Beverage brewer with pour over feature

• US 6,752,069 B1
• Filed: 07/08/2002
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Grindmaster Cratheo Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Grindmaster Corporation (AB Electrolux)
• Inventors: Burke, Michael, McNeill, Robert C., Enscoe, Keith W.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US10/190,775
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 992/80, 992/84, 992/85, 993/00, 993/07
• US Class Current: 99/280
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/007 for brewing on a large scale, e.g. for restaurants, or for use with more than one brewing container
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/10 Coffee-making apparatus, in which the brewing vessel , i.e. water heating container, is placed above or in the upper part of the beverage containers i.e. brewing vessel; Drip coffee-makers with the water heating container in a higher position than the brewing vessel A47J31/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/56 having water-level controls; having temperature controls

Abstract

A beverage brewer with two modes of operation, an automatic mode in which water automatically flows into a reservoir for heating the water and is dispensed over beverage concentrate during a brewing cycle and a manual mode in which water is manually added to the brewer and dispensed over the beverage concentrate during the brewing cycle. The beverage brewer has a water level sensor system signaling the water level for auto-fill from an external water supply or fill by manual pour-over operations.

Claims

1. A beverage brewer having two modes of operation, an automatic mode in which water automatically flows into a reservoir for heating the water and is dispensed over a beverage concentrate during a brew cycle and a manual mode in which water is manually dispensed over the beverage concentrate during said brew cycle, said brewer further comprising:

(a) a hot water distribution system for receiving hot water from said reservoir and distributing said hot water over said concentrate;

(b) a water sensor positioned within said reservoir for sensing the presence of water when it reaches a predetermined level in said reservoir and initiating a water present signal; and

(c) a control system responsive to a user initiated signal and to the water present signal for moving hot water from said reservoir to said distribution system, said control system converting to a manual mode when said water present signal is not received in a predetermined time period following the distribution of hot water over the beverage concentrate and causing an indication signal to be visually displayed whereby said brew cycle is initiated by the manual introduction of hot water into said hot water distribution system.

2. A beverage brewer having two modes of operation, an automatic mode in which water automatically flows into a reservoir for heating the water and is dispensed over beverage concentrate during a brewing cycle and a manual mode in which water is manually added to said brewer and dispensed over the beverage concentrate during said brewing cycle, said brewer further comprising:

(a) a water level sensor positioned within said reservoir for sensing the presence of said water;

(b) a water replacement system including a water inlet valve in communication with said reservoir, said system adapted to be placed into contact with a remote source of water;

(c) a water basin in communication with said reservoir;

(d) a brewing system including a water outlet, a brewer valve, and a hot water distribution component for distributing hot water from said basin over the beverage concentrate held in a brew basket;

(e) a controller for controlling multiple functions of said brewer; and

(f) a user operated control panel for providing a brew signal to said controller and for displaying the status of certain operations of said brewer, said controller in response to said brew signal opening said brewer valve whereby said hot water flows to the distribution component for distribution, said controller after a fix predetermined time period opening said water inlet valve to maintain the level of water in said reservoir above said water outlet to said brewer valve, closing said brewer valve following a second predetermined period of time, and closing said water valve when said water level sensor senses the presence of water, and, in the event said sensor does not sense said water level after a third predetermined time period, said controller causing said brewer to enter the manual pour-over mode by closing said water valve and causing said control panel to display a change to said manual mode whereupon the user readies the brewer for manual operation culminating in the manual pouring of a predetermined volume of water into said basin.

3. The beverage brewer as recited in claim 2, wherein said water replacement system further comprises a supply line in communication with said remote source of water and a transport line connected to a bottom portion of said reservoir, wherein said supply line of the water replacement system can be disabled.

4. The beverage brewer as recited in claim 3, wherein a manual water replacement system can be utilized once said supply line is disabled, with water poured into said water basin, said water then directed into the reservoir through said transport line, thereby upwardly displacing the hot water to a level above outlet to said brewer valve.

5. The beverage brewer as recited in claim 2, wherein said water basin communicates with said reservoir by a connected water line and inlet into said reservoir.

6. The beverage brewer as recited in claim 2, wherein said hot water distribution component can be controlled to limit the amount of water distributed into the brew basket, including a pre-including cycle which distributes water into the brew basket for a predetermined period of time before the initiation of the brewing cycle, said water being distributed over said beverage concentrate contained within said brew basket.

7. The beverage brewer as recited in claim 2, wherein the brewing system includes a programmed brewing time value, said value corresponding to a volume of water passing through the brew basket.

8. The beverage brewer as recited in claim 2, wherein said controller is connected to a thermistor to monitor the water temperature within the reservoir and when said thermistor sends a signal to the controller that the water temperature needs adjustment, the controller then sends a signal to a heater relay to allow a heating coil with in the reservoir to operate.

9. The beverage brewer as recited in claim 8, wherein said controller establishes the heating range of the water within the reservoir for the duration of the brewing cycle.

10. The beverage brewer as recited in claim 2, wherein said controller has a counter that counts the number of brews made in the brewer.

11. The beverage brewer as recited in claim 10, wherein said counter is linked to said user operated control panel for display on the same.

12. The beverage brewer as recited in claim 2, wherein the brewer further comprises an automatic decanter warmer shut-off process after a predetermined time past the completion of the brew cycle.

13. A coffee brewer having an automatic mode of operation, in which water automatically flows into a reservoir for heating the water and is dispensed over ground coffee during a brewing cycle, and a manual mode of operation, in which water is manually added to said brewer and dispensed over the ground coffee during said brewing cycle, said brewer further including

(a) a water level sensor extending into said reservoir for the presence of said water;

(b) a water replacement system including at least one water inlet valve in communication with said reservoir;

(c) a brewing system including a water outlet, a brewer valve, and a hot water distribution component for distributing hot water over the ground coffee held in a brew basket;

(d) a controller for controlling multiple function of said brewer; and

(e) a user operated control panel for providing a brew signal to said controller and for displaying the status of certain operations of said brewer;

wherein said controller responds to said brew signal opening said brewer valve whereby said hot water flows to said distribution component for distribution over said grounds, said controller after a first predetermined time period opening said water inlet valve to maintain the level of water in said reservoir above said water outlet to said brewer valve, closing said brewer valve following a second predetermined period of time, and closing said water valve when the water level contacts said water level sensor, and, in the event that water does not contact said water level sensor after a third predetermined time period, said controller causing said brewer to enter the manual mode by closing said water valve and causing said control panel to display a change to said manual mode whereupon the user readies the brewer for manual operation culminating in the manual pouring of a predetermined volume of water into said basin.