FLOW CIRCUIT FOR CARBONATED BEVERAGE MACHINE
Systems, methods and cartridges for carbonating or otherwise dissolving gas in a precursor liquid, such as water, to form a beverage. Carbonating gas can be provided to a tank via the tank outlet, thereby purging at least a portion of a dispense line leading from the tank to a dispensing station. A single pump may be used to deliver liquid to the tank, e.g., for carbonation, and to pump pressurized air to dispense liquid from the tank. A water trap may help remove moisture from carbonating gas.
1 - 21 . (canceled)
22 . A method of making a beverage, the method comprising:
receiving a cartridge having a beverage medium at least partially within a beverage making machine;
delivering precursor liquid to a carbonation tank, the carbonation tank having an outlet fluidically coupled to a dispense line;
delivering carbon dioxide gas under pressure to the carbonation tank;
carbonating the precursor liquid in the carbonation tank with the carbon dioxide gas;
delivering the carbonated precursor liquid from the carbonation tank to the dispense line, the dispense line associated with a flow of the beverage medium from the cartridge; and
purging the dispense line using the carbon dioxide gas.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein delivering the carbon dioxide gas comprises delivering the carbon dioxide gas to the carbonation tank via the outlet.
24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the outlet is disposed at a bottom portion of the tank.
25 . The method of claim 22 , wherein delivering the carbon dioxide gas comprises delivering the carbon dioxide gas to the carbonation tank via a carbonating gas supply line fluidically coupled to the dispense line.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein purging the dispense line occurs in response to delivering the carbon dioxide gas to the carbonation tank.
27 . The method of claim 22 , wherein delivering carbon dioxide gas comprises releasing the carbon dioxide gas from a source of pressurized carbon dioxide.
28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the source of pressurized carbon dioxide comprises a molecular sieve arranged within the cartridge.
29 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising mixing carbonated precursor liquid with the beverage medium at an exit of the dispense line to form the beverage.
30 . A method of making a beverage, the method comprising:
receiving a cartridge having a beverage medium at least partially within a beverage making machine;
delivering a precursor liquid to a carbonation tank, the carbonation tank having an outlet fluidically coupled to a dispense line;
delivering a carbon dioxide gas under pressure to the carbonation tank;
carbonating the precursor liquid in the carbonation tank with the carbon dioxide gas; and
flowing the carbonated precursor liquid from the carbonation tank through the dispense line and to the cartridge to mix the carbonated precursor liquid with the beverage medium.
31 . The method of claim 30 , wherein mixing the carbonated precursor liquid with the beverage medium occurs at least partially within the cartridge.
32 . The method of claim 30 , further comprising inducing a flow of the beverage medium from the cartridge.
33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein inducing the flow comprises:
rupturing an internal sealed volume of the cartridge; and
introducing a pressurized fluid to the internal sealed volume.
34 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the pressurized fluid comprises the carbonated precursor liquid from the carbonation tank.
35 . The method of claim 30 , wherein receiving the cartridge comprises enclosing the cartridge within a cartridge holder, the cartridge holder configured to fluidically couple the cartridge to a flow path of the beverage making machine.
36 . The method of claim 30 , wherein delivering carbon dioxide gas comprises releasing the carbon dioxide gas from a pressurized cylinder.
37 . A method of making a beverage, the method comprising:
receiving a cartridge having a beverage medium at least partially within a beverage making machine;
delivering precursor liquid to a carbonation tank, the carbonation tank having an outlet fluidically coupled to a dispense line;
delivering carbon dioxide gas under pressure to the carbonation tank;
selectively carbonating the precursor liquid in the carbonation tank with the carbon dioxide gas by controlling at least one of a flow rate or a pressure of the carbon dioxide gas into the carbonation tank; and
flushing the dispense line with the selectively carbonated precursor liquid from the carbonation tank, the dispense line associated with a flow of the beverage medium from the cartridge.
38 . The method of claim 37 , further comprising mixing the selectively carbonated precursor liquid with the beverage medium to form the beverage having a carbonation level of between 1 and 5 volumes.
39 . The method of claim 37 , wherein:
the method further comprises detecting a parameter of the carbonation tank; and
selectively carbonating ceases when the parameter reaches a threshold value.
40 . The method of claim 37 , further comprising chilling the carbonation tank.
41 . The method of claim 37 , wherein the operation of delivering the carbon dioxide gas to the carbonation tank purges the dispense line.