FILTER DEVICE

Abstract: A filter device has a coffee-cartridge holder (11) constructed to receive a coffee cartridge (1) having two facing walls (2, 3) made of a filter material, one of said walls (2) being adapted to receive water (8) for making coffee. In order to prevent the foam formed during the extraction process from excessively influencing the extraction time, it is proposed to provide the coffee-­ cartridge holder (11) or the coffee cartridge (1) with means which ensure that, when the holder is in the operating position and contains coffee cartridge, the wall (2) of a filter material to which water is supplied is inclined at an angle between 15 and 90 to the horizontal.

Description: The invention relates to a filter device for use in a coffee maker, comprising a coffee-cartridge holder constructed to receive a cartridge containing ground coffee between two facing walls of filter material, one of said walls being adapted to receive water for making coffee and the other of said walls being adapted to deliver coffee to a receptable. A filter device is known from GB-A-374 729. In this device a perforated disc to which hot water is supplied may be arranged obliquely to facilitate the egress of air through the highest part thereof on pouring hot water upon the lowest part. It is known that, also when using disposable coffee cartridges, during the extraction process foam accumulates between the surface of the ground coffee and an upper disposed filter wall. This foam presents an additional resistance to the water flowing through, so that the extraction time, i.e. the time taken by the water to flow through the coffee cartridge, is long. It is the object of the invention to make a filter device for an electric coffee maker suitable for receiving a coffee cartridge in such a way that the foam produced during the extraction process does not affect or only sligthly affects the extraction time. To this end the filter device comprises means which ensure that, when the holder contains a coffee cartridge and is in an operating position, the wall of filter material to which water is supplied is inclined at an angle between 15° and 90° to the horizontal, said means comprise a chamber whose walls enclose the coffee cartridge, which chamber comprises an end wall situated opposite the wall of filter material to which water is supplied, and the holder further comprises a receptacle for hot water from the coffee maker, the bottom of said receptacle being formed with a discharge aperture which communicates with a space between said end wall of the chamber and the wall of filter material to which water is supplied. In this way a filter device is obtained in which a coffee cartridge can easily be placed and removed, and as a result of the inclined position of the filter wall the foam accumulates in the upper part of the cartridge and thus does not impede the flow of hot water through the ground coffee and the filter walls in the part underneath it. In a preferred embodiment of said filter device two chambers are provided, which chambers are each adapted to receive a coffee cartridge and have a common end wall, and the bottom of the receptacle is formed with two discharge apertures which each communicate with said space in the respective chamber. In a further embodiment a spring-loaded valve is arranged in each of said discharge apertures, each valve being actuated by a wall portion of the coffee cartridge when placed in the chamber. This enables either one or two coffee cartridges to be placed in the filter device, as desired. Suitably, the coffee-cartridge holder can be placed in an outer vessel of the filter device, which outer vessel has one or two discharge apertures. An embodiment of the invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings: Figure 1 diagrammatically shows a coffee-cartridge holder containing a prior-art coffee cartridge, Figure 2 diagrammatically shows a coffee-cartridge holder containing a coffee cartridge in the inclined position, Figure 3 is a perspective view of a coffee-cartridge holder in accordance with the invention, Figure 4 is a coffe cartridge adapted to be placed in the holder shown in Figure 3, Figure 5 is a perspective view of a filter device of a coffee maker in which the cartridge holder containing one coffee cartridge as shown in Figures 3 and 4 is placed, and Figure 6 shows the filter device in a cross-sectional view taken on the line VI-VI in Figure 5. Figure 1 diagrammatically shows a known situation of a holder 10 containing a coffee cartridge 1. The coffee cartridge 1 is constituted by a kind of tin (see Figure 4) whose circular upper and lower walls 2, 3 are made of a filter material. The cartridge contains an amount of ground coffee 4. In the position shown, which corresponds to the operating position, the upper filter wall 2, which is the filter wall to which hot water is supplied, occupies a horizontal position. During the extraction process foam is produced and accumulates between the surface 6 of the ground coffee and the entire upper filter wall 2, causing the resistance to the infused water 8 to increase and the extraction time to become longer than without the accumulation of foam. In Figure 2 the coffee cartridge 1 is arranged in the holder 11 in such a way that in the operating position the filter wall 2 to which water 8 is supplied occupies a non-horizontal position. The foam 5 now accumulates between the surface 6 of the ground coffee 4 and a much smaller part of the filter wall 2. This is because the remainder of the filter wall is in direct contact with the ground coffee. As now only a small part of the surface presents an additional resistance to flow the extraction time will be smaller. Obviously, the filling degree of the coffee cartridge (amount of ground coffee) and the angle of inclination of the filter wall are factors which influence the extraction time. A vertical position is found to be most favourable. In the following example, described with reference to Figures 3-6, relates to a coffee-cartridge holder in which the filter wall to which water is supplied is in a vertical position and which is adapted for use in an electric coffee maker. The coffee-cartridge holder 12 comprises a cylinder in which a cylindrical chamber 14, 15 is formed on opposite sides of a partition 13. The two chambers are open at the sides which are remote from the partition. Consequently, the partition constitutes the end walls 16, 17 of the chambers. At option, a coffee cartridge 1 as shown in Figure 4, can be inserted in one or in both chambers. Further, the cartridge holder has a receptacle 18 for hot water. A recessed portion 19 in the bottom 20 of this receptacle is formed with two discharge apertures 21 and 22 which form the connection between the receptable 18 and the chambers 14 and 15 respectively (see Figure 6). Each of said discharge apertures 21, 22 can be opened or closed by means of a spring-loaded valve 23, 24. Each valve is constituted by a ball 25, 26 which closes the discharge opening 21, 22 under the influence of a leaf spring 27, 28. When a coffee cartridge 1 is placed in a chamber 14 , 15 a peripheral wall 7 of the coffee cartridge presses the ball 25, 26 upwards against the force of the leaf spring, thereby opening the discharge aperture 21, 22. Thus, hot water can flow from the receptacle 18 into the chambers 14 and/or 15 via the discharge apertures 21 and/or 22, i.e. first into the spaces 29 and/or 30 between the end walls 16 and 17 respectively and the filter wall 3 of each of the coffee cartridges. From these spaces the water flows through the filter wall 3 into the coffee cartridge and the coffee brew thus obtained leaves the cartridge via the filter wall 2. It is to be noted that although the coffee cartridge of Figures 3 to 6 is the same as that shown in Figures 1 and 2 the direction in which the water flows through the coffee cartridge is exactly the reverse. This means that in Figures 3 to 6 the filter wall 3 is the wall to which water is supplied. However, for the operating principle this is irrelevant. The coffee cartridge holder is adapted to be placed in an outer vessel 31 of a filter device 40 which forms part of an electric coffee maker, not shown. The outer vessel and the cartridge holder are adapted to one another, so that when the cartridge holder containing one or two coffee cartridges is placed these cartridges are correctly retained in the respective chambers. The means for this comprise a projection 32 which is situated centrally underneath the cartridge holder and which engages in a recess 33 in the bottom of the outer vessel and two projections 34 an 35 in the outer vessel. As a result of the location of the projections each coffee cartridge is retained in its chamber in such a way that no or hardly any water flows between the cylindrical wall 36 of the chamber and the wall 7 of the cartridge, i.e. in such a way that all the water passes through the coffee cartridge. The cartridge holder is formed with one or two discharge apertures 37. In the case of two discharge apertures these are situated so close to each other that at option one cup can be placed underneath both discharge apertures or two cups can be placed adjacent one another, one underneath each discharge aperture.

Claims: A filter device for use in an electric coffee maker, comprising a coffee cartridge holder (12) constructed to receive a cartridge (1) containing ground coffee between two facing walls (2, 3) of filter material, one of said walls (3) being adapted to receive water for making coffee and the other (2) of said walls being adapted to deliver coffee to a receptable, the filter device comprising means which ensure that, when the holder (12) contains a coffee cartridge (1) and is in an operating position, the wall (3) of filter material to which water is supplied is inclined at an angle between 15° and 90° to the horizontal, said means comprising a chamber (14) whose walls (16, 36) enclose the coffee cartridge (1), which chamber comprises an end wall (16) situated opposite the wall (3) of filter material to which water is supplied, and the holder (12) further comprising a receptacle (18) for hot water from the coffee maker, the bottom (20) of said receptacle being formed with a discharge aperture (21) which communicates with a space (29) between said end wall (16) of the chamber (14) and the wall (3) of filter material to which water is supplied. A filter device as claimed in Claim 1, wherein two chambers (14, 15) are provided, which chambers are each adapted to receive a coffee cartridge (1) and have a common end wall (13), and in that the bottom (20) of the receptacle (18) is formed with two discharge apertures (21, 22) which each communicate with said spaces (29, 30) in the respective chamber. A filter device as claimed in Claim 5, wherein a spring-loaded valve (23, 24) is arranged in each of said discharge apertures (21, 22) each valve being actuated by a wall portion (7) of the coffee cartridge (1) when placed in the chamber (14, 15). A filter device as claimed in Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the filter device is provided with an outer vessel (31) in which the holder (12) can be placed, which outer vessel is formed with one or two discharge apertures (37).

Inventors: VAN DE GANG, HAROLD PAUL
Applicants: N.V. PHILIPS' GLOEILAMPENFABRIEKEN
Application year: 1987
Main classification: B65D81
IPC codes: A47J31, B65D81, B65D85