Beverage brewing system
View Patent ↗A beverage brewer includes a container configured to hold liquid and having an open top, and a brewing material holder configured to be suspended into the container and to hold beverage brewing material in contact with liquid held in the container. The brewer also includes a pressure assembly operable to provide pressurized liquid flow through the brewing material holder within the container, and/or a heating element configured to be arranged at least partially in an interior of the container and operable to heat liquid held in the container.
1. A beverage brewer, comprising:
a container configured to hold liquid and having an open top;
a brewing material holder configured to hold beverage brewing material; and
a pressure assembly operable to provide pressurized liquid flow through the brewing material holder by causing a pressure difference between two open portions of the brewing material holder, using a lower end of the pressure difference to draw liquid from the container to the brewing material holder and using a higher end of the pressure difference to flow the liquid through the brewing material holder back to the container;
wherein:
the pressure assembly is configured to be removably coupled at the top of the container; and
the brewing material holder is configured to be removably coupled to the pressure assembly.
2. The beverage brewer of claim 1 , wherein the brewing material holder is further configured to be suspended into the container.
3. The beverage brewer of claim 1 , wherein the brewing material holder is further configured to hold the beverage brewing material in contact with liquid held in the container.
4. The beverage brewer of claim 1 , wherein the pressure assembly includes a pump having an inlet port and an outlet port.
5. The beverage brewer of claim 4 , wherein the pressure assembly also includes an intake tube coupled to the inlet port at a first end and having a second end configured to be arranged within an interior of the container.
6. The beverage brewer of claim 1 , further comprising a control assembly that is operable to control at least one of actuation of the pressure assembly, a direction of pressure provided by the pressure assembly, a level of pressure provided by the pressure assembly, and a duration of actuation of the pressure assembly.
7. The beverage brewer of claim 1 , further comprising a container lid configured to removably couple to the open top of the container.
8. The beverage brewer of claim 1 , further comprising a heating element that is configured to be arranged at least partially in an interior of the container and operable to heat liquid held in the container.
9. The beverage brewer of claim 8 , wherein the heating element is configured to be removably coupled to the container such that at least a portion of the heating element is arranged in an interior of the container.
10. The beverage brewer of claim 8 , further comprising a control assembly that is operable to control at least one of actuation of the heating element, a temperature of the heating element, and a duration of use of the heating element.
11. A process of brewing a beverage, comprising:
providing beverage brewing material within the beverage material holder of the beverage brewer of claim 1 ;
providing a liquid to the interior of the container;
operating the pressure assembly to provide pressurized flow of the liquid from the container through the brewing material holder, thereby brewing a beverage from the beverage brewing material; and
providing the brewed beverage to the container.
12. The beverage brewer of claim 1 , wherein the pressure assembly is configured to be operably arranged at least partially outside the brewing material holder.
13. The beverage brewer of claim 1 , wherein the pressure assembly includes a single pump.
14. The beverage brewer of claim 13 , wherein the pump is bidirectional.
15. The beverage brewer of claim 1 , wherein the pressure assembly is operable to provide the pressure difference in a constant manner for repeated continuous liquid flow from the container, through the brewing material holder, and back to the container.
16. The beverage brewer of claim 1 , wherein the brewing material holder is configured to be directly coupled to the pressure assembly.
17. The beverage brewer of claim 1 , wherein the brewing material holder is configured to be indirectly coupled to the pressure assembly.
18. A beverage brewer, comprising:
a container configured to hold liquid and having an open top;
a brewing material holder configured to hold beverage brewing material; and
a pressure assembly operable to provide pressurized liquid flow through the brewing material holder by causing a pressure difference between two open portions of the brewing material holder, using a lower end of the pressure difference to draw liquid from the container to the brewing material holder and using a higher end of the pressure difference to flow the liquid through the brewing material holder back to the container
wherein:
the brewing material holder is configured to be removably coupled at the top of the container; and
the pressure assembly is configured to be removably coupled to the brewing material holder.
19. The beverage brewer of claim 18 , wherein the brewing material holder is further configured to be suspended into the container.
20. The beverage brewer of claim 18 , wherein the brewing material holder is further configured to hold the beverage brewing material in contact with liquid held in the container.
21. The beverage brewer of claim 18 , wherein the pressure assembly includes a pump having an inlet port and an outlet port.
22. The beverage brewer of claim 21 , wherein the pressure assembly also includes an intake tube coupled to the inlet port at a first end and having a second end configured to be arranged within an interior of the container.
23. The beverage brewer of claim 18 , further comprising a control assembly that is operable to control at least one of actuation of the pressure assembly, a direction of pressure provided by the pressure assembly, a level of pressure provided by the pressure assembly, and a duration of actuation of the pressure assembly.
24. The beverage brewer of claim 18 , further comprising a container lid configured to removably couple to the open top of the container.
25. The beverage brewer of claim 18 , further comprising a heating element that is configured to be arranged at least partially in an interior of the container and operable to heat liquid held in the container.
26. The beverage brewer of claim 25 , wherein the heating element is configured to be removably coupled to the container such that at least a portion of the heating element is arranged in an interior of the container.
27. The beverage brewer of claim 25 , further comprising a control assembly that is operable to control at least one of actuation of the heating element, a temperature of the heating element, and a duration of use of the heating element.
28. A process of brewing a beverage, comprising:
providing beverage brewing material within the beverage material holder of the beverage brewer of claim 18 ;
providing a liquid to the interior of the container;
operating the pressure assembly to provide pressurized flow of the liquid from the container through the brewing material holder, thereby brewing a beverage from the beverage brewing material; and
providing the brewed beverage to the container.
29. The beverage brewer of claim 18 , wherein the pressure assembly includes a single pump.
30. The beverage brewer of claim 29 , wherein the pump is bidirectional.
31. The beverage brewer of claim 18 , wherein the pressure assembly is operable to provide the pressure difference in a constant manner for repeated continuous liquid flow from the container, through the brewing material holder, and back to the container.
32. A beverage brewer, comprising:
a container configured to hold liquid and having an open top;
a brewing material holder configured to hold beverage brewing material; and
a pressure assembly operable to provide pressurized liquid flow through the brewing material holder by causing a pressure difference between two open portions of the brewing material holder;
wherein:
the pressure assembly includes a pump having an inlet port and an outlet port;
the beverage material holder is sealed and includes the beverage brewing material; and
the pressure assembly also includes:
an injection nozzle arranged at the outlet port and configured to pierce a seal of the beverage material holder and to provide liquid under pressure from the container to an interior of the beverage material holder in order to provide a brewed beverage from the beverage brewing material, and
an outflow nozzle arranged in fluid communication with an interior of the container and configured to pierce the beverage material holder and provide the brewed beverage from the interior of the beverage material holder to the container.
33. A beverage brewer, comprising:
a container configured to hold liquid and having an open top;
a brewing material holder configured to hold beverage brewing material;
a pressure assembly operable to provide pressurized liquid flow through the brewing material holder by causing a pressure difference between two open portions of the brewing material holder; and
a control assembly that is operable to control at least one of actuation of the pressure assembly, a direction of pressure provided by the pressure assembly, a level of pressure provided by the pressure assembly, and a duration of actuation of the pressure assembly;
wherein:
the container includes an indicator configured to denote a volume of the container; and
the control assembly includes a sensor configured to detect the indicator and to adjust the duration of actuation of the pressure assembly based at least in part on the denoted volume of the container.
34. A beverage brewer, comprising:
a container configured to hold liquid and having an open top;
a brewing material holder configured to hold beverage brewing material;
a pressure assembly operable to provide pressurized liquid flow through the brewing material holder by causing a pressure difference between two open portions of the brewing material holder;
a control assembly that is operable to control at least one of actuation of the pressure assembly, a direction of pressure provided by the pressure assembly, a level of pressure provided by the pressure assembly, and a duration of actuation of the pressure assembly; and
an indicator configured to denote a volume of liquid held in the container;
wherein the control assembly includes a sensor configured to detect the indicator and to adjust the duration of actuation of the pressure assembly based at least in part on the denoted volume of the container.
35. A beverage brewer, comprising:
a container configured to hold liquid and having an open top;
a brewing material holder configured to hold beverage brewing material;
a pressure assembly operable to provide pressurized liquid flow through the brewing material holder by causing a pressure difference between two open portions of the brewing material holder, using a lower end of the pressure difference to draw liquid from the container to the brewing material holder and using a higher end of the pressure difference to flow the liquid through the brewing material holder back to the container; and
a container lid configured to removably couple to the open top of the container;
wherein:
the pressure assembly is configured to be removably coupled to the container lid; and
the beverage material holder is configured to be removably coupled to the pressure assembly.
36. A beverage brewer, comprising:
a container configured to hold liquid and having an open top;
a brewing material holder configured to hold beverage brewing material;
a pressure assembly operable to provide pressurized liquid flow through the brewing material holder by causing a pressure difference between two open portions of the brewing material holder, using a lower end of the pressure difference to draw liquid from the container to the brewing material holder and using a higher end of the pressure difference to flow the liquid through the brewing material holder back to the container; and
a container lid configured to removably couple to the open top of the container
wherein:
the beverage material holder is configured to be removably coupled to the container lid; and
the pressure assembly is configured to be removably coupled to the beverage material holder.
37. A beverage brewer, comprising:
a container configured to hold liquid and having an open top;
a brewing material holder configured to hold beverage brewing material;
a pressure assembly operable to provide pressurized liquid flow through the brewing material holder by causing a pressure difference between two open portions of the brewing material holder, using a lower end of the pressure difference to draw liquid from the container to the brewing material holder and using a higher end of the pressure difference to flow the liquid through the brewing material holder back to the container;
a container lid configured to removably couple to the open top of the container; and
a heating element that is configured to be removably coupled to the container lid such that at least a portion of the heating element is arranged in an interior of the container, operable to heat liquid held in the container.
38. A beverage brewer, comprising:
a container configured to hold liquid and having an open top;
a brewing material holder configured to hold beverage brewing material;
a pressure assembly operable to provide pressurized liquid flow through the brewing material holder by causing a pressure difference between two open portions of the brewing material holder; and
a heating element that is configured to be arranged at least partially in an interior of the container and operable to heat liquid held in the container
wherein the heating element is configured to be removably coupled to the pressure assembly such that at least a portion of the heating element is arranged in an interior of the container.
39. A beverage brewer, comprising:
a container configured to hold liquid and having an open top;
a brewing material holder configured to hold beverage brewing material;
a pressure assembly operable to provide pressurized liquid flow through the brewing material holder by causing a pressure difference between two open portions of the brewing material holder: and
a heating element that is configured to be arranged at least partially in an interior of the container and operable to heat liquid held in the container;
wherein the heating element is configured to be removably coupled to the beverage material holder such that at least a portion of the heating element is arranged in an interior of the container.
40. A beverage brewer, comprising:
a container configured to hold liquid and having an open top;
a brewing material holder configured to hold beverage brewing material;
a heating element configured to be arranged at least partially in an interior of the container and operable to heat liquid held in the container; and
a pressure assembly operable to provide pressurized liquid flow through the brewing material holder within the container;
wherein the heating element is configured to be removably coupled to the pressure assembly such that at least a portion of the heating element is arranged in an interior of the container.
41. The beverage brewer of claim 40 , wherein the brewing material holder is further configured to be suspended into the container.
42. The beverage brewer of claim 40 , wherein the brewing material holder is further configured to hold the beverage brewing material in contact with liquid held in the container.
43. The beverage brewer of claim 40 , wherein the heating element is configured to be removably coupled to the container such that at least a portion of the heating element is arranged in an interior of the container.
44. The beverage brewer of claim 40 , wherein the heating element is configured to be removably coupled to the beverage material holder such that at least a portion of the heating element is arranged in an interior of the container.
45. The beverage brewer of claim 40 , further comprising a control assembly that is operable to control at least one of actuation of the heating element, a temperature of the heating element, and a duration of use of the heating element.
46. The beverage brewer of claim 40 , further comprising a container lid configured to removably couple to the open top of the container.
47. The beverage brewer of claim 46 , wherein the heating element is configured to be removably coupled to the container lid such that at least a portion of the heating element is arranged in an interior of the container.
48. The beverage brewer of claim 40 , further comprising a control assembly that is operable to control at least one of actuation of the pressure assembly, a direction of pressure provided by the pressure assembly, a level of pressure provided by the pressure assembly, and a duration of actuation of the pressure assembly.
49. A process of brewing a beverage, comprising:
providing beverage brewing material within the beverage material holder of the beverage brewer of claim 40 ;
providing a liquid to the interior of the container; and
operating the heating element to heat the liquid in the container, thereby brewing a beverage from the beverage brewing material.