U.S. patent application number 13/922348 was filed with the patent office on 2014-12-25 for beverage filter cartridge.
The applicant listed for this patent is Cheh-Kang Liu. Invention is credited to Cheh-Kang Liu.
Application Number | 20140377413 13/922348 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52111131 |
Filed Date | 2014-12-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140377413 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Liu; Cheh-Kang |
December 25, 2014 |
Beverage Filter Cartridge
Abstract
A beverage filter cartridge includes an inner cup made of filter
paper and defining a first chamber, an outer cup holding the inner
cup in a second chamber therein, and a seal film bonded to the
outer cup to seal the inner cup in the outer cup. The inner cup has
a hard rim extending around the top open side thereof and
supportable at an inner upper part of the outer cup to suspend the
inner cup in the second open chamber of the outer cup. After
removal of the seal film, the plastic outer cup can be recycled,
reducing environmental pollution and implementing the principles of
environmental protection.
Inventors: |
Liu; Cheh-Kang; (Miaoli
County, TW) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Liu; Cheh-Kang |
Miaoli County |
|
TW |
|
|
Family ID: |
52111131 |
Appl. No.: |
13/922348 |
Filed: |
June 20, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
426/115 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65D 85/8043
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
426/115 |
International
Class: |
B65D 85/804 20060101
B65D085/804 |
Claims
1. A beverage filter cartridge, comprising: an outer cup made of
plastics, said outer cup defining a second chamber and a rim around
a top open side of said second chamber; an inner cup made of filter
paper and suspended in said outer cup in such a manner that an
inside space is defined within said outer cup around the outer
perimeter of said inner cup, said inner cup defining therein a
first chamber; and a seal film bonded to the rim of said outer cup
to seal said inner cup inside said outer cup; wherein: said inner
cup comprises a hard rim bonded to a top side thereof and stoppable
at an inner upper part of said outer cup to suspend said inner cup
in said second chamber of said outer cup.
2. The beverage filter cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said outer cup defines a tapered inner surface surrounding said
second chamber, said tapered inner surface having an inner diameter
gradually reducing in direction from the rim of said outer cup to a
bottom wall of said outer cup for supporting said hard rim of said
inner cup in a suspended status.
3. The beverage filter cartridge as claimed in claim 1, wherein
said outer cup defines an inside annular step inside said second
chamber and near the rim of said outer cup for supporting said hard
rim of said inner cup inside said outer cup.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to beverage filter cartridges,
and more particularly to such a beverage filter cartridge, which
allows separation of paper inner cup and plastic outer cup after
service, so that the plastic outer cup can be recycled, reducing
environmental pollution and implementing the principles of
environmental protection.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] The use of beverage filter cartridge for making coffee drink
has become increasingly common Many department stores or marts sell
beverage filter cartridges that contain coffee grains or coffee
powder. Consumers can purchase the desired amount of beverage
filter cartridges and carry them back to the office or home, and
then put a beverage filter cartridge in a specific coffee machine
for making coffee drink. At this time, the coffee machine
automatically pierces holes through a top seal film and a bottom
wall of the beverage filter cartridge. U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,765
discloses a beverage filter cartridge, which includes an
impermeable pierceable base having a predetermined shape and an
opening at one end; a self-supporting wettable filter element
disposed in the base sealingly engages with the opening in the base
and has a form different and smaller than the predetermined shape
of the base so that the filter element diverges from the base and
divides the base into two sealed chambers, a first chamber for
storing an extract of the beverage to be made, and a second empty
chamber for accessing the beverage after the beverage outflow from
the filter has been made by combining a liquid with the extract;
and an impermeable pierceable cover sealingly engaged with the
opening in the base to form an impermeable cartridge.
[0005] According to this design, the self-supporting wettable
filter element sealingly engages with the opening in the base.
After the service of the beverage filter cartridge and removal of
the impermeable pierceable cover from the base, the user still
cannot easily separate the self-supporting wettable filter element
from the base for enabling the base to be recycled. Thus, users
commonly directly throw away used beverage filter cartridges. In
consequence, burial treatment is the normal way to handle waste
beverage filter cartridges, causing environmental pollution.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] The present invention has been accomplished under the
circumstances in view. It is therefore the main object of the
present invention to provide a beverage filter cartridge, which
comprises an inner cup made of filter paper and defining a first
chamber, an outer cup holding the inner cup in a second chamber
therein, and a seal film bonded to the outer cup to seal the inner
cup in the outer cup. The inner cup has a hard rim extending around
the top open side thereof and supportable at an inner upper part of
the outer cup to suspend the inner cup in the second open chamber
of the outer cup. After removal of the seal film, the plastic outer
cup can be recycled, reducing environmental pollution and
implementing the principles of environmental protection.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic exploded view of a beverage filter
cartridge in accordance with a first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 is an oblique top elevation of the beverage filter
cartridge in accordance with the first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a sectional side view, in an enlarged scale, of
the beverage filter cartridge in accordance with the first
embodiment of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a schematic applied view of the first embodiment
of the present invention, illustrating coffee powder accommodated
in the inner cup and holes respectively made on the seal film and
the bottom wall of the outer cup.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a schematic exploded view of a beverage filter
cartridge in accordance with a second embodiment of the present
invention.
[0012] FIG. 6 is an oblique top elevation of the beverage filter
cartridge in accordance with the second embodiment of the present
invention.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a sectional side view, in an enlarged scale, of
the beverage filter cartridge in accordance with the second
embodiment of the present invention.
[0014] FIG. 8 is a schematic applied view of the second embodiment
of the present invention, illustrating coffee powder accommodated
in the inner cup and holes respectively made on the seal film and
the bottom wall of the outer cup.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0015] Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a beverage filter cartridge in
accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is
shown. The beverage filter cartridge comprises an inner cup 1, and
an outer cup 3.
[0016] The inner cup 1 is made of filter paper, defining therein a
first chamber 11 for holding coffee powder, tea or any other
substance to be infused with boiled water. The inner cup 1 has a
hard rim 2 selected from a hard material and bonded to the top edge
thereof by heat sealing. Thus, when the inner cup 1 is put in the
outer cup 3, the hard rim 2 is positioned in the inner top side of
the outer cup 3.
[0017] The outer cup 3 is a plastic cup defining a second chamber
31 and a rim 33 around the top open side of the second chamber 31.
Further, after insertion of the inner cup 1 into the outer cup 3, a
seal film 30 is bonded to the rim 33 of the outer cup 3 to seal the
second chamber 31. The second chamber 31 is configured to support
the hard rim 2 of the inner cup 1 so that an inside space 12 is
defined within the outer cup 3 around the outer perimeter of the
inner cup 1 (see FIG. 3).
[0018] Thus, the beverage filter cartridge can be put in a coffee
machine, beverage preparation machine or any other special purpose
machine (these machines are of the known art and not within the
scope of the spirit of the present invention, no any further
detailed description will be necessary in this regard) that can be
operated to pierce a hole 301 through the seal film 30 and at least
one hole 321 through the bottom wall 32 of the outer cup 3 (see
FIG. 4), enabling boiled water to be ejected through the hole 301
in the seal film 30 into the inside of the inner cup 1 to infuse
the coffee powder/coffee grains/tea leaves 4 (see FIG. 4). Because
the inner cup 1 is made of filter paper, the infused fluid will be
filtered through the inner cup 1 and then will flow into the inside
space 12 within the outer cup 3 around the outer perimeter of the
inner cup 1, and then the infused fluid will flow through the at
least one hole 321 in the bottom wall 32 of the outer cup 3 into a
coffee cup (not shown), tea cup (not shown) or any prepared
drinking vessel for service. After removal of the seal film 30, the
inner cup 1 and the outer cup 3 can be separated, and the plastic
outer cup 3 can then be recycled, reducing environmental pollution
and implementing the principles of environmental protection.
[0019] Further, the outer cup 3 defines a tapered inner surface 312
surrounding the second chamber 31. The tapered inner surface 312
has an inner diameter gradually reducing in direction from the rim
33 to the bottom wall 32 for supporting the hard rim 2 of the inner
cup 1 in a suspended status.
[0020] Referring to FIGS. 5-8, a beverage filter cartridge in
accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is
shown. This second embodiment is substantially similar to the
aforesaid first embodiment with the exception that the outer cup 3
defines an inside annular step 313 inside the second chamber 31 and
near the rim 33 (see FIG. 5 and FIG. 7) for supporting the hard rim
2 of the inner cup 1 inside the outer cup 3.
[0021] Further, the hard rim 2 can be bonded to the top edge of the
inner cup 1 by heat sealing, for example, high frequency bonding or
ultrasonic bonding.
[0022] Further, the hard rim 2 of the inner cup 1 can be detachably
positioned in the outer cup 3. After removal of the seal film 30,
the inner cup 1 can be separated from the outer cup 3, and thus the
plastic outer cup 3 can be recycled, reducing environmental
pollution and implementing the principles of environmental
protection.
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