초록 ▼

A pod for making coffee, espresso, hot chocolate, mocha, latte or the like comprises a first sheet of filtering paper having an open top end, a bottom and a substantially vertical side wall adapted to form a seal with the vertical side wall of a pod holder, a second sheet adapted to fit into the ope

A pod for making coffee, espresso, hot chocolate, mocha, latte or the like comprises a first sheet of filtering paper having an open top end, a bottom and a substantially vertical side wall adapted to form a seal with the vertical side wall of a pod holder, a second sheet adapted to fit into the open top end of the first sheet to form a closed chamber between the sheets, a supply of flavor-containing materials in the closed chamber, and a sealing seam between the side walls of the first sheet and the second sheet. The sealing seam is adapted to prevent formation of bypass channels between the pod and the side wall of a pod holder, thereby causing all or nearly all the hot water introduced to the pod holder to pass through the flavor-containing materials between the first and second sheets. Method for using the pod to make coffee, espresso, hot chocolate, mocha, latte or the like is provided.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A pressure brewing pod for brewing a cup of beverage by extraction under pressure in a coffee machine comprising a brew head having a seal member and a pod holder having a top end adapted to form a watertight seal with the seal member and a bowl-shaped inner space bounded by a bottom and a side w

1. A pressure brewing pod for brewing a cup of beverage by extraction under pressure in a coffee machine comprising a brew head having a seal member and a pod holder having a top end adapted to form a watertight seal with the seal member and a bowl-shaped inner space bounded by a bottom and a side wall, said pressure brewing pod comprising a water permeable top sheet, a water permeable bottom sheet and a supply of flavor-containing materials sandwiched between said sheets, said top and bottom sheets being connected to one another by an annular sealing seam to form a closed chamber to enclose said materials, said closed chamber having a top surface adapted to face the brew head, a bottom surface adapted to rest on the bottom and extend over the bottom to the side wall of the holder, and a chamber side wall of a predetermined height adapted to contact the side wall of the holder, said top sheet comprising said top surface of said closed chamber and said bottom sheet comprising said bottom surface and at least the lower part of said chamber side wall of said closed chamber, wherein said annular sealing seam protrudes a predetermined height above said top surface of said closed chamber, said predetermined height of said annular sealing seam being shorter than said predetermined height of said chamber side wall, and wherein:said closed chamber is adapted to cause intimate contact between the side wall of the holder and said chamber side wall around said closed chamber to form a seal before the hot water reaches and wets said pressure brewing pod, said seal being adapted to substantially prevent the hot water fed under pressure to the top of the holder by means of the coffee machine from passing through even if the level of the hot water in the holder is substantially above said annular sealing seam, thereby preventing the hot water under pressure from bypassing said flavor-containing materials in said closed chamber;said at least the lower part of said chamber side wall is adapted to be sufficiently soft and flexible for facilitating the formation of said intimate contact and said seal between the side wall of the holder and said chamber side wall around said closed chamber when said pod is placed into the bowl-shaped inner space of the holder;said annular sealing seam comprises such a shape and dimension that the insertion of said annular sealing seam into the inner space of the holder will not cause substantial change of the shape and dimension of said closed chamber, thereby enabling consistent formation of said intimate contact and said seal between the side wall of the holder and said chamber side wall around said closed chamber; andin use, said seal is formed between the side wall of the holder and said chamber side wall after said pressure brewing pod is placed in the bowl-shaped inner space of the holder and prior to the introduction of hot water to the holder, causing the hot water fed under pressure from the coffee machine to the holder sealed to the brew head by the seal member to be pressed by the pressure from said top surface of said closed chamber through said closed chamber for extracting said flavor-containing materials enclosed therein, the beverage extract formed flowing from said bottom surface of said closed chamber and out of the holder. 2. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said predetermined height of said chamber side wall is sufficiently short to allow said supply of flavor-containing materials to completely fill all available space in said closed chamber. 3. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said predetermined height of said chamber side wall is sufficiently short to prevent said top surface of said closed chamber from contacting the brew head, thereby preventing the problems caused by pod contacting the brew head associated with the current industry standard pods. 4. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said closed chamber is adapted to cause a supply of compressed air to form above said top surface of said closed chamber during a brewing cycle, said compressed air drying said pod after the coffee machine stops feeding hot water to the holder to make said pressure brewing pod drip-free for disposal. 5. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said closed chamber and annular sealing seam are adapted to allow one said pod to be received in the bowl-shaped inner space of the holder and to form said seal between said chamber side wall and the side wall of the holder, and to also allow a plurality of said pods to be received in the bowl-shaped inner space of the holder and to form said seal between said chamber side wall for each of the plurality of said pods and the side wall of the holder both during and before brewing the beverage, thereby allowing consumers to use the same holder to brew one cup of beverage by placing one said pod into the holder and to brew a larger volume of beverage by placing a plurality of said pods into the holder. 6. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 5 wherein said annular sealing seam protrudes a predetermined height above said top surface of said closed chamber, and is adapted to receive part of the closed chamber of another said pod there above in such a way to improve the seal between said annular sealing seam and the side wall of the pod holder. 7. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 5 wherein at least the top part of the side wall of the holder is vertical to allow said chamber side wall for each of the plurality of said pods to form said seal to the side wall of the holder. 8. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said water permeable top and bottom sheets are made from flexible filter paper. 9. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said bottom sheet is made from a thin plastic film so formed to have an open top end, a side wall and a bottom and said top sheet is adapted to be receivable in said open top end of said bottom sheet and to be sealed to the upper part of said side wall of said bottom sheet to form said annular sealing seam, said bottom sheet comprising a plurality of normally closed cuts at least on its said bottom, said normally closed cuts being adapted to open when the hot water fed under pressure from the coffee machine to the holder is pressed by the pressure from said top surface of said closed chamber through said flavor-containing materials to said bottom surface of said closed chamber, thereby making said bottom sheet water permeable and allowing the beverage extract to flow out of said closed chamber through said cuts. 10. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said flavor-containing materials comprises a supply of roasted coffee grounds and a supply of water soluble solids, said bottom surface of said closed chamber comprising a plurality of normally closed cuts, said normally closed cuts being adapted to open when the hot water fed under pressure from the coffee machine to the holder is pressed by the pressure from said top surface of said closed chamber through said flavor-containing materials to said bottom surface of said closed chamber. 11. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said top sheet comprises an anti-deformiation disc having a peripheral edge attached to said bottom sheet to form said annular sealing seam directly and immediately above said closed chamber and a plurality of openings on said disc for the hot water fed to the holder under pressure to enter said closed chamber to extract said flavor-containing materials therein, said anti-deformation disc being adapted to be sufficiently rigid to protect the shape and dimension of said closed chamber there below, thereby ensuring consistent formation of said intimate contact and said seal between the side wall of the holder and said chamber side wall around said closed chamber. 12. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said top sheet comprises an anti-deforma tion ring having a peripheral edge attached to said bottom sheet to form said annular sealing seam directly and immediately above said closed chamber and a filter connected to said ring, said anti-deformation ring being adapted to be sufficiently rigid to protect the shape and dimension of said closed chamber there below, thereby ensuring consistent formation of said intimate contact and said seal between the side wall of the holder and said chamber side wall around said closed chamber. 13. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said closed chamber, said annular sealing seam and said supply of flavor containing materials are adapted to cause said annular sealing seam to be located immediately adjacent to the top surface of said supply of flavor-containing materials in said closed chamber and to extend upwards from said chamber side wall at a direction substantially perpendicular to at least one of said top and lower surfaces of said closed chamber. 14. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said top sheet comprises anti-deformation plate member having a peripheral edge attached to the top end of said chamber side wall to form said annular sealing seam in such a way that said seam does not substantially protrude above said top surface of said closed chamber, said anti-deformation plate member being sufficiently rigid to protect the shape and dimension of said closed chamber there below, thereby ensuring consistent formation of said intimate contact and said seal between the side wall of the holder and said chamber side wall around said closed chamber. 15. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said top sheet comprises an anti-deformation plate member attached to the top end of said closed chamber and adapted to protect the shape and dimension of said closed chamber there below, thereby ensuring consistent formation of said intimate contact and said seal between the side wall of the holder and said chamber side wall around said closed chamber. 16. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said flavor-containing materials is packed sufficiently tight in said closed chamber to facilitate the formation of said intimate contact and said seal between the side wall of the holder and said chamber side wall around said closed chamber. 17. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein at least part of said chamber side wall of said closed chamber is adapted to bulge out beyond said annular sealing seam for facilitating the formation of said intimate contact and said seal between the side wall of the holder and said chamber side wall as said pod is being inserted into the bowl-shaped inner space of the holder. 18. A pressure brewing pod as defined in claim 1 wherein said shape and dimension of said annular sealing seam are adapted to cause the formation of a second seal between said annular sealing seam and the side wall of the holder as said annular sealing seam along with said pressure brewing pod is being inserted into the bowl-shaped inner space below the top end of the holder, thereby further insuring that the hot water fed under pressure to the top of the holder by means of the coffee machine can not bypass said flavor-containing materials in said closed chamber even if the level of the hot water in the holder is substantially above said annular sealing seam.