Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6752070
-
Patent Number
6,752,070
-
Date Filed
Monday, September 15, 200321 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, June 22, 200420 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
- Kamrath; Alan D.
- Nikolai & Mersereau, P.A.
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 099 495
- 099 452
- 099 285
- 099 295
- 099 297
- 099 299
- 099 317
- 099 319
- 099 279
- 099 318
- 099 323
- 099 316
- 099 3231
- 099 3233
- 099 300
- 099 302 R
- 099 3322
- 210 474
- 210 479
- 210 232
- 210 481
- 210 477
- 210 482
- 426 432
- 426 433
- 426 429
-
International Classifications
- A47J3102
- A47J3110
- A47J3114
- A47J3124
- A23L100
-
Abstract
A filter assembly of coffee maker is provided. The assembly comprises an open container comprising a central well, two hollow legs, two grooves in communication between the well and the legs, and an interior, annular shoulder; a disc-shaped seat having its edge rested on the shoulder and including a central opening and an intermediate, annular raised section; a disc-shaped silicone rubber member including an annular flange at the underside with the edge of the central opening fastened therein, a central hole, and a raised edge fitted on the raised section; and a filter cup having bottom and top rested on the silicone rubber member and the container respectively. Coffee made in the filter cup may flow into the well through meshed openings of the filter cup and the central hole prior to flowing out of the container through the grooves and the legs once the well is full of coffee.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to coffee makers and more particularly to a filter assembly of coffee maker with improved characteristics.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional coffee maker
1
having a filter assembly
10
is shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2
. The filter assembly
10
comprises an open container
20
comprising a handle
201
, an interior space
202
, and two hollow legs
203
at the underside, a seat
30
in the space
202
and including two hollow pegs
301
fitted in the legs
203
, a central well
302
, and two side grooves
303
in communication between the well
302
and the pegs
301
, a disc-shaped silicone rubber member
40
including a central hole
401
, the silicone rubber member
40
being secured onto the seat
30
by wrapping its edge around an annular flange of the seat
30
, and a filter cup
50
including a plurality of meshed openings
501
on the bottom and an annular flange
502
in which the bottom of the filter cup
50
is rested on the silicone rubber member
40
and the flange
502
is rested on top of the container
20
. Hot water can be poured from a hot water reservoir
11
into the filter cup
50
to mix with coffee powder therein. The made coffee then flows into the well
302
through the meshed openings
501
and the central hole
401
. Next, the coffee overflows into two cups (not shown) under the legs
203
through the grooves
303
and the peg
301
once the well
302
is full of coffee.
But this is unsatisfactory for the purpose for which the invention is concerned for the following reasons: The fastening of the silicone rubber member
40
and the seat
30
by wrapping around edges or the disassembly of them is a difficult, inconvenient process. Further, the capacity of the well
302
is small, resulting in a slow flow of coffee into the cups. Thus, the need for improvement still exists.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a filter assembly mounted in a coffee maker, comprising an open container comprising a handle, a central well, two side grooves in communication with the well, two hollow legs at the underside, the legs being in communication with the grooves, and an interior, annular shoulder; a disc-shaped seat having its edge rested on the shoulder and including a central opening and an intermediate, annular raised section; a disc-shaped silicone rubber member including an annular flange at the underside with the edge of the central opening fastened by the flange, a central hole, and a raised edge fitted on the raised section; and a filter cup rested on the silicone rubber member and including a plurality of meshed openings on the bottom and a top annular flange rested on the container, wherein coffee made in the filter cup is adapted to flow into the well through the meshed openings and the central hole prior to flowing out of the container through the grooves and the legs once the well is full of coffee.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a coffee maker having a conventional filter assembly;
FIG. 2
is a cross-sectional view of the filter assembly shown in
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is an exploded view with a portion cut away of a filter assembly mounted in a coffee maker according to the invention; and
FIG. 4
is a cross-sectional view of the filter assembly shown in FIG.
3
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to
FIGS. 3 and 4
, there is shown a filter assembly
2
mounted in a coffee maker in accordance with the invention. The filter assembly
2
comprises an open container
3
comprising a handle, an interior space, a central well
31
, two side grooves
32
in communication with the well
31
, two hollow legs
33
at the underside, the legs
33
being in communication with the grooves
32
, and an interior, annular shoulder
34
; a disc-shaped seat
4
having its edge rested on the shoulder
34
and including a central opening
41
and an intermediate, annular raised section
42
; a disc-shaped silicone rubber member
5
including an annular flange
51
at the underside with the edge of the central opening
41
fastened by the flange
51
, a central hole
52
, and a raised edge
53
fitted on the raised section
42
; and a filter cup
6
rested on the silicone rubber member
5
and including a plurality of meshed openings
61
on the bottom and a top annular flange rested on top of the container
3
. Hot water can be poured from a hot water reservoir (see
FIG. 1
) into the filter cup
6
to mix with coffee powder therein. The made coffee then flows into the well
31
through the meshed openings
61
and the central hole
52
. Next, the coffee overflows into two cups (not shown) under the legs
33
through the grooves
32
once the well
31
is full of coffee.
It will be evident from the foregoing that the invention has the following advantages: The fastening of the silicone rubber member
5
and the seat
4
by snapping is reliable. Further, the fastening or the disassembly of them is an easy process. Furthermore, the capacity of the container
3
is relative large, resulting in a quick flow of coffee into the cups.
While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention set forth in the claims.
Claims
- 1. A filter assembly mounted in a coffee maker, comprising:an open container comprising a handle, a central well, two side grooves in communication with the well, two hollow legs at the underside, the legs being in communication with the grooves, and an interior, annular shoulder; a disc-shaped seat having its edge rested on the shoulder and including a central opening and an intermediate, annular raised section; a disc-shaped silicone rubber member including an annular flange at the underside with the edge of the central opening fastened therein, a central hole, and a raised edge fitted on the raised section; and a filter cup rested on the silicone rubber member and including a plurality of meshed openings on the bottom and a top annular flange rested on the container, wherein coffee made in the filter cup is adapted to flow into the well through the meshed openings and the central hole prior to flowing out of the container through the grooves and the legs once the well is full of coffee.
US Referenced Citations (13)