DOUBLE-WALLED FILTER FOR COFFEE MACHINE

Abstract

A filter for an espresso coffee machine including a first portion having a cup-shaped body, for containing coffee powder, wherein the cup-shaped body includes at least one bottom wall having an acceleration hole for the dispensing of coffee; a second portion including a filtering wall placed in the cup-shaped body upstream of the acceleration hole removably associated with the cup-shaped body; and a seal placed between an edge of the filtering wall (6) and the cup-shaped body, wherein said seal is coupled unremovably to the filtering wall. The filter exclusively includes said first and said second portion.

Claims

1. A filter for an espresso coffee machine comprising a first portion comprising a cup-shaped body for containing coffee powder, wherein the cup-shaped body comprises at least one bottom wall comprising an acceleration hole; a second portion comprising a filtering wall placed in the cup-shaped body upstream of the acceleration hole and removably associated with the cup-shaped body; and a seal placed between an edge of the filtering wall and the cup-shaped body, wherein said seal is coupled unremovably to the filtering wall, wherein the filter exclusively comprises said first and said second portion.

2. The filter according to claim 1, characterised in that said cup-shaped body further comprises a single piece.

3. The filter according to claim 1, characterised in that the seal is coupled unremovably to the filtering wall by overinjection with an elastomeric material.

4. The filter according to claim 1, characterised in that said edge of the filtering wall comprises at least one coupling element disposed along an entire perimeter of the edge, wherein said coupling element is L-shaped.

5. The filter according to claim 1, characterised in that the filtering wall and the seal are associated with the cup-shaped body by interference.

6. The filter according to claim 1, further a gripping member associated with the filtering wall, which gripping member separates said filtering wall from said cup-shaped body.

7. The filter according to claim 6, characterized in that the gripping member further comprises a tongue which protrudes from the seal.

8. A package comprising the filter for the espresso coffee machine of claim 1 and a filter holder for housing said filter.

Description

[0020] Within the scope of the present description, reference shall be made to the appended figures in which:

[0021] FIG. 1 represents an axonometric view of a filter for coffee machines in accordance with the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the filter for coffee machines of FIG. 1.

[0023] With reference to the appended figures, a filter for coffee machines in accordance with the present invention is indicated in its entirety by the number 1.

[0024] The filter 1 comprises a first portion removably associated with a second portion. In accordance with the present invention, the filter 1 comprises exactly the first and the second portion.

[0025] The first portion comprises a cup-shaped body 2 having a bottom wall 3 and a lateral wall 4 fixed to the bottom wall 3. In the cup-shaped body 2 a compartment is therefore defined for containing a pre-determined dose of coffee powder.

[0026] The cup-shaped body 2 has an axisymmetric shape. The cup-shaped body 2 is made of a single piece. The cup-shaped body 2 is made of metal material. By way of example, the cup-shaped body 2 is made through moulding a single metal plate.

[0027] The cup-shaped body 2 is, in use, intended to be inserted in a filter holder of a coffee machine.

[0028] The filter holder (not shown) comprises a main body in which a compartment is defined for housing the filter containing the coffee powder in a stationary and stable way. The filter holder further comprises a handle connected to the main body, which allows the assembly of the filter holder on the espresso coffee machine for preparing the beverage.

[0029] In the bottom wall 3 of the cup-shaped body 2, an acceleration hole 5 is made in order to allow the infused beverage to exit the filter 1. As shown, the hole 5 is a through hole positioned centrally in the bottom wall 3. Purely by way of example, the hole 5 may have a diameter comprised between 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm.

[0030] It is to be observed that the first portion exclusively comprises the cup-shaped body 2 which, as mentioned above, comprises a single component.

[0031] The second portion of the filter 1 comprises a filtering wall 6, arranged within the cup-shaped body 2 and placed upstream of the hole 5.

[0032] The filtering wall 6 comprises a flat portion 6a, having a multitude of through holes through which the infused beverage passes, retaining the particles of coffee powder.

[0033] It is to be observed here that the flat shape of the portion 6a of the filtering wall is not a limiting characteristic and may be substituted by a convex or concave curved shape or any other shape.

[0034] The filtering wall 6 further comprises an edge 6b that extends perimetrally to the flat portion 6a.

[0035] The filtering wall 6 is removably associated with the cup-shaped body 2. In more detail, the filtering wall is arranged in the cup-shaped body 2 so that the edge 6b is coupled to the cup-shaped body 2. In particular, the edge 6b is preferably coupled to the lateral wall 4.

[0036] The filtering wall 6 is made of metal material.

[0037] The second portion of the filter 1 further comprises a seal 7 placed between the filtering wall 6 and the cup-shaped body 2. In more detail, the seal is placed between the edge 6b of the filtering wall 6 and the cup-shaped body 2.

[0038] Such seal 7 prevents a flow between the filtering wall 6 and the cup-shaped body 2 which would also cause the passage of coffee powder which would contaminate the beverage.

[0039] The second portion, comprising the filtering wall 6 and the seal 7, is preferably configured so as to guarantee the seal against the cup-shaped body, in particular against the internal lateral wall of the cup-shaped body, without further tightening means.

[0040] It is to be noted yet again that the present invention can be applied in the making of espresso coffee. Therefore, in the step of making the beverage, the filter 1 is crossed by a flow of hot water under pressure. The pressure of the flow of water may reach a value of 9-10 bar and the seal 7 is therefore made in such a way as to withstand such pressure.

[0041] The seal 7 is made of elastomeric material, for example, silicone rubber. In more detail, the elastomeric material is based on food grade silicone.

[0042] In accordance with the present invention, the seal 7 is associated with the edge 6b of the filtering wall 6 in a unremovable way. In other words, the filtering wall 6 and the seal 7 are made of a single piece.

[0043] The seal 7 is associated with the filtering wall 6 through the overinjection of elastomeric material at the edge 6b of the filtering wall 6. Advantageously, this allows a stable and long-lasting connection to be made between the seal 7 and the filtering wall 7 simply and without the use of further coupling means, such as glue or the like. In order to facilitate the coupling between the seal 7 and the filtering wall 6, the edge 6b of the filtering wall 6 has a coupling element 8 that extends along the entire perimeter of the filtering wall 6. In accordance with the illustrations, the coupling element 8 is L-shaped.

[0044] In other words, the coupling element 8 comprises a cylindrical wall 8a that extends transversally to the flat portion 6a of the filtering wall 6 along its entire perimeter.

[0045] Furthermore, the coupling element 8 comprises an annular wall 8b, with a circular crown shape, which extends from the cylindrical wall 8a in an opposite position to the portion 6a of the filtering wall 6. In this way, the coupling element 8 defines an increased coupling surface area with the elastomeric material that defines the seal 7.

[0046] In fact, the coupling element 8 defines the edge 6b of the filtering wall 6.

[0047] As well as guaranteeing a fluid seal between the filtering wall 6 and the cup-shaped body 2, the seal 7 allows the reversible coupling to between the filtering wall 6 and the cup-shaped body 2 be made.

[0048] In particular, the filtering wall 6 and the seal 7 are associated with the cup-shaped body 2 by means of interference.

[0049] The elastic deformability characteristics of the seal 7 allow the aforementioned reversible coupling.

[0050] It is to be noted that the second portion of the filter 1 only comprises the filtering wall 6 and the seal 7 which are made in a single piece.

[0051] The second portion of the filter 1 may further comprise a gripping member 9 connected to the filtering wall 6 so that it may be simply gripped for removing it from the cup-shaped body 2.

[0052] The gripping member 9 comprises a tongue 10 made as a single piece with the seal 7 and protruding therefrom.

[0053] The invention thus described reaches the pre-set object.

[0054] In fact, the filter is solely made of two components associated with one another by interference, in other words the first and the second portion.

[0055] This allows the filter to be disassembled simply and quickly for being able to conveniently wash the two portions. In that way, the periodic cleaning operation necessary for keeping the functionality of the filter constant is very simple and quick both in relation to a domestic use of the filter and a professional use thereof.