Motorless carbonator

Claim 1

A carbonator for carbonating fluids comprising: a housing defining a first fill chamber adapted to receive water and connected to a source of fresh water, and a second carbonation chamber; fluid connection means having an inlet and outlet located within said housing, said inlet being in communication with the fill chamber and the outlet being in communication with said carbonation chamber, the connection means being adapted to transfer water from said fill chamber to said carbonation chamber; means for supplying pressurized carbon dioxide to the fill chamber and to the carbonation chamber; means cooperative with said carbon dioxide supply to maintain a pressure differential between the fill chamber and the carbonation chamber, the pressure differential means supplying carbon dioxide to the fill chamber at a first relatively high pressure and to the carbonation chamber at a second relatively low pressure; a discharge port adapted to withdraw a carbon dioxide-water mixture from the carbonation chamber upon demand; and means responsive to depletion of water in the fill chamber to vent the fill chamber to atmospheric pressure, thereby allowing fresh water to flow freely into the fill chamber filling the fill chamber to a predetermined level; and means operative in response to filling of the fill chamber with water to the predetermined level to repressurize the fill chamber with carbon dioxide and stop filling.