Granted Patent B2

US 12,635,828 · App. 17/794,542 · Granted May 26, 2026

Inventors: Matthew Hohimer (Springfield, IL); Scott Johansen (Springfield, IL); Joel Morton (Springfield, IL); Matthew P. Rutledge (Springfield, IL); Colin Weisenfeld (Springfield, IL)

Assignee: BUNN COMMERCIAL LP

A47J31/56A47J31/24A47J31/54

Abstract

Claims (43)

1 . A multiple tank heated water system for use with a beverage making apparatus comprising,

at least two individual water tanks operatively connected and communicating for controllably heating respective volumes of water,

a first tank of the at least two tanks including an input port receiving water from a water source for controllably heating a first volume of water within the first tank, the input port of the first tank being provided at a lower section of the first tank and oriented tangentially to a side of the first tank,

an input port of a second tank of the at least two tanks communicating with an output port of the first tank to receive heated water from the first tank for controllably heating a second volume of water in the second tank, the output port of the first tank being provided at a top section of the first tank, and the input port of the second tank being provided at a lower section of the second tank and oriented tangentially to a side of the second tank,

wherein the heated water system is configured to heat water controllably introduced to the first volume of water in the first tank, to controllably flow heated water from the first volume of water to the second volume of water for controllable heating in the second tank, and to controllably flow heated water from the second volume of water in the second tank through an output port of the second tank to the beverage making apparatus for use in producing a beverage, the output port of the second tank being provided at a top section of the second tank,

a control system operatively associated with the heated water system for receiving information from the heated water system and controllably operating the heated water system in response to the information,

a controllable inlet valve coupled to the input port on the first tank and communicating with the control system for controllably introducing water to the at least two tanks, wherein water controllably introduced into the heated water system displaces heated water from the at least two tanks for use in dispensing heated water in the production of the brewed beverage,

at least two thermostats respectively connected to the at least two tanks for detecting respective temperatures of the respective volumes of water within the at least two tanks, each thermostat communicating with the control system, and

at least two heating elements respectively associated with the at least two tanks which the control system activates and deactivates to introduce heat energy to the respective volumes of water to maintain the respective volumes of water within predetermined temperature ranges for the respective tanks, wherein the control system operatively controls water introduced to the first volume of water in the first tank for passage to the second volume of water in the second tank for dispensing from the second tank to provide heated water for use by the beverage making apparatus with temperatures of the respective volumes of water in the at least two tanks being controllably heated by the respective heating elements in response to temperatures detected by the thermostats associated with the respective tanks.

2 . The heated water system of claim 1 in which each the first and second tanks includes a respective inlet line that is oriented in a configuration to tangentially introduce water into the lower section of the respective tank to help maintain a heated water striation within the respective tank.

3 . The heated water system of claim 1 wherein the at least two tanks includes three tanks operatively coupled in series with water being introduced to the first tank, water flowing from the first tank to the second tank, water flowing from the second tank to the third tank, and water flowing from the third tank for use by the beverage making apparatus.

4 . The heated water system of claim 3 wherein the at least two tanks includes four tanks operatively coupled in series with water flowing from the third tank to the fourth tank, and water flowing from the fourth tank for use by the beverage making apparatus.

5 . The heated water system of claim 1 in which water is introduced to the first tank at the lower section of the first tank through the input port of the first tank to produce a tangential inlet flow to the first tank, the output port of the first tank being at the top section of the first tank to pass the heated water from the first tank toward the second tank before cooler water in the lower section, and

the heated water exiting the first tank at the top section being introduced to the second tank at the lower section of the second tank through the input port of the second tank along a tangential flow pattern, the heated water exiting the second tank from the top section so as to provide the highest temperature water from the second tank for introduction to a subsequent third tank or to the beverage making apparatus.

6 . A method of heating water using a multiple tank heated water system for use with a beverage making apparatus, the method comprising,

providing at least two individual water tanks,

operatively connecting the at least two tanks in series in fluid communication,

using the at least two tanks to controllably heat respective volumes of water stored within the tanks for use by a beverage making apparatus,

each water tank being provided with an input port at a lower section of the water tank and an outlet port at a top section of the water tank, the input port being oriented tangentially to a side of the respective water tank, the outlet port of a first tank of the at least two tanks communicating with the input port of a second tank of the at least two tanks,

controllably introducing water to a first volume of water in the first tank from a water source for controllable heating,

controllably introducing water to a second volume of water in the second tank from the first tank for controllable heating,

controllably passing water from the second volume of water in the second tank to the beverage making apparatus,

providing a control system operatively associated with the heated water system for receiving information from the heated water system and controllably operating the heated water system in response to the information, the control system controlling the heating and dispensing of water from the at least two tanks,

providing respective thermostats connected to the at least two tanks for detecting the temperature of the respective volumes of water within the tanks, each thermostat communicating with the control system, and

providing respective heating elements associated with the tanks, each heating element communicating with the control system which activates and deactivates the heating element to heat the volume of water within the respective tank to a predetermined temperature range of the respective tank,

wherein water is introduced to the first tank at the lower section of the first tank through the input port of the first tank to produce a tangential inlet flow to the first tank, the output port of the first tank being at the top section of the first tank to pass the heated water from the first tank toward the second tank before cooler water in the lower section, and

the heated water exiting the first tank at the top section being introduced to the second tank at the lower section of the second tank through the input port of the second tank along a tangential flow pattern, the heated water exiting the second tank from the top section so as to provide the highest temperature water from the second tank for introduction to a subsequent third tank or to the beverage making apparatus.

7 . The method of claim 6 in which each of the at least two tanks includes a respective inlet line that is oriented in a configuration to tangentially introduce water into the lower section of the respective tank to help maintain a heated water striation within the respective tank.

8 . The method of claim 6 wherein the at least two tanks includes three tanks operatively coupled in series with water being introduced to the first tank, water flowing from the first tank to the second tank, water flowing from the second tank to the third tank, and water flowing from the third tank for use by the beverage making apparatus.

9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the at least two tanks includes four tanks operatively coupled in series with water flowing from the third tank to the fourth tank, and water flowing from the fourth tank for use by the beverage making apparatus.

10 . A multiple tank heated water system for use with a beverage making apparatus comprising,

a first water tank for controllably heating a first volume of water within the first tank, an input port of the first tank being provided at a lower section of the first tank and oriented tangentially to a side of the first tank and configured to receive water from a water source through the input port of the first tank to produce a tangential inlet flow of the water into the first volume of water,

a second water tank for controllably heating a second volume of water within the second tank, an input port of the second tank being provided at a lower section of the second tank and oriented tangentially to a side of the first tank, the input port of the second tank being in communication with an output port of the first tank and configured to receive heated water from the first tank through the input port of the second tank to produce a tangential inlet flow of the heated water into the second volume of water, the output port of the first tank being provided at a top section of the first tank,

a control system operatively associated with the heated water system for receiving information from the heated water system and controllably operating the heated water system in response to the information,

first and second thermostats respectively connected to the first and second tanks for detecting respective temperatures of the respective first and second volumes of water within the first and second tanks, each thermostat communicating with the control system,

first and second heating elements respectively associated with the first and second tanks which the control system activates and deactivates to introduce heat energy to the respective first and second volumes of water to maintain the respective first and second volumes of water within predetermined temperature ranges for the respective first and second tanks in response to temperatures detected by the thermostats, and

a controllable inlet valve coupled to the input port on the first tank and communicating with the control system for controllably introducing water to the first tank to displace heated water from the tanks for use in dispensing heated water in the production of the brewed beverage,

wherein the heated water system is configured to heat water controllably introduced to the first volume of water in the first tank, to controllably flow heated water from the first volume of water to the second volume of water for controllable heating in the second tank, and to controllably flow heated water from the second volume of water in the second tank through an output port of the second tank to the beverage making apparatus, the output port of the second tank being provided at a top section of the second tank.

11 . The heated water system of claim 10 wherein the tangential inlet flows help maintain heated water striations within the respective first and second tanks.

12 . The heated water system of claim 10 further comprising a third water tank for controllably heating a third volume of water within the third tank, a third thermostat connected to the third tank for detecting a temperatures of the third volume of water within the third tank, and a third heating element associated with the third tank which the control system activates and deactivates to introduce heat energy to the third volume of water to maintain the third volume of water within a predetermined temperature range for the third tank in response to a temperature detected by the third thermostat, the third tank operatively coupled in series with the first and second tanks, water flowing from the first tank to the second tank, water flowing from the second tank to the third tank, and water flowing from the third tank for use by the beverage making apparatus.

13 . The heated water system of claim 12 further comprising a fourth water tank for controllably heating a fourth volume of water within the fourth tank, a fourth thermostat connected to the fourth tank for detecting a temperatures of the fourth volume of water within the fourth tank, and a fourth heating element associated with the fourth tank which the control system activates and deactivates to introduce heat energy to the fourth volume of water to maintain the fourth volume of water within a predetermined temperature range for the fourth tank in response to a temperature detected by the fourth thermostat, the fourth tank operatively coupled in series with the first, second, and third tanks, water flowing from the first tank to the second tank, water flowing from the second tank to the third tank, water flowing from the third tank to the fourth tank, and water flowing from the fourth tank for use by the beverage making apparatus.

14 . The heated water system of claim 10 wherein the output port of the first tank is at the top section of the first tank to pass the heated water from the first tank toward the second tank before cooler water in the lower section, and

wherein the heated water exits the second tank from the top section so as to provide the highest temperature water from the second tank for introduction to a subsequent third tank or to the beverage making apparatus.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (16)