Coffee press

Abstract

An improved coffee press structure is provided wherein the container has transparent side wall portions that are associated with top and bottom caps and an intermediate cage structure. Upper and lower band portions of the cage structure are associated with a handle upper end portion and with a link member, respectively. The link member is pivotable relative to either the handle lower end portion or the lower band portion and is spring biased so that when in a normally closed position, the link member closes the gap between the handle lower end portion and the lower band portion. The press structure also provides two different embodiments of a plunger assembly for association with the container mouth. The plunger assembly embodiments both include a handle, a piston and a rod; and the plunger assembly can remain in place after brewing and during brew dispensing from the container. One of the plunger assembly embodiments includes a spouted lid that is valve equipped, the valve being operated by rotational movement of the handle relative to the lid with the rod being fully extended through the lid.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of pending U.S. Ser. No. 10 / 651,791, filed Aug. 29, 2003.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to presses for coffee, tea or the like, and, in particular, to presses having an open top container with preferably transparent side wall portions and with associated bottom and top protective and enforcement portions, and a reciprocating plunger assembly associated with the container. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Portable, hand-operable brewing / filtering devices or coffee presses have been available for many years. Such an apparatus typically includes a container having an openable top and side walls having a uniform internal cross-section. The top is provided with a lid that receives a slidable rod which is axially reciprocable relative to the container. The rod has a handle at its upper end and a piston at its lower end. The rod and the piston with the lid comprise a plunger assembly. When ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0012] Preferably, a cooperating engaged but disengagable relationship is achieved between the pivotable link member open end portion and normally engaged adjacent the portion of either the handle open end or the lower band, as the case may be. The engaged relationship is variously achievable, but a present preference is to provide a stud-like extension on the open end portion of the link member and a cooperating mating stud-receiving depression defined in the handle open lower end portion or in the lower ring portion. Such an engaged relationship stabilizes the association between these respective components when they are engaged.

[0014] In another aspect, the present invention provides a new and very useful plunger assembly for a coffee press structure. The plunger assembly comprises, in combination, a lid, a rod that is reciprocatable relative to the center of the lid, and a piston at the rod lower end. Conveniently and preferably, the rod has a handle at its upper end. The piston has a perimeter that is adapted to sealingly but slidably engage inside wall surface portions of the container side wall regions. Also, the piston includes mid-regions having screen means adapted to permit fluid flow therethrough yet provide a filter for catching and retaining on one side thereof coffee grounds or tea leaf fragments present in the container during fluid movements in the container and reciprocal movements of the rod. A handle joined to the rod opposite end portion is adapted to be adjacent to, and to be nestably received in, upper surface portions of the lid when the rod is fully extending into and through the lid. The lid had a spout defined therein. The need to change, or exchange, plunger assembly components before dispensing of filtered brew from the container is thus avoided.

Problems solved by technology

One problem with prior art coffee presses has been that the user cannot adequately observe the status of the beverage being brewed in the container.

Although brewing status can be estimated by elapsed brewing time or by visually observing the color of a brew, with the characteristically opaque prior art coffee press containers, brew color cannot be adequately observed even if the associated plunger assembly is removed from the container.

To overcome this problem, a brewing apparatus having a container with transparent portions would be desirable, but such a container has sometimes been inadequate because either it tends to be fragile and easily broken during use, or it has transparent portions with edge regions that are not watertight so that undesirable leakage occurs from the container.

Another problem with prior art coffee presses is that, after a brewing operation, dispensing of the brewed and filtered beverage from the container is sometimes difficult to achieve in a simple, quick, effective and reliable manner.

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