None.
The present invention relates to beverage makers and, more particularly, to a re-usable filter for holding beverage grounds or powder to be brewed.
Known beverage makers, such as coffee or tea machines, where heated water and/or steam is passed through grounds or a powder, such as coffee grounds or loose tea, typically utilized an open basket design that receives a paper filter or a re-usable, open-top metallic mesh filter of a cone-shape or round basket shape. Other known coffee makers have basket-type holders for enclosed packets of coffee. These types of brewing systems are limited to low-pressure and slow flow-rate brewing whether using loose coffee grounds or an enclosed packet. The enclosed packets of coffee are generally more expensive than buying the same amount of loose coffee grounds in a single container.
Other types of beverage makers include what are known as “pod” style machines that brew coffee from individual “pods” or coffee that are inserted into a machine and retained in a space designed to withstand higher pressure and heat than the open-basket style machines. These types of machines are suited for single-serve use and are convenient for quickly setting up, brewing, and cleaning up. One shortcoming, however, is that the user cannot control the amount of coffee enclosed in a pre-packaged pod and, thus, has limited control over strength and flavor of the coffee. Another shortcoming in this type of system is the relatively high cost of coffee pods compared to purchasing loose coffee grounds in a large, single container.
Other types of beverage makers include stove-top or electric espresso machines in which loose coffee grounds are placed into and held in a space designed for very high pressure and heat, including steam in some applications, to produce a robust coffee beverage. Such designs require sealing elements in the machine that are capable of withstanding extreme heat and temperature and that are durable for repeated use. They typically use large amounts of energy and are limited in the variety of coffee flavors and strengths that can be produced.
It is an object to provide a brush design that achieves the benefits of all the known coffee and beverage making systems described above while overcoming the shortcomings or each. It is an object of the present invention to provide a beverage making system that may be used with either loose beverage matter (i.e., coffee grounds or loose tea) or pre-packaged beverage matter (i.e., enclosed filter packets, tea bags, or pod-style packets), while being inexpensive, convenient to use, and versatile enough for use in a variety of beverage machines.
These objects, as well as others, are achieved by the present invention.
The present invention achieves the above-mentioned objects by utilizing a beverage matter container for holding coffee grounds, loose tea or the like, having a body portion shaped like an open-top cup, a moveable or removable locking lid for access to the interior of the body portion, and perforations in the bottom of the body and in the lid for allowing brewed beverage to pass through. The container is adapted to be inserted into a compartment in a beverage machine, such as into a drawer or space in the flow path of heated water or steam that may be delivered under pressure to the container, to pass therethrough, to mix with beverage matter held therein.
A beverage container according to the present invention is suitable for holding and filtering beverage matter such as coffee grounds or loose tea, or other matter, during a brewing procedure in which liquid, heated liquid, or steam is passed through the container. The container may be used in a variety of coffee, tea or other beverage makers, including but not limited to one or more types generally known, and is not limited to any one design, so long as a space or compartment exists that is adapted to receive a filter and beverage matter, a filter packet, a pod, or the like, and is able to receive the container therein. The container according to the present invention can be sized and shaped to fit the space or compartment to sufficiently fill the space and channel water, heated water or steam through in order to brew a beverage.
The container may be made of plastic, metal, ceramic, or another suitably strong and heat-resistant material, or a combination of the foregoing.
A container (10) according to the first embodiment of the present invention comprises a body (12) and a lid (14). The body (12) has a floor (16), a sidewall (18), and an open top. The body (12) as shown has a round profile, but it could be any other shape including but not limited to a square or a rectangle. The lid (14) is shaped to cover the open top when in the closed position as shown in
Operation of the first embodiment container is illustrated in
A second embodiment of the present invention comprises a container (100) having a body (112) and a lid (114). The body (112) has a floor (16), a sidewall (118), and an open top. The body (112) as shown has a round profile, but it could be any other shape including but not limited to a square or a rectangle. The lid (114) is shaped to cover the open top when in the closed position as shown in
Operation of the second embodiment container is illustrated in
The presently disclosed and claimed invention can be used with a variety of beverage machines having a variety of features including, but not limited to, automatic controls and timers, automated features, dual stations such as a carafe-filling station and a single-serve station for filling a single vessel or cup, thermal or non-thermal containers, and various other features.
While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been herein described, various modification may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.