Patent ID: 8151694

Claim:
A beverage forming apparatus, comprising: a storage tank to hold a supply of liquid, the liquid having a full level when the storage tank is full of liquid; a centrifugal pump having a pump body, a priming vent at the pump body, an outlet, and an inlet connected to the storage tank by a supply conduit, the priming vent being located below the full level of the storage tank and permitting air in the centrifugal pump to vent as liquid from the storage tank fills the pump; a metering tank having an inlet connected to the outlet of the centrifugal pump by a pump conduit, and an outlet; a metering tank vent connected between the metering tank and the storage tank and arranged to allow fluid flow from the metering tank to the storage tank during filling of the metering tank by the centrifugal pump; a pump conduit vent downstream of the centrifugal pump and arranged at a point above a top fluid level in the metering tank to break a siphon in the pump conduit; and a brew chamber connected to the outlet of the metering tank by a metering tank conduit and for forming a beverage using liquid received from the metering tank.