Hot beverage maker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9763537-B2
Application number	US-201414525572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2014
Priority date	Nov 8, 2013
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A hot beverage maker includes a pump, a kettle, a pumped fluid conduit, and a brew basket assembly. The kettle includes a reservoir, a heating element in the kettle for heating water in the reservoir, a spout for pouring water from the reservoir, and a pump inlet opening for providing heated water from the reservoir to the pump inlet. The pumped fluid conduit is connected with the pump outlet and includes a pumped fluid outlet. The brew basket assembly includes a pumped fluid outlet receptacle and a brew basket. The reservoir is selectively fluidly connectable with the brew basket via the pump inlet opening in the kettle being selectively fluidly connected with the pump inlet or the pumped fluid conduit outlet being selectively fluidly connectable with the pumped fluid outlet receptacle to selectively provide heated water from the reservoir to the brew basket.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hot beverage maker comprising:
a pump including a pump inlet and a pump outlet;
a kettle including a reservoir, a heating element in the kettle for heating water in the reservoir, a spout for pouring water from the reservoir and a pump inlet opening for providing heated water from the reservoir to the pump inlet;
a pumped fluid conduit connected with the pump outlet, the pumped fluid conduit including a pumped fluid outlet; and
a brew basket assembly including a pumped fluid outlet receptacle and a brew basket, wherein the reservoir is selectively fluidly connectable with the brew basket via the pump inlet opening in the kettle being selectively fluidly connectable with the pump inlet or the pumped fluid outlet being selectively connectable with the pumped fluid outlet receptacle to selectively provide heated water from the reservoir to the brew basket.

2. The hot beverage maker of claim 1 , wherein the pump is disposed in the kettle.

3. The hot beverage maker of claim 1 , wherein the pumped fluid outlet receptacle includes a lid pivotally connected with a lower section to define a space for receiving the pumped fluid outlet, wherein the lid is pivotable with respect to the lower section.

4. The hot beverage maker of claim 3 , wherein the pumped fluid conduit is at least partially disposed in the spout, wherein the pumped fluid outlet receptacle includes an opening through which the spout extends when received in the pumped fluid outlet receptacle and a movable flap at least partially covering the opening, wherein the flap is displaceable from an original position when contacted by the spout and returns toward the original position when no longer in contact with the spout.

5. The hot beverage maker of claim 1 , wherein the reservoir includes a reservoir sidewall that defines the reservoir and a handle connected with the reservoir sidewall, wherein the pumped fluid conduit extends through the handle or along an exterior of the reservoir sidewall.

6. The hot beverage maker of claim 5 , wherein the reservoir includes a reservoir base that in combination with the reservoir sidewall defines the reservoir, wherein the pump is in the kettle below the reservoir base, wherein the reservoir base is made from metal and is in contact with the heating element.

7. The hot beverage maker of claim 6 , wherein the pump inlet opening extends through the base, and the kettle includes a main tube connected with the pump outlet, the main tube passing through the handle or along the exterior of the reservoir sidewall, wherein the main tube is at least a portion of the pumped fluid conduit.

8. The hot beverage maker of claim 7 , wherein the kettle includes a top ring defining an upper opening that leads to the reservoir, wherein the top ring defines at least a portion of the spout, and the kettle further includes a pivoting lid selectively covering the upper opening, wherein the pumped fluid conduit passes around the upper opening within an internal space at least partially defined by the top ring.

9. The hot beverage maker of claim 8 , wherein the kettle includes a pumped water outlet structure positioned in the spout, wherein the main tube connects with or is supported by the pumped water outlet structure, and the pump pumps water from the reservoir through the main tube and out through the pumped water outlet structure to deliver water to the brew basket.

10. The hot beverage maker of claim 9 , wherein water being poured from the kettle through the spout passes beneath or around the pumped water outlet structure when exiting the kettle through the spout.

11. The hot beverage maker of claim 8 , wherein the kettle includes a pumped water outlet structure positioned offset from the spout, wherein the main tube connects with or is supported by the pumped water outlet structure, and the pump pumps water from the reservoir through the main tube and out through the pumped water outlet structure to deliver water to the brew basket.

12. The hot beverage maker of claim 5 , wherein the handle includes a spine positioned next to the reservoir sidewall, wherein the kettle includes main tube connected with the pump outlet positioned between the spine and the reservoir sidewall, wherein the main tube is at least a portion of the pumped fluid conduit.

13. The hot beverage maker of claim 1 , further comprising a valve positioned upstream from the pump inlet to selectively control water flow from the reservoir to the pump inlet and a vertical support column for supporting the brew basket above an associated receptacle for receiving a brewed beverage, wherein the pumped fluid conduit passes through the vertical support column en route to the brew basket.

14. The hot beverage maker of claim 1 , further comprising:
a base including a kettle support for supporting the kettle;
a controller disposed in the base;
a base electrical connector on the base configured to connect with a kettle electrical connector on the kettle when the kettle is placed on the kettle support, the base electrical connector being in electrical communication with the controller; and
a kettle sensor in communication with the controller, wherein the kettle sensor and the controller are configured such that if the pumped fluid outlet is not received in the pumped fluid outlet receptacle, then power is not delivered to the pump.

15. The hot beverage maker of claim 1 , further comprising:
a base including a kettle support for supporting the kettle;
a controller disposed in the base;
a load cell disposed beneath the kettle support and in electrical communication with the controller, wherein the load cell measures a force being applied to the kettle support;
an input device in electrical communication with the controller, the input device being configured to receive operator commands for operating the hot beverage maker;
a base electrical connector on the base configured to connect with a kettle electrical connector on the kettle when the kettle is placed on the kettle support, the base electrical connector being in electrical communication with the controller.

16. A hot beverage maker comprising:
a pump including a pump inlet and a pump outlet;
a kettle including a reservoir, a heating element in the kettle for heating water in the reservoir, a spout for pouring water from the reservoir and a pump inlet opening for providing heated water from the reservoir to the pump inlet;
a pumped fluid conduit connected with the pump outlet, the pumped fluid conduit including a pumped fluid outlet; and
a brew basket assembly including a pumped fluid outlet receptacle and a brew basket, wherein the reservoir is selectively fluidly connectable with the brew basket via the pumped fluid outlet being selectively connectable with the pumped fluid outlet receptacle to selectively provide heated water from the reservoir to the brew basket, wherein the pumped fluid outlet receptacle includes a lid pivotally connected with a lower section to define a space for receiving the pumped fluid outlet.

17. A hot beverage maker comprising:
a pump including a pump inlet and a pump outlet;
a kettle including a reservoir, a heating element in the kettle for heating water in the reservoir, a spout for pouring water from the reservoir and a pump inlet opening for providing heated water from the reservoir to the pump inlet;
a pumped fluid conduit connected with the pump outlet, the pumped fluid conduit including a pumped fluid outlet at least partially disposed in the spout; and
a brew basket assembly including a pumped fluid outlet receptacle a

Assignees

• Helen Of Troy Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Alex
• Stowell Davin
• Vicari Joern
• Torris Anthony Vipan
• Besen Richard

Classifications

• A47J31/46 Primary

  Dispensing spouts, pumps, drain valves or like liquid transporting devices · CPC title

• A47J31/465

  for the heated water · CPC title

• A23F5/262

  the extraction liquid flowing through a stationary bed of solid substances, e.g. in percolation columns · CPC title