Force-adjustable hand-held coffee/espresso tamping device

• US 6,978,682 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Randal J. Foster, Zeta A. Kelly
• Original Assignee: Randal J. Foster, Zeta A. Kelly
• Inventors: Kelly, Zeta A., Foster, Randal J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Noori, Max
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVIS, OCTAVIA L
• Application Number:
  US10/413,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20040206243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 737/60, 738/18, 992/75, 992/80, 992/97, 992/79, 992/95, 992/85, 992/86, 426/512, 426/433, 426/435, 222/305, 227/130, 172/381, 172/22, 172/1, 604/220, 404/133.1, 347/19
• US Class Current: 73/818
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/44 Parts or details or accessories of beverage-making apparatus filters or strainers A47J31/06

Abstract

A force-adjustable hand-held coffee/espresso tamping device is used to uniformly pack grounds and replicate espresso quantity and quality from one cup to the next. The user is provided with an adjustable, calibrated method for setting the tamping force desired, and the device emits a signal when this predetermined force is achieved. The hand-held nature of the device allows the espresso machine operator great flexibility in fine-tuning the overall operation.

Claims

1. A device for assuring a consistent density for espresso grounds, comprising:

a main housing member including a threaded interior lower surface;

a tamping unit threadingly secured to the lower surface of the main housing unit, said tamping unit including a tamping face oriented away from the housing member;

an upper assembly telescopically received in the upper portion of the main housing unit, said upper assembly including a lower contact surface and an upper handle;

a compression spring mounted between the tamping unit and lower contact surface of the upper assembly; and

means for assuring a consistent tamping pressure, wherein said means include an electric feedback circuit to indicate that a predetermined pressure has been reached.

2. A device as in claim 1, wherein the tamping face is interchangeable.

3. A device for applying a predetermined amount of tamping force to espresso grounds comprising:

a tamping face which makes contact with the espresso grounds to be tamped;

a handle adjustably and threadably connected to the tamping face and used to apply force to the tamping face;

a means to predetermine the tamping force and means to indicate that the predetermined tamping force has been applied to the espresso grounds being tamped; and

whereby the device assures that the predetermined tamping force is consistently applied to the espresso grounds.

4. A device as in claim 3, wherein the tamping face is interchangeable.

5. A device as in claim 3, wherein the means to predetermine the tamping force comprises a set of indexing marks on the handle and the predetermined tamping force is adjustable by the operator of the device.

6. A device as in claim 3, wherein the means to indicate that the predetermined tamping force is consistently applied includes an electric feedback circuit.