阅读说明：本技术 制作饮料的设备和相关联方法、功率管理系统和微控制器可读介质 (Apparatus and associated method for making a beverage, power management system and microcontroller readable medium ) 是由 任翔 C·普萨罗洛格斯 于 2018-11-07 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种制作饮料的设备,所述设备包括：用于加热液体的多个加热组件,以及功率管理系统,其中所述功率管理系统包括：储能装置,其中所述设备的至少第一功能需要同时操作所述多个加热组件中的第一加热组件和第二加热组件,并且其中至少所述第一加热组件包括第一加热器元件和第二加热器元件,其中所述第一加热器元件使用市电供电,且所述第二加热器元件使用所述储能装置供电。(An apparatus for making a beverage, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of heating assemblies for heating a liquid, and a power management system, wherein the power management system comprises: an energy storage device, wherein at least a first function of the apparatus requires simultaneous operation of a first heating assembly and a second heating assembly of the plurality of heating assemblies, and wherein at least the first heating assembly comprises a first heater element and a second heater element, wherein the first heater element is powered using mains electricity and the second heater element is powered using the energy storage device.)

1. An apparatus for making a beverage, the apparatus comprising:

a plurality of heating elements for heating a liquid, an

A power management system, wherein the power management system comprises:

an energy storage device is arranged on the base plate,

wherein at least a first function of the apparatus requires simultaneous operation of a first heating assembly and a second heating assembly of the plurality of heating assemblies, an

Wherein at least the first heating assembly comprises a first heater element and a second heater element, wherein the first heater element is powered using mains electricity and the second heater element is powered using the energy storage device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second heating assembly comprises a third heater element and a fourth heater element, wherein during the simultaneous operation, the third heater element is powered using mains power and the fourth heater element is powered using the energy storage device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of hydraulic lines, wherein at least a first hydraulic line includes the first heating component for heating the liquid and a second hydraulic line includes the second heating component for heating the liquid.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of brew heads, wherein a first brew head is located at an output port of the first hydraulic line and a second brew head is located at an output port of the second hydraulic line.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of water pumps, wherein at least a first water pump is in the first hydraulic line and a second water pump is in the second hydraulic line.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of valves, wherein at least a first valve is in the first hydraulic line and a second valve is in the second hydraulic line.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power management system further comprises a controller, wherein the controller is arranged to determine that the first function has been selected, that the first heating assembly and the second heating assembly need to be operated simultaneously, and upon a positive determination, the controller is further arranged to apply mains power to the first heater element and to apply power in the energy storage device to the second heater element.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein operating the first function simultaneously with another function of the apparatus requires operating the first heating assembly and the second heating assembly simultaneously.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second heater elements are staggered with respect to each other.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the energy storage device comprises at least one of a capacitor, a capacitor bank, an ultracapacitor bank, or a battery.

11. A power management system for use in an apparatus for making a beverage, wherein the apparatus has a plurality of heating assemblies for heating a liquid, the power management system comprising:

a controller, and

an energy storage device is arranged on the base plate,

wherein the controller is arranged to determine that at least a first function of the apparatus has been selected, requiring simultaneous operation of a first heating assembly and a second heating assembly of the plurality of heating assemblies, and upon a positive determination, the controller is further arranged to apply mains power to a first heater element of the first heating assembly and to apply power in the energy storage device to a second heater element of the first heating assembly.

12. A power management system according to claim 11, wherein the controller is further arranged to determine that at least the first function of the device has been selected, that simultaneous operation of the first and second heating assemblies is required, and once positively determined, the power management system is further arranged to apply mains power to a third heater element of the second heating assembly and to apply power in the energy storage to a fourth heater element of the second heating assembly.

13. A method of controlling the supply of electrical power in a device for making beverages, wherein the device has a plurality of heating assemblies for heating a liquid, the method comprising the steps of:

determining that at least a first function of the apparatus has been selected, requiring simultaneous operation of a first heating assembly and a second heating assembly of the apparatus, and upon a positive determination,

mains electricity is applied to a first heater element of the first heating assembly, and

applying power in the energy storage device to a second heater element of the first heating assembly.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of:

determining that at least the first function of the device has been selected, requiring simultaneous operation of the first and second heating assemblies, and upon a positive determination,

a third heater element for applying mains power to the second heating assembly, an

Applying power in the energy storage device to a fourth heater element of the second heating assembly.

15. A microcontroller readable medium for use in a device for making a beverage, wherein the device has a plurality of heating assemblies for heating a liquid, the microcontroller readable medium having a program recorded thereon, wherein the program is configured to cause a microcontroller to perform the following process:

determining that at least a first function of the device has been selected, that a first heating assembly and a second heating assembly of the plurality of heating assemblies need to be operated simultaneously, and

once it has been determined in the affirmative,

mains electricity is applied to a first heater element of the first heating assembly and power in the energy storage device is applied to a second heater element of the first heating assembly.

16. A microcontroller-readable medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein the controller is further arranged to determine that at least the first function of the device has been selected, that simultaneous operation of the first and second heating assemblies is required, and once positively determined, the controller is further arranged to apply mains power to a third heater element of the second heating assembly and to apply power in the energy storage means to a fourth heater element of the second heating assembly.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, or the power management system of claim 11, or the method of claim 13, or the microcontroller-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first function comprises an action comprising at least extracting a first espresso coffee and extracting a second espresso coffee.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, or the power management system of claim 11, or the method of claim 13, or the microcontroller-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first function comprises actions including at least extracting a first espresso and generating steam.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, or the power management system of claim 11, or the method of claim 13, or the microcontroller-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first function comprises actions including at least supplying hot water and extracting a first espresso.

Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for making a beverage, a power management system for said apparatus, a method of controlling an apparatus and a microcontroller readable medium.

Background

Domestic appliances designed to make beverages, such as automatic tea makers and espresso coffee makers, are usually operated using electricity supplied by the mains electricity to which the appliance is connected.

Most of the power requirements are used to heat the heating assembly to perform certain functions, such as heating water to make espresso, heating water to produce water vapor, and heating water to supply hot water. A heater may also be used to heat other liquids to make a beverage.

Sometimes, depending on the country or region in which the device is used, the power available from the domestic mains or from virtually any other power supply may not be sufficient to enable one or more functions of selecting simultaneous use of two heaters. For example, in the united states, the household mains supply provides a power supply with a maximum output power of 1800 watts. Whereas in australia the maximum output power of the domestic mains supply is 2400 watts. Thus, the user needs to perform multiple simultaneous steps to make the beverage of their choice.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate one or more disadvantages of existing arrangements.

An arrangement is disclosed which seeks to address one or more of the above problems by providing an apparatus for making a beverage, a power management system for the apparatus, a method of controlling the apparatus and a microcontroller readable medium enabling the simultaneous use of multiple heating assemblies.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus for making a beverage, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of heating assemblies for heating a liquid, and a power management system, wherein the power management system comprises: an energy storage device, wherein at least a first function of the apparatus requires simultaneous operation of a first heating assembly and a second heating assembly of the plurality of heating assemblies, and wherein at least the first heating assembly comprises a first heater element and a second heater element, wherein the first heater element is powered using mains electricity and the second heater element is powered using the energy storage device.

According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a power management system for use in an apparatus for making a beverage, wherein the apparatus has a plurality of heating assemblies for heating a liquid, the power management system comprising: a controller and an energy storage device, wherein the controller is arranged to determine that at least a first function of the apparatus has been selected, requiring simultaneous operation of a first heating assembly and a second heating assembly of the plurality of heating assemblies, and once positively determined, the controller is further arranged to apply mains power to a first heater element of the first heating assembly and to apply power in the energy storage device to a second heater element of the first heating assembly.

According to a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of controlling the supply of electrical power in a device for making beverages, wherein the device has a plurality of heating assemblies for heating a liquid, the method comprising the steps of: it is determined that at least a first function of the apparatus has been selected, that simultaneous operation of a first heating assembly and a second heating assembly of the apparatus is required, and that, once positively determined, mains electricity is applied to a first heater element of the first heating assembly and power in the energy storage means is applied to a second heater element of the first heating assembly.

According to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a microcontroller readable medium for use in a device for making a beverage, wherein the device has a plurality of heating assemblies for heating a liquid, the microcontroller readable medium having a program recorded thereon, wherein the program is configured to cause a microcontroller to perform the following process: determining that at least a first function of the apparatus has been selected, requiring simultaneous operation of a first heating assembly and a second heating assembly of the plurality of heating assemblies, and once positively determined, applying mains power to a first heater element of the first heating assembly and applying power in the energy storage device to a second heater element of the first heating assembly.

Other aspects are also disclosed.

Drawings

At least one embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings and appendices, in which:

fig. 1A and 1B show an apparatus for making a beverage in the form of a coffee maker according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 illustrates a hydraulic system diagram of a fluid used in the apparatus of FIGS. 1A and 1B, according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 shows two brewing heads used in the apparatus of FIGS. 1A and 1B according to the present disclosure;

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate a heating assembly having multiple heating elements for use in the apparatus of FIGS. 1A and 1B according to the present disclosure;

FIG. 5 illustrates a system block diagram for the device of FIGS. 1A and 1B in accordance with the present disclosure;

fig. 6 shows a flow chart for the apparatus of fig. 1A and 1B according to the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Although the embodiments described herein relate to a water heating apparatus for making beverages, it will be appreciated that the apparatus may be used to heat other suitable drinking water or liquid mixtures for making beverages.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the device may be any suitable device, such as a manual espresso device, a capsule espresso device or an automatic espresso device.

The embodiments described below relate to coffee machines that include operations such as making espresso, generating steam, and supplying hot water. The steam generated can be used to froth milk. The hot water provided may be used for addition to espresso coffee. The user may select a function through the user interface, where the function is one or more of these operations. For example, one function may be to produce steam to heat and foam milk while making a cup of espresso. Another function may be to make two cups of espresso at the same time. Another function may be to make espresso while providing hot water.

It should be understood that the described components and processes may be implemented in other devices designed to make beverages, such as tea makers and the like. It should also be understood that the described components and processes may enable a heating component in an apparatus to heat liquids other than water.

Fig. 1A and 1B show an apparatus in the form of a coffee (e.g., espresso) machine 101.

The coffee maker 101 has a body 102 containing the various components required to make coffee. These components include a water tank 103 for storing water for use by the apparatus. The object 104 is a water outlet or faucet for discharging hot water. In this example, the coffee maker has two coffee outlets (105A, 105B), wherein each coffee outlet may serve as an outlet for espresso coffee or hot water. Each coffee outlet is associated with a brewing head. In this example, a filter handle may be attached to one or both brew heads to extract coffee. A steam wand 107 is provided to output the generated steam. The device has a mains power cord 109, which can be accessed by the device by connecting it to a mains socket. A user interface 111 is provided through which a user may select one or more functions of the coffee maker 101.

The first function may comprise a first operation and a second operation, the second operation generating steam via the steam wand 107 to heat and froth milk while the first operation generates a single portion of espresso coffee from a first brewing head connected to the first coffee outlet 105A. Another function may comprise a first operation producing a first espresso coffee from a first brewing head connected to the first coffee outlet 105A and a second operation producing a second espresso coffee from a second brewing head connected to the second coffee outlet 105B at the same time as the first operation. Another function may comprise a first operation and a second operation, the second operation providing hot water via the water outlet 104 while the first operation produces espresso from a first brewing head connected to the first coffee outlet 105A.

It will be appreciated that alternative devices may have more than two brew heads or coffee outlets, and may have more than one water outlet or steam wand.

Fig. 2 shows a hydraulic system 201 of a liquid for use in the coffee maker 101. In this example, the liquid is water. However, it should be understood that alternative liquids other than water may be used.

The water tank 103 contains cold water 203. The common hydraulic line 205 delivers cold water 203 to a first hydraulic line 208A and a second hydraulic line 208B via a T-joint 207.

In the first hydraulic line 208A, cold water flows through a flow meter 209A by operation of a water pump 211A. Cold water 203 flows through heating assembly 213A to produce hot water. The hot water is provided to an electrically controlled valve 215A in the form of a three-way valve connected to the microcontroller. The microcontroller controls the flow of water through the valve so that the water flows into the coffee line or into the steam wand 107 through the brew head leading to the coffee outlet 105A. After passing through the electrically controlled valve 215A, which is a one-way valve, the water can be used as such for producing steam or for producing espresso coffee.

In the second hydraulic line 208B, cold water flows through a flow meter 209B by operation of a water pump 211B. Cold water 203 flows through heating assembly 213B to produce hot water. The hot water is supplied to the second brewing head 105B through an electrically controlled valve 215B in the form of a three-way valve connected to the microcontroller. The microcontroller controls the flow of water through the valve so that water flows into the coffee line or into the hot water outlet 104 through the brew head leading to the coffee outlet 105B. After passing through the electrically controlled valve 215B, which is a one-way valve, the water can be used as such to produce hot water or to produce espresso.

Fig. 3 shows more details of the two output ports of the hydraulic lines (208A, 208B) used in the coffee maker 101. The hot water supplied by the first hydraulic line 208A is passed through the electrically controlled valve 215A to a brew head (espresso generator) 305 leading to the coffee outlet 105A or to a steam wand 307 generating steam. The hot water supplied by the second hydraulic line 208B is passed through the electrically controlled valve 215B to a brewing head (espresso maker) 303 leading to the coffee outlet 105B or to a hot water outlet 301.

Fig. 4A and 4B show a heating assembly with multiple heating elements for use with a coffee maker 101.

As shown in fig. 4A, the first heating assembly 213A includes a first heater element 401A and a second heater element 403A. The first heater element 401A is powered by an energy storage device (see fig. 5). Second heater element 403A is powered by mains electricity. This arrangement is suitable for use in areas where commercial power outputs of up to 1800W are provided. The heater elements are resistive tracks. The first heater elements and the second heater elements may be interleaved with each other.

According to one example, the energy storage device contains a plurality of capacitor banks and is associated with one or more control switches, as will be explained in more detail below. According to another alternative example, the energy storage device may comprise one or more battery storage devices, wherein said devices have been associated with one or more control switches. Thus, the energy storage device may comprise a capacitor, a capacitor bank, an ultracapacitor bank or a battery. It will be appreciated that any suitable form and amount of energy storage may be used.

The first control switch is controlled by the controller to charge the capacitor bank. The second switch is controlled by the controller to discharge the capacitor bank, e.g. apply power to the load. The controller controls the switches using an XOR operation to ensure that the two switches are never opened or closed at the same time.

In this example, the energy storage device provides up to 700W of power to the first heater element 401A, while the mains provides up to 1000W of power to the second heater element 403A. This arrangement is suitable for use in areas where commercial power outputs of up to 1800W are provided. The mains provides 1700W of power to heat the two second heater elements (403A, 403B), the remaining 100W of power being available for other functions of the coffee maker, such as electronics.

A Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) sensor 405A is provided to measure the temperature of the first heating element 213A.

Also shown in fig. 4A is a second heating assembly 213B, which includes a first heater element 401B and a second heater element 403B. The first heater element 401B is powered by the same energy storage device (see fig. 5). Second heater element 403B is powered by mains electricity.

In this example, the energy storage device provides up to 1000W of power to the first heater element 401B, while the mains provides up to 700W of power to the second heater element 403B.

A Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) sensor 405B is provided to measure the temperature of the second heating assembly 213B.

Fig. 4B shows an alternative arrangement for use in areas providing a mains output of up to 2400W. The first heating assembly 407A includes a first heater element 409A and a second heater element 411A. The first heater element 409A is powered by an energy storage device (see FIG. 5). The second heater element 411A is powered by mains electricity.

Furthermore, the energy storage device comprises a plurality of capacitor banks and is associated with one or more control switches, as will be explained in more detail below. According to another alternative example, the energy storage device may comprise one or more battery storage devices, wherein said devices have been associated with one or more control switches. Thus, the energy storage device may comprise a capacitor, a capacitor bank, an ultracapacitor bank or a battery. It will be appreciated that any suitable form of energy storage may be used.

The first control switch is controlled by the controller to charge the capacitor bank. The second switch is controlled by the controller to discharge the capacitor bank, e.g. apply power to the load. The controller controls the switches using an XOR operation to ensure that the two switches are never opened or closed at the same time.

In this example, the energy storage device provides up to 300W of power to the first heater element 409A, while the mains provides up to 1600W of power to the second heater element 411A.

A Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) sensor 413A is provided to measure the temperature of the first heating element 407A.

Also shown in fig. 4B is a second heating assembly 407B, which includes a first heater element 409B and a second heater element 411B. The first heater element 409B is powered by the same energy storage device (see fig. 5). The second heater element 411B is powered by mains electricity.

In this example, the energy storage device provides up to 900W of power to the first heater element 409B, while the mains provides up to 800W of power to the second heater element 411B.

A Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) sensor 413B is provided to measure the temperature of the second heating assembly 409B.

This arrangement is suitable for use in areas where up to 2400W mains output is provided. The mains supply provides 2300W of power to heat the two second heater elements (411A, 411B), the remaining 100W of power being available for other functions of the coffee maker, such as electronics.

Fig. 5 shows a block diagram of a system for use in the coffee maker 101.

A main PCBA (printed circuit board assembly) 501 has a microcontroller 502 arranged to control various processes based on instructions stored in a memory 504. The memory may be, for example, ROM or EEPROM. It should be understood that control lines are suitably present between the microcontroller 502 and other components of the coffee maker to enable the coffee maker to function adequately.

The memory 504 is a microcontroller readable medium.

Mains 503 is provided to the main PCBA 501. As illustrated in fig. 4A and 4B, two NTCs (405A, 405B) are connected to two heating assemblies (213A, 213B) to detect temperature. Two further NTCs (505A, 505B) are connected to the water path at the end of each brewing head (105A, 105B).

The reed switch 507 is used to provide a signal to the controller 502 to indicate when the water tank 103 in the coffee maker 101 is empty.

An interlock switch 509 is provided to indicate to the controller 502 whether the steam wand 307 has been lifted from its "steam" configuration. If the steam wand 307 has been lifted from its "steam" configuration, the controller 502 controls the electrically controlled valve 215A to ensure that steam cannot flow into the steam wand 307, thereby reducing the risk of scalding the user.

A User Interface (UI) PCBA513 is provided as a user interface, such as the L CD interface, to enable a user to control the functions of the coffee machine 101.

The two water pumps (211A, 211B) are also controlled by the controller 502 to pump fluid into and through the heater elements of the heating assembly. The flow rate of the fluid is measured by two flow meters (209A, 209B).

The heater elements in the heating assemblies (213A and 213B) are controlled by a circuit comprising a TRIAC switching device (515A, 515B). The charging circuit 517 controls the manner in which the energy storage device (e.g., battery) 519 is charged. An inverter 521 is provided to convert DC to AC to apply power to the heater elements.

Fig. 6 shows a flow chart for use in the coffee maker 101.

The flow starts at step S601. At step S603, the controller 502 determines whether one or more functions selected by the user on the user interface require simultaneous operation of the first and second heating assemblies (213A, 213B). That is, it is determined whether one or more functions selected by the user on the user interface require simultaneous operation of two separate heating assemblies, wherein a first heating assembly is located in a first hydraulic line and a second heating assembly is located in a second (i.e., different) hydraulic line.

Without being positively determined, the controller continues to monitor the operation of the coffee maker 101 through the user interface.

When positively determined, the flow proceeds to step S605, where the controller causes utility power to be applied to the first heater element of the first heating assembly.

After step S605, the flow proceeds to step S607 where the controller causes the hybrid power in the energy storage device 519 to be applied to the second heater element of the first heating assembly.

Then, the flow ends at step S609.

By way of the flow chart shown in fig. 6, it will be appreciated that the power applied by the energy storage device 519 to the first heating assembly is sufficient to enable the remaining mains power to be used to power the second heating assembly. This will then cause both the first and second heating assemblies to be heated simultaneously.

It will be appreciated that, alternatively, a similar process may be performed to power the first and second heater elements of the second heating assembly in a similar manner simultaneously with the heater element of the first heating assembly.

Thus, a synchronous combination of the following operations is provided. Function 1: coffee (hydraulic line 1) + milk frothing (hydraulic line 2). Function 2: coffee (hydraulic line 1) + coffee (hydraulic line 2). Function 3: coffee (hydraulic line 2) + hot water (hydraulic line 2).

For example, when the user wants to make a cappuccino, function 1 is selected through the user interface. This requires extracting coffee from the filter handle into a cup and simultaneously frothing the milk. Therefore, it is necessary to activate two heaters in two hydraulic lines at the same time. For example, 1700 watts of power (as a combination of stored energy power and mains) may be supplied to a first heating assembly of a hydraulic line for providing coffee to extract coffee, and 1700 watts of power (as a combination of stored energy power and mains) may be supplied to a second heating assembly in another hydraulic line to mix air with a venturi pump and generate steam from a steam wand.

This allows the user to make coffee faster and more conveniently.

The energy storage device 519 has associated control circuitry in communication with the microcontroller 502. For example, the control line may indicate a state of charge of the energy storage device. If the energy storage device is not charged to a threshold amount, microcontroller 502 may disable certain operations when the user selects a function, or disable all functions.

The energy storage device and associated control circuitry may be located within the device body or may be integral with the device body.

The main PCBA501 and associated components (e.g., the energy storage 519, the controller 502, and the UI PCBA513) form a power management system for controlling the manner in which the coffee maker heats water.

The power management system uses the controller 502 to control when power is applied to each heater element according to the selected operation or function and the state of charge of the energy storage device.

Depending on the mode of operation, the energy storage means is charged under the control of the controller 502 when the device is not being used to heat a liquid (e.g. the device is in a standby mode). A control signal is fed back to a display on the UI to inform the user of the percentage of charge of the energy storage device.

As noted herein, the energy storage device 519 may be formed using any suitable form of energy storage. In this example, the energy storage system 519 is a battery. However, capacitors may also be used because they have a faster charge and discharge rate compared to battery technology.

It should be understood that the procedures described herein for applying power from multiple power sources to different loads may also relate to procedures in which power from multiple power sources is applied to loads other than heater elements (e.g., loads that are motors (e.g., grinding motors), etc.).

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The described arrangement is applicable to the industry of liquid heating appliances, and in particular to the industry of manufacturing liquid heating appliances for making beverages.

The foregoing describes only some embodiments of the present invention and modifications and/or changes may be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention, which is intended to be illustrative and not limiting.

In the context of this specification, the word "comprising" means "including primarily but not necessarily solely" or "having" or "including", rather than "consisting only of … …". Variations of the word "comprising" have correspondingly different meanings.