Mixed beverage unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10064513-B2
Application number	US-201615557228-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 17, 2016
Priority date	Mar 12, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to a beverage unit for producing a beverage. The beverage unit comprises a first provisioning module for providing a first liquid and a second provisioning module for providing a second liquid that contains alcohol. The beverage unit further comprises a taste module for providing additives, wherein the taste module is configured to receive a first capsule, which contains the additives for a portion of a first beverage. Furthermore, the beverage unit comprises a control module configured to determine parameters for producing the first beverage, wherein the parameters indicate a first amount of the first liquid and a second amount of the second liquid. The control module is further configured to bring about that the first amount of the first liquid is provided by the first provisioning module, and to bring about that the second amount of the second liquid is provided by the second provisioning module. Furthermore, the control module is configured to bring about that the first amount of the first liquid and the second amount of the second liquid are mixed with the additives from the first capsule in order to produce the portion of the first beverage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A beverage unit for producing a beverage, wherein the beverage unit comprises:
first provision module for providing a first liquid;
a second provision module for providing a second liquid; the second liquid containing alcohol;
a taste module for providing additives; wherein the taste module is designed to hold a first capsule, which contains additives for a portion of a first beverage;
a control module, which is designed,
to determine parameters for producing the first beverage, wherein the parameters indicate a first quantity of first liquid and a second quantity of second liquid;
to prompt the first provision module to provide the first quantity of first liquid:
to prompt the second provision module to provide the second quantity of second liquid; and
to prompt the mixing of the first quantity of first liquid and the second quantity of second liquid with the additives from the first capsule, in order to produce the portion of the first beverage, wherein
the beverage unit comprises a mixing container;
the first provision module is connected to the mixing container by way of one or more first valves;
the second provision module is connected to the mixing container by way of one or more second valves; and
the control module is designed
to activate the one or more first valves to provide the first quantity of the first liquid in the mixing container; and
to activate the one or more second valves to provide the second quantity of the second liquid in the mixing container.

2. The beverage unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the beverage unit is designed to use the second liquid to clean and/or rinse the beverage unit.

3. The beverage unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the first capsule comprises an information tool showing information about the first beverage that can be produced with the first capsule; and
the control module is designed to determine the parameters for producing the first beverage based on the information tool.

4. The beverage unit as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the information tool comprises one or more of: a machine-readable code on the first capsule, a color of the first capsule, a shape of the first capsule and/or an identification number on the first capsule.

5. The beverage unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the beverage unit comprises an outlet valve connecting the mixing container to the taste module; and
the beverage unit comprises an actuator , which is designed to convey a liquid mixture from the mixing container through the outlet valve to the taste module.

6. The beverage unit as claimed in claim 5 , wherein
the mixing container comprises a movable piston, which can enlarge or reduce a volume of the mixing container;
the one or more first valves are arranged in such a manner that the first liquid is drawn into the mixing container through the one or more first valves when the volume of the mixing container is enlarged by the piston;
the one or more second valves are arranged in such a manner that the second liquid is drawn into the mixing container through the one or more second valves when the volume of the mixing container is enlarged by the piston; and
the outlet valve is arranged in such a manner that the liquid mixture is pushed out of the mixing container through the outlet valve when the volume of the mixing container is reduced by the piston.

7. The beverage unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein
the beverage unit comprises at least one temperature-control module for controlling the temperature of the second liquid; and
the temperature-control module is designed to cool the second liquid in such a manner that the second liquid is in the liquid state and its temperature is below the freezing point of water.

8. The beverage unit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the beverage unit comprises a user interface that allows a user to set the second quantity of second liquid for the first beverage.

9. A refrigeration appliance, wherein the refrigeration appliance comprises
a refrigeration module, which is designed to cool a refrigeration chamber of the refrigeration appliance; and
a beverage unit as claimed in claim 1 .

Assignees

• Bsh Hausgeraete Gmbh

Inventors

• Rehfuss Evgeni

Classifications

• B67D2001/0811

  provided with coded information · CPC title

• B67D1/0078

  Ingredient cartridges · CPC title

• B67D1/0037

  based on volumetric dosing · CPC title

• B67D1/0857

  Cooling arrangements (cooling systems per se F25B) · CPC title

• B67D1/0057

  Carbonators · CPC title