FAUCET-INTEGRATED CARBONATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20150037464A1
• Filed: 07/10/2014
• Published: 02/05/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AS IP Holdco, LLC
• Original Assignee: AS IP Holdco, LLC
• Inventors: McHale, James, Pitsch, Walter, Ye, Xiao Jing
• Granted Patent: US 9,409,758 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/67
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 2/00 Non-alcoholic beverages; Dry compositions or concentrates therefor soup concentrates A23L23/10; Their preparation preparation of non-alcoholic beverages by removal of alcohol C12H3/00
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 2/54 Mixing with gases
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/23 by introducing gases into liquid media, e.g. for producing aerated liquids
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/2319 Methods of introducing gases into liquid media
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/2362 for aerating or carbonating within receptacles or tanks, e.g. distribution machines B01F23/2361 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/2364 using security elements, e.g. valves, for relieving overpressure
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 23/237621 in beverages
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0059 in combination with a mixer tap constructional features of the tap E03C1/04
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 1/0075 by sensing gas pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0092 Containers for gas, for, e.g. CO2, N2
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 2001/0094 Valve mountings in dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: E03C 2201/45 for carbonated water

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed for providing carbonated water through a typical kitchen faucet. The faucet-integrated carbonation system can include a carbonated water reservoir coupled to a residential or commercial cold water supply line as well as a CO₂ tank, all of which can be mounted under a kitchen countertop or the like. The water held in the reservoir can be carbonated using the CO₂ when a user activates a CO₂ activation mechanism. The system can further include a carbonated water on/off valve for dispensing carbonated water from the carbonated water reservoir via a waterway with an outlet disposed at the end of the faucet.

Claims

1. A faucet for dispensing carbonated water, comprising:

a mixing valve coupled to a body of the faucet and fluidly coupled to at least one water supply line;

a carbonated water valve coupled to the body of the faucet and fluidly coupled to a carbonated water waterway, the carbonated water valve comprising at least a portion of a carbon dioxide activation mechanism; and

a dispensing waterway fluidly coupled to the carbonated water valve and configured to dispense carbonated water at an outlet of the faucet.

2. The faucet of claim 1, wherein the carbonated water valve is an ON/OFF valve comprising:

an ON position in which the carbonated water waterway is fluidly coupled to the dispensing waterway;

an OFF position in which the carbonated water waterway is disconnected from the dispensing waterway; and

a carbon dioxide charge position in which tension on a cable coupled to the carbonated water valve opens a carbon dioxide tank valve.

3. The faucet of claim 1, further comprising:

a pressure relief line fluidly coupled to the dispensing waterway at a point downstream of the carbonated water valve; and

a pressure relief valve fluidly coupled to the pressure relief line, wherein the pressure relief valve is configured to permit one of liquid and gas to flow towards the dispensing waterway when a prevailing pressure upstream of the pressure relief valve exceeds a threshold pressure.

4. The faucet of claim 3, further comprising a fill vent line fluidly coupled at a first end to the pressure relief line and at a second end to the carbonated water valve.

5. The faucet of claim 4, wherein the carbonated water valve is a multi-way diverter valve comprising:

an ON position in which the carbonated water waterway is fluidly coupled to the dispensing waterway;

an OFF position in which the carbonated water waterway is disconnected from the dispensing waterway;

a fill position in which the fill vent line is vented to the atmosphere via the dispensing waterway; and

a carbon dioxide charge position in which tension on a cable coupled to the carbonated water valve opens a carbon dioxide tank valve.

6. The faucet of claim 1, further comprising:

a water-dispensing waterway fluidly coupled to the mixing valve configured to dispense water at the outlet of the faucet.

7. A faucet-integrated carbonation system, comprising:

a faucet comprising;

a carbonated water valve fluidly coupled between a carbonated water waterway and a dispensing waterway, the dispensing waterway being configured to dispense carbonated water at an outlet of the faucet; and

a mixing valve fluidly coupled to a first branch of a water supply line;

a carbonated water reservoir fluidly coupled to;

a second branch of the water supply line; and

the carbonated water valve via the carbonated water waterway; and

a carbon dioxide tank fluidly coupled to the carbonated water reservoir via a carbon dioxide intake tube.

8. The faucet-integrated carbonation system of claim 7, further comprising:

a carbon dioxide activation mechanism coupled to a valve on the carbon dioxide tank and activatable to open the valve such that carbon dioxide gas flows into the carbonated water reservoir.

9. The faucet-integrated carbonation system of claim 7, further comprising:

a pressure regulator on the second branch of the water supply line, wherein the pressure regulator is configured to permit water to flow from the second branch of the water supply line into the carbonated water reservoir when a pressure prevailing in the carbonated reservoir is less than a threshold pressure value.

10. The faucet-integrated carbonation system of claim 9, further comprising:

a check valve disposed on the second branch of the water supply line upstream of the pressure regulator.

11. The faucet-integrated carbonation system of claim 7, further comprising:

a metering valve on the second branch of the water supply line; and

a fill reservoir mechanism coupled to the metering valve and activatable to open the metering valve such that water flows from the second branch of the water supply line into the carbonated water reservoir.

12. The faucet-integrated carbonation system of claim 7, further comprising a pressure relief line fluidly coupled at a first end to an upper section of the carbonated water reservoir and at a second end to the dispensing waterway.

13. The faucet-integrated carbonation system of claim 12, further comprising a pressure relief valve on the pressure relief line, wherein the pressure relief valve is configured to vent the carbonated water reservoir via the pressure relief line when a pressure prevailing in the carbonated water reservoir exceeds a threshold pressure.

14. The faucet-integrated carbonation system of claim 13, further comprising a fill vent line fluidly coupled at a first end to the pressure relief line upstream of the pressure relief valve and at a second end to the carbonated water valve.

15. The faucet-integrated carbonation system of claim 14, further comprising:

a cable coupled at a first end to the carbonated water valve and at a second end to a tank valve of the carbon dioxide tank.

16. The faucet-integrated carbonation system of claim 15, wherein the carbonated water valve is a multi-way diverter valve, the system further comprising:

an ON position in which the carbonated water waterway is fluidly coupled to the dispensing waterway;

an OFF position in which the carbonated water waterway is disconnected from the dispensing waterway;

a carbon dioxide charge position in which tension on the cable opens the tank valve such that carbon dioxide gas flows from the carbon dioxide tank into the carbonated water reservoir; and

a carbonated water reservoir fill position in which the fill vent line is vented via a diverter valve to reduce a pressure prevailing in the carbonated water reservoir.

17. The faucet-integrated carbonation system of claim 7, further comprising:

a cable coupled at a first end to the carbonated water valve and at a second end to a tank valve of the carbon dioxide tank.

18. The faucet-integrated carbonation system of claim 17, wherein the carbonated water valve is a multi-way diverter valve, the system further comprising:

an ON position in which the carbonated water waterway is fluidly coupled to the dispensing waterway;

an OFF position in which the carbonated water waterway is disconnected from the dispensing waterway; and

a carbon dioxide charge position in which tension on the cable opens the tank valve such that carbon dioxide gas flows from the carbon dioxide tank into the carbonated water reservoir.

19. The faucet-integrated carbonation system of claim 7, further comprising:

a mounting bracket for mounting the carbonated water reservoir and the carbon dioxide tank to a first side of a surface, wherein the faucet is mounted to a second side of the surface opposite the first side.

20. The faucet-integrated carbonation system of claim 7, wherein the carbonated water reservoir and the carbon dioxide tank are configured to rest on a bottom surface of a structure, wherein the faucet is mounted to a top surface of the structure.

21. A method for dispensing carbonated water from a faucet, comprising:

filling a carbonated water reservoir with water via a water supply line;

activating a carbon dioxide activation mechanism to inject carbon dioxide into the carbonated water reservoir until a pressure prevailing inside the carbonated water reservoir reaches a threshold pressure; and

opening a carbonated water valve arranged at least one of in and on the faucet to dispense carbonated water from the faucet.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein filling the carbonated water reservoir comprises activating a fill reservoir mechanism.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein filling the carbonated water reservoir comprises reducing a pressure prevailing in the carbonated water reservoir until the pressure falls below a threshold pressure.