초록 ▼

Briefly, and in accordance with the foregoing, disclosed is a spray head for use with, in combination with a beverage making apparatus, as a replacement for other spray heads and a method of using a spray head. The spray head receives liquid from a liquid dispensing path of the beverage making appar

Briefly, and in accordance with the foregoing, disclosed is a spray head for use with, in combination with a beverage making apparatus, as a replacement for other spray heads and a method of using a spray head. The spray head receives liquid from a liquid dispensing path of the beverage making apparatus and distributes liquid over a beverage making substance retained proximate the spray head. The spray head includes two pieces, a first piece for connection to the liquid dispensing path and the second piece which is flexible and removable attachable to the first piece. A cavity is defined between the first and second pieces. Water received form the liquid dispensing path collects in the cavity. The second piece or body portion includes a plurality of holes for dispensing and distributing water from the cavity over the beverage substance. The spray head is removable from the beverage making apparatus for facilitating direct contact and flexion cleaning of the surfaces of at least the body portion of the spray head to remove particles and mineral deposits therefrom.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A spray head assembly for use with a beverage making apparatus to distribute water from the beverage making apparatus over a beverage making substance, the spray head assembly comprising: a first portion having an interior, an exterior, and a periphery, the first portion receiving water from the

1. A spray head assembly for use with a beverage making apparatus to distribute water from the beverage making apparatus over a beverage making substance, the spray head assembly comprising: a first portion having an interior, an exterior, and a periphery, the first portion receiving water from the beverage making apparatus, the first portion being formed of a generally rigid material;a connector generally on the exterior of the first portion configured for connecting the first portion to the beverage making apparatus;a second portion having an interior, an exterior, and an engaging portion configured for selectively removably attaching to at least a portion of the periphery of the first portion, the engaging portion of the second portion being at least partially formed of a flexible elastomeric material, the engaging portion comprising at least one tab configured to allow a user to grip the flexible elastomeric material, pull it and remove the second portion from the first portion, the at least one tab being an enlarged portion of the engaging portion, and the at least one tab overlapping the first portion;the spray head assembly having an operative configuration with the second portion engaged on the first portion defining a cavity generally between the interior of the first portion and the interior of the second portion; anda plurality of passages in the flexible elastomeric material extending from the interior to the exterior of the second portion, water dispensed into the cavity passing out of the cavity through the passages. 2. The spray head assembly of claim 1, further comprising the second portion being formed as a unitary single piece body of at least one elastomeric material. 3. The spray head assembly of claim 1, wherein the engaging portion of the second portion includes an at least partially annular groove for engagement with at least a portion of the periphery of the first portion. 4. The spray head assembly of claim 2, wherein the annular groove defines an inwardly facing generally U-shaped channel carried on the second portion. 5. The spray head assembly of claim 4, wherein the generally annular groove receives and engages the outer periphery of the first portion with a first leg of the U-shaped channel overlying a portion of the exterior of the first portion and a second leg of the U-shaped channel underlying a portion of interior of the first portion for retaining the first portion therebetween. 6. The spray head assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one projection on the exterior of the second portion communicating with and extending from at least one of the passages, the projection having wall defining an interior channel. 7. The spray head assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible material is sufficiently flexible to permit the second portion to be removed from the first portion by hand without use of any implement. 8. The spray head assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible material is sufficiently flexible to permit the second portion to be removed from the first portion by flexing and stretching at least a portion of the second portion to peel the second portion off of the first portion. 9. The spray head assembly of claim 1, wherein the flexible material of the second portion is sufficiently flexible to permit the second portion to be flexed to dislodge mineral or particle accumulation. 10. The spray head assembly of claim 1, wherein the portion of the second portion generally surrounded by the engaging portion has an at least partially arcuate shape. 11. The spray head assembly of claim 6, further comprising the projection interior channel defining an axis along the direction of flow. 12. The spray head assembly of claim 11, whereby a change in water pressure in the cavity will cause a dimensional change in the flexible second portion and change the direction of flow of the water through the projection along the axis. 13. A spray head assembly for use with a beverage making apparatus to distribute water from the beverage making apparatus over a beverage making substance, the spray head assembly comprising: a generally rigid, circular planar first portion defining a periphery;a connector on the first portion for selective attachment to a water supply of a beverage making apparatus;a second portion formed of a flexible elastomeric material;an engaging portion formed as a unitary continuation of the second portion for flexibly engaging the periphery of the first portion in an assembled operative configuration;the first and second portions define a cavity therebetween when in the assembled operative configuration, the cavity having an interior and an exterior; anda plurality of flexible passages extending through the second portion and communicating with the cavity, at least one of the passages forming a cylinder having an axis with the interior end of the cylinder being in a plane that is not perpendicular with the axis and with the exterior end of the cylinder projecting outwardly from the second portion and being in a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis. 14. The spray head assembly of claim 13, further comprising the second portion being formed as a unitary single piece body of at least one elastomeric material. 15. The spray head assembly of claim 13, wherein the engaging portion on the second portion includes a flexible annular groove for engagement the periphery of the first portion. 16. The spray head assembly of claim 15, wherein the annular groove defines an inwardly facing generally U-shaped channel carried on the second portion for receiving and engaging the periphery of the first portion, a first leg of the U-shaped channel overlying a portion of the exterior of the first portion and a second leg of the U-shaped channel underlying a portion of interior of the first portion for retaining the first portion therebetween. 17. The spray head assembly of claim 13, wherein the flexible material is sufficiently flexible to permit the second portion to be removed from the first portion by flexing and stretching at least a portion of the engaging portion of the second portion to peel the second portion off of the first portion. 18. The spray head assembly of claim 13, wherein the flexible material of the second portion is sufficiently flexible to permit the second portion to be flexed to dislodge mineral or particle accumulation. 19. The spray head assembly of claim 13, wherein the portion of the second portion generally surrounded by the engaging portion has a generally arcuate shape. 20. The spray head assembly of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of projections on the exterior of the second portion communicating with and extending from corresponding passages, each projection having a wall defining an interior channel. 21. The spray head assembly of claim 20, further comprising the projection interior channel defining an axis along the direction of flow. 22. The spray head assembly of claim 21, whereby a change in water pressure in the cavity will cause a dimensional change in the flexible second portion and change the direction of flow of the water through the projection along the axis.