Cold brew beverage brewing systems
Patent No. US10231566 (titled "Cold brew beverage brewing systems") on Jun 11, 2018. The application was issued on Mar 19, 2019.
What is this patent about?
'566 is related to the field of cold brew coffee preparation, specifically apparatuses designed to steep coffee grounds in cold water for an extended period to produce a coffee extract. The background acknowledges the growing preference for cold-brewed coffee due to its reduced acidity and bitterness compared to traditional hot-brewed methods. Existing cold brew methods are either designed for other substances like tea or are structurally complex and difficult to clean.
The underlying idea behind '566 is to provide a simple, reusable apparatus for cold brewing coffee that facilitates both the brewing and dispensing processes. The core insight involves using an hourglass-shaped design with two chambers connected by a central connector, along with a filter system that allows for easy separation of the coffee grounds from the extract. This design enables a fully enclosed system for better taste and flavor, and allows for convenient inversion to separate the extract.
The claims of '566 focus on a cold brew coffee apparatus comprising a first container (brew chamber), a second container (extract chamber), and a centerpiece connector positioned between them. The first and second containers have interior volumes and openings for association with the centerpiece connector. A water-permeable filter is sized to fit within the first container, dividing its interior volume and allowing water to infuse with coffee grounds to form the extract. Claim 11 further specifies that the apparatus has an hourglass shape when assembled.
In practice, the apparatus works by placing coffee grounds in the filter within the brew chamber, adding cold water, and sealing the system. After a brewing period (12-24 hours), the apparatus is inverted, allowing the coffee extract to filter into the extract chamber. The centerpiece connector facilitates the transfer of liquid between the two chambers while preventing grounds from passing through, potentially using a screen filter. The extract can then be decanted and stored.
The invention differentiates itself from prior approaches by providing a fully enclosed, easily invertible system specifically designed for cold brew coffee. The hourglass shape and the centerpiece connector with its optional screen filter contribute to a cleaner and more efficient brewing and dispensing process. Furthermore, the use of a reusable filter and durable materials like acrylic or polycarbonate promotes sustainability and ease of cleaning, addressing the cleaning difficulties associated with some prior art devices.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical Landscape
In the mid-2000s when ’566 was filed, beverage preparation technology was typically implemented using high-temperature drip-brewing or pressurized extraction systems. At a time when systems commonly relied on thermal energy to accelerate the extraction of soluble solids from coffee grounds, cold-infusion methods were often restricted to large-scale industrial canisters or complex, multi-component apparatuses that were difficult to clean. Hardware constraints related to the sealing and filtration of cold-brew systems made the creation of a fully invertible, airtight brewing environment non-trivial, as standard consumer brewers were generally designed for gravity-fed, open-air operation rather than pressurized or vacuum-sealed infusion cycles.
Prosecution Position
Following the filing of this application, the examiner issued a non-final Office action rejecting claims 1-20. Specifically, claims 1-20 were rejected on the ground of nonstatutory double patenting over U.S. Patent No. 8,720,321, and claims 11-16 were further rejected as being anticipated by the prior art. However, the examiner concurrently indicated that claims 1-10 and 17-20 contained allowable subject matter over the prior art of record. The prosecution record does not describe the specific technical reasoning or claim changes that led to the eventual allowance of the application.
Claims
This patent contains 14 claims, with independent claims 1 and 11 directed to a cold brew coffee apparatus comprising connected containers and a filter. The dependent claims generally elaborate on the features and configurations of the containers, connector, and filter described in the independent claims.
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US10231566
- Application Number
- US16005608A
- Filing Date
- Jun 11, 2018
- Publication Date
- Mar 19, 2019
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents