Patent Application
20080089982
The invention relates to a tea pad for preparing tea, more particularly at least one consumption unit of tea, with the aid of a coffee maker. The invention further relates to a method for preparing tea, more particularly at least one consumption unit of tea, with the aid of a coffee maker, while the coffee maker is provided with a holder for receiving at least one pad, the holder being provided with at least one outflow path and means for pressing hot water under pressure through the pad for obtaining an extract which leaves the holder via the outflow path.
The invention further relates to an assembly of a holder comprising an inside space formed by a bottom and an upstanding sidewall of the holder, a pad received in the holder, which pad is filled with a product to be extracted, and a lid bounding the inside space of the holder with which the holder is closed off, while the holder is provided with an outflow path beginning in the bottom of the holder and ending outside the holder for dispensing the extract while, in use, hot water is fed to the holder and is pressed through the pad for obtaining the extract which, thereupon, leaves the pad and then leaves the inside space and the holder via the outflow path.
The invention further relates to a coffee maker provided with a holder or a like assembly.
The use of coffee makers with which coffee is prepared with the aid of a pad filled with ground coffee has strongly increased over the last years. Here, the Senseo coffee maker is involved. The coffee maker is provided to this end with a holder for receiving a pad and means for pressing hot water under pressure through the pad for obtaining a coffee extract. Preferably, a coffee maker is involved in which the applied pressure of the water is 1-2 bar.
The object of the invention is to provide a tea pad so that it becomes possible to also prepare tea with such a coffee maker while the applied pressure of the water is preferably 1-2 bar. According to the invention, the tea pad is thereto provided with a covering such as filtering paper, which is at least partly transmissive to a liquid such as water and which is at least virtually non-transmissive to tea, while the covering comprises at least one space which is filled with tea. Here, it is preferred that the tea pad has a flat form. More particularly, the tea pad has the form of a disc.
It further preferably holds that the tea in the space forms a tea bed with a flat form. More particularly it holds that the tea bed has the form of a disc.
It is important that, during the preparation of tea extract, channels are prevented from being formed in the bed of the tea via which the hot water can flow through the tea pad. The fact is that this has as a drawback that no proper extraction of the tea takes place, resulting in a relatively weak extract being obtained. It is further of importance that the applied pressure of the water can preferably be 1-2 bar. Also, if desired, the tea pad should be suitable for preparing one consumption unit of tea of, for instance, 100-170 ml, more particularly for instance about 140 ml, plus or minus 15%. Here, an amount of water should be pressed through the tea pad in a period of approximately 20-40 seconds for obtaining the tea extract. The water may then have a temperature of 88-95 C.°, while it is further important that, if desired, deposition of scale which, together with polyphenols, forms an unattractive film on the tea, can be prevented. It is also important that in use, the tea can swell sufficiently in the pad for obtaining a proper flavour of the extract.
At least a number of these objects can be met when the tea bed has a greatest diameter of 30-55 mm. More preferably, it holds that the tea bed has a greatest diameter of 35-45 mm. Preferably, it further holds that the tea bed has a greatest height smaller than 10 mm, more preferably a greatest height smaller than 7 mm. Due to such dimensions, the risk of the formation of channels is reduced.
Preferably, it holds that the tea pad is filled with 1-6 gr of tea, more particularly 1-2.5 gr of tea. It is preferred that the tea pad is filled with an amount of tea that is smaller than approximately 1.9 gr of tea. In order to realize at least a number of the above-mentioned objects, it also holds that the volume of the tea is 60-90% of the volume of the space in the tea pad in which the tea is included. More preferably, it holds that the volume of the tea is 75-85% of the volume of the space in the tea pad in which the tea is included. In this manner, in use, the tea can swell sufficiently.
It holds in particular that the tea pad is filled with 3-8 ml of tea. More preferably, it holds that the tea pad is filled with 4-7 ml of tea.
Further, it preferably holds that the tea particles have a size of 0.1-1.2 mm, more specifically 0.24-0.96 mm. Such sizes can be effected by, for instance, grinding the tea. It appears that with such sizes, a good extraction can be obtained in the coffee maker. In other words, the tea pad comprises tea with a coarseness which is for instance larger than PD, and smaller than OP. However, according to a special embodiment it holds that the tea pad comprises tea with particles having a size which is greater than 0.8 mm and/or particles having a size which is smaller than 0.35 mm.
Preferably, the tea comprises at least a first type of tea and a second type of tea while a greatest diameter of the particles of the first type of tea differs from the greatest diameter of the particles of the second type of tea. It is preferred here that the size of the particles of the first type of tea is smaller than 0.5 mm, more specifically smaller than 0.35 mm. More particularly, the size of the particles of the second type of tea is greater than 0.6 mm, more specifically greater than 0.8 mm.
In this application, tea is understood to include, inter alia, black tea, fruit tea, green tea, rooibos tea, herbal tea or herb mixtures and particular compositions thereof. Tea is further understood to include any aromas, fruit parts and spices which are further added.
The method according to the invention is characterized in that at least one tea pad is placed in the holder of the coffee maker, which tea pad is provided with a covering such as filtering paper which is at least partly transmissive to a liquid such as water and which is at least virtually non-transmissive to tea, while the covering comprises at least one space which is filled with tea. Here, it preferably holds that with the aid of the coffee maker, hot water is fed to the at least one tea pad at a pressure of 1-2 bar. It further preferably holds that a pressure drop across the at least one tea pad is 0.1-0.2 bar. More particularly it holds that a pressure drop across the outflow path is greater than a pressure drop across the at least one tea pad.
An assembly according to the invention is characterized in that the pad comprises a tea pad as described hereinabove. Preferably, it holds here that a tea bed of the tea pad has a greatest height which is smaller than a greatest height of the inside space. In this manner, during use, the tea can swell properly. In particular it holds here that the tea bed of the tea pad has a greatest height which is at least 10%, and preferably at least 20% smaller than the greatest height of the inside space.
It further preferably holds that the tea pad has a width which corresponds at least virtually with a width of the inside space.
According to a highly advanced embodiment, it further holds that the outflow path is provided with a flow restriction so that in use, a pressure drop across the tea pad is smaller than a pressure drop across the outflow path. Due to the flow restriction, pressure drop across the tea pad is reduced so that the hot water in the coffee maker is prevented from being pressed through the tea bed too rapidly. If this were to happen, no optimal extraction could take place and, moreover, channel formation might occur. The flow restriction can for instance consist of a narrow passage formed in a channel, but can also consist of, for instance, a semi-permeable material such as a sinter plate through which the formed tea extract would have to flow. Preferably, the inside space has a diameter of 40-60 mm while a tea bed of the tea pad has a diameter of 35-45 mm.
A coffee maker provided with such a holder is characterized in that the coffee maker is provided with a flow restriction that can be switched on and off, upstream of the holder for preparing tea with a tea pad in the holder using the flow restriction, and for preparing coffee with a coffee pad in the holder without using the flow restriction. The flow restriction that can be switched on and off can for instance be arranged in the feed via which the hot water is fed to the holder. A tap which, for instance, can be partly closed and re-opened can be considered here. When the tap is partly closed a large part of the pressure drop will take place across the tap and not across the tea pad. This has as an advantage that the hot water will not flow through the tea pad too rapidly, so that a proper extraction is guaranteed. When, with the same coffee maker, coffee is prepared, the flow restriction can be switched off by, for instance, opening the tap and, in that case, for the purpose of preparing coffee, the flow restriction can be provided in the outflow path of the holder, for instance in a manner such that foam is formed. The result is that also when preparing coffee with the aid of a coffee pad, a part of the pressure will drop across the restriction and, hence, not across the coffee pad while what is also achieved here is that an extract is formed with a fine-bobble froth layer. If then, for the tea, a holder is used which is not provided with such a restriction, no foam is formed, but, as a result of the flow restriction that can be switched on and off, hot water can be prevented from being pressed through the tea pad too rapidly when the tea pad is used in the holder destined thereto.
The invention will presently be elucidated further with reference to the drawing. In the drawing:
In
The coffee maker 2 is further provided with a lid 18 with which the holder 4 can be closed off. Between lid and the holder, a fluid seal is formed. In this example, the holder is provided with at least one inflow opening 20 via which hot water can be fed to holder. The coffee maker is further provided with a hot water unit 22 which is designed for dispensing hot water under pressure. This hot water is fed via a hose 24 to the inflow opening 20 of the lid 18. In use, with the aid of the hot water unit 22, hot water is fed to the holder. This hot water is pressed under pressure through the tea pad for obtaining a tea extract. This tea extract then leaves the tea pad at its underside and, thereupon, leaves the holder via an outflow path which is formed, in this example, by the grooves 12, the outflow opening 14 and the outlet 16 and which outflow path therefore begins in the bottom of the holder and ends outside the holder for dispensing the extract. However, other outflow paths are possible too.
In this example, it holds that the hot water unit 22 dispenses hot water at a pressure which is preferably 1-2 bar.
The tea pad 1 is provided with a covering 26 such as filtering paper which is at least partly transmissive to a liquid such as water and which is at least virtually non-transmissive to tea. The covering comprises at least a (first) space 28 which is at least partly filled with tea 30 (the tea is indicated in hatching in
In this example, it holds that the tea bed 32 has a greatest diameter d of 30-55 mm. As the tea bed in this example has the form of a disc, the greatest diameter in this example will in fact be formed by the diameter of the disc. If a top plan view of the pad were square, the greatest diameter would be determined by a diagonal between two mutually opposed angular points of the tea bed.
More particularly it holds that the tea bed has a greatest diameter d of 35-45 mm. It appears that with such a diameter, in use, the risk of formation of channels in the tea bed is reduced. It further holds that the tea bed has a greatest height h which is smaller than 10 mm. More preferably, it holds that the tea bed has a greatest height which is smaller than 7 mm. This height is obtained when the distribution of the tea in the pad is more or less uniform. More particularly it further holds that the tea bed has a greatest height h which is greater than 2 mm. More particularly it holds that the tea bed has a greatest height h which is greater than 3 mm. Preferably, the height of the tea bed will vary between 4-7 mm.
In this example, the covering 26 is provided with a top sheet 34 and a bottom sheet 36 interconnected by their circumferential edges, while the interconnected circumferential edges form a sealing seam 38, each sheet being manufactured from a material such as filtering paper which is at least partly transmissive to a liquid such as water and which is at least virtually non-transmissive to tea 30.
In this example, it holds that the sealing seam has a width b which is greater than 4 mm. In particular it holds, that the sealing seam has a width greater than 5 mm. Such a sealing seam prevents the pad from tearing open in use when the tea starts swelling. The fact is that a relatively wide sealing seam gives a solid connection between the top sheet and the bottom sheet. More particularly it holds that the sealing seam has a width which is smaller than 10 mm. A larger sealing seam does not appear to be necessary. On the other hand it can be stated that the sealing seam has a size of, for instance, 5-12 mm, more specifically a size of 5-10 mm, and still more specifically of 6-10 mm.
It further holds that the volume of the tea 30 is 60-90% of the volume of the space 28 in the tea pad in which the tea is included. All this is schematically indicated in
The tea is suitable in particular for preparing a consumption unit of tea in the form of an extract while the amount of extract is 100-170 ml. Preferably, approximately 140 ml is involved, plus or minus 15%.
The hitherto described tea pad can be optimally used especially to this end.
Here, it further holds that the tea pad in this example can be filled with 3-8 ml of tea. More particularly it holds that the tea pad is filled with 4-7 ml of tea.
Here, the tea can comprise rooibos tea which may be supplemented with aromas and fruit parts. Also, the tea can comprise a herb mixture on the basis of various blends of herbs, which may be supplemented with aromas and fruit parts. The tea can also comprise a fruit tea on the basis of a black tea blend which may be supplemented with aromas and fruit parts. In the latter three cases it is preferred that 2-8 vol. % of the tea consists of aromas and 1-2 vol. % of the tea consists of fruit parts.
In addition, it is possible that the tea also comprises spices and/or aromas while in the tea pad, further, sugar and/or sweeteners are included and milk powder for preparing a Chai-tea. Herein, milk powder is also understood to include any creamer, whitener et cetera known per se.
More generally, it holds that the tea pad in this example is filled with 1-6 gr of tea, more specifically with 1-2.5 gr of tea. In particular, it holds that the tea bed has a greatest height which is greater than 2 mm. Herein, tea is understood to include, inter alia, black tea, green tea, fruit tea, rooibos tea and herbal tea. To this, aromas and fruit parts may have been added.
According to one possible embodiment, the tea pad is filled with 1-4 gr of black tea, more specifically with 1-2.5 gr of black tea. However, it is also possible that the tea pad is filled with 1-4 gr of fruit tea, more specifically 1-2.5 gr of fruit tea. It is also possible that the tea pad is filled with 1-4 gr of green tea, more specifically with 1-2.5 gr of green tea. It is also possible that the tea pad is filled with 1-6 gr of rooibos tea, more specifically with 1.5-5 gr of rooibos tea. Also, the tea pad may be filled with 1-6 gr of tea in the form of a herb mixture, more specifically with 1-5 gr of herb mixture. Certain mixtures of such types of tea are also possible.
It is also possible that the tea pad is filled with 6-11 gr of components provided with a tea comprising also spices and/or aromas, while the components further comprise a milk powder, and sugar and/or sweeteners for preparing Chai tea. In particular, it holds here that the components comprise 1.5-3 gr of tea. It can further hold here that the components comprise 3.5-6.5 gr of sugar or a comparable equivalent of sweeteners or a comparable equivalent of a combination of sweeteners and sugar.
For obtaining an optimal extract (good brewing efficiency and good flavour), it holds in this example that the tea comprises particles with a size of 0.1-1.2 mm. Here, the size of the particles is based on a sieve fraction. When the tea is reduced with the aid of the CTC method (Crushing-Tearing-Curling), tea particles are involved with a sphere-like structure while the size corresponds to, or is related to the diameter of the spheres. When the tea has been reduced using the orthodox method, the particles are more rod-shaped, and the size mentioned concerns, or is related to the thickness of the rods. In this example, it particularly holds that the tea comprises particles with a size of 0.24-0.96 mm. Preferably, it holds that the tea comprises particles with a size of 0.2-0.85 mm, more specifically of 0.36-0.84 mm.
It can also be preferred that the tea pad comprises tea with particles having a size of 0.8 mm and/or particles having a size which is smaller than 0.35 mm.
Also, the tea pad can be filled with tea such that the tea pad comprises tea with a coarseness which is greater than PD and smaller than OP.
According to a highly advanced embodiment for obtaining an optimal tea extract it holds that the tea comprises at least a first type of tea and a second type of tea, while a size of the particles of the first type of tea differs from the size of the second type of tea. It appears that in that case, the risk of channel forming in the tea bed is reduced while the brewing efficiency and the flavour are optimal.
According to a further elaboration of this, it holds that the size of the particles of the first type of tea is smaller than 0.5 mm, more specifically smaller than 0.35 mm.
More particularly, the size of the particles of the second type of tea is greater than 0.6 mm, more specifically greater than 0.8 mm.
In this example of the tea pad according to
In this example of the assembly according to
As, at the same time, it is ensured, as discussed hereinabove, that the volume of the tea is smaller than the volume of the space in the tea pad, the optimal preparation of an extract can take place with the aid of the coffee maker.
Further, in this example, the outflow path of the holder is provided with a flow restriction in the form of the outlet 16 so that, in use, a pressure drop across the tea pad is smaller than a pressure drop across the outflow path. In particular, it holds here that for instance the pressure drop across the tea pad is between 5 and 20% of the pressure of the hot water which is fed to the assembly. A pressure drop across the tea pad in the order of magnitude of 0.1-0.2 bar can be considered. Here, as already stated, the pressure of the hot water can preferably be 1-2 bar.
It is also possible that the outlet 16 is not designed as a restriction, for instance in that the outlet 16 has a relatively great diameter. In that case, in the coffee maker, upstream of the holder, a flow restriction may be provided. This flow restriction may be provided in the hose 24. This flow restriction 40 can for instance be designed as a controllable valve forming a flow restriction that can be switched on and of, or controlled. The flow restriction can be switched on while using the holder 4 with the relatively wide outlet which does not form a flow restriction so that—although the hot water unit 22 dispenses hot water at a pressure of 1-2 bar—the pressure drop takes place substantially across the flow restriction 40 so that the pressure drop across the tea pad remains limited to, for instance, less than 0.2 bar. As a result, the tea pad will not be flowed-through too rapidly so that a good extraction can take place. When, thereupon, the holder 4 is replaced with a different holder in which the outlet 16 forms a nozzle, and in which the new holder 4′ is filled with a coffee pad, then—when, with the aid of the hot water unit 22, hot water is fed to the assembly of coffee pad and holder while the flow restriction is switched off and therefore does not form a flow restriction—the pressure drop will take place substantially across the outlet 16. A result is that, on the one side, the pressure drop across the coffee pad is, again, smaller than the 1-2 bar mentioned so that the coffee pad is flowed-through at a desired flow velocity, thereby allowing an optimal extraction of the coffee. At the same time, with the aid of the outlet 16, a jet of coffee extract can be generated on the basis of which, in a known manner, air can be beaten into the coffee extract. Such systems are described, inter alia, in European patent application EP 878158-A and European patent application EP 1371311-A. However, it is naturally also possible—when the tea holder 4 with a tea pad is used—that the flow restriction 40 is omitted, while a flow restriction of, for instance, semi-permeable material such as a sinter plate is provided in the outflow path. It is also conceivable that the top and/or the bottom sheet of the tea pad is designed from a semi-permeable material, so that a great pressure drop across the tea pad can indeed take place, without, however, the tea pad being flowed-through too rapidly. This semi-permeable material can consist of, for instance, filtering paper with a relatively dense coating and/or membrane. If the holder 4 is provided with an outlet 16 which forms a nozzle, downstream of the nozzle, another hose can for instance be included which prevents air from being beaten into the tea extract. The fact is that preferably, the tea extract is formed without a fine-bubble froth layer. Conversely, it is also possible to use a holder for generating tea with foam. This can be used inter alia for preparing Chai-tea.
The invention is not limited in any manner to the embodiments outlined hereinabove of tea pad, holder and coffee maker. It is possible (see
In this application, aromas are also understood to include instant tea. The tea pads can then comprise a combination of real tea and instant tea. Further, in the space of the tea pad, a milk powder can be included. It is also possible that the tea pad is provided with a second space which is separated from the first space. In the second space, for instance a soluble product such as a milk powder can be included. Here, also a product such as cocoa can be considered. The second space can comprise a covering of the same type as described for the first space. The two coverings can then be interconnected. For instance, the pad can be provided with a top sheet, an intermediate sheet and a bottom sheet which are interconnected by their circumferential edges, while between the top sheet and the intermediate sheet the first space is formed and between the intermediate sheet and the bottom sheet the second space is formed.
It is also possible that in the holder, two separate pads are received. The first pad consists, for instance, of a top sheet and a bottom sheet, which are interconnected as described hereinabove, the bottom pad being filled with, for instance, a milk powder or cocoa or a different soluble product. On top of this pad, the above-described tea pad can be placed. In this manner, with the coffee maker, tea with milk can for instance be prepared.
Such variants are each understood to fall within the framework of the invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1026834 | Aug 2004 | NL | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/NL05/00588 | 8/12/2005 | WO | 7/13/2007 |
