Microwaveable coffee maker

Claim 1

A microwavable coffee maker comprising: a receptacle unit for receiving brewed coffee and which has a vertical axis, a peripheral wall and at least one vent means in said peripheral wall; a filter unit for passing water through ground coffee which is coaxially mounted on top of the receptacle unit and which has a bottom wall having a filter means for supporting ground coffee and having an inclining wall portion having a surface that inclines toward the filter means for deflecting water onto and around the ground coffee and having a peripheral wall and at least one vent means in said peripheral wall; a reservoir unit for containing the water during heating which is coaxially mounted on top of the filter unit and which has a bottom wall, peripheral wall, at least one vent means in said peripheral wall, a siphon means and a passage means; the passage means adapted to extend through the bottom wall of said reservoir unit and having an outlet disposed directly above the filter means for transferring by gravity a first portion of water from said reservoir onto the ground coffee to prevent scorching of the ground coffee prior to transfer of a second portion of water through the siphon means; the siphon means being disposed inside the upper reservoir and adapted to extend through and be supported by the bottom wall of the reservoir and said siphon means having an outlet disposed directly above the inclining wall portion of the filter unit and the siphon means being adapted for transferring a second portion of the water from the upper reservoir unit by hydraulic head to the inclining wall portion of the filter unit; and a lid adapted for placement over the reservoir unit and adapted to allow the reservoir to be in communication with air outside the coffee maker by means of a vent hole in the lid and by means of a straight tube having a top opening facing above the lid and a bottom opening adapted to be disposed below the surface of the water at a selective depth before applying microwave energy and to be disposed above the surface of the water as water is transferred during the preparation process.

Claim 14

A method of making coffee using microwave energy, which employs an apparatus having a lid adapted to be placed over a reservoir adapted to hold a quantity of liquid to be prepared, the reservoir is adapted to be disposed over a filter unit which is adapted to hold a quantity of ground coffee, the reservoir and filter unit adapted to be placed over a receptacle for the brewed coffee, wherein the reservoir is in fluid communication with the filter unit including the steps of: placing a selected volume of water in the reservoir unit, such that when the lid is mounted over the reservoir unit a first venting means in the lid is above the surface of the water prior to the application of microwave energy and a second venting means in the lid is below the surface of the water prior to the application of microwave energy; depositing a selected quantity of ground coffee on the filter means in the filter unit; mounting the filter unit on top of the receptacle unit and mounting the reservoir unit on top of the filter unit such that at least one vent located in each of the filter unit, the receptacle unit and the reservoir unit allows air to enter the apparatus throughout the preparation of the brewed coffee; mounting the lid over the liquid reservoir unit such that said first venting means in the lid is above the surface of the water in the reservoir and said second venting means is below the surface of the water in the reservoir; heating the water using microwave energy and dripping by gravity under atmospheric pressure a first portion of the water onto the ground coffee and transferring a second portion of the water through the siphon system; increasing the venting of the reservoir unit by increasing the air flowing through the second venting means in the lid after heated water begins to flow through the siphon system; conducting using hydraulic head the heated second portion of water from the reservoir unit to a portion of the filter unit away from the ground coffee and deflecting the second portion of water onto and around the ground coffee; passing the boiled water through the ground coffee to make brewed coffee; and conducting the brewed coffee into the receptacle unit.

Claim 15

A method of making coffee using microwave energy, which employs an apparatus having a lid adapted to be placed over a reservoir adapted to hold a quantity of liquid to be prepared, the reservoir is adapted to be disposed over a filter unit which is adapted to hold a quantity of ground coffee, the reservoir and filter unit adapted to be placed over a receptacle for the brewed coffee, wherein the reservoir is in fluid communication with the filter unit including the steps of: placing a selected volume of water in the reservoir unit, such that when the lid is mounted over the reservoir unit a first venting means in the lid is above the surface of the water prior to the application of microwave energy and a second venting means in the lid is below the surface of the water prior to the application of microwave energy; depositing a selected quantity of ground coffee on the filter means in the filter unit; mounting the filter unit on top of the receptacle unit and mounting the reservoir unit on top of the filter unit such that at least one vent located in each of the filter unit, the receptacle unit and the reservoir unit allows air to enter the apparatus throughout the preparation of the brewed coffee; mounting the lid over the liquid reservoir unit such that said first venting means in the lid is above the surface of the water in the reservoir and said second venting means is below the surface of the water in the reservoir; heating the water using microwave energy and dripping by gravity under atmospheric pressure a first portion of the water onto the ground coffee and transferring a second portion of the water through the siphon system; increasing the venting of the reservoir unit by increasing the air flowing through the second venting means in the lid after heated water begins to flow through the siphon system; conducting using hydraulic head the heated second portion of water from the reservoir unit to a portion of the filter unit away from the ground coffee and deflecting the second portion of water onto and around the ground coffee; passing the boiled water through the ground coffee to make brewed coffee; and conducting the brewed coffee into the receptacle unit.