Cartridge for use in coffee maker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8967038-B2
Application number	US-201313757026-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2013
Priority date	Jul 13, 2007
Publication date	Mar 3, 2015
Grant date	Mar 3, 2015

Abstract

A brewing cartridge containing a filter containing brewing material and configured to reside generally horizontally in a coffee maker. The filter has a top rim sandwiched between a coffee holder cover and a coffee holder base, and the cartridge may be disassembled after use to recycle and/or reuse components thereof, the rim facilitating removing the filter and brewing material from the used cartridge. The coffee maker includes a reservoir, a pump, a heater, and a nozzle for injecting heated water into the cartridge. The cartridge receives the heated water through the coffee holder cover and releases brewed liquid through a passage on a side of the cartridge. The cover may be a plastic cover or a foil cover, and the filter may be provided to a consumer as an empty filter for filling by the consumer, or as a pre-packed filter containing brewing material.

First claim

I claim:

1. A single serving brewing cartridge for use in a coffee maker, the brewing cartridge comprising:
a holder base made from plastic and defining an interior and an exterior and comprising:
a holder floor under the interior;
holder walls reaching up from the holder floor and surrounding the interior; and
a top edge of the holder walls above the interior, the top edge having a greater diameter than the holder floor;

a holder lid removably attached to cover the top edge of the holder base;
a filter residing in the interior of the holder base, the filter containing a single serving of brewing material, the filter including an outward reaching filter rim forming a closed perimeter around the top of the filter;
the entire filter rim sandwiched between the top edge of the holder walls and the holder lid and in direct contact with the top edge of the holder walls and the holder lid to hold the filter, the filter not otherwise held in position with respect to the holder base, wherein:
the brewing cartridge is configured to reside generally horizontally in a brewing chamber of the coffee maker;
the holder base has a vertical centerline CL;
a first portion and a second portion of the holder walls are generally symmetric opposed on opposite sides of the centerline CL;
a passage wall is defined protruding from the first portion of the holder walls, the passage wall closed at a bottom, reaching up to an outlet port proximal to the top edge of the holder walls; and
a passage is created between the passage wall and the holder walls, the passage in fluid communication with the interior of the brewing cartridge through the filter allowing brewed drink to escape from the brewing cartridge, and in fluid communication with the coffee maker through the outlet port.

2. The single serving brewing cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the passage releases the brewed drink generally horizontally into an extraction nozzle of the coffee maker.

3. The single serving brewing cartridge of claim 2 , wherein the holder includes a permanently open injection port for receiving an injection nozzle.

4. The single serving brewing cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the coffee holder lid includes an injection port for receiving an injection nozzle and an extraction port aligned with the passage in the holder base for receiving an extraction nozzle.

5. The single serving brewing cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the passage releases the brewed drink into the brewing chamber.

6. The single serving brewing cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the coffee holder lid is a press fit removable plastic holder lid.

7. The single serving brewing cartridge of claim 1 , wherein;
the filter includes a foil cover covering a top of the filter; and
the filter rim is adhered to a bottom surface of the foil cover.

8. The single serving brewing cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the filter is a concave mesh filter having a pliable filter rim sandwiched between the coffee holder lid and the top edge of the holder walls.

9. A single serving brewing cartridge for use in a coffee maker, the brewing cartridge comprising:
a holder base made from plastic and configured to reside generally horizontally in a coffee maker, the holder base comprising:
a holder interior;
a holder floor under the interior;
a vertical centerline CL;
holder walls reaching up from the holder floor and surrounding the interior and generally radially symmetric about the centerline CL;
a top edge of the holder walls above the interior, the top edge having a greater diameter than the holder floor;
a passage wall protruding from the holder walls, the passage wall closed at a bottom and reaching up to an outlet port proximal to the top edge of the holder walls; and
a passage between the passage wall and the holder interior, the passage in fluid communication with the holder interior allowing brewed drink to escape from the holder interior, and in fluid communication with the coffee maker through the outlet port;

a holder lid removably attached to the holder base, the holder lid comprising:
a generally round portion centered above the interior of the holder base configured for receiving an injection nozzle of the coffee maker; and
a protrusion extending from the generally round portion and aligned with the passage of the holder base, the protrusion configured for receiving an extraction nozzle of the coffee maker to provide a flow of brewed drink to the coffee maker;

a filter paper cup residing in the interior of holder base and containing a single serving of brewing material, the filter paper cup comprising:
a filter paper base; and
filter paper walls reaching up from the filter paper base; and
an outward reaching closed perimeter filter paper rim at the top of the filter paper walls, the entire closed perimeter filter paper rim sandwiched between the holder base and the holder lid and sealing against the holder lid and not adhered to the holder base.

10. The single serving brewing cartridge of claim 1 , wherein the filter is released from the holder base whenever the holder lid is detached from the holder base.

11. A single serving brewing cartridge rotated after filling with brewing material to reside on its side in the brewing chamber of a coffee maker, the brewing cartridge comprising:
a holder base made from plastic, and as described before rotating the cartridge, comprising:
a vertical centerline CL;
a horizontal holder floor perpendicular to the centerline CL, the centerline CL intersecting the center of the center of the horizontal floor, and the horizontal floor having a floor perimeter;
holder walls reaching up from the floor perimeter;
a horizontal holder rim at the top of the walls, the holder rim defining a plane generally perpendicular to the centerline CL, and the holder rim larger than the holder floor;
a holder interior defined inside the holder walls;
a holder exterior outside the holder walls;
a passage wall protruding from the holder walls, the passage wall closed at a bottom and reaching up to an outlet port proximal to the holder rim; and
a passage between the passage wall and the holder interior forming a sump in fluid communication with the holder interior allowing brewed drink to escape from the holder interior, and in fluid communication with the coffee maker through the outlet port and configured to align with an extraction needle of the coffee maker after rotating the brewing cartridge;

a plastic holder lid interfacing with an infusion nozzle residing generally horizontally in an interfacing side of the brewing chamber, a generally horizontal flow of liquid through the infusion nozzle into the brewing chamber; the lid closeable to a closed position on the holder base, and the lid com prising:
a horizontal ceiling residing on the holder rim when the lid is closed to the closed position on the holder base the horizontal ceiling closing the holder interior;
a permanently open inlet port in the horizontal ceiling for receiving the infusion nozzle;
a downward extending portion reaching below the holder rim engaging the holder base to hold the holder lid in the closed position; and

a filter residing in the holder base, the filter including an open top to receive the brewing material through the holder rim, the filter retaining the brewing material in the holder interior, and the filter is not adhered to the holder base.

12. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the holder rim has a radius of about one inch.

13. The cartridge of claim 11 , wherein the filter is a lift out reusable mesh filter.

14. The cartridge of claim 13 , wherein the filter includes a rim at the top

Assignees

• Rivera Adrian

Inventors

• Rivera Adrian

Classifications

• B65D85/8043 Primary

  Packages adapted to allow liquid to pass through the contents (B65D85/808 takes precedence; filters or reusable cartridges for coffee or tea makers, not used as packages A47J31/06) · CPC title

• B65D85/8061 Primary

  Filters · CPC title

• B65D85/8052 Primary

  Details of the outlet · CPC title

• B65D2565/385

  especially suited for or with means facilitating recycling · CPC title