Patent Description:
There are many factors that may affect the flavor of a cup of coffee, such as the dispensation rate, flow path, water temperature, grind size of coffee beans, brewing time and other brewing parameters. Besides, different types of coffee beans are suitable for their respective brewing parameters.

Generally, it is not easy for most people to drink a cup of high-quality pour-over coffee because of the following reasons. First, most people don't understand how different brewing parameters/factors affect the flavor of a cup of coffee. Second, pour-over coffee brewing is always done by hand and thus fails to accurately control brewing parameters in a brewing process. Hence, different people may brew coffee cups with inconsistent flavors. Third, because pour-over coffee brewing is always done by hand, it is time-consuming and inconvenient.

Therefore, it is desirable to provide a brewing machine to automate the brewing process according to various brewing parameters, thus allowing anyone to easily drink a cup of high-quality pour-over coffee or other beverages. Patent application publication <CIT> discloses a drip coffee making apparatus for manufacturing a drip coffee having improved flavor by controlling a supply route and a supply time of water during drip coffee production. Patent application publications <CIT>, <CIT> and <CIT> disclose further drip coffee brewing apparatus.

The above-mentioned object is achieved by a brewing machine according to claim <NUM>. Preferred embodiments are subject matter of the dependent claims. The brewing machine includes a liquid source for supplying a liquid, a dispensing outlet in fluid communication with the liquid source to dispense the liquid, and a motion device for moving the dispensing outlet according to at least one brewing pattern. The motion device includes a first drive shaft and a second drive shaft, wherein the first drive shaft rotates the second drive shaft, the second drive shaft rotates the dispensing outlet, and an extending line of the second drive shaft is apart from and extends in a different direction than an extending line of the first drive shaft.

The brewing machine may include a heating device in fluid communication with the liquid source and capable of heating the liquid, wherein the dispensing outlet is in fluid communication with the heating device. A return path may be provided in a fluid path between the heating device and the dispensing outlet to allow the liquid flowing to the dispensing outlet to return to the heating device.

The brewing machine may include a control unit for controlling a brewing process according to a programmable brewing sequence. The programmable brewing sequence may divide a total brewing time into multiple stages, each of the stages may correspond to at least two different brewing parameters, and two successive stages may have at least one different brewing parameter for brewing.

Other objectives, features and advantages of the invention will be further understood from the further technological features disclosed by the embodiments of the invention wherein there are shown and described preferred embodiments of this invention, simply by way of illustration of modes best suited to carry out the invention.

In the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. In this regard, directional terminology, such as "top," "bottom," "front," "back," etc., is used with reference to the orientation of the Figure(s) being described. The components of the present invention can be positioned in a number of different orientations. As such, the directional terminology is used for purposes of illustration and is in no way limiting. On the other hand, the drawings are only schematic and the sizes of components may be exaggerated for clarity. It is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Unless limited otherwise, the terms "connected," "coupled," and "mounted" and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect connections, couplings, and mountings. Similarly, the terms "facing," "faces" and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass direct and indirect facing, and "adjacent to" and variations thereof herein are used broadly and encompass directly and indirectly "adjacent to". Therefore, the description of "A" component facing "B" component herein may contain the situations that "A" component directly faces "B" component or one or more additional components are between "A" component and "B" component. Also, the description of "A" component "adjacent to" "B" component herein may contain the situations that "A" component is directly "adjacent to" "B" component or one or more additional components are between "A" component and "B" component. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

Referring to both <FIG> and <FIG> a brewing machine <NUM> of the present disclosure includes a liquid source <NUM>, a heating device <NUM>, a pump <NUM>, a dispensing outlet <NUM>, a motion device <NUM>, a mount <NUM>, a pouch tray <NUM>, and an operation interface <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, the liquid source <NUM> may supply a liquid for brewing and may include, for example, water, milk, soy milk and wine. For example, the liquid source <NUM> may be a reservoir or a filtered water pipeline. The heating device <NUM> is used to heat the liquid to a prescribed temperature, and the heating device <NUM> may have a level detector <NUM> to main a proper fluid level inside the heating device <NUM>. The liquid source <NUM>, the heating device <NUM>, the pump <NUM> and the dispensing outlet <NUM> are in fluid communication with one another. The pump <NUM> is used to pump the liquid to a dispensing outlet <NUM>, and the dispensing outlet <NUM> dispenses the liquid to a container (such as a drip coffee pouch A). In this illustrative example, the dispensing outlet <NUM> is disposed on the motion device <NUM>, but the invention is not limited thereto. The dispensing outlet <NUM>, such as a nozzle or a spout, is not limited to a specific structure, as long as the function of dispensing liquid is provided. Further, in one embodiment, the brewing machine <NUM> may have a flow measurement device <NUM> such as a flow meter to measuring the quantity or rate of liquid passing through the dispensing outlet <NUM>, and the mount <NUM> may include a weight sensor to measure weights of dispensed liquid and various objects on the mount <NUM>.

The motion device <NUM> is capable of moving the dispensing outlet <NUM>. For example, the motion device <NUM> is instructed to move the dispensing outlet <NUM> according to at least one brewing pattern. As shown in <FIG>, the motion device <NUM> may include a frame <NUM>, two longitudinal transmission assemblies <NUM> and a lateral transmission assembly <NUM>. Each longitudinal transmission assembly <NUM> is disposed on the frame <NUM> and includes two drive wheels <NUM> and a longitudinal pulley <NUM>, and the drive wheels <NUM> are rotatably mounted on the frame <NUM>. The longitudinal pulley <NUM> is coupled to two drive wheels <NUM> and driven by the drive wheels <NUM>. The longitudinal transmission assemblies <NUM> move the lateral transmission assembly <NUM> in a longitudinal direction. The lateral transmission assembly <NUM> is disposed on the longitudinal transmission assemblies <NUM> and includes a movable seat <NUM>, two drive wheels <NUM> and a lateral pulley <NUM>. The movable seat <NUM> is disposed on the longitudinal pulley <NUM> and moves along with the longitudinal pulley <NUM>, and the drive wheels <NUM> are rotatably mounted on the movable seat <NUM>. The lateral pulley <NUM> is coupled to the drive wheels <NUM> and driven by the two wheels <NUM>. The dispensing outlet <NUM> is disposed on the lateral pulley <NUM> and moves along with the lateral pulley <NUM>, and the lateral transmission assembly <NUM> moves the dispensing outlet <NUM> in a lateral direction. In another illustrative example, as shown in <FIG>, the motion device <NUM> may be simplified to have only one longitudinal transmission assembly <NUM>, and the lateral transmission assembly <NUM> is directly disposed on the longitudinal transmission assembly <NUM> to thus omit the frame <NUM> shown in <FIG>. Moreover, the pulley may be replaced by a threaded rod without limitation.

The motion device <NUM> in the form of an X-Y Table may have a first transmission mechanism (longitudinal transmission assembly <NUM>) and a second transmission mechanism (lateral transmission assembly <NUM>). The first transmission mechanism (longitudinal transmission assembly <NUM>) may move the second transmission mechanism (lateral transmission assembly <NUM>) to allow the second transmission mechanism (lateral transmission assembly <NUM>) to move linearly and thus have a line-shaped motion trajectory, and the second transmission mechanism (lateral transmission assembly <NUM>) may linearly move the dispensing outlet <NUM> to allow the dispensing outlet <NUM> to similarly have a line-shaped motion trajectory. Therefore, the motion device <NUM> may move the dispensing outlet <NUM> to any position of the plane S1 shown in <FIG> to simulate the dispensation mode and pouring path in brewing pour-over coffee or other beverages. In this illustrative example, the area of the plane S1 (area that the dispensing outlet <NUM> may scan) is allowed to sufficiently cover a drip coffee pouch or a filter paper/filter paper cup containing coffee beans. The longitudinal transmission assembly <NUM> is preferably perpendicular to the lateral transmission assembly <NUM>. Specifically, a non-parallel arrangement for the longitudinal transmission assembly <NUM> and the lateral transmission assembly <NUM> is sufficient to arbitrarily move the dispensing outlet <NUM> along to different axes.

As shown in <FIG>, in one embodiment of the invention, the motion device 20A may include a first drive shaft <NUM> and a second drive shaft <NUM>. A connection piece <NUM> is disposed on the first drive shaft <NUM> and driven by the rotating first drive shaft <NUM> to rotate. The second drive shaft <NUM> is disposed on the connection piece <NUM> and driven by the connection piece <NUM> to rotate along with the first drive shaft <NUM>. The second drive shaft <NUM> is preferably perpendicular to the first drive shaft <NUM>, but the invention is not limited thereto. An extending line of the second drive shaft <NUM> is apart from and extends in a different direction than an extending line of the first drive shaft <NUM>; that is, these two extending lines do not cross each other. Moreover, the first drive shaft <NUM>, the connection piece <NUM> and the second drive shaft <NUM> are movable and may move to any desired position during a brewing process. The dispensing outlet <NUM> is disposed on the second drive shaft <NUM> and driven by the rotating second drive shaft <NUM> to rotate along with the second drive shaft <NUM>. The motion device <NUM> may be in the form of a two-axis robot having a first transmission mechanism (first drive shaft <NUM>) and a second transmission mechanism (second drive shaft <NUM>). The first transmission mechanism (first drive shaft <NUM>) may rotate the second transmission mechanism (second drive shaft <NUM>) to allow the second transmission mechanism (second drive shaft <NUM>) to have an arc-shaped motion trajectory, and the second transmission mechanism (second drive shaft <NUM>) may rotate the dispensing outlet <NUM> to allow the dispensing outlet <NUM> to similarly have an arc-shaped motion trajectory. Therefore, the motion device <NUM> may arbitrarily move the dispensing outlet <NUM> on a partial spherical surface that may be projected on a plane to form a sector plane S2 shown in <FIG>. Similarly, the area of the sector plane S2 (area that the dispensing outlet <NUM> may scan) is able to sufficiently cover a drip coffee pouch or a filter paper/filter paper cup containing coffee beans. In another illustrative example , the motion device <NUM> may be formed as a three-axis drive device or a device with more than three driving axes to cause movements with respect to more dimensions.

The first transmission mechanism may move the second transmission mechanism produce a first motion trajectory of the second transmission mechanism, the second transmission mechanism may move the dispensing outlet to produce a second motion trajectory of the dispensing outlet, and the first motion trajectory and the second motion trajectory are both line-shaped or both arc-shaped. Moreover, the first transmission mechanism and the second transmission mechanism of the motion device may be both a linear transmission mechanism or both a rotational transmission mechanism. Therefore, each transmission mechanism can be made by similar transmission mechanical pieces to simplify the structure and reduce fabrication costs of a motion device. Further, each transmission mechanism can be driven by, for example, a stepping motor or a servo motor.

In an alternate illustrative example, as shown in <FIG>, the motion device 20B may be a spherical motor that includes a stator <NUM> and a rotor <NUM>. The stator <NUM> is fixed, and the rotor <NUM> is disposed in the stator <NUM> and can rotate relative to the stator <NUM> along three imaginary shafts that are perpendicular to one another. When the dispensing outlet <NUM> is disposed on the rotor <NUM> of the spherical motor, the dispensing outlet <NUM> may rotate along with the rotor <NUM> to thus move on a spherical surface, thereby achieving the effect of moving the dispensing outlet <NUM> to desired positions.

In the following illustrative examples, the brewing machine <NUM> uses water to brew coffee as an example, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the brewing machine <NUM> may use other liquid such as milk to brew a beverage, and the brewing machine <NUM> can brew other drink such as tea without limitation.

Referring to <FIG> again, a mount <NUM> is disposed under the dispensing outlet <NUM>. A cup-holding space <NUM> is provided above the mount <NUM>, and the cup-holding space <NUM> may be used to place a coffee cup containing brewed coffee. The mount <NUM> may be a detachable drip tray or scale disposed under the dispensing outlet <NUM>. The brewing machine <NUM> may brew a cup of coffee using a specially-made drip coffee pouch A. The drip coffee pouch A may contain coffee grounds and is able to precisely control the size and weight of the coffee grounds therein. As shown in <FIG>, the drip coffee pouch A includes a carrier bag A1 and two flaps A2. The carrier bag A1 is roughly conical, and the two flaps A2 are disposed on the outer surface of the carrier bag A1 and can be folded. The flaps A2 are used to hang the drip coffee pouch A on the pouch tray <NUM> shown in <FIG>. The flaps A2 can be printed with bar codes, quick response codes (QR codes), digital codes or name labels. These printed codes or labels can be scanned by a scanning device (not shown) to quickly recognize the ingredient and other information of the specially-made drip coffee pouch A.

Please refer to <FIG> and <FIG>, the pouch tray <NUM> is disposed under the dispensing outlet <NUM> and above the cup-holding space <NUM>. In one embodiment, the pouch tray <NUM> has a bag hole <NUM> and a plurality of cutouts <NUM>. The bag hole <NUM> directly faces the dispensing outlet <NUM> and the cup-holding space <NUM>, and the cutouts <NUM> surround the bag hole <NUM>. Two flaps may be respectively inserted in the cutouts <NUM> to hang the drip coffee pouch A on the pouch tray <NUM>. Therefore, the carrier bag A1 of the drip coffee pouch A falls within the bag hole <NUM> of the pouch tray <NUM> and directly faces the dispensing outlet <NUM> and aligns with a coffee cup. In one illustrative example, the pouch tray <NUM> may move laterally by sliding rails and other mechanism to leave the position directly below the dispensing outlet <NUM> to the outside of the brewing machine (i.e. reaching an unblocked position), so that a user can easily put the drip coffee pouch A or a commercially-available coffee pouch on the pouch tray <NUM>. It will be understood that any mechanism for generating appropriate movements to move the pouch tray <NUM> may be substituted. For example, the pouch tray <NUM> may pivot on a shaft to be ratably pop out and return to its original position. Furthermore, the pouch tray <NUM> can be operated automatically without manual operations.

<FIG> is a schematic diagram of a computer system of a brewing machine according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in <FIG>, the computer system <NUM> may obtain information of a material to be brewed to provide at least one brewing parameter for a brewing process. The computer system <NUM> may include a scanning device <NUM>, a data unit <NUM>, an operation interface <NUM>, and a control unit <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> is electrically connected to the scanning device <NUM>, the data unit <NUM>, the operation interface <NUM>, the motion device <NUM>, the pump <NUM> and the heating device <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> may, according to the brewing parameters provided by the data unit <NUM>, control the heating device <NUM> to adjust the fluid temperature and control the voltage or speed of the pump <NUM> to adjust the dispensation rate/quantity of the dispensing outlet <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> may also instruct the motion device <NUM> to move the dispensing outlet <NUM> according to a determined brewing pattern.

The scanning device <NUM> is used to scan bar codes, QR Codes, digital codes or name tags. The scanning device <NUM> may be disposed inside a brewing machine. In another illustrative example, the scanning device <NUM> may be a camera, and the camera may pick up images to identify the origin, vendor name, roast date, roast level and so on of coffee beans to determine brewing parameters.

The data unit <NUM> may provide a brewing parameter. The brewing parameter may include, for example, a brewing pattern, a fluid temperature, a grind size, a roast date, weight of a material to be brewed, a weight ratio of a material to be brewed to a brewing liquid, a dispensation quantity, a dispensation rate, a brewing mode, brewing time, bloom time, etc. The data unit <NUM> is expandable and allowed to increase or decrease brewing parameters that may affect the flavor, and the candidate brewing parameters can be adjusted according to the type of brewing liquid and the material to be brewed. The data unit <NUM> may provide brewing parameters by various ways exemplified in the following.

First, brewing parameters are directly recorded in the above-mentioned printed codes that can be scanned by the scanning device <NUM> and captured by the data unit <NUM>. Second, the data unit <NUM> includes a memory that stores a database. The database records brewing parameters suitable for various types of coffee beans. After the scanning device <NUM> scans to identify the type of coffee beans, the data unit <NUM> recommends brewing parameters from the database suitable for the recognized type of coffee beans. Third, the data unit <NUM> has network connection capabilities, and, after the scanning device <NUM> scans and recognizes the type of coffee grounds, the data unit <NUM> selects suitable brewing parameters from a cloud database. Fourth, the data unit <NUM> includes a camera to retrieve, through image recognition, recommended brewing parameters from printed information on coffee bean packages. Fifth, the data unit <NUM> uses an algorithm to automatically calculate and then provide recommended brewing parameters according to the type of coffee beans (identified by the origin and/or name of coffee beans), roast date or roast level of coffee beans. For example, for some type of coffee beans, the longer it is further from the roast date, the stronger its flavor will be. Therefore, the dispensation quantity can be increased or the brewing time can be decreased for compensation. Moreover, medium roast beans often have a more caramelized taste than light roast beans, while light roast beans have a brighter and less oily flavor than medium roast beans. Under the circumstance, the data unit <NUM> may recommend a shorter brewing time for moderately roasted coffee beans, because shorter brewing time may make coffee flavor lighter. Similarly, a faster dispensation rate may make coffee flavor lighter, so the data unit <NUM> may recommend different dispensation rates for different types of coffee beans.

As shown in <FIG>, the operation interface <NUM> can be used to set different brewing parameters. The operation interface <NUM> may include a touch screen <NUM> and a drawing tablet <NUM>. The touch screen <NUM> may display the name of coffee beans recognized by the scanning device <NUM> and display recommended brewing parameters provided by the data unit <NUM>. The touch screen <NUM> can display various icons or buttons for a user to click or activate, and a user can manually modify the brewing parameters by the touching screen <NUM>. Further, a user can arbitrarily define or depict a brewing pattern using drawing tablet <NUM> for a subsequent brewing process. The operation interface <NUM> is not limited to specific structure as described in the above. For example, the touch screen <NUM> may be used to replace the drawing tablet <NUM>, or the operation interface <NUM> may only have a display screen and physical buttons. As shown in <FIG>, the touch screen <NUM> displays various brewing patterns for a user to choose. Each pattern button represents a specific type of brewing pattern, and a user can click on what they want to select a brewing pattern and then start brewing a beverage. The brewing pattern displayed on the touch screen <NUM> can be built-in brewing patterns provided by the data unit <NUM> or customized brewing patterns. A user may use a preset brewing pattern, activate a customized button to draw and define a brewing pattern, or directly draw a brewing pattern during a brewing process. A user may draw a new brewing pattern on the touch screen <NUM> or the drawing tablet <NUM> of the brewing machine, or draw a new brewing pattern through application programs executed on mobile devices (such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops or desktop computers). In addition, all the brewing patterns can be named and are not limited to brewing coffee. Further, customized brewing parameters and suggested brewing parameters can be saved to a database of the brewing machine, a mobile device, a non-mobile device, or a cloud database manually or automatically, and they can be chosen by a user or automatically recommended by the brewing machine for brewing. The operation interface <NUM> is not limited to be a touch screen of the brewing machine. The operation and setting of the operation interface <NUM> can be implemented on mobile devices (such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops or desktop computers) through application programs. Besides, operations of the scanning device <NUM>, the data unit <NUM>, and the operation interface <NUM> may be all executed by application programs on the mobile device and connected to the control unit <NUM> through a wired/wireless network device. For example, a mobile device is first connected to a brewing machine through an wired/wireless network device, and, after the scanning device <NUM> scans, the data unit <NUM> displays recommended brewing parameters in a mobile application program. A user may directly activate icons or press buttons in the mobile application program to select or adjust brewing parameters, and/or draw a brewing pattern directly by the application program and then send the brewing pattern to the control unit <NUM> to brew a beverage. Therefore, a mobile device can function as an operation interface <NUM>. In addition, the camera of the mobile device can be used as a scanning device <NUM>. After the barcode or QR code are recognized, subsequent brewing operations can be performed by the application program, or the recognized information can be sent to the data unit <NUM> and operation interface <NUM> of the brewing machine for brewing. The different functional units of the computer system <NUM> may be implemented in various ways without limitation. For example, the data unit <NUM> and the control unit <NUM> can be integrated on a microcontroller (MCU), and the operation interface <NUM> can be implemented by a tablet or a mobile application program to further simplify the overall structure of the computer system <NUM>.

<FIG> shows a brewing machine according to another illustrative example, and <FIG> shows a functional block diagram of the brewing machine of <FIG>. In this illustrative example, the brewing machine 10A may include a plurality of brewing assemblies (exemplified in <FIG> as having two brewing assemblies <NUM> and <NUM>), the assemblies <NUM> and <NUM> have their respective independently-controlled motion devices 20a and 20b and dispensing outlets 14a and 14b to thus form two brewing stations. As shown in <FIG>, the liquid source <NUM> supplies liquid to a heating device 12a of the brewing assembly <NUM> and heating device 12b of the brewing assembly <NUM> by controlling solenoid valves <NUM>. The heating device 12a heats the liquid to a desired temperature, and a pump 13a pumps the liquid to the dispensing outlet 14a disposed on the motion device 20a. The heating device 12b heats the liquid to a desired temperature, and a pump 13b pumps the liquid to the dispensing outlet 14b disposed on the motion device 20b. The control unit <NUM> may perform feedback control on the pumping speed or rotational speed of the pump <NUM>, so that the dispensation rate of the liquid out <NUM> may vary at different brewing stages to achieve a desired flavor. For example, as shown in <FIG>, a flow measurement device <NUM> such as a flow meter continuously measures the dispensation rate of the dispensing outlet <NUM> during the brewing process and provides feedback to the control unit <NUM>, so that the control unit <NUM> may regulate the pumping speed or rotational speed of the pump <NUM> according to feedback from the flow meter to vary the dispensation rate/quantity at different brewing stages. Weight sensors 32a and 32b can be used to detect the weight of the fluid injected into the container. The brewing assemblies <NUM> and <NUM> then transmit weight signals to the control unit <NUM>, and the control unit <NUM> takes the derivative of weight values with respect to time to obtain the current dispensation rate. An independent feedback sensor (such as PI controller or PID controller) can be used to perform feedback control to obtain the desired dispensation rate at different brewing stages. Further, the brewing assemblies <NUM> and <NUM> may also transmit feedback signals of temperature and liquid level from the heating device 12a and 12b to obtain accurate temperature and liquid level controls. It should be noted that various types of feedback control information described above can be displayed on the operation interface or other interface to allow a user to see. In addition, the feedback sensor may be implemented by electronic circuits or software without limitation. On the other hand, the control unit <NUM> may output various control signals to brewing assemblies <NUM> and <NUM>, such as control signals of the solenoid valve voltage, heating device voltage, motor voltage and so on. In other illustrative examples, the liquid can be pushed to the dispensing outlet <NUM> directly via gravity without the pump <NUM>. For example, the liquid source <NUM> can be placed above the brewing machine 10A. Alternatively, the liquid source <NUM> may use a pressurized container to store liquid. The liquid may be preheated by a heater (not shown) outside the brewing machine 10A, so that the heating device 12a and 12b may heat the liquid to a desired temperature more quickly. In one example, the liquid source <NUM> may be a liquid storage tank that can be received inside and taken out from the brewing machine 10A. The brewing machine 10A can be used with a liquid purification device or a liquid disinfection device, and minerals or other additives can be added to liquid to form different liquid flavors. Further, each brewing assembly is allowed to independently dispense liquid and not limited to a specific structure. For example, the pumps 13a and 13b may be disposed before the liquid source <NUM> and the heating device 12a and 12b to reduce the temperature of liquid entering the pumps 13a and 13b. Alternatively, as shown in <FIG>, two brewing assemblies <NUM> and <NUM> may share the same heating device <NUM> to reduce the number of components and fabrication costs.

<FIG> shows a schematic diagram illustrating the design of a return path. As shown in <FIG>, the pump <NUM> is disposed in a fluid path between the heating device <NUM> and the dispensing outlet <NUM>, and two solenoid valves 15a and 15b are set in the fluid path between the heating device <NUM> and the dispensing outlet <NUM> to form a return path that may allow the liquid flowing to the dispensing outlet <NUM> to return to the heating device <NUM>. In detail, when a brewing machine receives a brewing instruction, the solenoid valve 15a is closed and the solenoid valve 15b is opened to allow the liquid to flow back through the pump <NUM> and the solenoid valve 15b and finally return to the heating device <NUM>. Thereby, the pipeline and liquid with a lower temperature in the pipeline can be pre-heated before the dispensing outlet <NUM> begins to dispense liquid. The liquid can be continually returned until the pipeline and the heating device consistently reach a desired temperature. When the reflow process ends, the solenoid valve 15a is opened and the solenoid valve 15b is closed to allow the dispensing outlet <NUM> to dispense liquid to a container to start brewing. The design of a return path may ensure that initial liquid dispensed from the dispensing outlet <NUM> at the beginning of each brewing has a temperature consistent with the set temperature to obtain more precise temperature controls.

The design of the return path may vary without limitation. For example, as shown in <FIG>, in other embodiment, the solenoid valve 15b can be arranged at a position closer to the dispensing outlet <NUM> in the fluid path, so that more pipelines in the fluid path from the pump <NUM> to the solenoid valve 15b and the dispensing outlet <NUM> can be preheated. This may further ensure precise temperature controls. Further, in one example, when the liquid injected into a container reaches a predetermined amount to finish the brewing process, the pump <NUM> may act suddenly to discharge the residual liquid in the pipeline, therefore preventing cooled liquid residual from entering the container during the next brewing process and from dripping through the dispensing outlet <NUM> when no brewing action is in progress. It should be noted that the solenoid valve described herein is merely for exemplified purposes, and other type of valve with the same function can also be used without limitation.

Please refer to <FIG> again, the control unit <NUM> of the brewing machine 10A can be connected to a device <NUM> capable of execute an application program through wireless signals (such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi) or wired signals (such as a USB, Ethernet, or serial port). The device <NUM> can be, for example, a mobile device such as a cell phone, and the device <NUM> may send commands to the brewing machine 10A by an application program to, for example, start brewing a beverage. The brewing machine 10A may provide status information (such as beginning or finishing brewing a beverage, insufficient water level, failure warning, etc.) or other information to the application program of the device <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> may directly retrieve brewing parameter information from the data unit <NUM> of the brewing machine 10A or download the brewing parameter information from the cloud database <NUM> through the application program, and then send the brewing parameter information to the brewing machine 10A. Status information of the brewing machine 10A and/or brewing parameter information can be stored in the brewing machine 10A itself, the device <NUM>, the application program of the device <NUM>, the cloud database <NUM>, etc. <FIG> shows a schematic diagram of a brewing system composed of multiple brewing machines. The brewing machines 10A-10E can use built-in brewing parameters to brew a beverage. The brewing parameter information sent by devices <NUM> and <NUM> can be used for brewing. For example, a user can input the brewing parameter information through the application program of the device <NUM> and send the brewing parameter information to the brewing machine 10A, and the device <NUM> can, through the application program, download brewing parameter information from the cloud database <NUM> to the device <NUM>, the application program, or the brewing machines 10B-10E for brewing a beverage. The brewing machines 10A-10E may share their respective status information and/or brewing parameter information with each other. For example, the brewing machines 10A-10E may upload their respective status information and/or brewing parameter information to the cloud database <NUM> through a wired/wireless network device for the purpose of sharing information. The status information and/or brewing parameter information may be stored in the brewing machines 10A-10E, the devices <NUM> and <NUM>, the application programs of the device <NUM> and <NUM>, the cloud database <NUM>, etc..

A brewing machine may brew a beverage according to the brewing parameter information obtained by various ways as described above. The brewing parameter information may include a programmable brewing sequence. As shown in <FIG>, a programmable brewing sequence divides a total brewing time into multiple stages. Each of the stages corresponds to at least two different brewing parameters, and two successive stages have at least one different brewing parameter for brewing. The brewing parameter may be, for example, a brewing pattern, fluid temperature, a dispensation quantity, a dispensation rate, and so on. For example, in the programmable brewing sequence A, the duration of the first stage is <NUM> seconds with a dispensation rate of 2cc/sec, the duration of the second stage is <NUM> seconds (ends at the 35th second time point) with a dispensation rate changing to Occ/sec (i.e., the second stage is the so-called blooming stage). The third stage applies a dispensation rate of <NUM> cc/s and ends at the 70th second time point, and the fourth stage applies a dispensation rate of <NUM> cc/s and ends at the 95th second time point. The flavor/taste of a brewed beverage can be more accurately controlled by programming a brewing sequence. Furthermore, multiple brewing machines (such as shown in <FIG>) may use different brewing sequences to brew beverages. For example, brewing machines 10B and 10C may use brewing sequence A to brew black coffee, and meanwhile brewing machines 10D and 10E may use brewing sequence B to brew latte coffee. Further, multiple brewing stations composed of multiple brewing assemblies in one brewing machine can execute different brewing sequences at the same time. For example, the brewing assembly <NUM> of the brewing machine 10A may execute the brewing sequence A, and meanwhile the brewing assembly <NUM> may execute the brewing sequence B. The programmable brewing sequences executed by a brewing machine are not limited to specific number and content. The programmable brewing sequence may be automatically recommended by the brewing machine, and a user may, using an operation interface of a brewing machine or an application program of the mobile device, to define or modify the programmable brewing sequence. Moreover, the brewing machine of each embodiment of the invention may use the programmable brewing sequence to brew a beverage.

<FIG> and <FIG> are schematic diagrams illustrating a brewing machine according to another illustrative example. Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, a brewing machine 10F includes a brewing assembly <NUM> and a grinder <NUM>. The brewing assembly <NUM> dispenses a liquid with a predetermined temperature to a container <NUM> to brew a beverage. The structure of brewing assembly has been described in the earlier section, thus not repeatedly explained in detail here. The grinder <NUM> is disposed above the brewing assembly <NUM>, the grinder <NUM> can grind a raw material (such as coffee beans), and the ground material (such as coffee grounds) is then released thorough an outlet <NUM> of the grinder <NUM> along a path. In this embodiment, a transmission mechanism <NUM> can be used to adjust a distance between the outlet <NUM> of the grinder <NUM> and a bottom <NUM> of the brewing assembly <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, when the grinder <NUM> intends to release the ground material, the motion device <NUM> of the brewing assembly <NUM> moves the dispensing outlet <NUM> and other mechanical piece (such as the connection piece <NUM> and the second drive shaft <NUM> shown in <FIG>) out of the released path of the ground material, and the transmission mechanism <NUM> moves the entire brewing assembly <NUM> upward to allow the outlet <NUM> of the grinder <NUM> to approach the container <NUM>, thus preventing the ground material from being scattered outside the container <NUM>. As shown in <FIG>, when the ground material is all released to the container <NUM>, the transmission mechanism <NUM> downwardly moves the entire brewing assembly <NUM> to return to its original position, and then the motion device <NUM> moves the dispensing outlet <NUM> and other mechanical piece (such as the connection piece <NUM> and the second drive shaft <NUM> shown in <FIG>) to the released path of the grinder <NUM> (that is, directly above the container <NUM>) to allow the dispensing outlet <NUM> to dispense liquid to brew a beverage. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the grinder <NUM> releases the ground material (<FIG>), the grinder outlet <NUM> and the bottom <NUM> of the brewing assembly <NUM> are spaced a first distance D1 from each other. In comparison, when the dispensing outlet <NUM> dispenses liquid (<FIG>), the grinder outlet <NUM> and the bottom <NUM> of the brewing assembly <NUM> are spaced a second distance D2 from each other, and the first distance D1 is smaller than the second distance D2. In one embodiment, a scale <NUM> capable of sending out weight signals is disposed at the bottom <NUM> of the brewing assembly <NUM>, and the transmission mechanism <NUM> may move the scale <NUM> to change the distance between the outlet <NUM> of the grinder <NUM> and the bottom <NUM> of the brewing assembly <NUM>. Furthermore, as shown in <FIG>, the brewing machine 10F may be provided with an alignment device <NUM> to allow a user to easily align the center of the container <NUM> with the dispensing outlet <NUM>. For example, a magnet <NUM> may be disposed inside the scale <NUM> at a position directly below the dispensing outlet <NUM> (at a dispensing position), and another magnet <NUM> may be provided at the center of the bottom of the container <NUM>. The mutual attraction of magnets <NUM> and <NUM> allows for a quick alignment of the dispensing outlet <NUM> and the center of the container <NUM> when a user put the container <NUM> on the scale <NUM> (or a supporting mount). In addition, the alignment device <NUM> is not limited to a specific structure. For example, a protrusion may be formed on the scale <NUM> (or a supporting mount) at the position directly below a dispensing outlet <NUM>, and a notch may be formed at the center of the bottom of the container <NUM> to engage the protrusion to achieve the alignment.

The transmission mechanism is not limited to a specific structure, as long as it is able to change the distance between the outlet <NUM> of the grinder <NUM> and the bottom <NUM> of the brewing assembly <NUM> (or the distance between the outlet <NUM> and the top of the container <NUM>). For example, as shown in <FIG>, the transmission mechanism may be a telescopic hollow tube <NUM> that can be automatically or manually extended and retracted to vary the distance between the outlet <NUM> and the brewing assembly <NUM>. Further, the grinder <NUM> can be controlled by a user using, for example, mobile application programs, and the grinder <NUM> may have a function of automatically adjusting the grind size.

Claim 1:
A brewing machine (<NUM>, 10A-10F), comprising:
a liquid source (<NUM>) for supplying a liquid;
a dispensing outlet (<NUM>) in fluid communication with the liquid source to dispense the liquid; and
a motion device (<NUM>) for moving the dispensing outlet (<NUM>) according to at least one brewing pattern,
characterized in that the motion device (<NUM>) comprises a first drive shaft (<NUM>) and a second drive shaft (<NUM>), the first drive shaft (<NUM>) rotates the second drive shaft (<NUM>), the second drive shaft (<NUM>) rotates the dispensing outlet (<NUM>), an extending line of the second drive shaft (<NUM>) is apart from and extends in a different direction than an extending line of the first drive shaft (<NUM>).