A23V2002/00

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