Apparatus for rapid carbonation

Abstract

An apparatus for rapidly carbonating beverages in less than seven minutes is disclosed, including a container for the beverage to be carbonated and a source of carbon dioxide to be introduced into the beverage through a conduit member. The container is sealed, and a bleed line is coupled for the headspace of the container for continuously venting the headspace to the atmosphere while carbon dioxide is flowing through the beverage to maintain a predetermined pressure in the headspace. The flow of carbon dioxide is maintained by a continuous pressure differential between the conduit member and the headspace. An effective amount of carbonation can be achieved in a relatively short amount of time. A source of carbon dioxide is disclosed which includes a reaction vessel and a chemical package containing a mixture of chemicals that can react in water to give carbon dioxide. The chemical package disclosed provides a time delay of at least ten seconds from the time it is immersed in water to the time the chemical reaction begins.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.