Beverage-Making Machine
AssigneeHamilton Beach Brands, Inc.
InventorsJie Zhao, Adam Hanes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A beverage-making machine includes: a housing; a fluid reservoir mounted to the housing; a flow meter; a pump fluidly connected with the water reservoir; a heating unit; and a brew station having an outlet; wherein the fluid reservoir, the pump, the heating unit and the brew station define a fluid path. A controller is configured use flow rate measurements to determine if replenishment of the fluid reservoir is needed or not.
Claims22
A method of determining whether fluid is present in a beverage-making machine, comprising the steps of:
- (a) operating a beverage-making machine comprising:
- a housing;
- a fluid reservoir mounted to the housing;
- a flow meter;
- a pump fluidly connected with the water reservoir;
- a heating unit;
- and
- a brew station having an outlet;
- wherein the fluid reservoir, the pump, flow meter, the heating unit and the brew station define a fluid path;
- (b) measuring the flow rate of fluid flowing through the flowmeter during step (a);
- (c) if the flow rate measurement of step (b) is below a first predetermined level, determining the level of an operational parameter of the pump;
- (d) if the operational parameter level of the pump determined in step (c) is above a second predetermined level, determining that the beverage-making machine requires replenishment of fluid in the reservoir;
- or
- (e) if the operational parameter level determined in step (c) is below the second predetermined level, determining that the beverage-making machine does not require replenishment.
A method of determining whether fluid is present in a beverage-making machine, comprising:
- (a) measuring a flow rate of a fluid flowing through a flowmeter and comparing the measured flow rate of the fluid with a first predetermined level;
- (b) responsive to detecting that the measured flow rate is below the first predetermined level of about 1.0 ml/s, determining an operational parameter level of a pump and comparing the determined operational parameter level of the pump with a second predetermined level;
- and
- (c) if the operational parameter level determined in step (b) is above the second predetermined level, determining that the beverage-making machine requires replenishment;
- or
- (d) if the operational parameter level determined in step (b) is below the second predetermined level, determining that the beverage-making machine does not require replenishment.
A beverage-making machine, comprising:
- a housing;
- a fluid reservoir mounted to the housing;
- a flow meter;
- a pump fluidly connected with the water reservoir;
- a heating unit;
- and
- a brew station having an outlet;
- wherein the fluid reservoir, the pump, flow meter, the heating unit and the brew station define a fluid path;
- and
- a controller, the controller configured to:
- (a) receive measurements of the flow rate of fluid flowing through the flowmeter during operation of the beverage-making machine;
- (b) if the flow rate measurement is below a first predetermined level, receive measurements of an operational parameter level of the pump;
- and
- (c) if the operational parameter level of the pump is above a second predetermined level, determine that the beverage-making machine requires replenishment of fluid in the reservoir;
- or
- (d) if the operational parameter level of the pump is below the second predetermined level, determining that the beverage-making machine does not require replenishment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.