Patent Application
20140170269
The present invention relates to a cartridge arrangement for storing and brewing a brewable substance such as, for example, a mass of ground coffee.
Brewing machines for brewing coffee are well known. One well known brewing machine, which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,765, is configured to receive a cartridge that contains a mass of brewable substance such as coffee. The cartridge includes a fluid impermeable cup made from a flexible plastic inside of which a filter is disposed. The filter, which is shaped like a cup or a cone, is directly joined to the interior wall of the cup at the top edge of the cup, which defines the mouth of the cup. The brewable substance is deposited inside the filter and the mouth of the cup is closed with a metal foil, which is joined to a radially extending flange residing at the mouth of the cup.
To brew the brewable substance, the machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,765 is configured to inject hot water into the cartridge with a means that pierces the foil. Exposure to the hot water so injected for a short period of time brews the substance inside the cartridge to produce a brewed beverage (e.g. coffee). The brewed beverage passes through the filter and is deposited at the bottom of the cup. Thereafter, the machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,765 pierces the bottom of the cup allowing the brewed beverage to exit.
Keurig, Inc., the assignee of U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,765, markets a machine according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,765 as well as cartridges for use with that machine. U.S. Pat. No. 5,840,189, also assigned to Keurig, Inc., discloses a cartridge for use with the machine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,765.
The cartridges marketed by Keurig, Inc. for use with the Keurig machines are slightly different in configuration than the cartridges disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,840,189.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new cartridge that can include a brewable substance such as coffee or the like.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cartridge suitable for use with a machine as described above.
A cartridge according to the present invention includes a filter body, which resides in a fluid impermeable cup, but is not joined directly with its interior surface. Rather, a novel cage is provided to support the filter body inside of the cup.
A cartridge for retaining a mass according to the present invention includes a fluid impermeable cup having an interior space, and a retainer that includes a fluid permeable filter that retains a mass and is joined to a cage. The filter and the cage are received in the interior space of the cup and the cage rests against an interior surface of the cup to support the filter inside the interior space of the cup. Preferably, neither the filter nor the cage extends outside of the interior space of the cup.
In the preferred embodiment, the cage includes a ring portion having an exterior surface that makes intimate contact (i.e. surface to surface contact) with an interior surface of the cup. The cage further includes a base section and a plurality of spaced elongated connectors that connect the base section to the ring portion. Preferably, the base section is a cross-shaped web and the connectors extend from each of the ends of the cross-shaped web and are thus evenly spaced from one another. The spaces between the connectors and the spaces inherently defined by the cross-shaped web allow for the entry of hot fluid into the cage and out of the cage.
In the preferred embodiment, the filter is received interiorly of the ring portion and includes a top portion that is joined with the ring portion and a bottom portion which may be joined with the base section of the cage. Preferably, the filter is configured to be a pouch or a cone having a top portion that includes the edge defining the mouth of the pouch or the cone for receiving the mass inside the filter. In the preferred embodiment, the top portion of the filter is joined to a radially oriented annular surface of the ring portion of the cage.
In the preferred embodiment, the cup includes a flange portion radially extending away from the interior space of the cup. The cage is preferably configured so that the radially oriented surface of its ring portion to which the filter is joined is spaced from the flange portion. A foil or the like may be joined with the flange thereby closing the interior space of the cup, and defining a space above the radially oriented surface of the ring portion.
The ring portion of the cage may be dimensioned to realize intimate contact (i.e. surface to surface contact) with the interior surface of the cup so that fluid does not pass between the cage and the interior surface of the cup. The cage is preferably a unitary body.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the invention which refers to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to
Intermediate flange portion 24 extends away (preferably radially away) from the interior of frustoconical bottom portion 14 and surrounds top edge 19 of frustoconical bottom portion 14. Wall 20 terminates at a top annular edge 21, which defines the open mouth of cup 12. Top edge 21 is joined with a top annular flange 26 that extends away from the interior of wall 20 in a radial direction. Cup 12 is a unitary body preferably made of a suitable plastic that is fluid impermeable and can be pierced at bottom 16 to allow the brewed beverage to exit in the manner described earlier.
A cartridge according to the present invention also includes a filter body 36 which is fluid permeable. A suitable material for fabrication of filter body 36 is 400 mesh netting polymeric material, preferably a nylon mesh, although other materials may be used. Filter body 36 is preferably a pouch or the like configuration although a cup-shaped (e.g. cone shaped) filter body 36 may also be used without deviation from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
While a cartridge according to the present invention includes a filter body 36 that receives a mass of brewable substance such as ground coffee, unlike the Keurig cartridge shown in
Cage 38 preferably includes a lower portion 46 that includes a base section 48 and a plurality of spaced elongated connectors 50 that connect base section 48 to ring portion 40, thereby realizing an open frame to allow the entry and exit of fluid into and out of the interior of cage 38. In the preferred embodiment, base section 48 is made of a cross-shaped web of plastic, although other shapes are considered to be within the scope of the present invention. Each terminal end 49 of the cross-shaped web constituting base section 48 is integrated (joined with) with an end of a respective connector 50. The opposite end of each connector 50 is integrated (joined with) with ring portion 40. Preferably, each end of each connector 50 is joined with ring portion 40 at a location on bottom surface 51 of ring portion 40 at the interior annular wall of ring portion 40, which extends between top surface 44 and bottom surface 51, or at a location on the interior annular wall. In either case, connectors 50 are preferably thin enough and preferably join ring portion 40 such that ring portion 40 may rest on and be supported by intermediate flange portion 24 without interference from connectors 50. It should be noted that base section 48 is configured so that its longest dimension is smaller than the diameter of closed bottom 16, whereby, as illustrated in
Because ring portion 40 has about the same outer diameter as an inner diameter of wall 20, ring portion 40 makes intimate contact (i.e. surface to surface contact) with the interior surface of wall 20 thus preventing hot water from seeping into frustoconical bottom portion 14 without passing through filter body 36. That is, ring portion 40 makes a good enough intimate contact with the interior surface of wall 20 to seal the space between foil 28 and upper ring portion 40 from frustoconical bottom portion 14, whereby hot water is directed through filter body 36. Note that preferably, top surface 44 of ring portion 40 does not reach the top edge of wall 20, i.e. does not reach the mouth of cup 12.
A cartridge according to the present invention further includes a foil 28 which is joined to top flange 26 to enclose the brewable substance that resides inside filter body 36 in the same manner as a Keurig cartridge depicted in
A cartridge according to the present invention while different in configuration may be used in a machine as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,765.
A cage according to the present invention retards the sagging of filter body 36 and also reduces the likelihood of tearing and the ripping of filter body 36. Thus, the cartridge will be able to carry more coffee, which will allow for making more coffee from each cartridge (up to 20%).
Moreover, in use, the flow of the hot water from the brewer hits the base section of the cage (at or around the middle thereof in the preferred embodiment). The contact of water with the base section causes turbulence in the water inside of the cup resulting in the improved extraction of flavor from the coffee residing in the filter body. It has been experienced that a coffee brewed using a cage according to the present invention results in 15 to 20% more flavor from the same amount of coffee as the prior art. That is, after the brewing of the coffee the flavor is more intense given the same amount of coffee as the prior art.
Furthermore, a cage according to the present invention is recyclable, making it more environmentally friendly.
Filter body may be joined to the cage by employing a process similar to the process disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/594,079.
Although the present invention has been described in relation to particular embodiments thereof, many other variations and modifications and other uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It is preferred, therefore, that the present invention be limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.
The present application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/594,079, (inventor, Eugene Schreiber) entitled Cartridge Containing Brewable Substance the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.
