Hot beverage maker with dispenser

• US 8,201,491 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2011
• Issued: 06/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Original Assignee: Hamilton Beach Brands Incorporated (Hamilton Beach Brands Holding Co.)
• Inventors: Garman, Michael Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): Alexander, Reginald L
• Application Number:
  US13/289,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20120045559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 228 Days
• Field of Search: 993/06, 993/07, 992/75, 992/79, 992/90, 993/233, 222/189.11, 222/189.06, 222/146.5, 426/433
• US Class Current: 99/307
• 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 2203/00 Devices having filling level indicating means
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/057 with water container separated from beverage container, the hot water passing the filter only once i.e. classical type of drip coffee makers
• 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 31/44 Parts or details or accessories of beverage-making apparatus filters or strainers A47J31/06
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4457 Water-level indicators
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/467 for the infusion

Abstract

A hot beverage maker has a stand, fresh water reservoir, a removable tank, and a spring-biased actuator means for dispensing brewed beverages. The tank includes a reservoir portion and the reservoir portion is adapted to hold a brewed liquid so that the tank comprises a fluid bucket when removed from the hot beverage maker. The tank is placed on a platform in a mating relationship so as to engage a warmer plate to keep the contents of the tank warm. The hot beverage maker produces a brewed beverage that is stored in the tank. The dispenser actuator may be engaged by a vessel for holding a hot beverage in order to commence the dispensing of the brewed beverage from the tank.

Claims

1. A hot beverage maker comprising:

a stand with a fresh water reservoir positioned on the stand and a lid attached to the beverage maker, the lid having a first position where the lid substantially covers the fresh water reservoir and a second position where the fresh water reservoir is accessible to a user, the stand further comprising a platform with a warmer plate,

a brewed beverage tank with a sidewall and a bottom, the brewed beverage tank being removably mounted on the platform, the bottom of the brewed beverage tank engaged to the warmer plate, the brewed beverage tank comprising a fluid bucket when the brewed beverage tank is removed from the stand;

a rotatable showerhead fluidily connected to the fresh water reservoir;

a filter basket located beneath the showerhead, the filter basket including a drain aperture wherein fluid exits the filter basket via the drain aperture and enters the brewed beverage tank;

an actuator; and

an outlet port, the outlet port fluidily connected to a reservoir portion of the brewed beverage tank, the actuator engaged to thereby dispense brewed beverage from the brewed beverage tank.

2. The hot beverage maker of claim 1, wherein the actuator is a spring-biased actuator, the spring-biased actuator engaged by pressing a mug against the spring-biased actuator, the outlet port positioned to dispense the brewed beverage from the brewed beverage tank into the mug.

3. The hot beverage maker of claim 1, wherein the sidewall of the brewed beverage tank includes a window and the user observes the amount of brewed beverage contained within the brewed beverage tank via the window.

4. The hot beverage maker of claim 1, wherein the bottom of the brewed beverage tank includes a molded male portion.

5. The hot beverage maker of claim 4, wherein the warmer plate engages a heat conducting bottom surface of the brewed beverage tank when the brewed beverage tank is positioned on the platform to keep the brewed beverage in the brewed beverage tank warm.

6. The hot beverage maker of claim 5, wherein the molded male portion of the brewed beverage tank extends beyond the heat conducting bottom surface.

7. The hot beverage maker of claim 4, wherein the molded male portion of the brewed beverage tank extends beyond a bottom surface of the bottom of the brewed beverage tank.

8. The hot beverage maker of claim 4, wherein the warmer plate extends above the surface of the platform and the molded male portion of the brewed beverage tank is positioned adjacent to the warmer plate.

9. The hot beverage maker of claim 4, wherein the platform is molded to receive in a mating relationship the molded male portion of the brewed beverage tank.

10. The hot beverage maker of claim 9, wherein the mating relationship between the platform and the molded male portion of the brewed beverage tank aligns and retains the brewed beverage tank on the stand.

11. The hot beverage maker of claim 1, wherein positioning the lid in the first position to cover the fresh water reservoir rotates the showerhead to a position above the brew basket.

12. The hot beverage maker of claim 2, further comprising a recess that at least partially receives the mug.

13. A hot beverage maker comprising:

a stand with a fresh water reservoir and a platform with a warmer plate, the warmer plate extending above an upper surface of the platform,

a brewed beverage tank with a sidewall and a bottom, the brewed beverage tank being removably mounted on the platform in contact with the warmer plate, the bottom of the brewed beverage tank including a molded male portion, the platform molded to receive the molded male portion of the brewed beverage tank, the brewed beverage tank further comprising a fluid bucket when the brewed beverage tank is removed from the stand;

a showerhead fluidily connected to the fresh water reservoir;

a filter basket, the filter basket including a drain aperture wherein fluid exits the filter basket via the drain aperture and enters the brewed beverage tank;

an actuator; and

an outlet port, the outlet port fluidily connected to a reservoir portion of the brewed beverage tank, the actuator engaged to thereby dispense brewed beverage from the brewed beverage tank.

14. The hot beverage maker of claim 13, wherein the actuator is a spring-biased actuator, the spring-biased actuator engaged by pressing a mug against the spring-biased actuator.

15. The hot beverage maker of claim 14, further comprising a recess that at least partially receives the mug so that the mug may actuate the spring-biased actuator.

16. The hot beverage maker of claim 13, further comprising a mating relationship between the platform and the molded male portion of the brewed beverage tank, the mating relationship operable to align the brewed beverage tank on the stand.

17. A method of brewing and dispensing coffee comprising the steps of:

removing a tank from a hot beverage maker, the tank having a bottom and a sidewall;

filling the tank with fresh water;

transferring the fresh water to the hot beverage maker via the tank;

pouring the fresh water from the tank into a fresh water reservoir provided by the hot beverage maker;

returning the tank to the hot beverage maker by the step of positioning the tank on a warmer plate located on a platform provided by the hot beverage maker;

placing a filter basket in the hot beverage maker;

rotating a showerhead to a position above the filter basket;

heating the fresh water to move it up a tube from a heater to the showerhead and into the filter basket;

directing the water in the filter basket into the tank by allowing the water to exit the filter basket and enter the tank as a brewed beverage;

energizing the warmer plate to keep the brewed beverage in the tank warm;

providing a spring-biased actuator; and

dispensing the brewed beverage from the tank to a brewed beverage receptacle via an outlet, the step of dispensing the brewed beverage accomplished by the further step of engaging the spring-biased actuator.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of observing the amount of brewed beverage in the tank via a transparent window in the tank sidewall.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the step of positioning the tank on a warmer plate located on a platform provided by the hot beverage maker further comprises the step of placing a molded male projection on the tank in a mating relationship with the platform and warmer plate.

20. A hot beverage maker comprising:

a stand with a fresh water reservoir positioned on the stand;

a lid attached to the beverage maker, the lid having a first position where the lid substantially covers the fresh water reservoir and a second position where the fresh water reservoir is accessible to a user, the stand further comprising a platform with a warmer plate, the warmer plate extending above the surface of the platform;

a brewed beverage tank with a sidewall and a bottom, the brewed beverage tank being removably mounted on the platform, the brewed beverage tank further comprising a heat conducting bottom surface and a molded male portion that extends beyond the heat conducting bottom surface, the bottom of the brewed beverage tank engaged to the warmer plate with the molded male portion of the brewed beverage tank positioned adjacent to the warmer plate when the brewed beverage tank is positioned on the stand, the brewed beverage tank comprising a fluid bucket when the brewed beverage tank is removed from the stand, the sidewall including a window;

a showerhead fluidily connected to the fresh water reservoir;

a filter basket located beneath the showerhead, the filter basket including a drain aperture wherein fluid exits the filter basket via the drain aperture and enters the brewed beverage tank;

a spring-biased actuator;

an outlet port, the outlet port fluidily connected to a reservoir portion of the brewed beverage tank; and

a recess that at least partially receives a mug, the spring-biased actuator engaged by locating at least a portion of the mug in the recess to actuate the spring-biased actuator to thereby dispense brewed beverage from the brewed beverage tank, the outlet port positioned to dispense the brewed beverage from the brewed beverage tank into the mug.