초록 ▼

A basket for holding beverage grounds includes a frame. The frame includes a continuous rim that defines an opening at a top of the frame, a bottom portion that is closed, and a plurality of spaced apart ribs that extend from the rim to a peripheral edge of the bottom portion. The bottom edge, plura

A basket for holding beverage grounds includes a frame. The frame includes a continuous rim that defines an opening at a top of the frame, a bottom portion that is closed, and a plurality of spaced apart ribs that extend from the rim to a peripheral edge of the bottom portion. The bottom edge, plurality of ribs and rim define a plurality of openings that facilitate fluid flow. A filter material is positioned in the plurality of openings. A removable outer sleeve is formed on an outside surface of the frame. The outer sleeve is configured to cover at least the plurality of openings to thereby provide an air-tight seal within the frame.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A sealed beverage basket for holding beverage grounds comprising: a frame having an outside surface which includes: a continuous rim that defines an opening at a top of the frame;a bottom portion that is closed;a plurality of spaced apart ribs that extend from the rim to a peripheral edge of the

1. A sealed beverage basket for holding beverage grounds comprising: a frame having an outside surface which includes: a continuous rim that defines an opening at a top of the frame;a bottom portion that is closed;a plurality of spaced apart ribs that extend from the rim to a peripheral edge of the bottom portion, wherein the bottom edge, plurality of ribs and rim define a plurality of openings that facilitate fluid flow;a filter material positioned in the plurality of openings, the filter material formed of a same plastic material as the frame;a lid member that covers the opening at the top of the frame to thereby secure the beverage grounds within the frame; anda removable, unitary and pre-formed outer sleeve shrink-fitted to the outside surface of the frame to cover at least the plurality of openings to thereby provide a form-fitted sleeve about the frame and an air-tight seal within the frame;wherein the outer sleeve is a pre-formed and discontinuous sleeve that includes first and second overlapping edges joined via an adhesive, said discontinuous sleeve wrapped about and shrink-fitted to the outside surface of the frame after the edges are joined to thereby form an air-tight seal within the frame. 2. The basket according to claim 1, wherein the outer sleeve is formed at least partially over the lid member. 3. The basket according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive is a food grade adhesive. 4. The basket according to claim 1, wherein the outer sleeve defines a tab or notch that facilitates peeling of the outer sleeve from the frame. 5. The basket according to claim 1, wherein the removable outer sleeve is removable from the frame thereby uncovering at least the plurality of openings without removing the lid member. 6. An air-tight beverage package comprising: a tube of unitary flow wrap material that defines a plurality of sealed pockets; anda sealed beverage basket for storing beverage grounds, a respective beverage basket positioned within each sealed pocket, wherein each beverage basket includes:a frame that includes: a continuous rim that defines an opening at a top of the frame;a bottom portion that is closed; anda plurality of spaced apart ribs that extend from the rim to a peripheral edge of the bottom portion, wherein the bottom edge, plurality of ribs and rim define a plurality of openings that facilitate fluid flow;a filter material formed of a same plastic material as the frame and positioned in the plurality of openings;a lid member that covers the opening at the top of the frame to thereby secure the beverage grounds within the frame; anda removable, unitary and pre-formed outer sleeve shrink-fitted to an outside surface of the frame configured to cover at least the plurality of openings to thereby provide a form-fitted sleeve about the frame and an air-tight seal within the frame;wherein the outer sleeve is a pre-formed and discontinuous sleeve that includes first and second overlapping edges joined via an adhesive, said discontinuous sleeve wrapped about and shrink-fitted to the outside surface of the frame after the edges are joined to thereby form an air-tight seal within the frame. 7. The beverage package according to claim 6, wherein the tube of flow wrap material is perforated between adjacent pockets to facilitate controlled separation of the pockets. 8. The beverage package to claim 6, wherein the outer sleeve is formed at least partially over the lid member. 9. The beverage package according to claim 6, wherein the adhesive is a food grade adhesive. 10. The beverage package according to claim 6, wherein the outer sleeve defines a tab that facilitates peeling the outer sleeve from the basket. 11. The beverage package according to claim 6, wherein the outer sleeve defines a notch that facilitates peeling the outer sleeve from the basket. 12. A method for forming an air-tight beverage basket for holding beverage grounds comprising: forming a frame that includes a continuous rim that defines an opening at a top of the frame, a bottom portion that is closed, and a plurality of spaced apart ribs that extend from the rim to a peripheral edge of the bottom,wherein the bottom portion, plurality of ribs and rim define a plurality of openings that facilitate fluid flow;positioning a filter material in the plurality of openings, said filter material of the same plastic material as the frame;providing a lid member that covers the opening at the top of the frame thereby securing the beverage grounds within the frame; andforming a removable outer sleeve on an outside surface of the frame configured to cover at least the plurality of openings to thereby provide an air-tight seal within the frame; wherein forming the outer sleeve comprises: providing a preformed, unitary sleeve configured to slide over the frame;injecting an inert gas into an interior space of the frame to thereby remove ambient air from within the interior space; andsimultaneously applying heat to the outer sleeve to thereby shrink the outer sleeve onto and around the frame;wherein the outer sleeve is a wrap-around sleeve with first and second ends, and the method further comprises: applying an adhesive on at least one of the first and second ends; wrapping the outer sleeve around the basket until one end overlaps the other end to thereby join the opposite ends; injecting an inert gas into an interior space of the frame to thereby remove ambient air from within the interior space; and simultaneously applying heat to the outer sleeve to thereby shrink the outer sleeve around the frame. 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the adhesive is a food grade adhesive. 14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the outer sleeve defines a tab or notch that facilitates peeling the outer sleeve from the frame. 15. The method according to claim 12 further comprising forming a plurality of sealed pockets using a tube of a unitary flow wrap material, wherein the plurality of sealed pockets each contains a sealed beverage basket with removable outer sleeve and lid member. 16. The method according to claim 12 further comprising: inserting the beverage basket into a tube of a unitary flow wrap material;sealing the tube of flow wrap material at a top side of the frame; andsealing the tube of flow wrap material at a bottom side of the frame thereby forming a sealed pocket of the tube of flow wrap material.