Apparatuses, systems, and methods for brewing a beverage

• US 9,930,987 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2014
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starbucks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Starbucks Corporation
• Inventors: Hulett, Randy, Doucette, David, Apone, Dan, Koller, Izaak, Juris, Amanda L., Allison, Jeff, Shay, Brian, Johnson, John Andrew, Horth, Roland, Frankovich, Steve, Klecker, Glenn, Hancock, Stephen Hoyt, Singer, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Angwin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chou, Jimmy
• Application Number:
  US14/548,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20150135966A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 99287, 99289 D, 99286, 99294, 99300
• CPC Class Codes: A23F 5/26 Extraction of water-soluble constituents A23F5/246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/3671 Loose coffee being employed
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/404 Powder dosing devices
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/5253 of temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/60 Cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/50 Supplying devices, e.g. funnels; Supply containers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1306 for liquids G05D23/1393 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1951 with control of the working time of a temperature controlling device
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/66 Regulating electric power
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/30 Systems integrating technologies related to power network operation and communication or information technologies for improving the carbon footprint of the management of residential or tertiary loads, i.e. smart grids as climate change mitigation technology in the buildings sector, including also the last stages of power distribution and the control, monitoring or operating management systems at local level
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 70/3225 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/222 Demand response systems, e.g. load shedding, peak shaving
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 20/244 the home appliances being or involving heating ventilating and air conditioning [HVAC] units

Abstract

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for brewing a desired portion of a beverage, such as a single-cup portion of coffee, are provided. The system can include one or more hopper assemblies configured to provide a controlled dose of beverage material to a brew chamber. The system can also include a water input system configured to wet the ground beverage material as the grinds enter the brew chamber and substantially prevent steam from reaching grinder components of the system. Further, the system can include an automatic cleaning mechanism such that a user does not need to manually clean components of a brewing machine between brew cycles.

Claims

1. A brewing assembly for brewing coffee, the brewing assembly comprising:

a brew chamber configured to receive ground coffee;

a first fluid channel in fluid communication with the brew chamber; and

a mixing valve in fluid communication with the first fluid channel, the mixing valve comprising;

an outlet configured to deliver the ground coffee to the brew chamber; and

a number of passageways circumferentially disposed around the outlet, each of the number of passageways disposed at an angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the mixing valve such that the ground coffee mixes with water dispensed from the number of passageways as the ground coffee enters the brew chamber;

a dispensing outlet for dispensing brewed coffee, the dispensing outlet positioned downstream of the brew chamber.

2. The brewing assembly of claim 1, wherein the angle is between 1 degree and 5 degrees.

3. The brewing assembly of claim 1, further comprising a second fluid channel in fluid communication with the brew chamber, a fill nozzle in fluid communication with the second fluid channel.

4. The brewing assembly of claim 3, wherein water delivered from the mixing valve has a first temperature and water delivered from the fill nozzle has a second temperature greater than the first temperature.

5. The brewing assembly of claim 1, wherein the mixing valve comprises a ground coffee channel for delivering ground coffee to the brew chamber.

6. The brewing assembly of claim 5, wherein the number of passageways are circumferentially disposed around the ground coffee channel.

7. The brewing assembly of claim 5, wherein the mixing valve comprises a recessed portion disposed between at least one of the number of passageways and the ground coffee channel.

8. The brewing assembly of claim 5, wherein the mixing valve includes a wall portion separating an outer recess and an inner recess, the inner recess comprising the number of passageways.