Abstract:
A brewing material holder includes a closed bottom water dispersing member including ports providing streams of water from just under a holder lid bottom, for uniformly dispersing water into the brewing material in the holder. When water is injected into the holder, the flow of water is captured in the water dispersion member and directed up to the ports and sprayed horizontally or vertically into the brewing material, and sinks into brewing material contained in the brewing chamber. The water dispersion member may be attached to the holder lid or be part of the holder lid. A single centered port may be provided in the bottom of the dispensing member provides an additional spray and also helps drain the dispensing member after use.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/261,423 filed Dec. 1, 2016, 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 towards the brewing material, and water injected into a dispersing member with ports in the bottom to release water into the brewing material. Unfortunately, water released or sprayed into the brewing material seeps downward through the brewing material, and any brewing material above the injection point of the streams is not exposed uniformly to the water. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    The present invention addresses the above and other needs by providing a brewing material holder including a closed bottom water dispersing member including ports providing streams of water from just under a holder lid bottom, for uniformly dispersing water into the brewing material in the holder. When water is injected into the holder, the flow of water is captured in the water dispersion member and directed up to the ports and sprayed horizontally or vertically into the brewing material, and sinks into brewing material contained in the brewing chamber. The water dispersion member may be attached to the holder lid or be part of the holder lid. A single centered port may be provided in the bottom of the dispensing member provides an additional spray and also helps drain the dispensing member after use. 
     
    
     
       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 first brewing material holder including water dispersion according to the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3B  is a side view of the first brewing material holder including the water dispersion according to the present invention. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the first brewing material holder including the water dispersion according to the present invention taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3A . 
           [0014]      FIG. 5A  is a top view of a first brewing material holder lid providing water dispersion according to the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5B  is a side view of the first brewing material holder lid providing water dispersion according to the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 5C  is a bottom view of the first brewing material holder lid providing water dispersion according to the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the first brewing material holder lid providing water dispersion according to the present invention taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5A . 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of a second brewing material holder including a second water dispersion member according to the present invention taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3A . 
           [0019]      FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the second water dispersion member according to the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of a third brewing material holder including a third water dispersion member according to the present invention taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3A . 
           [0021]      FIG. 10  is a bottom view of the third water dispersion member according to the present invention. 
           [0022]      FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of a third brewing material holder including a third water dispersion member according to the present invention taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3A . 
           [0023]      FIG. 12  is a bottom view of the third water dispersion member according to the present invention. 
           [0024]      FIG. 13  shows an exploded view of a holder with mesh material in walls of the base to retain brewing material. 
           [0025]      FIG. 14  shows an exploded view of a holder with a filter paper cup inserted into the base to retain brewing material. 
       
    
    
       [0026]    Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding components throughout the several views of the drawings. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    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. 
         [0028]    Where the terms “about” or “generally” or “approximately” 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. 
         [0029]    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. 
         [0030]    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  resides on a bottom surface of the lid  14  and presses against the brewing material holder  30  when the lid  14  is closed, and in cooperation with other means, tamps coffee contained in the brewing material holder  30 . A nozzle (or injection needle)  19   a  extending down from the closed lid  14  directs the flow of hot water into the brewing material holder  30 . A bottom puncture needle  19   b  extends up into the brewing chamber  29  to puncture single use brewing cartridges. 
         [0031]    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 , 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   a  by returning some of the water flow to the water tank  18 . While the water pump  21  is a preferred method for providing a flow of water to the nozzle  19   a,  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 come within the scope of the present invention. 
         [0032]    A top view of a brewing material holder  30   a  including water dispersion according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 3A  and a side view of the brewing material holder  30   a  is shown in  FIG. 3B . The brewing material holder  30   a  includes a removable lid  32   a  and a base  40 . A seal  33  rests on the lid  32   a  to seal to the coffee maker  10  (see  FIG. 2 ). A flow of water  42  is provided, preferably under pressure, through the nozzle (or injection needle)  19   a  into the brewing material holder  30   a.  The holder  30   a  may be configured to allow use in coffee makers sold under the trademark KEURIG which include a top puncture injection needle  19   a  for puncturing and injecting pressurized water into a pre-packaged, single use, brewing cartridge, and a bottom puncture needle for puncturing the pre-packaged, single use, brewing cartridge to extract brewed beverage. Such coffee makers are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,765, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
         [0033]    The pressurized flow of water  42  enters the brewing material holder  30   a  through a passage  47  in the lid  32   a.  The passage  47  is preferably 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 base  40 . In other embodiments, an injection needle or an extraction needle may penetrate the cartridge from a side versus the top or bottom. 
         [0034]    A cross-sectional view of the brewing material holder  30   a  including a water dispersion member  34   a,  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3A , is shown in  FIG. 4 . The water dispersion member  34   a  is a portion of the lid  32   a  or fixed to the lid  32   a,  capturing the flow of water  42  in an injection needle chamber  31   a.  As the water dispersion member  34   a  fills, the water level rises and reaches ports  39  just under a bottom surface  32 ′ of the lid  32   a,  producing radial, generally horizontal sprays of water  38  towards an outer top edge  40 ′ of the base  40 . 
         [0035]    A top view of the lid  32   a  including the water dispersion member  34   a  is shown in  FIG. 5A , a side view of the lid  32   a  is shown in  FIG. 5B , a bottom view of the lid  32   a  is shown in  FIG. 5C , and a cross-sectional view of the lid  32   a  taken along line  6 - 6  of  FIG. 5A  is shown in  FIG. 6 . The water dispersion member  34   a  includes the injection needle chamber  31   a  and eight evenly angularly spaced apart, radially aligned ports  39 , providing eight evenly angularly spaced apart, radially directed sprays  38 . In other embodiments the dispersion member may include between 2 and 16 ports. 
         [0036]    A cross-sectional view of a second brewing material holder  30   b  including a second water dispersion member  34   b  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3A  is shown in  FIG. 7  and a bottom view of the second water dispersion member  34   b  is shown in  FIG. 8 . The second water dispersion member  34   b  includes a circular chamber  31   b  including a circle of ports  39  in a floor  31 ′ and aimed downward from a bottom surface of the circular chamber  31   b  of the second water dispersion member  34   b,  and may include a centered port  39 ′ in the bottom of the second water dispersion member  34   b.  The ports  39  are preferably radially approximately centered between an outer edge  34 ′ of the second water dispersion member  34   b  and the outer top edge of the base  40 ′. The circular chamber  31   b  is disk shaped preferably having a round perimeter and generally flat floor  31 ′ and flat ceiling  31 ″, and circular wall  31 ′″. The ceiling  31 ″ preferably a bottom surface of the lid  32 . While eight ports  39  are shown, the number of ports preferably varies between 4 and 16 ports. 
         [0037]    A cross-sectional view of a third brewing material holder  30   c  including a third water dispersion member  34   c  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3A  is shown in  FIG. 9  and a bottom view of the third water dispersion member  34   c  is shown in  FIG. 10 . The third water dispersion member  34   c  includes inner and outer circles of ports  39  aimed downward from a bottom surface of the third water dispersion member  34   c,  and may include a centered port  39 ′ in the bottom of the third water dispersion member  34   c.  The two circles of ports  39  are preferably radially spaced about ⅓ and ⅔ of the distance between the outer edge  34 ′ of the water dispersion member  34   c  and the outer top rim of the base  40 ′, from the outer edge  34 ′ of the water dispersion member  34   c.  While 16 ports  39  are shown, the number of ports preferably varies between 8 and 24 ports, and the number of outer ports may be greater than the number of inner ports. 
         [0038]    A cross-sectional view of a fourth brewing material holder  30   d  including a fourth water dispersion member  34   d  taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3A  is shown in  FIG. 11  and a bottom view of the fourth water dispersion member  34   d  is shown in  FIG. 12 . The fourth water dispersion member  34   d  includes a circle of ports  39  aimed downward and outward from a bottom surface of the fourth water dispersion member  34   d,  and may include a centered port  39 ′ in the bottom of the fourth water dispersion  34   d.    
         [0039]    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. 13  and an exploded view of a holder with a filter paper cup  48  inserted into the base  40   b  to retain brewing material  41  is shown in  FIG. 14 . Openings  46  are provided in the walls and/or bottom of the base  40   b  to allow the brewed drink to escape. The lids and water dispersion members described above may be used with either holder base  40   a  and  40   b.    
         [0040]    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.