Backaround of the Invention.

"The background of the invention" as set out in Pergola et al. U.S. Patent 5,518,743 is also applicable to the present invention and is incorporated by reference as if fully repeated herein, with the following exception: Such background discussion in Pergola et al. concludes with the statement that there is a need to provide the consumer with coffee of a variety of flavors through the use of a predetermined flavored filter. In light of the present invention, such need is better expressed as a need for a predetermined filtering package wherein both filtering and flavoring functions are performed, rather than expressing it as a need for a predetermined flavored filter as such.

Brief descrintion of the invention In the present invention, a conventional coffee filter is replaced by a filter-cum-flavoring package, by which is meant a package containing a flavoring and in which a paper filter forms

a wall. The filter-formed wall is the upstream wall of the package. When used in a conventional filter drip or automatic filter drip brewer, the result is a brewing system wherein the producing of a filtered filtrate of the coffee brew and the flavoring of the filtrate are performed as two separate and sequential steps. An advantage of this sequence as compared simultaneous filtering and flavoring is greater uniformity efficiency and consistency in flavoring results.

Brief description of the drawings In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank cut from a multilayered web and adapted to be formed into a filter-cum- flavoring package according to one example of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a filter-bag-shaped package formed and constructed by folding and marginally fastening the blank of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, and on the same scale as FIGS. 1 and 2, such scale being too small a scale to show the individual layers of the package.

FIG. 4 is on the same scale as FIGS.. 1-3, and shows the package rof FIG. 3 after its mouth has been spread open for receiving coffee grounds (not shown) when or after the package is placed in the brew basket of a conventional manual or automatic filter drip machine.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of portions of a lower part of FIG. 5 on an enlarged scale, and showing the three layers of which the filter-cum-flavoring package in the

illustrated example of the invention consists.

Detailed description of the invention As mentioned above, in the present invention, a conventional coffee filter is replaced by a filter-cum-flavoring package by which is meant a package containing a flavoring and in which a paper filter forms a wall. The overall form of the package may be similar to that of a conventional coffee filter so that the package can replace a conventional filter in a brewing basket.

The package may be of a shallow multiple-layered shape, with the top layer comprising a filter and the flavoring being carried in a layer separate from and below the top layer, or contained between the top layer and a lower layer.

The flavoring may be directly or indirectly supported on or association with the inside or downstrea,m face of the filter, provided that the filter is not clogged by the flavoring or by the indirect support for the flavoring. Direct support of the flavoring on the downstream side of the filter, although contemplated, may be difficult to accomplish without clogging of the filter paper. Indirect support of the flavoring on the filter may be by use of a layer of woven or unwoven fabric or scrim or large-pore paper or other support-web element fixed on or next to the underside or downstream side of the filter paper in supporting relationship with the flavoring and designed to allow the brewed coffee to complete its passage through the filter and form a filtered filtrate of the brewed coffee in an

unimpeded manner. In particular, such layer or support web may consist of a second layer of filter paper, but one impregnated with flavoring agent as disclosed in Pergola et al. U.S. Patent 5,518,743, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference as if fully repeated herein. Instead of or in addition to supporting the flavoring directly or indirectly on or in association with the inside or downstream face of the filter-cum flavoring package, the flavoring may be supported or carried by a bottom wall or layer of the package, or the flavoring may be contained between the two outer walls or layers of the package.

The flavoring may be contained in a fibrous "insert" of the kinds disclosed in Loizzi U.S. Patent 5,043,172, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference as if fully repeated herein, such insert being contained within the filter-cum- flavoring package of the present inventipn so that such insert would be located on the downstream side of the filter, rather than upstream thereof as in Loizzi. Or, such "insert" might itself form the second (downstream) wall of the filter-cum- flavoring package. Such insert may be shaped similarly to the filter. ' It may be located immediately adjacent the downstream side of the filter so that the filter-cum-flavoring package consists of double-wall construction with no internal chamber or layer between the walls, with the filter on the upstream side and the "insert" on the downstream side of the package, or the "insert" may be spaced from the downstream side of the filter.

The insert and the other layers may have one of the various shapes disclosed in Loizzi, or other shapes.

The flavoring may comprise flavoring solids or oils that may be encapsulated, granulated, powdered, or in gel form, and may be one of the flavoring agents disclosed in Loizzi or one of the preselected essential oils disclosed in Pergola et al., or any other suitable flavoring.

From a method standpoint, when coffee is brewed in a standard brewing machine using a filter-cum-flavoring package as above described in place of a conventional filter, coffee is brewed and flavored in the following steps: A filtered filtrate of a brew of the coffee is formed by brewing the coffee in a brew chamber and passing the coffee through a filter proper to produce filtered filtrate of the brewed coffee at the downstream side of the filter. A flavoring agent is then exposed to the filtered filtrate by flowing the filtrate past it at the downstream side of the filter to thereby add flavor associated with the flavoring agent to the filtered filtrate. Thus the steps of producing filtered filtrate and adding flavor to the filtered filtrate are substantially separate and sequential.

An advantage of this sequence as compared simultaneous filtering and flavoring is greater uniformity and consistency in flavoring results. The amount of coffee solids removed by a filter proper can vary from locality to locality across the area of the paper itself, depending on variations in porosity of the paper, and depending also, or alternatively, on variations in density of solids content in different increments of the coffee brew volume (clumping) and consequent variations in the density

of removed solids at various increments of the filter area.

These conditions can result in substantial variance in. rates of through-put of the brew at different local areas of the filter paper. When the same filter paper is impregnated with flavoring, such conditions tend to be exacerbated, and variations. in local through-put can thin out or use up the flavoring at local areas of relatively high through-put, and to a degree cause fluid by- pass around areas of partially blocked or low through-put, whereby the high flow areas are starved for flavoring but produce a relatively high proportion of the total through-put, thereby underflavoring it to an extent. Because of these effects, the degree of flavoring can vary from brew to brew, thus undesirably making the flavoring results more uncertain than otherwise for any given brew. This effect can be avoided or minimized with the present invention, thus providing greater uniformity and consistency in flavoring results.

Such improvement in uniformity and consistency of flavoring results can be enhanced in many instances by providing the filter-cum-flavoring package of the invention with an internal diffusing space, thus allowing the varying throughputs of filtered filtrate passing from the filter proper at different local areas to diffuse to a greater or lesser degree before the flavoring is exposed to the filtrate, thereby in turn providing a more eVen distributibn of throughput rates at the incoming side of the layer in which the flavoring is exposed to the filtrate.

In the particular example of the invention shown in the drawing, a filter-cum-flavoring package is provided in three- layer form, Web stock comprising all three layers is cut into a blank 10 formed similarly to a conventional paper web used in a filter trip brewer. This form is then folded around fold line 12 to form the corresponding closed edge 14 in FIG. 2. The side edges other than the rim are then joined by interlocking

embossments or the like in fastening zones 16 in the manner of conventional paper filters to complete formation of the filter- cum-flavoring package 18 as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, much as a conventional piece of filter paper is formed so that when the package 18 is expanded or opened to receive ground coffee 19, as seen in FIG. 4, the filter is then shaped to be more or less congruently received in a brew basket.

In the particular package shown in the drawings, a third, diffusing layer is provided in addition to a filter paper layer and a flavor carrying layer. The three separate layers 21, 22 and 23 of this package are seen in FIG. 5. The top layer 21 comprises the filter paper proper. The bottom flavor-carrying layer 22 may comprise a second web of filter paper impregnated with a flavoring agent, such as described in Pergola et al., but located below or downstream of the filter proper 21 in the present invention. Or, the flavor-carrying layer 22 may comprise a fibrous "insert" of the kinds disclosed in Loizzi, such insert being located on the downstream side of the filter, rather than upstream thereof as in Loizzi. The fibrous material of the insert is selected to be sufficiently flexible to allow folding of the blank 10 into the filter-cum-flavpring package 18. The layer 22 preferably has a greater porosity than the filter paper layer 21.

Another advantage of the invention is that, unlike prior systems such as Pergola, it avoids any reliance on the layer that is doing the filtering to also add the flavoring. Flavoring in the form of coffee oils or essences can be absorbed by the fibers of the paper filter -- a blotting effect that can degrade the flavoring action. On the other hand, as with the present invention when the filter itself is not relied on to carry the flavoring, but another layer below the filter does so, such other layer, such as the layer 22 in the particular example illustrated, can be selected to be non-absorbent of or less absorbent of coffee oils and essencesor other flavorings than the filter layer would be (the filter layer 21 is the particular

example illustrated), thus eliminating or minimizing the blotting effect referred to. This further contributes to uniformity and consistency in flavoring results achieved by the invention.

In the illustrated example, the middle or third layer 23 is provided in the form of a mesh, woven or unwoven fabric, paper or scrim to provide a diffusion space or zone for the filtered but as yet unflavored filtrate leaving the inner side of the filter paper layer 21, thereby improving uniformity and consistency in flavoring results, as previously mentioned. The openness or porosity of this diffusion layer 23 is preferably very high as compared to that of the flavor-carrying layer 22, which in turn is preferably higher than that of the layer 21 of filter paper proper.

From a method aspect, the invention may not use the filter- cum flavoring package described above but may instead perform the method by inserting a flavor-impregnated paper such as, shown in Pergola et al. or an insert such as shown in Loizzi, or similar flavor carrier layer, immediately below or on the downstream side of a fine-mesh, permanent-type, metal or plastic filter or the like, or preferably in slightly spaced relationship therewith to provide a diffusing space between the pemanent-type filter and the carrier for the flavoring.

This disclosure is by way of example, and various changes may be made by adding, modifying or eliminating details without departing from the fair scope of the teaching contained in this disclosure. The invention therefore is not limited to particular details of this disclosure except to the extent that the following claims are necessarily so limited.