Automatic brewer

• US 5,255,593 A
• Filed: 01/10/1992
• Issued: 10/26/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
• Inventors: Bunn, Arthur H., Anson, James H., Ford, David F.
• Primary Examiner(s): JENKINS, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US07/818,850
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 99/280, 99/279, 99/289 R, 99/295, 99/299, 99/300, 99/304, 99/305, 99/306, 99/307, 99/316, 426/433
• US Class Current: 99/280
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/002 following a specific operational sequence, e.g. for improving the taste of the extraction product
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/40 Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/54 Water boiling vessels in beverage making machines
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/60 Cleaning devices

Abstract

An automatic beverage brewing apparatus for automatically brewing beverages such as coffee. The apparatus includes a brew chamber assembly with a throat in a top portion, a drain in a bottom portion, and a filter position therebetween. A movable piston is provided to controllably open and close the throat and drain during brewing and flushing cycles. A discharge line from the brew chamber has a controllable discharge valve to direct flow from the brew chamber through a dispensing line, a waste line, or to prevent flow through either line. Water may be controllably accumulated in the brew chamber by controlling the discharge valve to prevent flow through either line. At the initiation of the brewing cycle the valve is operated to block the dispensing line and the waste line, whereupon a brewing substance and brewing water are introduced into the brew chamber. The brewing substance floats on and steeps in the brewing water which is accumulated in the brew chamber. A pressurized water line dispenses water into the a throat through which the brewing substance is introduced to the brew chamber to rinse the throat. A brew water line provides brewing water and flushing water. After the brewing cycle is complete a flushing cycle begins to thoroughly flush the spent brewing substance from the brew chamber. The discharge valve blocks the discharge line to retain water in the brew chamber to float the spent brewing substance off of the filter. Upon floating the brewing substance the drain is opened to remove the float water and its contents. The apparatus also includes a brewing substance dispenser which is controlled to dispense a predetermined quantity of brewing substance.

Claims

1. An apparatus for automatically brewing a beverage comprising a brew chamber having an inlet, a beverage dispensing outlet and a drain outlet, first valve means for selectively opening and closing said dispensing outlet, second valve means for selectively opening and closing said drain outlet, a water distribution system connected with said chamber for introducing heated water therein, means for supplying a quantity of a brewing substance into said chamber, control means for controlling said water distribution system and said first and second valve means for initially introducing a flow of water into said chamber with said dispensing and drain outlets closed and then stopping said flow and holding the water in said chamber during a predetermined steep time, said control means then causing additional water to flow into said chamber while opening said dispensing outlet and dispensing a brewed beverage therefrom.

2. An apparatus for automatically brewing a beverage according to claim 1, wherein after dispensing a brewed beverage, said control means then causes said first valve means to close and said second valve means to open, spent brewing substance being drained out of said brew chamber through said drain outlet.

3. An apparatus for automatically brewing a beverage according to claim 2, which includes a flush water distribution system connected with said brew chamber and wherein after said brew chamber is drained said control means causes said first and second valve means to close, said control means controllably operating said flush water distribution system to dispense a quantity of flush water into said brew chamber which accumulates therein for floating spent brewing substance remaining in the brew chamber, said control means then causing said second valve means to open, floating spent brewing substance and flush water being drained out of said brew chamber through said drain outlet.

4. An apparatus for automatically brewing a beverage according to claim 2, wherein after said brew chamber is drained said control means causes said second valve means to close, said apparatus further including a flush water dispenser disposed centrally in said brew chamber, said flush water dispenser emitting flush water in an outward direction from a central area of said brew chamber for rinsing inside surfaces of said brew chamber, said control means causing said flush water dispenser to dispense a quantity of flush water into said brew chamber which accumulates therein for floating spent brewing substance remaining in the brew chamber, said control means then causing said second valve means to open, floating spent brewing substance being drained out of said brew chamber through said drain outlet.

5. An apparatus for automatically brewing a beverage according to claim 4, further including said flush water dispenser being rotatable in said brew chamber, said control means controlling rotation of said flush water dispenser, said flush water dispenser being rotated at a high rate of rotation while said brew chamber is configured to retain water for inducing a swirling action in said water to improve the cleansing of said brew chamber.

6. An apparatus for automatically brewing a beverage according to claim 1, wherein said water distribution system further includes a water heating reservoir for retaining a quantity of water in a heated condition, an inlet water line communicating with said reservoir and controllably associated with said control means, said control means periodically controlling said inlet water line for topping-off said reservoir.

7. An apparatus for automatically brewing a beverage comprising a brew chamber having an inlet, a beverage dispensing outlet and a drain outlet, first valve means for selectively opening and closing said dispensing outlet, second valve means for selectively opening and closing said drain outlet, a water distribution system connected with said chamber for introducing heated water therein;

a flush water distribution system connected with said brew chamber including a flush water dispenser being rotatable in said brew chamber, said control means controlling rotation of said flush water dispenser, said flush water dispenser being rotated at a high rate of rotation while said brew chamber is configured to retain water for inducing a swirling action in said water to improve the cleansing of said brew chamber;

means for supplying a quantity of a brewing substance into said chamber;

control means for controlling said water distribution system and said first and second valve means for initially introducing a flow of water into said chamber with said dispensing and drain outlets closed and then stopping said flow and holding the water in said chamber during a predetermined steep time, said control means then causing additional water to flow into said chamber while opening said dispensing outlet and dispensing a brewed beverage therefrom;

said flush water dispenser being rotatable at a high rate of rotation while said brew chamber is configured to retain water for inducing a swirling action in said water to improve the cleansing of said brew chamber.

8. A beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said flush water dispense is reciprocally oscillated for agitating the water and floating brewer substance in said brewing chamber.

9. A beverage brewing apparatus for automatically brewing beverages comprising:

a brew chamber assembly, including a top assembly and a bottom assembly, an inlet throat through said top assembly, a drain hole through said bottom assembly, a piston movable between loading, brewing, and flushing positions;

a water distribution system for dispensing water to said brew chamber assembly;

means for introducing a brewing substance through said throat when said throat is open;

means for introducing brew water into said brew chamber assembly;

drive means for axially shifting said piston between said positions;

a filter assembly disposed in said brew chamber for separating a brewing substance from a brewed beverage produced therefrom;

discharge means for directing a brewed beverage from said brew chamber to a discharge point for delivery to a container;

valve means for controlling flow of brewed beverage and flush water through said discharge means and retention of water in said brew chamber when said drain hole is sealed.

10. A beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 9, further including control means controllably operating said valve means for blocking flow through said discharge means to controllably cause water to accumulate in the brew chamber for floating brewing substance in said brew chamber.

11. A beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 9, further including a pressurized water line in controllable communication with said throat for rinsing said throat after a brewing substance is introduced into said brew chamber therethrough.

12. A beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 11, further including a brew water line, said brew water line having a lower pressure flow compared to said pressurized line, said brew water line controllably communicating with said means for introducing brew water into said brew chamber assembly, for infusing said brewing substances.

13. A beverage brewing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said means for introducing a brewing substance comprises a brewing substance delivery device for controllably delivering a predetermined quantity of brewing substance to produce a predetermined brewed beverage during an automatic beverage brewing cycle, said brewing substance delivery device including a hopper portion for retaining a quantity of brewing substance, an opening formed in said hopper portion through which said brewing substance is dispensed, and a substance moving assembly operatively associated with said opening for moving said brewing substance out of said hopper portion through said opening, said opening being positioned for delivering said brewing substance to said throat, said substance moving assembly being controlled for delivering a precise predetermined quantity of brewing substance to said brewing apparatus.

14. A brewing substance delivery device in combination with an automatic beverage brewing apparatus for controllably delivering a desired quantity of brewing substance to produce a desired brewed beverage during an automatic beverage brewing cycle, said brewing substance delivery device including a hopper portion for retaining a quantity of brewing substance, an opening formed in said hopper portion through which said brewing substance is dispensed, and a substance moving assembly operatively associated with said opening for moving said brewing substance out of said hopper portion through said opening, said substance moving assembly includes motor means, an auger member operatively associated with said motor means, and motor signal processor means for precisely controlling the operation of said motor means to precisely control the amount of brewing substance dispensed thereby;

said opening being positioned for delivering said brewing substance to said beverage brewing apparatus, said substance moving assembly being controlled for delivering a precise desired quantity of brewing substance to said brewing apparatus, said motor signal processor means of said substance moving assembly includes a triac operatively associated with said motor means and a microprocessor operatively associated with said triac and said motor means, said microprocessor activating and deactivating said triac to match a predetermined waveform across said motor means for precisely controlling said motor means to precisely control the amount of brewing substance dispensed by said substance moving assembly.

15. A beverage brewing apparatus for automatically brewing beverages comprising:

a brew chamber assembly, including an inlet throat through a top of said brew chamber assembly and a drain hole through a bottom of said brew chamber, a piston movable between loading, brewing, and flushing positions for selectively closing and opening said thread and said drain hole;

means for introducing a brewing substance through said throat when said throat is open;

water distribution means communicating with said brew chamber for controllably dispensing water into said brew chamber;

a drive mechanism for axially shifting said piston between said positions;

a filter disposed in said brew chamber for separating a brewing substance from a brewed beverage produced therefrom;

a discharge opening for draining a brewed beverage from the brew chamber;

said means for introducing a brewing substance comprises a brewing substance delivery device for controllably delivering a desired quantity of brewing substance to produce a desired brewed beverage during an automatic beverage brewing cycle;

a hopper portion of said brewing substance delivery device for retaining a quantity of brewing substance; and

opening formed in said hopper portion through which said brewing substance is dispersed; and

a substance moving assembly operatively associated with said opening for moving said brewing substance out of said hopper portion through said opening, said substance moving assembly includes motor means, an auger member operatively associated with said motor means, said motor signal processor means for precisely controlling the operating of said motor means to precisely control the amount of brewing substance dispensed thereby;

said opening being positioned for delivering said brewing substance to said beverage brewing apparatus, said motor signal processor means of said substance moving assembly includes a triac operatively associated with said motor means and a microprocessor operatively associated with said triac and said motor means, said microprocessor activating and deactivating said triac to match a predetermined waveform across said motor means for precisely controlling said motor means to precisely control the amount of brewing substance dispensed by said substance moving assembly.

16. An apparatus for automatically brewing a beverage comprising a machine having a brew chamber;

means for introducing a brewing substance into said chamber;

means for introducing a quantity of heated water into the brew chamber for floating the brewing substance and steeping the brewing substance;

means for introducing additional heated water after steeping of the brewing substance for a predetermined period of time, and for dispensing brewed beverage from said chamber and subsequently terminating the dispensing of the brewed beverage; and

means for flushing spent brewing substance from said chamber.