초록 ▼

An infusion process apparatus for making a beverage includes a container, an insert which initially holds a measured amount of an infusible material and later holds this same material in the form of the grinds that are filtered from the beverage, an elongated plunger, a filtering basket attached to

An infusion process apparatus for making a beverage includes a container, an insert which initially holds a measured amount of an infusible material and later holds this same material in the form of the grinds that are filtered from the beverage, an elongated plunger, a filtering basket attached to the plunger, and a means adapted to releaseably lock with the insert so as to remove it and its grinds contents from the container as the filtering basket is withdrawn from the container—thereby providing for easy cleanup of the process' grinds, and wherein the filter basket's bottom is adapted to compress the filtered infusible material that has been forced down into the insert by the filter basket's downward movement and to adhere to the insert's contents while stopping the infusion process so that the beverage does not acquire the characteristic bitterness and burnt taste that is associated with an over-infused brew.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An infusion process apparatus that allows a user to make and filter a beverage, yielded by an infusion process that steeps an infusible material which is temporarily suspended in a liquid for a specified steeping period of said infusible material, and then provides for the removal and disposal of

1. An infusion process apparatus that allows a user to make and filter a beverage, yielded by an infusion process that steeps an infusible material which is temporarily suspended in a liquid for a specified steeping period of said infusible material, and then provides for the removal and disposal of said filtered infusible material, the apparatus comprising: a cylindrical container having a container bottom, a container wall with a container rim that encloses a container opening into said cylindrical container, and a container longitudinal centerline that extends between said container bottom and said container opening,a cylindrical insert having an insert bottom, an insert side that has a top portion which is bounded by an insert rim that extends around the entirety of said insert side so as to define an insert opening into said cylindrical insert, and wherein said cylindrical insert has a configuration adapted to enable said cylindrical insert to be inserted through said container opening and into said cylindrical container so that said insert bottom rests proximate said container bottom during said infusion process and said configuration further adapted to enable said cylindrical insert to initially contain a measured amount of said infusible material that is later temporarily suspended in said liquid during said infusion process,an elongated plunger having proximal and distal ends and a plunger longitudinal centerline that extends between said ends,a cylindrical container lid having a center orifice with a perimeter edge and a tubular wall having a configuration adapted to allow the distal end of said plunger to pass through said container lid center orifice so as to align said longitudinal centerline of said plunger with said container longitudinal centerline,a filtering basket having a solid basket bottom surface, a porous basket top surface, and a porous basket side that releaseably attaches to a surface chosen from the group including said basket bottom and top surfaces, and wherein said filtering basket top surface further has a configuration adapted to enable said basket top surface to attach to said plunger distal end so as to enable said filtering basket to be temporarily situated in said cylindrical container and moved up and down within said cylindrical container and insert by the upward and downward movement of said elongated plunger,a filter seal attached to said filtering basket top surface and which has a configuration that enables the sealing of said filtering basket to said container wall as said filtering basket moves downward in said container to filter said beverage by forcing said suspended infusible material downward and back into said cylindrical insert as said filtered beverage flows through said porous basket side and top surfaces and thereby undergoes, respectively, a first and a second filtration phase during said downward movement of said filtering basket, anda basket coupling means attached to said filtering basket and having a configuration adapted to enable said basket coupling means to temporarily and releaseably attach together with said cylindrical insert when said bottom surface of the filtering basket moves downward, to provide said filtration, and though said insert opening and into said insert so as to enable said insert, which is then filled with said filtered infusible material, to be lifted upward from the bottom of said container and eventually out of said container by the upward movement of said filtering basket. 2. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein: said filtering basket bottom surface has a configuration adapted to compress and compact said filtered infusible material that has been forced down into said insert by the downward movement of said filtering basket and to temporarily and releaseably promote adhesion of said filtering basket bottom surface to said filtered and compacted infusible material and to stop the infusion process. 3. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein: said insert bottom has a concave portion adapted to promote the movement of said insert off of the bottom of said container. 4. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein: said insert bottom has a concave portion adapted to promote the movement of said insert off of the bottom of said container. 5. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein: said insert rim has a top surface that is configured to extended upward and outward from said insert side so as to aid in directing the movement of the bottom surface of said filter basket though said insert opening and into said insert. 6. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 2, wherein: said insert rim has a top surface that is configured to extended upward and outward from said insert side so as to aid in directing the movement of the bottom surface of said filter basket though said insert opening and into said insert. 7. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 3, wherein: said insert rim has a top surface that is configured to extended upward and outward from said insert side so as to aid in directing the movement of the bottom surface of said filter basket though said insert opening and into said insert. 8. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein: said insert rim has a top surface that is configured to extended upward and outward from said insert side so as to aid in directing the movement of the bottom surface of said filter basket though said insert opening and into said insert. 9. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising: a specialized filter, situated at a location chosen from the group consisting of within said filtering basket and proximate the top surface of said filtering basket, having a configuration adapted to provide said beverage with a third phase of filtration. 10. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 2, further comprising: a specialized filter, situated at a location chosen from the group consisting of within said filtering basket and proximate the top surface of said filtering basket, having a configuration adapted to provide said beverage with a third phase of filtration. 11. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 4, further comprising: a specialized filter, situated at a location chosen from the group consisting of within said filtering basket and proximate the top surface of said filtering basket, having a configuration adapted to provide said beverage with a third phase of filtration. 12. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 6, further comprising: a specialized filter, situated at a location chosen from the group consisting of within said filtering basket and proximate the top surface of said filtering basket, having a configuration adapted to provide said beverage with a third phase of filtration. 13. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 8, further comprising: a specialized filter, situated at a location chosen from the group consisting of within said filtering basket and proximate the top surface of said filtering basket, having a configuration adapted to provide said beverage with a third phase of filtration. 14. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 9, further comprising: a pliable insert basket having an insert basket bottom and an insert basket side with an insert basket rim that encloses an insert basket opening into said pliable insert basket, and wherein said pliable insert basket has a configuration adapted to enable said cylindrical insert to be temporarily and removably inserted into said insert basket so that said insert basket rim assumes a position that is proximate said container wall and aids in safely positioning and locating said cylindrical insert in the bottom of said cylindrical container without damaging said cylindrical container. 15. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 10, further comprising: a pliable insert basket having an insert basket bottom and an insert basket side with an insert basket rim that encloses an insert basket opening into said pliable insert basket, and wherein said pliable insert basket has a configuration adapted to enable said cylindrical insert to be temporarily and removably inserted into said insert basket so that said insert basket rim assumes a position that is proximate said container wall and aids in safely positioning and locating said cylindrical insert in the bottom of said cylindrical container without damaging said cylindrical container. 16. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising: a pliable insert basket having an insert basket bottom and an insert basket side with an insert basket rim that encloses an insert basket opening into said pliable insert basket, and wherein said pliable insert basket has a configuration adapted to enable said cylindrical insert to be temporarily and removably inserted into said insert basket so that said insert basket rim assumes a position that is proximate said container wall and aids in safely positioning and locating said cylindrical insert in the bottom of said cylindrical container without damaging said cylindrical container. 17. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 13, further comprising: a pliable insert basket having an insert basket bottom and an insert basket side with an insert basket rim that encloses an insert basket opening into said pliable insert basket, and wherein said pliable insert basket has a configuration adapted to enable said cylindrical insert to be temporarily and removably inserted into said insert basket so that said insert basket rim assumes a position that is proximate said container wall and aids in safely positioning and locating said cylindrical insert in the bottom of said cylindrical container without damaging said cylindrical container. 18. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein: said insert basket rim has a top surface that is configured to extend upward and outward from said insert basket side so as to provide a surface that directs said filtered infusible material down and into said cylindrical insert as said filtering basket moves downward in said cylindrical container. 19. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein: said insert basket rim has a top surface that is configured to extend upward and outward from said insert basket side so as to provide a surface that directs said filtered infusible material down and into said cylindrical insert as said filtering basket moves downward in said cylindrical container. 20. The infusion process apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein: said insert basket rim has a top surface that is configured to extend upward and outward from said insert basket side so as to provide a surface that directs said filtered infusible material down and into said cylindrical insert as said filtering basket moves downward in said cylindrical container.