Abstract:
A coffee maker devices comprises a thermally insulated bottled that is threadably connected to a coffee grinder at it bottle surface. A press filter is adapter for insertion into the bottle such that coffee beans freshly ground in the grinder can be steeped with hot water in the bottle to provide freshly brewed coffee on demand.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The present application claims priority to the U.S. provisional application having Ser. No. 60/650,313 entitled “Coffee maker”, and filed on Feb. 4, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a device and method for both grinding coffee beans and preparing fresh coffee.  
         [0003]     Many people enjoy the improved flavors and aromas associated with freshly brewed coffee, in particular over instant coffee or coffee that has been brewed but loses freshness or flavor while sitting in a thermally isolated bottle. Prior methods of making fresh coffee involve providing a supply of hot water to freshly ground beans. Such devices are well known, but are not portable.  
         [0004]     Further, they require a source of electrical power.  
         [0005]     It is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide an improved portable device for the grinding of coffee beans and the brewing of coffee, tea and the like.  
         [0006]     It is another object that the device be capable of storing and dispensing additional condiments such as sweetner, cream and the like.  
         [0007]     It is a further object that the device be capable of containing or connecting to a portable power supply to operate an integrated grinder or heating element.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0008]     In the present invention, the first object is achieved by providing a thermally insulated bottle having a press filter operative there within.  
         [0009]     A second aspect of the invention is characterized in that the thermally insulated bottle includes means for storing and freshly grinding coffee beans selectively detachable there from.  
         [0010]     The above and other objects, effects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0011]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional elevation of a first embodiment of the coffee making device.  
         [0012]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional elevation of a second embodiment of the coffee making device.  
         [0013]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional elevation of a third embodiment of the coffee making device.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional elevation of a fourth embodiment of the coffee making device.  
         [0015]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the portion of the stem that attached to the filter in an alternative embodiment, wherein the cross-sectional elevation of the filter is included  
         [0016]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional elevation of an alternative embodiment of the lid.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]     Referring to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , wherein like reference numerals refer to like components in the various views, there is illustrated therein a new and improved coffee maker, generally denominated  100  herein.  
         [0018]     In accordance with the present invention,  FIG. 1  illustrates coffee making device  100  as a cross-sectional elevation. The coffee making device  100  comprises thermally insulated bottle  10 , a grinder  20  and lid  30  and filter element  40  and a battery or portable power source. Filter element  40  is a press filter having a stem  42  and disk filter  44 . Thermally insulated bottle  10  has insulated sidewalls  8  and bottom  9 , being adapted to stores hot water in substantially circular cavity  11 . Coffee beans are stored in grinder  20 . When the lid  30  is removed from thermally insulated bottle  10 , all or a substantial portion of the diameter of cavity  11  is exposed. Thermally insulated bottle  10  has an externally threaded upper rim  14 . The insulated walls and bottom of bottle  10  are optionally provided by at least one of a vacuum sealed gap, a gap filled with a thermally insulating material or a thermally insulated material that provides the mechanical strength.  
         [0019]     Grinder  20  has upper concentric threads  28 , which mate with lower concentric threads  12  of thermally insulated bottle  10 . Thus, attaching grinder  20  to thermally insulated bottle  10  defines a sealed cavity  21  for storing and grinding coffee beans when the user wishes to prepare fresh coffee. Wall of grinder  20  is preferably formed of a transparent plastic material, such as polycarbonate, such that the user can quickly determine that the device  100  has been loaded with coffee beans, or that the beans have already been ground to the desirable texture. Alternatively, the sidewalls of the grinder  20  may be thermally insulating, in a similar manner to thermally insolated bottle  10 .  
         [0020]     Grinder  20  has a cavity  21  with a rotating blade  22  drive via shaft  23  by motor  24 . Motor  24  is powered by either battery  25  or an external power source connected at power socket  26 . The grinder  20  is operated by switch  27 .  
         [0021]     Switch  27  preferably includes a safety interlock that prevents actuation except when the grinder  20  is attached to the bottom of thermally insolated bottle  10  via threads  28 . Electrical contact between the battery leads and the motor is made at electrical contacts  24   a  and  24   b , with the current to power motor  24  being carried by wire  27   a  from battery  25  to switch  27 , before continuing via wire  27   b  to contact  24   b.    
         [0022]     Lid  30  includes has a threaded outlet stem  31  at its upper surface. Lid  30  is attached to the top of thermally insulated bottle  10  via threads  33 . Threaded outlet stem  31  has a concentric central bore  35 . The central bore  35  of stem  34  is sealed by threaded cap  36 . When the stem of press filter is inserted into central bore  35  and is sealed by O-ring  37  or the like. The bottom of lid  30  includes a rim with internal threads  38 . Thus, lid  30  seal the upper rim of thermally insulated bottle  10  as in internal threads  38  engage with the external threads thereof  14 .  
         [0023]     Thus, after the user prepares freshly ground beans in grinder  20 , grinder  20  is detached from the bottom of thermally insulated bottle  10  such that the freshly ground beans can be poured into the hot water in cavity  11 . However, first lid  30  and attached filter element  40  is removed via the upper threaded connection of thermally insulated bottle  10 . Next after, the ground coffee has steeped in the hot water for the desired period of time, the filter disk  44  is pushed downward, toward bottom surface  9 , to separate the coffee grinds from the fresh coffee, which is then ready for consumption and can be poured from rim  14 . Alternatively, filter assembly  40  can be removed such that coffee can be poured though the central bore  35  of outlet stem  33 .  
         [0024]     In another embodiment, shown in  FIG. 2 , the device includes provisions for detaching the filter element from the filter stem, as well as storing the filter stem outside the bottle. Filter stem  42  is stored in the bore  91  of tube  90 , which is attached to sidewall  8 . Tube  90  preferably includes internal threads  93  for receiving threaded end  46  of stem  42   
         [0025]     Coffee maker  100  in  FIG. 2  also includes a pouring spout  50 . Pouring spout  50  has bore  51  leading to the substantially cylindrical cavity  11 , which is sealed externally by cap  52 .  
         [0026]     While the coffee maker  100  in  FIG. 2  can be used like that of  FIG. 1 , wherein the ground coffee is pressed down towards the bottom of thermally insulated bottle  10 , the preferred method of use is to draw the coffee grounds upward that is pressing them against the lower surface external surface  60   a  of compartment  60 . Thus, after the coffee is brewed in substantially cylindrical cavity  11 , the filter and coffee grounds can be drawn upper and away from the fresh coffee, thus limiting the flavor extraction from the coffee grinds to the desired level.  
         [0027]     Filter disk is readily detached from stem  42  after the bottom of filter disk  44  reached engaging pin  130  as stem  42  is depressed downward. Pin  130  engages slot  131  in the bottom of filter disk  44 , thus preventing further rotation thereof Thus rotating of stem  42  unscrews threaded end  46  from mating threads  48  in the upper surface of filter disk  44 .  
         [0028]     Filter disk  44  is conveniently stored in or between the grinder  20  and thermally insulated bottle  10 , or may be placed in a separate compartment (not shown) that attached to the bottom of the grinder  20 .  
         [0029]     The coffee maker of  FIG. 2  also includes a compartment  60  for storing coffee additives, such as cream, milk, sugar and the like. Compartment  60  is preferably a concentric disc disposed about central bore  35 . Compartment  60  is filled via screw portal  80 . Liquid can be deposited directly into the coffee stored in cylindrical chamber  11  by external knob  70  or alternatively, the liquid can be deposited externally, into a cup, for example. Knob  70  has partial shaft  71  attached to the lower portion that penetrates into compartment  60 . While the upper and lower portions of shaft  70  have circular cross section, the middle of shaft  71  has a smaller cross-sectional area Thus, the upper and lower portions of shaft  71  a substantial seal to retain liquids in compartment  60 . However, when knob  70  is depressed or rotated to screw downward, the small cross section portion of shaft  70  provides an opening in the lower compartment, allow liquid to flow into cylindrical chamber  11  via hole  72 . The walls of lid  30  that surround and define compartment  11  are thermally insulating to avoid heating the cooler milk or cream stored therein, that is until it is mixed with the brewed coffee by depressing knob  70 .  
         [0030]     In a further embodiment of the invention, shown in  FIG. 3 , the device includes a heater element  150  integrated into the thermally isolated bottle. The heater element is preferably a thermally conductive block  152  having embedded heater coils  153 . Heater element  150  is optionally powered by one of cylindrical battery  110 , an external power source connected at socket  151 , to which the heater coils are connected via a switch. The switch is preferable integrated into socket  151 . Alternatively when cylindrical battery pack  110  having upper external threads  112  is screwed into he threads  12  of thermally insulted bottle  10 , concentric contacts  111  in battery  110  make contact when making concentric contacts  154 , energizing heating coils  153 .  
         [0031]     It should be appreciated that in many instances bayonet connections can be deployed in place of screw connection in the coffee maker device  100  and components thereof In addition, any of the aforementioned connections between the components of device  100  that need not be fluid tight are adaptable to a wide range of latch mechanisms known to one of ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0032]      FIG. 4  shows another alternative embodiment of the coffee maker  100 . Filter disk  44  has a coiled spring  445  around the periphery that makes contact with the interior walls of the thermally insulated bottle  10 . The walls of the thermally insulated bottle  10  also include a concave peripheral bulge  410  for receiving springs  445  and temporally latching the filter disk and stem so that stem  42  can be removed as illustrated and described in  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 .  
         [0033]     The lid  30  includes a stem top  442   a  that screws into a threaded recess  430   a  in the lid  30 . The lid  30  in turn screws into mating threads of thermally insulated bottle  10 .  
         [0034]     The stem  42  is connected to the filter element  45  such that, rather than pushing the grinds downward, the grinds are pulled upward so that they no longer need reside in the fluid where they can continue to affect the taste of the hot beverage. The lid  30  can also be shaped to allow the filter  45  to snap fit into the lid  30 .  
         [0035]     The stem  42  can be unscrewed or disengaged from the bottom of the filter/filter housing and pushed back into the container. The stem top or handle  42   a  is alternatively designed to attach and detach from the upper end of the stem. For example, the stem top can screw onto the stem end in a manner that synchronizes it with the screwing the container lid on and off. Alternative embodiments for removing and attaching either the filter or the stem top or handle include a snap fitting that uses a spring to urges ball bearing to engage and latch with respect to a mating recess in either the filter or the stem.  
         [0036]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the portion of the stem that attached to the filter in an alternative embodiment, wherein the cross-sectional elevation of the filter is included. Stem  542  includes a plurality of slidably engaging tubes so that is can collapse telescopically into itself, as well as and back into the upper part of the container such that there is no need to disengage it from the bottom of the filter  544 . The stem and filter assembly is optionally deployed with any of the alternative embodiments shown in  FIG. 1-4 . An alternative filter and stem assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,510, which is incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0037]     Any of the embodiments shown in  FIG. 14  may include an auxiliary heating element that is incorporated in the stem  42  and/or a portion of the filter element  44  or  45 , as well as around in the interior walls or bottom of container  10 . Such a heating element can be a thermostatically controlled heating element to heat water to the desired temperature. Alternatively, the heating element may be a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) self-limiting heating element, such heating elements are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,849,611, which is incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0038]      FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional elevation of an alternative embodiment of the lid. The switch  670  to turn on/off the heating element in the stem/filter is inset or flush mounted Battery is optionally disposed within the lid. Further the top of the  620  and a pivoting half ring handle  630  are optionally disposed in a configuration flush with upper surface  630   a  of lid  630  for safety and ease of handling. Further, to the extent that lid  630  also includes an integrated battery the electrical contact to heater wires in stem  642  is optionally made at inset surface  610 , when the top of handle  620  is fully inserted into lid  630 , having electrical contact terminals disposed therein.  
         [0039]     Alternatively, a battery can be screwed, pressed or bayonet mounted to the lid when it is desired to heat the water or brewed coffee. Preferably an indicator light shows that current is flowing to the resistive heating element. In addition a thermometer or ready light can be used to indicate if the liquid has reached the desired temperature  
         [0040]     While the invention has been described in connection with a preferred embodiment, it is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the particular form set forth, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover such alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.