Abstract:
This invention relates to the containment of effervescence in carbonated beverages through the use of a containment cap designed to expel only carbonated liquid and contain the gas within the bottle. The present invention uses an aerosol valve assembly similar to those used to dispense whipped cream from cans.

Description:
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART  
         [0001]    The following United States Patents are most closely related to the present invention:  
                                                     U.S. Patent Documents                                    4,515,019   4,723,670   4,763,802   5,031,785           5,207,339   5,294,010   5,322,094   6,113,070                      
 
           [0002]    It is well known that carbonated beverages lose their effervescence after the bottle is opened. There have been many attempts to reduce lose of gas by the use of various kinds of resealable bottle tops and the use of pumps to repressurize the bottle.  
           [0003]    The disadvantage of the resealable cap systems is that the cap allows gas to escape each time the cap is opened and the bottle is depressurized. After several openings, the beverage loses carbonation.  
           [0004]    The pumps systems also have disadvantages including those already mentioned for the resealable cap. Each time the bottle is opened, pressure is released. The pump attempts to repressurize the bottle, but is unable to replace the effervescence in the beverage. Depressurization releases effervescence that is not replaced by the pump. Additionally, repressurizing the bottle with the pump is time consuming and inconvenient.  
           [0005]    The present invention does not release gas from the bottle since the cap is not removed. It uses a pressure release valve or an aerosol valve like those used to dispense whipped cream from cans to dispense the carbonated liquid and retain the gas.  
         OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES  
         [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to maintain the effervescence of bottled carbonated beverages.  
           [0007]    It is an object of the present invention to prevent the release of gas from bottled carbonated beverages.  
           [0008]    It is an object of the present invention to dispense only liquid from bottled carbonated beverages.  
           [0009]    It is an object of the present invention to prevent gas from escaping from bottled carbonated beverages yet at the same time allows the liquid carbonated beverage to be dispensed.  
           [0010]    It is an object of the present invention to allow normal pouring of a liquid carbonated beverage by removing the containment cap in the present invention entirely from the bottle and purring the beverage in the normal manner.  
           [0011]    It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of previous methods of maintaining the effervescence in liquid carbonated beverages.  
           [0012]    It is an object of the present invention to maintain the effervescence of bottled carbonated beverages without any effort from the user.  
           [0013]    It is an object of the present invention to maintain the effervescence of bottled carbonated beverages without removing the containment cap from the bottle. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the containment cap using an inner valve assembly and an outer valve assembly.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the containment cap using an aerosol valve assembly adapted to a bottle neck.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the containment cap using an aerosol valve assembly adapted to a bottle neck in a recessed position having a protective cap, tab and hinge.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the containment cap using angled spokes and a magnified cross sectional view of a ring.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 is a perspective view using angled spokes showing the inner valve assembly and outer valve assembly separately.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view detailed view of the angled spokes in the open and closed positions. 
     
    
     REFERENCE: NUMERALS IN DRAWING  
       [0020]    [0020]                                                1   inner valve assembly   1a   outer side 1a       1b   a top side   1c   inner side       1d   bottom side    2   inner thread        3   outer thread    4   bottle neck 4        5   tubular valve assembly    6   threaded tubular body member        7   base end    8   top end        9   tapered head member   9a   top tapered end       9b   bottom tapered end   9c   side end       10   tapered opening   11   outer valve assembly       11a   outerwall   11b   topwall       11c   inner wall   11d   outer wall thread       11e   inner wall thread   12a   inner stop       12b   outer stop   13   round hole       14   indentation   15   ledge       16   step   17   notch       18   ring   19   perforation       20   protective cap   21   valve assembly       22   cap assembly   23   tab       24   hinge   25   snapping means       26   lock ring   27   angled spokes       28   safety seal   29   outer staggered threads       30   inner staggered threads   31   stop recess       32   spoke holes                    
       DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]    The present invention uses an aerosol valve assembly similar to those used to dispense whipped cream from cans. One such aerosol valve assembly is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,070.  
         [0022]    In a first embodiment, the containment cap in the present invention has an inner valve assembly  1  in FIG. 1. comprising an outer side  1   a , a top side  1   b , an inner side  1   c  and a bottom side  1   d . The outer side comprises an inner thread  2  designed to screw on a bottle neck  4  and outer thread  3  designed to screw on an outer valve assembly  11 . The inner side  1   c  fits against the inside wall of the bottle neck.  
         [0023]    The bottom side of the inner valve assembly comprises a tubular valve assembly  5 . Details of the tubular valve assembly are not described since the art is already known. The tubular valve assembly has a threaded tubular body member  6 , a base end  7 , a top end  8 , a tapered head member  9  and a tapered opening  10 . The tapered head has a top tapered end  9   a , a bottom tapered end  9   b  and a side end  9   c.    
         [0024]    Further, the inner valve assembly comprises an inner stop  12   a  that will engage an outer stop  12   b  on the outer valve assembly when the outer valve assembly is unscrewed to a predetermined limit. Additional force will engage the stops and causing the inner valve assembly to release at the perforation  19  and unscrew from the bottle neck. This will allow removal of the entire containment cap from the bottle neck.  
         [0025]    The outer valve assembly fits over the inner valve assembly. It comprises an outer wall  11   a , a top wall  11   b  comprising a round hole  13  in the center and an inner wall  11   c . The round hole is tapered downward to a larger diameter and forms a seal with the top tapered end  9   a  in the closed position. The outer wall has an outer wall thread  11   d  that engages the outer thread  3  of the inner valve assembly in the closed position.  
         [0026]    The inner wall  11   c  comprises an inner wall thread  11   e  that engages the threaded tubular body member  5 . In the closed position, the inner wall thread forces the tubular valve assembly  5  to remain in the sealed position to prevent unintentional leakage of gas The upper end of the inner wall  11   c  slides along the inner side  1   c  of the inner wall assembly and has a step  16  to engage and seal the threaded tubular body member against bottom tapered end  9   b  in the open position.  
         [0027]    In the open position, the outer wall thread  11   d  disengages the outer thread  3  as the outer valve assembly is unscrewed and moves upward. In the open position, only the threaded tubular body member  6  supports the outer valve assembly. There is enough freeway space between the inner valve assembly and the outer valve assembly to allow lateral movement of the outer valve assembly sufficient to force open the tubular valve assembly to expel the carbonated liquid when lateral pressure is applied to the outer wall  11   a.    
         [0028]    The inner wall has an indentation  14  the at the lower end comprising a ledge  15  at the bottom of the indentation. A ring  18  fits loosely around the indentation and is allowed to move freely as the bottle is turned upside down to pour.  
         [0029]    In the upright position of the bottle, the ring engages between the ledge  15  and the inner side  11   c  forming a stop and prevents the tubular valve assembly from opening by preventing lateral movement of the outer valve assembly. The ring is designed to disengage the ledge in the pouring position and allow the tubular valve assembly to open by allowing lateral movement. The ring is larger than the freeway space between the inner valve assembly and the outer valve assembly to prevent the ring from becoming caught in the freeway space.  
         [0030]    The lower end of the outer side  1   a  is made in the conventional manner allowing the inner valve assembly to lock on the bottle. The containment cap in the present invention is removed by apply excessive force in the counter clockwise direction to separate the containment cap along a perforation  19  leaving a lock ring  26  behind on the bottle neck. Once removed, the containment cap is reusable. The outer valve assembly has a safety seal  28  connected to the inner valve assembly that will break loose on first opening of the containment cap.  
         [0031]    The outer valve assembly and the inner valve assembly are designed to allow the outer valve assembly to fit in position to the inner valve assembly during the manufacturing process regardless of their tapered features.  
         [0032]    In second more straight forward embodiment, a containment cap similar to an aerosol valve assembly used to dispense whipped cream from cans is adapted to the bottle neck, FIG. 2, comprising a protective cap  20 , a valve assembly  21 , a cap assembly  22 , lock ring  26  and perforation  19 .  
         [0033]    In a third embodiment in FIG. 3, the containment cap comprises the cap assembly  22  that recesses the valve assembly  21  inside the bottle neck. The containment cap is opened by pulling on a tab  23  to release the protective cap  20 . The protective cap is secured off-center on the cap assembly by a hinge  24 . The hinge allows the protective cap to rotate upward and act as a lever. When pulled, the lower end of the protective cap engages laterally the upper end of the valve assembly to force it open to expel the carbonated liquid when the bottle is in the upside down pouring position. The protective cap can be resealed by pushing and snapping it back to its original closed position using a snapping means  25  for snapping the protective cap in the closed position.  
         [0034]    In fourth embodiment, the containment cap in the present invention has an inner valve assembly  1  in FIG. 4. comprising an outer side  1   a  and a top side  1   b  designed to fit on a bottle neck. The outer side has outer staggered threads  29  designed to screw on the inner staggered threads  30  of an outer valve assembly  11 .  
         [0035]    The top side of the inner valve assembly comprises a valve assembly  21 . The valve assembly has angled spokes  27  arranged in a circular pattern radiating from the center of the inner valve assembly, safety seal  28 , inner staggered threads  29 , stop recess  31 , perforation  19  and lock ring  26 . The safety seal is broken the first time the outer valve assembly is opened.  
         [0036]    The outer valve assembly  11  fits over the inner valve assembly. It comprises an outer wall  11   a  having inner staggered threads  30 , a top wall  11   b  having spoke holes  32  arranged in a circular pattern radiating from the center to fit the angled spokes of the inner valve assembly and a outer stop  12   b . The outer staggered threads engage the inner staggered threads in the closed position to seal the containment cap. Optionally, the fourth embodiment comprises a ring  18  similar to the ring described in the first embodiment above.  
         [0037]    The angled spokes in FIG. 5 have a distal slope  27   a , a flat top  27   b  and a vertical end  27   c  to fit into the corresponding shape of the spoke holes in the closed position to seal the containment cap. In the open position, the outer valve assembly is rotated clockwise forcing it to slide up the distal slope and come to a rest on the flat top in a predetermined position when the outer stop  12   b  is engaged in the stop recess and outer staggered threads  29 . At this point, downward vertical pressure or lateral pressure on the outer valve assembly will force the valve assembly open causing the carbonated liquid to be expelled.  
         [0038]    In the open position, the inner staggered threads and the outer staggered threads disengage to allow free vertical movement of the outer valve assembly. The outer stop  12   b  of the outer valve assembly engages the stop recess  31  and outer staggered threads  29  of the inner valve assembly when the outer valve assembly is unscrewed to a predetermined limit. Additional force will cause the inner valve assembly to release at the perforation  19  and unscrew from the bottle neck. This will allow removal of the entire containment cap from the bottle neck.  
         [0039]    A closer view of the containment cap in the open position is shown in FIG. 6 a  and a view of the closed position is shown in FIG. 6 b.    
         [0040]    In order to allow free vertical movement of the outer valve assembly in the open position, the inner valve assembly has the stop recess  31  which will allow enough freeway space between the inner valve assembly and the outer valve assembly to allow lateral movement of the outer valve assembly sufficient to force open the valve assembly to expel the carbonated liquid when downward vertical pressure or lateral pressure is applied to the outer valve assembly.  
         [0041]    The outer valve assembly has a safety seal  28  connected to the inner valve assembly that will break loose on first opening of the containment cap. The lower end of the inner valve assembly is made in the conventional manner allowing the inner valve assembly to lock on the bottle. The containment cap in the present invention is removed by apply excessive force in the counter clockwise direction to separate the containment cap along a perforation  19  leaving a lock ring  26  behind on the bottle neck. Once removed, the containment cap is reusable. The outer valve assembly and the inner valve assembly are designed to allow the outer valve assembly to fit in position to the inner valve assembly during the manufacturing.  
         [0042]    The invention is not in any way strictly limited to the examples of construction described previously, but encompasses numerous embodiments, modifications and improvements.