Dual-purpose brewer and brew basket and method of brewing

摘要

A dual-purpose brewer including a hot water dispenser system (25) for dispensing, hot water to a dispense outlet above a removable brew basket (18) with an electromagnetically controlled outlet drain valve (44) for selectively blocking beverage from leaving the brew basket (18) during a seeping period when making tea and leaves a drain hole (41) open throughout a brew cycle when making coffee. A drain plug (42) made of magnetic or ferromagnetic material is moved by an electromagnetic field to an open position (FIG. 6) to block a drain passageway (45) to drain the brew basket (18) of beverage and falls to a closed position (FIG. 5) during, a seeping period. Contact of electromagnetic coils (80, 82, 90) carried by the brew basket (18) with a source of energization is achieved through electrical contacts at the end of a. pivotally mounted actuation arm (34).

主权项

1. A dual-purpose brewer assembly, comprising:
a brewing assembly including, within a housing, operator inputs, a hot water dispenser system for dispensing hot water from a source of hot water to a dispense outlet located above a brew basket mounting location, and a controller responsive to the operator inputs indicating which of two different brew cycles has been selected; a brew basket assembly having a brew basket body with
means for removably mounting the brew basket to the housing at the brew basket mounting location in position to receive hot water from the dispense outlet and to dispense beverage to a beverage container at a beverage container location beneath the brew basket mounting location, an open top for receipt of hot water and a bottom, and an electromagnetically controlled outlet drain valve for selectively passing beverage out of the bottom of the brew basket to a beverage container including a split-core magnetic coil assembly having a half of the magnetic coil attached to the housing of the brewer assembly and electrically connected to and energizable by the controller; an other half of the magnetic coil carried by the brew basket adjacent the outlet drain valve; and means including the controller for selectively controlling the electromagnetically controlled drain valve assembly to operate differently depending upon which of the two different brew cycles has been selected.