Method and apparatus for carbonating liquids

Claim 1

FOR USE IN A SYSTEM CAPABLE OF AUTOMATICALLY PRODUCING AND DISPENSING A DESIRED QUANTITY OF A CARBONATED LIQUID IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DEMAND, WITHOUT THE NECESSITY OF TAPPING A RESERVOIR CONTAINING A PRE-MADE BATCH OF CARBONATED LIQUID, THE METHOD WHICH COMPRISES, (A) PROVIDING A SUPPLY OF PRE-COOLED WATER WHICH IS TO BE CARBONATED, (B) FLOWING A STREAM OF SAID PRE-COOLED WATER AT A SPEED OF NOT LESS THAN ABOUT 3 LINEAR FEET PER SECOND, THROUGH A CONDUIT HAVING A VOLUME CAPACITY SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THAT REQUIRED FOR AN AVERAGE DISPENSING OPERATION, (C) WHILE INJECTING CO2 GAS INTO SAID FLOWING STREAM THROUGH AN ORIFICE WHICH CONNECTS SAID CONDUIT WITH A SUPPLY OF CO2 GAS UNDER A KAPRESSURE CONSIDERABLY HIGHER THAN THE PRESSURE OF THE LIQUID FLOWING IN SAID STREAM, (D) THE PRESSURE OF THE SUPPLY OF GAS ENTERING THE CONDUIT RELATIVE TO THE SIZE OF THE ORIFICE BEING SUCH AS TO SUPPLY GAS AT A SUFFICIENT RATE TO EFFECTIVELY CARBONATE THE FLOWING STREAM DURING THE DISPENSING OPERATION.