Abstract:
A beverage brewer ( 10 ) having a housing ( 16, 30 ) with source of dispense water ( 37, 39 ) for mixing with beverage ingredient to produce a freshly brewed beverage has an electromagnet ( 76 ) mounted to the housing ( 30 ) and a brew basket assembly ( 32, 34 ) with a drain plug assembly ( 49 ) that is responsive to energization of the electromagnet ( 76 ) to actuate a drain plug assembly to move a drain plug ( 48 ) out of blocking engagement with a drain hole ( 61 ). The drain plug ( 48 ) is attached to a lower end of a plug support member ( 50 ) that has an upper magnetic responsive end ( 51 ) that is received within a hollow core of ( 54 ) of the magnet ( 76 ) when the brew basket assembly ( 32, 34 ) is toolessly mounted to by raising it into operative position where it is held by mating magnetic connectors ( 72, 74 ). During use, the elongate plug support member ( 50 ) is used as a handle to remove a filter assembly ( 60 ) for cleaning.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/259,838 filed Nov. 10, 2010, and claims the benefit under 35 USC 120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/891,328 filed Sep. 28, 2010, which, in turn, claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of provisional patent application No. 61/246,502 filed Sep. 28, 2009, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention generally relates to electric beverage brewers and, more particularly, to beverage brewers in which a steeping period is required during which beverage is not allowed to drain from a brew basket. 
     2. Discussion of the Prior Art 
     Automatic, electric drip type beverage brewers in which a preselected quantity of hot water is passed onto the top of a layer of beverage ingredient, such as freshly ground coffee beans or whole or powdered tea leaves are well known. Most brewers employ a brew basket that has an open drain hole such that beverage drains from the brew basket as soon as the first water percolates to the bottom of the layer of ingredient. In some cases, usually when making freshly brewed tea, it is desired to provide a seeping period during which time the drain hole is automatically closed while most if not all of the water is added to the brew basket. At the end of the seeping period, the drain hole is automatically opened and the entire amount of beverage that has formed with all the water is drained out at once. 
     A need therefore exist to provide simple and effective and durable means to automatically control the opening and closing of the drain hole of a brew basket that must be easily removed brew housing for cleaning and replenishing the ingredient. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a beverage brewer and method of brewing in which the simple and durable means are provided for selectively closing and opening a brew basket drain hole. 
     This objective is achieved in part by providing a beverage brewer having a housing with source of dispense water for mixing with beverage ingredient to produce a freshly brewed beverage, with an improvement having an electromagnet mounted to the housing; a brew basket assembly including a brew basket body having an open top and a bottom with a drain hole, a drain plug assembly with an elongate drain plug support member, a top end portion of the plug support member with a permanent magnetic material or ferromagnetic material, and a bottom end of the plug support member with a plug engagable with the drain hole to close the drain hole; and means for removably, toolessly mounting the brew basket to the housing with the top end of the drain plug support member in a location to be magnetically energizable by the electromagnet to selectively elevate the plug to an open position removed from engagement with the drain hole to allow beverage within the brew basket to drain out of the drain hole. 
     Preferably, the brew basket body has a cylindrical upper section and a downwardly, inwardly extending, conical, lower section defining the bottom of the brew basket body and the elongate support member and the drain hole are centrally located relative to brew basket body. A plug holder extends downwardly from the bottom of the brew basket and snugly receives a lower end of the elongate drain plug support member adjacent the plug to at least partly support the plug support member in an upright alignment. Also, a reusable filter assembly is snugly but removably mounted within the brew basket body has a mounting hole through which the elongate plug support member is slidably received and which thereby also at least partly supports the elongate drain plug support member in an upright position. 
     In the preferred embodiment, the elongate drain plug support member carries a blocking member beneath the mounting hole to prevent the passage of the bottom end of the support member to pass through the mounting hole to enable the elongate plug support member to be used as a handle to remove the filter assembly from without the open top of the brew basket body. 
     The electromagnet has a coil wound around a central hollow core with a downwardly facing opening within which the top end portion of the plug support member is slidably received when the brew basket is mounted to the brewer. A conical guide assists in mating slidable receipt of the magnetic end within the downwardly facing opening of the hollow core. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The forgoing objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be made apparent and others will be described in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment which is given with reference to the several figures of the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view of a preferred embodiment of the brewer of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is side view, of the brewer of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of the brewer of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged sectional side view of a portion of the brewer of  FIGS. 1-3  showing the brew basket and associated drain hole valve assembly with the valve in a closed position; and 
         FIG. 5  is a sectional side view of a portion of the brewer of  FIGS. 1-3  similar to that of  FIG. 4  except the electromagnetically controlled drain hole valve assembly is shown in the relatively open position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , the beverage brewer, or brewer,  10  of the present invention has two substantially identical brewing stations  12  and  14  on opposite left and right sides of a vertically extending aft housing section  16 . A hot water station with a hot water faucet  15  is located between the two brewing stations  12  and  14 . The aft housing section  16  is supported on a generally rectangular serving platform, or cup supporting base,  18  with an outwardly curved front. The base  18  is shown supporting a relatively small, single serving, removable cup or glass,  20  resting at the left brewing station  12  and a relatively larger cup or glass  22  at the right brewing station  14 . The base  18  is supported above a counter top  24  by four substantially identical legs  26  located at four corners of the base  18 . This provides space for passage of a drain hose  28  extending downwardly from a drip tray supported within the base  12  and laterally beneath and along the underside of the base  18  to a suitable drain fixture (not shown) located behind the brewer  10 . 
     Supported on top of the aft housing section  16  is a top housing section  30  mounted in cantilever fashion and overhanging a part of the base  18  that extends forwardly of the aft housing section  16 . Releasably mounted to the underside of the top housing section  30  at the brew stations  12  and  14  are a pair of substantially identical specialized brew baskets  32  and  34  of the present invention. Each of the brew baskets  32  and  34 , such as brew basket  34 , has a generally cylindrical upper section  36  and a lower conical section  38  that narrows down to a central drain hole plug holder  40 . A spare brew basket  35  is shown resting upside down on top of the base  18  between the brewing stations  12  and  14 . The hot water faucet is controlled by push button switches  17 , and the operation of the brewing stations  12  and  14  are controlled by push button switches  33  and  35 . 
     The brewer  10  is a commercial drip-type coffee brewer, and as such, contains the usual components including hot water tanks  37  and  39 ,  FIG. 3 , respectively associated with stations  12  and  14  and contained within the aft housing section  12 . A pair of hot water dispense systems  41  and  43  respectively associated with the hot water tanks  37  and  39  are located partly in the upper housing  30  for passing hot water from the hot water tanks to the associated one of the brew baskets  36  and  34 . An electrical DC power supply  45  and a controller  47  are mounted within the upper housing section  16 . An operator control interface including the switches  33  and  35  and a status display, such as status lights behind the switches are carried at the outside front of the upper housing section  16 . These parts of conventional commercial drip-type coffee brewer are well known in the art of coffee making equipment and reference should be made to any number of patents on such drip-type brewers, if further details are required, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,000,082, filed: Jul. 27, 1988; 5,331,885, filed: Apr. 6, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,717, filed: Aug. 11, 1998; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,705,208, filed: Apr. 18, 2002, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the details of the brew baskets  32  and  34  and operation of the brew stations  12  and  14  will be described with respect to only the left brew station  12  and the brew basket  32 , with the understanding that the two brew baskets  32  and  34  are identical and brew stations  12  and  14  operate in an identical fashion. In accordance with the present invention, a plug holder  40  is formed at the bottom of the cylindrical section  38  of the brew basket  32 . The plug holder  40  has an upper cylindrical section  42  that extends downwardly from the cylindrical brew basket conical section  38  to a downwardly, inwardly extending conical, central section  44 . The conical section  44  terminates in a circular drain hole  46 . Slidably supported within the plug holder  40  is a drain plug  48  located at the end of an elongate drain plug support member  50 . The drain plug  48  has a downwardly, inwardly extending conical section  43  that conforms to the shape of the upwardly facing conical section  44  of the plug holder  40 . The conical section  43  of the drain plug  48  ends in a point that extends into and thereby closes the drain hole  46  by virtue of gravity unless lifted to an elevated open position. 
     At the opposite end  51  of the plug support member  50  is a ferromagnetic or magnetic actuation member  52 . The ferromagnetic actuation member  52  and an upper portion of plug support member  50  adjacent the end  51  are received within a central, cylindrical passageway  54  of a magnetic coil support housing  56 . Merging with the passageway is a conical guide  58  to slidably guide the end  51  of the plug support member  50  into the central passageway  54 . 
     A relatively rigid, annular, gold mesh filter assembly  60  upon which the coffee grounds, tea leaves, etc. are supported during the brew cycle is attached to the bottom of the brew basket  32  at the junction between the cylindrical section  36  and the conical section  38 . The annular filter assembly  60  has a central, circular opening  61  surrounded by a cylindrical support collar  62  through which the cylindrical body of the plug support member  50  slidably extends. 
     The drain plug  48  has at least three radially extending, spaced, vertical vanes  64  that snugly engage the interior surface of the cylindrical section  42  of the plug holder  40 . When the brew basket  32  is removed from the brewer  30  and downwardly out of engagement with the magnetic coil holder  56 , the plug support member  50  remains attached to the brew basket  32 . If the brew basket  32  is supported in an upright position after being removed, by supporting it on its cylindrical leg  29 ,  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the plug support member  50  is still held in a generally upright position aligned with the central axis of symmetry of the cylindrical section  36 . The cylindrical leg  29  also functions as a splash guard against lateral splashing movement of hot beverage as it emerges from the drain hole  46  sometimes under pressure and protectively surrounds the plug holder  40 . The plug support member  50  is supported in this vertical position, in part, by the slidable engagement of the cylindrical body of the plug support member  50  with the mounting hole  61  surrounded by the collar  62  of the filter assembly  60  and, in part, by the engagement of the plug  48 , more particularly, the vanes  64 , with the inwardly facing, interior surface of the plug holder  40 . 
     If it is desired to remove the plug assembly  49  entirely from the body of the brew basket  32 , for purposes of cleaning or otherwise, the plug support member  50  is simply pulled vertically out from engagement with both the plug support member  40  and the collar  61  of the filter assembly  60 . The filter assembly  60  is preferably removably mounted to the brew basket  32 . It is held in place only by gravity support on the upper part of the conical section  38  and by the lateral engagement of the perimeter with the interior sides of the cylindrical section  36 . 
     The drain plug support member  50  may be entirely removable from the filter assembly  60  without restraint. In such case, outwardly extending radial slots (not shown) may extend from the mounting hole to accommodate passage of the vanes during removal of the plug support member  50 . If desired to remove the filter assembly  60  together with plug support member  50 , the plug support member  50  is first turned to move the vanes out of alignment with the associated radial slots such that the plug  48  will not pass through the opening  61 . Alternatively, if there are no vanes  64 , or the vanes  64  are mounted to the interior of the cylindrical section  44  of plug holder  40 , the plug support member  50  is provided with an outwardly extending restraint tabs  61 ,  FIG. 5 . The restraint tabs  61  are located beneath the filter assembly  60  to block the plug support member  50  from being slidably removed upwardly through the mounting hole  61 . In either event, the plug support member  50  is preferably used as a handle to remove both the plug support member  50  and the filter assembly  50 . If desired, after removal, the plug support member  50  may be removed for cleaning or replacement by sliding it out of the hole  61  in the opposite direction with the end  51  passing through the hole  61  first, after the filter assembly  60  has been removed. Preferably, the filter assembly has a circular, peripheral support frame  63  surrounding and strengthening the reusable disc of filter mesh material. 
     In accordance with the brewing method of the present invention, coffee grounds, tea leaves or other dry ingredient are placed on top of the filter assembly  60  before the brew basket is attached to the upper brewer housing  30 . The brew basket  32  is then lifted into the fully operative position, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     While being lifted, the end  51  of the plug support member is guided by the conical section  58  into the cylindrical section  54  of the electromagnetic coil holder  56 . A horizontal, annular collar  66  at the top of the cylindrical section of the brew basket  32  is slid past a cylindrical neck  68  carried by the housing section  30  and pressed against a mating horizontal, annular collar  70  surrounding the top of the cylindrical neck  68 . Permanent magnets or ferromagnets  72  fixedly mounted to the top of the collar  70  magnetically interact with permanent magnets of opposite pole or ferromagnets  74  mounted to the underside of the collar  66  to releasably hold the two collars  66  and  70  against each other, as shown. Other types of fasteners, such a screw-type fasteners or rotary post and slot interlocks that would require the brew basket  32  to be rotated slightly while being held vertically in position, spade fasteners or the like could also be employed in lieu of magnets. 
     An annular, magnetic coil  76  is protectively housed within the coil mounting assembly  56  and surrounds the cylindrical section  54 . Before the start of a brew cycle, the electromagnetic coil is not energized and no electromagnetic force is imparted to the electromagnetic member  52 . Accordingly, the plug support member  50  and the plug  48  fall into and rest in the closed position shown in  FIG. 4  with the plug  48  resting upon the cylindrical section  44  of the plug holder  40  with the downwardly facing tip pressed into the top of the drain hole  46  and effectively closing it off against downwardly flow of beverage. 
     Hot water is then infused into the brew basket through a hot water inlet  76 . After a preselected amount of time, depending upon volume, strength and other parameters, the controller  47 , through a suitable interface, automatically causes the electromagnet  77  to become energized. After a preselected time required for drainage of the entire amount of beverage, the controller  47  automatically de-energizes the electromagnet  77  to allow the drain plug  48  to fall back down into a blocking position closing the drain hole  46 . With the drain hole  46  closed, the brew basket assembly  32  may then be removed from the brewer  10  without concern for residual hot beverage leaking out of the drain hole  46 . Advantageously, in the event of an electrical power loss to the brewer  10 , the drain hole  46  is automatically closed when the electromagnetic  77  also losses power. When the electromagnet is energized, an electromagnetic force is created that overcomes gravity forces and causes the plug support member  50  and the plug  48  to rise to an open position, as shown in  FIG. 5 . As seen in  FIG. 5 , in the open position, the plug  48  is elevated above the drain hole  46  to allow beverage to flow through passageways between the vanes  64 , past the body of the plug  48  and through the drain hole  46 . At the same time as the drain hole  46  is opened and beverage is allowed to leave the brew basket  32 , the controller  47  causes air or other gas from a source may be injected into the brew basket  32  through a gas inlet  80  to pressurize the interior and accelerate the discharge of the beverage though the drain hole  46  and out of the brew basket. 
     It should be appreciated that may variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The unique brew basket and drain plug assembly can be used to produce mixed drinks other than freshly brewed coffee or tea or the like. In such case, the brew basket may be permanently attached to the brewer  10  and concentrate and water are added to the brew basket through the water and gas inlets. In such case, the body of the plug holder could carry mixing vanes caused to rotate when in a closed position. Other obvious variations will occur to those skilled in the art of coffee brewers and the like. Also, it should be appreciated that an advantage of the present invention is that the entire drain plug and drain plug mounting including the drain plug support member are all protectively contained within the brew basket and may all be easily removed for cleaning or replacement. Importantly, the ability to selectively close or no close the drain hole  46  during the brew cycle enables greater flexibility to the brewer to make beverage wither with or without a seeping period during the brew cycle.