Foods and beverages: apparatus – Beverage – Infusors
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-15
2001-03-20
Alexander, Reginald L. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Beverage
Infusors
C099S290000, C099S323300, C210S282000, C210S482000, C210S419000, C222S146500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06202541
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
Water is an increasingly popular drink, and is used to brew other drinks such as coffee, tea, cappuccino and espresso. Water filtration is known to improve water taste and the taste of drinks made from the filtered water. Water filtration pitchers have been increasingly used to filter water for either direct consumption or for use with automatic drip coffee makers in preparing coffee. Water filtration has also been integrated into automatic drip coffee makers where a cavity is formed between the bottom of water reservoir and the water heater tube for receiving a water filter cartridge. In this case, the filtered water enters the water heater as soon as it exits the cartridge. Such arrangement has several drawbacks. First, it can not provide a supply of filtered water as quickly as required by apparatus like espresso/cappuccino machines and those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,506. Second, it has low filtration efficiency because it can only use relatively large activated carbon particles to achieve the flow rate required by the automatic drip coffee makers. Third, none of the current coffee makers can produce cold filtered water for direct consumption. Forth, a partially clogged water filter cartridge will change the water flow rate through the water heaters of the automatic drip coffee makers, thus may cause changes in coffee temperature and taste. Fifth, the water filter cartridges provide a bed for bacteria growth and may produce foul odor. At last, the water filter cartridge in the reservoir can not remove the plastic odor and impurities resulting from contacting the plastic, rubber and metal parts of the apparatus. U.S. Pat. No. 5,393,548 discloses a device and method for filtering impurities from the water by positioning a water filtration device between the hot water drip outlet of an automatic drip coffee maker and the ground coffee in a filter. This device resolved to some degree the fourth and last drawbacks mentioned above with the existing water filter systems for automatic drip coffeemakers, but it caused additional problems, such as the overflow of unfiltered water from the top of the filter device, complexity in the device and coffee maker, and additional cleaning work required to remove the coffee grounds around the filter device.
Currently, none of the commercially available espresso and cappuccino machines have water filter system, although the consumers who drink espresso-based beverages like espresso, latte and cappuccino are normally more conscious to coffee quality and taste than the consumers who drink only regular coffee. There is currently no known water filtration system, which can be adapted to the existing espresso and cappuccino machines and the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,506 without major inventions. There is neither known water filtration system for producing purified water for producing steam for frothing milks for making milk-containing drinks like cappuccino and latte.
The present invention provides apparatus having novel and improved means for making filtered water for direct consumption, for use in preparing drinks such as espresso, coffee, tea, cappuccino and Latte and for producing steam for frothing milk, and is aimed at solving the problems associated with the existing apparatus for making such drinks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a new apparatus and methods for making drinks such as filtered water, coffee, tea, cappuccino or espresso for human consumption and enjoyment. The apparatus comprises a cold water filter system for preparing purified water from a supply of water that may contain impurities for either direct consumption or use in making drinks, water heating and delivering means for heating the purified water and delivering the hot water and steam, a hot water filter assembly for filtering the impurities which are originated from the water itself or the plastic or rubber parts contacting water, a coffee filter for receiving a supply of flavor-containing material such as coffee and for allowing the extraction of the flavor-containing material by the hot water therein.
The cold water filter system comprises a first containing means for receiving a supply of water which may contain impurities, a second containing means for receiving the filtered water, a water flow passageway having one end connected to the bottom portion of the first containing means and the other end extended into the second containing means, a water filter cartridge removably mounted in the water flow passageway, an automatic valve located in the water flow passageway for automatically closing the passageway when the first containing means is removed from the second containing means and opening the water flow passageway when the first containing means is placed onto the second containing means, and discharging means such as a spigot and outlet located near the bottom of the second containing means for discharging the filtered water for either drinking directly or preparing other drinks. The water filter cartridge comprises a first cylindrical chamber having one end generally open and the other end made of a porous wall, a second cylindrical chamber having one end generally open and the other end made of a porous wall, snap locking means formed at the open end of the first cylindrical chamber and the porous wall end of the second cylindrical chamber, a space formed between the porous wall of the first and second cylindrical chambers after the second cylindrical chamber is snapped into the first cylindrical chamber, and a predetermined amount of filter materials like activated carbon confined in the space. In a modified embodiment of the cold water filter system, the first containing means is permanently attached to the second containing, means and the automatic valve is replaced with venting means connected to the second containing means. The venting means releases the air trapped in the second containing means during the water filtration and admits air into the second containing means during the discharging of the filtered water.
The hot water filter assembly is located at the outlet of the brew head so that the impurities originated from both water itself and from the parts of the apparatus in contact with water are removed right before the hot water reaches the flavor-containing material in the coffee filter. The hot water filter assembly comprises a water filter cartridge having a cartridge inlet for receiving the hot water from the outlet of the brew head and a cartridge outlet for discharging the filtered water into the coffee filter, a water distribution chamber formed between the outlet of the brew head and the cartridge inlet and encircled by an elastomer ring member to achieve a water-tight seal between the brew head and the cartridge inlet so that all the hot water from the brew head is directed into the water filter cartridge, and a fixture for removably receiving the water filter cartridge and for retaining the cartridge in position to maintain the water-tight seal between the brew head and the cartridge inlet during the operation of the apparatus. In one embodiment of the hot water filter assembly, the fixture is a compartment attached to the brew head and comprises a substantially round support base, a support sidewall of a predetermined height perpendicular to the support base, and an opening for receiving the cartridge into the compartment. In another embodiment of the hot water filter assembly, the fixture comprises a bolt formed on the brew head and dimensioned to insert into a hole formed in the filter cartridge and a nut for locking the filter cartridge in position after the filter cartridge is inserted into the bolt.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic drip coffee maker for making both filtered water and coffee.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which has a water filter system for making filtered water either both direct human consumption and for use in preparing other drinks l
Alexander Reginald L.
Houseware Technology Group
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