Beverage maker and method for controlling beverage maker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11987773-B2
Application number	US-202016747905-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2020
Priority date	Jan 25, 2019
Publication date	May 21, 2024
Grant date	May 21, 2024

Abstract

A beverage maker and a method for controlling a beverage maker are provided. The beverage maker may include a fermentation tank forming a space in which a beverage is made, a gas discharge channel connected to the fermentation tank, a gas discharge valve disposed in the gas discharge channel, a flow sensor disposed in the gas discharge channel, and a controller configured to control a primary fermentation operation of the beverage to be made. The controller may be configured to perform the primary fermentation operation by opening the gas discharge valve, when completion of the primary fermentation operation is confirmed, acquire information on an amount of carbon dioxide discharged via the gas discharge channel while the primary fermentation operation is performed, and perform a bottling inducing operation for bottling of the beverage into an external container, based on the amount of discharged carbon dioxide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A beverage maker, comprising:
a fermentation tank forming a space in which a beverage is made;
a gas discharge channel connected to an inside of the fermentation tank;
a gas discharge valve disposed in the gas discharge channel;
a gas pressure sensor disposed in the gas discharge channel;
a flow sensor disposed in the gas discharge channel; and
a controller configured to control a primary fermentation operation of the beverage to be made, wherein the controller is configured to:
open or close the gas discharge valve during the primary fermentation operation, sense a pressure detected by the gas pressure sensor while the gas discharge valve is closed, and confirm the primary fermentation operation to be complete, when a detected pressure change is equal to or less than a primary fermentation reference pressure change;
further perform the primary fermentation operation by opening the gas discharge valve, when completion of the primary fermentation operation is confirmed;
acquire information on an amount of carbon dioxide discharged via the gas discharge channel using the flow sensor while the primary fermentation operation is further performed; and
perform a bottling inducing operation for bottling of the beverage, which is being made, into an external container, based on the amount of discharged carbon dioxide.

2. The beverage maker of claim 1 , wherein the controller performs the bottling inducing operation when the amount of discharged carbon dioxide reaches or exceeds a reference discharge amount.

3. The beverage maker of claim 1 , wherein the controller closes the gas discharge valve when the amount of discharged carbon dioxide reaches or exceeds a reference discharge amount.

4. The beverage maker of claim 1 , wherein the controller calculates the amount of discharged carbon dioxide based on a flow rate periodically or continuously sensed by the flow sensor while the primary fermentation operation is further performed.

5. The beverage maker of claim 1 , further comprising an output interface including at least one of a display or a speaker, wherein the controller outputs, via the output interface, a bottling guide inducing bottling of the beverage, when the amount of discharged carbon dioxide reaches or exceeds a reference discharge amount.

6. The beverage maker of claim 5 , further comprising:
a dispenser configured to dispense the beverage;
a beverage dispensing channel connected between the inside of the fermentation tank and the dispenser; and
a beverage dispensing valve disposed in the beverage dispensing channel, wherein the controller opens the beverage dispensing valve as the dispenser is operated based on the output bottling guide.

7. The beverage maker of claim 6 , further comprising:
a fermentation container forming an accommodation space in which the beverage which is being made is accommodated;
an air pump configured to inject air; and
an air supply channel connected between a space between an outer surface of the fermentation container and an inner wall of the fermentation tank and the air pump, wherein the controller drives the air pump to supply air into the space between the outer surface of the fermentation container and the inner wall of the fermentation tank, while beverage is dispensed as the beverage dispensing valve is opened.

8. The beverage maker of claim 6 , wherein the controller outputs, via the output interface, a making guide related to a residual making operation of beverage bottled into the external container, after the beverage is dispensed.

9. The beverage maker of claim 5 , further comprising a communication interface configured to be connected to a terminal of a user, wherein the controller transmits a notification corresponding to the bottling guide to the terminal via the communication interface.

10. A method for controlling a beverage maker including a fermentation tank forming a space in which a beverage is made, a gas discharge channel connected to an inside of the fermentation tank, a gas pressure sensor disposed in the gas discharge channel, a flow sensor disposed in the gas discharge channel, and a controller configured to perform a control operation for making the beverage, the method comprising:
opening or closing the gas discharge valve during a primary fermentation operation, sensing a pressure detected by the gas pressure sensor while the gas discharge valve is closed, and confirming, by the controller, completion of the primary fermentation operation while the beverage is made, when a detected pressure change is equal to or less than a primary fermentation reference pressure change;
further performing the primary fermentation operation by opening a gas discharge valve disposed in the gas discharge channel, when completion of the primary fermentation operation is confirmed;
acquiring, by the controller, information on an amount of carbon dioxide discharged via the gas discharge channel using a flow sensor disposed in the gas discharge channel, while the primary fermentation operation is further performed; and
performing a bottling inducing operation for bottling of the beverage, which is being made, into an external container based on the amount of discharged carbon dioxide.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the performing of the bottling inducing operation is performed when the amount of discharged carbon dioxide reaches or exceeds a reference discharge amount.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising closing the gas discharge valve when the amount of discharged carbon dioxide reaches or exceeds the reference discharge amount.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the acquiring of the information on the amount of discharged carbon dioxide includes calculating the amount of discharged carbon dioxide based on a flow rate periodically or continuously sensed by the flow sensor while the primary fermentation operation is further performed.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising outputting, via at least one of a display or a speaker, a bottling guide for inducing bottling of the beverage, when the amount of discharged carbon dioxide reaches or exceeds a reference discharge amount.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the performing of the bottling inducing operation includes opening a beverage dispensing valve disposed in the beverage dispensing channel, when a dispenser connected to the inside of the fermentation tank via a beverage dispensing channel is operated based on the bottling guide.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising outputting a making guide related to a residual making operation of the beverage bottled into the external container via at least one of the display or the speaker, after the beverage is dispensed.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising transmitting a notification corresponding to the bottling guide to a terminal of a user via a communication interface.

18. A beverage maker, comprising:
a fermentation tank forming a space in which a beverage is made;
a gas discharge channel connected to an inside of the fermentation tank;
a gas discharge valve disposed in the gas discharge channel;
a gas pressure sensor disposed in the gas discharge channel;
a flow sensor disposed in the gas discharge channel; and
a controller configured to control a primary fermentation operation of the beverage to be made, wherein the controller is configured to:
open or close the gas discharge valve during the primary fermentation operation, sense a pressure detected by the gas pressure sensor while the gas discharge valve is clos

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Sunyoung

Classifications

• C12C11/006 Primary

  Fermentation tanks therefor · CPC title

• B67C3/007

  Applications of control, warning or safety devices in filling machinery (flow-control B67C3/28) · CPC title

• C12C13/10 Primary

  Home brew equipment · CPC title

• B67D1/1206

  Flow detectors · CPC title

• B67D1/0872

  Aesthetics, advertising · CPC title