LIQUID CARBONATING APPARATUS

摘要

A portable machine for carbonating liquid contained in a bottle (5) is adapted to support the bottle (5) by the neck (81) through a bayonet connection (85) and for a seal (64) which closes the bottle neck to be driven into engagement with the bottle neck by a piston (60) actuated by the first burst of gas supplied to the injection nozzle (66). The bottle (5) is loaded into the machine through a front opening (6) and a cover (7) for closing the opening is interlocked with a gas supply valve (12) so that gas can only be delivered to the nozzle (66) when the cover (7) is closed. The cover (7) is opened and closed by rotating a knob (23) which is depressed to open the gas valve (12). The knob (23) is coupled to the gas valve (12) through a device (27 or 37, Figs. 5 and 6) which prevents the valve (12) being opened if the machine is tilted at more than a given angle to the upright position. To prevent an insufficiently filled bottle being pressurised a vent (76) is provided through an element (61) carrying the bottle seal (64) and a float guided on the gas tube (65) carries a valve member (79) to close the vent (76) when a minimum level of liquid is present in the bottle.