Food Equipment Technologies Company, Inc.

Michael W Lassota

Zbigniew G Lassota

Bartosz Sokolski

Leszek M Wroblewski

Christopher P Michalek

Christopher Nowak

Woyciech Dymkowski

A self-contained, universal portable beverage condition status indicator () has relatively large and easily visible top light dome () that is selectively lighted to provide an indication as to when a beverage dispenser () to which it is mounted is empty of beverage. Mounting is performed without any tools or alteration to the dispenser by simply inserting an elongate sensor probe assembly () through an inlet () in the top of the dispenser () and down to a location adjacent the bottom () of the hollow body () of the dispenser. Tooless removal is accomplished by simply slidably lifting the indicator () upwardly and outwardly from the dispenser () until it is clear. It may then be used with a newly filled different dispenser (). The sensor probe assembly remains functional even though lower portion may be removed. Score lines (, etc.) are provided to facilitate breaking off of the lower frangible sections () of the sensor probe assembly () in order to custom fit the indicator () to dispensers of different size or depth.

Beverage dispenser with universal portable top-mounted beverage condition status light indicator, universal portable top-mounted beverage condition status light indicator and method

Beverage brewer () with a control system (FIGS.) has a brew basket () with a central axis (), a bottom with an offset drain hole () radially, outwardly spaced from the central axis () for passing the hot beverage or beverage concentrate to a container () and a position detectable element(). A circular collar () mounts the brew basket () to the housing () in at least two different angular positions (FIG.) in which the drain hole () is respectively located in at least two different positions outwardly spaced from the central axis () to pass brewed beverage to the container () when in two different positions (FIG.). A sensor () detects the angular positions of the brew basket (, and a controller (, FIG.) responds to the sensor () to enable only preselected functions of associated with the sensed angular position.

Beverage brewer for variable sized dispensers

A grinder () has a toolessly attached ingredient hopper assembly () overlying a toolessly attached fixed grinding burr () defining the top of a grind chamber () within which is received a mating rotary grinding burr () that is slidably mounted to a rotary drive motor () for adjustment relative to the fixed grinding burr (). Adjustment is achieved automatically by control of a stepper motor () that pushes on the end of an elongate control shaft () passing through a hollow rotary drive axle () and carrying the rotary grinding burr () at an opposite end. In a similar embodiment (FIG.), the non-rotary burr () is adjusted by movement of a control shaft () contained within a hollow motor axle (). In other embodiments (FIGS.-), a movable axle () of a movable rotor motor () and attached to the rotary burr () is moved to make the adjustments.

Electrical food grinder with an electronically controlled movable rotor drive motor and method

A fluid container () with a hollow body () for containing a fluid such as beverage () with a surrounding sidewall () extending between a top () and a bottom () provided with a flexible sensing strip () with discrete modular fluid characteristic sensing elements mounted to the sidewall () of a hollow body () for sensing an actual physical parameter of the fluid, a control module () and a detachable interface () between the sensing strip () and the control module () to enable sensing signals to be passed from the sensing strip () to the control module () has a detachable interface enabling tool-less disconnection of the control module () from the sensing strip () to enable replacement with another control module for repair or servicing. The individual sensing elements may also be toolessly disconnected from the strip for replacement or repair.

Fluid container with discrete modularized multiple sensing system and method

A beverage brewer () with a temperature selectable dispense system having an on-demand hot water heating chamber assembly () with a hot water chamber body () having a volume substantially less than the volume of beverage brewed during a single brew cycle, a heating element () to quickly and substantially alter the water temperature in the chamber body during a single brew cycle and a microprocessor controller () for controlling the heating element in response to temperature sensors (). The controller () controls the brewer () to brew different types of beverages, with dispense water at different preselected temperatures in response to a manually actuatable switch (and). The temperature of the dispense water may also be changed from a hotter temperature at the beginning of a brew cycle to a lower temperature during an end portion of the same brew cycle.

Multi-beverage brewer with on-demand variable brew water temperature and method

An airpot beverage dispenser () having a composite dispense tube () with an exterior outlet () adjacent a top of a hollow body () and an interior inlet () located adjacent a bottom () for passing beverage () from adjacent the bottom () to the outlet when the interior of the hollow body () is pressurized has a brew-through assembly with a cover body () for substantially closing the open top () except for a centrally located brew-through passageway () substantially smaller than the open top () and extending between an upwardly facing exterior brew-through inlet () and an interior outlet () that passes through a central passageway extending through a double-walled bellows () or extends past a plurality of bellows (FIG.) that are laterally spaced from the passageway has an electronic display () for indicating a plurality of levels of the beverage () within the hollow body and a resistive (FIGS.-) or capacitive (FIG.) electronic level sensing assembly carried by the dispense tube () for sensing a plurality of different levels of beverage () within the hollow body and electrical leads () printed on the dispense tube to pass the sensing signals to a display controller (). The display, controller and portable power source () are protectively contained within a plastic watertight compartment () integrally formed with the cover body () is vented (FIG.) to prevent the accumulation of moisture within the compartment ().

Airpot beverage dispenser and method

A hot beverage brewer () with an auto-directive brewer controller () that controls enabling and revealing of a plurality of hidden, or phantom, switches (and). Signals from disabled switches are ignored by a microcomputer (), and the operator is directed to only the hidden switches that are enabled by selectively revealing them with individually associated backlights (', and&#x2032;). When the backlights are energized the location of the hidden switches is revealed by the light passing through a dark, but semi-translucent, flexible, plastic control panel that overlies the hidden switches and their associated backlights. Different modes of normal operation may be preselected during a program mode (FIG.D) in which one or more of the brew start switches are relatively permanently disabled and remain relatively permanently hidden, while other ones of the start brew switches and other function selection switches are only temporarily disabled and temporarily hidden due to changing conditions or status of the brewer during normal operation. A demonstration mode is provided in which the performance of the apparatus under normal circumstances is performed but the heating element and various valves are inhibited from being actuated. A self-diagnostic mode is provided for selective use in combination with a normal operation mode, a program mode and a self-diagnostic mode of operation.

Food processing apparatus with auto-directive controller and method

A hot beverage brewer () with an L-shaped, segmented, hot water tank () having a laterally extending side body () to which is mounted a membrane mounted tubular brew valve () with a dispense tube () and an electromagnet () selectively energized by a micro-computer controller () to attract in successive stages a first stage energy plate () and a second stage energy plate () attached to the dispense tube () to move the tube from a closed position (FIGS.and) in which an inlet () of the tube is above a preselected level () of water in the tank () to an open position (FIGS.and) in which the inlet () is beneath the surface to pass hot water to a spray head (). In one embodiment, one or more of the energy plates are permanent magnets () and in other embodiments the plates () are not permanent magnets and are resistive to being permanently magnetized.

Beverage brewer with sliding tube brew valve assembly

A beverage brewer () with a controller () that automatically disables selected brewer functions unless enabled by an enablement code that enables use that is only sufficient to brew a preselected quantity of beverage by mixing the brew ingredient () with water has a reader () for communicating with and reading the enablement code () from a smart card, card with magnetic strip or other data carrying medium (FIGS.and). The enablement card when used by a delivery employee has codes for multiple customers, etc. that is used by the delivery employee to enable the brewers to brew the brew ingredient that is being delivered but no more to avoid brewing of ingredient not provided by the distributor of the brew ingredient. Alternatively, one card () is used for each location or each brewer and may only be used with the location or brewer that is indicated. The controller () is capable of disabling the brewer function, the hot water function, or both, the bypass function, the brewing function or all in response to overuse or in response to the passage of time without required maintenance. The individual enablement code medium may be attached to the container of the brew ingredient permanently or detachably, mailed to the customer with billing, etc. or the enablement code may be entered manually or via a communication modem associated with the brewer (). When a smart card or magnetic stripe card is used, then the brewer may write to the card the amount of brewer usage or hot water usage which information can later be downloaded to a billing computer at the home office of the distributor in addition to, or in lieu of, automatic disablement of the brewer functions when they exceed preselected maximum amounts.

Brewer with measured use controlled disablement feature

A brewing control method for use with beverage brewing system () uses a controller () responsive to a comparison of preselected values of total brew water and total diluent water stored in a program memory () and to actual quantities measured by one of two flow meter (') to control operation of a brew valve () passing water to a hot water tank () and a diluent valve () for passing water directly to a mixing chamber (). the controller also responds to a level sensor () to control the brew valve () to keep the hot water tank filled with water. The preselected amounts of diluent and extract are changed for different brewing conditions to obtain different total quantities of beverage or different ratios of hot brew water passed through the brew basket () to cold diluent water passed directly to the mixing chamber, or serving urn ().

Control method for beverage making system

A beverage brewer () with a controller () that automatically disables selected brewer functions unless enabled by an enablement code that enables use that is only sufficient to brew a preselected quantity of brew by mixing the brew ingredient () with water has a reader () for communicating with and reading the enablement code () from a smart card, card with magnetic strip or other data carrying medium (FIGS. 4 and 5). The enablement card when used by a delivery employee has codes for multiple customers, etc. that is used by the delivery employee to enable the brewers to brew the brew ingredient that is being delivered but no more to avoid brewing of ingredient not provided by the distributor of the brew ingredient. Alternatively, one card () is used for each location or each brewer and may only be used with the location or brewer that is indicated. The controller () is capable of disabling the brewer function, the hot water function, or both, the bypass function, the brewing function or all in response to overuse or in response to the passage of time without required maintenance. The individual enablement code medium may be attached to the container of the brew ingredient permanently or detachably, mailed to the customer with billing, etc. or the enablement code may be entered manually or via a communication modem associated with the brewer (). When a smart card or magnetic stripe card is used, then the brewer may write to the card the amount of brewer usage or hot water usage which information can later be downloaded to a billing computer at the home office of the distributor in addition to, or in lieu of, automatic disablement of the brewer functions when they exceed preselected maximum amounts.

Feature disablement controlled brewer

A beverage brewing system () having a controller () responsive to a comparison of preselected values of total brew water and total diluent water stored in a program memory () and to actual quantities measured by one or two flow meter (') to control operation of a brew valve () passing water to a hot water tank () and a diluent valve () for passing water directly to a mixing chamber (). The controller is also responsive to a level sensor () to control the brew valve () to keep the hot water tank filled with water. The preselected amounts may be changed for different brewing conditions to obtain different total quantities of beverage or different ratios of hot brew water passed through the brew basket () to cold diluent water passed directly to the mixing chamber, or serving urn ().

Beverage making system with flow meter measurement control and method

An insulated beverage dispenser ( ) with an outer housing ( ) having reinforcing cavities ( ) and reinforcing ribs ( ) on a canted surface ( ) of a top closure ( ) to resist distortion that is fitted over an integrally formed inner liner ( ) in spaced relationship to provide a gap ( ) that is evacuated to approximately 8% of standard atmospheric pressure. The bottom closure ( ) of the inner liner ( ) is symmetrically tilted downwardly across the center to a center-offset drain opening ( ) to reduce the lateral extent ( ) of a dispense tube ( ) to reduce the quantity of beverage contained within the dispense tube ( ) and subject to heat loss between the drain opening ( ) to and a faucet ( ). The dispense tube ( ) is protectively contained within a hollow bottom section ( ) for purposes of insulation and is also wrapped in foam insulation ( ) for further insulation.

Growing community of inventors

Wauconda, IL, United States of America

Michael W Lassota