Method and apparatus for brewing, mixing, and delivering a beverage
AssigneeAppliance Innovation, Inc.
InventorsPhilip R. Mckee, Lee Vanlanen, Scott Smith, Andrew Podevels
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for brewing a beverage. A beverage concentrate is brewed using hot water. The temperature of the beverage concentrate is reduced from a first temperature to a predetermined second temperature upon the brewing of the concentrate. The temperature of the beverage concentrate is further reduced from the predetermined second temperature to a third temperature. An apparatus used to brew the beverage is self-cleaning. In the apparatus, a brewed cleaning solution is recirculated, for a predetermined period of time, between a reservoir and the storage receptacles that hold beverage concentrates.
Claims41
A method for brewing a beverage, comprising:
- brewing a concentrate of the beverage using hot water;
- reducing a temperature of the beverage concentrate from a first temperature to a predetermined second temperature upon the brewing of the concentrate;
- and
- further reducing the temperature of the beverage concentrate from the predetermined second temperature to a third temperature.
An apparatus for brewing a beverage, comprising:
- a brew station configured to brew a beverage concentrate using hot water;
- a heat exchanger configured to cool the beverage concentrate from a first temperature to a predetermined second temperature;
- and
- a storage receptacle in fluid communication with the heat exchanger to hold the beverage concentrate received from an output of the heat exchanger, wherein the temperature of the beverage concentrate is further cooled from the second temperature to the third temperature while the beverage concentrate is held in the storage receptacle.
An apparatus for brewing a beverage, comprising:
- a brew basket configured to hold a cleaning aid;
- a source of hot water, wherein hot water from the source of hot water is introduced into the brew basket and comes into contact with the cleaning aid to produce a cleaning solution;
- a storage receptacle in fluid communication with the brew basket to receive the cleaning solution from the brew basket;
- a reservoir in fluid communication with the storage receptacle to receive the cleaning solution from the brew basket;
- and
- a pump that recirculates the cleaning solution between the reservoir and the storage receptacle for a predetermined period of time.
A method for cleaning an apparatus used to brew a beverage, the method comprising:
- producing, in a brew basket configured to hold a cleaning aid, a cleaning solution by introducing hot water from a source of hot water into the brew basket so that it comes into contact with the cleaning aid;
- receiving, in a storage receptacle, the cleaning solution from the brew basket;
- transferring the cleaning solution from the storage receptacle to a reservoir;
- and
- recirculating the cleaning solution between the reservoir and the storage receptacle for a predetermined period of time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.