| 摘要 |
Drip coffee makers include a one way valve to control a flow of fresh water from a reservoir into a heating conduit via a cold water conduit. Water is heated in the heating conduit, and then proceeds into a hot water conduit, and hot water is thereafter spread over coffee grounds by a showerhead. Heating water causes formation of steam and pressure in the hot water conduit. The one way valve prevents the heated water from moving backwards towards the reservoir, helping force the water onward through the system towards the coffee grounds in the filter basket. Once the heated steam and water move out of the heating conduit the one-way valve is able to open and new fresh water enters. The one-way valves use heavy metal or steel valve stoppers. The stoppers may be spherical, columnar, bullet shaped, or a pair of spheres either loose or fused. |
| 主权项 |
1. A drip coffee maker, the drip coffee maker comprising:
a reservoir for holding fresh water; a fresh water passage, the fresh water passage being connected to the reservoir for receiving fresh water from the reservoir; a heating conduit, the heating conduit being in a base of the coffee maker, the heating conduit being elongated and being connected to the fresh water passage for receiving fresh water therefrom; a heating element, the heating element being adjacent to the heating conduit, the heating element being linked to an electrical source, the heating element being capable of heating water in the heating conduit when the drip coffee maker is in operation; a hot water passage, the hot water passage being connected to the heating conduit for receiving hot water therefrom, the hot water passage leading to a shower head, the shower head being positioned over a filter basket for distributing hot water received from the hot water passage over the filter basket; a one-way valve positioned in the fresh water passage, the valve comprising a movable stopper and a housing, the valve being positioned so that fresh water traveling from the reservoir to the heating conduit passes through the valve, the valve being oriented so that water moving backwards from the heating conduit towards the reservoir will bias the valve towards a closed configuration; wherein the valve stopper is column-shaped, comprises steel, is from 0.4 to 0.6 inches long, weighs from 2.0 to 3.5 grams, and has a diameter from 0.2 to 0.3 inches; and wherein the valve housing has an inside length such that the stopper has an axial stroke length inside the housing of from 0.3 to 0.8 inches. |
