Beverage brewing apparatus with pump dispensing system

• US 9,038,530 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ENE Holdings, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ENE Holdings, Ltd.
• Inventors: Chen, Andrew Yuen Chin, Cheng, Amy Decem, Lui, Kwan Fai
• Primary Examiner(s): SPURLOCK, BRETT SHANE
• Application Number:
  US11/750,036
• Publication Number:
  US 20080282896A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,931 Days
• Field of Search: 992/79, 992/89.R, 992/80, 993/00, 992/95, 992/93, 99301-307, 993/16, 222/95, 222/129.1, 426/431, 426/433
• US Class Current: 99/280
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/0573 with flow through heaters flow through heaters as part of a water boiling vessel in a beverage making machine A47J31/542
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/467 for the infusion

Abstract

A beverage machine for preparing and dispensing a hot beverage having a pump dispensing system. Hot water passes through a water distributor to infuse material in a filter basket. A coffee tank receives the brewed beverage and maintains it at an appropriate temperature. On demand, a pump dispensing system delivers the beverage through an outlet chamber and spout into a user'"'"'s cup. The user manipulates a switch to vary the rate at which the pump dispensing system dispenses the beverage.

Claims

1. An apparatus for brewing and delivering hot beverage, said apparatus comprises:

i. a housing;

ii. a filter basket assembly mountable in said housing, wherein hot water infuses an extractable substance to produce a hot brewed beverage delivered through a filter basket outlet port;

iii. a detachable beverage tank below said filter basket assembly for collecting the brewed beverage through said filter basket outlet port, said detachable beverage tank comprises an impeller at the inner bottom surface of the beverage tank, said impeller comprises a first set of magnets and rotation of said impeller will drive the hot beverage into an upstanding tube, said upstanding tube is disposed inside of the beverage tank and runs from the bottom of the beverage tank to the top of the beverage tank in order to pass the beverage to a dispensing spout located adjacent to the filter basket assembly, said dispensing spout directs the beverage downwards to a receiving vessel, wherein the beverage travels from said filter basket assembly to said beverage tank through said filter basket outlet port and is driven into said upstanding tube to reach said dispensing spout; and

iv. a motor located below the detachable beverage tank, said motor comprises a magnet support carrying a second set of magnets outside the detachable beverage tank, wherein said magnet support is located below the impeller in the beverage tank, wherein said impeller is induced to rotate via magnetic interaction between the first and second sets of magnets when the magnet support is rotated by the motor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said filter basket assembly includes a drip stop assembly at the filter basket outlet port that contacts said beverage tank assembly.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said drip stop assembly comprises:

i. a valve seal for closing said filter basket outlet port,

ii. a valve rod having a head connected to said valve seal, and

iii. a spring for biasing said valve rod and seal to close said outlet port whereby said head engages said beverage tank to open said drip stop assembly.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprises a beverage output chamber to collect the hot beverage before passing the beverage to said dispensing spout.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said housing comprises a bottom housing portion for supporting a cup under said dispensing spout.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said bottom housing portion comprises a drain assembly.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said dispensing spout further comprises an adjustable unit for varying the length of said dispensing spout.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein rotation of said motor is controlled by a manually activated dispensing control.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said impeller comprises an impeller ring and the first set of magnets are angularly spaced on said impeller ring.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said second set of magnets are angularly spaced on the magnet support.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said motor is controlled to rotate for a time interval required to dispense a predetermined amount of hot beverage.