Grounds removal centrifuge

A spent beverage brewing substance disposal device for use with a beverage brewing apparatus, said beverage brewing apparatus having means for producing a brewed beverage from a beverage brewing substance disposed therein by infusion with a liquid, a drain conduit in communication with and extending from said beverage brewing means for removing a slurry of moist beverage brewing substance and waste liquid from said beverage brewing means, said disposal device comprising:

• a housing having a base, walls which drain into said base, and an opening formed through an area of said walls communicating with said drain conduit for receiving said slurry from said beverage brewing means;
• a strainer basket disposed in said housing for receiving said slurry, said strainer basket having porous surfaces through which liquid passes;
• one wall of said housing having an enlarged aperture formed therethrough, said enlarged aperture being dimensioned for receiving said strainer basket therethrough;
• means for rotating said stainer basket operatively associated with said strainer basket, said rotating means transferring rotary motion to said strainer basket for centrifugally extracting a substantial portion of a liquid component of said slurry through said porous surfaces of said strainer basket leaving a drained material component in said strainer basket;
• a drain hole in said housing for draining said liquid component centrifugally removed from said slurry from said housing;
• an arm extending into said housing and into said strainer basket;
• a blade attached to said arm for facilitating removal of said drained material component from said strainer basket;
• a drive mechanism positioned proximate to said housing for controllably operating said arm to move said blade attached thereto for effecting a removing operation inside said strainer basket to remove said drained material component therefrom;
• and
• a cap body overlying said enlarged aperture, said cap body having a disposal opening and an arm opening extending therethrough, said arm extending through said arm opening for removal of said drained material component therethrough.

A method of disposing of spent beverage brewing substances produced by a beverage brewing apparatus, said method comprising the steps of:

• discharging a slurry of waste liquid and moist beverage brewing substance produced by said beverage brewing apparatus into a strainer basked retained in a housing, said strainer basket having openings formed therethrough for allowing liquid to pass therethrough and drain into said housing;
• rotating said strainer basked in said housing for centrifugally extracting a liquid component from said slurry leaving a drained material component in said strainer basket;
• draining said liquid component from said housing;
• inserting means for removing a drained component of said slurry through an opening in said strainer basket while said strainer basket is rotating;
• and
• directing said drained material component of said slurry out of said strainer basked using said removing means, at least a portion of said drained material component accumulating against said removing means and moving towards a mouth of said strainer basket.