Beverage brewer with flavor base removal

• US 9,402,406 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2013
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Starbucks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Starbucks Corporation
• Inventors: Nosler, Zander, Hulett, Randy, Wyer, Jorah, Baum, Michael, Allison, Jeff
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinrich, Samuel M
• Application Number:
  US14/137,863
• Publication Number:
  US 20140106042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• Field of Search: 992/89.R, 426425-435
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A23F 5/262 the extraction liquid flows through a stationary bed of solid substances, e.g. in percolation columns
• 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 31/06 Filters or strainers for coffee or tea makers ; Holders therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/20 having immersible, e.g. rotatable, filters
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/36 with mechanical pressure-producing means
• 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 31/42 Beverage-making apparatus with incorporated grinding or roasting means for coffee coffee mills A47J42/00; coffee roasters in general A23N12/08

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to the brewing of beverages from a liquid, such as water, and a flavor base, such as tea, cocoa, or coffee. Specifically, aspects of the present disclosure enable the brewing of beverages at a rapid rate by enabling removal of spent flavor base (e.g., coffee grounds) from a brewing chamber. In one embodiment, a filter is provided in fixed attachment with a wiper. After a brewed beverage is forced from the brewing chamber through the filter, the filter can be removed from the brew chamber. Removal of the filter causes the wiper to pass over the brew chamber, sweeping away spent flavor base and preparing the brew chamber for subsequent use. In some embodiments, a scraper may be positioned such that removal of the filter from the brew chamber causes the scraper to remove spent flavor base from the filter and/or wiper.

Claims

1. A machine for brewing beverages, the machine comprising:

a brew chamber having one or more openings to receive a flavor base and a brewing liquid;

a piston disposed in the chamber to force a beverage brewed from the brewing liquid and the flavor base out of the chamber;

a filter to separate the flavor base from the beverage; and

a wiper in fixed attachment with the filter to sweep the flavor base off of the piston.

2. The machine of claim 1 further comprising a scraper to scrape the flavor base off of the wiper.

3. The machine of claim 2, wherein the scraper is mounted on a pivot enabling the scraper to rotate in a plane perpendicular to the filter.

4. The machine of claim 3, wherein the pivot is configured to position the scraper substantially coplanar to the filter, and wherein the substantially coplanar position enables the scraper to dislodge the flavor base from the filter.

5. The machine of claim 3, wherein the pivot is configured to rotate the scraper across the wiper to dislodge the flavor base from the wiper.

6. The machine of claim 2 further comprising a motor to move the wiper and filter across the scraper to dislodge the flavor base from the wiper.

7. The machine of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of hoppers containing the flavor base.

8. A method for brewing beverages, the method comprising:

transporting a liquid and flavor base to a brew chamber;

actuating a piston disposed in the brew chamber in a first direction to force a beverage brewed from the brewing liquid and the flavor base out of the chamber through a shuttle assembly comprising a filter in fixed attachment with a wiper; and

moving the shuttle assembly in a direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction to sweep the flavor base from the piston.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the flavor base comprises at least one of tea, cocoa, or coffee.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the filter comprises an outlet and one or more ribs arranged to direct a brewed beverage that is passed through the filter towards the outlet.

11. The method of claim 8 further comprising moving the shuttle assembly over a scraper to remove the flavor base from the filter.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising moving the shuttle assembly over a scraper to remove the flavor base from the wiper.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein transporting the flavor base to the brew chamber comprises receiving the flavor base from at least one of a plurality of flavor base stores.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising passing the liquid through a temperature control unit to cool the liquid to a predetermined temperature.

15. A system for brewing beverages, the system comprising:

a brew chamber;

flavor base transporting means for transporting a flavor base into the brew chamber;

liquid transporting means for transporting a brewing liquid into the brew chamber;

expulsion means to force a beverage brewed from the brewing liquid and the flavor base out of the chamber; and

a shuttle assembly comprising;

filter means to separate the flavor base from the beverage; and

sweeping means, in fixed attachment with the filter means, to sweep the flavor base from the piston.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the shuttle assembly further comprises an outlet and one or more ribs arranged to direct a brewed beverage that is passed through the shuttle assembly towards the outlet.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising temperature control means disposed between a brewing liquid source and the brew chamber and operative to cool liquid from the brewing liquid source to a predetermined temperature.

18. The system of claim 15 further comprising cleaning means to scrape flavor base from the shuttle assembly.

19. The system of claim 18 further comprising shuttle assembly driving means to pass the shuttle assembly over the cleaning means.

20. The system of claim 15 flavor base input means to receive flavor base from a plurality of flavor base sources.