Apparatus, systems, and methods for brewing a beverage
First Claim
1. A system for brewing a beverage, the system comprising:
- more than one brew module, wherein at least one brew module comprises a doser assembly, an upper subassembly, and an interior subassembly;
wherein the doser assembly is engaged with the upper subassembly and is configured to receive one or more hoppers;
wherein the upper subassembly is engaged with the interior subassembly such that the upper subassembly and the interior subassembly interact with each other during a brew cycle;
wherein the upper subassembly comprises a wiper assembly configured to automatically clean interior components of the at least one brew module after a brew cycle, the wiper assembly comprising a plow and a spray feature, wherein the plow is configured to move across a first surface of the upper subassembly to remove debris from the upper subassembly after a brew cycle,wherein the spray feature comprises a first spray feature and a second spray feature,wherein the first spray feature is configured to move with the plow and the second spray feature is stationary,wherein the second spray feature is activated before the first spray feature during a cleaning cycle such that the second spray feature is configured to rinse the plow after the plow has moved across the first surface of the upper subassembly to clean the plow of the wiper assembly, andwherein the first spray feature is configured to rinse components of the upper subassembly after the plow has moved across the first surface of the upper subassembly to clean remaining debris after the plow has removed the bulk of debris from the upper subassembly; and
wherein the at least one brew module is configured to automatically brew a single-cup portion of a beverage.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for brewing a desired portion of a beverage, such as a single-cup portion of coffee, is provided. The system may have more than one brew module. The system allows a user to quickly and easily brew a variety of types of single-cup portions of a beverage. In some embodiments, the system may brew a single-cup portion of coffee in a relatively short period of time based on a combination of certain parameters. The system may include an automatic cleaning mechanism such that a user does not need to manually clean components of a brewing machine between brew cycles. The system may also include apparatus configured to substantially prevent steam from reaching grinder components of the system. The system may also include apparatus configured to provide a precise dose of material based on, for example, volume of the material. Methods and apparatus for brewing a beverage are also disclosed.
171 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A system for brewing a beverage, the system comprising:
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more than one brew module, wherein at least one brew module comprises a doser assembly, an upper subassembly, and an interior subassembly; wherein the doser assembly is engaged with the upper subassembly and is configured to receive one or more hoppers; wherein the upper subassembly is engaged with the interior subassembly such that the upper subassembly and the interior subassembly interact with each other during a brew cycle; wherein the upper subassembly comprises a wiper assembly configured to automatically clean interior components of the at least one brew module after a brew cycle, the wiper assembly comprising a plow and a spray feature, wherein the plow is configured to move across a first surface of the upper subassembly to remove debris from the upper subassembly after a brew cycle, wherein the spray feature comprises a first spray feature and a second spray feature, wherein the first spray feature is configured to move with the plow and the second spray feature is stationary, wherein the second spray feature is activated before the first spray feature during a cleaning cycle such that the second spray feature is configured to rinse the plow after the plow has moved across the first surface of the upper subassembly to clean the plow of the wiper assembly, and wherein the first spray feature is configured to rinse components of the upper subassembly after the plow has moved across the first surface of the upper subassembly to clean remaining debris after the plow has removed the bulk of debris from the upper subassembly; and wherein the at least one brew module is configured to automatically brew a single-cup portion of a beverage. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification