Self-carbonating self-cooling beverage container

Details Self-carbonating self-cooling beverage container Self-carbonating self-cooling beverage container

1997-04-20

2001-01-02

Sollecito, John M. (Department: 3404)

Refrigeration

Hand manipulable tool

C062S004000, C126S263040

Utility Patent

active

06167718

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention is related to self-cooling beverage containers.
2. Background of the Invention
Beverage containers such as stackable aluminum cans with a pop-open tab can are well-known in the art. Referring to
FIG. 1A
, a beverage can
90
containing a liquid beverage
95
has a thin aluminum shell
100
forming a cylindrical side wall
105
and a circular concave base
110
. The shell
100
supports a circular top
115
having a generally flat surface
115
a
, a cylindrical vertical flange
120
at the periphery of the top
115
and a cowl
125
at the top of the flange
120
under which the top edge
105
a
of the cylindrical wall
105
supportingly nests. Several features of the can
90
of
FIG. 1A
enhance the structural strength of the can
90
, including, for example, the concave shape of the base
110
as well as a circular bead
130
formed in the base
110
, as is well-known in the art. A well-known technique for further enhancing the structural strength of the can
90
is pressurizing the interior of the can
90
to a pressure of about 30 psi.
A pull-up tab
140
includes a finger grip
142
extending outwardly in the plane of the top
115
from a downwardly curving engagement section
144
terminating in a flat tab base
146
. A rivet
150
extending through the can top surface
115
a
fastens the pull-up tab
140
to the can top
115
. A die-cut
155
in the can top surface
115
a
has a generally oval path (not shown in
FIG. 1A
) which does not interdict a bendable region
157
under the engagement section
144
. As the finger grip
142
is pulled upwardly away from the can top
115
, the seal around the rivet
150
breaks to release pressure from the can interior. As the finger grip
142
continues to be pulled upwardly, it begins to rotate the engagement section
144
about the rivet
150
, forcing the engagement section
144
to impact the can top surface
115
a
and break the die cut
155
beginning at its far end
155
a
. Further upward force on the finger grip
142
causes the die cut
155
to separate along its entire oval path. This separates from the can top
115
an oval section
160
along the oval path of the die-cut
155
, the oval section
160
being joined at the bendable region
157
. The oval section
160
rotates downwardly about the bendable region
157
under the urging of the downwardly thrusting engagement section
144
until the oval section
160
hangs downwardly from the can top
115
at a nearly vertical angle.
An object of the present invention is to perform both cooling and carbonation of the beverage
95
inside the can
90
with the pulling of the finger grip
142
.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
In a first embodiment of the invention, a self-cooling beverage container includes a beverage container housing including a side wall portion, a container base and container top having a breakable die-cut therein and a downwardly displaceable portion near the die-cut, a pull tab attached to the container top at a fastener connecting the pull tab and the container top, the pull tab having an engagement end which pushes on the downwardly displaceable portion of the container top to break the die-cut whenever an opposite end of the pull-tab is pulled away from the top, a coolant gas bottle inside the beverage container containing a coolant gas stored under pressure, the bottle having a bottle top with a breakable seal through which the coolant gas is released, a needle inside the beverage container having a sharp end facing the breakable seal of the bottle, a plunger inside the beverage container having a pair of ends, one end of the plunger coupled to the downwardly displaceable portion of the container top, the other end of the plunger being coupled to one of (a) the coolant gas bottle and (b) the needle whereby to force the needle and bottle toward one another to break the breakable seal of the bottle whenever the pull-tab opens the beverage container, and a bottle support inside the beverage container and connected to the beverage container, the bottle support holding the coolant gas bottle in a position relative to the needle and holding the plunger in a position relative to the bottle.
In a first version, the breakable seal of the coolant gas bottle faces the container top, and the needle facing the breakable seal is at one end of the plunger facing the breakable seal of the bottle whereby the plunger pushes the needle toward the bottle. In a second version, the breakable seal of the coolant gas bottle faces the container base, the needle facing the breakable seal is supported from the container base and faces the breakable seal, and the other end of the plunger pushes against the base of the coolant gas bottle whereby the plunger pushes the bottle toward the needle.
In the first version, the bottle support may include a ceiling grip by which the bottle support is fastened to the container top and a bottle holder by which the bottle support is fastened to the coolant gas bottle. In one implementation, the coolant gas bottle includes a bottle neck between the bottle top and a main body of the bottle, the bottle holder being fastened to the bottle neck. The ceiling grip is fastened to the bottle top by the fastener. The fastener includes a rivet coupled to the bottle holder, the rivet penetrating through the container top. The rivet is preferably an integral portion of the bottle holder. The bottle holder may include a leg extending from the ceiling grip toward the bottle top, the leg having an elongate passage axially aligned with the breakable seal and containing the plunger, and a skirt extending from the leg around the bottle neck. The bottle support further includes a truss member extending diagonally relative to the leg between the ceiling grip and the skirt. The bottle support further includes lateral supporters extending from the leg to the side wall portion of the beverage container. The bottle support further includes a base support coupled to an interior surface of the container base and to the base of the coolant gas bottle.
Preferably, a micro-porous diffuser is provided through which the coolant gases escape from the breakable seal into a beverage stored in the beverage container. The microporous diffuser layer may be adjacent the skirt through which the coolant gases escape from the bottle to a beverage stored in the beverage container. The microporous diffuser layer may be sandwiched between the skirt and the bottleneck. Preferably, there are coolant gas passages through the skirt, which may include radial orifices in the skirt or axial grooves in the skirt.
In the second version, the bottle support includes a base grip fastened to the container base and a bottle holder coupled to the base grip and fastened to the coolant gas bottle near the bottle top, and a ceiling grip fastened to the container top and coupled to the bottle near a bottom portion thereof. The bottle holder being is coupled to the bottle neck. The ceiling grip is fastened to the bottle top by the fastener including a rivet penetrating through the container top, which may be an integral portion of the ceiling grip. Preferably, the ceiling grip includes a leg extending from the ceiling grip to a bottom portion of the bottle, the leg having an elongate passage containing the plunger, the plunger facing the bottom portion of the bottle. Preferably, the bottle support further includes a truss member extending diagonally relative to the leg between the ceiling grip and a portion of the leg near the bottle. A skirt may extend from the base grip and surrounding the bottle top, the bottle neck being axially moveable inside the skirt toward the needle.
The beverage may further include a vortex tube cooling device inside the beverage container having an inlet, a hot exhaust and a cold exhaust, apparatus for channeling coolant gas from the bottle to the inlet of the vortex tube cooling device, and apparatus for connecting the hot exhaust through the beverage container housing to an external port.
In a second embodimen

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