Brewer

• US 5,406,882 A
• Filed: 03/30/1994
• Issued: 04/18/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Newco Enterprises Incorporated, Smartcup Holdings, Inc., Smartcup Manufacturing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shaanan Holdings Inc.
• Inventors: Shaanan, Gad
• Primary Examiner(s): JENKINS, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US08/220,153
• Time in Patent Office: 384 Days
• Field of Search: 99/279, 99/289 R, 99/287, 99/289 T, 99/289 D, 99/289 P, 99/297, 99/316, 99/317, 99/319, 99/320, 426/433
• US Class Current: 99/287
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/18 Apparatus in which ground coffee or tea-leaves are immersed in the hot liquid in the beverage container

Abstract

A brewer for providing a single cup of coffee which comprises an outer cylindrical tubular member having an open top and a platform formed on the top. A slidable second cylindrical tubular member reciprocates within the first tubular member along the axis thereof and is provided with a gasket at the top thereof in sealing contact with the inner surface of the first tubular member. A permanent filter is provided at the top of the second cylindrical tubular member. A fixed piston head is located within the second cylindrical tubular member and is fixed relative to the first tubular member. A wiper is provided on the top platform of the first tubular member such that when the filter is in its uppermost position, the wiper can be activated to clean the coffee grounds from the filter. A pour spout is provided in the second cylindrical member which communicates with the fluid once the pour spout is above the level of the piston head. In operation, the filter moves downwardly towards the piston head such that air passes upwardly through the water and coffee grounds on the filter to agitate the mixture and then upwardly towards the top of the first tubular member such that a negative pressure is created between the filter and the piston head to draw the solution through the filter and eventually out by means of the spout in the wall of the second cylindrical tubular member.

Claims

1. A brewer comprising a first upright cylindrical tube having an upper portion with a smooth inner wall surface and an open top, a second cylindrical tube slidable within the first cylindrical tube and including a filter means at the top end portion thereof and a smooth inner wall surface, annular gasket means about the periphery of the top end of the second cylindrical tube in sealing contact with the inner wall surface of the first cylindrical tube, motor means for moving the second cylindrical tube and the filter means axially within the first tube, a piston head provided within the second cylindrical tube and stationary relative to the first tube and including annular gasket means about the periphery thereof in sealing contact with the inner wall surface of the second cylindrical tube, a pour spout defined in the wall of the second cylindrical tube spaced axially from the top end thereof a distance such that the spout is below the piston head during most of the travel of the second cylindrical tube and is above the piston head when the filter is near the top of its travel, whereby water and infusible alimentary grounds can be poured into the open end of the first cylindrical tube above the filter means when the filter means and the second cylindrical tube are in a position intermediate the top end of the first cylindrical tube and the piston head and whereby the second cylindrical tube including the filter means is initially moved in a first axial direction towards the piston head whereby air trapped between the filter means and the piston head is forced through the filter means to create turbulence in the mixture and then the second cylindrical tube is moved upwardly towards the top end of the first cylindrical tube whereby the solution will pass through the filter under negative pressure and eventually through the spout.

2. A brewer as defined in claim 1, wherein the filter means is a flat circular planar porous filter member located at the top end of the second cylindrical tube and a wiper is provided on the top end of the first cylindrical tube, the wiper including a wiper blade on the first cylindrical tube movable in a plane parallel to the planar filter member and in sweeping contact therewith when the second cylindrical tube and the planar filter member are in the uppermost position of travel, and means are associated with the second cylindrical tube to load the wiper blade and then to release it whereby the wiper blade will sweep across the surface of the planar filter member to remove the spent grounds therefrom.

3. A brewer as defined in claim 1, wherein the first cylindrical tube is mounted on a base and support means are provided on the base for mounting the piston head, and a threaded shaft extends between the base and the piston head and is journalled thereto, motor means for driving the threaded shaft independently of the piston head and the base, threaded follower means mounted on the threaded shaft and adapted to move along the axis of the threaded shaft in response to rotation of the threaded shaft, means connecting the follower to the second cylindrical tube for moving said second cylindrical tube along the axis thereof within and relative to the first cylindrical tube.

4. A brewer as defined in claim 2, wherein the first cylindrical tube is mounted on a base and support means are provided on the base for mounting the piston head, and a shaft having cam means extends between the base and the piston head and is journalled thereto, motor means for driving the shaft independently of the piston head and the base, follower means mounted on the shaft having cam means and adapted to move along the axis of the shaft in response to rotation of the cam means, means connecting the follower to the second cylindrical tube for moving this second cylindrical tube along the axis thereof within and relative to the first cylindrical tube, a spiral rod having a constant out-of-the-round cross-section, the rod extending parallel to the axis of the movement of the second cylindrical tube and being journalled in a support member mounted to the first cylindrical tube member at one end thereof and at the other end thereof to the arm forming part of the wiper at the top of the first cylindrical tube, spring means fixed to the end of the spiral rod adjacent the wiper arm and the spring means being connected to the arm, a housing surrounding the spiral rod and a follower mounted within the housing and slidable on the housing, the follower having an opening corresponding to the out-of-the-round cross-section of the rod and accommodating the rod such that sliding movement of the follower will cause the spiral rod to rotate on its axis, and connecting means extending between the follower and the second cylindrical tube such that movement of the second cylindrical tube will cause corresponding movement of the follower and therefore the spiral rod which in turn will apply torsion to the spring means.

5. A brewer as defined in claim 4, wherein the cross-section of the spiral rod is square and the corresponding cross-section of the opening in the follower is square.

6. A brewer as defined in claim 4, wherein the spring means is in the form of a spring wire extending from the wiper arm where it is anchored to the upper end of the spiral rod where it is fixed, and rotational movement of the spiral rod will cause corresponding movement of the arm in response to the torsional force applied to the spring wire or loading of the spring wire if the arm is locked.

7. A brewer as defined in claim 1, wherein catch means are associated with the wiper arm to retain the wiper arm in a position to one side of the opening of the first cylindrical tube and whereby spring forces may be loaded in the arm to allow the wiper and the arm to move across the opening of the first cylindrical tube when the catch is released and the spring has been loaded whereby the spent alimentary grounds can be swept off the filter when the filter and the second cylindrical tube are in the uppermost position.

8. A brewer as defined in claim 7, wherein the catch is activated by a mechanical linkage connected to the second cylindrical tube so that the catch is operated to release the wiper arm in direct relation with the movement of the second cylindrical tube.

9. A brewer as defined in claim 1, wherein a housing is provided exterior of the first cylindrical tube and the housing surrounds an axial slot defined in the tube, the slot coincides with the spout on the second cylindrical tube, and an additional pivoting spout segment is pivotally mounted to the spout formed in the wall of the second cylindrical tube, wherein the segment travels in the housing and is tripped downwardly when the segment reaches the top of the housing so as to allow the solution to pour from the spout once the spout has moved above the piston head.

10. A brewer as defined in claim 1, wherein the gasket on the top of the second cylindrical tube and at the periphery of the piston head includes a flexible outwardly flared skirt in contact with the inner surface of the walls of the respective tubes.