Beverage maker and cooling fan

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a beverage maker and a cooling fan, the beverage maker comprising: a mixing container arranged to receive a beverage product; and a stirrer driven by a drive motor arranged to mix the beverage product within the mixing container. A refrigeration circuit is arranged to cool the beverage product within the mixing container. The refrigeration circuit comprises a condenser. A cooling fan is configured to simultaneously cool the drive motor and the condenser.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application is a continuation-of-part of U.S. patent application No. 18 / 424,536, filed on January 26, 2024, entitled “DUAL-USE COOLING FAN FOR DRINK MAKER,” which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application No. 18 / 415,817, filed on January 18, 2024. The entire contents of the above U.S. patent applications are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates to beverage makers, and more particularly to cooling assemblies of beverage makers. Background Art

[0004] Frozen beverage maker, also can be referred to as semi-frozen beverage maker or crushed ice beverage maker, generally comprises wherein receiving and processing transparent tank or mixing container of beverage product, and described processing comprises cooling, often described beverage product is transformed into frozen or semi-frozen product from pure liquid (or the combination of liquid and ice part), for example slushy, slushy drink, smoothie, ice cream or other frozen or semi-frozen product, and described product is then distributed.Cooled product is usually distributed by the faucet, tap or dispenser that is positioned near the front and bottom of container.Therefore, the term "frozen beverage maker" as used herein is not limited to the device that only makes beverage or frozen beverage, but comprises the device that cools the beverage product that receives to produce any one of a plurality of cooling, freezing and semi-frozen forms through cooling output.Beverage product is usually made up of the mixture of water or milk, syrup, flavoring powder or other additives that give beverage product desired taste and color.

[0005] Some existing frozen beverage making machines include a mixing system within a mixing vessel having a mixing blade or auger rotated by a motor via a drive shaft and a drive assembly. Some existing frozen beverage making machines include a refrigeration system having a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator (i.e., a chiller) for receiving refrigerant from the compressor, wherein the evaporator is located near or within the mixing vessel to cool the beverage product during processing.

[0006] Some existing frozen beverage making machines include a controller that controls operations of the frozen beverage making machine related to making frozen beverage products. Existing frozen beverage making machines may include a computer-controlled program that controls the temperature of the frozen food product during processing. Existing frozen beverage making machines typically include a drive motor with a fan attached to a drive shaft of the drive motor to provide cooling for the drive motor and a separate condenser fan to provide cooling for the condenser. Utility Model Content

[0007] In various embodiments, the present application addresses deficiencies associated with cooling assemblies of beverage makers.

[0008] This application describes illustrative systems, methods, and apparatus whereby a dual-purpose cooling fan simultaneously provides cooling air flow to both a drive motor for driving rotation of an agitator and a condenser for cooling a refrigerant of a beverage maker's refrigeration circuit and / or system.

[0009] In one aspect, a beverage maker includes a mixing container configured to receive a beverage product and an agitator driven by a drive motor configured to mix the beverage product within the mixing container. A refrigeration circuit configured to cool the beverage product within the mixing container includes a condenser. A cooling fan is configured to cool both the drive motor and the condenser simultaneously. In some embodiments, the cooling fan is driven by the drive motor directly or via a gear assembly and is therefore activated when the drive motor is activated.

[0010] The cooling fan can provide an air flow through the condenser to cool the refrigerant flowing through the condenser. The cooling fan can also provide an air flow along the surface of the drive motor to cool the drive motor. The cooling fan, drive motor, and condenser can be positioned so that the air flow generated by the cooling fan passes continuously through the condenser and along the surface of the drive motor. A first portion of the air flow generated by the cooling fan can cool the condenser, and a second portion of the air flow generated by the cooling fan can cool the drive motor. In another embodiment, the air flow generated by the cooling fan passes through the condenser and along the surface of the drive motor in parallel, such that a first portion of the air flow passes through the condenser and a second portion of the air flow passes along the surface of the drive motor. The condenser can include one or more coils wound in a serpentine arrangement. Each of the one or more coils can include a plurality of heat transfer fins. When the cooling fan provides an air flow through the condenser to cool the refrigerant flowing through the condenser, the air flow can flow adjacent to and / or around the plurality of coils.

[0011] A cooling channel may extend between the cooling fan and the drive motor, wherein the cooling channel provides a cooling air flow between the cooling fan and the drive motor. The cooling channel may be formed at least in part by a duct. The cooling channel may extend between the cooling fan and the condenser, wherein the cooling channel provides a cooling air flow between the cooling fan and the condenser. The cooling channel may be formed at least in part by a duct. The cooling fan may include a centrifugal fan, a crossflow fan, a tangential fan, a volute fan, a backward curved fan, a forward curved fan, a blower fan, a squirrel cage fan, and / or an axial flow fan.

[0012] In another aspect, a cooling fan is configured to cool a drive motor and a condenser within a housing of a beverage maker, wherein the drive motor is configured to drive rotation of an agitator within a mixing container of the beverage maker, and the condenser is configured to cool a refrigerant circulating within a refrigeration system of the beverage maker. The cooling fan includes an air inlet configured to receive an air flow from the surrounding environment; an impeller configured to generate the air flow; and an air outlet configured to output the air flow through the condenser and along a surface of the drive motor. The cooling fan may include an air channel arranged to direct the air flow through the condenser and along a surface of the drive motor. The air channel may be formed at least in part by an air duct. The cooling fan may include a centrifugal fan, a crossflow fan, a tangential fan, a volute fan, a backward curved fan, a forward curved fan, a blower fan, a squirrel cage fan, and / or an axial flow fan.

[0013] In another aspect, a method for simultaneously cooling a condenser and a drive motor within a housing of a beverage maker using a cooling fan comprises: activating the drive motor, the drive motor being arranged to drive rotation of an agitator within a mixing container of the beverage maker; activating a compressor of a refrigeration system of the beverage maker; and activating the cooling fan to simultaneously generate an air flow through the condenser and along a surface of the drive motor. In some embodiments, the cooling fan is coupled to the drive motor and / or is driven to rotate by the drive motor. The method may include receiving user input to activate the drive motor, the compressor, and the cooling fan. The user input may initiate a recipe and / or computer program controlled by a controller that automatically activates the drive motor, the compressor, and the cooling fan.

[0014] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the systems, methods and devices described herein are applicable to other types of food products, such as making and / or processing (not limited to) ice cream, frozen yogurt, other creams and the like. Although the present disclosure describes the example of a beverage maker for processing various frozen and / or semi-frozen beverage products, the systems, devices and methods described herein are not limited to such beverage products and are capable of processing and / or making other types of beverage products, such as cold beverage products and / or cooling beverage products. As used herein, the terms "mixing", "mixing" or "mixing" are not limited to combining multiple ingredients together, but also include mixing beverage products or liquids with a single ingredient or no added ingredients. For example, a beverage product can consist only of water mixed by a blender during processing, that is, the part of the water that is stirred and / or blended when the blender rotates. This can, for example, advantageously achieve a more uniform temperature of the water and / or liquid as a whole in a mixing container by mixing parts of water and / or liquids with different temperatures.

[0015] Advantages of these and other structures will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and reviewing the associated drawings.The foregoing general description and the following detailed description are intended to be explanatory only and are not restrictive of the aspects of the disclosure as claimed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The present disclosure will be more fully understood by reference to the detailed description in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0017] Figure 1 showing a perspective view of a beverage maker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0018] Figure 2 The embodiment according to the present disclosure is shown Figure 1 a view of various internal components within the housing and mixing container of a beverage maker;

[0019] Figure 3 Shown are some embodiments according to the present disclosure Figure 1 A front view of a beverage making machine;

[0020] Figure 4 According to some embodiments of the present disclosure Figure 1 A block diagram of an example of a control system for a beverage making machine;

[0021] Figure 5A An embodiment of a dual-purpose cooling fan within the housing of a beverage maker is shown;

[0022] Figure 5B Another embodiment of a dual-purpose cooling fan within the housing of a beverage maker is shown;

[0023] Figure 5C Shown Figure 5B A perspective view of a dual-purpose cooling fan; and

[0024] Figure 6 is a flow chart of a process for operating a dual-purpose fan. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In the following description, like components have like reference numerals regardless of the different illustrated embodiments. To clearly and concisely illustrate the embodiments, the drawings may not necessarily reflect proper scale, and some structures may be shown in somewhat schematic form. The present disclosure may describe and / or illustrate structures in one embodiment and in one or more other embodiments in the same or similar manner and / or in combination with or in place of structures in other embodiments.

[0026] In the specification and claims, for the purposes of describing and defining the present application, the terms "about" and "substantially" represent the inherent degree of uncertainty attributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement or other representation. In addition, the terms "about" and "substantially" represent the extent to which a quantitative representation may differ from a stated reference without causing a change in the basic function of the subject matter being discussed. Open-ended terms such as "comprise / include" and / or the plural form of each term include the listed parts and may include additional parts that are not listed, while terms such as "and / or" include one or more of the listed parts and combinations of the listed parts. The use of terms such as "top", "bottom", "above", "below", etc. only contributes to a clear description of the present disclosure and does not limit the structure, positioning and / or operation of the present disclosure in any way.

[0027] Certain aspects of the present disclosure include systems, methods, and apparatus that address the need for more efficient cooling of components within beverage makers and / or frozen beverage makers.

[0028] Figure 1 Shown is a perspective view of a beverage maker 100 according to an illustrative embodiment of the present disclosure. The beverage maker 100 comprises a housing 102 and a mixing container 104. The housing 102 may comprise a user interface 112 for receiving user input to control the frozen beverage maker 100 and / or output or display information. The user interface 112 may comprise one or more buttons, dials, switches, touch screens, indicators, LEDs and the like. The user interface 112 may display status information, including, for example, the temperature of the beverage product in the mixing container 104, an indicator of the recipe and / or program currently being implemented, a timer associated with the progress of the recipe and / or program currently being implemented. The user interface 112 may provide the user with indicators and / or warnings regarding, for example, when a recipe is complete or when a user is expected to perform an action associated with processing the beverage product. The user interface 112 may include a selectable menu of recipes and / or procedures for different types of beverage products, such as, but not limited to, smoothies, slushies, smoothies, margaritas, daiquiris, punches, slushies, cold drinks, semi-frozen drinks, frozen drinks, and the like.

[0029] The housing 102 can include a removable panel 114 along a side of the housing 102. The panel 114 can include a plurality of openings that promote airflow to help cool the components within the housing 102. The housing 102 can include an upper housing section 122 that is arranged to couple with a rear end of the mixing container 104 when the mixing container 104 is attached to the housing 102. The mixing container 104 can include a wall, or a portion thereof, that is transparent to enable an observer to see the beverage product within the mixing container 104 during processing. The mixing container 104 can include a pour opening 106 through which the mixing container 104 can receive ingredients for processing the beverage product within the mixing container 104. Figure 1 The pour opening 106 is shown in a closed configuration with a cover that seals the opening 106. The cover can be removable or movable in a detachable manner to open or close the opening 106. The pour opening 106 can include a grid that prevents a user from reaching the mixing container 104 when the pour opening 106 is open, i.e., when the cover is not installed. The mixing container 104 can include a dispenser assembly 108 having a user handle 120, a spout (not shown), and a spout shield and / or cover 116. The dispenser assembly 108 enables a user to open a spout connected to the wall of the mixing container 104 by pulling up on the handle 120 to dispense a beverage product from the mixing container 104. The user can then dispense the beverage product from the mixing container 104 by pushing the handle 120 back into its upright position ( Figure 1 ) to close the spout and thereby stop dispensing the beverage product.

[0030] The frozen beverage maker and / or beverage maker 100 may include a lever 110 that enables a locking coupling of the mixing container 104 to the housing 102 including the upper housing section 122 . Figure 1The lever 110 is shown in a locked and / or closed position, whereby the mixing container 104 is engaged and / or coupled to the housing 102 and the upper housing section 122. In the closed and / or engaged position, the lever 110 ensures a watertight seal to prevent leakage of the beverage product from the mixing container 104. The lever 110 can be placed in the closed, coupled and / or engaged position by sliding the mixing container 104 against the upper housing section 122 and then rotating the lever 110 clockwise until its handle rests on or around the top surface of the upper housing section 122. The lever 110 can be pulled and / or rotated counterclockwise toward the front of the mixing container 104, which releases the mixing container 104 and disengages and / or separates the mixing container 104 from the housing 102 and the upper housing section 122. Once released, the mixing container 104 can be slid in a forward direction (away from the upper housing section 122) to be completely disassembled and / or removed from the housing 102. The frozen beverage maker 100 may also include a drip tray 118 positioned below the dispenser assembly 108 and arranged to collect any beverage product that is not properly dispensed from the mixing container 104, eg, into a user's cup.

[0031] Figure 2 Shown Figure 1 1 and 2. A view of the various internal components within the housing 102 and mixing vessel 104 of the beverage maker 100. The beverage maker 100 includes a cylindrical evaporator 202 surrounded by an auger and / or agitator 204. The agitator 204 may include one or more mixing blades and / or protrusions extending in a spiral around the evaporator and / or cooler 202. The agitator 204 may be driven to rotate by a central drive shaft within the mixing vessel 104. The drive shaft may be surrounded by the evaporator 202. However, in various embodiments, the evaporator 202 does not rotate. The drive shaft may be coupled to a drive motor 208 via a gear assembly 210. In some embodiments, the drive motor 208 is an AC motor, but another type of motor may be used, such as, but not limited to, a DC motor. The drive motor 208 may include a motor fan 212 that is arranged to provide air cooling to the motor 208. Although Figure 2An embodiment is shown in which the drive motor 208 is not coaxially aligned with the drive shaft for rotating the agitator 204, but in other embodiments, the motor 208 can be coaxially aligned with the drive shaft. During processing of the beverage product, the motor 208 can be operated continuously at one or more speeds to drive continuous rotation of the agitator 204 and thereby provide continuous mixing of the beverage product within the mixing vessel 104. In a certain embodiment, the rotation of the agitator 204 causes the helically arranged blades to push the cooled beverage product to the front of the mixing vessel 104. During processing, portions of the beverage product may freeze on the surface of the evaporator as a result of being cooled by the evaporator. In some embodiments, the blades of the rotating agitator 204 scrape the frozen portions of the beverage product from the surface of the evaporator while mixing the cooled beverage product and pushing the cooled beverage product toward the front of the mixing vessel 104. The water tray 118 can be removed from its position in the evaporator. Figure 1 For example, the water tray 118 can be mounted and / or stored on a side panel of the housing 102, such as Figure 3 Shown in FIG. 3 is a water tray 304 .

[0032] The frozen beverage maker 100 may include a refrigeration and / or cooling system to provide cooling of the beverage product and / or control the temperature of the beverage product within the mixing container 104. The refrigeration and / or cooling system may include a compressor 214, an evaporator 202, a condenser 216, a condenser fan 218, a bypass valve, and conduits that carry refrigerant in a closed loop between the refrigeration system components to facilitate cooling and / or temperature control of the beverage product in the mixing container 104. The operation of the refrigeration system may be controlled by a controller, such as controller 402, as described later herein. Figure 4 Further described. The frozen beverage maker 100 may also include a condensation collection tray 220 arranged to collect any liquid condensation caused by cooling from the evaporator 202. Figure 2 The tray 220 is shown in an inserted position. The tray 220 can be insertedly removed from the slot within the housing 102 to collect condensed liquid when inserted into the slot and then effectively removed to an empty tray 220 and then reinserted into the slot for subsequent liquid collection.

[0033] Figure 3 Shown Figure 110. The frozen beverage maker 100 may include a user interface 112 on a front surface of the housing 102. In other embodiments, the user interface 112 may be located on the side, top, or back of the housing 102. The frozen beverage maker 100 may include a power interface (not shown) arranged to receive AC power from an electrical outlet. In some embodiments, the frozen beverage maker 100 may include one or more batteries housed within the housing 102 and arranged to provide power to various components of the frozen beverage maker 100. The frozen beverage maker 100 may also include a printed circuit board (PCB) 222 within the housing 102. The frozen beverage maker may include a mount 302 on a side of the housing 102, wherein the water tray 118 may be detachable when not in use (in the Figure 3 304), which is mounted at the mounting member, for example, during transport of the frozen beverage maker 100. Figure 4 As explained, the PCB 222 may contain a control system 400 arranged to automatically control certain operations of the frozen beverage maker 100 .

[0034] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary control system 400 of the frozen beverage maker 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The control system 400 may include a microcontroller, a processor, a system on a chip (SoC), a client device, and / or a physical computing device, and may include hardware and / or virtual processors. In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As shown in , the control system 400 and its elements each relate to physical hardware, and in some embodiments, a simulator or virtual machine can be used to implement one, more or all of the elements. In any case, the electronic control system 400 can be implemented on physical hardware, such as in the frozen beverage maker 100.

[0035] Likewise Figure 4As shown in , the control system 400 may include a user interface 212 and / or 112, the user interface having, for example, a keyboard, a keypad, one or more buttons, a dial, a touchpad or a sensor readout (e.g., a biometric scanner) and one or more output devices, such as a display, a speaker for audio, an LED indicator and / or a light indicator. The control system 400 may also include a communication interface 410, such as a network communication unit that may include wired communication components and / or wireless communication components, which may be communicatively coupled to the controller and / or processor 402. The network communication unit may utilize any of a variety of proprietary or standardized network protocols, such as Ethernet, TCP / IP (to name just a few of many protocols), to enable communication between the processor 402 and another device, network or system. The network communication unit may also include one or more transceivers that utilize Ethernet, power line communication (PLC), Wi-Fi, cellular and / or other communication methods. For example, the control system 400 can send one or more communications to the user's mobile device associated with the status of the frozen beverage maker 100, such as sending an alert to the mobile device when a recipe is complete and / or a beverage product is ready to be dispensed, or indicating that the mixing container is low on or out of beverage product.

[0036] The control system 400 may include a processing element, such as a controller and / or processor 402, which includes one or more hardware processors, each of which may have a single or multiple processor cores. In one embodiment, the processor 402 includes at least one shared cache that stores data (e.g., computing instructions) utilized by one or more other components of the processor 402. For example, a shared cache may be a local cache of data stored in a memory for faster access by components making up the processing element of the processor 402. Examples of processors include, but are not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU) and / or a microprocessor. The controller and / or processor 402 may utilize a processor based on, but not limited to, 8051 architecture, 68HCX, 80X86 and similar computer architectures. Processor 402 may include, but is not limited to, 8-bit, 12-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit, or 64-bit architectures. Although Figure 4 Although not shown, the processing elements constituting processor 402 may also include one or more other types of hardware processing components, such as a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and / or a digital signal processor (DSP).

[0037] Figure 4Also shown is a memory 404 that can be operatively and communicatively coupled to the controller 402. The memory 404 can be a non-transitory medium configured to store various types of data. For example, the memory 404 can include one or more storage devices 408, which include non-volatile storage devices and / or volatile memory. Volatile memory such as random access memory (RAM) can be any suitable non-permanent storage device. The non-volatile storage device 408 can include one or more disk drives, optical drives, solid-state drives (SSDs), tape drives, flash memories, read-only memories (ROMs), and / or any other type of memory designed to maintain data for a certain duration after a power outage or shutdown operation. In certain configurations, if the allocated RAM is not enough to save all working data, the non-volatile storage device 408 can be used to store overflow data. The non-volatile storage device 408 can also be used to store programs that are loaded into the RAM when these programs are selected for execution. The data storage area and / or storage device 408 may be arranged to store a plurality of beverage product making and / or processing instruction programs associated with a plurality of beverage product processing sequences (i.e., recipes). Such beverage making and / or processing instruction programs may include instructions for the controller and / or processor 402 to: start or stop one or more motors and / or compressors 414 (e.g., motor 208 and / or compressor 214), start or stop compressor 214 to regulate the temperature of the beverage product being processed within the mixing vessel 104, operate one or more motors 414 (e.g., motor 208 and / or compressor 214) during certain periods during a particular beverage product processing sequence, operate motor 208 at certain speeds during certain time periods of a recipe, and issue one or more prompt instructions to the user interface 412 and / or 112, the one or more prompt instructions being output to the user in response to a response, action, and / or input from the user.

[0038] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, software programs may be developed, coded, and compiled in various computing languages for various software platforms and / or operating systems, and subsequently loaded and executed by processor 402. In one embodiment, the compilation process of a software program may convert program code written in one programming language into another computer language so that the programming code can be executed by processor 402. For example, the compilation process of a software program may generate an executable program that provides coded instructions (e.g., machine code instructions) to processor 402 to implement a specific, non-general purpose, specialized computing function.

[0039] After the compilation process, the encoded instructions can be loaded from the storage device 408, from the memory 404, to the processor 402 as computer-executable instructions or process steps, and / or embedded within the processor 402 (e.g., via a cache or onboard ROM). The processor 402 can be configured to execute the stored instructions or process steps so that the instructions or process steps are executed to transform the electronic control system 400 into a non-general purpose, specific, specially programmed machine or device. Stored data, such as data stored by the data storage area and / or storage device 408, can be accessed by the processor 402 during the execution of the computer-executable instructions or process steps to instruct one or more components within the control system 400 and / or other components or devices external to the system 400. For example, the recipe can be arranged in a lookup table and / or database within the data storage area 408 and accessed by the processor 402 when executing a particular recipe selected by a user via the user interface 412 and / or 112.

[0040] The user interface 412 and / or 112 may include a display, a position input device (e.g., a mouse, a touchpad, a touch screen, or the like), a keyboard, a keypad, one or more buttons, one or more dials, a microphone, a speaker, or other forms of user input and output devices. The user interface components may be communicatively coupled to the processor 402. When the user interface output device is or includes a display, the display may be implemented in various ways, including by a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT) or a light emitting diode (LED) display, such as an OLED display.

[0041] The sensors 406 may include one or more sensors that detect and / or monitor conditions of the beverage product within the mixing container 104, conditions associated with components of the frozen beverage maker 100, and / or conditions of the refrigerant and / or coolant within the refrigeration circuit and / or system. The conditions may include, but are not limited to, rotation, rotational speed, and / or movement of a device or component (e.g., a motor), the rate of such movement, the frequency of such movement, the direction of such movement, motor current, motor voltage, motor power, motor torque, temperature, pressure, the fluid content in the container 104, the position of the device or component (e.g., whether the pour opening 106 is open or closed), and / or the presence of the device or component (e.g., whether the shield 116 is installed). The types of sensors may include, for example, an electrical meter chip, a Hall effect sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an optical sensor, a current sensor, a torque sensor, a voltage sensor, a camera, other types of sensors, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. The frozen beverage maker 100 can include one or more temperature sensors positioned at various locations within the mixing vessel 104, for example, on or around a lower front area within the mixing vessel 104, on or around an upper front area within the mixing vessel 104, on or around an upper rear area within the vessel 104, within one or more coils of the evaporator 202, and / or within the housing 102.

[0042] The sensor 406 may also include one or more safety and / or interlock switches that prevent or enable operation of certain components, such as motors, when certain conditions are met (e.g., enabling activation of the motors 208 and / or 414 when a lid or cover for the opening 106 is attached or closed and / or when there is a sufficient amount of beverage product in the container 104). It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the electronic control system 400 may include other components well known in the art, such as Figure 4 Power supplies and / or analog-to-digital converters not explicitly shown.

[0043] In some embodiments, the control system 400 and / or processor 402 comprises a SoC having a number of hardware components including, but not limited to:

[0044] Microcontrollers, microprocessors or digital signal processor (DSP) cores and / or multi-processor SoCs (MPSoCs) with more than one processor core;

[0045] Memory areas, including read-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), and flash memory options;

[0046] Timing sources, including oscillators and phase-locked loops;

[0047] Peripherals including counter timers, real-time timers, and power-on reset generators;

[0048] External interfaces, including industry standards such as Universal Serial Bus (USB), FireWire, Ethernet, Universal Synchronous / Asynchronous Receiver / Transmitter (USART), and Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI);

[0049] analog interfaces, including analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs); and

[0050] Voltage regulator and power management circuitry.

[0051] SoCs include the hardware described above, as well as software that controls microcontrollers, microprocessors, and / or DSP cores, peripherals, and interfaces. Most SoCs are developed from pre-certified hardware blocks of hardware elements (e.g., called modules or components, which represent IP cores or IP blocks) and software drivers that control their operation. The above list of hardware elements is not exhaustive. SoCs may include protocol stacks that drive industry-standard interfaces, such as the Universal Serial Bus (USB).

[0052] Once the overall architecture of the SoC has been defined, individual hardware components can be described using an abstract language called RTL, which stands for register transfer level. RTL is used to define circuit behavior. Hardware components are connected together using the same RTL language to produce a complete SoC design. In digital circuit design, RTL is a design abstraction that models synchronous digital circuits based on the flow of digital signals (data) between hardware registers and the logical operations performed on those signals. RTL abstraction is used in hardware description languages (HDLs) such as Verilog and VHDL to create a high-level representation of the circuit, from which lower-level representations and ultimately the actual wiring can be derived. Design at the RTL level is a typical practice in modern digital design. Verilog is standardized as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 1364 and is an HDL used to model electronic systems. Verilog is most commonly used for the design and verification of digital circuits at the RTL level of abstraction. Verilog can also be used to verify analog circuits and mixed-signal circuits, as well as for designing genetic circuits. In some embodiments, the various components of the control system 400 are implemented on a PCB, such as PCB 222.

[0053] In operation in certain embodiments, a user fills the mixing container 104 with ingredients associated with a beverage product via the pour opening 106. The user selects the type of frozen product to be processed via the user interface 112, for example, the user selects a recipe for a "margarita." In some embodiments, the user selects the product type and / or recipe before filling the mixing container 104, and the user interface 112 provides one or more indicators or queues (visible and / or audible) that instruct the user to add ingredients to the mixing container 104. The mixing container 104 may include one or more fill sensors that detect when there is a sufficient amount or content of ingredients and / or fluid within the mixing container 104. The one or more fill sensors may provide a signal to the processor 402 indicating when the container 104 is fully filled or not filled. If the fill sensor 406 indicates that the container 104 is not fully filled, the processor 402 may prevent operation of the frozen beverage maker 100 (e.g., prevent activation of the motor 208 and / or other components). A lid sensor may be associated with the opening 106, whereby the lid sensor sends an open and / or closed signal to the processor 402 indicating whether the opening 106 is open or closed. If the lid sensor indicates that the opening 106 is open and / or not closed, the processor 402 may prevent operation of the frozen beverage maker 100. Depending on the sensed condition, the user interface 112 may provide an indication of the condition, e.g., whether the container 104 is fully filled or underfilled and / or the opening 106 is not closed, so that the user can take appropriate action.

[0054] Once the mixing container 104 is filled with ingredients, the user can provide input, such as a button press, to start processing the beverage product based on the selected recipe. The process can include activating the motor 208 to drive the rotation of the blender 204 and / or blade 206 to mix the ingredients of the beverage product. The process can also include activating the refrigeration system, including activating the compressor 214 and the condenser fan 218. The compressor 214 promotes the flow of refrigerant through one or more coils of the evaporator 202 and through the condenser 216 to provide cooling and / or temperature control of the beverage product in the mixing container 104. The processor 402 can control the operation of various components such as the motor 208 and the compressor 214. In order to adjust the temperature under a specific setting associated with the recipe, the processor 402 can activate / start and / or deactivate / stop the compressor 214 to start and / or stop the flow of refrigerant through the coils of the evaporator 202, and thus start or stop the cooling of the beverage product in the mixing container 104.

[0055] By cooling the beverage product to a specific temperature, slush and / or ice particles can be formed within the beverage product. Generally, the amount of particles and / or texture of the beverage product corresponds to the temperature of the beverage product, i.e., the lower the temperature, the greater the amount of particles (and / or the larger the size of the particles) and / or the thicker the beverage product. The user interface 112 can enable the user to fine-tune and / or adjust the preset temperature associated with the recipe, so that the user can adjust the temperature and / or texture of the beverage product to a more desired temperature and / or texture.

[0056] The processor 402 can perform the processing of the beverage product in one or more stages and / or within a set time period until the desired temperature and / or texture is determined. The processor 402 can receive one or more temperature signals from one or more temperature sensors 408 within the mixing container 104 to determine the temperature of the beverage product. The processor 402 can determine the temperature of the beverage product by determining the average temperature of the temperatures detected by the multiple temperature sensors 408. The processor 402 can determine the temperature of the beverage product based on the detected temperature from one sensor 408 within the mixing container 104 and / or based on the temperature of the refrigerant detected by the refrigerant temperature sensor 408. Once the stages and / or sequence of the recipe are completed by the processor 402, the processor 402 can provide a visual and / or audio indication via the user interface 116 that the recipe is complete and ready for dispensing. In response, the user can place a cup or container under the dispenser assembly 108 and pull the handle 120 in a downward direction to open the spout located approximately at the lower front wall of the mixing container 104, thereby dispensing the beverage product into the cup or container. Once filled, the user can then press the handle 120 back to the dispenser assembly 108 to open the spout. Figure 2 The nozzle is shown in its upright position with the nozzle closed.

[0057] Figure 5A A dual purpose cooling fan 502 is shown within the housing of a beverage maker 500 that includes a refrigeration system having a condenser 508 and a compressor 510. The beverage maker 500 also includes a drive motor 504 that is configured to drive rotation of an agitator 512 during processing of a beverage product. The dual purpose cooling fan 502 draws an air flow through the condenser 508 and directs the air flow toward the drive motor 504 via an air passage 506. As the air flow passes through the condenser 508, the air flow passes over and adjacent to the condenser coils to cool the refrigerant passing through the condenser 508 within the closed loop refrigeration system. The air flow also passes along a surface and / or multiple surfaces of the drive motor 504 to achieve cooling of the drive motor 504. Although Figure 5AA configuration is shown in which the drive motor 504 and condenser 508 are positioned at approximately right angles relative to the dual-purpose cooling fan 502 , but other configurations, arrangements, or orientations may be implemented such that the dual-purpose cooling fan 502 provides a cooling air flow to the condenser 508 and drive motor 504 .

[0058] In some embodiments, a beverage maker, such as beverage maker 500, includes a mixing vessel, such as mixing vessel 104, configured to receive a beverage product. Beverage maker 500 includes a mixing assembly, such as a blender 512 or another type of mixing assembly, driven by a drive motor 512 and configured to mix the beverage product within mixing vessel 104. A refrigeration system is configured to cool the beverage product within mixing vessel 104 and includes a condenser, such as condenser 508. Cooling fan 502, a dual-purpose cooling fan, is configured to cool both drive motor 504 and condenser 508. Cooling fan 502 can provide an air flow through condenser 508 to cool the refrigerant flowing through condenser 508. Cooling fan 502 can also provide an air flow along a surface of drive motor 504 to cool drive motor 504. Cooling fan 502, drive motor 504, and condenser 508 can be positioned such that air generated by cooling fan 502 continuously passes through condenser 508 and along a surface of drive motor 504.

[0059] A first portion of the air generated by cooling fan 502 can cool condenser 508, and a second portion of the air generated by cooling fan 502 can cool drive motor 504. Condenser 508 can include multiple coils that carry coolant and / or refrigerant within a closed loop of a refrigeration circuit. When cooling fan 502 provides air flow through condenser 508 to cool the refrigerant flowing through condenser 508, the air flow can flow adjacent to and / or around the multiple coils. A cooling channel 506 can extend between cooling fan 502 and drive motor 504, wherein cooling channel 506 provides a cooling air flow between cooling fan 502 and drive motor 504. Cooling channel 506 can be at least partially formed by pipes and / or tubing. The tubing can be made of plastic, metal, composite materials, and the like. The cooling channel can extend between cooling fan 502 and condenser 508, wherein the cooling channel provides a cooling air flow between cooling fan 502 and condenser 508. The cooling channel can be at least partially formed by pipes. Cooling fans 502 and 522 may include centrifugal fans, cross-flow fans, tangential fans, volute fans, backward curved fans, forward curved fans, blower fans, squirrel cage fans, and / or axial fans.

[0060] In some embodiments, a cooling fan, such as cooling fan 502, is configured to cool a drive motor, such as drive motor 504, and a condenser, such as condenser 508, within a housing of the beverage maker. Cooling fan 502 can include an air inlet configured to receive an air flow, an impeller configured to generate the air flow, and an air outlet configured to output the air flow through condenser 508 and along a surface of drive motor 504.

[0061] Figure 5B Another embodiment of a dual-purpose cooling fan 522 is shown within the housing of a beverage maker 520, which includes a drive motor 524, an agitator 526, a compressor 530, and a condenser 528. The drive motor 524 is coupled to the agitator and drives rotation of the agitator, and also drives rotation of the cooling fan 522 via a gear 536. The cooling fan 522 includes an air outlet 538 that directs air flow from the cooling fan 522 through an air passage 532, which may include a line 534 that directs air flow through the condenser 528 to cool the refrigerant flowing through the condenser 538.

[0062] Figure 5C A perspective view of a dual-purpose cooling fan 522 within a housing 542 of a beverage maker 520 is shown. The cooling fan 522 can be a centrifugal fan and / or another type of fan as described herein. The cooling fan 522 can include an impeller 544 that draws air into the cooling fan 522 via an inlet 536 and then discharges the air downwardly at approximately a right angle relative to the inlet 536 via an outlet 538. The airflow leaving the outlet 538 flows downwardly over the drive motor 524, including along the surface of the drive motor 524 and through an air passage 532, which can include a line 534 that directs the airflow through the condenser 528 (adjacent to and / or surrounding the coil of the condenser 528) to achieve cooling of the refrigerant passing through the coil.

[0063] Figure 6 It is used for separate operations Figure 5A and 5BFlowchart of process 600 for using dual-purpose cooling fan 502 or 522 of the beverage making machine. Process 600 facilitates cooling condenser 508 (or condenser 528) and drive motor 504 (or drive motor 524) within the housing of the beverage making machine simultaneously using cooling fan 502 or 522, respectively, by: activating drive motor 504 (or drive motor 524), which is arranged to drive rotation of agitator 512 (or agitator 526) within a mixing vessel of the beverage making machine (step 602); activating compressor 508 (or compressor 530) of a refrigeration circuit of the beverage making machine (step 604); and activating cooling fan 502 (or cooling fan 522) to simultaneously generate air flow through condenser 508 (or condenser 528) and along the surface of drive motor 504 (or drive motor 524) (step 606).

[0064] It should be understood that the various embodiments described herein are not limited to making frozen or semi-frozen beverages, but can be applied to produce cold and / or cooled beverage products that are colder than the received beverage product, but are not frozen or semi-frozen. For example, in some embodiments, the same or similar mechanisms and / or technologies can be used as part of a cooler and / or cooled beverage maker to produce, maintain, and dispense cold beverages.

[0065] As compared to Figure 4 In other words, the actions associated with configuring or controlling a frozen beverage maker, such as the frozen beverage maker 100, and the processes described herein can be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to control or perform all or some of the operations described herein. All or part of the frozen beverage maker 100 system and process can be configured or controlled by dedicated logic circuitry, such as an FPGA and / or ASIC or embedded microprocessor localized to the instrument hardware.

[0066] Non-transitory machine-readable storage media suitable for embodying computer program instructions and data include all forms of non-volatile memory areas, including, for example, semiconductor memory area devices, such as EPROM (erasable programmable read-only memory), EEPROM (electrically erasable programmable read-only memory), and flash memory area devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks or removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROMs (compact disks-read only memory) and DVD-ROMs (digital versatile disks-read only memory).

[0067] The elements of the various embodiments described may be combined to form other embodiments not specifically described herein. Elements may be omitted from the previously described system without adversely affecting its operation or the operation of the entire system as a whole. Furthermore, various individual elements may be combined into one or more individual elements to perform the functions described in this specification.

Claims

1. A beverage making machine, characterized in that: include: a mixing container arranged to receive a beverage product; an agitator driven by a drive motor and arranged to mix the beverage product within the mixing container; a refrigeration circuit arranged to cool the beverage product within the mixing container, the refrigeration circuit comprising a condenser; and A cooling fan is configured to cool the drive motor and the condenser simultaneously.

2. The beverage making machine according to claim 1, characterized in that The cooling fan provides air flow through the condenser to cool the refrigerant flowing through the condenser. 3 . The beverage maker of claim 2 , wherein the cooling fan provides an air flow along a surface of the drive motor to cool the drive motor.

4. The beverage making machine according to claim 3, characterized in that The cooling fan, drive motor, and condenser are positioned so that the air flow generated by the cooling fan passes serially or in parallel through the condenser and along a surface of the drive motor.

5. The beverage making machine according to claim 3, characterized in that A first portion of the air flow generated by the cooling fan cools the condenser, and a second portion of the air generated by the cooling fan cools the drive motor.

6. The beverage making machine according to claim 1, wherein The condenser comprises one or more coils.

7. The beverage making machine according to claim 6, characterized in that When the cooling fan provides an air flow through the condenser to cool the refrigerant flowing through the condenser, the air flow travels adjacent to the one or more coils.

8. The beverage making machine according to claim 1, wherein A cooling passage extending between the cooling fan and the drive motor is included, the cooling passage providing a cooling air flow between the cooling fan and the drive motor.

9. The beverage maker according to claim 8, characterized in that The cooling channel is at least partially formed by a pipe.

10. The beverage maker according to claim 1, wherein Further including: A cooling passage extends between the cooling fan and the condenser, the cooling passage providing a cooling air flow between the cooling fan and the condenser.

11. The beverage maker according to claim 10, wherein: The cooling channel is at least partially formed by a pipe.

12. The beverage maker according to claim 1, wherein The cooling fan includes one of a centrifugal fan, a cross-flow fan, a tangential fan, a volute fan, a backward curved fan, a forward curved fan, a blower fan, a squirrel cage fan, and an axial flow fan.

13. A cooling fan, characterized in that: A drive motor and a condenser for cooling a housing of a beverage maker, wherein the drive motor is configured to drive the rotation of an agitator in a mixing container of the beverage maker, and the condenser is configured to cool a refrigerant circulating in a refrigeration circuit of the beverage maker, the cooling fan comprising: an air inlet configured to receive an air flow; an impeller configured to generate the air flow; An air outlet is configured to output the air flow through the condenser and along a surface of the drive motor.

14. The cooling fan according to claim 13, wherein: An air passage is included that is arranged to direct a first portion of the air flow through the condenser and a second portion of the air flow along the surface to the drive motor.

15. The cooling fan according to claim 14, wherein The air channel is at least partially formed by an air duct.

16. The cooling fan according to claim 13, wherein The cooling fan includes one of a centrifugal fan, a cross-flow fan, a tangential fan, a volute fan, a backward curved fan, a forward curved fan, a blower fan, a squirrel cage fan, and an axial flow fan.

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