Multi-beverage brewer with on-demand variable brew water temperature and method
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
A47J-031/40
H05B-003/02
출원번호
US-0248194
(2008-10-09)
등록번호
US-8225708
(2012-07-24)
발명자
/ 주소
Lassota, Michael W.
Lassota, Zbigniew G.
출원인 / 주소
Food Equipment Technologies Company Inc.
대리인 / 주소
Potthast, James W.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
13인용 특허 :
1
초록▼
A beverage brewer (10) with a temperature selectable dispense system having an on-demand hot water heating chamber assembly (30) with a hot water chamber body (86) having a volume substantially less than the volume of beverage brewed during a single brew cycle, a heating element (98) to quickly and
A beverage brewer (10) with a temperature selectable dispense system having an on-demand hot water heating chamber assembly (30) with a hot water chamber body (86) having a volume substantially less than the volume of beverage brewed during a single brew cycle, a heating element (98) to quickly and substantially alter the water temperature in the chamber body during a single brew cycle and a microprocessor controller (38) for controlling the heating element in response to temperature sensors (40, 42). The controller (38) controls the brewer (10) to brew different types of beverages, with dispense water at different preselected temperatures in response to a manually actuatable switch (72, 74, 76 and 78). The temperature of the dispense water may also be changed from a hotter temperature at the beginning of a brew cycle to a lower temperature during an end portion of the same brew cycle.
대표청구항▼
1. In a beverage brewer having a brew basket assembly for holding ingredient to be brewed and a dispense head for passing water onto a layer of ingredient supported within the brew basket assembly during a dispense period of a brew cycle, the improvement being a temperature selectable dispense syste
1. In a beverage brewer having a brew basket assembly for holding ingredient to be brewed and a dispense head for passing water onto a layer of ingredient supported within the brew basket assembly during a dispense period of a brew cycle, the improvement being a temperature selectable dispense system, comprising: means for preselecting at least one temperature;an on-demand hot water heating chamber assembly having a hollow, hot water chamber for holding water to be heated,an inlet to the hot water chamber connectable with a source of unheated water,an outlet of the chamber connected with the dispense head,means for heating water within the chamber at a rate sufficient to maintain the temperature of water passing out of the outlet at the preselected temperature while unheated water at a temperature less than the preselected temperature enters the inlet during the dispense period, andmeans for sensing the temperature of the water within the chamber;a microprocessor controller responsive to the temperature selecting means and to the temperature sensing means to control the heating means as needed to maintain water being passed from the outlet at the preselected temperature during at least a part of the dispense period. 2. The beverage brewer of claim 1 in which during each dispense period, a preselected quantity of water is passed to the brew basket to brew a preselected batch volume of freshly brewed beverage, andthe volume of the hollow chamber is significantly less than the preselected batch volume. 3. The beverage brewer of claim 2 in which the ratio of the hot water chamber volume to the batch volume is approximately 0.6. 4. The beverage brewer of claim 3 in which the batch volume is approximately one of (1) one half gallon, (b) one gallon and (c) one and one half gallon. 5. The beverage brewer of claim 4 in which the heating means is an electrical heating element with a power rating of approximately 2.4 kilowatts. 6. The beverage brewer of claim 4 in which the heating means includes an electrical heating element contained within the hollow hot water chamber that generates approximately seventy-five watts of heating power per square inch of surface area of the heating element. 7. The beverage brewer of claim 1 in which the means for heating includes an electrical heating element contained within the hollow hot water chamber. 8. The beverage brewer of claim 1 in which the hollow body of the hot water chamber has a central axis of symmetry, andthe heating means is an elongate electrical heating element extending along the central axis of symmetry. 9. The beverage brewer of claim 1 in which the hollow chamber has an inlet end that is sealed closed except for the inlet and an outlet end spaced oppositely of the inlet end that is sealed closed except for the outlet, andthe heating means is an electrical heating element with a pair of electrical connectors that are respectively mounted to both the inlet end and the outlet end and accessible for electrical contact from without the hollow body. 10. The beverage brewer of claim 1 in which the temperature sensing means includes at least one temperature sensor,means for mounting the at least one temperature sensor adjacent the outlet end and within the hollow hot water chamber, andan electrical contact for making electrical contact with the one temperature sensor on an exterior surface of the chamber. 11. The beverage brewer of claim 10 in which the temperature sensing means includes another temperature sensor,means for mounting the other temperature sensor substantially spaced from the one temperature sensor, andanother electrical contact for making electrical contact with other temperature sensor at an exterior surface of the chamber. 12. The beverage brewer of claim 1 in which the selecting means includes means for selecting another temperature at which the temperature is to be maintained at the end of the dispense period, andthe microprocessor controller is responsive to the other temperature to control the heating means as needed to maintain water passing from the outlet of the chamber at the end of the dispense period. 13. The beverage brewer of claim 12 in which the one temperature is higher than the other temperature. 14. The beverage brewer of claim 13 in which the two different types of beverages are selected from black tea, green tea, and different type of coffee and the controller causes the on-demand selecting means to heat the dispense water to approximately 165 degrees Fahrenheit degrees when green tea has been selected, to heat the dispense water to approximately 210 Fahrenheit degrees when black tea has been selected, and to heat the dispense water to 205 Fahrenheit degrees when one type of coffee is selected and to heat the dispense water to a different temperature when another type of coffee is selected. 15. The beverage brewer of claim 1 including an inlet connection assembly for connecting the inlet to a source of pressurized water including a flow meter for measuring the quantity of water being passed from the water source and the inlet, anda control valve connected in series relationship between the water source and the inlet, entry of water through the inlet forcing water out of the outlet and into the brew basket. 16. The beverage brewer of claim 1 in which the hot water chamber has enclosing side walls extending between theinlet and the outlet and the heating means includes a heating element spaced from the side walls to allow water within the hot water chamber to surround the heating element. 17. The beverage brewer of claim 1 in which the microprocessor controller is programmed to normally maintaining the water within the hot water chamber at a lowest one of the at least two different temperatures prior to start of a brew cycle. 18. The beverage brewer of claim 1 in which the microprocessor controller is programmed to automatically return the temperature of the water within the hot water chamber to a lowest one of the at least two temperatures by at least no later than the completion of a brew cycle in which the water had been maintained at a higher one of the at least two temperatures. 19. The beverage brewer of claim 18 in which the microprocessor controller is programmed to automatically return the temperature of the water within the hot water chamber to a lowest one of the of the at least two temperatures by at least no later than the end of a dispense period of a brew cycle in which the water had been maintained at a higher one of the at least two temperatures. 20. A beverage brewer for brewing different types of beverages, comprising: a brew basket assembly for selectively holding different beverage ingredients;a manual selection switch for selectively starting different brew cycles associated with different beverage ingredients;a dispense system for dispensing hot water onto the ingredient within the brew basket assembly at different selectable temperatures; anda controller programmed to control the dispense system to dispense the hot water during a brew cycle at the different selectable temperatures that are optimal temperatures associated with the different beverage ingredients in response to the manual selection switch. 21. A beverage brewer for brewing different types of beverages, comprising: a brew basket assembly for selectively holding different beverage ingredients;a manual selection switch for selectively starting different brew cycles associated with different beverage ingredients;a dispense system for dispensing hot water onto the ingredient within the brew basket assemblya controller programmed to control the dispense system to dispense the hot water during a brew cycle at different optimal temperatures associated with the different beverage ingredients in response to the manual selection switch, the controller automatically lowersing the temperature to the lowest temperature associated with one of the different ingredients at least by the end of a prior brew cycle in which a beverage ingredient having an associated optimal temperature that is higher than the lowest temperature had been selected. 22. A beverage brewer for brewing different types of beverages, comprising: a brew basket assembly for selectively holding different beverage ingredients;a manual selection switch for selectively starting different brew cycles associated with different beverage ingredients;a dispense system for dispensing hot water onto the ingredient within the brew basket assemblya controller programmed to control the dispense system to dispense the hot water during a brew cycle at different optimal temperatures associated with the different beverage ingredients in response to the manual selection switch, the controller automatically lowering the temperature to the lowest temperature associated with one of the different ingredients at least by the end of a dispense period of prior brew cycle in which a beverage ingredient having an associated optimal temperature that is higher than the lowest temperature had been selected. 23. The beverage brewer of claim 20 including a heating chamber through which the hot water is passed to the brew basket assembly, and in whichthe amount of water that is passed to the brew basket assembly during a dispense period of a brew cycle is substantially more than the maximum quantity that can be held by the heating chamber.
연구과제 타임라인
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
LOADING...
이 특허에 인용된 특허 (1)
Stan M Clean CA; Denis Gravel CA; Robert Declos CA, Beverage brewing apparatus having automatic and semi-automatic brewing modes.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.