Carbon dioxide fill manifold and method

A carbon dioxide fill manifold for storing liquid and gaseous carbon dioxide and dispensing gaseous carbon dioxide to an end user, comprising an atomizer, at least two liquid chamber ports provided in said atomizer, at least two liquid chambers connected to said liquid chamber ports, said liquid chambers having a selected collective chamber volume for containing liquid carbon dioxide under pressure;

• a pressure actuated check valve provided in said atomizer for supplying liquid carbon dioxide from said liquid chambers to said atomizer and vaporizing the liquid carbon dioxide in said atomizer responsive to a selected difference in pressure across said pressure actuated check valve;
• and at least one vapor container port provided in said atomizer, at least one vapor container connected to said vapor container port, said vapor container having a selected container volume which is from about 25% to about 35% as large as said chamber volume and said container volume combined, said vapor container further adapted to receive the vaporized carbon dioxide from said atomizer, contain the gaseous carbon dioxide under pressure and dispense the gaseous carbon dioxide to a user.

A carbon dioxide fill manifold for storing liquid and gaseous carbon dioxide and dispensing gaseous carbon dioxide to an end user, comprising an atomizer;

• a pair of liquid chamber ports provided in said atomizer, a pair of liquid chambers connected to said liquid chamber ports, said liquid chambers having a selected collective chamber volume for containing liquid carbon dioxide under pressure;
• a pressure actuated check valve provided in said atomizer in fluid communication with said liquid chambers for supplying liquid carbon dioxide from said liquid chambers to said atomizer and vaporizing the liquid carbon dioxide responsive to a selected difference in pressure across said pressure-actuated check valve;
• and a vapor container port provided in said atomizer and a vapor container connected to said vapor container port, said vapor container having a selected container volume which is at least about 32 percent as large as said chamber volume and said container volume combined, said vapor container further adapted to receive the vaporized carbon dioxide, contain gaseous carbon dioxide under pressure and dispense the gaseous carbon dioxide to a user.

A method for storing liquid and gaseous carbon dioxide and selectively dispensing gaseous carbon dioxide using a carbon dioxide fill manifold, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a carbon dioxide fill manifold characterized by an atomizer having at least one liquid chamber port, at least one liquid chamber connected to said liquid chamber port, said liquid chamber containing liquid carbon dioxide, at least one vapor container port, a vapor container connected to said vapor container port, said vapor container containing gaseous carbon dioxide and a pressure actuated valve located in the atomizer between said liquid chamber port and said vapor container port., and
• (b) charging liquid carbon dioxide into said atomizer and the liquid chamber and allowing said liquid carbon dioxide to flow through said liquid chamber port, said atomizer and said pressure actuated valve into the vapor container responsive to a selected pressure differential across said pressure actuated valve, whereby at least a portion of said liquid carbon dioxide vaporizes in said atomizer and the remainder of said liquid carbon dioxide vaporizes as it flows into said vapor container, for dispensing to a customer.