GB2097660A - Apparatus and method for making beverages - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus and method for making beverages such as coffee or tea in which a liquid permeable, disposable, sealed cassette containing the beverage starting material is located in the open base of a suitable container intended for repeated use, so that, for example, hot water introduced into the container may drain therefrom through the cassette and into a drinking cup. The walls, 2, of the cassette may be as shown or may be tapered to provide a substantially liquid tight push fit with the tapered contacting wall of the container. Permeable walls 3 may be ultrasonically walled to wall 2. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Apparatus and method for making beverages The present invention relates to apparatus for use in making beverages, such as coffee or tea, and in particular to a disposable cassette, to a container for such cassettes and to a method of employing these devices. It has been proposed to provide coffee making units in which ground coffee is located between two layers of filter material, which are bonded to and form at least part of the base of, a cup-like container. In use such a container is placed over a drinking cup and hot water added to the container is allowed to drain therefrom through the coffee making material and into the cup below.

Compared with traditional methods for making so-called "real" coffee, this method has proved reasonably convenient, subject to a suitable choice of filter material to allow for an acceptable delay in making the coffee.

However, as would be expected, coffee made by this method is relatively expensive, since the whole unit is only used once and is then discarded.

The present invention substantially overcomes the economic disadvantage of the units described above by providing, effectively, a two-part unit, where only one part is discarded after use.

Thus, the present invention provides a disposable, sealed cassette for use in making beverages comprising two layers of filter material separated by a supporting wall therefor and containing a particulate starting material for the beverage between the layers of filter material.

The invention also provides a container for use in making beverages in which a disposable, sealed cassette as described above may be located in or near to the base thereof so that liquid introduced into the container may drain therefrom through the cassette.

Further, the present invention provides a method for making beverages in which a container with cassette as described above is placed over a second container so that liquid introduced into the first container drains therefrom through the cassette and into the second container.

Conveniently, the cassette may take the form of a "short", circular cylinder or "thick" disc containing particulate starting material, in which the faces of the disc each comprise a suitable liquid permeable filter material. The two discs of filter material being separated and supported at their respective circumferences by the cylindrical side wall of the cassette.

Preferably, the supporting wall of the cassette is made of a plastics material such as ABS (a copolymer based on acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene) or nylon, and the liquid permeable filter material comprises a suitable fibrous material, for example, cellulose fibres (paper) or synthetic polyamide, polyester or polyolefin fibres.

Thus, the cassette provides a uniform "depth" of particulate material which assists even filtration through the whole of the beverage making contents.

The material of the cassette should, of course, be chemically inert so far as the beverage making materials are concerned.

The invention is particularly directed to the use of dry particulate materials, such as freshly ground coffee, but may, of course, be employed in respect of similar beverage making materials, i.e. in instances where a residue of starting material is left in the cassette after use or when the starting material is substantially soluble in the liquid that drains through the cassette.

In use the cassette fits into the open base of a cup-like container which is then placed over a conventional drinking cup or mug, so that liquid which is added to the container may be collected in the drinking cup after draining through the cassette.

Desirably, the cassette effectively seals the opening in the base of the container, thus preventing the loss of liquid from the container except by passage through the cassette.

Various means may be employed to effect a substantially liquid tight seal between the cassette and the open base of the container, for example, one or more elastomeric rings, but preferably, the contacting walls of the cassette and container respectively are slightly tapered inwards in the direction of liquid flow so that a good push fit between the two components may be secured. Such an arrangement also permits the easy removal of the disposable cassette from the container after use.

The contacting walls must, of course, also have the rigidity to enable a substantially liquid tight seal to be formed between them.

Although the cassette is advantageously located in the open base of the container, it could also be mounted either wholly or partly in the lower part of the side wall of the container.

It is envisaged that the disposable cassette will be used only once. However, subject to the strength of beverage required, a cassette may be used a second or even a third time. The cup-like container is, of course, used repeatedly.

By way of further illustration of the present invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which should not be construed as limiting the invention.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 depicts a sectional view of a disposable, sealed, circular cassette according to the invention, Figure 2 shows a sectional view of a cup-like container with a cassette located in the base thereof, and Figure 3 is a sectional view of the container with cassette shown in Figure 2, when in position over a drinking cup, and in use.

The disposable, sealed, circular cassette 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises an injection moulded ABS plastic ring 2 having a slightly tapered L-shaped profile (as shown). The ring is sealed by suitable means at the top and bottom respectively by layers 3 of filter material consisting of compressed cellulose fibres and the space between the layers of filter material is occupied by a dry particulate starting material 5, such as freshly ground coffee.

The filter material is sealed at its edge 4 to the plastic ring 2 by ultrasonic welding, which is relative iy quick and hygienic, and is preferred. However, alternatively, the filter material may be bonded by means of a suitable water insoluble adhesive.

Figure 2 shows the cassette 1 in position in the base of a cup-like container 6 consisting of a suitable plastic material, for example ABS. The cassette retaining collar 7 in the base of the container is slightly tapered (as shown) so that the correspond inglytapered cassette makes a substantially liquid tight push fit in the base of the container.

In Figure 3 the container 6 with cassette 1 is shown mounted on a drinking cup 8 so that when liquid is introduced into the container 6 it drains under gravity through the contents of the cassette and is collected in the cup below.

Thus, in the case of a cassette containing particulate freshly ground coffee, hot water added to the container, after draining through the ground coffee within the cassette 1, provides a cup of "real" coffee to which, if desired, milk andior sugar may be added.

The permeability of the filter material must, of course, be such as to allow a liquid flow rate which permits adequate solution of the particulate beverage starting material in a reasonable time. In practice the selection of an appropriate filter material has been achieved without difficulty on a trial and error basis depending upon the nature of the starting material. In the case of ground coffee, traditional coffee filter paper has been found to be generally satisfactory.

Desirably, the size of the container 6 is such as to provide a single average sized cup of, for example, coffee, from a single filling (about 200 ml).

When hot liquids are employed, a lid 9 may be placed on the container 6 to minimise the loss of heat from the liquid.

Claims (17)

1. A disposable, sealed cassette for use in making beverages comprising two layers of filter material separated by a supporting wall therefor and containing a particulate starting material for the beverage between the layers of filter material.

2. A container for use in making beverages in which a disposable, sealed cassette as claimed in Claim 1 may be located in or near to the base thereof so that liquid introduced into the container may drain therefrom through the cassette.

3. A method for making beverages in which a container with cassette as claimed in Claim 2 is placed over a second container so that liquid introduced into the first container drains therefrom through the cassette and into the second container.

4. A cassette as claimed in Claim 1 which is sealed by ultrasonic welding.

5. A cassette as claimed in Claim 1 or 4which is circular in cross-section.

6. A cassette as claimed in any one of Claims 1,4 or 5 in which the filter material comprises cellulose fibres.

7. A cassette as claimed in any one of Claims 1 or 4 to 6 in which the supporting wall is made of a plastics material.

8. A cassette as claimed in any one of Claims 1 or 4 to 7 in which the supporting wall is tapered inwards in the direction of liquid flow.

9. A cassette as claimed in any one of Claims 1 or 4to 8 in which the particulate starting material is ground coffee.

10. A container as claimed in Claim 2 in which the cassette is located in an opening in the base of the container.

11. A container as claimed in Claim 2 or 10 in which a substantially liquid tight seal is effected between the cassette and the container by means of one or more elastomeric rings.

12. A container as claimed in Claim 2 or 10 in which a substantially liquid tight seal is effected between the cassette and the container by means of correspondingly tapered contacting walls.

13. A disposable, sealed cassette for use in making beverages substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings.

14. A container for use in making beverages substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 2 of the accompanying drawings.

15. A method for making beverages substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 3 of the accompanying drawings.

16. A kit for use in making beverages comprising one or more disposable, sealed cassettes as claimed in Claim 1 and one or more containers therefor as claimed in Claim 2.

17. A beverage when made using a cassette as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9 or 13, or a container as claimed in any one of Claims 2, 10 to 12 or 14, or by a method as claimed in Claim 3 or 15, or using a kit as claimed in Claim 16.