Apparatus for infusing a liquid

An apparatus for making espresso, the apparatus comprising:

• a body having a first end portion, a medial portion, and a second end portion, the body having a diameter and an outer circumferential surface that defines gripping features;
• a gear box at the first end portion of the body, the gear box having an outer circumferential surface, a first end portion that has an axially aligned upper surface that defines a concavely shaped liquid receiving depression, and a second end portion that has an axially aligned lower surface, and a radially reduced medial portion between the first end portion and the second end portion, and a liquid drain is defined within the liquid receiving depression, the liquid drain defining a liquid channel that communicates between the concavely shaped liquid receiving depression and the axially aligned lower surface for liquid to pass there-through, the gear box further defining an axially aligned lead screw channel that extends between the upper and lower axially aligned surfaces, the lead screw channel having a radially inwardly extending lead screw lug that slidably engages with an axially movable lead screw that is carried within the lead screw channel;
• and
• the lead screw is elongate and has a first end portion and a second end portion, defines threads in an outer circumferential surface, and defines an axially aligned anti-rotation key-way that extends between the first end portion and the second end portion, the key-way slidably engages with the lead screw key to prevent the lead screw from rotating axially, and the lead screw is carried within and extends axially though the lead screw channel and extends axially outwardly from both the first end portion and the second end portion of the gear box, and the lead screw threadably communicates with a lead screw nut that is rotatably carried on rotation bushings in a lead screw nut cavity defined in the gear box;
• and
• the lead screw nut defines a medial axial channel through which the lead screw axially extends, and threads defined in an inner circumferential surface of a medial axial channel operatively engage with the threads defined in the outer circumferential surface of the lead screw so that the lead screw and the lead screw nut move relative to one another responsive to axial rotation of the lead screw nut, and the lead screw nut further defines worm gear threads in an outer circumferential surface, and the lead screw nut cavity communicates with a transversely extending worm gear channel, so that the worm gear threads defined in the lead screw nut operatively engage with threads defined in a worm gear carried in the transversely extending worm gear channel defined in the gear box;
• and
• the worm gear is barrel shaped in configuration and has a first end portion and a second end portion and a socket pinion extends axially from the second end portion and the worm gear defines worm gear threads in an outer circumferential surface that operatively threadably communicate with the worm gear threads defined in the lead screw nut so that rotational motion is threadably communicated therebetween;
• a positionally adjustable hand crank that extends proximate the outer circumferential surface of the body, is interconnected with the axially extending socket pinion, the hand crank having a socket that has a first end portion and a second end portion, and the first end portion is engaged with the axially extending socket pinion, and the second end portion defines a diametrically extending through hole to adjustably positionally engage with an elongate second arm, and an axially aligned hole for a threaded set screw, the elongate second arm has a first end portion and a second end portion that defines plural spacedly arrayed bends, and the first end portion defines a first and a second diametrically extending through hole for the threaded set screw, and the first hole is aligned axially perpendicular relative to the second hole, and the second end portion of the elongate second arm carries a hand grip at a terminal end thereof, and the elongate second arm is positionally adjustable relative to the socket by predetermined alignment of the first and second through holes relative to the axially aligned hole of the socket and engagement of the threaded set screw therein so that rotation of the hand crank responsively axially rotates the worm gear, and the axial rotational motion of the worm gear is threadably communicated to the lead screw nut which responsively communicates the rotational motion to the lead screw which responsively causes the lead screw to move axially, and without rotation, in a first direction, and in a second direction, responsive to the rotation of the hand crank, and the rotation of the hand crank and axial rotation of the worm gear is in a direction that is perpendicular to the axial movement of the lead screw;
• and
• the lead screw carries, at its second end portion, a valve body, the valve body having an outwardly downwardly tapered first end portion, a medial portion, an inwardly downwardly tapered second end portion with a plunger engaging flange at the second end portion, a pressure relief channel defined in the valve body communicates between the second end portion which defines a pressure relief entrance orifice and the medial portion which defines a pressure relief exit orifice, the pressure relief channel defines an interior surface at the pressure relief entrance, and a ball bearing seal is carried within the pressure relief channel, the ball bearing seal having a diameter that frictionally communicates with interior surfaces of the pressure relief entrance orifice to provide a fluid tight seal therebetween, and the ball bearing seal is positionally maintained in frictional communication with the interior surface by a biasing spring that has a predetermined compression strength of approximately between approximately 145 psi and approximately 160 psi, and the valve body, at the first end portion, carries a spider ring spring;
• and
• the spider ring spring has a spider ring hub that defines a medial channel through which the second end portion of the lead screw extends, the spider ring spring further having a valve body engaging edge portion and plural spacedly arrayed spider ring arms, each of the plural spacedly arrayed spider ring arms having a second inner arm portion, and a first outer arm portion, and each first outer arm portion terminates at an end portion that communicates with a plunger, and the spider ring spring movably interconnects the valve body and the plunger;
• and
• the plunger is generally annular in configuration and has a first upper surface proximate the valve body that defines and inwardly downwardly tapered depression, and has a second lower surface opposite the valve body, and the plunger defines a medial axial channel that operatively communicates with the second end portion of the valve body, and the plunger has a diameter with an outer circumferential edge, the outer circumferential edge defining a seal channel, that carries an O-ring therein, the inwardly downwardly tapering depression of the plunger defines an annular fluid seal groove which carries a seal therein to provide a fluid tight seal between the plunger and the plunger engaging flange of the valve body, and the plunger defines plural spacedly arrayed spider arm latches in the outer circumferential edge, each of the spacedly arrayed spider arm latches configured to engage with terminal end portions of the plural spacedly arrayed spider arms of the spider ring spring, and wherein an angle between the first outer arm and the second inner arm of the spider ring spring biases the plunger in a direction away from engagement with the valve body so that a gap is defined between the valve body and the inwardly tapered depression defined in the first upper surface of the plunger so that liquid may flow therebetween from a position in a pressure cylinder above the plunger to a position in the pressure cylinder vertically below the plunger when the plunger is in a first position, and when the plunger is in a second position any biasing of the spider ring spring is over, responsive to axial downward movement of the valve body toward the second end portion of the body, and the gap is closed, and the valve body is sealingly engaged with the plunger so that fluid/liquid cannot pass/flow therebetween;
• and
• the pressure cylinder is preferably formed of stainless steel, is elongate and cylindrical and has an inner wall and an outer wall with a thermally insulating void therebetween, the outer wall has an outer circumferential surface, and the inner wall has an inner circumferential surface, the pressure cylinder is externally threaded at the first end portion and is internally threaded at the second end portion, the pressure cylinder first end portion is threadably interconnected with the second lower end portion of the gear box, and the pressure cylinder defines a medial channel that is defined by the inner circumferential surface of the inner wall and the medial channel extends between the first end portion and the second end portion, the medial channel having an inner diameter that is substantially the same as the plunger diameter so that a fluid tight seal is maintained between the inner circumferential surface and the O-ring carried in the O-ring channel defined in the outer circumferential edge of the plunger, as the plunger moves axially within the medial channel of the pressure cylinder responsive to rotation of the hand crank and axial movement of the lead screw, the pressure cylinder further having a radially reduced shoulder at the first end portion with the threads defined in the radially reduced shoulder, and having a radially enlarged shoulder at the second end portion, the radially enlarged portion defining threads on an inner circumferential surface thereof, and the radially enlarged shoulder defining a seal groove carrying a seal therein to provide a fluid tight threaded interconnection between the pressure cylinder and a portafilter frame;
• and
• the portafilter frame is threadably interconnected to the second end portion of the pressure cylinder, the portafilter frame having a first end portion, a medial portion, and a second end portion and defines a medial channel that has a diameter, and has an exterior circumferential surface and an opposing interior circumferential surface, the portafilter frame further has a radially reduced shoulder at the first end portion with threads defined in the radially reduced shoulder, and the portafilter frame has a radially reduced shoulder at the second end portion that defines threads, the portafilter frame carries a removable particulate basket within the medial channel, the removable particulate basket having an upper end portion with a radially enlarged securement lip that carries a fluid seal thereon, the removable particulate basket defining a medial particulate cavity and a plurality of spacedly arrayed holes are defined within the removable particulate cavity for passage of infused liquid there-through and into a carafe;
• and
• the carafe is threadably interconnected to the radially reduced shoulder at the second end portion of the portafilter frame and the carafe collects the infused fluid passing through the removable particulate basket, a flexible vented gasket is carried between the carafe and the portafilter frame to allow escape of pressurized vapor, the fluid carafe is cup-like in configuration and has a first end portion, a medial portion, a second end portion, an exterior circumferential surface and defines a liquid receiving cavity between the first end portion and an interior bottom surface at the second end portion, the liquid receiving cavity having an interior diameter and an interior circumferential surface, and the first end portion of the carafe defines threads that engage with the threads of the portafilter frame, the carafe further defining gripping recesses in the exterior circumferential surface to promote gripping by a user for detachment from, and attachment to, the portafilter frame.