Patent Publication Number: US-2009229470-A1

Title: Coffee Cartridge Lid Apparatus and Method

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/036,038, filed Mar. 12, 2008, titled “The Cap for re-using Coffee Pods, K-Cups, and T-Disks,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to the field of electric coffee makers, and more specifically to an apparatus and method for reusing single-serving coffee filter cartridges. 
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An apparatus and method for reusing single-serving coffee filter cartridges is provided. The apparatus comprises a lid that allows a disposable single-serving coffee filter cartridge to be reused. A single-serving coffee filter cartridge houses coffee grounds, tea leaves or other granular or powdered dry beverage medium, for brewing in a single-serving coffee maker. A single-serving coffee maker is a coffee maker that brews generally one serving of coffee at a time, and generally dispenses the coffee directly into a coffee cup. Some single-serving coffee makers use prefilled filter cartridges of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,537 (“Beverage Filter Cartridge”). This type of cartridge is comprised of an impermeable cup-shaped outer container that houses a filter and is prefilled with ground coffee, for example. The cartridge has a pierceable cover that is sealed to the outer container. 
     In order to brew coffee, a user inserts the cartridge into the coffee maker and 
     closes the lid. When the lid is closed, the inlet and outlet probes of the coffee maker pierce the lid and container bottom, respectively. The inlet probe admits heated liquid under pressure into the container. The liquid is infused with the coffee and then passes through the filter and exits via the outlet probe for delivery into a coffee cup. The cartridges are intended to be disposed of after a single use. 
     A lid according to the present disclosure allows the user to reuse the coffee 
     cartridges. In order to reuse the cartridge, the user removes it from the coffee maker and peels off the lid to remove it from the container. The user then empties the used grounds from the container, washes it, and refills it with fresh grounds. The user should let the filter dry before refilling it with coffee grounds unless the filter will be used immediately, to maintain the cleanliness of the filter. A disc-shaped, reusable lid is then installed in the top of the container. The lid fits within the opening of the container in a tight friction fit, and has an opening for receiving the liquid for brewing coffee or other brewed beverage. The tight friction fit between the lid and the cartridge enables the cartridge to receive hot pressurized liquid during brewing without leaking around the perimeter of the lid. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements. 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a single-serving coffee filter cartridge that is known in the art. 
         FIG. 2  is cross-sectional view of the prior art coffee filter cartridge of  FIG. 1 , taken along section lines “A-A” of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is perspective view of a lidded cup according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a side plan view of the lid of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged detail view of the lid of  FIG. 3 , taken along detail line “B” of  FIG. 4   
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the lid of  FIG. 3 . 
         FIG. 7  is a top plan view of an alternative embodiment of the lid. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the lid of  FIG. 7 , taken along section lines “C-C” of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a bottom plan view of the lid of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 10  is a top perspective view of the lid of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 11  is a side plan view of an extraction tool according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 12  is a flowchart showing a method of reusing a cartridge according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention and its advantages are best understood by referring to the 
     drawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the invention. 
       FIG. 1  depicts a single-serving coffee filter cartridge  17  that is known in the art. The cartridge  17  comprises a cup-shaped outer container  12  that houses a filter  14  for containing granular or powdered dry beverage medium (not shown), coffee grounds, for example. The term “coffee grounds” as used herein will refer to any such granular or powdered dry beverage medium, regardless of whether such beverage medium is coffee, tea, hot cocoa mix, or any other such granular or powdered dry beverage medium. Further, the term “single-serving coffee cartridge” as used herein will refer to a cartridge for housing any type of granular or powdered dry beverage medium. 
     The container  12  has an upper opening  15  bounded by an upper side wall  18  and a rim  16 . The upper side wall  18  extends downwardly from the rim  16 . The upper side wail  18  is substantially cylindrical in the illustrated embodiment. The container  12  is generally formed of yieldable pierceable material, such as polyethylene, or other suitable material. 
     The filter  14  is formed from a pliable material and has a pleated upper edge  19  that is adhered to the upper side wall  18 . The pleated upper edge of the filter is generally not a smooth or regular surface. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the prior art coffee filter cartridge  17  of  FIG. 1 , taken along section lines A-A. The rim  16  of the container  12  bounds the upper opening  15  and extends radially from the upper opening  15 . The upper side wall  18  extends downwardly from the upper opening  15  and tapers in at a shoulder  20 . In the illustrated embodiment, the upper side wall  18  is generally cylindrical until it tapers in at the shoulder  20 . 
     In one configuration of the container  12 , an inner diameter “ID” measured at a top edge  22  of the upper side wall  18  is 1.73 inches. Other configurations of the container may have a differently-dimensioned inner diameter. 
     A lower side wall  28  extends down from the shoulder  20  to a bottom  21  of the container  12 . The filter  14  is adhered to the upper side wall  18 . 
     In one configuration of the container  12 , the distance “L” between the top edge  22  of the container  12  and the shoulder  20  is 0.20 inches, though other dimensions are used in other configurations. Further, some configurations of the container  12  may not have a shoulder  20  at all, but may rather have a side wall  18  that tapers uniformly from the top edge  22  to the bottom  21 , or may be otherwise configured. 
     When a user (not shown) purchases a commercially-available coffee filter cartridge  17 , the filter  14  is filled with coffee grounds (not shown) and a pierceable cover (not shown) covers the upper opening  15  and is adhered to the rim  16 . The pierceable cover is pierced in its center by an inlet probe (not shown) during the brewing process. In the illustration, however, the cover and the coffee grounds have been removed by the user so that the cartridge  17  may be reused. 
     A bottom opening  23  is created in the bottom  21  of the container  12  when the cartridge  17  is used to brew a beverage (not shown). Brewed beverage (not shown) exits the container  12  through the bottom opening  23  during the brewing process. 
       FIG. 3  depicts an embodiment of a lidded cup  10  according to the present disclosure. The lidded cup  10  comprises a container  12  of the type discussed above and a lid  11 . The lid  11  is an integrally-formed, generally circular disc that is insertable into the upper opening  15  ( FIG. 1 ) of the container  12 . The lid  11  is molded from rigid plastic in one embodiment, but is formed from other suitable materials in other embodiments. 
     The lid  11  comprises a recession  29  recessed into a top side  25  of the lid  11 . The recession  29  is generally cylindrical in shape and has a top sealing surface  30 . The recession  29  is centrally located in the lid  11  and comprises an aperture  13  centrally located within the recession  29 . The aperture  13  is a generally cylindrical opening that extends through the lid  11 , as further discussed herein. 
     When the lidded cup  10  is in use to brew a beverage, the lidded cup  10  is installed into a coffee maker (not shown) and the coffee maker is closed. When the coffee maker is closed, its inlet probe (not shown) extends into the aperture  13  and a gasket (not shown) surrounding the inlet probe seals against the sealing surface  30  of the recession  29 . Pressurized hot liquid (not shown) is injected into the container  12  by the coffee maker through the aperture  13 . 
       FIG. 4  is a side plan view of the lid  11  of  FIG. 3 . The lid  11  is a generally circular disc with a beveled peripheral edge  24  that extends from a top side  25  of the lid  11  to a bottom side  26  of the lid  11 . 
     In this embodiment, the peripheral edge  24  is “double beveled,” meaning that it comprises a first beveled surface  40  that extends downwardly from the top side  24  at a first angle θ 1  ( FIG. 5 ) to a transition point  27  and also has a second beveled surface  41  that extends downwardly at a second angle θ 2  ( FIG. 5 ) from the transition point  27  to the bottom side  26 . The term “transition point” refers to the location where the first angle θ 1  meets the second angle θ 2 . 
     The purpose of this double beveling of the peripheral edge  24  is to enable a tight friction fit between the lid  11  and the upper opening  15  ( FIG. 1 ), as further discussed herein. In some embodiments, however, there may be a single bevel (not shown) to the peripheral edge  24 , i.e., the peripheral edge  24  may taper uniformly from the top side  25  to the bottom side  26 . Further, in other embodiments the peripheral edge  24  may be straight from the top side  25  to the bottom side  26 . 
     In one embodiment, the thickness “T” of the lid  11  (i.e., the distance in the y direction between the top side  25  and the bottom side  26 ) is substantially 0.23 inches. Further, in one embodiment the distance “Tt” in the y direction between the top side  25  and the transition point  27  is 0.14 inches. In other embodiments T and Tt are differently-dimensioned. 
     The diameter of the lid  11  at the top edge  25 , “Dt,” is 1,757 inches in one embodiment of the lid  11 . In another embodiment, Dt is within the range of 1.752 and 1.762 inches. The diameter of the lid at the bottom edge  26 , “Db,” is 1.70 inches in one embodiment. In other embodiments, Dt and Db may be differently-dimensioned. 
     The recession  29  has a diameter “Dr” of 0.772 in one embodiment, and in other embodiments is differently-dimensioned. The recession  29  has a depth “Tr” of 0.08 in one embodiment. It is important to the operation of the lid in brewing beverages that the sealing surface  30  be lower than the top edge  22  of the container  12 . In one embodiment, the sealing surface  30  is between 0.01 inches and 0.10 inches beneath the top edge  22  of the container for proper operation of the lid  11 . Note that the location of the sealing surface  30  with respect to the top edge  22  of the container is dependent on the diameter of the lid  11 , and therefore the relationship between the lid diameter and the location of the sealing surface should be considered when sizing and configuring embodiments of the lid  11 . 
     The aperture  13  has a diameter “Da” of 0.219 in one embodiment, and in another embodiment the diameter Da tapers uniformly from a diameter of 0.219 at the sealing surface  30  to a diameter of 0.250 at the bottom side  26 . Other embodiments of the lid  11  have different dimensions for Dr, Tr, and Da. 
     The sealing surface  30  of the recession  29  is generally flat and generally smooth so that the gasket (not shown) of the coffee maker (not shown) may seal against it without leaking during the brewing process. 
       FIG. 5  is an enlarged detail view of the lid  11  of  FIG. 4 , taken along detail line “B” of  FIG. 4 . As discussed above, the first bevel  40  extends at the first angle θ 1  from the top side  25  to the transition point  27 , and the second bevel  41  extends at the second angle θ 2  from the transition point  27  to the bottom side  26 . In one embodiment, the first angle θ 1  is substantially 5 degrees and the second angle θ 2  is substantially 10 degrees, i.e., the first angle θ 1  is two times the second angle θ 2 . In other embodiments, other dimensions may be used for the first angle θ 1  and the second angle θ 2 . Note that the angles θ 1  and θ 2  are shown and measured from the y axis, and not from the top side  25  of the lid  11 , which would be in the x-z plane. 
       FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the lid  11  of  FIG. 3 . In this embodiment, the lid  11  is symmetrical about its x and y axes,  34  and  35 , respectively. The top side  25  is generally flat and extends generally uniformly from the peripheral edge  24 , then “steps down” at the recession  29  of the lid  11 . 
       FIG. 7  is a top plan view of another embodiment of the lid  11 . In this 
     embodiment, the top side  25  is not generally flat, but rather the top side  25  has an outer ridge  39  along the top side  25  where the top side  25  meets the peripheral edge  24 , and then “steps down” to a top channel  32  that is recessed into the top side  25  of the lid  11 . An inner ridge  33  surrounds the recession  29  and extends upwardly from the top channel  32 . 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of the embodiment of  FIG. 7 , taken along section 
     lines “C-C” of  FIG. 7 . The outer ridge  39  extends from the peripheral edge  34  inwardly a short distance, and then steps down to the top channel  32 . The outer ridge  39  is at the same level as the top side  25  in the illustrated embodiment. In one embodiment the outer ridge  39  is 0.074 wide, though is differently-dimensioned in other embodiments. 
     The depth “Tc” of the top channel  32  is 0.08 in one embodiment and the top channel  32  has a width of approximately 0.36 inches in one embodiment. The top channel  32  extends uniformly around the y axis  37  of the disk  11 , as illustrated. The inner ridge  33  extends upwardly from the top channel  32  and has a width of 0.06 in one embodiment. The recession  29  and the sealing surface  30  are configured as described above with respect to  FIGS. 3 &amp; 4 . 
     The aperture  13  extends through the lid  11  from the sealing surface  30  to the bottom side  26 . In this embodiment, the aperture  13  tapers inwardly from the sealing surface  30  to the bottom side  26  at an angle “θa” of 6 degrees, and in one embodiment the aperture  13  has a diameter of 0.25 measured at the sealing surface  30  and 0.219 measured at the bottom side  26 . In other embodiments, the aperture  13  may be differently tapered and differently dimensioned. Further, the aperture  13  may not be tapered at all, but may be cylindrically-shaped. 
     The bottom side  26  has a bottom ridge  38  that extends from the peripheral edge  34  a short distance, then steps up to a bottom channel  36 . The depth “Tg” of the bottom channel  36  is 0.045 in one embodiment. The bottom channel  36  extends uniformly around the y axis  37  of the disk  11 , as illustrated. 
     The bottom side  26  further comprises an inner bottom ridge  37  that extends 
     upward from the bottom channel  36 . 
       FIG. 9  is a bottom plan view of the lid  11  of  FIG. 7 . The peripheral edge  24  is tapered in the manner discussed above with respect to  FIGS. 4 and 5 . The bottom side  26  comprises a bottom ridge  38  that extends from the peripheral edge inwardly. The bottom channel  36  extends from the bottom ridge  38  to the inner bottom ridge  37 . The inner bottom ridge  37  bounds the aperture  13 . 
       FIG. 10  is a top perspective view of the lid  11  of  FIG. 1 . The top channel  32  is recessed into the top side  25  of the lid  11 . The outer ridge  39  extends from the top surface inwardly. The inner ridge  33  extends upwardly from the top channel  32 . The aperture  13  is centrally located within the recession  29 . The peripheral edge  24  extends from the top side  25  to the bottom side (not shown) and is double-beveled as discussed above. The transition point  27  is the boundary between the two bevils of the peripheral edge  24 . 
       FIG. 11  depicts an extraction tool  50  according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The extraction tool  50  is insertable into the aperture  13  ( FIG. 3 ) and is actuatable to remove the lid  11  ( FIG. 3 ) from the upper opening  15  ( FIG. 1 ). The tool  50  comprises a hook portion  51  and a handle portion  52 . The user (not shown) may grasp the handle portion  52  and insert the hook portion  51  into the aperture  13  and actuate the tool to remove the lid  11 . The hook portion  51  is sized to be insertable into the aperture. Other configurations of extraction tools  50  are used in other embodiments to remove the lid  11 . 
       FIG. 12  is a flowchart showing a method  100  for reusing single-serving coffee filter cartridges  17  ( FIG. 1 ) according to an embodiment of the disclosure. In step  101 , the user (not shown), removes the covering from the single-serving coffee cartridge  17 , exposing the cavity (not shown) in which coffee grounds (not shown) are housed. The user may then clean out the coffee grounds and wash the container  12  ( FIG. 1 ) in preparation for its reuse. 
     In step  102 , the user then couples the lid  11  ( FIG. 3 ) with the upper opening  15  ( FIG. 1 ) of the cavity by inserting the lid  11  into the upper opening  15 . The double beveled peripheral edge  24  ( FIGS. 4 &amp; 5 ) allows the lid  11  to achieve a tight friction fit into the upper opening  15 . In this regard, the larger angle θ 2  of the second bevel  41  ( FIG. 5 ) compresses the pleated upper edge  19  ( FIG. 1 ) of the filter  14  as the lid  11  enters the upper opening  15 . Then, as the lid  11  further enters the upper opening  15 , the first bevel  40  with its smaller angle θ 1  causes a tight fit of the lid  11  in the upper opening  15 . Note that in one embodiment, the lid  11  does not have to be recessed completely within the upper opening  15  in order to be properly sealed, but may protrude from the upper opening  15  slightly, though not so far as to interfere with the operation of the coffee maker. 
     Further, in some embodiments the lower bevel  41  ( FIG. 4 ) or the bottom side  26  may contact the shoulder  20  ( FIG. 2 ) when the lid  11  is fully inserted into the upper opening  15 . However, in other embodiments, the lower bevel  41  and the bottom side  26  do not contact, or “bottom out” on, the shoulder at all. Rather, the tight friction fit between the peripheral edge  24  and the upper side wall  18  restrains the lid  11  within the upper opening  15 . 
     Note that the container  12  is generally somewhat flexible, and this flexibility helps to ensure a tight fit between the lid  11  and the upper opening  15 . 
     In step  103 , the user inserts the cartridge  17  into a single-serving coffee maker (not shown), and then in step  104 , the user brews a single-serving portion of coffee by introducing liquid (not shown) into the cartridge  17  via the aperture  13 . 
     After the coffee maker has completed the brewing cycle, the user may remove the cartridge  17  from the coffee maker and then, in step  105 , may remove the lid  11  from the upper opening  15  by inserting a tool (not shown) into the aperture  13  and actuating the tool. The tool may be any device with an extension that is insertable into the aperture  13  and may be used to “hook” the aperture and remove the lid  11  from the upper opening  15 . 
     This invention may be provided in other specific forms and embodiments without departing from the essential characteristics as described herein. The embodiment described is to be considered in all aspects as illustrative only and not restrictive in any manner. 
     As described above and shown in the associated drawings and exhibits, the present invention comprises system and method for reusing a single-serving coffee refill. While particular embodiments of the invention have been described, it will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited thereto, since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. It is, therefore, contemplated by the appended claims to cover any such modifications that incorporate those features or those improvements that embody the spirit and scope of the present invention.