BEVERAGE BREWING SYSTEM

Abstract

A brewer system is adapted to brew a beverage utilizing a cartridge packed with beverage grind such as coffee, tea, milk, and the like. The brewer system may include a pump adapted to draw the fluid from either a reservoir or a heater tank utilizing a vacuum pump. The pump may pass the fluid to a brewing chamber adapted to receive the cartridge and inject the fluid into the cartridge to brew a beverage. The pump may draw the fluid from a tube having a first end and a second end, the first end may be coupled to the pump, and the second end of the tube adapted may draw the fluid. A portion of the tube may be elevated above the maximum fill line of the fluid within the reservoir or the heater tank. An air switch may be coupled to the portion of the tube such that atmospheric air may enter the portion of the tube through the switch after a predetermined amount of fluid has been pumped through the tube to purge the cartridge of beverage.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to four U.S. provisional application numbers: (1) 61/690,275, filed Jun. 22, 2012; (2) 61/849,236, filed Jan. 22, 2013; (3) 61/850,862, filed Feb. 25, 2013; and (4) 61/852,470 filed Mar. 15, 2013, which are all hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention is directed a beverage brewer system adapted to provide hot water through a cartridge adapted to make a predetermined beverage; and in particular, the beverage brewing system adapted to make coffee using the cartridge having a premeasured coffee grind therein.

2. Background

Brewing coffee through a single-serve cartridge has become popular for its convenience and a variety of coffee flavors that are offered. Single-serve cartridges are packed with pre-measured coffee grind that can be inserted into a brewer to inject heated water into the cartridge to brew a cup of coffee. In general, a single-serve coffee platform includes a brewer that is designed to work only with its proprietary cartridges with a variety of flavors. There are a number of single-serve coffee platforms in which consumers can choose from.

The success of the single-serve coffee platform may largely depend on the quality of the coffee taste and the variety of flavors the platform offers. In general, the suppliers of these different platforms offer a variety of cartridges with different strength, such as: mild, bold, extra bold roasted coffee; and with different flavorings, such as: vanilla, caramel, hazelnut, butter toffee, and etc., in an effort to please coffee drinkers with different tastes. This is largely because taste is subjective and different people have differing tastes.

There are many factors that can determine the taste of coffee; however, the temperature and flow rate of the water passing through the coffee grind can have significant impact on the coffee taste. In general, water temperature between 190-205° F. may be considered a desirable temperature range to brew a good balance tasting coffee. For instance, if the water temperature is below the desired temperature, the coffee may be under-extracted such that the coffee may taste sour. Conversely, if the water temperature is above the desired temperature, the coffee may be over-extracted such that the coffee may taste bitter. With regard to the flow rate, if the hot water passes through the coffee grind too quickly, then the coffee may be under-extracted; however, if the flow rate is too slow, then the coffee may be over-extracted. As such, there is a need for a brewer that can more precisely control the temperature and flow rate of the water.

Another concern is when the single-serve beverage cartridges are offered in commercial settings such as in offices and food service industry. In commercial settings, such as in the office services, the beverages may be serviced by a professional catering service that periodically restock the inventory of beverage cartridges at the offices. This, however, can be a time consuming process, since the professional catering service may need to contact the office manager prior to visiting to get an inventory of beverage cartridges it needs to restock the cartridges. This means that someone from the office may need to manually count the inventory of cartridges it has or does not have, and pass the information to the catering service. Alternatively, the catering service may need to carry the inventory with the truck and driver, and have the driver manually count the inventory, and restock the office. All of these manual operations may be an inefficient way of restocking the beverage cartridges. As such, an improved inventory management system is needed.

The single-serve beverage platform is largely a razor and razor blade business model, where the catering business may offer the brewer for free or at a low price with the understanding that the office customer will purchase the cartridges from the catering service. In certain situations, however, the office may purchase unauthorized cartridges from less expensive retailer to save costs. Unfortunately, such unauthorized purchase of the cartridges can have negative financial impact on the catering business.

INVENTION SUMMARY

This invention is directed a brewer system adapted to brew a beverage utilizing a cartridge packed with beverage grind. The brewer system may include a pump adapted to draw the fluid from either a reservoir or a heating tank. A brewing chamber may be adapted to receive the cartridge and inject the fluid from the pump into the cartridge to brew a beverage. A tube may be may be coupled to the pump to draw the fluid from the reservoir or the heating tank. An air switch may be coupled to a portion of the tube such that atmospheric air may enter the portion of the tube through the switch so that after a predetermined amount of fluid has been pumped through the tube, the pump draws air through the portion of the tube to purge the cartridge of beverage. The reservoir or the heater tank may be adapted to hold the fluid up to a maximum fill line, and the portion of the tube that is coupled to the air switch may be routed in such a way so that the portion of the tube is located above the maximum fill to substantially prevent the water from the reservoir or the heater tank to exit through the switch.

The brewing system may include a heating member adapted to heat the fluid flowing along a pathway from a first end to a second end of the heating member. The first end of the pathway may be fluidly coupled to the pump, and the second end of the pathway may be fluidly coupled to the brewing chamber. The heating member may be a tube heater that heats the fluid passing through therein.

The brewer system may also include a heater tank having an opening to allow air to pass therethrough so that the heated fluid may be drawn through the second end of the tube within the heater tank using a vacuum pump. A temperature sensor may measure the temperature of the fluid within the heater tank. A processor may adjust the temperature of the fluid within the heater tank and adjust the speed of the pump to adjust the flow rate of the fluid through the tube such that the temperature of the fluid is substantially controlled independent of the flow rate of the fluid provided to the brewing chamber. Independently controlling the temperature and the flow rate may brew a beverage with taste that may be best suited for the beverage drinker.

The brewer system may also include a processor communicably coupled to a reader adapted to read an indication mark on the cartridge. This may allow the processor to authenticate the indication mark on the cartridge, and if the processor determines that the indication mark is not authentic, then the processor may not operate the brewing system. With the authentication system, the brewer system may only work with authorized cartridges.

The invention may also include a method of brewing a beverage from a cartridge. The method may include, not in any particular order: (1) drawing a predetermined amount of fluid through an inlet end of a tube such as through the use of a vacuum pump; (2) passing the fluid from an outlet end of the tube to a brewing chamber adapted to receive the cartridge and inject the fluid into the cartridge; and (3) drawing air into the tube between the inlet and outlet ends after the predetermined amount of fluid has passed through the outlet end of the tube. The fluid from the outlet end of the tube may be passed through a tube heater to heat the fluid, and the heated fluid then may be passed to the brewing chamber. The temperature of the fluid exiting the tube heater may be controlled or adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the fluid passing through the tube heater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a beverage brewing system.

FIG. 2 shows the beverage brewing system of FIG. 1 in a different state.

FIG. 3 shows a user interface for the beverage brewing system.

FIG. 4 shows another user interface.

FIG. 5 shows a wireless user interface system.

FIG. 6 shows another beverage brewer system.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective outer view of a beverage brewer system.

FIG. 8 shows the beverage brewer system of FIG. 7 with its cover in an open position.

FIG. 9 shows a side view of the beverage brewer system of FIG. 1 with certain housing portions removed to show the placement of certain internal components.

FIG. 10 shows the beverage brewer system of FIG. 1 with its cover in a closed position.

FIG. 11 shows yet another beverage brewer system.

FIG. 12 shows still another beverage brewer system.

FIG. 13 shows an alternative beverage brewer system.

FIG. 14 shows a dual beverage brewer system.

FIG. 15 shows an authentication system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a beverage brewer system 10 having a reservoir 12 adapted to hold fluid such as liquid water to serve a plurality of different beverages such as coffee. The reservoir 12 may have an opening 14 to allow a user to pour liquid into the reservoir 12. The reservoir 12 may have a base 16 with a drain hole 18 to allow the liquid to flow therethrough. A first tube 20 may be coupled to the drain hole 18 to a first pump 22 adapted to pump the water in the reservoir 12 through a second tube 24.

The system 10 may include a heating member 26 adapted to receive the water from the second tube 24. The heating member 26 may be open to the atmosphere or it may be sealed to the atmosphere. In this embodiment, the heating member 26 may have an opening 27 so that the air in the heating member 26 may be displaced to the atmosphere as water enters the heating member 26 through the second tube 24. This allows the first pump 22 to utilize nominal power to pump water into the heating member 26 compared to a heating member that is substantially sealed to the atmosphere due to the rise in the pressure within the sealed heating member.

The heating member 26 may include a wall 28 that may partially divide the heating member 26 into a first section 30 and a second section 32. The second tube 24 may provide the water from the reservoir 12 into the first section 30. The heating member 26 may have a heating element 34 adapted to heat the water within the heating member 26. The heating element 34 may be juxtaposed to a basin 36 of the heating member 26, and positioned between the wall 28 and the basin 36. The heating member 26 may include a third tube 38 having a first end 40 and a second end 42.

The heating member 26 may have a first probe 44 and a second probe 49. The first probe 44 may have a first end 46 and a second end 48, and the second probe 46 may have a first end 50 and a second end 52. The first ends 46 and 50 of the first and second probes 44 and 46, respectively, may be adapted to detect water. The first end 40 may be located a distance X relative the basin 36, and the first end 46 may be located a distance Y relative to the basin 36, where Y may be less than X. The first end 50 may be juxtaposed to a cover 54 of the heating member 26. The heating member 26 may also include a temperature sensor 56 located juxtaposed to the first end 40 to approximate the temperature of the water near the first end 40.

The second end 42 of the third tube 38 may be fluidly coupled to a fourth tube 58 between first and second ends 60 and 62. The fourth tube 58 may have a switch 64 juxtaposed to the second end 62 adapted to open and close to the atmosphere. The second end 42 may be fluidly coupled to the fourth tube 58 between the switch 64 and the first end 60. The first end 60 may be coupled to a second pump 66 such that water from the third tube 38 may be pumped through a fifth tube 68 and into a brewing chamber 70. The brewer chamber 70 may be adapted to receive a cartridge 72 and pierce the top with a first needle 74, and pierce the bottom with a second needle 76. In certain applications where the cartridge is designed to be pierced the top cover with the mesh bottom, the brewer chamber 70 may only need to pierce the top cover.

The system 10 may include a controller 80 having a plurality of nodes 82 through 92, where the node 82 may be communicably coupled to the first pump 22, the node 84 may be communicably coupled to the temperature sensor 56, the node 86 may be communicably coupled to the second end 48, the node 88 may be communicably coupled to the second end 52, the node 90 may be communicably coupled to the switch 64, and the node 92 may be communicably coupled to the second motor 66.

When the system is initially turned on, the controller 80 may first determine if the first end 46 of the probe 44 detects water in the heating member 26. If not, the controller 80 may turn on the first pump 22 to provide water into the heating member 26 through the first and second tubes 20 and 24 as indicated by the direction arrows 27. Once the first end 46 of the probe 44 detects water, the controller may turn on the heater element 34 until the water temperature measurement from the sensor 56 reaches a predetermined water temperature. This may be done to prevent the heating element 34 from burning out due to little or no water in the heating member 26. Once the first end 50 of the second probe 49 detects water, the controller 80 may stop the first pump 22 since the heating member 26 may be substantially full of water, and to prevent over flow of water out of the heating member 26. The controller 80 may keep the heater element 34 on until the heating member 26 substantially full of water is heated to the predetermined temperature.

As the first pump 22 pumps water from the reservoir 12 into the first section 30, the wall 28 forces the water to flow through a path as indicated by the direction arrow 94 such that the cooler water from the reservoir 12 in the first section flows pass the heater element 34. This may allow the water in the second section 32 to be kept hotter relative to the water in the first section 30 to minimize the time to heat the water in the second section 32 to a desired temperature. Note that the volume of space in the second section 32 may be greater than the first section 30 so that the second section 32 may hold more water than the first section 30.

When the system 10 is on, the heating member 26 may be in a ready mode, where the water level within the heating member 26 may be at the first end 50 of the second probe 49 and the water temperature may be kept substantially near the predetermined temperature. For instance, if the water temperature within the heating member 26 drops below the predetermined temperature, the controller 80 may turn on the heating element 34 to raise the temperature again until the predetermined temperature is reached.

The controller 80 may receive input signals 94, 96, and 98 from a user interface, as discussed in more detail below. The input signal 94 may represent the desired temperature of the water, the input signal 96 may represent the desired flow rate of the water through the cartridge 72, and the input signal 98 may represent the desired volume of water or cup size. The controller may adjust the temperature of the water in the heating member 26 within the optimal temperature range, such as from about 185° F. to about 205° F. with 5° F. increments or 185° F., 190° F., 195° F., 200° F., and 205° F. In general, lower brewing temperature may result in more sour coffee taste, while higher brewing temperature may result in more bitter coffee taste.

The controller 80 may also adjust the flow rate of the water passing through coffee grind in the cartridge 72 from slow to fast, such as from about 60 seconds for an 8 oz cup of coffee to about 20 seconds for the same 8 oz cup of coffee in about 10 seconds of increments or 60, 50, 40, 30, and 20 seconds per 8 oz cup. In general, the range of flow rate mentioned above may be applicable to a cartridge containing about 10 to 12 grams of coffee grind, which may be appropriate to brew an 8 oz cup of coffee. Put differently, hot water passing through the coffee grind may be thought of as washing the coffee grind such that more time the hot water is in contact with the coffee grind, more thoroughly the coffee grind will get washed. However, if the coffee grind is over washed, the hot water is in contact with the coffee grind for too long, and over-extraction may occur, which may result in bitter coffee taste. Conversely, if the coffee grind is not washed enough, the hot water is in contact with the coffee grind for a short period of time, and under-extraction may occur, which may result in flat and sour coffee taste.

The amount of hot water relative to the amount of the coffee grind may also have an impact on the coffee taste. If too much water is used, the coffee may taste weak or water-downed, but if not enough water is used, then the coffee may taste too strong. As such, temperature, flow rate, and amount water used need to be balanced as they can all impact the taste of coffee, and with individual coffee drinkers having their own preference for coffee tastes, the temperature, flow rate, and cup size may be independently controlled to customize the coffee taste.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the following describes the process the controller 80 may go through to brew a cup of coffee with the heating member 26 in a ready mode, where the water level is at or near the first end 50 of the second probe 46, and the water temperature substantially at or near the predetermined temperature. In this example, the predetermined temperature may be set at 185° F. In general, a cartridge holds about 10 to 12 grams of coffee grind, which is sufficient to brew an 8 oz cup of coffee. For instance, if a user prefers a strong cup of coffee, the user may select the following: the input signal 94 with the temperature of 200° F.; the input signal 96 with the flow rate of 50 seconds per 8 oz; and the input signal 98 with the cup size of 7 oz. With these input signals, the controller 80 may turn on the heating element 34 until the temperature sensor 56 indicates that the water temperature is heated from the predetermined temperature of 185° F. to 200° F.

Once the desired temperature is reach, the controller 80 may turn off the heating element 34, and turn on the second pump 66, and close the switch 64 so that the second end 62 of the tube 58 is closed to the atmosphere. The second pump 66 may be a vacuum pump to draw the heated water within the heating member 26 out through the first end 40 of the third tube 38 as indicated by the direction arrow 29; and as the heated water is drawn out through the third tube 38, atmospheric air may enter the heating member 26 through the opening 27 to minimize the power needed from the second pump 66 to draw the heated water out of the heating member 26. With the switch 64 closed, the heated water flows through the first end 60 of the fourth tube 58 as indicated by the direction arrow 31 and out through the fifth tube 68 as indicated by the direction arrow 31, and injected into the cartridge 72 and exit from the brewing chamber 70 as indicated by the direction arrows 33.

Depending on the flow rate selected, the controller 80 may control the voltage supplied to the second pump 66 to control the speed of the motor; thus, the flow rate of the water. The controller 80 may keep track of the time the second pump 66 has been running and by multiplying the flow rate and the time, the controller 80 may determine the amount of heated water that has been pumped by the second pump 66. In this example, with the user selecting flow rate of 50 seconds/8 oz, and having selected 9 oz cup of coffee, the controller 80 may keep the second pump running for less than 50 seconds to fill the 7 oz cup of coffee.

FIG. 2 shows that once the controller 80 determines that the desired amount of heated water has been injected through the cartridge 72, the controller 80 may open the switch 64 to cause the air to enter through the second end 62 of the fourth tube 58 as indicated by the direction arrow 100. The second end 42 of the third tube 38 may be located above the cover 54 of the heating member 26 along the vertical axis when the system 10 is being used so that when the switch 64 is opened, the water in the third tube 38 substantially stops flowing. With the switch 64 opened, the second pump 66 may substantially pump air through the fourth and fifth tubes 58 and 68 as indicated by the direction arrows 100; and inject air through the cartridge 72 as indicted by the direction arrow 102 to substantially purge a top needle 104, and the remaining beverage within the cartridge 72 out through a bottom needle 106.

Once the purging is done, the controller 80 may close the switch 64 and prepare the heating member 26 to a ready mode again by turning on the first pump 22 until the probe 49 detects water at its first end 50. The controller 80 may simultaneously or sequentially turn on the heating element 34 to heat the water temperature to the predetermine temperature. Having the heating member 26 in a ready mode minimizes the time it takes to heat the water to a desired temperature to minimize the time it take to brew a cup of coffee.

FIG. 3 shows a user interface 120 adapted to provide input signals to the controller 80. The user interface 120 may have a temperature button 122, a flow rate button 124, a size button 126, an up button 128, a down button 130, and a display 132. A user may adjust the temperature, flow rate, and size of the beverage by first pressing on the appropriate button, and then using the up or down buttons 128 and 130 to adjust the settings. For instance, to adjust the temperature, the user may select the temperature button 122, and then use the up or down buttons to adjust the temperature from 185° F. to 205° F. The display 132 may indicated the selected temperature. The flow rate and the size of the coffee may be adjusted by selecting the buttons 124 and 126, respectively, and using the up and down buttons 128 and 130 to adjust accordingly.

The user interface 120 may include preset buttons 128, 130, and 132. Once the user has found a preferred combination of temperature, flow rate, and size of the beverage, the user may store the customized combination into one of the preset buttons. Once the desired combination has been set, the user may press a brew button 134 to start the brewing process.

FIG. 4 shows alternative user interface 140 where a user may choose from a plurality of taste or cup settings. The settings may include a light button 142, mild button 144, a medium button 146, a strong button 148, and a rich button 150. These buttons may be preprogrammed to brew the desired tastes based on a cartridge containing between 10 and 12 grams of coffee grind. For instance, the light button 146 may be preprogrammed with the following settings: water temperature of 185° F., flow rate of 20 seconds per 8 oz of coffee, and a serving size of 9 oz. Conversely, the rich button 150 may be preprogrammed with the following settings: water temperature of 205° F., flow rate of 60 seconds per 8 oz of coffee, and a serving size of 7 oz, which would result in a richer tasting coffee compared to the light button 146.

FIG. 5 shows that the user interface 140 may include a wireless receiver 152 adapted to receive a single from a smart device such as a smart phone 154. The smart phone 154 may have an application 156 adapted to set the temperature, flow rate, and the cup size of the beverage; and transmit the settings through a wireless signal 158, which may be received by the wireless receiver 152. The controller 80 may then brew a beverage utilizing the settings from the smart phone 154.

FIG. 6 shows another beverage brewer system 200 similar to the system 10 with the following differences. With the brewer system 200, the controller 80 may monitor the flow rate of the water being pump by the first pump 22 to monitor amount of water from the reservoir 12 being pumped into the heating member 202. The heating member 202 may have a first probe 204 having a first end 206 and a second end 208. The first end 206 may be located distance Y from a basin 210 of the heating member 202, and the first end 40 of the second tube 38 may be located distance X from the basin 210. With the brewer system 200, the distance Y may be greater than the distance X. Put differently, the first end 206 of the first probe 204 may be higher than the first end 40 of the second tube 38 along the vertical axis when the system 200 is in use. The second end 42 of the tube 38 may be coupled to the second pump 66, which in turn pumps heated water through the fifth tube 68 to inject heated water to a brewing chamber 212. The brewing chamber 212 may have a top needle 214, a first bottom needle 216, and a second bottom needle 218. When the brewing chamber is closed, the first bottom needle 216 may be located between the top needle 214 and the second bottom needle 218. The first bottom needle 216 may be positioned within the brewing chamber 212 to pierce a first cartridge 72 sized and shaped similar to a K-cup®. The second bottom needle 218 may be position to pierce the bottom of a second cartridge 219 that is longer along its longitudinal axis relative to the first cartridge 72. The second cartridge 219 may be configured to avoid the first bottom needle 216 but configured to allow the second bottom needle 218 to pierce the bottom 221 when the second cartridge is inserted fully into the brewing chamber 212.

The system 200 may include a fourth tube 220 having a first end 222 and a second end 224. During the heating period, steam or excess water within the heating member 202 may exit through the first end 222 and exit through the second end 224. The steam entering the fourth tube 220 may condense and drop into the reservoir 12. Likewise, excess water entering the first end 222 may drop into the reservoir 12.

When the system 200 is initially turned on, the water level within the heating member 202 may be either below or in contact with the first end 206 of the probe 204. If the water makes contact with the first end 206, then the water level may be at or above the first end 206. If the water level is below the first end 206, then the controller 80 may turn on the first pump 22 to fill the heating member 202 until the first end 206 detects water. The system 200 may then wait for a user to brew a cup of beverage. During this waiting period, the controller 80 may maintain the water temperature within the heating member 202 at or near the predetermined temperature. Once the user activates the system 200 to brew a desired amount of beverage, the controller may control the voltage of the first pump 22 to control the flow rate over a period time to fill the heating member 202 with an appropriate amount of water to brew the desired amount of beverage. Controller 80 may simultaneously or sequentially turn on the heating element 34, to heat the water in the heating member to a desired temperature. Once the desired temperature has been reached, the controller 66 may turn on the second pump 66; and as the water level within the heating member 202 drops below the first end 206 of the first probe 204, the controller may increase the voltage fed to the first pump 66 to purge the top needle 214 by speeding up the flow rate. And as the water level drops below the first end 40 of the third tube 38, the pump 66 may pump air through the third tube 38, thus in essence blowing air through the top needle 214 and the coffee grind in the cartridge to purge the top needle from clogging and to substantially drain the cartridge of the remaining beverage.

When the system 200 is initially turned on, the water may be in contact with the first end 206 such that the water level may be at or above the first end 206. Under this situation, the controller 80 may maintain the water temperature within the heating member 202 at or near the predetermined temperature. Once the user activates the system 200 to brew a desired amount of beverage, the controller 80 may heat the water within the heating member 202 to a desired temperature, and once the desired temperature is reached, the controller 80 may control the voltage of the second pump 66 to control the flow rate to inject heated water through the brewing chamber 212 while keeping track of the time the second motor 66 is on until the water level is below the first end 40 of the third tube 38. This allows the controller to calculate the amount of water injected through the brewing chamber 212. If the amount of water is less than the desired amount of water selected by the user, the controller 80 may then turn on the first pump 22 to pump the difference between the desired amount of the water and the actual amount water pumped by the second pump into the heating member 202. The controller 80 may then turn on the heating element 34 to heat the water to the desired temperature, and the controller 80 may then turn on the second pump 66 to pump the heated water in the heating member 202 again until the water level is below the first end 40. The controller may then purge the top needle 214 and the coffee grind in the cartridge in a manner described above.

FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of a beverage brewer system 300 having a user interface 302, a cover 304 with a release latch 306, a reservoir 308, and an on/off button 310. The system 300 may also have a drip tray 312 releasably attached to a main body 314. FIG. 7 shows the drip tray in the first position, however, main body 314 may have peg holes 316 adapted to receive the drip tray 312 such that the drip tray 312 may be removed and re-engaged with the peg holes 316 to relocate the drip tray 312 into a second position.

FIG. 8 shows the system 300 with the cover 304 in an open position, which exposes a cup holder 318 adapted to receive a cartridge 320 containing premeasured beverage material such as coffee grind. To make a cup of beverage, the cartridge 320 may be inserted into the cup holder 318 and the cover 304 may be closed.

FIG. 9 shows a side view of the system 300 with certain elements removed to show certain internal components such as the reservoir 308 fluidly coupled to a heating member 322 with the third tube 38 fluidly coupling the heating member 322 to a switch 324 and a second pump 326. The fourth tube 58 may fluidly couple the switch 324 to the third tube 38, and the fifth tube 68 may fluidly couple the second pump 326 to the first needle 74. The cover 304 may be pivotably coupled to the main body 314 about a pivot axis 328 to allow the cover to open and close. The cup holder 318 may be removably couple to the main body 314 to hold the cartridge 320 such that the first needle 74 may pierce the top side of the cartridge 320 when the cover is closed.

FIG. 10 shows the system 300 with the cover 304 in the closed position such that the first needle 74 pierces the top side of the cartridge 320 within the cup holder 318. The second pump 326 may be located within the cover 304 such that the second pump 326 may be located above the heating member 322. This allows the second end 42 of the third tube 38 to be located above the heating member 322 along the vertical axis when the system 300 is being used so that when the switch 64 is opened, the water in the third tube 38 substantially stops flowing. With the switch 324 open, the second pump 326 may substantially pump air through the fourth and fifth tubes 38 and; and inject air through the cartridge 320 to substantially purge the first needle 74, and water within the cartridge 320 out through a second needle 319.

FIG. 11 shows another beverage brewer system 400 having a reservoir 402 fluidly coupled to a pump 404 adapted to convey fluid through a first tube 406 and through a second tube 408. The second tube 408 may be fluidly coupled to a tube heater 412 to heat the water passing therethrough. The tube heater 412 may be coiled to minimize the space it occupies within the brewer. In particular, the tube heater may be about 1200 Watt to about 1800 Watt power heater design to heat about 8 oz of water with an inlet room temperature of about 14° C. to about 25° C. (about 59° F. to about 77° F.) to an outlet temperature of about 88° C. to about 93° C. (190° F. to about 199° F.) passing through the tube heater in about 30 seconds to about 55 seconds. It is within the scope of the invention to utilize a variety of tube heaters known to one skilled in the art to heat the water passing through the tube. The heated water may be passed through a third tube 410 to provide heated water to the brewing chamber 70. The tube heater 412 may have an inlet 413 and an outlet 415 adapted to coupled to the second tube 408 and the third tube 410, respectively.

The first tube 406 may be routed such that a portion 407 of the first tube 406 may be elevated vertically above the top line 418 of the water inside the reservoir 402 when the brewer system 400 is in use, as defined by distance Y1. The top line 418 may be the maximum amount of water that can be held by the reservoir 402. A switch 414 may be coupled to the portion 407 of the first tube 406 adapted to open and close to the atmosphere. The switch 414 may be located in an elevated level above the top line 418 within the reservoir 402. This ensures that when the switch 414 is in an open position, as shown in FIG. 11, the portion 407 of the first tube 406 is open to the atmosphere, and the water level 419 within the first tube 406 is below the portion 407 of the first tube 406 and the switch 414.

The brewer system 400 may include a first temperature sensor 409 and a second temperature sensor 411 coupled to the second tube 408 and the third tube 410, respectively. The first temperature sensor 409 senses the temperature of the water before entering the inlet 413, and the second temperature sensor 411 senses the temperature of the water after the water exists through the outlet 415 of the tube heater 412. The second temperature sensor 411 may be located distance Y2 above the outlet 415, and a distance Y3 from the maximum height of the third tube 410 along the vertical axis when the brewer system 400 is in use.

The pump 404 may be a variable pump, such as a vacuum DC pump, to adjust the flow rate of the water through the tube heater 412. A flow meter 420 may be coupled to one of the tubes, such as the first tube 406, to monitor the amount of water passing through the tubes. Alternatively, the volume of water pumped through the brewing chamber 70 may be calculated by the flow rate of the water pumped by the pump 404 multiplied by the time the pump 404 has been on. Once the desired amount of water has passed through the brewing chamber 70, the controller 416 may open the switch 414 to allow atmospheric air to be pumped through the portion 407 instead of water from the reservoir 402. With the switch 414 in the open position, atmospheric air enters the portion 407 of the tube 406 such that air is pumped through the second tube 408, heater 412, and the third tube 410 to purge the cartridge 72 with air so that the beverage within the cartridge 72 may be substantially drained. Note that it is within the scope of the invention to have the pump 404 and the switch 414 positioned between the tube heater 412 and the brewing chamber 70 similar to the second pump 66 and switch 64 shown in FIG. 1.

The brewing system 400 includes a controller 416 communicably coupled to the pump 404, switch 414, flow meter 420, heater 412, and the first and second temperature sensors 409 and 411. When a coffee drinker initiates the brewer system 400 to make a cup of beverage such as coffee, the controller 416 may monitor the temperatures at the inlet 413 and the outlet 415 through the first and second temperature sensors 409 and 411, respectively. The controller 416 may monitor the inlet water temperature to determine if the water temperature is within the room temperature range of about 14° C. to about 25° C. (about 59° F. to about 77° F.). The inlet water temperature may be below the room temperature range for a variety of reasons, such as due to cold atmospheric temperature or from refrigerated water being poured into the reservoir 402. Under such circumstances, it may take additional time to heat the water through the tube heater 412 to a desired temperature at the outlet 415. To do so, the controller 416 may reduce the voltage provide to the pump 416 to reduce the flow rate of the water through the tube heater 412 to allow the tube heater 412 additional time to heat the water. In addition, reducing the flow rate may allow additional contact time between the hot water and the beverage grind for full extraction of the flavors from the coffee grind. Conversely, if the water temperature at the inlet 413 is above the room temperature, the controller may increase the speed of the pump 404 to increase the flow rate so that the water through the tube heater 412 has less time to heat the water to compensate for the higher inlet water temperature so that the outlet water temperature is at the desired temperature. Alternatively, the controller may turn the heater 412 on-off-on-off and so on if the inlet water temperature is high to prevent overheating the inlet temperature. As such, the controller may adjust the speed of the pump 404 to control the flow rate as a function of the inlet water temperature so that the outlet water temperature may be within the desired water temperature.

The controller may also monitor the water temperature at the outlet 415 through the second temperature sensor 411 to determine if the outlet water temperature is within a desired temperature range, such as about 88° C. to about 93° C. (190° F. to about 199° F.) for brewing coffee. The outlet water temperature may be below the desired temperature range for a variety of reasons, such as cold start of the heater 412 due to the heater 412 not being used for an extended period of time. In other words, the heater 412 may not be warmed up so that even if the water entering the inlet 413 is within the desired room temperature, the water temperature of the initial heated water exiting through the outlet 415 may be below the desired temperature range. Under such circumstances, it may take additional time to heat the water within the heater 412 to a desired temperature at the outlet 415. If the second temperature sensor 411 detects that the water temperature is below the desired temperature range, the controller 416 may turn off the pump 416 such that the water level within the third tube 410 may be at level 422. The controller 416 may keep the power on to the heater 412 to allow the heater 412 to heat the water therein. As the water within the heater 412 is heated, the hotter water may rise up through the third tube 410 and displace the cooler water within the third tube 410. The rise in temperature within the third tube 410 may increase the pressure therein and force the cooler water within the third tube 410 to the brewing chamber 70 and into the cartridge 72; thus soaking the beverage medium such as coffee grind. This may also be commonly referred to in the coffee industry as “pre-infusion” or “pre-wetting” the coffee grind to get the coffee grind to receive water. It has been suggested that pre-wetting the coffee grind allows the coffee grind to absorb water and swell in size and release carbon dioxide to open paths for the hot water later poured into the coffee grind to more easily penetrate and extract the coffee flavors from the coffee grind. Once the second temperature sensor 411 detects that the water temperature reaches the desired temperature, the controller 416 may turn on the pump 404 again to substantially maintain the water temperature at the outlet 415 within the desired water temperature.

FIG. 12 shows a brewer system 500 that is similar to the brewer system 400 shown in FIG. 11 except that the pump 504 and the switch 514 may be positioned between the tube heater 512 and the brewing chamber 70. The first temperature sensor 509 may be coupled to the reservoir 502 to monitor the temperature of the water entering the tube heater 512 through a first tube 506. A second temperature sensor 509 may be coupled to the second tube 508 to monitor the outlet water temperature from the heater 512. The flow meter 520 may be coupled to the second tube 508 to monitor the amount of water passing through the tube. A third tube 510 may be used to couple the pump 504 to the brewing chamber 70 to provide the heated water through the brewing chamber.

FIG. 13 shows a beverage brewer system 600 adapted to receive single cup of water and brew a beverage utilizing substantially the entire single cup of water. The brewer system 600 includes a reservoir 602 fluidly coupled to a pump 604 adapted to convey fluid through a first tube 606 and through a second tube 608. The second tube 608 may be fluidly coupled to a tube heater 612 to heat the water passing therethrough. The heated water from the heater 612 may exit through a third tube 610 to provide heated water to a brewing chamber 70.

The reservoir 602 may be sized and adapted to receive a single cup of water from about 6 oz to about 16 oz. The reservoir 602 may have an opening 614 adapted to receive water, and the opening may be at least partially opened to the atmosphere. A beverage drinker may pour in a desired amount of water though the opening 614 and into the reservoir 602. The desired amount of water may be enough to make one cup of beverage or coffee. Once the brewer system 600 is activated, the controller 616 may turn on the pump 604 to convey the water in the reservoir 602 through the heater 612, and the heated water may be injected through the brewing chamber 70. Once the water in the reservoir 602 is substantially drained, the pump 602 may pump air through the tubes and the tube heater to purge the brewing chamber 70 to prepare the brewing system 600 for the next brewing cycle.

FIG. 14 shows a brewer system 700 substantially similar to the brewer system 10 described above in reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 except that a second chamber system 702 is included. The second chamber system 702 may include a pump 704 and a switch 706 positioned between a heater 708 and a brewing chamber 710. The pump 704 may draw heated water from the heater 708 through a sixth tube 712 and inject the heated water to the brewing chamber 710 through a seventh tube 714. The sixth tube 712 may have a portion 716 that is elevated above the top line 718 of the water in the reservoir 12. The switch 706 may be coupled to the portion 716 of the sixth tube 712. A flow meter 720 may be coupled to the seventh tube 714, which is on the outlet side of the pump 704. However, it is within the scope of the invention to have the flow meter on the inlet side of the pump, as illustrated by a flow meter 722 coupled to the third tube 38.

The heater 708 may be larger than the heater 26 shown in FIG. 1 to provide additional heated water for the two brewing chambers 70 and 710. As such, with the heater 708 being open to the atmosphere, a plurality of brewing chambers may draw heated water from the heater 708 for high frequency brewing operations such as in restaurants and in offices with a large number of employees needing frequent beverage service.

FIG. 15 shows a management system 800 adapted to monitor inventory of a plurality of cartridges 802. To appeal to different taste in beverages, a variety of cartridges may be offered with some coffee cartridges being mild, medium, and strong. In addition, different size of cartridges may be offered. The management system 800 may provide a bar code for each type of cartridge. For instance, a large cartridge with medium flavor coffee may have a bar code 804, while a regular cartridge with strong flavor coffee may have a bar code 806, and etc. The brewer system, such as the system 10, may have a bar code reader 808 within the brewing chamber 70 positioned to read the bar codes 804, 806, and others on the lid of the cartridges. The reader 808 may be coupled to a processor 810, which in turn may be coupled to a memory 812 and a communication device 814. As the processor brews a beverage with a cartridge, the processor 810 may keep track of the inventory of the variety of cartridges used for each cartridge brewed and store the information in the memory 812. The communication device 814 may be connected to the office network such as the Internet so that the processor 810 may be communicated remotely.

The professional catering service may remotely communicate with the processor 810 to gather the inventory information in the memory 812 prior to visiting the office, and stock the truck and driver with appropriate cartridges to restock the office, thus saving time. Moreover, the data collected may be analyzed to determine which beverages are popular and not popular. The processor may also collect information about the temperature, flow rate, and size so that these data may be analyzed to determine consumers' desired settings. In addition, the processor 810 may not brew unauthorized cartridges without the proper bar code on the lid. It is within the scope of the invention to utilize a variety of indication marks on the cartridges known to one skilled in the art to monitor the inventory of the cartridges and to prevent the unauthorized cartridges without the indication marks to be used with the brewer system.

While various embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments and implementations are possible within the scope of this invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A brewing system adapted to receive a cartridge and inject fluid into the cartridge to brew a beverage, the brewing system including:

a first pump adapted to pump the fluid;

a first brewing chamber fluidly coupled to the first pump, the first brewing chamber adapted to receive the cartridge and inject the fluid into the cartridge;

a first tube having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the first pump, and the second end of the first tube adapted to draw the fluid therein; and

a first switch coupled to a portion of the first tube, the first switch movable between a first position and a second position, where in the first position the portion of the first tube is closed to an atmosphere such that when the pump is on, the fluid is drawn into the second end of the first tube, and in the second position the portion of the first tube is open to the atmosphere such that when the pump is on, air enters the portion of the first tube, and the first pump passes the air to the first brewing chamber.

2. The brewing system according to claim 1, including a heater tank having an opening to allow air to pass therethrough, the heater tank adapted to heat the fluid therein, the second end of the first tube within the heater tank to draw the fluid within the heater tank.

3. The brewing system according to claim 2, where the heater tank has first and second probes adapted to detect fluid level within the heater tank, the second end of the first tube located between the first and second probes, the first probe located below the second end of the first tube along a vertical axis when the brewing system is in use, and the second probe located below the opening of the heater tank along the vertical axis setting a maximum fill line for the fluid within the heater tank.

4. The brewing system according to claim 2, where the heater tank is adapted to hold the fluid up to a maximum fill line within the heater tank, the portion of the first tube is located above the maximum fill line along a vertical axis when the brewing system is in use.

5. The brewing system according to claim 1, where when the first pump has pumped a predetermined amount of the fluid through the first brewing chamber, the switch moves from the first position to the second position to allow air to enter the portion of the first tube to pass the air to the brewing chamber to substantially purge the cartridge of the fluid therein.

6. The brewing system according to claim 1, including a heating member adapted to heat the fluid flowing along a pathway from a first end to a second end, the first end of the pathway fluidly coupled to the first pump, and the second end of the pathway fluidly coupled to the brewing chamber.

7. The brewing system according to claim 6, where the heating member is a tube heater.

8. The brewing system according to claim 6, including a reservoir adapted to hold the fluid, the second end of the first tube fluidly coupled to the reservoir to draw the fluid from the reservoir.

9. The brewing system according to claim 8, where the reservoir is adapted to hold the fluid up to a maximum fill line along a vertical axis when the brewing system is in use, the portion of the first tube located above the maximum fill line along the vertical axis.

10. The brewing chamber according to claim 6, including a processor communicably coupled to a temperature sensor adapted to monitor temperature of the fluid entering the first end of the heating member, the processor communicably coupled to the heating element, if the temperature of the fluid entering the first end of the heating element is above a predetermined level, the processor periodically turning on and off power to the heating element so that the temperature of the fluid exiting the second end of the heating member is substantially within a predetermined range.

11. The brewing chamber according to claim 6, including a processor communicably coupled to a temperature sensor adapted to monitor temperature of the fluid entering the first end of the heating member, the processor communicably coupled to the heating element to control power provide to the heating element, if the temperature of the fluid entering the first end of the heating element is above a predetermined level, the processor turns off the power to the heating element.

12. The brewing chamber according to claim 6, including a processor communicably coupled to a temperature sensor adapted to monitor temperature of the fluid entering the first end of the heating member, the processor communicably coupled to the first pump to adjust the speed of first pump depending on the temperature entering the first end of the heating member so that the temperature of the fluid exiting the second end of the heating member is substantially within a predetermined range.

13. The brewing system according to claim 6, including a processor communicable coupled to a temperature sensor adapted to monitor temperature of the fluid exiting the second end of the heating member, the processor communicably coupled to the first pump to adjust the speed of first pump depending on the temperature of the fluid exiting the second end of the heating member so that the temperature of the fluid exiting the second end of the heating member is substantially within a predetermined range.

14. The brewing system according to claim 6, where the first pump is a direct current vacuum pump.

15. The brewing system according to claim 1, where the first brewing chamber includes a cartridge holder having an opening with a well adapted to receive the cartridge, the cartridge holder having first and second needles within the well, the first needle between the opening and the second needle, the first needle adapted to pierce a bottom of a first cartridge, and the second needle is adapted to pierce a second cartridge that is longer along its longitudinal axis relative to the first cartridge.

16. The brewing system according to claim 1, where the first cartridge is a K-cup®.

17. The brewing system according to claim 1, further including:

a second pump adapted to pump the fluid;

a second brewing chamber fluidly coupled to the second pump, the second brewing chamber adapted to receive the cartridge and inject the fluid into the cartridge;

a second tube having a first end and a second end, the first end coupled to the second pump, and the second end of the second tube adapted to draw the fluid therein;

a second switch coupled to a portion of the second tube, the second switch movable between a first position and a second position, where in the first position the portion of the second tube is closed to an atmosphere such that when the pump is on, the fluid is drawn into the second end of the second tube, and in the second position the portion of the second tube is open to the atmosphere such that when the pump is on, air enters the portion of the second tube, and the second pump passes the air to the second brewing chamber; and

a heater tank adapted to heat the fluid therein, the second end of the first tube and the second end of the second tube within the heater tank to draw the fluid through their respective second ends.

18. The brewing system according to claim 1, further including:

a heater tank having an opening to allow air to pass therethrough, the heater tank adapted to heat the fluid therein, the second end of the first tube within the heater tank to draw the fluid within the heater tank;

a temperature sensor adapted to measure temperature of the fluid within the heater tank; and

a processor communicably coupled to the temperature sensor and the first pump, the processor adapted to adjust the temperature of the fluid within the heater tank and adjust the speed of the first pump to adjust a flow rate of the fluid through the first tube such that the temperature of the fluid is substantially controlled independent of the flow rate of the fluid provided to the first brewing chamber.

19. The brewing system according to claim 18, further including a wireless receiver adapted to receive the temperature setting and the flow rate setting from a wireless device, the processor communicably coupled to the wireless receiver to provide the fluid to the brewing chamber with the temperature setting and the flow rate setting from the wireless device.

20. The brewing system according to claim 1, further including a processor adapted to control the brewing system, the brewing chamber including a reader adapted to read an indication mark on the cartridge, the processor communicably coupled to the reader to authenticate the indication mark on the cartridge, and if the processor determines that the indication mark is not authentic, then the processor does not activate the brewing system.

21. The brewing system according to claim 1, further including a processor and a memory, and the brewing chamber including a reader adapted to read an indication mark on the cartridge, the processor communicably coupled to the reader to read the indication mark on the cartridge, the processor provides the indication mark information to the memory to keep inventory of the cartridges used corresponding with the indication mark.

22. A method of brewing a beverage from a cartridge, the method including:

drawing a predetermined amount of fluid through an inlet end of a tube;

passing the fluid from an outlet end of the tube to a brewing chamber adapted to receive the cartridge and inject the fluid into the cartridge; and

drawing air into the tube between the inlet and outlet ends after the predetermined amount of fluid has passed through the outlet end of the tube.

23. The method according to claim 22, further including:

heating the fluid to a predetermined temperature, the inlet end of the tube drawing the fluid heated to the predetermined temperature.

24. The method according to claim 22, further including:

storing the fluid within a reservoir, the inlet end of the tube drawing the fluid from the reservoir.

25. The method according to claim 22, further including:

heating the fluid from the outlet end of the tube, and then passing the fluid to the brewing chamber.

26. The method according to claim 22, further including:

passing the fluid from the outlet end of the tube through a tube heater to heat the fluid, and passing the heated fluid to the brewing chamber.

27. The method according to claim 26, further including:

adjusting the flow rate of the fluid passing through the tube heater to adjust the temperature of the fluid exiting the tube heater.

28. The method according to claim 22, further including:

storing the fluid within a reservoir adapted to store to the fluid to a maximum fill line; and

routing a portion of the tube above the maximum fill line, and the step of the drawing air into the tube is at the portion of the tube.

29. A method of brewing a beverage from an authorized cartridge, the method including:

marking the cartridge with an authorized indication mark; and

authenticating the authorized indication mark on the cartridge before brewing a beverage from the cartridge.

30. The method according to claim 29, where the authorized indication mark is a bar code.