Abstract:
An automated coffee making process that uses a multi-stage combination coffee brewer and grinder that produces coffee of superb aroma and taste. The coffee making process is controlled by the consumer by means of a control panel located on the front of the coffee maker. Using the control panel, the consumer can select the time the coffee making process begins and the strength of the coffee prepared. The coffee making process is a closed loop cyclic process comprising a coffee making cycle and a self-cleaning cycle. The cleaning cycle cleans the filter and the cooking section of the coffee maker which ensures a delicious cup of coffee every time. The coffee maker comprises a motor section, a can section, a grinding section, a cooking section, and a pot section. The freshly prepared coffee is brewed in the cooking section. After a period of time that is selected by the consumer, the coffee residing in the cooking section is discarded, the coffee maker is cleaned, and freshly brewed coffee is prepared.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/073,497, filed Feb. 3, 1998. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a coffee processing machine, and particularly, to a multi-stage coffee grinder and brewer having continuous coffee brewing and automatic filter cleaning capabilities. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A key factor in obtaining and enhancing the maximum amount of enjoyment possible when having a cup of freshly brewed coffee is the aroma. It is a well established fact that the sense of smell greatly increases the flavor of either food or beverage. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that the aroma of freshly brewed coffee is essential to achieving total satisfaction when consuming a freshly brewed cup of coffee. Because the flavor of coffee rapidly deteriorates after the coffee is ground or after the vacuum seal on the coffee can is broken, it is important that the full flavor of the coffee be captured as quickly as possible. 
     Given the popularity of freshly brewed coffee at home, at work, in restaurants, and in the food service industry in general, there exist a need for a coffee maker that is easy to clean and maintain and that produces freshly brewed coffee with a rich and full aroma and taste that is easy to make. However, the prior art does not describe any process or coffee maker that provides a person with a highly aromatic freshly brewed cup of coffee at any time. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,502 issued on Jan. 28, 1992 to Kazuo Enomoto describes a coffee making machine that automatically produces coffee from unroasted coffee beans. The coffee making machine consists of a roaster for holding the coffee beans and roasting the coffee beans, a milling/extracting unit for grinding the roasted coffee beans into ground coffee and extracting coffee solution from the ground coffee, a blower for blowing air into the milling/extracting unit to cool the roasted coffee beans before they are ground, and a pouring unit for pouring hot water onto the ground coffee to extract a coffee solution that is received by a coffee server. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,507 issued on Dec. 7, 1993 to Kazuo Enomoto describes a coffee maker that is easily cleaned after brewing and that easily disposes of used coffee grounds. Thus, the coffee maker is immediately capable of being reused. The fully automatic coffee maker provides freshly brewed coffee from raw coffee beans through a process of roasting, grinding, and brewing the coffee. The coffee maker consists of a roaster that roasts the raw coffee beans, a cooling means for cooling the coffee beans roasted by the roaster, a grinding means for grinding the beans and supplying the ground coffee, and a heating and a water supply means that heats and supplies the water from a water tank, and a decanter that functions as a receptacle for the brewed coffee. 
     Making a cup of coffee requires placing a drip filter in the filter basket and securing the filter basket to the ceiling part of the decanter placement space. The ground coffee beans are drop supplied through the drop supply opening in the ceiling part of the decanter placement space into the filter basket while hot water is also drop supplied through drop supply openings in the ceiling part of the decanter into the filter basket. The brewed coffee is then dripped into the decanter. For reuse the coffee maker requires opening the filter basket and removing the filter along with the coffee grounds, and inserting a new filter. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,705 issued on Feb. 15, 1994 to Donald R. Buttle et al describes a beverage mixing apparatus such as a coffee grinding and brewing apparatus that includes the transportation of a predetermined amount of a solid component of a beverage mixture from a storage compartment to and through a passageway into a mixing chamber wherein the liquid component of the beverage is mixed with the solid component. The apparatus has a valve assembly associated with the passageway and having a plate movable between a closed position and an open position. When the plate is in its open position the solid component can be moved from the storage chamber to the mixing chamber, and when the plate is in its closed position, the plate prevents moisture from the mixture from moving to the storage chamber through the passageway. 
     The Buttle et al patent further discloses that the typical combination coffee grinding and brewing apparatus employs a hopper that upon a signal discharges beans into a proportioning device that measures the desired quantity of beans. The beans are then transferred to a grinder that grinds the beans to a desired consistency after which the ground coffee is delivered to a filter within the brewing basket immediately before hot water is sprayed over the coffee grounds. Moisture emanating from the hot water tank and brewing basket can reach the interior of the grinder assembly. Wetting of the coffee grounds prior to reaching the brewing basket is undesirable, particularly when the coffee grounds are still in the grinder itself because the moisture causes problems with the proper distribution of the ground coffee to the brew basket; in addition, the brew basket is difficult to clean. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,932 issued on Nov. 7, 1995 to Allen W. Olson describes a coffee maker that includes a housing that supports a coffee grinder for grinding coffee beans, and a brewer that includes a reservoir for holding water, a filter basket for receiving ground coffee beans discharged from the grinder and water from the reservoir, a pump in fluid communication with the reservoir, and a heater for heating water from the reservoir. The coffee maker also includes a thermally insulated carafe for receiving the brewed coffee from the filter basket of the brewer. A central processing unit having a memory is connected to the pump, heater, and grinder. Thus, the operation of the coffee maker is based on data stored in the memory of the central processing unit. The Olson patent discloses that ground coffee beans quickly lose their aroma and that brewed coffee in a pot loses its aroma over time. 
     None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, solve the aforementioned problems. The prior art does not describe a method of making freshly brewed coffee and a coffee maker that provides the consumer with freshly brewed coffee that has a superior aroma and taste at any time. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a coffee maker that cleans itself after each cycle of coffee making. 
     It is another object of the invention to provide a coffee maker and a method of making freshly brewed coffee that is fully automatic. 
     It is a further object of the invention to provide a coffee maker and a method of making freshly brewed coffee that prevents coffee beans from being exposed to moisture. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a coffee maker and a method of making freshly brewed coffee without having to change the coffee filter each time fresh coffee is brewed. 
     Still another object of the invention is to provide a coffee maker and a method of making freshly brewed coffee that automatically discards brewed coffee that is not fresh and replaces it with freshly brewed coffee. 
     It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes. 
     The present invention is a coffee processing machine that is a combination multi-stage coffee grinder and brewer. The present invention is capable of both continuous coffee brewing and automatic self-cleaning. To accomplish the foregoing objectives, the coffee maker according to this invention includes a motor section that houses a motor used to rotate an auger, a can section that is adapted for receiving coffee beans (roasted or unroasted), a grinding section that consists of a grinding system of gears that converts coffee beans received from the can section into coffee grounds, a cooking section in which hot water is automatically supplied for continuous coffee brewing, and a pot section where a removable coffee server is placed. 
     The grinding section is adapted to automatically clean the filter unit and the cooking section is adapted to automatically discard brewed coffee that is no longer fresh and to replace it with freshly brewed coffee. 
     These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a partly cross-sectional, front elevational view of the invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a partly cross-sectional, side elevational view of the invention. 
     FIG. 3 is a partly cross-sectional, rear elevational view of the invention. 
     FIG. 4A is an enlarged scale front view of the filter collecting the coffee grounds. 
     FIG. 4B is an enlarged scale view of the filter inversion. 
     FIG. 4C is an enlarged scale view of the filter cleaning process. 
     FIG. 5A is an enlarged scale front view of the bimetal plug in the open position. 
     FIG. 5B is an enlarged scale view of the pivoting arm closing the opening between the cooking section and the pot section, the bimetal plug being partially closed. 
     FIG. 5C is an enlarged scale front view of the bimetal plug and pivoting arm in the closed position. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged scale front view of the water sprayer-auger assembly. 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged scale front view of the screen type filter-auger assembly. 
     FIG. 8 is a front view of the coffee maker with a filter on rolls. 
     FIG. 9 is an enlarged scale front view of the filter on rolls. 
     FIG. 10 is an enlarged scale perspective view of the drain for the coffee grounds and the connection between the drain and the cooking section. 
     FIG. 11A is an enlarged scale side view of the water filter. 
     FIG. 11B is an exploded view of the water filter. 
     FIG. 12 is an exploded view of the grinder-auger assembly. 
     FIG. 13 is a top view of the water sprayer. 
     FIG. 14 is a top view of the screen type filter. 
     FIG. 15 is a side view of the can section showing the location of the seals. 
     FIG. 16 is a top view of the donut type heater. 
     FIG. 17 is a front view of the coffee can showing the dome shape surface. 
     FIG. 18 is a side view of the cooking section showing the location of the solenoid valve. 
     FIG. 19A is a block diagram showing that the present invention is a closed loop cyclic process. 
     FIG. 19B is a block diagram showing the processing steps of the coffee making cycle. 
     FIG. 19C is a block diagram showing the processing steps of the cleaning cycle. 
     FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the inputs and outputs of the central processing unit (CPU). 
     FIG. 21 is an cross sectional view of embodiment of invention having an propeller-type agitator. 
     FIG. 22 is a top view of another embodiment of the heater with an upwardly spring biased support ring on which the coffee server rests. 
     FIG. 23 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the heater depicted in FIG. 22 with an upwardly spring biased support ring on which the coffee server rests. 
     FIG. 24 is an exploded side view of a door assembly portion of a preferred embodiment of the invention for permitting selective opening and closing of the passage through the grinder help prevent moisture from entering the can section through the grinder during the cleaning and cooking stage so that the coffee beans are thereby protected from absorbing the moisture. 
     FIG. 25 is a side view of the door assembly. 
     FIG. 26 illustrates the positioning of the doors between their open and closed positions. 
     FIG. 27 is a plan view of one face of a door of the door assembly illustrating the resiliently deformable edging. 
     FIG. 28 top plan view of an adapter for permitting a traditional cylindrical coffee can to be used in the place of the can section. 
     FIG. 29 is a cross sectional view of the adapter in FIG. 28 illustrating its position on a traditional coffee can. 
     FIG. 30 is a cross sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention with a container carousel in the can section for holding several different types or varieties of coffee beans in the can section in such a manner that users may select which type of coffee beans they would like for coffee prepared by the present invention. 
     FIG. 31 is a transverse cross section of the container carousel to illustrate the plurality of containers in the container carousel. 
     FIG. 32 is a side view of the container carousel removed from the can section. 
     FIG. 33 is a cross sectional view of an other embodiment of the present invention where the pot section comprises an enclosed reservoir with a spigot to permit flow of brewed coffee therefrom. 
     FIG. 34 is an enlarged side view of the pivoting arm region of the embodiment in FIG. 33 where the protuberant end is replaced with a float which closes the plug when the fluid level in the reservoir reaches a predetermined level. 
     Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a rear view of the present invention. The  110  volt motor  7  which is connected to a gearbox  52  that turns the shaft  8  that rotates the auger  12  is housed in the motor section  2  of the coffee maker  1 . The gearbox  52  is also located in the motor section  2 . The can section  3  of the coffee maker  1  which is situation immediately beneath the motor section  2  houses a can of coffee beans  9 . The coffee beans  9  are either roasted or unroasted. Both the top and the bottom of the coffee can  37  (shown in cross-section) have openings through which the shaft  8  that turns the auger  12  is inserted. The can section  3  is comprised of the coffee can  37 . Both the motor section  2  that is mounted on the coffee can  37  and the grinding section  4  onto which the coffee can  37  is mounted contain seals  48 ,  49  that prevent moisture from entering the system, especially the coffee can. 
     Directly beneath the can section  3  is the grinding section  4  of the coffee maker  1 , where the rotation of an auger  12  grinds the coffee beans  9  into coffee grounds  14 . The auger  12  has a top grinder  45  and a bottom grinder  46  with the top grinder  45  fitting over the bottom grinder  46  to form a single grinder  10  situated in a hollow enclosure  33  that funnels the coffee beans  9  into the grinder  10 . The ground coffee  14  is deposited into a concave shape filter  15 . 
     The location of the grinder  10  in relation to the base of the coffee can  37  can be varied. For example, the grinder  10  can extend up into the coffee can  37  as shown in FIG. 1 or the grinder  10  can reside at the base of the coffee can  37  as shown in FIG.  8 . The location of the grinder  10  in relation to the base of the coffee can  37  is independent of the type of filter used. 
     Encircling the grinder  10  is a water sprayer  11  that sprays steaming hot water  13  in a downward direction into the concave filter  15 . As the steaming hot water  13  is sprayed and passes downward and through the coffee grounds  14 , a coffee solution  17  is extracted and accumulates in the cooking section  5  of the coffee maker  1 . The coffee  17  continues to brew in the cooking section  5  which contains a donut type heater  19  with a center opening  53 . The donut type heater  19  in the cooking section  5  maintains the proper brewing temperature to maximize the brewing process to ensure that superior aroma and taste of the freshly brewed coffee  17  is achieved. 
     As the appropriate brewing temperature is maintained by the donut type heater  19  of the cooking section  5 , the release of the freshly brewed coffee  17  into the coffee server  22  is regulated by a temperature sensitive bimetal plug  18  that only opens when the proper temperature for the freshly brewed coffee  17  is reached. The bimetal plug  18  is disposed in the center opening  53  of the donut type heater  19 . A magnet (not shown) is attached to the bottom of the bimetal plug  18 . A float switch  29  located on the rear of the coffee maker  1  controls the level of coffee  17  brewing in the cooking section  5 . A component  54  of the float switch  29  is in physical contact with the coffee  17 . The float switch  29  keeps the coffee  17  brewing in the cooking section  5  from coming in contact with the filter  15  in the grinding section  4 . When the level of the coffee  17  brewing in the cooking section  5  becomes too high, the coffee making process stops until the level of coffee  17  brewing in the cooking section recedes. 
     Therefore, the float switch  29  opens when the coffee  17  level in the cooking section  5  becomes too high and closes when the coffee  17  level in the cooking section  5  is no longer too high. As a safeguard should the float switch  29  fail to operate properly, the cooking section  5  contains an overflow outlet  55  that consists of an opening  55  situated at a level slightly below the bottom of the auger  12  and that connects to the drain  6  to siphon off any excess coffee  17 . 
     The pot section  6  contains the removable coffee server  22 . The coffee server  22  is either a cup or a pot or any suitable beverage receptacle. The coffee server  22  resides on top of a tension bearing means  23  and a second donut type heater  24  with a center opening  56 . The tension bearing means  23  is disposed in the center opening  56  of the second donut type heater  24 . In a preferred embodiment, the tension bearing means  23  is a spring  23 . The donut type heater  24  of the pot section  6  is used to keep the freshly brewed coffee  17  in the coffee server  22  at the proper serving temperature. A pivoting arm  20  pivots around a spring  21  that is situated slightly off center of the midpoint of the arm  20 . The pivoting arm  20  has a protuberance  31  at one end and a magnet  30  at the other end. The pivoting arm  20  also controls the release of freshly brewed coffee  17  in the cooking section  5  to the coffee server  22 . 
     When the coffee server  22  is empty there is minimal tension in the spring  23  on which the coffee server  22  is seated; therefore, the coffee server  22  is at its maximum height in the pot section  6  of the coffee maker  1  and in direct contact with the protuberant end  31  of the pivoting arm  20  of the pot section  6 . The height of the coffee server  22  is sufficient to push the protuberant end  31  of the pivoting arm  20  to its maximum upward displacement within the pot section  20  which forces the magnet  30  bearing end of the pivoting arm  20  to its maximum downward displacement in the pot section  6  which allows, provided that the bimetal plug  18  is open, freshly brewed coffee  17  to pour freely from the cooking section  5  of the coffee maker  1  into the coffee server  22 . 
     As the coffee server  22  fills with freshly brewed coffee  17 , the weight of the coffee server  22  compresses the underlying spring  23  and the coffee server  22  is displaced in the downward direction. When the coffee server  22  is completely filled with freshly brewed coffee  17 , the underlying spring  23  is fully compressed (maximum tension) with the coffee server  22  resting near the bottom of the pot section  6 . The coffee server  22  is no longer in contact with the protuberant end  31  of the pivoting arm  20 ; therefore, the pivoting arm  20  returns to a reposed position with the magnet  30  bearing end of the pivoting arm  20  closing the opening between the cooking section  5  and the pot section  6 . The magnetic attraction between the magnet (not shown) at the base of the bimetal plug  18  and the magnet  30  of the pivoting arm  20  creates a tight seal that prevents seepage of the freshly brewed coffee  17  from the cooking section  5  into the coffee server  22 . 
     The donut type heater  24  of the pot section  6  not only maintains the proper serving temperature of the freshly brewed coffee  17  in the coffee server  22  but in addition heats the water  13  that is sprayed into the coffee grounds  14  in the grinding section  4  of the coffee maker  1 . 
     The coffee maker  1  is fully automatic and continuously cycles between the coffee making cycle and the cleaning cycle during which the coffee maker  1  cleans itself. During the coffee making cycle, coffee beans  9  from the coffee can housed in the can section  3  of the coffee maker  1  are dispensed from the coffee can  37  through an opening in the base of the coffee can  37  through which the shaft  8  that turns the auger  12  passes. As the coffee beans  9  leave the coffee can, the coffee beans  9  immediately encounter the grinder  10  which grinds the coffee beans  9  into coffee grounds  14 . The grinder  10  comprises a top grinder  45  and bottom grinder  46  as shown in FIG.  12 . The top grinder  45  and the bottom grinder  46  are brought together to form a single unit  10 . The coffee grounds  14  are sprayed with steaming hot water  13  from a sprayer  11  that encircles the grinder  10 . The coffee grounds  14  fall into a concave shaped filter  15  located beneath both the grinder  10  and the sprayer  11 . 
     Coffee solution  17  is extracted from the coffee grounds  14  by the steaming hot water  13  as the water  13  passes through both the coffee grounds  14  and the filter  15 . The extracted coffee solution  17  is collected in the cooking section  6  of the coffee maker  1  where the coffee solution  17  continues to brew. A donut type heater  19  in the bottom of the cooking section  5  keeps the coffee solution  17  at the proper brewing temperature. The proper brewing temperature is preset. When the freshly brewed coffee  17  reaches the appropriate temperature which is also preset, the bimetal plug  18  opens. If the pot section  6  of the coffee maker  1  contains a coffee server  22 , then freshly brewed coffee  17  is released into the coffee server  22 . 
     During the cleaning cycle, the screen type filter  15  containing the coffee grounds  14  is cleaned and the coffee solution  17  residing in the cooking section  5  of the coffee maker  1  is discarded. The screen type filter  15  is cleaned by inverting the concave shaped screen type filter  15  into a convex shaped screen type filter  15  by reversing the direction of rotation of the auger  12 . 
     When the auger  12  rotates in a counterclockwise direction, coffee beans  9  arc ground and the screen type filter  15  has a concave shape. An o-ring  35  at the bottom of the auger  12  forms a tight seal in the center of the screen type filter  15  which prevent coffee grounds  14  from escaping from the filter  15  and contaminating the coffee solution  17  stored in the cooking section  5  of the coffee maker  1 . 
     The auger  12  is rotated in a clockwise direction during the cleaning cycle. This clockwise rotation of the auger  12  causes the screen type filter  15  to change shape. The screen type filter  15  is turned inside out. The concave shape of the screen type filter  15  undergoes an inversion at the center of the filter  15  until the filter  15  takes on a convex shape. The convex shaped filter  15  encounters another o-ring  34  at the opposite end of the auger  12 . The top o-ring  34  seals the center portion of the screen type filter  15  at the top of the auger  12 .in the same manner as the bottom o-ring of the auger  12  sealed the center portion of the filter  15  at the bottom of the auger  12 . During the transformation of the filter  15  shape from concave to convex, no water  13  is sprayed by the water sprayer  11 . The filter  15  is usable for an almost indefinite period of time. 
     The clockwise rotation of the auger  12  prevents any more coffee beans  9  from leaving the coffee can  37 . The coffee grounds  14  and any unground coffee beans  9  are removed from the filter  15  by water  13  sprayed by the water sprayer  11 . The pressure of the sprayed water  13  forces the coffee grounds  14  off the filter and down into a drain  16  that removes the coffee grounds  14 . The cooking section  5  of the coffee maker  1  is also connected via a passageway  40  to the drain  16 . A solenoid valve  41  controls when the contents of the cooking section  5  are discarded into the drain  16  and eventually out of the coffee maker  1  via the drain outlet  28 . The opening of solenoid valve  41  to drain the contents of the cooking section  5  is preset. The steaming hot water  13  from the water sprayer  11  that cleans the filter  15  also cleans the cooking section  5  of the coffee maker  1 . Therefore, the solenoid valve  41  opens during the cleaning cycle to first drain off any coffee present in the cooking section  5  of the coffee maker  1  and remains open draining off the steaming hot water  13  from the water sprayer  11  that is used to clean the cooking section  5  during the cleaning cycle. Optionally, a manual valve may be used to replace the solenoid valve  41  so that a user may manual open and close the valve. 
     The time at which freshly brewed coffee  17  is made and the amount of coffee beans  9  ground is preset using the control panel  25  which includes a clock display located on the front of the coffee maker  1 . The more coffee beans  9  ground, the stronger the coffee  17 , while the more water  13  sprayed by the water sprayer  11  the weaker the coffee  17 . Therefore, by using the control panel with clock display  25  gives the consumer complete control over the entire coffee making process. 
     A CPU or central processing unit (shown in FIG. 20) controls the onset and termination of both the coffee making cycle and the cleaning cycle. The CPU receives input from the control panel  25  and sends output to the respective components of coffee maker  1 . 
     FIGS. 4A,  4 B,  4 C,  5 A,  5 B,  5 C,  6 ,  7 ,  10 ,  11 A,  11 B,  12 ,  13 ,  14 ,  15 , and  16  are enlarged views of components of the coffee maker  1  that have already been discussed. FIGS. 4A,  4 B, and  4 C show the transformation process that the filter  15  undergoes when changing from the coffee making cycle to the cleaning cycle. In FIG. 4A, the auger  12  rotates in a counterclockwise direction which results in the coffee beans  9  in the coffee can  37  being fed into the grinder  10 . In FIG. 4B, the auger  12  now rotates in a clockwise direction which results in the inversion of the filter  15 ; that is, filter  15  is turned inside out. In FIG. 4C, the clockwise rotation of the auger  12  eventually results in the shape of the filter  15  being transformed from concave to convex. 
     FIGS. 5A,  5 B and  5 C show how the bimetal plug  18  and the pivoting arm  20  regulate the flow of freshly brewed coffee  17  between the cooking section  5  and the coffee server  22 . In FIG. 5A, the bimetal plug  18  is hot which causes the bimetal plug  18  to become elongated, thereby allowing coffee  17  to flow from the cooking section  5  to the coffee server  22  when the pivoting arm  20  is in an open position as shown in FIG.  5 A. In FIG. 5B, the bimetal plug  18  is hot and elongated; however, because the pivoting arm  20  is in the closed position with both the pivoting arm magnet  30  and the magnet  32  at the base of the bimetal plug  18  securely engaged no coffee  17  is released from the cooking section  5 . In FIG. 5C, the bimetal plug  18  is cool which causes the bimetal plug  18  to become fully compressed and to occupy the entire opening  53  between the cooking section  5  and the pot section  6 . As a result, no coffee can flow between the cooking section  5  and the coffee server  22  regardless of whether or not the pivoting arm  20  is in an open or closed position. 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the components of the grinding section  4 . FIG. 6 shows the grinder enclosure  33 , the grinder  10 , the water sprayer  11 , the upper o-ring  34 , the auger  12 , the water  13 , and the ground coffee  14 . 
     FIG. 7 is an enlarged view showing the relationships and features of specific components of the grinding section  4 . FIG. 7 shows the auger  12  attached and secured to the filter  15  by the lower o-ring  35  and the net brackets  36 . FIG. 7 also shows the spatial relationship between the filter  15  and the drain  16 . 
     FIG. 10 shows the spatial relationship between the drain  16  of the coffee maker  1 , the valve  57  and the stem  58  of the long stem solenoid valve  41 , and the passageway  40  connecting the cooking section  5  to the drain  16 . 
     FIGS. 11A and 11B show the water filter  27  that filters the water  13  that is sprayed by the water sprayer  11  in the grinding section  4  of the coffee maker  1 . FIG. 11A shows a side view of the water filter  27  which shows that the water filter  27  is comprised of two types of filtering material in a single filter casing  27 . The upper half of the filter case  27  contains a dense filtering material  42  while the lower half contains a fine filtering material  43 . The dense filtering material  42  is charcoal. FIG. 11A also shows the water flow control valve  44  that controls the amount of water  13  sprayed by the water sprayer  11  and the amount of water  13  taken in at the water inlet  51 . FIG. 11B shows the dense filtering material  42  and the fine filtering material  43  without the filter casing  27 . 
     FIG. 12 is an enlarged, exploded view of the grinding assembly. The grinder  10  is comprised of a top grinder  45  and a bottom grinder  46  housed inside an enclosure  33  that funnels the coffee beans  9  into the grinder  10 . FIG. 2 shows the shaft  8 , which is connected to the motor  7 , that rotates the auger  12 . FIG. 12 also shows the upper and lower o-rings  34 ,  35 . 
     FIG. 13 is an enlarged top view of the water sprayer  11  showing the numerous openings in the sprayer  11  through which water  13  passes and the center opening  47  where the grinder  10  resides. FIG. 14 is an enlarged top view of the screen type filter  15  showing the center opening into which the auger  12  is inserted. FIG. 15 shows the location of the seals  48 ,  49  that prevent moisture from entering the coffee can  37 . FIG. 16 is an enlarged top view of the donut type heater  59  showing the heating element  50  and the center opening  60 . 
     FIG. 17 shows the dome shaped lower surface of the coffee can  37  through which an opening is made that feeds coffee beans  9  into the grinder  10 . The coffee can  37  is especially designed to be used with the present invention. The coffee can  37  has a peel off opening (not shown) on the top and bottom surfaces of the coffee can  37 . The openings in the top and bottom surfaces of the coffee can  37  are for the shaft  8  of the motor  7 . However, the opening in the bottom surface is also used to dispense the coffee beans  9 . 
     FIG. 18 shows the location of the solenoid valve  41  and the passageway  40  between the cooking section  5  and the drain  16  in relation to the other components of the cooking section  5  and the pot section  6 . FIG. 18 also shows the overflow outlet  55  of the cooking section  5 . 
     FIGS. 8 and 9 show an alternate embodiment of the present invention. In the alternate embodiment, the concave shaped screen type filter  15  is replaced by a filter  39  on rolls  38 . The filter  39  is either a paper or a screen type filter  39 . FIG. 8 shows that the coffee beans  9  are continuously removed and discarded into the drain  16  after the coffee solution  17  has been extracted. A filter  39  on rolls  38  does not have to be changed for at least three months. When a filter  39  on rolls  38  is used, the cleaning cycle involves cleaning the filter  39  and the cooking section  5  of the coffee maker  1 , because the filter  39  on rolls  38  is a continuous self-cleaning arrangement. During the cleaning cycle, the dispensing of the coffee beans  9  is discontinued. The dispensing of the coffee beans  9  is stopped when the rotation of the auger  12  is reversed which initiates the cleaning cycle. 
     FIG. 19A is a block diagram showing that the present invention is a closed loop cyclic process. FIG. 19B shows the processing steps of the coffee making cycle while FIG. 19C shows the processing steps of the cleaning cycle. 
     FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the central processing unit (CPU) that controls the coffee making and self-cleaning processes of the coffee maker  1 . The CPU receives multiple inputs and has multiple outputs. The amount of coffee  17  made is determined by the length of the coffee making cycle while the strength of the coffee made  17  is determined by the amount of water  13  sprayed and the amount of coffee beans  9  ground. For strong coffee  17  more coffee beans  9  are ground without increasing the amount of water  13  sprayed, while for weaker coffee  17  more water  13  is sprayed without increasing the amount of coffee beans  9  ground. 
     FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment of the invention having a propeller type (or brush-type) agitator  70  that is mounted to the grinder or the upper end of the auger so that when the grinder or auger is rotated (preferably clockwise) in the cleaning mode, the agitator is rotated in the coffee can to brush coffee beans away from the opening of the grinder to help prevent moisture entering the coffee beans in the can section. In use, the propeller-type agitator  70  located directly above the grinder  10  sweeps away coffee beans  9  from the opening of the coffee can  37 . 
     To further help prevent moisture from entering the can section from the grinder section (no matter where the grinder is positioned), a door assembly  75  such as the type illustrated in FIGS. 24 through 27 may be included above the grinder  10  (and between the grinder and agitator  70  if the agitator is present) to permit selective opening and closing of the passage  33  between the can and grinder sections. The embodiment illustrated in these figures is primarily designed for use in an embodiment of the invention where the grinder is at the base of the can  37  as illustrated in FIG.  8 . 
     In such an embodiment, a plurality of pie wedge-shaped doors  76 ,  77 ,  78 ,  79  are each mounted to the shaft  8  with a corresponding mounting ring  80  located at one of the vertices of the respective door. The mounting rings each have tabs  81 , 82  (well known in the art) that engage one another in a series to help rotate the doors on the shaft to either spread the door open or closed in a fan like manner as depicted in FIG.  26 . As the auger is rotated in a first direction (preferably counter-clockwise), the door maneuvered so that the doors are fanned to an open position  83  (see FIG. 26) where the passage  33  of the grinder  10  is open to permit passage of coffee beans therethrough. When the auger turns in a second direction opposite the first direction (preferably clockwise) the doors are spread to a closed position  84  where they block the passage of the grinder  10 . Preferably, the auger is required to complete one full revolution in this second direction to position the doors in their closed position  84 . In use, when the auger has turned as far as it can go in the first (counter-clockwise) direction during the cooking operation, the CPU has the auger turn one complete revolution in the second (clockwise) direction to close the doors to prevent moister from passing through the passage an entering the coffee beans in the can section. 
     Preferably, a biasing assembly  85  with a spring  86  interposed between a stop assembly  87  fixedly coupled to the shaft  8  and a sleeve  88  slidably disposed on the shaft provides a downwards biasing force on the mounting rings of the doors to keep the doors close together to help keep the passage fully closed when the doors are in the closed position. The stop assembly  87  forces the biasing force of the spring to be directed downwards on to the sleeve which is interposed between the spring and mounting collar of the top most door  76 . The sleeve abuts both the spring at one end and the mounting collar of the top most door so that the pressure of the spring against the sleeve is applied downwards on to the doors to keep the doors close or tight against one another. This biasing assembly also allows the connection between the doors (i.e., the tabs  81 , 82 ) to slip when they reach either the open or closed positions. 
     With reference to FIG. 27, even more preferably, the doors each have a resiliently deformable edging  89  around their outer perimeters to form a seal between adjacent doors and also between the doors and the passage  33  of the grinder when the doors are in their closed position. 
     Additionally, it should be understood that a similar (yet slightly modified) door assembly may be used in embodiments where the grinder upwardly extends into the can section. In this kind of embodiment, the doors may include downwardly depending arcuate wall sections along their outer arcuate edge to form a wall completely around the portion of the grinder upwardly extending into the can section so that this upper portion of the grinder is enclosed by the doors to provide an adequate moisture barrier to prevent moisture from entering the coffee beans in the can section. 
     FIGS. 22 and 23 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention where plurality of coiled compression springs  72  are disposed in corresponding bores in the heater and upwardly extended from the heater. Resting on the top ends of the springs is a support ring  74  on which the coffee server is rested. This configuration provides a highly stable mechanism for keeping the coffee server above the server so that it is harder to knock over the coffee server. 
     FIGS. 28 and 29 illustrate an arcuate adapter  90  with a rounded bottom that may be attached to an open end of a traditional cylindrically shaped coffee can  91 . This adapter allows the use of the traditional coffee can  91  in place of the can section  37  normally used with the invention. As illustrated in FIGS. 28 and 29 the adapter  90  has a central bottom hole  92  therethrough that is positioned over or adjacent the grinder  10  so that coffee beans may pass from the coffee can through the adapter and into the grinder. 
     FIGS. 30 through 32 illustrate an embodiment of the invention having a container carousel  100  disposed in the can section  3 . The container carousel is rotatably mounted on the shaft  8  such that the shaft extends through a central bore  102  in the container carousel. The container carousel also has a plurality containers  104  outwardly radiating from the center bore of the container carousel. Each of the containers of the container carousel is adapted for holding different types coffee beans  9  therein. The container carousel has an outer housing  106  surrounding the containers  104 . Each of the containers of the container carousel has a bottom opening with the outer housing  106  of the container carousel forming a closure for each of the bottom openings of the containers. The outer housing the container carousel also has a chute  108  positioned beneath the containers and above the grinder. In use, the containers  104  are rotatable in the carousel container about the shaft  8  such that a single container is positionable above the chute to permit passage through the chute of coffee beans from the single container positioned about the chute. The containers may be rotatable by a user&#39;s hand or optionally, a controller is connected to the CPU and the motor for permitting the user to selectively rotate the containers about the shaft so that a user may select which container they would like to have coffee beans provided from. The controller also preferably includes a means for controlling the amount of beans passed through the chute so that a user may pour enough coffee beans make a single cup of coffee or a whole pot of coffee. 
     FIGS. 33 and 34 illustrate a commercial embodiment  120  of the present invention where the pot section is completely enclosed to form a reservoir  122  for holding brewed coffee so that the coffee server  22  is not needed. A spigot  124  is fluidly connected to the reservoir to permit removal of brewed coffee from the reservoir  122 . In this embodiment  120 , the bottom heater  126  is angled to direct the flow of brewed coffee in the reservoir  122  towards the spigot  124 . A drain conduit  128  is located at the bottom of the reservoir  122  and has a first opening  130  adjacent the spigot. The drain conduit  128  also has a second opening at the water control flow valve  44  adjacent the drain outlet  28  so that fluid from the reservoir  122  may also be drained out of the drain outlet when needed. 
     FIG. 34 illustrates the modification to the pivot arm region of the commercial embodiment  120  in FIG.  33 . In this embodiment, a ball float assembly  134  is substituted in place the protuberant end  31  of the pivot arm  20 . In use, the ball float assembly  134  causes the pivot arm to pivot upwards to close the bimetal plug  18  when the fluid level of brewed coffee in the reservoir  122  is above a predetermined level and to pivot the pivot arm downwards to open the opening between the cooking section  5  and the reservoir  122  when the fluid level of brewed coffee in the reservoir below the predetermined level. 
     The coffee maker  1  can be programmed to start making coffee  17  at a specified time and to grind a specified amount of coffee beans  9  each morning. The control panel  25  includes a timer to start the coffee maker  1  at a time specified by the consumer and to start the self-cleaning cycle at a time set by the consumer. For example, the consumer can set the coffee maker  1  to automatically stop making coffee  17  and to begin the self-cleaning cycle if the consumer has not physically handled the coffee maker  1  for more than 4 hours. The control panel  25  gives the consumer complete control over the coffee making process. 
     There are numerous variations and modifications of the present invention that are within the scope of the invention as claimed. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and adaptations as well as alternative embodiments may be contemplated. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims. The preferred embodiments of the present invention disclosed herein are intended to be illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.