Machine for brewing hot beverages

Abstract

The housing of a machine for brewing coffee, tea or other hot beverages confines or carries a water container, a riser which conveys water from the container past an electric heater and into a manifold, and a filter holder. The manifold has two sections which are separably connected to each other to define an inlet connected with the riser, a first outlet which can deliver hot water to the filter holder, and a second outlet which can return water into the container. A disc-shaped valving element has a central portion clamped between the two sections of the manifold and a marginal portion which can snap over from a first position, in which the valving element seals the inlet of the manifold from the first outlet, to a second position in which the valving element seals the inlet from the second outlet of the manifold. The valving element assumes the first position when the temperature of water flowing from the riser is too low for admission into the filter holder, and the valving element automatically assumes the second position when the water temperature is adequate for admission of hot water into the filter holder where the water comes in contact with comminuted coffee beans, comminuted tea leaves or with another flavoring agent. A single screw suffices to couple the sections of the manifold to each other and to clamp the median portion of the valving element between the sections.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.