Coffee machine for hot and iced coffee

Abstract

The coffee machine includes a hot water source for supplying hot water for brewing coffee, a warming plate for heating a container for receiving coffee, and a heating element for heating both the water in the hot water source and the warming plate. The coffee machine also includes a removable insulating member for insulating the warming plate from the container, which insulating the warming plate from the container in an iced coffee setting and which is removed from the warming plate in a hot coffee setting.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 297,488, filed January 7, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The present invention relates to a coffee machine that can be used to make both hot and iced coffee. [Background technology]

[0003] Many coffee machines are designed not only to brew coffee but also to keep it warm. Therefore, many coffee machines incorporate a heating pad or plate at their base. Thus, hot water is supplied to the brewing chamber, where the coffee is brewed and dispensed. A carafe or other container for receiving the coffee within the machine is placed on top of the heating pad and below the dispenser that dispenses the coffee from the brewing chamber.

[0004] Many of these coffee machines are provided with a single heating element to heat both the water and the warming plate for brewing the coffee, which is preferable when brewing hot coffee. However, if a user wants to use such a coffee machine to make iced coffee, they may want to fill the container with ice so that the freshly brewed coffee cools quickly. The coffee is still brewed as hot coffee and then cooled after being dispensed into the container. If the warming plate is activated, the ice in the container melts. Therefore, even if the warming plate is deactivated after the brewing process is complete, the ice will melt before the brewed coffee is received.

[0005] Furthermore, since one heating element is used both to heat the water and to heat the warming plate, the coffee machine cannot heat the water without activating the warming plate.

[0006] There is a need for a coffee machine that can provide the benefits of a warming plate for hot coffee, the ability to brew iced coffee, and the efficiency of using a single heating element for both the warming plate and the brew chamber. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In some embodiments, the coffee machine comprises a hot water source for providing hot water for brewing coffee, a warming plate for heating a container for receiving coffee, and a heating element for heating both the water in the hot water source and the warming plate, and a removable insulating member for insulating the warming plate from the container, the removable insulating member insulating the warming plate from the container in an iced coffee setting, and the removable insulating member being removed from the warming plate in a hot coffee setting.

[0008] In some embodiments, the removable insulating member is a silicone pad. In some embodiments, the removable insulating member is The removable heat insulating member has a flat plate shape that fits along the surface of the heat insulating plate, and at least one surface of the removable heat insulating member has The warming plate is textured to form an air pocket between the warming plate and the container. The plurality of first air pockets are separated from each other.

[0009] In some embodiments, the warming plate has a raised edge, and the insulating member is sized to fit within the raised edge. In some such embodiments, the container is also provided, the container having a base sized to fit within the raised edge, the container having a body with a cross-sectional area larger than the area within the raised edge, and a shoulder connecting the body and the base.

[0010] In some embodiments, the coffee machine further comprises a water source, the hot water source comprising a hose extending from the water source to the brewing chamber, a portion of the hose being integrated with or located adjacent to the heating element, such that the water in the hose is heated before it reaches the brewing chamber.

[0011] In some such embodiments, the heating element is disposed between the portion of the hose and the thermal plate, hi some such embodiments, the heating element is an elongated element secured to the underside of the thermal plate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 shows a coffee machine according to the present disclosure with a container positioned to receive coffee; FIG.

[0013] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows the coffee machine of FIG. 1 in a hot coffee setting with the container removed.

[0014] [Figure 3] FIG. 2 shows the coffee machine of FIG. 1 in an iced coffee setting.

[0015] [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram showing a heat insulating member used in the coffee machine of FIG. 1. FIG.

[0016] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the heat insulating member of FIG.

[0017] [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the coffee machine of FIG. 1;

[0018] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a portion including a heating element in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] The description of illustrative embodiments according to the principles of the present disclosure is intended to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. Any reference to direction or orientation in the description of the embodiments disclosed herein is for convenience of description only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. Relative terms such as "bottom," "upper," "horizontal," "vertical," "upper," "lower," "up," "downward," "top," and "bottom," as well as derivatives thereof (e.g., "horizontally," "downward," "upwardly," etc.), should be interpreted as referring to the orientation as indicated in the description or drawings at that time. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that a device be configured or operated in a particular orientation, unless explicitly indicated. Similarly, "mounted," "fixed," "connected," "coupled," "interconnected," and similar terms refer to a fixed or attached relationship of structures to each other, either directly or indirectly through intervening structures or movable or fixed attachment members or connections, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, the features and advantages of the present invention are illustrated by reference to the illustrated embodiments. Therefore, the present invention should not be limited to the embodiments that illustrate some possible and non-limiting combinations of features that may exist alone or in combination with other features, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the claims appended hereto.

[0020] This disclosure describes the best mode of carrying out the presently contemplated invention. This description is not intended to be understood in a limiting sense, but provides examples of the disclosure presented solely for illustrative purposes, with reference to the accompanying drawings, to advise those skilled in the art of the advantages and configuration of the present disclosure. In the various views of the drawings, like reference numerals indicate like or similar parts.

[0021] Figure 1 shows a coffee machine 100 according to the present disclosure with a container 110, such as a carafe, positioned to receive coffee from the brewing chamber 610. Figure 2 shows the coffee machine 100 in a hot coffee setting with the container 110 removed. Figure 3 shows the coffee machine 100 in an iced coffee setting.

[0022] Figure 4 shows a heat insulating member 400 used in the coffee machine 100 of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the heat insulating member 400.

[0023] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the coffee machine 100 of Figure 1. Figure 7 is an enlarged view of a portion of the cross-sectional view of Figure 6, including the heating element 600.

[0024] As shown, the coffee machine 100 includes a container 110 for receiving brewed coffee, a hot water source 120 for supplying hot water for brewing, a warming plate 130 for heating the container 110, and a heating element 600 for heating both the water in the hot water source 120 and the warming plate 130.

[0025] The coffee machine 100 further includes a removable insulating member 400 for insulating the warming plate 130 from the container 110. The coffee machine 100 then has a hot coffee setting as shown in Figure 2 with the removable insulating member 400 removed to expose the warming plate 130. The coffee machine 100 also has a separate iced coffee setting as shown in Figure 3. In this setting, the removable insulating member 400 is provided on the warming plate 130 and the container 110 is placed on the removable insulating member so that the container is insulated from the warming plate by the removable insulating member.

[0026] The removable insulating member 400 may be a pad formed from an insulating material such as silicone, and may further be textured to form a plurality of air pockets 410 between the warming plate 130 and the container 110 when the coffee machine 100 is in the iced coffee setting of Figure 3.

[0027] In some embodiments, such as the one shown, the warming plate 130 of the coffee machine 100 has a raised edge 140. The raised edge 140 defines the area of ​​the warming plate 130, and the removable insulating member 400 is sized to fit within the raised edge 140.

[0028] In some embodiments, the container 110 is provided as part of the coffee machine 100 and comprises a base 150 sized to fit within the raised lip 140 of the warming plate 130. The base area of ​​the base 150 is therefore equal to or less than the area of ​​the warming plate 130. The container 110 further comprises a body 160 having a cross-sectional area greater than the area of ​​the warming plate 130, and a shoulder 170 connecting the body 160 and the base 150.

[0029] The internal components of the coffee machine 100 are shown in cross section in Figures 6 and 7, whereby the heating element 600 Heat retention plate ( heating pad ) You can see that it is placed below 130.

[0030] The hot water source 120 receives unheated water from a water source 125. Such a water source may be a water line attached to the coffee machine 100 or, as in the illustrated embodiment, a water heater integrated into the coffee machine. Water source ( Water tank ) 125. The hot water source 120 typically comprises a hose extending from the water source 125 to the brewing chamber 610. A portion 620 of the hose 120 is integrated with or positioned adjacent to the heating element 600 so that as the water travels from the water source 125 to the brewing chamber, the water in the hose is heated before reaching the brewing chamber 610.

[0031] As shown, the heating element 600 is generally positioned between a portion 620 of the hose 120 and the thermal plate 130. That is, the portion 620 of the hose 120 is spaced from the thermal plate 130 by the heating element 600.

[0032] In some embodiments, the heating element 600 may be an elongated element secured to the underside of the thermal plate 130. The heating element 600 may be a resistive element, and the elongated configuration allows a portion 620 of the hose 120 to extend a longer distance alongside the heating element so that heat can be transferred from the heating element to the water in the hose. Similarly, the elongated nature of the heating element 600 allows the heating element to contact or be secured to the underside of the thermal plate 130 over a larger area.

[0033] In use, water to be used as the brewing liquid is drawn from the water source 125 and enters the hose of the hot water source 120. The water passes through a portion 620 of the hose 120 adjacent the heating element 600 and is heated thereby. The water is then supplied to the brewing chamber 610 and used to brew coffee within the brewing chamber 610.

[0034] When a container 110 is placed in the coffee machine 100, such a container 110 normally pushes up the supply valve 630. When coffee is being brewed in the brewing chamber 610, or if coffee has already been brewed, the coffee is supplied to the container 110 via the supply valve 630. When the coffee machine 100 is set to hot coffee, the coffee is supplied to the container 110, where it is kept warm by the warming plate 130. When the coffee machine 100 is set to iced coffee, the coffee is poured into a container which normally contains ice and which is insulated from the warming plate 130 by the removable insulation member 400.

[0035] While the present invention has been described at some length and with certain particularity in terms of several illustrated embodiments, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to those particulars, embodiments, or specific embodiments, but rather should be interpreted with reference to the appended claims so as to provide the broadest possible interpretation of such claims in view of the prior art and thus effectively encompass the intended scope of the invention. Moreover, while the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments that were contemplated by the inventors and for which enabling descriptions were available, substantial variations of the invention not presently anticipated may also represent equivalents of the present invention.

Claims

1. a hot water source for supplying hot water for brewing coffee; A warming plate to warm the container that receives the coffee, a heating element for heating both the water in the hot water source and the warming plate; a removable insulating member for insulating the heat retention plate from the container; the removable insulating member insulates the warming plate from the container in an iced coffee setting; the removable insulating member is removed from the warming plate in a hot coffee setting; The removable insulating member is a flat plate that fits along the surface of the heat-retaining plate, and at least one surface of the removable insulating member is textured to form a plurality of air pockets between the heat-retaining plate and the container, each of the plurality of air pockets being separated from one another. A coffee machine characterized by:

2. The removable heat insulating member is a silicone pad. Coffee machine according to claim 1 .

3. the heating plate has a raised edge; The removable insulating member is sized to fit within the raised edge. Coffee machine according to claim 1 .

4. The container is provided the container has a base sized to fit within the raised lip; the container has a body with a cross-sectional area greater than the area within the raised rim; The container has a shoulder connecting the body and the base. Coffee machine according to claim 3 .

5. Furthermore, it has a water source, the hot water source includes a hose extending from the water source to the brewing chamber; A portion of the hose is integrated with or positioned adjacent to the heating element so that the water in the hose is heated before reaching the extraction chamber. Coffee machine according to claim 1 .

6. The heating element is disposed between the portion of the hose and the heat retention plate. Coffee machine according to claim 5.

7. The heating element is an elongated element fixed to the underside of the warming plate. Coffee machine according to claim 6.

8. The plurality of air pockets are a plurality of first air pockets formed on a surface of the removable heat insulating member facing the container; a plurality of second air pockets machined on the surface of the removable heat insulating member facing the heat retention plate; Coffee machine according to claim 1 .

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