CN116848418A

CN116848418A - Beverage appliance

Info

Publication number: CN116848418A
Application number: CN202180093968.1A
Authority: CN
Inventors: L·S·维达纳加马机顿; C·普萨罗洛格斯; 任翔; M·H·K·李; 维奈·库马尔; T-K·贡; 乔瓦尼·贝兹·阿尔瓦雷斯; 胡剑清
Original assignee: Breville Pty Ltd
Current assignee: Breville Pty Ltd
Priority date: 2020-12-18
Filing date: 2021-12-17
Publication date: 2023-10-03

Abstract

The invention discloses an appliance for making beverages. The appliance comprises: at least one beverage making member configured to receive a liquid to make the beverage using the liquid; and a liquid flow path in fluid communication with the at least one beverage making component and configured to provide the liquid to the at least one beverage making component. The liquid flow path includes: an inlet configured to receive untreated liquid, the inlet comprising a first sensor assembly configured to generate a first electrical signal indicative of a purity of the untreated liquid; a filter assembly positioned between the inlet and the at least one beverage making member and configured to filter the untreated liquid; and a second sensor assembly positioned between the filter assembly and the at least one beverage making member to generate a second electrical signal indicative of the purity of the treated liquid. The appliance also includes a controller coupled with the first sensor assembly and the second sensor assembly and configured to monitor performance of the filter assembly based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal.

Description

Beverage appliance

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to an appliance for making beverages and a method for controlling the appliance.

Background

Appliances for making beverages, such as espresso machines, typically use a liquid, such as water, to make the beverage. The quality of the liquid provided to the appliance may vary based on the chemical composition of the liquid. For example, the chemical composition of the water supplied to the appliance may vary depending on various factors, such as the age of the water pipe used to supply the water, whether the water is supplied from an underground source or from rainfall.

In order to ensure acceptable quality of the liquid used to make the beverage and to extend the service life of the appliance, the appliance may include a filter for filtering mineral (such as calcium and/or magnesium) ions from the liquid prior to use of the liquid to make the beverage. By filtering out mineral ions that might otherwise accumulate on the internal components of the appliance, the filtering reduces the risk of failure of the internal components of the appliance.

The filters need to be replaced regularly to maintain the filtration quality and reduce the risk of bacterial and/or mould growth. Whether or not a replacement is required generally depends on the construction of the filter and the quality of the liquid being filtered, the latter being largely unknown. Thus, the user of the appliance may not be aware that the components of the filter need to be replaced, increasing the risk of mineral accumulating on the internal components of the appliance.

In addition, periodic descaling may be required. However, some users choose to bypass descaling, and thus mineral ions accumulated on the internal components of the appliance may cause damage and shorten the service life of the appliance. Thus, there is a need for an automatically controlled appliance to extend its useful life.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to substantially overcome or at least ameliorate one or more of the disadvantages of the prior arrangements, or to provide a useful alternative.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure there is provided an appliance for making a beverage, the appliance comprising: at least one beverage making member configured to receive a liquid to make a beverage using the liquid; a liquid flow path in fluid communication with the at least one beverage making component and configured to provide the liquid to the at least one beverage making component, the liquid flow path comprising: an inlet configured to receive untreated liquid, the inlet comprising a first sensor assembly configured to generate a first electrical signal indicative of a purity of the untreated liquid; a filter assembly positioned between the inlet and the at least one beverage making member and configured to filter untreated liquid; and a second sensor assembly positioned between the filter assembly and the at least one beverage making component to generate a second electrical signal indicative of the purity of the treated liquid; and a controller coupled to the first sensor assembly and the second sensor assembly and configured to monitor performance of the filter assembly based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal.

The controller may be further configured to determine the conductivity of the untreated liquid based on the first electrical signal and the conductivity of the treated liquid from the filter assembly based on the second electrical signal.

Each of the first and second sensor assemblies may preferably include first and second electrodes spaced apart from each other. The controller is preferably configured such that the first electrode has a higher potential than the second electrode during the first set of one or more cycles and such that the second electrode has a higher potential than the first electrode during the second set of one or more cycles. The first and second electrodes of each sensor assembly may be configured to be alternately powered by the controller such that one of the electrodes receives a voltage from the controller and the other electrode is grounded. The controller is preferably configured to reverse the polarity of the electrodes after one or more cycles of determining conductivity.

The first electrical signal may be detected at the first electrode of the first sensor assembly and the second electrical signal may be detected at the first electrode of the second sensor assembly. The first electrical signal may correspond to a voltage across the first and second electrodes of the first sensor assembly, and the second electrical signal may correspond to a voltage detected across the first and second electrodes of the second sensor assembly.

The controller is preferably further configured to: determining the conductivity of the untreated liquid based on the voltage detected by the first sensor assembly and the configuration of the first and second electrodes of the first sensor assembly; and determining the conductivity of the treated liquid based on the voltage detected by the second sensor assembly and the configuration of the first electrode and the second electrode of the second sensor assembly. The configuration of the electrodes may include at least one of a shape of the electrodes, a size of the electrodes, and a distance between the electrodes.

The liquid flow path may also include at least one temperature sensor assembly coupled to the controller. The controller may be further configured to determine a temperature of the liquid before and/or after processing by the filter assembly.

The controller may be configured to: determining the conductivity of the untreated liquid based on the first electrical signal and the temperature of the liquid; and determining the conductivity of the treated liquid based on the second electrical signal and the temperature of the liquid.

Each of the first and second sensor assemblies may include an inductive sensor including a first coil spaced apart from a second coil, wherein the first coil induces a current in the second coil when the first coil is powered by the controller; and wherein the controller is further configured to determine the purity of the liquid based on the induced current in the second coil.

The controller may be further configured to: determining the performance of the filter assembly if the conductivity of the untreated liquid is below a conductivity threshold; and if the conductivity of the untreated liquid is above the conductivity threshold, bypassing the process of determining the performance of the filter assembly. The controller may be configured to determine the performance of the filter assembly based on a difference between the conductivity of the treated liquid and the conductivity of the untreated liquid. The controller may be configured to determine the performance of the filter assembly by comparing the difference to a threshold. The controller may be further configured to determine an expected lifetime of the filter assembly based on the plurality of conductivity values for the untreated liquid record and the plurality of corresponding conductivity values for the treated liquid record.

The first sensor assembly may be positioned at least partially within a tank of the appliance, and the second sensor assembly may be an inline sensor assembly. The inline sensor assembly may include a temperature sensor assembly.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of controlling an appliance for making a beverage, the appliance having at least one beverage making member for making a beverage using a liquid, a liquid flow path integrally formed with the at least one beverage making member and providing the liquid to the at least one beverage making member, and a filter assembly configured for use with the appliance and filtering the liquid in the liquid flow path, the method comprising: determining a first electrical signal indicative of electrical conductivity of untreated liquid in the liquid flow path; determining a second electrical signal indicative of electrical conductivity of the treated liquid in the liquid flow path, the treated liquid being provided to the at least one beverage making component; and monitoring the performance of the filter assembly based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal.

The method may further comprise: determining the conductivity of the untreated liquid based on the first electrical signal and the configuration of the sensor assembly generating the first electrical signal; and determining the conductivity of the treated liquid based on the second electrical signal and the configuration of the sensor assembly generating the second electrical signal. The method may further comprise: the conductivity is determined based on the temperature of the liquid in the liquid flow path.

The method may further comprise: determining the performance of the filter assembly if the conductivity of the untreated liquid is above a conductivity threshold; and if the conductivity of the untreated liquid is below the conductivity threshold, bypassing the process of determining the performance of the filter assembly.

The method may further comprise: the performance of the filter assembly is determined based on the difference between the conductivity of the treated liquid and the conductivity of the untreated liquid. The method may include comparing the difference to a threshold. The method may further comprise: the life expectancy of the filter assembly is determined based on the plurality of conductivity values for the untreated liquid record and the plurality of corresponding conductivity values for the treated liquid record.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of controlling an appliance for descaling using a detergent, the method comprising: determining a first ion content value indicative of an ion content of a liquid in at least one container of the appliance; determining whether the appliance is in a descaling mode; determining a type of liquid using the determined first ion content value based on determining that the appliance is in the descaling mode; and controlling descaling of the appliance based on the determined type of liquid.

The first ion content value may correspond to at least one of a conductivity value and a magnetic permeability value.

The controlling step may further include: one of a plurality of descaling settings of the appliance is selected in response to the first ion content value, each setting of the plurality of descaling settings comprising a respective duration of performing descaling and a respective temperature during descaling. The method preferably comprises: increasing the temperature during descaling and/or increasing the duration of descaling. The method preferably comprises: lowering the temperature during descaling and/or reducing the duration of descaling.

The controlling step may further include: causing the appliance to instruct a user to adjust the scale remover in response to the determined first ion content value. For example, the controlling step may further include: the apparatus is caused to instruct a user to dilute or add more detergent in response to the determined first ion content value.

The controlling step may further include: determining another ion content value indicative of the ion content of the liquid in the appliance; and determining whether descaling of the appliance has been completed based on the other ion content value. The further ion content value may be determined for the liquid in the at least one container, wherein the first ion content value and the further ion content value are determined at different times. The further ion content value may be determined in at least one further container of the appliance.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an appliance for making a beverage, the appliance comprising: at least one container configured to receive a liquid; a sensor assembly configured to generate an electrical signal indicative of an ion content of the liquid in the container; and a controller coupled with the sensor assembly and configured to control descaling of the appliance, wherein the controller is configured to: determining a first ion content value indicative of an ion content of the liquid in the at least one container of the appliance based on the generated electrical signal; determining whether the appliance is in a descaling mode; in response to determining that the appliance is in the descaling mode, determining a type of detergent based on the determined first ion content value; and controlling descaling of the appliance based on the determined type of liquid.

The controller may be configured to: one of a plurality of descaling settings of the appliance is selected in response to the first ion content value, each setting of the plurality of descaling settings comprising a respective duration of performing descaling and a temperature during descaling.

The controller may be further configured to increase at least one of a temperature during descaling and a duration of descaling. The controller may be configured to reduce at least one of a temperature during descaling and a duration of descaling.

The appliance may further comprise: a user interface, wherein the controller is further configured to: the user interface is caused to provide an indication to the user to adjust the detergent in response to the detected concentration of the detergent. For example, the controller may be configured to provide an indication to the user to dilute the detergent in response to the detected high concentration of the detergent; and providing an indication to the user to add more detergent in response to the detected low concentration of detergent.

The controller may be further configured to: determining another ion content value indicative of the ion content of the liquid in the appliance; and determining whether descaling of the appliance has been completed based on the other ion content value. The controller may be configured to determine another ion content value in the container, wherein the first ion content value and the another ion content value are determined by the controller at different times. The controller may be configured to determine the further ion content value in at least one further container of the appliance.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of controlling an appliance for making a beverage, the method comprising: determining a first ion content value indicative of an ion content of a liquid in at least one container of the appliance; determining a class of liquids based on the determined first ion content value, the class being determined from a plurality of classes including an impure liquid class, a pure liquid class, and a detergent class; the appliance is controlled based on the determined class of liquid.

The detergent categories can include multiple subclasses, such as low concentration detergent subclasses, normal concentration detergent subclasses, and high concentration detergent subclasses.

The appliance preferably comprises a user interface and a filter assembly. The controlling step may include: if the determined class of liquid is a detergent class, causing a user interface of the appliance to instruct a user to remove at least a portion of the filter assembly.

The controlling step may further include: determining whether to replace at least a portion of a filter assembly of the appliance based on at least the first ion content value; and causing a user interface of the appliance to indicate to a user that the at least a portion of the filter assembly is to be replaced in response to the first ion content value. The method may further comprise: the method further includes determining whether to replace the at least a portion of the filter assembly of the appliance by comparing the first ion content value to a first threshold value. For example, the method may cause the user interface to instruct a user to replace the at least a portion of the filter assembly if the first ion content value is above a first threshold. The method may include: determining a second ion content value based on an electrical signal from a sensor assembly located downstream of the filter assembly; comparing the second ion content value with the first ion content value; and determining whether to replace the at least a portion of the filter assembly based on a comparison between the second ion content value and the first ion content value.

If the first ion content value is below the first threshold value, it may be determined that the liquid belongs to the pure liquid class. If the first ion content value is above the first threshold and below the second threshold, it may be determined that the liquid belongs to the impure liquid class. If the first ion content value is above the second threshold value, it may be determined that the liquid belongs to the detergent class.

The controlling step may include: if it is determined that the liquid belongs to the detergent class, the descaling configuration of the appliance is adjusted based on the first ion content value. The controlling step may include: at least one of a temperature and a duration associated with the descaling configuration is adjusted in proportion to the first ion content value in response to determining that the liquid is a descaling agent.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an appliance for making a beverage having a controller configured to perform the method of the above aspect.

Other aspects are also disclosed.

Drawings

Exemplary embodiments should become apparent from the following description, given by way of example only, of at least one preferred but non-limiting embodiment described in connection with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals designate similar elements or acts. The dimensions and relative positioning of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are not necessarily drawn to scale, and some of these elements may be arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. Furthermore, the particular shapes of the elements as drawn, are not necessarily intended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of the particular elements, and have been solely selected for ease of recognition in the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of an appliance for making beverages according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of physical components for monitoring the performance of a filter assembly of an appliance for making beverages according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3A and 3B together form a schematic block diagram of a controller for monitoring the performance of a filter assembly.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a sensor assembly for sensing an electrical signal indicative of the conductivity of a liquid.

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a temperature sensor for sensing an electrical signal indicative of the temperature of a liquid.

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the electronic circuitry of the sensor assembly of fig. 4.

FIG. 7 is an embodiment of measuring voltage at a sensor assembly based on time.

Fig. 8 is an embodiment of measuring voltage at a sensor assembly based on a gradient.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the operation of the controller.

Fig. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of step 930 of fig. 9.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the controller to determine the remaining life of the filter assembly.

Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing steps of determining the conductivity of the liquid used in steps 910 and 920 of fig. 9.

Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram of an inductive sensor according to an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 14 is a schematic view of a dual compartment case according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 15A and 15B illustrate perspective views of a removable bin according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 16 illustrates a physical layout of a controller and sensor assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 17 illustrates a physical layout of a controller and sensor assembly according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 18 illustrates a method of controlling an appliance according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 19 is a flowchart of controlling a descaling process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 20 illustrates a method of determining whether descaling has been completed according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 21 depicts exemplary conductivity values observed for different liquid types.

Fig. 22 shows a comparison of conductivity values for lower and higher hardness drinking water and different concentrations of detergent.

Fig. 23 illustrates an exemplary configuration of a tank and appliance according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 24A and 24B illustrate a front perspective view and an exploded front perspective view, respectively, of a probe assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 25A and 25B illustrate a bottom perspective view and an exploded bottom perspective view, respectively, of a probe assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 26A and 26B illustrate a front perspective view and an exploded front perspective view, respectively, of a pogo pin assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 27A and 27B illustrate a bottom perspective view and an exploded bottom perspective view of a pogo pin assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 28A illustrates an enlarged view of a pogo pin assembly mounted within a support base portion according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 28B illustrates an enlarged view of a probe assembly mounted to a pogo pin assembly that together form a first sensor assembly, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 29A illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a first sensor assembly formed of a probe assembly and a pogo pin assembly mounted at a bottom portion of a tank, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 29B illustrates a perspective view of a first sensor assembly formed from a probe assembly and a pogo pin assembly, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 29C illustrates a cross-sectional view of a first sensor assembly formed from a probe assembly and a pogo pin assembly, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 30A illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a probe assembly positioned within a tank according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 30B illustrates an enlarged perspective view of a pogo pin assembly with a protective cap according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 31A, 32A, and 33A illustrate right, left, and rear perspective views, respectively, of a second sensor assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 31B, 32B, and 33B illustrate an exploded right perspective view, an exploded left perspective view, and an exploded rear perspective view, respectively, of a second sensor assembly according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure relates to an appliance 100 for making beverages, such as an espresso machine. Although the following disclosure is provided with reference to an espresso machine, the disclosure is not limited to espresso machines and may be applied to other appliances for making beverages, such as drip-filter coffee machines, tea makers, or carbonated water makers.

The appliance 100 typically heats a liquid to make a beverage, such as coffee. The appliance 100 may comprise at least one beverage making component, also referred to herein as "beverage making component". The beverage making component includes, for example, a pump 108 or a heater 110 configured to receive a liquid for making a beverage. The appliance 100 may further comprise a liquid flow path in fluid communication with the at least one beverage making component and configured to provide liquid to the at least one beverage making component. The appliance 100 also includes a controller 260 configured to control the appliance 100. In some embodiments, the controller may monitor the performance of the filter assembly 106 installed within the liquid flow path. In alternative embodiments, the controller may control descaling of the appliance 100.

The liquid flow path may include an inlet configured to receive untreated liquid (such as a built-in or removable tank 102 for holding the liquid 104), a pretreatment sensor assembly 109 (hereinafter "first sensor assembly"), a filter assembly 106, and a post-treatment sensor assembly 111 (hereinafter "second sensor assembly"). As described below, in some embodiments, the liquid flow path may include only one sensor assembly. The sensor assemblies 109 and 111 may be configured to detect the ion content of the liquid. The ion content may be used as an indication of a liquid property, such as purity and/or acidity. The ion content may be detected as a conductivity signal or as a permeability signal (as discussed below).

The filter assembly 106 may be integrally formed within the appliance 100 and positioned within the liquid flow path between the inlet and the at least one beverage making member. The filter assembly 106 is configured to filter untreated liquid. In a preferred embodiment, the filter assembly 106 is positioned between the tank 102 and the pump 108.

Both the first sensor assembly 109 and the second sensor assembly 111 may be integrally formed within a component of the appliance 100 and coupled with the controller 260. The first sensor assembly 109 is configured to sample the untreated liquid and generate a first electrical signal indicative of an ion content of the untreated liquid (e.g., a purity and/or acidity of the untreated liquid). In some embodiments, the first electrical signal corresponds to the conductivity of the untreated liquid. In an alternative embodiment, the first electrical signal corresponds to the magnetic permeability of the untreated liquid. Conductivity and magnetic permeability are considered as measures of the ionic content of a liquid, such as the purity and/or acidity of the liquid.

A second sensor assembly 111 is positioned within the liquid flow path between the filter assembly 106 and the at least one beverage making component (e.g., pump 108) to sample the treated liquid (e.g., filtered liquid) and generate a second electrical signal indicative of the ion content of the treated liquid (e.g., the purity and/or acidity of the treated liquid). In some embodiments, the second electrical signal corresponds to the conductivity of the treated liquid. In an alternative embodiment, the second electrical signal corresponds to the magnetic permeability of the treated liquid.

The controller 260 is operably coupled with at least one of the first sensor assembly 109 and the second sensor assembly 111. The controller 260 is configured to determine a first ion content value indicative of the ion content of the liquid in the at least one container of the appliance 100 using one or both of the sensor assemblies 109 and 111. The container may be, for example, a tank 102 or a conduit of a liquid flow path.

The controller 260 is further configured to determine a class or type of liquid based on the determined first ion content value. The class or type of liquid may be determined from a plurality of classes such as impure liquid (i.e., an "impure liquid class"), pure liquid (i.e., a "pure liquid class"), and detergent (i.e., a "detergent class") based on the first ion content value. The detergent may be further classified into a low concentration detergent, a normal concentration detergent, and a high concentration detergent based on the first ion content value.

The controller 260 may be further configured to: the liquid is determined to be pure if the first ion content value is below the first threshold, the liquid is determined to be impure if the first ion content value is above the first threshold and below the second threshold, and the liquid is determined to be a detergent if the first ion content value is above the second threshold. The detergent may be further classified as a low concentration detergent if the ion content value is below a third threshold value, and as a high concentration detergent if the first ion content value is above the third threshold value.

Experiments have shown that the ion content values vary from liquid type to liquid type. Exemplary measured conductivity values for different liquid classes are shown in table 1 below.

Table 1-exemplary conductivity values for different liquids

Type of liquid	Conductivity [ ]μS/cm)
		Pure water	0.055
Typical deionized water	0.1
		Distilled water	0.5-3.0
Reverse osmosis water	50-100
		Domestic tap water	500-800
Drinking water	1,055 (maximum)
		Seawater sea water	56,000
Brackish water	100,000

As shown in Table 1, the conductivity of tap water was about 200. Mu.S/cm, and the conductivity of pure water was about 0.055. Mu.S/cm. Thus, in some embodiments, the first threshold may be about 1 μS/cm, the second threshold may be about 1000 μS/cm, and the third threshold may be about 2000 μS/cm.

The controller 260 is configured to control the appliance 100 based on the determined class of liquid. The control appliance may comprise: if it is determined that the liquid is a detergent, a user interface of the appliance 100, such as a display screen (not shown), is caused to instruct a user to remove at least a portion of the filter assembly 106. Additionally or alternatively, control may involve determining whether to replace at least a portion of a filter assembly of the appliance based on at least the first ion content value. The controller 260 may cause the user interface of the appliance 100 to indicate to the user that at least a portion of the filter assembly 106 is to be replaced in response to determining that at least a portion of the filter assembly 106 is to be replaced.

The controller 260 may be further configured to compare the first ion content value to a first threshold value. If the first ion content value is above the first threshold value, the controller 260 may determine a second ion content value based on the electrical signal from the second sensor assembly 111 and compare the second ion content value to the first ion content value. The controller 260 may determine whether to replace at least a portion of the filter assembly based on the comparison.

The control appliance 100 may further include: if it is determined that the liquid is a detergent, a scale removal configuration (profile) of the appliance 100 is adjusted based on the first ion content value. Adjusting the descaling configuration may include increasing at least one of a temperature and a duration associated with the descaling configuration in response to determining that the liquid is a low concentration of the descaling agent. Adjusting the descaling configuration may also include reducing at least one of a temperature and a duration associated with the descaling configuration in response to determining that the liquid is a high concentration of the descaling agent. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 260 may cause the user interface of the appliance 260 to instruct the user to dilute the liquid if the liquid is determined to be a high concentration of detergent, or to add more detergent if the liquid is determined to be a low concentration of detergent.

In some implementations, the controller 260 may be configured to monitor the performance of the filter assembly based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal. In some embodiments, the controller 260 may determine the conductivity or purity of the untreated liquid based on the first electrical signal and the conductivity or purity of the treated liquid based on the second electrical signal. In an alternative embodiment, the purity of the untreated liquid and the treated liquid is determined based on respective measurements of magnetic permeability produced by the corresponding inductive sensors. If the purity (e.g., conductivity or magnetic permeability) of the untreated liquid is above a first threshold, the controller 260 may further determine the performance of the filter assembly 106 by comparing the difference between the purity (e.g., conductivity or magnetic permeability) of the untreated liquid and the purity (i.e., conductivity or magnetic permeability) of the treated liquid to a second threshold. In some embodiments, if the purity (i.e., conductivity or permeability) of the untreated liquid is below a first threshold (i.e., the untreated liquid is considered pure), the controller 260 bypasses the process of determining the performance of the filter assembly 106.

The components of the appliance 100 for making a beverage will be described in more detail below with reference to fig. 1.

Structural aspects of the controller 260 are described below with reference to fig. 3A and 3B. The process performed by the controller 260 is described in more detail below with reference to fig. 9-12.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an appliance 100 upon which the processes of the present disclosure described herein may be implemented. The appliance 100 includes a tank 102 holding a source 104 of water for providing water. The water source 104 is filtered in the tank 102 using a filter assembly 106 configured for the appliance 100 and/or components of the appliance 100, e.g., the filter assembly 106 may be integrated within the removable tank 102 of the appliance 100. The tank 102 may be removable or integrally formed within the appliance 102. A removable water tank according to some embodiments of the present disclosure is discussed in more detail with reference to fig. 15A and 15B. The water tank 102 includes a first sensor assembly 109 for generating a first electrical signal indicative of the conductivity of the water source 102 (i.e., untreated water) prior to being filtered.

The output of the tank 102 is delivered to a pump 108 using a conduit 107. Conduit 107 includes a second sensor assembly 111 for generating a second electrical signal indicative of the conductivity of water source 102 after being filtered (i.e., treated water) and before being supplied to downstream components of appliance 100 (e.g., pump 108). The pump 108 supplies water to the heater 110.

In some embodiments, the tank 102 may have two separate compartments or chambers, as discussed in more detail with reference to fig. 14. The first compartment may be configured to receive untreated liquid, such as water. The first compartment may have a first sensor assembly 109 coupled or attached to a wall of the first compartment for measuring a first electrical signal indicative of water purity. The second compartment may be configured to receive the treated liquid, i.e. the liquid after being treated by the filter assembly 106. The second compartment may have a second sensor assembly 111 coupled or attached to a wall of the second sensor assembly 111 for measuring a second electrical signal indicative of water purity. The first compartment may be separated from the second compartment by at least one wall, with the filter assembly 106 disposed between the compartments such that the first compartment is in fluid communication with the second compartment via the filter assembly 106. For example, when the pump 108 is energized, water may flow from the first compartment to the second compartment and the pump 108 via the filter assembly 106.

The appliance 100 also includes a controller 260 (not shown in fig. 1, but shown in later figures) that controls the appliance 100. In some implementations, the controller 260 can monitor the performance of the filter assembly 106 based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal. For example, the controller 260 may send a signal to a user interface system (such as a display screen) of the appliance 100 indicating that a portion of the filter assembly 106 or the entire filter assembly needs to be replaced, and cause the display screen to display that at least that portion of the filter assembly 106 needs to be replaced. The portion of the filter assembly to be replaced may be a filter portion of the filter assembly. Alternatively, the filter assembly may comprise a plurality of filter units, and the portion of the filter assembly to be replaced may be one or more of the plurality of filter units. Additionally or alternatively, the controller 260 may determine the remaining life of the filter assembly 106, send a signal to the user interface system indicating the determined remaining life, and cause the display screen to display the remaining life.

In some embodiments, the heater 110 is a flow of liquid through the heater. The output of the pump 108 may be regulated by an overpressure valve (OPV) 112 that returns excess pump pressure or flow to the inlet of the pump 108 by means of a T-joint 114 that delivers both water flow from the tank 102 and excess flow from the OPV 112 to the inlet of the pump 108. OPV 112 is typically set at 10 bar. The conduit between the water tank 102, the T-joint 114 and the inlet of the pump 108 is typically in the form of a silicone tube secured with a string at either end, while the conduit between the outlet of the pump 108 and the inlet of the heater 110 is typically in the form of a woven silicone tube secured with an O-clip at either end. The output of heater 110 is preferably regulated by a 3/2 solenoid output control valve (SOV) 116. The heated water exiting the output of heater 110 is preferably delivered to SOV 116 by Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tubing secured at either end with a clevis. When the SOV 116 is energized, the output of the heater 110 is regulated by a vapor OPV 117 that directs the output to be vented into a vapor wand 118 of the appliance 100 via a vent line (preferably formed of PTFE) or vented to atmosphere. The atmospheric overflow is preferably delivered by a silicone tube to the purge connector 119 and into the drip tray 120 of the appliance 100. When the SOV 116 is de-energized, the output of the heater 110 is directed to the spray head 122 of the appliance 100. The output of heater 110 is preferably delivered from SOV 116 to spray head 122 by a woven silicone tubing.

Fig. 2 illustrates a liquid flow path (or hydraulic line) in more detail according to the present disclosure. The liquid flow path 200 includes an inlet, such as a tank 210, and a conduit 230 that supplies liquid to at least one beverage making component of the appliance 100. The tank 210 may include a filter assembly 220 and a first sensor assembly 240. The first sensor assembly 240 is configured to sense a first electrical signal indicative of the ion content or (in this case) the purity of the untreated liquid in the tank 210 and send the first electrical signal to the controller 260.

Conduit 230 includes a second sensor assembly 250 in fluid communication with filter 220 and the at least one beverage making component. The second sensor assembly is configured to sense a second electrical signal indicative of the ion content or (in this case) the purity of the treated liquid in conduit 250 and send the second electrical signal to controller 260. The first sensor assembly 240 and the second sensor assembly 250 may have similar configurations discussed in more detail with reference to fig. 4.

The tank 210 may include a temperature sensor 270 configured to generate an electrical signal indicative of the sensed temperature of the liquid in the tank 210 (either before or after processing) and send the signal to the controller 260. The sensor 270 is preferably a thermistor 270 shown in more detail in fig. 5. The temperature sensor 270 may be installed anywhere in the water flow path within the appliance, such as before the temperature of the liquid is changed by the heater 110. In a preferred embodiment, the temperature sensor 270 may be mounted in the tube 230 proximate to the second sensor assembly 250. Mounting the temperature sensor 270 in the tube 230 proximate to the second sensor assembly 250 is particularly advantageous in terms of usability and manufacturability.

The temperature detected by the temperature sensor 270 is used to calibrate the first and second electrical signals and accurately determine the conductivity and/or magnetic permeability. In some embodiments, one temperature sensor 270 may be placed in the tank 210 to sense the water temperature in the tank 210, and/or an inline temperature sensor 270 may be placed in the liquid flow path after the filter assembly 220 to sense the water temperature after the filter assembly 220. If two temperature sensors are used, the conductivity of the untreated liquid may be determined using data from the temperature sensor 270 in the tank 210, and the conductivity of the treated liquid may be determined using data from an inline temperature sensor 270 in the liquid flow path after the filter assembly 220.

In an alternative embodiment, data from either of the temperature sensor 270 in the tank 210 or the inline temperature sensor 270 in the liquid flow path after the filter assembly 220 is used to determine the conductivity of both the treated and untreated liquids.

The first sensor assembly 240 preferably includes two metal electrodes made of a non-corrosive material such as stainless steel. The second sensor assembly 250 is preferably a metal tube through which filtered liquid flows to the pump 108. The metal tube is preferably made of a non-corrosive material such as stainless steel. In an alternative arrangement, each of the first sensor assembly and the second sensor assembly is an inductive sensor as shown in fig. 13. The temperature sensor 270 is preferably a Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) sensor or any other type of temperature sensor configured to measure the temperature of the water before or after the treatment. An alternative configuration of the sensor assembly is discussed with reference to fig. 23-33B. Other configurations of the sensor assembly are also possible.

The controller 260 is configured to determine the purity of the liquid. The conductivity of a liquid depends on the ionic content of the liquid. The hardness of the liquid in the tank 210 is measured by the first sensor assembly 240. The first sensor assembly 240 includes two metal electrodes. The controller 260 applies voltages to the electrodes. Upon application of a voltage (5V) between the electrodes, the electrodes will conduct (to some extent) and current will flow, or it will be an open circuit (high impedance and low conductivity means that the water is pure). For example, the first sensor assembly may include electrode a and electrode B. Electrode a may be charged at 5V and electrode B may be controlled to flow to ground. The impedance of electrodes a and B depends on the hardness of the water. Signals indicative of the impedance of electrodes a and B are sent to controller 260 for further processing. For example, an electrical signal may be detected at the first electrode a of the sensor assembly. The electrical signal may correspond to a voltage across a first electrode and a second electrode of the sensor assembly.

In an alternative embodiment, when an inductive sensor is used to measure water permeability, the voltage detected at the inductive coil may be sent to the controller 260 for further processing.

The controller controls the second sensor assembly 250 in a similar manner.

Energizing the electrodes with the same polarity over a period of time may result in metal migration and accumulation of residual ions on the electrodes. To reduce the effect of metal migration, the controller 260 reverses the polarity of the electrodes after one or more read cycles, i.e., electrode B will receive 5V and electrode a will flow to ground in the next read cycle.

The acquired impedance measurements are read by the controller 260 for further processing to monitor the performance of the filter assembly 220. The controller 260 is configured to monitor the reliability and life of the filter assembly 220 in the espresso machine 100. The controller 260 determines the input liquid ion content (e.g., input liquid purity or mass) and the output liquid ion content (e.g., output liquid purity or mass). If the difference between the measured input liquid purity and the measured output liquid purity is below the comparison threshold, the filter assembly 220 is old and no longer properly filters the liquid and therefore needs replacement, or the liquid is pure. In some embodiments, the comparison threshold is set to 0. The controller 260 checks whether the liquid is pure by comparing the first electrical signal with a conductivity threshold (also referred to as a "first threshold"). If the liquid is pure, the controller skips the other measurements.

In other embodiments, rather than having first sensor assembly 240 and second sensor assembly 250, appliance 100 may include a single sensor assembly configured to generate a signal to be read by a controller to monitor the performance of filter assembly 220. For example, in some embodiments, only the second sensor assembly 250 positioned after the filter assembly 220 in the liquid flow path 200 is used to estimate the performance of the filter assembly. In such an arrangement, the second sensor assembly 250 may be used to generate a signal indicative of the ion content of the treated liquid (e.g., output liquid purity or mass). Similar to the other arrangements, the generated signals are read by the controller 260. The controller 260 then uses the signals received from the second sensor assembly 250 to approximate the quality or performance of the filter assembly 220. If the controller 260 receives a signal from the second sensor assembly 250 indicating that the water hardness is above a pre-programmed threshold, the controller 260 may determine that the filter is no longer reliable and needs replacement.

Alternatively, the signal received from the first sensor assembly 240 may be used to approximate the quality or performance of the filter assembly 220. In such an arrangement, the second sensor assembly 250 may not be required, and the appliance 100 may include only the first sensor assembly 240 placed in the untreated liquid prior to the filter assembly 220. In this arrangement, the first sensor assembly 240 may be configured to generate a signal indicative of the ion content of the untreated liquid (e.g., the mass of untreated water) in response to use of the appliance 100. The controller 260 may use the generated signals to increment a counter stored in a memory of the controller 260 in response to use of the appliance 100. The incremented counter represents the cumulative mass of untreated water filtered or to be filtered over time. The controller 260 may then compare the counter to a threshold number (e.g., the system may maintain a count of water quality over time) and signal the user to replace at least a portion of the filter assembly 220 if the accumulated counter is above the threshold number. The threshold number may be stored in the memory of the controller 260 and is generally specific to a particular filter component 220. The threshold number may vary depending on the ability of the filter assembly 220 to filter mineral ions. For example, when a user fills the tank 210, the first sensor assembly 240 may measure water quality, which may vary from one water source to another. When the N cumulative readings and/or the counter reaches a certain water quality threshold (e.g., over 30 days), the controller 260 may trigger an alarm to the user to replace the filter assembly 220.

The controller 260 is controlled by the processor 305 executing the instructions of fig. 9-12 stored in the internal storage device ("memory") 309 to monitor the performance of the filter assembly 220 and indicate to the user interface system of the appliance 110 that the filter assembly needs to be at least partially replaced and/or the remaining life of the filter assembly 220. Controller 260 is discussed in more detail below with reference to fig. 3A and 3B.

In a preferred embodiment, the two metal electrodes 240 and the temperature sensor 270 are integrated into an espresso machine with a built-in or removable water tank 210. The water tank 210 has a filter 270 attached to the tank water outlet. A tubular electrode/sensor 250 is attached to the outlet pipe 230. Based on conductivity measurements made as discussed below, the water purity before and after filtering the water can be determined and checked whether the water in the tank is above a given conductivity or hardness threshold. If the water is above a given hardness threshold, i.e., the water is hard, the efficiency of the filter is determined based on the difference in conductivity of the filtered water and the unfiltered water. The system periodically measures the efficiency of the filter and based on the trend of the measured efficiency, the life expectancy of the filter can be determined. If the efficiency of the filter is below the threshold, the system instructs the user to replace the filter.

By following the method described above, the performance of the filter assembly 220 may be monitored, and the controller 260 may indicate when the user may need to replace the filter assembly, for example, via a display screen of a user interface system of the appliance 100. In this way, the user is more aware of when to replace the filter, thereby reducing the risk of mineral accumulating on the internal components of the appliance 100 (whereas if the filter assembly works efficiently, mineral would have been filtered out by the filter assembly).

Fig. 3A and 3B collectively form a schematic block diagram of a controller 301 comprising embedded components, based on which the method of controlling the appliance 100 shown in fig. 9-12 described below to make a beverage is practiced as desired.

As shown in fig. 3A, the electronic device 301 includes an embedded controller 302. Thus, the electronic device 301 may be referred to as an "embedded device". In this example, the controller 302 has a processing unit (or processor) 305 that is bi-directionally coupled to an internal memory module 309. The memory module 309 may be formed of a nonvolatile semiconductor Read Only Memory (ROM) 360 and a semiconductor Random Access Memory (RAM) 370, as shown in fig. 3B. RAM 370 may be volatile memory, non-volatile memory, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile memory.

The electronic device 301 includes a display controller 307 that is connected to a video display 314, such as a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel or the like. The display controller 307 is configured to display a graphical image on the video display 314 according to instructions received from the embedded controller 302 connected to the display controller 307.

The electronic device 301 also includes a user input device 313, typically formed by keys, a keypad, or similar controls. In some implementations, the user input device 313 can include a touch-sensitive panel that is physically associated with the display 314 to collectively form a touch screen. Such a touch screen may thus operate as a form of Graphical User Interface (GUI), as opposed to a prompt or menu driven GUI that is typically used with a keypad-display combination. Other forms of user input devices may also be used, such as a microphone (not shown) for voice commands or a joystick/thumb wheel (not shown) for easy navigation through menus.

Generally, the electronic device 301 is configured to perform some specific function. The embedded controller 260 or 302 (possibly in combination with other special features 310) is arranged to perform this special function.

The methods described above may be implemented using the embedded controller 302, where the processes of fig. 9-12 may be implemented as one or more software applications 333 that may be executed within the embedded controller 302. The electronic device 301 of fig. 3A implements the described method. In particular, referring to fig. 3B, the steps of the described method are implemented by instructions in software 333 that are executed within the controller 302. The software instructions may be formed as one or more code modules, each for performing one or more particular tasks. The software may also be divided into two separate parts, wherein the first part and the corresponding code module perform the described method and the second part and the corresponding code module manage the user interface between the first part and the user.

The software 333 of the embedded controller 302 is typically stored in the non-volatile ROM 360 of the internal storage module 309. The software 333 stored in the ROM 360 may be updated from a computer-readable medium as needed. Software 333 may be loaded into and executed by processor 305. In some examples, processor 305 may execute software instructions located in RAM 370. The software instructions may be loaded into RAM 370 by processor 305 initiating copying of one or more code modules from ROM 360 into RAM 370. Alternatively, the software instructions of one or more code modules may be pre-installed by the manufacturer in a non-volatile area of RAM 370. After one or more code modules have been located in RAM 370, processor 305 may execute software instructions of the one or more code modules.

The application 333 is typically pre-installed by the manufacturer and stored in the ROM 360 prior to distribution of the electronic device 301. The second portion of the application 333 and corresponding code modules mentioned above may be executed to implement one or more Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) to be rendered or otherwise represented on the display 314 of fig. 3A. By manipulating the user input device 313 (e.g., keypad), a user of the device 301 and the application 333 may manipulate the interface in a functionally adaptable manner to provide control commands and/or inputs to the application associated with the GUI. Other forms of functionally adaptable user interfaces may also be implemented, such as an audio interface that utilizes voice prompts output via a speaker (not shown) and user voice commands input via a microphone (not shown).

Fig. 3B shows in detail an embedded controller 260 (also shown as 302) having a processor 305 for executing an application 333 and an internal storage 309. The internal storage 309 includes a read-only memory (ROM) 360 and a Random Access Memory (RAM) 370. Processor 305 is capable of executing an application 333 stored in one or both of connected memories 360 and 370. When the electronic device 301 is initially powered up, a system program residing in the ROM 360 is executed. The application programs 333 permanently stored in the ROM 360 are sometimes referred to as "firmware". Execution of the firmware by the processor 305 may perform various functions, including processor management, memory management, device management, storage management, and user interface.

The processor 305 generally includes a number of functional modules including a Control Unit (CU) 351, an Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) 352, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP) 353, and a local or internal memory including a set of registers 354 typically containing atomic data elements 356, 357, and an internal buffer or cache memory 355. One or more internal buses 359 interconnect these functional modules. The processor 305 also typically has one or more interfaces 358 for communicating with external devices via a system bus 381 using a connection 361.

The application 333 includes instruction sequences 362 through 363, which may include conditional branch and loop instructions. Program 333 may also include data used in the execution of program 333. The data may be stored as part of the instructions or as a separate location 364 within ROM 360 or RAM 370.

Generally, the processor 305 is given a set of instructions to be executed therein. The set of instructions may be organized into blocks that perform particular tasks or process particular events occurring in the electronic device 301. Typically, the application 333 waits for an event and then executes the code block associated with the event. The event may be triggered in response to an input from a user via user input device 313 of fig. 3A as detected by processor 305. Events may be triggered in response to other sensors and interfaces in the electronic device 301.

Execution of the instruction set may require reading and modifying the numerical variable. Such numerical variables are stored in RAM 370. The disclosed method uses input variables 371 stored in memory 370 at known locations 372, 373. The input variables 371 are processed to produce output variables 377 at known locations 378, 379 stored in memory 370. Intermediate variable 374 may be stored in additional memory locations in locations 375, 376 of memory 370. Alternatively, some intermediate variables may only exist in registers 354 of processor 305.

Execution of the sequences of instructions is performed in the processor 305 by repeating the application fetch-execute loop. The control unit 351 of the processor 305 maintains a register called a program counter containing the address in the ROM 360 or RAM 370 of the next instruction to be executed. At the start of the fetch execution cycle, the contents of the memory address indexed by the program counter are loaded into the control unit 351. The instructions so loaded control subsequent operations of the processor 305 such that, for example, data is loaded from the ROM memory 360 into the processor registers 354, the contents of the registers are arithmetically combined with the contents of another register, the contents of the registers are written to locations stored in another register, and so on. At the end of the fetch execution cycle, the program counter is updated to point to the next instruction in the system program code. Depending on the instruction just executed, this may involve incrementing the address contained in the program counter or loading the program counter with a new address in order to effect a branch operation.

Each step or sub-process in the process of the method described below is associated with one or more segments of the application 333 and is performed by repeated execution of a fetch-execute loop in the processor 305 or similar programming operations of other independent processor blocks in the electronic device 301.

The controller 260 under the control of the processor 305 is configured to determine the conductivity of the untreated liquid based on the first electrical signal and the conductivity of the treated liquid based on the second signal. As discussed above, each of the sensors 240 and 250 may include a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from each other. The controller 260 may be powered through the electrodes such that within one sensor assembly, a first one of the electrodes receives a voltage from the controller and a second one of the electrodes is grounded. The polarity of the electrodes may then be reversed after one or more cycles of determined conductivity such that the second electrode receives a voltage from the controller and the first electrode is grounded to prevent or reduce metal migration. In other examples, the controller is configured to cause the first electrode to have a higher potential than the second electrode during the first set of one or more cycles and to cause the second electrode to have a higher potential than the first electrode during the second set of one or more cycles.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic diagram 400 of one embodiment of a first sensor assembly 240. The second sensor assembly 250 may have a similar configuration as the first sensor assembly 240. The first sensor assembly 240 and the second sensor assembly 250 are powered from different ports of the controller 260.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the controller 260 (a portion of which is schematically shown as microcontroller 435) powers the electrode 410 of the conductivity probe ("first electrode") from the digital pin 442 through the completion resistor R1 430. The finishing resistor R1 430 may have a resistance between 200 ohms and 1000 ohms. The controller 260 supplies power from the digital pin 462 to the electrode 420 ("second electrode") of the probe. Microcontroller 435 is powered from pin 437 and return path to ground 438. The common collector voltage Vcc at pin 437 is typically 5V. The completion resistor characteristics may be known in advance and stored in the memory of the controller 260. The completion resistor R1 430 may vary depending on the electrode configuration of the sensor. In one embodiment, a finished resistor R1 of about 500 ohms may be used.

Microcontroller 435 can include analog-to-digital (ADC) pins ADC1 440, ADC2 450, and ADC3 460. As shown in fig. 16, digital pins 442 and 462 may correspond to pins 1610 and 1620 on integrated circuit 1605 of microcontroller 435, respectively. ADC pins 440, 450, and 460 may correspond to pins 1630, 1650, and 1640, respectively, on integrated circuit 1605 of controller 435.

The value sensed gnd read at pin 460 corresponds to the voltage flowing to electrode 420 of ground 438. The value SenseVin read at pin 440 corresponds to the voltage applied to electrode 410 by microcontroller 435. The value Raw read at pin 450 corresponds to the voltage detected on the controller-powered electrode 410 taken before completion of resistor 430. The voltage Raw read at pin 450 indicates the conductivity of the liquid in which the electrode is immersed.

Pins ADC1, ADC2, 450, and ADC3 460 are microcontroller analog-to-digital pins configured to sample or read voltage levels SenseVin, raw, and SenseGND, respectively, and give digital outputs to the hardware of controller 260. The sampling rate of the voltage values of SenseVin, senseGND and Raw may be 200kHz. The internal resistance of microcontroller 435 (shown schematically as internal resistors 445 and 465) causes voltage fluctuations. The associated digital pin 442 or 462 of the controller 435 is effectively shorted to the corresponding ADC pin 440 or 460, respectively. Pins ADC1, ADC2, 450, and ADC3 460 are ADC pins that are powered by internal digital logic within microcontroller 435. Pins 440, 450 and 460 are configured to read the voltage at the point shown in fig. 4 and convert the read voltage to a number to be used in the firmware of controller 435 to determine the purity of the water.

The firmware of the microcontroller 435 is programmed to control or set the digital pin out so that the relevant digital pin powers the sensor circuit, for example, at 5V. This voltage may not be exactly 5V due to the internal resistance of the microcontroller 435, which may be 4.9 at time "t". Thus, it is advantageous for the digital pins 442 and 462 to be connected to the 3 ADC pins 440, 450 and 460 to read or sample the voltage for calculation. The firmware may also be programmed to switch the polarity of the digital pins 442 and 462, thereby controlling the polarity of the corresponding ADC pins to prevent metal migration.

When the microcontroller 435 is programmed, the programming environment includes a console that reads the ADC pin values (such as SenseVin, raw, and SenseGND) and outputs them to the hardware of the controller 260 to determine the purity of the liquid. Pins ADC1, ADC2, 450, and ADC3 460 provide digital outputs that are then read by the firmware of controller 260 to monitor the performance of filter assembly 240.

The controller 260 may determine the impedance of the liquid using the following equation:

R _ec ＝R1*(Raw-SenseGND)/(SenseVin-Raw) (1)

R _ec the value corresponds to an electrical signal indicative of the conductivity of the liquid. If the assembly 400 is the first sensor assembly 240, then the value R for the first sensor assembly is determined by the controller 260 _ec Indicating the ion content or conductivity of the untreated liquid. If the assembly 400 is the second sensor assembly 250, the value R for the second sensor assembly is determined by the controller 260 _ec Indicating the conductivity of the treated liquid.

In an alternative embodiment as shown in fig. 17, the controller 260 may operate on the Vcc/Gnd line, in which case the reading SenseVin at pin 1710 of the integrating circuit 1705 and the reading SenseGND at pin 1720 of the integrating circuit 1705 of the controller 260 are constant. Assuming that the values SenseVin and SenseGND may be constant in this embodiment, the controller 260 can use only the electrical signal Raw to determine the relative conductivity of the liquid or to approximate the conductivity (as the case may be). In this embodiment, the electrical signal Raw from electrode 410 is read at pin 1730 of integrated circuit 1705 of controller 260. Electrode 410 is powered by pin 1710 of circuit 1705. Pin 1730 is coupled to electrode 410 prior to completion of resistor 430. In this way, the voltage read at electrode 410 may be indicative of the conductivity of the liquid.

In an alternative embodiment shown in fig. 13, each of the first sensor assembly and the second sensor assembly may be an inductive sensor 1310. Inductive sensor 1310 includes two inductive coils placed adjacent to each other that can measure the magnetic permeability of a liquid, which is also considered a measure of the ion content of the liquid. In this embodiment, the first inductive sensor is configured to measure the magnetic permeability of the untreated liquid and the second inductive sensor is configured to measure the magnetic permeability of the treated liquid.

The measurement of the magnetic permeability of a liquid is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction. For example, as shown in fig. 13, each sensor assembly 1310 may have two spaced apart coils 1320 and 1330. The first coil 1320 may be attached to the top of the tube 1340 and the second coil 1330 may be attached to the bottom of the tube 1340. When the first coil is powered by the controller 260 and liquid flows through the tube 1340, the first coil 1320 may induce an electrical signal, such as a current and/or voltage, in the second coil 1330. Liquid may flow through tube 1340. Coils 1320 and 1330 may be attached to an inner or outer surface of tube 1340. Alternatively, coils 1320 and 1330 may be attached to an inner surface of case 210. In some embodiments, the flow is temporarily stopped to improve accuracy when the measurement is made.

The controller 260 is configured to determine the ion content or purity of the liquid based on the voltage induced in the second coil. The first coil and the second coil may be coupled to pins of the controller 260. Similar to the sensor assembly discussed above, the first coil 1320 may be powered by generating an AC wave from one pin of the controller 260 due to the electromagnetic induction principle, and a measured value of the voltage induced in the second coil 1330 may be read at the other pin of the controller 260. The voltage induced in the second coil 1330 (via the first coil 1320) read at one of the pins of the controller 260 is proportional to the ion content or purity of the water. If the water is not pure, the voltage induced in the other coil will be small (although the relationship between the voltage induced in the other coil and the ion content may not be truly linear).

Fig. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the electronic circuitry of the sensor assembly of fig. 4 and outlines the general mechanism for measuring the impedance of a liquid. Fig. 6 shows input voltage 610, modulus pins 650, 660, 670, resistors 680 and 690, voltage V1 625, and output voltage 635 from controller 260.

The controller 260 powers the first electrode as shown at 610. The controller 260 receives measurements from ADC1 (sensor vin) 650, ADC 2 (Raw) 660, and ADC3 (sensor gnd) 670. Sensor vin 650 indicates a voltage (e.g., 5V) applied to the first electrode, sensor gnd 670 indicates a voltage flowing to ground, and ADC 2660 (Raw) indicates a voltage detected on the powered electrode (first electrode in this case).

The following assumptions were made:

the above assumptions were found to provide sufficient accuracy for the purposes of this disclosure.

By solving for V1 (2), V1 can be written as follows:

V1＝SenseVin-Vout-SenseGND＝SenseVin-Raw (3)

then using equations (2) and (3), the impedance Rec can be written as follows:

Rec＝(Raw-SenseGND)×R1/(SenseVin-Raw) (4)

in other words, the impedance Rec is proportional to the resistance value R1 of the completed resistance of the first electrode, and the difference between the sensing voltage at the first electrode and the voltage SenseGND to ground. The impedance Rec is also inversely proportional to the difference between the voltage applied to the first electrode by the controller 260 and the sensed voltage at the first electrode.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic diagram 500 of the temperature sensor assembly 270. The temperature sensor assembly 270 includes an NTC thermistor 510 and a resistor 520 connected in series. The temperature sensor assembly 270 is coupled to the controller 260 via the analog-to-digital pins 530. The controller 260 reads the voltage measured by the thermistor 510 via pin 530. Resistor 520 is grounded 550 and thermistor 510 is provided with Vdd540.

Fig. 7 and 8 depict different embodiments of making voltage measurements to determine liquid impedance.

When a voltage is applied to electrodes 410 and/or 420, the electrodes are not instantaneously charged, but accumulate charge as in a capacitor. Thus, the voltage measurements taken at different points in time may be slightly different as shown by voltage curve 710 and voltage curve 810 in fig. 7 and 8, respectively, i.e. measurements taken at different points in time will yield slightly different voltages and thus slightly deviated measurements of the conductivity of the liquid.

In one embodiment 700 shown in fig. 7, voltage measurements may be taken at a predetermined point in time 720 (e.g., at 100 μs) from the start of powering the first and/or second electrodes. According to the experiments performed, a period of 100 μs from the start of the voltage application to the electrodes appears to produce the same voltage measurement over multiple pulses of the voltage signal (i.e. over the signal string). The voltage read at pin 450 of controller 260 at the predetermined point in time is then used for further processing, for example to determine the conductivity of the liquid. In addition, the voltages at pins 440 and 460 may be read simultaneously.

In an alternative embodiment 800 shown in fig. 8, if the angle of the gradient of the voltage plot 810 determined at the point corresponding to the voltage measurement is about 45 degrees, the voltage measurement is used to determine the conductivity of the liquid. In this embodiment, the controller 260 determines the gradient of the voltage plot 810, selects a point in the voltage plot 820 where the angle of the gradient is about 45 degrees, and uses the measured voltage values to further calculate the conductivity of the liquid. The selected angle of 45 degrees is experimentally selected such that the voltage measurement is expected to be relatively close in time to the beginning of the pulse (i.e., calculations can be made more quickly) while being relatively stable compared to gradients that occur nearer the beginning of the pulse, such as 830. Fluctuations in the gradient typically provide more fluctuating readings. Other angles of gradient may also be used, depending on the accuracy requirements and characteristics of the electrode. For example, for electrodes made of metals other than stainless steel, different angles of gradient may be used.

In other embodiments, the controller 260 may wait for the voltage to saturate, for example, an additional 2 seconds-4 seconds.

Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing steps performed by the controller 260 under the control of the processor 305 executing instructions stored in the memory 309.

The controller 260 performs a method 900 of controlling the appliance 100 for making beverages under the control of the processor 305. As discussed above, the appliance 100 includes at least one beverage making component (such as the pump 108 and/or the heater 110), and a liquid flow path or hydraulic line 107 that provides liquid to the at least one beverage making component. The appliance 100 may also include a filter assembly 106 integrally formed within the appliance 100 and filtering the liquid in the liquid flow path 107.

The method 900 begins at step 910 by determining (or reading) a first electrical signal indicative of a first ion content value (e.g., conductivity) of untreated liquid in the tank 102. As discussed above, the controller 260 may read the voltage value from the pin 450 as the first electrical signal. In addition, the controller 260 may read the voltage values at pins 440 and 460 simultaneously each time the voltage value at pin 450 is read to improve the accuracy and repeatability of the results. However, if the controller 260 is operating on the Vcc/Gnd line and the pins are not powered by digital pins, the voltage values at pins 440 and 460 are constant and need not be read.

The controller 260 then moves to step 920: a second electrical signal indicative of a second ion content value (e.g., conductivity) of the treated liquid in conduit 230 is determined. Similar to step 910, a second electrical signal may be read at pin 450 of a second sensor assembly corresponding to the measured voltage at the powered electrode. Steps 910 and 920 are performed periodically, for example every hour or every time the user makes a beverage.

Once the first and second electrical signals are obtained, the method 900 continues to step 930 to monitor the performance of the filter assembly 106 based on the first and second electrical signals. Step 930 is described in more detail with reference to fig. 10.

If the controller 260 is operating on the Vcc/Gnd line, the normalized first and second electrical signals, described below, may be used to directly monitor the performance of the filter assembly 106.

In other embodiments, the controller 260 determines a first ion content value (e.g., conductivity) of the untreated liquid based on the first electrical signal and a second ion content value (e.g., conductivity) of the treated liquid based on the second electrical signal to monitor the performance of the filter assembly. The process of determining the ionic content value (e.g., conductivity) of a liquid is discussed in more detail with reference to fig. 12.

While monitoring the performance of the filter assembly 106, the controller 260 may send instructions to a display screen of the user interface system to display a signal or warning indicating that at least a portion of the filter assembly 106 needs replacement. A signal may be sent in response to comparing the first ion content value and the second ion content value (e.g., the conductivity value of the treated liquid to the conductivity value of the untreated liquid). Alternatively, the signal may be sent in response to comparing the reciprocal of the first electrical signal with the reciprocal of the second electrical signal.

Additionally or alternatively, as part of the monitoring in step 930, the controller 260 may determine an expected lifetime of the filter assembly 106. The life expectancy may be predicted by determining a trend based on the plurality of conductivity values recorded for the untreated liquid and the plurality of corresponding conductivity values recorded for the treated liquid. The process of determining the life expectancy of the filter assembly 106 is described in more detail with reference to fig. 11. The determined life expectancy may then be communicated to a display screen of the user interface system.

The method 900 then ends.

Fig. 10 illustrates a method 1000 of monitoring the performance of the filter assembly 106 based on the conductivity of the untreated liquid and the conductivity of the untreated liquid under the control of the processor 305.

The method 1000 begins at step 1010: the conductivity of the untreated liquid and the conductivity of the untreated liquid are received. In one embodiment, equations (5) and (6) may be used to determine conductivity, respectively. In a preferred embodiment, the ion content value (e.g., conductivity) is determined as described below with reference to fig. 12.

The method 1000 then moves to step 1020 where the processor 305 compares the conductivity of the untreated liquid to a conductivity threshold programmed into the firmware of the controller 260 or stored in the memory 309. If the conductivity of the untreated liquid is below the conductivity threshold in step 1030, the liquid is considered pure and no further treatment is performed in step 1040. The method 1000 then ends.

If the conductivity of the untreated liquid is greater than or equal to the conductivity threshold at step 1030, the method 1000 continues to step 1050 where the processor 305 determines the difference between the conductivity of the untreated liquid and the conductivity of the treated liquid. If the difference determined at step 1060 is below the threshold, the controller 260 then signals to the user interface system of the appliance 100 at step 1080 that the filter assembly 107 needs to be replaced. Otherwise, the performance of the filter assembly is deemed acceptable at step 1070. The method 1000 then ends.

The method described above with reference to fig. 10 effectively checks whether the water in the tank 102 is pure and does not require further filtration. If the conductivity of the water in the tank 102 is below a threshold, the water in the tank is more resistive and therefore purer. No further calculations were made as the input water conductivity would be equal to the output water conductivity. If the water in the tank is not pure, i.e. the conductivity is above the conductivity threshold, and if the normalized (EC (tank) -EC (filter)) is less than EC (predefined value) set by the manufacturer at the time of production, the controller 260 recommends the user to replace the filter. The controller 260 may also store the conductivity readings in memory for regression analysis, as described below with reference to fig. 11. For example, normalized EC (bin) and EC (filter) values may be periodically acquired and stored in memory (i.e., each time the user makes coffee). Regression analysis is used to predict the life cycle of the filter.

Fig. 11 illustrates a method 1100 performed by the processor 305 to determine the life expectancy of the filter assembly 107.

The method 1100 performed by the controller 260 under the execution of the processor 305 begins at step 1110 when the processor 305 receives a plurality of conductivity values for an untreated liquid and a plurality of conductivity values for a treated liquid obtained periodically over a period of time. The period of time may be, for example, hours or days, depending on the mode of use of the appliance 100.

The method 1100 under execution by the processor 305 then continues to step 1120: for each conductivity value of the untreated liquid, a difference between the conductivity value of the untreated liquid and the corresponding conductivity value of the treated liquid is determined. Step 1120 effectively determines a corresponding pair of conductivity values based on the time at which the measurement was obtained. For example, for at time t ₀ The determined conductivity value of the untreated liquid, the processor 305 may select the nearest t in time ₀ And at t ₀ The conductivity value of the treated liquid taken within a predetermined interval Δt. Once the corresponding pairs of conductivity values are determined, step 1120 determines a difference in conductivity values for each pair. Pairs of untreated liquids having conductivities below the conductivity threshold may be omitted for the purpose of fitting a curve.

The method 1100 then proceeds to step 1130, where a curve is fitted to the plurality of determined differences. The fitted curve represents a plurality of trend lines of the determined differences. The curve (i.e., trend line) may be a straight line. At step 1140, the controller 260 uses the fitted curve to determine a future point in time at which the expected difference is below the threshold (i.e., the filter assembly is not properly filtering the liquid). The determined future point in time is used as an indication of the expected lifetime of the filter assembly 107.

At step 1150, the processor 305 of the controller 260 controls the user interface to display the expected lifetime of the filter based on the determined future point in time. In addition, if the determined life expectancy is less than a few days, the controller 260 may send a notification to the user interface system.

The method effectively performs regression analysis by taking a dataset, applying a curve-fitting regression analysis, and thereby predicting future likely outcomes. The method 1100 then ends.

Fig. 12 illustrates a method 1200 of determining an ion content value (e.g., conductivity) of a liquid. The method is performed by the controller 260 under the control of the processor 305. Method 1200 begins at step 1210: the input voltage ADC1, the ground voltage ADC3, the voltage on the powered electrode ADC2, and the voltage from the thermistor ADC4 are received from the controller 240.

The method 1200 then moves to step 1220 where the controller 260 determines the liquid resistance Rec based on the resistance of the powered electrode, the voltage on the powered electrode, the input voltage, and the ground voltage using either equation 1 or equation 4. At step 1230, the controller 260 determines the conductivity of the liquid inversely proportional to the liquid resistance Rec determined at step 1220 and the constant K determined based on the configuration of the sensor assembly using the following equation:

EC＝1/(Rec×K) (5)

the constant K is determined at the design stage of the electrodes and programmed into the controller 260 of the fixture 100 during manufacture of the fixture 100. The constant K generally depends on the configuration of the sensor assembly, such as the shape of the electrodes, the size of the electrodes, and the separation distance between the electrodes.

Alternatively, since the constant K may be determined at the time of manufacture, instead of calculating the conductivity using equation (5), the conductivity may be calculated as 1/Rec, and the conductivity threshold T used to evaluate the performance of the filter assembly ₀ And threshold T ₁ May be adjusted based on a constant K and stored in the memory 309 of the controller 260.

The controller 260 then proceeds to step 1240 to determine the normalized conductivity of the liquid by normalizing the determined conductivity EC based on the voltage and temperature coefficient from the thermistor, as follows:

EC25＝EC/(1+TempCoeff*(t-25)) (6)

Where EC25 is the normalized conductivity value at 25 ℃, t is the temperature determined by the thermistor and TempCoeff is the temperature coefficient.

For water, the temperature coefficient TempCoeff is typically in the range of 0.019 to 0.021. For the arrangement in question, a TempCoeff of 0.02 was determined to work well. The temperature coefficient is a constant calculated during the design phase of the appliance 100 and/or sensor assembly and is programmed into the controller 260 during manufacture.

Normalization of the conductivity of step 1240 is particularly advantageous because the readings at the pins of the controller 260 may differ due to temperature changes rather than changes in liquid conductivity. For example, changes in temperature may be caused by measurements taken across different seasons, before and after heating, or other changes in tap water temperature.

The calculation of method 1200 may be delayed by up to 10 seconds after filter assembly 107 is replaced and/or tank 102 is filled to stabilize the electrodes after discharge. In practice, a delay of about 2 seconds to 3 seconds may be sufficient. In some embodiments, to further reduce the likelihood of inaccurate readings, the appliance 100 may be controlled to run the pump 108 for about 2-3 seconds before taking the readings. For example, inaccurate readings may be caused by, for example, residual water in the tank 102 and/or the conduit 107, accumulation and residual ions on the sensor assemblies 109 and 111, and/or temperature differences between the water in the tank 102 and the water in the conduit 107.

If the reading is not first taken since the last time the tank was filled and the filter assembly was replaced, the measurement can be made immediately without delay. The controller 260 may continue to take readings periodically, such as once an hour, while the appliance 100 is powered on.

The method 1200 ends.

Fig. 14 shows a schematic diagram of a dual compartment tank 1400 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Tank 1400 may have an inlet 1410 and an outlet 1460. Tank 1400 includes a first chamber 1420 having unfiltered or untreated liquid (such as water), a second chamber 1430 having filtered or treated liquid (such as water), and a wall 1440 separating first chamber 1420 from second chamber 1430. The filter assembly 1450 may be disposed within a lower portion of the wall 1440 such that substantially no untreated water flows to the second chamber 1430. Untreated water from the first chamber 1420 is filtered by the filter assembly 1450 and flows to the second chamber 1430 as indicated by arrows 1442 and 1445.

In some embodiments, the filter assembly 1450 may include electrical components (not shown) in electrical communication with the controller 260, shown as 1455. The electrical components of the filter assembly 1450 may be configured to communicate an electrical signal indicative of the presence of the filter assembly 1450 to the controller 1455. The electrical component may be in the form of a switch. The controller 1455 may be configured to read the signal and determine if the filter assembly 1450 is present and thus bypass the process of determining the performance of the filter assembly 1450 if the filter assembly 1450 is not present. It should be appreciated that the electrical components may be provided in many other forms.

Dual-compartment case 1400 may also include a first sensor assembly 1470 disposed in first compartment 1420 and a second sensor assembly 1475 disposed in second compartment 1430. Sensor assemblies 1470 and 1475 are placed in the lower portion of tank 1440 and/or on filter assembly 240 (shown here as 1450). In a preferred embodiment, the electrical contacts of each of sensor assemblies 1470 and 1475 are attached to the floor (bottom) of case 1440 to allow case 1440 to be removably attached to implement 100. As such, when case 1400 is attached to appliance 100, at least one of sensor assemblies 1470 and 1475 is electrically coupled to controller 1455 via corresponding electrical contacts (e.g., in the form of pins). For example, as shown in fig. 15A, the case 1400 may have electrical contacts 1510 and 1515 attached to the bottom plate of the case and configured to electrically couple with corresponding pins of the controller 1455.

Dual compartment tank 1400 may also include a temperature sensor assembly 1480 attached to any wall of tank 1440 anywhere in the water path and preferably in the lower portion of tank 1440. Each of the sensor assemblies 1470, 1475, and 1480 is coupled to the controller 1455.

In operation of the appliance 100, water may flow from the water source 1410 into the first chamber 1420. The quality or purity of the unfiltered water in the first chamber can then be determined by the controller 1455 based on the signals generated by the first sensor assembly 1470. As discussed above, only one sensor assembly is sufficient to estimate the performance of the filter assembly, and thus, the first sensor assembly 1470 may not be required in some embodiments.

The unfiltered water from the first chamber 1420 may then flow to the filter assembly 1450 to be filtered and output to the second chamber 1430. The filtered water from the second chamber 1430 is then supplied to the beverage making component of the appliance 100.

The filter 1450 may be monitored by the controller 1455 based on signals generated by the second sensor assembly 1475, signals generated by the first sensor assembly 1470, or both. As discussed above, data from either or both of the first sensor assembly 1470 and the second sensor assembly 1475 may be used to estimate the performance of the filter 1450. The signal received from temperature sensor 1480 may be used to improve accuracy in estimating filter performance. However, in some embodiments, for example, when only the first filter assembly is used, the temperature sensor 1480 may not be required.

Fig. 15A and 15B illustrate perspective views 1500 and 1550 of removable bin 1505 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Removable tank 1505 may have slots 1510 and 1515 at the bottom configured to receive electrodes 1560 and 1565, respectively. Electrodes 1560 and 1565 are integrated within portion 1555 of appliance 100. Electrodes 1560 and 1565 are configured to be in electrical communication with slots 1510 and 1515, respectively, to form a detachable electrode connector for measuring water purity.

As discussed above, the present disclosure relates to controlling an appliance 100. In particular, the present disclosure relates to determining a first ion content value of a liquid, determining whether the liquid is pure, impure, or a detergent based on the determined first ion content value, and controlling the appliance 100 based on the determination.

In some embodiments, in addition to filtering the liquid, the control may involve controlling periodic descaling to remove mineral ions that accumulate on internal components of the appliance over time. To control the descaling of the appliance 100 according to some embodiments of the present disclosure, at least one sensor assembly may be used to generate a signal indicative of the ion content of the liquid in at least one container of the appliance 100. The at least one sensor assembly may be the first sensor assembly 109 and/or the second sensor assembly 111. The at least one container may be the tank 102, the conduit 107 or any other conduit of the appliance 100 through which the liquid flows.

As discussed above, the at least one sensor assembly generates an ion content signal comprising one or more ion content values. Each ion content value is indicative of an ion content of the liquid. The ion content value may correspond to the conductivity of the liquid or the magnetic permeability of the liquid.

As discussed above, the controller 260 of the appliance 100 is coupled with at least one of the sensor assemblies 109 or 111 for the purpose of controlling scale removal. The controller 260 is configured to determine a first ion content value indicative of an ion content of the liquid in the at least one container of the appliance based on the ion content signals received from at least one of the sensor assemblies 109 or 111.

The controller 260 may be further configured to determine whether the appliance 100 is in a descaling mode. For example, the controller 260 may detect whether the descaling mode has been activated. The descaling mode may be activated automatically or selected by a user using a user interface of the appliance 100. For example, the user may select the descaling configuration from a plurality of descaling configurations. Alternatively, if it is determined that the liquid is a detergent based on the first ion content value, the controller 260 may determine that the appliance 100 is in the descaling mode.

The controller 260 is configured to determine the type of liquid using the first ion content value based on determining that the appliance is in the descaling mode. The type or class of liquid is determined in response to determining that the appliance 100 is in the descaling mode. The type or class of liquid in the descaling mode may be synonymous with the type or class of detergent. For example, if the controller 260 determines that the appliance is in a descaling mode, the controller may determine the type of liquid as low concentration detergent, normal concentration detergent, or high concentration detergent.

A threshold range of normal concentration detergent may be stored in memory 309. If the ion content value is below the threshold range, the detergent may be classified as a low concentration detergent. If the ion content value is above the threshold range, the detergent may be classified as a high concentration detergent. For example, in one embodiment, the threshold range may be preprogrammed to be between a second threshold (1000 μS/cm) and a third threshold (2000 μS/cm). In alternative embodiments, the threshold range may be selected by the user.

Alternatively, if the controller 260 determines that the appliance is not in the descaling mode, the controller 260 may determine the type of liquid as pure or impure and monitor the filter performance accordingly, as discussed above.

The controller 260 is further configured to adjust at least one descaling setting of the appliance based on the determined type.

The at least one descaling setting may be selected from a plurality of descaling settings including a duration of performing descaling and a temperature during descaling. For example, in response to determining the type of detergent, the controller 260 may adjust the duration of the descaling or the temperature at which the descaling is performed, or both.

In some embodiments, if the controller 260 determines that the liquid is a normal concentration detergent, the controller 260 may adjust at least one of the temperature and the duration associated with the descaling in proportion to the determined first ion content value, as discussed below.

If the ion content value is above the threshold range, i.e., the determined type is a high concentration detergent, the controller 260 may cause the user interface of the appliance 100 to instruct the user to dilute the detergent. If the ion content value is below the threshold range, i.e., the determined type is a low concentration detergent and the descaling mode is selected by the user, the controller 260 may cause the user interface of the appliance 100 to instruct the user to add more detergent.

During descaling, the controller 260 may be further configured to monitor whether descaling has been completed. For example, to determine whether descaling has been completed, the controller may continuously monitor the signal from the first sensor assembly. If no signal is received from the sensor assembly after the descaling has begun (the system effectively becomes open between 410 and 420), the controller 260 may determine that there is no liquid in the tank and thus that the descaling has been completed. Alternatively, when no liquid is detected in the tank, the controller may issue a warning to the user to add water to flush the internal components of the coffee machine and complete the cleaning cycle.

In an alternative embodiment, the controller 260 may monitor the second ion content value during descaling and determine whether descaling of the appliance 100 has been completed based on the second ion content value. In some embodiments, the second ion content value of the liquid is measured in the same vessel as the first ion content value but at a different time. The second ion content value may be compared to the first ion content value and if the second ion content value does not match the first ion content value, the controller 260 may determine that the descaling is complete. In alternative embodiments, the second ion content value may be compared to an "open circuit" threshold. If the second ion content value is about or below the "open circuit" threshold, the controller 260 may determine that the vessel does not contain any liquid or detergent, i.e., that descaling has been completed. Alternatively, when no liquid is detected in the tank, the controller may issue a warning to the user to add water to flush the internal components of the coffee machine and complete the cleaning cycle.

Once the controller 260 determines that the descaling has been completed, the controller 260 may obtain another ion content value near the outlet of the appliance 100 to check whether all of the descaling agent has been flushed through the system. For example, the controller 260 may compare the other ion content value with a stored ion content value corresponding to water. If the controller 260 determines that the further ion content value matches the stored ion content value of water, i.e. is less than the second threshold value, the controller may indicate to the user that the appliance is ready for further use. Alternatively, the controller 260 may continue to flush water through the appliance until the other ion content value matches the stored threshold.

In other words, the controller 260 monitors the ion content of the liquid during descaling and confirms that the descaling agent has rinsed through the appliance. In some embodiments, when no detergent is detected in the container, the controller 260 may control the appliance to flow water through the appliance for an amount of time to thoroughly clean until all residues of the detergent have been flushed through the appliance.

The proposed descaling method is particularly advantageous because although periodic descaling is highly recommended, some users do not use a detergent and bypass the descaling process only by running with water, which may cause damage to the appliance due to scale.

Moreover, descaling a coffee machine with a high concentration of detergent may cause damage to silicone tubes, heaters, etc. Similarly, low concentrations of detergent may cause incomplete descaling processes, which may result in clogging of the appliance. Thus, the disclosed arrangement is particularly advantageous for extending the service life of the appliance (e.g. by ensuring that the descaling is performed at an appropriate descaling setting for a particular detergent concentration).

Examples of determining the concentration of detergent and adjusting at least one descaling setting (also referred to as a descaling configuration) are provided below to provide improved descaling results and/or to inform a user if an incorrect concentration of detergent is used.

Fig. 22 shows normalized conductivity values 2200 for lower and higher hardness potable water and several types of detergents plotted on a shaft 2210 representing conductivity.

It should be noted that the conductivity value of the detergent is much higher than that of potable water. Thus, the concentration of the detergent (or the type of liquid based on that concentration) can be determined. Also, higher concentrations of detergent exhibit higher conductivity values, which can be mapped with a look-up table.

Thus, direct or indirect electrodes in the appliance 100 may be used to determine the conductivity value of the detergent. The determined conductivity value may be considered as a function of the concentration of the detergent. The descaling configuration of the appliance may be adjusted based on the detergent concentration measured from the sensor assembly (electrode).

If the concentration is below the third threshold, the controller 260 may generate a notification or warning to the user suggesting that more detergent is added to the appliance 100. If the concentration is above the third threshold, the controller may generate a notification or warning to suggest to the user to dilute the detergent.

The notification or warning may be displayed on a display device of the user interface of appliance 100. Alternatively, the notification may be transmitted by any other means, for example by playing an audio message to the user or by transmitting the notification to the user's mobile phone.

In addition, another sensor assembly similar to 109 or 111 may be mounted near the outlet of the appliance 100. If the further sensor is installed in a portion of the liquid flow path where the expected temperature is different from the temperature at the sensor assembly 109 or 111, the measured value may be normalized based on the actual temperature at the further sensor assembly. The further sensor assembly may be used to detect conductivity values of the liquid from the outlet and determine whether the appliance 100 is fully rinsed and cleaned before the process is over.

Fig. 18 illustrates a method 1800 of operation of the controller 260 executing instructions stored in the memory 309. The method 1800 begins at step 1810: a first ion content value indicative of the ion content of the liquid in at least one container of the appliance 100 is determined. As discussed above, the first ion content value may be determined from the signals received from the sensor assembly 109 or 111.

From step 1810, method 1800 proceeds to step 1820: it is determined whether the appliance 100 is in a descaling mode. The controller 260 may check the memory 309 to determine whether the user has selected a descaling mode, whether autodescaling has been activated, or whether the liquid is a detergent based on the first ion content value. In response to determining that the appliance 100 is in the descaling mode, the method 1800 proceeds to determine a concentration of a detergent in the liquid based on the determined first ion content value in step 1830.

The controller 260 may determine the concentration of the detergent based on a first ion content value, such as a conductivity value or a magnetic permeability value. For the purpose of determining the concentration, the controller 260 may apply the calibration discussed in 1230 and the normalization discussed in 1240 when determining the first ion content value. The concentration of the detergent may be determined based on a correspondence between the ion content value and the concentration value of the detergent. The correspondence may be stored as a look-up table in the memory 309. Example values of the conductivity of the different liquids are shown in fig. 21.

Fig. 21 shows a map 2100 between conductivity values 2110 and liquid types 2120. The map shows typical conductivity values 2130 of running water and natural spring waterIs a typical conductivity value 2140 of 100ml of detergent w/1000ml of tap water, a typical conductivity value 2150 of 100ml of first detergent w/500ml of tap water, a typical conductivity value 2160 of 200ml of second detergent w/1000ml of tap water, a typical conductivity value 2170 of 100ml of detergent w/200ml of tap waterThe value 2180.

The difference in conductivity values 2160 and 2170 may be caused by different chemical compositions or brands of the detergent rather than the concentration of the detergent itself. For the purposes of the present invention, the type of detergent is determined based on the ion content rather than the concentration of the detergent itself (which may vary from brand to brand), e.g., low, normal, and high concentrations of detergent. Map 2100 is shown for illustrative purposes only. The specific threshold value for determining the type of detergent is programmed into the controller 260 regardless of the brand of detergent. Since the type of detergent is mainly determined based on the ionic content value, the proposed method was found to work well irrespective of the different brands or chemical compositions of the detergent.

Once the concentration of the detergent is determined at step 1830, the method 1800 proceeds to 1840: the descaling of the appliance 100 is controlled by adjusting at least one descaling setting of the appliance based on the determined concentration. The method 1800 ends in response to the completion of step 1840.

Fig. 19 illustrates a method 1900 of controlling a descaling process. The method is performed by the controller 260 under the control of instructions stored in the memory 309. Method 1900 begins at step 1910: a signal is received indicating that a descaling mode has been activated. For example, the signal may be received in response to activating the descaling mode. The descaling mode may be initiated manually by a user or automatically, for example based on a timer setting of the appliance 100.

Step 1910 continues to step 1920: the liquid in the container of the appliance is determined. The controller 260 executing instructions stored in the memory is configured to receive signals from the sensor assembly. The controller 260 is configured to determine the liquid based on the signals from the sensor assembly. For example, the controller 260 may determine the presence of liquid in the container. Alternatively, the controller 260 may determine the level of the liquid in the container.

Method 1900 continues from step 1920 to step 1930 to determine if enough liquid is present in the system to run a complete cycle of the descaling configuration selected by the user.

In some embodiments, the controller 260 checks the level of the liquid in the container against a threshold stored for the selected descaling configuration. Alternatively, the controller 260 determines whether liquid is present in the container. For example, the controller 260 may determine whether any signals are received from the sensor assembly after the descaling mode has been activated. If no signal is received, the controller 260 determines that there is no liquid in the container at step 1920, i.e., no at step 1930.

In alternative embodiments, the controller 260 may monitor the first ion content value and determine whether sufficient liquid is present based on the first ion content value. In some embodiments, the first ion content value may be compared to an "open circuit" threshold. If the first ion content value is about or below the "open circuit" threshold, the controller 260 may determine that the vessel does not contain any fluid or detergent, i.e., no at step 1930.

If sufficient liquid is not detected at step 1930, method 1900 continues to step 1935: such that the user interface of the appliance instructs the user to fill a container, such as the tank 102. Method 1900 continues from step 1935 to step 1920.

Alternatively, if sufficient liquid is detected at step 1930, method 1900 proceeds to step 1940 where an ion content value of the liquid is determined. The ion content value may be determined in a similar manner as discussed above. Step 1940 continues to step 1950: it is determined whether the ion content value is within a threshold range stored in memory 309.

The threshold range defines a normal (or baseline) concentration of detergent. In one embodiment, the threshold range may be preprogrammed to be between a first threshold (1000 μS/cm) and a second threshold (2000 μS/cm). In alternative embodiments, the threshold range may be selected by the user.

If it is determined in step 1950 that the ion content value is within the threshold, method 1900 continues to step 1955: the descaling operation configuration is started by controlling the heater, motor, sensor, etc. Otherwise, method 1900 continues to step 1970: it is determined whether the ion content value is above the threshold range.

At step 1955, the controller 260 controls the appliance to begin the selected descaling operation configuration. In addition, the controller 260 controls the heater, motor and sensors of the appliance according to the selected descaling configuration and the ion content value determined at step 1940. For example, the controller 260 may adjust the temperature and duration of the descaling in proportion to the determined ion content value. For example, the descaling configuration may have an allowable range of operating temperatures and durations that may be mapped to a threshold range to determine how the temperatures and/or durations are to be adjusted. Further, at step 1955, the controller may alert the user to add water to the system after one of the operating configurations has been completed to flush away any residual chemical components that may have remained.

Step 1955 continues to step 1960: the descaling is monitored and it is determined whether the descaling operation configuration has ended. For example, the controller at step 1960 may use any of the methods discussed above to detect whether any liquid is left in the container. If no liquid remains, the controller 260 determines that the descaling operation configuration has ended, for example, as shown in FIG. 20. In response to determining that the descaling operating configuration has been completed, the controller 260 may control the appliance to flow water for an amount of time such that all of the descaling agent is rinsed through the appliance 100. Alternatively, the controller 260 may be configured to cause water to flow through the appliance until another ion content value at the outlet of the appliance matches the ion content value of tap water or pure water. Method 1900 ends 1965 when step 1960 is complete.

Returning to step 1950, if it is determined that the ion content value is outside of a threshold range, the method 1900 continues to step 1970. At step 1970, if it is determined that the ion content value is above the threshold range, the method 1900 continues to step 1975: causing the user interface of the appliance 100 to instruct the user to dilute the detergent. Otherwise, method 1900 continues to step 1980: causing the user interface of the appliance 100 to instruct the user to add more detergent. Method 1900 proceeds from steps 1975 and 1980 to step 1940.

Fig. 20 illustrates a method 2000 of determining whether descaling has been completed. The method 2000 is performed by the controller 260 under the control of instructions stored in the memory 309. The method 2000 begins with step 2010 of receiving another ion content value. The further ion content value may be determined in the same container as the first ion content value or in a different container.

Step 2010 continues to step 2020 where the further ion content value is compared to a threshold value. In some embodiments, the threshold may correspond to the conductivity detected in an empty container. Alternatively, depending on the embodiment, the threshold value may correspond to the first ion content value or the ion content value of tap water or pure water.

The method continues from step 2020 to step 2030 where it is determined whether descaling has been completed based on the comparison. For example, if the another ion content value satisfies a threshold value for an empty container, a first ion content value, or an ion content value for tap water or pure water, the controller 260 may determine that descaling has been completed. The method 2000 ends upon completion of step 2030.

Examples

Fig. 23 shows an exemplary configuration 2300 of an appliance having a removable case. The appliance has a removable tank 2310 (similar to tank 102) that is mountable to the support base portion 2320 of the appliance 100. The support base portion 2320 has a platform portion on which the removable bin 2310 can be positioned and a rear wall portion extending upwardly from the platform portion. The platform portion includes a hydraulic connector 2340 and a spring needle assembly 2350. Spring needle assembly 2350 can interact with a probe assembly located on the underside of tank 2310. When the tank 2310 is mounted on the platform portion of the base portion 2320, the rear wall portion of the base portion 2320 contacts the rear wall of the tank 2310. The rear wall portion has a pair of spaced apart locator portions 2330 that are engageable with corresponding channel portions in the rear wall of removable box 2310. In another example, the back wall portion has one locator portion or more than two locator portions. In yet another example, the rear wall portion has one or more channel portions that are engageable with corresponding one or more locator portions in the rear wall of the removable bin. The locator portion 2330 on the rear wall is a protrusion for securely locating the tank 2310 to the platform portion to align the tank 2310 with the hydraulic connector 2340 and the connector of the pogo pin assembly 2350. Each locator portion 2330 has a tapered profile-the width of the locator portion closer to the platform portion being greater than the width of the locator portion farther from the platform portion. The removable bin 2310 slides along the rear wall portion of the base portion 2320 with the locator portions 2330 on the rear wall engaging the corresponding channel portions of the removable bin 2310.

As previously described, support base portion 2320 includes spring needle assembly 2350 and hydraulic connector 2340. The support base portion 2320 is configured to receive treated or untreated liquid depending on the particular configuration of the appliance.

A hydraulic connector 2340 couples tank 2310 with a hydraulic device (e.g., a liquid flow path) of the appliance to facilitate liquid communication between removable tank 2310 and the appliance. The removable tank 2310 has a mouth (or opening) on its bottom wall that can communicate with the hydraulic connector 2310. In some embodiments, the hydraulic connector 2340 may include a seal for sealing communication with the mouth of the removable tank 2310.

Spring needle assembly 2350 is configured to engage a probe assembly (not shown) to generate an electrical signal to a controller indicating the purity of the untreated liquid in tank 2310. According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the pogo pin assembly and the probe assembly together form a first sensor assembly. Configurations of the pogo pin assembly and the probe assembly are discussed in more detail with reference to fig. 24A-30B.

The probe assembly is discussed below with reference to fig. 24A-25B. Fig. 24A shows a front perspective view of probe assembly 2400. Fig. 24B shows an exploded front perspective view of probe assembly 2400. Fig. 25A shows a bottom perspective view of the probe assembly 2400 and fig. 25B shows an exploded bottom perspective view of the probe assembly 2400.

The probe assembly 2400 includes a probe body 2410, a probe 2430, a seal 2450, and a protective cap 2420. The probe body 2410 serves as a mounting bracket for the probe 2430. In particular, the probe body 2410 has a pair of spaced apart grooves for receiving corresponding probes 2430. In some embodiments, probe 2430 is an electrode configured to send and receive pulses to measure the conductivity of liquid in tank 2310. Additionally or alternatively, the probe is configured to detect the presence of water in the tank based on electrical conductivity, which is determined based on measurements of the probe. The cap 2420 is configured to cover the probe 2430 in the probe body 2410 to prevent access to, tampering with, and/or damage to the probe, such as, for example, accidental damage to the probe 2430 by a user when the case is removed from the base portion. Seal 2450 is configured to provide a sealing interface between tank 2310 and probe assembly 2400. When installed, the cover 2420 and the portion of the probe 2430 protected by the cover 2420 are located inside the tank. In another embodiment, the probe assembly includes a probe body and a probe, and the case includes a cap for protecting a portion of the probe located within the case. In this embodiment, the probe assembly can be removed from the tank and replaced.

Probe assembly 2400 is used to measure the conductivity of the liquid in tank 2310 as a measure of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) to determine the purity or hardness of the untreated liquid in tank 2310. Probe assembly 2400 is electrically coupled with controller 260 via spring needle assembly 2350 to transmit electrical signals indicative of the measured conductivity to controller 260. For example, probes 2430 each have a bottom portion 2510 that contacts a corresponding pogo pin to send and receive pulses to measure water conductivity and interface with internal electronics of appliance 100 (e.g., controller 260). The bottom portion 2510 of each probe 2430 includes exposed electrical contacts that can be contacted by a corresponding pogo pin. As discussed above, the controller 260 powers the electrodes of the probe assembly 2400, for example, via the spring needle assembly 2350. The controller 260 also determines the purity or hardness of the untreated liquid in the tank 2310 based on the electrical signal from the probe assembly 2400. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the probe 2430 is immobilized in a probe body 2410. The probe body 2410 electrically isolates the probes 2430 from each other. In other embodiments, the probe is a spring loaded probe that is retractably extendable from the probe body to provide firm electrical contact with the needle of the spring needle assembly.

Fig. 26A and 26B show a front perspective view and an exploded front perspective view, respectively, of a pogo pin assembly 2350. Fig. 27A and 27B illustrate a bottom perspective view and an exploded bottom perspective view of the pogo pin assembly 2350.

The spring needle assembly 2350 includes a spring needle body 2605, spring needles 2620, spring needle seals 2630, and seal holders 2640. Spring pin body 2605 holds spring pins 2620 in contact with bottom portion 2510 of probe 2430. Spring pins 2620 are spring loaded pins configured to transmit conductivity signals from the probes to controller 260. The spring loaded needle is particularly advantageous to allow the tank 2310 to be removed and replaced without a cable, however, alternative configurations of pins are possible.

The pogo pin seal 2630 extends along the circumference of the pogo pin body 2605 to ensure that any spillage over the pogo pin assembly does not result in water entering the interior of the appliance 100. The seal mount 2640 is configured to sandwich the pogo pin 2605 and the seal 2630 against a panel (e.g., a back panel) supporting the base portion 2320. Seal support 2640 is particularly advantageous when there is a constraint on the rear panel modification of tank 2310.

Fig. 28A depicts an enlarged view of a pogo pin assembly 2350 mounted within a support base portion 2320. Fig. 28B shows an enlarged view of the probe assembly 2400 mounted onto a spring needle assembly 2350 that together form a first sensor assembly 2830.

Fig. 29A shows an enlarged perspective view of a first sensor assembly formed by probe assembly 2400 and pogo pin assembly 2350 mounted to a bottom portion of tank 2310. The first sensor assembly is mounted to the tank 2310 such that the distal end of the probe 2430 is in contact with the liquid in the tank 2310 and the proximal end (i.e., bottom portion 2510) of the probe 2430 is in contact with the pogo pin 2620.

Fig. 29B shows a perspective view of a first sensor assembly 2900 formed by probe assembly 2400 and pogo pin assembly 2350, and fig. 29C shows a cross-sectional view of first sensor assembly 2900. As shown in fig. 29B, the probe body 2410 of the probe assembly 2400 includes a shoulder 2930 extending laterally around a portion of the probe body 2410 that supports the probe 2430. Shoulder 2930 acts as a stop to prevent probe assembly 2400 from sliding fully into box 2310. As shown in fig. 29C, the bottom portion 2510 of the corresponding probe 2430 of the probe assembly 2400 contacts the pogo pin 2620 of the pogo pin assembly 2350. Spring pins 2350 are biased away from spring pin body 2605, thereby creating a firm electrical contact with bottom portion 2510 of a corresponding probe 2430. Portions of the probe 2430 and a protective cap 2420 covering the probe portions are located inside the tank 2310, the probe 2430 being configured to measure the conductivity of the liquid in the tank 2310. The pogo pin body 2605 and the seal holder 2640 engage each other to clamp onto a wall portion of the base portion 2320, sandwiching the seal 2630 and preventing water from entering the base portion 2320. The wall portion of the base portion 2320 has an annular channel in which the seal 2630 is received. The underside of the pogo pin 2605 has an annular protrusion that can be received by the annular channel to compress the seal in the channel of the base portion 2320. The probe body 2410 with the aforementioned probe portions can be inserted into a small hole (or opening) in the bottom wall of the tank 2310 to position the probe portions in the tank 2310. A seal 2450 surrounds the probe body 2410 to prevent liquid from escaping from the tank 2310 via the aperture. The seal 2450 abuts against the shoulder 2930 of the probe assembly 2400. When the probe body 2410 is secured to the tank 2320, a space is defined between the shoulder 2930 and the portion of the bottom wall of the tank 2310 surrounding the aperture. A seal 2450 is located in the space between the shoulder 2930 and the portion surrounding the aperture. Fig. 30A shows an enlarged perspective view of probe assembly 2400 positioned within a box 2310. Fig. 30B shows an enlarged perspective view of a pogo pin assembly 2350' having a protective cap similar to protective cap 2420.

Fig. 31A, 32A, and 33A illustrate right, left, and rear perspective views, respectively, of a second sensor assembly 250 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 31B, 32B, and 33B illustrate an exploded right perspective view, an exploded left perspective view, and an exploded rear perspective view, respectively, of a second sensor assembly 250 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the second sensor assembly 250 is an inline sensor assembly 3100, i.e., a sensor assembly mounted within the hydraulic line or fluid flow path of the appliance 100.

The inline sensor assembly 3100 may be an inline Hard Water Detection (HWD) sensor assembly that measures the conductivity of a liquid within the hydraulic line of the appliance 100. The sensor assembly 3100 includes a support 3110, a bottom cover 3120, a top cover 3130, a probe assembly 3140, and a temperature sensor 3150, e.g., an NTC, mounted on the top cover 3130.

The bracket 3110 includes a support substrate and a transverse plate extending away from the substrate along a longitudinal axis of the substrate. The bracket 3110 also includes an opening, e.g., in a transverse plate, for receiving the probe of the probe assembly 3140, and a plurality of protrusions to hold the tandem sensor assembly 3100 in various orientations to accommodate different appliances and different placements. Specifically, the transverse plate is configured to receive the probes in the openings and to use the protrusions to hold the probe assembly 3140 in a desired orientation.

The bottom cap 3120 is configured to be assembled with the top cap 3130 to form a flow channel for receiving a probe. The flow channel is configured such that bubbles float out to the outlet of the channel to allow for proper measurement of conductivity. The cap 3130 is configured to hold the probe assembly 3140 and the NTC 3150.

The probe assembly includes a probe 3160. Each probe 3160 includes a wire soldered to the proximal end of the probe 3160 for connection to the controller 260. Because solids may be present in the liquid, the electrical signal generated by the sensor assembly 3100 corresponds to the resistance or conductivity of the liquid 3160 in the liquid flow path between the distal ends of the probes 3160. As discussed above, the controller 260 uses the electrical signals to determine a purity corresponding to the TDS and/or hardness of the liquid.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The arrangement described is suitable for the industry of manufacturing and maintaining appliances for making beverages, and is particularly suitable for monitoring the performance of filter assemblies within 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 invention, which are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive.

In the context of this specification, the word "comprising" means "mainly including but not necessarily only including" or "having" or "including", and not "consisting of … … only". Variations of the word "comprising" such as "comprising" and "containing" for example have correspondingly varying meanings.

Claims

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

at least one beverage making component configured to receive a liquid to make the beverage using the liquid;

a liquid flow path in fluid communication with the at least one beverage making component and configured to provide the liquid to the at least one beverage making component, the liquid flow path comprising:

an inlet configured to receive untreated liquid, the inlet comprising

A first sensor assembly configured to generate a first electrical signal indicative of a purity of the untreated liquid;

a filter assembly positioned between the inlet and the at least one beverage making member and configured to filter the untreated liquid; and

A second sensor assembly positioned between the filter assembly and the at least one beverage making component to generate a second electrical signal indicative of the purity of the treated liquid; and

a controller is coupled with the first sensor assembly and the second sensor assembly and configured to monitor performance of the filter assembly based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal.

2. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the conductivity of the untreated liquid based on the first electrical signal and the conductivity of the treated liquid from the filter assembly based on the second signal.

3. The appliance of claim 2, wherein each of the first and second sensor assemblies comprises a first electrode and a second electrode, the first and second electrodes being spaced apart from each other.

4. The appliance of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured such that the first electrode has a higher potential than the second electrode during a first set of one or more cycles and such that the second electrode has a higher potential than the first electrode during a second set of one or more cycles.

5. The appliance of claim 3, wherein the first and second electrodes of each sensor assembly are configured to be alternately powered by the controller such that one of the electrodes receives a voltage from the controller and the other electrode is grounded, wherein the controller is configured to reverse the polarity of the electrodes after one or more cycles of determining the conductivity.

6. The appliance of any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the first electrical signal is detected at the first electrode of the first sensor assembly and the second electrical signal is detected at the first electrode of the second sensor assembly.

7. The appliance of claim 6, wherein the first electrical signal corresponds to a voltage across the first electrode and the second electrode of the first sensor assembly; and the second electrical signal corresponds to a voltage detected across the first electrode and the second electrode of the second sensor assembly.

8. The appliance of claim 7, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determining a conductivity of the untreated liquid based on the voltage detected by the first sensor assembly and a configuration of the first electrode and the second electrode of the first sensor assembly; and

The conductivity of the treated liquid is determined based on the voltage detected by the second sensor assembly and a configuration of the first electrode and the second electrode of the second sensor assembly.

9. The appliance of claim 8, wherein the configuration of the electrodes comprises at least one of a shape of the electrodes, a size of the electrodes, and a distance between the electrodes.

10. The appliance of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid flow path further comprises at least one temperature sensor assembly coupled with the controller.

11. The appliance of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to determine a temperature of the liquid before and/or after treatment by the filter assembly.

12. The appliance of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to:

determining the conductivity of the untreated liquid based on the first electrical signal and the temperature of the liquid; and

the electrical conductivity of the treated liquid is determined based on the second electrical signal and the temperature of the liquid.

13. The appliance of claim 1, wherein each of the first sensor assembly and the second sensor assembly is an inductive sensor comprising a first coil spaced apart from a second coil, wherein the first coil induces a current in the second coil when the first coil is powered by the controller; and wherein the controller is further configured to determine the purity of the liquid based on the induced current in the second coil.

14. The appliance of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to:

determining the performance of the filter assembly if the conductivity of the untreated liquid is below a conductivity threshold; and

if the conductivity of the untreated liquid is above the conductivity threshold, the process of determining the performance of the filter assembly is bypassed.

15. The appliance of claim 12, wherein the controller is configured to determine the performance of the filter assembly by comparing a difference between the conductivity of the treated liquid and the conductivity of the untreated liquid to a threshold.

16. The appliance of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to determine an expected lifetime of the filter assembly based on a plurality of conductivity values for the untreated liquid record and a plurality of corresponding conductivity values for the treated liquid record.

17. A method of controlling an appliance for making a beverage, the appliance having at least one beverage making member that uses a liquid to make the beverage, a liquid flow path integrally formed with the at least one beverage making member and providing the liquid to the at least one beverage making member, and a filter assembly configured for the appliance and filtering the liquid in the liquid flow path, the method comprising:

Determining a first electrical signal indicative of purity of untreated liquid in the liquid flow path;

determining a second electrical signal indicative of a purity of a treated liquid in the liquid flow path, the treated liquid being provided to the at least one beverage making component; and

the performance of the filter assembly is monitored based on the first electrical signal and the second electrical signal.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining conductivity of the untreated liquid based on the first electrical signal and a configuration of a sensor assembly generating the first electrical signal; and

the conductivity of the treated liquid is determined based on the second signal and a configuration of a sensor assembly that generates the second electrical signal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the conductivity is determined based on a temperature of the liquid in the liquid flow path.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining the performance of the filter assembly if the conductivity of the untreated liquid is above a conductivity threshold; and

if the conductivity of the untreated liquid is below the conductivity threshold, the process of determining the performance of the filter assembly is bypassed.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising utilizing a threshold to determine the performance of the filter assembly based on a difference between the conductivity of the treated liquid and the conductivity of the untreated liquid.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining an expected lifetime of the filter assembly based on a plurality of conductivity values for the untreated liquid record and a plurality of corresponding conductivity values for the treated liquid record.

23. A method of controlling an appliance for descaling using a descaling agent, the method comprising:

determining a first ion content value indicative of an ion content of a liquid in at least one container of the appliance;

determining whether the appliance is in a descaling mode;

determining a type of the liquid using the determined first ion content value based on determining that the appliance is in a descaling mode; and

controlling descaling of the appliance based on the determined type of liquid.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the first ion content value corresponds to at least one of a conductivity value and a magnetic permeability value.

25. The method of claim 23 or 24, further comprising selecting one of a plurality of descaling settings of the appliance in response to the first ion content value, each setting of the plurality of descaling settings comprising a respective duration of performing descaling and a respective temperature during descaling.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising increasing the temperature during descaling and/or increasing the duration of descaling. The method preferably comprises reducing the temperature during descaling and/or reducing the duration of descaling.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein controlling further comprises causing the appliance to instruct a user to adjust the detergent in response to the determined first ion content value.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein controlling further comprises causing the appliance to instruct a user to dilute or add more of the detergent in response to the determined first ion content value.

29. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

determining another ion content value indicative of the ion content of a liquid used in the appliance; and

determining whether descaling of the appliance has been completed based on the other ion content value.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the another ion content value is determined for the liquid in the at least one container, wherein the first ion content value and the another ion content value are determined at different times.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the further ion content value is determined in at least one further container of the appliance.

32. An appliance for making a beverage, the appliance comprising:

at least one container configured to receive a liquid;

a sensor assembly configured to generate an electrical signal indicative of an ion content of a liquid in the container; and

a controller coupled with the sensor assembly and configured to control descaling of the appliance, wherein the controller is configured to:

determining a first ion content value indicative of an ion content of the liquid in the at least one container of the appliance based on the generated electrical signal;

determining whether the appliance is in a descaling mode;

in response to determining that the appliance is in the descaling mode, determining a type of detergent based on the determined first ion content value; and

and controlling descaling of the appliance based on the determined type of the liquid.

33. The appliance of claim 32, wherein the first ion content value corresponds to at least one of a conductivity value and a magnetic permeability value.

34. The appliance of claim 32 or 33, wherein the controller is further configured to select one of a plurality of descaling settings of the appliance in response to the first ion content value, each setting of the plurality of descaling settings comprising a respective duration of performing descaling and a temperature during descaling.

35. The appliance of claim 34, wherein the controller is configured to increase at least one of a temperature during descaling and a duration of descaling.

36. The appliance of claim 34, wherein the controller is configured to reduce at least one of a temperature during descaling and a duration of descaling.

37. The appliance of claim 32, further comprising a user interface, wherein the controller is further configured to: causing the user interface to provide an indication to the user to adjust the detergent in response to the detected concentration of the detergent, wherein the controller is configured to provide an indication to the user to dilute the detergent in response to the detected high concentration of the detergent; and providing an indication to the user to add more detergent in response to the detected low concentration of detergent.

38. The appliance of claim 32, wherein the controller is further configured to:

39. The appliance of claim 38, wherein the controller is configured to determine another ion content value in the container, wherein the first ion content value and the another ion content value are determined by the controller at different times.

40. The appliance of claim 38, wherein the controller is configured to determine the another ion content value in at least one other container of the appliance.

41. A method of controlling an appliance for making a beverage, the method comprising:

determining a class of the liquid based on the determined first ion content value, the class being determined from a plurality of classes including an impure liquid class, a pure liquid class, and a detergent class;

the appliance is controlled based on the determined class of liquid.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the detergent class can include a plurality of subclasses including a low concentration detergent subclass, a normal concentration detergent subclass, and a high concentration detergent subclass.

43. The method of claim 41 or claim 42, wherein controlling the appliance comprises causing a user interface of the appliance to instruct a user to remove at least a portion of a filter assembly if the determined class of liquid is a detergent class.

44. The method of claim 41, wherein controlling comprises:

determining whether to replace at least a portion of a filter assembly of the appliance based on at least the first ion content value; and

responsive to the determination, causing a user interface of the appliance to indicate to a user that the at least a portion of the filter assembly is to be replaced in response to the first ion content value.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein determining whether to replace the at least a portion of the filter assembly of the appliance further comprises:

comparing the first ion content value to a first threshold value;

determining a second ion content value based on an electrical signal from a sensor assembly located downstream of the filter assembly if the first ion content value is above the first threshold;

comparing the second ion content value with the first ion content value; and

determining whether to replace the at least a portion of the filter assembly based on a comparison between the second ion content value and the first ion content value.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein:

determining that the liquid belongs to the pure liquid if the first ion content value is below a first threshold value;

Determining that the liquid belongs to the impurity category if the first ion content value is above the first threshold and below a second threshold; and

if the first ion content value is above the second threshold value, determining that the liquid belongs to the detergent class.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein controlling comprises: if it is determined that the liquid belongs to the detergent class, adjusting a descaling configuration of the appliance based on the first ion content value.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein controlling comprises: at least one of a temperature and a duration associated with the descaling configuration is adjusted in proportion to the first ion content value in response to determining that the liquid belongs to the detergent class.

49. An appliance for making a beverage, the appliance having a controller configured to perform the method of any one of claims 41 to 48.

50. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the first sensor assembly is positioned at least partially within a tank of the appliance, and wherein the second sensor assembly is an inline sensor assembly including a temperature sensor.