Machine for preparing hot beverages

• US 6,305,268 B1
• Filed: 04/13/2000
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Original Assignee: Braun GmbH (The Procter & Gamble Company)
• Inventors: Schober, Uwe, Kelterborn, Heinz, Schamberg, Stefan, Trebitz, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US09/548,463
• Time in Patent Office: 558 Days
• Field of Search: 992/85, 992/80, 992/83, 992/82, 992/99, 993/00
• US Class Current: 99/283
• 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 31/44 Parts or details or accessories of beverage-making apparatus filters or strainers A47J31/06

Abstract

The present invention relates to a machine for preparing hot beverages, comprising a water tank (1) which can be filled with water (23) and a brewing unit (6) which can be filled with an ingredient (9) such as ground coffee or tea leaves. The water (23) is heated and supplied to the brewing unit (6) for extraction. After the extraction process, the hot beverage (24) flows into a container (8). The machine for preparing hot beverages includes a device (10, 11) for sensing the amount of water and ingredients. The device (10, 11) sends corresponding electric signals to an electronic evaluation device (14). The electronic evaluation device (14) indicates the detected strength of the hot beverage on an indicator instrument (17). The degree of strength may be varied by this arrangement in conformity with a user'"'"'s taste. Further, only that amount of ingredients required for the desired strength of the beverage is used.

Claims

1. A machine for preparing a hot beverage, the machine comprising:

a water tank;

a brewing unit into which an ingredient can be placed;

a heating unit for heating water from the water tank and supplying heated water to the brewing unit for extraction to produce the hot beverage;

a sensing system for sensing both an amount of water to be supplied to the brewing unit from the water tank and an amount of the ingredient placed in the brewing unit, the sensing system sending a first electric signal corresponding to said amount of water and a second electric signal corresponding to said amount of the ingredient; and

an electronic evaluation device having an indicator instrument, the electronic evaluation device receiving said first and second electric signals and indicating a resulting degree of strength of the hot beverage on the indicator instrument.

2. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 1, wherein the sensing system comprises an actuating device which can be operated by a user to enter an input signal for controlling said amount of water, said input signal corresponding to a desired number of cups of the hot beverage to be produced.

3. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 1, wherein the sensing system comprises a first weighing apparatus for sensing the amount of water.

4. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 1, wherein the sensing system comprises a volume measuring station for sensing the amount of water.

5. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 1, wherein the sensing system comprises a flow rate measuring device for sensing the amount of water.

6. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 1 further comprising a pump for delivering water from the water tank to the brewing unit, the pump delivering a defined amount of water per time unit, wherein the sensing system comprises a time sensor for sensing an active time period of operation of the pump for sensing the amount of water.

7. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 3, wherein the sensing system comprises a second weighing station for sensing the amount of the ingredient.

8. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 1, further comprising a feeding device that delivers a defined amount of the ingredient per time unit, wherein the sensing system comprises a time sensor for sensing an active time period of the feeding device.

9. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 1, wherein the sensing system comprises a volume measuring station for sensing the amount of the ingredient.

10. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 1, wherein the sensing system comprises an actuating device which can be operated by a user to enter an input signal for controlling said amount of the ingredient, said input signal corresponding to a desired number of measuring scoops.

11. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 1, wherein the sensing system comprises a single sensor which determines a weight of the machine after each of an addition of water to the water tank and an addition of the ingredient to the brewing unit.

12. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 1, wherein the electronic evaluation device comprises a microprocessor which compares values corresponding to the first and second electric signals with values stored in a table of values and determines an output value which is afterwards sent to the indicator instrument for display.

13. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 1, wherein the indicator instrument comprises a display.

14. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 1, wherein the indicator instrument includes a plurality of individual lamps.

15. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 14, wherein each of the individual lamps is of a different color.

16. A machine for preparing a hot beverage, the machine comprising:

a water tank;

a brewing unit into which an ingredient can placed;

a heating unit for heating water from the water tank and supplying heated water to the brewing unit for extraction to produce hot beverage;

a sensing system for sensing both an amount of water to be supplied to the brewing unit and a desired a degree of strength input for the hot beverage to be produced, the sensing system sending a first electric signal corresponding to said amount of water and second electric signal corresponding to said desired degree of strength input;

an electronic evaluation device having an indicator instrument, the electronic evaluation device receiving said first and second electric signals and indicating a necessary amount of the ingredient on an indicator instrument.

17. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 16, further comprising a data input device, wherein a data input representing an ideal degree of strength of the hot beverage for a user can be entered through the data input device and sent to the electronic evaluation device, and wherein a ratio of an amount of water to an amount of the ingredient may be calibrated in response to this data input and memorized in the electronic evaluation device.

18. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 16, wherein the degree of strength is subdivided into at least three different grades, the the sensing system comprising an actuating device which can be operated by a user to input a desired degree of strength.

19. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 16, wherein the sensing system comprises an actuating device which can be operated by a user to enter an input signal for controlling said amount of water, said input signal corresponding to a desired number of cups of the hot beverage to be produced.

20. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 16, wherein the sensing system comprises a weighing apparatus for sensing the amount of water.

21. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 16, wherein the sensing system comprises a volume measuring station for sensing the amount of water.

22. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 16, wherein the sensing system comprises a flow rate measuring device for sensing the amount of water.

23. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 16 further comprising a pump for delivering water from the water tank to the brewing unit, the pump delivering a defined amount of water per time unit, wherein the sensing system comprises a time sensor for sensing an active time period of operation of the pump for sensing the amount of water.

24. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 16, wherein the electronic evaluation device comprises a microprocessor which compares values corresponding to the first and second electric signals with values stored in a table of values and determines an output value which is afterwards sent to the indicator instrument for display.

25. A machine preparing hot beverages, the machine comprising:

a water tank;

a brewing unit into which an ingredient can be placed;

a heating unit for heating water from the water tank and supplying heated water to the brewing unit for extraction to produce a hot beverage;

a sensing system for sensing both an amount of the ingredient placed in the brewing unit and a desired degree of strength input for the hot beverage to be produced, the sensing system sending a first electric signal corresponding to said amount of the ingredient and a second electric signal corresponding to said desired degree of strength input;

an electronic evaluation device having an indicator instrument, the electronic evaluation device receiving said first and second electric signals and indicating a necessary amount of water for producing the hot beverage on the indicator instrument.

26. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 25, wherein the sensing system comprises a weighing station for sensing the amount of the ingredient.

27. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 25, further comprising a feeding device that delivers a defined amount of the ingredient per time unit, wherein the sensing system comprises a time sensor for sensing an active time period of the feeding device.

28. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 25, wherein the sensing system comprises a volume measuring station for sensing the amount of the ingredient.

29. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 25, wherein the sensing system comprises an actuating device which can be operated by a user to enter an input signal for controlling said amount of the ingredient, said input signal corresponding to a desired number of measuring scoops.

30. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 25, further comprising a data input device, wherein a data input representing an ideal degree of strength of the hot beverage for a user can be entered through the data input device and sent to the electronic evaluation device, and wherein a ratio of an amount of water to an amount of the ingredient may be calibrated in response to the data input and memorized in the electronic evaluation device.

31. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 25, wherein the degree of strength is subdivided into at least three different grades, the sensing system comprising an actuating device which can be operated by a user to input a desired degree of strength.

32. The machine for preparing a hot beverage of claim 25, wherein the electronic evaluation device comprises a microprocessor which compares values corresponding to the first and second electric signals with values stored in a table of values and determines an output value which is afterwards sent to indicator instrument for display.