Brewable beverage making cup adaptor for cartridge type coffee making machines and cartridge type coffee making machine
View Patent ↗A brewable beverage making cup adaptor for cartridge type coffee making machines of the type having an inlet spout for supplying pressurized hot water, includes a cup body defining a chamber for holding a brewable material; a lower closure closing a lower end of the cup body, and including a small discharge opening through which a brewed liquid is discharged; an upper cover closing an upper end of the cup body, and including an inlet opening adapted to be positioned below the inlet spout for the supply of pressurized water to the cup body, and an offset valve opening for fluidly connecting the chamber with ambient atmosphere; and a valve for closing the valve opening when the chamber is filled at least at a predetermined level with the pressurized water and for opening the valve opening when the pressurized water in the chamber falls below the predetermined level.
1. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor for cartridge type coffee making machines of the type having an inlet spout for supplying a pressurized hot liquid, comprising:
a cup body defining a chamber for holding a brewable material, said cup body having:
a discharge opening at a lower end thereof through which a brewed liquid is discharged,
an inlet opening adapted to be positioned relative to the inlet spout for the supply of pressurized liquid to said cup body, and
a third opening for providing for removal of air from an upper portion of said chamber as the pressurized hot liquid fills said chamber; and
an arrangement fluidly connected with said chamber for preventing liquid in the chamber from exiting through said third opening only when said chamber is at least almost completely filled with the pressurized liquid and which provides for increased pressurization of the chamber when the pressurized hot liquid fills said chamber and said air is removed from said upper portion of said chamber.
2. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 1 wherein said arrangement also permits air to enter the chamber when a level of said pressurized hot liquid in said chamber falls at the end of a brewing operation.
3. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 1 , wherein said arrangement includes a closed air chamber in fluid communication with the third opening of the chamber in the cup body into which the air is removed from the upper portion of said chamber as the pressurized hot liquid fills said chamber, and which becomes compressed in said closed air chamber.
4. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 1 :
further comprising an upper cover for closing an upper end of said cup body, said upper cover including said third opening for fluidly connecting said chamber with ambient atmosphere, and
wherein said arrangement includes a valve associated with said third opening for closing said third opening when said chamber is filled at least at a predetermined level with the pressurized liquid and for opening said third opening when the pressurized liquid in the chamber falls below said predetermined level.
5. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 1 , further including:
an upper cover for closing an upper end of said cup body, said upper cover including said third opening for fluidly connecting said chamber with ambient atmosphere and the inlet opening, and
an elongated liquid entrance tube connected with said upper cover and extending down therefrom into said chamber, said liquid entrance tube having:
an inlet opening fluidly connected with said inlet opening of said upper cover and extending into said chamber, and
at least one outlet opening in said liquid entrance tube.
6. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 1 , wherein said discharge opening has a smaller diameter than the inlet opening.
7. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 1 , further including a filter member at a lower end of said cup body and above said discharge opening to prevent escape of the brewable material through said discharge opening.
8. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 1 , wherein said lower end of the cup body includes a tapered wall structure for guiding a brewed liquid from said cup body to said discharge opening.
9. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 1 , further including an atomizing device positioned below said discharge opening for atomizing a brewed liquid from said cup body discharged through said discharge opening in order to cool the brewed liquid.
10. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 3 , wherein said closed air chamber is defined by an annular closed wall in surrounding relation to said cup body.
11. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 4 , wherein said valve is connected to said upper cover.
12. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 4 , wherein said valve includes a valve housing, and further including a screen at least partially covering said valve housing to prevent tea leaves and coffee grounds from entering the valve housing, while still allowing liquid to escape the valve housing when a brewing cycle is completed.
13. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 4 , wherein said valve is a float valve including a valve housing positioned at said third opening, a valve ball movably positioned within said valve housing and a retaining assembly for retaining said valve ball in said valve housing while permitting liquid to travel into and out of said valve housing, wherein said valve ball rises with said pressurized liquid when said pressurized liquid reaches said predetermined level to close said third opening, and falls when said pressurized liquid falls below said predetermined level to open said third opening.
14. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 5 , wherein said at least one outlet opening includes two diametrically opposite outlet openings.
15. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor according to claim 5 , wherein each outlet opening is angled upwardly.
16. A brewable beverage making cup adaptor for cartridge type coffee making machines of the type having an inlet spout for supplying pressurized hot liquid, comprising:
a cup body defining a chamber for holding a brewable material, said cup body having a discharge opening at a lower end thereof through which a brewed liquid is discharged, and an inlet opening adapted to be positioned relative to said inlet spout for the supply of pressurized liquid to said cup body, and
an atomizing device positioned below said discharge opening for breaking up a brewed liquid from said cup body discharged through said discharge opening into smaller particles in order to cool the brewed liquid.
17. A cartridge type coffee making machine for use with a single serve cartridge containing a brewable material, said machine comprising:
a source of pressurized hot liquid,
a movable support,
an inlet spout connected with the movable support and the source of pressurized hot liquid and defining a first opening for supplying pressurized hot liquid through an inlet supply opening in the single serve cartridge to a chamber in the single serve cartridge that contains a brewable material,
a valve assembly connected with said movable support and defining a second opening for preventing liquid in the chamber from exiting through said second opening only when said chamber is at least almost completely filled with the pressurized liquid and which provides for increased pressurization of the chamber when the pressurized hot liquid fills said chamber and said air is removed from said upper portion of said chamber, said valve assembly closing a valve opening in the single serve cartridge when said chamber is filled at least at a predetermined level with the pressurized liquid and for opening said valve opening when the pressurized liquid in the chamber falls below said predetermined level, and
an arrangement for moving said movable support between a first operative position where the inlet spout is adapted to supply the pressurized hot liquid to the chamber through the inlet supply opening and the valve assembly is moved into said chamber through said valve opening, and a second inoperative position where the inlet spout is moved away from the inlet supply opening and the valve assembly is moved out of said chamber, and
a discharge opening for discharging a brewed liquid from said chamber.
18. A cartridge type coffee making machine according to claim 17 , wherein said single serve cartridge includes a top having said inlet supply opening and said valve opening.
19. A cartridge type coffee making machine according to claim 17 , wherein:
said single serve cartridge includes a piercable top,
said inlet spout includes a first piercing end that pierces said piercable top to create said inlet supply opening when said movable support is moved to said first operative position, and
said valve assembly includes a second piercing end that pierces said piercable top to create said valve opening when said movable support is moved to said first operative position.
20. A cartridge type coffee making machine according to claim 17 , further comprising at least one discharge piercing tube that pierces a bottom of said cartridge when said cartridge is positioned in said machine to create an outlet opening in said cartridge, to permit the brewed liquid to exit through said discharge opening.
21. A cartridge type coffee making machine according to claim 17 , further comprising a container for holding one said cartridge, said container including at least one discharge piercing tube that pierces a bottom of said cartridge when said cartridge is positioned in said container to create an outlet opening in said cartridge, to permit the brewed liquid to exit through said discharge opening.