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US 12,409,424 B2Granted
Gas infuser for liquids
AssigneeBunn-O-Matic Corporation
InventorsMatthew C. Humphrey, Mark W. Bandixen, John Tigo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas infuser includes a mixing chamber and a liquid injector. Gas is supplied into the mixing chamber and liquid flows through openings of the injector to mix with the gas in the mixing chamber and form a gas-infused liquid.
Claims11
A gas infuser for forming a gas-infused liquid, the gas infuser comprising:
- a mixing chamber;
- a liquid injector coupled to the mixing chamber and adapted to pass a liquid into the mixing chamber;
- and
- a gas-volume controller coupled to the mixing chamber and configured to pass a gas into the mixing chamber for mixing with the liquid to form the gas-infused liquid, the gas-volume controller including a fitting defining a cavity between an inlet and an outlet spaced apart from the inlet and a plug arranged in the cavity between the inlet and the outlet, the outlet operatively coupled to the mixing chamber to pass the gas into the mixing chamber,
- wherein at least one of an interior surface of the fitting and an exterior surface of the plug includes threads, a circuitous helical path is formed along the threads between the fitting and the plug to fluidly couple the inlet to the outlet, the gas-volume controller is configured to provide a flow rate of gas exiting the outlet for a set average pressure of the gas at the inlet, and the circuitous helical path is configured to regulate the flow rate of the gas exiting the outlet to be substantially constant such that the flow rate is substantially independent of pressure fluctuations from the set average pressure of the gas at the inlet.
2 more elements
A gas-volume controller comprising:
- a fitting defining a cavity between an inlet and an outlet spaced apart from the inlet;
- and
- a plug arranged in the cavity between the inlet and the outlet,
- wherein at least one of an interior surface of the fitting and an exterior surface of the plug includes threads,
- wherein a circuitous helical path is formed along the threads between the fitting and the plug to fluidly couple the inlet to the outlet, and
- wherein the circuitous helical path is configured to regulate a flow rate of gas exiting the outlet to be substantially constant such that the flow rate is substantially independent of pressure fluctuations from a set average pressure of the gas at the inlet.
3 more elements
A gas infuser for forming a gas-infused liquid, the gas infuser comprising:
- a mixing chamber;
- a liquid injector coupled to the mixing chamber and adapted to pass a liquid into the mixing chamber;
- and
- a gas-volume controller coupled to the mixing chamber and configured to pass a gas into the mixing chamber for mixing with the liquid to form the gas-infused liquid, the gas-volume controller including a fitting defining a cavity between an inlet and an outlet separated from the inlet and a plug arranged in the cavity between the inlet and the outlet, the inlet operatively coupled to a gas supply for receiving the gas, the outlet operatively coupled to the mixing chamber to pass the gas into the mixing chamber, and
- wherein the plug includes a body and a head coupled to the body, a passage is formed in the plug and configured to allow gas to flow into the body and out of the plug at a position between the body and the head, threads extend along an exterior surface of the head, a circuitous helical path is formed along the threads between the fitting and the head to fluidly couple the inlet to the outlet, the gas-volume controller is configured to provide a flow rate of gas exiting the outlet for a set average pressure of the gas at the inlet, and the circuitous path is configured to regulate the flow rate of the gas exiting the outlet to be substantially constant such that the flow rate is substantially independent of pressure fluctuations from the set average pressure of the gas at the inlet.
2 more elements
A gas-volume controller comprising:
- a fitting defining a cavity between an inlet and an outlet spaced apart from the inlet;
- and
- a plug arranged in the cavity between the inlet and the outlet,
- wherein the plug includes a body and a head coupled to the body, a passage is formed in the plug and configured to allow gas to flow into the body and out of the plug at a position between the body and the head, and threads extend along an exterior surface of the head,
- wherein a circuitous path is formed along the threads between the fitting and the head to fluidly couple the inlet to the outlet, and
- wherein the circuitous path is configured to regulate a flow rate of gas exiting the outlet to be substantially constant such that the flow rate is substantially independent of pressure fluctuations from a set average pressure of the gas at the inlet.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.