Portable espresso maker

• US 6,062,127 A
• Filed: 08/13/1999
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Anthony Leone, Boguslaw Klosinski
• Original Assignee: Anthony Leone, Boguslaw Klosinski
• Inventors: Leone, Anthony, Klosinski, Boguslaw
• Primary Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, REGINALD
• Application Number:
  US09/374,276
• Time in Patent Office: 277 Days
• Field of Search: 99/303, 99/295, 99/293, 99/302 R, 99/322
• US Class Current: 99/303
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/005 Portable or compact beverage making apparatus, e.g. for travelling, for use in automotive vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/0668 specially adapted for cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/0673 Means to perforate the cartridge for creating the beverage outlet
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/306 with integral electrical heating means

Abstract

A portable espresso maker comprising a housing and a water chamber within the housing and having an o-ring mounted on the top edge. There is a heating element adjacent the bottom of the water chamber. There is a bottom tray for holding the housing and a cup positioned on the bottom tray adjacent the housing. A filter assembly is positioned within the water chamber and comprises a filter tube connected to a reservoir. A mesh screen extends over the bottom of the reservoir. A cover is positioned over the housing and the water chamber. The cover has an o-ring that engages the o-ring mounted to the water chamber to create an air-tight seal between the water chamber and the cover. The cover has a concave recess and a screen extending over the concave recess. There are a plurality of ridges positioned within the recess and extending to the screen. An exit spout extends from the recess out of the cover and toward the cup. A prepackaged coffee packet is placed on the screen of the filter element and the cover is mounted to the housing so that the ridges press against the screen of the cover element to compress the coffee. Water in the water chamber is heated by the heating element and travels up through the filter tube and the coffee packet between the screens and exits out the exit spout into the cup to make a single cup of brewed espresso.

Claims

1. A portable espresso maker, comprising:

a housing having a side wall with a top edge defining a cavity;

a water chamber disposed within the cavity, said water chamber having a bottom, a side wall with a top edge and an o-ring mounted on said top edge;

a heating element disposed adjacent the bottom of the water chamber;

means for connecting the heating element to a power source;

a bottom tray for holding the housing;

a cup positioned on the bottom tray adjacent the housing;

a filter assembly positioned within the water chamber, said filter assembly comprising;

(a) a filter tube;

(b) a reservoir connected to a top end of the filter tube, said reservoir having a bottom and side walls; and

(c) a mesh screen extending over the bottom of the reservoir to divide the reservoir into upper and lower sections;

a cover removably connected to the housing and the top edge of the side wall of the water chamber, said cover having a top and a side wall and comprising;

(a) an o-ring engaging the o-ring mounted to the water chamber to create an air-tight seal between the water chamber and the cover when the cover is mounted to the housing;

(b) a concave recess beneath the top;

(c) a screen extending over the concave recess;

(d) a plurality of ridges positioned within the recess and extending to the screen; and

(e) an exit spout extending from the recess out of the cover,

wherein a prepackaged coffee packet is placed between the screen of the filter element and the screen of the cover and is compressed by mounting the cover to the housing such that said ridges press against the screen of the cover element to compress the coffee further, and wherein water in the water chamber is heated by the heating element and travels up through the filter tube and through the coffee packet between the screens and exits out the exit spout into the cup.

2. The portable espresso maker according to claim 1, wherein the heating element is connected to an automobile cigarette lighter.

3. The portable espresso maker according to claim 1, wherein the ridges in the cover are arranged to extend outward from a central point.

4. The portable espresso maker according to claim 1, wherein the water chamber is made of steel and the cover and housing are made of acetal.

5. The portable espresso maker according to claim 1, wherein the bottom tray has indentations for the housing and the cup to keep the cup and housing from spilling over in turbulence.

6. The portable espresso maker according to claim 1, wherein the cover has internal threads and the housing has external threads and the cover is screwed onto the housing via said threads.

13. The portable espresso maker according to claim 1, wherein the housing has an internal groove disposed immediately below its top edge and wherein the water chamber has an external groove disposed below its top edge, and further comprising an O-ring disposed within the groove on the water chamber and the groove on the housing to seal the water chamber to the housing.

7. A portable espresso maker, comprising:

a housing having a side wall with a top edge defining a cavity;

a water chamber disposed within the cavity, said water chamber having a bottom, a side wall with a top edge and an o-ring mounted on said top edge;

a heating element disposed adjacent the bottom of the water chamber;

means for connecting the heating element to a power source;

a bottom tray for holding the housing;

a cup positioned on the bottom tray adjacent the housing;

a filter assembly positioned within the water chamber, said filter assembly comprising;

(a) a filter tube,

(b) a reservoir connected to a top end of the filter tube, said reservoir having a bottom and side walls, and

(c) a puncture blade mounted to the filter tube and extending into the reservoir;

a cover engaging the housing and the top edge of the side wall of the water chamber said cover having a top and a side wall and comprising;

(a) an o-ring engaging the o-ring mounted to the water chamber to create an air-tight seal between the water chamber and the cover;

(b) a concave recess beneath the top;

(c) a plurality of spikes extending down from the concave recess;

(e) an exit spout extending from the recess out of the cover,

wherein a prepackaged coffee packet is placed between in the recess of the filter element and compressed by mounting the cover to the housing such that said blade punctures a bottom surface of the coffee packet and said spikes puncture a top surface of the coffee packet, and wherein water in the water chamber is heated by the heating element and travels up through the filter tube and through the coffee packet and exits out the exit spout into the cup.

8. The portable espresso maker according to claim 7, wherein the heating element is connected to an automobile cigarette lighter.

9. The portable espresso maker according to claim 7, wherein the ridges in the cover are arranged to extend outward from a central point.

10. The portable espresso maker according to claim 7, wherein the water chamber is made of a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and teflon-coated aluminum and the cover and housing are made of acetal.

11. The portable espresso maker according to claim 7, wherein the bottom tray has indentations for the housing and the cup to keep the cup and housing from spilling over in turbulence.

12. The portable espresso maker according to claim 7, wherein the cover has internal threads and the housing has external threads and the cover is screwed onto the housing via said threads.