Beverage making machine and method for drip brewing beverage

Abstract

A beverage making machine comprises: a housing; a fluid reservoir mounted to the housing; a first pump, the first pump being fluidically coupled to the water reservoir; a heating unit, the heating unit comprising a conduit having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the conduit being fluidly connected to the first pump, the conduit being constructed and arranged to rise monotonically from the lower end to the upper end; and a brewing station having a brewing basket having an inlet and an outlet fluidly connected to the upper end of the conduit, and the brewing station also having a receiver platform, the receiver platform being positioned to receive fluid from the outlet.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to small electrical appliances and, more particularly, to beverage makers. Background Art

[0002] Automatic drip coffee makers are well known and widely used. They can effectively brew a carafe of coffee that typically contains multiple cups of liquid. Automatic drip coffee makers can also be used to brew smaller quantities (one to four cups).

[0003] A typical automatic drip coffee maker includes a brew basket (loosely placed in a bowl-shaped filter or in a "pod" type package, often sold under the trademark "K-Cup") that holds ground coffee. Heated water is delivered to the brew basket and released, where it flows downward through the coffee grounds under the action of gravity and into a receptacle such as a carafe or pot. Exemplary automatic drip coffee makers are discussed in U.S. Patent Nos. 5,001,969 to Moore et al., 7,066,080 to Hsu, and 8,065,952 to Wang, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Some coffee makers are designed to brew coffee in different forms; for example, the 1000-ounce automatic drip coffee maker available from Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc. (Richmond, Virginia) is a 1000-ounce automatic drip coffee maker available from Hamilton Beach Brands, Inc. (Richmond, Virginia). The coffee machines offered in the range include an insert that enables the user to choose between pod coffee or loose ground coffee.

[0004] also, Another coffee machine offered in the series has two different "stations", one of which can brew a full pot or carafe, and the other of which brews a single serving (typically using a pod as described above). This coffee machine can offer the user the flexibility of brewing a single serving (if that is all that is desired) or multiple servings (carafe or pot).

[0005] It would be desirable to provide improved performance to coffee machines via novel structures and methods. Summary of the invention

[0006] As a first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention is directed to a beverage making machine, comprising: a housing; a fluid reservoir, the fluid reservoir being mounted to the housing; a first pump, the first pump being fluidly coupled to the water reservoir; a heating unit, the heating unit comprising a conduit having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the conduit being fluidly connected to the first pump, the conduit being constructed and arranged to rise monotonically from the lower end to the upper end; and a brewing station, the brewing station having a brewing basket with an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being fluidly connected to the upper end of the conduit, and the brewing station also having a receiver platform, the receiver platform being positioned to receive fluid from the outlet.

[0007] As a second aspect, an embodiment of the present invention is directed to a beverage making machine, comprising: a housing; a fluid reservoir mounted to the housing; a first pump fluidly coupled to the water reservoir; a heating unit comprising a conduit having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the conduit being fluidly connected to the first pump; a negative temperature coefficient temperature (NTC) sensor mounted directly adjacent to the upper end of the heating unit conduit; a brewing station having a brewing basket with an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being fluidly coupled to the upper end of the conduit, and the brewing station also having a receiver platform positioned to receive fluid from the outlet; and a controller operatively coupled to the heating unit, the first pump, and the NTC such that temperature data detected by the NTC is transmitted to the controller, and an operating speed of the pump is adjusted by the controller based on data from the NTC.

[0008] As a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention is directed to a beverage making machine, which includes: a shell; a fluid reservoir, which is mounted to the shell; a first pump, which is fluidly connected to the water reservoir; a heating unit, which includes a conduit having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end of the conduit being fluidly connected to the first pump, and the conduit being constructed and arranged to rise monotonically from the lower end to the upper end; an accumulator, which is fluidly connected to the heating unit conduit; a second pump, which is fluidly connected to the accumulator; a brewing station, which has a brewing basket with an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being fluidly connected to the upper end of the conduit, and the brewing station also has a receiver platform, which is positioned to receive fluid from the outlet; and a controller, which is operatively connected to the heating unit, the first pump, and the second pump.

[0009] As a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for brewing a beverage by drip filtering, comprising the following steps:

[0010] a) providing a beverage making machine, the beverage making machine comprising: a housing; a fluid reservoir, the fluid reservoir being mounted to the housing; a first pump, the first pump being fluidly coupled to the water reservoir;

[0011] a heating unit including a conduit fluidly connected to the first pump; a second pump fluidly connected to the conduit of the heating unit; a brewing chamber having an inlet fluidly connected to the second pump, an outlet, and a receiver platform positioned to receive fluid from the outlet;

[0012] b) activating the heating unit;

[0013] c) pumping water from a water reservoir through a conduit of the heating unit by means of the first pump while the heating unit heats the water;

[0014] d) pumping water from the second pump to the brewing basket through the second pump;

[0015] e) deactivating the heating unit while steps (c) and (d) are still being performed; and

[0016] f) deactivating the first pump after step (e);

[0017] Wherein, step (d) continues after steps (e) and (f) are executed.

[0018] As a fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present invention is directed to a beverage making machine, comprising: a housing; a fluid reservoir, the fluid reservoir being mounted to the housing; a first pump, the first pump being fluidly coupled to the water reservoir; a heating unit, the heating unit comprising a conduit fluidly connected to the first pump; a second pump, the second pump being fluidly connected to the conduit of the heating unit; a brewing station, the brewing station having a brewing basket with an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being fluidly connected to the upper end of the conduit, and the brewing station also having a receiver platform, the receiver platform being positioned to receive fluid from the outlet; and a controller, the controller being operatively connected to the first pump, the second pump, and the heating unit. The controller is configured to: activate the heating unit; when the heating unit heats water, activate the first pump to pump water from the water reservoir through the conduit of the heating unit; activate the second pump to pump water from the second pump to the brewing basket; when the first pump and the second pump are activated, deactivate the heating unit; and when the second pump is activated, deactivate the first pump. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 2 is a front perspective view of a multifunctional coffee machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 perspective cutaway view of a large service station for coffee machines.

[0021] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 Side cutaway view of a large service station.

[0022] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 Side cutaway view of a small service station for a coffee machine.

[0023] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A partial side perspective view of a small service station with the side walls removed.

[0024] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 Front perspective cutaway view of a small service station.

[0025] Figure 7 yes Figure 5 An enlarged partial side perspective view of the hot water pump and accumulator of a small service station.

[0026] Figure 8 yes Figure 5 Side cutaway view of the brew basket of the small serving station.

[0027] Fig. 9 is a partial perspective view of the interior of a multi-function coffee machine according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Fig.10 is a side partial perspective view of a multi-function coffee machine according to an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Fig.11 It is shown Figure 5 A graph of the operation of a small service station.

[0030] Fig.12 It further shows Figure 5 A graph of the operation of a small service station.

[0031] Fig.13 It is shown Figure 5 Graph of alternative operations for a small service station. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present invention is now described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the present invention are shown. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the present invention to those skilled in the art.

[0033] In the accompanying drawings, for the sake of clarity, some layers, components or features may be exaggerated, and dashed lines illustrate optional features or operations, unless otherwise specified. However, the present invention can be implemented in many different forms and should not be interpreted as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; on the contrary, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will become thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0034] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, etc. can be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or section from another region, layer or section. Therefore, without departing from the teachings of the present invention, the first element, component, region, layer or section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or section. Unless otherwise expressly stated, the order of operations (or steps) is not limited to the order shown in the claims or drawings.

[0035] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having the same meaning as they have in the context of the specification and in the relevant field, and unless specifically defined in this document, should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, well-known functions or structures may not be described in detail.

[0036] The terms used herein are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that when used in this specification, the terms "include" and / or "comprise" specify the presence of stated features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or their collections. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more related listed items.

[0037] As used herein, phrases such as "between X and Y" and "between about X and Y" should be interpreted to include X and Y. As used herein, phrases such as "between about X and Y" mean "between about X and about Y." As used herein, phrases such as "from about X to Y" mean "from about X to about Y."

[0038] Now referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 1 shows a multifunctional coffee machine, generally designated 10. The coffee machine 10 has a large service station 12, which is configured to brew conventional coffee from loose grounds or pods, and a small service station 14, which is configured to brew coffee from pods. The large service station 12 and the small service station are activated via a control panel 202 operably connected to a controller 200, which can control the operation of the coffee machine 10. The coffee machine 10 has an overall housing 20 covering the exterior of the device. The large service station 12 and the small service station 14 are located at the front of the housing 20.

[0039] refer to Figure 1-3 , the large serving station 12 includes separate components for brewing from the small serving station 14. These include a water reservoir 22, a pump 24, a heater 26, an outlet nozzle 28, and a brew basket 30. The grounds are positioned in the brew basket 30, and water is directed from the reservoir 22 through the pump 24, heater 26, outlet nozzle 28, and brew basket 30 into a jug 32 or other container resting at a platform 34 of the large serving station 12. These components may be conventional and need not be described in detail herein; exemplary large serving stations are illustrated and described in, for example, U.S. Patent No. 9,585,513, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. Typically, the large serving station 12 may be configured to brew between approximately 20 and 70 ounces of beverage.

[0040] Reference now Figure 4-8 , in which a small service station 14 is shown. The small service station includes a water reservoir 40 mounted on the upper rear portion of the housing 20. The water reservoir 40 can be removable to facilitate filling. The water reservoir 40 can also be transparent to enable a user to discern the fill level. In some embodiments, the water reservoir 40 can include a water filter 42 (typically as a removable insert within a holder). At its lower end, the water reservoir 40 has an outlet 46 that leads to a fitting 48. The fitting 48 includes a spring-loaded seal that prevents leakage through the outlet 46 when water is not being pumped through the outlet 46.

[0041] A hose 52 leads from the connector 48 to a cold water pump 54. The cold water pump 54 is combined with a flow meter 56 in a single unit. The flow meter 56 is used to regulate and measure the flow rate of the fluid in the small service station 14. Typically, the flow meter 56 is capable of achieving a flow rate of about 480 to 500 cc / min. In addition, the cold water pump 54 is usually a relatively low pressure pump (e.g., 0.2 to 0.6 psi).

[0042] A hose 58 leads from the flow meter 56 to a heating unit 60. The heating unit 60 includes a hollow elongated conduit 62 and an adjacent heating element 64 that advances along a path defined by the conduit 62. The heating unit 60 is generally V-shaped (with a large bend angle at the apex) and is generally vertically oriented so that the conduit 62 and the heating element 64 gradually increase in height from a lower end 66 (where the hose 58 is attached to the conduit 62) and an upper end 68.

[0043] The conduit 62 is typically formed of a metallic material, such as aluminum. The heating element 64 may be formed of any number of materials, including nickel-chromium alloys. Although shown as a single heating unit 60, in some embodiments, the conduit 62 and the heating element 64 may be present as separate and distinct components.

[0044] A hose 80 is connected to the conduit 62 at the upper end 68 of the heating unit 60. The hose 80 leads to a generally horizontal accumulator 82 having an internal cavity that serves as a reservoir for heated water. A hose 84 leads from the accumulator 82 to a second high pressure hot water pump 86. In addition, a vent line 88 leads from the accumulator 82 to an interior space within the multi-serving station 12. A line 90 (see FIG. B) runs from the hot water pump 86 to a small serving brew basket 100 (described in detail below).

[0045] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, two negative temperature coefficient thermistors (NTCs) 70, 71 are mounted adjacent to the upper end 68 of the heating unit 60. More specifically, the NTC 71 is positioned outside the heating unit 60 and measures the temperature of the heating element 64. The NTC 70 is located within the conduit 62 or hose 80 and is positioned to detect the temperature of the water as it leaves the heating unit 60 and travels into the hose 80. The NTCs 70, 71 can have conventional structures and need not be described in detail herein; an exemplary NTC is Model No. KPD-EX224-LJ19026, available from Shenzhen Kepenga Elecronics, Ltd. The NTCs 70, 71 are electrically connected to the controller 200, which in turn is connected to the cold water pump 54. The signal from the NTC 70 is used to adjust the speed of the cold water pump 54 via the controller 200.

[0046] Reference now Figure 8, shows the brew basket 100 of the small service station 14. The brew basket 100 depends from the base 136 and is mounted below the pivot rod 134. The rod 134 has an outer cover 138 and an inner cover 140 that form a hollow cavity. A connector 142 is mounted in the inner cover 140; the connector 142 is in fluid communication with the pipeline 90 at one end and is in fluid communication with a hollow needle 144 at an opposite end, which extends into the brew basket 100 and serves as an inlet thereof. An outlet 146 extends from the bottom surface of the brew basket 100. A receiver platform 148 is positioned below the outlet 146 of the brew basket 130 (see Figure 4 ).

[0047] It is worth noting that the brew basket 100 can be configured for "dual brewing", which means that it can receive loose grounds of coffee (in a filter package or in a filter) or a coffee pod. If a coffee pod is to be used, a pod insert or adapter is typically positioned within the brew basket 100, with the pod placed in the brew basket. The insert or adapter typically includes a structure, such as a hollow needle at its base, which can pierce or puncture the pod at or near the lower end to provide an outlet for it. If loose grounds are to be brewed, another adapter configured to brew loose grounds or a package containing the loose grounds can be positioned in the brew basket 100. Such an adapter typically includes a porous "filter" portion that allows water to drain from it while keeping the coffee in the brew basket 100. In either case, the adapter and the inner cover 140 form a brewing chamber. An exemplary dual brewing arrangement of this type is discussed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0208952 to Starr et al., the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.

[0048] In operation, the user fills the water reservoir 40 with water. When the lever 134 is pivoted to the raised position, the user inserts loose grounds (usually in a filter or package, and in many cases with an attached adapter, such as one of the adapters described above) or a capsule (usually with another of the adapters described above) into the brew basket 132. The lever 134 is then pivoted to the lowered position; if a capsule is used, the lowering of the lever 134 causes the needle 144 to penetrate the upper surface of the capsule, and the aforementioned blade on the adapter pierces the lower front edge of the capsule. The user also places a cup or other receptacle on the receptacle platform 148.

[0049] The user then presses one of the buttons on the control panel 202 to start brewing. Pressing the button sends a signal to the controller 200 to activate the heating element 64 of the heating unit 60. The pressing of the button also activates the cold water pump 54, although the activation of the cold water pump 54 may cause a short delay in the operation of the heating unit 60 (this will be discussed in more detail below). Water is drawn from the water reservoir 40 through the connector 48 and the hose 52 into the cold water pump 54 and the flow meter 56. The water leaves the flow meter 56 at the desired flow rate and flows through the hose 58 into the conduit 62 of the heating unit 60.

[0050] As the water travels through the conduit 62, it is heated by the heating element 64. The water is heated to a desired temperature (e.g., 190-205 degrees Fahrenheit) within the conduit 62. The heated water exits the conduit 62 and enters the lower end of the hose 80. As the water passes through the NTC 70, the NTC 70 detects the temperature of the water and sends a signal to the controller 200. Based on the temperature detected by the NTC 70, the controller 200 can increase or decrease the speed of the cold water pump 54 to ensure that the water leaving the heating unit 60 is at the desired temperature.

[0051] It is noteworthy that the construction and orientation of the heating unit 60 can improve the accuracy of the temperature measurement obtained by the NTC 70, which measures the temperature of the water leaving the heating unit 60. More specifically, when the water traveling through the conduit 62 of the heating unit 60 is heated by the heating element 64, some of the water has a tendency to convert to steam, especially if there are bubbles in the water. If this conversion to steam occurs, and the fluid passing through the NTC 70 is a mixture of water and steam, the signal sent by the NTC 70 to the controller 200 may be inaccurate. In other words, when the NTC 70 is submerged in water, the measurement of the NTC 70 is most accurate, and when steam exists with the water, the measurement of the NTC 70 is less accurate. In fact, the presence of steam will cause the NTC 70 to provide a signal indicating that the temperature is lower than the actual temperature to the controller 200 and therefore send a signal to the cold water pump 54 to reduce its speed. The lower pump speed causes the water to remain in the heating unit 60 for a longer time, which in turn causes the water to be heated more evenly. Therefore, it may be advantageous to prevent the water from converting to steam in the heating unit.

[0052] Because the conduit 62 of the heating unit 60 is oriented so that it is monotonically (i.e., it increases in height as it travels from its lower end, with no loss of height during such travel), the tendency of the water therein to bubble and thereby become steam is also reduced (if not completely eliminated). As a result, the temperature measurements taken by the NTC 70 may be more accurate, which results in better feedback to the cold water pump 54 (and therefore more efficient operation).

[0053] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the heater unit 60 may take other forms in which the water path substantially continuously increases in height. For example, the conduit may take a coiled or spiral form, a serpentine, a straight line or other shape.

[0054] Additionally, it is noteworthy that the NTC 70 is positioned directly adjacent to the outlet of the heater unit 60. This positioning can provide particularly accurate information about the temperature of the water as it leaves the heater unit 60. In some embodiments, the NTC 70 can be positioned between about 0 and 1 inch from the end of the heater unit 60, and in particular can be positioned between about 0 and 0.5 inches from the end of the heater unit 60.

[0055] The water exiting the heater unit 60 flows in a hose 80 to an accumulator 82. From there, the water is drawn by and through a hot water pump 86 and then into a line 90 through which the water travels to the brew basket 100. The water flows through the line 90 into a needle 144 and through the needle 144 into the brew basket 132. The brewed coffee is discharged from the brew basket 100 through an outlet 146 into a cup or other receptacle on a receptacle platform 148.

[0056] In some embodiments, the hot water pump 86 can continue to operate after the water has stopped flowing. This action can help dry the grounds still present in the brew basket 100 (in a pod or as loose grounds), which can help prevent dripping from the outlet 146 after brewing.

[0057] The vent line 88 from the accumulator 82 can prevent the system from over-pressurizing (e.g., if the needle 144 becomes clogged with coffee grounds). The vent line 88 can also prevent any back pressure from drawing coffee grounds back through the needle 146 and into the system, which could occur if the user interrupts the brew cycle by opening the brew chamber before closing the unit.

[0058] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the coffee machine 10 may take other forms. For example, the small service station 14 may take a different form; for example, rather than being configured to receive and process either a pod or loose grounds, it may be configured to receive and process only one or the other. Furthermore, the small service station 14 may have different mechanisms for holding and / or piercing a pod. Other variations are also suitable for use herein.

[0059] Fig.11 and 121 shows the timing characteristics of a brew cycle. More specifically, startup of the coffee maker 10 turns on the heater element 64. Typically, residual water from a previous brew remains in the conduit 62 and is heated during this period. After a short duration (e.g., 15 seconds) to allow the heating element 64 to warm up, the cold water pump 54 is enabled and delivers water from the reservoir 40 through the heating unit 60 (where the water is heated) and into the accumulator 82. The NTC 70 (via the controller 200) provides feedback to the cold water pump 54 regarding the temperature of the water, thereby adjusting its speed to produce water at the desired temperature.

[0060] After another short duration (e.g., 0-5 seconds), the hot water pump 86 is also enabled and begins delivering heated water from the accumulator 82 to the hot water pump 86 itself and then to the brew basket 100. The pumps 54, 86 continue to operate for a longer duration (e.g., 30-80 seconds) with the speed of the cold pump 54 being controlled by feedback from the NTC 70. As water flows through the pump 54, the flow meter 56 monitors the flow rate therethrough.

[0061] When the flow meter 56 measures that a certain predetermined volume has been delivered, the flow meter 56 sends a signal to the controller 200 to deactivate the heating unit 60. For a short duration (e.g., 10-15 seconds), the pumps 54, 86 continue to operate. During this period, the temperature of the water passing through the heating unit 60 decreases slightly (this can be seen in the water temperature graphs in Figures 11 and 12, typically the decrease in temperature is between about 2 and 25 degrees Celsius). When the flow meter 56 detects that the target volume of water for the selected serving size has passed through the flow meter 56, the cold water pump 54 is deactivated. However, the hot water pump 86 continues to operate and does so even after all the water required for brewing has passed through the hot water pump 86, in order to dry the wet grounds in the brew basket 100. When the available water is exhausted, the pumping of water may cause some of the water to heat up and convert to steam. Pumping pressurized steam from the hot water pump 86 may be undesirable for a number of reasons. Thus, by lowering the temperature of the water by deactivating the heating unit 60 prior to deactivating the cold water pump 54, the tendency of water pumped from the hot water pump 86 to the brew basket 100 to be converted to steam is reduced or eliminated.

[0062] Reference now Fig.13 , showing operation for producing a "significant" brew. For a "significant" brew, instead of operating at approximately the same speed, the hot water pump 86 is operated in a "pulse" mode, where the pressure is repeatedly increased and then decreased (this is in Fig.13, where the "hot water pump" line indicates the repeated rise and fall of the pressure of the hot water pump 86.) This pulse pattern can have the effect of releasing more flavor from the coffee grounds, thereby producing a beverage with a "more pronounced" flavor. Nevertheless, for a "pronounced" brew, the sequence of activation and deactivation remains the same as described above: the heating unit 60 is deactivated (this is indicated by the "hot water pump" line) while the cold water pump 54 and the hot water pump 86 continue to operate. Fig.13 ), and while the hot water pump 86 continues to operate, the cold water pump 54 is deactivated.

[0063] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the coffee machine 10 may take other forms. For example, the coffee machine may have only components of a small serving station 14, without a large serving station at all. In addition, the small serving station 14 may be configured to brew a portion of a higher or lower volume than shown.

[0064] In addition, the coffee maker 10 can include different ways to vent from the hot water pump 86. For example, a pressure relief valve can be used. In addition, in some embodiments, the coffee maker 10 can rely solely on the cold water pump 54 to deliver water to the brew basket 100, without the accumulator 82 and the hot water pump 86.

[0065] As another alternative, the coffee maker 10 may employ temperature sensors other than the above-described NTCs 70, 71. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the NTC 71 (which detects the temperature of the heating unit) may be omitted.

[0066] Furthermore, the coffee machine 10 may employ different means for activating and deactivating components during a brew cycle. For example, deactivation of the heating unit 60 may be regulated based on a predetermined time or based on a fluid level in a reservoir rather than based on a flow meter reading. Similarly, deactivation of the cold water pump 54 and / or the hot water pump 86 may be regulated by time or a temperature level detected by the NTC 70, and / or deactivation of the cold water pump 54 may be regulated by a flow meter reading. Other possibilities will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0067] As another alternative, the coffee machine 10 ′ Fig. 9 and 10 Coffee maker 10' is similar to coffee maker 10, except that hose 80' exiting heating unit 60 runs to hose 81, which itself runs to accumulator 82. Hose 80' and hose 81 form a conduit 83 that follows a path that rises from heating unit 60 to a height approximately equal to or exceeding the fill line F of water reservoir 40 (see FIG. Fig. 9 and 10 ), and then descends to enter the accumulator 82 from above.

[0068] Including conduit 83 may provide an operation assurance feature for coffee maker 10'. In the configuration of coffee maker 10, if there is a leak in cold water pump 54 when coffee maker 10 is not in use, water may leak through cold water pump 54, through heating unit 60, through hose 80 and into accumulator 82. This action will be driven by the pressure head created by the water in water reservoir 40 under the action of gravity; the leaking cold water pump 54 will allow cold water to travel into the accumulator until the water level reaches the water level in water reservoir 40. Thus, when coffee maker 10 is turned on again, accumulator 82 will be filled with cold water, which will be used to brew the next serving of coffee. Thus, as an example, if a user fills water reservoir 40 with water and leaves water reservoir 40 to fill without operating the coffee maker for a long period of time (e.g., overnight), the first serving of coffee prepared when the coffee maker is next operated will contain a large amount of cold water. The configuration of coffee maker 10' addresses this potential problem. If the cold water pump 54 leaks, water will only travel through the conduit 83 to a level that is equal in height to the height of the water level in the water reservoir 40, because at this level, the pressure heads of the water in the water reservoir 40 and the conduit 83 will be the same. Therefore, even if the water reservoir is filled to the fill line F, cold water will not reach the accumulator 82, because the highest height of the conduit 83 is above the fill line F. When the coffee machine is next used, only a small amount of water in the heating unit 60 and a small amount of water in the "rising" portion of the conduit 83 will be cold, and this amount is insignificant compared to the total amount of water in a serving. Therefore, the conduit 83 acts as a check valve for the system.

[0069] As mentioned above, this configuration can also help prevent any water from converting to steam.

[0070] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the effect of conduit 83 can take other forms. As one example, hose 80' and hose 81 can be combined into a single hose that serves as conduit 83. As another example, hose 52 from connector 48 to cold water pump 54 can run to a maximum height that is approximately equal to or exceeds the fill line of water reservoir 40; this configuration will achieve the same effect of preventing cold water leaking through cold water pump 54 from reaching accumulator 82 (in this case, cold water will not reach cold water pump 54 at all). Other configurations are also contemplated.

[0071] Finally, it will be appreciated that although the device is designated as a coffee machine 10, 10', the device may also be used to brew other beverages, such as tea.

[0072] The foregoing is an explanation of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Although exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that many modifications may be made in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the present invention. Therefore, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined in the claims. The present invention is defined by the following claims, and the equivalents of the claims are included therein.

Claims

1. A beverage making machine, comprising: case; a fluid reservoir mounted to the housing; a first pump fluidly coupled to the fluid reservoir; a heating unit comprising a V-shaped conduit having an upper end and a lower end, and an adjacent heating element advancing along a path defined by the conduit, the lower end of the conduit being fluidly connected to the first pump, the conduit being constructed and arranged to rise monotonically from the lower end to the upper end; as well as A brewing station has a brewing basket with an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being fluidly connected to the upper end of the conduit and having a receiver platform positioned to receive fluid from the outlet.

2. The beverage making machine of claim 1, further comprising a flow meter fluidly connected to the first pump and the heating unit.

3. The beverage making machine according to claim 1 further includes a temperature sensor adjacent to the upper end of the conduit, the temperature sensor being operatively connected to the first pump via a controller, the temperature sensor providing a temperature signal to the controller, and the controller controlling the operation of the first pump based on the temperature signal.

4. The beverage making machine according to claim 3, wherein: The temperature sensor is a negative temperature coefficient sensor NTC.

5. The beverage making machine of claim 3, further comprising an accumulator fluidly connected to the heating unit conduit and a second pump fluidly connected between the accumulator and the brew basket, the second pump operatively connected to the controller.

6. The beverage making machine according to claim 5, wherein: The second pump is configured to operate at a higher volumetric flow rate than the first pump.

7. The beverage making machine according to claim 1, wherein: The brew basket is configured to receive a pod.

8. The beverage making machine according to claim 1, wherein: The brewing station is a first brewing station and wherein a second brewing station with a second inlet and a second outlet is mounted to the housing.

9. A beverage making machine comprising: case; a fluid reservoir mounted to the housing; a first pump fluidly coupled to the fluid reservoir; a heating unit comprising a V-shaped conduit having an upper end and a lower end, and an adjacent heating element advancing along a path defined by the conduit, the lower end of the conduit being fluidly connected to the first pump, the conduit being constructed and arranged to rise monotonically from the lower end to the upper end; a negative temperature coefficient sensor NTC mounted directly adjacent to the upper end of the heating unit conduit; a brewing station having a brewing basket with an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being fluidly connected to the upper end of the conduit and the brewing station also having a receiver platform positioned to receive fluid from the outlet; as well as A controller is operatively connected to the heating unit, the first pump, and the negative temperature coefficient sensor NTC, so that temperature data detected by the negative temperature coefficient sensor NTC is transmitted to the controller, and an operating speed of the pump is adjusted by the controller based on the data from the negative temperature coefficient sensor NTC.

10. The beverage making machine of claim 9, further comprising a flow meter fluidly connected to the first pump and the heating unit.

11. The beverage making machine of claim 10, further comprising an accumulator fluidly connected to the heating unit conduit and a second pump fluidly connected between the accumulator and a brew basket, the second pump being operatively connected to the controller.

12. The beverage making machine according to claim 11, wherein: The second pump is configured to operate at a higher volumetric flow rate than the first pump.

13. The beverage making machine according to claim 9, wherein: The brew basket is configured to receive a pod.

14. The beverage making machine according to claim 9, wherein: The brewing station is a first brewing station and wherein a second brewing station with a second inlet and a second outlet is mounted to the housing.

15. A beverage making machine comprising: case; a fluid reservoir mounted to the housing; a first pump fluidly coupled to the fluid reservoir; a heating unit comprising a V-shaped conduit having an upper end and a lower end, and an adjacent heating element advancing along a path defined by the conduit, the lower end of the conduit being fluidly connected to the first pump, the conduit being constructed and arranged to rise monotonically from the lower end to the upper end; an accumulator in fluid connection with the heating unit conduit; a second pump fluidly connected to the accumulator; a brewing station having a brewing basket with an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being fluidly connected to the upper end of the conduit and the brewing station also having a receiver platform positioned to receive fluid from the outlet; as well as A controller is operatively connected to the heating unit, the first pump, and the second pump.

16. A beverage making machine according to claim 15, wherein: A fluid flow path between the fluid reservoir and the accumulator reaches a height above the accumulator.

17. A beverage making machine according to claim 16, wherein: The fluid flow path reaches a height equal to or above a fill line on the fluid reservoir.

18. A method for brewing a beverage by drip filtration, the method comprising the following steps: (a) providing a beverage making machine, the beverage making machine comprising: a housing; a fluid reservoir, the fluid reservoir being mounted to the housing; a first pump, the first pump being fluidly coupled to the fluid reservoir; a heating unit, the heating unit comprising a V-shaped conduit fluidly connected to the first pump and an adjacent heating element advancing along a path defined by the conduit, the conduit being constructed and arranged to rise monotonically from a lower end of the conduit to an upper end of the conduit; a second pump, the second pump being fluidly connected to the conduit of the heating unit; a brewing chamber, the brewing chamber having an inlet fluidly connected to the second pump, an outlet, and a receiver platform positioned to receive fluid from the outlet; (b) activating the heating unit; (c) pumping water from the fluid reservoir through a conduit of the heating unit by the first pump while the heating unit heats the water; (d) pumping water from the second pump to the brewing basket via the second pump; (e) deactivating the heating unit while steps (c) and (d) are still being performed; and (f) deactivating the first pump after step (e); Wherein, step (d) continues after steps (e) and (f) are executed.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein: The beverage making machine further comprises an accumulator fluidly connected between the heating unit conduit and the second pump.

20. The method according to claim 18, wherein: Step (b) is performed before step (c).

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein: Step (c) is performed before step (d).

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein: The beverage making machine further comprises a controller operatively connected to the heating unit, the first pump and the second pump, and wherein the controller controls the performance of steps (b)-(f).

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein: The beverage making machine further comprises a flow meter fluidly connected between the fluid reservoir and the heating unit.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein: The controller generates a signal to initiate step (e) when the flow meter detects that a predetermined flow volume has passed through the flow meter.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein: Step (c) comprises pumping the fluid at a lower volumetric flow rate than step (d).

26. The method of claim 18, wherein: Step (d) is performed sufficiently before step (e) so that the temperature of the water flowing from the heating conduit to the second pump is reduced by 2 to 25°C.

27. The method according to claim 18, wherein: Step (c) is performed in a pulsed manner.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein: The beverage making machine further comprises a temperature sensor associated with the heating unit, the temperature sensor being operatively connected to the controller, and wherein the controller controls the operating speed of the first pump in step (c) based on a signal from the temperature sensor.

29. A beverage making machine comprising: case; a fluid reservoir mounted to the housing; a first pump fluidly coupled to the fluid reservoir; a heating unit comprising a V-shaped conduit fluidly connected to the first pump and an adjacent heating element advancing along a path defined by the conduit, the conduit being constructed and arranged to rise monotonically from a lower end of the conduit to an upper end of the conduit; a second pump fluidly connected to a conduit of the heating unit; a brewing station having a brewing basket with an inlet and an outlet, the inlet being fluidly connected to the upper end of the conduit and the brewing station also having a receiver platform positioned to receive fluid from the outlet; as well as a controller operatively connected to the first pump, the second pump, and the heating unit, the controller being configured to: activating the heating unit; when the heating unit heats water, activating the first pump to pump water from the fluid reservoir through a conduit of the heating unit; activating the second pump to pump water from the second pump to the brew basket; deactivating the heating unit when the first pump and the second pump are activated; as well as When the second pump is activated, the first pump is deactivated.

30. The beverage making machine of claim 29, further comprising an accumulator fluidly connected between the heating unit conduit and the second pump.

31. The beverage making machine of claim 29, wherein: The controller is configured to activate the heating unit before activating the first pump.

32. The beverage making machine of claim 29, wherein: The controller is configured to activate the first pump before activating the second pump.

33. The beverage making machine of claim 29, wherein: The beverage making machine further comprises a flow meter fluidly connected between the fluid reservoir and the heating unit.

34. A beverage making machine according to claim 33, wherein: The controller generates a signal to deactivate the heating unit when the flow meter detects that a predetermined flow volume has passed through the flow meter.

35. A beverage making machine according to claim 33, wherein: The first pump is configured to operate at a lower volumetric flow rate than the second pump.

36. A beverage making machine according to claim 33, wherein: The controller is configured to deactivate the heating unit sufficiently prior to deactivating the first pump so that the temperature of water from the heating conduit to the second pump decreases by 2 to 25°C.

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