Apparatus for brewing beverages

• US 6,098,525 A
• Filed: 06/28/1999
• Issued: 08/08/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: US Philips Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Gijzel, Jacobus M., Weijers, Marcel H. S., Dam, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US09/340,935
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 99/280, 99/281, 99/282, 99/283, 99/307
• US Class Current: 99/282
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/36 with mechanical pressure-producing means

Abstract

An apparatus for brewing hot beverages, such as coffee, comprising a water reservoir, a heating element for heating water in the water reservoir, an extraction device, an electric pump and a thermostat for the detection of the temperature of the water in the reservoir. The thermostat is connected in series with the heating element and the pump is connected in parallel with the thermostat. After the water has reached the desired temperature the thermostat is closed, which causes the pump to be switched on in order to pump the hot water to the extraction device. During the pumping phase the power of the heating element is virtually cut off.

Claims

1. An apparatus for brewing hot beverages, comprising a water reservoir, a heating element for heating the water in the water reservoir, an extraction device, an electric pump for pumping water to the extraction device, a thermostat for detecting the temperature of the water in the water reservoir, the water being pumped to the extraction device after the water in the water reservoir has reached a given preset temperature, wherein the thermostat is arranged in series with the heating element and the pump is arranged in parallel with the thermostat.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises another, second heating element for heating the water in the water reservoir, which second heating element is arranged in parallel with the series arrangement of the first heating element and with the parallel arrangement of the pump and the thermostat.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the power of the second heating element is lower than the power of the first heating element.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thermostat is a thermostat which is responsive to steam.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a second thermostat has been provided, which turns off both heating elements and the pump after the water has been pumped out of the water reservoir.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein a heating element is arranged in parallel with the second thermostat.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coffee-making apparatus has a detection switch for detecting the presence of a coffee receptacle underneath the extraction device, which detection switch turns off the pump when the coffee receptacle is not situated underneath the extraction device.