Apparatus and method for brewing and cooling a beverage

Abstract

All integrated apparatus for brewing and cooling a beverage and a method for brewing and cooling a beverage. The integrated apparatus includes a hot water supply subsystem that heats water to form hot water, a brewing subsystem that mixes the hot water with a beverage additive to form a hot beverage, and a cooling subsystem that receives and cools the hot beverage to form a cooled beverage. The cooling subsystem discharges the cooled beverage to a freezing subsystem where it can be frozen into ice.

1 . An integrated apparatus for brewing and cooling a beverage, the integrated apparatus comprising:
 a hot water supply subsystem configured to heat water to form hot water;   a brewing subsystem configured to receive and mix the hot water generated by the hot water supply subsystem with a beverage additive to form a hot beverage;   a cooling subsystem configured to receive the hot beverage generated by the brewing sub-system, cool the hot beverage to form a cooled beverage, and discharge the cooled beverage to a cool beverage reservoir of a freezing subsystem; and   wherein liquid flow of the hot water, the hot beverage, and the cooled beverage along a primary beverage processing flow path from the hot water supply subsystem to the cool beverage reservoir of the freezing system is gravity driven.   
     
     
         2 . The integrated apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the apparatus is free of pumps that force liquid flow from the hot water supply subsystem to the cool beverage reservoir. 
     
     
         3 . The integrated apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 the freezing subsystem configured to: (1) freeze the cooled beverage to form a frozen beverage; and (2) discharge the frozen beverage as a plurality of frozen beverage cubes. 
 
     
     
         4 . The integrated apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a first housing; 
 the hot water supply subsystem, the brewing subsystem, and the cooling subsystem located within the first housing. 
 
     
     
         5 . The integrated apparatus according to  claim 4  further comprising:
 a second housing, the first housing positioned atop the second housing; 
 the cool beverage reservoir of the freezing subsystem located within the second housing, the second housing comprising a freezer compartment. 
 
     
     
         5 . The integrated apparatus according to  claim 1  further comprising:
 a controller; 
 the hot water supply subsystem comprising: a water tank configured to hold the water; one or more heating elements configured to heat the water; a first temperature sensor operably coupled to the controller and configured to sense temperature of the water; a hot water valve operably coupled to the controller, the controller configured to open the hot water valve upon detecting that the temperature of the water measured by the temperature sensor is at or above a hot threshold temperature; and a hot water outlet downstream of the hot water valve; and 
 the cooling subsystem comprising: a hot beverage inlet that receives the hot beverage from the brewing sub-system; a heat exchanger comprising a hot beverage cooling tank and a plurality of heat dissipating elements on the hot beverage cooling tank; an air flow generator configured to generate an air flow stream across the heat exchanger; a second temperature sensor operably coupled to the controller and configured to sense temperature of the hot beverage within the hot beverage cooling tank; and a cooled beverage valve operably coupled to the controller, the controller configured to open the cooled beverage valve upon detecting that the temperature of the hot beverage measured by the temperature sensor is at or below a cool threshold temperature; and a cooled beverage outlet downstream of the cooled beverage valve. 
 
     
     
         7 . The integrated apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the brewing subsystem comprises: a hot water inlet fluidly coupled to the hot water outlet of the hot water supply subsystem; a mixing apparatus positioned to receive the hot water from the hot water inlet; and a hot beverage outlet located downstream of the mixing apparatus. 
     
     
         8 .- 10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method of brewing and cooling a beverage comprising:
 a) heating water in a first portion of a beverage processing flow path to form hot water;   b) gravity flowing the hot water generated in the first portion of the beverage processing flow path through a second portion of the beverage processing flow path, and introducing an additive into the hot water while the hot water is flowing through the second portion of the beverage processing flow path, thereby forming a hot beverage;   c) gravity flowing the hot beverage from the second portion of the beverage processing flow path into a third portion of the beverage processing flow path, and cooling the hot beverage while in the third portion of the beverage processing flow path, thereby forming a cooled beverage; and   d) gravity flowing the cooled beverage from the third portion of the beverage processing flow path into a freezing subsystem.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein the third portion of the beverage processing flow path includes a heat exchange chamber of a heat exchanger; and wherein step c) comprises generating a flow of cooling air across the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein step a) further comprises:
 a1) measuring temperature of the water in the first portion of the beverage processing flow path using a first temperature sensor that is operably coupled to a controller; and 
 a2) upon the temperature of the water being measured to be at or above a hot threshold temperature, the controller opening a hot water valve that allows the hot water to gravity flow to the second portion of the beverage processing flow path. 
 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein during said cooling of step c), the hot beverage is stationary within the third portion of the beverage processing flow path. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11  wherein step c) further comprises:
 c1) measuring temperature of the hot beverage in the third portion of the beverage processing flow path using a second temperature sensor that is operably coupled to a controller; and 
 c2) upon the temperature of the hot beverage being measured to be at or below a cool threshold temperature, the controller opening a cooled beverage valve that allows the cooled beverage to gravity flow to the freezing subsystem. 
 
     
     
         16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . An integrated apparatus for brewing and cooling a beverage, the integrated apparatus comprising:
 a hot water supply subsystem configured to heat water to form hot water;   a brewing subsystem configured to receive and mix the hot water generated by the hot water supply subsystem with a beverage additive to form a hot beverage;   a heat exchanger configured to receive the hot beverage generated by the brewing sub-system and cool the hot beverage to form a cooled beverage; and   an air flow generator configured to generate a cooling air flow across the outer surfaces of the heat exchanger.   
     
     
         18 . The integrated apparatus according to  claim 17  further comprising a freezing subsystem configured to freeze the cooled beverage subsequent to exiting the heat exchanger. 
     
     
         19 . The integrated apparatus according to  claim 18  further comprising:
 a first housing; 
 the hot water supply subsystem, the brewing subsystem, the heat exchanger, and the air flow generator located within the housing; 
 a second housing, the first housing positioned atop the second housing; and 
 the freezing subsystem located within the second housing. 
 
     
     
         20 . The integrated apparatus according to  claim 19  wherein the brewing subsystem comprises a brewing chamber; and wherein the first housing comprises a window in an upstanding wall of the housing that forms a passageway into the brewing chamber; and wherein the brewing subsystem comprises a dispensing nozzle, a coffee basket, and a filter. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The integrated apparatus according to  claim 17  further comprising:
 a first housing; and 
 the heat exchanger and the air flow generator located within the first housing in alignment with one or more inlet vents formed in a first upstanding wall of the first housing and one or more outlet vents in a second upstanding wall of the first housing. 
 
     
     
         23 . The integrated apparatus according to  claim 22  wherein the heat exchanger is located below each of the hot water supply subsystem and the brewing subsystem. 
     
     
         24 . The integrated apparatus according to  claim 17  wherein the heat exchanger comprises a hot beverage cooling tank and a plurality of heat dissipating elements on the hot beverage cooling tank. 
     
     
         25 . The integrated apparatus according to  claim 24  wherein the plurality of heat dissipating elements comprises a first set of fins located on a first surface of the hot beverage cooling tank and a second set of fins located on a second surface of the hot beverage cooling tank that is opposite the first surface. 
     
     
         26 .- 28 . (canceled)