INTERCHANGEABLE CAPSULE FOR PREPARING AN INFUSION OF COFFEE, AND METHOD FOR OBTAINING AN INFUSION OF SAID COFFEE

• US 20140161937A1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Published: 06/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Macchiavelli S.R.L
• Original Assignee: Macchiavelli S.R.L
• Inventors: Rondelli, Raffaele
• Granted Patent: US 9,580,235 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/80
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8055 Means for influencing the liquid flow inside the package
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8061 Filters

Abstract

A capsule suited to contain in its inside a mass of powdered coffee for preparing an infusion of coffee. The capsule comprises a container closed by a lid. The container is provided with a filter of the coffee/hot water infusion. The capsule is characterized in that the mass of powdered coffee is located in an annular space surrounding a central chimney. The infusion water, during at least one of its intermediate steps, converges from the annular space towards the central chimney passing first through a vertical filter.

Claims

1. Capsule (100) suited to contain a mass of powdered coffee (MC) for preparing an infusion of coffee;

capsule (100) comprising a container (101) closed by a lid (102), said container (101) being provided with filtering means (FT) of the coffee/hot water infusion;

capsule (100) characterized in that said mass of powdered coffee (MC) is arranged in an annular space (SP) surrounding a central chimney (180);

and in that the infusion water, during at least one intermediate infusion step, converges from the annular space (SP) towards said central chimney (180), passing at first through vertical filtering means (FT).

2. Capsule (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the infusion water is fed towards the mass of powdered coffee (MC) by means of a plurality of through openings (121) obtained in a feeding well (120).

3. Capsule (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the infusion water is fed towards the mass of powdered coffee (MC) by means of at least one hole obtained on said lid (102).

4. Capsule (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that the hot infusion water, after passing through said plurality of through openings (121), flows along a labyrinth path (125).

5. Capsule (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that said vertical filtering means (FT) comprise a plurality of vertical projections (114), each couple of said vertical projections (114) being separated by a respective through opening (115) with the shape of a groove.

6. Capsule (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that a chamber (110) is provided on the bottom of said container (101) and is at least partially provided with further filtering means suited to stop possible coffee particles which may accidentally have managed to pass through said vertical filtering means (FT).

7. Capsule (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that a chamber (110) is provided on the bottom of said container (101) and is at least partially engaged by pod-like means filled with another essence, such as cardamom, cinnamon or ginseng.

9. Method according to claim 7;

method characterized in that it comprises a further filtering step of the infusion.

11. Method according to claim 9, method characterized in that it comprises a further step of passage of the infusion through means containing at least one essence, such as cardamom, cinnamon or ginseng.

8. Method for obtaining an infusion of coffee;

method characterized by the following steps;

(f1) injecting a certain amount of hot water inside a container of ground coffee (arrow (F1));

(f2) causing the hot water to flow inside the container towards its periphery (arrow (F2));

(f3) causing the hot infusion water to flow by gravity inside the mass of powdered coffee arranged in an annular space (arrow (F3));

(f4) causing the infusion to pass through vertical filtering means (arrow (F4)), making it converge towards a central chimney (arrow F5)); and

(f5) causing the infusion of coffee to flow towards a collector (arrow (F6)).

10. Method according to claim 8;

method characterized in that it comprises a further step of passage of the infusion through means containing at least one essence, such as cardamom, cinnamon or ginseng.