System and method for making a beverage

Abstract

A system and a method for making a beverage from a mixture of liquid and solid particles are disclosed. The liquid and solid particles are introduced into a chamber so as to allow the liquid to infuse with the flavour or quality of the solid particles. A piston having an integrated filter is in sealed contact with the chamber, and can be vertically displaced within the chamber. When the piston is displaced downward, air is forced from below the filter and into the mixture sitting above the filter, agitating the mixture. When the piston is displaced upward, the mixture is drawn from above the filter. This separates the spent solid particles from the infused liquid, which collects in the chamber, thereby making the beverage. Also described are a driving mechanism for displacing the piston, a dispensing mechanism for releasing the beverage, and a wiping mechanism for wiping spent solid particles.

1 . A brewer system for making and dispensing a beverage from a mixture of liquid and infusible solid particles, the system comprising:
 a chamber for receiving the liquid and the particles, the chamber being provided with an inner surface and an outlet for dispensing the beverage;   a piston in sealed contact with the inner surface and vertically displaceable within the chamber, the piston dividing the chamber into an upper portion above the piston and a sealed lower portion below the piston, the piston comprising a filter and configured so that the mixture collects in the upper portion;   a driving mechanism mountable to the piston and configured for displacing the piston within the chamber according to an infusion cycle, the infusion cycle comprising displacing the piston downward within the chamber, thereby forcing air from the lower portion through the filter and into the upper portion so as to agitate the mixture, and subsequently displacing the piston upward within the chamber, thereby drawing the beverage from the upper portion through the filter and into the lower portion while spent solid particles remain above the filter; and   a dispensing mechanism mounted about the outlet of the chamber, the dispensing mechanism dispensing the beverage out of said brewer system.   
     
     
         2 . A brewer system according to  claim 1 , wherein the driving mechanism comprises:
 a piston rod mounted to the piston;   a drive motor operatively connected to the piston rod, the drive motor vertically displacing the piston rod within the chamber; and   a trigger device mounted about the piston rod, the trigger device being vertically displaced concurrently with the piston rod so as to trigger the dispensing mechanism.   
     
     
         3 . A brewer system according to  claim 2 , wherein the piston rod is mounted about a rotatable drive screw, the drive screw being rotated by the drive motor so as to vertically displace the piston rod. 
     
     
         4 . A brewer system according to  claim 2 , wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises:
 a spout in fluid connection with the outlet of the chamber, the spout comprising an intake for receiving the beverage from the outlet and an outtake for directing the beverage out of the brewer system; and   a plug removably mounted to the intake of the spout, the plug preventing the beverage from entering the spout when in a closed position, and the plug allowing the beverage to enter the spout when in an open position, the plug being transitioned between the open and closed positions by the displacement of the trigger device.   
     
     
         5 . A brewer system according to  claim 4 , wherein the trigger device transitions the plug to the open position upon the trigger device being displaced vertically upward. 
     
     
         6 . A brewer system according to  claim 2 , further comprising a wiping mechanism for wiping the spent solid particles from a top surface of the piston. 
     
     
         7 . A brewer system according to  claim 6 , wherein the wiping mechanism comprises:
 a wiper for wiping the spent solid particles from the top surface;   a wiper arm connected to the wiper, the wiper arm displacing the wiper in a first direction so as to wipe the spent solid particles, and in an opposed second direction so as to return the wiper; and   a wiper motor functionally connected to the wiper arm, the wiper motor moving the wiper arm between the first and second directions.   
     
     
         8 . A brewer system according to  claim 7 , wherein the drive motor controls the vertical displacement of the piston rod independently of the wiper motor controlling the movement of the wiper arm. 
     
     
         9 . A method for making a beverage from a mixture of liquid and infusible solid particles using a chamber having a piston in sealed contact therewith and vertically displaceable therein, the piston comprising a filter and dividing the chamber into an upper portion above the piston and a sealed lower portion below the piston, the method comprising the steps of:
 a) introducing the liquid and solid particles into the upper portion of the chamber;   b) displacing the piston downward within the chamber to force air from the lower portion through the filter and into the upper portion so as to agitate the mixture; and   c) displacing the piston upward within the chamber to draw the beverage from the upper portion through the filter and into the lower portion while spent solid particles remain above the filter.   
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9 , comprising an additional step of removing the spent solid particles from above the filter when the piston reaches a top of the chamber. 
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein removing the spent solid particles comprises wiping the spent solid particles off the filter with a wiping mechanism. 
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 9 , comprising an additional step of dispensing the beverage from the lower portion into a beverage container. 
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein said dispensing comprises triggering a dispensing mechanism disposed within the lower portion of the chamber when the piston reaches a trigger height within the chamber, thereby dispensing the beverage. 
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein step a) and step b) are performed concurrently. 
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 9 , comprising an additional step between steps b) and c) of pausing the piston at a bottom of the chamber for an infusing period so as to allow the mixture to infuse. 
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 9 , comprising an additional step of cleaning the piston, the filter, and the chamber, said additional step comprising the sub-steps of:
 A) introducing a cleaning fluid into the upper portion of the chamber;   B) displacing the piston upward within the chamber so as to draw the cleaning fluid from the upper portion through the filter and into the lower portion; and   C) displacing the piston downward within the chamber below a level of the cleaning fluid, thereby forcing at least part of the cleaning fluid from the lower portion and through the filter.