System for the Preparation of Coffee or the Like

This invention relates to devices for the preparation of beverages, such as coffee of tea, and it has for its principal object the provision of an improved device of this character whereby such a beverage can be quickly and efficiently prepared. To this end I provide a device whereby a perforated filter, is caused to pass in a downward direction through heated water which has been infused by a mass of ground coffee, or other substance, from which the flavor or soluble portions are to be extracted. The preferred form of the invention is particularly adapted for the preparation of individual drinks directly in a glass or ceramic drinking mug.

Infusion type coffee makers are known. The prior art generally relates to coffee pots in which multiple servings are prepared and subsequently poured into individual mugs or cups for consumption. The process of pouring the coffee or other beverages into a secondary vessel causes noticeable temperature loss and subsequent loss in flavor due to temperature loss. Also, it is often desirable for a person to prepare a single cup of coffee or tea for immediate consumption. The preparation of a larger amount and the use of two vessels instead of one is more difficult and time consuming as well as requiring more effort to clean the vessels after consumption. Simply miniaturizing the conventional plunger type infusion coffee maker to single serving coffee mug size is impractical because the apparatus comprised of a plunger stem, coffee ground holding chamber and filtering disk would interfere with the drinking process There is one example found in prior art which attempts to solve this problem. Manuel De Arrigunaga, of New York, N.Y. in his U.S. Pat. No. 1,346,485 dated July 13, 1920 describes an infusion type coffee maker which is proposed for single serving use in which a person can drink directly from the vessel in which the coffee is prepared. The design is comprised of a cylindrical liquid container which is open at the top, a top cover having a centrally located hole, a piston composed of an upper tubular and lower threaded half, lower and upper perforated metallic disks. The lower metal disk having the threaded piston portion firmly attached is placed at the bottom of the drinking vessel. A single serving amount of coffee grounds or tea is then placed on the metal disk. The second metal disk having a centrally located hole is placed over the coffee grounds or tea and the threaded piston protrudes through the hole in the upper metal disk. The person then screws the upper piston portion onto the lower piston portion, pours hot water into the liquid container and then places the top cover onto the top of the liquid container. Upon completion of these steps the person then pulls the protruding piston rod in an upward direction and then in a downward direction to infuse the coffee or tea into the hot water. The person then unscrews the upper tubular piston rod from the lower threaded piston rod, removes the top lid and is then ready to drink the contents of the liquid container. Although this method produces a good cup of coffee or tea, it uses a considerable number of parts and requires a considerable number of steps in preparing the coffee or tea and in the subsequent cleaning of the parts and therefore is time consuming and inefficient.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved system for the preparation of individual coffee or tea beverages, the contents of which can then be drunk directly from the container in which it was prepared thereby preventing loss of heat which occurs when pouring the hot beverage from one container to another. Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved system for the preparation of individual coffee or tea drinks which is composed of a relatively few parts which are inexpensive to manufacture and easy to clean. A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved system for the preparation of individual coffee or tea drinks which requires only one downward push of the piston rod rather than repeated up and down movements which are time consuming and necessitate the use of a tightly sealed top lid to avoid spillage. A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved system for the preparation of individual coffee or tea drinks which has a push rod which is easily and instantly detachable from the perforated screen which it is pushing. A further object of the present invention is to provide a brewing system inside a drinking container so that after the beverage is brewed, the beverage container and contents therein look substantially like a common coffee mug available on the market today.

Further features and advantages will more fully appear from the detailed description given below, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification.

These and other objects are preferably accomplished by providing a beverage preparation device including a single serve liquid container of cylindrical design whose diameter is substantially the same from top to bottom, a plunger assembly consisting of a top cover with a centrally located hole, a perforated disk with a flexible upwardly directed flange which fits against the interior wall of the liquid container, a second more rigid perforated disk having a flexible wire wound flange which fits against the interior wall of the liquid container and a push rod which is permanently mated to the second disk and detachably connected to the first disk at its center. To make a cup of coffee the user simply pours a single serving amount of coffee grounds or tea leaves into the bottom of the liquid container. The person then pours hot water into the liquid container. By use of the push rod which is guided by the hole in the top cover, he or she then presses the first and second perforated disks down through the contents of the liquid container until no further pushing is possible. The person then pulls upwardly on the push rod thereby causing the plunger assembly to detach and remove from the first disk. The first disk remains at the bottom of the container and traps the enclosed coffee grounds or tea leaves between the disk and the bottom of the container. The brewed coffee or tea can now be drunk by the person. When the person finishes the beverage he or she removes the first disk from the bottom of the container and disposes of the coffee grounds or tea leaves. The first disk can then be reattached to the plunger assembly for repeated use.

FIG. 1 is a section view of the present invention

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the push rod and attached perforated disk

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second detachable perforated disk

FIG. 4 is a side section view showing the detachable connection between the first disk and the second disk.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the assembly including push rod, first perforated disk, second perforated disk and liquid container.

FIG. 6 is a section view of the liquid drinking container showing the coffee grounds trapped between the bottom of the liquid container and the second perforated screen.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the liquid drinking container with the plunger assembly removed and a cup of freshly brewed coffee or tea ready to drink.

FIG. 8 is a section view of an alternate embodiment of the present inventio n

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows all the parts in the improved beverage preparation system of the present invention. Liquid container 6 is sized to contain a single serving of coffee, tea or the like. The liquid container 6 has a handle 20 attached to the side for the purpose of using the container as a drinking cup or mug. Top cover 8 sits on the lip of container 6. The centrally located hole 7 allows a push rod 4 to enter container 6. Hole 7 keeps the push rod 4 centered when the user pushes down on knob 2. Push rod 4 pushes on perforated rigid disk 10 to which it is permanently attached. Compression spring 12 attaches to the perimeter of disk 10 and forms a snug fit with the inner wall of container 6. A second perforated disk or screen 14 is located below rigid disk 10. Disk 10 is detachably connected to disk 14 by means of a ribbed tab 16 located at the center most area and perpendicular to the bottom of disk 10. Resilient ribs on tab 16 insert into a slot 18 formed in disk 14. The ribs on tab 16 are sufficient to hold disk 14 to disk 10 together while the two disks 14, 10 are being pushed down by push rod 4. When push rod 4 and associated disk 10 are removed by the user the flexible flange 20 provides enough spring tension on the inner wall of container 6 that disk 10 remains at the bottom of the container after push rod 4 is pulled out thereby trapping coffee grounds or tea 22 between the bottom of cup 6 and perforated disk 14. Ribs 8 are attached to push rod 4 along its length and extend almost to the inner walls of container 6.

FIG. 2 shows plunger assembly 50. Knob 2 is located at the top of push rod 4 making it comfortable for the user to push down with his or her palm and also retaining top lid 8. Top lid 8 is permanently and slidably attached at its center to push rod 4. Perforated rigid disk 10 is permanently attached to the bottom of rod 4. Spring retainer 12 is permanently attached to the perimeter of rigid disk 10. Attachment tab 16 protrudes from the bottom of disk 10. Flexible Perforated or screen disk 14 has a reinforced slot 18 at its center which accepts tab 16. The connection made by tab 16 and slot 18 is such that disk FIG. 3 14 is lightly held onto tab 16 but is removable when the user pulls up on rod 4 thereby causing disk 14 to remain in the drinking container 6. Other methods of lightly holding disk 14 to rod 4 include a magnetic closure, hook and loop fastener, light snap fit or quarter turn bayonet fit. FIG. 4 is a section view where tab 16 resilient ribs are inserted into slot 18 of removable disk 14. An alternative embodiment could have tab 16 be made out of a rigid material and slot 18 made out of a resilient material. FIG. 5 is a top view of the beverage preparation assembly showing perforated disk 10 which is on top of flexible and finely perforated disk 14. The fine perforations in disk 14 preclude any coffee grounds or tea leaves from escaping into the final beverage. FIG. 6 shows the container of the present invention after plunger assembly 50 has been removed. Disk 10 remains in place trapping coffee grounds or the like between the bottom of the drinking container 6 and the underside of disk 10. The inner walls of container 6 are shown as essentially parallel 68. The brewed coffee 60 or other drink is free of particulate matter due to the fine openings in disk 10 which let the brewed coffee through but not the coffee grounds. An alternate embodiment would replace disk 10 with a disposable paper filter disk which is removed along with the used coffee grounds after use. FIG. 7 shows the container 6 filled with a beverage 60. Container 6 has a handle 20 on its side similar to most coffee mugs available on the market today. Therefore the final configuration Of container 6 and the beverage contained therein appears substantially like an ordinary cup of coffee or tea and therefore does not draw unnecessary attention to the inventive brewing method described in this patent application. FIG. 8 shows an alternate embodiment of the present invention wherein plunger rod 130 has a broadened base 125. A resilient member 16 is permanently attached to the bottom central portion of the plunger base 125. A single semi-rigid, finely perforated, plastic molded disk has a centrally located hole the diameter of which is frictionally fitted to resilient member 16. The integral lip 135 of disk 120 is thinner in thickness than the body of the disk so as to be more flexible and forgiving when mating with side wall 140. This configuration can eliminate the need for two separate disks as shown in the main embodiment FIG. 4.

The infusion system is herein described and illustrated using classic materials and design. This presentation demonstrates the method used to isolate the spent grounds in its simplest form. Actual manufacture may use more sophisticated materials and design features. As well this method suggests application to automated functions.