Coffee maker

Claim 2

In a beverage infusion appliance having means for holding coffee or other material to be infused, and means including a pump for introducing liquid into the material to be infused, the improvement wherein said pump has a unitary housing provided with an upper portion, a midportion and a lower portion said upper portion having a longitudinal bore, said midportion having a transverse bore, said lower portion having a longitudinal bore intersecting said transverse bore, said lower longitUdinal bore is enlarged at its lower end and reduced at its upper end where it intersects said transverse bore, and a fountain tube affixed to the housing and extending longitudinally through the longitudinal bore in the upper portion of the housing, said fountain tube having an inlet portion positioned in the transverse bore, and jet means supported in the longitudinal bore of the lower portion of the housing for directing a fluid jet into the inlet portion of the fountain tube to aspirate liquid communicating with the transverse bore upwardly into and through the fountain tube and then into said holding means.

Claim 3

The appliance of claim 1 wherein the inlet portion of the fountain tube is flared to provide an enlarged area for entry of liquid into the fountain tube.

Claim 4

The appliance of claim 1 having a well element for receiving the pump housing to form therewith a pressure generating chamber, said pressure generating chamber adapted to receive fluid, means for heating the well element to generate fluid pressure in the pressure generating chamber, said pump housing being formed of a material which has a lower coefficient of thermal conductivity than the well element to reduce the deposition of minerals in the well element.

Claim 5

The appliance of claim 3 wherein the inlet portion of the fountain tube is flared to provide an enlarged area for entry of liquid into the fountain tube.

Claim 6

A coffee maker, comprising a liquid chamber, a pressure generating chamber formed by a lower well element and a removable jet pump housing. means for heating the well element, said jet pump housing having a liquid inlet opening leading to the pressure generating chamber, a valve positioned in the liquid inlet opening and being movable under the influence of pressure in the pressure chamber from a lower open position to an upper closed position, a nozzle orifice in the valve for releasing fluid from the pressure generating chamber when the valve is in its upper closed position, a fountain tube having a lower inlet aligned with the nozzle orifice to receive a fluid jet released from the nozzle orifice, said fountain tube having an upper outlet, an infusion basket receiving fluid from said upper outlet of the fountain tube, said jet pump housing being formed of a material having a lower coefficient of thermal conductivity than the lower well element to reduce the deposition of minerals in the well element, said jet pump housing being a unitary member having a transverse bore communicating with said liquid chamber and a lower longitudinal bore which intersects the transverse bore, said lower inlet of the fountain tube being positioned in the transverse bore, and said valve being located in the intersection of the transverse bore and the lower longitudinal bore, said lower longitudinal bore forming a portion of the pressure generating chamber.

Claim 7

A coffee maker, comprising a liquid chamber, a pressure generating chamber formed by a lower well element and a removable jet pump housing. means for heating the well element, said jet pump housing having a liquid inlet opening leading to the pressure generating chamber, a valve positioned in the liquid inlet opening and being movable under the influence of pressure in the pressure chamber from a lower open position to an upper closed position, a nozzle orifice in the valve for releasing fluid from the pressure generating chamber when the valve is in its upper closed position, a fountain tube having a lower inlet aligned with the nozzle orifice to receive a fluid jet released from the nozzle orifice, said fountain tube having an upper outlet, an infusion basket receiving fluid from said upper outlet of the fountain tube, said jet pump housing being formed of a material having a lower coefficient of thermal conductivity than the lower well element to reduce the deposition of minerals in the well element, said jet pump housing being a unitary member having a transverse bore communicating with said liquid chamber and a lower longitudinal bore which intersects the transverse bore, said lower inlet of the fountain tube being positioned in the transverse bore, and said valve being located in the intersection of the transverse bore and the lower longitudinal bore, said lower longitudinal bore forming a portion of the pressure generating chamber.

Claim 8

The coffee maker of claim 5 wherein the lower inlet of the fountain tube is flared to provide an enlarged area for entry of liquid into the fountain tube.