Patent Publication Number: US-2023136171-A1

Title: Filter press beverage infuser with integrated grounds removal mechanism

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A method of brewing coffee, commonly referred to in the existing art as a French press, involves the use of a filter and applied force to separate the solid coffee from the infused liquid. This form of coffee brewing has the advantages of simplicity and speed in preparation. A significant disadvantage of the process is the challenge of removing spent coffee grounds from the vessel after the coffee has been filter pressed and brewing is complete. Traditional methods require the use of a spoon or other implement to manually shovel the grounds from the vessel if they are to be removed. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a method for brewing coffee or other infused beverages which provides an integrated means for removing all spent coffee grounds and brewed material from the vessel using a means which includes the filter press assembly itself, and a surface situated beneath the filter surface and coffee beans and which connects axially to the filter press such that it can be removed along with the filter from the top of the vessel. The invention further incorporates a manual stirring function so the liquid can be stirred prior to pressing using the same handle location as that used for pressing. 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention, when the vessel  1  has the surface  3  installed at the base of  1 , and the arm  4  which connects to the surface  3  at end point  2  has an attached agitation surface shown with  11  which stirs the liquid when  4  is turned with the handle  9  connected at the arm connection point  10  via a swivel bushing mechanism installed at connection point  2  which allows  4  and  11  to rotate freely and independently with respect to  1  and  3 . 
         FIG.  2    is a side view of the hollow arm  7  and filter surface  5  which connect orthogonally at arm end point  6 , where the handle  9  connects to the hollow arm at end point location  8  for use during manual pressing of top filter surface  5  toward bottom surface  3 . 
         FIG.  3    is a profile view of the present invention, where  1  is the brewing vessel,  2  is the first end point of the first vertical force transfer arm  4 , which connects in an orthogonal orientation at  2  to the bottom surface  3  which contains the spent coffee grounds, and  7  is the second vertical force transfer arm which connects at point  6  to the top filter surface  5 , where  7  surrounds  4  concentrically such that  7  can be moved downward independently of  4  while  4  is stationary, and both force transfer arms  4  and  7  have integrated connection points shown with  10  and  8 , respectively, which can be joined together with a fastening mechanism and handle shown with  9 , such that the assembly comprised of bottom surface  3 , inner force transfer member  4 , top filter surface  5 , and outer vertical force transfer arm  7  can be removed simultaneously from the vessel with a single force input to fastening mechanism and handle  9  via the connections of  8  and  10 . arm  4  features agitation surfaces for liquid stirring, shown with  11 , which can be rotated when the arm  4  is rotated with respect to the vessel  1  and surface  3  using the handle  9  at connection point  10 , based on a bushing swivel connection at the end point  2  of arm  4 . 
         FIG.  4    is a top view of the present invention, showing the arrangement of vessel  1 , top filter surface  5 , force transfer arm  4 , hollow force transfer arm  7 , and handle  9 , connection at endpoint locations  8  and  10 . 
         FIG.  5    is a profile view of the present invention, when the device is configured to manually filter press liquid. 
         FIG.  6    shows the handle  9 , and connection points  8  &amp;  10  of the vertical force transfer arms  7  &amp;  4 , in a keyed configuration for fastening purposes. 
         FIG.  7    shows a perspective view of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION: 
     To use the present invention, the first vertical force transfer arm  4  and attached surface  3  are inserted into the empty brewing vessel  1 , such that the surface  3  is at the bottom of vessel  1 . 
     Coffee grounds and hot water are added until the vessel  1  is filled. 
     The handle  9  is attached to force transfer arm  4  at connection point  10  and  4  is rotated with respect to vessel  1  and surface  3  about end point  2  using  9 , which allows the agitating surfaces  11  to stir the liquid. 
     The second vertical force transfer arm  7  and attached filter surface  5  are placed concentrically around the first vertical force transfer arm  4 , and the filter surface  5  is moved toward the surface  3  at the bottom of the vessel  1  via a downward force application to the fastening mechanism and handle  9  connected at location  8 , which then joins the force transfer arms  4  &amp;  7  at connection points  8  &amp;  10  located at the top of the arms. 
     After the liquid is drained, and with arms  4  &amp;  7  joined at their top connection locations  8  &amp;  10 , an upward force application to the fastening mechanism and handle  9  removes the filter and spent coffee grounds from the vessel  1 . 
     Disconnecting arms  4  &amp;  7  is performed by unfastening  9  from  8  &amp;  10 . 
     In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the handle  9  and the connections points  8  &amp;  10  of the force transfer arms  7  &amp;  4  feature a keyed configuration as a method of fastening the components at the top of the device, but the handle  9  may also attach to the connection point  10  of the force transfer arm  4  with a screw, clamp, or other mechanical attachment means, and  9  may connect with  8 , to enable the downward application of force through  7  when pressing the filter surface  5  via the handle  9 , through physical contact between the two components, and  8  can be formed to contain  9  in a nested shell mating configuration.