Beverage server

• US 6,595,107 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2001
• Issued: 07/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
• Inventors: Hart, Burton L., Knepler, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US09/832,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20010013524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 832 Days
• Field of Search: 992/90, 992/85, 992/80, 992/83, 222/644, 222/641
• US Class Current: 99/290
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/505 with heat-supply regulation

Abstract

A beverage server and beverage brewer. Contacts are provided between the brewer and server, and the server is conductively coupleable to and removable from the brewer. The server is configured to detect a level of beverage retained in the server and communicate this information to the brewer. The brewer is configured to automatically initiate a brewing cycle in response to pre-determined conditions, such as upon beverage in the server decreasing below a pre-determined level. The brewer is configured to detect whether the server is in position relative to the brewer and is configured to dispense beverage only if the server is detected. Preferably, the server is configured to prevent dispensing of beverage if a pre-determined time period has expired, in order to avoid dispensing beverage with an expired pre-determined freshness period.

Claims

1. A beverage server in combination with a beverage maker for dispensing a beverage from the beverage maker, the combination comprising:

the server being conductively coupleable to and removable from the beverage maker;

the beverage maker at least communicating with the server when the server is couductively coupled with the beverage maker;

a beverage detector operatively associated with the server for detecting a quantity of beverage contained in the server, maker control circuitry communicating with a server conductively coupled to the beverage maker;

a switch coupled to the maker control circuitry for initiating making of beverage by the beverage maker, the maker control circuitry initiating production of beverage by the beverage maker and dispensing to the beverage server when the beverage detector indicates that the beverage in the server has decreased below a predetermined level;

a controllable dispense valve carried on the server for dispensing beverage therethrough;

the dispense valve being coupled to the maker control circuitry;

a timer coupled to the control circuitry, the timer being reset upon the initiation of a new beverage making event.

2. A beverage server in combination with a beverage maker as recited in claim 1, the server further comprising server control circuitry, a switch connected to the server control circuitry and actuatable to direct the server to dispense beverage and a freshness timer for timing the freshness of a beverage dispensed into the server, the timer being reset upon the initiation of a new beverage making event, the server control circuitry configured to operate the dispensing valve depending on a status of said timer and depending on whether the switch is actuated to prevent dispensing of beverage which has expired based on the during of the timer.

3. A combination beverage server and brewer as recited in claim 2, said brewer control circuitry configured to initiate dispensing of beverage from the brewer only if beverage in said server has decreased below the pre-determined level.

4. A beverage server in combination with a beverage maker as recited in claim 3, the server further comprising the dispense valve configured to dispense beverage from the server upon the dispense valve being operated, the server control circuitry being operably connected to the dispense valve, and a liquid level sensor in communication with the server control circuitry and configured to detect a level of beverage retained in the server.

5. A beverage server in combination with a beverage maker as recited in claim 2, the beverage maker configured to detect whether the server is in position relative to the beverage maker.

6. A beverage server in combination with a beverage maker as recited in claim 5, the beverage maker configured to dispense beverage only if the server is detected.

7. A beverage sewer in combination wit a beverage maker for dispensing a brewed beverage from the beverage maker to the server, the beverage maker conductively coupleable to and removable from the server, the server configured to detect a level of beverage retained in the server and communicate to the beverage maker whether the beverage in the server has decreased below a pre-determined level, the beverage maker configured to automatically initiate a brewing cycle upon beverage in the server decreasing below the pre-determined level, and the beverage maker configured to detect whether the server is in position relative to the beverage maker and configured to dispense beverage only if the server is detected.

8. A combination beverage server and beverage maker as recited in claim 7, the server configured to prevent dispensing of the beverage to the server unless a pre-determined time period has not expired.