Method and apparatus for cartridge-based carbonation of beverages
AssigneeBedford Systems LLC
InventorsThomas J. Novak, Ross Packard, Peter Peterson, Shawn Gulla
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, methods and cartridges for carbonating a precursor liquid, such as water, to form a beverage. A carbon dioxide source can be provided in a cartridge which is used to generate carbon dioxide gas that is dissolved into the precursor liquid. A beverage medium, such as a powdered drink mix or liquid syrup, may be provided in the same, or a separate cartridge as the carbon dioxide source and mixed with the precursor liquid to form a beverage. The use of one or more cartridges for the carbon dioxide source and/or beverage medium may make for an easy to use and mess-free system for making carbonated beverages, e.g., in the consumer's home.
Claims19
A beverage making system, comprising:
- a beverage precursor liquid supply arranged to provide a precursor liquid;
- a cartridge chamber arranged to hold a single cartridge having first and second chambers that are isolated from each other, the first chamber containing a carbon dioxide source arranged to emit carbon dioxide gas for use in carbonating the precursor liquid, and the second chamber containing a beverage medium arranged to be mixed with a liquid precursor to form a beverage;
- a carbon dioxide activating fluid supply arranged to provide a fluid to the cartridge chamber for contact with the carbon dioxide source to cause the carbon dioxide source to emit carbon dioxide gas where the carbon dioxide activating fluid supply includes a pump and a conduit leading to the cartridge chamber;
- and
- a carbon dioxide gas supply arranged to conduct carbon dioxide gas emitted by the carbon dioxide source, under pressure greater than the ambient pressure, from the cartridge chamber to beverage precursor liquid provided via the beverage precursor liquid supply to carbonate the precursor liquid;
- wherein the cartridge chamber is arranged to introduce pressurized gas into the second chamber to cause the beverage medium to exit the second chamber, and wherein the system is arranged to carbonate the precursor liquid using the carbon dioxide gas emitted by the first chamber and to mix the beverage medium moved out of the second chamber with the precursor liquid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.