Furthermore, the invention relates to a device for brewing coffee, tea or the like, said device comprising a beaker with an inner cylindrical side wall and a bottom and a filtration plunger, which, by placement in the beaker, abuts the cylindrical side wall tightly along the periphery and is slidable back and forth in the beaker by the use of a plunger shaft arranged to extend through an detachable lid placed on the beaker, said device having a bowl, which, by placement in the beaker, abuts the bottom of the beaker tightly and the adjacent part of the side wall, said bowl comprising centrally arranged coupling means for coupling with interacting coupling means on a plunger, when said plunger has reached its lowest position in the beaker.

Background

Usually, devices such as coffee makers of the present type, often referred to as a cafetiere or a French press, function in keeping with the principle that an amount of grinded coffee corresponding to the amount of coffee and strength is placed in the beaker and subsequently boiling water is poured over the grinded coffee. Subsequently, the lid with the filtration plunger is placed on the beaker, and the mixture of water and coffee is allowed to rest until the coffee has brewed. Subsequently, the filtration plunger is pressed to the bottom by pressing the plunger shaft, hereby pressing the coffee grounds to the bottom while the newly brewed coffee passes through the filtration plunger leaving it above said filtration plunger ready to use. When the coffee is emptied out, the lid and the filtration plunger are removed, and the coffee grounds are removed from the bottom of the beaker, possibly using a jet of water. The dry or semi-dry cake of compressed coffee grounds can sometimes be difficult to remove. Therefore, attempts have been made to place a bowl at the bottom of the beaker in order to collect the coffee grounds facilitating the removal thereof. International patent application no. WO 02067739, which has been filed with priority from Danish patent application no. 2001 00149, discloses a coffee maker or a so-called French press, where a reception bowl is placed at the bottom connecting mechanically with the piston when said piston is in its lowest position. The reception bowl almost operates as a plunger when extracting the coffee grounds as there is space between the filtration plunger and the reception bowl.

US patent no. 5.979.299 discloses a coffee maker that has an insert with a smooth inner side, and where the filtration plunger is arranged to frictionally mesh with the inner side of the insert along its periphery.

DE patent specification no. 34 32 286 C1 discloses a reception bowl connecting to the filtration plunger along its periphery by the use of snap means.

Disclosure of the Invention

An aspect of the invention is to produce a bowl allowing effective collecting of sediment, e.g. coffee grounds, and easy removal of the sediment along with the reception bowl from a beaker. It is a further aspect of the invention to provide a device permitting effective collecting of the sediment and easy removal of the sediment along with the reception bowl and subsequent, easy removal of the plunger with the filtration plunger from the reception bowl with sediment. According to the invention this is achieved in that the coupling means may be arranged slidably.

By arranging the coupling means slidably, said coupling means may, during displacement, activate a passage allowing equalisation of the resulting vacuum at the bottom of the bowl when the bowl is pulled up from the beaker.

Furthermore, it is achieved that the bowl can be removed from the plunger without risking that the plunger sweeps or otherwise causes coffee grounds to be forced out of the bowl when they are separated from each other. Due to the displacement, it is possible for the end user to achieve a space between the collected sediment and the plunger. Thereby, it is possible to disconnect the plunger easily from the bowl, and the sediment can be removed.

In an embodiment, the coupling means may be arranged slidably on the protruding part of the bowl. Thus, the coupling means is arranged slidably relative to the bottom of the bowl.

In an embodiment, the bowl may comprise a passage from the hollow part of the bowl to the outside of the bowl. In this way, the vacuum formed when the bowl is pulled up from the beaker is equalised.

In a further embodiment, the passage is provided by a space between the slidably arranged coupling means and a part arranged in the bowl, said part protruding upwardly from the bottom of the bowl. By this, it is achieved that a minimum of e.g. coffee grounds is forced to the other side of the bowl. This may be an advantage in the process of the full bowl being removed from the beaker and pressure equalisation in the space between the bowl and the bottom of the beaker is desired.

In a further embodiment, the upwardly protruding part of the bowl may comprise a tube section, which is open in both ends and is formed in one piece with the bowl, and at the opening closest to the bottom of the bowl, it has a circumferential groove for securing a snap ring, and at the opposite end, it has a annular inwardly protruding flange, and in that the coupling means of the bowl is mounted in a holder, which comprises a annular outwardly protruding flange for interacting with the inwardly protruding flange and the secured snap ring of the tube section, so that the holder is displacable back and forth therebetween.

In an embodiment according to the invention, the coupling means may comprise a magnet mounted on the bowl and a part on the plunger interacting therewith.

By basing the coupling means on a magnet, which is placed centrally, easy connection of the filtration plunger and the bowl is achieved along with confinement of the coffee grounds and easy removal of the bowl from the filtration plunger. The use of magnetic forces does not require an accurate placement of the filtration plunger in relation to the bowl in order for the connection to be implemented, just as an appropriate dimensioning of the magnetic forces allows connection, even though coffee grounds get inbetween. The release of the magnetic forces is relatively easy by gripping the bowl along the periphery and subjecting the plunger shaft, whereby the magnetic forces may be subjected to relatively large leverage forces. In an embodiment according to the invention, the coupling means may be a snap lock. Said snap lock could be similar to a snap fastener connecting a male part to a female part. For instance, the male part could be arranged slidably so that the female part was comprised in the plunger shaft. Especially advantageously according to the invention, the magnet may be mounted on a part in the bowl protruding upwardly from the bottom of the bowl thus facilitating easy connection between the interacting parts.

According to the invention, the magnet may be arranged slidably on the protruding part of the bowl providing an effective establishment of the connection regardless of the amount of sediment in the bowl.

Especially advantageously according to the invention, the protruding part of the bowl may comprise a tube section, which is open in both ends and is formed in one piece with the bowl, and at the opening closest to the bottom of the bowl, it has a circumferential groove for securing a snap ring, and at the opposite end, it has a circumferential inwardly protruding flange; the magnet might be mounted in a holder which comprises a circumferential, outwardly protruding flange for interacting with the inwardly protruding flange and the secured snap ring of the tube section, so that the magnet holder may be slid back and forth therebetween. This construction is particularly simple and in addition, a connection is established between the top surface of the bowl with the sediment and the bottom surface during the displacement of the magnet holder between the snap ring and the flange such that vacuum present between the bowl and the bottom of the beaker is equalised easily and hence, the bowl is easily lifted from the bottom of the beaker.

According to the invention, the magnet holder may comprise an outer cup for reception of the magnet abutting its bottom as well as an inner cup for securing the magnet in the outer cup, in that there are snap means for securing the inner cup in the outer cup, and the outwardly protruding flange is in immediate vicinity of the opening of the outer cup, thus achieving an especially simple magnet holder arranged slidably on the bowl.

Especially advantageously, the cylindrical side wall, the bowl, the tube section and the magnet holder may be substantially rotary-symmetrical.

Finally, according to the invention, the part of the filtration plunger interacting with the magnet may be attached to a cap provided with a screw for mounting of the filtration plunger on the plunger shaft. Brief Description of the Drawing(s)

The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the drawing(s), in which

Fig. 1 is a schematic, sectional view of a French press according to the invention with a bowl for reception complete with a magnet holder,

Figs. 2-4 show the lowest part of the French press seen in different steps of use following each other, and Figs. 5A and 5B show a further embodiment of the reception bowl. Detailed description of the Invention

The French press or plunger coffee maker shown on the drawing has abeaker 1 internally. Furthermore, the plunger coffee maker has a handle 2 and a non-drip spout 3. On the top it carries detachable lid 4 through which a plunger shaft 5 extends carrying a filtration plunger 6 at the bottom and activation knob 7 for manual activation of the plunger shaft 5. on top a The beaker 1 has a cylindrical side wall 8. Normally, the filtration plunger 6 is formed so as to abut relatively tightly on the cylindrical side wall 8. Fig. 1 as well as Figs. 2-4 show that the beaker 1 is part of a thermo jug, but the invention may be used in similar French presses constructed without thermo function in the form of both a beaker wall and an outer wall, said beakers with one wall could be made of glass or the like. At the bottom, the French press has a bowl 9 placed inside the beaker 1 formed in such way that it abuts tightly on the bottom 10 of the beaker 1 and the cylindrical side wall 8 adjacent to the bottom 10 of the beaker 1. The plunger shaft 5 complete with plunger 6 is made for sliding up and down in the beaker 1 during use and in the lowest position to be placed in the bowl 9 with the periphery of the filtration plunger 6 adjacent to its side wall.

Centrally placed at the bottom 11 of the bowl 9 is a tube section 12 formed in one piece with the bottom 1 1 of the bowl 9 ending freely at its lower side closest to the bottom 11 of the bowl 9. At the upper end, the tube section 12 has an inwardly protruding flange 13. Adjacent the opening at the bottom of the bowl, the tube section has a annular groove 14 co-operating with a rib 15 on a snap ring 16 in such way that it can engage with the bowl by snap effect. In the tube section 12, a holder, in this case a magnet unit, is arranged slidably, said holder having the general reference number 17. In this embodiment, said holder 17 comprises a magnet 18, and the holder 17 is thus a magnet unit 17 placed in a magnet holder 19. Said magnet holder 19 comprises an outer cup 20 that has an outwardly circumferential flange 21 along its opening edge on the exterior side and opposite the flange 21 an inwardly circumferential groove 22. Furthermore, the magnet holder 19 has an inner cup 23, which fits closely into the outer cup and which has an outwardly protruding rib 24 along its opening edge engaging in a snap-like way with the inwardly circumferential groove 22 of the outer cup 20. The magnet 18 is received in a cavity defined between the bottom of the inner cup 23 and the bottom of the outer cup 20.

In the inserted stage, the outwardly protruding flange 21 of the outer cup is adjacent to the internal side of the tube section 12 in such way that the magnet unit 17 is easily pushed back and forth between the upper inwardly protruding flange 13 of the tube section 12 and the lower snap ring 14.

The tube section 12 of the bowl 9 with the inwardly protruding flange 13 and snap ring 14 and the magnet unit abutting on these parts are produced having such a fit that in any position of the magnet unit 17, liquid and/or air can easily pass by the holder/magnet unit 17 to the bottom side of the bottom 11 of the bowl 9, i.e. to the cavity H2 (see Fig. 5). The magnet 18 of the magnet unit 17 is made to co-operate with a cap 25 provided with a thread into the filtration plunger 6 and used for fastening said plunger on the plunger shaft 5 by a thread placed on said plunger shaft. Naturally, the cap 25 is thus made of a material able to co-operate with the magnet 18.

The inner side 8 of the beaker 1 , the bowl 9 as well as the tube section 12 and the magnet holder 17 are all formed rotary-symmetrically around a joint central axis. However, the beaker adjacent to the spout 3 has a shape facilitating the transition to said spout. The plunger shaft 5 and the filtration plunger 6 are formed substantially rotary-symmetrically around the same central axis when mounted on the coffee maker. In addition, the filtration plunger 6 is a commonly known type and is dimensioned so that with a small pre-tensioning, it abuts the inner side 8 of the beaker, thus also abutting the inner side of the bowl 9 by reception therein. By use of the described coffee maker, a French press, grinded coffee is placed in the beaker in a normal fashion after the bowl 9 has been inserted. The coffee may be placed in the bowl 9 before the bowl 9 is placed at the bottom of the coffee beaker 1. Subsequently, hot water is poured in the beaker 1 until a desired level. Then, the filtration plunger 6 with the plunger shaft 5 and the lid 4 is placed in the coffee maker, and after appropriate standing, the filtration plunger 6 is pushed down through the mixture of grinded coffee and water (see Fig. 2) during which the coffee passes through to the top side of the filtration plunger 6, while the coffee grounds are pushed down in the direction of arrow A1 eventually being pressed together at the bottom of the bowl 9 (see Fig. 3 where the coffee grounds are shown with reference number 26). In the lowest position of the filtration plunger 6, the magnet unit 17 is connected with the cap 25, and they are kept together by magnetic forces. During the pressing down of the filtration plunger 6, liquid is also passed round the magnet holder 17 to the lower side of the bottom 1 1 of the bowl 9 thus equalizing the vacuum otherwise arising in this place. When the coffee has been emptied out of the coffee maker, the coffee grounds are removed by lifting the filtration plunger 6 in the direction of arrow A2 with the bowl 9 connected to said plunger by means of the magnet unit 17. This process has been fascilitated by the creation of a passage between the cavities H1 and H2 (via H1 '), in that there is a passage between the outer cup 20 and the inner side of the tube 21. In a simple manner, this has been achieved by a relatively loose fitting. Thus, vacuum is not created underneath the bowl 9 when bowl and plunger 6 are lead in the direction of arrow A2 (out of the beaker). When the bowl 9 has come out of the beaker 1 , it is removed from the filtration plunger 6 and emptied of coffee grounds 25. After emptying and cleaning of the bowl 9, it is placed once more in the beaker 1 ready for a new brewing. The bowl and the matching magnet unit are produced with dimensions matching the beaker concerned and the amounts of coffee usually brewed in this connection. In an embodiment the bowl may have a diameter of 60-90 mm. Both the bowl with the tube section and the inner and outer cups of the magnet unit are all made of acrylonitrile- butadiene-styrene terpolymer (ABS). The magnet is a suitable permanent magnet made of a suitable material and with a suitable strength for maintaining the connection between the filtration plunger and the bowl during the process of emptying.

Figs. 5A and 5B show a further embodiment of the bowl 9 where the connection unit 40 (framed with punctured line) comprises a male part 41 and a female part 42 together working as a lock functioning in a snap-like way. The female part 42 of the lock functioning in a snap-like way is sketched placed on the plunger shaft 5 underneath the filter (the filter 6 is only indicated with a punctured line - only a small part of a plunger shaft is shown). Both the male part 41 and the female part 42 could be mounted on their respective positions with a screw, glued on. Likewise, the male part could be cast into e.g. the holder 17, or the female part could be an integrated part of e.g. the cap 25 (not shown). In this embodiment, the holder 17 is not provided with a magnet and is therefore only referred to as a holder and not a magnet unit.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. Many changes can be made without thus deviating from the scope of the invention. For instance, the described parts may have other shapes than the rotary-symmetrical shape, just as they may be made of other materials. To ensure the passage of liquids from the outside of the magnet unit to the underside of the bowl, depressions or the like may have been formed in the parts abutting each other. The length of the tube section may be adjusted to the amounts of grinded coffee normally used, so that the amounts of coffee grounds are at a level below the upper end of the tube section when the coffee has been emptied out of the coffee maker. The invention is described in connection with the making of coffee. Naturally, it can also be used for the making of tea or other drinks. Finally, the invention may also apply to makers where the plunger is driven mechanically instead of manually.