Apparatus for the pressurization and evacuation of a container

摘要

A device for the pressurization and evacuation of a gas in a bottle, in order to approximate the unopened (ambient) conditions of a previous gaseous state in said bottle. Two units comprise this system, namely a charging unit and a sealing-valve unit. When the charging unit is coupled to the sealing-valve unit three functions can be performed. The first is a priming function where the bottle is partially evacuated of its ambient air and replaced with a gas from a cartridge. The second is a charging function where the primed bottle is pressurized with the same gas type or mixture from the pressurized gas cartridge. The third is an evacuating function where the charged bottle can be bled of gas to achieve the approximate ambient condition of an unopened bottle. This function is used when a bottle is overcharged and a lower pressure is desired.

主权项

1. A device for pressurizing a container that is at least partially filled with a liquid and a trapped gas comprising:
a charging unit comprising:
a hand held gas cartridge housing assembly;a gas cartridge containing a pressurized gas mounted in the gas cartridge assembly, the gas cartridge having an exit port;a piercing element for penetrating a sealing element in the gas cartridge to allow the pressurized gas to escape from the gas cartridge through the exit port;a charging unit passageway having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet in fluid communication with the exit port of the gas cartridge;a manually operated valve for controlling the flow of the pressurized gas through the charging unit passageway;the manually operated valve for automatically stopping the flow of gas through the charging unit passageway when a predetermined pressure is attained in the container;calibration means for setting the predetermined pressure, the calibration means connected to the manually operated valve; a sealing cap having a top and a bottom with attachment means for attaching in a fluid tight seal the top of the sealing cap to the charging unit and the bottom to an open top of the container, the sealing cap having a sealing cap passageway in fluid communication with the charging unit passageway and the open top of the container; a sealing cap valve mounted in the sealing cap passageway for controlling the flow of the pressurized gas through the sealing cap passageway into and out from the container; a container charging passageway from the gas cartridge to the container formed by the charging unit passageway, manually operated valve, sealing cap passageway, and sealing cap valve; an evacuation tube in fluid communication between the open top of the container and the atmosphere; a container evacuation passageway with a priming valve mounted in the container evacuation passageway, the container, evacuation passageway extending from the open top of the container, through the priming chamber in the sealing cap to the evacuation tube for venting the gas from the container to the atmosphere when the priming valve is in an open position; whereby in a first position the pressurized gas is released and fills the container above the liquid while the priming valve is in the open position allowing the gas above the liquid to vent to the atmosphere, and in a second gas filling position the priming valve is in a closed position and the pressurized gas fills the container to the predetermined pressure.