Drinking Vessel Dry Ice Filling Apparatus and Method

Abstract

The Invention is an apparatus and method for charging a dry ice drinking vessel with dry ice. A dry ice drinking vessel has a dry ice chamber communicating with an interior of the dry ice drinking vessel through perforations. A body selectably holds a filter in engagement with a perforation of the dry ice chamber. Liquid carbon dioxide is discharged from a pressure vessel through a valve and flashes into carbon dioxide gas, a portion of which freezes to dry ice. The carbon dioxide gas and dry ice flow through an orifice into the dry ice chamber. The dry ice is prevented from leaving the dry ice chamber by the filter.

1 . An apparatus for charging a dry ice drinking vessel with dry ice where the dry ice drinking vessel includes a dry ice chamber and an interior and where the dry ice drinking vessel further includes a primary perforation and a secondary perforation communicating between said interior and said dry ice chamber, the interior having a predetermined shape, the apparatus comprising:
 a. a body, said body conforming generally to the predetermined shape of the interior of the dry ice drinking vessel for selectable engagement with the interior of the dry ice drinking vessel;   c. an orifice, said orifice being aligned with the primary perforation of the dry ice drinking vessel when the interior of the dry ice drinking vessel is in engagement with said body;   d. a pressure vessel containing carbon dioxide;   e. means to selectably discharge said carbon dioxide through said orifice.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the apparatus further comprising: a filter, said body defining an opening, said opening being aligned with the secondary perforation when said body and the interior of the dry ice drinking vessel are in engagement, said filter being supported by said body and interposed between the secondary perforation and said opening when the interior of the dry ice drinking vessel and said body are in engagement. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein said filter has a pore size, said pore size being selected substantially to stop the dry ice from passing through said filter. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein said body defines a body longitudinal axis and the interior of the dry ice drinking vessel defines a dry ice drinking vessel longitudinal axis, said body longitudinal axis and said dry ice drinking vessel longitudinal axis being generally coincident when the interior of said dry ice drinking vessel is in engagement with said body, said orifice being located on said body longitudinal axis and said primary perforation being located on said dry ice drinking vessel longitudinal axis, whereby said orifice and said primary perforation are aligned when said dry ice drinking vessel is in engagement with said body. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein said body is generally cylindrical and has a free end, said orifice is located at said free end of said body and said filter and said opening are located at said free end of said body, said opening and said filter being annularly arranged about said orifice. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said pressure vessel contains liquid carbon dioxide and said means to selectably discharge carbon dioxide comprising an electrically operated valve. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , the apparatus further comprising:
 a. a base, said base containing said electrically operated valve;   b. a dry ice drinking vessel containment attached to said base, said dry ice drinking vessel containment containing said body, said dry ice drinking vessel containment further containing said dry ice drinking vessel when said interior of the dry ice drinking vessel is in engagement with said body;   c. a lid selectably closing said dry ice drinking vessel containment.   
   
   
       8 . An apparatus for serving a beverage, the apparatus comprising:
 a. a dry ice drinking vessel having a dry ice chamber, an interior, a primary perforation and a secondary perforation, said primary and said secondary perforations communicating between said dry ice chamber and said interior, said interior of said dry ice drinking vessel having a predetermined shape:   b. a body, said body conforming generally to said predetermined shape of said interior of said dry ice drinking vessel for selectable engagement with said interior of the dry ice drinking vessel;   c. an orifice, said orifice being aligned with said primary perforation of said dry ice drinking vessel when said interior of said dry ice drinking vessel is in engagement with said body;   d. a pressure vessel containing carbon dioxide;   e. means to selectably discharge said carbon dioxide through said orifice.   
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , the apparatus further comprising: a filter, said body defining an opening, said opening being aligned with said secondary perforation when said body and said interior of said dry ice drinking vessel are in engagement, said filter being supported by said body and interposed between said secondary perforation and said opening when said interior of said dry ice drinking vessel and said body are in engagement. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 9  wherein said filter has a pore size, said pore size being selected substantially to stop said a solid dry ice from passing through said filter. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10  wherein said body defines a body longitudinal axis and said interior of said dry ice drinking vessel defines a dry ice drinking vessel longitudinal axis, said body longitudinal axis and said dry ice drinking vessel longitudinal axis being generally coincident when said interior of said dry ice drinking vessel is in engagement with said body, said orifice being located on said body longitudinal axis and said primary perforation being located on said dry ice drinking vessel longitudinal axis, whereby said orifice and said primary perforation are aligned when said dry ice drinking vessel is in engagement with said body. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein said body is generally cylindrical, said orifice is located at a free end of said body and said filter and said opening are located at said free end of said body, said opening and said filter being annularly arranged about said orifice. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein said pressure vessel contains liquid carbon dioxide and said means to selectably discharge said liquid carbon dioxide comprising an electrically operated valve. 
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , the apparatus further comprising:
 a. a base, said base containing said electrically operated valve;   b. a dry ice drinking vessel containment attached to said base, said dry ice drinking vessel containment containing said body, said dry ice drinking vessel containment containing said dry ice drinking vessel when said interior is in engagement with said body;   c. a lid selectably closing said dry ice drinking vessel containment.   
   
   
       15 . A method for charging a dry ice drinking vessel with a dry ice, the method comprising:
 a. placing the dry ice drinking vessel in engagement with a charging station, said charging station having a body, the dry ice drinking vessel having a dry ice chamber and an interior, said interior and said dry ice chamber having a primary perforation and a secondary perforation communicating between said interior and said dry ice chamber, said placing of the dry ice drinking vessel in engagement with said charging station comprising placing said interior of the dry ice drinking vessel in engagement with said body, said body including an orifice, said orifice being aligned with said primary perforation when said body is in engagement with said interior of the dry ice drinking vessel;   b. opening a valve, said valve selectably controlling a flow of carbon dioxide from a pressure vessel, said flow of carbon dioxide discharging through said orifice;   c. receiving said carbon dioxide by said dry ice chamber through said primary perforation;   d. collecting the dry ice within said dry ice chamber and releasing a carbon dioxide gas from said dry ice chamber through said secondary perforation;   e. removing said interior of the dry ice drinking vessel from engagement with said body.   
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , the steps of collecting the dry ice in said dry ice chamber and releasing said carbon dioxide gas further comprising:
 a. providing a filter, said filter being in engagement with said secondary perforation when said interior of the dry ice drinking vessel is in engagement with said body, said filter being supported by said body, said body defining an opening communicating from an exterior to an interior of said body, said opening being aligned with said secondary perforation when said interior of the dry ice drinking vessel is in engagement with said body, said filter being interposed between said secondary perforation and said opening when said interior of the dry ice drinking vessel is in engagement with said body;   b. separating the dry ice from said carbon dioxide gas by passing said carbon dioxide gas through said filter and through said opening and by excluding the dry ice from passing through said filter and said opening.   
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said interior of the dry ice drinking vessel defines a drinking vessel longitudinal axis, said body defines a body longitudinal axis, said drinking vessel longitudinal axis and said body longitudinal axis being generally coincident when said interior of the dry ice drinking vessel is in engagement with said body. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein said primary perforation is located on said drinking vessel longitudinal axis and said orifice is located on said body longitudinal axis. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said body is generally cylindrical, said orifice is located at a free end of said body, said opening is defined by said free end of said body, said opening and said filter being annularly disposed about said orifice. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said step of placing the dry ice drinking vessel in engagement with said body further comprises:
 a. removing a lid, said charging station defining a containment selectably closed by said lid, said body being contained within said containment;   b. placing said interior of the dry ice drinking vessel in engagement with said body;   c. replacing said lid on said charging station containment to close said containment, the dry ice drinking vessel being enclosed within said containment when said interior is in engagement with said body and said lid is replaced, said charging station including a base, said electrically operated valve being contained within said base.