Abstract: A grinder (30) has a toolessly attached ingredient hopper assembly (50) overlying a toolessly attached fixed grinding burr (134) defining the top of a grind chamber (158) within which is received a mating rotary grinding burr (150) that is slidably mounted to a rotary drive motor (154) for adjustment relative to the fixed grinding burr (134). Adjustment is achieved automatically by control of a stepper motor (168) that pushes on the end of an elongate member (151) passing through a hollow rotary drive axle (152) and carrying the rotary grinding burr (150) at an opposite end.

Abstract: A beverage dispenser has a container for beverage fluid that has a flat bottom that is above a space large enough to place a glass or cup. The container has a sidewall and a top edge of an open container that has a removable lid. A pair of actuator guards are on either side of a space near but below the top edge of the container where an actuator is located that projects through a notch in the top edge, plunging downwardly inside the inner wall of the container sidewall and jutting straight out to form a fork. This fork selectively holds a plunger that has a long shaft and plug that fits into a hole in the bottom wall of the container. This hole and plug form a valve. The valve can be opened when the actuator is depressed between the actuator guards towards the container's sidewall, which pivots the fork upwardly which in turn lifts the plunger and plug to open the valve for dispensation.

Abstract: A beverage brewer (10) with a temperature selectable dispense system having an on-demand hot water heating chamber assembly (30) with a hot water chamber body (86) having a volume substantially less than the volume of beverage brewed during a single brew cycle, a heating element (98) to quickly and substantially alter the water temperature in the chamber body during a single brew cycle and a microprocessor controller (38) for controlling the heating element in response to temperature sensors (40, 42). The controller (38) controls the brewer (10) to brew different types of beverages, with dispense water at different preselected temperatures in response to a manually actuatable switch (72, 74, 76 and 78). 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.

Abstract: Beverage ingredient filter (10) having a inwardly located, filtering, section (12) of water permeable filter paper (11) and an outwardly located, water impervious, nonfiltering outer section (14) joined to the surrounding the inner filtering section (12). The beverage ingredient filter (10) is made by forming, from water permeable paper filter stock having a porous structure, the inner section (12) defining the bottom surrounded by the outer section (14) defining an encircling cylindrical wall, and altering the outer section (14) to render the outer portion (14) water impermeable. Altering may be performed by dimensionally reducing the porous structure of the outer section relative to the inner section until it is substantially water impervious relative to the inner section (12), securing together the porous structure after the porous structure has been dimensionally reduced, and holding the outer section in a dimensionally reduced, nonporous state relative to the inner section.

Abstract: A dispensing urn assembly (10, 10?) with a hollow body (12) with an interior surface for containing beverage (14) and a manually operable faucet (16) for selectively dispensing beverage (14) from the bottom of hollow body with an electronic status display assembly (50) controlled by a microcomputer (62) in response to a temperature probe (44), a level probe (42) and a timer reset switch (46) to provide graphic displays (64,68, 72), numerical displays (66,70, 74) of the temperature, quantity and time elapsed or remaining since the brewing of the beverage and light indication displays (55,57, 59) when preselected values are achieved.

Abstract: A dual-purpose brewer assembly with a brewing assembly including, within a housing (11), operator inputs (29), a hot water dispenser system (25) for dispensing hot water from a source of hot water (23) to a dispense outlet located above a removable brew basket assembly (18) with an electromagnetically controlled outlet drain valve (44) for selectively blocking beverage from leaving the brew basket (18) during a seeping period when making tea and leaves a drain hole (41) open throughout a brew cycle when making coffee. A drain plug (42) made of magnetic or ferromagnetic material is moved by an electromagnetic field to an open position (FIG. 6) in which a drain passageway (45) is not blocked when it is desired to drain the brew basket (18) of beverage and is allowed to fall to a closed position (FIG. 5) when electromagnetic field is allowed to collapse during a seeping period.

Abstract: An insulated brew basket assembly (12) having a metallic brew basket body (54) with an external surface covering non-metallic, insulating material (62) having a heat conductivity characteristic that is significantly less than that of the metal of the basket body (54), such as an insulating coating adhered to the inside, the outside or both the inside and the outside of the surrounding wall, an internal insulating liner fixedly or releasably attached to the surrounding wall at the inside or a releasably or permanently attached insulating jacket covering the outside of the surrounding side wall.

Abstract: A grinder (30) has a toolessly attached ingredient hopper assembly (50) overlying a toolessly attached fixed grinding burr (134) defining the top of a grind chamber (158) within which is received a mating rotary grinding burr (150) that is slidably mounted to a rotary drive motor (154) for adjustment relative to the fixed grinding burr (134). Adjustment is achieved automatically by control of a stepper motor (168) that pushes on the end of an elongate member (151) passing through a hollow rotary drive axle (152) and carrying the rotary grinding burr (150) at an opposite end.

Abstract: A hot beverage brewer (10) having a hot water dispense system (12), a brew basket assembly (18) for holding ingredient to be mixed with the hot water to make a freshly brewed hot beverage and a controller (16) for controlling the delivery of hot water from the hot water dispenser system to the brew basket (18) with a spray distribution assembly (14) having a spray head (20) having a generally vertical passageway (22) for receipt of hot water and a spray plate (38) with a an umbrella-like body (34) with a downwardly, outwardly tapered top with radiating, outwardly, downwardly directed, upwardly facing grooves and an upwardly standing central core (58) snuggly received within the passageway (22) joined to the top of the umbrella-like member (34) with a plurality of radially, outwardly facing grooves (68) extending from the top to the bottom to form a plurality of peripheral closed channels for passing hot water to upwardly facing grooves (74) of the umbrella-like body.

Abstract: An airpot beverage dispenser (10) having a composite dispense tube (40) with an exterior outlet (44) adjacent a top of a hollow body (20) and an interior inlet (110) located adjacent a bottom (16) for passing beverage (36) from adjacent the bottom (16) to the outlet when the interior of the hollow body (20) is pressurized has a brew-through assembly with a cover body (24) for substantially closing the open top (18) except for a centrally located brew-through passageway (95) substantially smaller than the open top (18) and extending between an upwardly facing exterior brew-through inlet (30) and an interior outlet (102) that passes through a central passageway extending through a double-walled bellows (74) or extends past a plurality of bellows (FIG. 16, 114) that are laterally spaced from the passageway has an electronic display (48) for indicating a plurality of levels of the beverage (36) within the hollow body and a resistive (FIGS. 11-14) or capacitive (FIG.

Abstract: An insulated beverage dispenser (10) with an outer housing (24) having reinforcing cavities (86) and reinforcing ribs (88) on a canted surface (92) of a top closure (78) with a peripheral edge that is sealed to a cylindrical outer housing body, and a cylindrical reinforcing collar to resist distortion that is fitted over an integrally formed inner liner (48) in spaced relationship to provide a gap (52) that is evacuated to approximately 8%.

Abstract: A beverage urn (10) with a thin-walled glass body (12) having a flat bottom (14), a cylindrical containment section (16) and a cylindrical neck (22) with a circular top edge (24) surrounding a top opening (26) and an outwardly downwardly body section (18) extending from the bottom of the neck (22) to the top of the cylindrical containment section (16). Attached to the outwardly extending body section (18) and overlying the top opening (26) is a handle assembly (28) with an L-shaped handle (40) carried by a mounting body (30) that protectively overlies the circular top edge (24) and surrounds the cylindrical neck (22) in protective spaced relationship. The handle assembly (28) is secured to the outwardly extending body section (18) by means of a mating set of ratchet gear teeth (52,54) respectively carried by mating connection portions of an internal mounting ring (44) and the mounting body (30).

Abstract: A multicontrolled, fresh beverage brewer (20) with a dispense manifold heater (104) for selectively instantaneously heating pre-heated hot water from a hot water tank (29) immediately before the preheated hot water is dispensed into the brew basket (49) in sensed temperature of the beverage within the brew basket the preheated water immediately prior to being added to the brew basket, a photosensor (106) for sensing a level of light conductance of the beverage for controlling at least one of a brew dispense valve (37), a bypass valve (38) and a brew basket drain hole closure (94) in response to photosensor sensing a level of light conductance level of the beverage, and brew basket pressurization system (50, 69, 51) for selectively pressurizing the brew basket (49) to selectively accelerate the flow rate of hot water though an ingredient within the brew basket.

Abstract: A method of brewing hot beverage in an drip-type, electric brewer having a brew basket assembly (10) with an outer protective basket made of insulating plastic (12) and an inner basket made of stainless steel (14) nestled within the outer protective basket (12) with a drain hole (30) located opposite an open outlet (20). A removable wire brew basket (32) is supported by four support members (31 ) at the inside surface of the inner bottom (26), and a flow valve (34) is protectively mounted to the inner basket (14) between the open outlet (20) and the drain hole (30) for selectively restricting the drain hole (30) to control a rate of flow of beverage though the drain hole (30) and the open outlet (20). The outer basket insulates the hot beverage within the inner basket to reduce the risk of burning any users who may touch the outside of the brew basket, and the flow valve is adjusted for different rates when different beverages, such as tea and coffee, require different rates for optimum brewing.

Abstract: A brew basket assembly 10 with an outer protective basket made of insulating plastic (12) and an inner basket made of stainless steel (14) nestled within the outer protective basket (12) with a drain hole (30) located opposite an open outlet (20). A removable wire brew basket (32) is supported by four support members (31) at the inside surface of the inner bottom (26), and a flow valve (34) is protectively mounted to the inner basket (14) between the open outlet (20) and the drain hole (30) for selectively restricting the drain hole (30) to control a rate of flow of beverage though the drain hole (30) and the open outlet (20). The outer basket insulates the hot beverage within the inner basket to reduce the risk of burning any users who may touch the outside of the brew basket, and the flow valve is adjusted for different rates when different beverages, such as tea and coffee, require different rates for optimum brewing.

Abstract: A mixing drink dispenser (10) having a source of water (26) for mixing with a beverage ingredient in a hopper (12) to make a drink having a tooless removable mixing chamber assembly (34) with cylindrical upper body 130 for receipt of beverage ingredient and water and vertical axis, high rotation mixing propellers (36, 180, 182) and a lower section with a slanted bottom (164) joined to and in open fluid communication with the upper section and having a non-closable beverage outlet (148) for free, unobstructed passage of freshly mixed beverage out of the mixing chamber assembly (34) and into a beverage container (46). The propellers (36, 180, 183) are driven by a motor (39) with a drive axle extending through a non-sealed opening in the slanted bottom (164) and removably linked to the propellers via a magnetic linkage (166, 170).

Abstract: A hot beverage brewer (20) with an auto-directive brewer controller (22) that controls enabling and revealing of a plurality of hidden, or phantom, switches (39, 40, 42, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60). Signals from disabled switches are ignored by a microcomputer (24), and the operator is directed to only the hidden switches that are enabled by selectively revealing them with individually associated backlights (39?, 40?, 42?, 48?, 50?, 54?, 56?, 58?, and 60?). 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.

Abstract: A method of inventorying electrically powered beverage brewers (104) includes the steps of making an electrically powered beverage brewer model (104) that is capable of operating with either single-phase electrical power or two-phase electrical power, without alteration after completion of manufacture, though selective use of a power connection adapter (112), and assigning only a single one of one of (a) a model number, (b) an inventory stock number or (c) a stock keeping unit number or (d) any inventory control number that uniquely distinguishes the model without reference to the type of power required and using at least one of the numbers for at least one of (a) inventory control, (b) ordering, (c) selecting a warehouse storage location.

Abstract: A method of brewing a fresh, hot beverage in a beverage brewer (10) having a brew basket (18) for holding ingredient to be brewed and a dispensing spray head (12) for passing water onto a top surface of a layer of ingredient supported within the brew basket (18) during a dispense period of a brew cycle uses a temperature selectable dispense system having an on-demand hot water heating chamber assembly (30) with a hot water chamber (86) having a volume substantially less than the volume of beverage brewed during a single brew cycle. An electrical heating element (98) of sufficient power quickly and substantially alters the temperature of the water in the chamber during a single brew cycle and a microprocessor controller (38) for controlling the heating element in response to temperature sensors (40, 42) to control the heating element (98) to selectively change the temperature of the hot water dispensed to the brew basket (18) during a single brew cycle.

Abstract: A beverage brewer (10) having a brew basket (18) for holding ingredient to be brewed and a dispensing spray head (12) for passing water onto a top surface of a layer of ingredient supported within the brew basket (18) during a dispense period of a brew cycle is provided with a temperature selectable dispense system having an on-demand hot water heating chamber assembly (30) with a hot water chamber (86) having a volume substantially less than the volume of beverage brewed during a single brew cycle, an electrical heating element (98) of sufficient power to quickly and substantially alter the temperature of the water in the chamber during a single brew cycle and a microprocessor controller (38) for controlling the heating element in response to temperature sensors (40, 42) to control the heating element (98) to selectively change the temperature of the hot water dispensed to the brew basket (18) during a single brew cycle.