Digital brewer control
First Claim
1. A brewer for producing brewed beverages of the type having an infusion assembly for retaining and filtering a brewing substance;
- a heated water reservoir, and a water distribution system for controllably transporting heated water from said heated water reservoir to said infusion assembly for infusing a brewing substance retained therein to produce a brewed beverage;
said brewer comprising;
a programmable control circuit operatively associated with said brewer, said control circuit controlling a plurality of functions associated with said brewer and storing at least one function limit for each of the plurality of functions controlled by said control circuit;
a separate input device being selectively couplable with said control circuit for manipulating said function limits of said functions in said control circuit;
means operatively associated with said input device for incrementing and decrementing said function limits of said brewer; and
means for controlling water flow from said heated water reservoir to said infusion assembly, said control means being coupled to said programmable control circuit for controlling the flow of water from said heated water reservoir to said infusion assembly for accommodating a slower filtering rate of brewed beverage through said infusion assembly to prevent overflowing said infusion assembly.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A control system for a beverage brewing apparatus which includes a programmable control module and a separate input device. The control system is used with a beverage brewing apparatus of the type having an infusion assembly for retaining and filtering a brewing substance, a heated water source and a water distribution system for transporting water from the heated water source to the infusion assembly. The programmable control module controls numerous adjustable functions associated with the brewer and stores at least one function limit for each of the functions which it controls. The separate input device is selectively attachable to the control module for manipulating the function limits of the programmable function retained and controlled by the control module. Function controls are associated with the input device for selecting a function to manipulate and for incrementing and decrementing the limit or limits of the selected function. The control module and input device allow selection of control limits which affect a valve for controlling water flow from the heated water source to the infusion assembly. These control limits establish a dispensing cycle which periodically dispenses water from the heated water source through the water distribution system to the infusion assembly to prevent overflowing the infusion assembly.
189 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A brewer for producing brewed beverages of the type having an infusion assembly for retaining and filtering a brewing substance;
- a heated water reservoir, and a water distribution system for controllably transporting heated water from said heated water reservoir to said infusion assembly for infusing a brewing substance retained therein to produce a brewed beverage;
said brewer comprising;a programmable control circuit operatively associated with said brewer, said control circuit controlling a plurality of functions associated with said brewer and storing at least one function limit for each of the plurality of functions controlled by said control circuit; a separate input device being selectively couplable with said control circuit for manipulating said function limits of said functions in said control circuit; means operatively associated with said input device for incrementing and decrementing said function limits of said brewer; and means for controlling water flow from said heated water reservoir to said infusion assembly, said control means being coupled to said programmable control circuit for controlling the flow of water from said heated water reservoir to said infusion assembly for accommodating a slower filtering rate of brewed beverage through said infusion assembly to prevent overflowing said infusion assembly.
- a heated water reservoir, and a water distribution system for controllably transporting heated water from said heated water reservoir to said infusion assembly for infusing a brewing substance retained therein to produce a brewed beverage;
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2. A control system for controlling a beverage brewer of the type having an infusion assembly for retaining and filtering a brewing substance, a heated water reservoir, and a water distribution system for controllably transporting heated water from said heated water reservoir to said infusion assembly for infusing a brewing substance retained therein to produce a brewed beverage;
- said control system comprising;
a programmable control circuit operatively associated with said brewer, said control circuit controlling a plurality of functions associated with said brewer and storing at least one function limit for each of the plurality of functions controlled by said control module; a separate input device being selectively couplable with said control circuit for manipulating said function limits of said functions stored in said control circuit; and means operatively associated with said input device for incrementing and decrementing said function limits of said brewer. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- said control system comprising;
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9. A brewer for producing brewed beverages of the type having an infusion assembly for retaining and filtering a brewing substance and heated water source operatively associated with the infusion assembly for delivering heated water to said infusion assembly for infusing said brewing substance retained therein to produce a brewed beverage;
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a microprocessor operatively associated with said brewer, said microprocessor controlling a plurality of functions associated with said brewer; and means for controlling water flow from said heated water source to said infusion assembly, said control means being coupled to said microprocessor, said microprocessor including means for activating said control means for controlling the rate of flow of water from said heated water source to said infusion assembly for preventing overflowing said infusion assembly. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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11. A brewer for producing brewed beverages of the type having an infusion assembly for retaining and filtering a brewing substance and heated water source operatively associated with the infusion assembly for delivering heated water to said infusion assembly for infusing said brewing substance retained therein to produce a brewed beverage;
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a microprocessor operatively associated with said brewer, said microprocessor controlling a plurality of functions associated with said brewer; a heated water line communicating with said heated water source and said infusion assembly; and means for controlling water flow from said heated water source to said infusion assembly said control means being coupled to said microprocessor controlling the flow of water from said heated water source to said infusion assembly for preventing overflowing of said infusion assembly, said means for controlling water flow further including a controllable valve disposed in said heated water line, said controllable valve being coupled to said microprocessor such that said microprocessor controls the operation of said controllable valve, said microprocessor operating said controllable valve to pulse a quantity of water from said heated water source through said heated water line to said infusion assembly to provide a draining interval to allow brewed beverage to drain from said infusion assembly to prevent overflowing said infusion assembly.
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Specification