Pressurized gas source with piercing means and pressure regulator

Abstract

20 26 22 64 43 03 S ep 2 02 6 A B S T R A C T 2 0 2 6 2 2 6 4 4 3 0 3 S e p 2 0 2 6

Claims

1. A gas cylinder comprising:5          a body having a storage volume and a neck having a top surface with a piercable gasoutlet;a flange secured to the neck and arranged to support the gas cylinder for piercing of the gas outlet, the flange extending radially outwardly from the neck;a cap secured to the neck and having a sidewall extending around the top surface and 0 defining an inner space and an upper opening to the inner space; anda gasket located in the inner space and arranged to form a seal with the top surface and form a seal with a piercing element that extends into the inner space to pierce the gas outlet.15          2. The gas cylinder of claim 1, wherein the flange and the cap are made as singleunitary piece, the flange extends radially outwardly from the sidewall of the cap, and an outer surface of the sidewall of the cap is unthreaded.

3. The gas cylinder of claim 1, wherein the sidewall of the cap is arranged to extend 20 above the top surface of the neck, and the gasket having an upper surface, a region of the upper surface being exposed at the upper opening of the cap and arranged to contact the piercing element received in the upper opening of the cap to pierce the gas outlet of the cylinder, and a lower surface arranged to form the seal with the top surface of the neck.25          4. The gas cylinder of claim 1, wherein contact of the piercing element with thegasket causes the gasket to change shape and to at least partially conform to the shape of the inner space defined by the cap and the piercing element.

5. The gas cylinder of claim 1, wherein the storage volume is for pressurized gas, 30 andwherein the flange is secured to the neck to receive forces from a support of a gas supply necessary to counter a piercing force of a lance to pierce the piercable gas outlet.2026226443   03 Sep 20266. A method of providing pressurized gas into a beverage container, the methodcomprising:providing a gas cylinder including a body having a storage volume holding the pressurized gas and a neck having a top surface with a pierceable gas outlet, a flange secured5 to the neck and arranged to support the gas cylinder for piercing of the gas outlet, the flange extending radially outwardly from the neck, a cap secured to the neck and having a sidewall extending around the top surface and defining an inner space and an upper opening to the inner space, and a gasket located in the inner space and arranged to form a seal with the top surface and form a seal with a piercing element that extends into the inner space to pierce the0 gas outlet;moving a piercing element into contact with the gas outlet to pierce the gas outlet;supporting the gas cylinder at the flange to counter a force of the piercing element on the gas cylinder during piercing of the gas outlet; andforming seals between the piercing element and the gasket and between the top15 surface of the neck and the gasket.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein supporting the gas cylinder at the flange includes supporting the gas cylinder only at the flange to provide all necessary counter force for piercing the gas outlet.

208. The method of claim 6, wherein supporting the gas cylinder at the flange includes supporting the gas cylinder such that the storage volume is positioned below the gas outlet.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein forming the seals includes forming the seals25 before the gas outlet is pierced by the piercing element.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the cap and flange are threadedly engaged with the neck.30          11. The method of claim 6, wherein the flange and the cap are made as singleunitary piece separate from the body, the flange extends radially outwardly from the sidewall of the cap, and the flange and the cap are attached to the neck.2026226443   03 Sep 202612. The method of claim 6, wherein the sidewall of the cap is arranged to extend above the top surface of the neck and the gasket has an upper surface, a region of the upper surface being exposed at the upper opening of the cap, and wherein moving the piercing element into contact with the gas outlet includes receiving the piercing element in the upper5 opening of the cap to contact the upper surface of the gasket and pierce the gas outlet.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein the sidewall is located at an upper portion of the cap and a lower portion of the cap includes an internal thread arranged to engage with an external thread on the cylinder neck.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein forming the seals includes contacting the piercing element with the gasket to cause the gasket to change shape and to at least partially conform to the shape of the inner space defined by the cap and the piercing element.15          15. The method of claim 6, further comprising engaging the upper opening in thecap with the piercing element and preventing rotation of the gas cylinder relative to the piercing element.

16. The method of claim 6, wherein supporting the gas cylinder includes contacting 20 the underside of the flange with a support which counters the force of the piercing element.

17. The gas cylinder of claim 1, or the method of claim 6, wherein the cap includes an upper wall having an annular shape that extends radially inwardly from the sidewall and includes a radially inner part that defines the upper opening.2518. The gas cylinder or the method of claim 17, wherein the gasket has an uppermost part of an upper surface located radially inward of the radially inner part of the upper wall.30           19. The gas cylinder or the method of claim 18, wherein the uppermost part of theupper surface of the gasket extends into the upper opening.

20. The gas cylinder of claim 1, or the method of claim 6, wherein the inner space has a cylindrical shape and the gasket has a torus shape.

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