Abstract:
A beverage maker includes a stand; and a brew head supported on the stand. The brew head includes a shower head and a pod carrier disposed below the shower head. The shower head and the pod carrier together define a brewing chamber in which the pod is infused with hot water from the shower head. The shower head is movable to thereby adjust the brewing chamber to accommodate one or more pods.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This is a nonprovisional application of provisional application Ser. No. 60/684,897, filed on May 25, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference and the priority benefit of which is hereby claimed. This application is also related to application Ser. No. 11/136,961, filed on May 25, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a beverage maker using pre-packed pods and more particularly to a coffee or tea brewer allowing the user to make a single serving of coffee, tea, or other infusible food material.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Beverage brewers such as coffee and tea brewers are commonly used in homes and offices for preparing hot beverages. Some brewers conveniently prepare hot beverages by accepting coffee/tea pre-packed in a pod. A user can dispose of the used coffee/tea pod in one single motion without the customary need for cleaning required with conventional automatic drip coffeemakers or espresso makers or tea makers.  
         [0004]     The current single-serve, pod-type brewers available on the market have some limitations in that they impose on the user/customer the need to use two different interchangeable pod holders in order to brew one cup or two cups of coffee. Moreover, many one-cup brewer designs have a reservoir or a holding tank which is not fully emptied during each brewing cycle. This can be inconvenient when the amount of water that is left in the reservoir does not meet the desired amount of hot beverage that the user wants when they start the brewer for the next cup of beverage. Some current designs have preset volumes for brewing each cup. This is accomplished by the use of a flow meter which controls the amount of hot water pumped from the brewer. This is a costly and complex approach to metered brewing.  
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The present invention provides a beverage brewer which is highly useful in the preparation of small servings of beverages brewed from pods.  
         [0006]     In summary, the present invention provides a beverage maker, comprising a stand; and a brew head supported on the stand. The brew head includes a spring-biased shower head and a pod carrier disposed below the shower head. The shower head and the pod carrier together define a brewing chamber in which the pod is infused with hot water from the shower head. The shower head is movable to thereby adjust the brewing chamber to accommodate one or more pods.  
         [0007]     These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a beverage maker made in accordance with the present invention, showing a brew head vertically supported on a stand.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the beverage maker of  FIG. 1 , showing a drawer and pod holder removed from the brew head of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is perspective view of a showerhead assembly and the pod holder that comprise some of the components of the brew head of  FIG. 1 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is an assembly drawing of the showerhead assembly and pod holder drawer of  FIG. 3 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 1 , showing the brew head in an open position.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5 .  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  7 - 7  of  FIG. 6 .  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is a view similar to  FIG. 5 , showing the brew head in a closed position.  
         [0016]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 .  
         [0017]      FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view taken along line  10 - 10  of  FIG. 9 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 5 , showing the brew head vertically raised to accommodate a taller cup.  
         [0019]      FIG. 12  is a perspective view of a gear housing made in accordance with the present invention.  
         [0020]      FIG. 13  is a view similar to  FIG. 9 , showing a single pod and a reduced brewing chamber.  
         [0021]      FIG. 14  is an assembly drawing of a locking arrangement for locking the vertical adjustment of the brew head.  
         [0022]      FIG. 15  is a cross-sectional view through the locking arrangement of  FIG. 14 .  
         [0023]      FIG. 16  is an electrical schematic diagram for the electrical components of the present invention.  
         [0024]      FIG. 17  is a flow chart used by the controller for controlling the operation of the beverage maker.  
         [0025]      FIG. 18  is a schematic diagram of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]     A beverage maker  2  made in accordance with the present invention is disclosed in  FIG. 1 . The beverage maker  2  may be used for brewing coffee, tea, or any other hot beverage. The beverage maker  2  includes a base  4  and a stand  6 . A brew head  8  is vertically adjustable with respect to the stand  6 . The stand  6  comprises a lower housing  10  and a reservoir  12 . A hinged cover  14  allows for the filling of the reservoir  12 . An on/off push button  16  controls the power to the beverage maker  2 .  
         [0027]     The brew head  8  includes a pod drawer  18 , a lower housing  20  and an upper housing  22 . A tab  24  connected to a locking ring (see  FIG. 3 ) locks the drawer  18  in place when turned to the right. A knob  26  is operably associated with the brew head  8  such that turning the knob clockwise or counterclockwise raises or lowers the brew head  8 , respectively.  
         [0028]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the drawer  18  carries a pod holder  28 . The holder  28  has holes  30  that receive the end portions of vertical pins (see  FIGS. 6 and 9 ) when the tab  24  is turned to the right. The pod holder  28  also has a bottom hole  32  to allow the beverage to flow down into a cup.  
         [0029]     Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the brew head  8  includes a showerhead  34  and a locking ring  36 . The showerhead  34  is disposed in a vertically sliding manner within a holder  38 . Vertical pins  40  are received within vertical holes  42  in a vertically sliding manner and biased downwardly by springs  44  disposed around respective vertical pins  40 . The vertical adjustability of the showerhead  34  with respect to the holder  38  advantageously allows the pod holder  28  to accommodate one or more pods, as will be explained below. A sieve  46  is secured to the bottom of the showerhead  34 . A seal  48  seals the showerhead  34  with respect to the inside wall of the holder  38 . A seal  50  seals the showerhead  34  with respect to the pod holder  28 . The seal  50  includes inwardly curled sealing lip  51  (see  FIG. 8 ) that advantageously presses against an upper surface of the pod holder  28 .  
         [0030]     Vertical pins  52  are secured to the holder  38  and are used to lock the drawer  18  and the pod holder  28  in place when the locking ring  36  is turned to the right. The holder  38  has an outer cylindrical surface  54  which is provided with cam tracks  56  that engage respective inwardly directed pins  58  carried by the locking ring  36 . An upper guide  60  is secured to the lower housing  20  and provides a guide for the locking ring  36 .  
         [0031]     A support structure  62  includes a rack  64  and a U-shaped member  66  secured to the lower housing  20 . The rack  64  includes a longitudinal passageway  68  which is used to carry water part of the way from the reservoir  12  to the showerhead  34 . A hose  70  connects the conduit  68  to the showerhead via a one-way valve comprising a valve seat  72  and valve ball  74 .  
         [0032]     Referring to  FIG. 5 , a pump  76  is disposed in the lower housing  10 . The inlet side of the pump is connected to the reservoir  12  with a hose  78 . The outlet side of the pump is connected to the rack passageway  68  with another hose  80 . The hose  78  may be connected to a thermostatic valve  82  to open or close an opening  83  in the bottom of the reservoir  12 . Preferably, the thermostatic valve is made from bimetallic material which is sensitive to the water temperature. If the water is below T cold , for example 60° C., the valve will close off the opening  83 . If the water temperature is above T cold  (60° C.), i.e., T hot , it will open the opening. This is advantageous for single-serve units because it will eliminate the delivery of a cold cup of beverage at first use.  
         [0033]     The hose  70  is shown connected to the passageway  68  and an inlet  84  on the showerhead  34 . The drawer  18  includes outlet openings  86  through which the brewed beverage flows out to a cup  88 .  
         [0034]     The brew head holder  8  is shown in an open position in  FIG. 5 , wherein the seal  50  is disengaged from the periphery of the pod holder  28  and the pins  52  are disengaged from the holes  30 . This allows the pod drawer  18  to be drawn out for cleaning or placement of the pods in the pod holder  28  for brewing.  
         [0035]     Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the vertical pins  52  are shown retracted from their respective holes  30 . At the same time, the locking ring pins  58  are disposed in the beginning and lower ends of the respective cam tracks  56 .  
         [0036]     Referring to  FIGS. 8, 9  and  10 , showing the brew head  8  in a closed position, the tab  24  is pulled to the right, causing the locking ring pins  58  to ride up along the respective cam tracks  56  which then causes the showerhead holder  38  to move vertically downwardly with respect to the showerhead  34 , which then allows the vertical pins  52  to engage the respective holes  30 , thereby locking the drawer  18  and the pod holder  28  in place. In the closed position, the pod holder  28  and the showerhead  34  form a sealed chamber  90 , with the seal  50  sealing the pod holder  28  with respect to the showerhead holder  38 , and the seal  48  sealing the showerhead  34  with respect to the showerhead holder  38 . Pressure within the chamber  90  advantageously helps in pressing down on the inwardly curled lips  51  against the top surface of the pod holder  28  to ensure a good seal. The chamber  90  is vertically adjustable by means of the springs  44  biasing the showerhead  34  downwardly and the pins  40  being slidadly received within respective holes  42 . In this manner, the chamber  90  can accommodate one or more pods  92 .  
         [0037]     Referring to  FIG. 11 , the rack  64  is engaged by a pinion gear  94  rotatably supported by the stand  6 . Rotating the gear  94  by means of the knob  26  allows the user to adjust the height of the brew head  8  with respect to the base  4  to advantageously accommodate a smaller cup  88  or larger cup  96 . The support structure  62  includes vertical guides  98  (see  FIG. 4 ) received in corresponding pair of guide grooves  100  formed on a gear housing  102  fixed to the stand  6 , as shown in  FIG. 12 .  
         [0038]     A shaft  106  is operably secured to the gear  94 . Referring to  FIGS. 14 and 15 , the shaft  106  is secured to the knob  26 . Spring biased buttons  108  that include axial ribs  110  are received in corresponding axial grooves  112  of a lock ring  114 . By depressing the buttons  108 , the ribs are released from their corresponding grooves  112 , thereby allowing the knob  26  to be turned clockwise or counterclockwise to raise or lower the brew head  8 , respectively. Releasing the buttons  108  advantageously locks the gear  94 , thereby maintaining the height adjustment just made to the brew head  8 .  
         [0039]     Referring back to  FIG. 11 , water  116  in the reservoir  12  is heated to the desired temperature by a heating element  118  controlled by a sensor  120 , such as a thermistor that senses the water temperature and the temperature of the heating element  118 . The thermistor  120  is disposed adjacent to the heating element  118  to enable it to sense heating element temperature and water temperature. A controller  124  receives signals from the thermistor  120  corresponding to the temperature of the water in the reservoir. The heating element  118  is protected by a thermostat  123  and a thermal cut-off device  125 . The thermostat  123  is in contact with the heating element and is designed to cut off the power to the heating element in case of overheating. The controller  124  is provided power through AC lines  126  and controlled by the switch  16 . An LED indicator light  128  provides indication when the power is on.  
         [0040]     The controller  124  includes a look-up table which correlates the time it takes to raise a given amount of water in the reservoir to a pre-determined brewing temperature with the time the pump is activated to completely pump all the hot water in the reservoir and into a single-serve container such as the coffee cup  96 . By counting the time from when the power is turned on to the time the thermistor reaches a desired pre-set temperature, T hot , as for example 83° C. for brewing coffee, the controller  124  looks up the value of pumping time associated with that heating time and turns the pump on for a pre-set period of time plus a standard deviation that is calculated to be, for example, 5-8 seconds. The pump running time will be a function of and controlled by the water heating time, and not by the amount of water measured. The use of a look-up table advantageously eliminates the need to use a flow meter. It also advantageously eliminates the need to measure the amount of water that can be used by the user. All the water that is added to the reservoir is pumped to the cup. Accordingly, the user can use any amount of water that can be accommodated by the reservoir and be assured that the reservoir will be fully emptied when it has reached the temperature that the unit is designed for.  
         [0041]     An example of a look-up table, establishing the pump run time based on the time it took to heat different amounts of water from an initial temperature of 25° C. to a brewing temperature T hot  of, for example, 83° C., is shown below:  
                                                                       THEN               IF   And IF   Pump Run           Volume   T i     t r     Time                           150 mL   25° C.   50 secs   20 secs           180 mL   25° C.   73 secs   35 secs           210 mL   25° C.   85 secs   48 secs           270 mL   25° C.   105 secs    57 secs           420 mL   25° C.   140 secs    75 secs                      
 
 where T i  is the initial water temperature in the reservoir, t r  is the time it took to heat the water in the reservoir to a desired temperature, for example 83° C., and pump run time is the time required to pump out the amount of water in the reservoir. These figures will change depending on the heater size and shape, reservoir size and shape, pump rate, and the initial water temperature. 
 
         [0042]     An alternative way of operating the beverage maker without using a look-up table is also disclosed. The thermistor  120  is calibrated to established T dry  and T hot . As an example, T dry  corresponds with the heater surface for dry start (empty reservoir), for example 72° C. and T hot  corresponds to the desired water temperature for brewing, for example 96° C. at a distance of 0.25″ from the heater surface in the center of the reservoir.  
         [0043]     Referring to  FIG. 17 , the controller  124  operates the beverage maker  2  as follows. The power switch  16  is turned on at step  130  by the user. The heater comes on at  132 . When the thermistor signal corresponds to T hot  at  134 , the pump is turned on at  136 . When the thermistor signal says T dry  at  138  and the time since turning the heater on is less than 30 seconds at  140 , the power is turned off at  142 ; otherwise, the heater is turned off at  144  and the pump is kept on at  146 . If the time since the heater is turned off is less than 5 seconds at  148 , the pump is kept on; otherwise, the power is turned off at  142 . The 30 secs time is used only as an example for convenience of illustration. It is meant to be a time period much less than the response time of the thermostat or thermal cut-off device so that overheating of the heating element is avoided, when damage to the beverage maker could result.  
         [0044]     Referring to  FIG. 18 , a schematic diagram of the beverage maker  2  is shown. Water  116  in the reservoir  12  is heated by the heating element  118 . The thermistor  120  sends temperature signals to the controller  124 . When water temperature reaches the desired temperature, the pump is activated for specific amount of time based on the look-up table designed to empty the reservoir of all the water into the showerhead  34 , through the pods in the drawer  18  and into the user&#39;s cup  88  or  96 . Alternatively, without using the look-up table, the pump is run until after a few seconds, for example 5 secs, after temperature T dry  is reached and the heating element has been turned off.  
         [0045]     Referring back to  FIG. 5 , the base  4  includes a top wall  75  with a plurality of openings  77  that drain into a collection chamber  79  for collecting drippings from brew head.  
         [0046]     A pod  92  is a pouch or packaging containing coffee, tea or other type of food for brewing. It should be understood that the pouch may be made of filter material or similar material that allows the hot water to flow through while keeping the contents within the pouch. It should also be understood that the pod is not limited to a pre-manufactured form. The pod may be made by the user using upper and lower filter membranes to capture the coffee grounds or tea leaves. The upper and lower filter membranes are then clamped between the top surface of the pod holder  28  and the curled lip  51  of the seal  50 .  
         [0047]     While this invention has been described as having preferred design, it is understood that it is capable of further modification, uses and/or adaptations following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the essential features set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention or the limits of the appended claims.