US4815633A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic coffee vending machine being able to serve a straight coffee and a blended coffee selectively
Assignee: Sanden Corp
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Filing: 1986-03-13
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Granted: 1989-03-28
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Expires: 2006-03-13
Abstract
Abstract Automatic regular coffee vending machine including ground coffee powders or coffee beans of different varieties stored in different chambers, separately. When one or more varieties are selected by selection-key operation, coffee powder or powders of the selected variety or varieties are supplied by a predetermined amount into a coffee extractor together with hot water of a predetermined amount, so that a cup of straight coffee of the selected variety or a cup of blended coffee of the selected varieties can be served from the machine. The coffee concentration can be selected by operation of concentration-selection keys, and coffee with cream and/or sugar also can be obtained by cream and/or sugar selection keys which are controlled by a memory storing data on the various supply amounts. When coffee beans are stored in the chambers, the selected amounts of beans are ground in a coffee mill before delivery to the coffee extractor.
Inventors
- 👤 Ryohei Kondo
- 👤 Ikuo Harashima
- 👤 Daigo Sunouchi
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 23:18
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47J; A47J31/00; A47J31/40; A47J31/401; G; G07; G07F; G07F13/00; G07F13/06; G07F13/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
214 words
An automatic coffee vending machine for dispensing regular brewed coffee comprising: a plurality of chambers for storing coffee materials of different varieties, respectively, means for transferring coffee materials from each of said plurality of chambers and delivering said coffee materials in controlled proportion to a common coffee extracting means, said coffee materials being delivered to said common coffee extracting means in ground form; means for supplying hot water into said common coffee extracting means so as to brew hot coffee from said ground materials; trough means for receiving said brewed coffee from said coffee extracting means; said trough means having sugar supply means and cream powder supply means communicating therewith; money detecting means for generating a vending signal at a time when an amount of money as deposited is at least equal to a predetermined price; selection key means for selecting desirable one or more coffee varieties contained in said plurality of chambers; and electric control means beng actuated by said vending signal from said money detection means and controlling said extracting means, said coffee transfer means and said hot water supplying means so as to serve selectively a straight coffee of said desired one variety or a blended coffee of said desired more than one varieties as selected by said selection key means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
214 words
An automatic coffee vending machine for dispensing regular brewed coffee comprising: a plurality of chambers for storing coffee materials of different varieties, respectively, means for transferring coffee materials from each of said plurality of chambers and delivering said coffee materials in controlled proportion to a common coffee extracting means, said coffee materials being delivered to said common coffee extracting means in ground form; means for supplying hot water into said common coffee extracting means so as to brew hot coffee from said ground materials; trough means for receiving said brewed coffee from said coffee extracting means; said trough means having sugar supply means and cream powder supply means communicating therewith; money detecting means for generating a vending signal at a time when an amount of money as deposited is at least equal to a predetermined price; selection key means for selecting desirable one or more coffee varieties contained in said plurality of chambers; and electric control means beng actuated by said vending signal from said money detection means and controlling said extracting means, said coffee transfer means and said hot water supplying means so as to serve selectively a straight coffee of said desired one variety or a blended coffee of said desired more than one varieties as selected by said selection key means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
The automatic coffee vending machine as claimed in claim 1, which further comprises cream selection key, sugar selection key, said electric control means controlling said cream discharging means and said sugar discharge means according to signals from said cream selection key and said sugar selection key so as to supply said cream powder and said sugar in desired preset amounts of each to said trough means, respectively.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
112 words
The automatic coffee vending machine as claimed in claim 1, which further comprises coffee concentration key means for selecting one of different concentration levels, memory means storing data of supply amounts of said coffee materials, said data comprising total supply amounts predetermined according to said different concentration levels, and supply amount rates of said coffee varieties predetermined according to coffee varieties and the number of the varieties by said selection key means, said electric control means reading out said data from said memory means in response to selection signals from said selection key means and said coffee concentraion key means to control transfer of said coffee materials to said coffee extracting means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
95 words
The automatic coffee vending machine as claimed in claim 1, which further comprises cream amount key means for selecting different supply amounts of cream powders, sugar amount key means for selecting different supply amounts of sugar, memory means storing data of said different supply amounts of cream powder and said different supply amounts of sugar, said electric control means reading out said data from said memory means to control said cream discharge means and said sugar discharge means in response to selection signals from said cream amount key means and said sugar amount key means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
The automatic coffee vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coffee materials stored in said a plurality of chambers are ground coffee powders.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
49 words
The automatic coffee vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coffee materials stored in said a plurality of chambers are coffee beans, a single coffee mill is disposed to receive coffee beans transferred from said chambers by said transfer means and to grind the received coffee beans.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3991911A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1992-03-27 | 1992-09-26 | 1993-03-28 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1996-03-27 | 1996-09-26 | 1997-03-28 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2000-03-27 | 2000-09-26 | 2001-03-28 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |