WO2012041394A1

WO2012041394A1 - Portable beverage maker

Info

Publication number: WO2012041394A1
Application number: PCT/EP2010/064683
Authority: WO
Inventors: Coen Jan Leopold Van Den Brand; Jeroen F.C. Roeleven
Original assignee: Invence B.V.
Priority date: 2010-10-01
Filing date: 2010-10-01
Publication date: 2012-04-05

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable beverage maker (1) for making a beverage out of water and ingredients comprising: -a cup (2) for containing the beverage, said cup (2) having a bottom (3) and an upright circumferential wall; -a plunger (9) having a piston (10) guided by the inner surface of the circumferential wall and a shaft (11) arranged on top of the piston (10); -a passage opening (12) extending from one side of the piston to the opposite side, wherein a space is provided in the passage opening for accommodating a container (14) with ingredients, like coffee, tea or chocolate powder, for the beverage.

Description

Portable beverage maker

The invention relates to a portable beverage maker for making a beverage out of water and ingredients comprising:

- a cup for containing the beverage, said cup having a bottom and an upright circumferential wall;

- a plunger having a piston guided by the inner surface of the circumferential wall and a shaft arranged on top of the piston .

Such a device is known as a French coffee maker. A

French coffee maker has generally a glass container in which a perforated disc with a shaft is movable. The French coffee maker is used by putting grinded coffee in the glass container and then pouring hot water in the container. After a while the perforated disc is pushed through the water to the bottom, such that coffee is made. By pushing the disc to the bottom most of the grinded coffee is collected and pressed against the bottom by the disc.

Such a device is for example difficult to use in a car. Filling the glass container with loose grinded coffee is prone to spillage. Furthermore making hot water in a car is difficult. A separate water cooker could be used. When the water is hot, it has to be transferred from the water cooker to the glass

container. This could however result in spillage causing

injuries.

US 5799566 describes a device for coffee making having a cup with a bottom in which a heater is arranged. A container for ingredients is arranged in the heater. This container is free floating in the water similar to a teabag. The cup is

furthermore provided with lid to close off the cup.

To use device according to this publication, cold water is poured into the cup. This water is then heated by the heater. As soon as the water has reached the desired temperature, the container, provided with the desired ingredients like tea of coffee, is put into the water and the cup is sealed by a lid. The cup is then inverted, such that the container will float up through the heated water. The strength is determined based on the number of inversions.

For in-house use a number of coffee makers are recently developed, which can produce within a short period of time a fresh cup of coffee.

A known system is the Senseo-system. This system uses a device in which flexible pads filled with coffee or tea are introduced. After closing the device, hot water is pressed through the pad and the extract is poured into a cup. In order to feed the hot water at a high pressure through the pad, an electric pump is arranged in the device.

Another known system is the Nespresso system, which uses rigid cups filled with the desired ingredients and which is closed by a flexible and piercable foil. After inserting such a cup in the Nespresso device, the piercable foil is pierced by closing the lid of the device. Then hot water is pumped under high pressure through the rigid cup and its content. The

resulting extract flows in to a coffee cup.

In both the Senseo system as the Nespresso system easy to use cartridges are used, which contain sufficient ingredients for one cup of beverage. After use the cartridges are easily discarded. The disadvantage of these systems is that hot water has to be fed through the pad or rigid cup respectively under high pressure, requiring an electric pump. For a portable system, this is not always optimal.

It is now an object of the invention to provide a portable beverage maker in which the above mentioned

disadvantages are reduced or even removed.

This object is achieved with a portable beverage maker, which is characterized by:

- a passage opening extending from one side of the piston to the opposite side, wherein a space is provided in the passage opening for accommodating a container with ingredients, like coffee, tea or chocolate powder, for the beverage; The space in the piston can accommodate a container with ingredients, like a Senseo pad or a Nespresso cup. After the cup of the device of the invention is filled with hot or cold water, the plunger is push down in the cup, such that the piston is forced through the hot or cold water. As the piston is guided by the inner surface of the circumferential wall, the water will be forced for the most part through the passage opening and

accordingly through the container with ingredients. By manually operating the shaft of the plunger, sufficient pressure can easily be generated, which is needed for pressing the water through the known cartridge like containers with ingredients, such as the Senseo pads or Nespresso cups.

This portable beverage maker is in particular suitable to be used in for example a car.

In a preferred embodiment of the portable beverage maker according to the invention the space for accommodating a

container with ingredients comprises perforation means for perforating the container. By providing perforation means the container with ingredients can be air-tight sealed. The

perforation means open the container just before the ingredients of the container are brought in contact with the water.

In an embodiment of the portable beverage maker according to the invention the plunger is a secondary cup, wherein the bottom of the secondary cup comprises the passage opening. By shaping the plunger as a secondary cup, the comfort of drinking out of the device is increased. The shaft is with this embodiment shaped as the outer circumferential wall of the secondary cup.

Preferably the portable beverage maker according to the invention comprises a heater and/or cooler arranged in the bottom and/or side of the cup for heating and/or cooling the beverage. With the heater or cooler bottled water can be used and then be brought to the desired temperature either by cooling or heating.

In another embodiment of the portable beverage maker according to the invention the heater is a Peltier element for either heating or cooling the beverage. With a Peltier element the water in the cup can be heated, but also cooled. This could have its advantage when cold drinks are desired like for example icetea.

In another preferred embodiment of the portable beverage maker comprising a support having a first electrical connector part and wherein the cup comprises a second electrical connector part connected to the heater. The first and second electrical make simple disconnecting possible of the electronic wiring for the heater. The support can be arranged at a suitable place and when the beverage is completed, the cup can be disconnected from the support to drink the beverage.

The portable beverage maker can also have a non- disconnectable power lead or could be provided with batteries.

Yet another embodiment of the portable beverage maker comprising a lid for closing off the cup, wherein the shaft of the plunger extends through the lid. Preferably, the lid has a sealable drink opening. With such a drink opening the lid does not need to be removed. The lid can be arranged by a pressfit or by a screw top.

The invention further relates to a combination of a portable beverage maker according to the invention and a

container with ingredients. Preferably, the container is a flexible pouch containing coffee or tea. Such a flexible pouch is in particular known as Senseo pads.

However, the container can also contain a concentrated fluid or syrup for making other beverages like soda, iced tea, iced coffee and so on.

The container can be held in the space with any suitable means, such as a bracket, a closing plate or screw lid.

In another embodiment of the invention the container is a rigid cup closed off with a flexible and pierceable foil and filled with ingredients. Such a rigid cup is in particular known as Nespresso cups. These and other features are elucidated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 shows a cross sectional view of a first embodiment of a portable beverage maker of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view of a second embodiment of a portable beverage maker of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a portable beverage maker 1. This beverage maker 1 has a cup 2. This cup 2 has a bottom 3 in which a heater or cooler 4 is arranged. The heater or cooler 4 is connected to an electrical connector part 5. The cup 2 is removably arranged on a support 6, which is also provided with an electrical connector part 7. The electrical connector part 7 is connected with a power supply 8. When the cup 2 is placed on the support 6 both electrical connector part 5, 7 will make contact, such that the heater or cooler 4 can be provided with power to heat a liquid in the cup 2. Optionally, the support or the cup can have an electrical switch to turn on the electrical power.

A plunger 9 is provided in the cup 2. This plunger 9 has a piston 10 and a shaft 11. The piston 10 is provided with passage openings 12. The bottom of the piston 10 is provided with a space 13, in which a flexible pad 14 is arranged. This flexible pad 14 is kept in the space 13 with a bracket 15.

When water is heated in the cup 2 by the heater 4 (or cooled), the plunger 9 can be pushed down through the water. The water will be pressed in the flexible pad 14 and will exit the pad 14 on the back in the space 13 and can exit the piston 10 through the passage openings 12.

The cup 2 is closed off by a lid 16. The shaft 11 extends through the lid 16, such that the plunger 9 can be pressed down while the cup 2 is closed off by the lid 16.

A closable drink opening 17 is furthermore arranged in the lid 16. Depending on the intended use, the drink opening 17 could also be left open.

Figure 2 shows a cross sectional view of a second embodiment 20 of a portable beverage maker according to the invention .

The beverage maker 20 has a cup 21. In the wall of the cup 21 coils 22 of a heater or cooler are arranged. The coils 22 can be powered by a direct power connection or by an indirect power connection, like induction.

Within the cup 21 a second cup 23 is arranged as a plunger. The cup 23 has a circumferential wall 24 which is in contact with the inner wall of the cup 21, such that

substantially no liquid can pass between the cup 21 and the second cup 23.

The cup 23 has a bottom 25 which is provided with a recess 26, which provides a space for a rigid cup 27, like a Nespresso cup. The top of the recess 26 is provided with pierce- members 28. Each pierce-member 28 has a passage channel 29.

The rigid cup 27 is kept in the space 26 by a closing plate 30, which is also provided with pierce-members 28.

The portable beverage maker 20 can be used as follows. First the second cup 23 is removed from the cup 21. A rigid cup 27 is placed in the space 26 and the closing plate 30 is mounted to the bottom 25 of the second cup 23. When the closing plate 30 is mounted, the pierce-members 28 will pierce the rigid cup 27.

The cup 21 is filled with a liquid, which is heated or cooled by the heater or cooler coils 22. When the liquid has reached the desired temperature, the second cup 23 is pushed in the cup 21. By pushing the second cup 23 in the first cup 21, the liquid is forced through passage openings 29 in the closing plate 30, through the pierced rigid cup 27 and then through the passage openings 29 in the top of the recess 26 into the second cup 23.

When the second cup 23 is pushed fully into the cup 21, all the liquid is forced through the rigid cup 27 and into the second cup 23. The lid 31 can then be opened and the brewed beverage can be drunk through the opening 32 in the lid 31.

Although the invention is typically suitable for use with the known cartridges like the Senseo pads and the Nespresso cups, other containers filled with desired ingredients can also be used. With the invention it is possible to make different beverages, like coffee, tea, soda, chocolate milk and chai . If a Peltier element is used as heater, it can also be used as cooler resulting in cold beverages. In particular for this latter case, the container could contain a concentrated fluid or syrup.

Although not shown, a small waste compartment can be arranged to the cup, such that after first use the used

container can be discarded in the waste compartment and a second container can be arranged in the beverage maker according to the invention. This is in particular useful when the beverage maker is used in a car.

Claims

1. Portable beverage maker for making a beverage out of water and ingredients comprising:

- a plunger having a piston guided by the inner surface of the circumferential wall and a shaft arranged on top of the piston;

characterized by

- a passage opening extending from one side of the piston to the opposite side, wherein a space is provided in the passage opening for accommodating a container with ingredients, like coffee, tea or chocolate powder, for the beverage.

2. Portable beverage maker according to claim 1, wherein the space for accommodating a container with ingredients comprises perforation means for perforating the container.

3. Portable beverage maker according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plunger is a secondary cup, wherein the bottom of the secondary cup comprises the passage opening.

4. Portable beverage maker according to any of the preceding claims, comprising a heater and/or cooler arranged in the bottom of the cup for heating and/or cooling the beverage.

5. Portable beverage maker according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the heater and/or cooler is a Peltier element for either heating or cooling the beverage.

6. Portable beverage maker comprising a support having a first electrical connector part and wherein the cup comprises a second electrical connector part connected to the heater.

7. Portable beverage maker comprising a lid for closing off the cup, wherein the shaft of the plunger extends through the lid.

8. Portable beverage maker according to claim 7, wherein the lid has a sealable drink opening.

9. Combination of a portable beverage maker according to any of the preceding claims and a container with ingredients.

10. Combination according to claim 9, wherein the container is a flexible pouch containing coffee or tea.

11. Combination according to claim 9, wherein the container is a rigid cup closed off with a flexible and peaceable foil and filled with ingredients.