MOTOR VEHICLE HAVING A DEVICE FOR PREPARING A BEVERAGE AND METHOD FOR PREPARING A BEVERAGE

Abstract

A motor vehicle is provided) with at least one fuel cell and a device for preparing a beverage, which has a steam and/or liquid dispenser for dispensing a liquid into a vessel. A supply line is provided between the at least one fuel cell and the steam and/or liquid dispenser for supplying product water generated in the at least one fuel cell to the steam and/or liquid dispenser. A method for preparing a beverage is also provided.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle, comprising: a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cells, wherein the fuel cell stack is formed to drive the motor vehicle; and a device for preparing a beverage, wherein the device for preparing a beverage has a steam and/or liquid dispenser for dispensing a steam and/or a liquid into a vessel, wherein a supply line is provided between the fuel cell stack and the steam and/or liquid dispenser for supplying product water generated in the fuel cell stack to the steam and/or liquid dispenser, wherein the device for preparing a beverage is integrated into a dashboard of a vehicle interior of the motor vehicle and has a flavor container formed as a drawer into which a batch of substance to be extracted can be filled and/or inserted, and the flavor container is located upstream or downstream of the steam and/or liquid dispenser in such a way that the product water is passed through the flavor container and thus through the batch of substance for its flavoring prior to discharging into the vessel.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a steam and/or liquid reservoir which is connected to the supply line or is coupled with the same in a fluid-mechanical manner for storing the product water is arranged between the at least one fuel cell and the steam and/or liquid dispenser.

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the steam and/or liquid reservoir comprises a filter element for processing the product water.

4. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein an additive reservoir is associated with the steam and/or liquid reservoir for supplying additives to the product water.

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the steam and/or liquid reservoir has a discharge line for discharging product water.

6. (canceled)

7. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a control and operating element is provided for voice-controlled, or gesture-controlled or touch-controlled control of the device.

8. A method for preparing a beverage in a motor vehicle including: a fuel cell stack including a plurality of fuel cells, wherein the fuel cell stack is formed to drive the motor vehicle; and a device for preparing a beverage, wherein the device for preparing a beverage has a steam and/or liquid dispenser for dispensing a steam and/or a liquid into a vessel, wherein a supply line is provided between the fuel cell stack and the steam and/or liquid dispenser for supplying product water generated in the fuel cell stack to the steam and/or liquid dispenser; wherein the device for preparing a beverage is arranged in a vehicle interior of the motor vehicle and has a flavor container into which a batch of substance to be extracted can be filled and/or inserted, and the flavor container is located upstream or downstream of the steam and/or liquid dispenser in such a way that the product water is passed through the flavor container and thus through the batch of substance for its flavoring prior to discharging into the vessel, the method comprising: guiding the product water generated in the fuel cell stack to the steam and/or liquid dispenser; providing the batch of substance in the flavor container; flavoring the product water by guiding the product water through the flavor container; and using the steam and/or liquid dispenser to dispense a predetermined or predeterminable amount of the flavored product water into the vessel.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: supplying at least one additive to the product water.

10. (canceled)

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: filtering the product water.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Further advantages, features, and details of embodiments of the invention are evident from the claims, the following description of embodiments, and the drawings.

[0023] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a motor vehicle with a device for preparing a beverage;

[0024] FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of the steam and/or liquid reservoir of FIG. 1;

[0025] and

[0026] FIG. 3 shows a schematic front view of the device of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0027] FIG. 1 shows a motor vehicle 1 with a fuel cell stack 13 having a plurality of fuel cells 2 and with a device 3 for preparing a beverage, in particular a hot beverage. In FIG. 3, the front view of the device 3 is illustrated schematically. Said device 3 is arranged in the vehicle interior and may be integrated into the dashboard. In an alternative embodiment, the device 3 can also be integrated into the center console or attached to it. The device 3 comprises a steam and/or liquid dispenser 4 for dispensing a liquid into a vessel 5. The vessel 5 is formed as a cup, beaker, drinking glass or the like. A flavor container 11 is arranged between the steam and/or liquid dispenser 4 and the vessel 5 for flavoring the water in such a way that the water is passed through the flavor container 11 before the liquid is dispensed into the vessel 5. A batch of substance to be extracted can be filled and/or inserted into the flavor container 11, which may be formed as a drawer. The charge of substance can be coffee or tea or a flavored powder. It can be in loose form or as a cup or as a pad. To operate the device 3, a control and operating element 12 is provided, which in the present embodiment is formed as a button and thus enables touch-controlled control of the device 3.

[0028] FIG. 1 also shows that a supply line 6 is provided between the fuel cell stack 13 and the steam and/or liquid dispenser 4 of the device 3 for supplying product water generated in the fuel cell stack 13 to the steam and/or liquid dispenser 4. As a result, the product water generated in any case in the fuel cell stack 13 can be used to prepare a beverage instead of being discharged from the motor vehicle 1 unused. At the same time, the product water generated by the fuel cell stack 13 has a temperature of 70° to 90°, so that the product water already has the optimum consumption temperature for a hot beverage and does not have to be additionally heated.

[0029] In order to keep an adequate amount of water available, a steam and/or liquid reservoir 7 connected to the supply line 6 for storing the product water is arranged between the fuel cell stack 13 and the steam and/or liquid dispenser 4. As illustrated in FIG. 2, an exchangeable filter element 8 is in turn arranged in the steam and/or liquid reservoir 7 for processing the product water. The filter element 8 comprises gravel and/or stone and/or plastic and/or metal and/or sand. Alternatively, it can also comprise activated carbon or an ion exchange material. The reservoir can also have a heating device in order to heat the contents of the reservoir should it have cooled down. In addition, an additive reservoir 9 is associated with the steam and/or liquid reservoir 7. In order to supply additives to the product water, the additive reservoir 9 is connected to the steam and/or liquid reservoir 7 via an additive line 14. The additives can be both minerals, which are used to adjust the pH value and to adjust the electrical conductivity of the product water, in order to improve the drinking water quality, or also represent additives such as vitamins.

[0030] In order to keep the water in the steam and/or liquid reservoir 7 fresh or to ensure the water quality and/or to prevent the steam and/or liquid reservoir 7 from overflowing, a discharge line 10 is provided to discharge (excess) product water from the motor vehicle 1.

[0031] The method for preparing a beverage, in particular a hot beverage, in a motor vehicle 1 with the device 3 described above comprises the steps explained below. The product water generated in the fuel cell stack 13 is fed into the steam and/or liquid reservoir 7 via the supply line 6. There it is filtered by the filter element 8 and, if necessary, additives from the additive reservoir 9 are added to the product water to improve the water quality. The water quality may be monitored by a sensor, not shown. By actuating the control and operating element 12 formed as a button, the product water generated by the fuel cell stack 13 is guided through the supply line 6 to the steam and/or liquid dispenser 4. In a first embodiment, a corresponding batch of substance is provided in the flavor container 11 by actuating the control and operating element 12. Alternatively or additionally, the batch of substance can also be manually filled into the flavor container 11 before the control and operating element 12 is actuated. Before the product water is dispensed into the vessel 5, it is guided from the steam and/or liquid dispenser through the flavor container 11 and thus through the batch of substance and is thereby flavored.

[0032] Aspects and features of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the claims to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all possible embodiments along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.