System for dispensing metered volumes of heated water to the brew chamber of a single serve beverage brewer

Abstract

A system for dispensing a metered volume of heated water to the brew chamber of a single serve beverage dispenser. The system includes: a storage tank for containing a supply of unheated water, a dispensing tank, and a delivery line communicating with the brew chamber and with the dispensing tank at an intermediate level demarcating the interior of the dispensing tank into upper and lower compartments wherein the volume of the upper compartment is equal to the metered volume. The system also includes a vent valve communicating via a vent line with the upper compartment, and a supply line connecting the storage tank to the lower compartment. An air pump is arranged to deliver pressurized air to the upper compartment. A water pump in the supply line is arranged to deliver water from the storage tank to the lower compartment. A heater for heating water is received in the dispensing tank. Sensing means for generating control signals indicative of the level and temperature of water in the dispensing tank; and a controller enabled by control signals generated by the sensing means and operative in response to a brew signal for operating the air and water pumps in conjunction with the opening and closure of the vent valve to fill the upper compartment with heated water displaced the lower compartment and to discharge the thus displaced heated water from the upper compartment to the brew chamber.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.