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US 12,030,023 B2Granted
Gas dispensing method and apparatus
AssigneeWinepro2, Ltd
InventorThomas Belcher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for delivering oxygen, oxygen enriched air, or air through a delivery system from one vessel containing a higher pressure concentration of the gas into another vessel containing a liquid at atmospheric pressure introduced through a diffuser or dispersion nozzle including one or more passages in a controlled regulated manner. This process and apparatus provide the liquid with an oxygenation level for improved flavor in a short amount of time.
Claims20
A hand-held device to apply gas to a liquid, the device comprising:
- a hand-held housing having an open bottom end and an opposed open top end, the top end including first inward facing teeth;
- a resilient bottom sized to closely fit over the open bottom end and including drip receptacle;
- and
- a dispensing actuator assembly including a key plate having first engagement teeth to engage the first inward facing teeth on the top end of the housing, the key plate further having second engagement teeth inward of the first engagement teeth where the second engagement teeth connect to a vessel adapter connected to a vessel of compressed gas and where the vessel adapter includes second outward facing teeth to rotatably engage with the second engagement teeth and hold the vessel in a position, the dispensing actuator assembly further including an actuator that aligns with a valve stem on the vessel when the vessel is in the position, where the valve stem and the actuator combine to comprise a path for gas travel from the vessel, the actuator connected to a manual actuating lever disposed external to and extending partially along the hand-held housing and user operated to urge the actuator to engage the valve stem and selectively release the compressed gas along the path.
1 more element
A gas dispensing device comprising:
- a vessel containing pressurized gas and including a valve stem selectively establishing a path for gas to pass from the vessel, and including a vessel adapter connected to a top side of the vessel and surrounding the valve stem where the vessel adapter includes engagement teeth extending radially outward from the vessel adapter;
- a hand-held housing surrounding the vessel, the housing including a top end having engagement teeth extending radially inward from the housing;
- a dispensing actuator assembly including a key plate having first engagement teeth to engage the engagement teeth extending radially inward from the housing, the key plate further having second engagement teeth extending radially inward where second engagement teeth rotatably connect to the engagement teeth extending radially outward from the vessel adapter, where the dispensing actuator further includes a lever to selectively depress the valve stem and permit passage of an amount of gas from the vessel;
- an adapter having a first, proximal end and a second, distal end with a path for fluid communication there between, where the first, proximal end connects to the valve stem to receive the gas passing from the vessel;
- and
- a nozzle in fluid communication with the adapter at the second, distal end of the adapter.
3 more elements
A method of adding a gas to a container of liquid, the method comprising:
- (a) Aligning first engagement teeth on a key plate and first inward facing teeth on a top end of a housing;
- (b) Rotating the housing with respect to the key plate, connecting the housing and key plate together;
- (c) Aligning second engagement teeth on the key plate with outward facing teeth on a vessel adapter connected to a vessel of compressed gas;
- (d) Rotating the vessel adapter with respect to the key plate, connecting the vessel and key plate together;
- and
- (e) Operating a lever extending from the key plate and disposed external to the housing to depress a valve stem on the vessel so that compressed gas exits the vessel along a path of fluid communication from the valve stem to a nozzle disposed in the container of liquid.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.