Portable automatic water carbonator
AssigneeThe Coca-Cola Company
InventorGeorge Plester
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable carbonator includes a built-in CO.sub.2 supply system which operates on disposable gas generating cartridges. The system requires no electrical power and is self-sufficient and automatic. CO.sub.2 gas is generated by a chemical reaction between reagents which carbonates and/or propels the water. Whenever carbonated water is drawn, the reagents react and generate more CO.sub.2 so as to maintain a constant pressure of the carbonated water.
Claims24
An article of manufacture comprising:
- a) carbonator means including a water reservoir for containing a predetermined quantity of water to be carbonated by the mixing of CO.sub.2 gas therein;
- b) gas generating means including reagents for generating CO.sub.2 gas within a gas generating chamber when the reagents chemically react, said gas generating chamber being in fluid communication with the water reservoir in said carbonator means,
- said reagents including,
- a fixed quantity of chemicals, said fixed quantity being selected to correspond to an amount necessary to generate enough CO.sub.2 gas to carbonate all of said predetermined quantity of water in said water reservoir to a predetermined level, and
- a separate charge of chemicals which periodically mix to generate CO.sub.2 gas for propelling carbonated water from said carbonator means;
- c) a pressure regulating chamber in fluid communication with both a gaseous head space in said water reservoir and said gas generating chamber, said pressure regulating chamber including a head space formed therein;
- d) valve means for accommodating the flow of carbonated water from said carbonator means when in an open state and preventing the flow therefrom when in a clsoed state;
- and
- e) control means responsive to the relative internal pressures between the gaseous head space in said water reservoir, the gas generating chamber and the pressure regulating chamber, for initiating or precluding the mixing of said separate charge of chemicals to initiate or stop the generation of the CO.sub.2 gas for propelling carbonated water from said carbonator means to thereby maintain the pressure of propelled carbonated water substantially constant.
The article of manufacture of claim 16, further including first and second reagent water, and wherein said fixed quantity of chemicals comprises a fixed quantity of solid carbonating chemicals;
- said first reagent water being disposed in a first reagent chamber separate from said gas generating chamber but in fluid communication therewith;
- said solid carbonating chemicals being disposed in said gas generating chamber;
- means for initiating carbonation by emptying the full amount of said first reagent water in said first reagent chamber into said gas generating chamber, and into contact with said solid carbonating chemicals;
- said separate charge of chemicals including solid propellant chemicals disposed in said gas generating chamber but separated from said solid carbonating chemicals;
- said second reagent water being disposed in a second reagent chamber separate from said gas generating chamber but in fluid communication therewith, said water being transportable to said gas generating chamber;
- said first reagent water in said first reagent chamber being of a sufficient quantity to contact only said fixed quantity of solid carbonating chemicals but not the separate charge of solid propellant chemicals;
- the total amount of first and second reagent water in said first and second reagent chambers, when emptied into said gas generating chamber, being sufficient to contact both said solid carbonating and solid propellant chemicals;
- whereby the water in said water reservoir can be fully carbonated by said solid carbonating chemicals before the second reagent water from said second reagent chamber contacts said solid propellant chemicals.
The article of manufacture of cliam 3, wherein said carbonating means and said pressure regulating means each include side walls and whereins aid means for initiating carbonation includes a plurality of valve control rods housed within the side walls of each said carbonator means and said pressure regulating chamber, a first oen of said plurality of valve control rods being operatively connected to a first valve member whereby closing of said lid depresses the first valve control rod thereby actuating said first valve for emptying reagent water in said first reagent chamber into said gas generating chamber through said first valve member, wherein removal of said lid releases actuation of the first valve control rod thereby precluding passage of water from said first reagent chamber into said gas generating chamber.
An article of manufacture comprising:
- a) carbonator means including a water reservoir for containing water to be carbonated by the mixing of CO.sub.2 gas therein;
- and
- b) gas generating means including reagents for generating CO.sub.2 gas within a gas generating chamber when the reagents chemically react, said gas generating means being in fluid communication with the water reservoir in said carbonator means,
- said reagents including,
- a fixed quantity of chemicals, said fixed quantity being selected to correspond to an amount necessary to generate enough CO.sub.2 gas to carbonate all of said predetermined quantity of water in said water reservoir to a predetermined level, and
- a separate charge of chemicals which periodically mix to generate CO.sub.2 gas for propelling carbonated water from said carbonator means.
An article of manufacture comprising:
- a water reservoir having first and second adjacent reagent water compartments formed therein;
- means for simultaneously filling said water reservoir and said first and second reagent water compartments;
- means for sealing said water reservoir and said first and second reagent water compartments;
- gas generating means for generating CO.sub.2 gas in first and second stages within a gas generating chamber;
- first valve means for providing selective fluid communication of said first reagent water compartment with said gas generating means, wherein actuation of said first valve means introduces reagent water from said first reagent water compartment into said gas generating means, thereby generating said first stage of CO.sub.2 gas;
- means for introducing said first stage of CO.sub.2 gas from said gas generating means into said water reservoir, thereby carbonating still water therein;
- a pressure regulating means for maintaining a predetermined head space pressure in said water reservoir, said pressure regulating means including a water chamber;
- second valve means for providing selective fluid communication of said second reagent water compartment with the water chamber of said pressure regulating means, wherein actuation of said second valve means introduces reagent water from said second reagent water compartment into the water chamber;
- third valve means for providing selective fluid communication of the water chamber with said gas generating means, whereby subsequent to carbonation of water in said water reservoir, said third valve means is actuable to introduce water from the water chamber into said gas generating chamber, thereby generating a second stage of CO.sub.2 gas;
- and
- fourth valve means for selectively introducing at least a portion of the second stage of CO.sub.2 gas into a head space of said water reservoir only upon depletion of at least a corresponding portion of the carbonated water from said water reservoir, whereby pressure in the head space of said water reservoir is in a balanced equilibrium with a pressure of the second stage of CO.sub.2 gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.