Carbonation machine and a gas canister for a carbonation machine

A valve for a gas canister, the valve comprising:

• a cylindrical body having at least one exterior port that opens laterally to a longitudinal axis of the valve for facilitating outflow of the gas out of an interior of the canister when the valve is in an open position, and to prevent the outflow of the gas when the valve is in a closed position wherein the valve further comprises an annular groove about the body of the valve into which said at least one exterior port opens.

A canister for connection to a carbonation machine, the canister configured to hold a pressurized or liquefied gas for enabling the machine to carbonate a liquid, the canister comprising:

• a valve that is configured to hold the gas in the canister when closed, and to provide a fluidic connection between the canister and the carbonation machine when opened, the valve comprising a body that includes at one end a canister port oriented along a longitudinal axis of the valve,
• wherein inflow to and outflow from the canister of the pressurized or liquified gas is via at least one exterior port of the valve that opens laterally to the longitudinal axis of the valve, and wherein the valve further comprises an annular groove about the body into which said at least one exterior port opens, so that when the valve is inserted into a socket of a holder of the carbonation machine with said at least one exterior port oriented in any radial orientation within a sealed full or partial annular bore surrounding the valve within the socket and when the valve is operated by an actuator applying pressure on an exterior surface of a plunger on top of the valve outside the sealed annular bore, the pressurized or liquified gas is released from the canister into a carbonation head of the carbonation machine to carbonate a liquid.

A valve for closing and opening a gas canister, the valve being configured to hold a pressurized or liquefied gas in the canister when closed, and to provide a fluidic connection to the canister when opened, the valve comprising:

• a body that includes at one end a canister port oriented along a longitudinal axis of the valve, wherein inflow to and outflow from the canister of the pressurized or liquified gas is via at least one exterior port of the valve that opens laterally to the longitudinal axis of the valve, and wherein the valve further comprises an annular groove about the body into which said at least one exterior port opens, so that when the valve is inserted into a socket of a holder of a carbonation machine with said at least one exterior port oriented in any radial orientation within a sealed full or partial annular bore surrounding the valve within the socket and when the valve is operated by an actuator applying pressure on an exterior surface of a plunger on top of the valve outside the sealed annular bore, the pressurized or liquified gas is released from the gas canister into a carbonation head of the carbonation machine to carbonate a liquid.