(19)
(11) EP 4 122 589 A1

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(43) Date of publication:
25.01.2023 Bulletin 2023/04

(21) Application number: 21186440.0

(22) Date of filing: 19.07.2021
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
B01F 23/2361(2022.01)
(52) Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC):
B01F 23/23611
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR
Designated Extension States:
BA ME
Designated Validation States:
KH MA MD TN

(71) Applicant: Spark To Go GmbH
81479 München (DE)

(72) Inventors:
  • PRINSLOO, Pieter
    81479 München (DE)
  • PATRUNO III, Luke
    81479 München (DE)
  • KAUSCHKE, Hansjörg
    82041 Oberhaching/Furth (DE)

(74) Representative: Feller, Frank 
Weickmann & Weickmann Patent- und Rechtsanwälte PartmbB Postfach 860 820
81635 München
81635 München (DE)

   


(54) PORTABLE BOTTLE FOR CONTROLLED CARBONATION OF DRINKABLE FLUID


(57) A portable bottle (100) for carbonating a drinkable fluid includes a housing (102), and a carbonating system (122) positioned within the housing. The carbonating system is configured to release a gas into the fluid contained within the bottle. A manually operable activation element (110) is coupled to the carbonating system, and pressing of the activation element activates the carbonating system for releasing the gas into the fluid. The amount of gas released into the fluid is controllable based on the operation of the activation element.




Description

Technical Field



[0001] The present invention relates to a portable bottle having a carbonating system for controlled carbonation of a drinkable fluid contained within the bottle.

Background



[0002] Bottles for generating carbonated water are quite well known in the art. Many people in different continents around the globe enjoy drinking sparkling water (also termed as fizzy water, water with gas or soda water) artificially charged with carbon dioxide, instead of normal drinking water. Conventional systems or methods for generating sparkling water include means for injecting pressurized CO2 therein. In some of these systems, a cartridge having carbon dioxide stored therein is positioned within the bottle containing the fluid, and activation of the cartridge releases the gas into the fluid.

[0003] As one typical example, Chinese utility model no. CN 211155215 U discloses such a bottle for carbonating water. The bottle includes an upper cover having a water outlet for drinking, and a mounting hole provided at the top of the upper cover. A cartridge is inserted into the mounting hole and positioned within the interior of the bottle. A user can squeeze the portion surrounding the top portion of the cartridge, so that the cartridge translates downwards. Further, an air inlet valve is provided at a bottom portion of the cartridge. By rotating a control element, the cartridge can be moved downwards, due to which the air inlet valve opens and releases the CO2 contained within the cartridge into the water contained in the bottle to generated carbonated water.

[0004] Another Chinese patent publication CN 112450731 A discloses a portable bubble water bottle designed to substantially increase the solubility of carbon dioxide released into water contained in the bottle. An upper cap engages the bottle with a threaded connection, and a cartridge is movably positioned within the upper cap. When the upper cap is rotated downwards, the cartridge translates vertically downwards in response thereto. A nozzle connected to a bottom portion of the cartridge has an air outlet for releasing CO2 contained within the cartridge, when the upper cap is rotated. Further, a pressure relief mechanism is provided within the bottle for controlling the pressure of the gas contained within the bottle.

[0005] One of the persisting problems with the state of the art carbonating systems is their inability to the control the amount of carbonating gas (i.e. CO2) released into the fluid contained within the bottle. Many systems allow a fixed, pre-determined amount of gas to be released into the bottle, once the carbonating system (i.e., the cartridge containing CO2) is activated. Therefore, the user may not fully enjoy the drink due to inadequacy in the level of carbonation actually desired by him/her. Further, opening the top cover of such bottles may allow the gas to escape from the bottle in few seconds. However, the user may not be able to activate the carbonating system once again, each time the amount of gas dissolved within water reduces below a desired value.

Summary of the invention



[0006] In light of the aforementioned problems currently existing in the state of the art bottles for generating sparkling water, an object of the invention is to provide a portable bottle for carbonating a drinkable fluid, having a carbonating system for precisely controlling the level of gas released into the fluid contained within the bottle, anytime and anywhere, when desired by the user.

[0007] To achieve this objective, the present invention provides a portable bottle according to the subject matter of independent claim 1. Specifically, the portable bottle for carbonating a drinkable fluid according to the invention includes a housing, and a carbonating system positioned within the housing. The carbonating system is configured to release a gas into the fluid contained within the bottle. A manually operable activation element is coupled to the carbonating system, and pressing of the activation element activates the carbonating system for releasing the gas into the fluid. The amount of gas released into the fluid is controllable based on the operation of the activation element.

[0008] The activation element may be in form of a manually pressable button in one embodiment. This may provide ease of operating the activation element for the user, by performing simple pressing operation thereon. However, other embodiments may also be contemplated, such as those wherein the activation element may alternatively in form of a rotatable button, which moves downwards on rotation, for releasing the gas into the fluid. The more the activation element is rotated, the more would be the volume of gas released into the fluid in those embodiments. Further, rotational movement of the activation element may be constrained by a threshold angular value (i.e., degrees), which may correspond to the maximum volume of gas released. In another variant, the rotatable button, i.e., the activation element, when rotated, may move another element positioned below it, which then activates the carbonating system for releasing the gas into the fluid.

[0009] The portable bottle of the invention has an advantage in that the user can control the level of carbonation of the fluid whenever he desires. Therefore, level of carbonation is customizable depending on the choice of each user.

[0010] According to a first embodiment, the amount of gas released into the fluid may depend on the amount of time for which the activation element is pressed. In other words, pressing the activation element for a longer time may release a larger amount of gas into the fluid, and shorter pressing time spans may release a relatively smaller amount of gas into the fluid. As one example, the amount of gas released may be directly proportional to the pressing time of the activation element. This feature of the invention has the advantage that the user can easily and seamlessly control the amount of carbonation, even for example, while walking on a street, by pressing the activation element 2-3 seconds longer.

[0011] According to a second embodiment, the amount of gas released into the fluid may depend on a pressing-depth of the activation element, wherein the pressing depth indicates the extent to which the activation element is pressed. This feature has the advantage that the user enjoys an alternative mode of controlling carbonation of the fluid, by controlling the pressing operation of the activation element.

[0012] According to a third embodiment, the portable bottle may include a first rotatable cap positioned at a first region of a top portion of the bottle. The first cap may surround the top portion of the carbonating system, and may be configured in a manner that on its rotation, the entire carbonating system along with the first cap can be taken out from the interior of the bottle. The bottle may further include a second cap positioned at a second region of the top portion of the bottle. The second cap may be rotatably connected to the top portion and may be configured in a manner that its rotation opens the top portion of the bottle and provides access to one or more holes for drinking the carbonated fluid contained within the bottle. This feature has the advantage that one cap provides ease of access to the drinking holes, and the other cap facilitates removal of the entire carbonating system, such as, for the purpose of cleaning the interior of the bottle during washing.

[0013] In one embodiment, the portable bottle may include a first rotatable cap positioned at a first region of the top portion of the bottle. That cap may surrounding the top portion of the carbonating system and may be provided with one or more drinking holes. Further, a second cap may be positioned atop and pivotally connected connection to the first cap at a pivot joint. The second cap may be configured in a manner that it can be swung open about the pivot joint to provide access to one or more drinking holes provided within the first cap.

[0014] In one embodiment, a locking mechanism may secure and lock the second cap to the first cap, such that the bottle can be maintained sealed even under high pressure, i.e. after carbonization of the liquid. Unintended release of gas or liquid from the bottle may thus be avoided.

[0015] The locking mechanism mentioned above may be a bell crank lever mechanism in one embodiment. Such mechanism allows generation of a high closing pressure to reliably close the bottle and maintain the bottle sealed even under high pressure, while only moderate operational force is required for the user to close or open the locking mechanism. Futhermore, a bell crank lever mechanism provides easy and intuitive handling.

[0016] The carbonating system may be positioned within the housing at an offset to a central, longitudinal axis of symmetry of the bottle, which allows efficient use of space and thus a compact design of the bottle.

[0017] In accordance with one embodiment, the rotational movements of the first cap and the second cap may be independent of each other. Owed to that feature, rotation of one cap does not detach/remove the other cap from the bottle.

[0018] In accordance with another embodiment, the first cap may be positioned radially inwards within the bottle, with respect to the second cap. One advantage of this feature is that the drinking holes align along a ring between the carbonating system and the outer edge of the bottle, and spilling of the fluid while drinking is easily avoided, even in turbulent situations, such as, during running or driving.

[0019] According to yet another embodiment, the carbonating system may include a cartridge housing having a cartridge positioned therein. The cartridge has the gas stored therein. The cartridge housing may have a top portion and a bottom portion, and the top portion may be rotatably connected to the bottom portion. The top portion may be detached from the bottom portion by rotation, to provide access to the cartridge contained within the cartridge housing. More specifically, the top portion and the bottom portion may be connected to each other by a threaded connection and removal of the former from the latter may be achieved by releasing that threaded connection by rotation. This feature provides the ease of disassembling the top portion of cartridge housing for replacing the cartridge.

[0020] In certain alternative embodiments, other suitable mechanisms for releasably securing the top portion to the bottom portion of the cartridge housing may also be contemplated. For example, such a mechanism may be a bayonet locking mechanism between these two portions.

[0021] The cartridge housing may be guided into a guide tube and locked therein by a locking mechanism. Owed to this feature, the cartridge housing remains intact within the interior of the bottle in the operative state of the latter.

[0022] The locking mechanism may be a bayonet locking mechanism in one embodiment. The mechanism facilitates quick locking or unlocking of the cartridge housing from the guide tube by simple rotational movements.

[0023] The cartridge housing may be configured in a manner that a rotation thereof along a specific direction unlocks it from the guide tube so that the cartridge housing can be pulled out of the guide tube. The specific direction may be in counterclockwise sense in one embodiment, when seen from the top of the cartridge housing. This feature provides additional ease of removal of the locked cartridge housing, and eventually, the cartridge, from the carbonating system.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, an elongated slot may be provided in the outer wall of the guide tube. The elongated slot may have top and bottom sections each extending along a respective horizontal plane to a certain extent circumferentially along the outer wall of the guide tube, and a middle section extending vertically along a helical path and connecting the top and bottom section. Continuous rotation of the cartridge housing along a specific direction may first guide a locking pin horizontally along the bottom section of the slot, then along a helical trajectory within the middle section thereof, and thereafter again horizontally again within the top section, during the process of unlocking & removing the cartridge housing from the guide tube by rotation. This would be explained in more detail hereinafter, in conjunction with figures to follow.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the activation element may be provided at a top portion of the cartridge housing, wherein the cartridge may be configured to translate vertically downwards within the interior of the bottle when the pushing operation is performed on the activation element

[0026] According to another embodiment, the cartridge may have an opening for discharging the gas contained therein. The opening may face downwards and may be provided at a lower portion of the cartridge. The opening is configured to release the gas into the fluid contained within the bottle, when the activation element is pressed. Since the gas is released into the fluid from the bottom portion of the bottle, it may instantly carbonate the fluid, instead of rising and accumulating towards the top empty portion of the bottle above the fluid level.

[0027] According to another embodiment, the cartridge may be configured to translate vertically between a topmost position and a bottommost position when the pressing operation is performed on the activation element. In an inactivated state of the activation element, the cartridge may be at the topmost position and in a fully activated state of the activation element the cartridge may be at the bottommost position.

[0028] According to a yet another embodiment, a resilient member may be positioned at the bottom portion of the cartridge housing. The resilient member may bias the cartridge housing, and may be configured to retract the cartridge housing vertically upwards to its original position when the operation of the activation element ceases, the original position corresponding to an inoperative state of the activation element. Owed to this feature, the cartridge momentarily returns to its inoperative state on release of the activation element, and any excessive, undesired release of CO2 is avoided.

[0029] In an additional embodiment, the carbonating system may have one or more discharge ports that may be adapted to fluidly communicate with the cartridge opening when the activation element is pressed, thereby establishing a channel for releasing the gas contained with the cartridge into the fluid.

[0030] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the portable bottle for carbonating a drinkable fluid contained therein includes a housing and a carbonating system positioned within the housing. In its activated state, the carbonating system releases a gas into the fluid contained within the bottle. The carbonating system has a cartridge storing the gas therein and further comprises one or more discharge ports for releasing the gas into the fluid. These discharge ports are aligned obliquely to the vertical direction, in a manner defining a specific direction for discharging the gas into the fluid. Further, the carbonating system includes one or more sealing elements for sealing the discharge ports in an inactivated state of the carbonating system.

[0031] This has the advantage that the gas can be easily released into the fluid and the discharge port remain completely sealed, for avoiding gas leakage during the inactivated state of the carbonating system.

Brief Description of Drawings



[0032] 

Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of a portable drinking water bottle according to the invention in its completely assembled form;

Fig. 2 (a) is a perspective view of the interior of the portable drinking water bottle in accordance with the present invention, with the outer housing removed therefrom, the figure depicting, among other components, a first cap positioned within the housing;

Fig. 2 (b) is another perspective view of the interior of the bottle in upright position;

Fig. 2 (c) depicts a top view of the portable drinking water bottle of Fig. 1;

Fig. 2 (d) shows another perspective view of the bottle according to the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the carbonating system positioned within the core of the portable bottle of the present invention;

Fig. 4 depicts an enlarged sectional view showing the mechanical connection between different components at the bottom portion of the carbonating system shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 depicts another sectional view of the complete bottle body 100 in its assembled form;

Fig. 6 (a) is another perspective view of the interior of the bottle 100, showing the carbonating system of Fig. 4 more clearly, depicting a locking mechanism for locking the cartridge housing contained within the bottle; and

Fig. 6 (b) is a perspective view of the carbonating system positioned within the bottle of the present invention, depicting a locking mechanism for locking & unlocking the cartridge housing positioned within a guide tube, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 6 (c) is another perspective view of the carbonating system positioned within the guide tube, and an alternative locking mechanism for locking & unlocking the cartridge housing within the guide tube, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 depicts a perspective view (on left) and a front view (on right) of a portable bottle for carbonating a fluid, having an alternative design of a first cap & the second cap on the top thereof, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 8 (a) is a perspective view of the first cap of the bottle of Fig. 7;

Fig. 8 (b) is a perspective view of the combination of the first cap & the second cap of the bottle shown in the embodiment of Fig. 7, with the second cap being swung open for accessing one or more drinking holes;

Fig. 9 (a) is a perspective view of the entire carbonating system & the first cap & second cap removed from the interior of the bottle of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 (b) is a sectional view of the system depicted in Fig. 9 (a); and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the bottle according to the embodiment shown in Fig. 7.


Detailed Description



[0033] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the portable bottle 100 according to the present invention. The bottle includes a housing 102, defining the outermost portion of the bottle. The bottom portion 102 (a), the middle portion and the lower region of the upper portion of the housing 102 may together form a cylindrical structure of a constant radius. However, design variations in the profile and structure of the bottle 100 may also be contemplated. For example, the bottle 100 may alternatively have a conical structure having a constantly increasing radius from bottom to top, so that the bottle can be more easily gripped with hand at its relatively slender bottom portion.

[0034] The housing 102 of the bottle 100 may have a double-walled structure in an embodiment, including an inner wall, an outer wall, and vacuum within the annular space between the two walls. Such a double-walled structure aids in reducing the conductive heat transfer through the walls of the housing, so that minimal heat flows from outside through the housing and into the interior of the bottle, thus keeping the liquid contained therein cold for a long time.

[0035] The portion 102 (b) may slightly taper upwards and merge into a second rotatable cap 106, as shown. The bottle 100 of the present invention has a dual-cap design at the top, and a first cap, though not shown herein, is positioned radially inwards within this second cap 106. That cap would be explained in detail in conjunction with subsequent figures.

[0036] The second cap 106 may cover one or more drinking holes (shown in subsequent figures), which may be provided at a top region of the bottle. Further, the second cap 106 may be rotatably connected to the region of the housing 102 lying slightly above the tapered portion 102 (b). Such a connection may be achieved by internal threads provided within the second cap 106, which may mate with external threads provided at the region above the tapered portion 102 (b). Such threads at the region above the tapered portion 102 of the bottle can be seen in Fig. 2 (d) and are denoted by reference numeral 104.

[0037] Rotation of the second cap 106 opens the top of the bottle 100 and provides access to the holes for drinking the fluid contained within the bottle. Specifically, as seen from the top, the sense of rotation of the second cap 106 for releasing it from the top of the bottle 100 may be anti-clockwise.

[0038] Once the sip is taken, the user can rotate the second cap 106 again clockwise to close the top portion of the bottle 100, so that no or minimal amount of gas (i.e., CO2) contained within the bottle escapes into the atmosphere in the assembled state of the bottle, and the water within the bottle remains carbonated for long periods.

[0039] At the topmost region, the bottle 100 may be provided with a manually operable activation element 110, which can be pressed by the user whenever he desires to carbonate water contained within the bottle 100. Specifically, pressing the activation element 110 releases CO2 into water momentarily. Though the shape of the periphery of the activation element 110 is formed by four C-shaped sections to impart aesthetic appeal thereto, as shown in Fig. 1, any other alternative contour or shapes may also be contemplated for its design.

[0040] A crucial aspect of the invention is controlled carbonation of the fluid within the bottle. The amount of gas released into the fluid is based on the pressing operation performed on the activation element 110 by the user.

[0041] In one embodiment, the volume of CO2 released into the bottle may depend on the amount of time for which the activation element 110 is being pressed. More specifically, the longer is the time interval for which the user presses the activation element 110, the more is the amount of CO2 released into the interior space of the bottle 100 in that embodiment.

[0042] In another embodiment, the volume of CO2 released may depend on, and further, may be proportional to, a pressing-depth of the activation element 110. The more is the pressing-depth, the more is the volume of CO2 released in that embodiment.

[0043] Fig. 2 (a) is a partial perspective view of the bottle, with the outer housing 102 and the second cap 106 shown in Fig. 1 removed therefrom. This figure now clearly depicts the first rotatable cap 105 mentioned earlier, which may be positioned radially inwards within the second cap 106 shown in Fig. 1, when the bottle is in complete assembled state. This first cap 105 may be positioned at a first region of the top portion of the bottle 100 and may surround the top portion of a carbonating system 122 contained within the core of the bottle 100. Further, the first cap 105 may be mechanically secured to the top portion of the carbonating system 122. The entire structure shown in Fig. 2 (a) may be removable from the interior of the bottle 100. More specifically, on rotation, the first cap 105 along with the entire carbonating system 122 secured to its bottom and positioned within the interior of the bottle 100, may be taken out of the bottle 100. On its removal, bottle 100 acquires a hollow interior.

[0044] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rotational movement of the first cap 105 and the second cap 106 may be completely independent of each other. Therefore, rotation of the second cap 106 may not impart any rotation to the first cap 105 and vice versa.

[0045] In one embodiment, the first cap 105 may only be accessible after the removal of the second cap 106. Therefore, for removal of the entire structure shown in Fig. 2 (a) from the interior of the bottle, the user may first need to rotate, unscrew and remove the second cap 106 shown in Fig. 1 from the bottle in order to access the first cap 105, and eventually rotate the first cap 105.

[0046] Further, as shown, the carbonating system 122 extends vertically downwards from the first cap 105, as shown.

[0047] Fig. 2 (a) now also clearly depicts one or more drinking holes 114 for drinking the fluid contained within the bottle 100. In the assembled state of the bottle, these holes are covered and hidden by the second cap 106 shown in Fig. 1. In one embodiment, the bottle 100 may have a number of drinking holes, including a first set of holes 114 (a) having circular shape, and a second, relatively larger set of elongated holes 114 (b) provided at the top portion thereof. Removing the first cap 106 shown in Fig. 1 by rotation provides access to these holes 114 from the top, so that the user can sip the fluid, i.e., carbonated water, therefrom.

[0048] Other suitable shapes for the drinking holes 114 may also be equally contemplated, such as, though not being limited to, holes with elliptical, rectangular or polygonal shapes. Further, the number of holes may be varied, and is only a matter of design choice. For example, only one sufficiently large drinking hole 114 may be provided in certain designs of the bottle 100.

[0049] In some embodiments, the drinking holes 114 may protrude upwards from the first cap 105 in a manner forming a drinking spout. This may facilitate additional ease of drinking the fluid from the bottle.

[0050] Further, a non-return valve 118 may be provided at the bottom portion 117 of the bottle 100. When the pressure of the carbonated fluid contained within the bottle increases beyond a pre-determined level, that valve 118 blocks the fluid from entering into the carbonating system, 122.

[0051] Fig. 2 (b) is another perspective view of the interior of the bottle 100 in upright position, with the outer housing 102 and the second cap 106 being removed again here. The elongated holes 114 (b) are more clearly visible herein, and surround the activation element 110.

[0052] Fig. 2 (c) depicts a top view of the bottle 100, with the outermost circle showing the bottle outer body, i.e., the housing 102, the circle inscribed therein showing the second cap 106 and the activation element 110 provided right at the center of the top portion of the carbonating system 122. The first cap 105 remains hidden, and is, therefore not visible in the current view. Further, as can be seen in this view, the activation element 110 is easily accessible and can be operated by a user even with the second cap 106 installed and the bottle 100 being completely sealed and closed, i.e., with the bottle being in its complete assembled state.

[0053] Fig. 2 (d) shows another perspective view of the bottle 100, with the second cap 106 being removed from the top thereof. The activation element 110 in this view is currently in inoperative state and may extend above the plane containing the drinking holes 114, by a length defining its maximum pressing-depth. However, the maximum pressing-depth may also be less than the level of extension of the activation element 110 above the plane of the drinking holes in the inoperative state of the activation element, in some embodiments. Hence, the activation element 110 may not be pressed completely by the user, so that at maximum level of carbonation the top surface of the activation element 110 does not align (instead lies above) with the plane containing the drinking holes 114 in those embodiments.

[0054] Further, multiple threads 104, as mentioned earlier, are provided at the region extending above the tapered portion 102 (b) of the housing 102, and these threads are meant for securing the second cap 106 (shown in Fig. 1) thereto by rotation. Effectively, the second cap 106may have internal threading that mate with these threads 104.

[0055] A cross-sectional view of the carbonating system 122 positioned within the interior of the bottle 100 is depicted in Fig. 3. The integral components of the system 122 would now be explained in conjunction with this figure.

[0056] As shown, the carbonating system 122 may include a cartridge housing 126 having a cartridge 130 that contains CO2 and is positioned therein. The cartridge housing 126 may include a top portion 126 (a) & a bottom portion 126 (b). The activation element 110 (not shown herein) may be provided right above the top portion 126 (a) and may be secured thereon by a suitable mechanism.

[0057] The top portion 126 (a) & the bottom portion 126 (b) may be rotatably connected to each other. Specifically, these two portions may be secured to each other by threaded connections. As shown, internal threads 162 may be provided within the top portion 126 (a), which may engage with external threads provided circumferentially at the mating bottom portion 126 (b) of the cartridge housing 126. Therefore, the top portion 126 (a) of the cartridge housing 126 may be detached and removed from the carbonating system 122 by rotation. Further, as aforementioned, an alternative securing mechanism, such as a bayonet lock may also be used to mechanically secure the top portion 126 (a) to the bottom portion 126 (b) in certain embodiments.

[0058] Having a substantially cylindrical structure at the top and middle portions, the cartridge 130 positioned within the cartridge housing 126 has a lower portion 130 (a) that may be tapered and therefore, may have a smaller radius. The bottommost section of the tapered portion 130 (a) of the cartridge 130 is the region where it is pierced into an opening pin 134 (a). Specifically, that bottom section may have a slot or receptacle for receiving the opening pin 134 (a), so that the cartridge 130 can be mechanically secured to the pin 134 (a) on rotation. That slot or receptable within the bottom section of the tapered portion 130 (a) may be provided with external threads, which may mate with internal threads provided at a top portion of the opening pin 134 (a) for mechanically securing the cartridge 130 to the pin 134 (a). Other conventional means for securing the cartridge to the pin 134 may also be alternatively contemplated, such as a form-fit or a snap-fit mechanism. Once the cartridge 130 has been pierced into the pin 134 (a), another opening 162 (a) is created, which acts for discharging the pressurized gas stored within the cartridge 130 into the fluid contained within the bottle.

[0059] Once secured to the pin 134 (a), rotation of the cartridge 130 in opposite direction may release it from the pin 134 (a), so that it can be taken out of the carbonating system 122 when desired, for example, for refilling or replacement.

[0060] Further, the bottommost section 162 (a) of the tapered portion 130 (a) of the cartridge 130 may define an opening for discharging the gas contained therein. As is seen, since the cartridge 130 is positioned inverted within the housing 126, that opening 162 (a) faces downwards, towards the bottom of the bottle, and is configured to release the gas into the fluid contained within the bottle when the activation element 110 shown in Fig. 1 is pressed by the user.

[0061] A piston 134 (b) surrounds the opening pin 134 (a), and is configured to reciprocate vertically along with cartridge housing 126 and the cartridge 130. That vertical motion of the cartridge housing 126 and the piston 134 (a) in response to pressing of the activation element 110 will be explained in detail hereinafter, in conjunction with subsequent figures.

[0062] Once the CO2 gas contained within the cartridge is completely consumed and refilling is desired, the top portion 126 (a) of the cartridge housing 126 may be rotated by a user, anti-clockwise (as seen from top, in this embodiment) by gripping it, to loosen the threaded connection 162 between the top portion 126 (a) & the bottom portion 126 (b). Removal of the top portion 126 (a) provides access to the empty cartridge 130, which can then be removed from the opening pin 134 (a) by rotation and replaced by a new cartridge that can be similarly pierced into the pin 134 (a). Following that, the top portion 126 (a) of the cartridge housing 126 can be secured around the newly inserted cartridge by clockwise rotation, so that the system is again ready for use.

[0063] Referring again to Fig. 3, a guide tube 158 is shown at the bottom portion of the carbonating system 122, whose interior space may accommodate the entire bottom portion 126 (b) and partially, the top portion 126 (a) of the cartridge housing 126. The guide tube may have a cylindrical structure, and the cartridge housing 126 may translate vertically in its interior space when the activation element 110 shown in Fig. 1 is pressed. The guide tube 158 can also be clearly seen in the perspective view in Fig. 6 (a).

[0064] A resilient member 154, for example, a spring, may be provided at the bottom portion of the carbonating system 122, which biases/urges against, and opposes the vertically downward motion of the cartridge housing 126, the opening pin 134 (a) & the piston 134 (b) by its restoring force, when the activation element 110 (shown in Fig. 1) is pressed.

[0065] Fig. 4 depicts an enlarged sectional view of the mechanical connection between different components at the bottom portion of the carbonating system 122 shown in Fig. 3. As can be seen, both the bottom portion 126 (b) and the lower region of the top portion 126 (a) of the cartridge housing 126 may be slidably positioned within the interior space of the guide tube 158 circumscribing them, so that these components vertically reciprocate within the guide tube 158 when the activation element 110 is operated. Further, the resilient member, i.e., the spring 154, is clearly seen here as directly engaging below a bottom sleeve 138 of the cartridge housing 126, and restores the position of the cartridge housing 126, including the cartridge 130, the pin 134 (a) and the piston 134 (b) when the activation element 110 (not shown herein) is released by the user after operation.

[0066] Fig. 5 depicts another sectional view of the bottle 100 in its complete assembled form. As shown, the first rotatable cap 105 may be positioned at a first region of the top portion of the bottle 100 and may be secured thereto by a threaded connection 105 (a). Further, another threaded connection 105 (b) may fixedly secure this first cap 105 to the carbonating system 122. When the first threaded connection 105 (a) is loosened by rotating the first cap 105, it can be taken out from the interior of the bottle 100 along with the entire carbonating system 122, including the cartridge housing 126 and the cartridge 130 therein.

[0067] The second rotatable cap 106 may be positioned at a second region of the top portion of the bottle 100, and may be rotatably connected thereto, in a manner lying above the first cap 105 and circumscribing it. Specifically, another threaded connection 104 [also shown in Fig. 2 (d) earlier] secures the second cap 106 to the top portion of the bottle 100.

[0068] Further, internal threads 162, as mentioned earlier, may be provided at a lower region of the top portion 126 (a) of the cartridge housing 126. Similarly, external threads may be provided at the upper region of the bottom portion 126 (b) of the housing 126, for rotatably securing these two components to one another.

[0069] In Fig. 5, proceeding radially inwards within the bottle 100, the guide tube 158 circumferentially surrounds the cartridge housing 126, wherein the latter translates vertically downwards in response to operation of the activation element 110 (not shown herein). The cartridge containing CO2 may be positioned within the housing 126 and secured to the opening pin 134 (a) at the cartridge opening 162 in an inverted manner, so that the opening 162 may face downwards.

[0070] The vertically downward movement of the different integral components of the carbonating system 122 when the pressing operation on the activation element 110 is performed will now be elucidated in conjunction with Figs. 4 & 5. Once the activation element 110 (shown in Fig. 1) is pressed, the entire cartridge housing 126, including its top portion 126 (a) & the bottom portion 126 (b), the cartridge 130 contained therein, the pin 134 (a) and the piston 134 (b), all move simultaneously downwards. During that motion, the pin 134 (a) & the piston 134 (b) move into the interior of a piston sleeve 142 provided at the lower portion of the carbonating system 122. A vertical gap denoted by the numeral 166 (more clear in Fig. 4) may define the extent to which all these components can move vertically downwards. That length of this vertical gap 166 also corresponds to the maximum pressing depth, indicating the extent to which the activation element 110 (shown in Fig. 1) can be pressed. During the vertical movement, when the cartridge housing 126 is at its bottommost position, it rests on, and is blocked for further downward movement by a sleeve stop 146. At that position, the shoulder 128 (shown in Fig. 4) of the bottom portion 126 (b) of the cartridge housing 126 rests directly on the sleeve stop 146.

[0071] Referring back to Fig. 5, the bottom sleeve 138, being an integral part of the bottom portion 126 (b) of the cartridge housing 126, also moves vertically downwards with the other components. Once all these components have moved downwards all the way through, the bottom sleeve 138, comes in contact with the spring 154 and compresses it to the maximum extent, generating a restoring force within the spring. That contact between the bottom sleeve 138 and the spring 154 is apparent from Fig. 4.

[0072] As is more clearly seen in Fig. 4, one or more discharge ports 174 (two in current embodiment, one each specifically on the right and left-hand side of the bottom portion of the piston 134 (b) in this sectional view) may be provided at a bottom portion of the carbonating system 122. These discharge ports 174 may be in fluid communication with the cartridge opening 162 (a), establishing a first fluid channel. When the activation element 110 is in its inoperative state, the discharged ports 174 may be completely sealed in a fluid-tight manner through sealing elements, which are O-rings 176 (two in the shown embodiment) circumferentially surrounding these ports 174. Further, the discharge ports 174 may be inclined obliquely to the vertical direction, in a manner facing downwards and defining a specific direction for discharging the fluid into the gas. This facilitates their sealing and smooth gas flow downwards therefrom, during the process of releasing the gas into the bottle. Preferably, the angle of inclination of the discharge ports 174 may be 10 degrees to 80 degrees downwards, or more preferably, between 30 degrees to 60 degrees with respect to the vertical direction.

[0073] Further, the discharge ports 174 are movable in the vertically downward direction with respect to the sealing elements, i.e., the O-rings 176. More specifically, once the cartridge housing 126 has moved downwards in response to the activation element 110 being pressed, these discharge ports 174 translate vertically downwards and may communicate with circumferential grooves (not shown herein) provided within the piston sleeve 142 and establish a second fluid channel that leads into the interior space of the bottle 100 containing the fluid. Eventually, the pressurized CO2 trapped within the cartridge is released into the fluid (i.e., water) contained within the bottle 100 through that channel, thus carbonating the water.

[0074] As mentioned earlier, the user can control the amount of CO2 released into the fluid by the pressing operation performed on the activation element 110. Once the desired amount of carbonation is achieved, the user may release the activation element 110, and in response thereto, the piston 134 (b), the opening pin 134 (a), the cartridge housing 126 & the cartridge 130 contained therein, all retract vertically upwards to their original position, by virtue of the restoring force of the spring 154.

[0075] Fig. 6 (a) is another perspective view of the interior of the bottle 100, showing the structure of the guide tube 158 in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure, and the carbonating system 122 positioned therein. As can be more clearly visualized in the current view, the lower region of the top portion 126 (a) of the cartridge housing 126, and its bottom portion 126 (b), are guided vertically downwards into the guide tube 158 when the activation element 110 is operated. At the bottom, a second resilient member, which may be a spring 156, may be provided in this embodiment to operate independent of the first spring 154 shown in Fig. 4 and urges the carbonating system 122 upwards from the bottom, when the bottle is in its operative state. That spring 156 assists in the process of removing detaching and removing the top portion 126 (a) of the cartridge housing 126 from the bottom portion 126 (b).

[0076] The sequential steps involved in this embodiment, in the process of detaching and removing the top portion 126 (a) from the bottom portion 126 (b) for accessing the cartridge, will now be explained in detailed in conjunction with Fig. 6 (a). In this figure, the top portion 126 (a) & the bottom portion 126 (b) are currently connected via the threaded connection shown in Fig. 5 earlier. Encircled at the bottom of the carbonating system 122 and denoted by reference numeral 178 shown in Fig. 6 (a) is a locking mechanism, which secures and locks the top portion 126 (a) & the bottom portion 126 (b) to one another. This mechanism may be a bayonet locking mechanism in one embodiment, though other alternative locking mechanisms known in the art may also be contemplated. Further, the locking mechanism 178 shown herein prevents the top portion and the bottom portion 126 (a) & 126 (b), respectively, of the cartridge housing 126, along with all the other connected components from moving upwards, when the CO2 gas is released downwards from the cartridge 130 within the interior space of the bottle. In other words, this locking mechanism 178 prevents the discharge ports 174 shown in Fig. 4 & Fig. 5 from getting misaligned, during the process of releasing CO2 into the fluid within the bottle.

[0077] The locking mechanism 178 may include a vertical elongated slot 180 and a horizontal elongated slot 182, each provided in the outer wall of the guide tube 158. Further, a locking pin 184 is shown current engaging the junction of the horizontal & the vertical slots 182 & 180, respectively, and projects radially inwards through the outer wall of the guide tube 158. The radially inward extension of the pin 184 terminates within the interior of an intermediate sleeve 148 positioned in an annular region between the guide tube 158 and the bottom portion 126 (b) of the cartridge housing 126, as can be apparently seen from the sectional view depicted in Fig. 4. When the system is in locked state, the pin 184 lies at the right corner of the horizontal slot 182. Since the intermediate sleeve 148 is a fixed, immovable component, the cartridge housing 126 can still move vertically downward within the guide tube 158, when the locking pin 184 engages the right corner of the horizontal slot 182 and has locked the cartridge housing 126 for removal.

[0078] A user holding the cartridge housing 126 from the top may first rotate it clockwise (as seen from the top), so that the locking pin 184 first moves to the junction of the two slots 180 & 182. At that position, the cartridge housing 126 acquires an unlocked state, is pushed upwards by the restoring force of the spring 156, and can be readily pulled out of the carbonating system 122. Thereafter, the user can pull out the top portion 126 (a) of the cartridge housing 126, till the pin 184 translates within the vertical slot 180, has traced the entire height of the latter, and eventually lies at the position indicated by numeral 186. At that point, the top portion 126 (a) of the cartridge housing 126 is still connected to the bottom portion 126 (b) by the internal threads 162 shown in Fig. 5 earlier. To loosen that threaded connection, the top portion 126 (a) can be easily rotated once again, to completely detach and remove it from the bottom portion 126 (b).

[0079] Fig. 6 (c) depicts an alternative locking mechanism for locking & unlocking the cartridge housing 126 with respect to the guide tube 158, in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. The need for the second spring 156 shown in Fig. 6 (a), which biases the cartridge housing from bottom is obviated in this embodiment. Specifically, the locking mechanism may include an elongated slot 183 provided within the outer wall of the guide tube 158. That elongated slot may include bottom and top sections 183 (b) & 183 (c), each extending along a respective horizontal plane to a certain extent circumferentially along the outer wall of the guide tube 158, and a middle section 183 (a) extending vertically along a helical path from the bottom to the top portion of the guide tube 158 in a manner connecting the top and bottom sections 183 (c) & 183 (b) and being wrapped around the outer wall of the guide tube 158.

[0080] When the cartridge housing 126 is in the locked state, the locking pin 184 (shown in Fig. 6(a), not shown in the current Fig. 6 (c) though) rests at the left corner of the bottom section 183 (b) of the slot 183. For removing the cartridge housing 126 from the guide tube 158, a user can first grip it with hand from the top and rotate it anti-clockwise (as seen from upwards). A small angular rotation of the cartridge housing 126 initially brings the locking pin 184 to the right corner of the bottom section 183 (b). On further anti-clockwise rotation of the cartridge housing 126, the pin 184 traverses a helical path within the middle section 183 (a), all the way circumferentially from the bottom to top of the guide tube 156, and is eventually guided into the right corner of the top section 183 (c). Owed to that rotation, the cartridge housing 126 advances vertically upwards. Thereafter, the top portion 126 (a) of the cartridge housing 126 can be detached from the bottom portion 126 (b) by simply rotating it anti-clockwise, as mentioned earlier.

[0081] Depicted on the left side in Fig. 7 is a perspective view, and on the right side thereof, a front view of the portable bottle 100 for carbonating a fluid contained therein, in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention. One noticeable modification in this embodiment lies in the alternative design of the first cap 105 & the second cap 106. The first rotatable cap 105 in the current embodiment is rotatably secured to the top portion of the bottle housing 102 via threaded connection 104 provided at the upper end of the tapered portion 102 (b) of the housing 102. However, the second cap 106 here, being positioned atop the first cap 105, may be pivotally connected to the latter, and is meant for accessing or closing the drinking holes (not shown herein) provided on the first cap 105. Effectively, the second cap 106 may act as a lid for closing the first cap 105 in this embodiment, and that lid can be closed and locked by means of a bell crank lever mechanism 103, which would be explained in detail hereinafter.

[0082] Fig. 8 (a) is a perspective view of the first cap 105 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 7, with the second cap 106, i.e., the lid, removed therefrom. Fig. 8 (b) is another perspective view of the combination of the first cap 105 & the second cap 106, with the latter being pivotally connected thereto and swung open by operating the bell crank lever mechanism 103. Specifically, the second cap 106 may be pivotally connected to a peripheral portion of the first cap 105, specifically at the pivot joint 107, whereon it can be swung open by approximately 180° to access the drinking hole 114. The hole 114 is in the form of a spout protruding upwards from the top surface 105 (d) of the first cap 105. The pivot joint 107 may have a through hole, and a suitable mechanism known in the art, such as a pivoting pin, may be used for pivotally securing the second cap 106 to the first cap 105. A pivot axis of pivot joint 107 may be directed at an angle of about 90° with respect a central, longitudinal axis of symmetry (LL/) of the bottle.

[0083] As shown in Fig. 8 (a), the first cap 105 may include a base portion 105 (c) having a disc-shaped structure and a top surface 105 (d which is completely covered by the second cap 106 in the closed state of the bottle. Further, one or more vent openings 108 (two in this embodiment) may be provided at the top surface 105 (d), to allow atmospheric air to flow into the bottle when the user drinks the carbonated water contained therein. The flow of water may be restricted without the presence of these vent openings 108. A safety valve 111 may also be provided at the top surface 105 (d), for releasing any excessive vapor pressure trapped within the interior space of the bottle.

[0084] Another relatively large opening 109 (a) abutting the drinking spout/hole 114 may be provided within the top surface 105 (d) of the second cap 105, whereon the activation element 110 (not shown herein) is mounted, so that it can be operated and pushed into the opening 109 (a) to activate the carbonating system positioned underneath the activation element. The entire carbonating system (not shown herein), including the cartridge contained therein may be removed from this opening 109 (a) along with the activation element 110.

[0085] A perspective view of all these components, including the first cap 105, the second cap 106 positioned atop the first cap, the guide tube 158, the carbonating system 122, which includes the cartridge housing 126 guided telescopically therein and containing the cartridge 130, and the activation element 110, all being removed from the interior of the bottle, is shown clearly in Fig. 9 (a).

[0086] Referring back to Fig. 8 (b), another integral component of the second cap 106 is a protrusion 109 (b), which may be provided at the inner surface of the lid, i.e., the second cap 106. That protrusion acts as a sealing cap for hermetically sealing the drinking hole/spout 114, when the lid 106 is swung manually clockwise for closing the bottle. Specifically, the protrusion 109 (b) may align with, and position itself atop the drinking hole 114, when the second cap 106 is closed by the user. Therefore, in the closed state of the bottle 100, the drinking hole 114 may be hermetically sealed to prevent any CO2 or water from escaping the bottle during the process of carbonation, specifically when the activation element 110 is pressed for releasing CO2. Additionally, the hermetic seal prevents water from leaking out from the drinking hole/spout 114, when the cap/lid 106 is closed. Such leaking of water may otherwise happen when the bottle is in a tilted position in a bag, for example, or when the user is walking relatively fast and carrying the bottle.

[0087] A latch 106 (a), extending radially outwards as shown in Fig. 8 (b), may also be provided on the peripheral portion of the second cap 106. That latch mates with a top, inwardly curved portion 103 (a) of the mechanism 103 when the second cap/lid 106 is swung for closing. Specifically, once the lid 106 is swung manually clockwise by about 180°, the latch 106 (a) comes in alignment with the curved portion 103 (a), as is more clearly seen in Fig. 9 (a). Thereafter, the lid/second cap 106 can be further pressed so that the latch 106 (a) snap-fits into and positions below the curved portion 103 (a), so that the second cap 106 acquires its closed state. Thereafter, the second cap 106 can be locked using the bell crank lever mechanism 103.

[0088] Specifically, the mechanism 103 may include a manually operable lever 103 (b), which can be pushed & rotated downwards in the direction indicated by the curved arrow 'A' shown in Fig. 9 (a), for locking the lid (i.e., the second cap 106) to the first cap 105. The lever 103 (b) is hinged at two pivot points 103 (c) for performing rotational movement, as shown in this figure (with second pivot point hidden in this view). Once the lever 103 (b) is rotated downwards, its upper portion comes in contact with an upper arm 103 (d) of the mechanism 103, thereby transferring the operating force and bringing the top, inwardly curved portion 103 (a) in firm, gripping contact with the latch 106 (a) on the lid/second cap 106. This facilitates complete locking of the second cap 106 to the first cap 105, so that CO2 contained within the bottle remains trapped within the interior of the bottle and does not escape into environment when the bottle is closed. This also prevents leaking of water from bottle in its inoperative state, as aforementioned.

[0089] For releasing the lock between the caps 105 & 106, the lever 103 (b) can be similarly rotated upwards, in the direction opposite to the one indicated by arrow 'A' in Fig. 9 (a), so that the inwardly curved portion 103 (a) of the mechanism 103 releases from the latch 106 (a). Thereafter, the lid 106 can be manually swung open anti-clockwise, for accessing the drinking holes 114.

[0090] Fig. 9 (b) is sectional view of the components of the Fig. 9 (a), being removed from the interior of the bottle. As mentioned earlier, these removable components include the first & the second cap 105 & 106, the entire carbonating system 122, including the cartridge housing 126 and the cartridge 130 provided therein, and the guide tube 158. Once all these components are removed, merely the housing 102 of the bottle 100, which surrounds these components in the completely assembled state of the bottle, remains with a hollow interior.

[0091] Last, Fig. 10 shows a sectional view of the portable bottle 100 according to the embodiment shown previously in Fig. 7, in its completely assembled state. As shown, positioned within the interior space defined by the double-walled housing 102 is the entire carbonating system 122. The carbonating system 122 in this embodiment may be positioned at a slight offset to the central longitudinal axis of symmetry LL/ of the bottle 100, as shown. Further, shown within the dotted circle at the top is the drinking spout 114, which is hermetically sealed by the protrusion/sealing cap 109 (b) shown in Fig. 8 (b) earlier.

[0092] Although the present invention has been described comprehensively in conjunction with different embodiments illustrated in the appended figures, the embodiments are not intended to limit the scope of the invention, the scope being completely defined by the claims, and therefore, other obvious extensions and versions of these embodiments can be contemplated by those skilled in the art.

List of Reference Numerals



[0093] 

100: Bottle

102: Housing of the Bottle

102 (a): Bottom portion of the housing 102

102 (b): Tapered portion of the housing 102

103: Bell crank lever mechanism

103 (a): Inwardly curved portion on the mechanism 103

103 (b): Operating lever for the mechanism 103

103 (c): Pivot points for the lever 103 (b)

103 (d): Upper arm of the mechanism 103

104: Threads on the housing 102 for securing the second cap 106

105: First rotatable cap

105 (a): Threaded connection for securing the first cap 105 to the bottle

105 (b): Threaded connection for securing the first cap 105 to the carbonating system

105 (c): Base portion of the first cap 105

105 (d): Top surface of the first cap 105

106: Second rotatable cap

106 (a): Latch on the lid/second cap 106

107: Pivot joint for connecting the lid 106 (a) to the base portion 105 (c).

108: Vent openings

109 (a): Opening within the top surface 105 (d) of the first cap 105 for removing the carbonating system 122

109 (b): Protrusion within the inner surface of the second cap 106

110: Activation element

111: Safety valve

114, 114 (a) & 114 (b): Drinking Holes

117: Bottom portion of the Bottle 100

118: Non-return valve

122: Carbonating System

126: Cartridge Housing

126 (a): Top portion of Cartridge Housing

126 (b): Bottom Portion of Cartridge Housing

130: Cartridge

130 (a): Tapered portion of the Cartridge 130

134: Opening pin & piston assembly

134 (a): Opening Pin

134 (b): Piston

138: Cartridge Housing Bottom Sleeve

142: Piston Sleeve

146: Sleeve Stop

148: Intermediate Sleeve

150: Washer

154: Resilient Member/Spring

156: Second spring

158: Guide Tube for Second Cap

162: Internal threads within the top portion 126 (a) of Cartridge Housing 126

162 (a): Bottommost section of the tapered portion 130 (a) of cartridge 130 (equally termed as cartridge opening)

166: Vertical Gap

170: Threads at the upper region of the bottom portion 126 (b) of the cartridge housing 126

174: Discharge ports

176: O-Rings for sealing the discharge ports 174

178: Locking Mechanism

180: Vertical elongated slot within the guide tube 158

182: Horizontal elongated slot within the guide tube 158

183: Elongated slot in the outer wall of the guide tube

183 (a), (b) & (c): Middle, bottom & top sections of the elongated slot

184: Locking pin

186: Top region of the vertical elongated slot 180

190: Safety Valve




Claims

1. A portable bottle (100) for carbonating a drinkable fluid contained therein, the bottle (100) comprising:

a housing (102);

a carbonating system (122) positioned within the housing (102) and

configured to release a gas into the fluid contained within the bottle (100); and
a manually operable activation element (110) coupled to the carbonating system (122), wherein pressing of the activation element (110) activates the carbonating system (122) for releasing the gas into the fluid, wherein:
the amount of gas released into the fluid is controllable based on the operation of the activation element (110).


 
2. The portable bottle (100) according to claim 1,
wherein the amount of gas released into the fluid is dependent on the amount of time for which the activation element (110) is pressed, and/or on a pressing-depth indicating the extent to which the activation element (110) is pressed.
 
3. The portable bottle (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising:

a first rotatable cap (105) positioned at a first region of a top portion of the bottle (100) and surrounding the top portion of the carbonating system (122), wherein the first cap (105) is configured in a manner that on its rotation, the entire carbonating system (122) along with the first cap (105) can be taken out from the interior of the bottle (100); and

a second cap (106) positioned at a second region of the top portion of the bottle (100) and rotatably connected to the top portion, the second cap (106) being configured in such a manner that rotation thereof opens the top portion of the bottle (100) and provides access to one or more holes (114) for drinking the carbonated fluid contained within the bottle (100),

wherein the rotational movements of the first cap (105) and the second cap (106) are preferably independent of each other, and/or

wherein the first cap (105) is preferably positioned radially inwards within the bottle (100), with respect to the second cap (106).


 
4. The portable bottle (100) according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising:

a first rotatable cap (105) positioned at a first region of the top portion of the bottle (100) and surrounding the top portion of the carbonating system (122), the first cap (105) being provided with one or more drinking holes (114); and

a second cap (106) positioned atop and pivotally connected to the first cap (105) at a pivot joint (107), wherein the second cap (106) is configured in a manner that it can be swung open about the pivot joint (107) to provide access to one or more drinking holes (114) provided within the first cap (105).


 
5. The portable bottle (100) according to claim 4, further comprising a locking mechanism (103) for securing and locking the second cap (106) to the first cap (105), wherein the locking mechanism (103) is preferably a bell crank lever mechanism.
 
6. The portable bottle (100) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the carbonating system (122) is positioned within the housing (102) at an offset to a central, longitudinal axis of symmetry (LL/) of the bottle.
 
7. The portable bottle (100) according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein an inner surface of the second cap (106) is provided with a sealing element (109(b)) for hermetically sealing the drinking hole (114) in a closed state of the bottle (100).
 
8. The portable bottle according to at least one of the preceding claims, wherein the carbonating system (122) comprises a cartridge housing (126) having a cartridge (130) positioned therein, the cartridge (130) having the gas stored therein, wherein the cartridge housing (126) has a top portion (126a) and a bottom portion (126b), the top portion (126a) being rotatably connected to the bottom portion (126b) and being detachable from the bottom portion (126b) by rotation, to provide access to the cartridge (130) contained within the cartridge housing (126), wherein the cartridge housing (126) is preferably guided into a guide tube (158) and is locked therein by a locking mechanism (178), preferably a bayonet locking mechanism.
 
9. The portable bottle (100) according to claim 8, wherein the cartridge housing (126) is configured in a manner that a rotation thereof along a specific direction unlocks it from the guide tube (158) so that the cartridge housing (126) can be pulled out of the guide tube (158).
 
10. The portable bottle (100) according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the activation element (110) is provided above a top portion (126a) of the cartridge housing (126), wherein the cartridge (130) is configured to translate vertically downwards within the interior of the bottle (100) when the pushing operation is performed on the activation element (110).
 
11. The portable bottle according to at least one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the cartridge (130) has an opening (162a) for discharging the gas contained therein, the opening facing downwards and being provided at a lower portion of the cartridge (130), wherein the opening (162a) is configured to release the gas into the fluid contained within the bottle when the activation element is pressed.
 
12. The portable bottle according to at least one of claims 8 to 11, wherein cartridge (130) is configured to translate vertically between a topmost position and a bottommost position when the pressing operation is performed on the activation element (110), wherein in an inactivated state of the activation element (110) the cartridge (130) is at the topmost position and in a fully activated state of the activation element (110) the cartridge (130) is at the bottommost position.
 
13. The portable bottle according to one of claims 8 to 12, further comprising a resilient member (152) positioned at the bottom portion of, and biasing the cartridge housing (130), the resilient member (152) being configured to retract the cartridge housing (126) vertically upwards to its original position when the operation of the activation element (110) ceases, the original position corresponding to an inoperative state of the activation element.
 
14. The portable bottle according to claim 13, wherein the carbonating system (122) has one or more discharge ports (174) adapted to fluidly communicate with the cartridge opening (162a) when the activation element (110) is pressed, thereby establishing a channel for releasing the gas contained with the cartridge (130) into the fluid.
 
15. A portable bottle (100) for carbonating a drinkable fluid contained therein, preferably according to at least one of the preceding claims, the bottle comprising:

a housing (102);

a carbonating system (122) positioned within the housing (102), the carbonating system (122), in its activated state, being configured to release a gas into the fluid contained with the bottle (100), the carbonating system (122) having a cartridge (130) storing the gas therein;

wherein the carbonating system (122) further comprises:

one or more discharge ports (174) for releasing the gas into the fluid, the discharge ports (174) being aligned obliquely to the vertical direction, in a manner defining a specific direction for discharging the gas into the fluid;

one or more sealing elements (176) for sealing the discharge ports (174) in an inactivated state of the carbonating system.


 




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Cited references

REFERENCES CITED IN THE DESCRIPTION



This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.

Patent documents cited in the description