Electrical apparatus useful to prepare a hot beverage

A electrical apparatus useful to prepare a hot beverage from a flavour substance comprising:

• a single serve filter unit comprising a filter carrier with a filter and flavour substance and an upper closure for the filter carrier;
• a storage container for a liquid with a volume of at least one cup of finished brew;
• a volumetric measurement tank with a volume of one cup of finished brew to receive liquid from the storage container;
• a shut-off valve between the storage container and the volumetric measurement tank;
• venting pipes joining the top of the volumetric measurement tank with the top of the storage container;
• a heater for the liquid;
• a shower head to align with the filter unit and the cup;
• a first pipe communicating the shower head with the heater;
• flow control means which, prior to brewing, allow the liquid to pass from the storage tank into the volumetric measurement tank yet prevent liquid from passing from the volumetric measurement tank to the shower head, and which, during brewing, prevent liquid passing from the storage tank into the volumetric measurement tank yet allow liquid to pass from the volumetric measurement tank through the first pipe through the shower head into the filter unit;
• said control means including a control lever and a switch for the heater and a linkage to the shower head, whereby movement of the control lever actuates the shut-off valve and simultaneously moves the shower head and actuates the switch for the heater so that in an off position of the control lever, the shut-off valve is open and the heater is switched off and the shower head is disengaged from the filter unit and in an on position of the control lever the shut-off valve is closed, the heater is switched on and the shower head is engaged with the filter unit.

A electrical apparatus useful to prepare a hot beverage from a flavour substance comprising:

• a single serve filter unit comprising a filter carrier with filter and flavour substance and an upper closure for the filter carrier;
• a storage container for a liquid with a volume of at least one cup of finished brew;
• a volumetric measurement tank with a volume of one cup of finished brew to receive liquid from the storage container;
• a shut-off valve between the storage container and the volumetric measurement tank;
• venting pipes joining the top of the volumetric measurement tank with the top of the storage tank;
• a heater for the liquid, said heater comprising a heat exchanger block of a good thermal conductor with channels routed inside the block for the liquid, one inlet into the channels and one outlet from the channels, power semi-conductors mounted in a thermally conductive manner onto the block, electrical control circuitry that controls the electrical power consumption of said power semi-conductors and a temperature sensor mounted onto the heat exchanger block and electrically connected to the control circuitry;
• a shower head to align with the filter unit and a cup;
• a first pipe communicating the shower head with the heater;
• and
• flow control means which, prior to brewing, allow the liquid to pass from the storage tank into the volumetric measurement tank yet prevent liquid from passing from the volumetric measurement tank to the shower head, and which during brewing prevent liquid passing from the storage tank into the volumetric measurement tank yet allow liquid to pass from the volumetric measurement tank through the first pipe through the shower head into the filter unit.

An electrical apparatus useful to prepare a hot beverage from a flavour substance comprising:

• a single serve filter unit comprising a filter carrier with a filter and a main passage extended through the filter carrier and open at both ends of the carrier and a channel defined between the base of the filter and the main passage, a second passage joining the interior of the main passage to the channel, an upper closure for the filter carrier and a lower closure for the filter carrier, a movable push pin extending within the main passage from the upper closure to the lower closure of the filter unit;
• a flavour substance within the filter unit;
• a storage container for a liquid with a volume of at least one cup of finished brew;
• a volumetric measurement tank with a volume of one cup of finished brew to receive liquid from the storage containers;
• a shut-off valve between the storage container and the volumetric measurement tank;
• venting pipes joining the top of the volumetric measurement tank with the top of the storage tank;
• a heater for the liquids;
• a shower head to align with the filter unit and the cup;
• the shower head being equipped with a push pin such that under operating conditions the centre lines of the push pin attached to the head and the push pin of the filter unit are substantially aligned;
• a first pipe communicating the shower head with the heater;
• and
• flow control means which, prior to brewing, allow the liquid to pass from the storage tank into the volumetric measurement tank yet prevent liquid from passing from the volumetric measurement tank to the shower head, and which during brewing prevents liquid passing from the storage tank into the volumetric measurement tank yet allow liquid to pass from the volumetric measurement tank through the first pipe through the shower head into the filter unit.