Foods and beverages: apparatus – Beverage – Infusors
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-21
2001-03-20
Alexander, Reginald L. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Beverage
Infusors
C099S323300, C340S691600, C340S309160, C374S102000, C374S141000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202540
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates generally to beverages, and more particularly to a quality control apparatus for a beverage container.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In restaurants and cafes, coffee often is brewed into decanters, such as glass coffee pots, which are placed on hot plates to keep the coffee warm. Coffee typically is brewed at a temperature near 200° F., and kept warm at a temperature near 180° F. At these high temperatures, coffee breaks down over time, and becomes bitter and distasteful to the consumer. Therefore, old coffee periodically is thrown out and replaced with freshly brewed coffee. However, the hectic pace in a restaurant or cafe can cause the waitstaff to forget how long a given pot of coffee has been on the hot plate.
One current device to prevent broken-down coffee from being served is a plastic dial indicator shaped in the form of a clock face that clips around the outside of the neck of a coffee pot. The clock face includes hands that may be rotated by a user to show the time that the pot was brewed. Although the indicator has the face of a clock, it does not keep time.
Such a dial indicator device suffers from several problems. During the workday, waitstaff often are rushed, and may set the dial indicator some time before or after the coffee was brewed, or forget to set the dial indicator at all. Where the dial indicator is set when the coffee is brewed, it may be set to an incorrect time. When it is time to throw the coffee out, the waitstaff may notice the dial indicator late, or may not notice the dial indicator at all. Finally, the waitstaff may notice the dial indicator but purposefully ignore it, presuming, perhaps correctly, that the dial indicator is not accurate. As a result, it is difficult to ensure consumers that they will receive a fresh cup of coffee.
Another device to prevent broken-down coffee from being served is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,298,143 to Peterson, which shows a coffee pot stopper device having a pouring passage that is closed by a valve vane after a timer has expired, thereby preventing coffee from being poured from the pot. Several problems exist with the Peterson device. For example, the device must be removed each time coffee is added to the pot such as when the coffee pot is placed under a brewing machine. In addition, the device might close as a waitperson is pouring a cup of coffee for a patron. Further, the device must be set by a waitperson when coffee is introduced to the pot, which the waitperson may forget to do or delay doing. Finally, the device is bulky and contains moving parts that are likely to become soiled or rusted.
As consumers increasingly are demanding freshly brewed coffee, it is imperative for restaurants and cafes to provide quality controls to serve patrons as freshly brewed coffee as possible. To that end, it would be desirable to provide a device that attaches to a coffee pot, automatically keeps track of the length of time since the coffee was brewed, and indicates to the waitstaff when to throw the coffee out and brew a fresh pot.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A quality control apparatus is provided for a beverage held in a beverage container. The apparatus includes a sensor configured to be in thermal communication with the beverage and detect attainment of a first predetermined temperature. Typically, the sensor is mounted in an interior of the beverage container. Alternatively, the sensor may be mounted in operative thermal contact with an outer surface of the beverage container. The apparatus also includes a timer coupled with the sensor. The timer is configured to commence timing in response to detection of the attainment of the first predetermined temperature by the sensor. The apparatus also typically includes an indicator mountable on the beverage container. The indicator is coupled to the timer and configured to indicate to a user a status of the timer. Typically, the status of the timer is an indication whether a predetermined interval of time has expired. Alternatively, the status may be an elapsed time.
A method of timing freshness of a beverage in a beverage container also is provided. The method includes detecting presence of the beverage in the beverage container by sensing attainment of a first predetermined temperature in the beverage container, commencing timing in response to detecting presence of the beverage, and indicating to a user by an indicator mounted to the beverage container a status of the timing. Typically, commencing timing includes commencing timing of a predetermined interval. The method also typically includes determining whether a sensor detects attainment of a second predetermined temperature in the beverage container. If the sensor detects attainment of the second predetermined temperature, the method typically includes stopping timing. If the sensor does not detect attainment of the second predetermined temperature, the method typically includes detecting expiration of the predetermined interval, and indicating to the user by the indicator mounted to the beverage container that the predetermined interval has expired.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3965741 (1976-06-01), Wachtell et al.
patent: 3967502 (1976-07-01), Moran
patent: 4298143 (1981-11-01), Peterson
patent: 4621571 (1986-11-01), Roberts
patent: 4790239 (1988-12-01), Hewitt
patent: 4838152 (1989-06-01), Kubicko et al.
patent: 5229751 (1993-07-01), Chandler et al.
patent: 5239519 (1993-08-01), Nelson et al.
patent: 5774425 (1998-06-01), Ivanov et al.
patent: 5923257 (1999-07-01), Nolte
patent: 6062126 (2000-05-01), Johnson et al.
Photograph of a manually operated indicator dial attached to a coffee pot, Feb. 1999.
Engler Christopher J.
Johnson Michael W.
Alexander Reginald L.
Boyd Coffee Company
Kolisch Hartwell Dickinson & McCormack & Heuser
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