Carbon dioxide gas injection device

Abstract

To provide a carbon dioxide gas injection device capable of easily removing a container that contains carbon dioxide gas from a housing.SOLUTION: A carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 includes: a pressurizing electromagnetic valve 50 that connects or disconnects between a carbon dioxide gas cylinder 48 and a beverage container 70; a pressure control electromagnetic valve 52 and a pressure reduction electromagnetic valve 54 that can release the carbon dioxide gas inside the beverage container 70; and a protection mechanism 14. The protection mechanism 14 includes a cover 26 that is engaged by an engagement mechanism 13 of a tower 12 when raised and separates a first coupler 30, a second coupler 32, and a third coupler 34 from the outside of the tower 12 when lowered, and is configured to connect the pressurizing electromagnetic valve 50 and disconnect the pressure control electromagnetic valve 52 and the pressure reduction electromagnetic valve 54 when the cover 26 is lowered, and to disconnect the pressurizing electromagnetic valve 50 and connect the pressure control electromagnetic valve 52 and the pressure reduction electromagnetic valve 54 when the cover 26 is raised.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application relates to a carbon dioxide injector. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a high demand for carbonated drinks because they provide a refreshing feeling when drunk. In recent years, the demand has expanded in the form of carbonated drinks with a high gas volume to provide a stronger refreshing feeling, and the need for injecting carbon dioxide into drinking water in conjunction with the growing health consciousness. For this reason, there is a growing demand in restaurants and other establishments for devices that can inject carbon dioxide into drinks served to customers, or compact drink dispensers that can be fitted with pre-carbonated drink containers and serve drinks immediately before customers so that the gas volume does not decrease.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a beverage dispenser that is compact enough to dispense beverages at a tabletop and that can release the pressurized gas inside when the outer lid is removed. However, with the beverage dispenser described in Patent Document 1, beverage containers can be replaced only after a series of steps, such as releasing the gas inside the container, lifting the operating part, and removing the outer lid. When large quantities of beverages are consumed in restaurants and other establishments, these steps must be repeated frequently, reducing work efficiency. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of safely releasing gas and easily removing the beverage container from the main body. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-77908 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In consideration of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a carbon dioxide gas injection device that allows a container containing carbon dioxide gas to be easily attached and detached from a housing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a carbon dioxide gas injection device that injects carbon dioxide gas filled in a gas supply source into a container attached to a housing, the carbon dioxide gas injection device comprising: a first opening / closing mechanism disposed between the gas supply source and the container and connecting or disconnecting the gas supply source from the container; a second opening / closing mechanism connected to the container and capable of releasing the carbon dioxide gas inside the container; and a protection mechanism that disconnects the first opening / closing mechanism and activates the second opening / closing mechanism before the container is removed from the housing, thereby releasing the carbon dioxide gas inside the container; the protection mechanism is a cover portion that is arranged to be able to move up and down inside the housing, and is engaged by a locking mechanism of the housing when raised, and includes a cover portion that separates the connection portion between the container and the first and second opening / closing mechanisms from the outside of the housing when lowered; and the carbon dioxide gas injection device is configured such that when the cover portion is lowered, the first opening / closing mechanism is connected and the second opening / closing mechanism is disconnected, and when the cover portion is raised, the first opening / closing mechanism is disconnected and the second opening / closing mechanism is connected.

[0007] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the protection mechanism may be configured to turn on when the cover portion is lowered, and may include a switch portion that allows the first opening / closing mechanism to be switched between connected and disconnected by turning on and off, and that allows the second opening / closing mechanism to be switched between disconnected and connected.

[0008] Furthermore, in another aspect of the present disclosure, the cover portion may be formed in a partition shape and be open to the inside and the lower side of the housing.

[0009] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the cover portion may have a curved shape that separates the connecting portions at the front and both sides of the container.

[0010] Furthermore, in another aspect of the present disclosure, the distance between both sides of the cover part that separates the connection parts on both sides of the container may be set to a dimension equal to or greater than the dimension of the lid part of the container.

[0011] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the container may include an operating unit that operates the first opening / closing mechanism to supply carbon dioxide gas from the gas supply source to the container while the cover portion is lowered, and stops the second opening / closing mechanism.

[0012] Additionally, in another aspect of the present disclosure, the container may be a beverage container. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to one aspect of the carbon dioxide gas injector of the present disclosure, carbon dioxide gas filled in a gas supply source can be injected into a container by connecting a first opening / closing mechanism and a second opening / closing mechanism to a container attached to a housing. The carbon dioxide gas injector is provided with a protection mechanism including a cover portion that is arranged to be movable up and down within the housing, is locked by a locking mechanism of the housing when raised, and separates the connection portion between the container and the first opening / closing mechanism and the second opening / closing mechanism from the outside of the housing when lowered. The carbon dioxide gas injector is further configured to connect the first opening / closing mechanism and disconnect the second opening / closing mechanism when the cover portion is lowered, and to disconnect the first opening / closing mechanism and connect the second opening / closing mechanism when the cover portion is raised. Therefore, the first opening / closing mechanism can be switched between connected and disconnected, and the second opening / closing mechanism can be switched between connected and disconnected, in conjunction with the up and down movement of the cover portion. Furthermore, when the cover part is lowered, the connection part between the container and the first and second opening and closing mechanisms is separated from the outside of the housing by the cover part, so carbon dioxide gas can be injected into the container while the connection part between the first opening and closing mechanism and the container is hidden from the outside of the housing. Furthermore, when the cover part is raised, the first opening and closing mechanism is shut off and the second opening and closing mechanism is activated, allowing the carbon dioxide gas inside the container to be released, so that excess carbon dioxide gas inside the container can be released in advance and the pressure inside the container can be reduced before the container is removed from the housing. This allows the series of operations, such as attaching the container to the housing, injecting carbon dioxide gas into the container, and removing the container from the housing, to be performed safely and easily.

[0014] In addition, according to one aspect of the carbon dioxide gas injection device of the present disclosure, the protection mechanism includes a switch unit configured to turn on when the cover unit is lowered. Therefore, the switch unit is turned on and off in conjunction with the up and down movement of the cover unit, switching between connection and disconnection of the first opening / closing mechanism and between connection and disconnection of the second opening / closing mechanism. When the cover unit is lowered, the connection between the container and the first and second opening / closing mechanisms is separated from the outside of the housing by the cover unit, allowing carbon dioxide gas to be injected into the container while the connection between the first opening / closing mechanism and the container is hidden from the outside of the housing. Furthermore, when the cover unit is raised, the switch unit is turned off, blocking the first opening / closing mechanism and activating the second opening / closing mechanism, allowing carbon dioxide gas to be released from inside the container. This allows excess carbon dioxide gas to be released and the pressure inside the container to be reduced before removing the container from the housing. This allows the series of operations, such as attaching the container to the housing, injecting carbon dioxide gas into the container, and removing the container from the housing, to be performed safely and easily.

[0015] Furthermore, in the carbon dioxide gas injector according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the cover is formed in a partition shape and is open to the inside and below of the housing. Therefore, even if carbon dioxide gas leaks from the connection part, the gas can escape to the inside and below of the housing rather than to the outside of the housing where the user is present. This allows carbon dioxide gas to be injected into the container safely.

[0016] Furthermore, in a carbon dioxide injector according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the cover has a curved shape that separates the connection parts at the front and both sides of the container. Therefore, if carbon dioxide leaks from the connection part, it is possible to prevent or suppress the carbon dioxide from scattering in front and both sides of the container, where a user operating the carbon dioxide injector may be present. This allows carbon dioxide to be injected into the container safely.

[0017] Furthermore, in a carbon dioxide gas injector according to one aspect of the present disclosure, the distance between the two sides of the cover that separates the connection portions on both sides of the container is set to a dimension equal to or greater than the dimension of the container's lid. Therefore, even if carbon dioxide gas leaks from the container, it is possible to prevent or suppress the carbon dioxide gas from scattering in front of and to the sides of the container, where a user operating the carbon dioxide gas injector may be present. This allows carbon dioxide gas to be injected into the container safely.

[0018] Furthermore, a carbon dioxide gas injector according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes an operating unit for activating the first opening / closing mechanism and stopping the second opening / closing mechanism when the cover is lowered. Therefore, when the cover is closed, a user can operate the operating unit to stop the second opening / closing mechanism and activate the first opening / closing mechanism, thereby connecting the gas supply source and the container, thereby supplying carbon dioxide gas from the gas supply source to the container. This allows carbon dioxide gas to be safely and easily supplied to the container.

[0019] Furthermore, in a carbon dioxide injector according to an aspect of the present disclosure, the container may be a beverage container, so that even in cases where a large amount of beverage is consumed in a restaurant or the like, the beverage container can be safely vented and the beverage container can be easily removed from the housing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a carbon dioxide gas injector according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the carbonator with the beverage container removed. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a rear perspective view of the interior of the carbonator. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged perspective view of the switch portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, a carbon dioxide gas injection device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Similar or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. For ease of understanding, the scale of the drawings may be changed.

[0022] 1 and 2 show, as an example, perspective views of a carbonator 10 for injecting carbon dioxide gas into a beverage (not shown) contained in a beverage container 70 serving as a container. Carbonator 10 includes a tower 12 serving as a housing for injecting and releasing carbon dioxide gas into beverage container 70. Carbonator 10 also includes a mounting base 16 on the lower side of tower 12 for attaching beverage container 70, and a tap 18 on the upper front side of tower 12 for dispensing the beverage contained in beverage container 70. Here, the side on which tap 18 is located is referred to as the front side of carbonator 10, and the opposite side is referred to as the rear side of carbonator 10. Carbonator 10 also includes a protection mechanism 14 having a cover 26 serving as a cover for separating couplers 30, 32, 34, which connect tower 12 and beverage container 70, from the outside of tower 12.

[0023] The cover 26 is configured to be movable up and down within the tower 12, and the tower 12 is formed with a locking mechanism 13 for locking the raised cover 26. Specifically, the locking mechanism 13 includes a slide groove 13a formed in the up-down direction on both sides of the tower 12 and a locking portion 13b formed continuous with the upper end of the slide groove 13a and extending rearward and downward. Handles 28 are attached to the upper sides of both sides of the cover 26, and are grasped by a user to move the cover 26 up and down. The handles 28 are attached to the cover 26 via shaft members 28a disposed through the slide grooves 13a. Therefore, a user holding the handles 28 can move the cover 26 up and down by moving the handles 28 up and down along the slide grooves 13a. Furthermore, after the user has raised the handle portion 28 to the upper end of the slide groove 13a, the user can move the handle portion 28 to the rearward locking portion 13b to engage the shaft member 28a with the locking portion 13b, thereby locking the cover 26 to the tower 12 at the raised position.

[0024] The tap 18 is configured to include a tap lever 20 located on the upper side and a beverage dispensing nozzle 22 extending downward. Therefore, a user can connect the tap 18 to a beverage container 70 and then tilt the tap lever 20 toward the front side of the carbon dioxide injector 10, i.e., toward the beverage dispensing nozzle 22, to pour a beverage into a glass or the like (not shown) located below the beverage dispensing nozzle 22, thereby serving the beverage in the glass.

[0025] The term "beverage" as used herein refers to carbonated water, but is not limited to this and includes both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages include various beverages, such as beer, non-beer carbonated alcoholic beverages, i.e., happoshu (low-malt beer), beer-flavored sparkling alcoholic beverages infused with other alcoholic beverages made from ingredients other than malt (so-called third beer), chuhai, cocktail sours, plum wine soda, spirits soda, sparkling sake, sparkling wine, and highballs. Non-alcoholic beverages include non-alcoholic carbonated beverages, such as non-alcoholic beer, non-alcoholic spirits, non-alcoholic wine, non-alcoholic sours, non-alcoholic cocktails, and carbonated juices. These beverages also include concentrated beverages (concentrate).

[0026] The beverage container 70 has a cylindrical outer shape, and an inner container for holding a beverage is housed inside, covered with a heat insulating material (both not shown). As shown in FIG. 3 , the beverage container 70 has a circular opening in plan view on its top surface for inserting and removing the beverage from the inner container. The opening is sealed from the inside of the beverage container 70 by a lid 72 whose outer shape is shaped to fit the opening. Therefore, the lid 72 is connected to a lever 74 rotatably attached to the top surface of the beverage container 70, and is configured to move into the beverage container 70 when the beverage container 70 is opened. To seal the beverage container 70, the lever 74 is rotated to lift the lid 72, thereby sealing the opening from the inside of the beverage container 70. The beverage container 70 according to this embodiment is designed to hold ice. Therefore, the minimum diameter of the opening and the lid 72 is preferably 3 cm or more, and more preferably 6 cm or more to facilitate easy interior cleaning.

[0027] As shown in Figure 2, a locking member 36 that is in an inverted L shape in a side view, with the upper member protruding toward the mounting base 16, is formed on the inner side of the tower 12 adjacent to the mounting base 16. The beverage container 70 is placed on the mounting base 16 with a lever gripping portion 76 (see Figure 3) attached to the center of a lever 74 connected to the lid portion 72 hooked onto the lower side of the locking member 36. This prevents the lever 74 from rotating and the lid portion 72 from moving as a result, and allows the beverage container 70 to be stably attached to the tower 12.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 3, a beverage container 70 placed on the mounting base 16 is configured to be connected to the carbon dioxide injector 10 via a first coupler 30, a second coupler 32, and a third coupler 34. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 1, a first socket 30b of the first coupler 30 is attached to the top surface of the beverage container 70 as a connection part for injecting carbon dioxide gas sent from the tower 12 into the beverage container 70. Also attached to the top surface of the beverage container 70 is a second plug 32b of the second coupler 32 as a connection part for connecting the beverage container 70 to the tap 18 via a second pipe 42 in order to dispense the beverage contained in the beverage container 70 from the beverage dispensing nozzle 22. Also attached to the top surface of the beverage container 70 is a third plug 34b of the third coupler 34 as a connection part for releasing excess carbon dioxide gas from the beverage container 70.

[0029] 2, the tower 12 is provided with a plug 30a of a first coupler 30 for connecting to a first socket 30b on the beverage container 70, a socket 32a of a second coupler 32 for connecting to a second plug 32b on the beverage container 70, and a socket 34a of a third coupler 34 for connecting to a third plug 34b on the beverage container 70. Here, the tower 12 is provided with the plug 30a of the first coupler 30 for supplying carbon dioxide gas, and the socket 34a of the third coupler 34 for releasing and escaping the carbon dioxide gas. In this way, by arranging the sockets and plugs differently corresponding to the addition and removal of carbon dioxide gas, such as the plug 30a and socket 34a on the tower 12 side and the socket 30b and plug 34b on the beverage container 70 side, it is possible to prevent confusion over the side for adding and removing carbon dioxide gas from the beverage container 70. Although three couplers 30, 32, and 34 are used as the connecting parts here, the present invention is not limited to this, and other types of joints such as couplings and flanges may also be used.

[0030] 3, a first pipe 40 extending within the tower 12 is connected to the plug 30a of the first coupler 30, and the first pipe 40 is connected to a pressure solenoid valve 50 serving as a first opening and closing mechanism located at the bottom on the rear side of the tower 12. The pressure solenoid valve 50 is connected to a carbon dioxide gas cylinder 48 serving as a gas supply source filled with carbon dioxide gas, and by opening the pressure solenoid valve 50, the carbon dioxide gas filled in the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 48 can be injected into the beverage container 70 via the first pipe 40 and the first coupler 30.

[0031] A third pipe 44 extending within the tower 12 is connected to the socket 34a of the third coupler 34. The third pipe 44 is connected to a pressure control solenoid valve 52 and a pressure reduction solenoid valve 54 serving as a second opening / closing mechanism disposed at the bottom of the rear side of the tower 12. The pressure control solenoid valve 52 is configured to open when the pressure in the beverage container 70 increases suddenly, thereby preventing or suppressing a sudden increase in pressure in the beverage container 70. The pressure reduction solenoid valve 54 is configured to be openable to reduce the pressure in the beverage container 70. By opening the pressure reduction solenoid valve 54, excess pressure in the beverage container 70 can be released, i.e., the excess pressure can be released. A silencer 56 is connected to the pressure reduction solenoid valve 54. This allows the pressure in the beverage container 70 to be released via the silencer 56, thereby suppressing or silencing noise caused by the rapid flow of air when pressure is released.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2 , an operation panel 24 serving as an operation unit is attached to the upper part of the front side of the tower 12. The operation panel 24 is electrically connected to a base plate 46 disposed on the rear side of the carbon dioxide injector 10. The base plate 46 is also electrically connected to the tap 18. Therefore, a user can operate the tap 18 by operating an operation button (not shown) on the operation panel 24 to dispense the beverage in the beverage container 70 from the beverage dispensing nozzle 22. The base plate 46 is also electrically connected to the pressurizing solenoid valve 50, the pressure-reducing solenoid valve 52, and the pressure-reducing solenoid valve 54. Therefore, as will be described later, a user can operate the operation button (not shown) on the operation panel 24 to close the pressure-reducing solenoid valve 52 and the pressure-reducing solenoid valve 54 to maintain the pressure in the beverage container 70 and open the pressurizing solenoid valve 50 to inject the carbon dioxide gas filled in the carbon dioxide cylinder 48 into the beverage container 70. Note that the operation panel 24 is not limited to operation buttons and may be operated in other ways, such as by a switch, a non-contact sensor, or the like.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 includes a protection mechanism 14 within the tower 12, and in order to remove the beverage container 70 from the tower 12, the user can shut off the pressurizing solenoid valve 50 and activate the suppressing solenoid valve 52 and the depressurizing solenoid valve 54 to release the carbon dioxide gas inside the beverage container 70 before disconnecting the first coupler 30 and the third coupler 34.

[0034] Specifically, the protection mechanism 14 includes a cover 26. The cover 26 is formed in a partition shape, here a C-shape or an inverted U-shape in plan view, along the outer periphery of the front side of the tower 12 to which the tap 18 is attached. Therefore, after the tower 12 and the beverage container 70 are connected by the first coupler 30 and the third coupler 34, the cover 26 is lowered to separate the front and side sides of the first coupler 30 and the third coupler 34 from the outside of the tower 12, i.e., to conceal the first coupler 30 and the third coupler 34 from view from the outside. The upper, lower, and rear sides of the first coupler 30 and the third coupler 34 are open. The width of the cover 26, i.e., the distance between both sides, is set to a dimension equal to or greater than the diameter (dimension) of the lid 72 of the beverage container 70. Therefore, the cover 26 can conceal not only the first coupler 30 and the third coupler 34 but also the lid 72 from view from the outside of the tower 12. As a result, when the pressurizing solenoid valve 50 is opened and the carbon dioxide gas stored in the carbon dioxide cylinder 48 is injected into the beverage container 70, if carbon dioxide gas leaks due to an insufficient connection of the first coupler 30, the cover 26 can prevent or suppress the carbon dioxide gas from scattering toward the user operating the carbon dioxide injector 10, thereby functioning as a protective barrier. Furthermore, because the cover 26 also blocks the lid portion 72 from the outside of the tower 12, even if carbon dioxide gas leaks from the beverage container 70, the cover 26 can prevent or suppress the carbon dioxide gas from scattering toward the user. Furthermore, because the cover 26 is open toward the lower side of the beverage container 70 and the inside of the tower 12 (the rear side of the first coupler 30 and the third coupler 34), the leaked carbon dioxide gas can escape toward these sides rather than toward the user. Furthermore, the cover 26 is formed with enough rigidity to allow a certain degree of deflection when the leaked carbon dioxide gas or beverage hits it, while also being able to bounce the carbon dioxide gas or beverage inward to prevent it from leaking outside the tower 12.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 4, the protection mechanism 14 also includes a switch lever 60 and a switch body 58 as a switch unit disposed inside the tower 12. The switch lever 60, which is rotatably attached to the switch body 58, can be pressed to contact the switch body 58, thereby turning on the switch. A flange member 62 is attached to the upper end of the cover 26, and a pressing member 62a that protrudes forward is attached to the flange member 62. The switch body 58 is configured so that, when the cover 26 is lowered, the pressing member 62a presses the switch lever 60, bringing it into contact with the switch body 58, turning on the switch.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3 , the switch body 58 is electrically connected to the pressurizing solenoid valve 50 via the substrate 46. Therefore, by turning the switch body 58 on and off, the pressurizing solenoid valve 50 can be switched between open and closed. As a result, the pressurizing solenoid valve 50 is opened to allow carbon dioxide gas in the carbon dioxide cylinder 48 to pass only when the switch is turned on, and the flow of carbon dioxide gas into the beverage container 70 can be blocked when the switch is turned off. The switch body 58 is also electrically connected to the pressure control solenoid valve 52 and the pressure reduction solenoid valve 54 via the substrate 46. Therefore, by turning the switch body 58 on and off, the pressure control solenoid valve 52 and the pressure reduction solenoid valve 54 can be switched between off and on. As a result, the pressure control solenoid valve 52 and the pressure reduction solenoid valve 54 are closed to block the outflow of carbon dioxide gas from the beverage container 70 only when the switch is turned on, and the pressure control solenoid valve 52 and the pressure reduction solenoid valve 54 are opened to release the carbon dioxide gas from the beverage container 70 and relieve the pressure in the beverage container 70 when the switch is turned off. Therefore, when the switch is turned on by lowering the cover 26, the user can press the push button on the operation panel 24 to close the pressure control solenoid valve 52 and the pressure reduction solenoid valve 54 to maintain the pressure inside the beverage container 70, while opening the pressure increase solenoid valve 50 to supply the carbon dioxide gas filled in the carbon dioxide gas cylinder 48 to the beverage container 70.

[0037] 2, the cover 26 can be held stationary in a raised state relative to the tower 12 by engaging the shaft member 28a of the raised handle portion 28 with the locking portion 13b of the locking mechanism 13. This allows the first coupler 30, the second coupler 32, and the third coupler 34 to be exposed to the outside of the tower 12, making it easy and efficient to attach and detach these three couplers 30, 32, and 34.

[0038] Next, the operation and effects of the carbon dioxide gas injector 10 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0039] According to the carbon dioxide injector 10 of this embodiment, carbon dioxide gas filled in a carbon dioxide cylinder 48 can be injected into a beverage container 70 by connecting the pressurizing solenoid valve 50 to the beverage container 70 attached to the tower 12. Furthermore, excess pressure within the beverage container 70 can be released by connecting the beverage container 70 to the pressure control solenoid valve 52 and the pressure reduction solenoid valve 54. The carbon dioxide injector 10 also includes a protection mechanism 14 for protecting the connection between the beverage container 70 and the tower 12. The protection mechanism 14 is arranged to be vertically movable within the tower 12. When raised, the protection mechanism 14 is locked by the locking mechanism 13 of the tower 12. When lowered, the protection mechanism 14 includes a cover 26 that separates the first coupler 30, the second coupler 32, and the third coupler 34, which form the connection between the beverage container 70 and the pressurizing solenoid valve 50, the pressure control solenoid valve 52, and the pressure reduction solenoid valve 54, from the outside of the tower 12. The protection mechanism 14 also includes a switch body 58 that is configured to be turned on when the cover 26 is lowered. Therefore, the switch body 58 is turned on and off in conjunction with the up and down movement of the cover 26, switching the pressurizing solenoid valve 50 between connected and disconnected states, and switching the pressure suppressing solenoid valve 52 and pressure reducing solenoid valve 54 between connected and disconnected states.

[0040] Furthermore, with the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 according to this embodiment, when the cover 26 is lowered, the first coupler 30, the second coupler 32, and the third coupler 34, which are the connection parts between the beverage container 70 and the tower 12, are separated from the outside of the tower 12 by the cover 26. This allows carbon dioxide gas to be injected into the container while the first coupler 30, the second coupler 32, and the third coupler 34 are hidden from the outside of the tower 12. Furthermore, when the cover 26 is raised, the switch body 58 is turned off, the pressurizing solenoid valve 50 is shut off, and the pressure suppressing solenoid valve 52 and the pressure reducing solenoid valve 54 are opened, allowing excess carbon dioxide gas to be released from inside the beverage container 70. This allows excess carbon dioxide gas to be released in advance from inside the beverage container 70, thereby reducing the pressure inside the beverage container 70, before the beverage container 70 is removed from the tower 12. This allows a series of operations, such as attaching the beverage container 70 to the tower 12, injecting carbon dioxide gas into the beverage container 70, dispensing the beverage, and removing the beverage container 70 from the tower 12, to be performed safely and easily.

[0041] Furthermore, in the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 according to this embodiment, the cover 26 is formed in the shape of a partition and is open to the inside and below the tower 12. Therefore, even if carbon dioxide gas or beverage leaks from the first coupler 30, second coupler 32, and third coupler 34, which are the connection parts between the beverage container 70 and the tower 12, the carbon dioxide gas and beverage can escape to the inside and below the tower 12, rather than to the outside of the tower 12 where the user is present. This allows carbon dioxide gas to be injected into the beverage container 70 safely.

[0042] Furthermore, according to the carbon dioxide gas injection device 10 of this embodiment, the beverage container 70 can be connected to the tower 12 simply by connecting or disconnecting the first coupler 30, the second coupler 32, and the third coupler 34, making it easy to attach and detach the beverage container 70 to the tower 12.

[0043] Furthermore, in the carbon dioxide gas injector 10 according to this embodiment, beverage container 70 can be easily attached to tower 12. Therefore, even when a large amount of beverage is consumed in a restaurant or the like, gas can be released safely and beverage container 70 can be easily removed from tower 12.

[0044] As described above, according to the carbon dioxide gas injector 10 of this embodiment, the beverage container 70 can be easily removed from the tower 12.

[0045] Although the embodiment of the carbon dioxide gas injector 10 has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. Those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications of the above embodiment are possible.

[0046] Here, the switch body 58 constituting the protection mechanism 14 has been described as being a lever-type switch, but the protection mechanism is not limited to this and may be configured in various ways, including, for example, a push-button switch, or a switch connected to and linked with an ultrasonic sensor or laser sensor for measuring the positional relationship (distance) between the cover and the switch. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 10 Carbon dioxide injection device 12 Tower (cabinet) 13 Locking mechanism 14 Protection mechanism 24 Operation panel (operation section) 26 Cover (cover part) 30 First coupler (connection part) 32 Second coupler (connection part) 34 Third coupler (connection part) 48 Carbon dioxide cylinder (gas supply source) 50 Pressure solenoid valve (first opening / closing mechanism) 52 Pressure control solenoid valve (second opening and closing mechanism) 54 Pressure reducing solenoid valve (second opening and closing mechanism) 58 Switch body (switch part) 60 Switch lever (switch part) 70 Beverage containers 72 Lid

Claims

1. A carbon dioxide gas injection device that injects carbon dioxide gas filled in a gas supply source into a container attached to a housing, a first opening / closing mechanism disposed between the gas supply source and the container, for connecting or disconnecting the gas supply source and the container; a second opening / closing mechanism connected to the container and capable of releasing carbon dioxide gas inside the container; a protection mechanism that closes the first opening / closing mechanism and activates the second opening / closing mechanism to release carbon dioxide gas inside the container before the container is removed from the housing; Equipped with the protection mechanism includes a cover portion that is arranged in the housing so as to be movable up and down, the cover portion being locked by a locking mechanism of the housing when raised, and isolating a connection portion between the container and the first opening / closing mechanism and the second opening / closing mechanism from the outside of the housing when lowered; When the cover part is lowered, the first opening and closing mechanism is connected and the second opening and closing mechanism is disconnected, and when the cover part is raised, the first opening and closing mechanism is disconnected and the second opening and closing mechanism is connected. Carbon dioxide injection device.

2. 2. The carbon dioxide injection device of claim 1, wherein the protection mechanism is configured to be turned on when the cover portion is lowered, and includes a switch portion that can switch between connection and disconnection of the first opening / closing mechanism by turning it on and off, and can switch between connection and disconnection of the second opening / closing mechanism.

3. 2. The carbon dioxide gas injector according to claim 1, wherein the cover portion is formed in a partition shape and is open to the inside and the lower side of the housing.

4. 4. The carbon dioxide gas injector according to claim 3, wherein the cover portion has a curved shape that separates the connecting portion at the front and both sides of the container.

5. 5. The carbon dioxide gas injection device according to claim 4, wherein the distance between both sides of the cover part separating the connection parts on both sides of the container is set to a dimension equal to or larger than the dimension of the lid part of the container.

6. 2. The carbon dioxide gas injection device of claim 1, further comprising an operating unit for activating the first opening / closing mechanism to supply carbon dioxide gas from the gas supply source to the container while the cover portion is lowered, and for stopping the second opening / closing mechanism.

7. 7. The carbon dioxide gas injector according to claim 1, wherein the container is a beverage container.

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