WO2000072735A2

WO2000072735A2 - Receptacle for a beverage

Info

Publication number: WO2000072735A2
Application number: PCT/GB2000/001871
Authority: WO
Inventors: Edwin Holding
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1999-05-26
Filing date: 2000-05-16
Publication date: 2000-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 2001-11-26
Also published as: GB9912149D0; AU4771500A; WO2000072735A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a receptacle (30) for preparing a beverage comprising an outer vessel (31), an inner vessel (32) adapted for location in a lower portion of the outer vessel and defining a compartment for holding a beverage ingredient (33), a closure member (38) operable by a rod (43) preferably by rotation, between an open position in which liquid in the outer vessel can circulate through the compartment and closure member when placed in the outer vessel and a closed position in which liquid and beverage ingredient in the compartment cannot pass through the closure member. A series of such receptacles can be nested together to form airtight seals around the beverage ingredient.

Description

RECEPTACLE FOR A BEVERAGE

The invention relates to an apparatus for making a coffee or other beverage and in particular to an apparatus that can be disposable yet allows a beverage to be prepared in situ from

ground coffee whilst allowing the coffee beverage to be drunk from the same vessel.

In making a ground coffee beverage it is necessary to separate the liquid from the ground coffee once the coffee is ready terbe drunk. For example, in a cafetiere, once the hot water has been poured over the ground coffee in a jug, a metal-mesh filter is plunged through the

liquid so as to trap the ground coffee at the bottom of the jug. The liquid may then be

retained in the jug without ruining the coffee. Cafetiere's are generally designed for making

more than one cup of coffee and the coffee liquid is subsequently poured into a cup for drinking.

At high street take-away outlets, a ground coffee beverage may be sold to the customer

already prepared, in a disposable cup. A significant amount of time is required to make each drink, which reduces productivity; a significant amount of in-store brewing equipment is also

required. So-called 'instant' coffee is generally considered inferior to that made with ground

coffee.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a receptacle that can be used both to prepare a beverage and as the vessel from which the beverage is drunk. It is a further object

to provide such a receptacle that is disposable. It is a still further object to provide such a

receptacle in which a coffee beverage can be drunk from the vessel without the need for

discarding the exhausted ground coffee particles.

The invention provides a receptacle for preparing a beverage comprising an outer vessel, an

inner vessel adapted for location in a lower portion of the outer vessel and defining a compartment for holding a beverage ingredient, a closure member operable between an open position in which liquid in the outer vessel can circulate through the compartment and

closure member when placed in the outer vessel and a closed position in which liquid and

beverage ingredient in the compartment cannot pass through the closure member. Another aspect of the invention provides a receptacle according to claim 1 in which the

closure member has a part which is rotatable between the open and closed positions.

The closure member may comprise a pair of concentric and overlapping disks joined for

relative pivotal movement at their centres, said disks each having at least one opening and

being movable from a first configuration in which the said openings are aligned for allowing

passage of liquid therethrough to a second position in which liquid cannot pass through the

closure-member.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail and by way of example

only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of one embodiment of a complete coffee-making receptacle (including the retention collar, inner vessel, ground-coffee receptacle, a closure-member and

a double-skinned lid).

Figures 2a and 2b are a side sectional view and a plan view of a retention collar of the

coffee-making receptacle according to the embodiment of Figure 1.

Figure 3a is a sectional view of a closure-member according to the embodiment of Figure 1.

Figures 3b and 3c are top plan views of two component parts of the closure-member of

Figure 3a.

Figure 4a is a sectional view of an inner vessel of the coffee-making receptacle according to

the embodiment of Figure 1. Figure 4b is a top plan view of the inner vessel of Figure 4a.

Figure 5a is a sectional view of the double-skinned lid according to the embodiment of

Figure 1.

Figures 5b and 5c are plan views of upper and lower component parts of the double-skinned

lid of Figure 5 a.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of the ground-coffee compartment according to an embodiment.

Figure 7 is a sectional view of a compartment according to a second embodiment. Figure 8 is a sectional view of an alternative ground-coffee compartment according to

another embodiment.

Figure 9 is a section through a further embodiment of complete receptacle and operating

member.

Figure 10 is a section through the inner compartment of the receptacle of Figure 9.

Figure 11 shows on an enlarged scale an alternative inner compartment and operating

member, also showing one optional addition.

Figure 12 shows the nesting of two receptacles in accordance with Figures 9 and 11.

Figure 13 shows several receptacles in accordance with the invention, containing beverage

ingredients and nested together.

Referring to Fig 1, a first embodiment of the coffee-making receptacle 1, is shown in section.

The coffee-making receptacle 1 includes an outer vessel 2 and an inner vessel 3; inner

vessel 3 is shown in position in Fig 1 inside the outer vessel 2. The inner vessel 3 has a

membrane 24. A double-skinned lid 4 is provided for closing the outer vessel 2. The inner

vessel 3 is provided in this embodiment, with an integral lower ground-coffee

compartment 5 attached, which can be subsequently closed off from the rest of the inner vessel 3 by the closure-member 6. The compartment 5 includes upper and lower membranes 7,8, between which may be retained ground coffee 12. The membranes 7,8 are permeable to water due to a multiplicity

of openings therein. The openings are sized such that the ground coffee is retained within the

75 confines of the membranes 7,8. The membrane 24 of the inner vessel 3 is substantially the same as the membranes 7,8 in the ground-coffee compartment 5.

The outer vessel 2 has fixed within it, a retention-collar 9 having a lower surface 10, which in this embodiment is castellated. An upper surface 11 of the inner vessel 3 abuts the surface 10

when in the position shown in Fig 1 so as to retain the inner vessel 3 in position. The

80 retention-collar 9 is particularly shown in Figs 2a and 2b. However, in an alternative

embodiment (e.g. where the outer vessel 2 is made of polystyrene), instead of a retention-

collar, a ridge 51 might be moulded into the inner wall of the outer vessel 2 as seen in Fig 9. To secure the inner vessel 3 in position, the inner vessel 3 is aligned and pushed down firmly.

The closure-member 6 is more clearly shown in Figs 3a, 3b and 3c. Two disks 13,14 are

85 arranged to be relatively pivotal about their centre via a pin 17 as shown in Fig 3a. The upper

disk 13 has a plurality of spaced openings 15 through which the integral membrane 24 can be

seen as shown in Fig 3b; the lower disk 14 has corresponding openings 16, as shown in Fig 3c. The lower disk 14 is retained under the upper disk 13 via a central pin 17; the upper

disk 13 is fixed to the wall of the inner vessel 3, just above the integral membrane 24 of inner

90 vessel 3 and the ground-coffee receptacle 5, allowing the lower disk 14 to rotate. When the

closure member 6 is in an initial open position, the openings 15,16 line up so that liquid can

pass through: the inner vessel 3, the closure member 6, the integral membrane 24, the

ground-coffee receptacle 5 and into the outer vessel 2.

Fig 4a shows the inner vessel 3 with its integral membrane 24 and its resilient stem 20

95 together with the path of the drawstring 18 and closure member 6. This inner vessel 3 will have attached to it a ground coffee compartment(not shown) and when placed into the outer

vessel 2(not shown), can be manipulated via the resilient stem 20 during preparation of the coffee to move the inner vessel 3 up and down within the outer vessel 2, simultaneously

passing up and down through the double-skinned lid 4 to effect brewing.

The lower disk 14 can be pivoted about its axis so that the openings 15,16 are not aligned and there are no through openings in the closure member. The manner of effecting closure in

the present embodiment is by a drawstring 18 which is attached and offset on the lower disk

14 at a point 19, passing through the upper disk 13 at a point 22 and thence along the side of the inner vessel 3, along the resilient stem 20 and terminating at a point 23 on a perforated

tab 21 of the resilient stem 20. In this embodiment, when the perforated tab 21 is torn off and

pulled away from the resilient stem 20 (and with the attached drawstring 18 accompanying

it), causes the lower disk 4 to rotate about the central pin 17 to align at a point 22 enough to

close off the apertures in the upper disk 13, thus separating the ground-coffee 12 from the

liquid. The drawstring 18 may subsequently be detached from lower disk 14 when given a

final pull by the user, which locks the lower disk 14 on to the upper disk 13; the perforated

tab 21 with drawstringJ8 attached can subsequently be discarded by the user.

Figs 5a and 5b show a lower part 25 and an upper part 26 of the double-skinned lid 4. The

double-skinned lid 4 therefore consists of two parts 25,26 laid one on top of the other and

pivoted about their centre. The lower part 25 has a slit-shaped opening 29, through which

the resilient stem 20 can pass. The lower part 25 also has a rim 31 that is a snap fit onto the

rim of the outer vessel 2. The upper part 26 also has a slit-shaped opening 30, through which the resilient stem 20 can pass snugly. The upper part 26 is pivotafly mounted to the lower

part 25 at their centres with a pin 27. Thus with the lid 4 in place on the outer vessel 2, the

inner vessel 3 can be manipulated for both up and down movement and also for limited 120 rotational movement (about the slot 29) within the outer vessel 2 so as to line up the

surfaces 1041.

Referring again to Fig 1, the inner vessel 3, with a ground-coffee receptacle 5 attached, is

initially aligned so that the castellated surface 10 of the retention collar 9 and the surface 11 of the inner vessel 3 cannot interlock when the inner vessel 3 is subsequently

125 moved up and down to facilitate brewing. This combined inner vessel 3, with the ground- coffee receptacle 5 attached, is then inserted into the outer vessel 2 with the closure

member 6 in its open configuration. The outer vessel 2 with the combined inner vessel 3, is

then charged with enough water, heated to a sufficient temperature for making coffee. The

double skinned M 4 is aligned and the resilient stem 20 is passed through the double-skinned

130 lid 4; the double-skinned lid 4 is then clipped onto the fully-charged cofifee-making

receptacle 1. Using the resilient stem 20, the inner vessel 3 can be drawn up and down so

that water passes over the ground coffee 12 in the ground coffee receptacle 5, from the inner

vessel 3 to the outer vessel 2 and vice versa. This action is repeated until it is deemed that

the coffee is brewed.

135 Then by manipulating the resilient stem 20 the inner vessel 3 can be turned within the

constraints of the long-slotted hole 29 of the double-skinned lid 4 and aligned such that the castellated surface 10 of the retention collar 9 and the castellated surface 11 of the inner

vessel 3 can be interlocked when the resilient stem 20 is pushed down firmly. In this way the

inner vessel 3 is securely retained in the outer vessel 2 as shown in Fig 1. In this position, the

140 majority of the liquid is located in the inner vessel 3. By holding the resilient stem 20 and

tearing the perforated tab 23 and pulling drawstring 18 away from the resilient stem 20, the

closure member 6 is operated so as to be in a closed and locked position effectively sealing

off the fresh coffee beverage in the inner vessel 3 and outer vessel 2 from the exhausted ground coffee 12 and stewed liquid in the receptacle 5 and below the closure member 6. The

145 double-skinned lid can now be removed and milk and sugar can subsequently be added and the coffee beverage drunk, because the coffee-making receptacle 1 can now be used as a drinking vessel. Once the coffee beverage has been drunk, the coffee-making receptacle 1 can be discarded. Thus in the embodiment described above in connection with Figs 1 to 5, a cup of fresh coffee

150 can be made in situ without any mess. The coffee can be retained in the receptacle whilst remaining at a proper temperature and without spoiling by over-exposure to the ground coffee. As the exhausted ground coffee does not need to be discarded, customers of takeaway concessions, for instance, can conveniently use the receptacle. Fig 6 shows an embodiment of the ground coffee compartment 5. The compartment 5 of Fig

155 6 is identical to that compartment 5 in Fig 1 except that it is not integral with the vessel but is adapted to be attached to the bottom of an inner vessel 3 such as that shown in Fig 4a. The compartment 5 has a cylindrical wall 5 that is open at both ends and the ground coffee is retained within the compartment by the membranes 7, 8. Fig 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the ground-coffee compartment. The compartment

160 is identical to that of Fig 6 except that the entire compartment is enclosed in a foil- wrap to maintain the freshness of the product. The foil- wrap is removed before use. In Figs 5 and 6 the compartment 5 is pre-charged with ground coffee 12.

Fig 8 shows a further embodiment of the compartment 5. In this embodiment the compartment 5 is open at the bottom and the ground coffee is supported by a membrane 8;

165 there is no upper membrane 7. Once filled with fresh ground coffee 12, the compartment 5 can be fitted to the bottom of an inner vessel 3 (such as that shown in Fig 4) so that an inner vessel having a compartment with an upper membrane 24 and lower membrane 8 is produced. The remainder of the receptacle is the same as for the previous embodiment. The absence of the upper membrane allows the compartment to be charged with any desired

170 blend of ground coffee.

Referring again to Fig 1, The component parts of the receptacle according to the invention may be made of any convenient material. The inner and outer receptacles 2,3 and the compartment 5 are conveniently made of the same material, which may be a plastics material or a waterproofed card material or any such material commonly used in the disposable

175 vending industry.

Whilst embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to the drawings, modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. For example, closure of the closure member 6 may be effected in a variety of ways. The retention collar 9 is optional and may be

180 replaced by a simple inner wall configuration of the outer vessel. Tea could be substituted for coffee. A handle can be fitted to the coffee-making receptacle.

Fig 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the receptacle for a beverage comprising an outer, conical sided drinking vessel 31 and an inner, compartment defining, vessel 32 located in the lower portion of the said drinking vessel 31 and containing a beverage ingredient 33, such as

185 ground coffee. The inner vessel 32 as seen in Figs 10 and 11 comprises a conical, liquid impervious, side wall 34, formed with indentations 35 for receiving and locating substantially circular, liquid pervious membranes 37. The beverage ingredient 33 is held between the membranes 37. The inner vessel includes a closure member 38, similar to the closure member 6 of Figs 1 to 5

190 and comprising an upper disk 40 integral with the wall 34 and containing open sectors, such as the sectors 15 shown on the closure member 6 in Figs 1 to 5 and a lower rotatable disk 41 containing open sectors, such as the sectors 16 also shown on the closure member 6 of Figs 1 to 5. The disk 41 is attached to a central pin 42 rotatably mounted in the centre of the disk 40, so that it can be rotated to close the closure member 38. An operating rod 43 is extendable through a removable lid (not shown) on the vessel 30 for rotating the disk 41. The operating rod may be connected to the pin 42 for example by mating screw threads 44 as in Figs 9 and 10, or by projecting arms 46 fitting into a socket 47 in the pin see in Fig 11. The operating rod 43 may include a weakness 48 which can be easily broken after closure has been completed, or the rod may be disconnectable by a straight pulling action so that the rod can be removed after closure is complete.

The upper rim of the inner vessel 32 is provided with an outward projection 50 designed to engage in a liquid sealing manner, in a groove 51 in the inner wall of the outer vessel 31. This forms a substantially liquid-tight retaining means, corresponding to the retaining engagement and sealing between the walls 10,11 of the embodiment of Figs 1-5. Preferably, a series if inner vessels 32 are pre-filled with the beverage ingredient, as in Fig 11 and are wrapped in airtight manner, either individually or with several stacked together in a pack. To produce coffee, an inner vessel is attached to an operating rod 43 and suspended in an outer vessel 31. Hot liquid is poured in and the inner vessel is moved up and down to circulate liquid through the beverage ingredient. When it is deemed that sufficient infusion has occurred, the rod is pushed down to engage the outward projection 50 in the groove 51 and thus firmly locating the inner vessel 32 in the lower portion of the outer vessel 30. The operating rod 43 is now turned to close the closure member 38 and a subsequent turn is made to break off or otherwise disconnect the operating rod 43 (at the weakened point 48), which is subsequently removed. Milk and sugar can now be added and the broken operating rod 43 used as a stirrer. The beverage can now be drunk. The closure member 38 and retaining means 50,51 prevent coffee grounds or stewed liquid from entering the liquid above the closure member. The retaining means 50,51 also prevents the inner vessel 32 from falling

back towards the drinker as the receptacle 30 is tilted during the drinking phase.

Fig 11 shows an optional modification of the inner compartment which can be applied to any

220 of the embodiments. The upper surface of the integral disk 40 is provided with an upstanding

cylindrical or conical wall 52 designed to receive as an airtight fit the base of an outer

vessel 31 or inner vessel 32. This allows inner vessels 32 or complete receptacles 30 to be

nested together in an airtight manner. A modified way of storing and packing complete receptacles 30 containing beverage

225 ingredients 33 is shown in Figs 12 and 13. In this arrangement each outer vessel 31 has an inner vessel containing beverage ingredients 33 already located in its lower portion. A further

receptacle 30 is then nested into the receptacle with its base engaged in an airtight manner

into the wall 52 of the lower receptacle. When a sufficient stack 53 of such receptacles has

been formed (with an empty vessel or other seal at the top), the stack can be wrapped in an

230 airtight manner.

Any of the features shown in any of the embodiments can be applied to the other

embodiments if appropriate.

Claims

CLAIMS235

1. A receptacle(30) for preparing a beverage comprising an outer vessel(31), an inner

vessel(32) adapted for location in a lower portion of the outer vessel and defining a

compartment for holding a beverage ingredient(33), a closure member(38) operable between

an open position in which liquid in the outer vessel can circulate through the compartment

240 and closure member when placed in the outer vessel and a closed position in which liquid and beverage ingredient in the compartment cannot pass through the closure member.

2. A receptacle according to claim 1 in which the closure member has a part(41) which is

rotatable between the open and closed positions.

3. A receptacle according to claim 1 or claim 2 in which the closure member comprises two

245 adjacent plate-like members(40,41) having openings(15,16) which can be at least partially aligned to open the closure member or mis-aligned to close the closure member.

4. A receptacle according to any of claims 1 to 3 including an operating member(43)

attached or attachable to the closure member(38) and operable from the upper part of the outer vessel or outside the outer vessel to operate the closure member.

250 5. A receptacle according to claim 4 in which the operating member comprises a rod(43) attachable to and detachable from a central portion(42) of the closure member.

6. A receptacle according to any of claims 1 to 5 in which the inner vessel(32) comprises a tubular side wall(34), upper and lower membranes(37) defining upper and lower limits of the

compartment and the closure member(38) located above the compartment.

255

7. A receptacle according to any of claims 1 to 6 including inter-engageable retaining parts(50,51) on the inner and outer vessels for retaining the inner vessel in the lower portion

of the outer vessel.

8. A receptacle according to claim 7 in which the retaining parts(50,51) form a substantially 260 liquid impervious seal between the side walls of the inner and outer vessels when the

parts(50,51) are inter-engaged.

9. A receptacle according to any of claims 1 to 8 in which the inner vessel includes a sealing member(52) for inter-engagement with the base of an outer vessel to form a substantially

airtight seal therebetween.

265 10. A receptacle according to claim 11 in which the sealing member(52) comprises an upstanding wall on the upper surface of the closure member.

11. A stack of receptacles according to claim 1, each receptacle including an inner vessel

according to claim 9 or claim 10 incorporating a beverage ingredient, the base of one

receptacle engaging said substantially airtight sealing member(52) in a lower receptacle so as

270 to form a substantially airtight seal around the beverage ingredient in said lower receptacle.

12. For a receptacle according to any of claims 1 to 10, an inner vessel comprising a tubular

outer wall mounting a pair of liquid permeable membranes defining between them a

compartment for holding a beverage ingredient, through which compartment liquid can

circulate and a closure member above the compartment operable between an open condition

275 and a closed condition in which liquid cannot penetrate therethrough.