An apparatus is provided for making beverages by immersing an infusible material, such as loose tea-leaves, in a liquid, such as hot water. The apparatus comprises two rigid-frame containers, a liquid-impermeable open-top beverage container, which can be an existing container selected by the user, and a movable liquid-permeable infuser container. According to embodiments of the invention, the infuser container may assume two different stationary positions relative to the beverage container, a lower stationary position and a higher stationary position. In the lower stationary position, the infusible material is covered by liquid and may be infused for a desired length of time. Thereafter the infuser container may be temporarily placed in the higher stationary position, in which position the infusible material is located above the liquid, to reduce or stop the dripping of the infusible material.

A hydrogen water generator includes a water tank for receiving and storing water, an electrode module coupled to the water tank for generating hydrogen water, a movable water discharger, a transfer tube for transferring the hydrogen water from the water tank to the movable water discharger, a sensor, and a controller. The controller moves the movable water discharger from an original position to a height with respect to a water container based on a sensing by the sensor.

An automatic beverage system for producing a hot flavored beverage. The system includes a base unit having a water reservoir, a control system for heating liquid from the reservoir, a cartridge arm having a water injector and a cartridge holder, a pump and tubing system connecting the water reservoir to the cartridge holder and used to move water, the control system housed within the base unit and coupled to the heating element and pump to control temperature and movement of the liquid from the reservoir to the cartridge holder, and a container base positioned in an area adjacent the base unit and below the cartridge holder. The cartridge holder is adapted to receive interchangeable cartridges depending on the type and size of beverage desired. The interchangeable cartridges include a water cartridge, a pod cartridge, and a grounds cartridge.

An adjustable brew head linkage includes a brew head linkage element, a handle linkage element, and an adjusting element between the brew head linkage element and the handle linkage element to smoothly increase and decrease the distance between the brew head linkage element and the handle linkage element to alter the size of a corresponding brew chamber to accommodate various brew pods. The brew head linkage element and/or handle linkage element may include a threaded portion to engage the adjusting element. Turning the adjusting element causes deflection. Threaded portions may have opposite handedness or different pitches. A secondary brew head linkage locking element provides friction to lock the adjusting element in place. The adjusting element increases and decreases the distance between the head linkage and the handle linkage in increments smaller than 0.178 millimeters ( 7/1000 inches).

A liquid dispensing apparatus for dispensing water and a flavored beverage. The dispensing apparatus may dispense chilled drinking water, hot drinking water and/or ambient temperature drinking water. The dispensing apparatus may further dispense a chilled, ambient temperature and/or hot flavored beverage. The flavored beverage may be coffee, tea, hot chocolate or another flavored beverage. The dispensing apparatus may include a replaceable five (5) gallon water bottle stored in a lower portion of the dispensing apparatus or an external source of water. Preferably, the liquid dispensing apparatus dispenses chilled drinking water and hot coffee from a replaceable five (5) gallon water bottle stored in a lower portion of the dispensing apparatus wherein the replaceable five (5) gallon water bottle is stored in an upright orientation, i.e., the discharge port of the replaceable five (5) gallon water bottle is oriented above a bottom of the replaceable five (5) gallon water bottle.

A brewing apparatus may include a chassis. The chassis may include a chassis beverage cup base. A chassis beverage cup cavity defined within the chassis beverage cup base may be configured to receive a beverage cup of a plurality of beverage cups. The brewing apparatus may include an adaptor insert assembly dimensioned to fit within the chassis beverage cup cavity. An adaptor insert cavity defined within the adaptor insert may be configured to receive a second beverage cup of a plurality of beverage cups. The brewing apparatus may include a controller configured to acquire data about the beverage cup or the second beverage cup via the one or more sensors. The controller may be configured to at least one of select or adjust a catering profile of a plurality of catering profiles based on the acquired data.

A beverage dripper includes a base portion, including a first tier having a first outer diameter and a second tier having a second outer diameter less than the first outer diameter. A content portion extends from the base portion. The content portion includes an inner surface, and a plurality of ribs protrude from the inner surface.

A moving assembly of a coffee maker has a body, a first moving module, and a second moving module. The first moving module is mounted to the body, and has a first slide rail and a feeding component. The first slide rail is connected to the body. The feeding component is slidably mounted to the first slide rail and has a nozzle. The second moving module is mounted to the body below the first moving module, and has a second slide rail and a platform. The second slide rail is connected to the body and located below the first slide rail in a direction intersecting with the first slide rail. The platform is slidably mounted to the second slide rail. Therefore, the nozzle may move against a coffee cup put on the platform in two directions with the two independent moving modules.

A tea-making apparatus includes a stem member, a base, and a hanging device. The stem member includes a top end and a bottom end. The base may be attached to the bottom end of the stem member, wherein the base includes a drip pan. The base includes a portion of the base that may contact the tea steeping vessel while the tea-making apparatus may be suspended on the tea steeping vessel. The hanging device may be positioned at or attached adjacent to top end of the stem member. The hanging device may be adapted to suspend the tea-making apparatus from a rim of a tea steeping vessel.

According to one embodiment, a beverage preparation machine includes a beverage dispenser, a cup holding region located below the beverage dispenser, a light source configured to transmit light across a portion of the cup holding region, and a receiver configured to receive at least a portion the light transmitted by the light source. A processor determines whether a transparent cup has been sufficiently inserted into the cup holding region or is at a desired height by detecting either a trough in a light level of the portion of the light received at the receiver, or an inverted trough in a light level of the light transmitted by the light source. Upon making the determination that the transparent cup is not sufficiently inserted or at the desired height, the processor prevents the beverage dispenser from dispensing a beverage.