Beverage making machines with purge liquid vessel

Abstract

A beverage making machine may be configured to form a beverage using a brew chamber and may have a vessel that receives purge liquid. Purge liquid may flow through the vessel and into a drip tray. When the drip tray is disengaged from the beverage machine, purge liquid may be temporarily stored within the vessel. When the drip tray is re-engaged with the beverage machine, the stored purge liquid may exit the vessel and into the drip tray. The beverage making machine may include a beverage cooling pathway through which the purge liquid is configured to flow.

Description

Attorney Docket No. K0502.70266WO00-1-BEVERAGE MAKING MACHINES WITH PURGE LIQUID VESSELCROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 683,220, filed August 14, 2024 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 704,071, filed October 7, 2024, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.FIELD

[0002] Aspects disclosed herein relate to beverage making machines, such as, but not limited to, coffee brewers that use a liquid to form a coffee beverage.BACKGROUND

[0003] Beverage making machines that use a liquid, such as water, to form a beverage are well known. For example, US Patent 8,094,998 and US Patent application publication 2017 / 0307252 disclose systems in which water in a heater tank is forced to flow out of the tank and to a beverage making station or dispensing location by introducing unheated water into the tank.SUMMARY

[0004] According to one aspect, a beverage making machine is provided. In some embodiments, the beverage making machine may include a housing and a beverage chamber configured to receive a beverage ingredient and to introduce liquid from a liquid supply to the beverage ingredient to form a beverage. In some embodiments, the beverage making machine may include a dispensing outlet configured to permit exit of the formed beverage out of the beverage chamber for consumption by a user. In some embodiments, the beverage making machine may include a purge liquid vessel having a purge outlet and an outlet valve at the purge outlet, the outlet valve having a closed configuration and an open configuration, and the purge outlet being separate and distinct from the dispensing outlet. In some embodiments, the beverage making machine may include a purge pathway configured to direct purge liquid from the beverage chamber into the purge liquid vessel. In some embodiments, the beverage making machine may include a drip tray configured to removably engage with the housing, the drip tray having a recess for receiving and holding liquid. In some embodiments, the outlet valve may be in the closed configuration when the drip tray is disengaged from the housing. In some embodiments, the outlet valve may be in the openconfiguration when the drip tray is engaged with the housing such that the purge liquid vessel is in fluid communication with the recess of the drip tray.

[0005] According to another aspect, a method of forming a beverage is provided. In some embodiments, the method may include introducing a liquid to a beverage ingredient to form a beverage, dispensing the formed beverage out of a dispensing outlet into a vessel for consumption by a user, and performing a purge operation by directing purge liquid through the beverage making machine, out of a purge outlet and into a purge liquid vessel. In some embodiments, the purge outlet may be separate and distinct from the dispensing outlet. In some embodiments, the purge liquid may flow from the purge liquid vessel into a drip tray when the drip tray is engaged with the beverage making machine. In some embodiments, the purge liquid may remain inside the purge liquid vessel when the drip tray is disengaged from the beverage making machine.

[0006] It should be appreciated that the foregoing concepts, and additional concepts discussed below, may be arranged in any suitable combination, as the present disclosure is not limited in this respect. Further, other advantages and novel features of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of various nonlimiting embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0007] The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures may be represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:

[0008] FIG. 1 shows an isometric view of a beverage making machine according to some embodiments;

[0009] FIG. 2A shows a side view of a beverage making machine according to some embodiments;

[0010] FIG. 2B shows a side view of a beverage making machine according to some further embodiments;12769402.1

[0011] FIG. 3A shows a schematic diagram of an illustrative flow circuit in a beverage making machine according to some embodiments;

[0012] FIG. 3B shows a schematic diagram of another illustrative flow circuit in a beverage making machine according to some embodiments;

[0013] FIG. 4 shows a cooling unit according to some embodiments;

[0014] FIG. 5 shows a thermoelectric cooler according to some embodiments;

[0015] FIG. 6 is a cutaway perspective view of a purge liquid vessel according to some embodiments;

[0016] FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a beverage making machine, with the drip tray engaged with the beverage making machine housing and interacting with a purge liquid vessel;

[0017] FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view of the portion of the beverage making machine shown in FIG. 7 A, with the drip tray disengaged from the housing;

[0018] FIG. 8A is a cutaway perspective view of the portion of the beverage making machine of FIG. 7A showing the drip tray engaged with the housing; and

[0019] FIG. 8B is a cutaway perspective view of the portion of the beverage making machine of FIG. 7B showing the drip tray disengaged from the housing.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] It should be understood that aspects of the invention are described herein with reference to the figures, which show illustrative embodiments. The illustrative embodiments described herein are not necessarily intended to show all embodiments in accordance with the invention, but rather are used to describe a few illustrative embodiments. Thus, aspects of the invention are not intended to be construed narrowly in view of the illustrative embodiments. In addition, it should be understood that aspects of the invention may be used alone or in any suitable combination with other aspects of the invention.

[0021] Conventional beverage making machines often use an air purging step to clear residual beverage from various tubing and other components in the machine after a beverage is dispensed. In such arrangements, purging medium in the form of air is sent through the machine and out through the dispensing outlet - the same outlet through which the beverage was dispensed. As the air purge is imply pushing out residual brewed beverage, the contents12769402.1of the purge can be dispensed into the user’s cup (or other container for receiving the beverage such as a carafe) for consumption.

[0022] The inventors have recognized the need for a beverage making machine having a purge liquid routing arrangement that accommodates the use of a liquid-based purging medium rather than air. There may be different reasons for using a liquid-based purging medium. In some embodiments, the beverage making machine may have a longer internal flow pathway, such that an air-based purge may not be able to effectively clear out the entire flow pathway. In some embodiments, the type of beverage being formed may be more effectively cleared using a liquid-based purging medium rather than air alone. In some embodiments, a purging operation may utilize a cleaning solution that may be liquid-based. It should be appreciated, however, that in other embodiments, the liquid-based purging medium may be water. In some embodiments, the water used for purging may come from the same supply that is used to form the beverages themselves.

[0023] The inventors have appreciated that, with a liquid-based purging medium, it may be beneficial to provide a purge liquid routing arrangement that allows the purging medium to exit the beverage machine through a designated purge outlet that is distinct from the dispensing outlet through which beverage for consumption is dispensed. This may help to avoid the liquid purging medium from accidentally being dispensed into a user’s cup or other beverage-receiving container. In some cases, dispensing liquid purging medium into a user’s cup or other beverage-receiving container may adversely affect the beverage quality, e.g. by diluting the beverage, negatively impacting the taste, and / or making the beverage unpotable (for example, due to the purging medium being unsuitable for consumption, such as in the case of a cleaning solution).

[0024] Aspects herein relate to a beverage making machine with a designated purge outlet that is separate and distinct from the dispensing outlet through which beverage for consumption is dispensed.

[0025] According to some aspects, purge liquid exiting the purge outlet may empty out to a drip tray. In some embodiments, the drip tray may also be the same drip tray upon which the user’s cup (or other beverage -receiving container) rests. Thus, the drip tray may also catch beverage that overflows the user’s cup (or other beverage-receiving container), splashes during dispensing processes, spills, and other incidents in which beverage is12769402.1uncontained. In some embodiments, the user may periodically empty the drip tray. In some embodiments, the drip tray may be removable from the rest of the beverage making machine in order to allow the user to empty the drip tray (e.g. by pouring the contents out into a sink or other receptacle).

[0026] The inventors have appreciated that, in an arrangement where purge liquid is being emptied into a removable drip tray, it may be beneficial to have a temporary storage location to hold the purge liquid when the drip tray has been disengaged from the beverage machine. In some cases, a user may be delayed in re-engaging the drip tray with the beverage machine (e.g. due to the user washing the drip tray, due to the drip tray running through a wash cycle in a dishwasher, due to the user forgetting to re-engage the drip tray, due to the drip tray being incompletely re-engaged with the beverage machine, etc.) The inventors have recognized that holding the purge liquid in a temporary storage location when the drip tray is disengaged from the beverage machine may prevent the purge liquid from leaking out of the beverage machine and creating a mess.

[0027] According to some aspects, a beverage making machine may include a purge liquid vessel. In some embodiments, the purge outlet may be part of the purge liquid vessel. Purge liquid may flow out of the purge liquid vessel through the purge outlet to a drip tray. In some embodiments, when the drip tray has been disengaged from the beverage making machine, the purge liquid vessel may serve to temporarily hold purge liquid. In some embodiments, this may be achieved using a valve that closes when the drip tray is disengaged from the beverage making machine. When the drip tray is re-engaged with the machine, the valve may open and allow the purge liquid that was temporarily stored in the purge liquid vessel to flow out into the drip tray.

[0028] In some embodiments, opening and closing the purge outlet may be purely mechanically controlled. For example, the purge outlet may be a spring-biased plunger that interacts with a portion of the drip tray. When the drip tray is engaged with the beverage machine, the drip tray may physically abut and push up against the plunger, causing the purge outlet to open. When the drip tray is disengaged from the beverage machine, the absence of the drip tray may allow the plunger to move downwards, causing the purge outlet to close. It should be appreciated that other arrangements are possible. For example, the beverage making machine may include a sensor that detects presence and / or absence of the drip tray.12769402.1When the sensor determines that the drip tray is present, a controller may control the purge outlet to open. When the sensor determines that the drip tray is absent, the controller may control the purge outlet to close. Various sensors may be used, such as a magnetic proximity sensor (e.g. Hall Effect sensor), an inductive proximity sensor, a capacitive proximity sensor, an optical proximity sensor, or any other suitable sensor.

[0029] In some embodiments, the beverage making machine may have a long beverage flow pathway, and utilizing a liquid-based purge medium may help to clean out this long beverage flow pathway. In some embodiments, the beverage making machine may be configured to form a beverage, and then cool the formed beverage to a colder temperature prior to dispensing the beverage. In some embodiments, to cool the formed beverage, the beverage may move through a relatively long cooling pathway that is part of the beverage flow pathway, and thereby contributes to the length of the beverage flow pathway. The cooling pathway of the beverage machine may refer to the pathway along which a formed beverage moves to a cooling unit, through the cooling unit, and away from the cooling unit to be dispensed.

[0030] In some embodiments, a longer beverage flow pathway may require a greater volume of purge liquid to effectively clean out the flow pathway, and thus the beverage making machine may require an arrangement that accommodates the storage of this larger volume of purge liquid after the liquid has run through the machine.

[0031] Some beverages may involve heating as a step in forming the beverage. For example, a precursor liquid such as water may be heated prior to being combined with a beverage ingredient such as coffee. In some embodiments, the beverages may be consumed while relatively hot. In other embodiments, it may be desirable to consume the beverage while the beverage is relatively cooler, e.g. in “cold brew” and / or “iced” form. Accordingly, the beverage may be cooled prior to being consumed. Cooling a beverage may include introducing cold material into the beverage (e.g., ice), however this presents the opportunity for the beverage to become diluted with the cold material. For example, ice may be added to a hot beverage to cool the beverage, heat may be transferred from the beverage to the ice, causing the ice to melt into water, which in turn mixes with and dilutes the beverage. A diluted beverage may have an undesired taste and / or texture. The inventors have recognized the desire to form cooled beverages while reducing or eliminating dilution of the beverage.12769402.1

[0032] To form a cooled beverage, heat may be transferred away from the beverage. In some embodiments, a machine may be configured to transfer heat from a beverage. The systems and methods disclosed herein may be used anywhere and for any appropriate purpose, including at home, commercially, and / or industrially (e.g., large scale production of beverages). The machine may be used to make any appropriate beverage including coffee (e.g., iced coffee), tea (e.g., iced tea), hot chocolate, mineral and / or vitamin infused drink, or any other appropriate beverage.

[0033] The inventors have recognized that a strategy for cooling a formed beverage may include transferring heat from a beverage using a cooling unit prior to dispensing the beverage. A cooling unit may enable cooling of a liquid (e.g., beverage) without diluting the liquid. A beverage may flow through a cooling unit, and the cooling unit may be configured to absorb heat from the beverage flowing through. Cooling liquid may be disposed within the cooling volume and may be in thermal communication with the beverage flowing through the cooling unit such that heat is transferred from the beverage to the cooling unit. In some embodiments, the cooling liquid may be actively cooled using a thermoelectric cooler (also referred to herein as a “TEC”). Actively cooling the cooling liquid may help to increase the amount of heat transferred from the beverage to the cooling unit without substantially increasing the volume of the cooling unit. In some embodiments, decreasing the volume (e.g., dimensions) of the cooling unit may be beneficial in order to decrease the space occupied by the beverage making machine. For example, counter space may be limited in the kitchen or office of a user, so decreasing the beverage making machine footprint may help to decrease the amount of counter space occupied by the beverage making machine.

[0034] It should be understood that “thermoelectric cooler assembly” (also referred to as “TEC assembly”) as used herein may refer to an assembly of components including a thermoelectric cooler. For example, a thermoelectric cooler assembly may comprise an assembly including one or more of a thermoelectric cooler, heat sink, fan, and manifold.

[0035] In some embodiments, the cooling unit may include a phase change material (PCM) configured such that heat is transferred from the beverage to the PCM. For example, in some embodiments, heat may be transferred from a beverage to a cooling liquid, and in turn, heat may be transferred from the cooling liquid to the PCM. In embodiments where the cooling liquid is actively cooled (e.g., with a TEC), heat may be transferred from the PCM to12769402.1the cooling liquid when the heat of the PCM exceeds the heat of the cooling liquid (e.g., when the temperature of the PCM is greater than the temperature of the cooling liquid). The cooling fluid may be cooled using a thermoelectric cooler such that heat is transferred from the cooling fluid to the thermoelectric cooler. PCM is a substance that can be used to release or absorb thermal energy at phase transition. PCMs include any substance that can be used to release or absorb thermal energy, including, but not limited to, organic, inorganic, and eutectic PCMs. Examples of organic PCMs include, but are not limited to, hydrocarbons such as alkanes (e.g., paraffins), alcohols, fatty acids, and esters. Examples of inorganic PCMs include, but are not limited to, salt hydrates, nitrates, and metallics. Eutectic PCMs include combinations of organic and inorganic PCMs in any suitable arrangement. In some embodiments, water may be used as a PCM.

[0036] In some embodiments, the cooling liquid may be cooled to a temperature less than or equal to approximately 20°C, 15°C, 14°C, 13°C, 12°C, 11°C, 10°C, 9°C, 8°C, 7°C, 6°C, 5°C, 4°C, 3°C, 2°C, 1°C, 0°C, and / or any other appropriate temperature. The cooling liquid may also be cooled to a temperature greater than or equal to 0°C, 1°C, 2°C, 3°C, 4°C, 5°C, 6°C, 7°C, 8°C, 9°C, 10°C, 11°C, 12°C, 13°C, 14°C, 15°C, 20°C and / or any other temperature. Combinations of the foregoing, including temperatures between or equal to 0°C and 10°C, 0°C and 9°C, 0°C and 5°C, 2°C and 4°C are also contemplated, as well as temperatures above and below the ranges listed above, as the present disclosure is not limited by the temperature the cooling liquid is cooled to.

[0037] In some embodiments, the cooling liquid may be cooled for a time prior to an anticipated use of the cooling unit of less than or equal to approximately 12 hours, 8 hours, 7 hours, 6 hours, 5 hours, 4 hours, 3 hours, 2 hours, and / or any other appropriate time. The cooling liquid may be cooled for a time prior to an anticipated use of the cooling unit greater than or equal to 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, 7 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, and / or any other time. Combinations of the foregoing, including times between or equal to 2 hours and 12 hours are also contemplated, as well as times above and below the ranges listed above, as the present disclosure is not limited by the time the cooling liquid is cooled for before an anticipated use.

[0038] As described herein, one or more thermoelectric coolers (TEC) may be used to transfer heat associated with the beverage making machine and / or cooling unit. TECs12769402.1(sometimes referred to as Peltier coolers, solid state refrigerators, or thermoelectric heat pumps) serve to transfer heat using the Peltier effect. In some embodiments, a TEC may comprise two sides and may be configured to have current (e.g., DC electric current) flow through the device, wherein the flow of current transfers heat from one side to the other. Accordingly, upon activating the device (e.g., flowing current through the device) the side configured to lose heat gets cooler and the side configured to gain heat gets hotter, creating a “cold” side and a “hot” side. In some embodiments, the hot side may be coupled to a heat sink including any appropriate heat transferring elements, including, but not limited to, one or more radiators and / or fans. In some embodiments, the direction and quantity of heat transferred from the cold side to the hot side may be selectively changed by controlling the direction and quantity of current applied to the TEC. In some embodiments, the cold side may be coupled to a manifold through which the cooling liquid flows, and the TEC may be configured to cool the manifold. For example, the cooling liquid passageway may be fluidly coupled to an inlet and an outlet of the manifold and cooling liquid may enter the inlet of the manifold and exit the outlet of the manifold. As such, the TEC may be configured to transfer heat from the manifold, and the manifold may be configured to transfer heat from the cooling liquid passageway and / or cooling liquid inside the cooling liquid passageway. The inventors have recognized cooling a manifold with the TEC may offer advantages in thermal and electric efficiencies, thereby improving performance and / or saving cost. In some embodiments, the beverage making machine avoids the use of vapor-compression (e.g., refrigeration) cycles and compressors for cooling. However, in other embodiments, a vaporcompression cycle may be utilized.

[0039] Sensors may be used to sense parameters associated with one or more liquids associated with a beverage making machine. For example, a sensor may sense a temperature, pressure, volume, level, flow rate, conductivity, salinity, turbidity, and / or any other appropriate parameter associated with a liquid. Accordingly, any appropriate sensors may be used herein. For example, the beverage making machine may include any appropriate combination of temperature sensors, pressure sensors, volume sensors, level sensors, flow rate sensors, and / or any other appropriate type of sensor. In some embodiments, a conductive probe may be arranged to contact liquid in a liquid supply line, tank, valve, or any other appropriate element e.g., to detect a presence or absence of liquid.12769402.1

[0040] In some embodiments, a sensor component may include at least one conductive element that contacts a liquid to detect the presence or absence of liquid, and a temperature component to detect temperature, and may be arranged in different ways and / or to detect other physical characteristics of the liquid. For example, a sensor can include a sensor arrangement to detect pressure, conductivity, salinity, turbidity and / or other characteristic of the liquid, etc. In some embodiments, the sensor can detect three or more characteristics of the liquid, such as temperature, conductivity, and presence / absence.

[0041] In some embodiments, a beverage making machine may be used to form a beverage by combining a beverage precursor liquid with a beverage ingredient. The beverage making machine may allow a user to prepare a small quantity of a beverage such as a single serving or a small batch of beverage. Multiple users can use the same machine to prepare different beverages, such as individual servings of different beverage types or beverage flavors quickly and without wasting unconsumed beverage.

[0042] In some embodiments, the beverage making machine may be used with a beverage pod to form a beverage such as tea, coffee, espresso, cocoa or other infusion type beverages. The beverage pod may include beverage ingredients such as suitably prepared coffee beans, tea leaves, etc. The beverage making machine may form such beverages using a beverage precursor liquid, such as water, that may be combined with the beverage ingredients of the beverage pod under suitable conditions to form the beverage.

[0043] In some embodiments, the beverage machine may be used with package-less beverage pods. The package-less beverage pod may be able to hold its own shape, and thus may not require individual packaging to prevent dispersing of the beverage ingredients prior to use in forming a beverage. Such beverage pods may, for example, be in the form of a compacted tablet or a capsule (which may or may not be made of compacted materials). The beverage ingredients may be contained without separate, removable packaging. In some embodiments, the beverage ingredients of the package-less beverage pod have been compacted. In some embodiments, the package-less beverage pod may be bound together with a food-grade binder or with another beverage ingredient that promotes formation of the beverage tablet into a cohesive structure. However, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments, a package-less beverage pod need not include binder or other beverage12769402.1ingredient for cohesion. Some package-less beverage pods may be formed through processing alone, such as by compacting, heating, or drying into the desired form.

[0044] In some embodiments, the package-less beverage pod may include a shell, such as a coating, disposed along the outer surface at the periphery of the pod. In some embodiments, the shell may bind the beverage ingredients within the interior of the pod. The beverage ingredients within the pod may be loose, such as loose ground coffee, or compacted. The shell may be a food grade binder, an alginate, edible, soluble, non-soluble, or any other suitable material. In some embodiments, the shell may serve as a barrier to reduce infiltration of oxygen and / or moisture such as to maintain freshness of the beverage ingredients. In some embodiments, the shell is configured to be insoluble in water, whereas in other embodiments, the shell may be configured to dissolve in water. Material of the package-less beverage pod, including a shell of the pod if one is present, may directly contact some portion of the beverage machine, such as the brew chamber, before brewing the beverage, without intervening packaging in-between.

[0045] The package-less beverage pod may be configured to break into pieces during brewing or it may be configured to remain intact during brewing. In some embodiments, the package-less beverage pod is configured to be insoluble in water, whereas in other embodiments, the package-less beverage pod may be configured to at least partially or completely dissolve. In some embodiments, the package-less beverage pod may contain roasted coffee grounds (e.g. that remain behind after forming a beverage), soluble coffee, soluble materials, binders or other materials, and any combination of the above. The package-less beverage pod may be any suitable shape, such as a cylinder, a sphere, an ellipsoid, an elliptical prism, a teardrop shape, a frustrum of a cone, a cone or other shape.

[0046] In other embodiments, however, the beverage pod may be an individually packaged serving of beverage ingredients, such as, but not limited to a K-CUP pod, and other similar types of beverage pods. The individual package of beverage ingredients may be removed from the beverage making machine and discarded after the beverage has been prepared. In some embodiments, at least a portion of or the entire packaging may be made of a biodegradable, recyclable and / or compostable (e.g. home compostable and / or industrially compostable) material, or any combination thereof.12769402.1

[0047] Turning to the figures, specific non-limiting embodiments are described in further detail. It should be understood that the various systems, components, features, and methods described relative to these embodiments may be used either individually and / or in any desired combination as the disclosure is not limited to only the specific embodiments described herein.

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a beverage making machine 100, e.g., a beverage making machine, that incorporates various features of the disclosure. Although the beverage making machine 100 may be used to form any suitable beverage, such as tea, coffee, other infusion-type beverages, beverages formed from a liquid or powdered concentrate, soups, juices or other beverages made from dried materials, carbonated or uncarbonated beverages, or other, in this illustrative embodiment, the machine 100 is arranged to form coffee beverages. In some embodiments, a beverage pod 1 may be provided to the machine 100 and used to form a beverage that is dispensed into a user’s cup or other suitable container 2. The pod 1 may be manually or automatically placed in a brew chamber 15 that can include a pod holder 3 and cover 4. For example, the pod holder 3 may include a cup-shaped or otherwise suitably shaped opening in which the pod 1 may be placed. With a pod 1 placed in the pod holder 3, a handle 5 may be moved (e.g., downwardly) so as to move the cover 4 to a closed position (as shown in FIG. 1). In the closed position, the cover 4 may at least partially cover the pod 1, e.g., so the pod is at least partially enclosed in the brew chamber 15. In some embodiments, the brew chamber 15, including the pod holder 3 and cover 4, may be part of a dispensing head 6. Water or other liquid may be provided to the pod 1 (e.g., by injecting the liquid into the pod interior) to form a beverage that exits the pod 1 and is provided via a beverage outlet to a cup 2 or other container. As can be seen in FIGS.1, 3 A and 3B, for example, liquid may be provided to a brew chamber 15 or other dispensing station from a reservoir 7. In some embodiments, the reservoir 7 may be manually filled by a user, e.g. by a user introducing water into the reservoir 7. In some embodiments, the reservoir 7 may be removable from the beverage machine to facilitate introduction of water into the reservoir. For example, the beverage machine may include a reservoir base 17, and the reservoir 7 may be removable from the reservoir base 17.12769402.1

[0049] Alternatively or in addition, in some embodiments, the reservoir 7 may be provided with liquid from a mains water connection which allows the machine 100 to be connected to a plumbed water source.

[0050] The machine 100 shown in FIGS. 1-2B is only one example of a beverage making machine that can incorporate inventive features described herein. Thus, inventive features may be employed with any suitably arranged machine 100, including drip-type coffee brewers, espresso-type coffee machines, carbonated beverage making machines, and other systems that dispense a beverage. Such systems need not necessarily use a beverage pod, but instead the brew chamber or other dispensing station may accept ground coffee (e.g., in loose form) or other beverage material in other ways to make a beverage. Also, the brew chamber 15 need not necessarily include a pod holder 3 and a cover 4. For example, the brew chamber may include a filter basket or other receptacle arranged to receive beverage material and to combine the beverage material with water or other liquid to form a beverage. In some embodiments, the brew chamber need not be user accessible, but instead beverage material may be automatically provided to, and / or removed from, the brew chamber. Moreover, the machine 100 need not have a brew chamber 15, but instead other types of dispensing stations, e.g., that dispense hot and / or cold water or other liquid (whether still or carbonated) at a beverage outlet such as a dispensing nozzle without mixing with any beverage ingredient. Accordingly, a wide variety of different types and configurations of beverage making machines may be employed with inventive features.

[0051] Regardless of the type and / or configuration, in some embodiments, the beverage making machine 100 may include a purge liquid vessel 500, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The purge liquid vessel 500 may include a purge outlet in the form of an outlet valve 510 that permits exit of purge liquid to a drip tray 700. In some embodiments, the drip tray 700 may be removable. When the drip tray 700 is removed, thereby disengaging the drip tray from the beverage making machine, the outlet valve 510 may close to prevent purge liquid from flowing out of the purge liquid vessel 500. If a purge operation is executed while the drip tray 700 remains disengaged, purge liquid may accumulate in the purge liquid vessel. When the drip tray 700 is re-engaged with the beverage machine, the outlet valve 510 may open to permit purge liquid accumulated in the purge liquid vessel 500 to exit and flow into the drip tray 700.12769402.1

[0052] In some embodiments, the beverage making machine 100 may include a cooling unit 200. In some embodiments, the cooling unit 200 may be disposed inside of the beverage making machine housing 10, such as the depicted embodiment shown in FIG. 2A. In further embodiments, the cooling unit 200 may be disposed outside of the beverage making machine housing 10, such as the depicted embodiment of FIG. 2B. The cooling unit 200 may be, in some embodiments, positioned on a housing base 400 of the beverage making machine housing 10, as shown in FIG. 2B. Any of the systems (e.g., beverage makers) and methods as described herein may include a cooling unit 200 disposed inside, partially inside, partially outside, or outside of the beverage making machine housing 10 as the disclosure is not so limited.

[0053] In some embodiments, during a beverage cooling operation, a beverage formed from the brew chamber 15 may be directed through a cooling unit 200 to cool the beverage. The beverage may flow through a beverage passageway through the cooling unit.

[0054] During a purge operation, purge liquid may be sent through the brew chamber 15 and through the beverage passageway through the cooling unit 200 to clean out the brew chamber and / or the beverage passageway.

[0055] In some embodiments, a purge valve 520 may be located downstream of the cooling unit 200 to route liquid leaving the cooling unit 200 to either be sent to a dispensing outlet 301 (and thereby into the cup 2), or to the purge liquid vessel 500. During a purge operation, the purge valve 520 may direct liquid to the purge liquid vessel 500 instead of the dispensing outlet 301. During a beverage formation operation, the purge valve 520 may direct liquid to the dispensing outlet 301 instead of the purge liquid vessel 500.

[0056] FIG. 3A shows a schematic diagram of a liquid supply and other components of an illustrative beverage making machine 100 for forming a beverage. As noted above, the liquid supply of the machine 100 may include a reservoir 7. A level sensor 83 may be included to detect a liquid level in the reservoir 7.

[0057] In some embodiments, the reservoir 7 may be configured to be manually filled by a user. In other embodiments, however, the machine 100 may include a mains water connection having a connector to fluidly connect to mains water, a mains valve that controls flow to the reservoir. The mains valve can be controlled by a controller or control circuitry 11 based on information from the liquid level sensor 83, e.g., the mains valve can be operated to12769402.1establish a desired water level in the reservoir 7. It should be appreciated, however, that in some embodiments, the machine 100 is not configured to connect to a plumbed water source. In some embodiments, the machine does not include a mains water connection, connector, and / or mains valve.

[0058] A valve 9 can selectively couple the reservoir 7 to the brew chamber 15 or other dispensing station for delivery of liquid. Beverage parameters may be set by default by the controller 11, by a user interacting with a user interface, and / or by reading a machine readable feature on a pod 1 and using corresponding parameters.

[0059] A pump 12 may deliver liquid from the valve 9 to a heater 13 or other liquid conditioning device, e.g., to heat, carbonate, or otherwise condition water or other liquid for forming a beverage. Employing a pump 12 may allow the machine 100 to vary a flow rate and / or pressure of the liquid as desired, e.g., to form espresso-type or other beverages using higher pressure liquid as well as drip-type coffee or other beverages made using lower pressure liquid. In some embodiments, pumping of water or other liquid into the heater 13 causes heated liquid to flow to the brew chamber 15 for mixing with a beverage medium (or not) and for dispensing as a beverage.

[0060] In some embodiments, the heater comprises any appropriate type of heater, boiler, or heat exchanger. For example, in some embodiments, the heater may be a flowthrough heater that has a relatively small volume, e.g., a tube with associated heating element to heat liquid in the tube. Examples of flow-through heaters include a flat flow through heater, a spiral flow through heater, a U-shaped flow through heater, or any other type of heater. In some embodiments, the heater may be a heating element that heats a heater tank. The heater may be in thermal communication with the heater tank, e.g. inside the heater tank in direct contact with the water or other precursor liquid inside the tank, or in a non-contact arrangement in which the heater is provided outside the tank or embedded within the tank wall. The heater may be in electrical communication with a controller and / or a user interface. Liquid may enter the heater tank and remain within the heater tank for some period of time, during which the liquid is heated.

[0061] In some embodiments, the heater tank may include a sensor configured to sense the temperature of the liquid within the heater tank. In some embodiments, liquid may12769402.1exit the heater tank after a period of time has lapsed, and / or after a sensed temperature of the liquid is above a temperature threshold.

[0062] The beverage making machine 100 may include a distribution valve that may be moveable between different configurations to direct flow of fluid. In a first configuration, the valve 300 may be configured to direct beverage from the brew chamber 15 to a cooling unit 200. In a second configuration, the valve 300 may be configured to dispense the beverage from the brew chamber 15 and out of the beverage making machine 100 through a dispensing outlet 301, thereby bypassing the cooling unit, e.g. to form a non-cooled beverage such as, but not limited to, a hot or room temperature beverage. The valve 300 may be operatively coupled to the controller 11 and the controller 11 may be configured to control the valve 300 to maintain or change configurations. In some embodiments, the beverage making machine 100 may include a user interface (not shown) which may be configured to receive an input from a user. In some embodiments, the input from the user may move the valve 300 from the first configuration to the second configuration and / or from the second configuration to the first configuration. As such, input from the user may determine whether beverage is directed to the cooling unit 200 to be cooled or dispensed from the beverage making machine 100.

[0063] A cooling unit 200 may be fluidly coupled to the brew chamber 15 and the dispensing outlet 301 via the valve 300 as shown in FIG. 3A. In some embodiments, a beverage inlet 406 disposed on the cooling unit housing 402 may be configured to receive beverage (e.g., brewed beverage) from the brew chamber 15. The beverage may move (e.g., flow) through the cooling unit housing 402 in a beverage passageway 404 according to some embodiments. The cooling unit housing 402 may contain a cooling liquid which may be configured to transfer (e.g., absorb) heat from beverage flowing through or otherwise disposed in the beverage passageway 404. Accordingly, as the beverage flows through the cooling unit housing 402, heat may be transferred from the beverage and as such the beverage may be cooled. In some embodiments, the beverage passageway 404 may be formed in any appropriate geometry including a helix (e.g. cylindrical helix, conical helix), clover leaf, or any other appropriate geometry. The beverage may exit the cooling unit housing 402 through a beverage outlet 408 and may move towards the dispensing outlet 301 to be dispensed. In some embodiments, an exit conduit 405 downstream of the cooling unit housing 402 may12769402.1lead beverage towards the dispensing outlet 301. In some embodiments, the cooling unit housing 402 may be formed as a tower (e.g., a cooling tower) which may be disposed internal or external to the housing of the beverage making machine. The cooling unit housing 402 and corresponding cooling volume 410 may be formed in any appropriate geometry, including a cylinder, oval, rectangular prism, and any other appropriate shape or geometry as the disclosure is not limited in this fashion. The cooling house may be insulated using air, plastic insulation, or any other appropriate material according to some embodiments.

[0064] The beverage passageway as described herein may be formed of any appropriate material, including aluminum, copper, plastic, rubber, or any combination thereof, or any other appropriate material as the disclosure is not limited to the material of the beverage passageway. In some embodiments, the beverage passageway may be formed out of a non-corrosive material such as aluminum. In some embodiments, the beverage passageway may be formed out of a material having a high thermal conductivity. In some embodiments, the beverage passageway may be formed out of a food safe material.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 4, the beverage may move through a beverage passageway 404 disposed within a cooling volume 410 of the cooling unit 200. The beverage passageway 404 may be fluidly coupled to the beverage inlet 406 and a beverage outlet 408 of the cooling unit 200. The cooled beverage may move through the beverage outlet 408 to the brew chamber 15 and may be dispensed.

[0066] In some embodiments, the cooling liquid disposed in the cooling volume 410 may be cooled with a TEC assembly 412. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the beverage passageway 404 may be substantially submerged in (e.g., surrounded by) the cooling liquid. For example, a majority of the cooling volume 410 may be filled with the cooling liquid such that most or all of the beverage passageway 404 is submerged in the cooling liquid. In some embodiments, the cooling liquid is water. A user may, in some embodiments, be able to empty out the cooling unit housing of cooling liquid and introduce new cooling liquid in the cooling volume. For example, in some embodiments, the cooling unit housing 402 may be removable from the beverage machine, and a user may pour out the cooling liquid. For example, in the case of water as a cooling liquid, a user may pour out water from the cooling unit housing 402 into a sink, and fill the cooling unit housing 402 with12769402.1new water. In other embodiments, the cooling liquid is another PCM substance other than water.

[0067] One illustrative embodiment of a TEC assembly 412 is shown in FIG. 5. A TEC assembly 412 may include a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) 804 thermally coupled to a manifold 802 and a heat sink 806. The heat sink 806 may be thermally coupled to a fan 808 which may be configured to increase the rate of cooling of the heat sink 806. The heat sink 806 may be thermally coupled to the hot side of the TEC 804 and the manifold 802 may be thermally coupled to the cold side of the TEC 804. The manifold 802 may include a manifold inlet 810 and a manifold outlet 811.

[0068] The manifold may include a manifold passageway 809 connecting the manifold inlet 810 to the manifold outlet 811. In some embodiments, the manifold passageway 809 may be serpentine or otherwise tortuous to increase heat transfer as the cooling liquid flows through the manifold. Cooling liquid may be adapted to enter the manifold 802 via the manifold inlet 810, flow through the manifold passageway 809, and exit the manifold 802 via the manifold outlet 811. As the cooling liquid flows through the manifold passageway 809, heat is removed from the cooling liquid and transferred to the manifold 802 and TEC 804, thereby cooling the cooling liquid.

[0069] In some embodiments, the manifold passageway 809 may form at least a portion of the aforementioned cooling liquid passageway 413. In some embodiments, the manifold passageway 809 may form a majority or all of the cooling liquid passageway 413. In other words, cooling liquid exiting the cooling unit housing 402 may flow directly into the manifold without intervening tubing or other conduit (or with a very short tubing / conduit). Likewise, cooling liquid exiting the manifold may flow directly into the cooling unit housing 402 without intervening tubing or other conduit (or with a very short tubing / conduit).

[0070] It should be understood that the TEC assembly may be formed in any appropriate fashion as the disclosure is not limited to the embodiment depicted by FIG. 5.

[0071] In some embodiments, the cooling liquid may enter the cooling unit housing 402 through a cooling liquid inlet 416 and exit the cooling unit housing 402 through a cooling liquid outlet 418. In some embodiments, the cooling liquid may be directed to the TEC assembly to be cooled via a cooling liquid passageway 413 using one or more pumps 414.12769402.1

[0072] In some embodiments, such as the depicted embodiments of FIGS. 3 A, 3B, and 4, the cooling liquid passageway 413 may be disposed external to the cooling unit housing 402. The cooling liquid may exit the cooling unit housing 402 through the cooling liquid outlet 418 in order to enter the cooling liquid passageway 413. Cooling liquid flowing through the cooling liquid passageway 413 may be cooled by the TEC assembly, and then enter the cooling unit housing 402 through the cooling liquid inlet 416.

[0073] As shown in the depicted embodiment of FIG. 3A, the TEC assembly 412 and / or the one or more pumps 414 may be operatively coupled to the controller 11. The controller 11 may be configured to control one or both of the TEC assembly 412 and the one or more pumps 414 according to some embodiments. As such, the controller 11 may activate and deactivate the TEC assembly 412.

[0074] In some embodiments, the cooling liquid may be circulated within the cooling volume 410. Circulating the cooling liquid may help to form a more uniform temperature distribution within the cooling volume 410. Uniform temperature / heat distributions within the cooling volume 410 may help to more uniformly cool the beverage within the beverage passageway 404. For example, circulating the cooling liquid may help to prevent any portion of the cooling volume from becoming too hot or too cold resulting from stagnant cooling liquid. The cooling liquid may be continuously circulated in some embodiments. In further embodiments, the cooling liquid may be intermittently circulated. Regardless, the circulation of the cooling liquid through the cooling volume 410 and the cooling liquid passageway 413 may be controlled via the pump 414, which may be controlled using the controller 11 according to some embodiments. Circulating the cooling liquid may also form a crossflow between the flow of the cooling liquid and the flow of the beverage in the cooling volume 410, which may help to increase the cooling of the beverage.

[0075] The quantity of heat transferred from the fluid may be selectively controlled by the controller 11 according to some embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, the temperature of the beverage exiting the cooling unit 200 could be a cold beverage (e.g., 32° F to 50° F), or an ambient temperature beverage (e.g., 60° F to 80° F). It should be appreciated that the TEC may be controlled such that the temperature of the beverage may be of any appropriate range as the disclosure is not so limited. In some embodiments, the beverage machine 100 may achieve both cold temperature beverages and ambient temperature12769402.1beverages, depending on a desired outcome. The desired outcome may depend on, e.g., user preferences, user inputs, a sensed beverage pod type and associated brew recipe, etc. In other embodiments, the beverage machine 100 may be capable of producing only either a cold temperature beverage or an ambient temperature beverage.

[0076] In some embodiments, a user may selectively determine how much cooling fluid is disposed in the cooling volume 410. For example, the user may manually fill the cooling volume 410 with a desired amount of cooling fluid. In some embodiments, the cooling housing may include a user-accessible opening (not shown) configured to permit the user to add and / or remove cooling liquid from the cooling unit housing 402. In some embodiments, the user may add cooling liquid into the cooling housing through the user- accessible opening. The user accessible opening may take any appropriate form, including a moveable and / or removable lid, latch, cover, drain, valve, any combination thereof, and any other appropriate user accessible opening configured to permit adding and / or removing of cooling liquid by the user. Further, in some embodiments, the user may optionally add material such as ice or any other appropriate material configured to cool the cooling volume via the user-accessible opening. In some embodiments, the user- accessible opening may be configured to allow the user to clean the cooling volume. In some embodiments, the cooling unit 200 may include more than one user accessible opening, as the disclosure is not so limited. For example, the cooling unit may include a removable cover configured to permit the user to add cooling fluid to the cooling unit housing 402 and may also include a drain configured to permit the user to remove the cooling liquid from the cooling unit housing 402.

[0077] As previously discussed, the cooling unit 200 may include a cooling liquid passageway 413 fluidly coupled to a pump 414. The pump 414 may move a cooling liquid, such as water, or any other appropriate type of fluid, through the cooling liquid passageway 413. Also previously discussed, the cooling unit 200 may also include a TEC assembly 412 configured such that heat is transferred from the cooling liquid disposed in and / or flowing through the cooling liquid passageway 413 to the TEC assembly 412. Heat may be transferred from the cooling liquid in the cooling liquid passageway 413 to the TEC assembly upon activating the TEC assembly. As previously described, activating the TEC assembly may involve flowing current through the TEC of the TEC assembly. It should be appreciated that the beverage passageway 404 and the cooling liquid passageway 413 may be formed in12769402.1any appropriate arrangement, pattern, or layout. For example, the depicted beverage passageway 404 may include one or more conduits, such as tubing, pipes, etc., inside of which the beverage travels, and the conduit(s) may be arranged in any appropriate manner as the disclosure is not so limited. In the depicted embodiments of FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 4, the beverage passageway 404 forms a plurality of coils (also referred to as a helix) within the cooling volume 410. However, the beverage passageway 404 need not form coils as the disclosure is not so limited. In some embodiments, the cooling liquid passageway 413 may include one or more conduits that convey the cooling liquid out of the cooling unit housing 402, to the TEC assembly 412, and back into the cooling unit housing 402. In some embodiments, once inside the cooling unit housing 402, the cooling liquid may exit the conduit(s) of the cooling liquid passageway 413 and may freely move inside the cooling volume 410 of the cooling unit housing 402. In other words, in some embodiments, the cooling liquid passageway 413 may be mostly external to the cooling unit housing 402. In some embodiments, the cooling liquid passageway may be mounted to one or more interior and / or exterior walls of the cooling unit housing 402.

[0078] In some embodiments, the controller may control the TEC of the TEC assembly to alter the amount of heat transfer. For example, the controller 11 may cause an increased amount of current flow through the TEC to increase the amount of heat transferred from the cooling fluid to the TEC, in turn increasing the amount of heat transferred from the beverage to the cooling fluid, which may result in a colder beverage. In some embodiments, the current which flows through the TEC may be positively correlated with a wattage of the TEC. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the controller may control the flow rate of the beverage through the beverage passageway 404 depending on the degree of heat transfer desired. For example, the controller may decrease the flow rate if more heat transfer is desired (e.g. a colder beverage), or may increase the flow rate if less heat transfer is desired (e.g. a warmer beverage). In some embodiments, flow rate may be controlled by controlling a pump that moves the beverage through the beverage passageway 404. In some embodiments, the pump 12 (see FIG. 3A) that moves precursor liquid into the brew chamber 15 may also serve to move brewed beverage through the beverage passageway 404. However, in other embodiments, a distinct, dedicated pump may be used to move the beverage through the beverage passageway.12769402.1

[0079] In some embodiments, the cooling liquid may be configured to be directed through the cooling housing in a direction opposite to a direction of the beverage directed through the cooling housing. This may increase the heat transferred from the beverage to the cooling liquid according to some embodiments. The cooling unit 200 may include the pump 414 configured to move the cooling liquid through the cooling unit housing 402 in a flow direction opposite to a flow direction of the beverage passageway 404 through the cooling unit housing 402. For example, in the depicted embodiments of FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 4, the beverage flows generally downwardly through the cooling unit housing 402, entering through the beverage inlet 406 at an upper portion of the cooling unit housing 402, flowing downwardly through the beverage passageway 404, and exiting through the beverage outlet 408 at a lower portion of the cooling unit housing 402. In contrast, the cooling liquid flows generally upwardly through the cooling unit housing 402, entering through the cooling liquid outlet 418 at a lower portion of the cooling housing, flowing upwardly through the cooling volume 410, and exiting through the cooling liquid inlet 416 at an upper portion of the cooling unit housing 402. As such, the beverage and the cooling liquid may flow in generally opposite directions through the cooling volume 410. It should be appreciated that, in some embodiments, the flow directions of the beverage and the cooling liquid may be swapped, e.g. such that the beverage flows generally upwardly and the cooling liquid flows generally downwardly through the cooling volume 410. It should be appreciated that other flow directions, e.g. left / right, can be implemented alternatively or in addition. In other embodiments, the beverage and the cooling liquid may flow in generally the same direction.

[0080] According to one aspect, the beverage making machine may include an ability to clean the beverage passageway via a purge operation. For example, during a purge operation, the beverage making machine may be configured to direct water or any other appropriate fluid through the beverage passageway to clean the beverage passageway. In some embodiments, the purge medium used in the purge operation may be liquid from the same source of liquid that forms the beverage precursor liquid of the beverage, e.g. a water reservoir.

[0081] In other embodiments, however, a dedicated source of fluid may be provided for the purge operation. In some embodiments, the cleaning fluid may be a liquid, such as water, or a cleaning solution.12769402.1

[0082] FIG. 3A depicts an illustrative example of a beverage making machine 100 having a liquid-based purging arrangement. During a purging operation, liquid (e.g. water) from the reservoir 7 flows into the brew chamber 15, is directed by the distribution valve 300 to flow through an entry conduit 403, through a beverage passageway 404 that runs through the cooling unit housing 402, and then is directed by the purge valve 520 to flow into the purge liquid vessel 500. In some embodiments, a purge passageway 530 may connect the purge valve 520 to the purge liquid vessel 500. In some embodiments, the purge liquid vessel 500 may empty into a drip tray 700.

[0083] The entry conduit 403 may be in fluid communication with the beverage passageway 404. In some embodiments, the entry conduit 403, beverage passageway 404, and exit conduit 405 are a single continuous conduit. In other embodiments, however, the entry conduit 403, beverage passageway 404, and exit conduit 405 may be separate conduits that are connected together. For example, in some embodiments, the entry conduit 403 and / or the exit conduit are two separate tubings, and the beverage passageway 404 may be a metal conduit such as a coil- shaped conduit.

[0084] In some embodiments, the entry conduit 403, beverage passageway 404, and exit conduit 405 may form the “cooling pathway” of the beverage machine.

[0085] In some embodiments, as discussed above, the purge liquid vessel 500 may include a purge outlet in the form of an outlet valve 510 that may have a closed configuration and an open configuration. When the drip tray 700 is engaged with the beverage making machine 100, the outlet valve 510 may be in the open configuration to permit purge liquid to move from the purge liquid vessel 500 into the drip tray 700. When the drip tray is disengaged from the beverage making machine 100, the outlet valve 510 may move into the closed configuration to allow purge liquid to accumulate within the purge liquid vessel 500. After the drip tray 700 is re-engaged with the beverage machine 100, the outlet valve 510 may re-open, allowing liquid that accumulated within the purge liquid vessel 500 to flow out into the drip tray 700.

[0086] The controller 11 may be configured to control the purge valve 520 to maintain or change configurations in order to control a purge process. For example, the purge valve 520 may have a purge configuration in which the purge valve 520 directs liquid to the purge liquid vessel 500. The purge valve 520 may also have a beverage dispensing12769402.1configuration in which the purge valve 520 directs liquid to the dispensing outlet 301. During a beverage formation operation, the controller 11 may control purge valve 520 to move to the beverage dispensing configuration to direct beverage to the dispensing outlet 301. During a purging operation, the controller may control purge valve 520 to move to the purge configuration to direct liquid to the purge liquid vessel 500.

[0087] In the illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 3A, the purge liquid runs through the brew chamber 15 prior to moving through the beverage passageway 404 of the cooling arrangement. However, in other embodiments, a purge line may bypass the brew chamber 15 and direct purge liquid into the beverage passageway 404. One illustrative example is shown in FIG. 3B. In some embodiments, the beverage making machine may include a bypass valve 14 having a beverage formation configuration and a bypass configuration. In the beverage formation configuration, the bypass valve directs liquid to move into a beverage formation pathway 23 that leads to the beverage chamber 15. In the embodiment of FIG. 3B, the beverage formation pathway 23 first leads to the heater 13 and then to the beverage chamber 15. In other words, in embodiments where the bypass valve 14 is upstream of the heater 13, as is the case with FIG. 3B, in the beverage formation configuration, the bypass valve directs liquid to the heater 13, and the heated liquid then moves into the brew chamber 15 and flows through the pod holder 3. In other embodiments, it should be appreciated that the bypass valve 14 could be positioned downstream of the heater 13. In the bypass configuration, the bypass valve 14 directs liquid to a purge conduit 22 that bypasses the brew chamber. In embodiments where the bypass valve 14 is upstream of the heater 13, as is the case with FIG. 3B, in the bypass configuration, the liquid is directed to bypass both the heater 13 and the brew chamber 15. The purge conduit 22 may lead the liquid to a location downstream of the pod holder 3, such as an outlet conduit 19. The liquid may then flow to and be directed by distribution valve 300 as described above.

[0088] In some embodiments, the bypass valve 14 may automatically move into the beverage formation configuration during a beverage formation operation, and may automatically move into the bypass configuration during a purge operation.

[0089] According to one aspect, a purge operation using the liquid-based purge medium may be part of the regular operation of a beverage making machine. For example, in some embodiments, a purge operation using the liquid-based purge medium is automatically12769402.1executed by the beverage making machine after each beverage is formed and dispensed. In some embodiments, a purge operation using the liquid-based purge medium is automatically executed only after a certain type of beverage is dispensed. For example, in some embodiments, a purge operation using the liquid-based purge medium is automatically executed only after a cooled beverage is dispensed - in other words, only after beverage passes through the beverage passageway 404 that runs through the cooling unit housing 402. If instead the beverage making machine dispenses a brewed beverage directly from the brew chamber 15 and does not send the beverage through the cooling pathway, in some embodiments, the machine may utilize only an air-based purge operation after the beverage is dispensed.

[0090] Purge operations using a liquid-based purge medium may occur at times other than immediately following a beverage dispense. In some embodiments, a liquid-based purge operation may occur prior to formation of a beverage. For example, in some embodiments, if the beverage machine has not formed a beverage after a certain time threshold, upon receiving instructions to form a beverage, the beverage machine may first execute a liquidbased purge operation prior to forming the beverage. In some embodiments, if the beverage machine has not formed a specific type of beverage (e.g., a cooled beverage utilizing the cooling pathway) after a certain time threshold, upon receiving instructions to form a specific type of beverage (e.g., a cooled beverage utilizing the cooling pathway), the beverage machine may first execute a liquid-based purge operation prior to forming the beverage. Possible time thresholds include 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 hours, 1.5 days, 2 days, 3 days, 4 days, 5 days, 6 days, 1 week, or any other suitable time threshold may be used. In some embodiments, a user may adjust the time threshold.

[0091] In some embodiments, the beverage making machine 100 may include a user interface (not shown) which may be configured to receive an input from a user. In some embodiments, the input from the user may cause the distribution valve 300 to move to the first configuration in which the valve 300 is configured to direct beverage from the brew chamber 15 to a cooling unit 200, e.g. to form a cooled beverage. An example of such a user input is the user specifying the type of beverage to dispense (e.g. a cold brew or other cooled beverage). In some embodiments, the input from the user may cause the distribution valve 300 to move to the second configuration in which the distribution valve 300 is configured to12769402.1dispense beverage from the brew chamber 15 and out of the beverage making machine 100 through the dispensing outlet 301, thereby bypassing the cooling unit, e.g. to form a noncooled beverage such as, but not limited to, a hot or room temperature beverage. An example of such a user input is the user specifying the type of beverage to dispense (e.g. a hot coffee or other non-cooled beverage).

[0092] In some embodiments, the beverage making machine may permit a user to instruct the machine to perform a liquid-based purge operation. For example, the user interface of the beverage making machine 100 may include a user-selectable purge command, such as a “self-clean” button or other suitable interface. In some embodiments, the user interface of the beverage making machine may be physically located on the beverage making machine itself. Alternatively or in addition, a user interface of the beverage making machine may be remote from the beverage making machine, such as with a user interface on a dedicated remote control, or with a user interface on a mobile device such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer that may be used to control the operation of a beverage making machine.

[0093] An illustrative embodiment of a purge liquid vessel 500 is shown in FIG. 6. The purge liquid vessel has a vessel body 503 with one or more sidewalls 504. In some embodiments, the vessel body may have a bottom surface 517 that may be slanted towards the vessel outlet to facilitate emptying of the vessel. In other embodiments, however, the bottom surface may be flat.

[0094] In some embodiments, the purge liquid vessel 500 may have a cap 502 that mates with the vessel body 503 to close off a top end of the vessel body. In FIG. 6, a portion of the vessel body 503 has been cut away to show the components within the purge liquid vessel 500.

[0095] The purge liquid vessel 500 has an inlet 506. Purge liquid may flow to the purge liquid vessel 500 via a tubing coupling 505 and enter the purge liquid vessel 500 through the inlet 506. As discussed above, the purge liquid vessel may have a purge outlet in the form of an outlet valve 510. In some embodiments, the tubing coupling 505 and / or the inlet 506 may be attached to the cap 502, such as integrally formed with the cap as a single component (e.g. integrally molded with one another), or the components may be formed separately and then later attached to one another (e.g. via adhesive and / or a mechanical interlock).12769402.1

[0096] In some embodiments, the tubing coupling 505 may receive liquid that has been directed through the purge valve 520. For example, tubing may connect the purge valve 520 to the tubing coupling 505. Such tubing may form the purge passageway 530 shown in FIG. 3 A and 3B.

[0097] According to one aspect, the outlet valve is configured to open when the drip tray is engaged with the beverage machine, thereby permitting liquid within the purge liquid vessel to flow into the drip tray. When the drip tray is disengaged with the beverage machine, the outlet valve is configured to close. With the outlet valve closed, liquid entering the purge liquid vessel is held within the vessel, thereby preventing the liquid from leaking out of the beverage machine. When the drip tray is re-engaged with the beverage machine, the outlet valve re-opens and the liquid accumulated within the vessel may then flow out into the drip tray.

[0098] In some embodiments, the outlet valve is in the form of a spring-based plunger. The outlet valve may be biased by the spring in a closed position. When the drip tray is engaged with the beverage machine, the drip tray may contact the outlet valve and move the plunger against the bias of the spring, thereby causing the outlet valve to open.

[0099] One illustrative embodiment of an outlet valve 510 that serves as a purge outlet is shown in FIGS. 6-8B. As seen in FIG. 6, the outlet valve 510 includes a contact end 514, a spring 513, and a sealing surface 512 that seals against a valve seat 515. The contact end 514 and the sealing surface 512 may be part of a plunger body such that the contact end 514 and sealing surface 512 move together. The spring 513 may bias the outlet valve 510 to be in a closed position, in which the sealing surface 512 is seated against the valve seat 515, thereby blocking liquid through the outlet valve 510.

[0100] In some embodiments, the drip tray may have a protrusion or other contact feature that is configured to interface with the contact end 514 of the outlet valve 510 when the drip tray is engaged with the beverage machine.

[0101] FIG. 7A (cross-sectional view) and FIG. 8A (cutaway perspective view), show a drip tray 700 engaged with the beverage machine. In this illustrative embodiment, the drip tray 700 engages with the beverage machine by being received within a slot 750 of the beverage machine. The slot 750 may be defined between platform 590 and housing base 400.12769402.1In some embodiments, the housing base 400 that receives the drip tray may also support the cooling unit housing 402.

[0102] The tray 700 includes a protrusion 714 that is positioned to align with the outlet valve 510 when the tray 700 is in the fully received position. The protrusion 714 abuts against the contact end 514 of the outlet valve 510, pushing the contact end 514 and the sealing surface 512 upwards such that the sealing surface 512 becomes unseated from valve seat 515. As a result, the outlet valve 510 is opened, and liquid is free to flow from the purge liquid vessel 500 into the drip tray 700 through the outlet valve 510. In some embodiments, a top surface of the drip tray may have an opening 712 aligned with the outlet valve 510 when the tray is engaged with the beverage machine (e.g. received within the slot 750). The opening 712 permits liquid exiting the outlet valve 510 to enter the internal space 720 of the drip tray 700 - the space of the drip tray that holds liquid. In some embodiments, the top surface through which the opening 712 passes is a grate 710 of the drip tray 700. The grate 710 may be removable from the rest of the drip tray to facilitate emptying and / or cleaning of the internal space 720 of the drip tray.

[0103] In some embodiments, when the tray 700 is disengaged from the beverage machine, the outlet valve 510 closes. FIG. 7B (cross-sectional view) and FIG. 8B (cutaway perspective view), show the drip tray 700 disengaged from the beverage machine. In these figures, the tray 700 is being slid out of the slot 750. The tray 700 may be removed entirely from the beverage machine by a user, e.g. in order to empty and / or clean the tray. As the tray 700 becomes disengaged from the beverage machine, the protrusion 714 moves out of alignment with the valve 510, and thus stops abutting against and pushing up on the plunger of the outlet valve 510. As a result, the spring 513 is free to push the plunger back downwards into its normally closed state in which the sealing surface 512 contacts and seal against valve seat 515.

[0104] When the outlet valve 510 is in the closed position, as shown in FIGS. 6, 7B and 8B, liquid in the purge liquid vessel 500 cannot exit the purge liquid vessel 500 through the outlet valve 510. Instead, liquid accumulates in the purge liquid vessel 500, thereby preventing the liquid from leaking out of the beverage machine.

[0105] In some embodiments, the purge liquid vessel 500 may have an overflow relief arrangement. With the drip tray disengaged from the beverage machine, liquid may12769402.1continue to accumulate in the purge liquid vessel 500 until the accumulated volume of liquid reaches the height of an inlet 542 to an overflow conduit 540. The overflow conduit 540 may have an outlet 544 through which overflowing liquid may flow. The outlet overflow conduit outlet 544 may be separate and distinct from the opening of the outlet valve 510. In some embodiments, the overflow conduit outlet 544 may lead the liquid into the slot 750 that is configured to receive the drip tray. Without the drip tray in its proper place within the slot, liquid entering the slot 750 may begin to leak out of the slot, e.g. onto a countertop or other support surface, or onto the floor. Liquid leaking out of the slot 750 may provide a user with a visual reminder that the drip tray should be re-engaged with the beverage machine. In some embodiments, the slot may have a pathway such as a tube or groove that directs liquid out to a specific location, e.g. a front or side of the beverage machine.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 6, the inlet 506 and the overflow conduit inlet 542 may be spaced from one another such that, when the outlet valve is in the closed configuration, liquid entering the purge liquid vessel through the vessel inlet accumulates in the internal volume 543 of the purge liquid vessel until the accumulated liquid reaches the overflow conduit inlet. In some embodiments, the overflow conduit inlet 542 is positioned at a height H3 that is at least halfway up the height Hl of the purge liquid vessel 500. This may allow the purge liquid vessel 500 to hold a large amount of liquid prior to overflowing into the overflow conduit 540.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 6, the purge liquid vessel 500 may have a longitudinal axis 560 along a height direction H. In some embodiments, the inlet 506 and the overflow conduit inlet 542 may be spaced from one another along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis 560, also referred to as a width direction, W. This spacing may allow for liquid entering through the inlet 506 to first fill up the internal volume 543 of the purge liquid vessel 500 instead of directly entering the overflow conduit 540.

[0108] As also seen in FIG. 6, in some embodiments, the inlet 506 may have a guard 506a and / or the overflow conduit inlet 542 may have a guard 541 to help prevent liquid entering through the inlet 506 from inadvertently entering directly into the overflow conduit 540 (e.g. due to splashing, spraying, etc.) In some embodiments, the guards may help elongate the length of these respective components and help to decrease inadvertent entry of liquid from the inlet 506 directly into the overflow conduit 540. The inlet guard 506a may12769402.1extend down to a position at height H2 that is lower than a height H4 of the inlet guard 541. In other words, the guards 506a, 541 may overlap along a vertical dimension parallel to the longitudinal axis 560.

[0109] In some embodiments, the inlet 506 and the overflow conduit inlet 542 may be aligned along a height direction H and spaced along a width W direction.

[0110] The various methods disclosed above may be implemented by one or more controllers including at least one processor operatively coupled to the various controllable portions of a beverage making machine as disclosed herein. Alternatively or additionally, in some embodiments, the disclosed methods may be performed at least in part, and in some instances completely, on a computing device that is separate and removed from the disclosed beverage making machine. In either case, the disclosed methods may be embodied as computer readable instructions stored on non-transitory computer readable memory associated with the at least one processor such that when executed by the at least one processor the associated system, which may be a beverage making machine in some embodiments, may perform any of the actions related to the methods disclosed herein. Additionally, it should be understood that the disclosed order of the steps is exemplary and that the disclosed steps may be performed in a different order, simultaneously, and / or may include one or more additional intermediate steps not shown as the disclosure is not so limited.

[0111] The above-described embodiments of the technology described herein can be implemented in any of numerous ways. For example, the embodiments may be implemented using hardware, software or a combination thereof. When implemented in software, the software code can be executed on any suitable processor or collection of processors, whether provided in a single computing device or distributed among multiple computing devices. Such processors may be implemented as integrated circuits, with one or more processors in an integrated circuit component, including commercially available integrated circuit components known in the art by names such as CPU chips, GPU chips, microprocessor, microcontroller, or co-processor. Alternatively, a processor may be implemented in custom circuitry, such as an ASIC, or semi-custom circuitry resulting from configuring a programmable logic device. As yet a further alternative, a processor may be a portion of a larger circuit or semiconductor device, whether commercially available, semi-custom or12769402.1custom. As a specific example, some commercially available microprocessors have multiple cores such that one or a subset of those cores may constitute a processor. Though, a processor may be implemented using circuitry in any suitable format.

[0112] Also, a computing device may have one or more input and output devices. These devices can be used, among other things, to present a user interface. Examples of output devices that can be used to provide a user interface include display screens for visual presentation of output and speakers or other sound generating devices for audible presentation of output. Examples of input devices that can be used for a user interface include keyboards, individual buttons, and pointing devices, such as mice, touch pads, and digitizing tablets. As another example, a computing device may receive input information through speech recognition or in other audible format.

[0113] The various methods or processes outlined herein may be implemented in any suitable hardware. Additionally, the various methods or processes outlined herein may be implemented in a combination of hardware and of software executable on one or more processors that employ any one of a variety of operating systems or platforms. Examples of such approaches are described above. However, any suitable combination of hardware and software may be employed to realize any of the embodiments discussed herein.

[0114] Also, the various methods or processes outlined herein may be coded as software that is executable on one or more processors that employ any one of a variety of operating systems or platforms. Additionally, such software may be written using any of a number of suitable programming languages and / or programming or scripting tools, and also may be compiled as executable machine language code or intermediate code that is executed on a framework or virtual machine.

[0115] In this respect, various inventive concepts may be embodied as at least one non-transitory computer readable storage medium (e.g., a computer memory, one or more floppy discs, compact discs, optical discs, magnetic tapes, flash memories, circuit configurations in Field Programmable Gate Arrays or other semiconductor devices, etc.) encoded with one or more programs that, when executed on one or more computers or other processors, implement the various embodiments of the present disclosure. The non-transitory computer-readable medium or media may be transportable, such that the program or12769402.1programs stored thereon may be loaded onto any computer resource to implement various aspects of the present disclosure as discussed above.

[0116] The terms “program” or “software” are used herein in a generic sense to refer to any type of computer code or set of computer-executable instructions that can be employed to program a computer or other processor to implement various aspects of embodiments as discussed above. Additionally, it should be appreciated that according to one aspect, one or more computer programs that when executed perform methods of the present disclosure need not reside on a single computer or processor, but may be distributed in a modular fashion among different computers or processors to implement various aspects of the present disclosure.

[0117] Computer-executable instructions may be in many forms, such as program modules, executed by one or more computers or other devices. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Typically, the functionality of the program modules may be combined or distributed as desired in various embodiments.

[0118] The embodiments described herein may be embodied as a method, of which an example has been provided. The acts performed as part of the method may be ordered in any suitable way. Accordingly, embodiments may be constructed in which acts are performed in an order different than illustrated, which may include performing some acts simultaneously, even though shown as sequential acts in illustrative embodiments.

[0119] Further, some actions are described as taken by a “user.” It should be appreciated that a “user” need not be a single individual, and that in some embodiments, actions attributable to a “user” may be performed by a team of individuals and / or an individual in combination with computer-assisted tools or other mechanisms.

[0120] While the present teachings have been described in conjunction with various embodiments and examples, it is not intended that the present teachings be limited to such embodiments or examples. On the contrary, the present teachings encompass various alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, as will be appreciated by those of skill in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.12769402.1

Claims

What is claimed is:CLAIMS1. A beverage making machine comprising: a housing; a beverage chamber configured to receive a beverage ingredient and to introduce liquid from a liquid supply to the beverage ingredient to form a beverage; a dispensing outlet configured to permit exit of the formed beverage out of the beverage chamber for consumption by a user; a purge liquid vessel having a purge outlet and an outlet valve at the purge outlet, the outlet valve having a closed configuration and an open configuration, and the purge outlet being separate and distinct from the dispensing outlet; a purge pathway configured to direct purge liquid into the purge liquid vessel; and a drip tray configured to removably engage with the housing, the drip tray having a recess for receiving and holding liquid, wherein the outlet valve is in the closed configuration when the drip tray is disengaged from the housing, and wherein the outlet valve is in the open configuration when the drip tray is engaged with the housing such that the purge liquid vessel is in fluid communication with the recess of the drip tray.

2. The beverage making machine of claim 1, wherein the outlet valve is biased in the closed configuration.

3. The beverage making machine of claim 2, wherein the outlet valve comprises a spring-biased plunger, the plunger being moveable relative to the purge outlet, wherein when the drip tray is engaged with the housing, contact of the drip tray against the plunger pushes the plunger away from the purge outlet, thereby moving the outlet valve to the open configuration.12769402.

14. The beverage making machine of claim 3, wherein when the drip tray is disengaged from the housing, absence of the drip tray permits the spring of the plunger to at least partially decompress, causing the plunger to move to a position that blocks flow through the purge outlet, thereby moving the outlet valve to the closed configuration.

5. The beverage making machine of claim 1, wherein the purge liquid is from the liquid supply.

6. The beverage making machine of claim 1, further comprising the liquid supply, wherein the liquid supply comprises a reservoir.

7. The beverage making machine of claim 6, wherein the purge liquid is from the reservoir.

8. The beverage making machine of claim 1, further comprising a beverage cooling pathway that leads the formed beverage from the beverage chamber through a cooling volume to cool the formed beverage.

9. The beverage making machine of claim 8, wherein the purge liquid is configured to move through the beverage cooling pathway, into the purge pathway, and into the purge liquid vessel.

10. The beverage making machine of claim 1, wherein the purge liquid vessel has a vessel inlet, an internal volume, and an overflow conduit, wherein the overflow conduit has an overflow conduit inlet and an overflow conduit outlet, and wherein the vessel inlet is spaced from the overflow conduit inlet such that, when the outlet valve is in the closed configuration, liquid entering the purge liquid vessel through the vessel inlet accumulates in the internal volume of the purge liquid vessel until the accumulated liquid reaches the overflow conduit inlet.12769402.

111. The beverage making machine of claim 10, wherein the overflow conduit inlet is positioned at a height that is at least halfway up the height of the purge liquid vessel.

12. The beverage making machine of claim 10, wherein the overflow conduit outlet directs liquid toward a base of the beverage machine.

13. The beverage making machine of claim 1, further comprising a purge valve having a beverage dispensing configuration and a purge configuration, wherein in the beverage dispensing configuration, liquid is dispensed out of the beverage making machine through the dispensing outlet, and wherein in the purge configuration, liquid is directed into the purge liquid vessel.

14. The beverage making machine of claim 8, further comprising a distribution valve having a cooling configuration and a dispensing configuration, wherein in the cooling configuration, liquid is directed into the beverage cooling pathway, and wherein in the dispensing configuration, liquid is dispensed out of the beverage making machine through the dispensing outlet.

15. The beverage making machine of claim 9, wherein at least a portion of the beverage cooling pathway comprises a tortuous pathway running through the cooling volume.

16. The beverage making machine of claim 1, further comprising a bypass valve having a bypass configuration and a beverage formation configuration, wherein in the bypass configuration, the bypass valve directs liquid to bypass the beverage chamber, and in the beverage formation configuration, the bypass valve directs liquid to move into a beverage formation pathway that leads to the beverage chamber.

17. A method of cleaning a beverage making machine, the method comprising: introducing a liquid to a beverage ingredient to form a beverage;12769402.1dispensing the formed beverage out of a dispensing outlet into a container for consumption by a user; and performing a purge operation by directing purge liquid through the beverage making machine, out of a purge outlet and into a purge liquid vessel, the purge outlet being separate and distinct from the dispensing outlet, wherein the purge liquid flows from the purge liquid vessel into a drip tray when the drip tray is engaged with the beverage making machine, and wherein the purge liquid remains inside the purge liquid vessel when the drip tray is disengaged from the beverage making machine.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the liquid introduced to the beverage ingredient comprises water from a reservoir of the beverage making machine.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the purge liquid comprises water from the reservoir.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein, prior to dispensing the formed beverage out of the dispensing outlet, the formed beverage is directed through a cooling pathway that cools the formed beverage.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein during the purge operation, the purge liquid is directed through the cooling pathway.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the purge operation is performed after dispensing the formed beverage out of the dispensing outlet.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the purge operation is performed before dispensing the formed beverage out of the dispensing outlet.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the purge operation is performed before dispensing the formed beverage out of the dispensing outlet only when a beverage cooling operation has not been performed for a certain threshold of time.12769402.1

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