Beverage maker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10947485-B2
Application number	US-201816193689-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2018
Priority date	Nov 17, 2017
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

A beverage maker includes a fermentation tank, a dispenser, a water supply heater configured to heat water supplied from a water supply pump or an external water supply source, a first channel valve that opens and closes a first channel that connects the water supply heater to the dispenser, a second channel valve that opens and closes a second channel that connects the water supply heater to the fermentation tank, and a controller that performs a first cleaning operation by guiding heated water to the dispenser through the first channel based on opening the first channel valve for a first cleaning time, and a second cleaning operation by guiding heated water to the fermentation tank through the second channel based on opening the second channel valve for a second cleaning time. The controller performs the first cleaning operation and the second cleaning operation based on an order.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A beverage maker comprising:
a fermentation tank that defines a space configured to ferment one or more ingredients to make a beverage;
a dispenser configured to dispense the beverage;
a water supply heater configured to heat water supplied from a water supply pump or an external water supply source, the water supply heater being configured to discharge heated water;
a first channel that connects the water supply heater to the dispenser;
a second channel that connects the water supply heater to the fermentation tank;
at least one first channel valve configured to open and close at least a portion of the first channel;
at least one second channel valve configured to open and close at least a portion of the second channel; and
a controller configured to:
perform a first cleaning operation by guiding heated water to the dispenser through the first channel based on opening the first channel valve for a first cleaning time,
perform a second cleaning operation by guiding heated water to the fermentation tank through the second channel based on opening the second channel valve for a second cleaning time, and
perform the first cleaning operation and the second cleaning operation based on a first order.

2. The beverage maker according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
based on performing the first cleaning operation, close at least one channel valve that is not connected to the first channel; and
based on performing the second cleaning operation, close at least one channel valve that is not connected to the second channel.

3. The beverage maker according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
repeatedly perform the first cleaning operation and the second cleaning operation based on a preset number of repetition times by controlling the first channel valve and the second channel valve.

4. The beverage maker according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
based on performing the first cleaning operation, control the first channel valve to repeatedly open and close the first channel valve; and
based on performing the second cleaning operation, control the second channel valve to repeatedly open and close the second channel valve.

5. The beverage maker according to claim 1 , further comprising a water supply temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of heated water,
wherein the controller is further configured to perform the first cleaning operation or the second cleaning operation based on the detected temperature corresponding to a preset cleaning temperature.

6. The beverage maker according to claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to open at least one of the first channel valve or the second channel valve based on the detected temperature corresponding to a predetermined temperature that is less than the preset cleaning temperature.

7. The beverage maker according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an ingredient supplier configured to accommodate the one or more ingredients;
a third channel that connects the ingredient supplier to the water supply heater and to the dispenser; and
at least one third channel valve configured to open and close at least a portion of the third channel,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
perform a third cleaning operation by guiding heated water to the ingredient supplier and to the dispenser through the third channel based on opening the third channel valve for a third cleaning time, and
perform the first cleaning operation, and the second cleaning operation, and the third cleaning operation based on a second order.

8. The beverage maker according to claim 7 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
based on performing the third cleaning operation, close at least one channel valve that is not connected to the third channel.

9. The beverage maker according to claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first channel or the second channel comprises a bypass channel that connects the water supply heater to the beverage dispensing channel,
wherein the first channel comprises a beverage dispensing channel connected to the dispenser,
wherein the second channel comprises a fermentation tank-side main channel that has a first end connected to the fermentation tank, and a second end connected to the bypass channel and to the beverage dispensing channel, and
wherein the third channel comprises:
a first main channel that connects the water supply heater to the ingredient supplier; and
an ingredient supplier-side main channel that has a first end connected to the ingredient supplier, and a second end connected to the bypass channel, to the beverage dispensing channel, and to the fermentation tank-side main channel.

10. The beverage maker according to claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first channel valve or the second channel valve comprises a bypass valve disposed at the bypass channel,
wherein the first channel valve comprises a beverage dispensing valve disposed at the beverage dispensing channel,
wherein the second channel valve comprises a main valve disposed at the fermentation tank-side main channel, and
wherein the third channel valve comprises an ingredient supplier valve disposed at the first main channel.

11. The beverage maker according to claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to, based on performing the third cleaning operation, open the beverage dispensing valve and close the main valve.

12. The beverage maker according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a sub channel having a first end connected to the water supply heater and a second end connected to the beverage dispensing channel; and
a sub valve configured to open and close at least a portion of the sub channel,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
perform a fourth cleaning operation by guiding heated water to the dispenser through the sub channel based on opening the sub valve for a fourth cleaning time, and
perform the first cleaning operation, the second cleaning operation, the third cleaning operation, and the fourth cleaning operation based on a third order.

13. The beverage maker according to claim 12 , wherein the second end of the sub channel is connected to the beverage dispensing channel at a position between the beverage dispensing valve and the dispenser, and
wherein the controller is further configured to, based on performing the fourth cleaning operation, close the beverage dispensing valve.

14. The beverage maker according to claim 13 , further comprising an air pump connected to the sub channel through the water supply heater,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
open the sub valve and the air pump to cause flow of air from the air pump to the dispenser through the sub channel based on closing the bypass valve, the ingredient supplier valve, and the beverage dispensing valve.

15. A beverage maker comprising:
a dispenser configured to dispense a beverage;
an ingredient supplier configured to accommodate one or more ingredients for making the beverage;
a water supply heater configured to heat water supplied from a water supply pump or an external water supply source, the water supply heater being configured to discharge heated water;
a first channel that connects the water supply heater to the dispenser;
a second channel that connects the ingredient supplier to the water supply heater and to the dispenser;
at least one first channel valve configured to open and close at least a portion of the first channel;
at least one second channel valve configured to open and clos

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Min Dullae
• Kim Youngjin
• Chang Jiwon

Classifications

• B08B9/08

  Cleaning containers, e.g. tanks · CPC title

• B08B9/0325

  Control mechanisms therefor · CPC title

• A47J31/60

  Cleaning devices · CPC title

• B67D1/0895

  Heating arrangements · CPC title

• C12C13/10 Primary

  Home brew equipment · CPC title