FILTER INSERT FOR AN INFUSION DEVICE FOR PREPARING BEVERAGES, IN PARTICULAR COFFEE OR TEA, AND INFUSION DEVICE COMPRISING SUCH A FILTER INSERT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a filter insert (28) for an infusion device (10) for preparing beverages, in particular coffee or tea, wherein the filter insert (28) comprises a wall (30) with a first open end (31) and a second open end (33), the wall enclosing a cavity (32) into which a material used for preparing the beverage is insertable, the wall (30) having perforated sections (34) with a plurality of filter openings (36), and a closure member (44) which is releasably connectable or connected to the wall (30) in the region of the first open end (31) and with which the first open end (31) is closable. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an infusion device (10) with such a filter insert (28).

Claims

1. Filter insert for an infusion device for preparing beverages, in particular coffee or tea, wherein the filter insert comprises a wall having a first open end and a second open end and enclosing a cavity into which a material used to prepare the beverage is insertable, the wall having perforated sections with a plurality of filter openings, and a closure member which is detachably connectable or connected to the wall in the region of the first open end and with which the first open end can be closed.

2. Filter insert according to claim 1, wherein the filter insert comprises a sealing element with which the closure member can be sealed with respect to the wall.

3. Filter insert according to claim 1, wherein the wall forms a fastening section and the closure member forms a counter-fastening section complementarily formed to the fastening section, the fastening section and the counter-fastening section are interacting with each other such that the closure member is detachably connectable or connected to the wall.

4. Filter insert according to claim 3, wherein first protrusions or first recesses are formed on the fastening section, and second protrusions or second recesses are formed on the counter-fastening section, the first protrusions or the first recesses and the second protrusions or the second recesses are interacting with each other such that the closure member is detachably connectable or connected to the wall.

5. Filter insert according to claim 3, wherein the fastening section is formed by a separate intermediate part that is fastened to the wall.

6. Filter insert according to claim 1, wherein the filter insert comprises a connecting element which is non-detachably connected to the wall and into which the closure member is detachably insertable or inserted.

7. Filter insert according to claim 6, wherein the sealing element is arranged to seal the closure member with respect to the connecting member.

8. Filter insert according to claim 7, wherein the closure member can be screwed into the connecting element.

9. Filter insert according to claim 1, wherein in the region of the second open end a support flange projecting radially outwardly beyond the wall is fastened to the wall.

10. Infusion device for preparing beverages, in particular coffee or tea, comprising a container with an opening, and a filter insert insertable into the container through the opening according to claim 1.

11. Infusion device according to claim 10, wherein the infusion device comprises a retaining ring, which can be brought into contact with the container in the area of the opening and has a retaining section on which the filter insert can be brought into contact.

12. Infusion device according to claim 11, wherein the retaining ring has a sealing portion with which the retaining ring can be sealed with respect to the container.

13. Infusion device according to claim 12, wherein the retaining ring has at least one through opening through which the beverage can flow.

14. Infusion device according to claim 10, wherein the infusion device comprises a plunger-filter assembly which is insertable into the filter insert through the second open end and is slidable within the filter insert.

15. Infusion device according to claim 14, wherein the plunger-filter assembly has a piston rod and the infusion device comprises a lid which can be brought into contact on the filter insert or on the holding section, the piston rod being displaceably mounted in the lid.

Description

[0038] Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] FIG. 1A is a first embodiment of an infusion device according to the invention by means of a side view,

[0040] FIG. 1B displays the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A in a sectional view along the sectional plane A-A defined in FIG. 1A,

[0041] FIG. 1C is an enlarged view of the section X marked in FIG. 1B,

[0042] FIG. 2A shows a second embodiment of an infusion device according to the invention by means of a side view,

[0043] FIG. 2B illustrates the embodiment shown in FIG. 2A by means of a sectional view along the sectional plane B-B defined in FIG. 2A,

[0044] FIG. 2C is an enlarged view of the section Y marked in FIG. 2B,

[0045] FIG. 3A shows a third embodiment of an infusion device according to the invention by means of a sectional view following the view of FIG. 1B, and

[0046] FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of the section Z marked in FIG. 3A.

[0047] In FIGS. 1A to 1C, a first embodiment of an infusion device 10.sub.1 according to the present invention is shown with reference to various illustrations. The infusion device 10.sub.1 comprises a container 12, which in the illustrated embodiment is designed as a glass or plastic container, which is substantially cylindrical in shape, the container 12 having a closed bottom 14 and an opening 16. The container 12 can be inserted into a handling device 18, which has a receiving structure 20 on which a handle 22 is mounted. In this regard, the handling device 18 rests almost flush against the outside of the container 12 and includes feet 24 so that the infusion device 10.sub.1 can be safely placed on a base not shown here.

[0048] The container 12 forms a pouring section 26 in the region of the opening 16, with which a beverage that has been prepared with the present infusion device 10.sub.1 can be poured, for example, into a cup, which will be discussed in more detail below.

[0049] As can be seen in particular from FIG. 1B, a filter insert 28 is inserted into the container 12 through the opening 16. The filter insert 28 includes a wall 30 that encloses a cavity 32. The wall 30 also has a substantially cylindrical shape and includes a first open end 31 and a second open end 33. Referring to the embodiment selected in FIGS. 1A to 1C, the first open end 31 is located in the region of the bottom and the second open end 33 is located in the region of the opening 16 of the container 12. The wall 30 comprises at least one perforated section 34, which comprises a plurality of filter openings 36 and can be seen in FIG. 1C.

[0050] It can also be seen, in particular from FIG. 1C, that a connecting element 38 is connected to the wall 30 of the filter insert 28 in the region of the first open end 31. In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting element 38 is fastened to the wall 30 of the filter insert 28 by a form closure. For this purpose, a projection 40 of the connecting element 38 engages in a mounting hole 42 of the wall 30.

[0051] Furthermore, the filter insert 28 comprises a closure member 44 which, in the illustrated embodiment, can be screwed into the connecting element 38, whereby the first open end 31 of the filter insert 28 can be closed. The screwing-in can be done, for example, in the manner of a bayonet lock. In addition, a sealing element 46 is attached to the connecting element 38 for which purpose the connecting element 38 has a correspondingly formed recess 50. The sealing element 46 seals the closure member 44 with respect to the connecting element 38. The connecting element 38 has a sealing surface 52 which is complementary in sections to the sealing element 46 and against which the sealing element 46 is pressed when the closure member 44 is screwed in. Due to the resulting deformation, the sealing element 46 seals the closure member 44 against the connecting element 38.

[0052] In the region of the second open end 33, the filter insert 28 is connected with a support flange 54 with which the filter insert 28 can be placed on the container 12 at the opening 16. The support flange 54 is connected to the filter insert 28 by a snap connection, however, other ways to connect the support flange 54 and the filter insert 28 are conceivable. In the illustrated embodiment, however, the support flange 54 does not rest directly on the container 12, but on a retaining ring 56 which is introduced into the container 12 through the opening 16. The retaining ring 56 includes a holding portion 58 that fixes the retaining ring 56 with respect to the container 12, the holding portion 58 abutting the inner surface of the container 12. In the fully inserted condition, the holding portion 58 is located below the pouring portion 26 with reference to the illustration according to FIGS. 1A to 1C. Further, the retaining ring 56 includes a plurality of through openings 60 which are disposed in the region of the pouring portion 26 in the intended use of the infusion device 10.sub.1. For receiving the support flange 54, the retaining ring 56 has a retaining section 61.

[0053] In addition, the infusion device 10.sub.1 includes a plunger-filter assembly 62 comprising a press filter 64 and a piston rod 66 connected thereto. The piston rod 66 is slidably mounted in a lid 68, which can be fitted onto the retaining section 61 of the retaining ring 56 and which closes the opening 16 of the container 12. The lid 68 simultaneously fixes the filter insert 28 in the retaining ring 56.

[0054] The procedure for preparing a beverage is as follows: first, a typically insoluble material, for example coffee powder or tea leaves, is placed in the filter insert 28, which is closed at the first open end 31 with the closure member 44, but is open at the second open end 33. Subsequently, if not already done, the retaining ring 56 is inserted into the container 12 and then the filter insert 28 is placed on the retaining ring 56.

[0055] A liquid, in particular hot water, is now poured into the container 12 and waited until the insoluble material has been extracted to the desired extent. The lid 68 can already be placed on the retaining ring 56 during the extraction process. In doing so, the press filter 64 is positioned in the area of the second open end 33 of the filter insert 28. When the extraction process is to be completed, the piston rod 66 is moved towards the bottom 14 of the container 12, whereby the press filter 64 is inserted into the cavity 32 of the filter insert 28, thereby moving the insoluble material towards the area of the first open end 31 of the filter insert 28. Now, the infusion device 10.sub.1 can be grasped by the handle 22 and the prepared beverage poured into a cup, for example. As the holding portion 58 seals the retaining ring 56 from the container 12, the beverage flows first through the through openings 60 and then through the pouring portion 26, with the insoluble material being retained by the filter insert 28 as the filter openings 36 are sized to be smaller than the vast majority of the particles of the insoluble material.

[0056] Once the container 12 has been completely emptied or no further beverage is to be consumed, the filter insert 28 is removed from the container 12. The filter insert 28 can be removed from the container 12 together with the lid 68 and the plunger-filter assembly 62 stored therein. However, it is also possible to first separate the plunger-filter assembly 62 together with the lid 68 from the filter insert 28 before removing the latter from the container 12. In any case, in order to be able to clean the filter insert 28, it is necessary to separate the plunger-filter assembly 62 from the filter insert 28. Once this is done, the insoluble material located in the region of the second open end 33 can be removed from the filter insert 28, for example by emptying the filter insert 28 over a waste garbage can. However, doing so will typically not succeed in removing all of the insoluble material. In order to be able to thoroughly clean the filter insert 28, the closure member 44 is separated from the remainder of the filter insert 28 so that both the first open end 31 and the second open end 33 are now open. Subsequently, both the filter insert 28 and the closure member 44 can be cleaned, for example, in a dishwasher or by hand. Due to the fact that the closure member 44 is detachably attached to the filter insert 28, the cavity 32 is easily accessible, especially in the area of the second open end 33, so that the insoluble material mainly located there can be easily removed.

[0057] FIGS. 2A to 2C show a second embodiment of the infusion device 10.sub.2 according to the present invention by means of various illustrations. The basic structure of the infusion device 10.sub.2 according to the second embodiment example largely corresponds to that of the infusion device 10.sub.1 according to the first embodiment example, which is why only the main differences will be discussed below. In particular, the filter insert 28 has essentially the same structure as in the first embodiment example and can thus be used for infusion devices according to the first and second embodiment with only slight modifications on the second open end 33.

[0058] While the infusion device 10.sub.1 according to the first embodiment example is particularly suitable for the preparation of coffee, the infusion device 10.sub.2 according to the second embodiment example is particularly suitable for the preparation of tea, although no strict separation is to be seen herein. In other words, it is also possible to prepare the respective other beverage with the respective embodiments of the infusion device 10. It should be noted that the filter insert 28 may also be used in other applications not shown herein.

[0059] The essential difference is that in the infusion device 10.sub.2 according to the second embodiment example, no plunger-filter assembly 62 is provided. In this respect, there is no guide for the piston rod 66 of the plunger-filter assembly 62 in the lid 68. In addition, the container 12 of the infusion device 10.sub.2 according to the second embodiment example has a different structure than the container 12 of the infusion device 10.sub.1 according to the first embodiment example. In the infusion device 10.sub.2 according to the second embodiment example, the container 12 is not made of glass, but of plastic, with the handle 22 being directly integrated into the container 12. Consequently, it is not necessary to use the handling device 18 described for the first embodiment example of the infusion device 10.sub.1. The container 12 is configured to be placed securely on a support that is not shown.

[0060] As mentioned above, there is no guide for the piston rod 66 of the plunger-filter assembly 62 in the lid 68. Therefore, the retaining ring 56 also has a slightly different structure. Compared to the infusion device 10.sub.1 according to the first embodiment, the retaining ring 56 of the infusion device 10.sub.2 according to the second embodiment projects much less far into the container 12. As a result, the retaining ring 56 also does not have any through openings 60 because the beverage can flow directly into the pouring section 26.

[0061] The holding portion 58 of the retaining ring 56 comprises a plurality of protrusions 70 facing radially outwardly.

[0062] With the exception of the actuation of the plunger-filter assembly 62, the infusion device 10.sub.2 according to the second embodiment example can be used in the same manner as described for the infusion device 10.sub.1 according to the first embodiment example. As already noted, the filter insert 28 can be used for various infusion devices. To this end only slide modifications of the area of the second open end 33 need to be conducted. Thus, a modular approach is realized, keeping respective costs low without compromising the versatileness in the application.

[0063] FIGS. 3A and 3B show a third embodiment of the infusion device 10.sub.3 according to the present invention. FIG. 3B is an enlarged view of the section Z indicated in FIG. 3A. As the basic construction of the infusion device 10.sub.3 of the third embodiment is to a large extent similar to the infusion device 10.sub.1, 10.sub.2 according to the first and second embodiment, only the important differences will be described in the following:

[0064] The infusion device 10.sub.3 of the third embodiment is equipped with a fastening section 72 adjacent to the first open end 31. The fastening section 72 is formed by an intermediate part 71 which has a substantially cylindrical shape, the outer diameter of which is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the remaining wall 30. The intermediate part 71 is connected to the wall 30 by a form closure that is formed by annular radially outwardly facing projections 82 of the intermediate part 71 and the wall 30. The wall thickness of the intermediate part 71 is higher than the wall thickness of the wall 30.

[0065] A plurality of first protrusions 74 is formed on the outer surface of the fastening section 72 of the intermediate part 71. The first protrusions 74 are slightly inclined with respect to the plain defined by the first open end 31.

[0066] On its inner surface the closure member 44 forms a counter-fastening section 76 complementary to the fastening section 72. A plurality of second protrusions 78 facing radially inwardly is formed on the counter-fastening section 76. The second protrusions 78 are also inclined in the same way as the first protrusions 74.

[0067] For connecting the closure member 44 to the wall 30, the closure member 44 is placed coaxially with the wall 30 and then moved towards the first open end 31. The closure member 44 is further moved along the longitudinal axis of the filter insert 28 such that the first protrusions 74 and the second protrusions 78 can interact with each other to form a form closure. Due to the inclination of the first protrusions 74 and the second protrusions 78 the closure member 44 can be turned around the longitudinal axis of the filter insert 28, thereby being moved along the longitudinal axis until it abuts to the first open end 31. Thereby, the closure member 44 is fastened to the filter insert 28 similar to a screw.

[0068] To disconnect the closure member 44 from the filter insert 28, the closure member 44 is turned in the opposite direction until the first protrusions 74 and the second protrusions 78 are out of engagement. After that the closure member 44 can be removed from the filter insert 28 by a movement along the longitudinal axis.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0069] 10 infusion device [0070] 10.sub.1, 10.sub.2, 10.sub.3 infusion device [0071] 12 container [0072] 14 bottom [0073] 16 opening [0074] 18 handling device [0075] 20 receiving structure [0076] 22 handle [0077] 24 feet [0078] 26 pouring section [0079] 28 filter insert [0080] 30 wall [0081] 31 first open end [0082] 32 cavity [0083] 33 second open end [0084] 34 perforated section [0085] 36 filter opening [0086] 38 connecting element [0087] 40 projection [0088] 42 mounting hole [0089] 44 closure member [0090] 46 sealing element [0091] 50 recess [0092] 52 sealing surface [0093] 54 support flange [0094] 56 retaining ring [0095] 58 holding portion [0096] 60 through opening [0097] 61 retaining section [0098] 62 plunger-filter assembly [0099] 64 press filter [0100] 66 piston rod [0101] 68 lid [0102] 70 protrusions [0103] 71 intermediate part [0104] 72 fastening section [0105] 74 first protrusion [0106] 76 counter-fastening section [0107] 78 second protrusion [0108] 82 outwardly facing projection