Beverage making machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9630826-B2
Application number	US-201313913211-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2013
Priority date	Jun 7, 2013
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A beverage making machine includes a first beverage making cartridge including at least one of a gas source portion, the gas source portion contains a solid gas source that through sublimation emits a gas, and a gas storage tank arranged to store the gas emitted from the solid gas source. The beverage making machine further includes a second beverage making cartridge includes at least one of a beverage ingredient, a beverage diluent receptacle for receiving a beverage diluent liquid, a dissolver dissolves portion of the gas, from the gas storage tank, into the beverage diluent liquid, and a dispenser selectively dispenses a predefined ratio of at least one of the beverage ingredient and the beverage diluent liquid, to form a beverage. Exemplary embodiments include a computer control arranged to receive a beverage selection from a consumer and control the beverage making machine to form beverages.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A beverage making machine comprising:
at least one beverage making cartridge comprising a combination of at least one beverage ingredient portion and at least one gas source portion, the beverage ingredient portion containing at least one beverage ingredient, the gas source portion containing a solid gas source that, through sublimation, emits a gas;
a gas storage tank arranged to store the gas;
a beverage diluent receptacle for receiving a beverage diluent liquid;
a dissolver dissolving a portion of the gas, from the gas storage tank, into the beverage diluent liquid; and
a dispenser selectively dispensing a predefined ratio of the at least one beverage ingredient and the beverage diluent liquid to form a beverage.

2. The beverage making machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the gas storage tank further comprises a pressure release valve, which prevents the gas storage tank from exceeding a maximum pressure limit.

3. The beverage making machine in accordance with claim 1 , the beverage making cartridge further comprising:
a filter arranged to filter the beverage diluent liquid, the filter being co-located with the beverage ingredient portion and the gas source portion.

4. The beverage making machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the gas storage tank includes at least two gas storage portions, each of the at least two gas storage portions being adapted to separately store gas commencing from separate gas sources, which prevents mixing.

5. The beverage making machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the dispenser further comprises a beverage ingredient selector, the beverage ingredient selector selects between dispensing the beverage diluent liquid only or dispensing the at least one beverage ingredient mixed with the beverage diluent liquid to form the beverage.

6. The beverage making machine in accordance with claim 5 , wherein the beverage ingredient selector is a bistable lever actuated valve, moveably selectable to choose which of the at least one beverage ingredient to dispense in a pre-defined ratio with the beverage diluent liquid to form the beverage.

7. The beverage making machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the gas source portion is arranged to thermally couple a cold surface temperature of the solid gas source to the beverage diluent receptacle to cool the beverage diluent liquid.

8. The beverage making machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the dispenser is attached to the at least one beverage making cartridge.

9. The beverage making machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one beverage making cartridge comprises:
an insulation material that seals the solid gas source in a sterile environment, and moderates a rate of sublimation of the solid gas source.

10. The beverage making machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the at least one beverage making cartridge comprises:
a beverage diluent cooler arranged to thermally couple a cool surface temperature of the solid gas source to the beverage diluent receptacle to cool the beverage diluent liquid.

11. The beverage making machine in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one fluid handler for ratio mixing the beverage diluent liquid, comprising the gas, with the beverage diluent liquid, which is absent of the gas, to form a blended beverage diluent liquid that reduces gas volume levels in the beverage.

12. The beverage making machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the beverage ingredient portion comprises:
a wall that is movable to force the at least one beverage ingredient to exit the beverage ingredient portion.

13. The beverage making machine in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the gas source portion further comprises a one-way vent, which allows the gas to escape the solid gas source packaging while preventing air from entering the solid gas source packaging, wherein environment enclosing the solid gas source remains sterile while emitting the gas.

14. A method of making a beverage in a beverage making machine, the method comprising:
inserting at least one beverage making cartridge into the beverage making machine, the at least one beverage making cartridge comprising a combination of at least one beverage ingredient and solid gas source, the solid gas source, through sublimation, emitting a gas;
pressurizing a gas storage tank by sublimation of the solid gas source, the gas storage tank being arranged to store the gas;
supplying a beverage diluent liquid into a dissolver;
dissolving, by way of the dissolver, a portion of the gas into the beverage diluent liquid at a minimum dissolver gas volume level;
mixing the beverage diluent liquid, comprising the gas, with the beverage diluent liquid to form a blended beverage diluent liquid that reduces gas volume levels in the beverage; and
dispensing selectively a predefined ratio of the at least one beverage ingredient and the blended beverage diluent liquid to form a beverage.

15. The method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein the dissolver is a gas permeable hollow fiber tube and the step of dissolving further comprising:
introducing the beverage diluent liquid into a gas permeable hollow fiber tube chamber, the gas permeable hollow fiber tube chamber having a fixed volume;
injecting the gas, at a gas dissolving pressure, into the gas permeable hollow fiber tube chamber to obtain the minimum dissolver gas volumes level;
allowing the beverage diluent liquid and the gas inside the gas permeable hollow fiber tube to reach equilibrium; and
releasing the beverage diluent liquid comprising the gas from the gas permeable hollow fiber tube chamber.

16. The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising:
venting the gas emitted from the solid gas source through a one-way vent arranged in the at least one beverage making cartridge, such that the gas can be captured and stored in the gas storage tank.

17. The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising:
selecting, by way of a beverage ingredient selector, between dispensing the beverage diluent liquid only and dispensing the at least one beverage ingredient mixed with the beverage diluent liquid to form the beverage.

18. The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising:
filtering, by way of a filter, the beverage diluent liquid.

19. The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising:
sealing, by way of an insulation material, the solid gas source in a sterile environment.

20. The method in accordance with claim 14 , further comprising:
moderating a rate of sublimation of the solid gas source.

Assignees

• Coca Cola Co

Inventors

• Green C Brad
• Kolls H Brock

Classifications

• B67D1/0884

  Means for controlling the parameters of the state of the liquid to be dispensed, e.g. temperature, pressure · CPC title

• B67D1/0406

  with means for carbonating the beverage, or for maintaining its carbonation (B67D1/0418 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B67D1/0888

  Means comprising electronic circuitry (e.g. control panels, switching or controlling means) · CPC title

• B67D3/0019

  using ingredient cartridges · CPC title

• B67D1/0074

  Automatic carbonation control · CPC title