Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2 ~ ~ ~
WH-7971-90 - 1 -
~IT~; COFFEE MA~E~
FIELD OF THE INV~NTION
The present invention relates to devices for making
coffee and other similar hot beverages where water is dispensed
through certain particles and the resultant liquid is collected
therebelow. In particular, the invention relates to devices
which can operate as a combination dripolator/percolator.
BAC~G~OUND OF THE INVENTION
The brewing of hot beverages such as coffee and tea have
undergone numerous developments and many structures are shown
for the making thereof. With respect to the brewing of coffee,
a number of devices have been disclosed which fall into one of
two categories, either a percolator or a dripolator. Examples
of such devices can be found from the following United States
patents: United States Patent 4,448,113; United States Patent
4,381,696; United States Patent 4,721,034; United States Patent
3,935,804; and United States Patent 3,174,424. ~;
United States Patent 3,174,424 describes a device which
can operate either as a percolator or as a dripolator. This
structure does not operate on the principle of first acting as a
dripolator and, after completing that operation, functioning as
a percolator to complete the preparation steps.
There remains a need to provide an improved structure
which has the advantages of the fast dispensing time of a
dripolator in combination with the more efficient operation of a
percolator structure.
,
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention combines the advantages of a
dripolator with the efficiencies of a percolator while allowing
for a structure which is convenient to use. The combination
dripolator/percolator comprises a top water reservoir having a
heating element therein and a closable outlet adjacent the
bottom of the reservoir. A filter basket is placed benea~h the
:
2 ~ g ~
WH-7971-90 - 2 -
closable outlet for receiving water and for receiving material
such as coffee grounds through which the water will pass. The
filter basket includes an outlet port ~n the bottom thereof for
allowing the resulting liquid to pass therethrough and be
collected within a container located beneath the outlet port.
The container has an open top through which the fluid passes. A
percolator return arrangement is supported on the bottom of the
container, with this percolator return arrangement being
partially received within the filter means at a point generally
above the normal placement of the coffee grounds or like
material. A heating means is placed beneath the container for
heating of the fluid and causing the fluid to percolate up to
the filter means for a second pass through the particles. With
this arrangement, liquid is initially passed through the filter
means in the manner of a dripolator, whereafter the fluid is
returned to the filter means for a second passing through the
particles due to heating of the bottom of the container.
BRIEF DEscRIpTIQ~ OF TH~ D~ GS
Preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in the
drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the dripolator/
percolator;
Figure 2 is a sectional view through the dripolator/
percolator;
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the loading of
the device in preparation for the coffee making process;
Figures 4 and 5 are elevations showing the dripolator
function followed by the percolating function; and
Figure 6 is a schematic of the electric circuit used for
controlling the device.
D~8lhEn DE~BIe~lQN OF TH~ PREFERRED EMBO2IMEWTS
The combination dripolator/percolator 2 has a stand 4
which supports at the top thereof a water reservoir 6. This
water reservoir has an inlet 8 by means of which water fills the
, ~-: ;: , ' - ' . . ,
:" 2~3~.~
WH-7971-90 - 3 -
reser~oir and has a closable outle-t 10 at the bottom of the
reservoir which dispenses the heated water into the filter
basket 14. At the bottom of the closable outlet 10 is a water
dispersing head 12 which ensures proper distribution of the
water into the filter basket 14. The filter basket also
includes a handle 16 to allow convenient removal thereof as well
as a central port 18 for receiving a portion of the percolator ~:~
arrangement 40. The filter basket has an open top 20 for
receiving the water from the reservoir when it is dispensed.
The dispensed water strikes the coffee grounds 24, with the
resulting fluid passing out of the outlet port 22 of the filter
basket.
The combination dripolator/percolator 2 also includes a
container 30 for receiving and retaining the dispensed fluid,
with this container having an open top 32 sized for receiving
and supporting the lower portion of the filter basket 14. In
this way, the sidewalls of the filter basket engage the open top
32 and ensure that the fluid enters container 30.
The percolator 40 includes a domed base 42 which rests
on the bottom of the container 30 with a percolator tube 44
extending upwardly therefrom and passing through the central -~
port 18 of the filter basket 14 to at least the midway point of - ;-
the filter basket or greater, whereby fluid percolated through
the percolator arrangement passes up the percolator tube 44 and
enters the filter basket at a position above the coffee grounds
24. The base of the stand 4 includes a heating element 50 for
providing the energy necessary to cause the fluid to percolate
up the percolator arrangement and return to the filter basket.
Associated with the heating element 50 and the heating element 7
provided in the water reservoir 6, is an electric circuit
generally shown in Figure 6. Power is provided to the
combination dripolator/percolator with a power light indicator
identified as 52 and an on/off switch identified as 54.
As illustrated in Figure 3, coffee grounds are dispensed
in the filter basket 14 and the filter basket is placed or
supported by the container 30, with the percolator ~
.~,
rc~
2~8~
WH-7971-90 - ~ -
arrangement 40 being received in the container and extending
upwardly into the filter basket 1~. Once the coffee grounds
have been placed in the filter basket and the filter basket
placed on top of the container 30, the combination is placed in
the stand 4, as generally indicated in Figure 4. Water in the
reservoir 6 is then heated and when it reaches a temperature
approaching the boiling temperature of water, it is allowed to
dispense through the closable outlet 10, through the water
dispersing head 12 and into the filter basket 14. The dispersed
fluid then contacts the coffee grounds 24 and eventually passes
out of the filter basket 14 into the container 30.
After a predetermined time, the second stage of the
operation commences, as generally illustrated in Figure 5. In
this embodiment, heat is supplied to heating element 50
resulting in coffee percolating up the percolator arrangement 90
and being dispersed for a second time into the filter basket 14.
The fluid then continues to drip back into the container 30. As
can be appreciated, this arrangement should operate for
different brewing volumes, for example from 4 to 12 cups of
coffee, and the percolating function would vary in accordance
with the volume to be prepared. This is accomplished in the
present structure by monitoring the heat associated with the
electric heating element 50 to provide an estimate of the
temperature of the fluid in the container 30. When this fluid
reaches a predetermined temperature or a predetermined
temperature range, the percolating process is terminated. For
lesser volumes of fluid to be prepared, the percolating cycle
would therefore be shorter whereas with higher volumes, the
percolating cycle would be longer. In this way, the advantages
of the dripolator are achieved in combination with the
efficiency of a percolator. For example~ in a percolator
structure it is already known to increase the percolating time
in order to provide a strong cup of coffee and to reduce the
percolating time to provide a weaker cup of coffee. In the
present structure, the advantages of fast heat-up of the
dripolator are combined with the more efficient operation of the
~` 2 ~ 3 ~
WH-7971-90 - 5 -
percolator and less coffee grounds can be used with the
combination structure, as compared to the coffee grounds
required for the dripolator alone.
Circuit 100 includes a power supply, in this case
indicated as 102, being a 110 volt AC supply. An on/off switch
104 is provided which, in this case, corresponds to the on/off
switch 54 of Figures 1 through 5. When this switch is turned
on, the current begins to flow through the normally closed
contacts of the timer, generally indicated as 106. Associated
with switch 104 is a thermal switch or fuse 108 which acts as a
safety feature to shut down the unit if excessively high
temperatures are encountered. After passing through the timer
106, the current causes heater 110 to be activated which, in
this case, corresponds with heating element 7 shown in Figure 2.
This causes the water within the reservoir 6 to heat up and
approach the boiling temperature, at which point it is
dispensed. Associated with heater 110 is the thermal switch 112
which will disconnect heater 110 once a temperature at or
approaching the boiling temperature of water is reached. At
this point, the heated water and vapour located within the
reservoir is dispensed through the water dispersing head 12 via
the closable outlet 10 and enters the filter basket 14. The
resulting coffee solution, which ends up in container 30,
typically will be at about 70C. This temperature causes the
thermistor 114 associated with the heating element 116, which
corresponds to heating element 50 of Figure 2, to call for heat.
The microprocessor 118 receives this signal and triggers the
silicone control rectifier 120 to turn on heating element 116.
This results in the necessary heat being supplied to the bottom
of container 30 to effect a percolating action on the fluid
located within the container 30. This percolating action occurs
once the fluid has reached a particular temperature and results -
in the fluid going up the percolating arrangement, as generally
shown in Figure 5. This process continues by continuing to
supply power to heating element 116 until the temperature of the
coffee solution reaches approximately 97C. This temperature is
: -` 2 ~
WH-7971-90 - 6 -
sensed via the thermistor 114. At this point, the percolating
process is complete and heater 2 is shut off by means of the
microprocessor.
One additional feature is provided with the circuit,
namely that the temperature in the coffee pot is sensed and
should it fall below a predetermined temperature such as 80C,
the thermistor 114 triggers a response from the microprocessor
to cause heating of the fluid in the coffee pot to maintain the
temperature thereof, generally in a range of 80 to 85C, for a
total duration of about 30 minutes. The timer T1 keeps track of
the entire process and will shut down the unit when the 30
minute period, or other suitable period has been reached.
It is also possible to combine the two heating elements
H1 and H2 in Figure 6 can be combined into a single heater
located at the base of the coffee. In this case the water
accumulates in the bottom of the stand and is heated by a common
element in the base. The user pours in a further amount of
water at the top which due to gravity forces the heated water at
the base to disperse through the dispersion head. This approach
follows the traditional heating system for a dripolator.
With the present arrangement, it can be recognized that
the structure combines the advantages of a dripolator with the
more efficient operation of a percolator. In addition, simple
modifications can be made to the electric circuit to allow the
apparatus to work either solely as a percolator or solely as a
dripolator while still providing heat to the resulting f]uid in
container 30.Such modifications would exclude the dripolator
function by rendering heater H1 non effective during the first
cycle and in the case of a pure dripolator heater H2 would only
function to maintain the coffee or other liquid warm. Thus, the
apparatus allows three functions to occur, i.e. a dripolator
function, a percolating function, and a combination
dripolator/percolator function automatically controlled by the
electric circuit.
Although various preferred embodiments of the present
invention have been described herein in detail, it will be
2~2~2
: `
WH-7971-90 - 7 -
appreciated by those skilled in the art, that variations may be
made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention
or the scope of the appended cla~ms. :
