Dripper set

Abstract

A dripper set 1 comprises a cylindrical dripper 10 having an opening at the top, and a drip assist 20, for pouring hot water into the dripper 10, mounted so as to cover a top opening 11a of the dripper 10. The drip assist 20 has a cylindrical container 30 which can contain hot water, and a pouring section 50 which is located on the middle side of a bottom section of the container 30 and in which a plurality of pouring holes are formed, the pouring section 50 being located below the top end of the dripper 10.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dripper set having a dripper and a drip assist. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a dripper that uses a filter (filter paper) to extract coffee. In this dripper, hot water is poured onto coffee powder placed in the filter to extract the coffee. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3116219 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By the way, since the temperature of the water when pouring hot water onto coffee powder to extract it greatly affects the taste of the extracted coffee, it is desirable to control the water temperature within a predetermined range. For example, when extracting coffee outdoors, it is difficult to appropriately control the water temperature because it is affected by the outside air temperature.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of these points, and has an object to provide a dripper set that can appropriately control the water temperature during extraction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dripper set comprising a cylindrical dripper having an opening at an upper portion, and a drip assist placed to cover the opening of the dripper for pouring hot water into the dripper, wherein the drip assist has a cylindrical storage section capable of containing the hot water, and a pouring section located toward the center of the bottom of the storage section and having a plurality of pouring outlets, the pouring section being located below an upper end of the dripper.

[0007] The center position of the container in the up-down direction may be located below an upper end of the dripper. The container may be surrounded by a cylindrical wall of the dripper.

[0008] The thickness of the bottom of the container may be greater than the thickness of the wall of the dripper.

[0009] In addition, the planar shape of the pouring portion may be triangular, and the multiple pouring outlets may include a first pouring outlet formed in the center and second pouring outlets formed at each of the three corners.

[0010] The drip assist may further include an engagement portion provided on a flange surrounding an upper end of the container portion and adapted to engage with an upper end of the dripper.

[0011] In addition, the dripper may be formed in an inverted triangular pyramid cylinder shape having an opening at the top, the storage section may be formed in a triangular cylinder shape, the dripper may be foldable, and the storage section may be foldable flat. The dripper may have a plurality of plate-like wall portions whose ends are connected to each other via hinges to form a cylindrical shape, and the plurality of wall portions may be foldable by rotating about the hinges. The dripper may further include a plurality of legs extending from each of the plurality of walls. The leg may have a recess formed in a lower portion thereof, and the bottom wall of the recess may have a shape formed by a plurality of continuous arcs. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a dripper set that can appropriately control the water temperature during extraction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a dripper set 1 according to one embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dripper 10. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the dripper 10. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a state in which the dripper 10 is folded. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the drip assist 20. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the drip assist 20. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the drip assist 20. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the folded state of the drip assist 20. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] <Dripper set configuration> The configuration of a dripper set according to one embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0015] Fig. 1 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of a dripper set 1 according to one embodiment. For ease of explanation, a filter (specifically, a filter for placing coffee powder) set in a dripper 10 is omitted in Fig. 1.

[0016] The dripper set 1 is used by being set, for example, above a cup into which extracted coffee drips. As shown in FIG. 1, the dripper set 1 includes a dripper 10 and a drip assist 20.

[0017] Dripper 10 is formed in a cylindrical shape. Here, dripper 10 is formed in an inverted triangular pyramid cylindrical shape. However, this is not limited thereto, and dripper 10 may be formed in a cylindrical shape. Dripper 10 is made of metal.

[0018] Fig. 2 is a perspective view of dripper 10. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of dripper 10. The dripper 10 has an upper opening 11a and a lower opening 11b. The upper opening 11a is an opening for setting a filter. The lower opening 11b is an opening for dripping the extracted coffee, and the lower opening 11b side is placed on a cup.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3, dripper 10 has three walls 12, 13, and 14 connected via hinge 15a. Specifically, ends of walls 12, 13, and 14 are connected via hinge 15a. Wall 12 is divided into two parts, with first portion 12a and second portion 12b connected by hinge 15b. Walls 12, 13, and 14 are formed in a plate shape, and are made of a metal plate of a predetermined thickness.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3, dripper 10 has three legs 16. Three legs 16 are formed to extend from walls 12, 13, and 14, respectively. A recess 16a is formed at the bottom of each of the three legs 16 for setting in a cup or the like. The bottom wall of recess 16a has a shape of multiple continuous arcs (in other words, a wavy shape) as shown in FIG. 2 so that dripper 10 can be positioned in cups of various sizes. Legs 16 function as an anti-slip device when dripper 10 is placed on an incline, and as a stopper when dripper 10 is blown by the wind.

[0021] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the folded state of dripper 10. Dripper 10 is foldable. Here, wall portions 12, 13, and 14 can be rotated around hinges 15a and 15b to be folded. Specifically, dripper 10 is folded so that wall portions 13 and 14 sandwich wall portion 12 (first portion 12a and second portion 12b in an overlapping state) folded around hinge 15b. As a result, dripper 10, which had an inverted triangular pyramid cylindrical shape, becomes flat.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 1, the drip assist 20 can be set on the upper opening 11a side of the dripper 10. The drip assist 20 is a part that is placed so as to cover the upper opening 11a of the dripper 10 and is used to pour hot water into the dripper 10. For example, when a user pours hot water into the storage section 30 of the drip assist 20, the hot water drips from the pouring section 50 provided at the bottom of the drip assist 20 toward the dripper 10.

[0023] Without the drip assist 20, the user would pour hot water directly onto the coffee grounds placed in the filter set in the dripper 10, but if the user is not experienced, the method of pouring the hot water may not be appropriate (specifically, the user may not be able to pour the hot water slowly and steadily), which can easily ruin the flavor of the brewed coffee. For example, a user who is not accustomed to drip coffee may pour too much hot water at once.

[0024] In contrast, in this embodiment, by using the drip assist 20, even if the user is not familiar with dripping, hot water can be poured steadily in small amounts onto the coffee powder placed in the filter, preventing the taste of the extracted coffee from being spoiled. Also, since the drip assist 20 is installed to cover the upper opening 11a of the dripper 10, the drip assist 20 functions as an upper lid while the coffee is being extracted, preventing the temperature of the hot water from dropping during extraction and making it easier to control the temperature of the hot water at a desired temperature (suitable temperature). This is particularly effective when extracting coffee outdoors, where it is easily affected by the outside temperature.

[0025] <Detailed configuration of Drip Assist> The detailed configuration of the drip assist 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6 are perspective views of the drip assist 20. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the drip assist 20. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 7.

[0026] As an example, the drip assist 20 is made of rubber, specifically silicone rubber. Therefore, the drip assist 20 is flexible and elastically deformable. As shown in FIG. 5, the drip assist 20 has a storage section 30, a flange section 40, and a pouring section 50.

[0027] The storage unit 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is capable of storing hot water poured by a user. The storage unit 30 has a shape that matches the shape of the upper opening 11a of the dripper 10, and is formed in a triangular cylindrical shape here as shown in Fig. 6. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the storage unit 30 may be formed in a cylindrical shape, for example.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 5, the storage section 30 has a wall section 32, a bottom section 34, and bent sections 36a, 36b, and 36c. The wall 32 is formed in a cylindrical shape. As shown in Fig. 8, the wall 32 is inclined so that its width decreases toward the bottom 34. As shown in Fig. 5, the inner peripheral surface of the wall 32 is provided with markings 33a, 33b which indicate the amount of hot water contained. The markings 33a, 33b are formed so that the inner peripheral surface of the wall 32 protrudes. When the hot water poured into the container 30 reaches the markings 33a, 33b, the user can determine that the desired amount has been poured.

[0029] The bottom 34 is connected to the lower part of the wall 32 and forms the bottom surface of the storage part 30. The shape of the bottom 34 in a plan view is substantially triangular as shown in Fig. 7. A pouring part 50 is provided on the central side of the bottom 34.

[0030] The folding portions 36a, 36b, and 36c are portions of the wall portion 32 that are folded. The thicknesses of the folding portions 36a, 36b, and 36c are smaller than the thicknesses of other portions of the wall portion 32 in order to facilitate folding. Here, the folding portions 36a, 36b, and 36c are formed in three places in the wall portion 32, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the folding portions may be formed in two places or four or more places in the wall portion 32. Note that, since the storage portion 30 is formed in a triangular tube shape, it is easy to fold at the folding portions 36a, 36b, and 36c.

[0031] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the folded state of the drip assist 20. FIG. 9 shows the folded state when the drip assist 20 is photographed from above. The storage section 30 can be folded flat as shown in FIG. 9. In other words, the storage section 30 can be folded so that the bottom 34 is flush with the flange 40. Specifically, the wall section 32 of the storage section 30 is folded at the folding sections 36a, 36b, and 36c and folded so as to overlap, so that the bottom 34 and the flange 40 are adjacent to each other. The thickness of the drip assist 20 in the folded state is about 1 / 3 to 1 / 4 of the thickness before folding. The entire drip assist 20 is thus in a flat state, which increases the portability of the drip assist 20. In particular, since the dripper 10 is also folded flat as described above, the dripper set 1 is easy to carry when used outdoors, for example.

[0032] The flange 40 can engage with the dripper 10. Specifically, the flange 40 is a portion formed in a ring shape so as to surround the upper end of the container 30, as shown in FIG. 5. The edge of the flange 40 is located outside the walls 12, 13, and 14 of the dripper 10, as shown in FIG. 1. Therefore, when the drip assist 20 is placed on the dripper 10, the lower surface of the flange 40 contacts the upper ends of the walls 12, 13, and 14 of the dripper 10.

[0033] The flange 40 is capable of engaging with the dripper 10. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the edge of the flange 40 is provided with a plurality of engaging portions 42 that engage with the upper end of the dripper 10. Here, each of the plurality of engaging portions 42 is an extending wall formed to extend downward from the edge of the flange 40. The plurality of engaging portions 42 engage with the upper end of the dripper 10 with the inner circumferential surface 42a of the extending wall facing the outer surfaces of the walls 12, 13, and 14 of the dripper 10 (see FIG. 1).

[0034] The pouring part 50 is a part for dripping the hot water in the container 30 into the dripper 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the pouring part 50 is located at the center of the bottom 34 of the container 30. The pouring part 50 has multiple pouring outlets. The hot water poured into the container 30 drips into the dripper 10 through the multiple pouring outlets.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 7, the pouring part 50 has a first pouring outlet 52 and a second pouring outlet 54 as multiple pouring outlets. The first pouring outlet 52 is formed in the center of the pouring part 50, and multiple second pouring outlets 54 are formed around the first pouring outlet 52. As shown in Fig. 8, the pouring part 50 is curved so that the center side is concave. This makes it easier for the hot water to flow to the first pouring outlet 52, which has a larger diameter, when the amount of hot water is low, and makes it less likely that hot water will remain in the pouring part 50.

[0036] Each of the second outlets 54 is spaced from the first outlet 52 by the same distance. This allows the hot water in the storage unit 30 to drip evenly into the dripper 10. The diameters of the second outlets 54 are the same and smaller than the diameter of the first outlet 52. In this case, when the water pressure of the hot water in the storage unit 30 becomes low, the hot water drips from the first outlet 52, and the occurrence of remaining hot water can be suppressed. If the diameter of the second outlet 54 is the same as the diameter of the first outlet 52, it is difficult to drip the hot water slowly. In the above, three second outlets 54 are formed, but this is not limited, and the number of second outlets 54 may be four or more. In the above, the number of first outlets 52 is one, but this is not limited, and there may be multiple first outlets 52.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 8, the pouring portion 50 is formed so as to protrude from the bottom 34. As shown in FIG. 8, the pouring portion 50 is a thick portion having a greater thickness than other portions of the storage portion 30. Therefore, the first pouring outlet 52 and the second pouring outlet 54 are formed in the thick portion of the bottom 34 of the storage portion 30. This allows the length of the first pouring outlet 52 and the second pouring outlet 54, which are through holes, to be increased. By increasing the length of the first pouring outlet 52 and the second pouring outlet 54, it becomes easier to ensure water pressure even if the hot water level in the storage portion 30 drops, so that the remaining hot water in the storage portion 30 can be suppressed. The first pouring outlet 52 and the second pouring outlet 54 may be formed in a portion of the pouring outlet 50 that protrudes cylindrically. Even in this case, the length of the first pouring outlet 52 and the second pouring outlet can be increased.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 6, the shape of the pouring part 50 in a plan view is triangular. The first pouring outlet 52 is formed in the center of the triangular pouring part 50, and the second pouring outlet 54 is formed at each of the three corners of the triangular pouring part 50. As described above, the first pouring outlet 52 and the second pouring outlet 54 are positioned so that hot water can be evenly poured onto the coffee powder placed in the filter of the inverted triangular pyramid-shaped dripper 10. In addition, the hot water can be prevented from falling off the coffee powder and hitting the filter.

[0039] By using the drip assist 20 of this embodiment, coffee at the right temperature can be extracted even when hot water is poured into the container 30, as described below. When pouring hot water directly onto the coffee grounds on the dripper without using a drip assist, it is generally desirable to pour hot water at about 90°C (specifically, 87°C to 93°C). In contrast, when using the drip assist 20 of this embodiment, the temperature of the hot water drops before it drips onto the coffee grounds via the drip assist 20. The reason for the drop in the temperature of the hot water is due to heat radiation from the upper surface of the hot water contained in the container 30 and heat radiation when the hot water drips slowly in a thin stream from the first spout 52 and the second spout 54 (the amount of heat radiation is greater than when the hot water drips thickly and quickly because the proportion and time that the hot water is exposed to the outside air is longer). When hot water is poured into the drip assist 20 and dripped onto the coffee grounds, coffee is extracted at a temperature similar to that when hot water at about 90°C is poured directly onto the coffee grounds. Therefore, when using the drip assist 20, coffee can be extracted immediately using boiled water. Furthermore, when used outdoors, most coffee makers do not have a thermometer, making it difficult to control the water temperature and pouring water at around 90° C. In contrast, with this embodiment, by simply pouring boiling water into the drip assist 20, coffee can be extracted outdoors in the same way as when dripping with water at the appropriate temperature.

[0040] In addition, in this embodiment, the drip assist 20 covers the upper opening 11a of the dripper 10, and therefore has the effect of a top lid during coffee extraction, thereby preventing the temperature of the water from dropping during extraction.

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, the pouring part 50 of the drip assist 20 is located below the upper end of the dripper 10. In this case, the bottom part 34 including the pouring part 50 is below the upper opening 11a of the dripper 10, and covers the dripper 10 during coffee extraction. Also, while coffee is being extracted, the amount of hot water in the storage part 30 decreases, but the hot water remaining in the storage part 30 can increase the heat retention effect.

[0042] The center position of storage unit 30 in the up-down direction may be located below the upper end of dripper 10 (see FIG. 1). Storage unit 30 is surrounded by three walls 12, 13, and 14, which are cylindrical walls of dripper 10. In this case, pouring unit 50 is located close to the ground coffee in the filter of dripper 10, and the distance that hot water travels to drip onto the ground coffee is shortened, so that the hot water drips gently onto the ground coffee.

[0043] The thickness of bottom 34 of storage unit 30 is greater than the thickness of walls 12, 13, 14 of dripper 10 (see FIG. 1). In this case, the heat shielding effect of bottom 34 of storage unit 30 as an upper lid is enhanced, which makes it easier to improve the heat retention effect during coffee extraction.

[0044] Experimental results show that when using the drip assist 20, the temperature of the brewed coffee is 1°C to 4°C higher than when not using the drip assist 20. The temperature range is due in part to the effect of the outside air temperature.

[0045] <Example of using the dripper set> An example of how to use the dripper set 1 having the above-described configuration will be described below.

[0046] First, the user places the dripper 10 with the filter set on top of a cup. At this time, the upper end of the filter protrudes from the upper end of the dripper 10. In this state, the user puts coffee powder into the filter.

[0047] Next, the user places the drip assist 20 on the dripper 10. Specifically, the user sets the drip assist 20 so that the engagement portion 42 of the drip assist 20 engages with the upper ends of the walls 12, 13, and 14 of the dripper 10. At this time, the drip assist 20 is set on the dripper 10 so as to sandwich the portion of the filter that protrudes from the dripper 10.

[0048] Next, the user pours a first predetermined amount of hot water into the container 30 of the drip assist 20. This first predetermined amount corresponds to the amount needed to steam the coffee grounds in the filter. The water drips from the container 30 onto the coffee grounds through the first and second outlets 52, 54 of the drip assist 20. The dripped water steams the coffee grounds.

[0049] Next, the user pours a second predetermined amount of hot water into the storage unit 30 to extract coffee. The second predetermined amount is greater than the first predetermined amount. The hot water poured into the storage unit 30 slowly drips onto the coffee grounds through the first and second outlets 52, 54 of the drip assist 20. Since the first and second outlets 52, 54 of the storage unit 30 are located on the center side of the bottom 34, the hot water drips onto the coffee grounds, but not onto the filter. This prevents the hot water from flowing along the walls 12, 13, and 14, which would otherwise deteriorate the taste of the coffee.

[0050] The hot water in the storage section 30 drips slowly and gently onto the coffee grounds through the first and second outlets 52 and 54. This prevents the coffee grounds on the filter from becoming rough and makes it difficult for the coffee grounds to become bitter, so the original flavor of the coffee grounds is extracted. The extracted coffee drips into the cup below the dripper 10. The temperature of the hot water poured into the storage section 30 drops slightly before it drips onto the coffee grounds through the first and second outlets 52 and 54, so the water temperature is appropriate for extracting the flavor without making the coffee grounds bitter. In addition, since the storage section 30 is located close to the coffee grounds and functions as an upper lid, it is possible to suppress the temperature drop during extraction and to manage the water temperature at an appropriate temperature.

[0051] After that, the user pours the second predetermined amount into the storage unit 30 again to extract the coffee. The user can extract the desired amount of coffee by repeating the act of pouring the second predetermined amount of hot water into the storage unit 30 multiple times. By repeating this multiple times, the time the hot water is stored in the storage unit 30 becomes longer, and the heat retention effect of the drip assist 20 also lasts longer.

[0052] <Effects of this embodiment> In the dripper set 1 according to the present embodiment described above, the drip assist 20 placed on the dripper 10 has a cylindrical storage section 30 capable of storing hot water, and a pouring section 50 located at the center of the bottom 34 of the storage section 30 and having multiple pouring outlets (first pouring outlet 52, second pouring outlet 54). The pouring section 50 is located below the upper end of the dripper 10. This shortens the distance between the pouring part 50 and the ground coffee on the filter of the dripper 10, so that the hot water dripping from the first pouring outlet 42 and the second pouring outlet 54 due to gravitational acceleration gently reaches the ground coffee before gaining momentum. As a result, the ground coffee on the filter is not roughened and is less likely to become bitter, allowing the original flavor of the coffee to be extracted. In addition, the bottom 34 of the storage unit 30 acts as a lid during coffee extraction, preventing the temperature of the water from dropping during extraction and making it easier to maintain the water at an appropriate temperature. For example, even if boiling water is poured into the storage unit 30 outdoors, where the temperature is easily affected by the outside air temperature, the water will slowly drip onto the coffee grounds and reach the appropriate temperature, allowing delicious coffee to be extracted without any unpleasant flavors.

[0053] Although the present invention has been described above using the embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention. For example, all or part of the device can be configured by distributing or integrating functionally or physically in any unit. In addition, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effect of the new embodiment resulting from the combination combines the effect of the original embodiment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 1 Dripper set 10 Dripper 11a Upper opening 20 Drip Assist 30 Storage unit 32 Wall 34 Bottom 40 Flange 42 Engagement part 50 Injection 52 First exit 54 Second exit

Claims

1. A cylindrical dripper having an opening at the top; A drip assist is placed so as to cover the opening of the dripper and is used to pour hot water into the dripper. Equipped with The drip assist is A cylindrical container capable of containing the hot water; A pouring portion is located at the center of the bottom of the storage portion and has a plurality of pouring outlets formed therein, The pouring portion is located below the upper end of the dripper, The housing is foldable flat. Dripper set.

2. The center position of the storage unit in the vertical direction is located below the upper end of the dripper. The dripper set according to claim 1.

3. The storage section is surrounded by a cylindrical wall section of the dripper. The dripper set according to claim 1.

4. The thickness of the bottom of the storage section is greater than the thickness of the wall of the dripper. The dripper set according to claim 1.

5. The planar shape of the pouring portion is triangular, The plurality of outlets include a first outlet formed in the center and a second outlet formed at each of three corners. The dripper set according to claim 1.

6. The drip assist is The container further includes an engagement portion provided on a flange portion surrounding an upper end of the container and engaging with an upper end of the dripper. The dripper set according to claim 1.

7. The dripper is formed in an inverted triangular pyramid shape having an opening at the top, The storage portion is formed in a triangular tube shape, The dripper is foldable. The dripper set according to claim 1.

8. The dripper has a plurality of plate-like wall portions whose ends are connected to each other via hinges to form a cylindrical shape, The plurality of wall portions are foldable by rotating about the hinge. The dripper set according to claim 1.

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