Carbonating beverages and check valve useful therein

A check valve for installation in a hole in a body having a defined thickness comprising

• an elastomeric plug having a high pressure side and a low pressure side joined by a stem having a length not greater than the defined thickness,
• the high pressure side having a flange connected to the stem and tapering away from the flange to an elongated shank having a bottom,
• a passageway open at the low pressure side and extending through plug, through the stem and into the high pressure side, terminating within the shank in the high pressure side and defining a shank sidewall, and
• at least one puncture through the shank sidewall to the passageway,
• so the elongated, tapered shank can be inserted at least partially through the hole in the body and the tapered shank can be pulled, causing the elastomeric plug to elongate and thin under tension so that the flange of the high pressure side can pass through the hole until the stem is resident in the hole with the low pressure side not passing through the hole, the flange of the high pressure side forming a seal to close the hole in the body,
• whereby a high pressure source can be introduced into the passageway, high pressure fluid can be released into the passageway, causing passageway distention and enlarging the puncture to allow high pressure fluid to flow through the puncture, and when the high pressure source is removed, the passageway returns to undistended shape, closing the puncture and preventing flow of pressurized fluid from the high pressure side to the low pressure side.

A mechanism for carbonating a liquid in a bottle that has a neck with outer threads comprising

• a source of pressurized carbon dioxide,
• a dispenser to release carbon dioxide from the source of pressurized carbon dioxide in a controlled fashion through an orifice in a pointed component of the dispenser,
• a bottle cap having a round cap end and a peripheral skirt that has internal threads to match the outer threads on the bottle neck, the round cap end having a thickness and having a hole in it, and
• a check valve installed in the hole in round end cap including an elastomeric plug having a high pressure side and a low pressure side joined by a stem,
• a passageway open at the low pressure side and extending through the low pressure side, through the stem and into the high pressure side, terminating within a shank in the high pressure side and defining a shank sidewall laterally of the passageway, and
• at least one puncture through the shank sidewall to the passageway,
• whereby when the plug is installed with the stem in the hole of the body and the low pressure side on one side of the hole and the high pressure side on an opposite side of the hole, a high pressure source can be introduced into the passageway from the low pressure side, high pressure fluid can be released into the passageway from the high pressure source, causing passageway distention and enlarging the puncture to allow high pressure fluid to flow through the puncture, and when the high pressure source is removed, the passageway returns to an undistended shape, closing the puncture and preventing flow of pressurized fluid from the high pressure side to the low pressure side.