Carbonation machine and method with foam control

Abstract

The carbonation machine includes a carbonation head that is sealed and connected to a bottle filled with the liquid to be carbonated; piping for introducing carbon dioxide into the space above the liquid surface in the bottle and compressing it to a predetermined pressure level when the bottle is connected to the carbonation head; a stirrer for agitating the liquid to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide in the liquid when the bottle is connected to the carbonation head; a stirrer for agitating the liquid to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide in the liquid when the bottle is connected to the carbonation head; and a manual operating valve mechanism configured to move to any position between a closed position and an open position for user-controlled release of pressure in the space.

Description

Technical Field

[0004] ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a carbonation machine. More specifically, the present invention relates to a carbonation machine having a foam control device and a method thereof that facilitate the carbonation of various liquids other than just pure water, in which foam (froth) can be generated and accumulated during carbonation.

Background Art

[0002] Carbonation machines are typically used in homes, offices, cafeterias, and other environments.

[0003] Typically, a carbonation machine is designed to carbonate water or other liquid in a bottle that is sealingly attached to the carbonation head of the carbonation machine to prevent accidental pressure release from the bottle. In the carbonation process, carbon dioxide is injected into the water as a jet (at a typical pressure of about 60 bar) to obtain a carbonated beverage. The injected carbon dioxide creates a turbulent flow within the bottle, allowing for good distribution and absorption of carbon dioxide in the water while excess gas is released. The pressure accumulated above the water level inside the bottle may typically be released through 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 carbonation machine. Typically, removal of the bottle from the carbonation head is done by tilting the bottle and activating a pressure relief mechanism or another configuration to quickly release gas to relieve excess pressure from inside the bottle. The release of excess gas during removal of the bottle from the carbonation machine is usually not controlled.

[0004] Carbonating liquids other than pure water (e.g., milk, fruit juice, or water containing additives such as sugar, syrup, or pulp) can pose safety problems because the additives may interfere with the proper operation of the safety valve by, for example, causing the pressure relief valve components to seize or preventing the successful release of excess pressure in other ways. Furthermore, liquids whose composition differs from that of pure water (e.g., due to the presence of additives or any additional components in the water) may result in excessive foaming, which can cause splashing and inconvenience when separating the bottle from the carbonation head of the carbonation machine.

[0005] Therefore, it may be desirable to provide a carbonation machine designed to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks associated with known carbonation machines, and to carbonate various liquids such as milk, fruit or vegetable juice, water containing sugar and other additives. [Overview of the project]

[0006] Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a carbonation machine. The carbonation machine comprises a carbonation head that is sealed and coupled to a bottle filled with a liquid to be carbonated; piping for transferring carbon dioxide into the space within the bottle to carbonate the liquid when the bottle is coupled to the carbonation head; and a manual operating valve mechanism configured to move to any position between a closed position and an open position for user-controlled release of the pressure rise inside the bottle.

[0007] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the manual operation valve mechanism includes a pinch valve mechanism.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pinch valve mechanism includes a pinch bumper, which presses against the discharge pipe to prevent flow through the discharge pipe when the pinch valve mechanism is in the closed position, and retracts from the discharge pipe to release pressure inside the bottle, thereby allowing flow through the discharge pipe.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pinch valve mechanism is configured to allow the pinch bumper to gradually retract and release pressure through the discharge pipe.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pinch bumper is held at the end of a seesaw arm that is pivotably supported by an axle mount.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pinch bumper is held by a receptacle.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pinch bumper is maintained in its default outward-extended position.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pinch bumper is maintained in its default outward-extended position by a preloaded spring.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the preload spring is configured to yield an overpressure buildup inside the bottle that exceeds a predetermined overpressure threshold.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pinch valve mechanism includes a friction generator that generates friction to allow the manual operation valve mechanism to be manually operated to any position between a closed position and an open position, and to maintain that position even when the manual operation valve mechanism is released.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pinch valve mechanism is operable by a pinch valve lever.

[0017] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pinch valve lever is connected substantially perpendicular to the rotatable shaft.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pinch valve mechanism includes an overcenter spring, which is positioned to exert a rotational force on the shaft of the pinch valve mechanism as the pinch valve mechanism approaches either the closed or open position, causing the shaft to rotate to the nearest end position and thus affecting either the closed or open position.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the piping is configured to transfer carbon dioxide into a space above the surface of the liquid, and the carbonation machine further comprises a stirrer for agitating the liquid to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide in the liquid.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the stirrer is electrically operated.

[0021] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the carbonation head is configured to compress carbon dioxide in a space to a pressure threshold.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pressure threshold is 10 bar.

[0023] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the pressure threshold is 6 bar.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the carbonation machine further includes a controller configured to add carbon dioxide to the space above the liquid surface in the bottle when the pressure inside the bottle falls below a predetermined pressure threshold.

[0025] According to some embodiments of the present invention, one or more parts of a machine, designed to be positioned in contact with a liquid, are removable.

[0026] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the one or more components comprise a removable carbonation tube assembly.

[0027] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the removable carbonation tube assembly includes a carbonation tube within a carbonation tube sleeve and has a space defined between the carbonation tube and the carbonation sleeve.

[0028] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the removable carbonation tube assembly further includes a surplus reservoir and a discharge tube configured to fluidly connect the space defined between the carbonation tube and the carbonation tube sleeve to the surplus reservoir.

[0029] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the surplus reservoir is removable from the removable carbonation tube assembly.

[0030] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the carbonation machine further includes a bore within the carbonation head, and an upper portion of the carbonation tube sleeve is configured to be tightly fitted and held within the bore.

[0031] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the bore within the carbonation head includes two gaskets each defining a tubular sealed space around an upper portion of the carbonation tube sleeve, and the upper portion of the carbonation tube sleeve includes at least one bore within each of the tubular sealed spaces within the gaskets for introducing carbon dioxide into the carbonation tube and for discharging excess pressure within the bottle through the space between the carbonation tube and the carbonation sleeve.

[0032] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the one or more removable components of the machine designed to be disposed in contact with a liquid are made of plastic or other materials that are dishwasher-safe.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0033] To better understand the present invention and recognize its practical applications, the following figures are provided and referenced below. It should be noted that the figures are given only as examples and in no way limit the scope of the invention. Similar components are indicated by similar reference numerals.

[0034] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an isometric view of a carbonation machine having a foam control device, according to several embodiments of the present invention, which has a carbonation bottle attached to a carbonation head.

[0035] [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a front view of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 1, with the internal components of the carbonation head exposed.

[0036] [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a rear view of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 1, showing the gas canister connected to the inside of the gas canister compartment.

[0037] [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a side view of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 1, showing a portion of the carbonation head which has a stirrer.

[0038] [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a front view of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 1, showing the agitator and excess reservoir panel.

[0039] [Figure 6] Figure 6 is an exploded view of the components of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 1.

[0040] [Figure 7A] Figure 7A shows a pinch valve mechanism of a carbonation machine according to several embodiments of the present invention.

[0041] [Figure 7B] Figure 7B shows a side panel of the carbonation machine having a ring that supports the shaft of the pinch valve mechanism shown in Figure 7A.

[0042] [Figure 8A] Figure 8A shows the pinch valve mechanism of Figure 7 with the drain pipe in the open position.

[0043] [Figure 8B] Figure 8B shows the pinch valve mechanism of Figure 7 with the drain pipe in a closed state.

[0044] [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the operation of a carbonation machine according to several embodiments of the present invention.

[0045] [Figure 10] Figure 10 shows a carbonation machine with a foam control device according to some other embodiments of the present invention.

[0046] [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 10.

[0047] [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of the carbonation head of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 10.

[0048] [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows the removable carbonation sleeve of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 10, which has a closed drain pipe.

[0049] [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows the removable carbonation sleeve of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 10, which has an open drain pipe.

[0050] [Figure 15] Figure 15 shows an isometric view of the removable carbonation sleeve of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 10.

[0051] [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows a side view of the removable carbonation sleeve of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 10.

[0052] [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a side view of some internal components of a carbonation machine according to the present invention, which has an interlock mechanism in the open (unlocked) position.

[0053] [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a side view of some internal components of a carbonation machine, which have an interlock mechanism in the closed (locked) position. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0054] The following detailed description includes numerous specific details to provide a complete understanding of the invention. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the invention can be carried out without these specific details. In other examples, well-known methods, procedures, components, modules, units, and / or circuits are not described in detail so as not to obscure the invention.

[0055] Embodiments of the present invention are not limited in this respect, but discussions using terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” “establishing,” “analyzing,” and “checking” may refer to the operation and / or process of a computer, computing platform, computing system, or other electronic computing device. Such a computer, computing platform, computing system, or other electronic computing device operates and / or transforms data, which is represented as physical (e.g., electronic) quantities in the computer’s registers and / or memory, into other data. Other data is similarly represented as physical quantities in the computer’s registers and / or memory, or other information-persistent storage media (e.g., memory), which can store instructions for performing operations and / or processes. Embodiments of the present invention are not limited in this respect, but the terms “plurality” and “a plurality” as used herein may include, for example, “multiple” or “two or more.” The terms “plurality” or “a plurality” may be used throughout this Spec. to describe two or more components, devices, elements, units, parameters, etc. Unless expressly stated otherwise, embodiments of the methods described herein are not restricted to any particular order or sequence. Furthermore, some embodiments or elements of the methods described herein may occur or be performed simultaneously, at the same time, or concurrently. Unless otherwise indicated, the conjunction “or” as used herein is understood to be inclusive (including any or all of the described options). According to some embodiments of the present invention, a carbonation machine is provided that is designed to carbonate liquids other than pure water (e.g., milk, fruit juice, or water containing additives such as sugar, syrup, or pulp). Such a carbonation machine is designed to introduce carbon dioxide into the space above the liquid surface in a carbonation bottle, compress the carbon dioxide to a pressure level of up to 10 bar, for example, 6 bar, and to agitate the liquid using a stirrer to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide into the liquid. During carbon dioxide absorption, the liquid pressure above the liquid surface may decrease. A pressure sensor may detect the drop in carbon dioxide pressure, and a controller (107, Figure 9) may activate the carbonation mechanism of the carbonation machine to release additional carbon dioxide into the space above the liquid surface in the carbonation bottle to maintain an appropriate pressure level of carbon dioxide. According to some embodiments, the controller may be configured to add carbon dioxide to the space above the liquid surface in the bottle when the pressure in the bottle falls below a predetermined pressure threshold.

[0056] Typically, there are two methods for properly carbonating a liquid. One method typically involves increasing the pressure to 12 bar without releasing the pressure, while the other method involves pressurizing to 6-8 bar and using the turbulence caused by the flow to allow the gas to flow through the water in order to increase the carbonation level. In carbonation machines according to some embodiments of the present invention, the turbulence generated in the agitator increases the absorption of CO2 in the water without requiring a large amount of gas to pass through the water to generate the turbulence.

[0057] According to some embodiments of the present invention, once the carbonation process is complete, any remaining excess pressure in the carbonation bottle can be reduced in a controlled manner using a pinch valve mechanism, allowing the user overall control over pressure release. The pinch valve mechanism allows the user to carefully release excess gas from the bottle by carefully opening the pinch valve mechanism, and to manually stop the release process when bubbles begin to spill out of the bottle.

[0058] Bottles containing carbonated liquid can be safely removed from the carbonation machine after depressurization is complete.

[0059] Figure 1 is an isometric view of a carbonation machine 100 according to several embodiments of the present invention, which has a carbonation bottle attached to a carbonation head.

[0060] Figure 2 is a front view of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 1, exposing the internal components of the carbonation head.

[0061] Figure 3 is a rear view of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 1, showing the gas canister connected to the inside of the gas canister compartment.

[0062] The carbonation machine 100 generally includes a housing 102 having a carbonation head compartment 106 that houses a carbonation head mount 139a (see Figure 2), to which a bottle 112 can be sealed and connected, for example, using one or more gaskets. The carbonation head mount 139a is carefully designed to introduce carbon dioxide through the piping of the carbonation head into the space above the liquid surface in the bottle 112, and compress it to carbonize the liquid, for example, using a pronged clamp 139 (see Figure 5) actuated by a pronged clamp lever 138.

[0063] The housing 102 also includes a gas canister compartment 104 for housing a gas canister 116 filled with carbon dioxide, which is connected to the piping of the carbonation machine using a connector 122 (e.g., a quick connector) to which a gas canister valve 120 is coupled. In some embodiments of the present invention, the gas canister 120 may be raised by a lifting mechanism to engage with the connector 122, for example, using a lifting lever 118.

[0064] In some embodiments of the present invention, the carbonation process is carried out automatically. In some other embodiments of the present invention, the carbonation process may be carried out manually.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present invention, the user can fill bottle 112 with the liquid to be carbonated to the top level (for example, a level that may be marked on the bottle), leaving some space at the top of the bottle, and then mount bottle 112 on the carbonation head 101 of the carbonation machine 100, maintaining bottle 112 suspended on the base 110 of the carbonation machine 100. The user can then move lever 114 to any position between the closed and open positions, and vice versa. By turning the pinch valve lever 114 to the closed position (for example, to take a horizontal orientation), the discharge pipe, which is fluidically linked inside bottle 112, is shut off; by turning it to the open position (for example, to take a vertical orientation), the discharge pipe is opened; or by turning it to any intermediate position between them, the discharge is controlled manually. Further explanation is provided below (see also Figures 6, 7, 8A and 8B and the corresponding explanatory sections herein).

[0066] After rotating the pinch valve lever to the closed position, the user can select the desired carbonation level (e.g., low, medium, high) by pressing the appropriate carbonation activation button 108, thereby activating the carbonation process. The controller then acts on a piston, which releases carbon dioxide from the gas cylinder, causing it to flow through the designated piping into the bottle and be compressed in the space above the liquid level.

[0067] Figure 4 is a side view of the carbonator, showing a portion of the carbonation head with the agitator 130 shown in Figure 1. While carbon dioxide is introduced into the upper internal space of the bottle 112 via a conduit in the agitator shaft 132, the agitator 130 is activated to agitate the liquid and increase the absorption of carbon dioxide in the liquid being carbonated. The combined operation of the inflow of carbon dioxide from the gas canister into the bottle 112 and the rapid rotation of the agitator 130 can be performed continuously or intermittently (e.g., in cycles) in a predetermined manner. When the carbonation process is complete (e.g., after a predetermined time has elapsed or after a predetermined number of carbonation cycles have been completed), before removing the bottle from the carbonation head, the user can turn the pinch valve lever 114 to the open position (e.g., vertical orientation) to discharge excess compressed carbon dioxide through the discharge pipe. The user has complete control over the pinch valve and may stop the discharge at any time, for example, when foam begins to spill out or for any other reason, and may allow any residual foam in the bottle to settle before turning the pinch valve lever 114 back to the open position.

[0068] Figure 5 is a front view of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 1, showing the agitator and excess reservoir panel.

[0069] Figure 6 is an exploded view of the components of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 1.

[0070] The excess reservoir is configured to receive and hold any undesirable fluid or foam that may flow out of the bottle through the drain pipe. The excess reservoir conduit 140 is generally hidden behind the excess reservoir panel 142 and extends downward from behind the panel to the drip tray opening 147 of the drip tray grill 149 of the drip tray 148. Any fluid or foam that leaks through the discharge pipe is collected and held in the bowl of the drip tray 148. The parts shown in Figure 6 that come into direct contact with the carbonated liquid, namely the agitator shaft 132 with the agitator 130, the agitator housing 134 with the discharge pipe 136 and discharge pipe sleeve 135, the excess reservoir panel 142 with the excess reservoir conduit 140, the drip tray 148 and drip tray grill 149, and the bottle, are all removable and can be cleaned and dried before being put back. The length of the agitator shaft 132 is configured to be long enough to keep the agitator 130 below the top level of the liquid inside the bottle when the bottle is attached to the carbonation head.

[0071] Figure 7A shows a pinch valve mechanism 150 of a carbonation machine according to several embodiments of the present invention.

[0072] Figure 7B shows a side wall panel 103 of a carbonation machine having a ring 165 supporting a wheel 159 of the shaft 158 ​​of the pinch valve mechanism in Figure 7A. Ribs 105 may be provided on the side wall panel 103 for reinforcement. The wheel 159 is fitted with a friction generator, such as an O-ring 166, to generate friction with the ring 165 when the lever 114 is rotated, allowing the lever 114 to rotate to any position between two end positions, and when the lever is released, the lever and pinch valve are held in that position, thereby allowing analog adjustment of the pinch valve mechanism and, as a result, analog adjustment of the pressure release and flow through the discharge pipe 132.

[0073] Figure 8A shows the pinch valve mechanism of Figure 7 with the drain pipe in the open position.

[0074] Figure 8B shows the pinch valve mechanism of Figure 7 with the drain pipe in a closed state.

[0075] The pinch valve mechanism 150 is configured to allow the user complete control over the depressurization of carbon dioxide in the carbonation bottle 112 before removing the bottle from the carbonation head. The pinch valve mechanism 150 generally includes a user-operated pinch valve lever 114, which is linked to a pinch bumper (e.g., pinch bumper 152) via a transmission, such that when the pinch valve lever 114 is moved to the "open" position (e.g., vertical orientation), a pinch bumper 152 is retracted away from the discharge pipe 136 to allow free flow in the discharge pipe, and when the pinch valve lever 114 is moved to the "closed" position (e.g., horizontal orientation), the pinch bumper 152 advances toward the discharge pipe 136, pressing (compressing, pinching, grasping, pinching) the discharge pipe 136, which is made of an elastic material (e.g., silicone), blocking the pipe and preventing flow in the pipe.

[0076] To obtain effective occlusion of the drain pipe 136, a transmission device including a wheel and a lever can be provided, for example, as shown in Figures 7, 8A, and 8B. The pinch valve lever 114 is connected substantially perpendicular to the rotatable shaft 158. An offset cantilever 163 extends radially from the shaft 158 ​​and functions as a receptacle holder for a ball joint link 162 at one end of a bar 164. At the opposite end of the bar 164, there is another ball joint link 162 held by a corresponding receptacle holder at the end of a seesaw arm 156, which is pivotably supported by an axle mount 160. At the opposite end of the seesaw arm 156, there is a bumper receptacle 151, which is facilitated by a preloaded bumper spring 153 and accommodates a bumper 152 in its default outward-extended position.

[0077] The discharge pipe 136 extends inside the sleeve 135 and includes one or more openings 137, and the blades 155 of the bumper 152 may press the discharge pipe 136 against the inner wall on the opposite side of the sleeve 135 so that the blades 155 of the bumper 152 can enter and effectively block the discharge pipe 136.

[0078] As shown in Figure 8A, when the pinch valve lever 114 is rotated to the open position, the offset cantilever 163 aligns horizontally with the shaft 158, rotating the bumper 152 at the opposite end of the seesaw arm 156 away from the drain pipe 136, allowing flow through the pipe. As shown in Figure 8B, when the pinch valve lever 114 is rotated to the closed position, the offset cantilever 163 is raised above the shaft 158, pressing the bumper 152 at the opposite end of the seesaw arm 156 against the drain pipe 136, blocking the pipe. This embodiment is an example. In another embodiment, the entire mechanism may be constructed in reverse so that movement in exactly the opposite direction opens and closes the pinch valve.

[0079] To improve the use of the pinch valve mechanism 150, an overcenter spring 154 may be provided. The overcenter spring 154 may be designed and positioned so that when the pinch valve mechanism 150 (like the lever 114) approaches either the closed or open position, the spring 154 exerts a stronger rotational force on the shaft 158 ​​of the pinch valve mechanism 150, completing the rotation to the end position closest to the shaft, and thus influencing either the closed or open position.

[0080] The pinch valve lever 114 is designed to perform several tasks according to some embodiments of the present invention. When the pinch valve lever 114 is fully rotated to a first end position (fully open position) along the allowable movement of the lever, for example in the upright position, the user can insert the neck of a bottle 112 containing liquid for carbonation into the carbonation head mount 139a to start the carbonation process, or remove the bottle after carbonation. When the pinch valve lever 114 is in the opposite position (fully rotated to the other end of the allowable movement (e.g., to the horizontal position) to the fully closed position), the bottle tilting mechanism (not shown) is locked in the vertical position. When in the locked position, the bottle 112 cannot be removed from the carbonation head mount 139a and carbonation can be started. At that time, carbon dioxide is introduced into the space above the liquid level in the bottle. Once carbonation is complete, the user may slightly rotate the pinch valve lever 114 to gradually retract the blade 155 of the pinch bumper 152 of the pinch valve mechanism 150, carefully releasing excess pressure from the bottle through the discharge pipe 136. If the user notices a sudden rise in bubbles inside the bottle 112, the user can slow down the release of pressure through the pipe by reversing the pinch valve lever 114 to shut off the discharge pipe 136 or by pressing the pressure of the blade 155 against the discharge pipe 136. Once the bubbles inside the bottle 112 subside, the pinch valve lever 114 is rotated to the open position, allowing the gas to escape through the discharge pipe 136.

[0081] The preload spring 153 that pushes out the pinch bumper 152 may be designed (for example, by selecting appropriate spring parameters that act as a safety spring, by yielding to overpressure exceeding a predetermined overpressure threshold that may accumulate in the bottle 112) to retract the blades 155 of the pinch bumper 152 from full clamping of the drain pipe 136, allowing the overpressure to be released.

[0082] According to some embodiments of the present invention, all parts of a carbonation machine designed to be in contact with a liquid are removable, disassembled, and can be cleaned (for example, in a dishwasher).

[0083] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of the operation of a carbonation machine according to several embodiments of the present invention.

[0084] After installing the carbonation bottle 112, which is filled with liquid to be carbonated to a predetermined level, a tilt sensor 109 is used to verify that the bottle is properly positioned. The user then selects the desired carbonation level by pressing one of the carbonation activation buttons (e.g., H - High, M - Medium, L - Low). The pump 111 is then activated to actuate the piston 115, releasing carbon dioxide from the gas canister 116, which flows into the space above the liquid level in the bottle 112. The agitator 130 may be electrically operated; for example, an electric motor 121 may be provided to rotate the agitator 130 to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide into the liquid inside the bottle. A pressure sensor 113 is used to sense and determine whether the pressure level inside the bottle exceeds a predetermined threshold (e.g., 6 bar). If the sensor 113 detects that the pressure inside the bottle exceeds a predetermined threshold, the controller 107 activates the solenoid 117 to disengage the piston 115 from the valve of the gas canister 116, stopping the flow of additional carbon dioxide into the bottle 112. According to embodiments of the present invention, if the pressure above the liquid drops below a threshold level due to absorption into the liquid, the controller 107 may be configured to activate the piston 115, allowing more gas to flow into the bottle.

[0085] Once the carbonation process is complete, the user can operate the pinch valve lever 114 to release any residual pressure in the bottle 112 before removing the bottle from the carbonation machine.

[0086] Figure 10 shows a carbonation machine with a foam control device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] Figure 11 shows a vertical cross-sectional view of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 10.

[0088] The carbonation machine 200 generally includes a housing 102 having a carbonation head compartment 106 that houses a carbonation head mount 226a on which a bottle 112 can be sealed and connected.

[0089] Figure 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of the carbonation head of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 10.

[0090] Figure 13 shows the removable carbonation sleeve of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 10, which has a closed drain pipe.

[0091] Figure 14 shows the removable carbonation sleeve of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 10, which has an open drain pipe.

[0092] Figure 15 shows an isometric view of the removable carbonation sleeve of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 10.

[0093] Figure 16 shows a side view of the removable carbonation sleeve of the carbonation machine shown in Figure 10.

[0094] The housing 102 includes a gas canister compartment 104 for housing a gas canister filled with carbon dioxide, which is connected to the piping of the carbonation machine using a connector having a socket 209 into which the valve of the gas canister is inserted. In some embodiments of the present invention, the gas canister may be raised by a lifting mechanism to engage with the socket 209, for example, using a lifting lever 118.

[0095] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a user can fill a bottle with the liquid to be carbonated up to the top level (which may be marked on the bottle, for example), leaving some space at the top of the bottle, attach the bottle to the carbonation head 101 of the carbonation machine 200, and maintain the bottle suspended on the base 110 of the carbonation machine 200.

[0096] The carbonation machine 200 may include a removable carbonation tube assembly 202, which includes a carbonation tube 205 housed within a carbonation tube sleeve 220, and a discharge tube 224, which is fluidly linked to a defined space 221 between the carbonation tube 205 and the carbonation tube sleeve 220 partially inserted within a discharge tube sleeve 225, and which includes an exposed portion and an inner end of an excess reservoir 208 connected to the carbonation tube sleeve 220.

[0097] A bottle containing the liquid to be carbonated can be mounted on a carbonation head mount 226a of a carbonation head 101 of a carbonation machine 200. The user can initiate carbonation by pressing a carbonation actuator 108, which releases carbon dioxide from a valve in a gas canister inserted into and tightly held in a socket 209. The released carbon dioxide flows through a conduit 211 linked to a carbonation tube 205 and is used to carbonate the liquid in the bottle.

[0098] The liquid that is carbonated inside the bottle may be pure water or another liquid, and may contain additives such as syrup or sugar. In the case of liquids other than pure water, bubbles may accumulate on the surface of the liquid during the carbonation process.

[0099] The user can initiate controlled foam discharge from the bottle to the excess reservoir 208 via the drain pipe 224. To control foam discharge, the user then rotates the pinch valve knob 201, supported by the rack 228, to any position between the closed position and the open position, where the pinch bumper 222 is removed from the drain pipe 224, and vice versa. Rotating to the closed position transmits motion via a drive to the pinch valve lever 214, which rotates the pinch valve lever 214 about a pivot axis 232, pressing the pinch bumper 222 against the drain pipe 224 and shutting off the drain pipe 224. The pinch valve lever 214 may be biased using a spring 216 to push the pinch valve lever 214 to the closed position as its default state. The user can control the release of pressure and excess foam by controlling the rotation of the knob 201, and thus regulate the flow through the drain pipe 224.

[0100] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the carbonation tube assembly 202 may be designed to be removable. By separating the removable carbonation tube assembly 202 from the carbonation machine, the carbonation tube assembly 202 can be cleaned from foam residue and other contaminants that may adhere to the carbonation tube 205, discharge tube 224, or excess reservoir 208. In some embodiments of the present invention, the removable carbonation tube assembly may be made of a dishwasher-washable plastic or other material so that the user can place the removable carbonation tube assembly in a dishwasher and wash it. In some embodiments of the present invention, the removable carbonation tube assembly 202 may be further disassembled into separate parts.

[0101] Figure 17 is a side view of some internal components of a carbonation machine according to the present invention, which has an interlock mechanism in the open (unlocked) position.

[0102] Figure 18 is a side view of some internal components of a carbonation machine, which have an interlock mechanism in the closed (locked) position.

[0103] To prevent accidental discharge of the removable carbonation tube assembly 202, an interlock mechanism is provided to hold the carbonation tube assembly in place while the carbonation machine is operating. The interlock mechanism includes a one-way valve configuration to prevent excess pressure that may accumulate in the carbonation bottle or the removable carbonation tube assembly 202 from re-entering the carbonation head. The interlock mechanism may be controlled by a pinch valve knob 201. When the pinch valve knob 201 is rotated to the open position, the fin 219 moves below the carbonation actuation button 108 to prevent it from being pressed down. When the pinch valve knob 201 is rotated to the closed position, the fin 219 moves to allow the carbonation actuation button 108 to be pressed. In the closed position, the bottle tilting mechanism is locked to prevent the bottle from tilting and being removed.

[0104] The upper sleeve of the removable carbonation tube assembly 202 is designed to fit tightly into place within a matching bore 206 inside the carbonation head 101. Two confined annular spaces are each defined within one of two tubular gaskets 210 surrounding the upper sleeve of the removable carbonation tube assembly 202. The upper confined annular space in groove 230a is fluidically linked to a conduit 211 that delivers carbon dioxide from the gas canister. A gas inlet bore 234a is provided on the upper sleeve of the removable carbonation tube assembly 202 within the upper confined annular space defined in groove 230a, allowing incoming carbon dioxide to flow through the carbonation tube 205 into the liquid contained in the bottle, with the tip of the carbonation tube 205 designed to be submerged below the liquid surface in the liquid in the bottle.

[0105] If the bottle is overpressurized, for some reason the pressure inside the bottle is not properly released through the pinch valve. Instead, the pressure is released through the lower outlet bore 234b in the lower groove 230b (see Figure 15) to a rupture disc designed to burst when a threshold pressure is reached in order to release the pressure.

[0106] The groove 230 is provided around the upper sleeve of the removable carbonation tube assembly 202 and is configured to be located within the confined annular space within the tubular gasket 210 when the removable carbonation tube assembly 202 is fully inserted into its fixed position inside the tightly matched bore 206 inside the carbonation head 101, thereby improving flow within the sealed space inside the gasket 210.

[0107] The design of the removable carbonation tube assembly 202 and surrounding bore 206, tubular gasket 210, and matching annular grooves 230 and bore 234 is intended to promote pressure acting substantially perpendicular to the carbonation tube sleeve 220 and to avoid the generation of pressure vectors parallel to the sleeve 220. This could cause the removable carbonation tube assembly 202 to accidentally pop out of the carbonation head bore 206.

[0108] [Explanation of symbols] The following is an index of the elements shown in the diagram. 100, 200 carbonation machines 101 Carbonation Head 102 Housing 103 Side wall panel 104 Gas Canister Section 105 Reinforcement Ribs 106 Carbonation Head Section 107 Controller 108 Carbonation Activation Button 109 Tilt Sensor 110 base 111 pump 112 bottles 113 Pressure Sensor 114 Pinch valve lever 115 pistons 116 Gas Canister 117 Solenoid 118 Up Lever 119 Stirrer motor 120 Gas Canister Valve 121 Motor 122 connector 130 stirrers 132 Stirrer shaft 134 Stirrer Housing 135 sleeves 136 discharge pipe 137 open section 138-prong clamp lever 139 Pronged Clamp 139a Carbonation Head Mount 140 surplus reservoir conduits 142 Surplus Reservoir Panels 144 Pressure Switch 146CO2 inlet 147 Drip Tray Opening 148 Drip Tray 149 Drip Tray Grill 150 Pinch Valve Mechanism 151 Bangpa Receptacle 152 Pinch Bumper 153 Preloaded bumper spring 154 Over Center Spring 155 Bumper Blade 156 Seesaw Arm 158 axes 159 wheels 160-axis mount 162 Ball Joint Link 163 Offset Cantilever 164 bar 165 rings 166 O-ring 201 Pinch Valve Knob 202 Removable Carbonation Tube Assembly 205 Carbonation Tube 206 Holes inside the carbonation head 208 surplus reservoir 209 sockets 210 Gasket 211 conduit 214 Pinch valve lever 216 spring 218 Carbonation Head 219 Carbonation Actuator Lock Fin 220 Carbonation Tube Sleeve 221 sleeve space 222 Pinch Bumper 224 discharge pipe 225 discharge pipe sleeve 226 Pronged Clamp 226a Carbonation Head Mount 228 Pinch Valve Rack 230a, 230b annular grooves 232 swivel axis 234a gas inlet bore 234b Gas outlet bore

[0109] Different embodiments are disclosed herein. Features of a particular embodiment may be combined with features of other embodiments, and therefore a particular embodiment may be a combination of features of multiple embodiments. The foregoing description of embodiments of the present invention is presented for illustrative and explanatory purposes only. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the exact forms disclosed. In light of the foregoing teachings, those skilled in the art will understand that many modifications, variations, substitutions, alterations, and equivalents are possible. Accordingly, it will be understood that the appended claims are intended to encompass all such modifications and alterations that fall within the true spirit of the invention.

[0110] While some features of the present invention have been illustrated and described herein, those skilled in the art will likely conceive of numerous modifications, substitutions, alterations, and equivalents. It should be understood that the appended claims are intended to encompass all such modifications and alterations that fall within the true spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A carbonation head that is sealed and connected to a bottle filled with the liquid to be carbonated, A pipe for transferring carbon dioxide into the space inside the bottle in order to carbonate the liquid when the bottle is connected to the carbonation head, A carbonation machine comprising a manual operating valve mechanism configured to move to any position between a closed position and an open position for user-controlled release of the pressure buildup inside the bottle.

2. The carbonation machine according to claim 1, wherein the manual operation valve mechanism comprises a pinch valve mechanism.

3. Carbonation machine according to claim 2, wherein the pinch valve mechanism includes a pinch bumper, the pinch bumper presses against the discharge pipe to prevent flow through the discharge pipe when the pinch valve mechanism is in the closed position, and retracts from the discharge pipe to release the pressure from the bottle and allow the flow through the discharge pipe.

4. The carbonation machine according to claim 3, wherein the pinch valve mechanism is configured to allow the pinch bumper to gradually retract and release the pressure through the discharge pipe.

5. The carbonation machine according to claim 3, wherein the pinch bumper is held at the end of a seesaw arm that is pivotably supported by an axle mount.

6. The carbonation machine according to claim 5, wherein the pinch bumper is held by a receptacle.

7. The carbonation machine according to claim 6, wherein the pinch bumper is maintained in its default outward-extended position.

8. The carbonation machine according to claim 7, wherein the pinch bumper is maintained in the default outward-extended position by a preload spring.

9. The carbonation machine according to claim 8, wherein the preload spring is configured to flex to an overpressure buildup inside the bottle that exceeds a predetermined overpressure threshold.

10. The carbonation machine according to claim 3, wherein the pinch valve mechanism includes a friction generator that generates friction to allow the manual operating valve mechanism to be manually operated to any position between the closed position and the open position, and to maintain that position even when the manual operating valve mechanism is released.

11. The carbonation machine according to claim 2, wherein the pinch valve mechanism is operable by a pinch valve lever.

12. The carbonation machine according to claim 11, wherein the pinch valve lever is connected substantially perpendicularly to a rotatable shaft.

13. The carbonation machine according to claim 12, wherein the pinch valve mechanism comprises an overcenter spring, the overcenter spring exerts a rotational force on the shaft of the pinch valve mechanism as the pinch valve mechanism approaches either the closed position or the open position, rotating the shaft to the nearest end position and positioning it to affect either the closed position or the open position.

14. The carbonation machine according to claim 1, wherein the piping is configured to transfer the carbon dioxide into the space above the upper surface of the liquid, and the carbonation machine further comprises a stirrer for stirring the liquid to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide in the liquid.

15. The carbonation machine according to claim 14, wherein the agitator is electrically operated.

16. The carbonation machine according to claim 14, wherein the carbonation head is configured to compress the carbon dioxide in the space to a pressure threshold.

17. The carbonation machine according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to add carbon dioxide to the space above the liquid surface in the bottle when the pressure inside the bottle falls below a predetermined pressure threshold.

18. The carbonation machine according to claim 1, wherein one or more components of the machine, designed to be positioned in contact with the liquid, are removable.

19. The carbonation machine according to claim 18, wherein one or more of the components comprises a removable carbonation tube assembly.

20. The carbonation machine according to claim 19, wherein the removable carbonation tube assembly comprises a carbonation tube within a carbonation tube sleeve and has a defined space between the carbonation tube and the carbonation sleeve.

21. The carbonation machine according to claim 20, further comprising a bore within the carbonation head, wherein the upper part of the carbonation tube sleeve is configured to be tightly fitted and held within the bore.

22. Carbonation machine according to claim 21, wherein the bore in the carbonation head comprises two grooves that each define a tubular sealed space around the upper part of the carbonation tube sleeve, and the upper part of the carbonation tube sleeve includes at least one bore in each of the tubular sealed spaces in the gasket for introducing carbon dioxide into the carbonation tube and for releasing excess pressure in the bottle through the gap between the carbonation tube and the carbonation sleeve.

23. The carbonation machine according to claim 18, wherein one or more of the machine's removable parts, designed to be positioned in contact with the liquid, are made of a plastic or other material that is dishwasher-washable.

24. The carbonation machine according to claim 18, wherein the removable carbonation tube assembly further comprises an excess reservoir and a discharge pipe configured to fluidly connect the space defined between the carbonation tube and the carbonation tube sleeve to the excess reservoir.

25. The carbonation machine according to claim 24, wherein the excess reservoir is removable from the removable carbonation tube assembly.

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