Brewer including substance removal assembly
AssigneeBunn-O-Matic Corporation
InventorsChristopher W. Rahn, James I. Miller
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A brewer, system, and method of use for producing and dispensing a beverage. The apparatus, system, and method of use includes a receiver for receiving a brewing substance container. The receiver receives the container, positions it for infusion with heated water, and then positions the container for removal from the receiver. The present apparatus, system, and method minimizes the drive mechanisms associated with the apparatus and improves the control and reliability of the apparatus. The apparatus facilitates collection and dispensing of beverage produced in the receiver and removal of the brewing substance container from the receiver.
Claims17
A beverage maker for use in combining a beverage making substance retained in a beverage making container with water to produce and dispense a beverage;
- the beverage maker comprising:
- a housing;
- a controller retained in the housing;
- a drive assembly coupled to the controller;
- a user interface carried on the housing and coupled to the controller;
- a controllably movable receiver defining a cavity for receiving and retaining a beverage making container, the drive assembly coupled to the receiver for controllably moving the receiver into and out of the beverage maker housing for receiving a beverage making container and positioning the container for brewing;
- a controllable water delivery system coupled to the controller and controllably dispensing water to the container positioned in the receiver to produce a beverage therefrom;
- a spray head of the controllable water delivery system being retained in a fixed position in the housing for engagement with the controllably movable receiver by movement of the receiver relative thereto and delivering water to the receiver;
- a foraminous base and laminator positioned in the cavity and slidably displaceable relative to a drain aperture in the receiver for use in dislodging a spent container from the receiver, a beverage making container being positionable over the foraminous base in the cavity to facilitate passage of beverage produced from the container through the foraminous base;
- a collection chamber positioned in the housing below the drain aperture in the receiver for receiving beverage and dispensing it to a container;
- a structure positioned in the housing against which the laminator is mechanically driven while the drive assembly is moving the receiver in which the laminator is carried producing axial translation of the laminator and base thereon along the drain aperture in the receiver;
- and
- a collection bin positioned in the housing for receiving spent containers dislodged from the receiver.
A beverage maker for use in combining a beverage making substance retained in a beverage making container with water to produce and dispense a beverage;
- the beverage maker comprising:
- a housing;
- a controller retained in the housing;
- a drive assembly coupled to the controller;
- a controllable water delivery system coupled to the controller for controllably dispensing water to the container to produce a beverage therefrom;
- a controllably displaceable receiver assembly including a plurality of rotatable links and operatively coupled to the controller, a portion of the receiver assembly defining a cavity for retaining a beverage making container, the drive assembly coupled to the receiver for controllably moving the receiver the container into the beverage maker housing during a brewing cycle;
- a spray head of the controllable water delivery system being retained in a fixed position in the housing for engagement with the controllably movable receiver by movement of the receiver relative thereto and delivering water to the receiver;
- a foraminous base displaceably retained in the cavity for use in dislodging a spent container from the cavity;
- a laminator extending from the foraminous base through a drain aperture of the receiver being axially movable through the drain aperture;
- and
- a structure positioned in the housing against which the laminator of the foraminous base is mechanically driven while the drive assembly is moving the receiver in which the laminator is carried producing axial translation of the laminator and base thereon along the drain aperture in the receiver to dislodge a spent container from the receiver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.