WO2004034795A2

WO2004034795A2 - Modular brewing mechanism

Info

Publication number: WO2004034795A2
Application number: PCT/US2003/032837
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gerald J. Podgorny; Gregory G. Stettes
Original assignee: Crane Co.
Priority date: 2002-10-15
Filing date: 2003-10-15
Publication date: 2004-04-29
Also published as: AU2003301252A1; WO2004034795A3; AU2003301252A8

Abstract

A brewing system (100, 200) may be readily adapted for either paper filter or paperless operation, with both configurations (100, 200) utilizing a number of common parts (101-102, 104 and 110) including at least a portion (110) of a drive system employed for scraping a reusable filter (103) during paperless operation and for drawing filter paper (203) across a filter (103) during paper filter operation. With the variations between the two configurations (100, 200) essentially limited to differences in the drive system, training and spare parts requirements for operating a number of both paper filter and paperless brewing systems in a variety of different locations are reduced.

Description

MODULAR BREWING MECHANISM

This utility application claims priority to United States Provisional Patent Application No. 60/418,886 entitled "MODULAR BREWING MECHANISM" and filed October 15, 2002. The content of the above-identified application is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed, in general, to hot beverage brewing mechanisms and, more specifically, to a hot beverage brewer that may be employed either with a paper filter or without.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Consumer demand for high quality hot beverages such as coffee at vending machine prices is seeing increased growth. In meeting that demand, vendors use automated brewers that typically operate either with a paper filter or with a paperless filter. Paper filters, which remove fine coffee or tea particles from the beverage dispensed, are normally automatically removed and discarded after each brewing cycle. Such brewers incur additional operating costs as a result of the paper filters, and often suffer from paper jamming and heavy maintenance requirements as well as increased waste disposal and other drawbacks. Paperless, reusable filters, on the other hand, have less waste but typically fail to catch the "fines" (small particles) associated with the coffee or tea grinds (or "grounds"). Vendors generally must choose between paperless and paper filter brewers, with the location or use of the brewer often dictating the quality requirements and ease of serviceability for the brewer device, so that a vendor operating at multiple locations will generally employ both types of brewers. However, each brewer typically has different internal parts, requiring the vendor (or the servicing entity for the vendor) to be trained in operation and maintenance of at least two different types of brewers and to stock spare parts for both types of brewers. These requirements increase the operating costs for hot beverage brewers and decrease profit margins .

There is, therefore, a need in the art for increased compatibility between paper filter and paperless brewers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

To address the above-discussed deficiencies of the prior art, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide, for use in a vending machine dispensing hot brewed beverages, a brewing system that may be readily adapted for either paper filter or paperless operation, with both configurations utilizing a number of common parts including at least a portion of a drive system employed for scraping a reusable filter during paperless operation and for drawing filter paper across a filter during paper filter operation. With the variations between the two configurations essentially limited to differences in the drive system, training and spare parts requirements for operating a number of both paper filter and paperless brewing systems in a variety of different locations are reduced.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description of the invention that follows. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter that form the subject of the claims of the invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that they may readily use the conception and the specific embodiment disclosed as a basis for modifying or designing other structures for carrying out the same purposes of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.

Before undertaking the DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION below, it may be advantageous to set forth definitions of certain words or phrases used throughout this patent document: the terms "include" and "comprise," as well as derivatives thereof, mean inclusion without limitation; the term "or" is inclusive, meaning and/or; the phrases "associated with" and "associated therewith," as well as derivatives thereof, may mean to include, be included within, interconnect with, contain, be contained within, connect to or with, couple to or with, be communicable with, cooperate with, interleave, juxtapose, be proximate to, be bound to or with, have, have a property of, or the like; and the term "controller" means any device, system or part thereof that controls at least one operation, whether such a device is implemented in hardware, firmware, software or some combination of at least two of the same. It should be noted that the functionality associated with any particular controller may be centralized or distributed, whether locally or remotely. Definitions for certain words and phrases are provided throughout this patent document, and those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that such definitions apply in many, if not most, instances to prior as well as future uses of such defined words and phrases.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numbers designate like objects, and in which:

FIGURES 1A through 1C depict a brewer mechanism adapted for paperless operation according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

[0001] FIGURE 2 depicts a brewer mechanism adapted for paper filter operation according to one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGURES 1A through 2, discussed below, and the various embodiments used to describe the principles of the present invention in this patent document are by way of illustration only and should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the principles of the present invention may be implemented in any suitably arranged device.

FIGURES 1A through 1C and 2 depict variations of a brewer mechanism that may be readily adapted to either paper filter or paperless operation according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIGURES 1A through 1C depict a brewer mechanism adapted for paperless operation according to one embodiment of the present invention. The brewing system depicted in implemented within a conventional hot beverage vending machine (or, equivalently, "merchandising system") including a cabinet, payment and product selection mechanism, and the like. Brewer 100 includes a cylindrical brewing chamber 101 mounted on a rectangular brewing chamber carrier 102. Brewing chamber 101 and carrier 102 may be raised and lowered, and are shown in a raised or elevated position.

Brewer 100 also includes, for the embodiment of FIGURES 1A through 1C, a reusable or paperless filter 103 mounted within a support 104 (depicted in phantom) . Filter 103 includes a peripheral ring 105 surrounding a coarse support screen 106 on which is overlaid or superimposed a fine filtering screen 107. Support screen 106 is a stainless steel wire mesh having larger openings than filtering screen 107, and may be, for example, 18 mesh woven stainless steel. Filtering screen 107 has a tight mesh, such as 320 or 230 mesh woven stainless steel or a photo-etched screen, selected depending on the type of beverage to be brewed and the character and type of grinds employed in brewing the beverage.

A funnel 108 disposed beneath filter 103 guides brewed beverage into a dispensing system or cup 109. A drive arm 110 that may be selectively moved along guides (not shown) across filter 103 and support 104 is driven by a reversible or continuous drive mechanism (not shown) and includes a wiper, scraper of squeegee blade 111 and a detachable clamp or spring 112.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the complete structure and operation of a brewing mechanism is not depicted or described herein. Instead, for simplicity and clarity, only so much of the brewing mechanism of the present invention as is unique to the present invention or necessary for an understanding of the present invention is depicted and described. In operation, brewing cylinder 101 and carrier 102 are lowered into contact with filter 103 and support 104 as shown in FIGURE IB (from which funnel 108 and cup 109 are omitted for convenience) . Filter ring 105 may consist of or include an elastomeric material for sealingly engaging the surface of support 104. Hot liquid and grinds are introduced into brewing cylinder 101, with brewed beverage passing through filter 103. Passage of the brewed beverage through filter 103 may be assisted by a vacuum in accordance with the known art . The grinds remain on filter 103, with the possible exception of a nominal amount having sufficient fine size to pass through filter 103. Following completion of brewing the hot beverage for dispensing, brewing cylinder 101 and support 102 are raised to their original position, leaving the grinds on the filter 103 (and possible spreading onto support 104) . Drive arm 110 is then drawn across the surface of support 104 and filter 103 to scrape the grinds off the filter 103 and support 104 and into a waste receptacle (not shown) . In a reversible drive embodiment, the drive arm 110 is drawn back across the filter 103 and support 104 in the opposite direction. In a continuous drive embodiment, however, drive arm 110 continues over, around and beneath the support 104, into a position allowing lowering of brewing cylinder 101 and carrier 102 for the next brewing cycle. For convenience, drive arm 110 may be one of several (e.g., two or three) identical structures affixed to the drive mechanism.

As drive arm 110 passes beneath carrier 102, clip or spring 112 engages the bottom surface of carrier 102 when the scraper 111 is in the proximity of the filter 103, forcing the scraper blade down to apply additional force in removing grinds from the surface of filter 103. Once past the carrier 102, clip 112 disengages and relieves the additional force. This mechanism is useful is reducing the static resistance or compression of the scraper blade (squeegee) 111 while selectively increasing the force of the scraper blade 111 on the filter 103 while in motion across the top of filter 103.

FIGURE 2 depicts a brewer mechanism adapted for paper filter operation according to one embodiment of the present invention. Brewer 200 includes the same brewing chamber 101 and carrier 102, filter 103 and support 104, and funnel 108 and dispensing system or cup 109 as brewer 100 of the previous embodiment (although filter 103 in this embodiment includes only a ring 201 and a coarse support mesh 202) . In addition, brewer 200 shares at least portions of the reversible or continuous drive system employed by brewer 100, which may include drive arm 110 (or an equivalent if not substantially identical structure) .

In brewer 200, however, drive arm 110 or the equivalent structure is employed to draw generally rectangular filter paper 203 from roll 204. Thus, drive arm 110 --and other similar structures spaced apart along a continuous drive embodiment--includes a mechanism for mechanically clamping and releasing filter paper 203 as appropriate locations in the path around support 104. The paper draw mechanism which includes drive arm 110 or the equivalent structure draws filter paper 203 (and any grinds left thereupon) off the filter 103 and, upon passing around and under the support 104, into a waste receptacle .

A blade 206 for cutting filter paper 203 is provided, for example, on carrier 102, cutting the filter paper 203 when the brewing cylinder 101 and carrier 102 are lowered into contact with filter 103 and support 104. However, such a cutting blade is purely optionally, since the drive arm(s) 110 may simply draw the filter paper 203 off of roll 204 and, after advancing over filter 103 for a new brewing cycle, feed the filter paper 203 and any grinds thereupon into a waste receptacle.

Because both brewers 100 and 200 operate in essentially the same manner and utilize a large number of common parts, including preferably at least a portion of the drive mechanism, vendors need only be trained on the operation and maintenance of a single basic system, with a nominal number of variations for paper filter and paperless operation, and fewer different spare parts are required to keep an equivalent number of both paper filter and paper less brewing systems operational. Lower operating costs and higher profit margins are thereby achieved.

Although the present invention has been described in detail, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, substitutions, variations, enhancements, nuances, gradations, lesser forms, alterations, revisions, improvements and knock-offs of the invention disclosed herein may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A brewing system comprising every feature depicted or described.