# US 2021/0276748 A1 · Pressurized gas source > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0276748 A1 - Document ID: US20210276748A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/192,939 - Filed: 2021-03-05 - Published: 2021-09-09 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-06 - Assignees: Coravin, Inc. - Applicants: Coravin, Inc. - Inventors: Sarah Deslandes; Michael Rider - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210276748A1 ## CPC - B01F 23/2361: within small containers, e.g. within bottles - B65B 31/025: {specially adapted for rigid or semi-rigid containers (B65B31/021, B65B31/022 take precedence)} - B01F 23/23611: {Portable appliances comprising a gas cartridge} - F17C 1/00: Pressure vessels, e.g. gas cylinder, gas tank, replaceable cartridge (pressurised apparatus for purposes other than storage, see the relevant subclasses such as A62C, B05B; associated with vehicles, see the appropriate subclass of classes B60 - B64; pressure vessels in general F16J12/00 {; autoclaves B01J3/04; tank vehicles B60P3/22; railway tank wagons for carrying fluent materials B61D5/00; accumulators for supplying fluid under pressure F15B1/04; liquefied gas stoves F24C3/00}) - F17C 2201/0109: with exteriorly curved end-piece - F17C 2201/058: portable (<30 l) - F17C 2205/0308: Protective caps - F17C 2221/013: Carbon dioxide - F17C 2270/0736: Capsules, e.g. CO2 - B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06) - B65B: MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING (bundling and pressing devices for cigars A24C1/44; devices for tensioning and securing binders adapted to be supported by the article or articles to be bound B25B25/00; applying closure members to bottles, jars or similar containers B67B1/00-B67B6/00; concurrent cleaning, filling and closing of bottles B67C7/00; emptying bottles, jars, cans, casks, barrels or similar containers B67C9/00) - F17C: VESSELS FOR CONTAINING OR STORING COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED OR SOLIDIFIED GASES; FIXED-CAPACITY GAS-HOLDERS; FILLING VESSELS WITH, OR DISCHARGING FROM VESSELS, COMPRESSED, LIQUEFIED, OR SOLIDIFIED GASES (storing fluids in natural or artificial cavities or chambers in the earth B65G5/00; construction or assembling of bulk storage containers employing civil-engineering techniques E04H7/00; variable-capacity gas-holders F17B; liquefaction or refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25) ## Abstract A gas source for pressuring sparkling and other beverage containers, e.g., to re-pressurize the container to keep a carbonation level of beverage during storage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A pressurized gas source for use in providing pressurized gas into a beverage container, the gas source comprising: a housing including a support for a gas cylinder holding the pressurized gas; a gas outlet mounted to the housing and arranged to provide the pressurized gas for delivery to the beverage container; a regulator supported by the housing and arranged to receive gas at a first pressure from the gas cylinder and to provide gas at a second pressure lower than the first pressure to the gas outlet; and a piercing lance arranged to pierce an outlet of the gas cylinder to release the pressurized gas, the piercing lance being fixed relative to the regulator, and the regulator and the piercing lance being movable relative to the housing and the gas cylinder to pierce the outlet of the gas cylinder. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The gas source of claim 1, wherein the gas cylinder support is arranged to hold the gas cylinder stationary relative to the housing during movement of the regulator and piercing lance to pierce the outlet of the gas cylinder. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The gas source of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a lever mounted for pivotal movement and coupled to move the regulator and piercing lance between retracted and piercing positions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The gas source of claim 3, wherein the lever defines an exterior surface of the housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The gas source of claim 3, wherein the lever includes a cam that contacts and moves the regulator and piercing lance from the retracted position to the piercing position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The gas source of claim 5, wherein the regulator and piercing lance are spring biased to move to the retracted position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The gas source of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a door that is movable between open and closed positions to open and close a gas cylinder compartment. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The gas source of claim 7, wherein the housing includes a latch to hold the door in the closed position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The gas source of claim 8, wherein the housing includes a lever mounted for pivotal movement between open and closed positions and coupled to move the regulator and piercing lance between retracted and piercing positions, and wherein the lever in the closed position prevents operation of the latch to open the door. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The gas source of claim 9, wherein the lever defines an exterior surface of the housing, and in the closed position the lever covers the latch. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The gas source of claim 1, wherein the support for the gas cylinder includes a U-shaped plate arranged to receive a portion of a neck of the gas cylinder. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The gas source of claim 11, wherein the support for the gas cylinder is arranged to counter a piercing force of the piercing lance in piercing the outlet of the gas cylinder. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The gas source of claim 12, further comprising the gas cylinder having a flange arranged at the neck of the cylinder, and wherein the support for the gas cylinder is arranged to receive the neck of the gas cylinder with the flange positioned on an upper surface of the support. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The gas source of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a gas cylinder holder arranged for movement between open and closed positions, and wherein the gas cylinder holder is arranged to position a portion of the gas cylinder on the support with movement to the closed position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The gas source of claim 14, wherein the gas cylinder holder is attached to a door of the housing that is movable between closed and open positions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The gas source of claim 1, wherein the housing has an elongated shape with a top and a bottom, the gas outlet is located at the bottom of the housing and the support for the gas cylinder is arranged to support the gas cylinder with the outlet of the gas cylinder located at an uppermost part of the gas cylinder. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The gas source of claim 16, wherein the regulator and piercing lance are arranged to move vertically to pierce the gas cylinder. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The gas source of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a gas cylinder holder adapted to receive a first gas cylinder having a first size in an adapter, and to receive a second gas cylinder having a second size that is larger than the first size without the adapter. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The gas source of claim 1, wherein the gas outlet includes a valve that is normally closed and is opened by moving a portion of the valve upwardly. ### Claim 20 A gas cylinder comprising: a body having a storage volume and a neck having a top surface with a piercable gas outlet; a flange secured to the neck and arranged to support the gas cylinder for piercing of the gas outlet, the flange extending radially outwardly from the neck; a cap secured to the neck and having a sidewall extending around the top surface and defining an inner space and an upper opening to the inner space; and a gasket located in the inner space and arranged to form a seal with the top surface and form a seal with a piercing element that extends into the inner space to pierce the gas outlet. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The gas cylinder of claim 20, wherein the flange and the cap are made as single unitary piece. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The gas cylinder of claim 20, wherein the sidewall of the cap is arranged to extend above the top surface of the neck, and the gasket having an upper surface, a region of the upper surface being exposed at the upper opening of the cap and arranged to contact the piercing element received in the upper opening of the cap to pierce the gas outlet of the cylinder, and a lower surface arranged to form the seal with the top surface of the neck. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The gas cylinder of claim 20, wherein the cap includes an upper wall having an annular shape that extends radially inwardly from the sidewall and includes a radially inner part that defines the upper opening. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The gas cylinder of claim 23, wherein the gasket has an uppermost part of an upper surface located radially inward of the radially inner part of the upper wall. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The gas cylinder of claim 24, wherein the uppermost part of the upper surface of the gasket extends into the upper opening. ### Claim 26 (depends on 20) The gas cylinder of claim 20, wherein the inner space has a cylindrical shape and the gasket has a torus shape. ### Claim 27 (depends on 20) The gas cylinder of claim 20, wherein the sidewall is located at an upper portion of the cap and a lower portion of the cap includes an internal thread arranged to engage with an external thread on the cylinder neck. ### Claim 28 (depends on 20) The gas cylinder of claim 20, wherein contact of the piercing element with the gasket causes the gasket to change shape and to at least partially conform to the shape of the inner space defined by the cap and the piercing element. ### Claim 29 (depends on 20) The gas cylinder of claim 20, wherein the upper opening in the cap is operable to engage a piercing element and prevent rotation of the gas cylinder relative to the piercing element. ### Claim 30 A pressurized gas source for use in providing pressurized gas into a beverage container, the gas source comprising: a housing including a support for a gas cylinder holding the pressurized gas; a piercing lance arranged to pierce an outlet of the gas cylinder to release the pressurized gas; a gas outlet mounted to the housing, fluidly coupled to the piercing lance and arranged to provide the pressurized gas for delivery to the beverage container; a door that is movable between open and closed positions on the housing to open and close a gas cylinder compartment; and an actuator arranged to move the piercing lance and the gas cylinder relative to each other to cause the piercing lance to pierce the outlet of the gas cylinder, the actuator having a piercing state in which the lance and gas cylinder are engaged and a retracted state in which the lance and gas cylinder are disengaged, wherein the door is prevented from movement from the closed position unless the actuator is in the disengaged state. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The gas source of claim 30, wherein the housing includes a latch to hold the door in the closed position. ### Claim 32 (depends on 30) The gas source of claim 30, wherein the actuator includes a lever mounted for pivotal movement between open and closed positions and coupled to move the gas cylinder and piercing lance between engaged and disengaged positions, and wherein the lever in the closed position prevents operation of the latch to open the door. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The gas source of claim 32, wherein the lever defines an exterior surface of the housing. ### Claim 34 (depends on 30) The gas source of claim 30, further comprising a regulator supported by the housing and arranged to receive gas at a first pressure from the gas cylinder and to provide gas at a second pressure lower than the first pressure to the gas outlet. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The gas source of claim 34, wherein the piercing lance is fixed relative to the regulator, and the regulator and the piercing lance being movable relative to the housing and the gas cylinder to pierce the outlet of the gas cylinder. ### Claim 36 (depends on 35) The gas source of claim 35, wherein the gas cylinder support is arranged to hold the gas cylinder stationary relative to the housing during movement of the regulator and piercing lance to pierce the outlet of the gas cylinder. ### Claim 37 A pressurized gas source for use in providing pressurized gas into a beverage container, the gas source comprising: a housing including a support for a gas cylinder holding the pressurized gas, the support arranged to support the gas cylinder such that an outlet of the gas cylinder is positioned above other portions of the gas cylinder; a piercing lance arranged to pierce the outlet of the gas cylinder to release the pressurized gas; a gas outlet mounted to the housing, fluidly coupled to the piercing lance and arranged to provide the pressurized gas for delivery to the beverage container; and a gas flow path including a conduit and arranged to route flow of gas from the outlet of the gas cylinder upwardly and then downwardly to the gas outlet. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The gas source of claim 37, wherein the gas flow path includes a regulator fluidly coupled to the piercing lance and to the conduit.