Abstract: An apparatus for brewing a selected quantity of a brewed beverage comprises a water heater tank having a heating element, a water supply line having an inlet valve and an outlet disposed within the water heater tank adjacent the bottom, a water level sensor mounted within the water heater tank to activate the inlet valve when the level of water within the tank is below a controlled water level, and a temperature control to maintain water in a region adjacent the controlled water level within a predetermined temperature range. A brew chamber retains product therein. Heated brew water passes through the product in order to extract flavor therefrom. The heated brew water passes from the brew chamber into the brewed beverage container. A heated brew water outlet is disposed in water dispensing relation to the brew chamber and has a brew water valve to control the flow of heated brew water therefrom.

Abstract: An integrated circuit has an input protection device including a bipolar transistor to shunt current away from sensitive areas of the circuit during an e.s.d. event. The bipolar transistor includes floating electrodes on the base to define an equipotential base region so that the effective size of the emitter, and hence the currently handling capability of the transistor, is increased.