Drip coffeemaker hot water generator

• US 4,546,697 A
• Filed: 10/03/1984
• Issued: 10/15/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schaeffer, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): JENKINS, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US06/657,349
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: 99/280-283, 99/307, 99/304, 99/279, 38/77.82, 38/77.83, 219/275, 219/302, 219/283, 165/84, 426/433
• US Class Current: 99/279
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/542 Continuous-flow heaters

Abstract

An electric drip coffeemaker hot water generator wherein a unique self-cleaning water channel construction is provided in an aluminum casting. A plurality of transverse lands and grooves are formed in the walls of the water channel so that mineral deposits that build up on the lands and grooves and other surfaces of the water channel will crack off or flake away in relatively small chips from differential thermal expansion and contraction. The small chips will be flushed through the channel and into the coffee grounds.

Claims

1. In an electric drip coffeemaker wherein a ground coffee basket is positioned above a brewed coffee container and a hot water generator is provided for supplying hot water to the ground coffee basket and wherein the hot water generator includes a metal casting with an electric heating means positioned adjacent to a water channel with one end of the channel having an outlet for the discharge of hot water, the improvement comprising:

a. a plurality of transverse lands and grooves formed in the walls of said water channel so that the rates of thermal expansion and contraction of adjacent areas of the channel are non uniform to cause mineral deposits that build up on the lands and grooves and other surfaces of the water channel to crack off or flake away in relatively small chips from differential thermal expansion and contraction, said lands and grooves being shaped to create turbulent water flow so that the mineral deposits will be flushed through the hot water generator to the ground coffee basket, said lands and grooves also being constructed to increase the surface area of the channel to enhance heat exchange efficiency that results in faster coffee brewing.

2. An electric drip coffeemaker comprising:

a. a ground coffee basket for receiving dry ground coffee and heated brewing water;

b. a metal casting having an upper surface for supporting a brewed coffee container and downwardly extending wall portions for forming a water channel;

c. a sheathed electric heating element cast into the downwardly extending wall portions of said casting;

d. a water channel defined by the downwardly extending walls of said casting positioned adjacent to the cast in sheathed electric heating element, said water channel having an inlet for cold water and an outlet for the discharge of hot water to the ground coffee basket and;

e. a plurality of downwardly extending projections formed in the top wall of said water channel so that the rates of thermal expansion and contraction of adjacent areas of the channel are non uniform to cause mineral deposits that build upon the projections and the other surfaces of the water channel to crack off or flake away in relatively small chips from the differential thermal expansion and contraction of the projections and the other surfaces of the water channel flow so that the mineral deposits will be flushed through the water channel and into the ground coffee basket.

3. An electric drip coffeemaker comprising:

a. a ground coffee basket for receiving dry ground coffee and heated brewing water;

b. a metal casting having an upper surface for supporting a brewed coffee container and downwardly extending wall portions for forming a water channel;

c. a "U" shaped sheathed electric heating element cast into the downwardly extending wall portions of said casting;

d. a "U" shaped water channel defined by the downwardly extending walls of said casting positioned adjacent to the cast in sheathed electric heating element, said water channel having an inlet for cold water and an outlet for the discharge of hot water to the ground coffee basket and;

e. a plurality of downwardly extending "U" shaped projections formed in the top wall of said water channel so that the rates of thermal expansion and contraction of adjacent areas of the channel are non uniform to cause mineral deposits that build up on the projections and the other surfaces of the water channel flow so that the mineral deposits will be flushed through the water channel and into ground coffee basket.

4. An electric drip coffeemaker comprising:

a. a ground coffee basket for receiving dry ground coffee and heated brewing water;

b. a metal casting having an upper surface for supporting a brewed coffee container and downwardly extending wall portions for forming a water channel;

c. a sheathed electric heating element cast into the downwardly extending wall portions of said casting;

d. a water channel defined by the downwardly extending walls of said casting positioned adjacent to the cast in sheathed electric heating element, said water channel having an inlet for cold water and an outlet for the discharge of hot water to the ground coffee basket;

e. a plurality of projections extending downwardly from the top wall of said water channel adjacent to the inlet for cold water so that the rates of thermal expansion and contraction of adjacent areas of the channel are non-uniform to cause mineral deposits that build up on the projections and the other surfaces of the water channel to crack off and flake away in relatively small chips from the differential thermal expansion and contraction of the projections and the other surfaces of the water channel creating turbulent water flow so that the mineral deposits will be flushed through the water channel and into the ground coffee basket.

5. An electric drip coffeemaker comprising:

a. a ground coffee basket for receiving dry ground coffee and heated brewing water;

b. a metal casting having an upper surface for supporting a brewed coffee container and downwardly extending wall portions for forming a water channel;

c. a sheathed electric heating element case into the downwardly extending wall portions of said casting;

d. a water channel defined by the downwardly extending walls of said casting positioned adjacent to the cast in sheathed electric heating element, said water channel having an inlet for cold water and an enlarged outlet for the discharge of hot water to the ground coffee basket and;

e. a plurality of "V" shaped projections extending downwardly from the top wall of said water channel adjacent to the inlet for cold water, the water channel adjacent to said outlet being free from said "V" shaped projections, so that the rates of thermal expansion and contraction of adjacent areas of the channel are non-uniform to cause mineral deposits that build up on the projections and the other surfaces of the water channel to crack off or flake away in relatively small chips from the differential thermal expansion and contraction of the projections and the other surfaces of the water channel creating turbulent water flow so that the mineral deposits will be flushed through the portion of the water channel that is free from said "V" shaped projections through the enlarged outlet and into the ground coffee basket.

6. An electric drip coffeemaker comprising:

a. a ground coffee basket for receiving dry ground coffee and heated brewing water;

b. a metal casting having an upper surface for supporting a brewed coffee container and downwardly extending wall portions for forming a water channel;

c. a sheathed electric heating element cast into the downwardly extending wall portions of said casting;

d. a water channel defined by the downwardly extending walls of said casting positioned adjacent to the cast in sheathed electric heating element, said water channel having an inlet for cold water and an outlet for the discharge of hot water to the ground coffee basket;

e. a plurality of transverse grooves separated by complimentary transverse lands formed in the top and side walls of said water channel so that the rates of thermal expansion and contraction of adjacent areas of the channel are non-uniform to cause mineral deposits that build up on the lands and grooves and the other surfaces of the water channel to crack off or flake away in relatively small chips from the differential thermal expansion and contraction of the lands and grooves and other surfaces of said water channel creating turbulent water flow so that the mineral deposits will be flushed through the water channel and into the ground coffee basket.

7. An electric drip coffeemaker comprising;

a. A ground coffee basket for receiving dry ground coffee and heated brewing water;

b. a metal casting having an upper surface for supporting a brewed coffee container and downwardly extending wall portions for forming a water channel;

c. a sheathed electric heating element cast into the downwardly extending wall portions of said casting;

d. a "U" shaped water channel defined by the downwardly extending walls of said casting positioned adjacent to the cast in sheathed electric heating element, said water channel having an inlet for cold water and an outlet for the discharge of hot water to the ground coffee basket;

e. a plurality of transverse grooves separated by complimentary transverse lands formed in the top and side walls of said water channel and;

f. a plurality of downwardly extending "V" shaped projections formed in said casting with the transverse lands that are located pear the inlet of the water channel so that the rates of thermal expansion and contraction of adjacent areas of the channel are non-uniform to cause mineral deposits that build up on the lands and grooves, "V" shaped projections and the other surfaces of the water channel to crack off or flake away in relatively small chips from the differential thermal expansion and contraction of the lands and grooves and the "V" shaped projections creating turbulent water flow so that the mineral deposits will be flushed through the water channel and into the ground coffee basket.

8. An electric drip coffeemaker as defined in claim 7, wherein the depth of the grooves is approximately 0.156 inch, the width of the grooves is approximately 0.188 inch and the width of the lands is approximately 0.188 inch in order to enhance differential thermal expansion and the flaking off of mineral deposits that build up on the lands and grooves and the adjacent areas of the water channel.