Cold brew beverage brewing systems

What is this patent about?

’314 is related to the field of cold brew beverage preparation, specifically an apparatus designed to produce a soluble coffee extract through prolonged immersion in cold water. Traditional brewing relies on heat to extract oils, which often results in a bitter or acidic profile. This invention addresses the need for a self-contained, mess-free system that facilitates the long-duration infusion required for cold extraction while simplifying the separation of grounds from the final concentrate.

The underlying idea behind ’314 is a reversible, gravity-fed infusion system that utilizes an hourglass configuration to transition between brewing and decanting phases. By integrating a filter directly into one of the chambers and connecting it to a second vessel via a central bridge, the inventor allows the user to soak grounds in a sealed environment and then simply invert the entire assembly to strain the extract. This eliminates the need for external filtration steps or transferring messy, water-logged grounds between different containers.

The claims of ’314 focus on a dual-chamber assembly comprising a first chamber for brewing, a second chamber for receiving extract, and a water-permeable filter that is sized to fit within the first chamber's interior. A key aspect of the claimed structure is the filter's design, which includes a base, a rim, and connecting members that support a barrier material. The filter is specifically configured to divide the interior volume of the brew chamber, ensuring that water must pass through the barrier to reach the grounds, thereby creating a distinct infusion zone.

In practice, the system operates by securing the filter to the bottom of the brew chamber to form a hermetic seal, preventing grounds from bypassing the filtration media. Once the grounds and cold water are added, the centerpiece connector and the second chamber are attached to seal the system. After the infusion period—typically twelve to twenty-four hours—the user flips the device. The centerpiece connector, which may include an internal screen and an annular shoulder, then guides the liquid extract into the second chamber while the spent grounds remain trapped in the original vessel.

This approach differs from prior art by providing a fully enclosed, invertible system that serves as both the brewing vessel and the decanter. Unlike traditional drip-based cold brewers that are complex to clean or open-top steeping methods that require manual straining, this invention uses a centerpiece connector to maintain a leak-proof environment during the flip. The inclusion of a dedicated timer on the connector and the ability to store the resulting concentrate in the same vessel used for decanting provides a streamlined workflow for producing low-acid coffee.