Carbonation machine

Abstract

A carbonation machine may include a carbonation head having a vial holder configured to hold a vial containing water to be carbonated and inject carbon dioxide into the vial; and a safety dual valve assembly including a first spring-operated piston and a second spring-operated piston for releasing the overpressure when the vial is held by the carbonation head, where the first spring-operated piston is configured to release the overpressure at a first pressure threshold level and the second spring-operated piston is configured to release the overpressure at a second pressure threshold level. And wherein the second spring operated piston is configured to release the overpressure at a second pressure threshold level, wherein the first pressure threshold level is lower than the second pressure threshold level.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a carbonation machine. More specifically, this invention relates to a carbonation machine having a novel carbonation head. Background Technology

[0002] Carbonation machines are commonly used in homes, offices, cafeterias, and other locations.

[0003] Typically, a carbonator is designed to carbonate water or other liquid contained in a bottle that is sealed to the carbonation head of the carbonator to prevent accidental pressure release from the bottle. During carbonation, carbon dioxide is injected as a jet (with a typical pressure of about 60 bar) into the water to produce a carbonated beverage. The injected carbon dioxide creates turbulence in the bottle, allowing for good distribution and absorption of the carbon dioxide in the water, while excess gas is released. The pressure that builds up above the water surface inside the bottle can usually be released via one or more designated pressure relief valves. When the carbonation process is complete, the bottle containing the carbonated beverage can be removed from the carbonation head of the carbonator. Removal of the bottle from the carbonation head is performed, for example, by tilting the bottle to actuate a pressure relief mechanism or another arrangement for rapidly releasing gas to relieve excess pressure from the bottle. The release of excess gas is usually uncontrolled before the bottle is removed from the carbonator.

[0004] The height of a carbonation machine typically corresponds to the height of the gas tank attached to the carbonation head and supplying carbonation gas (e.g., carbon dioxide) to the carbonation process, as well as the additional height resulting from the structure of the carbonation head.

[0005] In many homes, carbonation machines are stored and used in the kitchen. Since kitchen space for various household appliances can be limited, it may be desirable to provide a carbonation machine with a carbonation head that has a limited and / or minimal additional height above the typical gas cylinder height. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a carbonation machine is provided, the carbonation machine comprising a carbonation head having a bottle holder configured to hold a bottle containing water to be carbonated and to inject carbon dioxide into the bottle; and a safety dual-valve assembly comprising a first spring-operated piston and a second spring-operated piston for releasing overpressure when the bottle is held by the carbonation head, wherein the first spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a first pressure threshold level, and wherein the second spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a second pressure threshold level, wherein the first pressure threshold level is lower than the second pressure threshold level.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first spring-operated piston and the second spring-operated piston of the safety dual-valve assembly are capable of coaxial movement.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the invention, springs are provided to force the first spring-operated piston and the second spring-operated piston away from each other, thereby keeping the piston in the closed position.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the effective sealing area of ​​the first spring-operated piston is different from that of the second spring-operated piston.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the effective sealing area of ​​the first spring-operated piston and the effective sealing area of ​​the second spring-operated piston are defined by washers of different sizes.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the invention, the carbonation machine is further provided with a rupture disc protection valve, which is configured to rupture and release overpressure at a third pressure threshold level higher than the second pressure threshold level.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the invention, the carbonation machine further includes an actuator for actuating a first spring-operated piston and a second spring-operated piston, such that each of the pistons is forced to break the seal.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the invention, the carbonation head is rotatable between an inclined position and an upright position.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the invention, the rotatable carbonation head includes a convex back surface that matches a concave surface of a fixed portion of the carbonation machine.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the invention, the carbonation head includes at least one cam that presents an initial retraction surface to a second spring-operated piston, the initial retraction surface gradually moving closer to the convex back surface, and wherein the second spring-operated piston includes at least one protrusion that faces and contacts the at least one cam, such that when the carbonation head is rotated to the disassembly position, the second spring-operated piston is forced to break the seal.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the invention, the bottle holder includes an annular recess into which the bottle neck ring can be recessed to lock the bottle and securely hold it in place.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the invention, the bottle holder includes two substantially opposing arms, and each arm includes a semi-annular recess such that the arms together form an annular recess.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the invention, a valve actuator is provided connected to a first spring-operated piston, which is configured to be guided through a guide rail such that when the rotatable carbonation head is rotated to the disassembly position, the first spring-operated piston is forced to break the seal and release the overpressure.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a carbonation head for a carbonation machine is provided, the carbonation head having a bottle holder configured to hold a bottle containing water to be carbonated and to inject carbon dioxide into the bottle; and a safety dual-valve assembly including a first spring-operated piston and a second spring-operated piston for releasing overpressure when the bottle is held by the carbonation head, wherein the first spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a first pressure threshold level, and wherein the second spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a second pressure threshold level, wherein the first pressure threshold level is lower than the second pressure threshold level.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a safety dual-valve assembly is provided, the safety dual-valve assembly including a first spring-operated piston and a second spring-operated piston for releasing overpressure when the bottle is held by a carbonation head, wherein the first spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a first pressure threshold level, and wherein the second spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a second pressure threshold level, wherein the first pressure threshold level is lower than the second pressure threshold level.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a safety dual-valve assembly is provided, comprising a first spring-operated piston and a second spring-operated piston for releasing overpressure when the bottle is held by a carbonation head, wherein the first spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a first pressure threshold level, and wherein the second spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a second pressure threshold level, wherein the first pressure threshold level is lower than the second pressure threshold level. The safety dual-valve assembly further comprises an actuator for actuating the first spring-operated piston and the second spring-operated piston such that each of the pistons is forced to break a seal. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To better understand the present invention and its practical applications, the following drawings are provided and referenced below. It should be noted that the drawings are given by way of example only and in no way limit the scope of the invention. Identical components are indicated by the same reference numerals.

[0023] Figure 1 A carbonation machine with a compact, safe dual-valve assembly is shown according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2A bottleneck ring retainer for a carbonation machine according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0025] Figure 3 A bottle holder for a carbonation machine according to some embodiments of the invention is shown, wherein a bottle nozzle is inserted into the holder.

[0026] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A bottle holder in which the bottle nozzle is locked in a fixed position by the holder.

[0027] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of a carbonation head and a safety dual-valve assembly in the carbonation position according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6 It is in the carbonation position. Figure 5 Detailed cross-sectional view of the carbonation head and safety dual valve assembly.

[0029] Figure 7 It is in the bottle disassembly position. Figure 5 Detailed cross-sectional view of the carbonation head and safety dual valve assembly.

[0030] Figure 8 It is in the bottle disassembly position. Figure 5 Side view of the carbonation head and safety dual valve assembly. Detailed Implementation

[0031] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, processes, components, modules, units, and / or circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention.

[0032] While embodiments of the invention are not limited in this respect, discussions using terms such as “processing,” “calculation,” “operation,” “determine,” “establish,” “analyze,” or “check” can refer to the operation and / or process of a computer, computing platform, computing system, or other electronic computing device that manipulates and / or transforms data representing physical (e.g., electronic) quantities in registers and / or memory of a computer into other data representing physical quantities in a non-transitory storage medium (e.g., memory) similarly represented in registers and / or memory of a computer or other information that can store instructions to perform the operation and / or process. While embodiments of the invention are not limited in this respect, the term “plurality” as used herein can include, for example, “multiple” or “two or more.” The term “multiple” can be used throughout the specification to describe two or more components, devices, elements, units, parameters, etc. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the method embodiments described herein are not limited to a particular order or sequence. Additionally, some of the described method embodiments or elements thereof may occur or be performed simultaneously, at the same point in time, or concurrently. Unless otherwise stated, the conjunction “or” as used herein should be understood as inclusive (any or all of the options mentioned).

[0033] Figure 1 A carbonation machine 100 with a compact safety dual-valve assembly is shown according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] The carbonation machine 100 includes a base 110 and a housing 102, which appears transparent in the drawings to allow observation of the internal components. The housing 102 includes a column 104 comprising a concealed compartment for a gas cylinder (not shown) and a carbonation head compartment 106 for housing a carbonation head 111. The carbonation head 111 is configured to receive a nozzle of the bottle 112 filled with water to a preferred threshold when the nozzle 113 of the bottle 112 is held by a neck ring retainer 108 of the carbonation head, and to utilize a carbonation tube inserted into the bottle (see...). Figure 5 The nozzle (126) is held securely while carbon dioxide is injected into the bottle. When it is desired to carbonate the water in the bottle, the bottle is attached to the neck ring retainer 108, and when the carbonation mechanism is actuated (e.g., by pressing a button or rotating a lever), carbon dioxide from the gas canister flows through a conduit (not shown for simplicity) into the inlet 120 and into the bottle through the carbonation tube 126. When carbonation is complete, the overpressure in the bottle can be manually released by rotating the bottle 112 along with the neck ring retainer 108 to clear the exhaust outlet 150 of the exhaust path 148 and allow the overpressure to be released through the exhaust outlet. More information on this is provided below with reference to the relevant accompanying drawings.

[0035] Figure 2 A neck ring retainer 108 for a carbonation machine according to some embodiments of the invention is shown. The body 117 of the neck ring retainer 108 defines a confined space between substantially opposing arms 116, the confined space being designed to receive the nozzle 113 of a bottle 112. Each arm 116 may include a leading edge 115, which together form a tapering region into which the nozzle 113 of the bottle 112 can be inserted. A bottle support arm 107 may be rigidly connected to a rotatable carbonation head to provide support for the rear of the bottle when it is placed within the neck ring retainer 108. The arms 116 are designed to present an annular recess 118, which is designed to receive a neck ring 114 surrounding the nozzle 113 of the bottle 112, such that when the neck ring 114 sinks into the annular recess 118, the neck ring is securely held, thereby preventing the bottle 112 from being released and removed from the neck ring retainer 108 unless the bottle is first lifted and pulled out. For example, each arm 116 of the bottleneck ring retainer 108 may be configured to present a semi-annular recess 118, such that both arms together present an annular recess 118.

[0036] Figure 3 A neck ring retainer 108 for a carbonation machine according to some embodiments of the invention is shown, wherein a nozzle 113 is inserted into the retainer. This is the initial position of the bottle within the neck ring retainer 108, as the nozzle 113 is positioned within the area defined between the arms 116, but the neck ring 114 is not yet locked in its proper position within the substantially opposing semi-annular recess 118.

[0037] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A bottle neck ring retainer is provided, wherein the bottle nozzle is locked in a fixed position by the retainer. In this position, the bottle neck ring 114 of the bottle 112 is now locked in place within a substantially opposing semi-annular recess 118. This position can be achieved at the start of the carbonation process, during which pressure builds up within the bottle 112, causing the bottle neck ring 114 of the bottle 112 to sink into the substantially opposing semi-annular recess 118, thereby locking the bottle nozzle in place and securely holding the bottle nozzle. A carbonation tube 128 may be provided, which is designed to fit tightly within the bottle nozzle 113 and plug the bottle to prevent accidental release of pressure from the bottle during the carbonation process.

[0038] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the carbonation head and safety dual valve assembly 140 in the carbonation position according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 6 It is in the carbonation position. Figure 5 Detailed cross-sectional view of the carbonation head and safety dual valve assembly.

[0040] Figure 7 It is in the bottle disassembly position. Figure 5 Detailed cross-sectional view of the carbonation head and safety dual valve assembly.

[0041] Figure 8 It is in the bottle disassembly position. Figure 5 Side view of the carbonation head and safety dual valve assembly.

[0042] The safety dual-valve assembly 140 includes two pressure relief valves that are combined into a single, relatively compact assembly, thereby saving space and parts.

[0043] In the embodiment shown in the figures, the safety dual-valve assembly 140 is located in the fixed portion of the carbonation machine adjacent to the rotatable carbonation head 111. The carbonation head 111 may be configured to rotate about a rotation axis 109 (with a bore 132 provided for receiving such an axis) and presents a convex back surface designed to match the concave surface 149 of the fixed portion of the carbonation machine.

[0044] The safety dual-valve assembly 140 includes two cooperating valves designed to yield and release accumulated overpressure at different overpressure levels. This is made possible, for example, by designing a dual-valve assembly comprising two coaxially movable pistons 144 and 145, each having an effective sealing area defined by the contact surfaces of their respective gaskets 147a and 147b and a common gasket 147c.

[0045] The two movable pistons 144 and 145 are pressed apart by a common spring 143, such that the concave surface 149 of piston 144 seals over the convex back 146 of carbonation head 111 and vent 160, and piston 145 seals over the facing surface of piston back 156.

[0046] The safety dual-valve assembly is designed to facilitate pressure release at two distinct pressure thresholds. At the first pressure threshold, piston 145 is designed to slide, disengaging washer 147b from piston back 156 and opening a gap through which overpressure can be released. At a second pressure threshold, higher than the first, piston 144 is designed to disengage washer 147a from the convex back 146 of carbonate head 111, exposing vent 160. This is made possible by designing the effective sealing surfaces of the piston's washer to differ in order to respond to different pressure levels.

[0047] For lower pressure releases, the difference in contact surfaces between gasket 147b and common gasket 147c causes seal 147b to open. For higher pressure releases, the difference in contact surfaces between gasket 147a and common gasket 147c causes seal 147a to open.

[0048] When overpressure in bottle 112 is released via venting path 148 and enters the internal space 141 of valve assembly 140, pressure begins to build up within valve assembly 140. The pressure applied to the piston is determined by the force applied by the spring multiplied by the effective sealing area, and because the different effective sealing areas of the two gaskets differ due to their different sizes, the piston with the smaller gasket is configured to yield at a first pressure threshold and allow pressure release, which is lower than a second pressure release threshold of the other piston and its larger gasket.

[0049] Therefore, the safety valve assembly 140 is configured to release overpressure via the first piston 145 when a first pressure threshold is reached. If, for some reason (e.g., the first piston is stuck, such as due to the presence of sticky sugar residue), the pressure within the internal space 141 of the safety valve assembly 140 may increase further until the pressure reaches a second pressure threshold, at which the second piston will yield and release the overpressure.

[0050] If, for some reason, the second piston fails to function and does not release the pressure buildup, resulting in further pressure buildup, a rupture disc protection valve 122 is also provided, which is designed to rupture at a third pressure threshold (e.g., above the second pressure threshold) and release the overpressure through outlet 124.

[0051] A spring 130 may be provided, which is connected to a hole 131 on a pull arm 134 forming part of a fixed portion of the carbonation machine, and also connected to a hole 131 on a rotatable carbonation head, so as to force the rotatable carbonation head 111 back to an upright position. Figure 6 In the diagram, spring 130 is shown detached from one of the spring retaining holes 131. This is merely to illustrate that spring 130 is shorter in its default position than when connected to hole 131, to demonstrate that the spring is designed to pull the rotatable carbonation head from an inclined position to an upright position. Figure 7 For the sake of simplicity, spring 130 is not shown.

[0052] Valve actuator 142 (see) is provided Figure 1 , Figure 8 The valve actuator is connected to piston 145 to controllably operate moving piston 145 to temporarily disrupt the seal (e.g., sealing gasket) during bottle removal from the carbonation machine, thereby ensuring proper operation of the safety dual-valve assembly.

[0053] When the bottle 112 is rotated from the carbonated upright position to the disassembly position, the valve actuator 142 is guided through the guide rail 154 of the side wing 152, which is fixedly connected to the neck ring retainer 108. The guide rail 154 is fixed to the valve actuator 142 and is designed to force the valve actuator 142 to be pulled, thereby causing the piston support 155, which is firmly connected to the valve actuator 142, to pull the piston 145, disengaging it from the piston back 156. The carbonated head 111 is also designed to disengage the concave surface 149 of the piston 144 from the convex surface 146 during the rotation of the bottle 112 to the disassembly position. This can be made possible, for example, by designing the back of the carbonation head 111 to present at least one cam 136 (e.g., two such cams) on either side of the convex back 146, which presents an initial retractable surface to the piston 144 (relative to the convex back 146, when the bottle is held in the carbonation position). This initial retractable surface gradually moves closer to the surface of the convex back 146 as the carbonation head 111 rotates until it is completely flush with the convex back 146. The first piston 144 has at least one (e.g., two) protrusions 158 on the top of the part facing and in contact with each of the cams 136. Thus, when the bottle neck ring retainer 108 (and the carbonation head 111) rotates from the carbonation position to the disengaged position, the narrow cam pushes the protrusions 158 to force the first piston 144 to break the seal formed by the gasket 147a and release overpressure.

[0054] According to embodiments of the invention, the overall height of the carbonation machine can be significantly reduced when most of its components are placed at or below the height of the rotation axis of the carbonation head. The height of the carbonation machine largely depends on the height of the gas tank, but avoiding placing components above that height helps keep the carbonation machine as small as possible.

[0055] The following is an index of the components shown in the attached diagram:

[0056] 100-Carbonation machine;

[0057] 102 - Shell;

[0058] 104 - Column with gas tank compartment;

[0059] 106-Carbonation head compartment;

[0060] 107-bottle support arm;

[0061] 108 - Bottleneck ring retainer;

[0062] 109 - Rotating shaft of the bottleneck ring retainer (and carbonation head 111);

[0063] 110 - Base;

[0064] 111-Carbonation head;

[0065] 112 bottles;

[0066] 113-bottle nozzle;

[0067] 114 - Bottleneck ring;

[0068] 115-front edge;

[0069] 116-bottle retainer arm;

[0070] 117 - Bottle Holder Body;

[0071] 118 - Locking semi-circular recess;

[0072] 119-Water;

[0073] 120-carbon dioxide inlet;

[0074] 122 - Rupture disc protection valve;

[0075] 124 - Rupture disc protection valve outlet;

[0076] 126-Carbonated tube;

[0077] 128-Carbonated tubing;

[0078] 130 - Spring;

[0079] 131 - Spring attachment hole;

[0080] 132-hole;

[0081] 134 - Spring arm;

[0082] 136-Cam;

[0083] 140 - Safety Dual Valve Assembly;

[0084] 141 - Internal space of the valve assembly;

[0085] 142 - Valve actuator;

[0086] 143 - Valve spring;

[0087] 144 - First Piston;

[0088] 145 - Second piston;

[0089] 146 - Convex back;

[0090] 147a, 147b, 147c - Washers;

[0091] 148 - Exhaust path;

[0092] 149 - Concave surface;

[0093] 150 - Exhaust outlet;

[0094] 152-Flank;

[0095] 154 - Guide rail;

[0096] 155 - Piston support;

[0097] 156 - Piston back;

[0098] 158 - Protrusion;

[0099] 160 - Exhaust port.

[0100] This document discloses different embodiments. Features of certain embodiments may be combined with features of other embodiments; thus, some embodiments may be combinations of features from multiple embodiments. The foregoing description of embodiments of the invention is presented for illustrative and descriptive purposes. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Those skilled in the art will understand that many modifications, variations, substitutions, alterations, and equivalents are possible in light of the foregoing teachings. Therefore, it should be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and alterations that fall within the true spirit of the invention.

[0101] While certain features of the invention have been illustrated and described herein, many modifications, substitutions, alterations, and equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it should be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications and alterations that fall within the true spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A carbonation machine, the carbonation machine comprising: A carbonation head having a bottle holder configured to hold a bottle containing water to be carbonated and to inject carbon dioxide into the bottle; and A safety dual-valve assembly includes a first spring-operated piston and a second spring-operated piston for releasing overpressure when the bottle is held by the carbonation head, wherein the first spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a first pressure threshold level, and wherein the second spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a second pressure threshold level, wherein the first pressure threshold level is lower than the second pressure threshold level.

2. The carbonation machine according to claim 1, wherein the first spring-operated piston and the second spring-operated piston of the safety dual-valve assembly are coaxially movable.

3. The carbonation machine according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein springs are provided to force the first spring-operated piston and the second spring-operated piston away from each other, thereby holding the piston in a closed position.

4. The carbonation machine according to claim 3, wherein the effective sealing area of ​​the first spring-operated piston is different from the effective sealing area of ​​the second spring-operated piston.

5. The carbonation machine according to claim 4, wherein the effective sealing area of ​​the first spring-operated piston and the effective sealing area of ​​the second spring-operated piston are defined by gaskets of different sizes.

6. The carbonation machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the carbonation machine is further provided with a rupture disc protection valve, the rupture disc protection valve being configured to rupture and release overpressure at a third pressure threshold level higher than the second pressure threshold level.

7. The carbonation machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the carbonation machine further comprising an actuator for actuating the first spring-operated piston and the second spring-operated piston such that each of the pistons is forced to break a seal.

8. The carbonation machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the carbonation head is rotatable between an inclined position and an upright position.

9. The carbonation machine according to claim 8, wherein the rotatable carbonation head includes a convex back surface that matches a concave surface of a fixed portion of the carbonation machine.

10. The carbonation machine of claim 9, wherein the carbonation head includes at least one cam that presents an initial retraction surface toward the second spring-operated piston, the initial retraction surface gradually moving closer to the convex back surface, and wherein the second spring-operated piston includes at least one protrusion facing and contacting the at least one cam, such that when the carbonation head is rotated to a disassembled position, the second spring-operated piston is forced to break the seal.

11. The carbonation machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the bottle holder includes an annular recess into which the bottle neck ring is recessed to lock and securely hold the bottle in place.

12. The carbonation machine of claim 11, wherein the bottle holder comprises two substantially opposing arms, and wherein each arm comprises a semi-annular recess such that the arms together form the annular recess.

13. The carbonation machine of claim 9, wherein a valve actuator is provided, the valve actuator being connected to the first spring-operated piston, the first spring-operated piston being configured to be guided through a guide rail such that when the rotatable carbonation head is rotated to the disassembly position, the first spring-operated piston is forced to break the seal and release the overpressure.

14. A carbonation head for a carbonation machine, the carbonation head having a bottle holder configured to hold a bottle containing water to be carbonated and to inject carbon dioxide into the bottle; and A safety dual-valve assembly includes a first spring-operated piston and a second spring-operated piston for releasing overpressure when the bottle is held by the carbonation head, wherein the first spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a first pressure threshold level, and wherein the second spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a second pressure threshold level, wherein the first pressure threshold level is lower than the second pressure threshold level.

15. The carbonation head according to claim 14, wherein the first spring-operated piston and the second spring-operated piston of the safety dual-valve assembly are coaxially movable.

16. The carbonation head according to claim 14, wherein a spring is provided to force the first spring-operated piston and the second spring-operated piston away from each other, thereby holding the piston in a closed position.

17. The carbonation head according to claim 16, wherein the effective sealing area of ​​the first spring-operated piston is different from the effective sealing area of ​​the second spring-operated piston.

18. The carbonation head according to claim 17, wherein the effective sealing area of ​​the first spring-operated piston and the effective sealing area of ​​the second spring-operated piston are defined by washers of different sizes.

19. The carbonation head of claim 17, further comprising an actuator for actuating the first spring-operated piston and the second spring-operated piston such that each of the pistons is forced to break the seal.

20. The carbonation head according to claim 17, wherein the carbonation head is rotatable between an inclined position and an upright position.

21. The carbonation head according to claim 20, wherein the carbonation head includes a convex back surface that matches the concave surface of the fixed portion of the carbonation machine.

22. The carbonation head of claim 21, wherein the carbonation head is configured to, when rotated to move the bottle from the upright position to the disassembled position, force a valve actuator connected to the first spring-operated piston to cause the first spring-operated piston to break the seal.

23. The carbonation head of claim 22, wherein the carbonation head includes at least one cam that presents an initial retraction surface toward the second spring-operated piston, the initial retraction surface gradually moving closer to the convex back surface until the initial retraction surface is completely flush with the convex back surface, and wherein the second spring-operated piston includes at least one protrusion facing the at least one cam such that when the carbonation head is rotated to the disassembled position, the second spring-operated piston is forced to break the seal.

24. A safety dual-valve assembly comprising a first spring-operated piston and a second spring-operated piston for releasing overpressure when the bottle is held by the carbonation head, wherein the first spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a first pressure threshold level, and wherein the second spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a second pressure threshold level, wherein the first pressure threshold level is lower than the second pressure threshold level.

25. A safety dual-valve assembly including a first spring-operated piston and a second spring-operated piston for releasing overpressure when the bottle is held by the carbonation head, wherein the first spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a first pressure threshold level, and wherein the second spring-operated piston is configured to release overpressure at a second pressure threshold level, wherein the first pressure threshold level is lower than the second pressure threshold level, the safety dual-valve assembly further including an actuator for actuating the first spring-operated piston and the second spring-operated piston such that each of the pistons is forced to break a seal.

Images