Coffee dispenser and brewer apparatus
First Claim
1. A coffee dispensing and brewing apparatus comprising(a) coffee dispensing means for dispensing a predetermined amount of coffee to a brew basket, said coffee dispensing means including(i) a hopper for holding a supply of coffee beans,(ii) means communicating with said hopper for portioning coffee beans in a predetermined amount, and(iii) a grinder for receiving and grinding said predetermined amount into ground coffee;
- (b) a brew basket holding means for releasably holding said brew basket in a region adjacent a passageway to said grinder whereby said brew basket receives said predetermined amount of coffee in ground coffee form;
(c) hot water making and delivery means for distributing a predetermined volume of hot water to said region during a brewing cycle, said hot water means including a tank for holding said hot water before distribution thereof; and
(d) a grinder motor and right angle power transmission means for coupling said motor to said grinder, said motor being located below said grinder and adjacent a vertical side of said tank.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A coffee dispensing and brewing apparatus in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention comprises components for dispensing a predetermined amount of coffee to a brew basket, the components including a hopper for holding a supply of coffee beans and an auger device communicating with the hopper for portioning coffee beans in a predetermined amount to a coffee grinder. The apparatus further includes a brew basket holding assembly for releasably holding the brew basket in a region adjacent a passageway to the grinder and a hot water making and delivery system for distributing a predetermined volume of hot water from a hot water holding tank to the region during a brewing cycle. The grinder motor has a right angle power transmission that couples the moter to the grinder with the motor being located below the grinder and adjacent a vertical side of the holding tank.
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Citations
46 Claims
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1. A coffee dispensing and brewing apparatus comprising
(a) coffee dispensing means for dispensing a predetermined amount of coffee to a brew basket, said coffee dispensing means including (i) a hopper for holding a supply of coffee beans, (ii) means communicating with said hopper for portioning coffee beans in a predetermined amount, and (iii) a grinder for receiving and grinding said predetermined amount into ground coffee; -
(b) a brew basket holding means for releasably holding said brew basket in a region adjacent a passageway to said grinder whereby said brew basket receives said predetermined amount of coffee in ground coffee form; (c) hot water making and delivery means for distributing a predetermined volume of hot water to said region during a brewing cycle, said hot water means including a tank for holding said hot water before distribution thereof; and (d) a grinder motor and right angle power transmission means for coupling said motor to said grinder, said motor being located below said grinder and adjacent a vertical side of said tank. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A coffee dispensing and brewing apparatus comprising
(a) a hopper for holding coffee; -
(b) a brew basket for receiving coffee and hot water; (c) means communicating with said hopper for portioning coffee in predetermined amounts and delivering said predetermined amount to said brew basket; (d) coffee amount selection means for selecting a predetermined amount of coffee from one of a plurality of predetermined amounts, said coffee portioning means responsive to said selection means portioning coffee in said selected predetermined amount and delivering said selected predetermined amount to said brew basket; and (e) hot water means for making hot water and selecting- and delivering one of a predetermined volumes of hot water to said brew basket in response to the selection of said coffee selection means. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A coffee making apparatus comprising
(a) a hopper for holding coffee beans; -
(b) a coffee grinder receiving coffee beans from said hopper; (c) a coffee brewer means for brewing coffee from ground coffee received from said grinder, said brewer including a tank for holding water and a heating element for heating said water to a predetermined temperature, said grinder and said heating element connected to the same electrical power source; and (d) means responsive to the actuation of said grinder for disconnecting said heating element from the electrical power source and reconnecting said heating element when said grinder is deenergized.
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29. An apparatus for the holding of coffee beans for display and subsequent grinding comprising
(a) at least one hopper for the holding and displaying of coffee beans; -
(b) a grinder for grinding coffee beans into ground coffee for subsequent brewing; (c) a transporting means for receiving beans from said hopper and transporting the received beans to said grinder; (d) an agitating wheel mounted for rotational movement within said hopper and being driven by said transporting means, said agitating wheel having projections for the movement of the coffee beans when said wheel is rotated, said hopper having an upper section defined by parallel front and back walls and parallel side walls with windows and a lower section having converging front, back and side walls defining a funnel portion communicating with said transporting means, and wherein a major portion of the circumference of said agitating wheel is positioned below the lower edges of said windows. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32)
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33. A combination multi-hopper coffee bean grinding and brewing apparatus comprising
(a) a plurality of component modules, each module being releasable secured to neighboring module; -
(b) a first module of said plurality of modules housing (i) a plurality of hoppers each holding a supply of coffee beans, (ii) a plurality of auger elements each associated with a respective hopper, a selected one of said auger elements moving a preselected quantity of said coffee beans from said associated hopper when said supply of coffee beans therein has been selected for use; (c) a second module of said plurality of modules releasable secured to said first module, said second module housing (i) at least one auger motor and (ii) power transmission means couple for rotating a selected one of said augers when one of said hoppers associated with said auger element has been selected for use and moving a preselected quantity of beans; and (d) a third module of said plurality of modules releasable secured to said second module, said third module housing (i) a coffee bean grinder operative during a grinding cycle for receiving said preselected quantity of beans and a grinder motor for driving said grinder, (ii) a brew basket holding means for releasable holding a brew basket adjacent a region receiving said preselected quantity of coffee in the form of coffee grounds during said grinding cycle, and (iii) a hot water making and distributing means for distributing hot water during a brewing cycle to said region during a brewing cycle proportional to the selected quantity of beans. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A coffee dispensing and brewing apparatus comprising
(a) coffee dispensing means for dispensing a predetermined amount of coffee to a brew basket, said coffee dispensing means including (i) a hopper for holding a supply of coffee beans, (ii) auger means communicating with said hopper for portioning coffee beans in a predetermined amount, and (iii) a grinder for receiving and grinding said predetermined amount into ground coffee; -
(b) a brew basket holding means for releasably holding said brew basket in a region adjacent a passageway to said grinder whereby said brew basket receives said predetermined amount of coffee in ground coffee form; (c) hot water making and delivery means for distributing a predetermined volume of hot water to said region during a brewing cycle; and (d) slide valve control means, said valve means being a slide valve connected to a solenoid, said solenoid responsive to said control means and operative to close communication between said brew basket and said dispensing means before said brewing cycle commences. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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43. A coffee dispensing and brewing apparatus comprising
(a) a hopper for holding coffee; -
(b) a brew basket for receiving coffee and hot water; (c) means communicating with said hopper for portioning coffee in predetermined amounts and delivering said predetermined amount to said brew basket; (d) means for distributing a predetermined volume of hot water to said brew basket during a brewing cycle, (e) control switch means for generating a signal when a cycle is initiated, said portioning means responsive to said signal for initiating portioning and delivering of said coffee and said hot water distributing means responsive to said signal for thereafter distributing hot water to said brew basket; and (f) brew only means for selectively interrupting said signal to said portioning means thereby only hot water is distributed to said brew basket. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46)
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Specification