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EP-4739940-A1 - METHOD FOR FILLING A GAS CARTRIDGE WITH PRESSURIZED GAS OR LIQUEFIED GAS

EP4739940A1EP 4739940 A1EP4739940 A1EP 4739940A1EP-4739940-A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for filling a gas cartridge (200) with pressurized gas or liquefied gas, the gas cartridge (200) comprising a container (120) and a valve (100) which are connected to one another by a threaded connection that can be tightened and loosened by rotation about a longitudinal axis (L), the valve (100) preferably having at least one primary opening (101), which opens laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis (L), for the admission and discharge of gas when the valve (100) is open, the method having the following method steps: i. at least partially loosening the threaded connection; ii. filling the container (120) with pressurized gas or liquefied gas through a. a thread flight (104) of the at least partially loosened threaded connection; and/or b. a secondary opening (102), which opens laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis (L) and which has been opened up as a result of the threaded connection having been partially loosened, of the valve (100); and/or c. a valve-side recess (105), which has been opened up as a result of the partial loosening of the threaded connection, in a thread flight (104) of the threaded connection; iii. tightening the threaded connection.

Inventors

  • EMPL, Günter
  • KRÜGER, Marc

Assignees

  • SODAPOP GMBH

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20240703

Claims (10)

  1. 1. Method for filling a gas cartridge (200) with compressed gas or liquefied gas, wherein the gas cartridge comprises a container (120) and a valve (100) which are connected to one another by a threaded connection which can be tightened or released by rotating about a longitudinal axis (L), wherein the valve (100) preferably has at least one primary opening (101) opening laterally to the longitudinal axis (L) for letting gas in and out when the valve (100) is open, with the following method steps: i. at least partially loosening the threaded connection; ii. filling the container (120) with compressed gas or liquefied gas through a. a thread (104) of the at least partially loosened threaded connection; and/or b. a secondary opening (102) of the valve (100) opening laterally to the longitudinal axis (L), which is released by partially loosening the threaded connection; and/or c. a valve-side interruption (105) in a thread (104) of the threaded connection, which is released by partially loosening the threaded connection; ill. tightening the threaded connection.
  2. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that when filling the container (120), a pressure chamber surrounding the partially loosened threaded connection is sealed from the environment, so that the container (120) is filled with compressed gas or liquid gas from the pressure chamber.
  3. 3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that the pressure chamber is sealed from the environment by a sealing means (21) which rests against an outer contour of the container (120).
  4. 4. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least partial loosening and tightening of the threaded connection is carried out by a loosening and tightening device (30), which preferably has key surfaces that engage the outer contour, in particular key surfaces (103), of the valve (100).
  5. 5. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the secondary opening (102) is fluidly connected to a container connection opening of the valve (100).
  6. 6. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the thread (104) of the partially loosened threaded connection is a valve thread of the valve (100).
  7. 7. Method according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the valve-side interruption (105) in a thread (104) of the threaded connection is an interruption in a valve thread on an outer contour of the valve (100).
  8. 8. Filling device (1) for filling a gas cartridge (200) with compressed gas or liquefied gas, the gas cartridge comprising a container (120) and a valve (100) which are connected to one another by a threaded connection that can be tightened or released by rotating about a longitudinal axis (L), the valve (100) preferably having at least one primary opening (101) opening laterally to the longitudinal axis (L) for letting gas in and out when the valve (100) is open, with a loosening and tightening device (30) for at least partially loosening and tightening the threaded connection, with a gas supply line (10) for introducing compressed gas or liquefied gas into the container (120) through a. a thread (104) of the at least partially loosened threaded connection; and/or b. a secondary opening (120) of the valve (100) which opens laterally to the longitudinal axis (L) and is released by the partial loosening of the threaded connection; and/or c. a valve-side interruption (105) in a thread (104) of the threaded connection, which is released by the partial loosening of the threaded connection.
  9. 9. Filling device according to claim 8, characterized by a sealing device (20) for providing a pressure chamber which is sealed against the environment and surrounds the partially loosened threaded connection.
  10. 10. Filling device according to claim 9, characterized in that the sealing device (20) has a sealing means (21) which is arranged to rest against an outer contour of the container (120).

Description

DESCRIPTION title Method for filling a gas cartridge with compressed gas or liquid gas State of the art The present invention relates to a method for filling a gas cartridge with compressed gas or liquid gas. Such valves are used on gas cartridges, particularly CO2 cartridges, for soda makers. Such soda makers are also referred to as carbonators and typically have a gas cartridge connection via which the gas cartridge, or the valve of the gas cartridge, can be connected to the soda maker. The valve of the gas cartridge can then be opened optionally via an actuating device on the soda maker in order to remove gas, particularly CO2, from the gas cartridge and feed it to a container with liquid to be carbonated, for example drinking water. Such a valve for a gas cartridge is known from DE 20 2020 005 565 U1. The known valve comprises a cartridge connection opening through which gas can be filled into and removed from a receiving space of the gas cartridge. This cartridge connection opening is arranged along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, so that gas can flow into and out of the receiving space of the gas cartridge in the direction of the longitudinal axis. Furthermore, this valve has two external connection openings that open laterally to the longitudinal axis, so that the gas can flow out of the valve perpendicular to the longitudinal axis when it is removed from the soda maker. The gas cartridge can also be filled via this lateral connection opening. For filling, an adapter with an opening is provided through which the valve can be inserted into an interior of a housing of the adapter. Another filling adapter for gas cartridges with such valves is known from DE 20 2022 107 289 U1. This adapter also has a housing with an opening through which the valve of the gas cartridge is inserted into an interior of the filling adapter. When filling gas cartridges industrially with the known filling adapters, it has proven to be disadvantageous that the dynamics of filling are limited by the inlet cross-section of the valve is limited. For example, the valve of the gas cartridge must be opened sufficiently to allow gas to be introduced quickly into the gas cartridge. disclosure of the invention The object of the present invention is to enable rapid filling even of valves with a small inlet cross-section. To solve the problem, a method according to claim 1 is proposed, namely a method for filling a gas cartridge with compressed gas or liquid gas, wherein the gas cartridge comprises a container and a valve which are connected to one another by a threaded connection which can be tightened or released by rotating about a longitudinal axis, wherein the valve preferably has at least one primary opening which opens laterally to the longitudinal axis for the inlet and outlet of gas when the valve is open, with the following method steps: i. at least partially loosening the threaded connection; ii. filling the container with compressed gas or liquid gas through a. a thread of the at least partially loosened threaded connection; and/or b. a secondary opening of the valve which opens laterally to the longitudinal axis and is released by partially loosening the threaded connection; and/or c. a valve-side interruption in a thread of the threaded connection which is released by partially loosening the threaded connection; ill. tightening the threaded connection. Unlike the filling methods known from the prior art, the filling of the container of the gas cartridge according to the invention does not take place through an optionally openable fluid path of the valve of the gas cartridge. Rather, the threaded connection between the valve and the container is loosened so that the gas can be introduced into the container past the optionally openable fluid path of the valve. The dynamics of the filling are therefore not dependent on the inlet cross-section of the valve. Valves with a small inlet cross-section can therefore also be filled relatively quickly. For the purposes of the invention, a gas cartridge valve is understood to mean a valve which is designed to selectively close and selectively open the gas cartridge, such that the valve is designed to hold a gas in the gas cartridge when it is closed and to provide a fluid connection to the container when it is open. The valve preferably comprises a container connection opening which is aligned along the longitudinal axis of the gas cartridge, such that gas can flow into the container in the direction of the longitudinal axis and flow out of the container. The primary opening(s) open laterally to the longitudinal axis, such that gas can flow into the valve in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The primary opening(s) can be used as extraction openings when the gas cartridge is used in a water carbonator, i.e. when the gas cartridge is used in a water carbonator, the gas can flow out of the valve and thus out of the gas cartridge through the primary openin