Coffee-making machine

• US 5,404,794 A
• Filed: 04/22/1993
• Issued: 04/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aquabrew, Inc., Newco Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Aquabrew, Inc., CAFE 98 Industries Ltd.
• Inventors: Rolfes, Paul E., Patel, Dahyabhai U.
• Primary Examiner(s): JENKINS, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US08/050,789
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 99/279, 99/280, 99/281, 99/282, 99/283, 99/288, 99/299, 99/300, 99/302 R, 99/304, 99/305, 99/307, 99/316, 99/317, 426/433
• US Class Current: 99/280
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/465 for the heated water
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/56 having water-level controls; having temperature controls

Abstract

A coffee-making machine includes a reservoir connected to an external water supply via a valve which is divided into hot and cold water tanks. The cold water tank feeds a boiler which operates to heat the water in the cold water tank only when a brew cycle has been initiated. Heated water from the boiler is fed to an expansion chamber before being discharged onto the ground coffee via a spray head at the end of the expansion chamber. Upper and lower water level sensors are in the cold water tank and detect water level conditions therein. A controller communicates with the upper and lower level sensors and the boiler and allows a brew cycle to be initiated only when the water level in the cold water tank is detected by the upper level sensor. When the water level in the cold water tank falls below the lower level sensor, the controller disables the boiler and opens the valve to replenish the water level in the cold water tank. A heating element is in the hot water tank and is energized by the controller to maintain the water therein at a preselected temperature. If the heating element is on and the brew cycle is initiated, the controller disables the heating element until the brew cycle is completed.

Claims

1. A coffee-making machine of the type to receive water from an external source and deliver hot water to ground coffee comprising:

a reservoir to receive and hold water from said external source;

a boiler connected to said reservoir so that fluid flows from said reservoir to said boiler;

a discharge head connected to said boiler so that fluid flows from said boiler to said discharge head;

a controller in communication with said boiler and being responsive to a brew command, wherein said reservoir includes a lower level sensor and an upper level sensor, said upper level sensor for detecting a reservoir full condition, said controller connecting said boiler to a power supply to energize said boiler and heat water received from said reservoir upon receipt of said brew command and when the water in said reservoir is at said full condition as detected by said upper level sensor, said controller disconnecting said boiler from the power supply when a sufficient amount of water has entered said boiler from said reservoir and the water in said reservoir drops below said lower level sensor; and

valved inlet means responsive to said controller and acting between said external source and said reservoir, said controller opening said valved inlet means when the water in said reservoir drops below said lower level sensor and closing said valved inlet means when the water level in said reservoir is detected by said upper level sensor.

2. The coffee making machine as defined in claim 1 further comprises timing means, said timing means being initiated when said valved inlet means is opened, said timing means being reset if the water level in said reservoir is detected by said upper level sensor within a preselected time, said timing means providing output to said controller to close said valved inlet means if the water level in said reservoir is not detected by said upper level sensor within said preselected time to indicate a fault condition.

3. The coffee-making machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said discharge head includes an expansion chamber and a spray head to deliver hot water to said ground coffee, said expansion chamber interconnecting said boiler and said spray head.

4. The coffee-making machine as defined in claim 3 further comprising a steam trap including conduit means extending between said expansion chamber and said reservoir.

5. The coffee-making machine as defined in claim 1 wherein said reservoir is divided into a hot water tank and a cold water tank by a baffle, said cold water tank communicating with said valved inlet means and housing said upper and lower level sensors, said hot water tank receiving water from said cold water tank and including a heating element responsive to said controller to heat water therein to a preselected temperature;

and faucet means to allow heated water to be withdrawn from said hot water tank.

6. The coffee-making machine as defined in claim 5 wherein said controller disables said heating element when said boiler is initiated.

7. The coffee-making machine as defined in claim 6 further comprising temperature sensing means on said hot water tank, said controller monitoring the temperature sensing means and initiating said heating element when the temperature of water in said hot water tank falls below said preselected temperature.

8. The coffee-making machine as defined in claim 7 further comprising means to detect isolation of said temperature sensing means from said controller, said detection means providing input to said controller to cause said controller to disable said heating element when said temperature sensing means is isolated from said controller.

9. The coffee making machine as defined in claim 5 wherein said baffle has a notch formed therein to permit fluid to flow from said cold water tank to said hot water tank before the water level in said reservoir reaches said upper level sensor and an anti-splash guide adjacent said notch and running along said baffle within said hot water tank.

10. The coffee making machine as defined in claim 5 wherein said discharge head includes an expansion chamber and a spray head to deliver hot water to said ground coffee, said expansion chamber interconnecting said boiler and said spray head, said coffee-making machine further including a steam trap including conduit means extending between said expansion chamber and said cold water tank.

11. The coffee-making machine as defined in claim 1 further comprising temperature sensing means associated with said boiler, said controller monitoring the temperature sensing means and disabling said boiler when the temperature thereof exceeds a preselected temperature.

12. The coffee-making machine as defined in claim 1 further comprising a one way valve acting between said reservoir and said boiler to inhibit back flow from said boiler to said reservoir.

13. A coffee-making machine as defined in claim 1 further including pump means in communication with said reservoir and responsive to said controller, said pump means being initiated to draw water from a contained source when the water level in said reservoir falls below said lower level sensor.

14. A coffee-making machine of the type to receive water from an external source and deliver hot water to ground coffee comprising:

a reservoir to receive and hold water and being divided into a hot water tank and a cold water tank by a baffle, said cold water tank communicating with valved inlet means connected to said external source;

heating means associated with said cold water tank to heat water held therein prior to delivery of heated water to said ground coffee;

a discharge head to deliver heated water to said ground coffee;

means to deliver heated water to said discharge head; and

a controller in communication with said heating means and said delivery means, said controller initiating said delivery means to deliver heated water to said discharge head in response to a brew command, wherein said hot water tank receives water from said cold water tank and includes a heating element responsive to said controller to heat water therein to a preselected temperature and faucet means to allow heated water to be withdrawn from said hot water tank.

15. The coffee-making machine as defined in claim 14 wherein said cold water tank includes a lower level sensor and an upper level sensor, said controller initiating said delivery means in response to said brew command only when the water in said cold water tank is detected by said upper level sensor, said controller disabling said delivery means when the water in said cold water tank drops below said lower level sensor.

16. The coffee-making machine as defined in claim 15 further comprising temperature sensing means on said hot water tank, said controller monitoring the temperature sensing means and initiating said heating element when the temperature of water in said hot water tank falls below said preselected temperature.

17. The coffee-making machine as defined in claim 16 further comprising means to detect isolation of said temperature sensing means from said controller, said detection means providing input to said controller to cause said controller to disable said heating element.

18. The coffee-making machine as defined in claim 17 wherein said baffle has a notch formed therein to permit fluid to flow from said cold water tank to said hot water tank before the water level in said reservoir reaches said upper level sensing means and an anti-splash guide adjacent said notch and running along said baffle within said hot water tank.