Hot coffee dispenser

• US 4,015,749 A
• Filed: 04/03/1975
• Issued: 04/05/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jet Spray Cooler Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Jet Spray Cooler Incorporated
• Inventors: Arzberger, William A., Lalumiere, Edward J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shannon, John P.
• Application Number:
  US05/564,772
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 222/129, 222/129.1, 222/129.2, 222/129.3, 222/129.4, 222/135, 222/145, 222/146 HE, 222/146 R, 222/412, 222/70, 98/45, 98/46, 123/122 B, 123/122 F, 302/50, 302/52
• US Class Current: 222/640
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/401 whereby the powder ingredients and the water are delivered to a mixing bowl

Abstract

A coffee machine for dispensing automatically individual cup portions and pot size portions of coffee, as well as dispensing continuous flow of coffee and continuous flow of hot water comprising a housing with a hot water tank, a freeze-dried coffee concentrate hopper, and a mixing assembly for receiving the hot water and concentrate. A heating device is associated with the discharge passage from the hopper to prevent caking of the particles at the outlet, which would interfere with the proper metering of the coffee concentrate.

Claims

1. A coffee dispensing machine comprising:

a housing and a hot water tank in said housing,

a hopper assembly comprising a hopper for containing powder coffee concentrate on said housing,

an outlet passage in the bottom portion of said hopper assembly for discharging selected amounts of powder coffee from said hopper,

a mixing assembly mounted on said housing adjacent said outlet passage and positioned to receive both powder discharged through said passage and water from the tank,

a heat conducting block formed of good heat conducting material and surrounding said outlet passage and when heated maintaining the outlet passage and region in the hopper assembly adjacent the passage hot and dry,

a heat tube having a discharge end disposed adjacent the outlet passage,

heating means in the housing causing heated air to flow through the tube to its discharge end to heat said block and outlet passage,

a deflector connected to the block immediately adjacent the outlet passage,

said heating means being operatively associated with the block for heating the block and passing a stream of heated air to said block in a direction toward said deflector whereby said deflector prevents powder discharged through the passage from flying around the discharge region,

and said outlet passage being formed in said block.

2. A coffee dispensing machine as described in claim 1 further characterized by

said hopper assembly including a container with side and bottom walls,

a trough formed along the bottom wall and inclined baffles on the bottom wall sloping toward the trough for causing powder coffee in the container to flow by gravity into the trough,

an auger in the trough for propelling powder therein toward one end,

and an opening in the container at the end of the trough through which the powder can be propelled by the auger,

said block being connected to said opening with the outlet passage forming a continuation thereof,

said outlet passage having a vertical portion which directs the powder into the mixing assembly.

3. A coffee dispensing machine as described in claim 1 further characterized by

an auger in the hopper assembly for propelling powder toward said outlet passage,

a metering sleeve surrounding said auger for controlling the rate at which powder reaches the auger,

and said outlet passage having a vertical portion which directs the powder into the mixing assembly.

4. A coffee dispensing machine as described in claim 2 further characterized by

a sleeve surrounding said auger and extending from the trough into the outlet passage,

an opening in the sleeve through which powder in the container must pass to reach the auger,

and means connected to the sleeve for turning it in the trough to change the effective size of the opening for varying the rate at which the powder may reach the auger.

5. A coffee dispensing machine as described in claim 1 and further comprising

means including a motor for propelling the coffee powder from the hopper assembly into the outlet passage and mixing assembly,

means including a solenoid valve for controlling the flow of water from the tank to the mixing assembly,

and a control circuit in the housing for the motor and solenoid valve, said circuit having a first switch when manually operated opening the solenoid valve, a second switch when manually operated opening the solenoid and energizing the motor, and a third switch when actuated opening the valve and energizing the motor for a prescribed period to provide portion control for the dispenser.

6. A coffee dispensing machine as described in claim 5 further characterized by

means including yet another switch when actuated opening the valve and energizing the motor for a different prescribed period.

7. A coffee dispensing machine as described in claim 5 further characterized by

the prescribed period being sufficient to fill a single serving of coffee.

8. A coffee dispensing machine as described in claim 6 further characterized by

the first recited prescribed period being sufficient to fill a single serving of coffee and the different prescribed period being sufficient to fill a pot of coffee.

9. A coffee dispensing machine as described in claim 5 further characterized by

adjustable timer means in the circuit for varying the prescribed period.

10. A coffee dispensing machine as described in claim 5 further characterized by

said second and third switches when operated and actuated respectively causing the valve to be open and the motor to run simultaneously.

11. A coffee dispensing machine as described in claim 5 further characterized by

means operatively connected to said circuit for adjusting the prescribed period to vary the portion dispensed by the machine by actuation of the third switch.

12. A coffee dispensing machine as described in claim 5 further characterized by

said motor being a braked gear motor which stops so as to stop the throw of the coffee powder instantly upon deenergization of the motor.

13. A coffee dispensing machine as described in claim 21 further characterized by

said mixing assembly including a funnel-shaped inlet into which the water flows and the coffee powder is deposited from the outlet passage,

a spout connected to the bottom of the funnel-shaped inlet for receiving the mixed water and coffee powder, said spout having an internal passage which is inclined from the horizontal and which terminates in a vertical portion so as to assure complete drainage of all liquid that flows into it from the funnel-shaped inlet.

14. A liquid food dispensing machine comprising:

a housing and a hot water tank in said housing,

a hopper assembly comprising a hopper for containing powder food concentrate on said housing,

an outlet passage in the bottom portion of said hopper assembly for discharging selected amounts of said powder from said hopper,

a mixing assembly having no mechanically moving parts and being mounted on said housing adjacent said outlet passage and positioned to receive both powder discharged through said passage and water from the tank,

said mixing assembly comprising a funnel section and means for maintaining a vortex of water in said section into which said powder drops and is mixed with said water,

a heat conducting block formed of good heat conducting material and surrounding said outlet passage and when heated maintaining the outlet passage and region in the hopper assembly adjacent the passage hot and dry,

a heat tube having a discharge end disposed adjacent the outlet passage,

heating means in the housing causing heated air to flow through the tube to its discharge end to heat said block and outlet passage,

a deflector connected to the block immediately adjacent the outlet passage,

said heating means being operatively associated with the block for heating the block and passing a stream of heated air to said block in a direction toward said deflector whereby said deflector prevents powder discharged through the passage from flying around the discharge region,

and said outlet passage being formed in said block.

15. A coffee dispensing machine comprising

a housing and a hot water tank in said housing,

a hopper assembly for containing powder coffee concentrate on said housing,

an outlet passage in the bottom portion of said hopper assembly for discharging selected amounts of powder coffee from said hopper,

a mixing assembly mounted on said housing below said outlet passage and positioned to receive both powder discharged through said passage and water from the tank,

a trough in the bottom of the hopper assembly communicating with the outlet passage,

an auger in the trough for moving powder in the hopper to the outlet passage,

an adjustable sleeve metering device operatively associated with the trough for controlling the rate at which powder in the hopper assembly falls into the trough,

said adjustable sleeve having means extending out of said trough for enabling hand adjustment of said device.