CA2058854A1 - Hot/iced beverage maker and method - Google Patents

Abstract

Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 ABSTRACT
An ADC coffee maker of the conventional type is also utilized for making iced tea while enabling the iced tea to be retained in the coffee maker for a period of time until the carafe of the unit has been emptied. Heat transfer from the ADC warmer. plate is isolated from the carafe during and after brewing of the tea.

Description

~ ~ Terry L. Myers 20~8~ Docket No. 0076 HOT/ICED BRVERAGE MAKE~ AND METHOD
Backaround of the Invention This invention relates to improvements in a household appliance oommonly known as an ADc or "automatic drip coffee maker". It is adapted to produce a variety of different types of beverages by infusion of hot water with a medium from which the beverage is to be produced, and to retain the producsd beverage in the ADC unit for a period of time until the beverage, whether hot or iced, is consumed.
It is known to be able to produce different beverage types with the same appliance. U.S. Patent 4,882,983 granted on November 28, 1989, to John J. Pastrick, shows a beverage maker for brewing coffee or tea, either iced or hot. The Pastrick patent illustrates an apparatus intended solely for the production of fresh iced tea, however, but suggests that it may also be used for making hot coffee or hot tea. When used to make a beverage intended for consumption while hot, the apparatus lacks an element common to most ADC units, namely a warmer plate for maintaining the beverage heated in a carafe for a period of time until it is consumed. To that extent, Pastrick does not disclose a "conventional" ADC unit. A conventional ADC unit consists of a reservoir or tank for water to be heated and a ~low-through heater serving to heat the water received from the tank and to force it Upwardly into a brew chamber. The heater also heats the warmer i" .
'f : ' ' -~ ~ 8~ TerrkYt No- 0076 plate. The warmer plate receives a c,arafe in which the brewed product is placed and serves to maintain the coffee in the carafe in a heated condition until it has been consumed. Pastrick provides the essential beverage preparing elements in his disclosed 5 l983 appliance, but this structure lacks the ability to keep a hot beverage heated for a prolonged period.
It is also known in a conventional ADC unit to brew either hot coffee or hot tea with the same basic appliance. This is illustrated in U.S. Patent 4,911,067, granted on March 27, 1990, to Guenter Oppermann. Oppermann recognizes the taste adulteration problem which would occur if the same brewing chamber or brew basket were used for producing coffee on one occasion and tea on another. Oppermann further recognizes that there are different time factors involved in the infusion of coffee and tea. Coffee making results from passing hot water onto the grounds for dripping directly into a carafe, while tea making requires a steeping time during which hot water is in contact with the tea leaves for a predetermined amount of time until the beverage to be produced reaches proper strength. In order to achieve proper coffee making, the conventional brew basket with an open port at the bottom would be used. When making tea, a brew basket with a valved port is used, the valve being closed for a given period of time while the tea is undergoing steeping. The valve is thereafter opened to permit the steeped tea to drip by gravity into the carafe below.
5 Since the volumes of the reservoir and carafe are essentially the 20~8 8 ~ ~ Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 same, and since the brew basket or brewing chamber is essentially smaller and therefore unable to contain the volume of heated water forced from the reservoir, an overflow capability of the tea brewing chamber is provided by Oppermann. This allows excess partially-steeped water to be directed from the chamber through a spill channel into the carafe below. It would appear that the weaker overflow tea passing through the spill channel into the carafe will be accommodated for by brewing the retained water in the brewing basket for a slightly longer time. When the stronger tea is subsequently combined in the carafe with the overflow water, the two should produce appropriate strength tea for drinking. This overflow technique is also shown in the above '983 Pastrick Patent, which has a brewing chamber considerably smaller in volume than the volume of the reservoir. A similar overflow arrangement appears to be present in Krups German Offenlegungsschrift DE2944264 A1. The Krups disclosure contains a valved port at the bottom of the brewing chamber, but it appears to be a normally open port which is closed only temporarily to prevent dripping at such time as a person removes the carafe from the warmer plate in order to pour a ~20 cup of beverage.
Summary of the Invention This invention relates to a conventional ADC beverage making appliance and method for producing either a hot or iced beverage and for maintaining the carafe in its normal beverage-receiving position in the appliance until the contents of the carafe have ~ ~ ~ 8 ~ ~ A Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 been consumed. The appliance can be used for making either hot or iced coffee, tea, or any other beverage from a dry medium with water heated to near-boiling. The heated water is infused for differing time periods with the medium according to the beverage to be produced. When producing a hot beverage, the carafe is kept on the warmer plate after brewing, until the carafe has been emptied.
When utilizing the appliance for making an iced beverage such as tea, the bottom of the carafe is isolated from the heated top surface of the warmer plate, preferably by providing air space and an ins~lating medium in the form of a trivet between the warmer plate and the carafe. A reduced volume of water is placed in the reservoir or tank and the carafe is filled with ice. A small amount of cold water is also added to the carafe in the preferred method. The amount of cold water and ice placed in the carafe, when combined with the heated water, will produce a full carafe of the iced beverage. It is also desirable to turn off the heater ; once the tank has been emptied and water heating is no longer required. The warmer plate cools rapidly. Emptying of the tank can normally be discerned as a discontinuance of sputtering and hissing when heated water is no longer being expelled into the brewing chamber. Avoidance of heat transfer to the carafe enables the carafe to be maintained in its normal resting position after the iced beverage has been produced.
A principal object of the invention is to produce d~fferent types of hot or cold beverages in a conventional AD~ appliance 2 0 ~ 8 8 5 Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 while enabling the receptacle for such beverages to be retained in its normal receiving and storing position within the appliance.
Another object is to provide a method of making iced tea in a traditional ADC household appliance by heating water in a volume less than the reservoir capacity, steeping the tea for a predetermined time period in a brewing chamber, and passing the heated tea over ice contained within the carafe. Iced tea so produced may be kept in the ADC unit by avoiding heat transfer from the conventional warmer plate to the carafe, both during production of the iced tea and for a time period thereafter until the carafe has been emptied.
Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings.
A Brief Descri~tion Of The Drawinas Fig. 1 is a pictorial view of the exterior of a complet~
conventional ADC-type appliance with which the invention may be used.
Fig. 2 is an elevational cross-sectional view of the appliance ~20 of Fig. 1 illustrating the primary components of the unit.
Fig. 3 is a vertical exploded view of a brewing basket, carafe and trivet as they are utilized in the production o~ iced tea.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged ~rag~entary view o~ the tea brewinq basket or chamber illustrated in Fig. 2. As shown, a valve means seals a port or opening at the bottom of the brewing chamber to , Terry L. Mye2~ ~ 88 ~4 Docket No. 0076 enable tea to be steeped for a predetermined time period before its release into the carafe.
Fig. S is a fragmentary elevational view similar to that of Fig. 4, illustrating the valve in its open condition for allowing steeped tea to flow from the brewing chamber into the carafe.
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view taken along lines 6-6 of Fig. 4 illustrating a channel means for directing overflow water or weak tea from the brewing chamber into the carafe.
Fig. 7 is a view of the valve-operating mechanism of the tea brewing basket and is taken looking substantially upwardly along lines of 7-7 of Fig. 4, illustrating the valve operating elements and the positions they assume when the valve is closed for steeping of tea.
Fig. 8 is a bottom view similar to that of Fig. 7, and is lS taken along lines 8-8 of Fig. 5, illustrating the valve-operating elements in their conditions when the valve is open.
Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view taken along lines 9-9 of Fig. 2, illustrating the "steep" or closed position of a manual means for operating the valve at the bottom of the brewing chamber.
Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9, illustrating the position of the manual means in the "serve" or dispensing position for allowing steeped tea to pass into the carafe.
Detailed Descri~tion Referring to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, an ADC household appliance 10 comprises a housing 12, a base section 14, and a brewing section 20~8g~
Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 16. An upright portion of the housin~ 12 connects the base and brewing sections and contains a reservoir or tank 18 for receiving a supply of water. The top of tank 18 is normally closed by a hinged cover 20. Water may be poured into the tank 18 with the cover 20 fully opened. The appliance 10 illustrated can make from two to twelve cups of coffee in a batch. A flow-through heater 22 of conventional design is controlled from a single pole-double throw switch 23 to both heat water received from the tank 18 and simultaneously heat a surface designated herein as a warmer plate 24. The brewing section 16 is adapted to receive either a brewing basket or chamber 26 for steeping tea or, in the alternative, to receive a coffee brewing basket or chamber (not shown) of conventional type for brewing coffee in a well-known manner. The coffee brewing chamber may be of the type shown in U.S. Patent 4,825,759 issued May 2, 1989, to Donald C. Grome et al. Since the principal improvement of this invention is related to the additional feature of making an lced beverage such as tea in an ADC
appliance, it should be understood that the unit,- when making coffee, includes the common elements of an ADC coffee maker. As such, it is provided with a coffee brewing chamber somewhat comparable to chamber 26, but it will not have a valved port in the bottom during brewing. A carafe 30 may be of any conventional type, consisting of a transparent bowl 32 having a handle 34 and a - lid 36 hinged to the handle. The lid 36 has a central opening or hole 38 which is at the lowermost portion of a funnel-shaped top .

2~8~
Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 surface so as to receive beverage exiti~g from the brewing chamber.
In conventional fashion, when the unit is turned on by operating switch 23, the heater 22 heats water in a portion of a conduit or line 39 which extends from the bottom of the tank 18 to a port 28 above the brewing chamber 26. The heater 22 is of the continuous flow-through type so that, as long as the heater remains on, any water from the tank 18 will flow into the area around the heater 22 and, upon reaching the boiling point, is forced upwardly in line 39 and spurts out of the port 28 into the brewing chamber 26. The appliance is intended to be kept plugged into a 110 V.
electrical supply in conventional fashion by means of a plug 40 so as to be ready for operation upon filling tank 18 with water and turning switch 23 "on".
When brewing coffee, the switch 23 is placed and kept in the on condition. Upon completion of coffee brewing, switch 23 is left on and the carafe 30 is kept on the warmer plate 24 to maintain a heated supply of coffee available as needed. The carafe 30 is removed only for pouring coffee. When the contents of the carafe 30 have been consumed, the switch 23 will be turned off and the ~20 warmer plate 24 will cool rapidly. To produce another batch of coffee, the tank 18 may be filled completely to the top, to a level approximately coincident with the upper edge of the brewlng chamber 26, as depicted in Fig. 2, or to a lower level 1f less than a full batch is to be produced. The volume of the tank 18 is such as to provide a near-full carafe of hot coffee when the tank 18 has been ~ r ~
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20~8~54 Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 completely filled.
When producing iced tea, the tank 18 is filled to a level 42 as shown in Fig. 2, which is substantially less than the total volume or capacity of tank 18. In one model produced according to the invention, three and one-half cups of water are placed in the tank 18 capable of holding twelve cups of water. This level 42 can be seen in a conventional transparent sight gauge 44 shown mounted vertically on housing 12 in Fig. 1. A legend and mark are preferably provided to indicate the fill,level for producing iced tea. The carafe 30 may be marked with a corresponding gauge to indicate the number of cups of water contained within the carafe.
The carafe 30 may then be used as a measuring device for determining the volume of water received from a tap and placed in the tank 18.
The brewing chamber 26 is mounted on a pair of vertically-aligned hinge pins 46, the upper one of which is seen in Fig. 3.
The lower pin 46 is spaced from the upper pin approximately the vertical depth of the brewing chamber 26 and is seen in Figs. 7 and 8. The hinge pins 46 fit into pivot holes (not shown) at the right or far side of the housing 12 as viewed in Fig. 1. Assuming that one has been making hot coffee and now wishes to make iced tea, the conventional brewing basket for coffee will be pivoted counter-clockwise 180 degrees from the Fig. 2 position and raised slightly until its lowermost pin 46 is lifted from its hole. The basket is then tilted sllghtly to move lower pin 46 out of alignment with its . 9 ', ~

.

, 20~8~
Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 hole, and the basket is then lowered and removed. The brew basket 26 then has hinge pins 46 placed in the pivot holes in the housing 12 and is swung into operative position as shown in Fig. l. The manner in which the brew baskets are positioned in and removed from the appliance 10 is immaterial, it being understood that the baskets should be interchanged for tea and coffee brewing so as to prevent taste adulteration from one beverage to the other.
After the tank 18 has been filled to the level 42, and before the unit is turned on, the trivet 48 shown at the bottom of Fig. 3 is placed on the warmer plate 24 to isolate the bottom of the carafe from the warmer plate. Trivet 48 is made of an insulating material and has minimal surface contact with the plate 24 and carafe 30 to minimize heat transfer from the warmer plate 24 to the carafe 30. Trivet 48 has short arcuate legs 50 for providing a lower air space between the bottom of the trivet 48 and the top surface of the warmer plate 24. I prefer also to provide short posts 51 protruding upwardly from the surface 52 at the top of the trivet 48. The carafe bottom rests on posts 51, minimizing surface contact between the trivet 48 and carafe, and also providin~ a zO second upper air space above the trivet 48. In this fashion, transfer of heat from the warmer plate 24 to the bottom of the carafé 30 is essentially avoided as a result o~ the air spaces above and below the trivet 48 as well as the insulating medium o~
the trivet itself. After the tan~ 18 has been filled to the level 2S 42, the carafe 30 is filled with ice cubes, and, in the preferred " ~ ",J~ 10 , . .
. . .;

20~85~
Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 method of making iced tea, cold water will also be added to the carafe 30 to about one-half of its depth. Tea bags 54 are placed in the brewing chamber 26 to provide for a steeped brew which is of a strength considerably greater than normal drinking strength, so that when combined with the ice water contained in the carafe 30, it will dilute to the desired normal drinking strength. Prior to brewing, the valve seat 56 is placed in the position shown in Fig.
4 to seal off a drain port 58 at the bottom of the brew basket 26.
Closure of the port 58 enables retention of hot water entering the ~o brew chamber 26 to allow for steeping of the tea and infusion of the hot water with the tea leaves contained within the bags 54. As can be seen at the upper end of Fig. 3, the chamber 26 and an exterior housing 60 which is integral therewith may be transparent to enable the brewer to see the coloration of the tea being brewed in the chamber 26, if desired. Experience in knowing the proper number of tea bags to use and the amount of steeping time needed to meet one's particular tastes, especially when using the same brand of tea bags, will enable the user to set a timer to determine the appropriate strength of the infused tea in the chamber 26. Viewing coloration of the steeped tea in chamber 26 is another possible technique of determining strength, in the event a timer is not available for use. Obviously, a timer can be built ~nto the housing of the appliance 10 if desired. When the valve-operating elements are in their positions to close the port 58 as ~hown in 5 Fig. 4, a tab 62 is located in its "steep" position nea~ the right 20~88~
Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 edge of a rectangular opening 64 in the housin~ 60, as shown in Fig. 9. When the valve seat 56 is to be moved from the closed condition of Fig. 4 to the open condition of Fi~. 5, the tab 62 is manually moved to the "serve" position shown in Fig. 10 and the valve-operating parts assume their water-dispensing position of Fig. 5.
Figs. 7 and 8 are bottom views of Figs. 4 and 5 respectively.
Tab 62 is integral with a lever 66 pivoted on a depending post 68 which is integral with the bottom of the brew basket 26. In the position shown in Fig. 7, the valve seat 56 passes freely through an arcuate slot 70 formed in the end of the lever 66 remote from the tab 62 to close drain port 58. The lever 7Z is pivotally mounted on a pair of depending lugs 74, the lower ends of which have an axle 76 providing a pivot or fulcrum for the lever 72. A
compression spring 78 seated between a boss 80 formed on the bottom of the brew basket 26 and a recess 84 at the left end of lever 72 as viewed in Fig. 4 biases the valve seat 56 toward port-closing position as shown in Fig. 4. Now, when lever 62 is moved to the ~: "serve" position, lever 66 moves counter-clockwise around post 68 ~20 as viewed from Fig. 8. At that time, a cam surface 82 integral with lever 66 engages the rlghtward end of lever 72, compressing spring 78 and causing valve seat 56 to move downwardly to open the port 58. This enables draining of the brewing chamber 26 into the ~ carafe through the hole 38 in the lid 36 in the direction of the ;-25 arrows at the center of Fig. 5.

20~885~
Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 If the user has accidentally placed too much water in the tank 18 when making iced tea, or in the case of brewinq a full batch of hot tea (in which case the tank 18 would have been filled to capacity as is done when brewing coffee), an overflow means is provided for the brewing chamber 26 so that excess water can pass from the chamber 26 into the carafe 30 when drain port 58 is closed, i.e., in the steeping condition. This feature is best illustrated in Fig. 6, in which a recess 84 is provided at the rlght edge of the chamber 26 (as viewed in Fig. 4). The beverage can drain through recess 84 as shown by the dripping of liquid 86 alongside the chamber between a pair of walls 88 which define the outer edges of an open channel 90. The walls 88 retain the liquid 86 along a narrow vertical path. The lower ends of the walls 88 below the bottom edge of the brewing chamber 26 direct the overflow liquid 86 into a channel 92. The channel 92 is formed by the upper surface of lever 66 and sidewalls 94 (Fig. 6). Lever 66 is inclined downwardly from its outer edge adjacent tab 62 toward an opening or hole 96 so that draining liquid 86 following channels 90 and 92 will drip onto the lid 36 of the carafe 30 and pass through ~20 hole 38 in the lid. Especially when brewinq hot tea, the overflow will allow excess, weaker tea to flow out of the brewing chamber before it reaches proper strength, but, when the stronger steeped tea retained within the brewing chamber 26 is subsequently added to the only partially-diluted overflow tea, proper strength te,a can be achieved. Obviously, when hot tea is being brewed, the trivet 48 :

20~88~A
Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 would not be in position between the bottom of the carafe 30 and the warmer plate 24.
While it i5 preferred that the making of iced tea is done by combining both ice cubes and water in the carafe 30 prior to brewing the hot tea in the brewing chamber 26, it is also feasible to use only ice cubes in the carafe 30. Fresh cold water can be subsequently added to bring the tea in the carafe 30 to the desired strength.
Various modifications may be made to the apparatus and method without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims.

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Claims (15)

1. The method of making an iced beverage in an electrically-operated unit such as an ADC coffee maker which consists of a tank for containing a predetermined volume of water to be heated; a carafe capable of receiving said predetermined volume without said carafe overflowing when said water is heated; a warmer plate for receiving the bottom surface of the carafe directly thereon when brewing a hot beverage, in order to maintain the beverage at a heated temperature for a substantial period; a brewing chamber above the carafe for receiving heated water, for brewing a beverage by infusion with a dry medium for producing the beverage, and for enabling the brewed hot beverage to pass into the carafe by gravity; an electric heater for simultaneously heating said warmer plate and tank water and expelling the heated water into the brewing chamber until the tank is empty; and control means for said heater; said method comprising the steps of:
filling said tank with a volume of water substantially less than the volume of said tank, isolating the carafe from direct contact with the bottom surface of the warmer plate while maintaining the carafe positioned below the brewing chamber for receipt of heated beverage therefrom to prevent heat conduction from the warmer plate to the bottom surface of the carafe, providing the dry medium in the brewing chamber in an amount which, after infusion with heated water, results in a hot beverage Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 having a strength substantially in excess of normal drinkable strength, and placing ice in said carafe in an amount which, when the brewed beverage is also added to the carafe, comprises a volume of iced beverage essentially filling the carafe to capacity.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said isolating step comprises both spacing the carafe above the warmer plate and providing an insulating medium for receiving the carafe to prevent heat transfer from the plate to the carafe.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the iced beverage is iced tea and includes the additional steps of steeping the tea in the brewing chamber for a predetermined period, and dispensing the steeped tea into the carafe at the end of said period.

4. A method according to claim 3 including the additional step of adding a predetermined volume of cold water to the carafe at the time of placing ice therein, the amount of water initially placed in the tank, when combined with the ice and water placed in the carafe, being such as to not exceed the carafe capacity.

5. A method according to claim 3 wherein the brewing chamber is provided with a port at the bottom thereof and means for closing and opening said port, and further includes the steps of closing said port during steeping of the tea and opening the port to dispense the brewed tea into the carafe.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein the brewing chamber, when the port is closed during steeping, is capable of overflowing, and said method including the additional step of channeling Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 overflow beverage from the top of the brewing chamber directly into the carafe.

7. An electrically-operated ADC hot and iced beverage maker consisting of a tank for containing a first volume of unheated water when brewing a hot beverage and a second substantially smaller volume of unheated water when brewing an iced beverage; a carafe having a liquid capacity essentially corresponding to said first volume; a warmer plate for receiving the bottom surface of the carafe directly thereon when brewing a hot beverage for maintaining the beverage at a heated temperature for a substantial period; a removable first open-ported brewing chamber adapted to be positioned above the carafe for receiving heated water, for brewing a hot beverage for infusion with a dry medium and for enabling the beverage to drip into the carafe by gravity; an electric heater for simultaneously heating said warmer plate and tank water and expelling the heated water into the brewing chamber until the tank is empty; and control means for said heater; the improvement comprising:
a second removable brewing chamber positionable in the same location as the first chamber in place thereof when making an iced beverage, said second chamber having a port at the bottom thereof, manually-operable valve means for said last named port for steeping of a beverage to a strength greater than normal drinking strength when the valve is closed and for dispensing the beverage into the carafe when the valve is manually opened, and Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 means for isolating the bottom of the carafe from the warmer plate when brewing an iced beverage, whereby, when ice is placed into said carafe prior to brewing and the strong heated beverage is dispensed thereinto, the heated beverage will be chilled to produce the iced beverage.

8. The beverage maker of claim 7 wherein the iced beverage to be produced is iced tea, and wherein the second brewing chamber is adapted to contain a plurality of tea bags.

9. The beverage maker of claim 8 wherein the second brewing chamber is cup-shaped and is provided with an overflow recess at one upper edge thereof, and wherein channel means is provided at the outside of the second brew chamber from the recess to the carafe, whereby overflowing beverage will be directed into the carafe.

10. The beverage maker of claim 9 including spring means biasing said valve means closed and cam means for opposing said spring means to open the valve means, and a two-position pivotal lever carried at the bottom of the second brewing chamber, one of said positions placing said cam means in inoperative position for maintaining the valve closed while steeping the tea and the other position moving the cam means to operative position for opening the valve means to release brewed tea through the bottom port into the carafe.

11. The beverage maker of claim 10 wherein the lever is channel-shaped in cross-section with the channel being open at the top, and wherein the overflow channel means feeds into the channel-Terry L. Myers Docket No. 0076 shaped lever in both of its two said positions.

12. The beverage maker of claim 11 wherein said lever is inclined downwardly from the outer edge of the second brewing chamber toward the center of the carafe, and wherein an opening is provided adjacent the lower end of the lever for enabling free passage of overflow liquid into the carafe from the second brewing chamber.

13. The beverage maker of claim 7 wherein the isolating means comprises an insulator means for spacing the bottom of the carafe from the warmer plate.

14. The beverage maker of claim 13 wherein the insulator means comprises a free-standing trivet having legs for contacting the top of the warmer plate to space the carafe above the warmer plate with an air gap between the plate and trivet, whereby the isolating means comprises both an air gap and an insulator medium for minimizing heat transfer from the warmer plate to the carafe.

15. The beverage maker of claim 14 wherein the trivet further includes a plurality of upstanding posts for supporting the carafe a short distance above a main body portion of the trivet, thereby providing a second upper air gap between the warmer plate and the carafe.