Repressurizer for Carbonated Drink Containers

This invention relates to the preservation of the carbonation in soft drinks and is an improvement over my U.S. Pat. No. 4,768,665 dated Sept. 6, 1988.

Before the advent of plastic containers, the amount of soft drink in a typical glass bottle was twelve fluid ounces. This amount is one or two servings, and the contents were usually completely consumed upon opening the bottle. If the contents weren't completely consumed before it went flat, the amount wasted wasn't significant for anyone to complain about.

Two and three liter bottles of soft drink have the potential problem of wasting unacceptable amounts of beverage. When the bottle leaves the bottling plant, it is pressurized at about fifteen psi as a result of the carbonation process. Upon opening the bottle, this pressure is lost, and causes the beverage to begin fizzing. With the bottle recapped, fizzing continues until the fizzing action itself repressurizes the bottle again to fifteen psi. The concentration of beverage carbonation decreases then, each time this process is repeated.

The loss of pressure above the liquid is what triggers the fizzing. Systems exist today to restore this pressure using canisters of compressed carbon dioxide. There is no system setup for the disposable plastic bottles and CO.sub.2 canisters.

The invention relates to a bottlecap such as one having a screw threaded top, which bottle cap embodies an air pump. The air pump may take various forms. The pump extends vertically upwardly from the bottle cap to which it it detachably fitted so that pressure may be more easily applied. A threaded cap having a one-way valve and a rubber washer is provided which forms a tight fit with the bottom of an air pump.

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the bottle and pump combination of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the one-way valve cap 10 shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of a modification of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a view of another modification showing enlarged sizes of the parts to fit a bottle having a larger opening:

FIGS. 6, 7 and 8 show a still further modification involving a turn-to-lock method.

FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show how this invention utilizes a small hand operated, air pump in 1 conjunction with a separate cap 10 to restore the pressure in a carbonated beverage bottle. The bottle 9, which is threaded at 8, is resealed, using the cap 10, which is internally threaded at 7 and which has a one-way rubber valve 5 at the top thereof.

The rubber male tube 12 is forced into the female tube 12a in the cap body. The fit between these two parts will be tight enough that the pump body does not cause 12 to slip back out of 12a. This will produce an airtight seal between the pump and the cap, as well as hold the pump in place for the act of pumping. A slight upward tug on the pump will pull the pump out of the cap for storage.

FIG. 4 shows a modification using a bicycle or automobile pump, instead of pump 1, having a hose end 13a which is held against the outwardly threaded end 1Oa of a one-way valve 10 screw threaded to threads 8 of the bottle 9.

Referring to FIGS. 6, 7 and 8, the pump body 1 is then lowered down over the top of the cap 10 and locked mechanically thereto, by a turn-to-lock method using cam shaped wings 13 tightly fitted against the bottom of the cap body, as shown more clearly in FIG. 6. This locking action will detachably hold the cap and pump bodies together so as to maintain an air-tight seal between the two bodies during the act of pumping. The pump body has a rubber ring or gasket 12 to aid in producing the air-tight seal.

In operation, on the downstroke of handle 3, the plunger 2 pushes an amount of air through the orifice 11 in the pump body, and through or past the one-way or check valve 5 in the cap and into the top opening of bottle 9. On the upstroke, the pump cylinder refills with air from the atmosphere, readying the pump for the next downstroke. Valve 5 is a check valve which permits airflow in one direction only, downwardly into the bottle. The pressure regulator valve 6 also permits airflow in one direction only, from the pump cylinder out to the atmosphere. This valve will open only when the pressure in the pump cylinder exceeds a prescribed maximum valve, somewhere over fifteen psi. The pressure in the bottle starts out at atmospheric pressure. As the pressure is increased in the bottle, the force needed to pump the air into the bottle increases. When the pressure in the apparatus exceeds the prescribed value, the pressure regulator valve 6 opens, providing a new airflow path. This causes a decrease in required force felt in the handle of the pump. The handle "goes slack", letting the user know that the pumping can stop. The location of this pressure regulator valve could also be in the cap body instead of the pump body.

FIG. 4 shows a modification by providing external thread 10a on cap 10, an ordinary bicycle or automobile external thread 10a on cap 10, an ordinary bicycle or automobile tire pump 13a may be used instead of the pump having body 1, provided that said threads 10a correspond to the size of the threaded fastening attachment at the end of the hose of said pump to which it will be screw-threadedly attached.

Since carbonated drinks come in bottles having different thread dimensions, as well as other types of tops, it is proposed to build individual caps to match those various designs for bottle tops. These different caps would have the ability to all mate up to, or be used in conjunction with, the same pump body. It would be possible also to build just one cap design, then build adaptors to enable the cap to be used on other sized or type of bottle top.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a novel and highly efficient bottle cap and air pump assembly which is effective to maintain pressure on the liquid of a bottle.

While I have illustrated and described several embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that these are by way of illustration only and that various changes and modifications may be contemplated in my invention and within the scope of the following claims.