METHOD FOR COFFEE MAKING AND COFFEE MAKING MACHINE FOR PREPARING EVERY TIME A CUP OF COFFEE TO TASTE

Abstract: It is a well known fact that coffee making machines do mostly not provide for too much individual taste. This is caused by the need for high degree of extraction often causing too bitter a taste. Individual taste cannot be provided for since present coffee making machines do not permit to select for specific coffee choices as the invented machine provides for. In this coffee making machine the known increased extraction degree is obtained by causing more agitation of the coffee and hot water mixture. However this is obtained under controllable conditions, i.e. that the gas or air is forced into the bottom part (2) of the coffee brewer (1) at a predetermined chosen quantity and during a predetermined chosen time. These two valuable factors are responsible for a good and individual taste of each cup of coffee. A simple pipe system (4, 7), incorporating the control and back pressure valves (5, 9) for such desired control, is connected to the discharge pipe (4) at the brewer for the coffee extract.

Description: Method for coffee making and coffee making machine for preparing every time a cup of coffee to taste. This invention relates to a method for coffee making and also to a coffee 5 making machine for preparing every time a cup of coffee keeping into account at every time the individual need for coffee taste of its user. At present there are coffee making devices and socalled coffee perculator devices known all of which have the purpose to achieve to utilize as much as Q possible the degree of extraction of the coffee, that is to utilize the highest degree of extraction. Yet there are no coffee making machines available which allow the operator to obtain every time per each user and at constant remaining operating conditions a fully controllable taste per each cup of coffee. This is the main reason why coffee from coffee making machines is often appreciated as 5 being distasteful. This invention now provides for a method in preparing a cup of coffee by means of a coffee making machine while applying the principle of achieving increased coffee extraction by agitating the mixture of coffee and hot water , characte- 0 rized in that the coffee maker brewer is connected with a separate pipe system provided for forcing a gas, preferably air, under overpressure into the bottom portion of the coffee brewer at a predetermined controllable air quantity and during a predetermined or adjustable period of time, each time for determination at choice of the specific individual degree of extraction per each cup of coffee 5 desired by each coffee user and in an unlimited way. Another object is to provide for a coffee making machine in which the method as described is fully incorporated while using an additional pipe system which is provided with adjusting and control means to force a controllable quantity of air 0 or gas under pressure into the coffee brewer, preferably at its bottom portion, for the purpose of agi cation of the coffee and hot water mixture, one or more valves, such as control valves and/or back pressure valves being interposed in said pipe system. 5 Still another object is to provide for a coffee making machine as described wherein the pipe system comprises an air pump known per se, such as e.g. in use for an aquarium, wherein the forced air pipe system is connected to the discharge pipe for the coffee extract in the bottom portion of the coffee brewer, the control switch for both the determination of the quantity of the air for agitation of the coffee and hot water mixture and the duration of agitation time being easily accessible to the operator, preferably attached nearby or to the housing of the coffee making machine. Still another object is to provide a coffee making machine as described in which a special back pressure control valve comprises a valve housing having in inlet and outlet portion for the air, a valve seat, the valve element being a central portion of and also being integral to one side of a substantially larger area of a flexible membrane which sealingly fits into the interior circumferences of the valve housing, said membrane at its reverse side facing a hollow type of valve stem housing ending at its lower part into a cuplike member which circumferen- tial upstanding lower edges seal the circumferential edges of the membrane against the interior valve housing edges in such a way, that the centrally located relatively small valve area at the one side of the membrane faces at its reverse side a far much larger area of the membrane which is at that side connected to the outlet of an air pump generating an air pressure which can easily overcome the closing and opening forces for operating the valve. Still another object is a coffee making machine provided with first means for increased coffee extraction and provided with second means for forced agitation of the coffee and hot water mixture wherein the coffee brewer is directly connected to a separate vibrating means and control means being provided for operating and adjusting its frequency vibratory range and also the duration of its operating time at choice achieving to serve each individual desire for specific taste of a user for coffee. The invention has a remarkable advantage in that while operating the described choice this is achieved with such simple adaptations that basically every existing coffee making machine may be equipped with a control or adjusting knob to provide for the individual need for specific taste of every user. This is amongst others achievable in that the additional pipe system comprises a known air pump, such as e.g. an air pump type for an aquarium, wherein the air pipe for the agitating operation which is connected to the air pump is also connected to the discharge opening for the coffee extract in the lower part of the brewer compartment of the coffee making machine and wherein the control switch for predetermining the quantity of air and the period of operating time is preferably located nearby or attached to the housing of the coffee making machine. Other objects will appear from the following description, the claims appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing of an embodiment of the invention in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views and wherein: Figure 1 is a schematical view of a coffee making machine showing the additional pipe system according to the present invention; Figure 2 is anot her sc hematical vi ew of t he additi onal pipe syst em; and Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of a control valve. Referring to the drawings in detail, the brewer 1 of a coffee making machine is equipped at its bottom portion 2 with a coffee filter 3 through which the coffee extract is discharged via the pipe 4 and a valve housing 5, e.g. a solenoid operated valve, to the discharge opening 6. In the pipe system there is located before the valve housing 5 a separate pipe system 7 which comprises an air pump 8 and a back pressure valve 9. The system pressure in the pipe system 7 and the discharge pipe system is adjusted in such a way by means of the valves 5 and 9 respectively, that in operating the air pump 8, air or another applicable agitating gas is forced into the lower portion of the brewer compartment 2 in a direction which is opposite to the direction of dicharging the coffee extract via the filter element 3. Preferably the air is forced into the brewer while being evenly distributed all over the filter area over which the coffee and hot water mixture is contained in the brewer 1. The application of the separate pipe system 7, causing the thorough intermixture of the coffee mixture during a predetermined period of time, results in the first place in a remarkable increase of the degree of extraction of the discharged coffee. These results were achieved during experiments. Other advantages are: 1° the degree of extraction of the coffee can now be achieved by the user himself without necessitating more coffee ground; 2° by the resulting agitating movement in the brewer 1 there is created a movement of lighter and smaller coffee ground particles in the upper region of the brewer compartment resulting in less sediment in a cup of coffee; 3° because of the continuous flow of forced air blown through the filter 3 in an upward direction, the filter element is prevented from clogging in less frequent time. The invention allows the controllable degree of turbulence of the coffee mixture resulting in an adjustable "traject of coffee taste" from a minimum period of time at a minimum degree of agitation to a maximum duration of time and a maximum degree of agitation, for the rest not necessitating to deviate from the normally used quantity of coffee in a coffee making machine. The back pressure valve 9 in the additional pipe system 7 merely serves the purpose to prevent a discharge of the coffee extract through this pipe system in the event that no air is forced into the brewer 2 for agitation purposes. The back pressure valve 9 so prevents the fouling of the interior of air pump 8. Coffee making machines in which the described method of controllable and predetermined agitation has been applied do allow for an improvement of the coffee taste for every individual user. Moreover it becomes possible to use rather slowly extracting coffee bean ground the aroma of which is much more appreciated, having the normal disadvantage that this coffee bean type cannot be used in coffee making machines of the usual type. Coffee extract obtained from this preferred coffee bean ground results in a substantial bitter taste which is certainly not appreciated by the majority of users By using the new method and the new coffee making machine as described before the forced air agitation can be made adjustable from zero to its maximum, e.g. by means of a knob with a circumferential scale indicator and by also using a timer switch for the duration of operation of the air pump 8 resulting in the personal choice taste of a user. The controllable and adjustable supply of forced air for a selectable period of time as described will be equivalent to comparable agitation systems which allow to achieve the same results. Since every coffee making machine is normally equipped with a timer switch, the invention could easily be adapted by the application to the brewer compartment of a vibrating mechanism the frequency of which can be adjusted by means of an adjustable and controllable frequency indicator. Figure 2 and 3 show a preferred embodiment of the pipe system and operating components for the coffee making machine. The control of the valve 5 is effected by means of an additional pipe system 10, a valve 11, a back pressure valve 12 which is connected via a tube 14 to an air pump 13. The valve 1 1 may be of the solenoid operated type. However in figure 3 it is schematically shown that this valve 11 may be membrane operated. A hollow valve stem 15 is at its upper portion connected to the tube 14 and ends at its lower portion into a cuplike member 16 having a cicular skirt portion 17. The lower edges 18 seal off housing 5. The central portion of the membrane 20 comprises the valve element 1 1, its circumferential edges resting upon the valve seat 21. Despite the exertion of a greater valve pressure, yet the valve 1 1 can be easily lifted or closed by the membrane 20 since the pressure area of the flexible membrane is so great that the air pump pressure can easily overcome the closing or lifting valve forces. An additional advantage is obtained because the membrane valve 1 1/20 can simply be cleaned to remove possible coffee particles which may be sometimes present in the discharge tube and which may give otherwise rise to pressure leakage or the like in the pipe and discharge systems.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Method for preparing a cup of coffee by means of a coffee making machine while applying the principle of achieving increased coffee extraction by agitating the mixture of coffee and hot water , characterized in that the coffee maker brewer is connected with a separate pipe system provided for forcing a gas, preferably air, under overpressure into the bottom portion of the coffee brewer at a predetermined controllable air quantity and during a predetermined or adjustable period of time, each time for determination at choice of the specific individual degree of extraction per each cup of coffee desired by each coffee user and in an unlimited way. 2. Coffee making machine in which the method according to claim 1 has been fully incorporated, characterized in that a coffee making machine known per se has been provided with an additional pipe system which is provided with adjusting and control means to force a controllable quantity of air under pressure into the coffee brewer, preferably at its bottom portion, for the purpose of agitation of the coffee and hot water mixture, one or more valves, such as control valves and/or back pressure valves being interposed in said pipe system. 3. Coffee making machine according to claim 2, characterized in that the pipe system comprises an air pump known per se, such as e.g. used for a an aquarium, whereas the forced air pipe system is connected to the discharge pipe for the coffee extract in the bottom portion of the coffee brewer, the control switch for both the determination of the quantity of the air for agitation of the coffee and hot water mixture and the duration of agitation time being preferably attached to the housing of the coffee making machine. 4. Coffee making machine according to the preceding claim, characterized in that a special back pressure valve comprises a valve housing having in inlet and outlet portion for the air, a valve seat, the valve being the centre part of and being integral to one side of a substantially larger flexible membrane which fits into the circumferences of the valve housing, said membrane at its reverse side facing a hollow type of valve stem housing which circumferential edges seal the circumferential edges of the membrane against the valve housing edges in such a way, that the relatively small valve area at the one side of the membrane faces at its reverse side a far much larger area of the membrane which is at that side connected to an air pump generating an air pressure which can easily overcome the closing and opening forces for the valve. 5. Coffee making machine provided with first means for increased coffee extraction and provided with second means for forced agitation of the coffee and hot water mixture, characterized in that the coffee brewer is directly connected to a separate vibrating means and control means being provided for adjusting its frequency range and the duration of time at choice to serve each individual desire for the taste of coffee. * * * * *

Inventors: BOUMANS PETER MATHIJS, SOBCZAK HENDRIK JOZEF JAN, BOUMANS, PETER, MATHIJS, SOBCZAK, HENDRIK, JOZEF, JAN
Applicants: BOUMANS PETER MATHIJS, SOBCZAK HENDRIK JOZEF JAN, BOUMANS, PETER, MATHIJS, SOBCZAK, HENDRIK, JOZEF, JAN
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A47J31
IPC codes: A47J31