Single-Measure Filtered-Coffee Unit and Method for Production and Infusion of the Unit

Abstract

A single dose unit (1) for brewed coffee, which comprises an upper layer (3) and a lower layer (4), both of which are filter elements (3a) made from cellulose fibers and other synthetic fibers, and traces of plastic fibers, thus consisting of a fully biodegradable filter element (3a), with the upper and lower layers (3 and 4) sealed in a circular manner, forming a sealing edge (5) with a pouch for ground coffee (CF) between the layers, and an injector device (2) disposed in the center of the upper layer (3) in a specific production process of perforation and sealing, as well as the process of brewing the brewed coffee in a coffee maker, with an upper spreader (15b) and a lower spreader unit (15) both provided with longitudinal grooves (22) in order to obtain brewed coffee without any pressure.

Claims

1-4. (canceled)

5. A single dose unit for brewed coffee comprising at least two layers of filtering material, manufactured from ecological fibers in the shape of a circular sachet, commonly and internationally known as “POD Coffee” whose top and bottom layers are sealed on a circular edge as a single dose unit (1) with an injector device (2), characterized by the fact that said injector device (2) comprises in a vertical body (8), provided with a sealing edge (6), an internal channel (9) and, at the bottom of said vertical body (8) lateral slots (10) extending from the bottom to half the height of said vertical body (8).

6. A production process of the single dose unit of claim 5 using an automated sealing machine equipped with a coil with filter element, characterized for containing a perforating matrix (14), an applicator (13) and an injector magazine (12), so that the filter element (3a) travels a path in the direction of receiving spaced holes, by means of the perforating matrix (14) in the upper layer (3) which, in sequence, will receive the introduction of the injector device (2) by means of repetitive movements of the applicator (13), so that the sealing edge (6) is pressed and sealed to said layer (3) of the filter element on one side and, on the other side of said upper layer (3) is the vertical body (8) so that when the bottom layer (2) is pulled in the opposite direction to the deposit point of the coffee powder (CF), one layer is pressed to the other, consequently sealing the sealing edge (5) and cutting the coffee single dose unit (1) in a disc shape.

7. A single dose unit infusion process of claim 5 using a heating and water injection machine, of the coffee maker type, characterized by having an upper dispersion unit (15b) and a lower dispersion unit (15), both equipped with longitudinal grooves (22) so that, when water is injected through the needle (17) into the injection channel (9) and said water exits said injector (2) through the lateral slots (10) directly inside the single dose unit (1) in contact with the stored coffee powder (CF), water will filled the compartment formed by the closing of said upper dispersion unit (15b) and said lower dispersion unit (15) so that the water will flow through the grooves (22) providing the straining of the coffee without pressure, which will run through the grooves (22) of the said lower dispersion unit (15) up to the drip channels (23) passing through the diffuser cone (18) of the extractor nozzle (16), flowing through the diffuser channel (19) to the cup.

Description

[0007] Thus, it is not known in the state of the art a process of coffee brewing in individual dose, in an automated way, through its own machine, with standardization of the coffee brewed without pressure, whose invention and claim will be better understood in line with the figures in annex, where:

[0008] FIG. 1 is the side-view of a single-dose unit for brewed coffee.

[0009] FIG. 2 in an upper isometric view of a single-dose unit for brewed coffee.

[0010] FIG. 3 is a section side view of a single-dose unit for brewed coffee.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a section upper isometric view of a single-dose unit for brewed coffee.

[0012] FIG. 5 is an upper isometric view of the Injector.

[0013] FIG. 6 is a lower isometric view of the Injector.

[0014] FIG. 7 is a section side view of the Injector.

[0015] FIG. 8 illustrates a top isometric view of the automated process of industrialization of the single dose unit for brewed coffee.

[0016] FIG. 9 shows the same view as FIG. 1, however, without the section of the single-dose unit for brewed coffee.

[0017] FIG. 10 shows a bottom perspective view of part of the extraction machine.

[0018] FIG. 11 shows the disposition to extract the single dose for brewed coffee, in an extraction machine.

[0019] FIG. 12 shows the same view as FIG. 9, however, in a side section view.

[0020] FIG. 13 shows a sectional view of the extraction machine's injection and diffusion assembly, with the single-dose unit for brewed coffee in section.

[0021] FIG. 14 shows a lower disperser for the single dose unit seat for brewed coffee and the diffuser nozzle, both in lateral section in an isometric view.

[0022] FIG. 15 shows a top isometric view of the bottom disperser of the single-dose unit for brewed coffee.

[0023] FIG. 16 shows a lower isometric view of the diffuser nozzle.

[0024] As seen in the attached figures, the present invention refers to a single dose unit (1) for brewed coffee, comprising an upper layer (3) and a lower layer (4), both of which are filter elements (3a), manufactured from cellulose fibers and other synthetic fibers and traces of plastic fibers, thus consisting of a fully biodegradable filter element (3a), whose upper and lower layers (3 and 4) are sealed in a circular manner, forming a sealing edge (5) in such a way that a pouch is formed between the layers, containing ground coffee (CF).

[0025] Thus, this configuration in circular or disk format is what is known in the state of the art and commonly called sachet, and internationally known as POD Coffee, however, the claim of the present invention is characterized by the innovation presented, which is the insertion of an injector device (2), placed in the center of the single dose unit (1) in its upper layer (3), through the process shown in FIG. 8.

[0026] The injector device (2), as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, consists of a plastic device, provided with a sealing edge (6), a vertical body (8), an internal channel (9) and, at the bottom of said vertical body (8), lateral slots (10) from the bottom to the half height of said vertical body (8), where water dispersion occurs when injected into said internal channel (9) by means of an injection needle (17) of the extraction machine (20).

[0027] The sealing of the upper layer (3) to the lower layer (4) and, from the injector (2) to said upper layer (3) of the filtering element (3a), takes place in a heating process that happens in the moment of pressing one layer to another and, in the case of the injection device (2), the sealing takes place in the process shown in FIG. 8, a process of pressing said injection device (2), so that the sealing edge (6) when pressed at a certain temperature seals, thus, both said edge (6) and the vertical body (8) are on the inside of the compartment formed in the single dose unit (1) directly in contact with the ground coffee (CF) as shown in FIGS. 4, 10 and 11.

[0028] The production process of the single-dose unit (1), as shown in FIG. 8, takes place with the use of an automatic sealing machine (11) of the injector device (2) properly disposed in an injector magazine type container (12) through the automated action of an applicator (13) mounted on a sealing machine (11), in the line of passage of the filter element (3a), as seen in FIG. 8. After the injector device (2) is properly sealed in the film of the filter element (3a), this film is pulled to the next stage, which is the pressing and sealing of the upper layer (3) to the lower layer (4) which is pulled in the opposite direction until the deposit point of the coffee powder (CF) so that when the said coffee powder (CF) is deposited on the lower layer (4), the upper layer (3) is pressed with the consequent sealing of the sealing edge (5) and the cutting of the single-dose coffee unit (1) into disc shape, as shown in the isometric drawing of FIG. 2.

[0029] The brewed coffee infusion process using the single dose unit (1) is applied using a heating and water injection machine, of the coffee maker type, but with a special compartment to introduce said single dose unit (1), containing an upper dispersion unit (15b) and a lower dispersion unit (15) both provided with longitudinal grooves (22) so that, when water is injected through the needle (17) into the injection channel (9) and said water exits said injector (2) through the lateral slots (10) directly inside the single dose unit (1) in contact with the stored coffee powder (CF), water filling will occur momentarily inside the compartment formed by the closing of said upper dispersion unit (15b) and said lower dispersion unit (15) so that the water will flow through the grooves (22) providing the straining of the coffee without pressure, which will flow into the grooves (22) of the lower dispersing unit (15) to the drip channels (23) passing through the diffuser cone (18) of the extractor nozzle (16), flowing through the diffuser channel (19) to the cup, thus obtaining a brewed coffee, as in traditional molds, by paper filters or fabric strainer.

[0030] The lower disperser (15), in addition to containing grooves (22) and drip channel (23), also has a bottom fitting base (21) provided with internal threads to receive the extractor nozzle (16), this one provided with seal (24) at the fitting part to said lower disperser (15).

[0031] Thus, in the single-dose device of the present invention, the injector device (2) is internal to the layers that form the sachet, so that the lateral slots (10), arranged in the vertical body (8) allow the water to be diffused exactly in the middle of the powder, that is, directly in contact with coffee powder. In addition, said injector device (2) has the function of keeping the two layers of the filter element (3 and 4) at the ideal height and, also, the sealing edge (6) acts as a base to keep the sachet in a horizontal position, allowing the alignment of the single dose unit (1) in relation to the extraction machine, and essentially receives the water injection of water directly distributed in the coffee powder, through the lateral slots (10) that act as dispersers.

[0032] Therefore, the horizontal arrangement of the single-dose unit (1), the position of the injector (01), and the diffusion of water directly into the coffee allows adequate extraction to reach the texture, appearance and flavor of the brewed coffee.