Brew basket and filter pack for electric coffee brewing machine
View Patent ↗A brew basket is provided for use in a beverage brewing machine. The brew basket includes a body defining a brewing reservoir that extends along a longitudinal length from an open top to a bottom end having one or more openings. The brewing reservoir has an internally tapered multi-sided three-dimensional (3D) shape. The brewing reservoir having a first cross-sectional area at the open top that progressively narrows along the longitudinal length of the multi-sided 3D shape to a smaller second cross-sectional area proximate to the one or more openings at the bottom end. The open top is configured to receive heated water from the brewing machine during a brewing operation with brewed beverage discharging from the one or more openings. The multi-sided 3D shape of the brewing reservoir configured to receive a filter pack having a generally tapered multi-sided 3D shape similar to the multi-sided 3D shape of the brewing reservoir.
1. A brew basket and filter pack assembly for use in a beverage brewing machine, the assembly comprising:
a brew basket comprising a body defining a brewing reservoir that extends along a longitudinal length from an open top to a bottom end having one or more openings, the brewing reservoir having a funnel-shaped segment, the funnel-shaped segment located proximate to the one or more openings at the bottom end, the open top being configured to receive heated water from the brewing machine during a brewing operation with brewed beverage discharging from the one or more openings; and
a filter pack comprising a liquid permeable pouch containing coffee grounds, the pouch having multiple sides and multiple vertices joined to form a polygon shape with at least first and second funnel-shaped segments that have a shape and size to fit within the funnel-shaped segment of the brewing reservoir when the pouch is oriented in any of at least two inverted positions.
2. The brew basket and filter pack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the polygon shape has a multi-sided 3D shape that is continuously tapered from each of the multiple sides to the vertex.
3. The brew basket and filter pack assembly of claim 2 , wherein an amount of taper is substantially even from each side to the associated opposed vertex.
4. The brew basket and filter pack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least two inverted positions include first and second inverted positions, the first inverted position positions a first vertex of the pouch at the bottom end of the brewing reservoir, the first inverted position positions a first vertex of the pouch at the bottom end of the brewing reservoir.
5. The brew basket and filter pack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the sides and vertices of the pouch are joined to form a triangular pyramid shape.
6. The brew basket and filter pack assembly of claim 1 , wherein polygon provides a universal orientation of the pouch that enables the pouch to be received within the brewing reservoir such that any one of the funnel-shaped segments of the pouch substantially fill the funnel-shaped segment of the brewing reservoir.
7. The brew basket and filter pack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the pouch is received within the brewing reservoir such that a one of the vertices that is fit within the funnel-shaped segment proximate to the bottom end is spaced a vertical gap above the one or more openings in the bottom end.
8. The brew basket and filter pack assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least two inverted positions include a first inverted position with a first vertex of the pouch at the bottom end and a first side forming a closed top facing upward toward the open top, the closed top to form a water pooling pocket as the heated water diffuses through the closed top of the pouch to facilitate extraction from the grounds.
9. The brew basket of claim 1 , wherein the polygon shape of the pouch fits into the brewing reservoir to form a seal such that the heated water will accumulate at least 14% of a predetermined total available solids available within coffee grounds before discharging from the one or more openings at the bottom end.
10. A filter pack for use in a drip-type beverage brewing machine having a brew basket comprising an open top and a bottom end having one or more openings, the brew basket having a funnel-shaped segment located proximate to the one or more openings at the bottom end, the open top being configured to receive heated water from the drip-type brewing machine during a brewing operation with brewed beverage discharging from the one or more openings, the filter pack comprising:
a filter pack comprising a liquid permeable pouch containing coffee grounds,
the pouch having multiple sides and multiple vertices joined to form a polygon shape with at least first and second funnel-shaped segments that have a shape and size to fit within the funnel-shaped segment of the brewing reservoir when the pouch is oriented in any of at least two inverted positions.
11. The filter pack of claim 10 , wherein the polygon shape has a multi-sided 3D shape that is continuously tapered from each of the multiple sides to the vertex.
12. The filter pack of claim 10 , wherein an amount of taper is substantially even from each side to the associated opposed vertex.
13. The filter pack of claim 10 , wherein the at least two inverted positions include first and second inverted positions, the first inverted position positions a first vertex of the pouch at the bottom end of the brewing reservoir, the first inverted position positions a first vertex of the pouch at the bottom end of the brewing reservoir.
14. The filter pack of claim 10 , wherein the sides and vertices of the pouch are joined to form a triangular pyramid shape.
15. A method for providing a brew basket and filter pack assembly for use in a beverage brewing machine, the method comprising:
providing a brew basket comprising a body defining a brewing reservoir that extends along a longitudinal length from an open top to a bottom end having one or more openings, the brewing reservoir having a funnel-shaped segment, the funnel-shaped segment located proximate to the one or more openings at the bottom end, the open top being configured to receive heated water from the brewing machine during a brewing operation with brewed beverage discharging from the one or more openings; and
providing a filter pack comprising a liquid permeable pouch containing coffee grounds, the pouch having multiple sides and multiple vertices joined to form a polygon shape with at least first and second funnel-shaped segments that have a shape and size to fit within the funnel-shaped segment of the brewing reservoir when the pouch is oriented in any of at least two inverted positions.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least two inverted positions include first and second inverted positions, the first inverted position positions a first vertex of the pouch at the bottom end of the brewing reservoir, the first inverted position positions a first vertex of the pouch at the bottom end of the brewing reservoir.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein polygon provides a universal orientation of the pouch that enables the pouch to be received within the brewing reservoir such that any one of the funnel-shaped segments of the pouch substantially fill the funnel-shaped segment of the brewing reservoir.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the pouch is received within the brewing reservoir such that a one of the vertices that is fit within the funnel-shaped segment proximate to the bottom end is spaced a vertical gap above the one or more openings in the bottom end.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least two inverted positions include a first inverted position with a first vertex of the pouch at the bottom end and a first side forming a closed top facing upward toward the open top, the closed top to form a water pooling pocket as the heated water diffuses through the closed top of the pouch to facilitate extraction from the grounds.