Method of and apparatus for making and dispensing carbonated water with a double diaphragm pneumatic water pump

A method of pneumatically making and dispensing carbonated water, comprising the steps of:

• (a) connecting a double diaphragm continuous delivery liquid pump to an automatic bulk water source at whatever pressure the source may be at;
• (b) dropping the source pressure to a pre-determined supply pressure and providing only the supply pressure to a liquid inlet of the pump;
• (c) pressurizing a carbonator vessel with carbon dioxide gas at a storage pressure which is higher than the supply pressure;
• (d) providing propellent gas to the pump at a propellent pressure which is greater than either the supply or storage pressure and which is relatively constant regardless of the source pressure;
• (e) filling the carbonator vessel by boosting the water pressure in the pump and in a fill line to the carbonator to a filling pressure which is higher than the storage pressure and which is approaching the propellent pressure, and opening a fill valve to the carbonator to allow a filling flow;
• and
• (f) preventing inversion of the diaphragm in the pump by always
• (1) keeping the propellent pressure on one of the diaphragms, and
• (2) keeping the storage pressure on the second diaphragm,
• so that both diaphragms always have a gas pressure thereon which always exceeds the water supply pressure.

Pneumatically powerable apparatus for making and dispensing carbonated water, comprising:

• (a) a carbonator vessel having a water inlet, a water level control and a water outlet connected to a dispensing valve;
• (b) a continuous delivery pneumatically powerable double diaphragm type liquid pump having a liquid outlet connected by a water fill line to the carbonator water inlet, and a liquid supply inlet connected to a water supply line;
• (c) a water pressure regulator in the water supply line, said pressure regulator having an output pressure set at a pre-determined water supply pressure;
• (d) a carbonator fill valve in the water fill line, said fill valve being operatively connected to the level control for control thereby;
• (e) a first carbon dioxide gas line fluidly connected into the carbonator vessel, said first line having a first gas pressure regulator set at a pre-determined storage pressure which is higher than the water supply pressure;
• (f) a second carbon dioxide gas line connected to a propellent inlet of the pump, said second line being connectible to means for supplying carbon dioxide gas at a regulated propellent pressure higher than the storage pressure;
• and
• (g) means for maintaining a gas pressure higher than the water supply pressure on the pump diaphragm at all times during exhaust of used propellent gas from the pump.

Pneumatically powerable apparatus for making and dispensing carbonated water, comprising:

• (a) a carbonator vessel having a water inlet, a water level control, and a water outlet connected to a dispensing valve;
• (b) a continuous delivery pneumatically powerable double diaphragm type liquid pump having a liquid outlet connected by a water fill line to the carbonator water inlet, and a liquid supply inlet connected to a water supply line having means for being connected to an automatic bulk water source;
• (c) means in the water supply line for reducing an undetermined water source pressure down to a pre-determined water supply pressure to and for the pump liquid inlet;
• (d) means in the water fill line and connected to the carbonator level control for control of water flow from the pump to the carbonator;
• and
• (e) a carbon dioxide gas system having
• (1) a first gas line fluidly connected into the carbonator vessel, said line having therein means for regulating a carbon dioxide supply pressure in the carbonator vessel at a pressure which is higher than the water supply pressure,
• (2) a second gas line connected to a propellent inlet of the pump, said second line being connectible to means for supplying carbon dioxide gas at a regulated pressure substantially higher than the storage pressure, and
• (3) an exhaust gas line fluidly connected from a gas exhaust of the pump to the carbonator vessel.

A pneumatically powerable apparatus for making and dispensing carbonated water, comprising:

• (a) a water supply line connectible to an automatic bulk water source at an undetermined water pressure;
• (b) means in said supply line for reducing the source water pressure to less than a pre-determined carbonation pressure;
• (c) a double diaphragm type liquid pump having a liquid inlet fluidly connected to said pressure reducing means and a liquid outlet connected to a carbonator vessel;
• (d) a compressed gas propellent line connected to a propellent inlet of the pump, said propellent line having means for supplying propellent gas at a pressure higher than a carbonation pressure;
• and
• (e) means for applying the carbonation pressure upon the diaphragms of the pump, so that both diaphragms are always under a gas pressure which is greater than the water supply pressure, for preventing inversion of the diaphragms.

A method of boosting water pressure and supplying quantities of water at the boosted pressure, comprising the steps of:

• (a) connecting a double diaphragm continuous delivery pneumatically powerable liquid pump to an automatic bulk water source;
• (b) providing pressurized propellent gas alternately to each diaphragm of the pump, said propelled gas being at a propellent pressure which is substantially higher than the water source pressure;
• (c) boosting the water pressure to close to the propellent pressure by pumping the water through and from the pump under the propellent pressure;
• (d) exhausting used propellent gas from the pump and backing up the exhausted gas at an exhaust back pressure which is higher than the water source pressure,
• (e) maintaining the exhaust pressure alternately upon that diaphragm which is not being exposed to the propellent pressure during refill of the pump, and
• (f) preventing inversion of the diaphragm by always keeping on the diaphragm a gas pressure which is higher than the supply pressure to which the diaphragm is exposed during refilling.

A method of boosting water pressure and supplying quantities of water at the boosted pressure with a double diaphragm continuous delivery pneumatically powered liquid pump, comprising the steps of:

• providing and controlling the
• water supply pressure (Pws)
• water boosted pressure (Pwb),
• pneumatic propellent pressure (Pp), and the
• propellent exhaust back pressure (Pe),
• according to the algorithm
• Pwb.sub.max =Pp-Pe+Pws,
• by maintaining Pe greater than Pws with control means connected to a propellent gas exhaust from the pump and to a water supply line into the pump, for controlling the valves of Pe and Pws respectively, and thereby preventing inversion of the diaphragms in the pump while reciprocating the diaphragm in the pump and pumping water at up to Pwb.sub.max .

Apparatus for boosting water pressure and continuously pumping water at the boosted pressure, comprising

• (a) a double diaphragm pneumatically powerable continuous delivery liquid pump having a liquid inlet, a liquid outlet, a propellent gas inlet and a propellent gas outlet;
• (b) means for providing water to the liquid inlet at a pre-determined maximum water supply pressure;
• (c) means for backing up used propellent gas in the gas outlet at a pre-determined minimum exhaust back pressure, said exhaust back pressure being higher than said water supply pressure;
• and
• (d) means for providing propellent gas into the gas inlet at a propellent pressure which is significantly higher than the exhaust back pressure.

A pneumatically powered water pressure boosting apparatus

• (a) operatively defined by the algorithm
• Pwb.sub.max =P.sub.p -P.sub.e +P.sub.ws,
• wherein:
• P.sub.wb =boosted water pressure, out of the pump,
• P.sub.p =pneumatic propellent pressure into the pump,
• P.sub.e =propellent exhaust back pressure at the pump,
• P.sub.ws =water supply pressure at the pump;
• and having
• (b) a double diaphragm continuous delivery pneumatically powered liquid pump having a liquid inlet connectible to the water supply pressure, a liquid outlet for water at the boosted pressure, a gas inlet connectible to the propellent pressure, and a gas outlet subjectable to said exhaust back pressure;
• (c) means connected to said gas outlet and said liquid inlet for maintaining P.sub.e greater than P.sub.ws.