Carbonated water measuring system for beverage makers

Abstract

A programmable carbonated beverage production system and related methods of use are provided. The system includes a gas source including carbon dioxide fluidly coupled to a carbonation chamber. The chamber holds chilled water, the water level of which is controlled by a level sensor and, in one embodiment, a pump fluidly coupled to the water source through a cold block. The chamber can be formed within the cold block, which includes parallel coolant and chilled water passages for cooling water from the water source. A regulator reduces the gas pressure from the gas source, partially filling the chamber. A user selects a beverage size via a controller, and the system dispenses carbonated water until a pre-programmed set pressure ratio is reached, indicating the amount of carbonated water corresponding to the selected beverage size. Knowledge of the initial number of moles of gas in the chamber is not required to execute the process.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] (CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS) This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 317,901, filed March 8, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to beverage makers that dispense chilled carbonated beverages, and more particularly to carbonation systems for cooling, dispensing and metering the carbonated water used in the production of such beverages. [Background technology]

[0003] Carbonated water is produced in commercial soda machines and dispensers by mixing carbon dioxide (CO2) under pressure with cold water, dissolving some of the CO2 in the water. When the dispense valve at the outlet of the carbonation chamber is opened, gas pressure forces the carbonated water out of the system through the dispense tube. Various flavorings, including liquids, syrups, and powders, can be mixed with the carbonated water in the machine to create a wide variety of drinks.

[0004] Low-cost water metering is typically achieved using flow meters with wetted components (e.g., paddles, vanes, etc.) that rotate due to the momentum of the passing water. To read this movement (usually rotation), a magnet is placed within the wetted component and monitored by the flow meter's associated electronics. However, with carbonated water, two problems arise. First, the wetted rotor and associated local pressure changes can create conditions that result in the removal of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the carbonated water, adversely affecting the carbonation level of the water and the final beverage. Second, carbonated water is acidic, which can cause chemical compatibility issues with the wetted rotor and associated magnetic components, resulting in rotor degradation and potentially compromising the accuracy of water flow measurement. It is also important to note that some of the reaction products between the carbonic acid in carbonated water and some common metals used in flow meters in contact with the water are toxic and therefore potentially hazardous to health.

[0005] Therefore, improved metering of carbonated water is desirable to produce refrigerated beverages accurately, reliably, and economically without compromising the level of carbonation in the beverage. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a carbonated water system that cools, dispenses, and meters carbonated water for use in beverage makers in a manner that overcomes the aforementioned shortcomings of conventional methods used to prepare carbonated beverages. In one embodiment, the system accurately measures the amount of carbonated water dispensed in a non-contact and convenient manner using only pressure measurements. A processor-based programmable controller that controls the dispensing operation of the beverage maker correlates and calculates the amount of carbonated water dispensed by comparing the gas pressure drop (i.e., CO2 concentration) within the carbonation system with at least one pre-programmed gas setting ratio for dispensing a specific desired amount of carbonated water selected by a user. Multiple different setting ratios can be pre-programmed into the controller, each associated with dispensing a different amount of carbonated water based on a pre-programmed drink size selected by the user via a user interface.

[0007] For example, in use, a user-operated control panel operably coupled to the controller allows a user to select a particular beverage cup size (e.g., 7 ounces, 9 ounces, 12 ounces, etc.). Each cup size is associated with a particular pre-programmed gas setting ratio, which in turn is associated with a predetermined amount of carbonated water to be dispensed to fill the cup to the appropriate level based on the user's pre-selected cup size. The amount of carbonated water dispensed does not necessarily represent the total volume of the particular cup size being used. Rather, the carbonated beverage is mixed with other liquids, such as still water, flavorings (e.g., instant powders, syrups, etc.), etc., to produce the final chilled beverage.

[0008] Advantageously, the carbonation system of the present invention operates in a manner that does not require precise metering or measurement of the amount of inert gas (i.e., moles of gas) such as CO2 that must be initially added to the carbonation chamber, such as by a metering gas pump, gas flow meter, or other gas measurement technique. Instead, the carbonation chamber of this embodiment is simply pressurized with CO2 from a gas source (such as a gas cylinder or other container) without the use of a pump, until the gas pressure within the chamber equilibrates and reaches the gas supply pressure from the gas source. In this system, the initial amount of gas used to fill the carbonation chamber is unknown and immaterial.

[0009] The gas supply pressure is preselected and controlled by a pressure reducing device, such as a gas pressure regulator or regulating valve, located between the chamber and the gas source. The regulator reduces the pressure of the CO2 from the source for use by the carbonation system. This carbonated water metering system relies on the ratio of the actual real-time pressure measured in the carbonation chamber during the sale or dispensing of carbonated water to the initial starting pressure of the gas in the chamber to determine when to terminate the dispensing of carbonated water to match the user's selected beverage size. Thus, various appropriate initial starting gas pressures in the carbonation chamber can be advantageously used, and metering the amount of carbonated water dispensed is not critical.

[0010] Because the carbonation chamber is sealed before the dispensing or dispensing of carbonated water begins, the carbonation chamber of the system contains a volume composed of a fixed amount of water and a fixed amount of CO2 occupying the headspace above the surface level of the water in the chamber. As noted above, the amount of CO2 added to the carbonation chamber does not need to be known and is not important in current carbonated water dispensing and metering schemes. When the dispensing valve is opened upon discharge from the carbonation chamber, the volume of CO2 within the chamber expands, reducing the gas pressure within the carbonation chamber and pushing out a portion of the carbonated water, which does not expand significantly because the compressibility of liquids is much lower than that of gases.

[0011] By monitoring the pressure in the chamber after dispensing via a controller equipped with a pressure sensor operably coupled to the upper gas portion of the chamber, and using Boyle's gas law (P1V1 = P2V2), the controller can automatically calculate the volumetric change in CO2 gas relative to a preprogrammed gas set ratio, and therefore the volume of carbonated water dispensed from the chamber, as further described herein. A water pump controlled by a float or other level sensor can maintain a constant water level in the carbonation chamber before and after dispensing carbonated water. Therefore, the initial volume of gas in the chamber will always be a fixed amount determined by the free space above the water level, regardless of the initial pressure of the gas (CO2).

[0012] Knowing in advance the starting gas volume, determined by the initial system calibration and fixed by the water level maintained by the aforementioned water pump and associated liquid level sensor, allows for consistent control of the actual amount of carbonated water dispensed by the controller without interference with the carbonated water from a wet flow meter or the like.

[0013] In one aspect, a method of preparing a carbonated beverage in a beverage maker includes providing a sealable carbonation chamber having a fixed volume and a gas source comprising carbon dioxide at an initial gas source pressure, a still water source, and a programmable controller configured to perform the following steps, wherein the programmable controller is configured to monitor the chamber gas pressure in the carbonation chamber; add still water to the carbonation chamber to a first level; open a gas control valve; flow inserted gas from the gas source to a pressure reduction device, which causes the pressure reduction device to reduce the gas source pressure to a lower gas delivery pressure; pressurize the carbonation chamber with carbon dioxide to the gas delivery pressure to produce carbonated water; seal the carbonation chamber; monitor the real-time gas pressure in the carbonation chamber; a user selecting a beverage size on a control panel operably coupled to the controller; dispense the carbonated water from the carbonation chamber into a user's beverage cup; and stop dispensing the carbonated water when the real-time gas pressure in the carbonation chamber drops to a value corresponding to a pre-programmed gas setpoint ratio of the real-time gas pressure to the initial gas delivery pressure, as calculated by the controller. The method may further include pressurizing the carbonation chamber a second time to a second gas delivery pressure different from the first gas delivery pressure, the same user or a different user selecting the same beverage size on the control panel, and ceasing the delivery of carbonated water when the real-time gas pressure in the carbonation chamber drops to a value corresponding to a preprogrammed gas set point ratio of the real-time gas pressure to the second gas delivery pressure calculated by the controller. The preprogrammed gas set point ratio corresponds to the beverage size selected by the user. In one embodiment, the controller is preprogrammed with multiple preprogrammed gas set point ratios, each corresponding to a different beverage size.

[0014] In another aspect, a carbonated beverage production system includes a head tank configured to hold still water, a cold block having a solid structure and in thermal communication with the head tank, a carbonation chamber formed within the cold block to contain the still water, a cold water passage formed within the cold block and fluidly coupled between the head tank and the carbonation chamber, a coolant passage formed within the cold block and routed parallel to the cold water passage, the coolant passage transmitting cold air from a coolant circulating through the coolant passage to the cold water passage, and carbon dioxide fluidly coupled to the carbonation chamber via a gas control valve. a gas source, the gas control valve being movable between a closed position isolating the gas source from the carbonation chamber and an open position pressurizing the carbonation chamber, the carbonation chamber being pressurized with the carbon dioxide to produce carbonated water; a carbonated water outlet valve and injection nozzle fluidly coupled to the carbonation chamber; and a cold block supported by the beverage maker and including a product container holding flavorings, wherein opening the carbonated water outlet valve causes carbonated water to be expelled from the carbonation chamber and injected through the product container to produce the carbonated beverage. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] Features of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which like elements are numbered like, and in which:

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic system flow diagram of one embodiment of a carbonated beverage production system for a beverage maker according to the present disclosure, including a reservoir-type water cooling device.

[0017] [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a beverage dispensing station of a carbonated beverage maker;

[0018] [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart illustrating the high-level general steps in a method or process for preparing a carbonated beverage according to the present disclosure.

[0019] [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic system flow diagram of another embodiment of a carbonated beverage production system for a beverage maker according to the present disclosure, including a flash-type water cooling system.

[0020] All drawings are schematic and not necessarily to scale. Parts numbered in one drawing are to be considered the same parts in other drawings that are unnumbered for brevity, unless expressly numbered differently and explained herein. Reference herein to an integer number, which may consist of multiple numbers with the same integer prefix but different alphabetic suffixes, shall be construed as a general reference to all numbers with the same integer prefix, unless otherwise stated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The features and advantages of the present invention are illustrated and described herein with reference to exemplary embodiments. The description of this exemplary embodiment is intended to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire description. Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited to such exemplary embodiments, which illustrate some possible non-limiting combinations of features, which may exist alone or in other combinations of features.

[0022] In describing the embodiments disclosed herein, references to direction or orientation are for convenience of description only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Relative terms such as "lower," "upper," "horizontal," "vertical," "top," "lower," "upper," "bottom," and derivatives thereof (e.g., "horizontal," "lower," "upper") are to be construed as referring to the orientation at the time of description or shown in the drawings under discussion. These relationship terms are for convenience of description only and do not require the devices to be constructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms such as "mounted," "fixed," "connected," "coupled," "interconnected," and the like refer to both fixed or attached relationships of structures to one another, directly or indirectly through intervening structures, and to movable or fixed attachments or relationships, unless expressly stated otherwise.

[0023] Throughout, ranges disclosed herein are used as a shorthand way of describing all values ​​within the range. Any value within the range can be selected as an endpoint of the range. Furthermore, all references to prior patents or patent applications cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In the event of a conflict between definitions in this disclosure and those in the cited references, the present disclosure shall control.

[0024] 1 is a schematic system flow diagram of a first embodiment of a carbonated beverage production system 100 configured to cool, carbonate, dispense, and meter / measure carbonated water supplied for use in preparing carbonated beverages in a carbonated beverage maker 101. The carbonator or portion of the system may be integrally incorporated into the beverage maker or may be a separate unit or module that is adjacent to and fluidly coupled to the maker but is not physically integrated within the maker's common housing. In one embodiment, system 100 may also be configured to dispense a metered amount of still water separately from or simultaneously with the dispensing of carbonated water to prepare carbonated beverages.

[0025] Referring initially to Figure 1, a carbonated beverage production system 100 includes a reservoir-type chiller including a chilled water tank 111 that is filled with still water W by at least one water fill valve 113 fluidly coupled to a water source 114. The water source 114 can be any available pressurized source of potable water, such as the main water system of a commercial, residential, or industrial building or facility. Other water sources can also be used. In some embodiments, the water source pressure can be greater than or equal to 1 bar and less than 7 bar.

[0026] The water fill valve 113 is operably connected to a level sensor 115 configured to detect the water level L1 in the tank 111, representing the level sensor setpoint. Any suitable commercially available mechanical or electronic water sensor can be used. In one embodiment, the level sensor 115 can be a float switch. The operably coupled fill valve 113 and level sensor 115 automatically controls the filling of the chamber 111 with water when the liquid level L1 to the level sensor and / or the programmable microprocessor-based controller 200 associated with the beverage maker 101 falls below a preselected setpoint level. When the water level falls below the preselected level, a signal from the level sensor or a mechanical linkage opens the normally closed fill valve 113, adding water to the tank and restoring the original water level. This maintains a constant level and volume of chilled, still water in the chilled water tank. In some embodiments, a pair of fill valves 113 can be provided for fail-safe redundancy. If only one valve fails open, the chilled water tank 111 could overflow and become flooded.

[0027] The carbonated beverage production system includes a plurality of water flow conduits 102 configured as shown, which fluidly interconnect the wetted fluid components of the system in the manner shown and described herein. In one embodiment, any suitable food-safe / food-grade metal or non-metallic tubing (e.g., plastic) can be used to form the conduits 102 that can accommodate the temperature and pressure conditions that may occur in various portions of the system. Thus, the flow conduits in various portions of the system can be formed from the same or different materials as needed to meet the required conditions.

[0028] The chilled water tank 111 is cooled by a cooling system 122 that includes a commercially available cooling unit 121 and a refrigerant or coolant coil 112 immersed in the still water in the tank. The cooling unit circulates a suitable refrigerant or coolant through the coil in a closed flow loop to cool the water in the tank to a preselected temperature that represents the desired temperature of the carbonated beverage or drink dispensed by the beverage maker 101. In some embodiments, the coolant may be, for example, but not limited to, R134a, R290, R600, R600a, R127, or the like.

[0029] Carbonated beverage production system 100 further includes a carbonation vessel or chamber 130 at least partially contained within chilled water tank 111. The chamber contains carbonated water CW, partially filling the chamber. Chamber 130 is at least partially immersed in water W in the tank below a set water level L1, and the cooled water in the tank cools the water in the gas-pressurized chamber. Carbonation chamber 130 includes a hollow body or shell 131 made of a suitable food-safe / food-grade metallic material configured to accommodate the temperature and pressure conditions encountered within the chamber. Shell 131 can be cylindrical in one embodiment for pressurized conditions (e.g., above 4 bar).

[0030] The carbonation chamber 130 defines a fixed total volume Vt comprised of a volume of water and a volume of inert gas (such as, but not limited to, CO2). The upper portion of the chamber defines a headspace Hs containing the gas, and the lower portion defines a water space. A water level L2 is defined at the interface between the gas and water. The gas-holding headspace Hs thus forms a headspace gas volume Vc defined between the water level L2 in the chamber 130 and the upper portion of the chamber.

[0031] It should be noted that the carbonated water CW in the carbonation chamber 130 is fluidly isolated from the "still" (uncarbonated) water W in the cold water tank 111 within the tank itself. In other words, all parts of the carbonation chamber body or shell 131 are solid in construction, with no openings in fluid communication with the still (uncarbonated) water W in the cold water tank. This prevents the water in the cold water tank, which is at a lower pressure than the carbonated water CW in the chamber 130, from being pressurized beyond the supply water pressure from the water source 114. Thus, the pressure in the cold water tank 111 can be lower than the pressure in the carbonation chamber 130.

[0032] In one embodiment, the cold water tank 111 is fluidly coupled to a carbonation chamber 130 external to the tank via a water pump 116. The water pump draws water from the cold water tank 111 and is fluidly coupled directly to the tank and carbonation chamber by a flow conduit 102, as shown in FIG. 1 . The water pump 116 is operable to pressurize water W from the tank 111, and in some embodiments, initially fills the carbonation chamber 130 with still water from the tank 111 and maintains a water level L2 in the carbonation chamber via a level sensor 117 operably coupled between the chamber and the pump. The level L2 represents a set level for the level sensor 117. Similar to the operation of the level sensor 115 described above, the carbonation chamber level sensor 117 is configured to detect the level L2 and activate or deactivate the pump 116 to maintain the water level L2 in the carbonation chamber. That is, the pump 116 is automatically turned on and off by the level sensor 115. The level sensor 117 may be of a similar type to the level sensor 115 or a different type.

[0033] The water pump 116 is operatively configured to increase the pressure of water from the cold water tank 111 to a pressure above the chamber gas pressure Pc in the carbonation chamber in order to periodically top up or fill the chamber 130 (e.g., headspace Hs) with chilled still water. Any suitable commercially available water pump may be used.

[0034] The water pump 116 is dually operable to supply and dispense chilled / chilled still water directly from the chilled water tank 111 to the beverage maker 101 via an alternate flow path for use in producing beverages. With continued reference to FIG. 1 , the system 100 includes a still water discharge flow path conduit 102b fluidly coupled at one end to the carbonation chamber 130 and at the other end to a carbonated water dispense nozzle 140 of the beverage dispensing station 103 of the beverage maker 101 (see, e.g., FIG. 2 ). The beverage dispensing station 103 is configured to receive and support a user's beverage container, such as a cup 104, into which still water alone or a mixture of still water and carbonated water can be dispensed to produce a beverage. A still water discharge valve 133 disposed in the flow path conduit 102b controls the amount of still water dispensed via opening or closing the valve under the control of a programmable controller 200, described further herein.

[0035] A branch connection is made between the discharge from water pump 116 and discharge flow conduit 102b. This allows still water to either flow into carbonation chamber 130 or bypass the chamber and flow directly into beverage maker 101, depending on the open or closed position of still water discharge valve 133. When discharge valve 133 is closed, still water is pumped into chamber 130 to initially fill the chamber during system setup, and then the supply of water in the chamber is replenished with each carbonated water dispensing cycle. Conversely, when valve 133 is open, water is pumped from carbonation chamber 130 toward the beverage maker and toward still water delivery nozzle 141, which is exposed to atmospheric pressure and therefore at a lower pressure than the chamber's gas pressure, Pc. Thus, flow automatically follows the path of least resistance, toward the beverage maker rather than the chamber. Although carbonated water CW is at high gas pressure, it is prevented from entering still water discharge flow conduit 102b by one-way flow check valve 134, which allows still water to flow only one way, into the carbonation chamber.

[0036] Carbonated beverage production system 100 further includes a gas supply system that, in the illustrated embodiment, includes pressurized gas source 118, a gas pressure reduction station (which includes a pressure reduction device, such as gas regulator valve 119 shown in FIG. 1 ), and gas control valve 120. Gas source 118 is fluidly coupled to carbonation chamber 130 through gas conduit 138 via a regulator and control valve. Pressure sensor 135 senses gas pressure downstream of the control valve within carbonation chamber 130. Gas control valve 120 is switchable between open and closed positions to fill carbonation chamber 130 with gas from gas source 118 or to fluidly isolate the chamber from the gas source.

[0037] In a non-limiting preferred embodiment for producing chilled carbonated beverages, the gas may be CO2. Any suitable type of gas source and supply pressure may be used. In one embodiment, a gas tank or gas cylinder 118a of suitable capacity may be used, as shown. The gas supply pressure is approximately 58 bar in one embodiment, although other pressures may be used.

[0038] The gas regulator valve 119 (also referred to herein simply as a gas regulator for simplicity) has a set pressure for reducing the pressure of gas from the gas source 118 to a lower set pressure representing the gas supply pressure. The reduced pressure gas provided by the gas regulator is charged into the carbonation chamber 130, which is pressurized to the supply pressure. As a non-limiting representative example, the gas source pressure for a CO2 cylinder-type gas source is approximately 58 bar and the pressure regulator set pressure is approximately 4 bar. Other suitable gas source pressures and set pressures may also be used. Suitable commercially available gas pressure regulators may be used.

[0039] In some embodiments, the gas regulator valve 119 can be omitted, and the gas control valve 120 can be equipped with a variable flow restrictor trim, allowing the valve to open in an intermediate position between fully open and fully closed. In this case, the gas control valve 120 is operably coupled to a pressure sensor 135 that measures the actual, real-time gas pressure in the carbonation chamber 130. The use of the restrictor gas control valve 120 allows the valve to operate in a fully closed position once the carbonation chamber is pressurized to the gas supply pressure controlled by the gas control valve. Any of the above pressure reduction scenarios and devices can be used in the carbonation system of the present invention. In yet another alternative embodiment, there is no need to reduce the CO2 gas source pressure if the source pressure is appropriately low enough not to exceed the maximum pressure design limits of the carbonation system equipment. In this case, the gas control valve 120 alone can be used in the fully open position to initially fill and pressurize the carbonation chamber 130, and then in the fully closed position to isolate the gas source from the chamber.

[0040] On the carbonated water delivery side, carbonated beverage production system 100 further includes a carbonated water discharge valve 132 fluidly coupled to the carbonation chamber 130 and injection nozzle 140 of beverage maker 101 via carbonated water discharge flow path 102a. The proximal end of flow path conduit 102a is immersed in the body of carbonated water CW in carbonation chamber 130 below water level L2, such that CO2 gas pressure Pc within the chamber causes only the carbonated water to be drawn in and expelled from the chamber. The distal end of flow path conduit 102a is fluidly coupled to injection nozzle 140.

[0041] The injection nozzle 140 can be selectively fluidly coupled to a disposable, single-use sealed product container 142 held in the beverage maker 101 at the beverage dispensing station 103. The nozzle is operatively configured to inject carbonated water through the product container when preparing a carbonated beverage. The product container 142 can be of any suitable type, such as a rigid or flexible sachet, packet, capsule pouch, cup, pod, or the like, that holds a flavored beverage substance, such as a flavoring, to produce a variety of carbonated beverages based on the type of flavoring used. The beverage substance can be in liquid, granular, or powdered form, by way of non-limiting example. The distal end of the nozzle 140 can also be configured to pierce the product container when loaded into the beverage maker 101 by a user. After the beverage is prepared, the product container 142 is discarded.

[0042] Beverage maker 101 includes a programmable system controller 200 operably connected to carbonation systems 100, 300 and the components shown in Figures 1 and 3, respectively, via suitable wired and / or wireless communication links 205. For example, with reference to Figure 1, controller 200 is configured, via programming with suitable software instructions, to control the operation of the carbonation system and its components, which may include, for example, in various non-limiting embodiments, maintaining water levels L1, L2 in chilled water tank 111 and carbonation chamber 130 via level sensors 115 and 117, operating the gas and water valves described herein, including valves 113, 119, 120, 132, 133, and 134, and sensing gas pressure in carbonation chamber 130 via pressure sensor 135, cooling unit 121, and water pump 116. Thus, controller 200 is operably connected to level sensors 115, 117 and can receive data regarding water levels L1 and L2 therefrom.

[0043] The controller 200 is operably coupled and linked to a user-accessible electronic control panel 202 that may be mounted on the beverage maker 101. The control panel includes input devices that allow a user to initiate operation of the brewer, such as brewing a beverage or frothing milk. The panel 202 may, in some embodiments, include a touchscreen and may include conventional accessories used for user programming and interface purposes, such as "hard" and "soft" buttons, status / indicator lights, etc., where "hard" buttons refer to physical buttons and "soft" buttons refer to software-generated buttons displayed on the control panel screen by the controller. Any suitable type of control panel or display may be commercially available.

[0044] The programmable controller 200 may include one or more microprocessors or processors, systems-on-chips (integrated circuits), or combinations thereof that execute programs or software instructions (e.g., control logic) that control the operation of the beverage maker 101 and cause the carbonated beverage production system 100 to perform the operations and methods disclosed herein related to the preparation of the final carbonated beverage.

[0045] The controller 200 includes a non-transitory, tangible, computer- or machine-accessible and readable medium, such as memory 201, which stores the software described herein and various system settings or baseline parameters (e.g., temperature, pressure, etc.) accessible by the microprocessor. The machine-readable medium, memory 201, may include any suitable volatile and non-volatile memory or device operably and communicatively connected to the microprocessor. For example, any suitable combination and type of volatile or non-volatile memory may be used, including, but not limited to, random access memory (RAM) and its various types, read-only memory (ROM) and its various types, hard disks, solid-state drives, flash memory, or other memory and devices that can be written to and / or read by the processor operably connected to the medium. Both volatile and non-volatile memory may be used to store program instructions or software.

[0046] The controller 200 includes all other electronic devices / components, peripherals, accessories, power management systems, communication interfaces (wired and / or wireless connections), etc. not mentioned here for the sake of brevity, that are typically provided with the controller to provide a fully functional control system.

[0047] We will now summarize a method or process 200 for preparing carbonated beverages using the carbonation system 100 with the beverage maker 101 described previously herein. For hardware information, see Figures 1 and 2 and the above description of the components shown therein. Figure 3 outlines the major high-level steps in the process or method referenced below, with details of each step provided as needed. The various actions and operation of the carbonation system and its components described below may be initiated and performed solely or partially by the system controller 200, unless otherwise noted.

[0048] To initially set up the system to carbonate and dispense water, the gas control valve 120, the discharge valves 132 and 133, and the water fill valve 113 are closed. The water pump 116 is turned off. The chilled water tank 111 is first filled with still water W from the water source 114 by opening the fill valve 113 until it reaches level L1 (step 232). The controller 200 performs this step, or the combination of the level sensor 115 and the fill valve 113 automatically fills the tank and maintains level L1 independently of the controller's control. The water in the tank 111 is cooled by operating the cooling system 122 to circulate a coolant through the wetted coolant coil 112, which is in direct contact with the water in the tank (step 234).

[0049] In step 236, the water pump 116 is activated by the controller 200 to pump cold / chilled water from the tank 111 into the carbonation chamber 130. The pump 116 continues to operate until the water level reaches level L2, after which it is stopped via the level sensor 117 to control the level of carbonated water WC in the chamber 130 as previously described.

[0050] In step 238, gas control valve 120 is opened and gas (CO2) from gas source 118 (e.g., a CO2 cylinder) is reduced in pressure from an initial bottled gas source pressure P1 to a second, lower dispensed gas pressure P2 as it flows through gas regulator valve 119 and into carbonation chamber 130. P2 can be thought of as the gas supply pressure supplied to the carbonation chamber. The gas source is in fluid communication with carbonation chamber 130.

[0051] In step 240, the headspace or headspace Hs in the carbonation chamber above water level L2 is pressurized and filled with CO2 at a reduced dispense gas pressure P2 until the headspace Hs is in equilibrium with the gas pressure at the outlet of gas regulating valve 119 (i.e., until the gas pressure Pc in the carbonation chamber reaches the reduced pressure P2), which occurs automatically and quickly when gas control valve 120 is opened.

[0052] In step 242, the carbonation chamber 130 is fluidly sealed by closing the gas control valve 120. This creates a sealed carbonation chamber 130 with a known total volume Vt (water and gas portion) and simultaneously creates a smaller volume Vc of the headspace Hs at the top of the chamber. This volume is defined above the water level L2 and is automatically maintained by the water pump 116 via the level sensor 117. Thus, volume Vc remains a fixed, small volume in the chamber prior to dispensing carbonated water. After closing the gas control valve 120, the controller 200 can measure and verify (via pressure sensor 135) that the gas pressure Pc in the chamber headspace Hs is equal to the lower gas dispensing pressure P2. The system is now ready to dispense carbonated water.

[0053] In step 244, the user selects the desired beverage cup size on the beverage maker's control panel 202. The controller 200 receives the selection and determines the appropriate pre-programmed gas setting ratio corresponding to the selected beverage size. The controller then opens the carbonated water outlet valve 132 to dispense carbonated water CW from the carbonation chamber 130 (step 246). The carbonated water flows through the carbonated water outlet flow conduit 102a, from the nozzle 140, through the product container 142, and into a user's cup 104 that the user has placed at the beverage dispensing station 103 of the beverage maker 101. The carbonated water mixes with the flavoring in the product container to create a flavored carbonated beverage that is dispensed into the user's cup.

[0054] As previously described, once the user initially selects a beverage cup size, the controller 200 continues to monitor the actual real-time gas pressure Pc within the carbonation chamber 130 via the pressure sensor 135. The carbonated water discharge valve 132 measures and monitors the headspace chamber gas pressure Pc within the chamber 130, which decreases as the carbonated water is discharged, and remains open until the controller determines that a preprogrammed gas set ratio has been reached. Reaching the set ratio indicates to the controller that the desired amount of carbonated water associated with the user's selected beverage size has been dispensed, based on the preprogrammed set ratio value, regardless of the initial starting chamber pressure Pc and the final chamber pressure values. The amount of gas within the carbonation chamber 130 increases as carbonated water is displaced from the chamber, thereby decreasing the gas pressure in accordance with Boyle's gas law, as previously described herein. As previously described herein, the preprogrammed gas set ratio can be one of several preprogrammed set ratios, each associated with providing a different amount of carbonated water to a different size user beverage cup 104.

[0055] Once this set ratio is reached, the controller knows the correct amount of water has been dispensed and closes the carbonated water dispense valve 132 to stop dispensing carbonated water.

[0056] In step 248, after the drain valve 132 is closed, the controller activates the water pump 116 to refill the water in the carbonation chamber 130 to level L2. The water pump 116 is then stopped. The controller 200 then reopens the gas control valve 120, repressurizing the chamber 130 with CO2 to dispense gas pressure P2, as previously described (step 250). In step 252, based on the water level detected by the level sensor 115 in the cold water tank 111, the water fill valve 130 is opened, and the tank is refilled with water to the starting cold water level LI. The carbonation system 100 is then ready to begin the next carbonated water dispensing cycle by repeating the previously described procedure.

[0057] For certain types of beverage preparations, it may be desirable to mix carbonated and still water into a single beverage, or to dispense still water alone as a still beverage. This can be initiated by the user selecting the appropriate hard or soft button on the control panel 202. In the former case, still water can be added to the user's cup 104 before, after, or simultaneously with dispensing carbonation gas from the chamber 130. To dispense still water, the controller 200 opens the still water discharge valve 133 and then activates the water pump 116. Because the injection nozzle 140 is exposed to atmospheric pressure, the pumped water flows toward and is discharged from the nozzle rather than toward the carbonation chamber 130. The length of time and amount (volume) of still water that is pumped are determined based on the cup size selected by the user on the control panel 202. This prevents the cup from overflowing or being underfilled.

[0058] It should be noted that the above-described process or method for dispensing and metering the amount of carbonated water for beverage preparation does not rely on understanding or quantifying the amount of CO2 (i.e., moles of gas) initially added to the carbonation chamber 130. Controller 200 functions based on the principle of a pre-programmed gas set ratio of the actual real-time pressure Pc measured within the carbonation chamber as the carbonated water is dispensed to a starting / initial gas pressure Pc within the chamber (i.e., gas supply pressure P2). Each set ratio is associated with a respective pre-programmed beverage size selected by the user to prepare the chilled beverage. When controller 200 monitors the real-time pressure Pc within the carbonation chamber and determines that the set ratio has been reached, the delivery of chilled carbonated water is stopped. Advantageously, because the system relies on a pre-programmed gas set ratio corresponding to the pressure drop, rather than the actual pressure value measured within the carbonation chamber, the carbonation system functions properly regardless of the starting or initial pressure within the carbonation chamber 130.

[0059] The carbonation system of the present invention advantageously provides a reliable process for producing chilled carbonated beverages while minimizing equipment cost and complexity. On the gas side of the carbonation system, CO flows directly from a gas cylinder through a gas regulator pressure reducing station and into the carbonation chamber, without the use of expensive gas pumps or gas flow meters to measure the moles of gas added to the carbonation chamber.

[0060] 4 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a carbonated beverage production system 300 in conjunction with a beverage maker 101 for preparing chilled carbonated beverages. The operation of the system 300 and method for preparing carbonated beverages previously described herein remains essentially the same in all important features and will not be repeated here for the sake of brevity. However, the current system incorporates several equipment modifications and substitutions, including:

[0061] In this embodiment of carbonated beverage production system 300, the reservoir-type chiller of the previously described carbonation system 100, which uses a submerged cooling coil 112 and a chilled water tank 111 that holds chilled still water as the source of chilled still water, is replaced with a flash chiller 301. Advantageously, this fast-acting chiller is more compact, thereby reducing the space requirements for the chiller and carbonation system and resulting in a smaller carbonated beverage maker 101. Furthermore, the elimination of a large reservoir of chilled water (i.e., chilled water tank 111) saves on energy consumption and associated costs associated with maintaining a chilled reservoir. The flash chiller functions on an "on-demand" basis. However, other features of the beverage maker remain the same, including the beverage dispensing station 103 and associated carbonated water injection nozzles 140 and still water delivery nozzles 141.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 4, the flash chiller 301 generally consists of a cast, molded, or otherwise formed solid metal cold block 302 with the coolant passages 312, chilled (still) water passages 320, and carbonation chamber 330 integrally formed as recessed negative features (i.e., openings or voids) within the cold block. These features, shown within the dashed physical boundaries of the cold block 302 in FIG. 4, are located within the cold block. Any suitable polygonal or non-polygonal shaped metal block can be used herein. Any metal with a thermal conductivity suitable for quickly and efficiently transferring cold air from the refrigerant / coolant circulating through the coolant passages 312 within the block to the chilled water passages 320 and carbonation chamber 330 can be used. In one non-limiting embodiment, the cold block may be formed of, for example, cast aluminum.

[0063] The coolant passageway 312 and the cold water passageway 320 are each configured in a spiral, forming parallel circuitous paths through the cooling block 302 in close proximity to one another to achieve heat transfer (i.e., cold transfer from the coolant to the still water circulating within the cold water passageway). The passageways 312, 320 may be wrapped around the carbonation chamber 330 inside the passageway within the cold block 302. Cold travels radially inward and is transferred to the carbonation chamber. The carbonation chamber 330, in one embodiment, may be a cylindrical recess or cavity within the cold block. The passageways 312, 320 and the carbonation chamber 330 are all fluidly isolated from one another within the cold block.

[0064] In this embodiment of carbonation system 300, a still water head tank 311 is provided upstream of the cold block 302 between the water source 114 and the carbonation chamber 330 within the cold block. The level sensor 115 and water fill valve 113 of this embodiment control the level L1 to maintain the amount of still water W in the head tank 311 instead of the water level in the cold water tank 111 of the first embodiment shown in Figure 1 and described above. The function and operation of the level sensor and fill valve are otherwise the same.

[0065] In this embodiment, a water pump 116 pumps water from the head tank 311 through the cold block 302 to fill and maintain the level of chilled water CW in the carbonation chamber 330. The water is rapidly cooled as it flows through the spiral cold water passage 302 in the block, and then is pumped into the carbonation chamber 330.

[0066] The same alternative flow path for delivering chilled, still water to a user's drinking cup 104 at a beverage dispensing station 103 of the beverage maker 101 through a still water dispensing nozzle 141 is also used in the present system 300. To deliver only still water, a flow meter 310 can optionally be provided in the chilled water flow path between the cold block 302 and the water pump 116 to measure the amount of chilled water pumped as needed. The flow meter 310 is operably and communicatively linked to the system controller 200, which measures the amount of chilled still water delivered. The controller can automatically control the amount of still water delivered based on a cup size selected by the user and entered into the control panel 202 described previously herein, or the user can manually control the amount of still water added to the cup using hard or soft (i.e., software) buttons on the control panel.

[0067] To increase the volume of the carbonation chamber 330 of the cold block 302, an optional auxiliary gas reservoir 350 can be provided, as shown in FIG. 3. The gas reservoir 350, which can be a metal container such as a tank, can be fluidly coupled to the gas conduit 138 between the carbonation chamber 330 and the gas control valve 120. In other embodiments, the gas reservoir 350 can be fluidly coupled directly to the gas-filled headspace Hs at the top of the carbonation chamber 330. During operation, CO2 gas pressurizes the headspace Hs within the chamber 330, the reservoir 350, and the gas conduit 138 downstream of the gas control valve 120 and the chamber to the same pressure (e.g., 4 bar). Therefore, the total available CO2 volume for carbonating the chilled water stored in the carbonation chamber 330 is the sum of the volumes of each of the pressure-retaining components mentioned above.

[0068] The addition of the auxiliary gas reservoir 350 provides several advantages. First, the increased gas volume provided by the gas reservoir 350 allows for a smaller carbonation chamber 330 and associated cold block 302, thereby reducing the size of the cold block and associated manufacturing costs. Additionally, because the reservoir only needs to be fluidly coupled to the carbonation chamber 330 within the block, it is easier to find free space within the beverage maker 101 for the reservoir than with a larger cold block. This means that all of the available space within the beverage maker 101 can be utilized to accommodate the reservoir 350. Furthermore, because the gas volume (i.e., CO2) provided by the gas reservoir 350 is increased, less CO2 volume loss occurs within the headspace Hs as the carbonated water CW is dispensed. This results in less of a drop in the carbonation level of the water each time the carbonated water is dispensed, thereby increasing the "effervescence" of the dispensed carbonated water. However, other embodiments may choose to omit the gas reservoir 350 and instead use a larger carbonation chamber 330 within the cold block 302.

[0069] The carbonated beverage production system 300 described herein adds a pair of air pumps 380, one for the carbonated water discharge conduit 102a and one for the still water discharge conduit 102b. Each air pump is located downstream of its respective carbonated water discharge valve 132 or still water discharge valve 133, as shown. A one-way flow air check valve 381 prevents still water or carbonated water from flowing back into the pump from the discharge conduits. The air pumps 380 are used to blow out residual water from the carbonated water discharge conduit 102a and still water discharge conduit 102b after each carbonated beverage or still water dispensing cycle, preventing residual water from remaining in the conduits for the next dispensing cycle.

[0070] As can be readily seen from the above description, numerous devices and operating scenarios are possible in which the various embodiments of the beverage preparation system disclosed herein can be used to heat and froth an auxiliary liquid and extract a beverage.

[0071] While the foregoing description and drawings represent exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, it will be understood that various additions, modifications, and substitutions can be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims and the range of equivalents. In particular, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention can be embodied in other forms, structures, arrangements, proportions, sizes, and other elements, materials, and components without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Furthermore, the methods / processes described herein are susceptible to various variations within the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the embodiments can be adapted with numerous changes in structure, arrangement, proportions, sizes, materials, and components that are particularly suited to particular environments and operating requirements without departing from the principles described herein. Therefore, the presently disclosed embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The appended claims should be interpreted broadly to include other variations and embodiments of the present disclosure, which can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the range of equivalents.

Claims

1. 1. A method of preparing a carbonated beverage in a beverage maker, the method comprising: providing a sealable carbonation chamber having a fixed volume and including a gas source containing carbon dioxide at an initial gas source pressure, a still water source, and a programmable controller; The programmable controller monitoring chamber gas pressure within said carbonation chamber; adding still water to the carbonation chamber to a first level; opening the gas control valve; flowing the inserted gas from the gas source through a pressure reduction device, the pressure reduction device reducing the gas source pressure to a lower gas delivery pressure; pressurizing the carbonation chamber with the carbon dioxide to the gas delivery pressure to produce carbonated water; sealing the carbonation chamber; monitoring real-time gas pressure within the carbonation chamber; a user selecting a beverage size on a control panel operably coupled to said controller; dispensing carbonated water from the carbonation chamber into the user's drinking cup; and ceasing the dispensing of carbonated water when the real-time gas pressure in the carbonation chamber drops to a value corresponding to a pre-programmed gas set point ratio of the real-time gas pressure to the initial gas delivery pressure calculated by the controller; 20. A method configured to perform the steps of:

2. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-programmed gas setpoint ratio corresponds to the drink size selected by the user.

3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller is preprogrammed with a plurality of preprogrammed gas setting ratios, each corresponding to a different beverage size.

4. 4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising, after dispensing the carbonated water, selectively operating a water pump fluidly coupled between the still water source and the carbonation chamber to maintain the first level of still water in the carbonation chamber by adding still water to the carbonation chamber when the still water level in the carbonation chamber falls below the first level.

5. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the water pump is controlled by a level sensor configured to monitor the first level of the still water in the carbonation chamber, the level sensor activating the water pump when the level of the still water in the carbonation chamber falls below the first level.

6. 6. The method of claim 4 or 5, further comprising activating the water pump to pump still water from the still water source into the drinking cup before or after the carbonated water dispensing step.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of opening a static water drain valve fluidly coupled to the water pump to activate the water pump.

8. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the still water drain valve is closed when the water pump adds still water to the carbonation chamber.

9. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the still water source comprises a chilled water tank for holding the still water, and further comprising circulating a coolant through the still water to cool the water.

10. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the carbonation chamber is at least partially immersed in still water in the cold water tank to continue cooling the water in the carbonation chamber.

11. 9. The method of claim 4, wherein the still water source includes a cold block forming still water passages parallel to and fluidly separated from the coolant, and further comprising circulating the coolant through the coolant passages to cool the still water.

12. 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising pumping water from a head tank containing still water through the still water passage and circulating the still water through the water pump to the carbonation chamber.

13. 13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a controller monitoring gas pressure within the carbonation chamber via a pressure sensor operably coupled to the carbonation chamber.

14. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the pressure reduction device is a gas regulating valve coupled to the pressure sensor that measures the pressure of the gas in the carbonation chamber.

15. 15. The method of any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the dispensing step includes flowing the carbonated water through a product container containing flavorings to produce a flavored carbonated beverage.

16. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of moles of carbon dioxide in the carbonation chamber is not known when the carbonation chamber is first pressurized and the carbonated beverage is dispensed.

17. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressurizing step includes pressurizing an auxiliary gas reservoir simultaneously with pressurizing the carbonation chamber, the auxiliary gas reservoir being in fluid communication with the carbonation chamber.

18. pressurizing the carbonation chamber a second time to a second gas delivery pressure different from the first gas delivery pressure; the same user or another user selecting the same beverage size on the control panel; and ceasing the dispensing of carbonated water when the real-time gas pressure in the carbonation chamber drops to a value corresponding to a pre-programmed gas set point ratio of the real-time gas pressure to the second gas delivery pressure calculated by the controller; The method of claim 1 further comprising:

19. a head tank configured to hold still water; a solid-state, thermally communicating cold block; a carbonation chamber formed within the cold block for containing still water; a cold water passage formed within the cold block and fluidly coupled between the head tank and the carbonation chamber; a coolant passage formed within the cold block and routed parallel to the cold water passage, the coolant passage transferring cold air from the coolant circulating through the coolant passage to the cold water passage; a gas source containing carbon dioxide fluidly coupled to the carbonation chamber via a gas control valve, the gas control valve being variable between a closed position that isolates the gas source from the carbonation chamber and an open position that pressurizes the carbonation chamber; a carbonation chamber pressurized with said carbon dioxide to produce carbonated water; a carbonated water outlet valve and injection nozzle fluidly coupled to the carbonation chamber; and a product container supported by the beverage maker and holding a flavoring; A carbonated beverage production system comprising: When the carbonated water discharge valve is opened, carbonated water is discharged from the carbonation chamber and injected through the product container to produce a carbonated beverage.

20. 20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a pressure reducing valve configured to reduce the carbon dioxide from the gas source pressure to a lower gas supply pressure, the carbonation chamber being pressurized with carbon dioxide to the gas supply pressure.

21. 21. The system of claim 20, wherein the carbonated beverage is dispensed into a user's drinking cup positioned below the product container within the beverage maker.

22. 22. The system of any one of claims 19 to 21, further comprising a water pump configured to draw still water from a head tank through a cold water passage in the cold block that cools the still water and pump the still water into the carbonation chamber.

23. 23. The system of claim 22, wherein the water pump is selectively operable to pump the still water into the carbonation chamber via a level sensor configured to detect and maintain a level of still water in the carbonation chamber.

24. 24. The system of claim 22 or 23, wherein the water pump is further configured to pump the still water into an alternate flow path that bypasses the carbonation chamber and flows through a still water drain valve.

25. 25. The system of any one of claims 19 to 24, wherein the coolant and chilled water passages include a spiral section wound around the carbonation chamber within the cold block.

26. 26. The system of any one of claims 19 to 25, wherein the cold block is formed from a metallic material.

27. 21. The system of claim 20, further comprising an auxiliary gas reservoir fluidly coupled to a headspace above the carbonation chamber formed above the still water that holds the carbon dioxide, the auxiliary gas reservoir increasing the volume of the headspace for holding the carbon dioxide.

28. 27. The system of any one of claims 21 to 26, further comprising a pressure reducing valve fluidly interposed between the gas control valve and the gas source, the pressure reducing valve configured to reduce the carbon dioxide to a gas supply pressure that is lower than the gas source pressure, such that the carbon dioxide in the carbonation chamber is at the gas supply pressure.

29. 30. The system of claim 28, further comprising a pressure sensor operative to measure gas pressure within the carbonation chamber.

30. 20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a programmable controller configured to initiate the dispensing of carbonated water and stop the dispensing of carbonated water when a preprogrammed gas set point ratio is reached based on real-time gas pressure measured by a pressure sensor operably coupled to the controller and the carbonation chamber.

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