Mixing chamber for beverage machine
A beverage making machine may employ a mixing chamber to mix a beverage medium with a precursor liquid, such as carbonated water. The mixing chamber may have a precursor liquid inlet coupled to a precursor liquid supply, a beverage medium chamber to receive a beverage medium into the beverage medium chamber, and a dispense outlet from which beverage medium and precursor liquid are dispensed, e.g., into a user's cup. The beverage medium chamber may include a chamber inlet coupled to the precursor liquid inlet, e.g., so precursor liquid can enter the chamber when a pressure is low in the beverage medium chamber, and a chamber outlet downstream of the chamber inlet that is coupled to the dispense outlet, e.g., so that beverage medium can exit the chamber.
1. A beverage making machine, comprising:
a precursor liquid supply to provide precursor liquid used to form a beverage;
a cartridge holder arranged to receive and hold a cartridge containing a beverage medium used to form a beverage with the precursor liquid; and
a dispensing station including a mixing chamber having a precursor liquid inlet fluidically coupled to the precursor liquid supply, a beverage medium chamber fluidically coupled to the cartridge to receive beverage medium into the beverage medium chamber, and a dispense outlet from which beverage medium and precursor liquid are dispensed, the beverage medium chamber including a chamber inlet fluidically coupled to the precursor liquid inlet and a chamber outlet downstream of the chamber inlet and fluidically coupled to the dispense outlet,
wherein the mixing chamber is arranged such that, with precursor liquid flowing from the precursor liquid inlet to the dispense outlet, pressurized beverage medium in the beverage medium chamber flows through the chamber outlet to the dispense outlet and flow of precursor liquid into the beverage medium chamber via the chamber inlet is prevented, and with precursor liquid flowing from the precursor liquid inlet to the dispense outlet, precursor liquid flows into the beverage medium chamber via the chamber inlet in the absence of pressurized beverage medium in the beverage medium chamber.
2. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the precursor liquid inlet and the dispense outlet are connected by a 90 degree elbow, the chamber inlet is positioned at an upstream end of the 90 degree elbow, and the chamber outlet is positioned at a downstream end of the 90 degree elbow.
3. The machine of claim 2 , wherein the chamber inlet and chamber outlet are positioned at a radially outer wall of the 90 degree elbow.
4. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the chamber outlet includes a plurality of channels that lead downwardly from the beverage medium chamber.
5. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the chamber inlet is oriented in a horizontal direction and the chamber outlet is arranged in a vertical direction.
6. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the mixing chamber includes an annular rim arranged to engage with a cartridge outlet to cause the outlet to open.
7. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the beverage medium chamber is arranged to receive beverage medium that flows in a downward direction from the cartridge, the chamber inlet is arranged to receive precursor liquid in a horizontal direction into the beverage medium chamber, and the chamber outlet is arranged to conduct flow of beverage medium downwardly to the dispense outlet.
8. The machine of claim 1 , wherein flow of precursor liquid into the beverage medium chamber via the chamber inlet rinses the beverage medium chamber.
9. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the precursor liquid supply includes a carbonation tank having an inlet to receive precursor liquid, and an outlet to deliver precursor liquid from the carbonation tank to the dispensing station; and
a carbonating gas supply line fluidly coupled to the carbonation tank to deliver carbon dioxide gas to the carbonation tank to carbonate the precursor liquid.
10. The machine of claim 9 , wherein the cartridge holder is arranged to provide carbon dioxide gas from a gas source in the cartridge to the carbonation tank by the carbonating gas supply line.
11. The machine of claim 10 , wherein the precursor liquid supply is arranged to deliver precursor liquid to the gas source in the cartridge to cause the gas source to release carbon dioxide.
12. The machine of claim 1 , wherein the cartridge holder is arranged to deliver pressurized gas to the cartridge to force beverage medium in the cartridge to flow into the beverage medium chamber under pressure.