Coffee cassette

• US 5,082,676 A
• Filed: 01/25/1991
• Issued: 01/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HAG GF AG
• Original Assignee: HAG GF AG
• Inventors: Schwarz, Jurgen, Rathjen, Barbel, Love, Graham, Schellhaass, Karl
• Primary Examiner(s): WEINSTEIN, STEVEN L
• Application Number:
  US07/649,205
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• Field of Search: 426/77, 426/78, 426/79, 426/112, 426/115, 426/433, 426/394, 426/396, 210/474, 210/482, 210/475, 99/295, 99/304, 99/306, 99/302 R, 99/317, 99/323
• US Class Current: 426/79
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8055 Means for influencing the liquid flow inside the package
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 85/8061 Filters

Abstract

A cassette for producing coffee by the cup or pot and for use with a liquid receptacle having an internal locking flange. The cassette comprises a ring defining an interior and forming a bottom annular groove to receive the locking flange of the liquid receptacle and thereby to hold the cassette in place therein. The cassette further includes a plurality of ribs connected to and extending across the ring and separating the interior thereof into a multitude of sections, and coffee particles disposed in said sections. A bottom filter and a top filter are secured to the ring and extend across the bottom and top, respectively, of the interior of the ring to hold the flavoring particles therein. Preferably, the cassette is packaged in a sealed vacuum pack; and as it is so packaged, the mass of particles in each section of the cassette is reshaped slightly and formed into a firm conglomerate, which facilitates the subsequent flow of hot water through the cassette.

Claims

1. A cassette for flavoring a liquid and for use with a liquid receptacle, said cassette comprising:

(a) a uniform height, impervious frame having an apertured center section;

(b) said center section including a plurality of ribs extending the height of said frame and connected to and extending across said frame and separating said center section into a plurality of at least three separate sections;

(c) said separate sections containing individual quantities of roast and ground coffee particles with the particles distributed in a manner such that each of the sections are not completely filled with said particles;

(d) a bottom filter and a top filter secured to the frame and extending across the bottom and the top of the frame to hold said roast and ground coffee particles therein;

said cassette having been treated by placing said roast and ground coffee containing cassette, with each section not completely filled with said particles, in a small envelope or packet and having most or all of the air withdrawn by vacuum from the cassette containing envelope or packet during a vacuum sealing of the envelope or packet such that the roast and ground coffee particles in each of said sections are no longer uniformly distributed over the area of each section but are reshaped and formed into a generally triangular, firm conglomerate in each of said sections and exhibit slightly higher concentrations of said particles toward the center of each of said sections and slightly lower concentration of said particles toward the periphery of each of said sections, such that when the cassette is removed from the envelope or packet and used to make a beverage, the flow rate of liquid through the cassette is increased relative to a cassette not previously vacuum packed.

2. The cassette of claim 1 wherein said cassette is sealed under vacuum in a packet.

3. The cassette of claim 2 wherein said beverage particles are roast and ground coffee particles having a predominant particle size in the range from about 100 microns to about 700 microns.

4. The cassette of claim 2 wherein said beverage particles are roast and ground coffee particles having a predominant particle size in the range from about 300 microns to about 500 microns.

5. The cassette of claim 1 wherein said beverage particles are roast and ground coffee particles having a predominant particle size range from about 100 microns to about 700 microns.

6. The cassette of claim 1 wherein said beverage particles are roast and ground coffee particles having a predominant particle size in the range from about 300 microns to about 500 microns.

7. The combination of claim 1 and a liquid receptacle forming an interior for receiving liquid and forming a bottom opening for passing a liquid beverage outward from said interior;

said cassette being dimensioned to be positioned in the bottom of the receptacle over said bottom opening.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said liquid receptacle includes an internal locking flange adjacent to said bottom opening and wherein said cassette includes a groove in said frame, with said flange extending upward from said bottom opening to engage with said groove in said cassette frame.

9. A cassette for flavoring a liquid and for use with a liquid receptacle, said liquid receptacle having an interior for receiving liquid and having a bottom portion defining a bottom opening for passing the liquid outward from said interior, said liquid receptacle further including an internal locking flange adjacent to and around said bottom opening and said flange extending upward from said bottom portion, said cassette comprising:

(a) a ring defining an interior and having a bottom surface and a top surface, the ring including

(i) an inside annular leg,

(ii) an outside annular leg radially spaced from and concentric with the inside annular leg, and (iii) a shoulder portion connected to and extending between the inside and outside annular legs;

the inside and outside annular legs and the shoulder portion define a bottom annular groove to receive said locking flange on said liquid receptacle, said cassette including said annular groove being dimensioned and shaped such that when said cassette is placed in said liquid receptacle with said annular groove positioned down onto said locking flange, the cassette is held securely in place while a liquid flows through it and a liquid seal is formed between said cassette and the bottom of the receptacle extending around said opening to prevent liquids from leaking out from the interface between said cassette and said liquid receptacle;

(b) a plurality of ribs connected to and extending across said ring and separating the interior thereof into a multitude of at least 3 separate sections;

(c) said separate sections containing individual quantities of roast and ground coffee particles with the particles distributed in a manner such that each of the sections are not completely filled with said particles;

(d) a bottom filter and a top filter secured to the ring and extending across the bottom and the top, respectively, of the interior of said ring to hold the roast and ground coffee particles therein;

(e) said cassette having been treated by placing said roast and ground coffee containing cassette, with each section not completely filled with said particles, in a small envelope or packet and having most or all of the air withdrawn by vacuum from the cassette containing envelope or packet during a vacuum sealing of the envelope or packet such that the roast and ground coffee particles in each of said sections are no longer uniformly distributed over the area of each section but are reshaped and formed into a generally triangular, firm conglomerate in each of said sections, and exhibit slightly higher concentrations of said particles toward the center of each of said sections and slightly lower concentration of said particles toward the periphery of each of said sections, such that when the cassette is removed from the envelope or packet and used to make a beverage, the flow rate of liquid through the cassette is increased relative to a cassette not previously vacuum packed.

10. A cassette according to claim 9 wherein said internal locking flange has a given width and the inside and outside annular legs of said cassette are radially spaced apart the given width.

11. A cassette according to claim 10 wherein said internal locking flange has a given height and the height of each of said inside and outside legs is said given height.

12. A cassette according to claim 9 wherein:

the bottom filter is secured to the inside leg of said ring; and

the bottom filter terminates radially inwardly of said annular groove to avoid interfering with placing the cassette on said locking flange.

13. A cassette according to claim 9 wherein said liquid flavoring particles are roast and ground coffee particles having the predominant sizes between about 200 and about 500 microns.

14. The combination of the cassette of claim 9 and a liquid receptacle forming an interior for receiving liquid and forming a bottom opening for passing a liquid beverage outward from said interior, said cassette being dimensioned to be positioned in the bottom of the receptacle over said bottom opening.

15. The cassette of claim 9 wherein said cassette is sealed under vacuum in a packet.