Beverage maker

• US 6,324,967 B1
• Filed: 11/07/2000
• Issued: 12/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: River Plastics Limited
• Original Assignee: Windmill Holdings Limited
• Inventors: Robinson, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US09/674,889
• Time in Patent Office: 392 Days
• Field of Search: 992/97, 992/87, 210/474, 210/477, 210/480, 210/482
• US Class Current: 99/297
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/20 having immersible, e.g. rotatable, filters

Abstract

A coffee maker includes an open topped jug which is a plastics molding. It has a lid which carries a rotary cap from which a leadscrew depends. The leadscrew has a four start thread. A nut member is screw-fitted onto the leadscrew and is part of a one-piece plastics molding which carries and supports an annular separator disc which is heat formed from a thin plastics mesh material. The separator disc comprises a major planar portion and a flared circumferential portion which presents an annular concave surface to the base of the jug. A rod depends from the lid and is a sliding fit in an aperture in the planar portion of the separator disc. The separator disc is driven towards the base by turning the rotary cap and the leadscrew with it. The rod prevents the separator disc from rotating with the leadscrew.

Claims

1. A beverage maker including a cylindrical chamber having a closed end, a pouring spout and a separator piston disc which is slidable within the cylindrical chamber, the separator piston disc being permeable to water and the beverage whilst being impenetrable to solid raw material from which the beverage is made, the arrangement being such that the solid raw material is placed in the cylindrical chamber and the cylindrical chamber is filled with hot water which interacts with raw material to form the beverage, there being a screw which is coupled with the separator piston disc and which is supported substantially coaxially within the cylindrical chamber for rotation about its axis relative to the cylindrical chamber so that the separator piston disc moves within the cylindrical chamber with rotation of the screw and means operable to turn the screw whereby the separator piston disc is driven within the cylindrical chamber to separate the residue of the raw material from the resultant beverage, wherein the pouring spout is spaced from the closed end, the separator piston disc is slidable within the cylindrical chamber between the pouring spout and the closed end and is adapted to be driven towards the closed end, the solid raw material being placed in the cylindrical chamber between the closed end and the separator piston disc, and the screw has a multistart thread.

2. A beverage maker according to claim 1, wherein the means operable to turn the screw are manually operable.

3. A beverage maker according to claim 1, wherein the means operable to turn the screw are mechanical.

4. A beverage maker according to claim 1 which is a coffee maker including an open topped vessel having a base and substantially straight sides upstanding from the periphery of the base and forming the cylindrical chamber and the pouring spout, a lid for fitting to the open top whereby to enclose the interior of the vessel, the separator piston disc having a planform profile similar to that of the base, means for driving the disc downwards within the vessel to separate the residue of the coffee grains from the liquid, the disc being provided with a seal around its periphery, the seal being operably co-operative with the sides of the vessel so as to seal against the passage of coffee grains between the disc and the sides of the vessel from below the disc to the part of the interior of the vessel above the disc, wherein the screw depends from the lid by which it is supported for rotation about its axis relative to the lid, the means operable to turn the screw being a component which is fixed to the upper end of the screw and which is accessible from the lid so that it can be turned whereby to turn the screw about its axis, and the disc being formed as a nut which is in screwthreaded engagement with the screw so that it rises and descends within the vessel with rotation of the screw, there being means operable to hold the disc against rotation with rotation of the screw.

5. A beverage maker according to claim 1, wherein the screw has a two-start thread.

6. A beverage maker according to claim 1, wherein the screw has a four-start thread.

7. A beverage maker according to claim 1, wherein the lid is removable and is releasably fixed to the top of the vessel.

8. A beverage maker according to claim 4, wherein the peripheral seal with which the disc is provided is a circumferentially continuous lip seal of a soft plastics material which is arranged with its annular recess facing the base of the vessel.

9. A beverage maker according to claim 8, wherein the separator piston disc is a moulding including a mesh which is incorporated in structure of the remainder of the disc during moulding.

10. A beverage maker according to claim 4, wherein the separator piston disc peripheral seal is a one-piece mesh disc having an inner major planar portion and a flared circumferentially extending peripheral portion which serves as the peripheral ring seal portion, the arrangement being such that its peripheral edge is in sliding contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical wall and is displaced axially with respect to the major planar portion, being nearer to the base of the cylindrical chamber than is that major planar portion.

11. A beverage maker according to claim 10, wherein the major planar portion has a central aperture in which a nut member is fitted for engagement with the screw.

12. A beverage maker according to claim 11, wherein the major planar portion of the one-piece mesh disc is reinforced by radial ribs which project from the nut member over the face of the major planar portion which is further from the peripheral edge.

13. A beverage maker according to claim 4, wherein an elongate member depends from the lid through an aperture in the disc substantially parallel to the screw, the lower end of the elongate member being linked to the screw and the elongate member being a sliding fit in the aperture in the disc.

14. A beverage maker which includes a chamber having a closed end, a pouring spout spaced from the closed end and a separator piston disc which is provided with a seal around its periphery and which is slidable within the chamber between the pouring spout and the closed end, the separator piston disc being permeable to water and the beverage whilst being impenetrable to solid raw material from which the beverage is made and being adapted to be driven towards the closed end of the chamber, the seal being operable co-operative with the sides of the chamber so as to seal against passage of the raw material between the disc and the sides of the chamber from below the disc, the arrangement being such that the solid raw material is placed in the chamber between the closed end and the separator piston disc and the chamber is filled with hot water which interacts with raw material to form the beverage, the separator piston disc being driven towards the closed end to separate the residue of the raw material from the resultant beverage, wherein the separator piston disc and the peripheral ring seal are formed as a one-piece mesh disc having a major portion and a flared circumferentially extending peripheral portion which serves as the peripheral ring seal portion, the peripheral edge of the one-piece mesh disc being is sliding contact with the inner surface of the chamber wall and being displaced axially with respect to the major planar portion so that it is nearer to the base of the chamber than is that major planar portion.

15. A beverage maker according to claim 14, wherein the major planar portion of the one-piece mesh disc is reinforced by radial spokes which project over the face of the major planar portion which is further from the peripheral edge.

16. A beverage maker according to claim 14, wherein the one-piece mesh disc is heat formed from plastics mesh material.

17. A beverage maker according to claim 14, wherein the peripheral edge of the one-piece mesh disc is frayed.

18. A beverage maker according to claim 14, wherein the mesh material of the flared circumferentially extending peripheral portion and its peripheral edge has a fabric nature whereby it readily conforms to the inner surface of the sides of the chamber as it is driven towards the closed end to separate the residue of the raw material from the resultant beverage.

19. A separator piston disc and peripheral ring seal for slidably fitting in a cylindrical chamber of a beverage maker, the disc and peripheral ring seal having a major planar portion which incorporates mesh material and a flared circumferentially extending peripheral portion which serves as the peripheral ring seal portion for sliding contact with the inner surface of the wall of the cylindrical chamber, wherein the piston disc and peripheral ring seal are formed together as a one-piece disc of mesh material, the arrangement being such that, when the one-piece mesh disc is fitted into the closed ended cylindrical chamber of a beverage maker, its peripheral edge is displaced axially with respect to the major planar portion, being nearer to the closed end of the cylindrical chamber than is that major planar portion.

20. A beverage maker according to claim 19, wherein the mesh material of the flared circumferentially extending peripheral portion and its peripheral edge has a fabric nature whereby it readily conforms to the inner surface of the sides of the chamber as it is driven towards the closed end to separate the residue of the raw material from the resultant beverage.

21. A beverage maker including an open topped vessel forming a generally cylindrical chamber having a closed end, a pouring spout spaced from the closed end, a lid for fitting to the open top whereby to enclose the interior of the vessel and a separator piston disc which is slidable within the cylindrical chamber between the pouring spout and the closed end, the separator piston disc having a planform profile similar to that of the base and being permeable to water and the beverage whilst being impenetrable to sold raw material from which the beverage is made, and means for driving the disc towards the closed end of the cylindrical chamber, the arrangement being such that the solid raw material is placed in the cylindrical chamber between the closed end and the separator piston disc and the cylindrical chamber is filled with hot water which interacts with raw material to form the beverage, the separator piston disc being driven towards the closed end to separate the residue of the raw material from the resultant beverage, wherein said means for driving the disc towards the closed end of the cylindrical chamber include a screw which depends from the lid by which it is supported for rotation about its axis relative to the lid, the disc being formed as a nut which is in screwthreaded engagement with the screw so that it slides within the vessel with rotation of the screw and an elongate member depends from the lid through an aperture in the disc substantially parallel to the screw, the lower end of the elongate member being a sliding fit in the aperture of the disc.