IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0363876
(2001-09-05)
|
우선권정보 |
GB-200021907 (2000-09-06); GB-200110418 (2001-04-27) |
국제출원번호 |
PCT/GB01/03978
(2001-09-05)
|
국제공개번호 |
WO02/19875
(2002-03-14)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Colston, Martin E.
- Gee, Christopher J.
- Shaw, Jon W.
- Pope, Kevin C.
- Cooke, John C.
- Caroen, Adrian B.
- Rivin, Evgeny I.
- Fey, Victor R.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
26 인용 특허 :
3 |
초록
▼
An apparatus for the brewing of a beverage by transmission of an aqueous fluid through a sachet containing a beverage brewing ingredient. The apparatus includes one or more injectors to inject the aqueous fluid into the sachet during the brewing and a clamp for the sachet. The clamp has one or more
An apparatus for the brewing of a beverage by transmission of an aqueous fluid through a sachet containing a beverage brewing ingredient. The apparatus includes one or more injectors to inject the aqueous fluid into the sachet during the brewing and a clamp for the sachet. The clamp has one or more members that are movable to open and close the clamp, the members having inner surfaces which in a closed position of the clamp define a cavity adapted to substantially enclose and support the sachet during the brewing. The members further define a beverage exit pathway in a lower part of the cavity wherein the inner surface of at least one clamp member includes at least one deformable region mounted on a support that is movable while the clamp is in the closed position. The shape of the cavity or of the exit pathway can be changed while the clamp is in the closed position to provide a desired brewing configuration of the sachet. The invention also provides methods of brewing beverages in such an apparatus and systems made up of the apparatus in combination with beverage sachets for use in methods of the invention.
대표청구항
▼
1. An apparatus for the brewing of a beverage by transmission of an aqueous fluid through a sachet containing a beverage brewing ingredient, said apparatus comprising:one or more injectors to inject the aqueous fluid into the sachet during said brewing; anda clamp for the sachet, said clamp comprisi
1. An apparatus for the brewing of a beverage by transmission of an aqueous fluid through a sachet containing a beverage brewing ingredient, said apparatus comprising:one or more injectors to inject the aqueous fluid into the sachet during said brewing; anda clamp for the sachet, said clamp comprising one or more members that are movable to open and close the clamp, said members having inner surfaces which in a closed position of the clamp define a cavity adapted to substantially enclose and support the sachet during said brewing and further adapted to define a beverage exit pathway in a lower part of the cavity, andwherein the inner surface of at least one clamp member comprises at least one deformable region mounted on a support that is movable while the clamp is in said closed position,whereby the shape of said cavity or of said exit pathway can be changed while the clamp is in said closed position to provide a desired brewing configuration of the sachet. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deformable region is formed from substantially incompressible material. 3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deformable region comprises a layer of elastomer. 4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the layer of elastomer covers substantially the whole of an inner surface of at least one of said clamp members. 5. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the layer of elastomer is supported on a rigid base member that is movable when the clamp is in said closed position. 6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the deformable region is constrained by a rigid wall member extending upwardly from the rigid base member around an edge of the deformable region. 7. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the inner surface of the layer of elastomer is concave in the absence of an external force. 8. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the Shore hardness of the elastomer layer is from 10 to 60 Shore. 9. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the thickness of the solid elastomer layer is from 5 to 25 mm. 10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the deformable regions comprise a membrane supported on a fluid reservoir. 11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the apparatus further comprises a conduit to introduce or remove fluid from the reservoir in order to vary the shape of the cavity during or immediately prior to brewing. 12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the conduit contains an electro-rheological fluid or a mechanical or electromechanical valve. 13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the conduit is connected to a pump or other mechanical or electromechanical driving means for introducing or removing fluid from the cavity. 14. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the deformable region comprises a plurality of fluid filled reservoirs supporting a plurality of membrane regions. 15. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the inner surface of the clamp comprises, in addition to said deformable region supported on a fluid reservoir, at least one region of solid elastomer supported on a rigid base. 16. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said exit region from the brewing chamber comprises at least one clamp member configured to pinch the bottom of the sachet. 17. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the members providing said pinch has a resilient inner surface in said fluid exit region. 18. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the members providing said pinch comprises an inner surface with a recess defining a fluid exit pathway through said pinch. 19. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clamp comprises two members that are movable together in face-to-face relationship to form said cavity. 20. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a mechanism operatively associated with the clamp to retract the injector when the clamp is opened. 21. An apparatus according to claim 1, whe rein the injector comprises a hollow needle that projects into said cavity at an oblique angle to the exit direction of the beverage from the cavity. 22. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the hollow needle projects into said cavity substantially perpendicularly to the exit direction of the beverage from the cavity. 23. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more injectors projects inwardly from an inner surface of one of the clamp members, and said inner surface comprises a recess around the injector. 24. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the depth of the recess is from about 1 mm to about 10 mm. 25. An apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the mean width of the recess is from about 5 mm to about 50 mm. 26. A method of brewing a beverage comprising the steps of:providing a sachet formed at least in part from flexible film material and containing a beverage brewing ingredient;inserting the sachet into the clamp of an apparatus according to claim 1;injecting an aqueous fluid into the sachet in said clamp to brew the beverage; andcollecting the beverage exiting from the exit pathway of the clamp. 27. A method according to claim 26, wherein the step of inserting is carried out such that a liquid exit portion of the sachet extends through the exit region of the clamp, whereby the beverage exiting the sachet does not contact the clamp. 28. A method according to claim 27, wherein said clamp constricts said liquid exit portion of said sachet during said brewing. 29. A method according to claim 26, wherein the aqueous fluid is injected at a pressure of from 10 to 1600 kPa (0.1 to 16 bar) gauge. 30. A method according to claim 29, wherein the aqueous fluid is injected at a pressure of from 500 to 1500 kPa (5 to 15 bar) gauge. 31. A method according to claim 26, wherein the aqueous fluid is injected at a temperature of from 1 to 100° C. 32. A method according to claim 31, wherein the aqueous fluid is injected at a temperature of from 85 to 95° C. 33. A method according to claim 26, wherein the aqueous fluid consists essentially of water at 80 to 100° C., the water is injected at a pressure of from 200 to 1600/(2 to 16 bar) gauge, and the brewing ingredient comprises ground coffee, whereby the beverage is an espresso-type coffee. 34. A method according to claim 26, further comprising the step of injecting air into the sachet after brewing to expel residual beverage from the sachet. 35. A method according to claim 26, wherein the method further comprises moving said deformable region of the clamp during brewing in order to vary the configuration of the sachet during brewing. 36. A method according to claim 35, wherein the method comprises moving the deformable region of the clamp outwardly during brewing to allow expansion of the sachet in the cavity. 37. A method according to claim 35, wherein the method comprises oscillating said region during brewing. 38. A method according to claim 26, wherein the method further comprises moving said deformable region inwardly after brewing in order to compress the sachet and squeeze out residual beverage from the sachet. 39. A method according to claim 26, wherein the method further comprises moving said deformable region before, during or after brewing in order to regulate the rate of flow of the beverage out of the cavity and/or to control the fluid pressure inside the cavity. 40. A method according to claim 26, wherein the beverage brewing ingredient comprises a foamable beverage ingredient. 41. A method according to claim 40, wherein the beverage brewing ingredient consists essentially of a dehydrated milk product. 42. A method according to claim 26, wherein the beverage exiting from the exit pathway of the clamp emerges as at least one jet having a diameter of from about 0.5 to about 2 mm. 43. A method according to claim 42, wherein the jet velocity is from about 5 to about 50 m/sec. 44. A method according to claim 26, wherein the water is inje cted into the sachet at a rate of about 50 to about 2000 ml/mm. 45. A method according to claim 26, wherein the sachet comprises: a capsule containing a beverage brewing ingredient and a flexible liquid guide extending from the capsule, wherein the liquid guide is provided with a freshness barrier that is releasable during brewing to enable a beverage brewed within the capsule to escape by flowing out through the liquid guide. 46. A method according to claim 45, wherein the liquid guide extends for at least 15 mm, preferably at least 20 mm. 47. A method according to claim 45, wherein the liquid guide is tapered. 48. A method according to claim 26, wherein:the sachet comprises front and back sheets of substantially water-impermeable film material, each said sheet having a respective shape;the front and back sheets are bonded together around a bonding perimeter to define a capsule containing the beverage brewing ingredient within said perimeter and margins of each sheet extending outside the perimeter; andthe said margins include a tapered margin region on a first side of the capsule. 49. A method according to claim 48, wherein the front and back sheets are bonded together on said first side of the capsule by a bond that is releasable by the hot water and/or pressure to allow a beverage brewed in the capsule to escape therefrom. 50. A method according to claim 48, wherein the front and back sheets of substantially water-impermeable film material each have substantially the same size and shape and substantially overlap each other. 51. A method according to claim 26, wherein the sachet has an elongated shape. 52. A method according to claim 26, wherein the sachet is substantially rectangular, oval, tapered or an isosceles triangle. 53. A method according to claim 45, wherein the liquid guide 5 comprises an extension of two sheets of material that form the brewing region of the sachet in face to face relationship to define the liquid guide therebetween. 54. A method according to claim 45, wherein the liquid guide is formed at least in part by one or more conduits impressed into the sheet 10 material of the sachet. 55. A method according to claim 45, wherein the sachet further comprises a filter for the beverage brewing ingredient located between the brewing ingredient and the liquid guide. 56. A method according to claim 55, wherein the filter is a sheet of filter material bonded around its edges to a front or back face of the sachet, whereby the beverage flows through the filter material in a direction substantially perpendicular to the said front or back face. 57. A method according to claim 45, wherein the liquid guide terminates in one or more drip-forming points. 58. A system for brewing beverages by a method according to claim 26, said system comprising a beverage brewer according to claim 1 and at least one beverage brewing sachet for use in the brewer. 59. A system according to claim 58, wherein the said at least one beverage brewing sachet comprises a first sachet containing a foamable dairy or non-dairy milk concentrate and a second sachet containing a coffee or tea brewing ingredient. 60. A system according to claim 58, wherein the beverage brewer comprises a second clamp for holding a second sachet for simultaneous or sequential brewing of first and second beverage components from the first and second sachets.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.