Coffee Holder
Patent No. US11737597 (titled "Coffee Holder") was filed by Adrian Rivera Maynez Enterprises Inc on Jun 18, 2020.
What is this patent about?
’597 is related to the field of coffee makers, specifically to coffee holders designed to improve the flavor extraction process. Traditional coffee makers often allow water to pass too quickly through loosely packed coffee grounds, resulting in a weaker brew. This patent addresses the need for a coffee holder that can better control the interaction between water and coffee grounds.
The underlying idea behind ’597 is to create a coffee holder with a lid that features a recessed portion designed to interact with the coffee maker's nozzle. This recessed portion extends into the interior of the holder when the lid is engaged. The key is that this recessed area has a passage that allows the hot water to flow into the coffee grounds in a controlled manner.
The claims of ’597 focus on a coffee holder comprising a body and a lid. The body has a base, a sidewall defining an interior for loose coffee, and an open end. The lid engages the body to cover the open end. Crucially, the lid includes a recessed portion extending into the body's interior, with a passage for fluid flow. This recessed portion is specifically designed to accommodate the coffee maker's nozzle , and the holder is removable from the brewing chamber.
In practice, the user fills the coffee holder with loose coffee grounds and attaches the lid. The recessed portion of the lid then aligns with the coffee maker's nozzle when placed in the brewing chamber. Hot water flows through the passage in the recessed portion and into the coffee grounds. The recessed portion ensures proper alignment and controlled water flow, leading to better saturation and extraction.
This design differentiates itself from prior approaches by providing a specific structure for the lid that interacts directly with the coffee maker's nozzle. This direct interaction ensures consistent and optimal water flow, unlike simpler designs where water might flow unevenly or too quickly through the coffee grounds. The removable nature of the holder also allows for easy cleaning and reuse.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the late 2000s when ’597 was filed, coffee makers at a time when coffee makers typically relied on gravity-fed water flow through loosely packed coffee grounds. When systems commonly relied on manual tamping or no tamping at all, rather than automated or integrated tamping mechanisms. When hardware or software constraints made precise control of water temperature and pressure during brewing non-trivial.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner allowed the claims because the applicant's arguments were persuasive. The prior art, specifically Mulle, discloses a filter cover fitted onto a filter holder connected to a coffee bean grinder and maker. However, Mulle does not teach or suggest all the elements of the claimed invention, particularly a coffee holder configured to be removably arranged in the brewing chamber of the coffee maker, as recited in the independent claims. The examiner also noted that the amended drawings, specification, and claims overcame previous objections.
Claims
This patent includes 38 claims, with independent claims 1, 15, and 29. The independent claims are directed to a coffee holder configured for use in a coffee maker's brewing chamber, focusing on the structure and interaction of the holder body and lid. The dependent claims generally elaborate on specific features, configurations, and materials of the coffee holder described in the independent claims.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
Patent Family
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Date
Description
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US11737597
- Application Number
- US16905853
- Filing Date
- Jun 18, 2020
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Nov 2, 2030
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents