Abstract:
A brewing material holder includes a spinning assembly for uniformly dispersing water into brewing material. The spinning assembly may be attached to a removable holder lid or reside in the base of the holder. When water is pumped into the holder, the flow of water is sprayed into brewing material contained in the brewing chamber. On one embodiment, water is pumped into the brewing material holder, and the flow of water causes the spinning assembly to spin by the water flowing past gears or a propeller, or by tangential jets on the spinning member. In another embodiment, the coffee maker includes a rotating shaft engaging the brewing material holder to cause the spinning assembly to spin, or may include stator winding creating a rotating magnetic field in the brewing chamber to cause the spinning assembly to spin.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/249,047 filed Oct. 30, 2015, which application is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to beverage brewing and in particular to a rotating water dispersion into a brewing chamber. 
         [0003]    Brewed beverages are often prepared by injecting water into a brewing chamber containing a brewing material such as ground coffee beans. Various configurations are known including inserting a needle into the brewing material, streams of water injected down into the brewing material. Unfortunately, water released or sprayed into the brewing material may form channels or packets, and the brewed beverage is not uniformly extracted from the brewing material. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a brewing material holder including a spinning assembly for uniformly dispersing water into brewing material. The spinning assembly may be attached to a removable holder lid or reside in the base of the holder. When water is pumped into the holder, the flow of water is sprayed into brewing material contained in the brewing chamber. On one embodiment, water is pumped into the brewing material holder, and the flow of water causes the spinning assembly to spin by the water flowing past gears or a propeller, or by tangential jets on the spinning member. In another embodiment, the coffee maker includes a rotating shaft engaging the brewing material holder to cause the spinning assembly to spin, or may include stator winding creating a rotating magnetic field in the brewing chamber to cause the spinning assembly to spin. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
         [0005]    The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein: 
           [0006]      FIG. 1A  is a front view of a coffee maker according to the present invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 1B  is a side view of the coffee maker according to the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 1C  is a top view of the coffee maker according to the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a side view of the coffee maker with an open lid allowing placement of a brewing material holder according to the present invention inside the coffee maker. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2A  is a functional diagram of the coffee maker. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3A  is a top view of a brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3B  is a side view of the brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3A . 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 6A  is a side view of a lid assembly the brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6B  is a second side view of the lid assembly the brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 7  shows a cross-sectional view of a second brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention having internal propeller elements. 
           [0018]      FIG. 8  shows a cross-sectional view of a third brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention having tangentially directed sprays. 
           [0019]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of the third brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 10  shows a cross-sectional view of a fourth brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention having a center column rotatably carried by a holder base. 
           [0021]      FIG. 11  shows an exploded view of a holder with mesh material in walls of the base to retain brewing material. 
           [0022]      FIG. 12  shows an exploded view of a holder with a filter paper cup inserted into the base to retain brewing material. 
           [0023]      FIG. 13  shows a coffee maker including a rotating shaft engaging a brewing material holder according to the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 14  shows a cross-sectional view of a fifth brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention having a center column rotated by the coffee maker. 
           [0025]      FIG. 15  shows a coffee maker including stator windings creating a rotating stator field in a brewing material holder according to the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 16  shows a cross-sectional view of a sixth brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention having magnets rotated by the rotating stator field created by the coffee maker. 
           [0027]      FIG. 17  shows a coffee maker including an offset rotating shaft engaging a brewing material holder according to the present invention. 
           [0028]      FIG. 18  shows a cross-sectional view of a seventh brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention having offset gears and a center column rotated by the coffee maker. 
           [0029]      FIG. 19  shows a cross-sectional view of an eighth brewing material holder including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention having a dome according to the present invention for dispersing water. 
           [0030]      FIG. 20  is a cross-sectional view of the dome according to the present invention taken along line  20 - 20  of  FIG. 19 . 
           [0031]      FIG. 21  is a cross-sectional view of a one dimensional dome according to the present invention taken along line  20 - 20  of  FIG. 19 . 
       
    
    
       [0032]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0033]    The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of describing one or more preferred embodiments of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims. 
         [0034]    Where the terms “about” or “generally” are associated with an element of the invention, it is intended to describe a feature&#39;s appearance to the human eye or human perception, and not a precise measurement. 
         [0035]    A front view of a coffee maker  10  according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1A , a side view of the coffee maker  10  is shown in  FIG. 1B , and a top view of the coffee maker  10  is shown in  FIG. 1C . The coffee maker  10  includes a base  12 , an opening lid  14 , a lid handle  16 , a water container  18 , a display  20 , controls  22 , and platform  24 . A cup  26  rests on the platform  24 . The coffee maker  10  provides a flow of hot water through brewing material to produce a brewed drink. The flow of water may be heated by one of any known means, for example, an electrical heating coil, inductive heating, or a conductive coating on tubing carrying the water. 
         [0036]    A side view of the coffee maker  10  with an open lid  14  allowing placement of a brewing material holder  30  according to the present invention inside a brewing chamber  29  of the coffee maker  10  is shown in  FIG. 2 . The lid  14  includes a lid hinge  14   a  and a water tube  15  carries heated water into the lid  14 . A pad  17  may reside on a bottom surface of the lid  14  and press against the brewing material holder  30  when the lid  14  is closed, and in cooperation with other means to tamp coffee contained in the brewing material holder  30 . A nozzle  19  extending down from the closed lid  14  directs the flow of hot water into the brewing material holder  30 . 
         [0037]    A functional diagram of the coffee maker  10  is shown in  FIG. 2A . The preferred coffee (or brewing material) maker  10  includes the water tank  18 , a water pump  21 , a heater  13 , check valve  23  and the nozzle  18 . The pump  21  preferably provides at least one PSI water pressure. The water heater  13  may include a heating coil, inductive heating, or a resistive coating or any other means for heating water. The check valve  23  limits the water pressure at the nozzle  19  by returning some of the water flow back to the water tank  18 . While the water pump  21  is a preferred method for providing a flow of water to the nozzle  19 , other methods include placing the water in the water tank  18  under pressure, and a coffee maker using any means to provide a forced flow of water is intending to within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0038]    A top view of a brewing material holder  30  including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 3A , and a side view of the brewing material holder  30  including dynamic water dispersion is shown in  FIG. 3B . The brewing material holder  30  includes a removable lid  31  and a base  40 . A sealing portion  33  may extend up from the lid  31  to seal to the coffee maker  10  (see  FIG. 2 ) to contain the flow of water  42  under pressure to the brewing material holder  30 . The holder  30  may be configured to allow use in coffee makers sold under the trademark KEURIG which include a top puncture needle for injecting pressurized water into a brewing cartridge, and a bottom puncture needle for puncturing sealed brewing cartridges to extract brewed beverage. Such coffee makers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,765, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
         [0039]    The pressurized flow of water  42  enters the brewing material holder  30  through a passage  47  in the lid  31 . The passage  47  may be configured to accept the top puncture needle of the &#39;765 patent. The base  40  may further include a bottom recess  45  to avoid the bottom needle disclosed in the &#39;765 patent. The recess  45  may be into the side of the holder, or into the bottom of the holder. In other embodiment, an injection needle or an extraction needle may penetrate the cartridge from a side versus the top or bottom. The base  40  further includes mesh  44  (or the like) covered window  49  to retain the brewing material in the brewing material holder  30  during brewing, and release brewed drink from the brewing material holder  30 . 
         [0040]    A cross-sectional view of the brewing material holder  30  including dynamic water dispersion according to the present invention along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3A  is shown in  FIG. 4  and a cross-sectional view of the brewing material holder  30  taken along line  5 - 5  of  FIG. 4  is shown in  FIG. 5 . A hollow, vertical, pointed column  34  is rotatable attached to the cover portion  32  of the lid  31 . The column  34  extends down into the base  40  and includes ports  39  (see  FIG. 6B ) releasing radial sprays of water  38  (see FIG.  FIG. 6A ) into the base  40  and into brewing material  41  in the base  40 . The column  34  includes arm  35  extending radially and including ports  37  releasing tangential sprays of water  36 . The tangential sprays of water  36  urge the column  34  to spin, thus providing dynamic water dispersion into the brewing material  41 . 
         [0041]    A side view of the lid assembly  31  the brewing material holder  30  is shown in  FIG. 6A  and a second side view of the lid assembly  31  rotated 90 degrees is shown in  FIG. 6B . 
         [0042]    A cross-sectional view of a second brewing material holder  30   a  including dynamic water dispersion having internal propeller elements  43  is shown in  FIG. 7 . The water flow  42  through the internal propeller elements  43  causes the column  34   a  to spin, thus providing dynamic water dispersion into the brewing material  41 . The second brewing material holder  30   a  is otherwise similar to the brewing material holder  30 . 
         [0043]    A cross-sectional view of a third brewing material holder  30   b  including dynamic water dispersion and having tangentially directed sprays is shown in  FIG. 8  and a cross-sectional view of the third brewing material holder  30   b  taken along line  9 - 9  of  FIG. 8  is shown in  FIG. 9  The ports  39   b  direct the flows  36  tangentially to rotate a second hollow, vertical, rotating column  34   b  which does not include the arms  35 . The third brewing material holder  30   b  is otherwise similar to the brewing material holder  30 . 
         [0044]    A cross-sectional view of a fourth brewing material holder  30   c  including dynamic water dispersion and having a third hollow, vertical, rotating column  34   c  rotatably carried by a holder base  41   a  is shown in  FIG. 10 . A lid  32   a  guides the water flow  42  into the center column  34   c . Mesh material  44  in walls of the base  41   a  allows brewed drink to escape from the holder  30   c . The fourth brewing material holder  30   c  is otherwise similar to the brewing material holder  30 . 
         [0045]    An exploded view of a holder with mesh material  44  in walls of a base  40   a  to retain brewing material  41  is shown in  FIG. 11 . This embodiment may be used with the column  34  attached to the lid or to the base. 
         [0046]    An exploded view of a holder with a filter paper cup  45  inserted into the base  40   b  to retain brewing material  41 . Windows 46 are provided in the walls and/or bottom of the base  40   b  to allow the brewed drink to escape. The column  34  is preferably attached to the lid  32  in this embodiment because a column attached to the base may interfere with the filter paper cup  45 . 
         [0047]    A coffee maker  10   a  including a rotating shaft  50  engaging a fifth brewing material holder  30   d  is shown in  FIG. 13  and a cross-sectional view of the holder  30   d  having a fourth hollow, vertical, rotating column  34   d  rotated by the rotating shaft  50  is shown in  FIG. 14 . 
         [0048]    A coffee maker  10   b  including stator windings  52  creating a rotating stator magnetic field in a sixth brewing material holder  30   e  is shown in  FIG. 15  and a cross-sectional view of the holder  30   e  including dynamic water dispersion includes magnets or squirrel cage elements  54  attached to a fifth hollow, vertical, rotating column  34   e  and rotated by the rotating stator field created by the coffee maker  10   b  is shown in  FIG. 16 . 
         [0049]    A coffee maker  10   c  including an offset rotating shaft  56  engaging a seventh brewing material holder  30   f  including dynamic water dispersion is shown in  FIG. 17  and a cross-sectional view of the brewing material holder  30   f  having an offset shaft  57  engaging the offset shaft  56 , and a drive member  58  and driven member  59  rotating a sixth hollow, vertical, rotating  34   f  is shown in  FIG. 18 . The offset shafts avoid the nozzle  19  and passage  47 . The driver member  58  and driven member  59  may be gears, rollers, a belt and hubs, or the like. 
         [0050]    A cross-sectional view of an eighth brewing material holder  30   g  including dynamic water dispersion having a dome  60  for dispersing water is shown in  FIG. 19  and a cross-sectional view of the dome  60  taken along line  20 - 20  of  FIG. 19  is shown in  FIG. 20 . The dome  60  may be rotated by offset tangential sprays from ports  62  similar to sprays  36  (see  FIG. 5 ), or the dome  60  may be rotated by any of the means shown for brewing material holders  30   a - 30   f . The dome  60  includes at least one dispersion port  64 , and preferably a multiplicity of dispersion ports  64 . 
         [0051]    An alternative one dimensional dome  60   a  is shown in  FIG. 21  having a single row of dispersion ports  64 . The one dimensional dome  60   a  may be rotated by any of the methods shown for brewing material holders  30   a - 30   f  to provide dynamic water dispersion into the brewing material. 
         [0052]    While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.