Expresso coffee maker

• US 5,586,484 A
• Filed: 10/25/1994
• Issued: 12/24/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Vincent Piazza, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pietro Piazza
• Inventors: Piazza, Pietro
• Primary Examiner(s): JENKINS, ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US08/344,847
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 99/279, 99/287, 99/292, 99/297, 99/299, 99/300, 99/302 R, 99/302 P, 99/307, 99/308, 99/313, 99/314, 426/433
• US Class Current: 99/287
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/0663 to be used with loose coffee A47J31/0689 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/303 classical type of espresso apparatus, e.g. to put on a stove, i.e. in which the water is heated in a lower, sealed boiling vessel, raised by the steam pressure through a rising pipe and an extraction chamber and subsequently is collected in a beverage container on top of the water boiling vessel

Abstract

An improved expresso coffee maker comprising an upper cylindrical container 2 threadably engaged onto a lower truncated-cone container 1, said lower container having a coffee basket assembly 3 in which a cylindrical coffee holder 4 is centered with a piston 5 sliding inside, said piston has apertures 6 to allow passage of water and steam and to create differential pressure above and below the piston, which forces the piston to compress the coffee grounds during the brewing process. The water extract of the coffee grounds passes through inverted funnel 15 and it is collected into the upper cylindrical container.

Claims

1. An improved expresso coffee maker comprising an interlocking assembly of four components, the first of said components being an upper brewed coffee holder, the second of said components being a lower water heating container, the third of said components being a coffee grounds holder located between said upper brewed coffee holder and said lower water heating container, the fourth component being a piston, said piston being located within said coffee grounds holder to form a coffee brewing assembly, the external dimensions of said piston closely complying with the internal dimensions of said coffee grounds holder, said coffee brewing assembly having a hollow stem which extends from its base;

said improved expresso coffee maker being formed by threadably assembling said upper brewed coffee holder, said coffee brewing assembly and said lower water heating container to effect an hermetic seal between said components.

2. The upper brewed coffee holder according to claim 1 comprising a cylindrical outer container, a lid extending over the top of said container, a handle extending from the side of said container, an inverted funnel internally extending from said container'"'"'s base, said inverted funnel having a cap to direct the flow of brewed coffee into the base of said upper brewed coffee holder;

the outer wall of said cylindrical container extending beyond said container'"'"'s base, the internal portion of said extended outer wall having a groove and threads, said grove adopted to holding an elastomeric gasket, said threads to engage the coffee brewing assembly and truncated cone base of the improved expresso coffee maker.

3. The water heating container according to claim 1 comprising a truncated cone, said cone having a flat base to engage a heating element, a cylindrical top, said top having threads extending around said tops outer wall, a pressure relief valve being located in and through said truncated cone'"'"'s wall, said relief valve being set to vent at 40 psi (276 KPA), said threaded cylindrical top engaging the cylindrical top of the improved coffee holder.

4. The coffee brewing assembly according to claim 1 comprising a cylindrical coffee grounds holder, the internal wall of said coffee holder being finished to a surface texture of 63 microinches, a piston which conforms to the internal dimensions of said coffee holder, the upper surface of said piston being perforated, said coffee brewing assembly having a hollow stem which extends from its base, said hollow stem extending into the water heating container when the components of the improved expresso coffee maker are assembled.

5. The cylindrical coffee grounds holder according to claim 1 which includes to claim 4 which includes upper and lower perforated plates, an upper and lower perforated plates, said upper perforated plate acting to confine coffee grounds in said coffee holder, said lower perforated plate acting to support the piston when the coffee brewing assembly is being assembled.

6. A method of making improved expresso coffee utilizing the improved coffee maker according to claim 1 comprising placing the piston on the lower perforated plate in the coffee holder, placing coffee grounds on said piston, securing the upper perforated plate on said coffee grounds, to form the coffee brewing assembly, placing water in the water heating container, placing said coffee brewing assembly into said water heating container, threadably engaging the brewed coffee container onto said water heating container containing said coffee brewing assembly to effect an hermetic seal between the components forming said improved expresso maker;

placing said improved expresso maker containing coffee grounds and water upon a heating element, heating said water in said water container generating steam, said steam and heated water passing through the stem and lower perforated plate of said coffee brewing assembly, said steam applying pressure on said piston, said piston applying pressure on said coffee grounds in said coffee holder, said steam and said heated water passing through the perforations in said piston, then through said coffee grounds, then through said upper perforated plate in said coffee holder, then through the inverted funnel in the base of said brewed coffee container, into said brewed coffee container.