Apparatus, method and systems for providing selectable level carbonated water

Abstract

An apparatus, method and system configured to produce and provide on-demand, immediate sequential dispensing of varying levels of carbonated water, such as carbonated water having a level of carbonation selected by an end-user, is disclosed. In one aspect, immediate sequential dispensing of varying levels of carbonated water is provided by varying the rate of agitation during a fixed agitation interval. The carbonating unit has a volume with an inlet in communication with a source of carbonating gas and noncarbonated water. An agitator is housed within the volume of the carbonating unit and is operated by a variable speed actuator.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for on-demand, selectable level carbonated water production across more than one time period comprising the steps of:
 providing at least one carbonating unit having a volume within an inlet in communication with a source of carbonating gas and noncarbonated water, an outlet for discharging carbonated water, and an agitator spaced within the volume;   selecting a first level of carbonation for the carbonated water;   selecting a second level of carbonation for the carbonated water;   activating the agitator for a first period of time at a rate that achieves the first level of carbonation for the carbonated water;   discharging, on-demand, the carbonated water having the carbonated water at the first level of carbonation to a beverage receiving area;   activating the agitator for a second period of time at a rate that achieves the second level of carbonation for the carbonated water; and   discharging, on-demand, the carbonated water having the carbonated water at the second level of carbonation to the beverage receiving area after the discharging of the carbonated water with the first level of carbonation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rate of operation of the agitator is increased to increase the level of carbonation for the first level of carbonation. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rate of operation of the agitator is decreased to decrease the level of carbonation for the first level of carbonation. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first period of time and the second period of time are sequential and are generally the same length of time. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of providing at least one carbonating unit having a volume within an inlet in communication with a source of carbonating gas and noncarbonated water, an outlet for discharging carbonated water, and an agitator spaced within the volume comprises: providing (1) a first carbonating unit having a volume within an inlet in communication with a source of carbonating gas and noncarbonated water, an outlet for discharging carbonated water, and an agitator spaced within the volume; and (2) a second carbonating unit having a volume within an inlet in communication with a source of carbonating gas and noncarbonated water, an outlet for discharging carbonated water, and an agitator spaced within the volume; and
 wherein carbonated water from the first carbonating unit and the second carbonating unit together operate to deliver carbonated water having the carbonated water at the first level of carbonation to the beverage receiving area and carbonated water having the carbonated water at the second level of carbonation to the beverage receiving area.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the agitator of the first carbonating unit and the agitator of the second carbonating unit are paddles;
 wherein carbonated water from the first carbonating unit is delivered through a carbonated water outlet of the first carbonating unit and into a carbonated water receiving chamber of the first carbonating unit; and   wherein carbonated water from the second carbonating unit is delivered through a carbonated water outlet of the second carbonating unit and into a carbonated water receiving chamber of the second carbonating unit.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the system further comprises a flow controller that communicates the carbonated water out of the carbonated water receiving chamber of the first carbonating unit and the carbonated water receiving chamber of the second carbonating unit and out of a carbonated discharge of the system and the method further comprises the step of using the flow controller to regulate the discharge from each of the first carbonating unit's carbonated water chamber and the second carbonating unit's carbonated water chamber to deliver the on-demand, the carbonated water. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the system comprises a first carbonating unit and a second carbonating unit and wherein the systems provides a continuous stream of carbonated water by preparing a batch of carbonated water in the first carbonating unit while carbonated water is dispensed from a second carbonating unit. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rate of agitation in the carbonating unit is changed to change the level of carbonation and wherein the agitation duration is fixed for each time interval. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of sequentially discharging, within a single agitation interval, the carbonated water with the first level of carbonation and the carbonated water with the second level of carbonation and wherein the second level of carbonation is higher than the first level of carbonation. 
     
     
         11 . A method for providing a continuous stream of on-demand, selectable level carbonated water production from a system comprising the steps of:
 providing a carbonating system that comprises: a first carbonating unit and a second carbonating unit where each carbonating unit has a volume with an inlet in communication with a source of carbonating gas and noncarbonated water, an outlet for discharging carbonated water, and an agitator within the volume; and a water flow control unit;   using the water flow control unit to regulate and control the filling of the volume of the first and second carbonating units with noncarbonated water;   selecting a level of carbonation for the carbonated water having a first user selected level of carbonation by the user of the system;   varying a rate of operation of the agitator within the first carbonating unit to produce the carbonated water having the first user selected level of carbonation;   selecting a level of carbonation for the carbonated water having a second user selected level of carbonation by the user of the system;   varying a rate of operation of the agitator within the second carbonating unit to produce the carbonated water having the second user selected level of carbonation; and   sequentially dispensing carbonated water with the first user selected level of carbonation and thereafter dispensing carbonated water with the second user selected level of carbonation.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of using the liquid flow control to fill one of the first or second carbonating units with noncarbonated water while discharging carbonated water from the other of the first or second carbonating unit. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein carbonated water with the first user selected level of carbonation is prepared during a first time period and carbonated water with the second user selected level of carbonation is prepared during a second time period immediately thereafter. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising the step of filling either the volume of the first carbonating unit or the volume of the second carbonating unit with noncarbonated water while the other of the first carbonating unit or the second carbonating unit dispense either carbonated water of the first user selected level of carbonation out of a liquid dispenser or carbonated water of the second user selected level of carbonation out of the liquid dispenser. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising the step of filling either the volume of the first carbonating unit or the volume of the second carbonating unit with noncarbonated water while the other of the first carbonating unit or the second carbonating unit dispense either carbonated water of the first user selected level of carbonation out of a liquid dispenser or carbonated water of the second user selected level of carbonation out of the liquid dispenser. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the carbonated water of the first carbonating unit and the carbonated water of the second unit are sequentially produced and the agitation duration of the agitator of the first carbonating unit and the second carbonating unit is a fixed interval and not adjusted based on the level of carbonation selected for the first user selected level of carbonation and the second user selected level of carbonation. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the agitator of the first carbonating unit and the agitator of the second carbonating unit are paddles;
 wherein carbonated water from the first carbonating unit is delivered through a carbonated water outlet of the first carbonating unit and into a carbonated water receiving chamber of the first carbonating unit; and   wherein carbonated water from the second carbonating unit is delivered through a carbonated water outlet of the second carbonating unit and into a carbonated water receiving chamber of the second carbonating unit.   
     
     
         18 . A method for on-demand, selectable level carbonated water production comprising the steps of:
 providing at least one carbonating unit having a volume with an inlet in communication with a source of carbonating gas and noncarbonated water, an outlet for discharging carbonated water, and an agitator within the volume;   selecting a level of carbonation for the carbonated water;   varying a rate of operation of the agitator to correspond with the selected level of carbonation; and   discharging, on-demand, the carbonated water to a beverage receiving point at the selected level of carbonation.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the step of providing at least one carbonating unit comprises providing a first carbonating unit having a volume with an inlet in communication with a source of carbonating gas and noncarbonated water, an outlet for discharging carbonated water, and an agitator within the volume and a second carbonating unit having a volume with an inlet in communication with a source of carbonating gas and noncarbonated water, an outlet for discharging carbonated water, and an agitator within the volume; wherein the outlet for discharging water from the first carbonating unit and the outlet for discharging water from the second carbonating unit feed carbonated water to the beverage receiving point at the selected level of carbonation. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first carbonating unit and the second carbonating unit are part of the same system, each comprise carbonated water chambers, and the outlet of each of the carbonating units feed into the respective carbonated water chambers; and further comprising the step of using a flow control unit to communicate carbonated water out of each respective carbonated water chamber and to the beverage receiving point.