Bunn-o-matic Corporation

Charles H Clark

Suresh Radhakrishnan

William E Midden

Jason M Banning

John Douglas Bishop

Randy D Pope

Rex Allen Rogers

Jane Ann Harris

Jeff T Samson

Kent E Morman

Laurie A Owen

Ming Lung Huang

John T Knepler

Jamie Dee Schroetlin

Matthew Christopher Humphrey

Todd Anhalt

Jane Boehler

Frederick Phillip Cable

Kenneth John Benson

Jonathan Russell Angell

Chairil McClain

Karalynn M McDermott

A spray head assembly for use with a beverage brewer includes a spray head and an adapter. The spray head includes a back plate having a turn mechanism. The adapter includes a body having an outer portion and a threaded inner portion. The body has an opening through the threaded inner portion that is attachable to a valve of the beverage maker. The outer portion of the body includes ears attachable to the backer plate of the spray head through the turn mechanism.

Quick release spray head assembly, adapter, and method of use

A beverage making apparatus including at least a beverage producing portion, a controllable by-pass water system, and at least one of a sweetener system or flavoring system in which the sweetener system and/or flavoring system controllably mixes a sweetener ingredient and/or flavoring ingredient with water external to the housing without mixing in a confined structure. A method for producing a beverage is provided including at least the steps of: providing a beverage making apparatus; providing a water dispensing system; providing at least one of a sweetener dispensing system and flavoring system; and controllably dispensing water and at least one of sweetener and flavoring externally of the apparatus for combination with beverage produced by the beverage making apparatus.

Beverage dispensing and sweetening system

The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for a funnel assembly for use in a beverage brewing apparatus. The funnel assembly may include an insert that is retained in the funnel assembly to contain a powdered or other similar substance for mixing with liquid within the insert. The insert is configured to extend within a cavity of the funnel assembly and is configured to permit mixing of the substance with the liquid before dispensing the mixture into a portion of the funnel assembly. The insert may include a rim or liquid shield, with at least a portion of the rim or liquid shield engaging a portion of the funnel assembly to retain the insert within the funnel assembly. The insert may further include a flow guide adjacent a drainage aperture, the flow guide at least partially directing the flow of mixture from the insert into a portion of the funnel assembly. The funnel assembly may alternatively itself be formed to contain a powdered or similar substance and permit mixing of the substance with liquid before dispensing.

Funnel assembly for making powdered beverage

A beverage maker including a reservoir, an intermediate chamber, a beverage substance retaining container, a heating element associated with the reservoir and a temperature responsive valve assembly between the reservoir and intermediate chamber for controlling the flow of heated water from the reservoir. The beverage maker includes a sensor device coupled to the reservoir, spaced from the heating element, to detect a condition such as a temperature change, temperature, temperature range, or presence of absence of water within the reservoir to cease power to the heating element upon detecting the condition. The intermediate chamber is sized and dimensioned to accommodate a predetermined range of volumes of water flowing from the reservoir through the intermediate chamber. A spray head is provided on the intermediate chamber communicating with the volume of water retained therein to distribute the water over beverage making substance retained in the beverage substance retaining container.

Brewer with temperature responsive control valve

The present disclosure includes a beverage making device including a heated water tank and a reservoir for controllably dispensing water over a beverage making substance to create a beverage. The beverage making device includes a vent valve coupled to the reservoir and heated water tank, a pump coupled to the reservoir for moving water from the reservoir to the heated water tank, a flow meter associated with the heated water tank for determining the water dispensed into the heated water tank, a spray head coupled to the heated water tank for distributing water over a beverage making substance. A controller coupled to the relevant portions of the system for controllably operating the system.

Controllable brewer

A cold beverage brewing system includes a container and a supply of water. The container holds a brewing substance which forms a brewed beverage when combined with the water. The water supplied to the container for brewing can be at a variety of temperatures, including ambient or below ambient temperatures. The system is controllably pressurized with a gas, preferably nitrogen, and controllably dispensed to provide a brewed beverage with selected characteristics in a relatively short period of time.

Cold brew system

The present application relates to apparatus, systems, and methods of use for producing beverages. The apparatus includes components and methods for facilitating beverage production applying water or other liquid in combination with a brewing substance and controlled aeration and pressurization of a mixing vessel or column. The aeration of the water and brewing substance can be accomplished with a vacuum system, a positive pressurization system, and a combination of such systems. The apparatus, systems, and methods can be used with a variety of beverage making devices such as a device which might be used to controllably produce volumes of beverage to a reservoir. The methods include controllable aeration and pressurization of the vessel for brewing which may include controlling extraction time, steep time, active controllable agitation of the brewing substance, as well as other brewing characteristics, features, and actions.

Method of making a beverage with a controllable brewer

A brewer, system and method for heating water and dispensing heated water for producing a brewed beverage The brewer includes a water reservoir with a heating element associated with the reservoir for heating water retained in the reservoir A brewing substance holder is associated with the reservoir for receiving heated water from the reservoir A temperature sensitive control valve is provided in communication with the reservoir for controllably dispensing heated water from the reservoir to the brewing substance holder The temperature sensitive control valve may be in the form of a passive control valve which uses a bimetallic, magnetic or other material which is responsive to heat The water is placed in the reservoir and heated The elevated temperature of the water will result in operating the heat sensitive control valve to open the control valve and allow water to pass from the reservoir to the brewing substance holder.

Brewer

A beverage dispenser and methods of use for combining at least one beverage ingredient with a diluting ingredient to form a beverage. In one embodiment, the beverage ingredient is coffee or tea and the diluting ingredient is water. The beverage ingredient is retained in a container which is positioned in the beverage dispenser. The ingredient is mixed with water at least in part in the container for dispensing into a receptacle positioned relative to the dispenser. In one embodiment, the beverage ingredient is a liquid form of beverage concentrate packaged in a disposable container. The beverage dispenser includes mechanisms and assemblies which form a single opening in the container to allow water to enter and exit the container through the single opening in the container to release and mix the beverage ingredient.

Liquid beverage dispenser

A beverage making apparatus including a housing containing a water system. The water system includes a heated water reservoir and a pour-in basin for receiving water. The pour-in basin is connected to a water pump which pumps water from the basin to the heated water reservoir. Water from the heated water reservoir is moved to a spray head for dispensing to a beverage brewing substance retained in either at least one of a pod format or a cartridge format. A pair of conductance probes are contained in the fill basin to indicate the status of water in the fill basin. The brewer is designed for use with multiple beverage making substance holders so that multiple beverage substance formats can be used with the brewer.

Single cup brewer

The present disclosure relates to a system for producing beverages or other food products which includes, generally and broadly, controllably dispensing water from the system for use in brewing. Water is introduced to a heated water reservoir (20) heating and subsequent use in a process such as brewing. A thermal expansion system (86) is provided to accommodate water which expands from the reservoir (20) as a result of the heating process. One form of thermal expansion system (86) may include a venturi device (88) which allows the accumulation of water which expands during the heating process and then returns the water to the flow of water during a brew cycle.

System for producing beverages

A system and method for controllably dispensing a predetermined volume of water at a predetermined temperature. The system and method include at least one heated water source and at least one second water source. Water is controllably dispensed from the heated water source and controllably combined with the controllably dispensed water from the second water source to produce a resultant predetermined volume of water at a resultant predetermined temperature. The system and method also includes controls and/or interfaces which allow a user to control the volume and temperature of water dispensed. The user may directly control the volume and/or temperature or may indirectly control the volume and temperature such as by introducing a control media, control selection, or recipe by which the user selects the choice but does not specify the details of the parameters associated with the choice.

Multiple temperature hot water dispensing system

Briefly, and in accordance with the foregoing, disclosed is a spray head for use with, in combination with a beverage making apparatus, as a replacement for other spray heads and a method of using a spray head. The spray head receives liquid from a liquid dispensing path of the beverage making apparatus and distributes liquid over a beverage making substance retained proximate the spray head. The spray head includes two pieces, a first piece for connection to the liquid dispensing path and the second piece which is flexible and removable attachable to the first piece. A cavity is defined between the first and second pieces. Water received form the liquid dispensing path collects in the cavity. The second piece or body portion includes a plurality of holes for dispensing and distributing water from the cavity over the beverage substance. The spray head is removable from the beverage making apparatus for facilitating direct contact and flexion cleaning of the surfaces of at least the body portion of the spray head to remove particles and mineral deposits therefrom.

Flexible spray head

An apparatus, system, and method of use in making beverages. The apparatus includes components and structures for making beverages by mixing heated water or other liquid and a beverage making substance in combination with controllable evacuation, pressurization, or both of a mixing vessel. The method includes controllable brewing using a vacuum, positive pressure, or both to control one or a combination of active controllable agitation of ingredients, steep time, pressurization, extraction time, agitation pulsing, dispensing pulsing as well as other numerous other beverage preparation characteristics and controls.

Growing community of inventors

Springfield, IL, United States of America

Charles H Clark