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US 10,654,700 B2Granted
Beverage dispenser with variable carbonation capability
AssigneeAutomatic Bar Controls, Inc.
InventorThomas R. Hecht
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of dispensing fluids with variable carbonation. The method includes receiving a selection of a carbonation level of a beverage and determining a valve timing scheme to achieve the selected carbonation level.
Claims13
A control system for a beverage dispenser, comprising:
- a user interface configured to receive a beverage selection including a carbonation level and a predetermined volume;
- and
- a controller configured to determine a valve timing scheme for a first valve for a carbonated fluid and a second valve for a non-carbonated fluid in order to dispense the predetermined volume of the selected beverage with the selected carbonation level, and configured to actuate the first valve and second valve according to the valve timing scheme to dispense the predetermined volume of the selected beverage with the selected carbonation level;
- wherein the valve timing scheme comprises a first dispensing portion and a second dispensing portion, performed after the first dispensing portion,
- wherein the first dispensing portion comprises a plurality of cycles,
- wherein each cycle comprises opening and closing the first valve to dispense a first volume of the carbonated fluid, and opening and closing the second valve to dispense a second volume of the non-carbonated fluid,
- wherein the first volume is uniform for each cycle, and the second volume is uniform for each cycle,
- wherein the second dispensing portion comprises opening and closing only one of the first valve or the second valve in order to dispense a third volume of only one of the carbonated fluid or the non-carbonated fluid in order to complete the dispensing of the predetermined volume of the selected beverage with the selected carbonation level, and
- wherein the third volume is greater than the first volume and greater than the second volume.
6 more elements
A control system for a beverage dispenser, comprising:
- a user interface configured to receive a beverage selection including a carbonation level, a user initiated dispensing input and a user initiated termination input;
- and
- a controller configured to determine a valve timing scheme for a cycle of dispensing a dose of the selected beverage with the selected carbonation level,
- wherein a cycle comprises opening and closing a first valve to dispense a first volume of a carbonated fluid, and opening and closing a second valve to dispense a second volume of a non-carbonated fluid;
- wherein the controller is further configured to:
- determine that the user initiated dispensing input is received, and in response to determining that the user initiated dispensing input is received, actuating the first valve and the second valve according to the valve timing scheme to continuously dispense doses in one or more consecutive cycles;
- continue to actuate the first valve and the second valve according to the valve timing scheme after the user initiated dispensing input is received in order to continuously dispense the doses in the one or more consecutive cycles until the user initiated termination input is received, and
- determine that the user initiated termination input is received, and in response to determining that the user initiated termination input is received, immediately terminating actuation of the first valve and the second valve irrespective of a point of the cycle that is dispensing when the termination input is received.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.