US3844206A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Infusor apparatus
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-01-17
•
Granted: 1974-10-29
•
Expires: 1992-01-17
Abstract
Abstract This infusor apparatus is particularly intended for making coffee, tea or the like, and is particularly adapted for preparing a fixed quantity of coffee, e.g., a single cup. The apparatus includes a heating chamber having a filter therein for treating the incoming water. This chamber is closable by a cover having pressure regulating and pressure relief valves supported therein. Two electric heaters are provided at the bottom of the heating chamber. Their operation is initiated by a manual switch. When the water temperature reaches the proper brewing temperature, a bimetallic disc snaps, opening a valve to allow the water to discharge into an infusion chamber, and at the same time operating a switch to deenergize one of the two heaters. The water discharges from the heating chamber under the pressure of the vapor which has developed during the heating. The second heater is located substantially at the level of the heating chamber outlet, so that as the water is forced down by the vapor pressure to that level, the heat is concentrated in a decreasing volume of water and the water pressure is raised for a few seconds until the water falls below that level and a discharge of vapor takes place into the infusion chamber. This vapor flow is effective to force the water absorbed in the coffee out of the infusion chamber and into a coffee receiving receptacle. The second heater is turned off by a thermostatic switch mounted on the heater itself, and set to cut off the energy to that heater when the heater exceeds a predetermined temperature, which is encountered when the water level falls below the outlet. The coffee is contained in a cartridge comprising a paper cylinder with filter paper covering its ends. Screens below and above the ends of the cartirdge support and protect the filter paper during the infusion operation. The inlet filter is in a casing having a flange supported on a plurality of lugs projecting inwardly from the periphery of the heating chamber. The diameter of the inlet filter flange is shorter than the diameter of the heating chamber, so that a vapor vent is provided around substantially the entire periphery of the filter casing.
Inventors
- 👤 R Weber
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 21:26
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47J; A47J31/00; A47J31/24; A47J31/30; A47J31/04; A47J31/057; A47J31/0573; A47J31/0576; A47J31/44; A47J31/54; A47J31/56
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 35
Claim 1
Independent Claim
34 words
An infusor as in claim 1, in which said valve stem is threadedly connected to the valve and is adjustable to vary the initial stress on the disc and hence its valve opening temperature.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
112 words
means responsive to the level of infusive liquid in the chamber for terminating the supply of energy to the heating means when the liquid therein is below a predetermined level; d. said heating means comprises an electric heater at said predetermined level, said heater being subject to an increase in temperature above a predetermined value when the liquid level falls below the heater, due to the decreased heat dissipation from the heater; e. said means responsive to the level of infusive liquid comprises means responsive to the heater temperature and effective when said temperature exceeds said predetermined value to deenergize said electric heater; f. said means responsive to the heater temperature comprises:
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
9 words
a movable switch contact operable by the bimetal member;
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
24 words
first means for terminating the operation of the first heater when the liquid at the bottom of the chamber reaches a predetermined temperature; and
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
17 words
first and second filter papers sealed to said end flanges and closing the ends of the cylinder;
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
7 words
a safety valve slidable within said housing;
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
13 words
spring means biasing the safety valve against a seat surrounding the inlet opening;
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
108 words
material to be infused in said cylinder having a volume less than about two-thirds of the cylinder volume; b. means for supplying a charge of infusive liquid under pressure; c. means for supporting the cartridge to receive the liquid charge at one end of the cylinder and to discharge the infusion from the other end of the cylinder; d. a screen attached to said supporting means and located close to the top filter paper when the cartridge is supported by the supporting means; and e. a second screen attached to the supporting means and underlying the bottom filter paper when the cartridge is supported by the supporting means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
second means for terminating the operation of the second heater when the liquid falls below a predetermined level.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
a stationary contact cooperating with the contact on the bimetal member, said bimetal member being effective to separate the two contacts when the temperature of the heater exceeds said predetermined value.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
64 words
An infusor as in claim 1, including: a. an outlet conduit for said valve; b. a seat for said valve at the entrance to said outlet conduit; c. an inlet conduit for said valve comprising a tube encircling said valve and aligned with the valve seat, said tube having a plurality of peripheral apertures providing fluid communication between said valve and said heating chamber.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
An infusor as in claim 3, including means for varying the position of the valve seat to vary the closed position of the valve with respect to the disc and thereby the initial stress on said disc and hence its valve opening temperature.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
said safety valve being a hollow cylinder open at its upper end and closed at its lower end except for a second inlet opening;
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
53 words
a pressure regulating valve slidable in said hollow cylinder and biased by gravity to close said second inlet opening, said hollow cylinder having at least one recess bypassing said regulating valve to allow passage of fluid from the chamber through said second inlet opening past the pressure regulating valve to the outlet opening.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
31 words
An infusor as in claim 3, in which said valve seat is located above the bottom wall of the heating chamber, and said valve is opened downwardly by said bimetallic disc.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
38 words
An infusor as in claim 3, in which said valve seat is located substantially at the level of the bottom wall of said heating chamber, and said valve is open inwardly of the chamber by said bimetallic disc.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
20 words
An infusor as in claim 6, in which said tube and said sealed chamber are located within the heating chamber.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
An infusor, comprising: a. a chamber for receiving infusive liquid; b. means for heating infusive liquid in the chamber; c. control means for said heating means, including:
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
134 words
An infusor, comprising: a. a chamber for receiving a charge of infusive liquid; b. an outlet valve having an inlet located adjacent but spaced above the bottom of the chamber; c. means for heating the infusive liquid in the chamber; d. outlet valve operating means responsive to the temperature of the liquid in the chamber for opening the valve when the temperature exceeds a predetermined value; e. control means for said heating means, including means responsive to the level of the infusive liquid in the chamber to cut off the supply of energy to the heating means when the liquid falls to a level below that of the valve inlet opening, so that the infusor discharges a volume of liquid followed by a volume of vapor, and the supply of heat is thereafter stopped.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
43 words
An infusor as in claim 9, in which said heating means comprises an electric heater extending horizontally at a level just above the valve inlet opening, and said level responsivE means comprises a thermostatic switch in close heat conducting relationship with said heater.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
37 words
An infusor, comprising: a. a chamber for receiving a charge of liquid infusive material; b. means for heating the liquid in said chamber; and c. a combined pressure regulating valve and safety valve for said chamber, including:
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
48 words
An infusor as in claim 11, in which: a. said outlet opening is aligned with said pressure regulating valve; and b. said housing includes a limit stop for the pressure regulating valve adjacent the outlet opening and effective to prevent the pressure regulating valve from closing that opening.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
27 words
An infusor as in claim 11, in which said pressure regulating valve comprises a cylinder with conical surfaces on both ends of the cylinder and coaxial therewith.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
24 words
An infusor as in claim 13, in which the largest diameter of said conical surfaces is not greater than the diameter of said cylinder.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
An infusor as in claim 11, including a removable cover for the top of said chamber, said valve housing being integral with said cover.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
64 words
An infusor as in claim 15, in which: a. said removable cover is threaded at its periphery and said chamber is provided with mating threads to receive said cover; b. said cover has a generally concave upper surface with a diametrical ridge extending across said upper surface for applying a rotating torque to the cover; and c. said valve housing is within the ridge.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
164 words
An infusor, comprising: a. a heating chamber for receiving a charge of infusive liquid; b. a removable cover for the top of said chamber; c. support means in said chamber below said cover; d. a filter casing receivable in the heating chamber on said support means, said filter casing and said support means being contoured to provide a space for fluid communication around the periphery of the filter casing; and e. filter means located at the bottom of said filter casing for filtering the incoming liquid before it is heated; f. said filter casing having a sufficient volumetric capacity above said filter means to receive a complete charge of infusive liquid; g. said heating chamber having a sufficient volumetric capacity below said filter casing to receive said complete charge of infusive liquid, said space allowing the air in said heating chamber to escape into the filter casing above the filter means as the infusive liquid flows through the filter means into the heating chamber.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
105 words
An infusor as in claim 17, in which: a. the supporting means comprises a plurality of lugs extending inwardly from the chamber wall and circumferentially around the periphery of the opening closed by said cover; and b. said filter casing has an outwardly extending flange on its upper end having an outside diameter larger than the circle defined by the tips of said lugs and smaller than the inside diameter of the casing, so that when said filter casing is supported by engagement of said flange with said lugs, said space is provided between the flange and the chamber wall to allow said fluid communication.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
70 words
An infusor as in claim 17, in which the filter casing has an upper portion of relatively large diameter so that its volumetric capacity is sufficient to receive the charge of infusive liquid, and a lower portion of relatively small diameter so that a predetermined depth of filter bed can be provided with a smaller volume of filter materials, said upper and lower portions being connected by a conical portion.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
36 words
An infusor as in claim 17, including pressure regulating valve means carried by said cover for regulating the pressure in said heating chamber, fluid under said pressure being communicated to said valve means through said space.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
23 words
An infusor, comprising: a. a cartridge containing material to be infused, said cartridge being adapted for insertion in an infusor, said cartridge including:
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
124 words
An infusor, as in claim 21, in which said cartridge support means comprises a liquid impervious cylinder for enclosing the cartridge cylinder snugly, a screen fastened to the impervious cylinder and closing the bottom end thereof, said cylinder having an external thread at the upper end thereof, said liquid charge supplying means having a discharge outlet internally threaded to receive the upper end of said cylinder, and a filter screen within said outlet, said upper flange of the paper cylinder and the upper filter paper having diameters larger than the paper cylinder, so that said upper flange and upper filter paper extend between and are sealingly engaged by the rim of the filter screen and by the upper end of the liquid impervious cylinder.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
32 words
An infusor, comprising: a. a chamber for receiving infusive liquid; b. means for heating infusive liquid in the chamber, comprising first and second heaters; c. control means for the heating means, comprising:
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
96 words
An infusor, as in claim 23, in which: a. said heaters are electrically energizable; b. said initiating means is a snap switch manually movable from open to closed position; c. said first terminating means comprises a thermostat responsive to the temperature of the liquid at the bottom of the chamber; d. said second heater is located at a predetermined level and in heat transfer relation with the liquid; and e. said second terminating means comprises a second thermostat mounted on the second heater and effective when it reaches a predetermined temperature to open said snap switch.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
33 words
An infusor as in claim 24, in which said second thermostat acts directly on said snap switch and terminates the operation of the second heater by restoring the snap switch to open position.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1977-10-28 | 1978-04-29 | 1978-10-29 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1981-10-28 | 1982-04-29 | 1982-10-29 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1985-10-28 | 1986-04-29 | 1986-10-29 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |