• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    TOOTH FIXING DEVICE TO FIX A BOTTLE OF REFRIGERANT TO A CARBONATING MACHINE FOR HOUSEHOLD USE, AND CARBONATING MACHINE FOR HOUSEHOLD USE. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a toothed attachment device is provided for attaching a soft drink bottle to a soft drink machine, the device comprising teeth for securing the bottle to the soft drink machine; and a locking mechanism for locking the bottle to the machine at least during carbonation. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus also comprises a flexible seal to facilitate a closed carbonation environment and a ring to confine the teeth under an annular extension of the bottle, thereby raising the bottle towards the seal to fix the bottle to the flexible seal.
    公开号:BR112014002819B1
    申请号:R112014002819-2
    申请日:2012-08-09
    公开日:2021-02-09
    发明作者:Allan Ring；Avi Cohen；Doron Krom；Hagai HARDUFF；Amit Avigdor
    申请人:Sodastream Industries Ltd.；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    REFERENCES TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS
    [001] This patent application claims priority for US preliminary patent applications US 61 / 521,794, filed on August 10, 2011, and 61 / 624,306, filed on April 15, 2012, both of which are incorporated into this document by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
    [002] The present invention relates to carbonation machines in general and fixation devices for attaching bottles to machines, in particular. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
    [003] Soft drink machines for carbonating drinks are known in the art. Most of these home carbonation devices are designed for manual operation; typically comprising a manually operated gas release valve to release CO2 into a closed bottle of water from a fixed pressurized cylinder. Such machines typically also comprise one or more safety pressure release valves that are designed to open if excess pressure builds up during the carbonization process.
    [004] For example, the US patent 7,975,988, incorporated in this document in full in reference, reveals a carbonation set with two pressure release valves. The first valve is designed to open with an audible sound at a pressure level consistent with the maximum processing pressure. The second release valve is designed to open at a higher pressure level as a safety measure if the first valve does not work and / or, for whatever reason, CO2 continues to flow into the bottle uncontrollably and the pressure rises beyond the recommended level for safe operation. SUMMARY
    [005] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a toothed clamping apparatus for attaching a soda bottle to a soda machine is provided, the apparatus comprising teeth for securing the bottle to the soda machine; and a locking mechanism for locking the bottle to the machine at least during carbonation.
    [006] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus also comprises a flexible seal to facilitate a closed carbonation environment and a ring to confine the teeth under an annular extension of the bottle, thereby raising the bottle towards the seal to secure the bottle to the flexible seal.
    [007] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the locking mechanism is a mechanical stop.
    [008] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mechanical stop is a recessed area on a cam of the refrigerant machine, the recessed area receiving an activating pin connected to the toothed fixation during carbonation.
    [009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the mechanical stop is a rib on a lever that prevents an extension of the toothed fixation from tilting during carbonation.
    [010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the annular extension is around a mouth of the bottle.
    [011] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the annular extension is close to the threads around the mouth.
    [012] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus also comprises a constriction ring with centering ribs to guide the bottle to the toothed attachment during insertion and to confine the teeth during operation.
    [013] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a toothed attachment is provided to fit a bottle to a flexible seal, thus facilitating a closed carbonation environment in the bottle; and a normally open valve to vent the bottle when the machine is not actively carbonating.
    [014] In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the normally open valve comprises a spring which normally pushes a pin away from a carbonation path of the machine.
    [015] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the carbonation machine for domestic use also comprises a cam for pushing the pin against the spring to close the path during carbonation.
    [016] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a carbonation machine for domestic use comprising a carbonation set for carbonating liquid with pressurized gas; a toothed attachment for attaching a bottle containing the liquid to the machine; and a centering ring with centering ribs to guide the bottle to the toothed attachment during insertion and to confine the attachment teeth during operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
    [017] The matter considered the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding part of the specification. The invention, however, both to the organization and to the method of operation, with “objects, characteristics, and advantages of the same, can be better understood in reference to the following detailed description when dealing with the attached drawings, in which: - The Figure 1A is an isometric view of a carbonation head assembly with a toothed attachment, constructed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; - Figure 1B is a sectional view of the assembly of Figure 1A on a refrigerant machine; - Figures 1C and 1D are a sectional view of two states of the toothed fixation in Figure 1A; - Figure 1E is a close view of the fixation of Figure 1A attached to a bottle; - Figures 2A and 2B are schematic illustrations of two alternative embodiments of a normally open double-acting valve; Figures 3A and 3B are a sectional view of an innovative semi-automatic domestic soft drink machine, built and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; - Figures 4A and 4B are approximate views of the carbonation gear set of Figures 3A and 3B; - Figure 5 is a schematic illustration of the semi-automatic domestic soft drink machine in Figures 3A and 3B; - Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of a locking mechanism safety feature for the semi-automatic domestic soft drink machine in Figures 3A and 3B; and - Figures 7A and 7B are schematic illustrations of an alternate locking mechanism safety feature for a two-state refrigerant machine.
    [018] It will be appreciated that, for simplicity and clarity of illustration, the elements shown in the figures were not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated in relation to other elements for clarity. In addition, when considered appropriate, reference numerals can be repeated between figures to indicate corresponding or similar elements. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
    [019] In the following detailed description, several specific details are established to provide a deep understanding of the invention. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention can be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, well-known methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to overshadow the present invention.
    [020] It will be appreciated that standard water bottles that can be used with prior art machines can typically have threaded mouths designed to facilitate the threading of a bottle cap. In the prior art, bottles can typically be attached to a domestic soft drink machine by rotating the bottle several times to screw the threaded mouth to a support on the machine. Depositors have realized that, while this may seem safe, this is a strange way of attaching the bottle.
    [021] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a water bottle can be attached to a soft drink machine through a simple “piston and press” process, without any rotating movement, using a toothed fixation similar to a flower.
    [022] Reference is now made to Figure 1A, which illustrates a carbonation head assembly 130 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Assembly 130 may comprise lower carbonation heads 135, exhaust valve 210, safety valve 220, carbonation injector 230, bottle insertion lever 240 and toothed attachment 250. The toothed attachment 250 may comprise flexible teeth 255 that can be fixed to a bottle. The exhaust valve 210 and the safety valve 220 can generally function in the same way as in the prior art. For example, the exhaust valve 210 can be configured to open at 8 bar pressure to indicate that the carbonation in a bottle may have reached the recommended levels; safety valve 220 can be configured to open at 11 bar pressure.
    [023] As illustrated in Figure 1B, which is also referred to, in operation, a user can insert a water bottle 170 by first positioning it at an angle such that the injector 230 extends into the bottle 170 while the bottle 170 contacts the center of the toothed attachment 250 on the bottom side of the lower carbonation head 135. As will be revealed below, once the bottle 170 is positioned, it can be locked in place by pressing against the bottle insertion lever 240, which, in turn, can cause the toothed attachment 250 to attach to the bottle 170 and, in general, create a seal at its opening.
    [024] Reference is now made to Figures 1C and 1D, which illustrate alternative cross-sectional views of the set 130 without the bottle 170 to produce a more complete view of the elements of the set 130 that effect its fixation. As shown in both Figures 1C and 1D, assembly 130 may also comprise a pivot rod 260. Joint pivot 260 may extend between pivot points 265 in assembly 130. Pivot point 265A can be attached to the chassis of the assembly 130 and can generally remain in the same position when lever 240 is pushed inward by bottle 170. Therefore, it will be appreciated that, after the insertion of bottle 170, the attitude of the articulation rod 260 may change according to the movement pivot point 265B in the general direction of lever 240.
    [025] The set 130 may also comprise a constriction ring 268. The constriction ring 268 can be generally square in shape with a hollow center, and can generally be positioned parallel to the lower carbonation head 135. As shown in Figures 1B and 1C, in an “open” state, when inserting the bottle 170, the constriction ring 268 can be positioned just below the platform 135, thus, covering the upper portions of the teeth 255. It will be appreciated that Figures 1 they can represent sectional views; ring 268 can generally form a ring around teeth 255 and the mouth of bottle 170.
    [026] As discussed above, it will be appreciated that, since the pivot point 265B can be fixed to the ring 268, it can generally move in the same direction as the insertion lever 240. Therefore, when the bottle 170 can be pressed against lever 240 in the direction of Arrow A (Figure 1C) by a user, the differential between pivot points 265A and 265B can lower ring 268, thus confining toothed attachment 250 to hold bottle 170 in place under the platform 135.
    [027] It will be appreciated that lever 240 can be positioned to allow bottle 170 to fit comfortably against it when inserted into toothed attachment 250. This can reduce slipping during the process of inserting bottle 170 and can therefore prevent eventual breakage of parts of the assembly 130. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lever 240 can be positioned so that a space of no more than 0.5 mm can exist between the lever 240 and the bottle 170 when the bottle 170 is properly positioned on fixture 250.
    [028] The fixation process can be understood by comparing Figures 1C and 1D. In Figure 1C, the articulation rod 260 can be positioned at an angle, and the ring 268 can be positioned adjacent to the lower carbonation head 135. In Figure 1D, the articulation rod 260 can be generally vertical and there may be a distance between the ring 268 and the lower carbonation head 135. Since the pivot rod 260 can move in the direction of Arrow A to a vertical position as shown in Figure 1C, ring 268 can move away from the lower carbonation head 135, thus, confining the teeth 255. It will be appreciated that the flexible teeth 255 may comprise relatively thicker end elements to clamp below the upper thread of the bottle 170 to facilitate the fastening process as the ring 268 is lowered.
    [029] It will be appreciated that the opening of a typical bottle 170 can be large enough that a tooth 255 can accidentally be inserted when a user inserts bottle 170. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the centering ring 269 it can extend from the bottom of the constriction ring 268. The centering ring 269 can comprise ribs 258 which can be positioned to guide the bottle 170 in the central area of the toothed attachment 250. The centering ribs 258 can generally be located behind of the spaces between the individual teeth 255 to prevent the bottle 170 from getting caught in a tooth 255 as it is inserted.
    [030] Reference is now made to Figure 1E, which illustrates a sectional view of a bottle 170 secured by toothed attachment 250. Tooth 255A can represent the position of one of teeth 255 when toothed attachment 250 can be engaged; on the other hand, tooth 255B can represent the position of the same tooth 255 when fastening 250 is not engaged. Bottle 170 may comprise bottle ring 171, threads 172 and mouth of bottle 173. The ring of bottle 171 may represent a ring that extends around the mouth of a typical plastic bottle. The seal 259 can represent a flexible material positioned around the opening of the bottle 170.
    [031] As shown in Figure 1E, when the toothed attachment 250 is engaged, it can exert an upward force from the bottle ring 171, thus causing the lip of the bottle 173 to extend to the seal 259. It will be It is appreciated that the seal 259 can be configured to allow access to the contents of the bottle 170 from the assembly 130 for the purposes of carbonation and subsequent ventilation of the pressurized CO2. Therefore, when confined by the constriction ring 268, toothed attachment 250 can secure and seal the opening of bottle 170 against seal 259, so that bottle 170 can only be vented through assembly 130. As discussed above in this document, versions of the prior art of assembly 130 can typically have two release valves, each configured to open under different circumstances. For example, the exhaust valve 210 (Figure 1A) can be configured to open when the pressure build-up inside the bottle 170 indicates that the carbonation pressure (typically 8 bar) has been reached. The safety valve 220 can be configured to open as a safety measure when the pressure inside the bottle 170 exceeds the recommended levels, for example, 11 bar pressure.
    [032] Depositors have realized that additional security measures may be necessary to prevent excessive pressure build-up during an automated process. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a soft drink machine having the toothed attachment 250 may also comprise a normally open double-acting safety valve 270. Reference is now made to Figure 2A, which illustrates a safety action valve exemplary double 270 in u normal open state. As discussed in detail below, the fact that the double-acting safety valve 270 can be opened in its normal state (unlike valves 210 and 220, which can normally be closed) can provide an additional level of safety for operation of the soft drink machine. The soft drink machine can be configured to close safety valve 270 as part of the carbonation process, and reopen it when the process is finished.
    [033] The double action safety valve 270 can comprise a contact pin 275, trigger 410, opening 425, conduit 420 and springs 430 and 440. In its normal open state, as shown in Figure 2A, the spring tension 430 can serve to prevent trigger 410 from closing aperture 420. However, when, as described above, contact pin 275 can be pressed during carbonation, such as by a cam defining the carbonation process, described in more detail below, it can be pushed on valve 270, thereby exerting sufficient force on spring 430 to allow trigger 410 to slide into position to close opening 425. It will be appreciated that conduit 420 may represent tubes (not shown) that can connect to a carbonation head assembly 130. Therefore, since valve 270 can normally be opened, even when connected to a bottle 170, it can provide additional security for the operation of machine 100 by ensuring that the contents of a fixed bottle 170 can always be ventilated, unless the carbonation process is expressly active at the moment.
    [034] After the carbonation process is complete, contact pin 275 may no longer be pressed. Therefore, at this point, contact pin 275 may no longer exert sufficient force on spring 43 to prevent it from moving trigger 410 to open opening 420, thereby returning safety valve 270 to its normally open state.
    [035] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the safety valve 270 can be further configured to open during the carbonation process itself if, for any reason, the pressure in the bottle 170 exceeds a predetermined limit. For example, the spring 440 can be configured so that, if the pressure inside the bottle 170 exceeds 11 bar pressure, the trigger 410 can be moved backwards to open the opening 425, thus ventilating the bottle 170. It will be appreciated that 11 bar of pressure can be sufficient to move the trigger 410 even if the contact pin 275 is pressed by a cam. It will also be appreciated that the configuration revealed above can be exemplary; the present invention may include other suitable configurations as may be necessary for specific implementations.
    [036] Reference is now made to Figure 2B, which illustrates an alternative embodiment of the double action safety valve 270, known in this document as double action safety valve 270 ’. The double-action safety valve 270 'can comprise a contact pin 275', trigger 410 ', opening 425', conduit 420 'and spring 415'. In operative mode, as described above, during carbonation, pin 275 ’can exert pressure on spring 415, which can push trigger 410 to close aperture 425’. It will be appreciated that the spring 415 can also be configured at a predetermined pressure, so that when the opening 425 'is closed and when the pressure build-up inside the bottle 170 exceeds predetermined limits (typically 11 bar), the spring 415 can release trigger 410 'and therefore reopen opening 425' to allow excess gas to vent.
    [037] The depositor realized that the toothed fixation of the present invention can be used in a manually operated soft drink machine or in an automated soft drink machine.
    [038] It will be appreciated that, to provide automated operation, a domestic soft drink machine must comprise means for receiving electrical input through, for example, a connection to the mains or a battery. Understandably, introducing electricity to any machine is not without risks. Therefore, unlike a home-operated soft drink machine, an automated version may need protective devices to prevent damage from electricity. However, it will also be appreciated that, in addition to exposure to direct damage caused by electricity, the addition of an electrical component to the carbonation process can indirectly add to the risks of using pressurized CO2. If, for any reason, there is a power interruption while the CO2 tank is open, there may be considerable exposure to explosion due to the carbonation process continuing beyond safe pressure levels. For example, in the prior art system disclosed in EP 1351758, if the power is cut off while the cam assembly is in a position to mechanically open the CO2 tank, excess pressure can build up in the refrigerant machine with undesirable results.
    [039] Therefore, the Depositor realized that an automated home made refrigerant machine may need one or more additional protection devices to ensure that the supply of pressurized CO2 can be interrupted in the event of a power outage during operation. Reference is now made to Figures 3A and 3B, which illustrate two states of an innovative semi-automatic domestic soft drink machine 100, designed and operative in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3A illustrates a machine 100 with a water bottle attached 170; while Figure 3B illustrates the machine 100 at one point during the process of fixing the bottle 170. The semi-automatic domestic soft drink machine 100 may comprise the carbonation head assembly 130, the CO2 tank 140, and the gear set of carbonation 150. The carbonation head assembly 130 can operate in a manner generally similar to the assembly disclosed in US 7,975,988. However, assembly 130 may also comprise additional features / functionality as can be revealed below.
    [040] To operate the domestic soft drink machine 100, a user can first manually attach the water bottle 170 by fitting it at an angle to the carbonation head assembly 130 as shown in Figure 1B. A carbonation process can then be initiated through a set of one or more controls (not shown). The control set may comprise a control to initiate carbonation; one or more additional controls can be configured to facilitate the selection of a desired level of carbonization (ie "weak / low", "regular / medium", "strong / high"). The present invention can include any suitable controls as known in the art, including, for example, keys, push buttons, selectors, etc.
    [041] Reference is now made to Figure 4A, which illustrates the carbonation gear set 150 as it can be positioned within an exemplary household refrigerant machine 100. The carbonation gear set 150 may comprise a 310 engine, interlocking gears 320, carbonation cam 325 and carbonation lever 330. Motor 310 can be configured to operate interlocking gears 320, which in turn can press carbonation lever 330. It will be appreciated that the arrangement of interlocking gears 320 can be exemplary; any suitable arrangement, as known in the art, to generate the force necessary to press the lever 330 can be included in the present invention. The carbonation lever 330 can be configured so that, when pressed, it can open a release valve in the tank 140 (Figure 3A) to release CO2 in the tubes (not shown) that can introduce it into the bottle 170 through the carbonation injector 230 (Figure 1A).
    [042] Reference is now made also to Figure 4B, which illustrates a close-up view of an exemplary carbonation cam 325. The carbonation cam 325 may, for example, be an elevated area in one of the interlocking gears 320. It will be appreciated, however, that any suitable cam can be included in the present invention. The double-acting safety valve 270 can comprise contact pin 275 and can be positioned in close proximity to carbonation cam 325. Assembly 150 can be configured so that, when not in use, contact pin 275 may not be in direct contact with the cam 325. However, when the assembly 150 must be activated as part of the carbonation process, the motor 310 can rotate the interlocking gears 320, thus, placing the cam 325 in direct contact with the contact pin 275 , effectively pushing contact pin 275 in the direction of Arrow B. One or more sensors (not shown) can be positioned at one or more ends of cam 325 to detect when contact pin 275 makes contact with cam 325. It will be appreciated that any suitable sensors, as known in the art, can be included in the present invention. For example, the invention can include optical, proximity, and / or mechanical sensors.
    [043] It will be appreciated that motor 310 can rotate gears 320 so that cam 325 can be in contact with contact pin 275 and lever 330 can be lowered towards tank 140 to release CO2 for introduction into assembly 130 According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, during the carbonation process, the motor 310 can turn gears 320 back and forth one or more times, thereby lowering and raising lever 330 to release bursts of CO2 from tank 140. It will be appreciated that the sensor (s) on the cam 325 can signal when the contact pin 275 is close to an edge of the cam 325, at which point the motor 310 can reverse the direction according to Arrows C (Figure 4B), thus effectively maintaining contact between contact pin 275 and cam 325 during the carbonation process. Upon completion of the carbonation process, motor 310 can turn gears 320 to raise lever 330 and break contact between contact pin 275 and cam 325.
    [044] It will, however, be appreciated that the soda machine can be configured to use more than one type of gas tank 140. For example, some tanks 140 may have activation pins that require 30 newtons of force to open, while other tanks 140 may have activation pins that require as much as 150 newtons. Depositors have realized that it may not be possible to configure a spring mechanism for lever 330 that may be suitable for each possible level of pressure required to open tank 140. Such functionality may interfere with the normal operation of machine 100 where the carbonation lever 330 must be applied with sufficient force to press the tank activation pin 140. Therefore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the spring mechanism can be configured to yield under higher pressures, such as when the force provided by the activation pin can be 30 newtons or more.
    [045] As discussed above, it may be possible for a power outage to occur during the carbonation process, while carbonation lever 330 (Figure 4A) is depressed. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, carbonation lever 330 can also be configured with a spring mechanism that can leverage the pressure necessary to open tank 140. It will be appreciated that tanks 140 can typically be opened by pressing a pin activation. As a safety measure, significant pressure may typically be required to press the activation pin to open tank 140. The spring mechanism on lever 330 can be configured so that, in the event of a power outage when lever 330 is pressed to open tank 140, the pressure naturally returned by the activation pin can be significant enough to overcome the inertial pressure of lever 330 when it is no longer driven by engine 310.
    [046] It will be appreciated that the features and functionality revealed above may require a processor / controller unit with electrical input. Reference is now made to Figure 5, which illustrates an exemplary architecture for integrating such a unit into a domestic soft drink machine 100. Architecture 500 can comprise mechanical characteristics, such as the carbonation head assembly 130, the carbonation gear assembly 150, and the toothed attachment 250 for introducing CO2 from tank 140 to bottle 170 to produce carbonated water. Architecture 500 may also comprise a controller unit 510 to automate and control the carbonation process. Controller unit 510 may be any suitable device, as known in the art, that may be generally able to provide the relevant functionality as disclosed in this document.
    [047] Controller unit 510 can receive input from one or more sensors, for example, the bottle presence sensor 515, the full / empty bottle sensor 520, the attitude sensor 525, the bottle size sensor 530 and / or available CO2 sensor 560. Sensor 515 can indicate whether or not a bottle 170 has been properly inserted and fixed by toothed attachment 250. Sensor 520 can indicate whether a bottle 170 is full or not. The sensor 525 can indicate whether the domestic soft drink machine 100 is positioned vertically. The sensor 530 can indicate the size of the bottle 170, for example, half a liter or one liter. The available CO2 sensor 560 can indicate whether there is CO2 in the tank. It will be appreciated that sensors 515, 520, 525, 530 and 560 are implemented using any suitable sensor, as known in the art.
    [048] It will be appreciated that, based on the input of these sensors, the 510 unit can abort or adjust a carbonation process. For example, if sensor 515 cannot detect bottle 170, controller unit 510 can abort the process. Controller unit 510 can also abort the process when sensor 525 indicates that household bottle 170 is not positioned vertically. Carbonation in such circumstances can be adversely affected by gravity. In addition, removing a freshly carbonated bottle 170 from a non-vertical position can be potentially dangerous and in any case, it would certainly cause undesirable spillage.
    [049] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the domestic soft drink machine 100 can be configured with capacitor 550 to store an electrical charge during the operation of machine 100. If a power outage occurs during the carbonation process, unit 510 can instruct motor 310 to turn gears 320 so as to open double-acting safety valve 270 and raise lever 330 of the connection to tank 140. The stored load can provide sufficient energy for motor 310 to perform the instructions.
    [050] The controller unit 510 can also use the sensor input 530 to adjust the process according to the size of the bottle 17 0. It will be appreciated that the present invention can include other sensors as well. For example, as discussed above, one or more sensors can be used to ensure that plunger 275 can be in contact with cam 325 during the carbonation process. It will be appreciated in the same way that the present invention can be configured without some or all of the sensors discussed in this document.
    [051] As discussed above, the domestic soft drink machine 100 can be configured to provide a variety of carbonation options depending on the preferences of its users. Such preferences can be indicated via soda level switches 540 and / or the LCD 590 user interface. It will be appreciated that any other controls suitable for indicating preferences and / or initiating the carbonation process can also be included in the present invention. Controller 510 can be configured to continue the carbonation process until the water in the water bottle 160 is sufficiently carbonated according to the preferences selected by the user.
    [052] Therefore, controller unit 510 can provide a variety of instructions for motor 310 based on preferences selected by the user. For example, the domestic soft drink machine 100 can be configured to provide “weak” carbonization with three timed bursts of CO2; medium carbonization with four bursts of CO2; and strong carbonization with five bursts of CO2. Therefore, if a user selects "medium", unit 510 can instruct motor 310 to turn interlocking gears 320 so that lever 330 can be pressed four times. It will be appreciated that the number of bursts listed above for each carbonization force can be exemplary; the invention can be configured to provide a requested force according to any suitable number / duration / burst interval combination.
    [053] In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the domestic soft drink machine 100 can be configured with a watchdog mechanism 580 positioned between the power input 599 and the power supply 570. The watchdog mechanism 580 can be configured to monitor the length of time the carbonation process is running. In the event that the timing of the carbonation process exceeds a threshold, the watchdog mechanism 580 can cut off the input of the power input 599. For example, the domestic soft drink machine 100 can be configured to provide a maximum of 30 seconds of carbonation under the assumption that any higher value could result in unsafe conditions. In the event that continuous use occurs for more than a configurable threshold, such as 30 seconds, it can be assumed that a “runaway” case may be occurring. Therefore, the 580 watchdog mechanism can brutally shut down the process, cutting off the electricity supply.
    [054] It will be appreciated that, after carbonation, the contents of water bottle 170 may be under significant pressure. It will therefore be appreciated that an immediate opening of the seal formed by the toothed attachment 250 and the water bottle 170 can create a “rocket effect” when the bottle 170 is removed from the machine 100. However, as revealed above, the safety valve of double action 270 can revert to a normal open state whenever carbonation is not in process. Thus, bottle 170 can be at least partially ventilated before removal to mitigate the "rocket" effect.
    [055] Reference is now made to Figure 6, which illustrates an additional security feature to prevent such a “rocket effect” from occurring. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the safety valve 220 can be leveraged to provide a locking mechanism to prevent the release of the bottle 170 during an active carbonation process. Figure 6 illustrates an innovative cam 600 comprising a recessed contact area 605. The recessed contact area 605 can be covered by a flat spring 610 which, together, can provide a mechanical stop for the movement of the bottle 170. As shown in Figure 6, when the activation pin 280 is in contact with the cam 600 during the carbonation process, the flat spring 610 can be pressed as illustrated by the flat spring 610A. The flat spring 610B can indicate the normal state of the flat spring 610, when the carbonation process is finished and there is no pressure on the bottle 170. It will be appreciated that, as illustrated by the comparison in Figure 1B, the cam 600 can be generally static when the bottle 170 is released, while the valve 220 can generally generate outward with “the bottle 170. Therefore, if the activation pin 280 is housed in the lowered contact area 280, it can prevent such movement, essentially by locking the bottle 170 in place while carbonation is in process and there is pressure on bottle 170.
    [056] It will be appreciated that the present invention may include other such locking mechanisms for other household refrigerant machines that may or may not be configured with safety valve 220 (Figure 2). For example, mechanical non-automated household refrigerant machines may not need an innovative cam 600 and spring 610, but can still be configured with toothed attachment 250. For such machines, any suitable locking mechanism, as known in the art, can be used to prevent a user from releasing bottle 170 while simultaneously initiating carbonation. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, mechanical household soda machines can be configured with a safety lock that can be engaged as soon as the bottle 170 is tightened by the toothed closure 250. To release the bottle 170, the user can first having to expressly unlock the safety lock, thus allowing at least partial release of CO2 accumulated before the bottle is released and effectively avoiding the rocket effect.
    [057] Reference is now made to Figures 7A and 7B, which illustrate an exemplary locking mechanism for a non-automated machine. In this embodiment, the mechanical stop may be a rib 601 formed on a lever 610 of the machine. Rib 601 can be elbow shaped, with a relatively vertical portion 602, a relatively horizontal portion 604 and an elbow point 606. In addition, this embodiment may comprise a toothed fixation, denoted by a constriction ring 668, a shank. joint 614 and a set with an extension that can move in relation to rib 601.
    [058] In a locked state, shown in Figure 7A, the lever 610 can be lowered in relation to a housing 620. In this position, the bottle 170 can be engaged by the toothed attachment and thus, it can be in the vertical position. The constriction ring 668 can thus be horizontal and thus the extension 612, which can be perpendicular to the constriction ring 668, can be vertical. Lever 610 can be located so that extension 612 can extend beyond rib portion 602. Since rib portion 602 can exit lever 610, rib portion 602 can prevent extension 612 from rotating and, thus, it can prevent a user from removing the bottle 170 from the toothed attachment which is confined by the constriction ring 668.
    [059] When lever 610 can be raised, as shown in Figure 7B, it can raise rib 601 in relation to extension 612. The vertical rib portion 602 can be raised so that the tip of extension 612 can pass the point elbow 606. As a result, the tip of extension 612 may no longer be confined by the vertical rib portion 602. In this state, the bottle attached by the toothed attachment can be rotated and thus the constriction rib 668 is shown both in one vertical state as well as a rotated state.
    [060] Thus, in this embodiment, only once the lever 610 can be raised, as it can happen after carbonation, the bottle can be removed from the toothed fixation. Rib 601 can provide a mechanical stop for rotating the bottle. In this way, removal of the bottle after carbonation can occur after a few seconds after the carbonation is finished, which can allow sufficient excess gas to escape to avoid the rocket effect.
    [061] Unless specifically stated otherwise, as is apparent from the discussions above, it is appreciated that throughout the specification, discussions using terms such as "processing", "computation", "calculation", "determination", or similar, refer to the action and / or processes of a computer, computer system, or similar electronic computing device that manipulates and / or transforms data represented as physical quantities, such as electronics, within the registers of the computing system and / or memories in other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the memories of the computing system, recorders or other information storage, transmission or display device.
    [062] The embodiments of the present invention may include an apparatus for performing the operations in this document. This apparatus may be specially built for the desired purposes, or may comprise a general purpose computer selectively activated or reconfigured by a computer program stored on the computer. Such a computer program can be stored on a computer-readable storage medium, such as, among others, any type of disk, including floppy disks, optical disks, opto-magnetic disks, read-only memories (ROMs), read-only memories compact disc (CD-ROMs), random access memories (RAMs), electrically programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasable and programmable read-only memories (EEPROMs), magnetic or optical cards, Flash memory, or any other type of media suitable for storing electronic instructions and capable of being coupled to a computer system bus.
    [063] Although certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described in this document, many modifications, substitutions, alterations and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it should be understood that the attached claims are intended to cover all such modifications and changes as they fall within the true spirit of the invention.
    权利要求:
    Claims (7)
    [0001]
    1. CARBONATATION HEAD ASSEMBLY (130), comprising a chassis, a platform (135), an exhaust valve (210), a safety valve (220), a carbonation injector (230), an insertion lever bottle (240) and a toothed fixture (250) to fix a soft drink bottle (170) to a carbonation machine for domestic use, the toothed fixation being characterized by comprising: teeth to fix said bottle on said carbonation machine; the assembly further comprising: a pivot rod (260) extending between a first and second pivot points (265A, 256B) in the assembly (130), wherein the first pivot rod (265A) is attached to the chassis to remain in the same position when the bottle insertion lever (240) is pushed in by the bottle (170), and where the attitude of the second pivot rod (260B) moves towards the bottle insertion lever (240) after the insertion of the bottle (170); a constriction ring (268) positioned parallel to the platform (135) arranged so that in an "open" state, when inserting a bottle (170), the constriction ring (268) is positioned just below the platform (135) encompassing upper portions of teeth (255), and when a bottle (170) is pressed against the lever (240), the differential between the first and second pivot rods (265A, 265B) lowers the constriction ring (268), thus restricting the toothed attachment (250) to hold the bottle (170) in place under the platform (135); and a locking mechanism for locking said bottle to said machine at least during carbonation.
    [0002]
    2. ASSEMBLY, according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a flexible seal (259) to facilitate a closed carbonation environment and in which said constriction ring abuts said plurality of teeth under an annular extension of said bottle, raising thus, said bottle towards said seal to fix said bottle to said flexible seal.
    [0003]
    3. ASSEMBLY according to claim 1, characterized in that said locking mechanism is a mechanical stop.
    [0004]
    4. ASSEMBLY, according to claim 3, characterized in that said mechanical stop is a recessed area (605) in a cam (600) of said carbonation machine, said recessed area receiving an activating pin (280) connected to said fixation notched during said carbonation.
    [0005]
    5. ASSEMBLY according to claim 3, characterized in that said mechanical stop is a rib (601) of a lever (610) which prevents an extension of said toothed fixation from tilting during said carbonation.
    [0006]
    6. ASSEMBLY, according to claim 2, characterized in that said annular extension is around a mouth of said bottle.
    [0007]
    7. ASSEMBLY according to claim 1, characterized in that said constriction ring comprises centering ribs (258) to guide said bottle towards said toothed fixation during insertion.
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    法律状态:
    2017-03-07| B15I| Others concerning applications: loss of priority|
    2017-03-28| B12F| Other appeals [chapter 12.6 patent gazette]|
    2018-03-27| B06F| Objections, documents and/or translations needed after an examination request according [chapter 6.6 patent gazette]|
    2019-07-30| B06U| Preliminary requirement: requests with searches performed by other patent offices: procedure suspended [chapter 6.21 patent gazette]|
    2020-07-21| B07A| Application suspended after technical examination (opinion) [chapter 7.1 patent gazette]|
    2020-12-29| B09A| Decision: intention to grant [chapter 9.1 patent gazette]|
    2021-02-09| B16A| Patent or certificate of addition of invention granted [chapter 16.1 patent gazette]|Free format text: PRAZO DE VALIDADE: 20 (VINTE) ANOS CONTADOS A PARTIR DE 09/08/2012, OBSERVADAS AS CONDICOES LEGAIS. |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    US201161521794P| true| 2011-08-10|2011-08-10|
    US61/521,794|2011-08-10|
    US201261624306P| true| 2012-04-15|2012-04-15|
    US61/624,306|2012-04-15|
    PCT/IB2012/054066|WO2013021361A1|2011-08-10|2012-08-09|Soda machine pronged clamp|BR122020000411-8A| BR122020000411B1|2011-08-10|2012-08-09|CARBONATING MACHINE FOR HOUSEHOLD USE|
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