Abstract:
Systems and methods for providing coffee in varying amounts are disclosed herein. A coffee machine configured in accordance with one embodiment of the disclosure includes a coffee brewing unit that can brew a predetermined volume of coffee during a brewing cycle. A holding container can be configured to receive coffee from the brewing unit and a delivery valve can be positioned on a delivery tube extending from the holding container. The delivery valve can be operable from a closed position to an open position to dispense coffee, and one or more brewing cycles can be completed and delivered to the holding container prior to the coffee being dispensed.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/510,411, filed Jul. 21, 2011, and entitled COFFEE MAKING SYSTEMS AND ASSOCIATED METHODS, and which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for brewing coffee and other hot beverages. More particularly, the systems and methods of the present disclosure are suitable for brewing coffee in an extended range of volumes. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Coffee machines for use in homes, restaurants, and coffee shops are well known. Additionally, coffee machines that brew single servings on demand are also known. One type of single serving coffee machine employs a cylinder in communication with a single serving brewing chamber. A filter strip separates the brewing chamber from the cylinder and prevents coffee grounds from entering the cylinder. In a typical brewing cycle, a piston moves downwardly in the cylinder to suck coffee through the filter strip and into the cylinder. By providing single serving “on demand” coffee, this type of coffee machine prevents the coffee from becoming stale by remaining in a container for a lengthy period of time between brewing and delivery to the consumer. Additionally, the brewing method ensures that there is both sufficient extraction of coffee from the grounds and a rapid brew cycle. 
         [0004]    Although single serving on demand coffee machines provide quality coffee, the size of the cylinder in the machines limits the volume they can supply in a single demand cycle. The cylinder size is often optimized to provide the best quality within a small range of the most common sizes. In order to provide more than the limited cylinder volume to a single user, the machine may have to operate for multiple brew cycles. This can lead to spills if a consumer inadvertently removes their receptacle before the demand cycle is finished. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a coffee machine that can uniformly produce quality coffee in an extended range of volumes. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a partially schematic elevation view of a coffee machine configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0006]      FIG. 2  is a partially schematic elevation view of a coffee machine configured in accordance another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0007]    The following disclosure is directed generally to machines for brewing coffee and/or producing other brewed hot drinks, such as tea. Several details describing structures and processes that are well-known and often associated with coffee brewing machines are not set forth in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring embodiments of the disclosure. Moreover, although the following disclosure sets forth several embodiments, several other embodiments can have different configurations, arrangements, and/or components than those described herein. In particular, other embodiments may have additional elements, and/or may lack one or more of the elements described below with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
         [0008]    In the Figures, identical reference numbers identify identical or at least generally similar elements. To facilitate the discussion of any particular element, the most significant digit or digits of any reference number refer to the Figure in which that element is first introduced. For example, element  108  is first introduced and discussed with reference to  FIG. 1 . Moreover, the various elements and features illustrated in the Figures may not be drawn to scale. 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a partially schematic elevation view of a beverage brewing and dispensing machine  100  configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the beverage brewing and dispensing machine  100 , hereinafter referred to as the “coffee machine  100 ,” is a machine for brewing individually dispensed volumes of coffee. In other embodiments, however, the coffee machine  100  and suitable variations thereof can be used for making tea and other brewed beverages. Accordingly, while portions of the present disclosure may be directed to coffee machines, it should be understood that various embodiments of the machines and methods described herein can be used to produce other types of brewed beverages. 
         [0010]    In the illustrated embodiment, the coffee machine  100  includes a brewing unit  102  and a delivery system  104 . In some embodiments, the brewing unit  102  and aspects thereof may be substantially similar in structure and function to the brewing unit described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,522,976, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. The brewing unit  102  includes a brewing chamber  106  and a base  108 . The brewing chamber  106  is operably mounted above the base  108  and is movably coupled to a first pinion gear  110   a  and a second pinion gear  110   b  by a first rack  112   a  and a second rack  112   b,  respectively. The pinion gears  110  are operably coupled to drive shafts (not shown), and the drive shafts are operably coupled to a motor (also not shown). 
         [0011]    In the illustrated embodiment, the base  108  includes a piston  116  reciprocatably disposed in a cylinder  114 . The piston  116  is operably coupled to a connecting rod  118 , and the connecting rod  118  is connected to a crankshaft  119 , that is operably coupled to a motor (not shown). In some embodiments, the motor may be the same motor that is operably coupled to the drive shafts for the pinion gears  110 . In other embodiments, there may be separate motors. A first roller  120   a,  a second roller  120   b,  and a third roller  120   c  are configured to direct a filter strip  122  along a top surface  126  of the base  108  between the brewing chamber  106  and an opening  124 . The rollers  120   a  and  120   b  are operably coupled to spring biased shafts (not shown) to pull the filter strip  122  taut along the top surface  126 . The third roller  126   c  is configured to direct the filter strip  122  toward an advancing wheel (not shown). The advancing wheel can be operably coupled to a motor, which in some embodiments may be the same motor that is coupled to the crankshaft  119  for the piston  116  and the drive shaft for the pinion gears  110 . A filter spool (not shown) is configured to supply the filter paper  122 . 
         [0012]    The illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1  further includes a coffee bean hopper  128  with an attached grinder  130  having an outlet  132 . A hot water container  134  includes an outlet tube  136  having a hot water valve  135  and a water outlet  138 . The grinding outlet  132  and the water outlet  138  are positioned above the brewing chamber  106  to provide coffee grinds and hot water, as will be described in more detail below. Although the hopper  128  of the illustrated embodiment includes an attached grinder  130 , other embodiments may not include a grinder  130 , and the hopper  128  may be designed to contain previously ground coffee. In such embodiments, a dispensing mechanism would dispense the previously ground coffee into the brewing chamber  106 . 
         [0013]    The delivery system  104  of the illustrated embodiment includes a temporary storage container, or holding container  140 , a first delivery conduit, such as a pipe or tube  142   a,  a second delivery tube  142   b,  a third delivery tube  142   c,  a first bypass tube  144   a,  and a second bypass tube  144   b.  A first bypass valve  146   a  is operably coupled to the first delivery tube  142   a,  the second delivery tube  142   b  and the first bypass tube  144   a.  A second bypass valve  146   b  is operably coupled to the second delivery tube  142   b,  the third delivery tube  142   c  and the second bypass tube  144   b.  The first delivery tube  142   a  is operably coupled to an opening  148  in the base  108  that extends inwardly into the cylinder  114 . The third delivery tube  142   c  includes a delivery outlet  150  that is configured to be above a receptacle  152 . 
         [0014]    In the illustrated embodiment, the coffee machine  100  includes a control system  154  (shown schematically) that is operably coupled to the coffee grinder  130 , the hot water valve  135 , the bypass valves  146  and the previously discussed motor(s). The control system  154  can include a microprocessor, an integrated circuit board, computer readable medium storing operating instructions, and/or other electrical or computer components configured to control and operate the coffee machine  100  and known in the art. A power source  156  and an operator control panel  158  (also shown schematically) are operably coupled to the control system  154 . The control panel  158  can include a first button  160   a,  a second button  160   b,  and a third button  160   c.  The buttons  160  are configured to enable a user to operate the coffee machine  100 . Although the illustrated embodiment includes three buttons  160 , other embodiments may include additional or fewer buttons and/or other user input devices (e.g., touch screens, etc.). Furthermore, in a commercial setting, the coffee machine  100  may include one or more slots for receiving money. The buttons  160  may be configured to provide different volumes of coffee. The first button  160   a,  for example, may be configured to provide  8  ounces of coffee, while the second button  160   b  may be configured to provide  16  ounces and the third button  160   c  may be configured to provide 24 ounces. In other embodiments, the buttons  160  may be configured to provide larger or smaller volumes and ranges of volumes of coffee. 
         [0015]    Coffee brewing machines can be optimized to provide consistent flavorful coffee by using consistent amounts of coffee grounds and water in the correct ratio. This ratio varies based on several variables including the amount of brewing time, heat and pressure. Additionally, the thickness of the layer of grounds, the amount of mixing of the grounds with the water before filtering, and/or the volume of water that flows through an area of filter paper can all affect the flavor. Brewing units similar to the brewing unit  102  and having brewing chambers of approximately 8 to 12 ounces are known to provide high quality coffee. Although the size of the brew chamber and the cylinder may be increased to increase the volume, the consistency can be negatively affected if the brewing parameters are not properly changed to ensure similar brewing conditions. Additionally, increasing the chamber size to optimize for a larger brew size may require an increase in the overall size of the machine to fit the larger components. Furthermore, a machine optimized for the larger volume would no longer produce optimized results for a significantly smaller volume of water added to the brew chamber. The brewing chamber  106  and the cylinder  114  of the illustrated embodiment are sized to provide consistent quality coffee in volumes similar to existing machines. However, the delivery system  104  is configured to allow the delivery of larger volumes of coffee without sacrificing this quality. 
         [0016]    In operation, a user selects a volume of coffee to be dispensed by pushing one of the buttons  160  on the control panel to initiate a demand cycle. If the buttons  160  are configured as discussed above, a user pushes the button  160   a  to initiate a demand cycle for e.g., 8 ounces of coffee, corresponding to a single brew cycle. The control system  154  operates the coffee grinder to grind coffee beans into coffee grounds that fall from the grinding outlet  132  into the brewing chamber  106  and are dispersed on the filter strip  122  within the brewing chamber  106 . The control system  154  cycles the hot water valve  135  to dispense  8  ounces of hot water into the brew chamber  106 . After a set amount of brewing time, the crankshaft  119  drives the piston  116  downward, pulling coffee through the filter strip  122  and into the cylinder  114 . When the piston is below the outlet  148 , the coffee flows out of the cylinder  114  and enters the first delivery tube  142   a.  The control system positions the first bypass valve  146   a  to direct the coffee to the second delivery tube  142   b,  and positions the second bypass valve  146   b  to direct the coffee to the third delivery tube  146   c.  The coffee flows through the delivery tubes  146 , out the delivery outlet  150  and into the receptacle  152 . The crankshaft  119  drives the piston  116  back into an upper position, and the drive shafts for the pinion gears cycle the brewing chamber  106  upwards. The advancing wheel advances the filter strip  122  and positions a clean portion of filter paper above the opening  124 . 
         [0017]    In another example, if a user desires 16 ounces of coffee, the user pushes the button  160   b  to initiate a demand cycle for 16 ounces, corresponding to a dual brew cycle. The coffee machine  100  operates similarly to above, but rather than positioning the bypass valves  146  to direct the coffee through the second delivery tube  142   b,  the control system  154  positions the bypass valves  146  to direct the coffee of the first brew cycle to the holding container  140 . After completing the first brew cycle, the control system  154  initiates a second brew cycle and directs the additional coffee to the holding container  140 . The control system  154  positions the second bypass valve  146   b  to direct the  16  ounces of coffee from the holding container  140  through the third delivery tube  142   c.  The coffee then flows out the delivery outlet  150  and into the receptacle  152  in one uninterrupted delivery. The control system  154  completes the second brew cycle by repositioning the piston  116  and advancing the filter strip  122  while cycling the brew chamber  106 . 
         [0018]    In yet another example, if a user desires 24 ounces of coffee, the user pushes the button  160   c  to initiate a demand cycle for 24 ounces, corresponding to a triple brew cycle. The coffee machine  100  operates similarly to above, but completes three brew cycles to produce and deliver 24 ounces of coffee in one uninterrupted delivery to complete the demand cycle. As can be seen from the above examples, the coffee machine  100  can provide an extended range of single serving volumes in an uninterrupted delivery. 
         [0019]    The brewing cycle storage systems of the present disclosure may be used with virtually any existing coffee machine. The brewing cycle storage systems of the present disclosure, for example, may be incorporated into a Bravilor FreshGround coffee machine and/or similar machines available from Bravilor Bonamat (P.O. Box 188, 1700 AD, Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands). In this manner, a Bravilor coffee machine, or a coffee machine from another manufacturer, may be adapted to provide a larger range of coffee volumes in an uninterrupted delivery, without redesigning the brewing portion or developing a new machine. 
         [0020]      FIG. 2  is a partially schematic plan view of a portion of a coffee machine  200  having a delivery system  204  configured in accordance another embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the coffee machine  200  includes a base  208  having an opening  248 . A first delivery tube  242   a  extends from the opening  248  to a holding container  240 , and a second delivery tube  242   b  extends from an opposite end of the holding container  240  to a delivery outlet  250 . A delivery valve  202  is operably coupled to the second delivery tube  242   b  and to a control system  254 . 
         [0021]    The delivery system  204  operates in a manner similar to the delivery system  104  discussed above. However, rather than controlling the bypass valves  146  to direct coffee to the holding container  140 , the control system  254  maintains the delivery valve  202  in a closed position until the total volume of coffee to be delivered has been produced and dispensed into the holding container  240 . When the desired number of brew cycles are complete, the control system  254  opens the delivery valve  202  to dispense the coffee into the user&#39;s cup. 
         [0022]    From the foregoing it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the various embodiments of the invention. For example, the coffee machines disclosed herein can include differing sizes and shapes of holding containers and differing numbers of bypass or delivery valves. Additionally, differing volumes of coffee may be brewed in each brew cycle of any given demand cycle. For example,  4  ounces may be brewed in a first brew cycle and  8  ounces in a second. Furthermore, the operation of the valves and flow may be altered such that the coffee flows simultaneously from the cylinder  114  through the second bypass valve  146   b  and from the holding container  140  through the second bypass valve  146   b.  Moreover, while various advantages and features associated with certain embodiments have been described above in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages and/or features, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages and/or features to fall within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the invention is not limited, except as by the appended claims.