IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0744502
(2007-05-04)
|
등록번호 |
US-8534186
(2013-09-17)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Glucksman, Dov Z
- Nickerson, Laura J
- McGonagle, Gary P
- Belanger, David N
|
출원인 / 주소 |
- Appliance Development Corporation
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
24 인용 특허 :
15 |
초록
▼
Automatic apparatus for brewing a hot beverage. A control system causes a heater that is integral with a beverage container to elevate the water temperature to a predetermined brewing temperature while infusible material in an infuser basket is isolated from the liquid. When the brewing temperature
Automatic apparatus for brewing a hot beverage. A control system causes a heater that is integral with a beverage container to elevate the water temperature to a predetermined brewing temperature while infusible material in an infuser basket is isolated from the liquid. When the brewing temperature is achieved, the controller causes a positioner assembly to submerge the infuser basket in the heated liquid. The control system maintains the liquid at a predetermined brewing temperature. After a predetermined brewing interval, the control system causes the positioner assembly to raise the infuser basket thereby to isolate the infusible material from the brewed beverage. Thereafter the control system may maintain the beverage temperature at an optimal serving temperature.
대표청구항
▼
1. Apparatus for brewing a beverage from an infusible material and a liquid during a brewing interval, said apparatus comprising: A) beverage container means for containing the liquid including means for pouring the beverage therefrom,B) base means for detachably supporting said beverage container m
1. Apparatus for brewing a beverage from an infusible material and a liquid during a brewing interval, said apparatus comprising: A) beverage container means for containing the liquid including means for pouring the beverage therefrom,B) base means for detachably supporting said beverage container means during the brewing interval, said beverage container means being removable from said base means for pouring brewed beverage therefrom,C) infuser basket means for containing the infusible material,D) heater means in said beverage container means for heating the liquid in said beverage container means to a brewing temperature, andE) electro-mechanical positioning means attached to said infuser basket means and responsive to the liquid reaching the brewing temperature for controlling the submerging of said infuser basket means in the liquid for the brewing interval and for controlling the removal of said infuser basket means to an emerged location from the liquid upon completion of the brewing interval, said beverage container means including handle means for lifting said beverage container means to pour brewed beverage therefrom, said handle means supporting a portion of said electro-mechanical positioning means. 2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 additionally including means for attaching said heater means to said beverage container means as an integral part thereof. 3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said heater means includes an electrical heater, said apparatus additionally including complementary releasable electrical connector means on said heater means and said base means for enabling said beverage container means to be removed from and replaced on said base means. 4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein said heater means includes an outer semispherical shell that contacts liquid in said beverage container means. 5. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said electro-mechanical positioning means additionally includes control means for locating said infuser basket means proximate and above said heater means at the submerged position. 6. Apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said control means additionally includes brewing temperature control means for controlling said heater means to maintain the contents of said beverage container means at a liquid temperature optimized for the beverage being brewed. 7. Apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said control means additionally includes means for establishing a serving temperature for the contents of said beverage container means to be maintained after the beverage is brewed. 8. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said beverage container means includes cover means for closing said beverage container means, said cover means being shaped to receive said infuser basket means in the emerged position. 9. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 said electro-mechanical positioning means and said infuser basket means include complementary releasable attachment means thereon whereby said infuser basket means can be attached and detached from said electro-mechanical positioning means. 10. Apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said complementary releasable attachment means include a magnetic pickup on said infuser basket means and, on said electro-mechanical positioning means: i) a magnet,ii) a flexible connector attached to said magnet,iii) a shuttle attached to said flexible connector, andiv) a bidirectional drive that moves said shuttle in a linear fashion between first and second positions corresponding to the emerged and submerged positions, respectively. 11. Apparatus as recited in claim 5 wherein said control means additionally includes control means for creating convective currents as best suited for the extraction process. 12. Apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said complementary releasable attachment means include a magnetic element and a paramagnetic element. 13. Apparatus for brewing a beverage by infusing an infusible material with a liquid during a brewing interval, said apparatus comprising: A) a beverage container for the liquid that includes a handle, a spout for pouring the beverage therefrom and electrical contacts,B) a base that includes electrical contacts and means for locating said beverage container on said base whereby said electrical contacts on said base and beverage container align and enable said beverage container to be removed from said base,C) a heater in said beverage container for heating the liquid in said beverage container to a predetermined brewing temperature,D) an infuser basket having a permeable body for the infusible material, andE) an electro-mechanical positioner attached to said infuser basket to lower said infuser basket into the liquid during the brewing interval and to raise said infuser basket from the beverage container contents to an emerged location upon completion of the brewing interval whereby both the lowering and raising operations occur in a controlled manner and wherein said beverage container handle enables said beverage container to be lifted from said base to pour brewed beverage therefrom and supports a portion of said electro-mechanical positioning means. 14. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein said beverage container includes a hinged cover shaped to receive said infuser basket in the emerged position. 15. Apparatus as recited in claim 13 wherein said electro-mechanical positioner and said infuser basket include complementary releasable attachment elements thereon whereby said infuser basket can be attached and detached from said electro-mechanical positioner. 16. Apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein said releasable attachment elements include a magnetic pickup on said infuser basket and on said electro-mechanical positioner: i) a magnet,ii) a flexible connector attached to said magnet,iii) a shuttle attached to said flexible connector,iv) a bidirectional drive that moves said shuttle in a linear fashion between first and second positions corresponding to the emerged and submerged positions, respectively. 17. Apparatus as recited in claim 16 wherein said beverage container includes a handle for lifting said beverage container to pour brewed beverage therefrom and a cover that closes said beverage container means, said handle supporting said bidirectional drive and said shuttle and including guides that guide said flexible connector to said magnet through said handle and said cover and wherein said infuser basket includes a paramagnetic plate for attaching to said magnet. 18. Apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein said complementary releasable attachment elements include a magnetic element and a paramagnetic element. 19. Apparatus for brewing a beverage from an infusible material and a liquid during a brewing interval, said apparatus comprising: A) beverage container means for containing the liquid including means for pouring the beverage therefrom,B) base means for detachably supporting said beverage container means during the brewing interval, said beverage container means being removable from said base means for pouring brewed beverage therefrom,C) infuser basket means for containing the infusible material,D) heater means in said beverage container means for heating the liquid in said beverage container means to a brewing temperature, andE) electro-mechanical positioning means for controlling the submerging of said infuser basket means in the liquid for the brewing interval and for controlling the removal of said infuser basket means to an emerged location from the liquid upon completion of the brewing interval, said positioning means and said infuser basket means including complementary releasable attachment means including a magnetic pickup on said infuser basket means and on said positioning means: i) a magnet,ii) a flexible connector attached to said magnet,iii) a shuttle attached to said flexible connector,iv) a bidirectional drive that moves said shuttle in a linear fashion between first and second positions corresponding to the emerged and submerged positions, respectively whereby said infuser basket means can be attached and detached from said electro-mechanical positioner means. 20. Apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein said beverage container means includes handle means for lifting said beverage container means to pour brewed beverage therefrom and cover means for closing said beverage container means, said handle means supporting said bidirectional drive and said shuttle and including means for guiding said flexible connector to said magnet through said handle means and said cover means and wherein said infuser basket means includes a paramagnetic plate for attaching to said magnet.
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