U.S. patent application number 11/455032 was filed with the patent office on 2006-10-26 for method of making coffee.
Invention is credited to Pierre Tardif.
Application Number | 20060236870 11/455032 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32660954 |
Filed Date | 2006-10-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060236870 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tardif; Pierre |
October 26, 2006 |
Method of making coffee
Abstract
A method of making coffee, comprising placing ground coffee
beans in a basket; in a vessel having an interior wall and a bottom
portion, providing a cover adapted to be positioned on the vessel
and a shaft extending though a passageway of the cover, the basket
being mounted to the shaft such as to allow the basket to be raised
and lowered within the vessel through action of the shaft, the
basket having a lip engaging the interior wall of the vessel;
keeping a space between an underside of the basket and the bottom
portion of the vessel; pouring liquid into the cover in such a way
as to soak the ground coffee beans while retaining air in the space
between the underside of the basket and the bottom portion of the
vessel; moving the basket towards the bottom portion of the vessel
so as to cause at least part of the air retained in the space
between the underside of the basket and the bottom portion of the
vessel to displace infused ground coffee beans while the air rises
within the vessel; and raising the basket towards the cover.
Inventors: |
Tardif; Pierre; (Longucuil,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
JAY A. BONDELL, ESQ.;SCHWEITZER CORNMAN GROSS & BONDELL LLP
292 Madison Avenue
New York
NY
10017
US
|
Family ID: |
32660954 |
Appl. No.: |
11/455032 |
Filed: |
June 16, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10445644 |
May 27, 2003 |
7093531 |
|
|
11455032 |
Jun 16, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
99/279 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J 31/20 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
099/279 |
International
Class: |
A47J 31/00 20060101
A47J031/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 12, 2003 |
CA |
2,418,741 |
Claims
1. A method of making coffee, comprising: (a) placing ground coffee
beans in a basket; (b) in a vessel having an interior wall and a
bottom portion, providing a cover adapted to be positioned on the
vessel and a shaft extending though a passageway of the cover, the
basket being mounted to the shaft such as to allow the basket to be
raised and lowered within the vessel through action of the shaft,
the basket having a lip engaging the interior wall of the vessel;
(c) keeping a space between an underside of the basket and the
bottom portion of the vessel; (d) pouring liquid into the cover in
such a way as to soak the ground coffee beans while retaining air
in the space between the underside of the basket and the bottom
portion of the vessel; (e) moving the basket towards the bottom
portion of the vessel so as to cause at least part of the air
retained in the space between the underside of the basket and the
bottom portion of the vessel to displace infused ground coffee
beans while the air rises within the vessel; and (f) raising the
basket towards the cover.
2. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising raising the
basket out of contact with the coffee to arrest infusion.
3. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising raising the
basket up to an undersurface of the cover such that the infused
ground coffee beans remain out of contact with the coffee.
4. The method defined in claim 3, further comprising locking the
basket such that the basket is retained proximate to the
undersurface of the cover.
5. The method defined in claim 4, further comprising pouring coffee
through a spout provided on the vessel.
6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein pouring liquid into the
vessel includes sprinkling the liquid onto the flavoring
substance.
7. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the raising of the basket
further comprises forcing ambient air to pass through the basket
and occupy a space between the underside of the basket and an upper
surface of the coffee for causing a vacuum drying effect of the
infused ground coffee beans.
8. The method defined in claim 2, wherein the raising of the basket
further comprises raising the basket up to an undersurface of the
cover such that the infused ground coffee beans remain out of
contact with the coffee.
9. The method defined in claim 8, wherein the raising of the basket
towards the cover includes pulling on a handle connected to the
basket by the shaft.
10. The method defined in claim 9, further comprising locking the
basket such that the basket is retained proximate to the
undersurface of the cover.
11. The method defined in claim 10, further comprising pushing the
handle towards the cover while the basket is retained proximate to
the undersurface of the cover.
12. The method defined in claim 11, further comprising occluding
with the handle a set of apertures in the cover.
13. The method defined in claim 3, further comprising vertically
reciprocating the basket within the vessel to evacuate the air
retained in the space between the basket and the bottom portion of
the vessel.
14. A method of making coffee, comprising: (a) placing ground
coffee beans in a basket; (b) in a vessel having an interior wall
and a bottom portion, providing a cover adapted to be positioned on
the vessel and a shaft extending though a passageway of the cover,
the basket being mounted to the shaft such as to allow the basket
to be raised and lowered within the vessel through action of the
shaft, the basket having a lip for creating a fluid-tight
engagement with the interior wall of the vessel; (c) keeping a
space between an underside of the basket and the bottom portion of
the vessel; (d) pouring liquid into the cover in such a way as to
soak the ground coffee beans while retaining air in the space
between the underside of the basket and the bottom portion of the
vessel; (e) moving the basket towards the bottom portion of the
vessel so as to cause at least part of the air retained in the
space between the underside of the basket and the bottom portion of
the vessel to displace infused ground coffee beans while the air
rises within the vessel; (f) raising the basket up to an
undersurface of the cover; and (g) locking the basket such that it
is retained proximate to the undersurface of the cover.
15. The method defined in claim 14, wherein the raising of the
basket further comprises forcing ambient air to pass through the
basket and occupy a space between the underside of the basket and
an upper surface of the coffee for causing a vacuum drying effect
of the infused ground coffee beans.
16. The method defined in claim 15, wherein the raising of the
basket towards the cover includes pulling on a handle connected to
the basket by the shaft.
17. The method defined in claim 16, further comprising pushing the
handle towards the cover while the basket is retained proximate to
the undersurface of the cover.
18. The method defined in claim 17, further comprising occluding
with the handle a set of apertures in the cover.
19. The method defined in claim 14, further comprising pouring the
coffee while the infused ground coffee beans remain out of contact
with the coffee.
Description
[0001] The present patent application is a divisional application
of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/445,644 filed on May 27,
2003. The contents of this previous application are incorporated
herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates a method of making coffee.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Infused beverages are highly popular in many parts of the
world. In particular, tea and coffee are enjoyed by millions of
people on a regular basis. In order to produce a satisfactory cup
of tea or coffee, it is typically required to steep a flavoring
substance, e.g., ground coffee beans or tea leaves, in hot water.
The beans or leaves remain in the brew for a period of time that
depends upon the desired strength of the infused beverage, upon
which they must be removed lest the infused beverage turn bitter
and insipid.
[0004] To satisfy avid consumers of infused beverages, the market
has seen the emergence of various devices which allow a cup of
brewed (as opposed to instant) coffee to be made without the need
for electricity or a pressurized source of water. One such device
is marketed under the trademark BODUM. This device includes a
perforated disk which is attached to a stem at the end of which is
a handle. In order to make an infused beverage, a flavoring
substance is placed in the bottom of the vessel. Water is then
poured into the vessel, following which the disk is inserted into
the vessel. In the case of coffee, brewing thus takes place while
the coffee grains are in contact with the bottom of the vessel.
Once brewing has reached a desired level of completion, the handle
is pushed down, bringing the disk towards the bottom of the vessel,
hence capturing the coffee grains between the disk and the bottom
of the vessel. In order to pour the brewed coffee, the vessel is
tilted and the filter helps to block the spent coffee grains.
[0005] However, because the coffee grains remain in the vessel at
all times, infusion can only be arrested by the act of pouring the
coffee out of the vessel into a mug or cup. This is highly
inconvenient if a mug or cup is not available. Also, the flavor of
the coffee is dramatically altered if the coffee which remains in
the vessel is reheated at a later time for delayed consumption.
Moreover, for improved flavor, it is recommended that the disk be
removed during the infusion process and the coffee grains stirred
manually so as to disperse the grains throughout the infused
beverage. This results in a loss of heat, with the additional
problem of messiness, during the infusion process.
[0006] Clearly, therefore, there is a need in the industry for an
improved system for making infused beverages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] As embodied and broadly described herein, the invention
provides a method of making coffee, comprising: (a) placing ground
coffee beans in a basket; (b) in a vessel having an interior wall
and a bottom portion, providing a cover adapted to be positioned on
the vessel and a shaft extending though a passageway of the cover,
the basket being mounted to the shaft such as to allow the basket
to be raised and lowered within the vessel through action of the
shaft, the basket having a lip engaging the interior wall of the
vessel; (c) keeping a space between an underside of the basket and
the bottom portion of the vessel; (d) pouring liquid into the cover
in such a way as to soak the ground coffee beans while retaining
air in the space between the underside of the basket and the bottom
portion of the vessel; (e) moving the basket towards the bottom
portion of the vessel so as to cause at least part of the air
retained in the space between the underside of the basket and the
bottom portion of the vessel to displace infused ground coffee
beans while the air rises within the vessel; and (d) raising the
basket towards the cover.
[0008] The invention further provides a method of making coffee,
comprising: (a) placing ground coffee beans in a basket; (b) in a
vessel having an interior wall and a bottom portion, providing a
cover adapted to be positioned on the vessel and a shaft extending
though a passageway of the cover, the basket being mounted to the
shaft such as to allow the basket to be raised and lowered within
the vessel through action of the shaft, the basket having a lip for
creating a fluid-tight engagement with the interior wall of the
vessel; (c) keeping a space between an underside of the basket and
the bottom portion of the vessel; (d) pouring liquid into the cover
in such a way as to soak the ground coffee beans while retaining
air in the space between the underside of the basket and the bottom
portion of the vessel; (e) moving the basket towards the bottom
portion of the vessel so as to cause at least part of the air
retained in the space between the underside of the basket and the
bottom portion of the vessel to displace infused ground coffee
beans while the air rises within the vessel; (d) raising the basket
up to an undersurface of the cover; and (f) locking the basket such
that it is retained proximate to the undersurface of the cover.
[0009] These and other aspects and features of the present
invention will now become apparent to those of ordinary skill in
the art upon review of the following description of specific
embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] In the accompanying drawings:
[0011] FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a system for making an
infused beverage, in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0012] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the system of FIG.
1;
[0013] FIGS. 3 and 4 are a perspective and sectional view,
respectively, of a basket forming part of the system of FIGS. 1 and
2; and
[0014] FIGS. 5 through 10 are sectional elevational views of the
system of FIGS. 1 and 2 at different stages of infusion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0015] With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a system for
making an infused beverage such as coffee. The system includes an
infusion control device 10 mounted on a rim 12 of a vessel 14,
which typically has a wide mouth 16 and a spout 18 for facilitating
the pouring out of the infused beverage once infusion is complete.
A grip 58 is also provided in order to allow a user to manipulate
the vessel 14. The grip 58 can be of any standard shape or it can
be of the type illustrated, where, by virtue of meeting an exterior
surface of the vessel 14, the grip 58 serves the added function of
protecting a potential user from being burned by heat from the
infused beverage that is exchanged through the exterior surface of
the vessel 14. To this end, the grip 58 may be designed to meet the
exterior surface of the vessel 14 along a height extending at least
the width of four adult fingers.
[0016] The device 10 has several main parts that are identifiable
in FIGS. 1 and 2. In particular, the device 10 includes a cover 20
which rests atop the rim 12 of the vessel 14. The cover 20 can be
suitably dimensioned for use with a variety of glass beakers or
containers having standard sizes, or it can be specifically
designed for use with a custom-made vessel. The cover 20 may be
made from a thermally insulating material to minimize the loss of
heat through the cover 20. The cover 20 has a basin-like or
trough-like upper surface facing away from the interior wall of the
vessel and an opposite undersurface facing toward the interior wall
of the vessel and includes a distribution system that allows fluid
communication between the upper surface and the undersurface of the
cover 20. The upper surface therefore comprises a plurality of
apertures 22 for allowing liquid poured onto the upper surface to
emerge from the undersurface and soak the ground coffee beans
without significantly agitating them. The sizes and locations of
the apertures 22 may allow the liquid to emerge from the
undersurface of the cover 20 as a fine shower. Moreover, the upper
surface of the cover 20 may define a basin for temporarily storing
a limited quantity of liquid prior to its entering the vessel.
[0017] Also part of the device 10 is a shaft 26 which passes
through the cover 20 in a transverse manner thereto, i.e., an axis
27 of the shaft 26 is perpendicular to the rim 12 when the vessel
14 is placed on a flat surface. The shaft 26 can be made of
stainless steel or other durable, washable material. The shaft 26
passes through a passage in the cover 20. The passage can be in the
center of the cover 20. As can best be seen in FIGS. 2 and 5-10, at
one end 30 of the shaft 26 there is provided a handle 32 having an
ergonomic design and made from a thermally insulating material to
prevent the user from feeling the heat transferred by the shaft
26.
[0018] The device 10 further includes a basket 36 mounted to the
shaft 26. The basket 36 is intended to hold a flavoring substance
e.g., ground beans, tea leaves, ginger root, herbs, flowers, etc.,
used to make the infused beverage. As seen most clearly in FIGS. 3
and 4, the basket 36 is chiefly composed of a frame 37 which
supports a cup-shaped filter or screen 40 that can be made of
stainless steel or other durable, washable material. A nylon screen
40 is also envisaged. The screen 40 has a mesh of perforations 42
that are sufficiently small to prevent the flavoring substance from
falling through the screen 40 towards a bottom 24 of the vessel 14.
Surrounding the frame 37 is a lip 44, which can be made of
neoprene, thermoplastic or other rubber or any other suitable
material. In a specific embodiment, the lip 44 can be overmolded
with respect to the frame 37 so as to eliminate the presence of
joints in which the flavoring substance is liable to get caught.
The shape and/or material of the lip 44 can be selected such that a
fluid-tight engagement is maintained between the lip 44 and the
interior wall of the vessel 14.
[0019] In use, particulate flavoring substance (ground coffee
beans) is placed into the basket 36 so as to cover the screen 40,
typically forming a mound of flavoring substance. Due to the
relatively small size of the apertures 42 of the screen 40, most of
the ground coffee beans will not fall through the screen 40 and
hence will be retained in the basket 36. Through action of the
shaft 26, the basket 36 containing the ground coffee beans is
lowered into the vessel 14, which should be substantially empty
prior to use. The basket 36 is then lowered to a position that
allows for further lowering of the basket 36 within the vessel 14.
Of course, the basket 36 should also not remain too high within the
vessel 14, or it might not be possible to introduce a sufficient
amount of liquid into the vessel 14 for infusion. It is expected
that individual users will be capable of easily determining a
suitable level to which the basket 36 should be lowered within the
vessel 14. In a non-limiting example scenario, the user may
position the basket 36 at a point that is about three-quarters of
the way towards the bottom 24 of the vessel 14.
[0020] It is noted that because of the engagement between the lip
44 and the interior wall 46 of the vessel 14, and because of the
coverage of the apertures 42 of the screen 40 by the particulate
flavoring substance, a pocket of air is effectively created in a
space 70 located between the underside of the basket 36 and the
bottom 24 of the vessel.
[0021] In order to commence infusion, hot water is poured into the
vessel with the intent of soaking the ground coffee beans in the
basket 36. The liquid is poured onto the cover 20 and makes its way
into the vessel 14 through the distribution system. This stage of
the process is shown in FIG. 5. Until all the liquid has been
poured and infusion has begun, a pocket of air trapped underneath
the basket 36 is created. The ground coffee beans are soaked (and
infused) without causing exposure of the mesh of the screen 40. One
way of achieving this effect is through appropriate design of the
distribution system (shape of the upper surface of the cover 20
and/or sizes and locations of the apertures 22).
[0022] Those skilled in the art will find it within their ability
to select suitable sizes and locations for the apertures 22 so as
to achieve the effect of a fine shower of liquid emerging from a
substantial portion of the undersurface of the cover 20 such that
the ground coffee beans in the basket 36 are soaked without
significantly agitating them as it is being soaked (and infused).
Since the ground coffee beans are unlikely to pass through the
screen 40, the apertures 42 of the screen 40 will remain covered by
them during the infusing process and hence air in the region 70
underneath the basket 36 will be prevented from escaping while
liquid is being poured into the vessel 14.
[0023] As the remainder of the liquid enters the vessel 14 through
the cover 20, the ground coffee beans will continue to cover the
screen 40, with the effect of causing the pocket of air to remain
trapped in the region 70. Hence, there results the situation in
FIG. 6, which remains the case until action is taken by the user to
release the pocket of air. In a specific scenario, shown in FIG. 7,
the user pushes the handle 32 towards the cover 20, which causes
the basket 36 to move towards the bottom 24 of the vessel 14. (It
is recalled that the basket 36 was previously positioned in such a
way as to allow further downward travel within the vessel 14.) As a
result of this motion, the pocket of air trapped in the region 70
is forced upwards and passes through the apertures 42 in the screen
40 by displacing the ground coffee beans.
[0024] In doing so, some of the ground coffee beans which had
remained "stuck" to the bottom of the screen 40 or which were
buried deep within the ground coffee beans are released and caused
to be exposed to the liquid (coffee) undergoing infusion. This
leads to more efficient usage of the ground coffee beans. Moreover,
as the ground coffee beans are displaced, they are dispersed
throughout a greater portion of the volume of the vessel 14,
resulting in improved contact of the ground coffee beans with the
liquid (coffee).
[0025] It is noted that some residual air may still remain trapped
below the basket 36, even when the latter has been maximally
lowered within the vessel 14. Thus, by agitating the basket 36
through up-and-down action of the handle 32, the remainder of the
trapped air can be expunged.
[0026] During infusion, it may be desirable to limit heat loss that
occurs through the cover. To this end, the handle 32 may be
configured so that the apertures 22 in the cover 20 are occluded
when the handle 32 is positioned directly atop the cover 20. This
advantageously prevents heat from escaping the vessel 14 through
the apertures 22. If the apertures 22 are uniformly radially
disposed about the cover 20, and if the shaft 26 passes through the
center of the cover 20, then it is possible to design the handle 32
so that mere lowering of the handle 32 to the top surface of the
cover 20 will cause all the apertures 22 to be occluded.
Alternatively, in the design illustrated in the drawings, slight
rotation of the handle 32 may be required to align the handle 32
with the apertures 22. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 2, the handle 32
may be equipped with plugs 34 for engaging a subset (or all) of the
apertures 22 so as to prevent rotation of the handle 32 with
respect to the cover 20 while the apertures 22 are covered, i.e.,
during the infusion process.
[0027] Once infusion is complete, the handle 32 is pulled upwards
(see FIG. 8), causing the basket 36 to correspondingly rise towards
the cover 20. In doing so, the screen 40 collects the majority of
the coffee particles in the coffee, while the lip 44 picks up the
remainder due to wiping action against the interior wall 46 of the
vessel 14. It is therefore possible to design the periphery of the
lip 44 at an upward angle so as to cause the coffee particles being
swept from the interior wall 46 of the vessel 14 to be directed
into an area of the screen 40 closer to the center of the basket
36. The resulting "squeegee" effect thus wipes clean the interior
wall 46 of the vessel 14 as the basket 36 is moved upwards through
the coffee.
[0028] By continuing to pull on the handle 32, the basket 36
(travelling on its way to the cover 20) will eventually be raised
beyond the level of the infused beverage (coffee), at which point
another advantageous effect is produced. Specifically, with
reference to FIG. 9, as the basket 36 is pulled upwards, a space 72
is created intermediate the underside of the basket 36 and the
upper surface of the coffee. This space, which gradually increases
as the handle 32 continues to be pulled, must be replaced by
ambient air, which can only enter via the screen 40 and/or via the
space between the lip 44 and the interior wall 46 of the vessel 14.
Assuming that the lip 44 tightly contacts the interior wall 46 of
the vessel, it follows that ambient air will be forced to enter the
intermediate space 72 through the screen 40, causing a vacuum
drying effect and resulting in the formation of a compressed cake
of spent flavoring substance in the basket 36. This resulting cake
is usually so dry that the infused ground coffee beans will not
drip back into the coffee, which has advantages in terms of
improved flavor. In addition, this results in a device 10 that
causes little mess and is easy to clean.
[0029] By providing an optional locking mechanism, the basket 36
can be locked to the undersurface of the cover 20, as shown in FIG.
10. It should be expressly noted that the locking mechanism, which
is optional, is not limited solely to the example realization
described hereinafter in detail. Rather, any type of mechanical
lock that can secure the basket 36 within the cover 20 is
envisaged.
[0030] The locking mechanism is capable of acquiring a locked state
in which the basket 36 is secured to the cover 20 and an unlocked
state in which the basket 36 is free to move with respect to the
cover 20. Accordingly, the locking mechanism includes a portion on
the cover 20 and a cooperating portion on the basket 36. In one
non-limiting example embodiment, the cover portion of the locking
mechanism includes a channel 52A carved in a projection 52B
underneath the cover 20. The basket portion of the locking
mechanism includes a set of one or more protrusions 52D biased
towards the axis 27 of the shaft 26 and capable of fitting within
the channel 52A. Biasing of the protrusions 52D towards the axis 27
of the shaft 26 may be achieved by a biasing element 50, such as a
rubber O-ring, an elastic or an open-ended stainless steel ring
having an arc length greater than 360 degrees. Alternatively,
biasing may be achieved inherently through formation of the
protrusions 52D as leaf springs. Of course, other biasing elements
will be known to those of ordinary skill in the art.
[0031] In order to cause the locking mechanism to acquire its
locked state, the basket 36 is pressed against the undersurface of
the cover 20 until the protrusions 52D enter the channel 52A. This
is achieved by pulling (upwards) on the handle 32, which causes the
basket 36 to meet the projection 52B. Since the projection 52B is
tapered, pulling on the handle 32 will have caused the protrusions
52D to separate until they fall into the channel 52A. It is
recalled that the protrusions 52D are biased towards the axis 27 of
the shaft 26. Also, the protrusions 52D can have curved portions
which assist in retaining the protrusions 52D in the channel 52A
until forced out under an external influence.
[0032] In an alternative embodiment of the locking mechanism, the
locked state is acquired through rotation of the basket 36 and the
handle 32 in a first direction (e.g., clockwise) such that mating
portions of the basket 36 and the cover 20 engage with one another
to hold the basket 36 underneath the cover 20. Once it is desired
to remove the basket 36 from the cover 20 (e.g., for cleaning
purposes), rotational motion is applied in the opposite direction
so that the mating portions of the basket 36 and the cover 20
disengage from one another. This allows the basket retaining
mechanism to acquire its unlocked state in which the basket 36 is
again free to move with respect to the cover 20.
[0033] Once the basket 36 and the lip 44 have traveled all the way
up to the undersurface of the cover 20, such that the basket 36 is
locked to the undersurface of the cover 20, the lip 44 contacts a
second seal 56 that surrounds the periphery of the cover 20. The
combination of the lip 44 and the seal 56 results in the formation
of a chamber that contains the infused ground coffee beans.
[0034] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the coffee
made by the system and method of the present invention can remain
in the vessel 14 for a desired amount of time prior to being
consumed or poured. The aging of the coffee in the vessel 14 is not
subject to flavor degradation that could be due to leaving coffee
particles in the coffee, since the infused ground coffee beans will
be retained in the screen 40 and thus will remain out of contact
with the coffee.
[0035] In addition, the coffee lends itself to being reheated. In
particular, the entire system may be placed on a heating element
(e.g., a mug warmer). The device 10 may thus remain mounted on the
vessel 14 during this operation. Because of a lack of large coffee
particles in the coffee, the unpleasant taste of burnt coffee beans
is avoided, with the end result being that the reheated coffee is
likely to have a taste that the user will find satisfactory.
[0036] In order to pour the coffee out of the vessel 14 and into a
cup or mug, the vessel 14 is simply tilted towards the spout 18.
Advantageously, the basket 36 will have a profile that leaves
sufficient room between it and the spout 18 to allow a flow of the
coffee to take place without contacting the screen 40. To this end,
it may be advantageous to specially design the spout 18 with this
objective in mind, although it will be understood that most
ordinary spouts provide the added space for allowing the coffee to
stream out of the vessel 14 with very little, if any, contact with
the infused ground coffee beans. Also, it is noted that contact
between the coffee and the lip 44 (and/or the seal 56) is permitted
since it has no effect on the flavor of the coffee that is being
poured out of the vessel 14.
[0037] Moreover, it may be advantageous to move the handle 32 and
the shaft 26 out of the way when the coffee is poured out of the
vessel 14. This can be done in myriad ways. For example, once the
handle 32 has been pulled all the way up, the shaft and the handle
32 can simply be removed, e.g., by depressing a release button or
by performing an unscrewing motion. In other embodiments, the
extended shaft 26 may be bent or pivoted back on itself, when bent,
the shaft 26 and the handle 32 may join a portion of the exterior
surface of the vessel 14 (e.g., the grip 58) and thus become an
integral part thereof.
[0038] In still other embodiments, the locking mechanism (which
secures the basket 36 to the undersurface of the cover 20) may be
configured to cooperate with a second mechanism whereby the handle
32 can now be pushed back down towards the bottom 24 of the vessel
14 while the basket 36 remains secured to the undersurface of the
cover 20. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, entry of the
protrusions 52D into the channel 52A causes a set of fingers 48D to
disengage from a groove 48B in the shaft 26. This facilitates
movement of the end 30 of the shaft 26 relative to the basket 36.
Accordingly, the handle 32 can be pushed towards the cover 20 and
the shaft 26 moved out of the way. Other embodiments envisage a
shaft equipped with a telescoping mechanism whereby the frictional
forces of the telescoping mechanism are overcome as soon as the
basket 36 is locked to the undersurface of the cover 20, allowing
the handle 32 to be brought back down in proximity to the upper
surface of the cover 20.
[0039] For cleaning purposes, the locking mechanism should acquire
its unlocked state. In one specific embodiment, this is achieved by
pulling the basket 36 away from the cover 20 towards the end 38 of
the shaft 26. This step is normally required only once the infused
beverage is ready to be served. Clearly, applying a sufficient
pulling force on the basket 36 itself will cause the protrusions
52D (due to their curved surfaces) to slide out of the channel 52A.
To facilitate this procedure, an enlargement 54 can be provided
proximate the bottom of the basket 36. The enlargement 54 allows a
user to easily disengage the basket 36 from the projection 52B of
the cover 20.
[0040] In the illustrated embodiment, if the basket 36 is brought
all the way back to the end 38 of the shaft 26, then the set of
fingers 48D will re-engage the groove 48B in the shaft 26, which
prevents movement of the end 30 of the shaft 26 relative to the
basket 36. The enlargement 54 will then appear at the end 38 of the
shaft 26 where the knob 48A is located. By designing the
enlargement 54 to have a flat surface, the device 10 in its
entirety can be supported once removed from the vessel and placed
upon a surface such as on a saucer or in a sink prior to cleaning.
It may also be advantageous to design the knob 48A so that it is
flush with the enlargement 54.
[0041] While specific embodiments of the present invention have
been described and illustrated, it will be apparent to those
skilled in the art that numerous modifications and variations can
be made without departing from the scope of the invention as
defined in the appended claims.
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