Coffee Holder
Patent No. US12161254 (titled "Coffee Holder") was filed by Adrian Rivera Maynez Enterprises Inc on Dec 22, 2023.
What is this patent about?
’254 is related to the field of coffee makers, specifically to coffee holders designed to improve the brewing process. Traditional coffee makers often allow water to pass too quickly through loosely packed coffee grounds, resulting in weak flavor extraction. The patent addresses this issue by providing a coffee holder that facilitates the tamping of coffee grounds, leading to a richer and more flavorful brew.
The underlying idea behind ’254 is to create a coffee holder that allows for the compaction of coffee grounds before brewing. This is achieved through various mechanical designs that incorporate a tamping mechanism within the holder itself or in conjunction with the coffee maker. The core insight is that by compacting the coffee, the water flow is slowed and more evenly distributed, leading to better flavor extraction.
The claims of ’254 focus on a brewing material holder (coffee holder) configured for use in a beverage brewer. The holder comprises a body for holding the brewing material (coffee) and a lid. The body has an open end for receiving the coffee, and the lid engages the body to at least partially cover the open end. Critically, the lid includes an opening to allow fluid (water) to flow into the body and is shaped to accommodate an injection nozzle from the brewer. The holder is designed to be removable from the brewer's brewing chamber.
In practice, the invention works by first filling the coffee holder with loose coffee grounds. Then, depending on the specific embodiment, either the lid itself or a separate tamping element is used to compress the coffee. This compression can be achieved through a spring-loaded mechanism, a resilient material in the lid, or by the interaction of the holder with a tamping feature within the coffee maker itself. The compressed coffee grounds then provide a more uniform resistance to the flow of hot water, ensuring a more complete extraction of flavor.
The differentiation from prior approaches lies in the integration of the tamping function directly into the coffee holder or the coffee maker's interaction with the holder. Unlike traditional methods where coffee grounds are simply placed in a filter, this invention provides a means to control the density of the coffee bed. This controlled density leads to a more consistent and higher-quality brew by optimizing the contact time and distribution of water through the coffee grounds.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the late 2000s when ’254 was filed, coffee makers at a time when coffee makers typically relied on a filter to hold coffee grounds and a stream of hot water to pass through the grounds. At this time, the flavor of the coffee was often limited by the water passing freely through the loosely packed ground coffee.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner approved the application because the closest prior art does not teach the limitations of the claimed invention. The allowable limitations are similar to the allowable limitations as cited in the claims of the parent case. Also, the Terminal Disclaimer filed avoids the Double Patenting Rejection.
Claims
This patent includes 30 claims, with independent claims numbered 1, 10, 20, and 30. The independent claims generally focus on a brewing material holder or assembly configured for use in a beverage brewer, comprising a holder body and a holder lid, and their interaction with the brewer's injection nozzle. The dependent claims generally add further details and limitations to the features described in the independent claims.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
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Date
Description
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US12161254
- Application Number
- US18395368
- Filing Date
- Dec 22, 2023
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Oct 30, 2029
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents