In-line carbonation system
OwnerJohn Blichmanninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for carbonating a liquid in a pressurizable vessel, including first connecting a vessel with a carbon dioxide tank, wherein said vessel contains a liquid. A vessel can then be pressurized with carbon dioxide to a desired first pressure. A pump is activated to circulate the liquid through a hose out of the vessel to a fitting assembly and out of the fitting assembly back into the vessel. While the liquid is flowing through the fitting assembly carbon dioxide is introduced to the liquid at a second pressure level, wherein the second pressure is greater than said first pressure. After a pre-determined period of time the pump is deactivated and the carbon dioxide can cease to be introduced to the liquid flowing through the fitting assembly.
Claims20
An apparatus for carbonating a liquid comprising:
- a pump having an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture, wherein when the pump is activated, the pump can circulate the liquid from the inlet aperture to the outlet aperture;
- a fitting assembly comprising:
- a carbonation inlet;
- a fluid inlet;
- a fluid outlet;
- and
- a carbonating stone configured to introduce carbon dioxide gas from a carbon dioxide source to the liquid, wherein said carbonating stone has a pore diameter configured to inhibit the over carbonation of the liquid by allowing for the pressure to the carbonation stone to be set at a final desired carbonation level of the liquid;
- and
- a first hose, wherein said first hose fluidly connects the outlet aperture of said pump to the fluid inlet of said fitting assembly.
A system for carbonating a liquid comprising:
- at least one pressurizable tank having a control valve, wherein the tank contains a pressurized carbon dioxide gas for carbonating the liquid;
- at least one vessel containing said liquid, wherein said vessel has a first port and a second port;
- a carbonation apparatus comprising:
- a pump having an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture;
- a fitting assembly comprising:
- a carbonation inlet,
- a fluid inlet,
- a fluid outlet, and
- a carbonating stone, wherein said carbonation stone is fluidly connected to the carbonation inlet;
- and
- a first hose, wherein said first hose is configured to fluidly connect the outlet aperture of said pump to the fluid inlet of said fitting assembly;
- and
- a second hose configured to couple the fluid outlet to the first port of the vessel;
- a third hose configured to couple the pressurizable tank to the carbonation inlet;
- and
- a fourth hose configured to fluidly connect the second port to the fluid inlet aperture of the pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.