PRESSURE RESPONSIVE VALVE FOR USE IN A SELF-CONTAINED COOLING DEVICE

摘要

A self-contained cooling apparatus (12) to be placed in a beverage container (10) includes a first chamber (16) containing a liquid and within the first chamber (16) a second evacuated chamber (20, 38) containing a sorbent (28). At the top of the second chamber (20, 38) there is an opening (30) constituting a deformable valve seat closed by a valve member (32) part of a diaphragm (34). In a first embodiment the member (32) is kept against the seat by the pressure in a third chamber (36) closed by a plug which dissolves after the container (10) is filled and pressurized; when the container (10) is opened the pressure falls, the valve member (32) pulls away from the seat (30) and the liquid is put in communiction with the sorbent (28) causing the liquid to evaporate thereby cooling the beverage. Other embodiments use a dissolvable member (45, 46, 54) or a deformable bridge (67) to hold the member (32) against the seat (30).