Field of the Invention
[0001] This invention relates to a beverage filter cartridge, and more particularly to a
disposable stepped beverage filter cartridge system for brewing different types of
single serving beverages.
Background of the Invention
[0002] Single serving beverage coffee devices are very popular because they provide a single
serving of fresh coffee quickly. Several different types of beverage server devices
have been developed for making a single beverage server for both coffee and tea. One
such device is a disposable container which fits on top of a cup and has a compartment
for receiving a beverage extract with a large reservoir on top into which boiling
water is provided. While devices are convenient to use due to the fact that the coffee
is exposed to the air and the flow rate of the extracted beverage slow, the resultant
extracted coffee is not as fresh and tasty as would be desired.
[0003] Another device comprises a sealed receptacle in which a sealed filter is provided
and supported by a support member. When the filter is wetted it sags and conforms
to the support member which has a small hole in it to release the filtered beverage.
Again, this device is convenient to use but provides for low flow rates and consequently,
a less than desired extracted coffee product.
[0004] U.S. Patent No. 5,325,765 discloses a beverage filter cartridge having a self supporting
wettable filter that provides an enlarged filter outflow chamber. U.S. Patent No.
5,840,189 discloses an imperforate beverage filter cartridge adapted to hermetically
contain a beverage extract which is pierceable to accommodate injection of liquid
into the cartridge for combining with the extract and produce a beverage. In both
of these patents, the filters are substantially cone shaped and the water is introduced
at the top of cartridge. This results in an uneven mixing of the introduced water
with the beverage powder or extract and consequently, the resultant beverage is not
as tasty as desired.
[0005] There is therefore a need to develop a simple and cost efficient beverage filter
cartridge which obviates at least one problem associated with the prior art cartridges.
Summary of the Invention
[0006] In accordance with the present invention there is provided a novel beverage filter
cartridge system for brewing different types of single serving beverages. The beverage
filter cartridge system provides for a single serving of a desired beverage in a rapid
manner and is fully disposable after a single use. The unique shape and configuration
of the cartridge is a stepped conical shape which provides for a maximal extraction
of the desired beverage powder with an aqueous medium resulting in a superior and
better flavoured product.
[0007] The beverage filter cartridge is preferably made containing coffee or tea however
it may be manufactured to contain a variety of beverage powders including soups, hot
chocolate, herbal teas and specialized drinks. Flavour enhancers may also be added
to the filter cartridge.
[0008] The stepped beverage filter cartridge is provided as a hermetically sealed cartridge
such that the selected beverage powder contained therein remains fresh for long periods
of time. The beverage powder may be nitrogen flushed and/or be provided with an oxygen
barrier to promote for additional freshness. In addition, the stepped beverage filter
cartridge is easy to use, and provides a single serving of beverage in a fast and
economical manner.
[0009] According to an aspect of the present invention, is a stepped beverage filter cartridge
system which is small and compact and still provides a high flow rate.
[0010] According to a further aspect of the invention is the provision of a stepped beverage
cartridge which is simple and economical to use and can be disposed after a single
use. The cartridge is preferably made as a single part and thus is economical to manufacture,
however, it is possible to may the cartridge from several different parts which are
adhered together by suitable means.
[0011] According to yet a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a stepped
beverage cartridge which is hermetically sealed for freshness and against contamination.
[0012] It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a stepped beverage cartridge
which can be pierced at various locations (sides, top or bottom) for input and output
flow with or without puncturing the filter as desired.
[0013] It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a beverage filter cartridge
which maintains its integrity and that of the filter during use. The unique vertical
stepped shape of the beverage filter cartridge of the invention helps to reinforce
the cartridge against external and internal pressure. Thus the cartridge can withstand
increased water pressures. The cartridge may optionally further comprise a recessed
support in the top or bottom end of the cartridge.
[0014] It is a further aspect of the present invention to provide a beverage filter cartridge
which allows for even flow through of an aqueous medium through the beverage powder
to provide a tasty and fresh beverage product.
[0015] It is yet a further aspect of the invention to provide a beverage filter cartridge
into which hot pressurized water is introduced most preferably through the side of
the cartridge, causing a more even flow of water over the beverage powder contained
therein resulting in a better extraction of the beverage powder.
[0016] It is yet a further aspect of the invention to provide a stepped beverage filter
cartridge that is adaptable to make different sized servings of extracted beverage
product.
[0017] According to a further aspect of the present invention is a stepped beverage filter
cartridge system comprising a sealed stepped container, a filter element internally
subdividing the container to form a brewing chamber, a beverage powder contained in
the brewing chamber, liquid inlet means piercing the container to provide hot pressurized
water to the brewing chamber and a liquid outlet means to allow for extracted beverage
product to be removed and collected.
[0018] According to yet a further aspect of the present invention is a beverage brewing
apparatus comprising a conventional housing having a stepped beverage filter cartridge
system introduced therein.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0019] A detailed description of the preferred embodiments are provided herein below with
reference to the following drawings in which:
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the stepped beverage filter cartridge
of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a portion of a top plan view of the stepped beverage filter cartridge
of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is cross sectional view of the stepped beverage filter cartridge of Figure
1;
Figure 4 is cross sectional view of a further embodiment of the stepped beverage filter
cartridge having a smaller brewing chamber;
Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of the stepped beverage filter cartridge of Figure
1 showing the water inlet and beverage outlet as installed in a brewing machine;
Figure 6 is cross sectional view of yet a further embodiment of the stepped beverage
filter cartridge of Figure 1;
Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of still a further embodiment of the stepped beverage
filter cartridge of Figure 1;
Figure 8 is a cross sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the stepped beverage
filter cartridge of Figure 7;
Figure 9 is a portion of a top plan view of the stepped beverage filter cartridge
of Figure 7;
Figure 10 is a cross sectional view of the stepped beverage filter cartridge of Figure
7 showing the water inlet and beverage outlet as installed in a brewing machine;
Figure 11 is a cross sectional view of yet a further embodiment of the stepped beverage
filter cartridge of Figure 1;
Figure 12 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the stepped beverage
filter cartridge of Figure 1;
Figure 13 is a cross sectional view of a further embodiment of the stepped beverage
filter cartridge of Figure 1; and
Figure 14 is a cross sectional view of yet a further embodiment of the stepped beverage
filter cartridge.
[0020] In the drawings, preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of
example. It is to be expressly understood that the description and drawings are only
for the purpose of illustration and as an aid to understanding, and are not intended
as a definition of the limits of the invention.
Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments
[0021] As illustrated in Figure 1, the beverage filter cartridge 10 of the present invention
includes a stepped conical container 12, an impermeable base member 14, a filter element
16, a porous membrane 18 and a cake of desired beverage powder 20. The container has
four vertical steps 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d of decreasing circumference. As seen in Figure
2, the steps 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d of the container are seen as concentric circles from
a top plan view. The top of the container 23 which is step 22d is seen as the smallest
center circle. The bottom portion of the first step 22a of the container 12 has an
outward flange 24. While the base member 14 and filter element 16 are shown to be
essentially straight and flat, either or both may optionally be fabricated to be convex
or concave.
[0022] The container 12 and the base member 14 can be fabricated from any type of suitable
plastic material such as polystyrene, polypropylene or a suitable polymeric laminate.
The base member 14 is permanently bonded to the bottom of the container. Specifically,
the base member 14 is bonded to the bottom of the outward flange 24. The filter element
16 is permanently bonded within the container at the top of the bottom step of the
container, which is seen in Figure 1 to be at the top of step 22a. The filter element
16 is preferably made of a polypropylene or polystyrene material. The beverage powder
20 is provided directly on top of the filter element 16. The desired beverage powder
20 is provided in a premeasured amount in order to fill one or two steps of the container.
Methods for manufacturing the container and filter element are well known in the art.
Furthermore, the container may be recyclable and further packaged as desired.
[0023] As better seen in Figure 3, the container 12 has four vertical steps 22a, 22b, 22c
and 22d. The base member 14 is bonded to the bottom of the flange 24. The filter element
16 is provided sealingly engaged or bonded within the top of the first step 22a of
the container 12. A porous membrane 18 is provided sealingly engaged at the bottom
portion 23 of step 22d of the container. A plenum inlet 26 is provided on the side
of step 22d of the container for the entry of hot pressurized water. A plenum outlet
27 is provided on the side of step 22a in order to allow the outflow of the extracted
coffee beverage and dispense it to a cup or a container. Steps 22b and 22d together
form a brewing chamber 28 which contains the beverage powder.
[0024] Figure 4 shows a container similar to that shown in Figure 3 with the exception that
the porous membrane 18 is provided sealingly engaged at the bottom portion of step
22c of the container. In this manner, the brewing chamber is defined by step 22c.
Such a smaller brewing chamber is designed to provide for a smaller volume of single
serving beverage product than that illustrated in Figure 3.
[0025] As shown in Figure 5, the stepped beverage filter cartridge 10 is adapted for use
in an automatic machine such as a coffee brewing machine where it will be positioned
and gripped within a housing 30. The upper part of the housing 32 includes a penetrating
water inlet 34 which penetrates the top step of the container to provide pressurized
hot water through the plenum inlet 26 and to the coffee present on top of the filter
16 in the brewing chamber 28. A second penetrating water outlet 36 penetrates the
bottom step of the container through the plenum outlet 27 to receive the outflow of
the coffee beverage and dispense it to a cup or a container. The bottom part of the
housing 38 includes a lid support 40 which supports the beverage filter cartridge
10 of the invention within the housing.
[0026] A further embodiment of the invention is seen in Figure 6, which illustrates a stepped
beverage filter cartridge fabricated without a porous membrane located over the beverage
powder 20. The porous membrane is not required in the cartridge of the invention and
the absence of such a membrane does not affect the quality of the resultant extracted
beverage product.
[0027] Yet a further alternative embodiment is seen in Figure 7. In this embodiment the
container 12 has a support 40 provided therein. The support 40 is defined as a cylindrical
recess extending from the top of the container through to the porous membrane 18.
The support 40 provides additional support to the beverage filter cartridge structure.
In Figure 7 the support is incorporated into a beverage cartridge in which the brewing
chamber is defined by two vertical steps. As seen in Figure 8, the support 40 can
be incorporated into a beverage cartridge in which the brewing chamber is defined
by only a single vertical step of the container. Figure 9 shows that the support 40
is provided within the top of the container as a recess therein.
[0028] In Figure 10, the stepped beverage filter cartridge having a support 40 therein is
shown adapted for use in an automatic machine such as a coffee brewing machine similar
to that shown in Figure 5. It is understood by those skilled in the art that the support
can be of any suitable shape in addition to cylindrical, so long as it helps to provide
added strength to the cartridge structure under high pressure conditions.
[0029] In Figure 11, it is shown that the stepped beverage filter cartridge can be fabricated
to have an additional layer of paper fiber 42 provided within the brewing chamber
28. Such a layer of paper fiber 42 may be desired for particular beverage products.
Such a layer of paper fiber may be incorporated into any of the embodiments of the
stepped beverage filter cartridge of the present invention.
[0030] In a further embodiment of the present invention, the stepped beverage filter cartridge
of the present invention is manufactured reversing the top and bottom for particular
applications. In this embodiment, shown in Figures 12 and 14, the cartridge of Figure
1 is essentially turned and used in an upside down fashion in which the steps 22 of
the stepped conical container 12 decrease in size from top 23 to base 14. Again, as
fabricated with the vertical steps decreasing in size from top to bottom, the water
inlet 26 may be provided as shown in the side of a selected step. The inlet may also
be provided in the top or bottom of this embodiment of the cartridge with the corresponding
outlet suitably provided. For example, in Figure 14, the water inlet 26 is shown to
perforate the cartridge through the support 40 present at the bottom of the conical
container and up through the filter 16. Also, a support 40 may be provided as is also
shown in phantom in Figure 12. Overall, the various configurational aspects of the
stepped beverage filter device as shown in the drawings may be mixed and matched as
desired without affecting the quality of the resultant beverage product and all variations
are within the scope of the present invention. Thus the beverage filter cartridge
as shown in Figures 12 or 14 can be manufactured with or without a permeable membrane,
with or without a support, with or without a further compartment for flavouring and
having the water inlet and outlet varying at different locations such as the top,
side or bottom of the container. Furthermore, all embodiments can be used in a conventional
brewing apparatus.
[0031] In operation, pressurized hot water is provided through the water inlet which via
the plenum inlet located on the side of the top step of the container fills the top
first stepped cavity of the container. The pressurized hot water (approximately 20
to 25 psi) infuses the beverage powder and essentially squeezes the beverage powder
into a cake. The introduction of pressurized hot water in such a manner permeates
the beverage powder as to more efficiently and more completely extract the flavour
from all of the beverage powder contained therein and provide a tasty and fresh hot
beverage quickly. The shape of the novel stepped container helps to maintain the contact
between the pressurized hot water and the beverage powder such that more flavour is
extracted from the beverage powder. Furthermore, the provision of an essentially flat
filter member allows for more consistent extraction of the beverage powder contained
thereon. This is in contrast to known beverage filter cartridges where water is introduced
into the top of the beverage powder, typically held within a conical type filter.
In such known cartridges, the pressurized water does not permeate all of the beverage
powder resulting in a less than desired beverage product. Should a permeable membrane
be provided in the cartridge, the pressurized hot water would penetrate the membrane
and then the beverage powder. The membrane may help to deflect the pressurized hot
water in such a manner as to help infuse all of the beverage powder contained in the
brewing chamber.
[0032] While it is preferred to introduce pressurized hot water at the side of a selected
step of the cartridge, due to the unique and novel shape of the beverage filter cartridge,
pressurized hot water may be introduced through the top of the first step. In the
case of the top step, pressurized hot water is simply directed to approximately the
middle portion of the beverage product. It is also possible to introduce pressurized
hot water through the bottom step and upwards into the beverage product as is shown
for example in Figure 14. In this aspect, the hot pressurized water is introduced
via an inlet that penetrates the filter portion and is deflected over the beverage
product in an upper chamber and the resultant beverage product is flows through the
filter into the lower step chamber and through an outlet.
[0033] It is understood by one skilled in the art that specific features of the beverage
filter cartridge as shown in the drawings can be modified without affecting the manner
in which the beverage filter cartridge functions. For example, the steps of the stepped
conical shaped container can be all made to be the same height dimension or alternatively,
one or more of the steps can be fabricated to different height dimensions relative
to each other. Furthermore, while the beverage filter cartridge is shown in the drawings
to comprise a four stepped container, the invention functions in the same manner when
manufactured to comprise more than four steps or only three steps, with the middle
step having a different height dimension compared to the other steps. Furthermore,
the container may be fabricated having circular vertical steps as shown herein, however,
these may be fabricated in other shapes as well so long as the container itself is
stepped and the internal filter and other components are suitably designed. As previously
mentioned, any alternative construction of the stepped beverage filter cartridge may
be constructed to contain or omit the porous membrane.
[0034] It is also understood by one skilled in the art, that the stepped beverage filter
cartridge can be fabricated to contain a variety of beverage powders. While ground
coffee is the most preferred beverage powder, the cartridge may also be used with
tea, herbal teas, hot chocolate, soups and specialty drinks.
[0035] The stepped beverage filter cartridge may also be fabricated to contain a liquid,
crystal, flakes, powder, dissolvable capsule or pill type flavour enhancer product
within at least one of the vertical steps of the container which does not define the
brewing chamber. Such a flavour enhancer is readily dissolvable in water as well as
within the extracted beverage product. Examples of flavour enhancers may include but
are not limited to vanilla, amaretto, chocolate, cinnamon, irish crème, licorice as
well as mixtures thereof and the like. It is conceivable to introduce flavourings
into the brewing chamber itself. As shown in Figure 13, a further separate chamber
46 may be added to contain a flavouring. In this embodiment, the dissolved beverage
product would mix with the flavouring prior to being dispensed through the outlet
of the container.
[0036] The stepped beverage filter cartridge system of the present invention is easy and
cost effective to manufacture. It contains no moving parts. As manufactured, the cartridge
is provided hermetically sealed for freshness in a suitable type of easy to open plastic
packaging film. During the manufacture of the cartridge, oxygen is removed from within
the sealed container to ensure the freshness of the beverage powder contained therein.
The stepped beverage filter cartridge system can be used with a conventional type
brewing apparatus.
[0037] In summary, the present invention provides a novel stepped beverage filter cartridge
system which is simple to use and rapidly provides a single serving of tasty and fresh
beverage product. The stepped beverage filter cartridge system is constructed to provide
near maximal extraction of flavor from the beverage powder. It provides a consistent
beverage product with minimal waste, a long shelf life and may be manufactured to
contain several different types of beverages and flavourings. Furthermore, the stepped
beverage filter cartridge is easy and cost efficient to manufacture and is disposable
after use. It may be fabricated to use in residential or commercial type brewing machines.
[0038] Although preferred embodiments have been described herein in detail, it is understood
by those skilled in the art that variations may be made thereto without departing
from the scope of the invention.
1. A stepped beverage filter cartridge system comprising:
- a sealed stepped container;
- a filter element internally subdividing the container to form a brewing chamber;
- a beverage powder contained in said brewing chamber;
- a liquid inlet piercing the container to provide liquid to the brewing chamber;
and
- a liquid outlet to allow for extracted beverage product to be removed.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein said stepped container comprises a conical container
having a plurality of vertical steps of decreasing circumference.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein said stepped container comprises a conical container
having a plurality of vertical steps of increasing circumference.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein said liquid inlet is provided to pierce the container
at a location selected from the group consisting of the side, the top and the bottom
of the container.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein said filter element is made from a material selected
from the group consisting of polypropylene and polystyrene.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein said container is made from a material selected from
the group consisting of polystyrene, polypropylene and polymeric laminate material.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein a porous membrane is provided upstream of said beverage
powder.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein said beverage powder is selected from the group consisting
of coffee, tea, soup, hot chocolate, and specialty drinks.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the brewing chamber additionally comprises a flavour
enhancer in a form selected from the group consisting of liquid, crystal, flakes,
powder, dissolvable capsule and pill.
10. The system of claim 1, wherein said system additionally comprises a layer of paper
fiber within the brewing chamber.
11. The system of claim 1, wherein said system additionally comprises a separate flavour
chamber downstream of the brewing chamber.
12. The system of claims 9 or 11, wherein said flavour enhancer is selected from the group
consisting of vanilla, amaretto, rum, chocolate, cinnamon, irish crème, licorice and
mixtures thereof.
13. The system of claim 2 or 3, wherein said stepped container comprises three steps.
14. The system of claim 2 or 3, wherein said stepped container comprises four or more
steps.
15. The system of claim 1, wherein said filter element is flat, conical or convex in shape.
16. The system of claim 1, wherein said stepped container additionally comprises a support
extending from either the top or bottom of the container.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein said support is a cylindrical recess extending into
said stepped container.
18. The system of claim 1, wherein said liquid is provided under pressure.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein said liquid is hot water.
20. A beverage brewing apparatus comprising a conventional brewing housing; and a stepped
beverage filter cartridge system of claim 1.