Method of food processing using an auto-directive controller

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United States of America Patent

PATENT NO 9560863
SERIAL NO

12608559

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Abstract

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A method of controlling a hot beverage brewer (20) with an auto-directive brewer controller (22) that controls enabling and revealing of a plurality of hidden, or phantom, switches (39, 40, 42, 48, 50, 52, 54, 56, 58 and 60). Signals from disabled switches are ignored by a microcomputer (24), and the operator is directed to only the hidden switches that are enabled by selectively revealing them with individually associated backlights (39′, 40′, 42′, 48′, 50′, 54′, 56′, 58′, and 60′). When the backlights are energized the location of the hidden switches is revealed by the light passing through a dark, but semi-translucent, flexible, plastic control panel that overlies the hidden switches and their associated backlights. Different modes of normal operation may be preselected during a program mode (FIG. 12D) in which one or more of the brew start switches are relatively permanently disabled and remain relatively permanently hidden, while other ones of the start brew switches and other function selection switches are only temporarily disabled and temporarily hidden due to changing conditions or status of the brewer during normal operation.

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Patent Owner(s)

Patent OwnerAddress
FOOD EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGIES COMPANY INCLAKE ZURICH IL

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Inventor(s)

Inventor Name Address # of filed Patents Total Citations
Lassota, Zbigniew G Long Grove, US 83 1272

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