Multiple temperature hot water dispensing system
View Patent ↗A system and method for controllably dispensing a predetermined volume of water at a predetermined temperature. The system and method include at least one heated water source and at least one second water source. Water is controllably dispensed from the heated water source and controllably combined with the controllably dispensed water from the second water source to produce a resultant predetermined volume of water at a resultant predetermined temperature. The system and method also includes controls and/or interfaces which allow a user to control the volume and temperature of water dispensed. The user may directly control the volume and/or temperature or may indirectly control the volume and temperature such as by introducing a control media, control selection, or recipe by which the user selects the choice but does not specify the details of the parameters associated with the choice.
1. A system for controllably dispensing heated water comprising:
a controller;
a heated water reservoir;
an ambient water source;
a first valve coupled to the controller and communicating with the ambient water source and the heated water reservoir for controllably dispensing ambient water to the heated water reservoir;
a second valve coupled to the controller and communicating with the ambient water source and an ambient water line for controllably dispensing ambient water to the system;
a heated water control valve coupled to the controller and communicating with the heated water reservoir for controllably dispensing heated water from the heated water reservoir;
an ambient control valve coupled to the controller and communicating with the ambient water line for controllably dispensing ambient water from the ambient water line;
a heated water line dispensing water from the heated water reservoir;
a heated water temperature sensor coupled to the heated water line and to the controller for providing temperature information to the controller;
an ambient water temperature sensor coupled to the ambient water line and to the controller for providing temperature information to the controller;
an output temperature sensor coupled to the outputs from the heated water line and the ambient water line and communicating with the controller; and
a user interface coupled to the controller for selecting a volume and temperature of water to be dispensed.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a media reader coupled to the controller for providing an input to the controller for indirectly selecting a volume of water and a temperature of water of the volume of water to be dispensed from the system.
3. The system of claim 2 , a media device associated with an item to be used with the system, the media device being compatible with the media reader.
4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the user interface includes a display for displaying images of the item to be made using a volume and temperature of water to be dispensed from the system, the user interface including selectors for selecting an image from one of the images displayed.
5. The system of claim 1 , at least one of the heated water control valve and the ambient water control valve being controllable for intermittently dispensing water over a dispense cycle.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a container station coupled to the controller for detecting at least one of the presence and absence of a container at the station.
7. A system for controllably dispensing heated water comprising:
a controller;
a heated water reservoir;
an ambient water source;
a first valve coupled to the controller and communicating with the ambient water source and the heated water reservoir for controllably dispensing ambient water to the heated water reservoir;
a heated water dispensing line communicating with the heated water reservoir;
a second valve coupled to the controller and communicating with the ambient water source and an ambient water line for controllably dispensing ambient water to the system;
a proportional control valve coupled to the controller and communicating upstream with the ambient water line and communicating downstream with the heated water dispensing line;
a heated water line dispensing water from the heated water reservoir;
a heated water temperature sensor coupled to the heated water line and to the controller for providing temperature information to the controller;
an ambient water temperature sensor coupled to the ambient water line and to the controller for providing temperature information to the controller;
an output temperature sensor coupled to the outputs from the heated water line and the ambient water line and communicating with the controller; and
a user interface coupled to the controller for selecting a volume and temperature of water to be dispensed.
8. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a media reader coupled to the controller for providing an input to the controller for indirectly selecting a volume of water and a temperature of water of the volume of water to be dispensed from the system.
9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising a media device associated with an item to be used with the system, the media device being compatible with the media reader.
10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the user interface includes a display for displaying images of the item to be made using a volume and temperature of water to be dispensed from the system, the user interface including selectors for selecting an image from one of the images displayed.
11. The system of claim 7 , at least one of the first valve, second valve, and the ambient water control valve being controllable for intermittently dispensing water over a dispense cycle.
12. The system of claim 7 , further comprising a container station coupled to the controller for detecting at least one of the presence and absence of a container at the station.
13. A method for controllably dispensing heated water comprising:
providing a controller;
providing a heated water reservoir;
providing an ambient water source;
providing a first valve coupled to the controller and communicating with the ambient water source and the heated water reservoir;
controllably operating the first valve for dispensing ambient water to the heated water reservoir;
providing a second valve coupled to the controller and communicating with the ambient water source and an ambient water line;
controllably operating the second valve for dispensing ambient water to the system;
providing a heated water control valve coupled to the controller and communicating with the heated water reservoir;
controllably operating the heated water control valve for dispensing heated water from the heated water reservoir to a heated water line;
providing an ambient control valve coupled to the controller and communicating with the ambient water line;
controllably operating the ambient control valve for dispensing ambient water from the ambient water line;
providing a heated water temperature sensor coupled to the heated water line and to the controller;
providing temperature information from the heated water temperature sensor to the controller;
an ambient water temperature sensor coupled to the ambient water line and to the controller for providing temperature information to the controller;
providing an output temperature sensor coupled to the outputs from the heated water line and the ambient water line and communicating with the controller
providing temperature information from the output temperature sensor to the controller; and
a user interface coupled to the controller for selecting a volume and temperature of water to be dispensed.
14. A method for controllably dispensing heated water comprising:
providing a controller;
providing a heated water reservoir;
providing an ambient water source;
providing a first valve coupled to the controller and communicating with the ambient water source and the heated water reservoir;
controllably operating the first valve for dispensing ambient water to the heated water reservoir;
a heated water dispensing line communicating with the heated water reservoir; providing a second valve coupled to the controller and communicating with the ambient water source and an ambient water line;
controllably operating the second valve for dispensing ambient water to the system; providing a proportional control valve coupled to the controller and communicating upstream with the ambient water line and communicating downstream with the heated water dispensing line;
providing a heated water temperature sensor coupled to the heated water dispensing line and to the controller;
providing temperature information from the heated water temperature sensor to the controller;
providing an ambient water temperature sensor coupled to the ambient water line and to the controller;
providing temperature information from the ambient water temperature sensor to the controller;
providing an output temperature sensor coupled to the outputs from the heated water line and the ambient water line and communicating with the controller
providing temperature information from the output temperature sensor to the controller;
a user interface coupled to the controller; and
using the controller to select a volume and temperature of water to be dispensed.
15. The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the second valve and the heated water control valve are operable to dispense pulses of water.